Snickers: On the Road

It was very early, barely sunrise when the wagon lurching into motion startled the creatures inside of it making all of them vocalize their displeasure before going back to sleep. Kiwe was already awake, however, he held his potion making kit still as he mixed some new plants with old herbs in a mortar and pestle.

Gil lifted his head and yawned, looking at the zony. “Do you have to be so loud, grinding that stuff up?” Kiwe’s horn glowed a little brighter for a second, then the sound of scratching stone stopped. “Thanks,” Gil said. He curled his legs closer to his body and was almost asleep again, when he noticed Cress was practically touching him, she was so close. “What is she doing so close to me?” The gryphon asked.

Kiwe looked over and smiled. “She likes your warmth and feathers, I think.”

Gil scooted another couple inches away from the filly. “Well, I don’t like her… wings,” he said and went back to resting.

Cress opened her eyes and her wings shuffled. Kiwe met her worried gaze and shook his head, still smiling. She weakly smiled back and closed her eyes again.

The road was very bumpy, as it had been, making sleep difficult for the foals. Snickers opened his eyes and saw the rising sun through the window and then turned to bury his muzzle between Silver’s neck and the mattress. Sweat covered his face and his breathing was ragged, having woken up from another nightmare.

He moved the blanket to his face and wiped it off, then snuggled closer to Diamond Tiara and eventually fell back asleep, praying the sight of an arrow through his own head wouldn’t haunt him again..

The mattress shifted suddenly and Snickers awoke, looking around he noticed his fillies were gone, only Kiwe, Gil and himself were in the wagon. Without the extra weight of his fillies the bed was moving with each bump and dip in the road. He began to panic and got up, tossing the covers off as he rushed out the back door, tumbling onto the path with a loud clatter.

“Ouch, that looked like it hurt,” Potter said. She picked him up with her magic and set him on his hooves. “You do know the stairs are retracted when the wagon is in motion, right?”

“Where are my fillies?” Snickers quickly asked as he moved to trot at the wagon’s pace beside the mare.

“They just went to the bathroom a couple minutes ago. Trixie didn’t want to stop so they’re just going to have to catch up.”

“You let them go out there alone?!” Snickers snapped at the unicorn.

Potter motioned to the skyand Snickers looked up to see Cress flying overhead. “Have some faith in me, Princie.”

“Don’t call me that,” Snickers replied as his anxiety ebbed. “I have to go, too.” He said and turned off the path.

Potter watched him and then averted her eyes. “You know, most ponies actually reach the bushes before they start to pee.”

He quickly finished and rushed to catch up. “I’m not most ponies and can’t… be alone. It’s something I’m working on.”

Potter didn’t reply, instead hurrying around the wagon to Trixie to share some words with her.

The fillies’ galloping to catch up got his attention and he looked back, smiling. “I wish you’d told me you were going out, I almost had a panic attack when I woke up and you weren’t there.”

Silver and Diamond sided him, sharing a nuzzle each. “The boys were both in there, you weren’t alone,” Silver said.

“It didn’t matter, they aren’t you, I was really scared for a second.” Snickers replied. Both fillies smiled at that and took a little step closer to guard their colt.

“Why won’t she stop to let us go to the bathroom?” Diamond complained. “It’s very rude of her.”

“I know, Diamond. Like, if I was driving, I’d stop for her,” Silver added.

Snickers moved to look around the wagon but couldn’t see Trixie from where she was hitched. “It’s because we’re arriving at Frand today, I bet. She’s been moving like crazy the last couple days, ever since the bandit attack, at least.”

Diamond tittered. “I can’t wait to find a spot to open Daddy’s first store in these lands. He’ll be so proud of me when I send him a huge bag of bits… er, Lordecoin.” She giggled. “What kind of a currency is Lordecoin?”

“It’s what they use here. I bet they think ‘bits’ is a silly word for our currency,” Snickers said.

“I know,” Silver said, “but, if Potter didn’t clear it up with us, we’d really sound like tourists, calling their money by the wrong name.”

“Shut up, we can see the city now!” Trixie called from the front. The foals and other creatures gathered and rushed ahead to see the city in awe.

“It’s like Baltimare and Manehattan,” Silver Spoon said, then hopped in excitement.

They moved out of the way of Trixie pulling the wagon and then walked in pace as they looked over the city. One statue of a grand pony wearing robes stood at one side of the main entrance, greeting all who came with heads wrapped in wreaths and robes while another pony stood tall and imposing with a wooden spear attached to its side. Each statue was truly enormous and Snickers wondered how they held up their own weight without breaking.

They guarded a relatively short path towards a gate into the city that was open and had various creatures entering and leaving as they approached from the East side of the city, high enough to see the statues from the side.

“Finally, I can collect my reward for getting you lot here,” Potter said as she holdstered her spear to her side, collapsing it to half its size with a twist.

“You already got an award by stealing our bits,” Diamond Tiara grumbled. Potter replied by tapping her chest armor and smiling at the sound of bits clinking together. “Bitch.”

“Now, Diamond,” Silver chided, “language.”

“Whatever!” Diamond replied, loudly. Snickers laughed at the exchange. “Don’t you start with me, honey, or I’ll make a swear jar for you to put bits into.” Snickers, still grinning, pretended to zip his lips closed. “Yeah, I thought so.”

“Okay, enough of the foal play,” Cress said from the air, hovering over the rest. “We’re almost there, so let’s get our game faces on. We have to not look like tourists and definitely not get into any trouble,” she looked around them and realized Gil wasn’t there. She shrugged and flew ahead a little to see the area better.

Kiwe hopped out of the wagon and rushed to see the city with his friends while Gil hopped into the air and flew up to see the area better. “Wow, a real city and it’s not just ponies,” Gil shouted from above.

“What? What else is there?” Kiwe shouted up.

Potter chuckled. “You Equestrians think ponies are all that matters. I’ve heard stories of your xenophobia and righeous attitudes about your views. Truth is, you didn’t even ask a single question about Frand or who inhabit it.”

“Well, we’re asking now,” Silver Spoon said. “And what’s xeni-phibilina?”

Potter smirked. “It means you’re afraid of non-ponies, little filly.”

“I’m not a little filly. I’m a mare, thank you very much,” Silver Spoon said with a flick of her tail and raised snout.

Potter looked around the area quickly, then addressed Silver Spoon. “Well, little filly that thinks she’s a mare, there’s a lot of creatures that live in Frand. I’m not going to tell you though, I think it’ll be more fun to see your reactions.”

“You’re really a huge bi-”

“Diamond Tiara, language!” Silver Spoon admonished her herd sister.

As the group approached the statues to enter the city they passed a cow pulling a cart full of various produce all mixed together. “Mooove out of the way,” she said to another cow standing still and chewing her cud in her path, staring out into nothingness.

The standing cow was snapped back to reality and stepped aside to let the cart pass, then began following the first cow into town. Trixie slowed her pace to walking and panted as she fell in line with another cow pulling a cart full of mixed fruits.

“Why are they all mixed up like that? Aren’t they gonna have a hard time separating the fruit and vegetables like that?” Cress asked from the driver’s seat of the wagon.

“Get off from there, foal! I have enough to carry without you adding to the weight at the very end of the journey.” Trixie commanded.

Cress flew to join the others and landed beside Kiwe, who glanced around and noticed they were taking up a lot of space. “Let us move behind the wagon before we cause some congestion.”

They agreed and slowed, then noticed Gil above them being shouted at by a much larger griffin and two pegasi. He shouted back and then lowered himself to land with the group. “Stupid no fly rules. I have to stay just above building height when I’m in the city and I can’t fly in or out over the walls. That’s you too, Cress.”

“We’ll manage,” Cress replied with a fanged smile.

“Wow,” the herd trio breathed as they reached the gate and looked into the city. It was populated by at least a half dozen different creatures ranging from minotaurs to the cows they saw but a moment ago. Houses were all three stories at the entrance and only grew higher as they went deeper into the city center. Electric signs buzzed with life from the storefronts indicating their open or closed status or what their special sponsor was advertising. And in the distance, Snickers could see the glimmer of lights emanating from every window.

“It’s like home,” Snickers said quietly, “only better.”

“Why’s it better?” Silver Spoon asked as they walked to the gate guards.

Snickers hesitated. “Not only because you’re here with me,” he received an ‘awe’, “but because it’s so clean and simple. There aren’t any speakers blasting propaganda or any threat of death for breaking the laws.”

“That sounds like it would really suck,” Diamond said. “I’m glad you’re here and we’re not there.”

“I know, I’m glad of that too. But, I wanna see what Trixie says to get us into the city, this should be good. Maybe we’ll be turned away and have to camp outside until--”

“You may pass.” The guard said after several words with Trixie.

Snicker’s huffed. “I missed it. I wonder what she said.”

“Whatever it was, it must have been a good one,” Diamond snarked.

Potter moved to the front of the group behind the wagon and looked back. “Once inside, you have to visit a bank and open an account for your money. You don’t know how important it is that you do that before you go buying stuff; not even a bottle of water. Okay?”

The foals looked between one another, then to Diamond Tiara, who nodded. “That makes practical business sense and is something daddy would tell me to do, I think. Besides, I have so many-”

“Hush, don’t say what your currency is. Remember the bandit attack?” Potter hissed. Snickers whimpered and he felt his consciousness fade suddenly before he snapped back to the moment. He stumbled and fell to the cobblestone street and was quickly picked up by Potter. “And you should take this one to a mind-mender before this problem becomes too much for him to handle.”

“Hey, put him down!” Diamond Tiara shouted. Potter set Snickers down on his hooves, which wobbled slightly as he was pulled by Potter’s green magic around his fetlocks. He stumbled but kept pace and was released.

“Hurry up, ponies.” A voice from behind the group said in a gravely tone. When they looked back they all followed the order of the hulking group of five minotaurs wielding weapons of war covered in blood. In their cart were fish the size of a foal. Dozens of them.

Potter laughed at the young creatures' reactions and moved to the side of the wagon to tell Trixie where to drop the wagon off.

The group had to keep reminding one another to keep up with the wagon as they navigated the streets deeper into the city. They all marveled at the creatures, the shops, the clothing, and the very new nature of a city after being away from such bustling life for so long. The wagon stopped suddenly after a few turns into the city at what seemed to be a wagon depot.

“What’s the sign say?” Diamond asked her herdmates. “I still can’t read English thanks to no practice, I can’t even speak it hardly,” she grumbled.

“Wagon Haul, just like it was in Seldem. I think it’s a company,” Silver Spoon said. “Why’s so much written in English here?”

“I don’t know, but it’s clearly something big. I thought only Snickers spoke and read that language,” Diamond said.

“Clearly not.” Cress said.

“I know what we should do, get something to eat.” Gil suggested.

“Not until we stop at the bank,” Diamond replied.

Trixie stood over the group suddenly. “Foals, unpack your equipment and gather around Trixie, she will be escorting you to the palace.”

“Wait, there’s a palace here?” Diamond asked.

“Isn’t that exactly what Trixie just said? Trixie snapped. “Gather your belongings from the wagon at once, or it’ll be left behind. You have thirty seconds!” Every creature, except Gil, rushed into the wagon to gather their saddlebags and other items before rushing out to stand in a semicircle around Trixie. “Very well done, let’s hurry to receive whatever reward we are due for helping down the bandits and be on our way. You all stay here, I’ll be right back,” she commanded and turned to the business housed in what looked like a small garage.

Potter stood by the group keeping guard. “Why are you still here?” Snickers asked. “Shouldn’t you be taking care of… him?” he squeaked.

“I’m not going to let you wander off and get lost or robbed. In fact, I’m going to guide you to the bank, then I’ll be done with you.” Potter stated and patted her chest again to hear the faint sound of bits clinking. She smiled widely and looked at the wagon’s top. “For you, Foil.”

Potter climbed up the ladder to see her friend wrapped and still enchanted with a green glow, then levitated him to the ground. An employee saw the wrapped body and rushed over to ask what happened.

Time passed and the foals wandered slightly from the group in boredom, looking at the buildings and the signs written in both English and a language they didn’t know. After asking Silver Spoon and Snickers a lot, the two finally decided to read only when needed and not every sign they saw or came across.

They all noticed there were no hanging signs with icons indicating what the shops were, at least from where they stood, which put more pressure on the two to be the local guides of a sort.

Potter finally accepted the aid of the employee and waited as she rushed off to get a local guard and mortician. Potter agreed to return promptly to give her statement about Foil’s death, after she guided the tourists to their next destination.

Finally, Trixie appeared from the business. She trotted to and through the group to Potter. “Why are you still here?”

“One, I haven’t gotten my payment for helping with the bandits in Lordecoin; two, I’m going to guide you all to the bank because I have to make a deposit of my own, now.”

Trixie scoffed and opened the cloth purse she was holding and shuffled the coins around, then took a sum and held them out to Potter, who took them in her green magical aura and then slipped them into the bag with the bits before securing them again. “Thanks, follow me and don’t get separated. You’re clearly tourists and plenty of creatures will take advantage of you for that.”

As a group they all followed Potter, then they separated into groups of two in a long line with Trixie standing beside Potter as they were led through the streets, turn after turn, until they stopped. “It’s the bank,” Silver Spoon announced as she read the sign.

“Clearly,” Gil said and pointed to the dollar signs and various coins on the main sign above the entrance door.

“Well, at least I’m doing something!” Silver snapped back.

“I’m holding the most delicate thing here.” Gil responded.

Silver bit her comment back, instead following the adults into the bank. They walked to the teller and each in turn placed as many bits as they could into a large bag and opened an account. The bank manager was eager to offer them a hotel room on the bank’s behalf for their deposit.

Trixie accepted the offer, even though she did not plan to stay in a hotel. As the oldest among the group by a decade, Trixie was given the account details and her eyes widened comically. She grinned and took out several hundred Lordecoins, the most common form of currency, and gave one hundred to Potter.

“Trixie has not enjoyed your company and she hopes you have a good life being a guard,” was all Trixie had to say as she led her group out of the bank.

“It’s been a pleasure, Tricky.” Potter commented as Trixie was leaving.

Trixie did not turn back to correct the mare, instead griping about her name being mispronounced. “Follow Trixie closely. You may not have any more of our currency,” she said glancing back to the foals, trying to see if they were hiding any bits, “but it doesn’t mean you won’t be targeted or something.”

Trixie turned toward the center of the city and made her way quickly, almost trotting faster than the earth pony foals could manage with their shorter legs. “Slow down,” Snickers stated as his hooves nearly caught an uneven stone that would have tripped him.

Trixie slowed and looked back. “Keep up with Trixie or she’ll leave you behind. This has been too trying of a journey to give up before we meet my friend in the Keep.”

“Keep? I thought you said it was a palace.” Diamond asked.

Trixie looked around and then answered. “It is a Keep, this whole city may as well be a castle. It is fortified, well built, full of the rabble that makes up the same nobility classes of Equestria. Just think of it as home for now.”

The group noted her comment and Cress took flight to look around the city from above the group. After a few minutes, she landed with a clack of her hooves on the stone. “She’s basically right, this is like a castle with a stone fortified building in the center that we’re going towards. We still have about ten minutes before we get there, but I think it looks nice.

“It’s painted a nice shade of white with gray stones making up the wall. It’s not the largest building in the city, either, the tallest one is that way,” she pointed toward the West, “but I don’t know what it is.”

“It is something you needn’t worry about. And stay inside when the sun sets, this city is like any other, only worse, when the lights go out.” Trixie advised.

The herd grouped closer together while Cress stepped a little closer to Gil, who tried to step away until he couldn’t and then took to the air to fly just above them all with steady flaps of his wings. “I think I see the Keep, it’s coming up quick!”

They all chattered among one another and did their best to ignore the heavenly smells from the restaurants, bakeries, and stands they passed until they finally reached the main gate of the Keep. It was surrounded by cut grass an inch tall without a hoofprint in it and a stone path led almost ten lengths from the cobblestone to the open gate, guarded by six guards on the ground and four in towers above.

“Wow, we’re finally here,” Diamond said. “I hope this Lord isn’t a jerk like most of the ones I’ve read about.”