To The Stars

It took several days of trotting down the road, all the while, watching the landscape around them. Aside from the eerie quiet surrounding the six ponies, nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Still, as the sun began to go down, Twilight and Rarity made sure to keep their horns lit for the group to see by. For several nights, they camped along the road. Occasionally, they saw another pony pass them on the road, but otherwise, they were alone.
It was on the fifth day since they left the train landing that they finally reached a small border village. Twilight swallowed hard as they approached the village square. Other than a few horses roaming about, the entire place seemed completely abandoned. Each and every one of the villagers was wearing cloaks, draped low to hide their faces from view. "I've got a bad feeling about this." Rainbow Dash murmured. After a long moment of silence, Twilight trotted up to a horse who seemed to be just standing about not doing anything. "Excuse me." She said.
"How can I help you?" The stranger answered, in the gruff, baritone voice of a stallion. All the while, the stallion didn't turn to face Twilight or her friends.
"We were wondering how we would get to Marwari from here." Twilight told him. As the six ponies watched, the stranger turned and pointed toward the north with his hoof. "Keep following the road north for four days, and you'll come to the gates of the city." He told them.
"Four days!" Exclaimed Rainbow. "That-"
"Will work just fine, thank you." Applejack cut her off.
"Is there a place where we can gather supplies for our journey?" Twilight asked. Without saying a word, the stallion pointed to a shop that stood about a hundred yards down the road. "Well...thank you." Twilight said hesitantly. The stranger simply nodded and walked away.
"Well, that was awkward." Rainbow said.
"Come on." Twilight told her friends. "Let's just get what we need and keep going." Without saying another word, the group trotted the distance down the road to the shop. The building seemed just as run-down as the rest, but it also seemed to get a good amount of business. Gently pushing open the door, the group stepped inside. They entered a dark room, dimly lit by lanterns hanging from the ceiling. Shelves lined with all manner of items stood against the walls. As the girls looked around, the sound of hoofsteps announced another horse's arrival. He had a multi-shaded grey coat, along with a white tail, and a white mane that curled around his horn. There was something rather unnerving about the way he stared at them-particularly Twilight-with his piercing blue eyes. "My name's Moonshadow." He told them. "This is my shop. What can I do for you?"
Clearing her throat, Twilight stepped forward and said. "We simply need to gather supplies for a long journey. We were told we could find what we need at your shop." Moonshadow narrowed his eyes at her, making Twilight's knees tremble. Swallowing hard, she asked in a shaky voice. "So...can you help us?"
"Yes...Yes, I can." Moonshadow responded quietly. As he stepped out from around the counter, his horn suddenly lit up in a brilliant blue light. The blue light surrounded several boxes on the shelves. Using his magic, Moonshadow lifted the boxes off the shelves and set them on the floor. "I have many traveling supplies." Said he, using his magic to open up the boxes and show the ponies what was inside. And indeed he did. Food, blankets, herbs, packs, and all manner of other things. Selecting out a wide range of materials that they needed, the girls lined up everything on the floor. "Alright. I think that'll do it." Twilight commented. "How much do we owe you?"
"forty-five bits." Moonshadow responded.
Twilight reached into her saddle bag and pulled out the small pouch containing the money. Using his magic, Moonshadow took the money, bid them farewell, and walked away into another part of the shop. "C'mon, y'all." Said Applejack as she started filling up her saddlebags. "Let's just take the stuff, and leave. This whole town is making my shake in my horseshoes."
"I agree." Rainbow Dash added. "Something's just...off about these horses." For Rainbow Dash, the bravest of the lot, to say something like that, there was no doubt. It was time for them to leave this town behind. Dividing the supplies evenly between them, the ponies loaded up their saddlebags and headed back out onto the road. Soon, the ponies watched the town fade away out of sight behind them.

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