For each their own reasons, a group of ponies (plus one kangaroo) band together in order to travel to the distant city of Manehattan, a two months round trip journey.
For each their own reasons, a group of ponies (plus one kangaroo) band together in order to travel to the distant city of Manehattan, a two months round trip journey. However when the weather takes a turn for the worse, the group of practically strangers must band together in a desperate fight to survive.
The fifth in a series started by The Kindness of Strangers
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.
The caravan of ponies had stopped for the night in a small wooded area that ended up being the same spot that Vinyl Scratch, Rainbow Dash, and Twilight Sparkle had camped in their first night together on their way to the Hoofson Bay Area. Though it didn’t look the way Vinyl remembered it, as it was now covered in snow. Vinyl’s internal compass would be leading them along the same path that she and her friends had taken nearly a month prior.
The year was drawing to a close, tonight was New Year’s Eve. Year 1001 of the reign of Celestia would be over in a few hours. Despite the naming convention, Princess Celestia had ruled Equestria for much longer than 1001 years; however the current calendar had measured when she ruled Equestria alone. Upon Princess Luna’s return, there had been much talk of resetting the calendar to mark the new age in Equestria, something which both princesses protested, the current calendar had been the most accurate ever devised.
Trooper Willoughby hadn’t known about it being the end of year. The calendar used in South Island was different. The biggest difference being the second month of the year, February had 31 days in it, rather than the Equestrian 28, it also counted 372 days instead of the Equestrian 365 and the year began during the autumn equinox rather than at the end of December. As to be expected, the kangaroo was rather apathetic about the New Year. Most of the ponies ignored him.
Big Macintosh and Braeburn had brought along several bottles of Sweet Apple Acres best cider for the occasion. Trooper Willoughby abstained himself from drinking any, the ponies might be able to sit back and relax about their situation out here in the wilderness. This was their home, they weren’t afraid of anything lurking out here, but for the kangaroo, this was unfamiliar territory, he kept his ears open and his eyes up front. They weren’t expecting trouble, but Willoughby’s time as in the Cavalry had taught him that trouble always came when least expecting it.
The ponies of their expedition were quick to crack jokes about Willoughby being wound up too tightly. Maybe they were right, maybe he was just being paranoid, or maybe they were just naive. Willoughby was a soldier first; he’d seen things that would send these ponies to the loony bin. He’d seen things that the gryphons had done that these ponies would never believe, so yes, he was on his guard, but that’s what kept a soldier alive in the field, and if that made him wound up too tightly, then so be it.
“Try not to hit the stuff too hard everypony,” Vinyl Scratch said seriously, “We’ve got a lot of walking to do tomorrow, and you’re all going to regret it if your hung-over.”
Vinyl had abstained from the cider as well. Parties, drugs and alcohol had at one point been her life. She knew what drink could do to a pony, and was not interested in going down that path again. She’d caught the others off guard with her abstinence from the cider. After all, Vinyl Scratch was easily the most laid back and carefree of all of them.
That said. There were still a high number of Ponies that did indeed regret their actions the subsequent morning. Lyra, Bon Bon, and Braeburn had each had more than their own weight in cider and slowly trudged along behind their more sober fellows.
“Tried to warn ya!” Vinyl said with a grin. She had the most experience with hangovers.
“Ugh... can somepony just get a really big rock and bash me over the head with it?” Lyra said as she walked. She’d had the most out of all of them. Her head felt like it had split wide open, and she was slowly trudging in the rear.
“Drink water Lyra! Keep Hydrated!” Vinyl said with a grin. Lyra did not particularly appreciate the advice.
Trooper Willoughby had positioned himself a few metres behind Lyra. He only half listened to the banter between ponies up front, rather keeping his excellent hearing focused on other things. He couldn’t help but notice how quiet winter was. South Island was temperate all year round. The outback was never this quiet.
They stopped every few hours so that every pony could take a break, Water wasn’t a problem as they were standing on all the water they’d ever need. When several canteens ran out, they’d start up a fire and melt the snow down for more.
At one such occasion, Willoughby pulled Vinyl aside.
“I don’t want to cause a panic...” the trooper said. “But someone else needs to know, we’re being followed.”
Vinyl’s grin faded. “Are you sure?”
“Positive, winter here is quiet, real quiet. You can hear everything if you pay attention. It’s sneaky, and it’s not leaving any tracks, but something is definitely following us.”
“Maybe it’s a straggler who wants to join up with us?” Vinyl suggested enthusiastically, preferring it to not be anything else.
“No. They’re making every attempt to not be noticed. I’d like to think that too, but it’s not realistic,” Willoughby said. “Take everyone forward, I’m going to fall behind and set a trap for it.”
Vinyl nodded, knowing full well that she wasn’t going to dissuade him. “Be careful.”
Willoughby nodded, he hopped off into the tree line and with a powerful jump he made his way into the branches of an evergreen tree, hidden from view from anyone or anything that would come this way.
He opened the rucksack that he’d been carrying, and slid out its contents, a long metal tube which had a small slot sticking out of the side. A kangaroo submachine gun. He slid one of the box magazines into the slot, it clicked lightly, and he pulled back on the cocking handle. He didn’t intend to have to use the silenced submachine gun, but one should be prepared for the worst.
Trooper Willoughby had picked a tree alongside the road; his target would have to come along besides this tree in order to continue following them. Soon enough, his pray passed into view.
Willoughby leapt from the tree, landing in front of their stalker and brandishing his silenced submachine gun at it. “Hands where I can see them,” he said coolly.
“I... don’t have hands...” their stalker said.
Willoughby saw that this was indeed true, their follower was a pitch black unicorn stallion, amber eyes peering out at him. Willoughby took this in stride. “Identify yourself.”
“My name is Nightshadow. I’m an apothecary from Ponyville.”
Willoughby raised an eyebrow.
“An apothecary is a...” the unicorn began, but was quickly interrupted.
“I KNOW what an apothecary is. I’m wondering what an apothecary is doing following us, trying to make damned sure that we don’t notice,” Willoughby said plainly.
The unicorn didn’t have an answer.
“What’s stopping me from putting a bullet between your eyes right now?” Willoughby asked.
“Nothing, I suppose,” the unicorn said. Willoughby cocked his submachine gun, the unicorn’s eyes widened in fear. “No! No wait! Wait! I know something that you need to know, but I need you to swear that you won’t hurt me before I tell you!”
“How about you tell me, and if I think it’s good enough. I’ll let you turn around and walk home, no hard feelings?”
The unicorn gulped with fear. “There... there’s a gryphon in this forest. This one is insane! It... It attacked me; it leapt from the trees and tried to attack me. I got away, and I’ve been trying to hide my tracks to keep it from getting me. ”
“A gryphon huh?” Willoughby said, “Well, that certainly does change things,” he gestured in the easterly direction towards Ponyville with his submachine gun. “Go on then, get! Oh... and Nightshadow was it? I catch you following us again? I’m going to put a bullet between your eyes. Get me?”
The unicorn nodded, fleeing eastward. Willoughby would never see him again.
...
Night fell and the group made camp. Willoughby had refused to talk about what he’d found in the forest, not even to Vinyl, saying that ‘she didn’t need to know.’ Trooper Willoughby was the stubborn type, and Vinyl knew that she wasn’t going to be getting any out of him.
They spent the night telling stories and finishing off the last two bottles of cider, best to get rid of it sooner, rather than later, Big Macintosh had mused. After all, an empty glass bottle weighed less than one full of liquid.
Despite once again not having any, Willoughby did manage to convince the two empty bottles off the draught pony. Figuring he could find some useful purpose for them.
Willoughby had been known by the crew of the Lord Stuart as “The packrat” his unwillingness to get rid of anything that might be useful at some undetermined point in the future, possibly years. This had been quite the joke with their squadron. Say what they will, Willoughby was also famous of being able to jury-rig something useful out of the most unlikely things. Knowing him, he could probably turn the cider bottles into another pair of binoculars.
Instead, however he had a much different idea for the cider bottles. In his tent, he’d opened up to the last page of his journal, ripping it out, and scribbling down a note and stuffing it into the bottle. The river that they’d been following flowed east, they were heading west. If they ran into trouble, with the gryphon that the black unicorn had warned them about, he’d throw the bottle into the river and if it came to that, hopefully, someone in Ponyville would find read the note inside.
Willoughby hoped it would never come to that. If he had to use the message in a bottle, then they would all be dead.
Derpy Hooves checked her compass again. She loved this compass; it had been given to her as a gift when she’d gotten her job with the Ponyville post office. She always had it with her when she travelled. It had also gotten her into trouble.
Two years in a row, during Winter Wrap Up, Derpy had been in charge of gathering up the birds that flew south for the winter, she was never allowed to go get them again, the first year she accidentally went west, the second she went north. Mind you it wasn’t actually her fault, somepony of whom she’d never learned the identity had slipped a magnet into her saddlebags both years, causing her compass to always point south, regardless of what direction she’d actually been facing. She’d figured it out both times before she’d gotten too far, and always made course corrections, but it was still time wasted, and time wasted caused winter to end late. It could have happened to anypony. But it happened to her because she was different.
Derpy always kept a positive demeanour and a smile on her face regardless. Even when she was hurting on the inside, things were better now. She’d made friends of Lyra, Bon Bon, and even Trixie! Trixie in particular was always quick to come to Derpy’s aid whenever somepony gave her a hard time about something. Derpy would do the same for her if it ever came up... but it never did, Trixie had been living in Ponyville for nearly a month now, but most of the residents shunned her, many of them refused to acknowledge her presence, or even serve her in the shops. Bad blood from the Ursa Minor incident was still present.
Derpy had wandered over to where Trixie was walking. “It’s just like old times you know!” She said smiling at the Unicorn.
“I only wish. Helping the ponies of Ponyville was a cakewalk with what I have ahead of me.”
Derpy frowned, but Trixie gave her a smile in return. “Derpy, you’re a great friend, and Trixie is very happy to have you... But I’m just not ready to share what I need to do yet. But I promise you that when I am, I will come to you.”
Derpy smiled at the unicorn. She loved the feeling of being appreciated.
...
When they stopped to refill on water, Derpy couldn’t help but notice that Trooper Willoughby was agitated about something.
“Mister Willoughby?” Derpy asked him.
The Kangaroo turned to look at her. “It’s Trooper, actually, but you don’t need to worry about that. You can just call me Willoughby, miss...?”
“Derpy Hooves! That’s what my momma named me!” Derpy said enthusiastically.
“My mum named me Benjamin... but I don’t really like it,” Willoughby said. “Is there something I can do for you...? Derpy?”
“Oh, um, I just noticed that you looked like something was bothering you. So I wanted to see if I could help!” Derpy said.
“Oh, no, I’m fine. I’m just keeping my guard up, Military trains you to do that, it’s saved me and the rest of the crew of M3 Light Tank 105 dozens of times,” Willoughby said. He was lying through his teeth, and Derpy knew it. Something was up, but the Pegasus mare decided not to press the issue further. If Willoughby was lying, Derpy figured that he had a good reason to do so, even if she didn’t like it.
“Well okay, but if you change your mind, come talk to me!” Derpy said cheerfully. Willoughby gave her a small smile, and informed her he’d do that, another lie.
...
Lyra was happy for another break. She sat down in the snow, her head still pounding.
“Big Macintosh? Is all the cider gone?” She asked the red draught pony who had unhitched himself from the wagon.
“Eeyup,” he said simply.
“Good,” Lyra said. “I want to know how that Berry Punch can continue to drink that stuff and put up with how you feel the morning after.”
“In her case, she continues drinking it the morning after,” Bon Bon said. The two of them chuckled slightly, but clutched their heads in pain, laughing hurt.
Berry Punch was, of course, the town alcoholic. None of the ponies in the caravan, in this rare case counting Vinyl Scratch and Trooper Willoughby who weren’t from Ponyville, had ever seen Berry Punch sober, and if not for her, Derpy would be the laughing stock and prime embarrassment for the town, even though Derpy didn’t actually come close to being that bad with her behaviour.
Lyra shook the thoughts about Berry Punch from her head, which proved to be a mistake as she had literally shaken her head, and again clutched it in pain. There had to be something that anypony could do to get her back to normal. She made her way over to Vinyl Scratch, and opened her mouth to ask her a question.
“There isn’t anything to do about it. It has to go away on its own,” Vinyl said, she’d practically read her mind. “Hangovers are poorly understood in medicine by design.”
Lyra understood why.
“I do have something special that might help you though,” Vinyl said, grinning at her.
Lyra perked up, her eyes grew big in excitation.
“Don’t drink,” Vinyl said, and with that her grin got wider.
Lyra scowled at her.
...
Big Macintosh helped hitch Braeburn up to the wagon. Big Macintosh was getting tired, and Braeburn had insisted on pulling it for the next couple hours, despite the fact that he was hung-over from the night before.
Big Macintosh however was perfectly fine, he did make the cider himself, so he knew just how much he could handle. The others not so much, he’d tried to convince Braeburn that he could pull it for another few hours, but the Appleloosan had stubbornly insisted on pulling it. Big Macintosh mused to himself that stubbornness was a trait of the Apple family that he’d somehow missed out on.
The caravan rolled on. It was only the second day of their journey, and they weren’t anywhere close to the edge of the Whitetail woods, the forest that they were currently wandering through. Of course, their progress was slowed by the snow, not to mention that they were a relatively large group, and in about five kilometres, Big Macintosh would be passing a big milestone in his life. The furthest he’d ever been from home. He’d never really been that interested in the world outside Sweet Apple Acres, he’d always been preoccupied with farm work, but with no work that needed doing, now that Braeburn was pulling the wagon, his mind was ticking away. He suddenly found himself curious about the world outside Ponyville... and even Equestria itself.
Big Macintosh knew that only two members of their expedition had ever been outside Equestria before, Vinyl Scratch, and Trooper Willoughby. Heck, Willoughby was a kangaroo! Big Macintosh didn’t know exactly where South Island was in the world, but he figured that it had to be as far from Equestria as you could possibly get.
Trooper Willoughby had taken up march in the rear of the caravan, though this was likely not by choice. Kangaroos weren’t exactly the best at moving at this pace. They hopped, and when they did, it was at a much faster pace than this. Big Macintosh had seen the kangaroos hop around Ponyville several times. Big Macintosh was sure that Willoughby could probably make it to Manehattan on his own in a few days, assuming he knew the way, which he likely didn’t. Big Macintosh allowed himself to fall behind to speak to the kangaroo about the world outside.
“Some snow huh?” Big Macintosh said, he’d noticed that a light dusting of snow began to fall. The pegasi dumped snow every so often to keep the stuff on the ground fresh, and in about an hour, their tracks would be gone. “It’s too bad that we’re going to miss the Winter Wrap Up this year. I been hearing rumours that it’s going to be tough this year.”
Trooper Willoughby looked at Big Macintosh oddly. “Sorry? ‘Winter Wrap Up?’”
“Ya know when we change the seasons, plough away all the snow, get the fields planted? Do they not do that where ya’ll are from?” Big Macintosh asked.
“It doesn’t snow in South Island,” Willoughby said plainly.
Big Macintosh was surprised by this. “Ever?”
“Nope, well, it does in the mountains. But not right now, it’s the middle of summer,” Willoughby said. “We’re on the other side of the equator; your winter is our summer.” Well, that did answer one question. Big Macintosh now had some idea of where South Island was, kind of obvious considering its name.
“Where abouts in South Island are ya’ll from?” Big Macintosh asked, realising instantly that he was not likely to have heard of it.
“Townshend, Kingsland.”
Eeyup, not a clue.
“I thought you said that you were from South Island?” Big Macintosh asked.
“I am. Kingsland is a state in the Commonwealth of South Island. There’s also Western South Island, Southern South Island, Victor, and New South Welara... You have no idea what I’m talking about.”
“Eeyup.”
Big Macintosh ceased his line of questioning shortly after that, and took a place farther up in the caravan. He did learn one thing so far, the world outside Equestria was big, and confusing.
Lyra was feeling much better now. It was a week into January, and she finally felt back to a hundred per cent. Bon Bon, who hadn’t had as much as she did, had recovered the day before. It was a good thing too, because the easy part of their journey was nearing its completion.
They were a day from the edge of Whitetail Wood. From here, the quickest way to Manehattan was across open countryside, walking the road would add another month to their journey, as it bobbed and weaved around the countryside. Trooper Willoughby had been extremely annoyed with the lack of a simple and efficient road system that lead to the city, he heavily criticised the road to anyone who would listen, and continued even when nopony was listening.
Lyra was only half paid attention, randomly catching words that she was unfamiliar with, such as federal, motorway, dingo, Kambera, and National One. Eventually, Willoughby’s ranting ran out of steam, and the kangaroo returned to silence.
Thank Celestia!
“Something tells me that he’s been walking around with more frustrations than that,” Bon Bon whispered to her. Lyra nodded, she had a point. Willoughby was a kangaroo after all; he was different in pretty much every way except for diet. They were all herbivores here.
Willoughby had insisted on taking march up front, when Lyra asked him why, he had refused to give her a straight answer.
“He’s hiding something,” Lyra said. “I don’t like it, how well do we really know any of these kangaroos anyway?”
Bon Bon shrugged. “I’ve spoken to McNair and Vickers. McNair seemed all right, Vickers was weird. He kept going on about the ‘thirty seven’ like he was in love with it... whatever that is.”
“37 millimetre anti-tank gun, It’s the main armament on our tank,” Willoughby called out from the front of the line. He turned around and looked at Lyra and Bon Bon; he pointed to his left ear and said: “Really good ears.”
While he didn’t call Lyra and Bon Bon out on anything, it was enough for them to shut up about it. He’d clearly heard the entirety of their conversation, even though they’d tried to be quiet about it.
...
They walked a few more hours, almost there. Almost out of Whitetail Wood, Willoughby had become visibly more agitated. He wanted out of these woods, and Lyra was at her wits end about it. He’d refused to tell them what was going on, and at their last water stop, Lyra planned to confront him about it.
Derpy agreed with her that something was up, and agreed to Lyra’s plan of action.
Lyra walked up to Willoughby, a scornful look on her face, she was getting answers from this marsupial.
“Tell me what you’re keeping from us. Right now or we’re not moving a millimetre further,” Lyra said.
Lyra looked to Derpy, who nodded at her, Braeburn, who had been the one pulling the cart at the time, detached himself and sat on the ground, indicating he wasn’t going anywhere.
Willoughby grew flustered, he looked towards Vinyl Scratch for support, but to his dismay, she sat down too. None of them were moving until he talked.
No point in keeping it a secret any longer, he needed them to get to Manehattan, and they didn’t know it, but they needed him for protection. These ponies had all been brought up under the impression that the world was a safe place. He was about to shatter that delusion for them.
“All right,” Willoughby said with a sigh. “You want to know what the secret is? There’s a gryphon in these woods.”
Vinyl Scratch stood back up in surprise and shock, she was the only one of this group of ponies that fully understood what that meant.
“We need to go, and we need to go right now!” Vinyl said, panic filling her voice.
A rustle came from the trees, everypony held their breath. Willoughby silently slid the kangaroo submachine gun from his pack, pointing it towards the point of the rustling. He raised a finger to his mouth, parsing his lips and gave them an inaudible shush, and stepped quietly towards the tree line.
A figure leapt out of the trees, roaring loudly and charging down the kangaroo. Willoughby pulled the trigger, filling the air with a series of quiet pop! noises that sent the gryphon reeling, it screamed in pain and rushed back into the tree line.
“I’m going after it,” Willoughby said. “Everyone stay here.”
The kangaroo hopped off into the tree line. They stayed put.
...
Night fell, and several hours later, Willoughby returned to find that the caravan had made camp just off the side of the road, hardly an ideal spot, as the area was thick with trees.
Lyra looked up from her spot, watching as Willoughby approached the fire. “Did you find it?”
“No,” Willoughby said plainly. “I followed the blood trail as far as I could, but it dead ended... I don’t think we have to worry about it anymore though.”
Lyra raised an eyebrow. “How do you figure?”
“I shot it, a lot, the rate it was losing blood, that thing will have been dead a few hours by now.”
Lyra gasped in horror, as did everyone else sitting around the campfire.
“No more secrets,” Willoughby said. “That thing wasn’t a gryphon, not anymore. That was pure wild animal.”
“How did you know it was here?” Lyra asked.
Willoughby frowned. “I was... warned,” Willoughby explained to them his meeting with the apothecary, Nightshadow, who had followed them to warn him of the impending danger of wild gryphon, including the part about threatening to shoot the unicorn should he continue to follow them.
“That creep?!” Bon Bon exclaimed shuttering in anger. “I’ve seen him around town. I’ll be going somewhere, and he’ll just be there, eyeing me up.”
“Ah seen him wanderin’ around the farm at night sometimes,” Big Macintosh said. “Out in the far fields, light ‘o his horn glowing like somethin’ else. Seen him through mah binoculars, every time I go out there, he’s done gone, like he knew ah was comin’ and then I’ll go into town ta confront him, and can’t ever find him.”
“He’s always at Twilight Sparkle’s Library,” Derpy said, “He tells her about getting letters from his brothers, but I’m the only mailpony in Ponyville, and I’ve never delivered anything to him.”
“Trixie has spoken to him on several occasions,” Trixie said. “Unicorns have the ability to detect magic that resonates in other unicorns. Every time I’ve spoken to him, I couldn’t pick anything up.”
Vinyl looked at the other ponies and frowned. “Hey, just because somepony is odd doesn’t mean something’s wrong with them!”
Derpy in particular looked extremely guilty, she was practically in the same place Nightshadow was, and here she was bashing somepony she didn’t know. Just as everypony else did to her.
“Vinyl’s right,” Willoughby said. “That unicorn helped us... and I know that the first thing I’ll be doing when we get back to Ponyville is finding him and apologising.”
Everypony else nodded.
“We should all turn in, we lost a lot of time today, so we need to get up early and try to get back on schedule,” Vinyl said.
Everypony agreed, each of them said goodnight to the others and turned in.
...
By nine o‘clock the next morning, the caravan had gotten back on schedule, they had exited Whitetail Wood and were now crossing open countryside on a beeline for Manehattan.
Big Macintosh and Braeburn were having difficulty with the cart, but refused to admit it.
Willoughby had never particularly paid attention to it before, but now that they were crossing open countryside, it had become a major hindrance.
“What’s in the box?” he asked Derpy when they stopped for the night.
“I don’t know!” Derpy reported. “I never know anything about what I’m carrying. It would be illegal for me to open a package that’s not mine.”
Willoughby understood the reasoning behind it, he respected it, after all, the post office in South Island worked the same way, but something didn’t feel right about it. Here was this big wooden box that they were supposed to be transporting across hundreds of kilometres of open countryside that no one knew anything about, that was suspicious to him.
A great debate was going on inside the mind of Trooper Willoughby; his naturally suspicious mind was getting the better of him. The package had to be legitimate, after all, who was insane enough to try and use the post office to carry out some clandestine, malevolent agenda? Despite his rational mind’s attempts, it had lost. His curiosity had gotten the better of him.
It was safe to say that Trixie did not have the best endurance of the caravan. In fact hers was probably the worst. Her hooves ached from the constant walking, she slept poorly at night, and she was constantly tired during the day.
She did not complain, however as she might have done in the past. No, she had made the choice to go with them by her own free will; she figured that she had no right to complain. Derpy had noticed the lethargy in her unicorn friend, and she asked her if she was all right. Trixie of course, said that she was fine, and thanked Derpy for her concern, however misplaced.
Truth of the matter was that she was anything but fine. She had a secret, and she had intended to keep it from everypony else even after they had arrived at Manehattan. Things had changed, however at the edge of Whitetail Wood. After Trooper Willoughby declared that there would be no more secrets from him, she decided that it was best to follow his example. She would tell them why she was going to Manehattan.
“I’m dying,” Trixie said, sitting around the campfire that evening, she’d gathered everypony, plus one kangaroo, and informed them that she had an announcement, did she ever.
Everyone was silent, unsure of how to respond to such a statement. Most of the caravan didn’t know Trixie all that well, but the declaration had still caught everyone off guard. Trixie looked perfectly healthy.
“I’m dying,” Trixie said again. “From a genetic condition known as Lighthorn’s Syndrome, only affects Unicorns. It causes our magical abilities to deteriorate, and as a Unicorn’s life is linked to magic, its absence renders us without an immune system. We get an infection, and then we die.”
Lyra instinctively grabbed her horn, causing Trixie to smile at her panic. “It’s not contagious.” Lyra let go, feeling foolish.
“I have a year, two tops, and then I’ll be gone. I’m the last of my family. My mother died of Lighthorn’s, my father committed suicide. I’m going to Manehattan to visit their graves for the first time, and the last.”
Derpy’s mouth fell open, her friend was dying. She’d never had a friend die before. She shook the thought from her head, Trixie wasn’t dead yet, she was still very much alive.
“Trixie wasn’t going to tell you. Ever, but the good Trooper changed her mind. If we’re going to be travelling with each other, we can be honest with each other,” Trixie said finishing her story.
Vinyl Scratch smiled at her. “Well if we’re all going to be honest with each other...”
Vinyl recounted to the caravan tales of her past history of drug and alcohol abuse, the wild club scene, being used by ponies to get a fix, using others to get hers. She recounted the last time she had seen her friend Octavia, her best friend in the world, and she’d blown her friendship with her for drugs.
“So I’m clean now, and I’m going back to give her the apology she deserves,” Vinyl said, finishing her tale.
Big Macintosh spoke next. “Mah sister went to live in Manehattan with mah Aunt an’ Uncle Orange when she was jus’ a filly. Ah was always jealous o’ her for tha’ Ah was the oldest, Ah wanted to be the one out there, makin’ a name fer mahself in the big city. When Derpy was lookin’ for somepony to help her get the package to Manehattan, Ah couldn’t say no. Ah had to go.”
Braeburn spoke next. “Ah got kicked out of Appleoosa. Ah got involved with the Mayor’s daughter, he was real protective o’ her... More like suffocatin’ her if ya’ll ask me. Big Macintosh just happens to need help on his farm out here, and Ah come straight to Ponyville, couldn’t have been at a better time... Ah never told anypony that story, not even you ‘Cuz, ‘cause I was afraid you’d be ashamed o’ me.”
Lyra and Bon Bon looked at each other and frowned. “Those all put our reasons to shame. We just wanted to go because we thought it would be fun,” Bon Bon said, frowning at the others. “Maybe that’s the problem.”
“The real reason I wanted to do this?” Willoughby said. “Someone needed to go, but I wanted it to be me because a kangaroo doesn’t belong in a pony town. I felt useless back there. Out here, I got a purpose. Benjamin Willoughby can actually protect people, instead of having to work a radio all day.”
Derpy spoke last. “I want to prove I can actually do things without messing them up. Everypony thinks I’m stupid back home, I’m not! But no matter what I do. No matter how hard I try, everypony still thinks the same of me. So I took to taking really difficult delivery jobs to prove I can do things... but then I got this one, and it was more than I could chew. I couldn’t do it myself, so here goes another chance.”
Everyone looked at each other; they all let out a sigh of relief as if each of them had a huge weight lifted off their shoulders.
“We should all probably get some rest. We have a long walk ahead of us tomorrow,” Vinyl said. Everyone agreed, and they turned in for the night.
...
Vinyl Scratch opened her eyes. She was lying in her Manehattan apartment, inside the sheets of her luxurious 180x200 centimetre bed. She blinked, her vision coming into focus after being blinded by sunlight filtering in though the windows. She discovered that there was no one sleeping next to her. A highly irregular event in her home, she sat up and looked around her home. There was no evidence that anypony had been here last night except for her. Her one night stands usually left behind something, but no, not a sock or anything.
Did she even go out last night? She couldn’t remember. Actually her entire memory was a little fuzzy at the moment. She knew her name was Vinyl Scratch, she remembered how to read, and write, small things about her lifestyle, actual memories though? Not getting anything.
I must have really hit something hard last night. Vinyl thought to herself. She got up and made her way to the shower, turning it on and allowing it to warm up for a moment. She looked into the mirror, her red eyes looking back at her.
After her shower, Vinyl entered her apartment’s kitchen, using her magic to whip her up a bowl of oats, adding milk, she used her magic to grab a spoon and float a spoonful into her mouth.
The spoon, such a simple thing, Vinyl thought, yet it was a symbol of status for a Unicorn, as they were the only race actually able to use them. A hoof couldn’t exactly work a spoon, a fork, or a knife, but a unicorn’s horn could a simple device with a simple purpose.
Vinyl Scratch, it is too early in the morning for you to be philosophical, shut up and enjoy your stupid cereal! She chuckled to herself, and finished her food in peace.
Vinyl finished with breakfast, she donned her goggles and was about to leave her apartment for the day when she realised something important. She didn’t know what the date was. She didn’t know what she was supposed to do today. Likely, today was one of her numerous “goof off” days, where she’d run around town doing whatever her heart desired, and then come back here, get ready and pick a club to go to tonight, but on the off chance she actually had something that needed doing today... no best not leave yet.
Thump!
Vinyl turned around, had something fallen off a shelf? She searched the entire room, but found that everything was in place.
Thump!
There it was again. Now she checked the windows, making sure that nothing was going on outside, like somepony cleaning the windows and just making noise. Nothing.
Thump Thump!
Now it was getting annoying. Vinyl searched every square centimetre of the main room. Nothing.
Thump Thump Thump!
What if it wasn’t in the main room... the bedroom! Maybe somepony had spent the night after all.
Thump Thump Thump Thump!
She was sure she had discovered the source. The chest at the end of her bed, was... somepony inside it? How could they have possibly gotten in there?
Vinyl slowly opened the chest, inside, a grey unicorn colt with eyes that matched leapt out at her, tackling her to the floor.
“Let... me... out!” the unicorn said. He raised his hooves up, bringing them down on Vinyl’s head.
The entire camp was thrown awake by Vinyl Scratch’s screaming, everypony (plus one kangaroo, who had drawn his submachine gun) exited their tents to find Vinyl Scratch looking at the wooden shipping box, her eyes twitched slightly as she looked at it.
“We have to open the box,” Vinyl said, looking back at Trooper Willoughby.
“Don’t have to tell me twice,” the kangaroo said, lowering the submachine gun and producing a crowbar from his rucksack, pack rat he was indeed.
“No!” Derpy cried out, “You can’t open it!” She looked at Big Macintosh and Braeburn for support, but it soon became clear that she wouldn’t be getting any.
“Ah kept gettin’ this funny feeling ‘bout that box when Ah was pullin’ it,” Big Macintosh said plainly. “Ah want to know what’s in it too.”
Braeburn merely nodded in agreement.
Derpy looked to Lyra and Bon Bon, they merely shook their heads. The more Lyra thought about it, she too had felt uneasy when she was around the box, but when stepping away from it, she’d seemed to forget, at least until now when everyone had called attention to it.
Trixie too proclaimed a bad vibe from the box, the few times she’d gone near it.
Derpy gave in; there was simply no way to stop it now that everyone in the group wanted to open it up.
“All right... let’s see what you hold,” Willoughby said, placing the crowbar at the gap between the lid and the actual box itself, with a quick downward thrust, the lid of the box popped off, sending it clattering to the ground.
They all heard a howling noise, and a cloud of grey smoke burst forward from the box, making a distinctive noise that none of them had ever heard before.
Docka-docka-docka-docka-docka!
The grey smoke dove back down, smashing the cart and throwing Willoughby clear. The smoke then did the unthinkable; it roared at them and flew off heading west towards the distant tree line of the Everfree forest.
Derpy and Trixie both backed away from the rest of the group, who had rushed to help the fallen kangaroo.
“Was that...?” Trixie asked, not needing to finish her sentence.
“No,” Derpy said, shaking her head. “Similar... but just different enough. Now I want to know, who was sending a Smoke Monster to Manehattan?”
...
Willoughby had ended up being fine, insisting that they continue on in spite of his minor injuries.
Vinyl felt horribly guilty, but she wasn’t sure why, she wasn’t happy that Willoughby had been hurt, but he was fine. She couldn’t help but feel that she’d unleashed something that was better left locked away.
“How does a cloud of smoke roar at somepony?!” Lyra exclaimed.
“Better yet, how does it smash a cart?” Bon Bon asked.
No one had any answers for them. Derpy and Trixie kept silent about the similar smoke creature that they had seen in the past. They had agreed that it was something best kept between the two of them. Only one other pony knew of it, and they had no idea where he even was.
To Willoughby’s delight, their pace had quickened, they could walk much faster and further during the day, and they didn’t need to stop as much, likewise, they had been able to reduced their water and food consumption, they’d still have a week’s worth of food for all of them by the time they’d reached Manehattan, roughly estimated by some quick math, done by Big Macintosh to everyponies surprise. Though they probably should have expected it, Big Macintosh was a farmer; if anything he knew how to keep track of food.
Discussion of the Grey Smoke continued, no one, not even Derpy or Trixie had any idea what it was, and even they threw in a few ideas of what it could be, casually leaving out any mention of the Black Smoke. Of course, it wasn’t as if either of them knew anything about the Black Smoke at all. Derpy had seen it twice; the first time was when it was chasing a future iteration of herself, Trixie, and her absent friend, the Doctor. The second time was when it healed Pinkie Pie, bringing the pink party pony back from brain death. Behaviours completely opposite of each other, so she had no idea what the Black Smoke was, or what its intentions were. Maybe it was peaceful, and their future selves had done something to agitate it? She had no way of knowing, it hadn’t happened yet.
Trixie had not seen it personally, instead, having relied upon Derpy’s descriptions of it.
Eventually, Vinyl Scratch declared that such talk was pointless, they had no idea what the Grey Smoke was, nor could they find out any time soon.
“Sorry everypony,” Vinyl said apologetically. “Not trying to be the man here... but we’ve got more pressing concerns to deal with right now.”
“She’s right,” Derpy said, she pointed a hoof to the clouds off in the distance. “There’s a big storm coming.”
Off in the distance, dark clouds were forming, very unnatural for this time of the year. Trooper Willoughby took out his binoculars to take a closer look at them; they were a sort of greenish colour.
“Fuck,” Willoughby swore, everyponies ears burned. “We do not want to be outside when those things start dumping. Those are hail clouds.”
Derpy frowned; she was pegasi, and more familiar with weather patterns than the rest of the group. “This area is under the management of Cloudsdale, why in Equestria would they make hail?”
Willoughby looked at the pegasi in confusion. “Oh... don’t tell me, ponies actually make the weather.”
Derpy nodded in affirmation.
“Fecking bullshite,” Willoughby muttered under his breath. “All right, clearly someone in Cloudsdale made a mistake. We need to find a cave or something and wait it out. Large hailstones have been able to rip holes in our tanks access hatches, so imagine what one would do to us.”
This statement took most of them aback, only Vinyl Scratch had seen kangaroo tanks in action, everypony else had assumed that the metal monstrosity that had driven into Ponyville was indestructible.
They formulated a plan of action, they would split up, each of them going out in various directions, and report back here in three hours about any prospects that could shelter them from the inbound hail. At the end of those three hours, almost everypony reported back that they had found nothing.
It was Lyra and Bon Bon however; the two most unlikely to be useful on this trip, though nopony would have admitted it to them who reported finding a small cave a kilometre to the northeast. It also turned out that Lyra knew an exceedingly useful spell that allowed her to cast a beacon spell on a rock or something so that she could find it again. Trixie in particular was impressed, that was a very useful bit of magic.
Lyra led the way to the cave, which actually turned out to be much larger than Lyra and Bon Bon had described, but it would certainly make do. They had arrived not a moment too soon, as it started hailing outside. Now it was time to sit and wait.
They built a fire, Willoughby and Big Macintosh had thought ahead, and gathered up plenty of wood while they were out searching, they had enough to last them a few days, after that, well everyone just hoped that the hail wouldn’t last that long.
Vinyl Scratch had taken to exploring, light from her horn shone brightly as she walked around the cave, looking at the walls and the high ceiling.
“This cave is not a natural formation. Look at the walls; they’re too smooth, too even. Someone dug this.” Vinyl said.
Willoughby brought out his submachine gun. “Which means someone might live here,” he said, he opened his bag, bringing out a roll of tape, and a small hand torch, attaching the torch to the barrel of the submachine gun, and he clicked it on, shining light into the cave.
“Vinyl Scratch? I could really use that horn of yours. My light isn’t as good as yours,” Willoughby said.
Vinyl agreed, and the two of them crept quietly through the cave system for the next several hours. Eventually returning to the group and reporting that they had found nothing.
Willoughby had been worried about gryphons, they’d already run into one in Equestria, there were likely to be more.
Vinyl on the other hand wanted to make sure that the cave wasn’t being used by a hibernating Ursa.
“Good news everypony!” Vinyl reported with a grin. “Crisis averted!”
Morning... or at least, that’s what it should be. Vinyl Scratch opened her eyes to find that it was still dark. She lit her horn brightly, causing everypony to wake. Willoughby was already up, standing near the entrance of the cave, holding his submachine gun towards the opening, shining the torchlight that he’d attached to it.
In place of entrance, there now sat a thick white wall, Trixie and Lyra lit their horns as well, fully illuminating the cave as if it were daytime.
“I don’t suppose anypony bright a shovel?” Willoughby asked. No such luck, most ponies weren’t exactly built to use one.
They were snowed in, hail had turned out to be the least of their problems, there had been a blizzard last night, and now here they were trapped in a cave with no way out. Fortunately, no one panicked.
Much.
“What are we going to do!?” Lyra said, her voice becoming hysterical, “We can’t melt that! There isn’t enough magic between the three of us for this!”
“Chill out everypony! We’re going to be fine!” Vinyl said cheerfully, Willoughby would notice that she was struggling to maintain a positive demeanour, but he didn’t think any of the other ponies noticed. “I got a plan!”
Vinyl divided the ponies into three groups, group one, consisting of Lyra, Bon Bon, and Derpy would explore the cave system, looking for any alternate exits, group two of Trixie, Big Macintosh, and Braeburn would take to another direction and look for anything they could use to aid in their escape, while group three, consisting of Vinyl and Trooper Willoughby would stay here, and organise their things to see if they couldn’t make something to help them. The ponies split off, each of the groups unicorn’s lighting the cavern as they made their way into their search.
“You don’t actually have a plan do you?” Willoughby asked.
“Not a single idea,” Vinyl said frowning. “Lyra’s right about one thing, we don’t have enough magic to melt this much snow... and even if we did, we’d drown ourselves in the process. At least this way, we can keep everypony calm and focused on prospects other than dying of suffocation, starvation, or freezing to death.”
...
Vinyl Scratch had been right about one thing, these caves were not natural. Trixie, Big Macintosh, and Braeburn had discovered another section of tunnels that someone... or something, had taken desperate measures to keep hidden. Tunnels that Trooper Willoughby had not been able to search the night before, simply due to the fact that there was a giant boulder blocking it, Trixie had noticed the slight gap between boulder and the subsequent tunnel, and attempted to push the boulder out of the way. It did not budge, were she not suffering from Lighthorn’s, she might have been able to move it by herself, but in the advanced stages, she was lucky to be able to life half her own mass. Likewise, Big Macintosh and Braeburn were strong ponies, but even the three of them working together was still not enough.
If they had any chance of moving the boulder at all, the entire group would have to try.
...
“I don’t think we should open it.”
Everyone looked at Derpy, who stated it again, her voice not wavering. “Everypony does remember the last time we opened up something we shouldn’t have, right?”
“I would ordinarily agree...” Vinyl said calmly. “That it was a rash decision to open the crate, and I certainly wouldn’t want to make the same mistake again, however, in this case I don’t think we have much of a choice. It’s either this, or we starve, suffocate, or freeze, to death.”
Derpy tried to remain adamant, but she quickly gave in, she didn’t want any of these things to happen to anyone, they were her friends, and while she was still mad at them for opening the crate, she couldn’t just deny them her help because she was mad... could she?
No, that wouldn’t be right. Derpy agreed to help.
The three unicorns reached out and grabbed the boulder with their magic, and at the same time, the others pushed on it, they all struggled to move the boulder away from the blocked tunnel, they all pushed as hard as they could, and finally it budged. They rolled it over and blocked one of the other passage ways with it. Now they could all go into the new tunnel.
Vinyl lead the way, the magic from her horn glowing and illuminating the tunnel, it was much smaller than the other passage ways, Willoughby had difficulty manoeuvring in it, but the ponies were just small enough not to be hindered. They reached the bottom of the tunnel, and it levelled out into a new, wide open room that was naturally lit. Snow piled up in various corners underneath holes in the ceiling, and to their delight, they discovered at the other end of the large room was an opening to the outside.
To their horror, a faint warbling noise and a light ticking noise filled the quiet air.
Ticka-ticka-ticka-ticka-ticka-ticka-ticka!
A plume of thick black smoke rolled into the cave. Everyone froze in fear.
However the Black Smoke did not approach them. It didn’t get out of their way either. It just held there, unwilling, or maybe even unable to move closer.
Vinyl tried advancing towards it, and for her effort, the Black Smoke roared at her.
Vinyl quickly stepped back, not wanting to agitate the creature any further.
“Look!” Lyra said, pointing a hoof at the floor near the exit. A line of grey powder spanned the opening, touching both walls; the black smoke was seemingly unable to cross it.
“We’re not getting out this way,” Willoughby said plainly. “And I’m not particularly interested in letting that in here.”
Derpy however didn’t listen and stepped forward, the Black Smoke did not roar at her like it did with Vinyl.
“Hi there!” Derpy said cheerfully. “Do you remember me?”
The ponies gasped at Derpy, quietly shouting for her to come back.
The Black Smoke merely warbled at her.
“I remember you, you helped me,” Derpy said. “You helped Pinkie Pie, she was sick and you made her better.”
It continued to warble.
“So... if it’s okay with you, we’d really, really like to leave. This is the only way out. Could you move aside? Please?” Derpy asked, smiling at the Black Smoke.
It let out a howl and flew away from the cave opening at high speed.
Ticka-ticka-ticka-ticka-ticka-ticka-ticka!
The ticking noise became fainter and fainter, until they could no longer hear it.
Derpy turned around and smiled at her companions, who were all looking at her, mouths wide open in shock. “We can go now!”
...
“How the hell did you know that would work?” Willoughby asked.
“I didn’t!” Derpy said cheerfully. “But I had to try.”
They were back on course, they had looped around and were now heading northwest on a course that would take them around the Everfree Forest and on the westward towards Manehattan.
Derpy told the rest of the group what she knew about the Black Smoke, which was still very little, casually leaving out the parts about the Doctor. She explained visiting Pinkie Pie when the pink party pony was in a coma, and that she became brain dead, but that the Black Smoke had come to heal her. She explained, mostly to the naturally suspicious kangaroo that she so happened to be travelling with, that she’d not brought up the Black Smoke before because she really didn’t know anything about it. Something that was not a lie in the slightest, Willoughby eventually accepted the pegasi’s explanation, and they spoke on the matter no further.
Despite the rough week and a half opener into their journey to Manehattan, the rest of the trip was smooth sailing. Crossing open countryside had yielded no problems; they had not been attacked by rampaging gryphons, or smoke monsters, or encountered any real difficult obstacles along the way. They had advanced to about a day away from Manehattan when Vinyl Scratch began joking that they were due to be attacked by a dragon or something. Spirits had been kept up, and despite getting every possible delay that they could hit in the first week and a half of their journey, they had arrived in Manehattan not only on time, but actually half a day ahead of schedule.
The caravaneers had made it. They had planned to spend the next week in Manehattan, resting up and accomplishing the things they had set out to do. Even Big Macintosh, the rugged draught pony, was excited for a chance to sleep in a real bed.
Business first, Vinyl Scratch lead Trooper Willoughby to her friend’s radio tower, while Derpy, Big Macintosh, and Braeburn reported the destruction of the package they were meant to be carrying to the main post office (casually leaving out that they had opened it.)
Vinyl Scratch and Trooper Willoughby rode the elevator to the top of the Imperial Tower, the tallest building in all of Equestria at nearly 500 metres tall. Not counting the Royal Castle in Canterlot, this was taller by the simple fact that it was on a higher elevation.
“You know, I should have probably warned you of this before.. I haven’t exactly been on the best of terms with this friend. We had kind of a falling out a while back... I was coming to this city because I owe her an apology.”
Willoughby looked at her. “You’re not telling me this until right now? What is wrong with you?”
“I get asked that question every single day!” Vinyl said, grinning at the kangaroo. “Every. Single. Day.”
They exited the elevator, walked across the room, and knocked on the only door on the floor.
A dark grey coloured earth pony opened the door and popped her head out, looking over the grinning unicorn, and uneasy kangaroo standing in front of her.
“Vinyl Scratch?” Octavia said, her voice filled with confusion.
“Hey! How ya doing O?” Vinyl said grinning at her.
“What do you want Vinyl?” Octavia frowned at the unicorn, giving her a deadpan look of annoyance.
Vinyl’s grin faded, and she donned a more serious expression. “I know you’re still mad at me, and I’ve come to apologise to you, I’m off the drugs, been clean for four months, would have come by sooner, but I wanted to be able to prove to you that I could stay off them.”
Vinyl Scratch and Octavia showed Willoughby into the transmission room. The set up was slightly different from what he was used to, but Willoughby assured them that he could manage just fine.
Vinyl and Octavia excused themselves, giving him privacy to speak to his superiors, and time for them to talk as well.
Willoughby tuned the radio to the coded frequency of Regimental Command, giving him a direct line to field headquarters in the Hoofson Bay.
As this was a civilian frequency, he took steps to make sure that no one in Manehattan could listen in. Anyone who tuned to this radio station would get nothing but static until he was done.
“I’m not familiar with this frequency, identify yourself,” said a voice on the other end of the radio.
“Hello Op, how’s the grass today?” Willoughby asked, what seemed like nonsense was a coded response, so that those broadcasting on unfamiliar channels would know that the source was legitimate.
“My my! Benjamin Willoughby! There’s a voice I thought I would never hear again... and for your information, the grass is still covered in gods damned snow!” the voice replied, causing Willoughby to chuckle.
He was speaking to the Operator, the most senior radio officer in Regimental Command. He knew every kangaroo in the regiment by their voice. Every single one.
“It’s a good thing you called when you did, Command was about ready to update Light Tank 105 to Killed in Action, we were all afraid that the gryphons got you on your way back from taking those ponies home.”
“Nah, we’re all fine. We had engine trouble just as we pulled into the town of Ponyville. Engine’s shot. Cause is lack of regular winter maintenance, and loading improper fuel.”
“I’ll pull the work logs and make sure whoever was in charge of your tank learns the importance of proper winter maintenance.”
“I would appreciate that Op,” Willoughby said. “I’m also sending you a list of parts Sergeant Tebbs needs via wireless. He’d prefer you just send a new engine block all together, but I told him it would never get through Equestrian Customs.”
“Will anything we send? CSI doesn’t have any relations with Principality of Equestria, any time CSI has tried to get something in, it either never arrives, or gets sent back.”
“I’ve been informed by one of the ponies we took back that she has significant pull with their leader. Anything that CSI addresses to ‘Twilight Sparkle’ will make it though,” Willoughby said.
“Heh, and I thought my name was out there. Major Thaddeus Braxton isn’t anywhere close to being off the wall as that... Give me a report on the second objective.”
Willoughby froze, he’d completely forgotten about it.
“Trooper?”
“I’m not sure I feel... comfortable, reporting that sir.”
“I figured as much, but it’s not up to me, hell, it’s not even up to the Colonel. This comes down right from the top.”
“All right, I don’t have much that’s useful though... I can debunk some rumours. Rumour No.1: Equestria has a huge army that no one can possibly defeat. Everything I’ve seen says that it couldn’t be any further from the truth. Equestria has almost no standing forces to talk about; they didn’t know what a tank was when we rolled into town. Rumour No.2: Equestria has a weapon of mass destruction that they’re willing to use on anyone who stands against them. Highly unlikely, almost every pony I have met is appalled by the mere thought of violence. I had to use my gun once when we were here and they weren’t happy about it. Rumour No.3: Equestria is ruled by living gods who could smite any enemy that tried to attack them... I don’t know about this one, everypony seems to think that this one is true. I’d have to do more digging and get back to you.”
“Thank you Trooper. I got your list, and we’ll have the parts shipped out to you as soon as we can... Stay safe Benjamin.”
“You too Op.”
...
Vinyl Scratch joined Trooper Willoughby in the elevator on their way down.
“How was your talk with your friend?” Willoughby asked.
“Oh... heh, we didn’t actually do that much talking...” Vinyl said grinning at him.
The kangaroo facepalmed, he was going to be living with images in his head that he’d rather not have thought about.
“How was your talk with your commander?” Vinyl asked.
“I didn’t talk to my commander... I talked to someone else,” Willoughby said. “Legally speaking, I can’t say anymore than that.”
“Cool, that’s cool.” Vinyl said, she began humming a tune, but stopped short. “Why can’t you have a name that goes with ‘secret agent’ in a melody?”
Willoughby chuckled. “Being constricted by the War Secrets Act doesn’t make me a secret agent Vinyl Scratch.”
“I bet that’s what you say to all the mares who figure you out,” Vinyl said with a grin. ...
Trixie and Derpy were standing in the snow of Manehattan’s central cemetery. Before them were the graves of Trixie’s parents.
Tears began to flow from Trixie’s eyes, prompting Derpy to give her a hug, and a pat on the back in encouragement.
“Hello mum, dad,” Trixie said, choking on her tears. “I’m sorry that it took me so long to come here... I’m sorry I couldn’t have been there at the funeral... both your funerals. I convinced myself that I had better things to do.”
Trixie dropped to the ground, planting her face down in the snow, her crying intensified. “Dad, I’m most sorry to you, I could have done something, when mum died I should have been there for you, you needed me, but I was hurt too and instead of doing the right thing I ran away. I ran away when you needed me the most. If I had been there... maybe you wouldn’t have hung yourself to get mum back. Maybe you wouldn’t have needed to. I’m so sorry.”
Trixie raised her head up to the third plot beneath the headstone that was reserved for her. “I’ll be joining you soon. Our family will be back together as it should have been. I just wish I hadn’t been selfish, and that we could have been a family when we were all still here.”
Trixie rose to her hooves.
“Goodbye mother, goodbye father. I’ll see you both soon.”
Derpy gave her friend another hug, and helped wipe the tears from her eyes.
“It’ll be all right Trixie, I’m sure they forgive you,” Derpy said with a smile.
Trixie returned her smile. “Thank you for everything you’ve ever done for me Derpy Hooves, you are the best friend I have ever had.”
Derpy smiled, and the duo left the cemetery for the last time.
...
Lyra and Bon Bon were sitting at a bakery and coffee shop on Fifth Avenue in downtown Manehattan; they were sitting outside, quietly sipping their coffee. Manehattan wasn’t as glamorous as they’d thought it was going to be. Everything was more expensive, and they’d almost wished that they’d never come along at all.
They didn’t need to be anywhere but home to have fun and enjoy the company of friends.
But it was the friendship that they’d made with Vinyl Scratch, Trixie, Big Macintosh, Braeburn, and Trooper Willoughby that made it worthwhile.
“I think I’ve figured it out,” Lyra said finally.
“Oh? Do tell.” Bon Bon said.
“Happiness isn’t a place you can go, Happiness is a trip that you go on with your friends. Wherever you end up isn’t important. As long as you’re with your friends, you’ll never be lost,” Lyra said.
Bon Bon smiled. “I can’t imagine ever going somewhere without you Lyra.”
“Same here,” Lyra said returning the smile.
The two ponies embraced each other, not noticing, and certainly not caring that everypony else was staring at them. They didn’t matter. All that mattered was that they had each other.
Sitting at the edge of a pool of water in the middle of the Everfree forest was a glowing figure, a semi transparent pony with grey hair, a grey mane, and blood red eyes.
What made this pony different from all others was that he had both a Unicorn’s horn, and a pegasi’s wings. He looked deep into the pool of water, but he could barely see his own reflection.
“My my my, how the mighty hath fallen,” called a snarky voice from behind him.
The grey pony turned and looked at the source, appearing from a cloud of black smoke were three pitch black ponies, with amber eyes looking back at him.
The grey pony smirked. “You act as if you have not lost anything either. Nightmare Essence, the Herald of Chaos Undivided has his consciousness split in three, by six mares barely old enough to be called such. On the very day that he escapes from a thousand year exile on the moon, no less. Tell me, what is more embarrassing? The Paragon of Order’s body being destroyed? Or your fate.”
“Silence,” Nightcaller harked at him.
“Clearly, you did not have the fortune to inherit the wit I’d come to expect from the Herald,” The Paragon of Order said just as snarky as Nightcaller’s opening volley had been.
The grey Alicorn ‘rose’ to his ‘hooves.’ “My lack of body is of no consequence. I can always make another... Can you put yourself back together?”
Nightcaller and his brothers gave no answer.
“I thought not,” the Alicorn said. “It matters not, Order and Chaos and Sun and Moon will make do with what we have now. My plans do not require you as you where.”
“We shall never willingly participate in your plan, Overdrive, and neither will Sun and Moon.”
“Oh, trust me Heralds. I know this all too well; fortunately your cooperation is also not required. Now be gone with you. We have nothing further to discuss.”
“We never thought we’d agree,” Nightcaller said, he and his brothers disappeared back into shadow, leaving the Grey Alicorn to his planning.
He turned back to the pool of water. Floating face down as the body of a gryphon, holes riddled throughout her body.
“Yes. You shall do nicely. Soldiers must do as they are ordered.”