The Badlands, a vast desert-like expanse to the south of equestria, I'd only just barely learned that I was here, an old roadmap in the glove box had a thin sliver of this place labeled at the very bottom, nothing but a small indication that I was in this barren expanse of a place, the weather was gray, as in litterally gray, barely any sun, empty vastness all around, a perfect place to hide.

I rumaged around in the junk left in the truck from its previous owner, a half empty pack of cigarettes, registration info, dirty leather work gloves, old maps, none of which were very new or at all useful, a crappy dead flashlight, some replacement fuses, and a set of cracked aviator style shades. I looked in the bed of the truck as well, I only found a tire iron, a small toolkit, a emergency kit of dubious vintage, and a half used roll of duct tape, I at least had duct tape. I opened the steamer trunk with all of my possessions in it and did a quick inventory, 100 pistol bullets, 12 shotgun shells, 10 30mm sniper rounds, 90 assault rifle rounds, 13 books, 1 box of clothes, 3 pistols, 1 giant ass sniper, 1 boomstick, 1 assault rifle, 1 changeling rifle,1 gas lantern, 1 cheap lighter, 1 dagger, 4 assorted nick-nacks, a poster, lab report on my construction,my phone, and a box of 20 assorted magic batteries. Most of my junk was somewhat useful, but I sincerely hoped I could find something to eat in this already horrid looking place.

I got back into the truck and started heading further in, I opted to go by ground because it seemed to use less fuel this way, there were no roads, the only thing I could assume was constructed by intelligent beings was a large spire-like structure in the distance to the southwest of me, I lined myself up with it and watched the barren earth roll past.

After awhile it was easy to lose concentration. I started seeing fleeting images in the edges of my vision, images of creatures, flashes of colors, trees and grass, I couldn't be sure if it was real, I caught myself looking backwards or in the rearview mirror several times while trying to discern real and imagination, the only real things I saw were dirt, dead plants, and the ever approaching spire, I checked the fuel, the needle wavered on 1/2, I looked to the speedometer, 180 kilohooves per hour, I assumed it was similar to kilometers but I couldn't be sure, nor could the speed be certain, with very few references I couldn't tell if I was going 10 or 100 kph. When I'd first gotten my car the first thing I did was take a friend on a road trip to the Bonneville salt flats to watch Speed Week, when we were on the salt we couldn't guess speed for the lack of reference,driving on this expanse was the same. As I was driving along this barren wasteland I looked back upon my memories from earth, friends, family, places, it all danced on my mind, anything to reduce the boredom. I whistled bits of songs from home, watched the sun set to my right, the moon rise on my left, everything went by in a blur. I clicked on the small lights mounted behind the grille, they barely illuminated anything, but they were better than nothing. The spire loomed larger but still kept its distance, I wondered what inhabited it, if anything at all.
***
Celestia Pov

"Twilight, I know you don't want to see Nova again but you're the only one I know of who could find her and bring her back, Ok?"
I said to a pained Twilight, she was the only one I'd brought to my conference room, the others would be clued in when I needed them.

"Ok....it's Just that I feel that...I'm responsible, not just for her running away, but for the war, and...just everything..."Twilight snivveled

"Ok, just calm down and tell me what you have so far..."

"We have a direction, and maybe a method of tracking her, If Fluttershy could call her, I could track it, then we could get an idea of her location, at least...I hope," she had a forlorned look on her face, it was heartwrenching to say the least.

"Okay but....Why Fluttershy?, I'd think she'd respond better to Luna or rarity, I'm not trying to change your mind but...."I was interrupted before I could finish.

"I picked Fluttershy, because she's the only one that she might listen to, b...but I'm not even sure of that now...' Twilight sighed in confusion after managing to spit out her sentance

"Why don't we try?" I responded in an encouraging voice.
***
Nova Pov

The empty wastes rushed past my windows, I made a small adustment to my course and continued my contemplation on the universe, I did this for what seemed like hours, I was finally broken from my stupor when I heard my cellphone ring, I looked to the passenger seat where I had tossed it, I read the screen, Fluttershy was the word printed on the screen, I hadn't seen much of her, much less received any attempt at communication, I stared at the screen while the phone continued to ring. I found it odd that she would try to call, I decided to answer, it's not like they can actually find me out here.

"Uhhh, Hello?" I began

"Oh, umm, hi.....it's F-Fluttershy" I barely heard her voice, I was surprised that I actually had a signal this far out.

"Why did you call me?" I asked hoping it might reach her.

"I c-called y-you b-bec-cause Twilight T'Beeep, beeep, beeep'" I apparently most whatever signal the phone still had as I continued to barrel along. I thought about what she said, Something about Twilight, I was kind of glad the signal died because Twilight was probably told to look for me, typical....

I was probably less than 40 miles away from the spire at this point, I looked upon it, it was huge, easily a kilometer tall, if not more, I started to see tiny colorful dots flying around and into it.
****
Twilight Pov

"Is it ringing?" I asked Fluttershy as she held her pink phone to her ear.

"Um, uhh, yes," Fluttershy said at her customary volume.

"Ok, just keep her on the line for as long as you can, but try to aim for 2 minutes or more, got it?"

"Okay, I-If you say so, H-hello, it's Fluttershy....oh Um I'm c-calling you b-because Twilight Told'Beep,beep,beep' oh um Twilight?

"Save it Fluttershy, kinda trying to concentrate here." I tried to track the magical signal but it seemed to elude me.

"Um, she hung up,"

"Hold on Fluttershy,"

"Um, Twilight? It's kind of important"

"Uhhg, I lost it, what was it you were trying to say, Fluttershy?"

"Um, she hung up, I tried to tell you, b-but you wouldn't listen....oh Um did I do something wrong?"

I could only assume the expression on my face was that of pure confusion,"no...no you're fine....it's Just that I didn't think she'd hang up that fast, are you sure she hung up?"

"Um, the phone went beep beep beep, does that not mean she hung up?" I looked at Fluttershy's phone with a scrutinizing glare.

"Can I see your phone for a minute?" i watched as she handed it over, then I looked at the little screen, it read:

Connection Broken, attempting to recconnect.

"Ok, so it Wasn't your fault Fluttershy, that's a relief," I handed Fluttershy's phone back and looked at her with a relieved smile.

"Um, if you dont mind that is....why did the line go dead?" she asked with the most adorable confused face.

"The connection was broken, so it could be 1 of 3 things, 1 she interrupted the signal herself, 2 her phone's battery died, or 3 she is too far away, I would guess 2 or 3 are the most likely", my plan had already failed, and we didn't even get to the part I predicted would fail. Back to the drawing board then.

"Um, is there anything you got out of it?" Fluttershy asked as I looked back at my spellbook in contemplation.

"All I have is the location of the last magic net relay she passed, um could you hand me that map please?" I grabbed a marker and wrote in the map Fluttershy placed in front of me.

"Okay, from what I got from the spell, the last magic net relay she passed is, riiight abouuuut, here, umm, any thoughts Flutters?"

"Um, isn't that near Crysalis's old hive?" she pointed to a large red circle on the map.

"Um, yes it is, but Why would she go there?, I would assume she would avoid it none of the Equus reference books have any new information on that place,so she wouldn't know we just reformed most of the changelings less than a year ago. So why else would she go there?"

"Umm, I don't know, b-but maybe she has a reason?" she sounded like she was hoping that she wouldn't have to go near that place again.

"Maybe it's a coincidence and she's just heading to Zebrica?" I pointed to the country in question on my map while still looking at the gray splotchy band that is the badlands. I continued to stare at the map, trying to estimate an approximate course. "We may have to do this the old fashioned way, I hate to admit but, I'm stumped.

Author's Note

Hopefully better quality than the previous chapters.