Arc I
Part I. For the Chaotic Enigmas of the World... Never Change
Once upon a time, in the magical land of Equestria, there were four princesses who ruled together and created harmony for all the land. The eldest used her unicorn powers to raise the sun at dawn; her younger sister brought out the moon to begin the night. The third manipulated the forces of the world to ignite love in ponies’ hearts; the youngest studied magic itself in order to achieve the ultimate knowledge. Thus, they maintained balance for their kingdom and their subjects, all the different types of ponies.
But as time went on, a problem emerged inside the younger princess’ family. Her only son became resentful. Everypony praised his mother, his younger sister, even his father, a common Pegasus, was considered a national hero. The thoughts of being underestimated and despised had turned him against his own siblings, led him the path of pain. Unfortunately, he wasn’t alone on his way to darkness.
The wicked demons, older than even the eldest princess, used this opportunity to rise upon the ponykind and take over the world. They granted the kid with the powers of the alicorn, merely a spark comparing to their own, and thus, The Black Knight had arisen.
With the princesses fallen, Equestria was in need of the heroes who would end the reign of terror, who would bring back the glorious days of The Golden Age. Finally, the elders had found three little fillies who, despite their young years, were powerful enough to use the ancient artifacts and destroy the invaders.
The sun itself refused to rise in the day the battle took place. Many had fallen that day, but The Black Knight and his masters were defeated. The three little heroes had grown that day, and for the efforts they put The Tree of Harmony, a legendary keeper of friendship, had bestowed the powers of The Queens upon them…
“And since that day Equestria knew no wars, no disasters; and harmony has been maintained for generations since.”
It was late at night when our heroes were travelling on the train. One of them, a young earthpony mare called Floating Star, had already fallen asleep, thanks to her friend who had been telling the story until she went into the world of dreams.
Speaking of her friend… It’s not every day you can see a rather big – the size of a pony – black cat, sitting like a dragon and holding a book in his front paws. Strange already, right? And what about wearing a crimson tie and an eye patch?
Sighing, he put aside the book of ‘Legends of Equestria’ and looked at his fellow traveler. She had a white coat, orange-and-yellow mane and tail. The cutie mark on her flank was a reflection of a star in a lake. She never told anypony what that was for. ‘Why does she asks me to read this story if she always falls asleep shortly after I start?’ – he thought. The mare, indeed, was never interested in stories, but rather in actions. And that was the problem. Despite her fellow ponies, she was never peaceful. If somepony spoke badly about her, this somepony would find himself with some bones shattered. If there was a threat for her home, she would fight it with all costs.
‘I only hope there wouldn’t be anything until we arrive,’ the cat, known as ‘that bucking’ one, or Nitro, thought. He had already seen what injuries Star could gain while fighting injustice. And he was to make sure she would arrive alive, at least… ‘There’s at least half a day of the ride. Better make sure it’s everything good here.’
“Excuse me,” he spoke to the old looking stallion who sat on the bench next to them.
“Yes?” the pony looked at Nitro with wary.
“I’ll be off for a few minutes. If she wakes up,” – he said, gesturing towards the now sleeping mare, – “please, tell her I’m in the buffet, okay?”
“Oh, I’ll do as you say, sir, don’t worry,” the stallion answered, relieved that this stranger wasn’t going to do anything bad. Assured that everything here will be alright, Nitro stood up and, casting a final look at the sleeping mare, went to the engine section.
“I’m telling you for the last time – it’s alright!” the machinist was on the verge of a breakdown. First, a talking, bipedal cat walked into the section, waving a parchment with a royal insignia on it. He demanded to inspect everything in the section, starting with the engine and ending with a bottle of hard cider. And it’s been so for two and a half hours! And he had drunk all the cider!
“Calm down, sir! I’m here just to make sure it is so,” for Nitro, it was fun to see the stallion getting ire. Yet he knew he was to deliver Star to Maretropolis as quickly as possible, so it was a needed evil.
“You said the same thing an hour ago! And then you started drinking our cider!” somehow, the cat wasn’t affected by the drink at all.
“A machinist isn’t allowed to drink on work. And what if you had to stop the train and you couldn’t because you would be drunk, and there would be something on the road, a tree, for example?” ‘Sweet Celestia, this is the first time I speak so much!’
“I... I don’t drink at work!”
“Then why the hay was it here?”
“’Cause…”
Suddenly, a very loud noise of metal frictioning ceased their quarrel.
The creepy sound coming from the cars caught both Nitro and the machinist by surprise, and as they turned around, it reached its highest volume and abruptly ceased. For a few seconds the cat and the stallion were just standing there with their jaws dropped until the earthpony finally blurted off:
“What the buck was that?!”
‘This is bad. This is really BAD!’ as soon as the machinist screamed, Nitro started running towards the car Floating Star was in. ‘Just when I thought it’s completely safe – HORSEAPPLES happen!’ – he thought while aiming towards his destination. And the very next moment another screech, even more horrifying, rang out. The cat had to go there, he just had to face the danger!.. Yet there was one more problem: no one knew what that was, so everypony aboard the train might be in danger. Luckily, Nitro met the conductor just before he left the last car before his own.
“Conductor!”
“Wha-what?!” the mare was startled for a moment by the black figure of the ruby cat. Then, she instantly got frustrated. – “Care to explain what happened?”
“No time for sweet talks, miss!” Nitro didn’t want to play games: he just grabbed the mare by her shoulders and almost screamed into her ear. “Listen, grab everypony and take them to the first two cars! If anything happens, unhook the other cars! Got it?!”
The mare was confused by his words she expected the least. Yet she nodded and then trotted quickly to the nearest pony.
‘I only hope the girl isn’t in a too big problem. Don’t want my flank get whooped,’ Nitro thought. He couldn’t get straight to the last car, not now, when there are ponies nearby. So he stood near the door, sweating so hard there was almost a whole creak under him. Finally, the conductor shouted that everypony’s safe.
That was enough for Nitro. With a swift kick he knocked out the door… to witness something awful.
“Bloody foxes!”
It was Floating Star. Somehow, she got the mic.
“Here you are,” the bloody red skittish eyes met the green one.
“And how the hay am I supposed to explain THIS to the Queens?!” Nitro was furious. Even more furious than the legendary King Sombra. And nopony would interfere – the irate cat looked like Cerberus.
Yet it didn’t scare Star:
“You left me when I was sleeping, and you told that old hog you would go to the buffet! And you lied! How will you explain this, mister?!”
Nitro wasn’t even taken aback by the mare’s reply. He was already familiar with her manner of speaking.
“Don’t you even try to avoid this, girl! I’m gonna tell the Queens what you did, and they’ll punish you, and I won’t be taking care of you anymore!”
“Taking care of me?! You can’t even take care of yourself when you see Ch…”
“Don’t. Even. Mention. Her. Name!!!” The cat always felt uneasy when a certain mare was near. Floating Star learned that the very next day she met him. That day she learned that there are some themes nopony can joke about. Sometimes she just forgets about it.
“Wow, wow, easy at there, cowcolt! Alright, I won’t, just… Just stop burning!”
Nitro was blazing, like a living cat torch. That was the only thing Star was really afraid about him – nopony wants to be set on fire by something like that, right? Luckily, Nitro eventually started to cool down, and in five minutes there was nothing reminding of .
“Easy, easy at there. Geez, how do you do that, anyway?”
“Don’t know,” Nitro said, breathing heavily. “It just… Oh, whatever. Magic.”
“Aaalright,” Star looked at him warily. Then she saw that he had no tie. Don’t know why, of all things, she admitted this one. Mares. “Your tie.”
“Huh… What?”
“Your tie. Guess it was burnt.”
Nitro took a quick glance at his chest. Indeed, there was no tie, but…
“Really? That’s what you’re thinking of right now?” he finally said after a minute of burning holes with his eyes in Star.
“Erm… Yeah?” she gave him a sheepish smile, confirming his suspicions. ‘Mares. I will never understand them,’ he thought, sighing.
“Whatever… Hope you didn’t destroy the buffet. I’m hungry like a changeling swarm.”
“Wow, you switch your mood so quickly…” again, Star was astonished by the thundercat. “So… What’s your pick then?”
“Everything. Twice,” the foretaste of food made Nitro smile. Slightly.
“Glad to see you not-angry again, purrboy! Now, to the buff...”
And again, a harsh sound of metal being... crunched… interrupted their little conversation, startling the mare.
Nitro and Star stood still for some seconds, with their mouths agape, not sure what to do.
Finally, the cat shouted, annoyed:
“Just don’t tell me there is your copy there!”
“That’s not me, I swear,” Star said. “Was it me, it would be more… you know…”
“Yeah, I got it. It’s bad. Stay here,” and thus Nitro opened the door to the next car…
“What the hay?..”
Nitro was standing on the threshold of the car Star was in and staring at where the next one should have been. He just couldn’t believe his own eye: it had just vanished! Completely! And they were separated from the train!
“No good, no good!” the cat thought warily as he tried to find any clues for what had happened. Nothing. Seemed like the car had gone for good, not even affecting the other ones… No, wait! There was one – some black stains on the door.
“Buck,” that was the only thing Nitro had said before, in a flash, he grabbed Floating Star, ran through the car and jumped through the backdoor. Just in time to avoid an explosion.
Nitro didn’t even take a break after he ran out of the now burnt to the ground car. He was running fast, for he knew, what caused the havoc.
“H-he-h-hey, Nitro! What does it mean?!” too bad Floating Star had yet to realize what kind of horseapples they were in.
“Quiet,” the cat said in a suddenly cold tone. “I’ll explain everything later. For now, stay silent until I tell it’s safe.”
Star was dumbfounded. ‘Well… If Nitro sounds so badflank, then things have really gone outta control. Better really be quiet… Ouch!’
He wasn’t running as the crow flies. He was zigzagging through the forest canopy, hoping that whatever was chasing them would eventually lose them. Granted, it took him almost an hour before he eventually ran into a small cave. Only then he finally let Star go, and as he laid near the entrance, heavily panting, the mare looked around. Dull brown walls and a little pillar just behind her. Finally, after a few minutes of staring around, she shook her head broke the silence:
“What the buck has just happened?”
Nitro didn’t answer. He was standing near the entrance and looking for anything. Just standing there. Menacingly.
Then, all of a suddenly, the cat just started walking away. Star just followed him, unsure if this stubborn and random guy would even answer her question.
“Hey, purrboy, can you at least tell me where we are?”
Nitro just sighed, whispering something like ‘It’s gone’ to himself. Who knew how much time had passed since they escaped the train. Probably three to four hours.
“Just don’t tell me we’re lost!”
“I won’t. You already know that.”
Star just groaned to that comment.
“Then what the hay was that? Terrorists from Saddle Arabia or what?”
“Or what. I…” for a moment it seemed like Nitro was trying to say something important, yet he couldn’t find the words. “Well… It’s… uhm…”
“I’m waiting,” Star was already losing patience due to all this circus happening around.
“Eh… Just…” it was really hard for the cat to describe what’s going on. But eventually, he sighed and just told her the truth without cuts. – “Listen. I by myself don’t know much ‘bout it. I have no idea what that thing that had destroyed the car was, but it’s obvious we’re in danger outside Maretropolis.”
“Wait, wait,” the mare was slightly taken aback by his words. “‘In danger’? What do you mean? I’m just a novice engineer, how the hay can something so... mysterious be after me?.. Wait. It’s after you, right?!” she almost shouted, pointing accusingly her hoof at him.
“Stand where you are. If somepony… or something was after me, I wouldn’t be assigned by the Queens themselves to deliver you.”
“The Queens did so?” well, that was something the mare wasn't expecting. “Hard to believe the royalty is interested in a commoner like me. What’s ‘bout that”
“Like I know,” – Nitro said, shrugging. – “I’m not the one to argue ‘bout their orders. Otherwise I wouldn’t be ranked so high.”
“Yeah? Can’t be sure about it, considering your dolt attitude back there, in Fillypeg,” and now it was Nitro’s time to sweat.
“Eh… Well… A good… secret agent…” – seemed like he said so just to avoid what he really did. Oh well, – “should always make others see him as something but secret agent… Ahem,” he coughed, signaling it’s time to change the topic. “Instead of arguing ‘bout my job, why don't you look around and see where we are?”
“Huh. Since you’re the one who got us here, you’re the one. To climb,” she scoffed, pointing at a big pine near. Groaning, Nitro just started hiking. ‘Well, the sooner I get to Maretropolis, the sooner I get rid of this filly. Now let’s see,’ after a quick glance at the sky – indeed, the sun was going to rise, – he looked around. And, at south, he spotted something. ‘A town south of us, five miles at most. Good. Seems like Lady Luck is on our side now...’
A loud roar from somewhere near the pine refuted all his hopes.
‘Or not…’
Author's Note
If you think something is wrong with the story, then please, write a comment about it and, if anything, here is the link to Gdocs.
Well... Enjoy.
12/1. Have remade some nasty things into something better. Silly me. 