Chapter 7: The Journey to Ponyville

Celestia tries to find a comfortable spot to lay as the wagon moves over the bumpy terrain, then looks towards the front of the wagon and calls to Arthur through the canvas, "Is there anything in here that can make this ride more bearable? I'm going to have bruises everywhere at this rate!"

I then laugh and say, "What did you expect princess? This is an ammo wagon, not a stagecoach. There may be a soft blanket in there somewhere, if I am right."

She looks around for it and sees a golden brown fuzzy rug and then pulls it out and unrolls it, she then makes herself comfortable on it until she smells something in the air and then sniffs the rug and then finally says, "Ugh, this rug stinks! When was the last time you washed this thing?"

I then chuckle and then answer, "That would be never Princess, and that is not a rug, it's a grizzly bear pelt. I had it turned into a blanket to use it for cold weather to stay warm under, we were forced to leave it in there when we moved locations and abandoned a few of the wagons when our troubles caught up to us."

She then screams out in disgust and fright from touching the soft fur and yells through the canvas, "THIS THING IS A PELT FROM AN ANIMAL!! YOU BARBARIAN, DID YOU EVER THINK TO CONSIDER HOW A PONY WOULD FEEL IF THEY KNEW YOU HAD THE PELT FROM A DEAD ANIMAL? YOU BETTER KEEP THIS AWAY FROM FLUTTERSHY OR SHE WOULD BE IN TEARS FOR A MONTH! SHE HAS A FRIEND THAT IS A GRIZZLY BEAR!"

I then sigh and say, "Well if I ever meet Fluttershy's friends, I will keep that in mind. I won't pester them if they don't pester me."

Luna sits closer to him to keep warm, not wanting to use any of her magic and says, "Hey sister, do you remember the last time we went on a trip like this?"

Celestia then thinks about it for a moment and then says, "Yes, it was when our father and mother took us to a new home. It was such a beautiful day, until Discord changed the weather from a light snowfall to making small marshmallows rain from chocolate clouds."

I then try not to pay attention as Luna snuggles up beside me for warmth and I watch where we are going and then ask, "I am still on the road, right? I can't see a damned thing past Lou's nose!"

She chuckles and then says, "Yes Arthur Morgan, you are still on the road. If the wagon gets stuck, my sister and I will use our magic to help keep it going."

I then nod and keep watching the road when the blizzard finally begins to lighten up and then say, "It's about damned time this blizzard clears up, I'm tired of the cold. I was in a bad storm when we passed through the grizzlies, we then took shelter in the remnants of a town called Colter. The storm kept on for a couple more days and finally passed, allowing us to continue on our way to a new spot near a town called Valentine."

Celestia's ears perk up at hearing the name and then says, "You stayed in Colter? I stayed there for a time when the civil war still raged, until I was captured by a band of miscreants and then was introduced to a terrible new experience. Thankfully, I was rescued from those cretins by some union soldiers and then returned to Colter. I then gave birth to a baby girl and I wanted to keep her, but I needed to return to Equestria. I couldn't take her with me because I didn't know if her body would take the form of a pony when we stepped through the portal whenever it opened back up, I didn't want to risk her body being torn apart by the portal if she couldn't take pony form. Therefore I named her Sadie and sent her to live with a family that had a small farm, but no children of their own due to the wife being unable to have them. Do you know whatever happened to her Arthur Morgan?"

I then look back at the canvas in surprise and then say, "I knew a girl named Sadie, does your daughter have dirty blonde hair, and brown eyes?"

She then nods her head eagerly and then says, "Yes she did, tell me what you know about her!"

I then sigh and then begin saying, "Well, after we set up camp in the destroyed town of Colter which only had three buildings for us to stay in. The others were all burned down, except for the stables and a couple homes in town. We then rode out to a small farm a short distance away to get supplies, when some of us took cover and discovered that there were dead bodies in the wagons and learned that bandits took over the farm. A shootout broke out when they tried to go around the house to capture the one talking to them, we killed the gang members and searched the house for provisions when a girl with blonde hair came out of the cellar and had a scuffle with one of the boys that knocked over a lantern. A fire started, so we took her with us back to Colter and learned that her name was Sadie Adler and the gang had killed her husband. She stayed with us for a good while and became a valuable member of the group, she had a strong will of her own." I then continue to tell her a bit more about her daughter and then hear a sniffling come from inside and then say, "I can't say if she is still alive or not, but she was lucky enough to not be considered one of us." I then sigh and then say to both of them, "Can both of you keep a big secret?"

Celestia and Luna both nod and then say, "Yes we can."

Luna then speaks again and says, "Why do you ask that, what is the secret that you want to tell us?"

I then look forward and then say, "The secret that I want to tell you two, is the truth of what happened to me when I found my way here. I had a fight with a person that I never liked very much when I found out they were a snitch, we were up on a mountain peak and I wrestled him off of the edge of the cliff and followed him down. We continued to fight with our fists and eventually, I crawled towards a gun that got tossed away towards a ledge. When I got to it, I was about to pick it up and kill him when a boot stepped on the gun. I looked up to see that it belonged to the closest thing I had for a father that I fought to protect and keep safe, we talked for a bit and I told him that the other one was a rat. I then watched as he walked away from the rat, and they went separate ways. After the other one left, I crawled my way over to the side and watched as the sun rose to start a new day. A traveler then showed up and started talking to me about a few things I did in the past, they eventually asked if I wanted a chance to make amends for my foul deeds in the past and if I wanted to be able to use magic. I said sure why not, thinking that they meant sleight of hand tricks like that, they disappeared after that and I watched the sun rise. After that, my vision darkened and went black."

They are both silent at hearing that when Luna then says, "So then what you are telling us, is that you died in your world and then returned to life here? That is just not possible unless..."

I then finish for her and say, "Unless a certain someone used a forbidden spell that brought me back to life, which I am very thankful they used it. They used that forbidden spell on me because they saw what my life was like, and wanted me to have another chance for a better life. I do want to make amends for my actions in the past, so I would appreciate it if you would keep to yourself the fact that I died."

Celestia sighs and then says, "I just knew he was up to something, but I shall let it go since you are happy that he did that. Fine, I guess I can agree with that. As long as you keep quiet about me having a daughter in another world, I will keep quiet about you knowing what death feels like."

Luna then continues to snuggle against him for warmth and then says, "You can count on me to keep your secret, Arthur Morgan." She then thinks to herself, 'My sister never told me that she had a daughter, I wonder what that experience is like...'

I then watch as the sky clears and becomes a beautiful blue, revealing that it is late in the day and then sigh and say, "Well, we have been traveling since mid morning and we're finally out of the blizzard Lou! We can go a little further if you want to, or we could stop and rest for awhile."

Lou looks back and then says, "I could use a break, how about we set up camp by that river up ahead Arthur?"

I then look at the river and say, "That looks like a good spot girl, lets set up camp close by so the girls can stretch their legs a bit before we settle down for some shuteye till dawn."

Celestia's eyes widen at hearing that and says, "Were going to be camping out here in the wild, not continuing to Ponyville?!"

I then sigh and say, "Not unless you want to be pulling this heavy wagon the rest of the way there, this wagon is originally supposed to be pulled by two horses, not one. Lou needs to regain her strength to continue on to Ponyville in the morning, so I suggest that you warm up to the idea fast or start walking or flying the rest of the way there."

She then scoffs at the idea and then says, "ME PULL A WAGON LIKE A FARM PONY, NEVER IN A THOUSAND YEARS! Ponies don't see very well at night, I guess there is no other choice than to rough it for a night...as long as nopony sees us out here."

I then pull the wagon to a nice spot with low grass about a hundred yards from the bank and then say, "Alright Lou, this here's as good a spot as any. There's water close by that you can drink, and there's plenty of tall grass around that you won't go hungry." I then stop the wagon and then hop off of it to open up the back of the canvas so that Celestia can get out, then unhitch Lou and get the harness off of her.

Celestia carefully climbs out of the wagon and then asks Arthur, "What do we do when we have to take care of our business?"

I then look at her as I am undoing the straps on the reins first and then say, "Well I suggest either finding a tree or a bush to use for when you have to go."

She glares at him and then says,"Don't you dare look or I will burn your eyes out of your head as punishment, you barbarian."

I then half chuckle at that and then remark, "As if I would want to watch you do your business princess, your coat color is blinding enough as it is without the sun hitting it."

Celestia then harrumphs and turns away abruptly and says, "Please come with me Luna, I am sure that after that rough ride, you have to take care of business too."

I then continue to remove the reins from Lou and then lay them on the wagon and get started on removing the harness saying, "She sure is a handful isn't she Lou? Her sister is quiet and more respectful, and attractive in a way if I dare say so."

The girls' ears both swivel back and hear that as Celestia's mane smokes lightly and Luna giggles lightly at her sister's expense and says, "Don't worry Cece, I am sure that you two will find a way to get along eventually."

A few minutes pass by and I then lay the harness over the back of the seat and then dig around in the box and pull out a couple poles and a square piece of canvas and start to set up the tent we will be staying in for the night. I then pull out a cot and then remove the wool bedroll I have on my saddle and then set the bedroll down and start setting up the cot and then lay the bedroll on the ground. I then start to look around for some wood to start a fire, then I see the girls on their way back and then say to them, "So girls, are you hungry?"

Luna and Celestia get closer to the camp and then say, "Yeah we are a bit hungry, what are you able to offer?"

Celestia then looks at Arthur with a hopeful expression on her face and asks, "Don't you dare offer me canned food, I ate so much of it during my visit that I got sick of it. Please tell me that you have cake at least?"

I then open up the satchel and say, "I can tell you right now that I won't have any fancy cake, just ordinary oatcakes in here. Are those suitable for you Princess Celestia? Other than that, I can offer a variety of canned goods, or a few vegetables."

She then sighs and says, "Yes those will do, can I get four of them please?"

I nod and then hand them to her saying, "There you go, now what would you like to eat Princess Luna?"

Princess Luna then thinks for a moment and then says, "Hmm, what are canned goods Arthur?"

I search through the bag and then say, "They are foods that have been cleaned and prepared prior to being placed into an empty metal can and then sealed for people to buy it and eat it either from the can or can cook it with something else to make a meal from it. I have canned vegetables, fruit, corned beef or salmon. For vegetables I have baked beans, kidney beans, peas, and sweetcorn. For fruit I have Apricots, Peaches, Pineapples, and Strawberries. I even have some Assorted Salted Offal, which are cooked and salted small animal organs."

The blue princess then smiles and says, "I think I will pass on the corned beef, the salmon and the Offal. May I have a can of Peaches, Strawberries, and a can of Peas please?"

I then nod and then pull out the cans and set them on the ground, then pull out the can opener and ask, "Do you want me to open these cans for you, Princess Luna?"

Luna looks at the cans and then nods her head saying, "If you would not mind, please do."

I then begin opening the cans, leaving the lids attached by a small piece and then fold the lid back, handing them to her one by one saying, "There you go Princess Luna, they're ready for consumption. Unless you would want me to heat them up first?"

She then chuckles lightly and then says, "No thank you, that is not necessary. How does one eat the contents from the can?

I then smile and pull out a can of baked beans, open it and fold the lid back and then say, "Well if you don't want to make a big mess, you can deform the can into an oval shape. Then the juices inside the can are forced into a smaller stream that runs into your mouth, rather than all over your face and down your chin as you empty the can of its contents. Let me show you what I mean." I then hold the can in both hands with the lid to one side where a bend is going to be and say, "Hold the can like this, with your fingers towards the top of the can. Be sure not to cut yourself on the sharp edges of the lid, because it is very sharp. The same goes with the inside of the can towards where the lid was cut. To deform the can, just apply pressure with your finger inwards." I then squeeze the can little by little until it is too narrow for my liking and say, "Squeeze the can until you are happy with the shape. If you squeeze it too much, just squeeze the long ends to return it to its original shape until you are satisfied." I then hold the can with one hand and then say, "When you wanna eat the contents, just raise the can up to your lips, then tilt your head and the can backwards until enough of the contents fall into your mouth and chew. Then just lower the can, eat and repeat like this." I then tilt the can of baked beans back until some fall into my mouth and chew, then lower the can and swallow. I then repeat the process one more time and then say, "Just do that until the can is empty and just discard the can when you're done." I then toss the can to the side and grab a can of sweetcorn and then start to open it to eat it.

Celestia then looks at Arthur and then scolds him saying, "Don't you leave cans or anything laying around that could hurt a pony's hooves Arthur Morgan, don't forget that this is not the world that you came from. So don't leave trash lay around in Equestria."

I then look over to her as Luna tilts the can back and lowers it and then say, "Alright then, I will pick it up before we set out tomorrow okay?"

She then squints her eyes and then says, "You better or I will burn that disgustingly long hair off your chin."

I then fondle my beard and then think, 'I think I could do with a good trim, maybe I will do that tonight when the girls are asleep.' I then bring out a bottle of Tennessee Whiskey, pull the cork and take a drink from it and see the girls both look at me. I then cork it and then offer it to them saying, "Would you two want some whiskey?"

Celestia then sighs and says, "I will take some of that, I have to wash down these dry oatcakes that don't want to go down my throat." She then takes the bottle and then removes the cork and then takes a big drink, puts the bottle down and then coughs saying, "I forgot how harsh the taste was with whiskey, it took me by surprise."

I then chuckle lightly and then say, "Go easy on that stuff or you will wind up too drunk to walk straight."

She then chuckles back and says, "Unlike you, we are ponies. Ponies have a higher tolerance for alcohol, I could drink this whole bottle in one go and would only get a slight buzz." She then takes one more drink, then corks it and hands it back to him.

I then raise my eyebrow in curiosity and then take the bottle and set it aside and say, "Alright then, let's see where I put that stuff at..." and dig around in the satchel for a ceramic jug and then say, "AHA, there it is! I got this stuff from a few fellers that loved to make it." I then pull it out and then offer it to her and then say, "Try this stuff on for size Miss High Tolerance." I then chuckle a bit, waiting to see her reaction to the strength of the stuff.

Celestia then takes the bottle and then removes the cork and then sniffs it and coughs asking, "What is this stuff Arthur, it smells awful."

I then smile and then say, "That there is moonshine, that is a lot stronger than this here Tennessee Whiskey. You should try some to see if you like it."

She then shrugs her shoulders and then says, "Okay then, I wonder what this tastes like." She then raises it to her lips and then takes a short drink before quickly setting the jug down coughing and then hoarsely says, "This stuff burns my throat, this is strong. It has a strong flavor, but I do like it."

I then look to Luna as she looks at the whiskey bottle curiously and then say to her, "Would you want to try some whiskey too?" I then pick the bottle up and hold it out for her to take.

Luna then takes the bottle and then says, "I never really tried anything but wine, but I think it would be a benefit to try new things. Thank you Arthur for this opportunity." She then tilts the bottle back like her sister did and takes a small drink, before bringing the bottle back down quickly and coughs saying, "The taste is smooth, but it is the intensity of the alcohol that causes the cough. It isn't that bad really, do you think that you could spare a bottle of this for me to drink?" She then takes another drink and then corks it, coughing a little as she hands it back.

I then nod my head and take the bottle back and then say, "Of course I can spare a bottle of whiskey. If you wander through the world like I did and have quite a few unpleasant encounters, you tend to pick up a few things on the way. I got a recipe from a guy one day because I handed him a health tonic when he got bit by a rattlesnake. He was very thankful for me doing so that he told me how to brew it, never really got around to trying it out. Since I am in Equestria, I might start to experiment with it." I set the bottle beside me and then start digging around for a full bottle of whiskey and pull it on out saying, "Here you go." I then hand it towards her to take.

Celestia looks in amazement at her sister drinking hard liquor and then thinks, 'I wonder why she is deciding to drink the hard stuff all of a sudden? Maybe she is just curious about what she has been missing since she came back from the moon four years ago.' She then continues to watch her sister as she takes another drink from the jug and then eats another one of the oatcakes.

Luna takes the bottle and then sets it aside before picking up one of the other cans she has yet to finish and says, "Thank you Arthur, you are very kind for a human."

I then pull out some salted beef and use my knife to cut off a piece of it and then eat it while looking around the horizon and then see a strange cloud off in the distance and then say, "That is a strange cloud, either we are going to get a storm before too long or it is just gathering its strength."

The two girls look at the mentioned cloud as Luna then says, "Oh don't worry about that, that is just the city of Cloudsdale. Cloudsdale is a city built out of clouds that only winged ponies can set foot up there, but there is a spell out there that can grant a pony temporary wings for a short time."

I look at them in disbelief and say, "That cloud is actually a city? That is very unusual, on my world, such a thing is only a fantasy as we humans have to live either in wood houses, tents, or brick homes on the ground. If someone is determined enough, they can even live in a cave or build a home out of dirt, mud and grass."

Luna watches as the three of them manage to strike a normal conversation, keeping it simple and talking about this new world Arthur is now in when she looks to the sky and then sees that it is getting close to the time for them to lower the sun and raise the moon and then looks to her sister and says, "Sister, it is time to lower the sun and raise the moon."

Celestia then looks up and then is shocked to see that it is indeed and then says, "Time sure can pass you by if you do not watch it closely, count yourself very fortunate to witness our power Arthur Morgan. Not many have had the chance to watch us as we both use our power to raise and lower the sun or moon, you are the first to watch this first hand."

I then sit back and then watch as the two of them work together to raise and lower the moon at the same time and say, "You two do that remarkably well, how long have you two been doing this?"

Celestia then looks back at me and then says, "Well, we started about a thousand years ago. A couple centuries after that though, we got into a argument that started a fight. That fight led to me banishing my little sister to the moon for a thousand years."

I then remember what Discord told me and then say, "Yeah Discord told me a little about the history of Equestria, I'm sorry to hear that you two had a bad fight. It is great to hear that she came back though, it would be really bad if she didn't come back at all. Be glad that you two have each other, family and friends are everything that count in the world."

The two then continue to move the sun and moon until it is night and finish when Celestia then says, "Goodnight dear sister, you too Arthur Morgan. Where will the two of us sleep for tonight?"

I then look at them and then say, "Well, the cot can squeeze two bodies onto it though it isn't the sturdiest. The thick bedroll on the ground can fit one inside, so you two take the cot and the bear blanket."

Luna then looks to her sister and says, "You take the cot sister, I shall stay up for awhile and watch over Equestria while its citizens sleep. Goodnight dear sister, you too Arthur Morgan. May you both have pleasant dreams, and be free of nightmares this night."

I then nod and say goodnight to Luna and then finish the bottle of whiskey off, watching Celestia finish off the jug of moonshine and wobble a little towards the cot and then grumble something about the foul smell coming from the bear blanket. I then slowly drift off to sleep and find myself back up on top of the mountain fighting Micah again, tumbling to the ground after trying to knock him out and then start crawling towards the gun, reaching it and quickly using it to shoot Micah. I then slowly get to my feet and then hear someone come up behind me and then whirl around to shoot them dead, until I see that it is Dutch and then wheeze out, "Dutch, Dutch is that you?"

Luna patrols the dream realm and senses a nightmare, then rushes to the door it is coming from and sees that it is a door built from wooden boards that are covered in bullet holes and stained with blood, then goes to open the door and enter the dream to stop it and then recalls what he said to her the other day. Remembering that causes her to hesitate for a moment before being sure that it is a nightmare that is happening and then enters it and sees a hilltop, she then makes her way towards the figures while keeping out of sight of the two humans talking.

Dutch then strides into the light and then says, "Yes Arthur it is, why did you kill poor Micah? What did he possibly do to deserve such a fate son?"

I then sigh and put the gun down and then point it at the body of Micah and then wheeze, "He's a rat. You know it, and I know it. I found out that he was working with the Pinkertons ever since Blackwater!"

Dutch then looks at the body of Micah and then shakes his head and then says, "You can't prove that Arthur, you don't have any evidence to prove it." He then draws his revolver and then says, "You have made me very mad with you son, why did you drive everyone away from me? Did I do something to offend you that much, or make you want to take over leadership?"

I then sigh and wheeze to him saying, "I heard it directly from the lips of Agent Milton, Dutch. I told everyone to leave because our enemies were closing in on us from all sides, it was only a matter of time before we got caught and share Colm's fate in the gallows! I thought that you would want everyone to have a chance to get a peaceful life, if I was wrong then shoot me right here and now Dutch. I gave everything I had to you and the family, you rescued me when I was a boy and lived on the streets of Blackwater."

Dutch then sighs and then says, "I remember that too son, I just wish that I could have thought of a way to get us all out of this mess we are in."

Luna then steps out from the shadows and then stomps her hoof hard and then says, "That's enough, begone nightmare shadow."

I then whirl around and then look to see Luna and then wheeze out, "Why are you here princess? Didn't I tell you to keep out of my dreams unless you want to be scarred for life?"

She then looks at Arthur and says, "I am here because you were suffering from a nightmare, I made sure to double check before entering your dream. Is this your world, where you came from Arthur Morgan?"

I then nod and turn around, seeing Dutch vanish before my eyes in a cloud of black smoke and then look back at Luna and then wheeze, "What was that thing if it wasn't Dutch?"

Luna then steps towards him saying, "That was a nightmare, they are creatures of the night that take forms familiar to the host and try to devour their hope and happiness. Are you ok Arthur, you sound sick. Do you need healing?"

I then look at her seriously and then say, "I wish that you wouldn't have to see this part of my life, but there is nothing you can do now but be here and watch over me when I go." I then turn away from her and see a nice spot to lean against the wall, then get down into a comfortable position and then watch as the sun continues to slowly rise into the sky above the horizon.

She then nods and then sits across from him and watches the sun rise and says, "That is a really beautiful sunrise for such a violent world." She then turns her eyes towards him, unsure what he meant when he said 'when I go' and waits for a response.

I then smile and look at her briefly and say, "Yes it is, even though it is the final sunrise of my life on this world. When I was here before, I was alone on this mountain top." I then look out towards the sunrise and then say, "At least this time is not so bad." I then take in one last breath and then let it out as my body relaxes and vision fades away, making myself appear a distance away from my own dead body. I then try to speak to Luna, only to find myself unable to say anything.

Luna then watches as his body slowly relaxes and doesn't move at all, worrying her a little and then gets up to check on him. She touches his face lightly saying, "Arthur, are you okay?" She then turns his face towards hers and then she is shocked when his eyes are relaxed and open, staring blankly into the distance behind her. She then taps him a few times to try to get a reaction and tears begin to form in her eyes as she then shakes him, hoping that he responds soon. She then begins to say his name, then scream it as he continues to stay silent and still until she starts to break down into tears as she then recalls him saying 'There is nothing you can do now but be here and watch over me when I go' things then fall into place as she then lays him back down and closes his eyes for him and then says, "So this is what you meant when you said that, I hope that I helped you find some peace." She then continues to sob after seeing him dead and then stands up and turns around with a start as she sees him standing there waving at her, saying something she can't hear. She then cocks her head in minor confusion as she then casts a spell to allow him to speak and then says, "Can you hear me Arthur?"

I then look at her and then finally say, "I don't know, can you hear me? Or am I still not making any sound?"

She then chuckles and then says, "Y-Yes, I can hear you now. H-How long were you standing there? A-Are you really there right now when your body is...there?"

I then sigh and say, "I'm glad we can both speak again, I hope that this didn't cause any permanent harm. Yes I am really here now, and I was standing here ever since I let out my final breath. This is what the last few moments of my life were like where I came from when I died. I remember everything that happened when I died, the sun rose for the last time on my life."

Luna then sighs in relief and sobs a little bit and then says, "It was painful when I found out what you meant when you said 'when I go', but it did not do any serious harm."

I then nod and then say, "That is good, but that is why I warned you to stay out of my dreams if you are not prepared to see some of the bad shit that I have done or has happened in my life. Unless you want to see more of my past, feel free to stay for awhile."

She then sighs and then says, "You did warn me, I am thankful that you have. I am curious but I think that I shall let you decide when you are ready to open up about your past to others, good night Arthur Morgan." She then turns around and opens a door against the side of the mountain and walks through it, closing it behind her as a final tear falls from her eye.