Deliver Us

by Macgyver644200

Chapter One - The Adventure Begins

<<Three months earlier>>

“Well, the organizers have really outdone themselves this year.”

Twilight Sparkle wandered around the Ponies of the Book festival with a plate of marzipan. The town square of Ponyville had turned into a campground of blue, white, and green tents, some offering food, some offering crafts, and some serving as the home of performances. Twilight Sparkle’s saddlebags were bulging with the wares of several tents, and her number one baby dragon was carrying a book bag with more stuff. “Haven’t you only been to this one?” Spike asked.

Twilight blushed. “Well it looks like the organizers outdid themselves this year.”

“Oh, thanks Twilight!”

Twilight was suddenly hugged by Pinkie, dressed in a green sash, thankfully at a lower pressure and for a briefer period than normal. “I’m so glad that you like it! I mean, I wondered if you spent your first year in Ponyville reading because you didn’t want to come even though I invited you personally so that you could meet my congregation because you were curious about the idea of religion and you missed next year’s because...”

Pinkie was stopped by a blue hoof in her mouth. “Well, she’s here now,” Rainbow Dash said, similarly greenly attired. She turned to Twilight. “What’s that look supposed to mean?”

Twilight blushed again. “Sorry, I just…”

Rainbow Dash frowned. “You thought I couldn’t be a Muslim?”

“Well you don’t exactly observe the customs!” Twilight blurted out. “During every Ramadan I’ve been here, you actually taunted Pinkie with cupcakes every day of the month.”

“I’m an athlete, I’m exempt!”

“Not like you need a reason slack off from anything.”

Rarity and Sweetie Belle walked up in blue sashes. “Hey,” Pinkie said. “How’s everything going?”

Rarity rolled her eyes. “Better now that the big recital is over. Diamond Tiara pushed everyone in the children’s choir so hard that I think it damaged them. Every sentence Sweetie Belle says digs their big song deeper and deeper into my head! I don’t know if I’m ever going to get it out!”

“סליחה!” Sweetie Belle cried, “ אני לא יכול לעצור את עצמי!”

“Why does she have to come?” a blue-sashed Scootaloo groused. “Can’t her dad just leave her at home with Randolph or something?”

“Don’t Ah wish,” Apple Bloom sighed.

The rest of the Apples came up beside her, all wearing white. “So, Twilight, Spike,” Applejack started, “what d’ya think?”

“Very interesting,” Twilight said. “I can’t wait for the pilgrimage to start tomorrow, all the interesting places along the route.”

“I’m not looking forward to walking, though,” Spike groaned.

“Yeah,” Granny Smith sighed, “that’s why Ah have t’ stay home now. Ah don’ think mah joints are quite up to th’ task anymore.” She smiled. “Ah, well, ‘least Ah got t’ see Apple Bloom take mah place.”

Apple Bloom nodded. “Mm-hmm. Cutie Mark Crusaders…”

“PILGRIMAGE WALKERS!”

Rarity smiled. “They really are growing up, aren’t they?”

Spike frowned. “Mm-hmm.”

Rarity noticed Spike’s change in mood and quickly kissed him on the top of the head. “I’m so glad you decided to come, Spike. With Dad busy at school and Mum busy with the restaurant, I’m happy you had the time for an old flame.”

Spike smiled. “You’re an old friend, how could I say no? How’s Couture doing?”

“Better, actually. He’s finally told his parents about us dating. Ooh, I wish he lived here and not in Baltimare.”

Spike shrugged. “Aw well. Even if he’s missing, this should still be fun.”

<*>

“So,” the Interrogator mused in a perfectly normal voice. The six escapee ponies were bound in chains before him, untouched except for the pink one’s gag. “So, I understand you recently attempted to escape our fair city. Is our hospitality not good enough for you?”

None of the ponies answered. “I understand this is not your first trip to my humble abode,” the Inquisitor continued. “One of you, I believe, has stayed here almost a dozen times.”

He looked at Rainbow Dash, who snorted. “Y’know, I’m thinking of changing prisons, I’ve been asking for a penthouse cell for ages.”

The Inquisitor walked up to her. “Indeed you have.” He then stuck his fingers into Dash’s injured shoulder, which caused her to wince. “Unfortunately, we don’t have the money. We’ve even had to lay off some of the torturers.”

He removed his fingers and Dash hung loose. “We’ve also had to cut back on meals, so you’ll be eating a little light for the next few days. Farewell.”

He bowed and departed from the room.

“Well,” Rainbow Dash said, “here we are again.”

“Yep,” Applejack said, “nuttin’ t’ do but wait.”

Rarity groaned. “I’m going to feel so soah once we get down.”

“Please, I’m gonna’ be so bored until we get down. Now, what can I do while I’m chained up here?”

“Nothing.”

Rainbow Dash looked up at Twilight, who jerked her head over at Fluttershy, who was barely holding a whimper in. “Oh,” Dash said. “Don’t worry, Fluttershy: it’s gonna’ be fine.”

“Yeah,” Applejack added. “Ferget all the rumors yeh’ve heard ‘bout this place. The guards are no more interested in us than if we were made o’ cheese.”

“B-but…”

“OK, yeah, they beat us, starve us, and keep us awake until we’re zombies, but that’s all. They’ll only keep us for three days; after that, they have to let us go back to work.”

“But what abo-”

“OK, they maiht kill us, but that’s rare. ‘Asides, most of the ones who don’t come out were just kidnapped to serve hah-class jobs. Odds are we’ll make it, Ah promise.”

Fluttershy looked at Applejack for a while, then Rainbow Dash, who nodded. Her face didn’t change, but she sighed. “OK, I can do this. I’ve faced down all sorts of nasty things, this should be easy.”

“Of course it will,” Twilight said. “We’re together.”

All six nodded. They hung in silence for a moment before Rarity spoke up.

“Uh, Rainbow Dash, when is ahr jaileh coming back?”

Rainbow Dash groaned. “I told you to go before we started!”

“Yer one t’ talk,” Applejack mumbled.

“Hey, I didn’t know!”

<*>

An hour later and the barge had docked. A few yards from the dock, Spike disconnected his basket and quickly rowed under the dock. Once the coast was clear, he navigated to the shore and kicked out the sealed holes in the basket bottom. The next hour was spent navigating around the dock disguised as a basket, dropping to the ground whenever someone got close, then getting back up when they had turned away. Nerve-wrecking, but he finally made it to the other side of the camp.

Outside of a mine shaft was a large tent which Spike slipped into. Here young ones were kept while they rested with various injuries sustained in various ways. He looked across the tent and finally spied who he was looking for. Several foals let him pass as he slipped under the table, out of the guards’ sight and quickly made his way to the Cutie Mark Crusaders.

The three had aged before their time. Sweetie Belle was now covered in scars and cuts from falling rocks and whips. Scootaloo favored one of her hooves and had lost a few teeth. Worst of them was Apple Bloom, who now wore an improvised eyepatch over her left eye socket. All of them were skinny and fatigued, and all of them were surprised when Spike popped out from under their table.

“Spike?” Apple Bloom asked.

“Is that you?” Sweetie Belle asked.

“What happened?” Scootaloo said.

Spike shushed them. “Twilight managed to sneak me out of the city, but I lost my supplies. I need enough food for a week. Can you help me?”

“Well,” Sweetie Belle said, “I don’t know if we’ve got any food food, but we might be able to sneak you into the ore warehouse.”

Spike blanched. “I’d rather check the kitchens first,” he said.

Scootaloo hobbled forward. “I’ll check to see if they-”

“No, Scootaloo,” Apple Bloom said, “yer leg’s still injured. Ah’ll go.”

Apple Bloom slipped out of the tent. “So,” Scootaloo asked, “how’s everything?”

Spike shrugged. “Alright. I mean, Twilight and the others are in the dungeons right now, but otherwise business as usual.”

“How’d you get out?”

“Basket on the river. I was too small for the Net to catch. Hence why the other six aren’t here now.”

Spike fell silent, then Sweetie Belle laid a hoof on his shoulder. “You want to be with them, don’t you?”

Spike shook his head. “Of course not. I know what I’m supposed to be doing, and I know that it’s more important.”

“But you still don’t want to leave them.”

Apple Bloom re-entered the tent. “No luck. The chow wagon’s gone for th’ day. Looks like yeh don’t have a choice, Spahke, yeh’ll have ta’ take gems.”

“What’s the matter?”

The three whipped around to see Silver Spoon standing behind them. Her glasses were gone, but she barely needed them to begin with. “How long’ve yeh bin standin’ there?” Apple Bloom hissed.

“Long enough to know you need to get a lookout. And what’s wrong with gems, doesn’t Spike eat gems?”

Spike’s frown deepened. “Spoon,” Sweetie Belle started, “do you remember when Spike turned into a big dragon and tried to steal the whole town?”

“Yeah, but he’s better now, right?”

“Not really,” Spike said. “I’ve got a problem and I have to take a certain potion every day to keep my hormones in check. Otherwise I could start going kaiju again.”

“Ah.”

“Well,” Scootaloo said, “the ore warehouse is going to be pretty well defended. It’ll be impossible for us to get in unless we’re on a work detail, and we just got off our shi-.”

Silver Spoon dropped a small bag from out of nowhere at Spike’s feet. “Here. You need them more than I do.”

Spike took the bag and looked through it to find all kinds of gems. He paused for a moment at one point and smacked himself. Finally he said. “Yeah, this should do it.”

“What were you saving up for?” Sweetie Belle asked.

Spoon looked away. “Nothing.”

No-one believed her, but neither did they push the matter. Spike dropped the bag into the basket, pulled the drawstring closed and fastened the lid to the basket. He then put the basket on his back, holding it up with two straps his arms went into. “Thanks. Spoon.” He turned back to the other three. “Good luck.”

The three nodded. “We’ll cause a distraction,” Apple Bloom whispered, “you run.” Then the four fillies left.

Sure enough, there was a considerable amount of noise ten seconds later. The owners of angry voices ran down the lane next to the building. Spike took this as his cue to slip under the wall on the other side of the tent and make a break for it.

Spike didn’t stop until he was certain the guards wouldn’t see him, half-a-mile into the desert. Finally he slowed down and pulled off the backpack, pulling out the map. For a moment, he lingered over it, thinking of the mare who had drawn it up. Then, however, he stowed it into the basket and walked off into the desert.

Author's Note:

Hi guys, sorry this is late. Chapter two of PiM is oncoming, and I've thought of an idea for a oneshot which will need some fleshing out. Until then, here's this.

Comments

[TheGathering]

The Story Of Moses, told as a MLP Tale. This could have been interesting.