Carmino

The crew had made it safely out of the desert, through a forest full of pine trees and into some sort of highway. It looked like one, but the road was empty and had two metal lines in the ground and wooden planks connecting them. There was a large part of the forest cleared out on both sides. None of the three had ever seen a road like this, suddenly they heard a distant rumble and a long horn-like blare in the distance. Oza shoved Dew and Pea  behind him, ready to fight the oncoming menace. It soon came into view, smoke billowed behind it, lofting high above the trees as it raced towards them while planted on the track. The menace sped toward them and just as fast passing them.

Oza sighed with relief, "Oza knows what that is, its been years since hes seen one but its called a...tr...train, yes...that's it."

Dew was amazed at the thing, its long snake-like body rattled loudly alongside. Pea covered her ears in the blasting noise. They watched it zoom across the ground and some small dot flew out of one pf the cars. Dew was the first to race over and see what it was. Oza jogged beside her and Pea followed up quickly at the rear. As they approached the mysterious thing, Dew almost fell on her face from how fast she stopped.

There way a small, tan, young pony laying on the ground.

He was bundled up in heavy clothes and looked (and smelled) like he hadn't had a bath in weeks. Dew was the first to inch up to the little pony. Oza head was tilted as he followed. Pea sat back, winded from the sprint and didn't feel as curious as her friends. Dew was standing above the dirty child when he suddenly squealed.

"Ey! Don't touch me ya damn broad!" Dew had a surprised and hurt look on her face.

"Can I help you up?" she asked, the colt shrugged away.

"I don't need yo help! I'm fine....lemme alone!"

What happened next surprised everyone present. Dew straightened her neck and glared at the foul-mouthed kid. She smacked him back to the spot he got up from and gave a classy flick of her mane.

"Ouch! Da hell was dat fo?"

"That," Dew said coldly," Is absolutely no way to treat a lady or mares in general."

The raggedy kid sat dumbfound on the ground while Oza covered up his laugh. Pea giggled and Dew began to smile, she looked back at the kid. He now had an air of guilt and tried not to look eye to eye with Dew.

"Well?" The red mare asked.

"...sorry...'mam..." the kid said.

Dew reached out a hoof and helped him back on his hooves. Pea was glad she had opened up so much recently. Dew had been so seclusive and closed off, like Pea herself at one time awhile ago. Dew straightened the kid's jacket as she interrogated him. Oza and Pea tuned in intently, but mostly Pea. Oza was falling asleep next to a tree.

"So young sir, why did you jump off that train?" Dew asked, not exactly pronouncing 'train' right.

"Well..." the kid's eyes darted to each of the travelers," I whas with a bunch of homeless folks, the cops back over in da city...allah da homeless folks were flushed out. Say, yall got any grub?" he eyed Oza's backpack hungrily.

Pea tilted her head,"So...why did the cops move you guys out? You weren't doing anything wrong...right?" she asked.

"Cors' not! We's just bein hungry an shit, an fo some reason those Borgota fellas are gettin really edgy since their boy Sponge went missing, Ah mean,he was their toughest guy and he just-"

"Wait," Dew interrupted," who are the Borgotas, and who this Sponge guy?" Kid raised his eyebrows.

"Yall don't know nuthin about what been going on at Big Apple? Seriously?"

Dew and Pea nodded in unison and Oza woke up. He decided to nod too, the kid just rolled his eyes. He started walking over to the train tracks and headed off in the train's direction. Declaring to nature that they were hopeless but the crew got up and followed him. The kid sped off down the road incredibly fast. Pea looked over to Oza. The dragon had a wry grin on his face.

"Hey bud," The grey mare said," I wanna know what going on in that town, don't you?"

"But what about the castle...and...and the library? Aren't you in a hurry to find Carmino?" Dew cried.

"Oza catch stinky pony now!" the dragon gleefully barked.

The next thing the kid knew, he was in Oza's arm and being carried back to the mares. He was yelling and hitting Oza's arm, who merely flicked his ear in response with his other hand. Oza started walking up the tracks where the train came and the two mares followed. The grubby kid spat and cursed as the three walked on. Oza looked over at Dew. She strode closer over to him and the kid.

"Hey lady!" the kid shouted," Ain't no way in hell any of 'yas is taking me back there!  No Way In Hell!!" His little chest heaved with each word, Oza chuckled at his rashness. Pea simply rolled her eyes.

Dew pecked the kid's cheek and his dull tan face turned crimson and his eyes were wide open is whimsical shock. Dew batted her eyes then he turned even redder. Pea's jaw dropped in bewilderment.

"Oh, can you...please? How are two pretty girls like us going to find out out way around a scary town? We need a big, strong Stallion who knows his way around so we don't get hurt or lost..."

The once grumpy colt was now determined to lead the crew to Big Apple. He wiggled out of Oza's grip and did circles as he ran ahead, shouting," Don't worry pretty ladies, Lil' Shank is here!"

Pea walked over to Dew, who when Lil' wasn't looking hung her tong out and wiped it off in a disgusted manor. Pea chuckled and the red mare glared at her. Pea laughed even harder. Oza sped after Lil who was going in all kinds of directions now.

"Jeez Dew, you didn't have to go and make him a horn-dog. We would've just kept carrying him or...I don't know pay him or something?"

Dew craned her neck to look dignified," He's going to be a bigger help to all of us now...but...." Dew leaned closer to Pea with a slacked expression, "He smells...really, really bad! No joke...God I hope that was worth it..." When Dew looked up at Lil' her eye twitched with resentment, but forced a smile. Pea couldn't hep but snicker, Oza would've laughed along but he was busy herding Lil' to stay near the track not up trees beside them.

The day rolled on and the trip was much longer than anyone thought it would've been. Oza's eyes were heavy and he lumbered in a snaky line. He wasn't used to that much chasing. Pea dodged him as he bumped into a tree, than into another one. Dew seemed tired as well as Pea. The only one who seemed somewhat energetic was Lil and even he was walking at a rather slow pace. The troupe was about to set camp, when Pea saw a low glimmer like a tiny sun behind the trees. Her tired eyes shot open in amazement, what seemed like glowing mesas rose up as they drew nearer. She sped up and saw Big Apple in it's midnight glowing glory. In fact all of the crew looked at the massive towers in amazement, they could hear trains between the buildings and a low din of noise. None of them had ever seen such a bright and massive city, except Lil' of course.

The crew followed the train track and neared the track's station. They went up onto it from the less stuffed side of the station's deck. There were ponies in suits, mares with sweet smelling bonnets and dresses, donkeys, tough looking mules and (a rare sight for Pea) griffins. Mixed in with all of them was a mean looking Minotaur in a pinstripe suite with a cello case on his back. Lil' pointed out that he was a high ranking gangster of the Borgotas and they should steer clear from him. With that Oza ducked, practically crawled along side Pea as they kept distance from the Minotaur. He seemed to be scanning the crowd for someone and as Pea's friends left the deck and inside the station, the Minotaur looked in her direction. She didn't notice that he began to follow her.

Pea sped inside following them and there were even more ponies, mules, mares and griffins than outside. She looked at the ceiling and saw five massive clocks, each telling a different time. Her friends, especially Oza stood out in the crowd and turned a few heads. There were many shops and lights that lined the tall, sloping walls. They made it to the entrance and beheld one of Big Apple's busiest streets. With Ponies and taxis everywhere, it was a bit much for them. There was massive signs that were alight and the tall buildings seemed even bigger. Pea, Dew and Oza were so absorbed by their surroundings that the approaching Police Officer wasn't even noticed.

"Hey you kids...and...dragon!" the cop shouted over the noise the crew's heads' spun around to see him. He straightened his hat," You kids aren't from around here are you?" he asked. Lil' hid behind Oza.

Pea began to look at the ponies around her and the cop closer. Almost all of them had their bodies covered in clothing and didn't show their cutie marks. The cop pulled out a walkie-talkie and mumbled into it. He looked back up at the crew. His face was a bit red, Pea didn't know why. Dew's mind however, began to put pieces together as she tried to hide from view.

"Ladies...I'm going to have to take you down to the station, your big friend can come too," he coughed and couldn't keep eye contact with Dew or Pea," Come on now, lets go!"

"Excuse me," Dew said softly and the cops ears shot up,"why are we going? Did we do something wrong?"

The cop motioned for them to follow and they did as he explained. Lil had run off into the crowd. The cop led them through the busy crowd, some colts whistled as Dew and Pea trotted by. Dew's naturally red face turned a different shade when those boys watched her go by. The Cop barked at them to shove off and they sped away whooping and jumping. Pea looked at Oza who was equally confused.

"Ladies...I'm taking you in for indecent exposure."

Pea looked at herself, she only wore her vest and some packs. Unlike the city's mares, Pea's flanks were completely exposed. Dew only wore her blue bandanna. They didn't really understand, everywhere else they could walk around like this but here they couldn't?

TO BE CONTINUED...