To Each Their Own

by Wheller

Chapter 1

Chronology notes:
Stop! You are reading the Fifth story in the series started by The Kindness of Strangers!

Please read The Kindness of Strangers first!
http://www.fimfiction.net/story/389/

The second part of the story is Putting the Pieces Back Together found here:
http://www.fimfiction.net/story/407/

The third part of the story is Midnight in the Heart of Equestria found here:
http://www.fimfiction.net/story/419/

This story is the direct sequel to Tomorrow is Always a New Day found here:
http://www.fimfiction.net/story/433/

To Each Their Own
Chapter 1

Busted.

That was really the only way to describe it. Sergeant Percy Tebbs, commander of M3 Light Tank 105 “Lord Stuart” was not exactly trained as a mechanic; at least that’s not what he’d been trained as by the South Island Army. He did know his way around an engine block. Enough to know that there was no way for him to fix the Lord Stuart, not with what he had here.

The problem was that Sergeant Tebbs was not on South Island. No, he was a world away, lying under the Lord Stuart in the quaint Equestrian town of Ponyville covered in snow. He couldn’t exactly hop over to the motor pool and get the parts he needed.

Well, that wasn’t accurate, theoretically he could, but it would be a very, very long hop.

“Bloody hell!” Tebbs called out in frustration,

“Something wrong?” a feminine voice from behind him asked. Twilight Sparkle had been doing her best to assist Tebbs in his vain attempts to fix the engine after it had blown up for driving around burning the wrong kind of fuel. Tebbs appreciated the help that she had given, but she was a pony, a pony that didn’t understand how the Lord Stuart worked.

“I can’t fix the engine,” Tebbs reported, pulling himself out from where he was working. “Not with what I have here. I need replacement parts, and the only place to get them would be a from a SIM supply depot.”

“Where’s the nearest one of those to here?” Twilight asked.

“Karlu Karlu, Northern Protectorate, South Island,” Tebbs reported.

“Oh,” Twilight said. “Well, we could always make it run on magic!”

“Oh, so you’re a comedian now? That’s funny. Real funny,” Tebbs smirked at her.

“Percy, I’m being serious. Watch,” Twilight said, her unicorn horn began to glow, and Lord Stuart’s wheels began to turn. The tank drove itself a few metres and stopped suddenly.

“Bloody hell!” Tebbs called out in astonishment. “How the hell did you do that?”

“Magic!” Twilight replied enthusiastically. “Unicorns are known for magic... do they not have magic users in South Island?”

“Well, yeah, but what they do is all trick of the eyes and smoke and mirrors... they don’t do that!” Tebbs exclaimed. “I appreciate the offer, but I don’t want to have my tank powered by a living being. It wouldn’t be right to use you or anyone who volunteered in that way. Not to mention if we came under attack from Gryphons... well we signed up to fight them, you didn’t. It just wouldn’t be right.”

One of Tebbs other crewmen, the youngest, Trooper Willoughby hopped around the corner onto the High Street, where the tank had been sitting since breaking down two weeks prior. Trotting besides him was Vinyl Scratch, the other unicorn who they had given a ride to Ponyville from the Hoofson Bay Area, after they had rescued them from hostile Gryphons, of whom South Island was at war with.

“Hey Sarge! Did the tank move!?” Willoughby cried out in astonishment. “Did you fix it?”

“No, Willoughby, I didn’t,” Tebbs said, giving no further explanation. “Something I can do for you trooper?”

“I’ve been talking to Vinyl here, about the other matter you’ve asked me to look into?” Willoughby said.

“Getting back in touch with command,” Tebbs said. “It’s not a secret here Willoughby, these are friends.”

“Yes, of course... anyway, Vinyl here says that she has a friend that’s a radio broadcaster in a city called Manehattan, one that she could convince to let us use to contact Regimental Command, let them know the Gryphons didn’t get us on our way back from bringing the ponies home,” Willoughby said.

“Sounds good to me, you volunteering trooper?” Tebbs asked.

“Of course sir. I know the Regimental frequency and all the updated channel codes. Sending anyone else wouldn’t make sense.”

“Well then, permission granted!” Tebbs said. “Hop to it!”

...

Vinyl Scratch was walking down the High Street of Ponyville, her saddlebags full of provisions that she would need on the month long walk to Manehattan. She had her own reasons for wanting to go back. She had an old friend that needed an apology.

Vinyl had had a problem with drugs in the past, Octavia, her best friend had gotten on the wrong end of one of Vinyl’s drug induced rages, and they’d had a falling out.

Vinyl had gotten clean, and she knew that she owed Octavia an apology, but until recently, she didn’t have the nerve to do it. It wasn’t until she met Rainbow Dash and Twilight Sparkle, on their way to the Hoofson Bay Area that she fully realised that friends were worth it. Even if this didn’t end well for Vinyl Scratch, she had to try. She owed it to Octavia.

“Vinyl Scratch!” a mare’s voice called out.

Vinyl turned and looked, standing at the other end of a side street stood a mint green unicorn and a crème coloured earth pony. Vinyl had been introduced to them as Lyra and Bon Bon.

“’Sup cool cats? What can Vinyl Scratch do for you?” Vinyl said as she crossed over to where the two ponies were standing.

“We heard that you’re going to Manehattan!” Bon Bon exclaimed excitedly.

“That I am,” Vinyl said. “What of it?”

“We were wondering... if it would be all right, if we tagged along with you?” Lyra said, smiling, practically pleading with her eyes to go.

“Sure thing! If there’s anything I’ve learned it's that travelling is way boring if you’re going by yourself. We’re talking about leaving end of the week, so gather up food and warm clothes, any camping gear you got are sure to be useful.” Vinyl said grinning.

Lyra and Bon Bon practically exploded in excitement; they thanked Vinyl and rushed off to start preparing for the journey.

Vinyl grinned; their enthusiasm reminded her of her.

Vinyl continued down the road, and came across the oddest sight in the world. A Larger Red earth pony, and yellow one clad in a hat and vest were standing talking to a grey and blonde maned Pegasus. Vinyl had been introduced to these ponies as Big Macintosh, Braeburn, and Derpy Hooves respectively. Apparently, Big Macintosh was a rare sight in Ponyville, so any time he was here was something of a special occasion.

“I really appreciate this Big Macintosh, this package is supposed to be huge! There’s no way I could get it to Manehattan by myself.”

“’S really no trouble at all Miss Hooves, Applejack’s gotten a lot better lately, and there ain’t much work on the farm tha’ she can’t handle anymore,” Big Macintosh said.

Vinyl made her way over to the group and bid them hello. “Hey there kids! I couldn’t help overhearing that you’re all going to Manehattan?”

“Howdy do Miss Scratch!” Braeburn said, tipping his hat at her.

“Eeyup,” Big Macintosh said simply.

“There’s a really big package coming through the post office on its way to Manehattan at the end of the week,” Derpy explained. “It’s way too big for me to get it there on my own. Big Macintosh and Braeburn agreed to help me get it there.”

“Ain’t that something? Just so happens that I’m going to Manehattan at the end of the week too with Lyra, Bon Bon, and one of the kangaroos, maybe we should travel together?”

“Sounds like a fine idea to me!” Braeburn said. “Don’ you think so cuz?”

“Eeyup,” Big Macintosh said simply.

“Radical,” Vinyl said with a grin.

...

The week drew to its end, the ponies had gathered their supplies, the package that Derpy Hooves was supposed to deliver had arrived, and the group had gathered at the edge of town, getting ready to depart. Braeburn had just finished hitching Big Macintosh to a pull cart with a large wooden box loaded in the back; they had agreed to take turns pulling it.

Lyra and Bon Bon were excited beyond reason, each of them had dreamed of someday visiting the bight and big city of Manehattan, taking in the culture of it. Vinyl had equated it to her own fillyhood, noting the excitement was similar to that of a rare trip to a sweet shop.

Vinyl had taken the lead at the edge of the road between the limits of Ponyville, and the country side.

“All right Fillies and Gentlecolts! And Marsupial! Make yourselves ready for excitement and adventure, because we’re going to Manehattan!”

Trooper Willoughby smirked at Vinyl; the Unicorn was certainly the odd one out.

There was a round of cheering, mostly from Lyra and Bon Bon, which was interrupted by another pony, clearing their throat.

Standing a few metres from Big Macintosh’s wagon was an azure unicorn of which Vinyl had not been introduced to, clad in a wizard’s hat and cape, saddlebags visible.

“Trixie would like to ask... if she may come with you,” the unicorn, having identified herself as Trixie said, Derpy waved at the Unicorn, who smiled and gave a small wave back.

“Well sure thing cool cat!” Vinyl said. “So long as the entire town doesn’t decide in the next five seconds that they want to come along, the more the merrier!”

“Thank you,” Trixie said quietly.

The group of ponies, plus one kangaroo, began their walk (or in the case of the kangaroo in the group, hop.)

They had a long way to go, their journey had just begun.

Comments

This promises to be interesting; the South Islander is probably the only one of them who's got any real experience with normal weather so I'd expect him to take a bit of a leadership role.

[Csquared08]

The gang's all rounded up... So who's going to die?

[Wolfren]

"Vinyl grinned; their enthusiasm reminded her of her."
"Vinyl grinned; their enthusiasm reminded her of herself."* Sorry...