The pink coated, purple maned unicorn mare looked up from the book laid across her fore hooves as she heard the wail of the train whistle growing more distinct in the shrinking distance. Beside her, the large red earth stallion lifted his head from across her back to see it as well.
"Oh darn, the trains here already.", Sugar Belle grumbled, telekinetically closing her book and placing it the saddle bag laid almost flat atop Mac's far broader withers. He'd carried her bags, even with her protesting she could do it herself. He wouldn't let up, a single, simple glance backward telling of how he could feel a pair of amber eyes watching them from the rocking chair on the porch of the Sweet Apple Home. With a sigh, she looked back to his green eyes, finding a similar sadness in them, "I'll write to you first. That way I won't miss it if there's a train delay or something."
Mac considered this for a second whilst rubbing his chin with a hoof like a polished brass bell, the numbers and probabilities almost visibly flitting across his pupils before he nodded and replied with a smile, "Eeyup." She stood up a bit to make up for the size difference even when both were laying on a bench, she booped her nose to his, nuzzling down along his left lower jaw, careful not to jab him with her horn. It was then he decided to speak what she'd seen on his mind the whole walk and wait here, "'Sure ya don't want me to accompany you back to Our Town?"
Giving a giggle, she pulled back to smooch him softly on the cheek, his freckles briefly obscured by her nose, she noted with a minor pang of indignation, nevertheless her tone was as jovial as ever as she addressed his concerns, "Oh Mac, I'm a big pony. Not as big as you, sure, but I can handle myself just fine. Have you any idea how hard you can hit a pony with a literal Mudpie?", Before he could began to run the numbers of the mass times surface area divided by air resistance in a moving, not quite pressurized cabin, she answered her own question, "Very hard. And besides, I wouldn't want Applejack to run across Equestria, Tartarusbent on teaching me not to take such liberties with her brother. Would you?"
With a smile and a chuckle like rolling thunder, he responded with a comical "Nnope."
"Good, and besides, I know if anything happens I can just yell for my big, strong stallion to come save me.", She said, jumping down from the bench, noting it didn't seem to rise with the reduction in weight, and moved to snuggle under and into his chin and chest, the train pulling in behind her and whipping his and her mane about with displaced air.
A heavy hoof softly crossed her withers, shoulder to shoulder, and pulled her a bit more into the embrace, drowning her in the scent of dried lather, sun, apples and stallion musk. If only they'd been allowed to share a bed, she could've died happily in her sleep to that smell, "Eeyup."
Levitating her bags back onto her own back, she turned to head toward the boarding end of the first class train cart before an idea crossed her mind. Tail wagging faintly behind her, she turned back to Mac with half lidded eyes, watching his ears perk in surprise as a faint pink tint covered his normally pale freckles.
He was quick to pick up on her affinity for saucy wordplay and suggestive impulses the day she'd invited him into her home. It was awhile before he could show himself in public after that experience.
"Maybe when you come visit me, Macintosh, we can... I don't know, maybe make ourselves a few cream pies? Maybe put some buns in my oven?", She said, tilting her head forward and down a bit to look up at him through her lashes. His face was one of shock and uncensored thoughts as his lower jaw began to descend and his lips parted ever so slightly. Time to go in for the kill, strike and finish him, "You know I'll keep it hot if you suddenly want to make an Apple Pi-Pastry with me.", She'd had to catch herself on that last comment. Pinkie Pie aside, it was a little known fact to those outside of the family that one of the Apple Family fillies was indeed named Apple Pie. And Sugar didn't feel up to task with given innuendo to a filly's given name.
Mac hadn't caught the slip in his stunned still stupor, still reeling at the imagery his marefriend of four months had placed into his mind's eye. He was brought from his daze as the sensation of a curly, tied of purple tail swiping him from collar to chin brought him back to the physical world. He stared slack jawed after the giggling, impish baker as she boarded the train quickly, found a window seat facing him and blew him a kiss through the glass before crossing her hooves under her chin as she gave him a wink and held the come hither look as the train pulled off and into the distance, the sensation still hot against his coat and skin.
Well... It looked like he was just going to sit and admire this view of the surrounding landscape for a while longer. Maybe two.
He cast a careful backwards glance down to his midsection, keeping his barrel pressed down as much as possible and his back legs to his body as tight as he could.
Eeyup, definitely two.
Unknown to the fledgling couple, they'd been watched by two mares standing silently at the other end of the platform.
The taller of the two was a near neon, greenish yellow unicorn with candy streaked mane of orange, pink and yellow cut in a similar style to the Princess of Friendship. Her cerulean blue eyes watched the two interact taking notes of how and where the other unicorn mare's flirtation differed from and mirrored her own. She just couldn't decipher the why. Why did this mare's tactics work where hers had, repeatedly, failed?
The shorter mare, a soft grey earth pony with a darker grey mane streaked with various shades not dissimilar to marble or granite, served to act as a barrier against notoriety for the first, her presence near the grey stone and brick wall behind the unicorn acting as a bizarre but efficient camouflage as ponies walked by them without the faintest hint of awareness that the two existed less than a meter from them. Sad, downcast amethyst eyes would occasionally leave the floor to watch the baker as she lay against the red giant, brave and unhesitant in nuzzling with and talking to the gentle farmer. She wished she herself hadn't lack the necessary supportive vertebrae to act the same. But here she was instead, wishing to covet the stallion who'd chose another.
"Scrying Team, come in. Do we have the target insight?"
The shorter mare flinched slightly at the voice, but nonetheless raised her hoof to tap the Hear Ring in her left ear, responding with a soft, "Mm-hm."
"Very well. Do you see the train?"
"Duh.", The taller made responded this time, magically activating her own Hear Ring so as to keep her eyes trained on the ever brave mare getting the most desired stallion flustered as the train pulled up behind her and stopped a ways from the two mares, "We're going to board now and get into position. Call if you need anything. But don't call us."
There was a sound like grinding teeth and a hoof tapping softly with tested patience, the voice at the other end tense and almost growling with disdain, "Veerrrry...Well."
With a smile telling of a history of amusement at the unamused, the unicorn threw a hoof over her companion's withers and gave a soft contralto chuckle at the way the younger mare almost jumped free of her own skin before softly dragging her toward the train, sparks occasionally flinging as the younger one's hooves struck metal or dragged a bit too roughly with how still she was standing the whole time.
Presenting both their tickets to a slightly confused train conductor, the unicorn levitated the earth pony made into a window seat and nonchalantly sat down beside her, admiring her hooves as she quietly but audibly counted down, "Three, two, one. And she boards."
As she finished speaking, the baker gigglingly trotted in, scanning the aisle quickly before she darted to the window seat directly across from them, blowing a kiss to the stallion before resting her chin on her crossed fore hooves. The grey mare could see her companion doing something similar out the corner of her eye, but instead focused on the sands, rocks, hills and mountains of the passing landscape, reciting what minerals she could identity by sight.
A moment of true terror passed over her as she heard her companion strike up a conversation with their target.
"Quite a stallion you got there, honey. I had no idea they came in that flavor of yummy. Wherever did you find him?"
This was not part of the plan!
"Quite a stallion you got there, honey. I had no idea they came in that flavor of yummy. Wherever did you find him?"
"Oh!", Sugar jumped and turned to the mare who'd addressed her, blushing at the realization that ponies had indeed seen her do that to Mac. The curious, questioning mare was another unicorn, vibrant yellow or green in the half light of the window next to...her companion? The grey mare seemed focused on not being seen as she brushed her mane down over her right eye, her face otherwise obscured. The unicorn had strong blue eyes, almost covered by the bid of yellow, pink and orange forelock that parted in two places around her horn. From what Sugar could see, she had a single pink scoop topped waffle cone ice cream cone for a cutie mark. She must be in the ice cream business then, "Um, well he found me, actually. His sister and her friends had helped getting him to meet me and the rest is history."
A glint flew across the blue eyes of her cabin mate that sent a chill down Sugar Belle's spine like a snowball. It was like looking into the eyes of a hawk.
"Aw, how fortunate for him that his sister cares so deeply for him that she'd strongleg her way into his love life with such... satisfactory results.", The ice queen-I mean ice cream mare said with a slight crinkle in her nose as she smiled at the info, her smile not quite reaching her eyes, "Tell me, does Tall, Fair and Fetching have a twin brother somewhere along this trains travel route? For a friend of mine, of course.", She said, the dip of her left brow and high arch of her right telling Sugar Belle that this alleged friend was probably in the same seat as her.
This friend was probably leaving a stain in the seat as they spoke.
Sugar was starting to feel a bit naked under the prying gaze the longer she held it, and was hoping to end this conversation soon, "Sorry, he only has younger sisters. He's got plenty of cousins, though."
Another glint in the ice cream mare's eyes, "Oh! Plenty you say?", At this, the mare broke her unnerving gaze and looked to the ceiling in contemplation, softly tapping her chin with a hoof, "With no brothers, I suppose cousins would be the next best thing.", She said with a shrug, before she levitated a magazine from the rack tucked away beneath every few seats in the train, "It was nice talking to you, dear. Have a nice ride."
"Thanks, it was my pleasure. The name's Sugar Belle, by the way."
"Sweetcream Scoops."
And with that, heir communication was over and done with. Thank Celestia and Luna.
The soft blue green pegasus made could've been sick to her stomach as she listened in on the two of them.
As if the neon terror would settle for second best. She'd dropped any hint of her false amusement with the world the second the talkative cousin she'd first met had spoken. She'd excused herself to the restroom and left the area in the same breath. There was no doubt in her mind that the baking bimbo had unknowingly struck quite a few sour notes with the ice cream trollop.
The only remedy to the false friendly tone of the neon nuisance was to add her own commentary in her mind as she listened.
"It was nice talking to you, dear. Have a nice ride."-'You husbando stealing bitch.'
"Thanks, it was my pleasure."-'Fuck your pleasure up the ass.', "The name's Sugar Belle, by the way."-'No the name is Master Husbando Thief of the First Order of Cock Interception.'
"Sweetcream Scoops."-'Aka Fuckme Eyes McNinja Bitchface.'
She watched as the two concluded their conversation, glaring at the unicorns from three rows back whilst pretending to read the newspaper held up and in her hooves. Without the tight fitting blue and yellow flight suit, she blended in quite well amongst the populace and passengers. This meant that she and a good portion of their team could move about and even interact with the target.
But the only part of her that wanted to interact with any part of their target was her hoof and her face, respectively and repeatedly.
The Hear Ring in her ear clicked to life as the current leader of this ragtag team of misfits deemed it fitting to cut into her personal brooding time, "Diversion, do you have visual on the target?"
Feigning an itch in her ear with a flick of said appendage, she reached up with the wing of the same size and scratched within the shell of her ear, subtly flicking the device off then back on. The result was a confirming electric whine and double click sound that meant a positive response when talking would prove detrimental to the mission.
"Good. Proceeding with set up. Delivery, you're up."
On cue, the door at the front of the cabin opened up, revealing a lime green earth mare, her wavy two toned blue mane done up in a neat bun as she pushed a tea cart down the aisle wearing a collar, vest and bowtie as befitting one disguised as a train service pony.
They momentarily locked gazes from their opposite ends of the cart, feeling the intense spike of hate in their hearts fueled by the equally intense love that could be found there as well.
The truce. They had to remember the truce. If they wanted in, they needed to chill out.
'Deep breaths, Fleetfoot. Deep, calming, controlled breaths.'
She'd just to wait off her cue and draw the mares attention at the right moment.
She made her way down the aisle with a growing sense of excitement.
It was a bit like the fantasy she'd experienced when she and he had accidentally head butted each other at the Summer Wrap Up festival, only she was the one undercover, likely to rescue her beloved from the clutches of a possible threat.
If not that, then she'd be one of a select few to view files and documents that many would hope to get their hooves on and that the greater populace would not know even existed.
Her heart fluttered at the files, or rather images, that she had seen. Oh they had such perfect angles and the most flattering resolution she could imagine. There were still a vast number of images yet to be taken, and with luck, that number would drop drastically.
Steady, soft green hooves poured tea and added sugar cubes with a mastered ease as she advanced ever closer.
Her eyes caught the faint silver strand tied to the handle of a teacup at the corner of the serving tray, used to mark the cup as the enchanted cup necessary for the event as well as to hold off the enchantment from activating too early. It would do them no good if the spell went off on her and not the target.
They had rough estimates of just how much 'a literal Mudpie' could hit a pony on any given area of the body. It was cringe inducing, for lack of better words. And of them, only three could actually tank that. Best to have the target under and out.
She was now in spitting distance of the target, a minor bead of sweat making it's merry way down the back of her neck as she smiled to her and spoke, "Could I interest you in a complimentary cup of tea, Miss?"
The mare looked from the window to her, sapphire eyes meeting hers before they scanned the array about the cart, "Oh? Uh, yes please. Do you have Jasmine?"
With the smile of a mare who'd never left her house without a stash of Jasmine, she nodded to the customer before reaching below the top of the cart to retrieve said tea, ”Why, of course I do. One moment, please."
From behind her, the articulation challenged athlete spoke up, "You wouldn't happen to have green tea would you?", she spoke with her voice risen enough to draw the unicorn's attention, a wing raised and waving a bit to draw the eye away from the tea servers hooves as she moved the marked cup into position, removing the loose thread. Adding the Jasmine tea bag atop the faint glowing ruins making up the incantation circle along the bottom of the cup, she poured the hot water, watching as it quickly darkened and obscured the faint green glow of the magic below.
"Yes, I do ma'am. Please wait and I'll be with you shortly.", Quickly moving the cup to a saucer, she picked up the polished tongs and moved to pick up a sugar, "How many sugars will that be, Miss?"
Turning back, the unicorn looked to a cup that had seemingly appeared out of nowhere in the blink of an eye, "Uh, two-no, three. Please, heh.", She cast another curious glance back down the aisle to the now waiting blue coated, ashen maned pegasus mare with a newspaper folded somewhat neatly on her lap.
Pretending not to notice, she added the requested amount quickly before softly stirring the steaming brew, "Oh? A harboring a sweet tooth, huh?", she queried, passing the mare her tea and releasing it when she felt the warm tingle of telekinesis glance across her hooves.
"Only a little.", She said as she took a testing sip of her tea, smacking her lips once in satisfaction, "Lovely, thank you.", she said before a curious look crossed her face, "Um, am I seeing things or is that one of the Wonderbolts back there?", she asked, pointed over her left shoulder, but careful to remain hidden by her seat.
She glanced where the target was pointing, and most definitely, it was indeed Fleet foot. The lisping little lech who blindsided her at the Summer Wrapup Festival last year, "Oh, don't be silly. She's much to tall to be Fleetfoot.", She said as she took her leave and continued down the aisle to serve the "Wonderbolt Lookalike".
"Oh, don't be silly. She's much too tall to be Fleetfoot." The server said, before she pressed her collar region to the cushioned end of the cart and moved to serve the Fleetfoot look a like.
Huh, strange. She could have sworn it looked like...
With a shrug, Sugar Belle settled back into her seat, hovering her tea before her lips so she could sip every few seconds, watching the scenery pass outside her window.
A minute passed before it dawned on her.
She'd asked if the mare behind her had been a Wondertbolt. The tea server had known exactly which Wonderbolt she'd alluded to. She'd never said the Fleetfoot.
With the subtlety of a lit stick of TNT, she looked back at the mare again. Pale main, almost pure white with light blue tones. A soft but prominent blue-green coat like mint frosting.
As if sensing her gaze, the made lowered her newspaper, looking Sugar right in the eyes. A green left eye, almost a shade one could place on a Apple Family member. A magenta right eye, quite similar to Rainbow Dash's own.
And to top it off, a confident as all get out smirk like the picture on her card in Macintosh's rare collectables deck. Said smirk morphed into a blown kiss towards her.
Before a blush could even reach her cheeks, Sugar felt a severe wave of dizziness hit her. She nearly fell from her seat and into the aisle, before a soft blue aura enveloped her, lifting her back into her seat and leaning her against the windowsill. She tried to struggle, but her strength abandoned her with her balance.
Her voice had decided to take a similar leave of absence as all attempts to cry out, scream or speak barely changed the strength of her breathing. In the corner of her left eye, she could see Sweetcream Scoops facing her, her horn lit with the same blue glow. The cold glint in her blue eyes made her blood feel cold.
Help. Somebody help me. Mac, please help.
As the world took on a sickening green tint, a dark figure seemed to manifest before her. It's body was dark, tall and waved in a nonexistent wind. It looked to hold stars within it's darkness. It walked closer, wings spreading as it's horn sparked to life.
Everything went black, the faintest of sounds reaching her as she heard one thing before she fell to oblivion.
"We've been waiting to meet you, Miss Sugar Cane Belle."
Author's Note
Well, that's out and about. Surprised I'm actually getting this out this early after coming up with the idea of it.
What lies in store for our beloved Sugar Belle? Who are these, for the most part unnamed, mares who've come for her? Will Mac end up like the guy in the beginning of the recent Baywatch movie?
Tune in next time, or you know just follow me right now, to find out!
