A Train to where?

Applejack was the first to awake, She sat up rubbing her eyes. Groggily she took stock of her surroundings, the room was chili but not cold. Zecora was asleep on her bed at the edge of the room, Obviously fully used to the cold conditions. She peeked out the frosted window, judging by the small amount of light she guessed it was just past dawn. Being the farm-pony she was, it just came natural to wake up at this time. Wipping away the frost, an unexpected sight welcomed her. The storm had thinned down greatly, the snow still fell lightly leaving a very beautiful sight throughout the forest floor.

Looking back at Zecora, Applejack made the decision to leave early to regain lost time, quietly she began to pick up her stuff.

*~*~*~*

Nolan cracked open his frozen eyes. The cold was no longer bothering him, in fact he was feeling quite warm. He out stretched his arms, As he looked at his fingers traces of blood could be seen as the skin cracked under the cold pressure. His fingertips were already white with lack of blood flow and the edges around his knuckles were split. Honestly it itched. The cold was starting to seep in and as he flexed his fingers the movement felt very uncomfortable and tight.

Nolan opened his mouth to scream, but nothing but raspy air came out. he pulled his arms and hands back up into his jacket and closed his eyes pushing out what he had seen.

'This is not happening, I'm gonna fucking die.'

*~*~*~*

Applejack tightened the white scarf around her neck and shook her head letting her mane fall into place. A light tap on the shoulder signified Zecora was awake.

Zecora was supporting herself against the side of one of the ingredient shelves. Her mane was still in it's morning mess, and in her hooves was a small cup wrapped in dark green leaves. "When you find your friend, give him this soothing blend."

Applejack balanced the small package in her hooves for a moment before placing it in the girth of the saddle. "Many thanks for all your help Zecora." Her voice came out a little hoarse and crackly, Which was entirely unexpected.

"I give you my best, and good luck on your quest." Zecora turned and returned to her bed.

Applejack turned back to the door and trotted out into the cold.

*~*~*~*

Pinkie slowly opened one of her eyes, letting the bright light filter in through her pink hair. With a soft grumble she sat up and brushed her hair out of her eyes. Fluttershy had fallen asleep next to her, she was lying in a ball next to the window. Pinkie stretched her arms out and dragged her self to the kitchen. Taking note of Twilight, Rarity, and Big Mac still asleep on her way down.

She was drinking some water looking out the kitchen window, She was shortly joined by Twilight.

"Morning Pinkie, How did you sleep?" Twilight picked out her brand of orange juice, and joined Pinkie at the table.

"Oh hey twilight... Okay i guess." Pinkie sipped her water letting the previous day's events replay in her mind.

"Did Fluttershy's singing wake you up too?"

"What singing?" Pinkie cocked her head looking at the direction of Fluttershy's current sleeping place.

"You didn't hear her singing? I mean don't get me wrong it was beautiful, but I thought it would have waken you up too."

"I didn't hear a thing... I don't know, maybe i did, maybe i didn't, I just hope they're both all okay." Pinkie said laying her head on the table looking out the frosted window.

"I'm sure they are both on their way back now." Twilight said softly brushing Pinkies mane.

*~*~*~*

Applejack had gotten back to the split in the path, And figured the only way to go was up. She had already lost a night of searching and needed to make up time. But once she got to the top of the first ridge there was a large tree blocking her path. To any other pony this would have been a major drawback. But not for Applejack.

Applejack got a running start and jumped from branch to branch within seconds making it through the limbs of the tree. One problem. There were more blocking her path, one by one she began to make it steadily but slowly through the fallen trees.

*~*~*~*

Nolan forced his stiff legs towards the mouth of the cave. He kept his eyes closed the initial way to hide his frozen limbs from sight. Slowly reopening them, all sense of hope left his mind. Ponyville was in sight. If you count a few miles away in sight. He didn't realize how far he had gotten, All he knew was that he was on his own. He looked left and right for any other town. Nothing, he thought he saw a city far off in the clouds, but it was probably just his eyes playing tricks in the cold.

He returned to the lonely patch of grass and laid down. He figured with how far he had gotten, there would be no walking back.

'This was probably the worst mistake i have ever made in my life, and now it's gonna cost me my life... Fuck.'

It would be the last time he would ever see light again. Silently he said a small prayer to himself.

'May the blessings of light be upon me, Light without and light within. And in all my comings and goings, May I ever have a kindly greeting From them I meet on the road. Until we meet again, may God hold me in the palm of his hand.'

Nolan closed hies eyes, probably for the last time, he let dreams of his family and friends, old and new, float through his mind. Letting the peace within him come and the fear of death leave, he laid there feeling the warmth of his friends, and those who had welcomed him to ponyville into his heart. He laid there with his eyes closed, Falling asleep with a vision of a half sun and moon in his eyes.

*~*~*~*

Applejack Cleared the final tree and quickly surveyed her surroundings. There was a Path up the mountain, and another path leading down to the left. It was hidden except during the light of day. With this in her mind she set up the mountain path.

She had been hiking for only half an hour before she came upon a cave with what looked like a blue boulder. 'Wait...'

"NOLAN!"

Applejack galloped to the opening of the cave, Inside was a motionless body.

"Nolan?" Applejack's voice quivered on the verge of tears as she stood motionless. Suddenly the body shifted and a warmth rushed into her heart.

"Lacey?" Nolan's voice sounded distant and barely there.

"Nolan It's me Applejack." Applejack rushed to his side pulling the cup of nasty tasting miracle out of the saddle girth. "Nolan it's gonna taste bad, but ah promise you it'l help."

She pulled the wrappings off and picked Nolan up with her hooves. She put the cup to his lips and let him drink a small sip. Without skipping a beat he chocked and spit it out. "Sugarcube you gotta trust me, It tastes bad, but it will help."

Once more she held it to his lips and tipped the cup. He swallowed the sip this time, Slowly sip by sip she got him to drink Zecora's Medicine.

Nolan's eyes opened a little farther and with his raspy voice, "Applejack? You, You came for me?" As soon as he said that, he was back fast asleep.

"Don't worry Sugarcube, You're safe, You're safe.

*~*zZz*~*

Nolan opened his eyes, He was sitting reclined on the couch in his small apartment. "I'm... I'm Home." He got up and walked through the swinging doors to the kitchen. It was as he remembered, Clean with the faint smell of bacon in the air. "MOM?" He yelled, hoping for a response... Silence.

He walked down the hall into his room his Air force sign still hung proudly on his door. Pushing it open there was nothing out of place. It was as he remembered.

'Was it all a dream?' He walked to the mirror on his dresser and examined himself. His blue Foothill jacket had snow on it, And his shorts were covered in mud.

'Obviously not. But how did I escape... Who knows, well nothing like a warm shower to help clean me up.' He removed his clothes along with the thoughts of the previous events. He grabbed his old P.E. clothes and some underwear and walked to the bathroom. There he took a very long and gracious hot shower. He stood for a long time just letting the hot water flow over him. as the water washed over his body, the water took off all memories of the past events. Till all he remembered was a time before the field trip.

He finished his shower and walked over to his room and jumped on his bed. He laid his head back and closed his eyes. Before he could completely relax he heard the apartment door open and footsteps walking down the hall. A sudden and frigid breeze suddenly flowed through his room. He opened his eyes and in his doorway stood a very disgruntled Lacey.

"Lacey?" Nolan sat up in bed, In her hand was a thermos.

"Want a drink.?" Lacey said as she sat on the bed next to him.

"Uhh, Sure. You okay, you look like you just went through a snow storm?" He took the small cup he was handed and took a sip. It was disgusting and he spit it all out. For a moment a flash of a dark cave and a orange pony flashed in front of his eyes. then as fast as it came it left.

"Oh come on, It's not THAT bad." Lacey poured him some more and gestured for him to take another sip. He did so and swallowed the entire cup.

"That's better, Now hurry up and get back to life." Lacey stood up and walked out the door.

"Wait, What do you mean." Suddenly he was forced back down on his bed by some unknown force and his eyes closed. when he opened them he could see Applejack and his frozen legs.  "Applejack? You, You came for me?"

*~*~*~*

Fluttershy woke up rubbed her eyes. She was not usually one for sleeping on hard things. She stumbled her way down the stairs and into the kitchen. She was welcomed by Pinkie, Twilight, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, and Big Macintosh. She joined them at the table.

"Morning Fluttershy, How did you sleep?" Twilight was the first to speak at Fluttershy's arrival.

"A little troubled." But before she could tell the rest she stopped herself. Her voice was coarse and airy. "My, my voice is a little hoarse today..." Fluttershy thought out loud.

"I'd Imagine from all that singing last night, I'd have thought your throat would be worse."

"My singing?" Fluttershy looked from face to face, looking for an explanation.

"Yes dear, you were singing last night. Very beautifully too." Rarity added in.

"Eayup" Big mac added in his usual manner.

"The only ponies that didn't hear it were Pinkie and Rainbow Dash." Twilight finished.

"That's strange... I thought it was all a dream." Fluttershy said taking the final seat around Twilight's table.

"What was all a dream? Your singing?" Rainbow asked.

"Well yes that, But i could have sworn I heard Applejack singing as well. Not to mention a colt's voice, Sorta like Nolan's." Fluttershy shook her head. "No, that's silly. Besides it was just a dream."

"Well I wouldn't doubt a dream, it could be possible. For example I can't explain Pinkie's Pinkie sense." Twilight said.

"Right Pinkie dear." Rarity continued.

"I suppose so." Pinkie said, still out of her usual skin.

There was a sudden chill flow through the kitchen, followed by the sound of the front door closing. Nopony moved, they all just listened. Pinkie was the first one up, she ran though the double doors followed by the others. They came to a screeching halt in front of young Spike.

"Spike? Where have you been?" Twilight asked not skipping a beat.

"Well I was up last night after Fluttershy's singing and I couldn't sleep." Fluttershy looked at the faces around her, Thankfully none of the attention was on her, Spike continued. "At about four A.M. I got up and walked the town." He removed the scarf and coat he was wearing. "I stopped by both the hospital and the clinic, Nothing. I went down past each of your guys' houses, Nothing. I stopped by Applejack's to see if they were there, Nothing. I also went past Fluttershy's house, Angel is helping take care of the other animals."

"Oh thank goodness. He is doing such a great job this winter." Fluttershy said in support of her pet.

"And i circled the town. Nothing turned up. And that's where I have been." Spike said with a tone of pride in his voice.

"Very efficient Spike" Twilight said patting him on the head.

"I thought you were Nolan and Applejack." Pinkie said sulking back to the kitchen.

"Where do you think they are?" Spike asked openly to anyone that would answer.

"With any hope, Zecora's." Rarity said, Turning and leading the way back to the kitchen.

*~*~*~*

Nolan opened one eye, darkness. 'What the hell?' He closed it and opened the other eye, He was looking at a grass roof, right in front of his face was a very creepy tribal mask. He looked at it a moment more before he realized, 1, there were lots of them, and 2, they looked like they were moving. He jumped up and as soon as he put the weight on his legs, He fell, landing hard on his stomach.

"Whoa there strange one, Keep that up and we'll have no fun." Said a strange voice behind him. He turned over and standing just beyond a large cauldron, was a zebra a very African looking zebra.

"Wha? Where am I?" Nolan stammered, not moving an inch. "Where's applejack?"

"Your friend is taking a well needed rest. She was on a very mighty quest."

"Who are you?"

"My name is Zecora, That is my true Nora."

"Nor-what?" Nolan asked. A voice emanated from behind the couch.

"Nora, A female name, in other words it's not an alias, it's her true name." Said the voice.

"Correct." Zecora said.

"Applejack?" Nolan asked looking at the couch.

A orange head with wildly messy hair rose from the other side. "That's ma'h name don't wear it out."

"Oh my god." Nolan flopped back down and rested. "I'm alive..."

"Your life you nearly lost, And you payed the cost." Zecora said pointing at Nolan's arms and legs.

Nolan looked down, his legs up to mid-thigh were covered in medical wrap, He reached to touch them, and his arms were wrapped up as well. Zecora silently grabbed a mirror and  brought it over. She held it so Nolan saw his face. The reason he could not see out of his left eye was because there was an eye patch covering it. Not the pirate type of eye patch, the medical ones. The white ones with tape holding it on. Nolan didn't break his gaze on the mirror, It was s different person looking back. It was almost ghost white with minor coloring, the one eye visible had red lines around the eye lids. His arms and legs were wrapped up, He still had his shorts and shirt on, but the wraps covered up almost all of his exposed skin.

"Sugarcube?"

"I thought I was done for." Nolan said picking himself back up and landing hard back on the grass bed.

"Now you are safe, we'll stop by the clinic on the way back to town. But don't worry you're safe now." Applejack threw Nolan a reassuring smile before laying back down.

"Your life you owe to her, That special pony wrapped in fur." Zecora said walking back to the cauldron.

'But if she hadn't have found me, i'd be dead right now. And after that random tantrum I threw in her barn, I suppose I do owe her one big apology. Maybe these ponies are a lot nicer than I thought. Aw hell what am I going to do... Where's my hat?'