Midnight Station - Part 01: Twilight faces the Dark Martial March

by Khampostel

Between harmony and order II (P2)

Twilight and the rest of the ponies unexpectedly reappeared behind a hill. It was a surprise, especially for Twilight, who had cast a spell to take them all to Canterlot. After quickly looking around, she soon realized that they were inside the barrier that had just closed. Behind her, a solid, translucent white wall of magic separated them from the rest of the world. In the distance, blurry and distant, they could see the city of Canterlot, where they should have arrived.

"Umph, Twilight, why are we still here?" Dash asked, sharing the same doubt as the others.

Twilight didn't have a good answer for that. She believed she had cast the spell before the barrier closed. However, they were still there.

"I don't know; we should be in Canterlot... this barrier must have blocked the teleportation..." Twilight conjured a scroll and then sent it with a spell.

The scroll disappeared in a swirl of magic but immediately reappeared, falling carelessly to the ground.

"...and it also blocks communications," Twilight added disappointed.

"So, are we trapped?" Fluttershy said.

"It seems that way," Twilight replied calmly. The rest of her friends looked at each other with concern. Twilight didn't want to scare them, but it was very likely that everything was prepared to prevent them from leaving. The new ally of the Knights of the Order had had three years to prepare this scenario, and they would surely have taken all the necessary countermeasures.

The situation they were in was very bad. Twilight sighed internally. This was definitely not the time with her friends that she had been hoping for. But she had to face the adverse situation they were in and wouldn't give up without a fight.

"Let's stay calm. We may be trapped in this barrier, but that doesn't mean we're completely stuck. We're still free and together, so we can do a lot to thwart our opponent's plans," declared Twilight with conviction, taking a step forward.

Rainbow Dash and Applejack nodded vigorously, and the rest followed suit.

"That's the spirit, Twilight. Let's not let 'vanilla' get away with this," exclaimed Pinkie Pie.

The ponies looked at each other in confusion. "Vanilla?"

"Of course! Didn't you see the color of that guy's mane?" Pinkie replied, referring to the pony who had locked them in.

"Excuse me, dear Pinkie Pie, but I believe you're mistaken. The color of his mane was more like flamingo pink mixed with chestnut gold," Rarity clarified.

"Who cares about his mane color! He's the bad guy, right?" Dash exclaimed.

"Yes, but calling him just a 'bad guy' isn't very polite," Pinkie replied.

"I think 'vanilla' is an appropriate name," added Fluttershy.

"Well, I have no problem calling him 'vanilla,' at least until he tells us his name, and to be honest, I don't want to hear it," Applejack said.

"I don't have a problem with calling him 'vanilla' either, that is until he tells us his name, and honestly, I don't want to hear it," Applejack added.

"Well, I disagree. If we're talking about mane colors, 'Rosewood' would be the right one," protested Rarity.

"Rosewood?" Dash said as if she had a bad taste in her mouth. "Please, let's just call him 'vanilla.' What do you say?"

They all raised their hooves, except for Rarity, who had an evident expression of discontent. Then, they all turned their gazes towards Twilight.

"All right, 'Vanilla' is our opponent, and we'll call him that until he introduces himself properly like any other pony."

Once again, they all nodded.

Twilight hadn't expected the conversation to revolve around that topic, but she didn't interrupt them. She also didn't know the identity of that pony. She was sure he had the Starheart gem, but she couldn't confirm if he was related to that family of unicorns.

Suddenly, a roar was heard in the distance, causing all the ponies to startle.

Immediately, in an almost instinctive movement, the ponies grouped around Twilight to protect her, keeping their flanks covered. They waited for several tense seconds, expecting a possible attack from the enemy who had imprisoned them, but nothing happened.

Twilight breathed a sigh of relief, and the other ponies relaxed.

"We need to start moving. 'Vanilla' might be looking for us right now, and this is not the best place to stay hidden. We need to find shelter soon. Come on, ponies," urged Twilight. With determined steps, she and the group of ponies began to move towards the highest part of the nearest hill.

The journey was short, and they soon reached the summit. Although it wasn't very high, it provided the security the group needed at that moment. On one side of the hill were large stone slabs stacked on top of each other, surrounded by low but lush vegetation.

After taking a quick look around, Twilight nodded to herself. This place seemed very suitable.

"All right, this seems suitable. Rainbow Dash, come with me. Applejack and the rest, continue exploring the area, and be very careful not to reveal our position," ordered Twilight. Without wasting time, all the ponies set off.

---

On the other side of the rocks that covered the hill's summit, Twilight and Rainbow Dash advanced cautiously through the bushes. Twilight's first objective was to get a clear view of the current state of the terrain within the barrier. The second objective was to find a safe refuge where they could hide from Vanilla.

Slowly, they reached a clearing and began to observe the horizon.

Just as Twilight had indicated, they were inside a barrier. The entire horizon was tinged with a translucent white color belonging to the massive magical barrier that kept them trapped. It was a considerable area, large enough for Ponyville to fit inside, and even the Apple family's orchards could fit.

"Wow, it's a huge barrier," commented Rainbow Dash as she carefully observed the horizon.

"Yes, but why is it so large?" Twilight responded.

"Uh... I think you're asking the wrong pony. I don't know much about these things, Twilight."

"Any input at this point will be helpful. I don't know either. If Vanilla wanted to trap us quickly, he would have made the barrier much smaller."

Twilight didn't say anything else and continued to observe alongside Dash.

The large storm cloud that had covered the area until recently had dissipated, leaving large areas of the plain flooded. Now the sky was clear and oval-shaped, generated by the magic dome they were in. In the center of this barrier was the train and an unusual dark spot that resembled a large stable.

The dark spot stirred, and a new roar echoed from within the barrier. It was clear that the figure wasn't a stable.

Both ponies sharpened their sight as much as possible.

The dark figure spread its wings, fully revealing itself in the daylight. The creature resembled a dragon in its wings and lower extremities, but it also had clearly avian features. It had a large red crest, a sharp and serrated beak, and dark and light green feathers adorning its chest and wings. Bright red tufts of feathers on its neck and head gave it a majestic and commanding appearance, reinforcing the mythical aura emanating from its figure.

"A cockatrice?" both ponies exclaimed in surprise as they recognized the beast in the distance.

Indeed, it was a cockatrice, but not like any they had seen before. Its size rivaled that of an adult dragon.

"Really? Are Cockatrices so big in 'Conobulo'?" asked Rainbow Dash, scratching her head.

"I don't think so. Judging by its features, it looks a lot like a Cockatrice Titanicus, a mythical creature belonging to Equestria that hasn't been seen in over a thousand years... I can't believe I'm seeing one right now," exclaimed Twilight, excited and surprised. "By the way, it's Cunabula, not 'Conobulo,' Rainbow."

"Whatever. So, do you know that thing? Do you know how to defeat it?" Rainbow asked, somewhat puzzled by Twilight's excitement.

"Yes, but it's better to explain it along with the other girls. Besides... I don't see Vanilla. Did you find him, Rainbow?" Twilight said, turning her gaze back to the horizon with seriousness.

"No, I didn't. He could be behind that huge cockatrice. But that would be too convenient," Dash responded, looking distrustfully toward the imposing creature.

Indeed, the Cockatrice Titanicus stood alone near the train. There was no trace of the pony who had trapped them, nor the smaller cockatrices that had attacked the train. Apart from the beast's roars, there was great calm on the plain.

Suddenly, the silence was interrupted by a new and curious sound. It was like a drum combined with a high-pitched trumpet. That rhythm, initially soft, began to gain strength, repeating over and over, resonating clearly throughout the barrier.

Twilight and Rainbow looked at each other in confusion and turned their attention to the center of the barrier where the great beast lay in a dormant position. The sound they were hearing was very familiar to them, but they found it hard to believe it was being generated by such an imposing creature.

After listening to this song for several seconds, Twilight finally reacted.

"Uhm, Rainbow Dash, what do you think the sound the Cockatrice Titanicus is making means?" Twilight asked as if she were asking herself. It was obvious what Rainbow Dash's response would be. However, given Dash's greater experience due to her journey around the world, there was a chance she might interpret the sound differently from the obvious answer Twilight had in mind.

"I think it's laying an egg, Twilight," Pinkie Pie responded simply, suddenly appearing between the two ponies.

"That's not possible!" Twilight responded immediately, paying no attention to Pinkie's sudden appearance at her side.

"Pinkie Pie! What are you doing here?" Rainbow Dash asked, surprised to see her pink friend disguised as a bush.

"We were carefully exploring the surroundings as Twilight ordered," Pinkie responded with a playful yet serious expression. Twilight, who had just noticed Pinkie's presence, nodded in agreement.

"Oh, right... wait, were we?" Dash said. At that moment, the bush next to Pinkie rustled, and Fluttershy's head emerged from it, once again surprising Rainbow Dash. Her friend had paint smeared on her face, giving her the appearance of a seasoned guerrilla fighter.

"I'm sorry. Since we were trying to stay as inconspicuous as possible, Rarity made us these costumes and prepared makeup to hide us... well, there were only enough blackberries to make up one of us," Fluttershy explained, somewhat embarrassed.

"Don't worry about that, Fluttershy. And what about the others?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"They're trying to figure out how deep the rabbit burrow we found under the rocks is," Pinkie Pie replied, pulling a handful of blackberries from her mane and inviting Rainbow Dash and Twilight to eat.

"A rabbit burrow?" Twilight interrupted, hopeful.

"Yes, Twilight. There's a large rabbit burrow beneath the hill. It's abandoned, but it's in very good condition. All of us could easily fit inside," Fluttershy replied.

Twilight was relieved. These were good news. They had achieved, to some extent, the initial goals they had set for themselves. Now they would need to analyze the situation with the others and begin to prepare a plan. Although they still didn't know where Vanilla was...

"Is that...? Is that a cockatrice?" Fluttershy asked, a mix of fear and surprise in her voice as she looked into the distance.

There was a moment of silence, only interrupted by the avian crowing of the imposing beast on the horizon.

"I think we've seen enough here. It's better to continue the conversation with the others inside the rabbit burrow," Twilight said. Understanding her princess friend's words, all the ponies began to retreat, accompanied by Pinkie Pie's exaggerated stealth skills. However, halfway there, Rainbow Dash stopped and quickly turned to look above the bushes.

"Something isn't right, Rainbow Dash?" Twilight asked, with a very serious look, noticing the tension in the rainbow-maned pegasus.

"No... I don't think so... Let's go inside soon," Dash replied, glancing at the sky above her.

---

In the abandoned carriages of the Ponyville to Canterlot train, a mysterious figure made their way carefully through the fallen luggage inside the train. In this manner, without haste, they reached the administrative car near the locomotive engine. Once inside, without wasting any more time, they opened the document shelves, took the train's travel log, and began studying the latest entries recorded in it.

---

Shortly after, in the rabbit burrow beneath the hill, Twilight had just taken a seat and was deep in thought, mentally recollecting all the events that had occurred during the evening. Her friends had also taken their seats and were discussing their recent findings.

"You shouldn't have eaten all those blackberries, Pinkie Pie. Now we don't have enough to make the makeup I need to camouflage all of us," Rarity said frustratedly.

"But I had to make sure which ones were poisonous and which ones weren't," Pinkie Pie replied while eating some fruit that looked like blackberries.

"I didn't need to know which ones were edible to make the makeup, and... for Celestia's sake, could you stop eating the ones that are left!" Rarity responded impatiently.

"But these are berries," Pinkie Pie replied unconcernedly.

"Wait... are they red or blue?" Rarity asked with sudden interest.

"Forget about that, will you!" Applejack exclaimed, annoyed, slamming her hoof on the rock table due to the superficial argument between her companions.

Twilight looked up and observed her surroundings. The room was spacious and reminded her a lot of her old home in the library in Ponyville. While most of the walls were simply rocks, there were other sections where old tree trunks and plant roots protruded. It wasn't a dirty or messy environment but rather well-kept and clean, giving it a familiar and cozy look.

The burrow was also beautifully lit by white crystals on the ceiling. These lights, along with the seats and other uncommon ornamental details for a place like that, had been created by Rarity in a surprisingly short period of time. Although Twilight knew her designer friend very well, she never ceased to be amazed at how quickly Rarity could leave her mark on any place she found herself.

That brief moment of distraction passed quickly. Her mind once again focused on the current crisis they were in.

"Applejack, Rarity, what do you think about the depth of the rabbit tunnels we found?" Twilight interrupted, breaking the silence.

"Well, I can't say for sure. Some don't lead anywhere. Others are too narrow for a pony to pass through. Fluttershy told me that the white rabbits of the plain usually have their burrows connected, but I can't determine which tunnel leads to another burrow and which doesn't," Applejack replied. On the other side of the stone slab, Fluttershy nodded in agreement.

"Knowing which is the right tunnel would be of great help in case of an attack to change our location," Twilight added.

"Well, if that's the case, Fluttershy is the right pony. We just need to find a white rabbit and introduce it to Fluttershy to guide us along the right path," Rarity replied with confidence. Twilight nodded, and she and the other ponies turned their gaze to Fluttershy.

"Umph... About that... there's a problem," Fluttershy replied with little enthusiasm in response to her friends' gaze.

"What is it, Fluttershy?" Rarity asked.

"There's no one," Fluttershy replied, noticeably worried.

"No one?" Rarity echoed, along with the others who were also puzzled.

"Yes, when we checked around, I realized there was no one. There are no rabbits, no birds, no insects, nothing. Everything is quiet... it's as if all the creatures and little animals of the plain... had disappeared!" Fluttershy exclaimed, distressed.

The other ponies showed surprise and concern. Twilight furrowed her brow.

"Are you absolutely sure, Fluttershy? Couldn't they have hidden or something?" Applejack asked.

"I don't think so, Applejack. If the rabbits of the plain wanted to take shelter, they would have come here first since this is their largest burrow," Fluttershy replied.

Soon the room was filled with the murmurs of her friends. Twilight gently flapped her wings, gaining everyone's attention.

"I don't know much about that kind of magic, but it's highly likely that the barrier has expelled all the creatures from the meadow. If that's the case, it's possible that Vanilla is aware of our individual strengths and has decided to leave out all those who could have helped us," Twilight replied in a stern tone. There was something else that worried her, but she didn't share it with the others. If Vanilla had made those arrangements, then... could it be the case that they were magically spying on them right now?

With that last concern hanging in the air, Rainbow Dash suddenly entered through one of the burrow's entrances, drawing everyone's attention. The rainbow-maned pegasus had stayed outside as a lookout.

"Did something happen, Rainbow Dash?" Twilight asked.

"Besides the fact that the beast that's supposed to be chasing us to death right now is taking an afternoon nap? Yes, I found something else," Rainbow Dash replied.

"What is it?" Twilight could already imagine that it wasn't something good when she saw the joyful expression on her friend's face.

"I think we're finally going to have to fight someone invisible..." Rainbow Dash said with a defiant smile as she bumped her front hooves together.

Comments

[Khampostel]

11683616
I will be making several posts during the month.

[PhoenixFlambe]

"Really? Are Cockatrices so big in 'Cunabula'?" asked Rainbow Dash, scratching her head.

"I don't think so. Judging by its features, it looks a lot like a Cockatrice Titanicus, a mythical creature belonging to Equestria that hasn't been seen in over a thousand years... I can't believe I'm seeing one right now," exclaimed Twilight, excited and surprised. "By the way, it's Cunabula, not 'Cunobulo,' Rainbow."

The correction is redundant if she's saying it right anyway.

But anyway....

[Khampostel]

11690918
Thanks for the observation, grammar checker shenanigans!