Gleaner Chronicles

by sevenofeleven

Chapter Six: A Latte Grande with Luna

Gleaner Chronicles

Equestria
Shatterleg Wastes

Margot slowly returned to reality while voices wondered about her condition. Her head pounded like it was a drum.

“Was she drained?” Skybreeze asked with concern while she peered closely at Margot with worried eyes.

“No, she hit her head on a rock,” Far replied as he looked around for more threats.

“Nga'Devro wonders about all of that blood,” Nga'Devro said as he looked away. It seemed like his stomach was doing slow rolls. He did not want to lose the food the ponies gave him.

When she opened her eyes, Margot could see ponies looking down at her. Shame rolled through her heart. She wanted to help out not become a casualty.

Far used some of his water to wash some of the blood out of Margot’s fur. Apple Bloom walked up to Margot and put her hoof near her head wound. A blue glow flowed from her left forehoof. Margot’s pain faded away.

”Thank you,” Margot said. She still wished that the blow to her ego could be healed that quickly. Apple Bloom just nodded.

“What happened?” Margot asked when she managed to push her feelings of failure away.

“We destroyed the Remnants. Quickly and effectively,” Skybreeze stated with a proud toss of her striped mane.

“You should have seen it Mahgot! Me and mah friends were granted Oonte’s Grace to give the Remnants peace,” Apple Bloom said with a smile, then she covered her mouth with a hoof when she yawned.

Margot watched as Apple Bloom slowly trotted next to Scootaloo and laid down in the grass to rest.

“Nga'Devro is amazed at the bravery of those fillies,” Nga'Devro said with admiration. He then said with lowered ears, “Nga'Devro could also see that their zeal will lead them into fatal situations.”

Margot shakily got up, and followed Far as he walked over to the supply cart. She did not miss the sight of the SHC lying on the ground getting their well earned rest. Far saw Margot look at the SHC lying in the grass. "If I had enough time, I would have gotten them blankets, but they hit the ground and were out like lights before I could do anything,"

Margot turned her attention to the supply cart. The sun bleached wood of the supply cart looked like it had been in the desert for years. Ropes that were sturdy now looked like they would turn into beige dust if Margot touched them. Skybreeze walked up to Margot and Far. She glanced at Nga'Devro who was acting like a sentry, looking for more threats. Then she used her telekinesis to open a food bag. The stink of dry rotted grain hit their noses.

“Manure!” Far cursed. Skybreeze opened a barrel of water. Dark green rancid liquid oozed out. Margot had to cover her nose with a hoof to keep the sour stink out. That did not work, the smell still got in.

“I am sorry that I risked all of your lives for this useless stuff,” Far said with drooping ears.

“Well, I didn't agree with you but at least we know what happened to the caravan and the supplies,” Skybreeze said as she shrugged optimistically.

“Nga'Devro thinks that we should be leaving this place soon,” Nga'Devro said while looking at the dead gray brown ponies.

“We’re ready to go!” Apple Bloom yelled as she and her cohorts walked up to Skybreeze, Margot and Far. Margot looked at the dead ponies, and wondered if she should do something. It didn’t seem right to just leave bodies of ponies lying around. They were someone’s friends or relatives. She looked at Far.

“Skybreeze-” Far started to ask her to deal with the dead.

“I understand,” Skybreeze said as she prepared a fire spell to burn the bodies. A green glow covered her horn for a few moments.

Scootaloo glanced at the Remnants. “Don’t worry, we have given them peace. Whatever made these things ponies is long gone.”

Then the dead ponies, tainted supplies and the ruined cart burst into flames. The group left as the dead ponies and the tainted supplies burned behind them. A plume of black smoke climbed into the darkening sky.

For a few moments, Margot watched as the orange flames licked over the dead ponies and the cart. She wanted to be gone but it didn’t seem respectful to the dead to rush off. So she looked at the other ponies.

Nga'Devro stood straight and tall while looking around for more threats. Scootaloo had already stopped watching the burning cart and ponies and was looking down the path. Apple Bloom kept looking at the other ponies to see when they were going to leave. For some reason Sweetie Belle had stopped watching things burn and was sniffling. Margot wondered if Sweetie was still worrying about her sister. On the other hoof, Skybreeze kept her gaze on the leaping flames. Every once in a while she would sigh. Far looked at Margot from across the flames. She thought she saw that the fur around his eyes was wet. She glanced at the burning cart again.

The flames had covered everything and it was getting hard to see the shape of the cart as black smoke began to rise. Margot watched the burning remnants and wondered if she would survive the next attack. Again she missed her magic as well as being human.

Finally Far raised his head. “Let’s go.” The group left as the dead ponies and the tainted supplies burned behind them. A plume of black smoke climbed into the darkening sky.

Margot did not say anything while her hooves tromped mechanically over the grey brown ground. She was still struggling with feeling so inept. Normally when she was human, she was competent. Now, Margot felt like a princess in a videogame, useless except as a trophy.

Far led them to the edge of the Shatterleg Wastes. The moon was rising in the dark blue sky when they climbed out of the crater. Oblivious stars sparkled above the ponies. When they got a few miles away, the tired ponies did not bother with stories. Far picked Nga'Devro to do first watch, and went to sleep while the stars silently turned in the night sky above them.

Margot thought about the day’s events, the feeling of being useless still bothered her. A darker thought surfaced, maybe she would never get her powers back? She pushed that thought away as her gray eyes closed in slumber.

The Starbucks on East 43rd Street and Fifth Avenue was filled with ponies. Some of them were using their laptops while others were chatting at tables. Margot glanced out the windows, and just saw a desert wasteland. Nothing but featureless grey brown sand burning under a black sun for miles. She did not think it made sense that this wasteland was outside, Margot was sure she was in Manhattan, but it felt like she was in a very vivid dream. A nagging doubt whispered maybe it was not exactly a dream. She was so into her thoughts, she did not notice that she was not sitting at a table alone.

“Be of good cheer!” somepony said.

“Who are you?” Margot asked when she turned to look at who was sitting at the table with her.

“Who are you?” Margot asked when she turned to look at who was sitting at the table with her. On her left, was a dark blue unicorn with wings. Her light blue mane sparkled like little stars were trapped inside, and it moved slowly like a breeze was blowing into her face. Margot watched as the large light blue tail floated behind the winged unicorn. She looked back into the unicorn’s face.

There was some levity, but there was a lot of tiredness too in the light blue eyes that returned Margot’s gaze. A Starbuck’s medium cup with a straw was surrounded by a blue glow that made it float in front of her. Every few minutes, the straw would move to the pony’s mouth and she would take a sip. A black crown lay on the table.

“My name is Luna and I am an alicorn princess,” Luna replied. Margot gazed down at her reflection on the shiny brown wooden table. A glum unicorn pony with limp blonde hair, pink fur and sad gray eyes returned her gaze.

“Gather up your courage, soon you will be in Lower Canterlot and we will talk again,” Luna said. A cold cutting wind blew through the store. The busy happy ponies started to scream and groan. Margot watched with fear as the ponies’ bright colors faded to grayish brown. Their eyes went dead and then filled with a poisonous green glow.

A sharp and cold voice said, “We shall talk too.”

An armored hoof touched her face gently, and Margot looked back at Luna. “Courage,” she whispered.

Margot woke with a gasp. A quick look around showed that it was getting close to dawn, the east was brightening. She watched the sleeping ponies as the sun rose. While she stood guard, the strange dream replayed itself in her mind. Margot was not looking forward to meeting the owner of the cold voice. She just knew there was going to be a lot she was not going to like today.

Author's Note: