Shimmer Run 2101

The tight little clearing lit up with the inviting, orange, flicker of a campfire and the shadows of the group danced on the surrounding trees and the side of the caravan as they huddled in a circle around it.

"So why would Stygian just up'n betray everypony like this? Second in command of the resistance. They must have offered him somethin' mighty special to give all of that up." Applejack asked. Trixie looked uncomfortable with the question.

"They gave him his body back. Or at least a body." Trixie sighed. "Trixie knew him better than anypony else and can't believe he would do something like this."

"Well It looked like it was made of Osee technology." Derpy added.

"And if they've changed that much of him he might as well be an Osee now himself." Discord crossed his arms, finishing off the train of thought.

"What were they like? As a couple?" Fluttershy asked quietly.

"They loved each other like Trixie can't even begin to explain." Trixie said with a sigh, lowering her head. "It always bothered Stygian so much that they couldn't be together physically though. And I guess this is where that sort of shame and loathing leads." Trixie finished with a sob.

"Imagine- loving somepony so much but being caught up on wanting more that you end up destroying everything you've built together and ultimately that very pony you are supposed to love. It's really a shame." Big Mac blurted out awkwardly.

"Wow, Big Mac- that sure was deep." Applejack lauded.

"Eeyup." Big Mac replied.

"I kind of know what that's like." Derpy said as she hung her head shamefully. "I mean to feel like you aren't good enough."

"Trixie wouldn't have recommended you for promotion to the rank of Lieutenant if she thought you weren't good enough!" Trixie protested.

"I had one job. To protect Rainbow Dash; and I messed up as always. And now she's probably dead too." Derpy sobbed.

"Ah reckon there's nothin' anypony could've done. Ya'll were taken by surprise. Sometimes a pony can do everything right and still not win. Life's just like that sometimes." Applejack said comfortingly as the sound of a steam whistle sounded in the distance.

"Um. I hate to interrupt all this important exposition but..." Discord stood up and pointed at a bright, white, circular, light in the distance- it was drawing closer.

"That's impossible!" Applejack shouted as she brushed some foliage aside- revealing some rusted-out railroad tracks by the camp site. "The south line was decommissioned years ago when the forest overgrew it!" The rhythmic clatter of train wheels began to fill the air as the steam whistle repeated.

"G-ghost Train!?" Fluttershy trembled softly as the light caught up.

The group suddenly found themselves seated in a train car.

"Tickets please." An ethereal stallion called out as he wandered into the car.

"Look." Discord said as he touched the stallion on the shoulder. "This is all some kind of misunder-"

"Trixie isn't ready to die!" Trixie screamed out tearfully.

"Whoa. Don't worry. Your ride was arranged by an anonymous benefactor." The Stallion explained.

"Ah wonder who coulda-" Applejack was interrupted by the stallions hoof at her face.

"I said an anonymous benefactor. Ooh- Spooky-" He wailed as he faded away. "I always wanted to do that." he added excitedly.

"Ah'm very confused." Applejack pondered.

"Well in theory somepony with clout in the afterlife clearly wants us to go south- and fast." Discord explained.

"So ya'll'r an expert on ghost trains now?" Applejack nudged him.

"Well not exactly. I have no idea how we're supposed to get off of this thing alive. I guess that anonymous benefactor thinks highly enough of us to figure it out on our own." Discord explained.

"We're doomed!" Derpy shuddered.

"Everypony pull yourselves together!" Trixie ordered. "Now as the ranking resistance officer, Trixie thinks we should go talk to the conductor. Maybe he'll let us off before we reach the afterlife."

The group filed up the aisle toward the front of the train until they reached the operators compartment.

"So there's been a little misunderstanding and we're not supposed to die yet." Trixie said. The conductor looked up and gave her a blank stare.

"Look we, uh, really appreciate this ride but if you could let us off at the end of the line that would be real swell." Applejack pleaded.

"That's exactly where we plan to stop. Have some passengers to pick up there. You can get off there." The conductor explained calmly.

"Aww, drat. I was really looking forward to a fight. I bet Big Mac could body slam the whole train if he had to." Discord complained.

"Now that's just ridiculous." Applejack complained.

The sun was rising over the horizon as the train stopped. The group filed off and looked out at the surrounding landscape.

"Hey Applejack." Fluttershy said softly. "Remember when we came out this way."

"Hey yeah. I bet if Autumn Blaze is still around those Kirin would side with us against the Osees!" Applejack said excitedly.

"Um. Isn't that Stygians Ship?" Derpy pointed off over above the Peaks of Peril where a large triangular craft hovered above the summit and smoke billowed up.

"Trixie doesn't like this!" Trixie called out as she urged the group onward.

At the entrance to the passage to the village they found Autumn Blaze- laying wounded.

"Autumn!" Applejack called out as she grabbed her in her hooves.

"What happened?" Fluttershy asked.

"They killed everykirin. They're after the Kirins Voice." She struggled to say in a feint tone.

"The Kirins Voice?" Discord asked as he raked his beard in contemplation.

"It's an ancient relic-" Autumn Blaze coughed. "A crystal that amplifies magic."

"Hang in there!" Applejack shouted with tears in her eyes.

"Stop them. I have a train to catch." Autumn Blaze whispered as she closed her eyes one last time.

The group rushed into the village and found it in ruins. Stygians ship cast a dark shadow over the village. Stygian stood at the center of the ruins holding a crystal in front of him with a stream of magic.

"Stygian! Why!?" Trixie called out as they caught up.

"I'm glad you could all make it for this wondrous reunion." Stygian said calmly. A stream of magic fired from the crystal and magical chains appeared around everypony; except Trixie.

"Trixie will never join you in this madness!" Trixie called out.

"I wasn't talking about you." Stygian said. In a flash of magic Sunset Shimmer appeared, clad in technology- parts of her body were replaced with the same mechanical augmentation as himself.

"Sunset!" Trixie called out. She tried to run up but another gout of magic fired from the crystal and stopped her in her place.

"I salvaged her from the wreckage of New Canterlot and with this I have given her life once more!" Stygian called out maniacally.

"You murdered all these Kirin just to save one pony!" Trixie protested and began charging up a spell.

Sunset Shimmer turned around and fired a bright red blast from her horn- knocking Trixie on her back.

"Sunset, why!?" Derpy struggled in her magical chains.

"This is bigger now than one creature- or one hundred." Sunset Shimmer said. "This is bigger than this silly civil war."

"The Kirins Voice- combined with our magic and the Osees technology- with it we can re-order Equestria and create a greater future for everycreature. The lives that have been lost don't have to be in vain." Stygian boasted. "Will you join us or will you stand in our way?"

"Derpy." Applejack Whispered. The two were bound near each other. "Can ya'll reach my bag?"

Derpy nodded and then leaned over and grabbed the Silver Spade with her teeth. With a wrenching motion of her neck she tossed the spade over to Fluttershy.

Fluttershy let out a screech as she transformed into Flutterbat. Bats came pouring out of the surrounding woods and started swarming Stygian and Sunset.

"What is this!?" Stygian shouted. The interruption of his concentration was enough to dispel the magical chains. The heroes all rushed forward and assumed a fighting stance in front of him.

"You think your silly bats are going to stop us?" Sunset blurted out as she stood next to Stygian. The two channeled a spell, together, which caused a bright spherical flash to explode outwards from them- sending the bats flying off and reverting Fluttershy to her normal form.

They began channeling another spell and a large chunk of rock rose from the ground above everypony.

"Ah don't like the looks of this." Applejack said with dread.

"Eeyup." Big Mac agreed.

"That's not very loyal!" A familiar voice called out as Rainbow Dash came swooping in with a stream of rainbow- knocking the chunk of rock back toward the Kirins Voice.

Stygian and Sunset Shimmer channeled a spell together which caused a shield of energy to form around them as the rock crashed against them and broke. The Kirins Voice flickered and fell to the ground.

"Perhaps we need a little more practice with this thing." Stygian said as he grabbed the Kirins Voice. He and Sunset Shimmer teleported away in a flash of magic and Stygians ship let out a mighty roar as it took off into the distance.

"Am I glad to see you!" Derpy called out, excitedly, as she gave Rainbow Dash a hug.

"Is everypony okay!?" Rainbow Dash looked around. The rest of the group gathered around Trixie who lay on the ground. She was uninjured but looked back at the group with tearful eyes.

"C'mon, Trixie! We have them on the run!" Rainbow Dash urged.

"Trixie is no match for them." Trixie sighed.

"Ya'll can't just give up now!" Applejack complained.

Trixie slowly rose to her hooves and began quietly wandering away from the group.

Applejack began stepping forward but Discord reached in front of her and stopped her.

"Let her go." Discord said with a sigh. "She's the tormented character with the mysterious and troubled past who leaves the party and doesn't rejoin again until after you go off on some crazy quest to clear their self doubt by bringing them a relic of great power from their past." Discord explained as Trixie disappeared down the passage leading out of the village.

"And just what in the-" Applejack was interrupted.

"We could get her a new hat!" Derpy blurted out.

"A new hat? Seriously?" Rainbow Dash complained.

"Well she was really fond of that hat." Fluttershy said.

"Hey maybe we can get Pistachio to make her one!" Applejack suggested.

"I can't believe you actually think this is going to work." Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes.

"Anything's worth a try at this point sugar cube." Applejack said.

"Well Pistachio is all the way in Manehattan and this party is getting pretty big as it is." Discord complained. "Derpy- this is your idea. Why don't you pick two of us to go with you and the rest of us will go looking for Trixie."

"I pick Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash- That way we can fly there." Derpy exclaimed.

"Are you sure ya'll don't want to try and balance your party out with a good strong back or somethin'?" Applejack urged.

"Come on now let's not make this any more confusing than it needs to be." Discord urged. "Now let's go find Trixie."

The three pegasi took to the skies as the others started wandering off down the passage.