The Phoenix Project

by Cydon

Chapter 6 Ponyville Express/ Welcome To Ponyville

Chapter 6 Ponyville Express

SCREEEeeeee The sound of the trains brakes jolts me awake and the sudden lurch forward send me across the cabin. I land in a heap on top of Sky.

"You're squishing me."

"Sorry." I untangle myself from Sky and get up, looking out of the window I see the desert. "Why'd we stop?"

"I don't know we are not due to arrive in Ponyville for a few more hours." The Professor and Sky had worried looks on their faces.

"I'm gonna go check it out you two stay here."

"Ok." I open the door and step out of the cabin. It was quiet, I look up and down the hall and see nothing out of the ordinary. 'I should probably head for the engine.' I traverse the car and slide the door open stepping onto the catwalk between cars. The morning sun is beginning to rise over the horizon as I open the door to the next car. 'Looks like a nice day.' A few ponies are hiding behind their seats shaking in fear. 'Here's hoping they don't freak out on me.'

"Excuse me." The pony jumps and spins around to face me.

"AHHhh... oh it's you. You're the creature that saved Appleloosa from the Changelings."

"That's me."

"You gotta help us the Changelings are on the train!" Just then three Changelings rip open the door on the other side of the car.

"And here I thought it was going to be a nice day." I pull my pistol out of it's holster and point it at the lead Changeling.

"ALRIGHT YOU BUGS WHO WANTS TO DIE FIRST?" The Changelings look at me and steel their gaze determination clear in their buggy eyes.

"The Queen wants to see you creature, Get him." The Changelings run towards me quickly closing the gap between us, I shoot one in the shoulder causing it to crash into another the third is about to hit me with it's horn when a saddlebag flies into it and causing it to trip. I look to the earth pony and he gave me a nod. I shoot the Changeling before it could get up. The other two get up and I shoot the unwounded one. The last Changeling looks at me in fear. "You will see the Queen soon creature."

"I'm sure I will." I put one right between it's eyes. It slumps to the floor and I move to the door the Changelings came in from. I look through the window, there were three more Changelings in this car but they are distracted as they begin to feed on the ponies. I slide the door open quietly and creep up to the nearest Changeling knife in hand. I stab the first Changeling putting my hand over its mouth to keep it quiet. After it stopped moving I glance at the other two Changelings. 'Still distracted.' I sneak over to the next one but just as I get there it turns around having finished feeding. It see's me and its dead friend and lets out an insectoid screech. It lasts less than two seconds as I punch it in the throat and shoot the third Changeling before it can react. The one I punched falls to the ground gasping for breath and manages to say.

"Even if you kill us creature we will never stop hunting you, my brothers will be avenged and the Queen will get what she wants."

"She can try." I stomp its throat in and move to the next car. The next cars were empty save for some terrified ponies as I make my way to the engine. When I reach the engine I see the conductor lying on the floor, I reach over and shake him.

"Hey, are you okay?" The conductor slowly gets up.

"Yes I think so who are you?"

"A friend, is the train okay?"

"I think so let me check." the conductor turns around and fiddles with various controls as I make to leave. I hear clopping behind me and turn just in time to see the conductor headbutt my stomach. I grunt and slide backwards, 'No hole in stomach no horn no magic.' I grab him by the neck and pick him up off the ground he was heavy but I held him there.

"What was that for?" He looks at me with a smug grin, with a flash of green he turns into a Changeling. "Oh. Guess I should have seen that coming." The Changeling bucks me in the chest but it was weak as it's face was turning blue. It gasps out.

"You cannot help your friends now creature." I look at it confused as it passes into unconsciousness. 'But they were...oh no.'

"NO." I roar snapping its neck and sprinting for the cabin with Sky and the Professor. The shocked ponies get out of my way as I fly through the train. Halfway there I hear a scream. 'No.'

"SKY!" I run even faster and crash through the door to our cabin my eyes sweep the room, it was destroyed cushions were strewn everywhere some ripped open. The seats were broken and Sky was nowhere to be seen, I hear a groan from the corner.

"Professor are you okay?" The Professor was leaning against the wall covered in bruises.

"I'll live, you have to save her they went towards the Caboose." The Professor grit his teeth and rolls over putting his head down on a cushion. "Hurry."

"I'll be quick." I grab my rifle from the luggage rack and run out the hole I made. 'Caboose this way.' I hear another scream calling for help. 'Faster.' I put all my might into going faster but all the running was taking its toll and I slow down as I reach the Caboose. I open the door and see two Changelings dragging Sky out the back of the train.

"HELP!"

"STOP RIGHT THERE CHANGELING SCUM!" The Changelings turn around and look at me, they grin and laugh. 'I didn't know their voices could be any more irritating.' The Changelings leap off the back of the train and start flying away with Sky. 'Oh no you don't.' "TARA I need a scope."

"I have it." Tara's robot arm shoots out of the pack holding a scope that I quickly attach to my rifle. 'Here's hoping.' I step out onto the rear of the Caboose and steady the rifle, I take aim at one of the Changelings holding Sky.and let the lead fly. The shot hits it in the spine and it falls from the sky landing with a thud. Sky takes the opening and uses her free hoof to punch her other captor freeing her from its grasp. She falls until she was near the ground and throws open her wings stopping her decent, she flaps hard as she flies back to the train. The other Changeling flees quickly into the sunrise before I can take another shot.

Sky flies up to the train and lands next to me quickly giving me a hug. "Thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you." I return the hug.

"I'm glad you're safe, are you hurt?"

"No, they came in and grabbed me so I screamed but the Professor tried to fight back. They dragged me out and then I heard you yell."

"We should check on the Professor he was pretty beat up when I found him." We hurried back to the cabin and stepped inside, the place was still a mess and the Professor was asleep but still breathing. The train whistles and begins to move again. 'Glad that's over.' I move some cushions into a makeshift chair and sit down, Sky curls up on my lap and sighs.

"We will be in Ponyville in a few hours lets get some rest before then." I look out the window as the desert rolls by, slowly being replaced by grass. 'A short nap won't hurt, all that running made me tired.' I close my eyes and listen to Sky's gentle breathing.

________________________________________________________________________

Welcome to Ponyville

I awoke to the train whistle, I peek out the window, ponies are milling about the station, the conductor knocks on the door to the cabin.

"Welcome to Ponyville we will be leaving in two hours, so go stretch your legs but don't forget your tickets." The conductor walks away and I look down to Sky who was looking back at me.

"Wanna go get some lunch?" Sky smiles and yawns before nodding in agreement. "What about you Professor?"

"I will wait here go have fun."

"Suit yourself. Lets go Sky." I stand up and Sky hovers next to me as we make for the nearest exit. "Any ideas?" We walk out of the station and into Ponyville proper.

"I've never been to Ponyville before, maybe we should ask a local?" She says gesturing to the market stalls nearby.

"Maybe you should I'll wait here, don't want to scare anypony."

"Yeah your probably right, I'll be right back." I nod and lean against the train station wall trying to look as nonthreatening as possible. The ponies were either staring at me or avoiding me entirely. I look up at the sky, it was a clear day save for that one cloud in the distance. 'No, it couldn't could it?'

"Tara binoculars." 'I know that pegasi can manipulate clouds but is that really.' Tara hands me some binoculars and I zoom in on the strange cloud. It was a large two story home with roman pillars and rainbow waterfalls. "..."

"Whatcha lookin at mister?" A voice spoke from next to me.

"..." I'm still too stunned to respond.

"Mister, are you okay?" The voice is growing concerned.

"That house is floating and has rainbow waterfalls."

"Well yeah that house is like so cool it belongs to the coolest pegasus ever." Said another voice.

"Scootaloo you always say that about Rainbow Dash." Says a third voice.

"Because it's true!" voice two argues.

"You two can argue later. We came here for ah reason." The first voice points out.

"Hmph."

"Okay."

"I don't think I've ever seen anything like you before mister what are ya anyway?" I look down from the cloud home of Rainbow. 'Rainbow in name rainbow in house and home.' Standing next to me are three small filly's an orange pegasus with a purple mane a yellow earth pony with a red mane with a red bow in it and a white unicorn with a purple and pink mane.

"I am a human and I am the last of my kind."

"Oh, sorry we didn't know."

"It's fine. Who are you?"

"Ahm Applebloom." Said the yellow filly.

"My name is Sweetie Belle." Said the white unicorn.

"Name's Scootaloo." Said the orange pegasus.

"I am Cydon a pleasure to meet three brave young filly's. Say, you wouldn't happen to know a good place to get a bite to eat would you?"

"You could go to Sugarcube Corner they sell sweets treats and all things good to eat."

"That sounds awesome."

"Applebloooom! Where are ya? It's time ta go home."

"Sweetie Belle! It is time to leave darling."

"Aw shoot that's mah sis, gotta go see ya'll later."

"Me too bye!"

"I think I'll go too, later Big C."

"Goodbye girls. Thanks for the info." 'Big C? Heh nice kids.' I went back to leaning against the wall a few minutes later Sky flies up to me. "Any luck?"

"I heard about several places. Who were you talking to?"

"Just some filly's that were brave enough to talk to the big scary monster, Rawr." Sky laughs "They also told me about this place called Sugarcube Corner wanna check it out?"

"That was the place most ponies recommended."

"Well ain't that a coinkydink. Do you know the way?"

"It's the gingerbread house just down the street."

"Gingerbread? Heh I wonder if anypony has tried to eat it before." Sky shakes her head and starts trotting down the street I follow her as the ponies part before us. 'It's no fun having everypony afraid of me but at least nopony is in the way.'

We reach the bakery and sure enough it looks like a gingerbread house complete with gumdrops. We step inside and walk over to a table and sit down. A yellow stallion looks at me warily and goes to the back, shortly after a pink pony bounces out and over to us a large smile on her face.

"Hiya I'm Pinkie Pie and I'm here to take your order how can I help you today and *GASP* I'VE NEVER SEEN YOU BEFORE and that means I'm not your friend, yet, would you like to be my friend? I need to plan your welcome party. OHHH this is so exciting! We can have cupcakes and cake and-"

"Pinkie." I try.

"-balloons and streamers and-"

"Pinkie." I try harder.

"-play games and-"

"PINKIE." I shout. She stops and smiles.

"Yes new super best friend?"

"You said your last name is Pie?"

"Yeah'huh! My full name is Pinkamena Diane Pie why?"

"Your uncle's Silver and Dutch say hello."

"OH! You know uncle Silver and uncle Dutch! That's wonderful how are they?"

"They're doing great. They are working the orchard in Appleloosa with Braeburn."

"That is good news. I hope they're enjoying themselves. Have you decided on what to order yet?"

"Um I'll have some Blueberry Muffins."

"I'll have the Cupcakes."

"Super I'll be right back with that." With that she bounces away back into the kitchen.

"Well that was interesting."

"You can say that again." Pinkie bounces back out of the kitchen with our food somehow staying balanced on her back the whole time.

"Here you go Blueberry Muffins and Cupcakes your total is five bits, you can pay when you're ready, enjoy your food! Oh and by the way are you going to be staying in Ponyville?"

"Actually we are on our way to Canterlot." Pinkies hair started to deflate a little. 'What the hell?' "Um but we will be coming back soon didn't you say something about a party?" Her hair instantly repoofed and her smile grew across her whole muzzle.

"I did! You can't miss your welcome to Ponyville party it's like the most important party ever except for-"

"We get it Pinkie and we would love to come but we have business in Canterlot first."

"Okay." And Pinkie bounced away.

"How?"

"Lets just eat."

"Yeah." We ate in almost silence the occasional mmmm or ahhh filling the air. We sadly finish our delicious food and head to the counter. The yellow stallion still looks nervous but doesn't run as we approach.

"Thank you for the meal sir it was delicious."

"Umm you're welcome."

"Here are your bits have a good day."

"Yes." Sky placed the bits on the counter and we walk out headed for the train station. Suddenly a blue and rainbow blur shoots past us into the bakery.

"What was that?"

"Just some pegasus in a hurry."

"Huh." We continue on, as we pass a large tree with a sign in front that said Ponyville Golden Oaks Library, the blue blur shoots by again carrying something pink.

"HINEWSUPERBESTFRIENDSBYENEWSUPERBESTFRIENDS!"

"Was that?"

"I think so. It's almost time for the train to leave we should pick up the pace." We pick up the pace and arrive at the train station in time. After showing our tickets to the conductor we go back to our cabin. I sit down in our cabin, the benches had been repaired and the cushions replaced. I looked out the window, six ponies were standing in a circle talking.

"Hey is that Pinkie and the blue blur?" Sky comes over to the window to look.

"Hmm yep looks like it."

"Wonder what their up to?" Through the window I catch a bit of their conversation.

"Alright girls everypony ready?...Lets go." The six board the train.

"I guess Pinkie will be in Canterlot too then." The train's whistle sounds as it begins chugging forward. The conductor knocks on the door.

"We will be in Canterlot in a few hours enjoy the ride."

"How was your day Professor?" He rolls over from his position on the other bench.

"Boring."

"Did you run out of stuff to learn on the datapad?"

"Datapad? Oh... um yes I learned it all." He looks confused for a moment.

"Wow you must be a fast learner there was a lot of stuff on that pad."

"Yeah."

"You okay you don't seem very talkative?"

"Just tired."

"Well okay then get some sleep we'll wake you when we get there."

"Okay." The Professor rolls back over and closes his eyes. 'I hope he's okay.'

Author's Note:

Um, you know, I got nothing interesting to say this time, so, yeah, it would help me if you would let me know what you like and what you don't like about this story and if I miss something in my proofreading let me know. So as always my friends remember to keep calm and brony on this is Cydon signing off.

Edit: March 11, 2013 I don't have to say something every time I revise a chapter that would just be silly.