20 - Train Terrors
“I’m hungry…”
“Can you quit your whining?”
“No, you’re hungry too.”
“I am, but I’m not annoying about it!”
It was a relatively normal day in Dodge Junction. A day before Hearth’s Warming, the small desert town wasn’t known entirely for its festivities. Still, regardless of the lack of snowfall, a hefty portion of the town was still making their rounds. Buying last-minute gifts or greeting each other with baked goods.
And while Dodge Junction was quaint, the hustle and bustle of the encroaching holiday seemed to bring the relatively dull town to life. Most shops and stalls were rather busy, yet regardless of the apparent festivities, one particular shop remained mostly empty. After all, they were selling apples, and not many would go to Dodge Junction for their apples, rather than the slightly larger sister town named after apples.
So the stall worker at the apple stand yawned, glancing up at the sky from under his hat to gauge the position of the sun.
“You’re annoying.”
“You tracked us both through a desert and won’t even consider eating something, and I’m the annoying one!?”
Unbeknownst to the stall worker was the bickering of two individuals shrouded by the barrel they hid behind. The worker picked up an apple and rubbed it gingerly, making it glint slightly in the sunlight that shone down upon it.
This sight suddenly made the stock look much more appetizing for one such individual.
“Look at how good they are… Can we take one?”
"Oh, so now we’re stealing? Mom would be so proud.”
“Shut up, mom’s not here, and I don’t think I can walk another second with my stomach grumbling louder than you in your sleep.”
“Fine… Fine! If it’ll get you to shut up as well. Jeez.”
Despite the continued lack of notice from passing ponies, even with the worker’s vehement attempts at waving friendly or beckoning others, nobody came. The young stall worker was becoming worried for a moment; if his boss came around and noticed him just standing there, he’d be ruined. He’d already be angry about the lack of customers, after all.
So the young stall worker did the only thing he could think of, bringing out a small broom and positioning it into his teeth. He then began sweeping behind the stall. Adopting a jovial whistle to go along with it. To passing ponies, it’d make him look busy, though a closer look would reveal the young stallion to simply be sweeping the dirt ground. Neither cleaning it nor making it dirtier.
Since it was… well… dirt.
It was only a few minutes later when, for a brief moment, the worker jumped as the barrel in the alleyway behind his stall fell to its side. His eyes shot up in alarm; he almost thought he’d seen something slinking around in the dark, but after a few more moments of scrutiny, it seemed meaningless.
He came to the conclusion that it was simply a stray, “Stupid cat.” The worker muttered under his breath as he switched from sweeping to re-arranging stock in the alley behind him.
Unbeknownst to him were the two individuals hiding under his stall.
“They do look good…”
“See? Told you. Grab one in your mouth too.”
“Lieksh Thish?”
“Mhm!”
The individuals continued to make their heist, and managed to snag as many as they could possibly hold.
“Hey, watch it; your wing is in the way!” One hissed annoyingly at the other.
“I was going for that one.”
"Well, I saw it first!”
The bickering led to growling as the worker again looked over at his stall with a bit more suspicion. As it got louder, he rolled his eyes and huffed annoyedly, "Whiskers, did you get stuck under the stall again?.. Dumb cat…”
“He’s coming back.”
“Just run!”
As the stallion rounded the corner, he flew back onto his rump in surprise as the individuals rushed out from under his stall as quick as a flash. He sat on the ground, stunned, his hat blowing in the wind at incredible speeds.
As the stunned silence wore off, he looked over his stall. And among the various apples littering the ground, there was a noticeable dip in his hoard. The young stallion stood up in awe as he gazed at his stall, then back down the alley where the flash of light had gone.
Whatever had stolen from him, whether pony or animal, had made out with at least half of his stock.
“Boss isn’t gonna like this…” He muttered in defeat, halfheartedly picking up his broom and sweeping more dirt.
“Luna, don’t be rash.”
In Luna’s mind, there had been no more insulting words than those at that moment. She needed to act now, to act quickly. It was insulting to treat the issue with any less urgency than rashly.
She prepared a spell, one that would bring her closer than the slow train could ever hope of. As her horn thrummed to life and her sister begged, “Luna, please wait!”
Wait, for what? Luna wondered. Would her sister have her sit here and wait for others to fix everything? Wait until it’s too late and something happens to her nephew that she can’t fix or reverse, no matter how much magic she used?
If her spell hadn’t gone off soon after, the words coming out of Luna’s mouth would’ve been scathing. To think her sister wanted Luna to abandon Kieran to himself. She knew better than anybody how the colt was feeling at that moment, but the stark contrast between Kieran and her in the same situation is that Luna had been filled with an uncontrollable and unwieldy rage, which kept her with a single-minded selfish goal.
Kieran didn’t.
All he was feeling was betrayal, loss, and emptiness.
An emptiness so deep that it might consume him, take hold of his mind, and make him…
‘No!’ Luna shouted inwardly at her own thoughts.
At once, her horn lit, sending her spiraling through the intense matrix of magic that only an alicorn could endure. And even when she arrived, she still felt herself double over in nausea and dizziness.
Teleportation spells weren’t made for traveling so far in one go, and even less so when being charged so quickly. A teleportation of this caliber would be the best fit for a long-thought-out and intricately crafted matrix of spells. She didn’t have time for this.
She took multiple deep breaths as her lungs desperately sucked up the air that had been deprived of her. Her eyes began to focus on her hooves, finally. Luna looked up abruptly as the effects wore themselves out slightly.
She noted the familiar streets of Canterlot that led up to their old castle. Her brow furrowed a bit at the sight, and she gritted her teeth. Yes, she was much closer to her destination now, but she cursed herself for not being as proficient at teleporting as her sister could be, lest she’d already be in the empire.
But Celestia had somepony to look after—a son. Which she recognized would be impossible for her to bring on such short notice. If the young one could even survive such a spell.
The crowd around Luna had gasped as she entered the space before them. And now only stood in complete silence and awe at her sudden appearance, which had scorched the ground around impact with black markings. Luna looked around, mentally remarking how beautiful the decorations for the holidays were.
She began walking as quickly as she could, ignoring the sudden calls and greetings from the surrounding nobles, who no doubt wanted to take advantage of her. Luna had not missed this aspect of ruling, being constantly beset on all sides by conniving, morally abhorrent nobles who often only wished to gain the largest bit purse.
It didn’t take Luna long to make her way up to the castle. The crowds quickly realized that she was in no mood to humor them and promptly cleared a path upwards for her. Even the guards at the gate spent no mind on her sudden appearance, simply remarking her name in surprise before opening every gate and door she came across.
Luna practically stormed into the main throne room, declaring her intent. “I need a chariot to the Crystal Empire, now.”
It helped that at least half the guard was gathered here in the room, but she was surprised to see a lack of Twilight at the throne. A few guards in the back rows glanced her way with apprehension, but most stood stoic, if not relatively unphased. She would admit they were trained well if she wasn’t in such a hurry.
Instead, she was greeted by Starlight, who quickly rushed over and bowed, “Princess L-Luna! How nice of you to… visit?” She ended with a hint of unease.
Luna gazed down at the mare, urgency in her eyes. “Starlight! Could you arrange for me a chariot post haste? Or better yet, tell me where Twilight is?”
“She’s on her way.” Another voice suddenly appeared next to Luna, and she looked over to see the tall, bulky form of Spike approaching. He crossed his arms with a solemn frown. “I assume you’re here because of the letter, Luna?”
Luna nodded briskly, belting out her first thoughts. “I need a chariot. I care not if anypony is to join me, but I request this as urgently as possible.”
“Whoa, whoa.” Spike held his paws up and gestured calmly, “Luna, breathe, okay? At least stay and speak to Twilight first.”
Luna bit her bottom lip as she held herself back from rebuttal and nodded shortly. Starlight looked between the dragon and Luna with intense confusion and asked, “Letter? What’s going on? And why did Spike gather the entire guard here? He wouldn’t explain it to me.”
“Sorry, I was in a rush.” Spike remarked, scratching the back of his head sheepishly.
Luna took a deep breath and sighed, looking down at Starlight as she thought of how to explain things. “The Crystal Empire is practically in ruins.”
Starlight’s eyes widened as she opened her mouth in shock and gasped. “No…”
Luna nodded. “Unfortunately, it seems Flurry figured something out about her magic, and Kieran was involved. She released Kieran’s latent magic power… and well… You know what a magic surge is…”
Starlight shook her head in disbelief. “But why would… Flurry do that to him?”
“We’re all as lost as you are, Starlight.” A new voice entered, and they all looked up to see Twilight entering the throne room. She wasn’t wearing her usual crown or other adornments and had a downcast, almost depressed attitude about her. The guards all proceeded to salute swiftly before standing back at attention.
Twilight approached the small group quickly, her eyes still wet from crying as she levitated the scroll she held over to Starlight. “Cadance seems just as lost as us. Her letter is disorganized and borderline confusing, but… I can’t blame her.” Twilight said, lowering her head. “She’s dealing with a lot…”
Starlight quickly read the letter, covering her mouth with a hoof in shock as she reached the end. “That’s awful!” She looked up at all of them, “So Flurry was commanding him the whole time… on accident?”
Luna gritted her teeth, “If we’re to believe her words.”
Twilight sighed sharply with a hint of admonishment at the accusation. “Luna, you know as well as I do that Flurry doesn’t understand anything about her alicorn abilities. They are enigmatic as they are frightening, especially after today.”
Twilight gave a curious gaze back down at the page before shifting her eyes upward. She began to feel worried, as Luna’s expression of conflict and fear was plain for all to see as the mare essentially nipped at the hoof in front of her face. “Luna, I don’t think she would’ve hurt Kieran like that on purpose.” Twilight sighed. “Regardless, there are lots of victims in this situation.”
Luna’s eyes narrowed as she refused to settle her opinion: “Whether Flurry tells the truth or not, I’d like to see for myself. Do you have a chariot I can take?”
Twilight looked at her with an intrigued hum, “I could; do you really intend to race there now while you’re completely overwhelmed by emotion?”
Spike and Starlight took a few steps back together and winced.
Luna sat and crossed her hooves with a loud huff of disbelief. “You really think that? I’m perfectly in control of my emotions.”
The three others around her all simultaneously raised a brow and gave her a scrutinizing look.
Luna blinked, then groaned, throwing her hooves up in defeat as she turned her head. “I’ve spoken to Kieran the most, other than Cadance’s family. I… I can’t just let him run himself into the ground… I…” Luna held her hooves out pleadingly as she stared at the ground. “I don’t know what else to do!” She teared up.
Twilight took a few steps forward and brought the alicorn into a hug, wings and all. “Luna…” she muttered sadly.
Luna finally broke down and started crying. “I told him… told him that they were worth trusting.”
“This isn’t your fault, Luna.” Starlight corrected her.
Spike nodded. “Nobody could’ve predicted this.”
Luna shook her head. “He’s going to run himself ragged until there’s nothing left of the foal I knew… I’ve been there, too. It’s lonely, it’s hurtful, and worst of all, it’s terrifying. But Kieran doesn’t… He doesn’t have anypony right now. I don’t want him to hurt himself; he’s my nephew.” Luna cried, pleading with Twilight as she drooped her head. “Please, I have to try and help him.”
Twilight sighed long and deeply before slowly pulling back from the alicorn and looking into her teary eyes. “Luna, I’ll get you on a chariot, but you have to promise me something.” Luna looked up curiously and eagerly, and she continued, “Don’t kill my niece, please.”
Luna let a small laugh slip as she shook her head. “I’m not going to kill Flurry, Twilight… That would be far too simple a punishment.” Twilight tried to disregard that as a joke, because otherwise it terrified her.
“No, no punishments, Luna.” Twilight said with a fluster.
Luna scoffed. “If I wanted to punish her with, say… endless nightmares about her test grades in school… would that still be too much?” Twilight studied Luna’s face for a moment, realizing that it was a simple tease.
Starlight and Spike released a short laugh, and soon a grin formed on Twilight’s face as she shook her head, “You’re unbelievable.”
Twilight cleared her throat and suddenly called out, “I need a chariot arranged for the Crystal Empire. I need the quickest flyers available.” A few of the pegasus guards saluted and walked out of the room.
“What are you all going to do?” Luna questioned slowly the other three, who then looked towards Twilight.
“Well,” Twilight started with another sigh, “I think it goes without saying, but Hearth’s Warming is a distant thought at this point.” She gestured to the guard around her, “I had Spike gather as many volunteers as possible; we’ll be sending all these guards straight to the Crystal Empire to help with recovery.”
Starlight stepped forward and nodded. “I don’t think it’s a great idea to have all three of us go to the Crystal Empire just yet under these circumstances. What if Kieran took a train? Do we know if the station was damaged?”
Spike raised a brow and hummed, “You really think he’d be able to do something like that?”
Starlight huffed, “He’s a foal, not dumb. If I was going to escape a place blanketed in eternal winter with ponies that I hated, I’d look for a way to leave as well.”
Luna gazed down at the floor, “Assuming he even has the will to urge himself to do anything.”
They sat in silence, thinking. Starlight then spoke again briskly, “Even if we do find him, I don’t think foalnapping him and trying to force him to trust us is exactly… going to work. He hardly knows us after all.”
The room grew silent as the four thought about that.
Even if they were to find him at that exact moment, what could they say? How would they approach him? How do you approach somebody who doesn’t wish to see you?
Luna shook her head. “It has to be me; I’m the only one who can reason with him.” The other three looked at her suddenly with surprise as Luna held a hoof to her chest. “I’m the only one who can reasonably claim I wasn’t affected by Flurry’s unintended influence. I think… I think I have a good shot at convincing him.”
“Princess! The chariot is prepared!” A random guard called out suddenly.
Twilight nodded thankfully, taking a step forward and gingerly grabbing Luna’s hoof. “I trust in your judgment, Luna. I believe that you, Cadance, and Shining will figure something out.”
Twilight turned her head and looked at Starlight. “You should go with Luna.”
Starlight’s eyes widened. “A-Are you sure, princess?”
Twilight nodded swiftly. “Of course. I can tell you’re worried about Sunburst. Or am I wrong?”
Starlight’s eyes suddenly widened. “Of course not!” She briskly trotted over and grabbed Luna’s hoof. Levitating her previously gathered suitcase in her magic as she practically dragged Luna out of the building. “Off we go, princess!”
Twilight watched as Starlight and Luna rushed out the door. When they were gone, she released a sigh and turned to Spike. “We should get started as well.” Spike gave a resolute nod.
“Ashy… Ashy.”
My eyes opened groggily and rather reluctantly to the cabin of the train as Sage gently nudged my shoulder. I rubbed my eyes and yawned as I sat up and looked around curiously. Heath was reading some sort of book, and the other two foals were passed out next to him.
I looked up to my left at Sage and tilted my head. She smiled sweetly and pointed out the window. "Sorry, Pumpkin. But I wanted to make sure you didn’t miss your stop. Since we don’t know which one it is.”
I followed her pointing hoof and looked out the window in awe. We had made it past the blanket of pure winter storms that was the Crystal Empire, and we were chugging along the open snow fields of… somewhere. The sky was rather clear, and my view was unobstructed.
The fields glistening in snow we passed over were not the main point of interest.
Up in the sky was an absolutely awe-inspiring spectacle. A literal city floating in the sky, buildings above the clouds. Well, the city itself was made of clouds!
Large arching buildings, with rainbows pouring off of the sides like rivers turning into a waterfall. Skyscrapers made of clouds that twisted and turned like some odd Dr. Seuss book. The view was absolutely otherworldly. I knew that pegasi could stand on clouds, but I’d never thought of actually making a city in the clouds!
Sage giggled. “Well, I know you aren’t a pegasus, but it is quite an enchanting site, huh?”
I nodded slowly as Heath lowered his book and looked out as well. He spoke quietly, “Yup, the train don’t stop for Cloudsdale. But our next stop, Canterlot, is pretty darn close.”
I looked past Cloudsdale to see another mind-boggling site. A huge mountain range, with an absolutely massive castle sitting on the precipice of it. I could see a whole city below that, winding around the mountains with pointed rooftops and sprawling mansions that seemed to never end. The city creeped elegantly down the side of the mountain into the surrounding valley below, like a flowing dress adorning the rocky face. Judging by the trajectory of the tracks, we were making a stop directly in the middle of the city.
Sage touched my shoulder again, abruptly bringing me out of my observation. “Judging by your look of awe, I’ll guess Canterlot isn’t your home?”
My eyes widened at the question, and as I looked back at her in surprise, I slowly shook my head. If there was somewhere past Canterlot I could go, I would. I needed to get as far away from the Crystal Empire as possible.
Plus, I don’t think a homeless, dull-looking filly wearing a tablecloth would fit in such a fancy-looking city. It was no doubt filled to the brim with rich, uptight ponies. Or maybe a bunch of tourists?
I had a relatively small idea of where the train was heading overall. I’d looked at the map of Equestria before… And to my knowledge, there were many coastal cities I could arrive at on the complete opposite side of the continent. I’d just have to bide my time and wait for them.
I hummed negatively, “Is it your guys’ stop?” I asked them.
Heath shook his head and rolled his hoof with an almost exhausted look. “Nope. If’n our family decided to stop there, we probably wouldn’t be affordin’ ah simple dinner.” He said with a short huff of laughter.
Yup, that checks out with my observation of the city.
We sat in silence again as I continued to look out the window. Until Sage brushed her hoof against my back with soothing precision and asked, “Is your hoof feeling okay still?”
I moved myself a bit farther away from her, shying her hoof off of me. “It’s… fine.” I didn’t even look her way afterwards as I rested my head on a hoof that was sitting on the table.
They got distracted in conversation with each other, and I slowly looked down at the glass of water in front of me. I glowered as I eyed it, seething at the idea that I needed help taking a simple drink of water. In defiance, I lowered my hoof down to grab it and drink, but as I held my hoof up to it, I found that I couldn’t grip… at all.
It wasn’t just the same weak grip I’d known ever since I arrived here; it simply felt gone. And suddenly, my two nubs for limbs started to feel a lot more useless.
My memory flashed back to the words Flurry commanded me last…
“Stop using magic!”
My brain was setting off alarms that those words were the culprits. But there’s no way that Flurry yelling made me completely unable to use magic forever, right? Maybe I was just completely drained after the outburst that happened?
I couldn’t help the completely helpless feeling washing through me. Like a fog cramming into my brain that I could dissipate. And the annoyed, resigned rage that I felt at being at the absolute bottom of the barrel of society in this place. I mean, nobody would care if a useless little earth pony filly went missing, right? The thought almost made me chuckle.
“Do you need help?” Sage suddenly asked me as she reached a hoof forward to grab the glass.
With no outlet for the range of emotions I was feeling, I lashed out. Regrettably, as I had wanted to keep a low profile, the fog encroaching on my mind was presently overwhelming. I mean, just a few hours ago, I blew up a city full of living, breathing beings. Even if they all might just be fake and irredeemable, just like the royal family… It still hurt… a lot.
My lashing out took shape in the form of a harsh glare as my clenched teeth barely inched open. “I’m perfectly fine. Just leave me alone.” I hissed, pulling the blanket over me and secluding myself in the corner of the bench.
The cabin grew completely silent again, and I didn’t feel or hear another thing from them for long after that.
Eventually the train pulled into the station, coming to a stop with a loud hiss as the train rested. The city outside looked exactly as I’d imagined: fancy, upbeat, and probably expensive. The ponies roaming the street were wearing dresses, tuxedos, and any other number of regularly changing fashion choices.
Alternatively, another thing piqued my interest and made a pit form in the depths of my body as I half-heartedly peeked out from beneath my blanket.
Outside, there was a line of guards—at least a dozen or so. And as each pony from the train got off, they were met with the guards, forced to stand completely still as the guard scrutinized them.
After everypony who was going to exit had done so, the guards themselves split up, walking up to each train car and boarding. It was at this point that I felt a cold sweat begin to develop as I hid myself even more in the blanket. Did they know I was on the train? Were they going to use magic on me and discover me?
Sage’s words only further heightened my anxiety: “This is new… I wonder what the guards are doing?”
Heath hummed, “Probably a new law or somethin’.”
I could hear each cabin in the train car we were in get knocked on and opened. And I could hear some form of conversation from each cabin. My anxiety just kept climbing, higher and higher, as I began shaking in my spot. The blanket quivering on top of me like a childish ghost costume for Halloween.
Sage glanced at me oddly. “Ashy..?”
My eyes widened, and I turned my head away again, laying down in the seat as I tried to suppress my absolute fear and shivering.
Eventually, after a long, deafening period of anticipation, there was a knock on our cabin. Heath stood up and slid it open for them as a guard stepped in. It was a unicorn mare, and I felt my blood run absolutely cold.
“Good evening, folks.” She said cheerily, “Sorry about this; there’s a culprit in the area we believe took the train, so we’ve gotta get a good look at every passenger.”
A culprit!? Is that what I am? Were they going to throw me in the dungeons or… or exile me if I was caught? Feed me to a gryphon?
Did Cadance or Shining really alert this city that I was such a terrible pony that deserved to be taken away by the guards?
I couldn’t help but start quivering terribly; if this mare decided to scan me, it was all over! I’d spend the rest of my days rotting in the Canterlot dungeons under Princess Twilight’s royal hoof.
“Of course.” Sage said with a short dismissive laugh. “Quite the bunch of criminals in here.” She joked.
The guard nodded with a smile and held up a clipboard, looking between each of them and back at the paper. Leaning over the table slightly to catch sight of the sleeping twins before she began eyeballing me oddly as I peeked out from underneath the blanket.
Sage leaned over and placed a hoof on me. “It’s okay, pumpkin; she’s here to make sure we’re all safe.”
“Nobody here.” I responded in a meek attempt at survival.
All three adults furrowed their brows with curious looks as Sage gently rubbed where she assumed my head was. “Just show the nice mare your face, and she’ll be right out, I promise.”
I shivered as I slowly pulled the blanket off myself. I immediately began scanning my surroundings for a possible escape route, my eyes darting around like a villain who’d just been unmasked, even though I knew it was a completely helpless notion. She was a unicorn, able to stop me from running with her magic with only a small bit of effort.
The mare initially smiled at me. “Don’t worry, honey,” she remarked, looking down at the page. Her brow slowly furrowed as she looked back up at me curiously with a hum, then back down, then up again. She continued like this for an agonizing few seconds, as even Sage and Heath began to tilt their heads.
It was clear now that she was comparing me with some sort of description or.. photo of me? I don’t remember anybody taking my picture!
That’s it; I’m done for… I’m cooked!
She’s totally going to find me out and restrain me!
Her eyes finally settled on me as she squinted deeply, leaning slightly forward as the uncomfortable silence grew and my nerves peaked. It couldn’t have been more than a few seconds, but to me, it felt like an entire hour of pressure.
Suddenly her horn lit up, and I flinched away, pulling the blanket over myself in panic with an unintended squeak.
I heard her mark something on the clipboard in front of her and dared to peek out as she levitated a quill next to her. “Your hair is absolutely adorable. It reminds me of my sister.” The guard remarked at me with a smile as she tucked the clipboard away. “Well, sorry for the inconvenience, folks. That’ll be all.”
She bowed her head and exited, closing our door with her magic as her footsteps got farther away.
I felt the adrenaline in my chest wash away as my heavy, labored breathing and heart rate slowed. I continued to stare at the door in fear, like I’d just seen a monster. That had been way too close for comfort.
I could just barely see Sage’s worried gaze on me afterward, but she stayed silent. I reached forward with both hooves and forced the glass of water between them. I didn’t care how dumb it looked; I needed a drink of water.
I sighed greatly as I clumsily managed the cup up to my lips and practically drank the whole thing. Afterwards, I lowered it carefully and wiped my face. When I looked back up, Sage and Heath were unabashedly staring at me with extreme scrutiny.
I looked between them with a red face and huffed, “What?”
Heath was the first to shake himself free from the stupor. “Would ya like another glass, Ashy? You seemed mighty thirsty.”
I held a hoof up, “I’m okay.” I said before beginning to wrap myself in the cocoon that was the blanket.
Sage sighed, leaned her head onto her hoof, and gave me an uneven stare of disapproval. “You keep saying that, Pumpkin. But ever since those guards showed up, you’ve been acting awfully erratic.” She sighed as my panic slowly began to return. “If there’s anything you want to talk about-”
“The restroom!” I said suddenly, a bit louder than intended, “I just need the restroom; I’ve been holding it in for too long.”
Sage squinted her eyes as she and Heath shared a conflicted look, but after a second, Sage stood from the seat and gestured towards the door. “Well, you should’ve just said so, dear.”
“Thanks!” I said hastily, jumping down from the seat.
“Do you need help?” Sage offered.
My face turned bright red. “Nope! I’ll be just fine!” I only realized I’d been dragging the blanket with me when Sage gingerly plucked it off my back as I walked by her. Her gaze followed me all the way, until I was out of sight.
I walked down the aisle with haste, reaching the back of the train car and immediately knocking before entering the foals restroom. Once I was inside, I pushed with my hooves clumsily until the door finally locked. And when it did, I practically collapsed with my back against the door. I expected that with my newfound seclusion, my panic would calm, but it didn’t.
I quickly took care of business, as I hadn’t been entirely lying about needing the restroom.
Afterwards, I walked over to the foal-sized sink and pushed the lever until it started spraying cool water. I washed my hooves, and as I did so, I couldn’t help my thoughts wandering even more.
Maybe I did deserve the Canterlot dungeons? How many people had I injured? How many lives were ruined specifically because of me?
Dozens? Hundreds?
Was I now some awful villain, the likes of Discord, Sombra, or even the Changeling Queen, who had nearly conquered an entire empire with her army?
It wouldn’t be far off to consider me just as destructive.
I looked down at my hooves as the water pooled around them, my eyes turning in dizzying circles. I swiftly splashed as much of it up towards my face as possible as I rubbed over and over. Eventually I stopped, as it wasn’t slowing my ever-racing heart rate.
I looked up at myself in the mirror; the small, dimly lit room made my features hard to recognize, but… It didn’t really matter. I saw the small shape of the gray filly in the mirror start to twist and morph into a black mass that seemed all-encompassing. And at the center of it was me, my face twisting into a dark, evil grin.
I yelped as I fell backward, knocking the trash can next to me over in the process. Both the shadow in the mirror and my evil-looking self started to laugh, even as they twisted and morphed around and around. Which was probably due to the dizzying spin that my vision was making.
Maybe I had no right to be mad at Flurry; maybe this was all my fault? After all, I could have just not been stupid and not trusted anyone in the first place, right?
Maybe if I had just gotten the hint and left earlier, none of this would’ve happened. Or if I'd died in some back alley or ditch somewhere, nobody would miss me, and nobody would be hurt because of me.
...
My heart rate continued to skyrocket as my breathing came in gasping, choked breaths. The laughter from my form in the mirror became deafening as the room felt like it was spinning a hundred miles a minute.
I looked down at my hooves, specifically at the one that had been injured, as tears brimmed my eyes.
Don’t cry; you don’t deserve to, Kieran. This is all your fault.
All of that pain and heartache I caused them, and this cut was the only punishment I got in return? It had to be a joke; I didn’t deserve to be walking free right now.
I’m just a monster.
...
...
...
“Ashy?”
The dimly lit room became illuminated as the door behind me opened a crack. Sage carefully poked her head in, looking at me with intense worry.
I completely lost myself as I realized how stupid I looked, half-laying on the ground. And I released a half-hearted chuckle as my breath and heart stopped. “C-Can I help you?”
Sage looked down at me sympathetically, taking a step inside and turning the water off just before it could overflow. I looked back at the mirror, and the images were gone, just replaced with Sage and a deranged-looking, soaked filly on the bathroom floor.
I don’t know why, but I started laughing. There was no actual joy behind the action, but it felt sort of ironic in an insulting sort of way. I felt like I had to laugh.
The edges of Sage’s mouth turned farther down than I’d seen before, as she blocked my view of the mirror and began wiping my face with a towel she found. I let her finish as she brought the towel away from my face.
She nearly whispered her next words, “Are you really alright, Ashy..?” She asked the question again.
I simply put on a fake smile, even though the rest of my face betrayed the action. “Why wouldn’t I be?”
Sage sighed and simply clicked her tongue as she threw the used towel to the side. In one swift and gentle action, she scooped me up in the blanket I’d been resigning myself to and cradled me to her chest as she exited the bathroom.
If I’d wanted to argue with her, I didn't have the energy left to do so. The images in the bathroom were haunting my mind now, with the same laughter echoing in my ears again and again. It only seemed to halt for brief moments when Sage’s soft voice cut through the chaos: “Shh, sleep, Ashy. It’ll be okay.”
I hadn’t realized I was making any noise that needed to be shushed, but… I couldn’t figure a lot of things out right now.
I know we re-entered our cabin at some point, but my mind was too lost within itself for me to register anything afterward.
As Sage returned to the cabin holding Kieran, Heath’s eyes widened like saucer plates. Sage quickly shot him a look of ‘Be quiet!’ before he could say anything.
Sage gingerly sat down in the seat across, still holding the bundled-up foal close to her chest. Kieran seemed completely unaware of his surroundings by that point, and Sage dared to begin rocking him back and forth in a soothing gesture as she rubbed his back in circles. It wasn’t long before the estranged foal fell into some sort of slumber.
Though Sage wondered if whatever was wrong would haunt him into their dreams, she continued to rock him gently anyway.
Heath dared open his mouth finally, having observed the entire scene with a bewildered face. “What happened? Is she alright?”
Sage looked up wearily, waiting to see if his voice would stir the foal, and when it didn't, she whispered back, “I haven’t got a clue. I followed her just in case and heard her yelp inside. When I entered, she was staring at the mirror in terror. I felt so bad for her... It looked like she was having a panic attack, and an awful one at that.”
Heath looked sympathetically back as his shoulders sagged. “I wonder what got ‘er so worked up?”
Sage just shook her head and looked back down at the troubled face of the foal. “She started laughing, and her face was disturbing. Like she was terrified but didn’t know if she was allowed to be.” Sage shook her head and sighed again deeply, beginning to rub the foal’s back soothingly again.
Heath hummed as he placed a hoof to his chin. “Maybe she got some sort ah side effect? Y’know, from the medicine?”
Sage pursed her lips and tilted her head. “Maybe. But it all started when she saw those guards outside. For whatever reason, it really sent her over the edge.”
Heath raised a brow and smirked slightly. “Maybe Ashy really is the culprit on the run, eh?”
Sage glared at him sharply, “Dear…”
“Right, ahm sorry.” He replied back swiftly as he bowed his head.
The foals stirred by Heath’s side, making him wince a bit as he finally decided to resort to whispering like his wife. “Ah mean, we don’t know much about her.”
Sage nodded. “And she was hiding that large cut as well; doesn’t that seem strange?” Sage said with her voice laced with unsureness.
Heath quickly nodded. “Ah don’t know if I believe she didn’t know it was there. She had to be mighty distracted to miss somethin’ that bad.”
“Right?” Sage replied with a huff as she clicked her tongue again, looking down at the foal fearfully. “And she doesn’t like being touched or getting help. She’s very quiet and doesn’t like talking about herself.”
"Now, honey,” Heath began, “let’s not jump to conclusions.”
Sage shook her head. “She’s traveling alone while all of this goes on. If we hadn’t been here, she’d quite literally be dead by now.” Sage put her free hoof up to her forehead, “I’d be rather stupid not to jump to conclusions right now.”
Sage gritted her teeth and huffed, “If I get a chance to talk to her parents, I’m going to give them a piece of my mind. Foals shouldn’t be allowed to travel alone.”
Heath gently slid himself off his bench, walking over to his wife’s bench and sliding in as she accommodated his entrance. “Maybe what happened ‘n the empire combinin’ with the wound was just too much for her, and she broke down.” He said while placing a hoof gently against the foal’s forehead and pulling it back.
Sage just slid further down in her seat, allowing the back of her head to make contact with the seat. “Hopefully she’ll open up a bit… I was all about respecting her space before all this happened.”
“Mommy, are we there yet?” The small, tired voice of Rue echoed from the other seat, accompanied by a large yawn.
“Not yet, sweetie. We’re about halfway; go back to sleep.” She told him gently over the table.
He yawned again. “Okay mommy.” Before passing right out with a thunk as his head hit the seat, as if he’d never been awake at all.
Heath and Sage shared a short laugh with each other. Which slowly died down into a quiet and comforting silence as all the foals slept soundly. Sage leisurely lowered her head onto Heath’s shoulder as Heath softly nuzzled the top of her head.
Sage couldn’t help but hum curiously, “What have we gotten ourselves into?”
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The cover art is busy, but this latest arc is quite busy too. Lots of moving parts. And please stop putting yourself and your work down. Myself and everyone else that hit like genuinely enjoys this story.
The more I see Keiran break down, the more I fucking hate Discord. Honestly hope they turn him to stone or worse after this.
All that my mind is here is "The walls close in, the shadows whisper of conspiracy!" "There can be no hope in this hell, no hope at all." and "Reeling, gasping, taken over the edge into madness!" aka I need to stop playing that game for a bit before I delve into madness, too. Also, he needs a break something anything to calm his mind.
Urgh, one one hand Kieran probably needs some time to process everything, but on the other hand he is clearly in a downward guilt/trust spiral. He needs an anchor of some sort, someone or something to assist him in understanding what happened. Except I doubt he will tell anyone the truth about what happened or who he is on his own. Most especially not while he is under the illusion.
Ideally, Luna can try to help him while he sleeps. Assuming she can find him. We don’t know if Discord's illusion will extend to the dream realm. It might, because Discord, but it also might not. Hopefully it doesn't and Luna can at least attempt to be there for Kieran, even if she doesn't know where he is.
What is interesting, is the time desync. By the time Kieran reached Canterlot, Luna would already have been in the Empire for several hours, and presumably Celestia and her son would have arrived not long before Kieran reached Canterlot.
Assuming those were a pair of homeless foals/younglings we saw in Dodge Junction, it seems like Kieran will end up running into them or maybe join them?
I can't see him easily trusting anyone who isn't in a similar situation to himself. So that might do him some good...
Well looks like Sage and Heath's suspicions are raised. Bout time. Kieran's throwing up so many red flags, it's a wonder he can hold them all.
That command really had some unintentional side-effects, didn't it, Flurry?
I still find myself hoping Luna can find him in his dream, since she probably has a surplus of time on the long trip to the empire.
The question becomes where Discord is in all this. I get he's probably watching all this unfold, but it wouldn't be like him to not be meddling in this a bit more directly. Unless it would be. Which is why Discord is tough to write. You have my sympathies there.
Anyway. Good chapter! Keep up the nice work, and I hope we get to see the reunion soon!
Love the new cover art. Can't wait for the next installment
Why do I get the feeling that the foals in Dodge Junction are the pony counterparts of Kieran and his brother?
To be fair: Flurry Heart is a kid, and wanted to be helpful. She had no way of knowing that she'd trigger a mana flare that way. She was just trying to be helpful. But, as the saying goes...
thanks for the chapter! And for the cool cover.
"Methoughts I saw a thousand fearful wracks,
Ten thousand men that fishes gnawed upon,
Wedges of gold, great anchors, heaps of pearl,
Inestimable stones, unvalued jewels,
All scattered in the bottom of the sea.
Some lay in dead men's skulls, and in the holes
Where eyes did once inhabit, there were crept—
as 'twere in scorn of eyes— reflecting gems,
That wooed the slimy bottom of the deep
And mocked the dead bones that lay scattered by. "
He couldn't bring himself to get a wound bandaged up. Her concern there is valid.
One of my favourite theories involving Cloudsdale...
sounds more uptight, to me.
Man, I know that feeling.
I don’t know why the view count got weird on the half-chapter. But it was a good one. Same as this one.
I think Starlight or Shining may be the ones to pick up on this clue
when she hears the full story from Flurry. Cadance and Luna are a little too emotionally distraught at the moment. 
Instead of a Nightmare of aggression, Kieran could have a Nightmare of repulsion? A void that doesn’t drawn in but makes it impossible to approach?
They’re probably heading to Dodge, but I hope Heath and Sage get off with Kieran before there. I’ve a bad feeling about those thieves interacting with MC.
Just had a thought
What if flurry commanded Kieran to "no longer be controlled by my commands?" It might just work
But it would be hard to trust her to do so
But it Might work
Oh gods, Flurry broke him. If he could at least lift stuff, he could try to live on the streets Aladin style like he was before, but this will certainly make things a lot harder.
That's for the best. In his current state, I don't think he'd do well. This foal needs therapy. And a hug. Two hugs. All of the hugs. Luna could also use a hug. And I wouldn't mind a hug at this point, either.
I guess he could survive with the people from the first scene. I wasn't sure how it related to the story, so I didn't put much thought into it, but that would make sense. I really hope that isn't the case, though.
...I wonder what a Nightmare Kieran would look like
Glad to see another update so soon. Also you made a classic mistakes
Peeked
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You are right about all that.
About the pair of fouls from the start; maybe that’s flashback of some kind ? They talk a lot like the twins currently with Sage do and mentioned a mother so it’s hard to say that they are orphans. Though the “mother is not here part” is ambiguous it their mother is gone.
Maybe those are explaining how they met? ( could be in the past)
I don’t know I am probably wrong. It’s just odd how those two clearly young kids are brought up but with no desvroyions; the only hint is they talk like young kids and bicker like siblings p
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Actually that’s a good point. Mirroring what Kieren and his brother did growing up maybe? Part of me thought those two for some reason were the siblings in the trsin currently but it was a sort of flashback? They sound young and talk and act a lot like these two siblings do, bickering and such.
I wonder what the point of introducing them is. I guess we will see where the goes?
Well alot to think on now.
First off Luna: i guess we now see her full reaction to the letter Candace sent and have the greater context of the scene from before with her teleporting out of the train. As I guessed, she is on her way to the Crystal Empire.
Also I an guessing Flurry's "stop using magic" command put a damper on Kieren's usage of magic. Likely not permanent but probably indefinite until Flurry removes it. (also I get the anger at Flurry for her actions but she is also a little kid with god-like power she does not fully understand. Its was wrong, as I said before, but I can not be too condemning; she caused a lot of damage but feels bad and did mean well by using her powers to what she thought would cement Kieren into a happy family. Only you cannot force it)
I am guessing those ponies in suits looking for a "culprit" are either being sent by Candace to search for Kieren or are looking for someone unrelated. Still that scene was tense. You have done such a great job of showing Kieren's panic; I felt more heart stop and i was on the edge of my seat. you really have a way of writing gripping and emotionally heavy-hitting scenes.
And that extends to the panic attack scene in the bathroom, where Kieren (i am guessing it was a guilt-induced hallucination or his mind messing with him) feels all his guilt (from wrecking the city by accident) anxiety, self-doubt, and so on explode. It's a really well-handled panic attack.
(I will say I would not discount the possibility that its an actual enemy of some kind preying on his thoughts and harassing him mentally, as in this setting magical beings like that exist and are common. But I hope its just a panic-induced vision or as a shadowy angst demon would complicate things more, and there is already enough going on. I like the simple approach you have going)
Also I love that Kieren's emotions feel realistic: it not just going "oh woe is I" no and irrationally shutting down every bit of empathy he is given: its kid who was abandoned by his brother at death, found a new family only for one of them to control him like a puppet, and now he indirectly caused a ton of damage and hurt others. The guilt, lack of trust, self-blame, doubt, and so on are way too much for anyone to take, let alone a kid. The panic attack makes perfect sense as does is situation: how can he trust after being betrayed by those who were closet to him twice over? (in different contexts)
And finally of course its nice of Sage to comfort Kieren/ Ashy. Makes sense they are starting to notice his strange reactions and red flags in the situation (the cut, panic at guards, minor traveling alone)
Also i have a theory: are the people in the start of the chapter at Dodge Junction the same as the family in the present? As in maybe that scene takes place in the past. We have a few factors to note, though i see stuff for and against it.
For: Though we lack any sort of physical description or gender on the two "individuals" they are clearly very young given the childish way they bicker (like siblings) and mention a mother as well. Plus the mischievous nature of their act. Also they act and talk a lot like the two siblings
The stall worker is an apple seller, something related to farming. he is noted to be a stallion like Heath is. But curiously, no name or description is given to him either nor the to kids hiding. But Heath being an apple seller would make sense.
Plus what they mentioned before: they are a family, but maybe the kids were adopted? They only sort of have the coloring of their supposed biological parents. They call Heath and Sage mother and father but maybe the kids were adopted? The kids seemed to have lost a mother before but they can identify a new person as a mother too right?
Plus its noted ponies age slowly earlier in story so it would make sense that Heath got older but the kids did not age out of childhood yet( and its not really stated how old he is if i recall)
That and it would seem odd at the second to show a random scene of new characters in a new place out of the blue. Though they will surely be relevant later, it doubt there is much need to introduce a second set of foal siblings when we just met these new characters (the country pony families)
The things against this theory; again no description or names. The seemingly identical siblings to Rue and such could just be a red herring; they could just be separate individuals or something. That and the stallion worker does not talk too much like Heath does in hte present (although maybe he got his accent later) Could just be new characters all the same
Guess we will find out later. (plus i wonder if there speed at fleeing is for comedic effect or they actually have super speed)
This fic rips my heart apart omg
kieran bbyyyyy :(
New cover art? Super cool!
Nice new cover art
Very very nice.
Love it as always.
Kieran lacks the emotional maturity to deal with all that has happened to him, so a panic attack was not only likely but also inevitable. He's going to need a strong new foundation upon which to start rebuilding his life or else his feelings will destroy him.
BTW...
The correct word is unfazed.
Previous Cover Art was good, but might've worked better for a Sequel since it contained imagery so late into the story. This new new one works better as an overall cover.
Wow... Will we finally see the birth of the Princess of the Beggars, Outcasts, and Devoted? I'm curious.
Crazy chapter dude, Kieran's dams and walls are starting to break from all directions, especially from the inside.
Perhaps some kind of mirroring will happen with those two foals at the beginning?
Also, way to go Luna, straight into the thick of things, don't waste a damn moment (although it's rash, but it's quite cool to see, she's quite determined)
Ha... haha... if only you knew, dear Sage... if only you knew...
P.S. We need more cabbage stall lore, what happened to it after all, was it rebuilt?!! WE NEED TO KNOW.
P.P.S. I personally liked the second cover better, feels richer to me personally, but I get how to new readers it might be a bit confusing. Perhaps post it in a blog or something if you could? I'd like to look at it from time to time, to be honest.
I almost missed this because if the changed title art
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A nightmare would likely contain a broken city of glass a giant laughing pink filly pulling strings and a VARY irritated Aunt Luna
11874298
I meant Nightmare, not nightmare. Like, Nightmare Moon
I see you changed the cover art again. It does look good though i liked the grey earth pony looking at her Alicorn reflection in a puddle a bit better since it showcased Kieren's existential fears a lot more. Though this pic does show a nice dichotomy between both Flurry and Kieren showing fear and sadness but for 2 wholly different reasons
A nother grate cover art but the 2 one were he is the gray Ash disguise 4 this part of the story
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Ah apologies I see where I mixed it up. The word nightmare in general having 2 means in mlp doesn't help.
We could say we have a glimpse of what it would look like Kieran Nightmare might look color was because of Discords gray scaling him/her. Just give them some harder edge's and slitted eye's and BAM adorable emo super villain that explodes themselve up!
Honestly Luna might freak out when she finds Kieren given how he/she looks now unless she can sense the chaos or smell the chocolate rain
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Kieren just got himself a highly protective and over bearing aunt that's he's never getting rid of not matter how hard he might fight her. He needs that connection.
Flurry regardless of age needs to be punished. Broken properly can be fixed, wounds will heal, and hopefully no lives where lost. The Crystal heart is shoot so it they can't fix it or replace it again then she wouldn't have effectively killed the Crystal empire. I think the punishment should fit the crime. Normally I'd say a year but given the whole age slower thing I'll make it 2 year's provided possible of having her magic sealed. Random day's throughout the week's her magic would be unsealed and would be trained in using it for a minimum of 4 hours. This is to not only be for bleeding magic that she normally would do but also help learn control, as well as respect...hopefully. Other then that normally parent grounding. She should still have some childhood freedom. She is still developing so we don't want her learning anything to negative or feel like her parents don't love her.
Panic that's a complicated topic. Your right it is done well. There's no argument there. Just always keen in mind that not everyone well act that way. Normal is only as what is the most common but it is not the rule when is comes to emotions. Me I'd have the same 5 minutes of paranoia and depression in the snow before Discord showed up. Then I'd return to acting like mostly 'normal' again. Also wouldn't be bleeding out in the cab.
I've also vary interested is what's up with are Apple thief's in the begining. Same are are scally friend from the desert. Sadly we will have to wait and see
Alternate title for the last few chapters: "How Flurry Heart
Seems in line with her characterization so far at least. Wouldn't be surprised if this ends with her getting an anti-magic horn ring that she needs to wear temporarily.
stoleruined Hearth's Warming". If only she had the emotional maturity to wait until after the holiday to start experimenting with magic.While I'm glad that Kieran has his own appearance during this arc to set him apart from Flurry, I hope it's not his "final look". Gray on gray comes off as fairly depressing, which might be what you're going for here. Going to be interesting what repercussions, if any, Discord will face due to his role in Kieran's disappearance.
Really good story you got here though. Saw it appear on the featured page several times now but just now decided to give it a read. Take your upvote and keep up the good work!
for some reason, it seems to me that in the end Kieran will be adopted by Heath and Sage, and Cadence will leave him with Sage, just to make him happy...
Kieran destroyed the Crystal Empire...
Now it's time for the CRYSTAL REPUBLIC!!!
Mein Gott.....
We need MOAR......MOAR!!!!!
I'm just trying to think of how their gonna fix this... Like... Luna dream walking is the only way I can think of, but we already know Kieran can block Luna from his dreams... Damnit, give moar!
I love the new cover art. I don't kniw you changed it, but it looks good.
I'm caught up now. Gonna keep track of this story.
Please don't put yourself down, calling your story 'mediocre' and all that. This is some really good work!
I just imagine even more drama happening, what if they assume Foal Abuse or that he's an Orphan, even though he kinda is one.
Just found this story again. Great work! Looking forward to reading more.
You've written yourself into a corner, haven't you? Is that why posts are taking so long in the midst of such a packed arc? I'd love to help, if you're okay with that. What do you say? I'd do anything to belt out more chapters.