Chapter 7: Train Wreck

I laid a blanket over Pip as Velvet tended to her leg. I sat down as across from them, thinking back on what happened, while Calamity stared out the window too make sure we weren't being followed.

I was beyond stunned when I saw the boxcar floating above us. I couldn't believe Pip mustered the strength to lift it. I wasn't really surprised when she collapsed after dropping it.

My thought were interrupted when I noticed one of the fillies from the sheriff’s cells looking up at me nervously. They looked weary and beaten; two of them were asleep, but one had enough strength to look at me. “What are you?" She asked as she looked me over with curiosity.

I gave her a small smile. "I'm what's known as a human. You can call me Casey." I held out my hand for her too shake. The filly stared at the appendage before turning to look at Velvet, who was know watching us. She gave the filly an encouraging smile and nodded before turning back to Pip.

The filly turned back to me and hesitated before place her hoof on the palm of my hand shaking it.

They kids soon warmed up to me. They asked me about where I came from, to which I happily replied. Things eventually grew quiet. Until Pip woke up.

She looked like she just saw a ghost. She was covered in sweat and looked terrified.

"Welcome back to the land of the living." I greeted as she looked around.

"That was awesome!" One the colts said, mimicking how she dropped the boxcar on the alicorn.

“We’re... okay?” She asked, looking at Velvet who nodded reassuringly.

“The slaves?”

“In the caboose.” Velvet answered. “This train only has the one passenger car, and I felt the foals needed the space more dearly. So it was either the caboose or strapping them to a flatcar.”

"If you ask me, we should've thrown them off or put a couple rounds in there skulls." I stated, crossing my arms.

"Here, here!" Calamity agreed.

Pip let out a small giggle. I enjoyed seeing her smiled. It always seemed to brighten up the room.

“But the locks...?” She suddenly asked. I knew what she meant.

“You can thank Velvet for that." I gestured toward the unicorn. "I wanted to take a crack at them but Velvet found a way to... bypass the need for lockpicks or keys.”

The train rumbled around us. I glanced out my window, we had already traversed the desert and we were well on our way up the mountain. The pace of the train ponies was slowing; we were getting close to the peak-point of the mountain track.

“Our shadow’s back.” Calamity mentioned.

“Shadow?” Pip asked as she sat up.

The colt who spoke up earlier declared, “Mister Calamity thinks something is following us.” I noticed Calamity was crouched to the window, looking upwards through it… towards the sky?

“Another...one of those... like at the sheriff’s?” She asked.

"Ah don’t think so. But there’s a’somethin’ up there. Keepin’ just out of sight.”

“If it’s out of sight, how do you know there is anything there?” Velvet countered. But at Calamity’s look, she relented. “Another pegasus, perhaps?”

Calamity grimaced. “Ah... really don’t think so.” He returned his gaze to the window, quieting.

“At least it has stopped raining,” Velvet Remedy announced, looking out the window. “That storm lasted for days.”

I turned and looked out at the thick grey cloud cover. The rain had indeed receded, and the clouds were a much lighter color, turning the sunlight a drab grey.

“Velvet...” Pip started.

“Thank you, Littlepip." Velvet turned to me. "And thank you Casey. Your bandages saved my life.”

I looked at her, knowing that there that my poor excuse for medical skills were enough to nurse her back to health. I was about to correct her but she lifted a hoof to interrupt. “No, but you managed just well enough that I regained consciousness, and from there I could take care of myself,” She cast a sidelong look towards Calamity. “Not to mention you and that interesting friend of yours.”

Calamity snickered in her direction.

Velvet continued, “I did tell you I’d always wanted to be a medical pony. I studied for it and even apprenticed.”

I looked at her curiously. “If that’s what you wanted, why didn’t you?”

“Because my cutie mark showed up. One day, I sang a song for an ailing gentlepony, and it appeared. A songbird, a nightingale to be precise. And when your cutie mark appears, your place in the Stable is decided.” That was actually kind of sad. To have role assigned to you without being able to do anything about it.

“I even begged the Overmare. But clearly it was to be my destiny to be an entertainer, my fate was written on my flanks. My voice was the most beautiful in the Stable, and I could not deny that I could sing. Or that I even enjoyed it a fair bit. The Overmare even showed me my geneology, proving that I was the many-times-great granddaughter of Stable Two’s first Overmare, who herself was also a legendary singer.” I nodded, she did have a great voice.

“How could I fight the weight of all of that? The Overmare... she graciously allowed me to indulge my hobby in the small times when it wouldn’t interfere with my new duties of uplifting the Stable’s flagging morale. But my dreams, I was told, were not for me.”

"That's bullshit." I commented, gaining a surprised look from her. "You shouldn't let a mark decide your destiny. If you wanted to be a doctor, than you should've kept at it."

She was about to speak, but this time, I interrupted her.

"Where I come from, we don't let symbols decide what we do or what other people tell us. And do you know why?"

She shook her head.

I leaned forward. "Because we're the masters of our fate. We're the captains of our soul. "Who cares what the Overmare says? Only you can control your destiny."

“Ah’m gonna talk a walk outside, maybe stretch muh wings.”

I looked up from the book I was reading to pass the time. The train was slowing to nearly a stop. The engine had already crested the peak, and the train ponies were drawing the rest of the train down over the lip and around the next bend before releasing it and jumping aboard themselves. There wasn’t going to be another chance to get some fresh air.

"I think I'll join you," setting the book down, I got up. "You gonna be ok Pip?"

She nodded. So I moved towards the door and opened it up.

Leaning against the railing, I took in a deep breath of fresh air. I admit, this adventure of mine was really fun. Meeting new friends such a Pip and Calamity, exploring a new world.

It was like being in a video game.

But, the more I thought, the more questions plagued my mind. Why am I here? Do I have a purpose? Will I ever get home?

I was brought out of my thoughts by the roar of a mini-gun. Followed by screams.

A second later, gunfire ensued.

I moved back inside. Pip was attempting to calm the foals as Velvet Remedy returned through the back door, looking worried. At nearly the same moment, one of the train ponies from the switch team burst in, shouting and waving his paws, a lever-action shotgun floating by his side. “Slaver ambush! Protect the children!”

Before I could ask, a pony wearing slaver armor, spiked hooves covered in blood, broke into the passenger car and reared up, intending to kill one of us. I just drew my assault rifle and fired at him. The train pony ducked, his own gun swinging around and unloading into the slaver.

As Pip checked her PipBuck I turned to Velvet, tossing the needler gun along with a marked clip. “Take this and guard the foals. We'll go on ahead!”

Velvet stared at the weapon in shock. “I... couldn’t.”

Oh for God’s sake. “You’re not going to survive out here if you aren’t willing to fight back.” I gestured towards the foals. “And neither will the ones you’re protecting.”

Velvet gulped. “I mean... I don’t know how!”

Pip answered for me. “It’s easy. Float it up, pointing this end at the bad guy. To shoot, pull this little lever back; that’s the trigger.”

“I’m not a killer. I... I don’t think I can!”

“Learn to,” I responded.

The train slid down the track, picking up speed as more raiders jumped aboard. Two earth ponies with miniguns had slaughtered the pulling team. The barrage of return fire had slaughtered them in return.

Pip and I stood our ground, weapons at the ready. She attempted to shoot a slaver who jumped aboard, but she missed and the slaver jumped back down.

Looking up, I saw Calamity moving through the air, a griffin in hot pursuit. The latter kept slowing down to shoot Calamity with his rifle, but the pegasus was too fast.

I heard clopping coming closer, but as I turned my attention back to the boxcars ahead, I saw nothing. Confused, I took a step towards the edge, looking down to see if they were racing up along the ground...

There were three slaver ponies racing along the side of the boxcar. A unicorn was likely aiding them since a magic glow held their hooves to the side of the moving train.

“Luna rape you with her horn!” Pip yelled as she opened fire. Two ponies screamed as they fell from the train, mortally wounded, one breaking his neck in the fall; but the third made it to the gap between cars before I shoot him.

The train was moving at a fair clop now. I raced along the roof jumping to the next car and skidding to a stop. I looked down between the cars, and quickly pulled my head back as the slaver spotted me and fired a mouth-held submachine gun into the air where my head had just been.

Pip pulled the wide-eyes slaver up out of his hiding space, allowing me to pelt him with bullets. I then heard Pip cry out in pain. I turned to see the pony I had missed before had come up behind her, a whip clinched in her mouth that she wielded with hellish accuracy. With a crack of her whip, she knocked Pip's assault rifle out of the air.

Suddenly, Calamity swooped low over the boxcar and banked sharply, his hooves scraping along the cliff above us on the other side of the train. The griffon swooped over the train in pursuit. We ducked, but the whip-pony wasn’t quick enough and ended up decapitated. It was then I noticed the blade on the griffon's wings.

Pip grabbed the pony’s whip, kicking the head off the train.

Getting up, I heard more gunfire as the remaining train ponies fought for their lives. Suddenly, something thumped hard somewhere towards the front of the train, which shuddered as its wheels crunched through a body that had fallen down onto the tracks.

Calamity landed deftly beside me.

I stared at him in surprise, and he seemed to blush as he hoofed at his mane. “Ah’m ‘fraid Razorwing couldn’t join us. He refused t’ get offa muh tail. Even when Ah swooped between two of the cars.” Calamity smiled, looking around as if trying to find a missing friend. “Ah swear, he was right behind me just a moment ago!”

“Go help Velvet!” Pip called out. "I think she's in trouble!"

Calamity nodded and took off, as we moved to help the train ponies.

The last survivor of the train ponies joined us as we across the rooftops and dived down into the open door of the passenger car as twin beams of pink magical energy soared above us. The other train pony wasn't fast enough and was turned to ash.

Inside the passenger car, the body of a slaver hung from the ceiling, filled with needles. The spell on its hooves was keeping it from falling to the floor, even after death. The train pony shrieked in surprise.

“Ah tell ya, I prefer slavers who shoot bullets!” the train pony gasped, recovering. “Ya can’t wrap a bandage around bein’ turned t’ dust!”

Velvet Remedy ran in through the back door, coming off the flatcar behind. Seeing the train pony, she motioned for him to head behind her. “Please, go meet up with Calamity! He’s at the caboose!”

“We’ve got a nasty one on the way,” Pip warned her. “And another four coming behind her. I think these are the last of them, but one is using a battle saddle with magical energy weapons!”

Velvet Remedy nodded warily, then looked up and pointed at the corpse above. “t-This one came in on the roof! L-like an insect!” She was clearly shaken, no doubt from having to take another's life.

The earth pony trotted past her, reloading his weapon and bucking the door closed behind him.

A minute later, Calamity galloped up. “Everypony’s in the caboose and Ah’ve kicked it off! The slavers won’t be gettin’ t’ them from here!” He lowered his head and stomped at the floor. “Here’s where we hold the line!”

Three slavers came at us through the windows.

I jumped back as a slaver swung his magically enhanced sledgehammer at me. I ended up tripping over one of the seats. The slaver raised his sledge hammer, ready to bring it down. I caught it as he swung and the magic around seemed to dissipate, confusing both of us. Shaking off my confusion, I kicked him in the muzzle, causing him to stagger back. Dropping the sledgehammer, I raised my gun and riddled him with bullets.

As I got up, I was shocked to see a slaver sink his combat knife deep into her shoulder, barely missing her neck. Blood gushed around the blade and turned her charcoal coat a wet black.

The slaver grasped the hilt of the knife in her teeth, intent on pulling the blade out of the wounded singer, but Velvet’s horn glowed, a telekinetic light enveloping the knife. It was simple, weak telekinesis, holding the blade. Giving me enough time to fire, causing Velvet to get splattered with wet bits.

I then turned to see the unicorn who shot at us with the pink energy from before.

And not a second later, Pip put one between her eyes.

I was glad that we made it through nearly unscathed.

I exhaled as I laid back in my seat, happy to catch a break.

"You did a good job out there Littlepip," Velvet commented to Pip.

“You are doing more than your share with your healing skills and mending spell,” said pony responded. “Although I’m surprised you didn’t stay with the freed slaves and foals.”

Velvet Remedy whinnied. “That caboose was too crowded as it was. If I’d have tried to force myself in there too, somepony would have suffocated!”

I chuckled, "At least we took them down.

“Ayep,” Calamity agreed, “Looks like that was the last of them.”

The train groaned dangerously as it tore around a corner, forcing us to catch ourselves. Velvet looked between us with alarm. “Don’t either of you ponies think we’re going awfully fast? How does this train of yours slow down?”

“We use the brakes.”

“And where are they?”

“In the caboose.”

Velvet’s ears dipped back. She stared levelly at Calamity. “The caboose? That would be the big red car at the back, right? The one you just kicked free of us?”

I jumped up, "You did what?!"

Calamity grimaced a little. “Ayep.” Pondering, “Y’know, that would explain the look the train pony was givin’ me.”

“I begin to see how you got your name,” Velvet said flatly.

Several minutes of confirming our situation and arguing over what should be done followed as the train continued to race down the mountain out of control; soon we were bracing ourselves against every turn. We were still only halfway down, sheer cliffs flying by on either side. In the end, Pip came up with a solution.

“Calamity, fly Velvet and Casey to safety!”

Velvet’s eyes widened, “But what about you?”

"I’ll be fine. I’ve figured out another way off.”

"I'm not leaving you behind Pip!" I commented. "And no amount of talk is going to change my mind."

Pip looked like she was going to argue, but didn't and flashed my a grateful look.

The others hesitated but agreed. They made their way to the nearest flatcar. “Ah’ll be back for you!” Calamity promised as he spread his wings and took off.

And then we were alone on a runaway train.

"Any bright ideas!" I asked as I tightened my grip.

"I'm thinking!" Pip responded. Soon after, her horn started to glow.

I heard the train squeal as it righted itself on the track, already headed towards another turn, this one throwing the train’s weight against the rising cliff wall. The rocky wall raked at the train, damaging the boxcars and tearing off most of the roof. I ducked down to avoid the splinters.

When I opened them again, wind was buffeting me fiercely through the gaping wound in the train car. As saw another turned coming closer. Pip began to levitate us off the ground.

And soon after the train hit the curve. With a horrific, screaming shudder, the train tore from the track, soaring out over the mountain cliff, and plunging towards the valley over a thousand feet below!

I saw the train fall past me, diving down into the dead forest below with a crash. The destruction below me God had thrown a stone. The ground was coming to greet us.

"Casey!" I heard Pip shout.

I looked up to see Calamity had caught her, but her spell had stopped.

I smiled as I closed my eyes and prepared for impact.

Only it never came.

Opening my eyes, I saw i was enveloped in an white aura. Down below, a familiar black unicorns horn glowed the same color.

Thanks Velvet.

The four of us moved through the valley. With no idea where we were.

From what Pip found in the terminal entries, the slavers of old Appleloosa were selling the most of ponies they captured to someone named Stern in someplace called Fillydelphia.

We were in desperate need of medical supplies. Likewise, the water and food we had packed wasn't enough to support three ponies and a human for several days.

After a while, we decided to rest. I was still pretty shocked I had survived all of that, I was considering rethinking my religion.

The valley was strewn with black, dead trees and bits of debris, that told of the devastation of Equestria’s apocalypse. Fallen chariots and similar vehicles were everywhere. According to Calamity, we were below the outskirts of what had once, high above us, been the pegasus city of Cloudsdayle. Now, it was just a graveyard.

Inappropriately upbeat music floated like a siren song through the valley. Pip began galloping towards the source, with us scrambling to join her.

“Littlepip!” Velvet gasped, “What is it?”

"Could it be him?" I asked, but Pip ignored me.

"Could it be who?" Calamity responded.

Before I could respond, Pip used her magic to envelop the machine. “Watcher!”

Calamity and Velvet looked at her strangely.

“Watcher!” I shouted crossly, shaking the sprite-bot. “Watcher, I know you can hear me! I need you right now!”

“Littlepip,” Calamity began slowly. “Ah don’t think...” He stopped, eyes widening fearfully as the music ended in a mid-song pop and the sprite-bot spoke directly to Pip.

“uh, hello, Littlepip. How can I help you?” The tinny, artificial voice addressing her clearly.

“I need you to send a message to New Appleloosa! “ She waved frantically. “There’s a caboose headed down the mountain, without a train. The train pony inside will make sure it reaches the bottom safely, but there are lots of ponies inside, including five young ones, who cannot survive out here on their own. New Appleloosa needs to send wagons to get them.”

Watcher was silent, hesitant.

“Watcher, they’re not in good shape. They have no food or water. Time is of the essence!”

Watcher spoke slowly, “I don’t know, Littlepip. I’m not in the habit of...”

“I. Don’t. Care!” Pip shouted. “You care about those ponies, don’t you? Do you want to see those foals die?!”

“No! I mean, yes, I care. No, I don’t want to...”

“Then get help! You don’t have time to indulge your shyness, Watcher. Lives are at stake!”

"Whoa Pip!" I called out moving towards her but Velvet stopped me.

With a pop, the sprite-bot’s song continued and Pip released it.

“Littlepip,” Velvet nickered, approaching her. “If you keep ordering your friends around, you’ll soon find you don’t have any.”

Pip looked to Calamity who seemed to agree with Velvet, before he followed the latter.

Pip then looked to me with sort of a pleading look.

I honestly didn't know what to say. So I simply shrugged and followed after the others. I heard her steps behind me soon after.

Author's Note

And here's chapter 7. This one was difficult, but I hope you enjoyed reading.

P.S: Feel free to check out my other Fallout Equestria story: Operation Shattered Glass.