Legends of Equestria: The Long Road Back

by JimmyHook19

Border crossing

The very next morning, the sun opened its sleepy eye upon British Columbia, and the city of Vancouver began to awaken from its slumber, with people rising from their beds to go about their work and start their days. Indeed, this would also be the procedure followed by a pair whom we have been following on a long journey from Alaska, as the morning sun soon began to penetrate the room and flow onto the eyelids of Mistmane and Starswirl.

Starswirl was the first to awaken, getting off the bed and levitating his hat onto his head. "I do say," he said. "Is it really morning already? It feels like only a few moments since we went to bed."

"I think we both had a very long day," Mistmane replied, as she herself got up and looked in a mirror. "But at least we both got a good night's rest out of this day, so the day certainly counted for something."

"Indeed," Starswirl noted, as he searched the room for a coffee maker. "Have you seen a coffee machine anywhere? There does not seem to be one in this room."

"That's strange," Mistmane sighed. "Most of these places have a coffee machine somewhere, and I suspect we need it given how far we have to go today."

"How far are we going today?" Starswirl asked. "Ah! Found it at last!"

"A very long way, to a place where the rivers and land meet the ocean."

"Very cryptic," Starswirl replied as he switched the TV on. "You'd give Somnambula a run for her money."

Suddenly, CNN flickered to life on the screen. The image, a live feed, showed a large city burning with flames and smoke pouring into the air, as well as strange individuals walking around.

The news caption read BREAKING NEWS: EDMONTON ALBERTA DESTROYED BY UNKNOWN FORCE.

The newsreader began. "Footage sent to us has revealed that the town of Edmonton in Canada was destroyed by an unknown force yesterday. According to eyewitness accounts, strange paramilitary elements were seen in the city and were destroying anything in sight, as well as shooting anybody who got in their way. Who this group is and what their motivation for such an act is is unclear, but the scale of the destruction creates the impression of a foe who is not to be messed with. We turn to our domestic terrorism correspondent, James Whitley."

Starswirl turned the screen off as he glanced back to Mistmane. "I think we've seen enough of that," he said. "But that was my point. Project 722 will stop at nothing to contain us. As you can see there, they destroyed an entire town to ensure no news of us got out, and I suspect it was an act of retaliation as well."

"If they're fully prepared to destroy towns," Mistmane said quietly, "what would they do to us if they caught us?"

"Which is why they aren't going to catch us," Starswirl replied. "Let's have breakfast and then leave quietly. That way, we can be on the road before anypony sees us."

"Good idea," Mistmane replied. And so it was settled.

---

Once they had had their breakfast in the tavern that sat in the lobby of the hotel, frequented by both humans and ponies, the duo set off on their journey, starting by heading northwest, and then turning right and left several times as they navigated through the streets of Vancouver. A few more turns and twists (or twists and turns depending on which turn of phrase you prefer), and the pair crossed over a bridge and turned left afterwards. Large scale construction work threatened to slow their progress, so they passed by the roadworks on the sidewalk and crossed a river once again, before passing over some more of the iron rails and another river. At long last, the city was left behind them, and the pair found themselves trotting through rolling field and open farmland as far as the eye could see.

"This region would certainly seem to be the bread basket of British Columbia," Starswirl observed. "The land is flat, and certainly quite easy to cultivate thanks to the abundance of water, sun, and a temperate climate."

"Not to mention those strange whirling things as far as the eye can see," Mistmane pointed out. Large iron monsters patrolled up and down these fields, with strange whirling components that seemed to be sucking the plants up and taking them elsewhere. Precisely where Mistmane didn't know, but it ultimately didn't matter.

At long last, they left Canada behind and returned to the USA, and having successfully dodged border patrols (a task that was not easy given how many people had been assigned to guard an incredibly peaceful border), joined a road marked I5 and stayed on that. Keeping right, the pair crossed Dakota Creek and a river, before pausing in another town for a rest (their legs were tired from a very long walk today). Once more, the scenery began to change, the rolling plains giving way to unforgiving mountains and wild ranges, as they passed alongside a lake, a few more towns, as well as several rivers.

At long last, their great destination for the day loomed into sight before them, although a city that large would be a hard thing to miss, given how much light it seemed to put out each and every minute of the day. They crossed over a bay, taking a nearby exit, and merged onto another road on their way. They turned right, continued straight ahead, and then took several left turns before arriving at what Mistmane stated was their stop for the day. Their journey was done for the day, and the pair needed to rest, so they headed in, acquired their room keys for their rooms, and headed up into the hotel and found the rooms. Once inside, they made themselves comfortable, and dozed off to sleep after dinner several hours later, ready for whatever the world was to throw at them tomorrow.

Author's Note:

So long Canada and back in the United States once more for real now! :D

So as per usual.... here's the overview of the segment covered in the chapter. :3

Next Chapter will arrive on... January 27th, 2021. ^^

Comments

[The Blue EM2]

Another one down. And a new destination to boot.

[JimmyHook19]

10628002
Indeed =3

[The Blue EM2]

10628006
I notice that the ANs on these often vary in length quite considerably.