The Envoy

My sleep was abruptly interrupted by a loud knocking on our door. A week in the jungle made my sleep very light. My eyes opened in a flash only to see darkened unpainted planks of the ceiling in a dimly lit room. My brain was processing the current situation for a second.

“Morning, folks! It’s time to wake up, the train must leave in an hour without any delays!” I heard Steel’s loud voice from behind the door.

“Morning, Steel!” – My voice was dry and raspy, so I cleaned my throat. – “We’re getting up! Thanks!”

“Good, then I’ll return to my work.” Steel trotted away, his hooves producing heavy clopping sounds, hitting the wooden floor.

I turned my attention to the girls. They were not sleeping too but didn’t move or even open their eyes. Sapphira, as expected of her, was sprawled across my chest from the left side. I felt her supple and warm satiny skin on my bare chest, it was a uniquely pleasant sensation. Her horn’s tip was disturbingly close to my neck. “Maybe I should make a cap for it, so I won’t have to worry when we sleep together?” This funny thought popped up in my head.

Lily was hugging my right arm, using it as a pillow. If not for my improved physique, the arm would feel numb and also ache a lot afterward, but I felt okay. One of Lily’s grayish-lilac wings was unfurled and covered half of my torso. Lily’s soft fur and her wing, which partially covered me, gave a very different sensation, very cozy and light, and also warm.

Ah, the best way to wake up in the morning! Definitely, the best one I had in many years, especially considering the time I’ve spent in that strange reality simulation with Falda’ar. I’ve never slept there, even for a minute, meditations don’t count, as it was just training for concentration or rest for my mind.

“Girls, time to wake up,” I said softly and moved my arms a little.

“U-u-u! Don’t wanna!” Sapphira moaned in reluctance, unwilling to move.

“Mmm… yeah, just five more minutes!” Lily said quietly, not even opening her eyes.

I sighed. “Then five minutes it is, but no arguing afterward, or we’ll be late.”

Lily rubbed her head on my arm as if agreeing, and continued to sleep lightly. I no longer needed any sleep, so I was just lying in bed, looking at the ceiling and letting my mind wander between random thoughts.

I paid my attention to the girls again. I’m still not that comfortable calling them mares, and they often refer to themselves as girls too, so no big deal there. They trust me so much and feel safe with me around… I wish I could offer them true safety, but every time everything always relies on chance to some extent, and it bothers me. I must treasure their trust and can’t help but have warm and loving feelings for them. It didn’t escape Sapphira’s senses, of course, and now she has a wide satisfied smile on her face. I tried not to move my body to give them that last bit of sleep.

With Sapphira lying on top of me, my thoughts involuntarily jumped to the weight subject. Now, when I know my body capabilities better, I can tell I was wrong about the weight of ponies. Sapphira’s poor condition at that time might be the cause too. Ponies are heavier than humans on average and their legs are very strong. While I weigh more than Sandy, I’m sure Steel weighs substantially more than me, considering his physique. I guess that’s only natural, given they are quadruped beings.

After I deemed five minutes had already elapsed, I carefully woke them again. They didn’t argue this time and opened their eyes. Lily got off the bed and went to the bathroom to wash up, but Sapphira decided to have some love charging before getting up from the bed. Now, when we were alone, she straddled me fully and slowly reached her lips to mine, locking them in a passionate kiss.

My hands caressed her face for a while and then slowly glided down her neck, tracing every curve of her supple body. “Her soft satiny skin is so pleasant to the touch!” – I thought to myself and moved my hands further along her bright blue plates on her back, which were rather soft too, finally reaching her wings. I slowly fondled the undersides of her translucent elastic wings, stroking them along their length. Her gorgeous wings could not be compared to those tattered ones she had when we’ve just met, they became smooth, shiny, and iridescent. But soon my actions forced Sapphira to break our kiss and breathe out heavily with little hissing noises, as she closed her eyes in bliss.

“S-s-shah-h-h! Ray… not now! We…” – she gasped – “we don’t have time for that.” Sapphira raised her head, looking into my eyes with affection.

I could feel her reluctance to stop, but she was right. We should get up and pack up quickly. Lately, I can feel her mood very clearly, without even looking or listening to her, just by being around. It’s not much different from how she can feel mine. Shouldn’t have touched her wings. I know they are sensitive from yesterday’s experience.

“Sorry, Sapphi, I got too carried away. We really must get up now.” I said, sitting up while holding Sapphira to my chest with my free arm. “But I promise we’ll continue when we finally settle in the town.”

Sapphira made a quick peck on my lips. “I'm going to hold you to that, Ray!” She giggled and got off my lap carefully. “Let’s go?”

“Just a moment.” I was still wearing only a towel wrapped around my waist. So I started to dress up.

“Ah, that obsession with clothes again. I don’t wear any clothes, Ray, and I don’t have any coat either, only my skin, just like you!” Sapphira commented with a raised brow.

“But you have your private parts covered, more or less.” I retorted, throwing away the towel and pulling up my boxers, which was a bit troublesome in my current state. Sapphira was shamelessly looking at this process, quite pleased with the effect she had on me, not that I mind it.

“Then won’t that boxers, as you call it, be enough for that?”

“From this point of view, yes, but I still feel more comfortable when I’m at least wearing my pants!” I put on my jeans, socks and finally boots. Sapphira was observing the whole process with interest, especially socks, for whatever reason. “Alright, let’s go!” I said and followed Sapphira out of the room, closing the door.

We made a fast trip outside to the restroom and were returning. Sapphi was walking ahead, swaying her hips seductively… that mare! I caught up with her and could not resist the desire to slap her rear lightly.

“You sure like to tease me every time you get an opportunity, Sapphi!” I felt a gush of satisfaction in her mood.

“Yeah, so you don’t forget your promise, stallion!” Sapphira said jokingly.

“A promise? What promise?” Lily appeared from the door to the shower. “You both sure took your sweet time getting here!” She smirked sarcastically. Is she taking on Sapphi’s habits? Two mares with propensities for trolling will be too much for me.

“Yeah…” – I scratched the back of my head awkwardly, smiling wryly – “we did tarry a bit.” Holy! That’s my hair! It’s very short, but it’s still a hair! My mood improved from this finding.

“Mmm?” Lily suspiciously looked me in the eyes. “Alright, I’ll wait in the room and prepare our breakfast. We should not rely on guys’ supplies, lest they will have to eat their emergency rations by the evening. They did a lot for us already.”

“Alright, we will be back soon too,” said Sapphira.

Lily walked past us, returning to the room.

The sink was too low for me to use comfortably, so I left it for Sapphira and just used a shower for my purposes. Now I’m looking in the mirror on the wall. It’s the first time I’m properly observing my reflection. Lake water is a bad mirror, after all.

My hair, brows, and eyelashes have finally begun to grow back. My body was still too thin, despite the pronounced muscles. Everything I learned before was more fitting to a bulkier physique, making my performance worse, but I can fix that if I add more meat to my diet, or at least use my special fruits for that purpose, which I should have been doing already but didn’t.

I touched my face, tracing my jawline. For some reason, I can’t clearly remember the minute details of my old face, but I still can see the differences. Now I’m sure that my whole genetic structure was changed, even my skull shape is somewhat different, now resembling that of Falda’ar. But at the same time, I still resemble… myself, I didn’t become somebody else. I even like my new look, the shape of my face is more… I thought about how to call it properly, it’s sharper and imposing now, I’d say.

It’s weird, but I can’t tell my age from looking at my face anymore. Does age even hold any meaning for me now? I continued to examine my face from different angles. Sometimes it looks like I’m forty, and when looking from another angle without frowning, barely thirty. The skin on my face is more flexible now, easily wrinkling and then smoothing back when I play with my mimics. Is it draconides’ traits? I can’t tell, but I can make a really scary mug now with my mimics, not a very useful ability if you ask me! Well, perhaps my body still holds some other surprises in stock for me, I just hope those will be more useful.

“Ray, is anything wrong? You seem a little disturbed,” asked Sapphira, looking at me with concern.

“Ah… no, everything is alright, I’m just… examining my body and face more closely,” I said thoughtfully, slapped my cheek twice lightly, and finally turned my head to Sapphira.

“Why?” Sapphira raised her brows.

“Well, you see…” I have already decided to tell her everything eventually, so I didn’t hesitate before spilling the beans. She will always understand and support me, and I’ll do the same for her. “My body has gone through a transformation too. You have probably guessed it already, observing changes in my appearance for the past few days. It happened two days before we met, right after I was dropped face-first on that damn stone floor near the altar! At that time I could hardly move, as my body was on its last legs, unable to bear my… magic any longer. Let’s call it magic for now, but it's a rather crude term.”

Sapphira had a surprised expression on her face. “Really? It was that bad? Was it painful?” Her eyes shook, I felt genuine worry and care from her.

“Oh damn, it was painful, Sapphi, it was! When the transformation started, it felt like hundreds of red-hot wires were drilling through my whole body: bones, flesh, skin, everything! But! If not for it I would be already dead, Sapphi. So I don’t regret this ordeal in the slightest.” I said confidently, looking Sapphira in the eyes.

“That’s… I’m just happy everything ended well for you, Ray. My transformation was not that painful but… I was unprepared… and reckless! I was so happy to have the chance to finally transform, and too… too drunk on emotions to understand it all.” Sapphira shook her head, her eyes were sad, as were her feelings.

“If not for your timely help, I could have died, or become crippled for life… Unimaginable hunger struck me when my magic and emotions depleted, driving me crazy. I was so scared! The transformation was ripping the very life from my body, bit by bit, in an attempt to complete the process. It continued until your magic finally came flowing in. It had slowly fixed everything, filling me with energy and strength. I didn’t even notice when I fell into a serene sleep. And when I woke up, I saw you senseless with a pale face beside me…”

I could see Sapphira’s eyes became moist with tears and her ears drooping, so I walked up to her and got on my knees to hug her.

“Sorry, Sapphi, I was so dumb to leave you there alone for so long.” I sighed.

“No…” Sapphira tried to retort with a stifled voice, but I moved my face closer, looking into her deep blue eyes.

“Yes, I really was an idiot at that time. Was running away from you like a kid, clinging to my human preconceptions, and that almost cost you your life! In the end, I’m sure it was my influence that forced your transformation in the first place!” I had to throw that stone off my shoulders and say it all to her.

“Even… even if it’s so… I’m still happy… that everything ended well for us.” Sapphira managed to say through her quiet sobbings. “I’m happy to have… you!”

Sapphira raised her forehooves and hugged me tightly, burying her head under my chin, closing her eyes. Her horn was sticking out on the side, but I didn’t pay it much attention and was stroking her soft mane gently to calm her down. Hearing what she said and feeling her chaotic emotions seething inside her, I felt like my heart was being torn into pieces. Never again do I want to put the lives of my loved ones in danger through my stupid negligence! To hell with principles and morals!

“I love you, Sapphi!” I whispered into her ear.

She needed those words now, and she knows full well I mean it. We just stood like that for a while until Sapphi calmed down. She must have kept her stress inside all this time, it’s good Sapphi had finally let it all out.

“Fate has put us through a lot, but we are still together, alive and healthy, and I’m going to keep it this way!” I said, looking into her eyes with determination.

“You are right, Ray.” She looked at me and a slight smile appeared on her face.

I smiled back at her, sighing lightly. “You need to wash your face again, it seems.”

After returning to our room we had breakfast and packed up. Everything took us no more than twenty minutes. I also had to perform a serious convincing to make the girls put on their armor for the duration of our trip. I know they are tired from our prolonged journey, but I’m not taking any risks until we get to town.

I also strapped my ax back to my belt, just in case. It seems I’ve developed a habit of always having a weapon by my side, and I feel uncomfortable without it. I moved the beds back to their places and left the key on the table before leaving the room.

We found Quick Fix and Sandy Crunch working inside the warehouse. They were checking and moving various things.

“Morning, guys!” I shouted from afar, drawing their attention. Sapphira and Lily waved their hooves to them.

I walked up to the guys, while the girls exited the warehouse.

“Would you happen to have some useless cloth to wrap my spear with? I decided to follow your advice and avoid attracting too much attention to it in the town.”

“Ah, sure!” said Sandy. “Follow me, I’ll find something suitable for you!” He trotted to the corner of the warehouse and started rummaging through one of the large crates which stood there. “Yeah, here is it!” He pulled out a tattered gray piece of cloth and a rope to tie it better. “The stuff got a bit dusty, but I’m sure you won’t mind.” He handed me the items with his magic, and I couldn’t see any sparks coming from his horn.

“Thanks, Sandy! That will do, and I don’t mind the dust.” I took the items and sat on a crate to wrap my spear thoroughly with this cloth. “By the way, how’s your horn? Can you work today?”

“Oh, it’s perfect, Ray! I feel no pain even when I use my magic, at least for now. Of course, I didn’t try to put in much force yet, but thank you anyway! I should be fine,” said Sandy, obviously happy with the results of my treatment.

“Glad to hear that, I did what I could. That might not cure your horn, but at least make your life a bit easier.” I made an apologetic smile.

“Oh, no, no, no! You did great! This is actually the best result I have ever had! You should be proud of your work instead!” – Sandy waved his hoof, pointing to his horn. – “By the way, if you’ll be staying in Appleloosa, then go to The Last Mug saloon. We are usually hanging out there after our shift, late in the evening. Perhaps, we can meet there today, we will be returning in the evening.”

“Alright! We’ll stay there for a while. Are you all from Appleloosa?” I asked, starting to wrap my spear, sitting on one of the wooden crates.

“You can say so,” – Sandy continued to do his work while talking – “I moved from Manehattan a year ago, bought a little old house. It was almost a wreck, but I made it look decent over the last year. At least I feel at home here, nopony is looking down on me, even if my horn is damaged. Also, I earn enough bits in this place. Steel and Fix are living there as well. Fix even lived in Appleloosa since it was founded; he was just a foal at that time.”

“I see, Appleloosa seems not a bad place to live!” I said, fixing the cloth with a rope.

“Well, it is! In Manehattan, unicorns can be… very condescending towards those with inferior abilities and it’s even worse in Canterlot, but in Appleloosa unicorns are needed. Not many of my kind wishes to work in former frontier towns like this one, deeming it below themselves, preferring to stay in large developed cities,” said Sandy, checking the contents of one of the shelves, writing something on a parchment with a pencil hanging in his magic grip.

“Alright, guys! Thanks again for everything! I think it’s time for us to board the train.” I said to them loudly, so Fix could hear me too.

I bumped their hooves with my fist and exited the warehouse, heading for the train. Sapphira and Lily were already there, talking with the two stallions near the train. I also saw Steel walking towards us.

It happened that the first car was only half-loaded and carried the most expensive cargo of strong minotaur spirits. The crates were excessively sturdy, like everything made by minotaurs, so we could use them as seats and tables.

“Hey! Why don’t you ride with us in the cab?” The redhead firepony asked nonchalantly. Amber Brand, if I remember correctly. “There’s plenty of room and we sure won’t mind hearin’ some good stories ‘bout the jungle! Also, you can help with switchin’ levers at the forks.”

“Well, why not? If the girls don’t mind…” I looked at Lily and Sapphira.

“We don’t mind! We still have something to talk about,” said Lily with a conspiratorial smile, “and even if anything happens, we can just fly up to you.”

“Alright, do you need help moving crates?”

“Nope, my telekinesis is growing better every day, Ray! We’ll manage ourselves!” said Sapphira smugly. “Ah, just go with the guys already, everything will be fine.”

“Is it already time to depart?” I asked Steel.

“Pretty much!” Steel checked his watch which he kept in a pocket of his work suit.

I noted the guys actually wear clothes for practical means, rather than to cover their bodies. We said goodbye to Steel and boarded the train. While we were waiting for the predetermined time for departure, the guys told me the basics of how they usually operate the train. And damn! That's harsh work! They have to do a whole lot of various shit, other than driving the train, and there are only two of them in their train crew. More advanced trains usually have three or four… ponies in the crew, along with caboose at the end of a train meant for the crew and providing additional braking when a train has more cars.

The train finally made a short whistle and started to accelerate slowly with the chuffing noises coming out of steam cylinders. Thick smoke was coming out of the chimney; the wood was burning in full force. The temperature in the cab started to rise from all that heat, I’m glad that I have some degree of resistance against it.

We slowly reached the fork, so we stopped and I had to go out and switch the lever. I had to repeat the process as there was one more fork ahead. Now I’m just observing this living relic from inside the cab, as this steam locomotive was exactly that by the standards of my old world. It’s not even a thing from the late nineteenth century, as it was definitely smaller than locomotives of that time. Nevertheless, the little chuffing iron monster was gaining speed.

I admired how those ponies were managing to do various stuff using just their hooves’ undersides. This contact telekinesis is a powerful tool at their disposal, serving as a decent substitute for hands. Also, their joints were unbelievably flexible for quadrupeds. I guess that also involves the use of magic in their bodies to make their legs stronger, allowing them to freely move and rotate their hooves as we do with our hands. Otherwise, they would not be able to walk on them because of too fragile joints.

After the guys were done with accelerating the train they finally had some time for a chat. I had to retell almost all of my tight situations during my jungle misadventures. I’m not sure if they believed me or not, but Wheels and Brand were entertained by my stories.

“You know, Ray. Remember I told you that I was working with another fire pony before? An old geezer. Well… he is not that old actually, but he is grumpier than even my two grandpas combined! I’d say, it’s too early to retire at seventy, but he’ll likely find some easier job, as being a firepony is hard labor. I remembered his story after you’ve mentioned the yellow changelings,” said Wheels, scratching his head with a hoof.

My brow rose involuntarily. Wheels said it like it was the most common thing. “Too early at seventy years old? I’ll have to ask someone about ponies’ lifespan…” I’ve made a mental note to myself.

“Hmm? You know something about those changelings?” I asked curiously.

“Yeah, he told me one story, but I thought he was just making things up. He said it all happened before he started working with me, not long after his wife passed away. He is one of those weirdos who had only one wife, so he lived alone after that. He said he was grieving miserably at that time.” Wheels looked at the pressure gauge to check it and nodded to Brand.

“You never told me this one, Wheels,” remarked Brand, throwing some firewood into the burner.

“Yeah, but it’s a bit creepy. He said one time he’d gone to take a leak to the bushes near the standalone water tower. They were in a forest area and were running low on water. He never made it back though, and the train left without him, after waiting for as long as it could.

“He told me that he had met changelings there, yellow ones. They looked him in the eyes, and everything that happened after that, he remembers it like being in a thick haze, his memory fails him. That old geezer says he was brought into the hive and the changelings made him suffer, forcing him to remember his late wife again and again. He could not tell how much time he spent there, but he was found unconscious two weeks later near one of the supply stations.”

“Oh, hay! Then I’ll be taking a leak only while in your presence from now on!” Brand said with a serious face.

Wheels just covered his face with a hoof. “Please don’t, Brand!” he mumbled, shaking his head, then continued. “But the most interesting part is this: he said he no longer feels any grief for his wife. Like it has happened to someone else, but not him. He knows he should be sad, but he just can’t, and he hates changelings for that.” Wheels scratched his chin, thinking.

“But I tell you, if what he told me was true, then he probably should thank those changelings instead. Nopony can live grieving all the time, and he seemed quite energetic when we worked together after that, but he became exceedingly quarrelsome, as other ponies said. I often heard his ravings when he thought he was alone, something about how changelings stole his grief or something like that. How they trampled his love. But… they didn’t touch his memories of his wife, nor have they stolen his love for her, I really can’t understand him.”

“Hmm…” – I scratched my nonexistent beard – “what he said might be true. Those changelings are not common ones. But I don’t know much about them either.”

The picture clicked together in my head. That was Sapphira’s former hive for sure. Ha! And they were playing a staring game with me, obviously trying to use hypnosis! Too bad for them I’m not susceptible to pure magic! Good thing they didn’t throw any fireballs or the likes at me…

So, do they really feed off the grief, sadness, fear, and despair? And in the process, they relinquish the victims from those feelings. I should ask Sapphira about that later. This… actually can be very useful to fight depressions and other psychological problems! But their methods are a bit off… They could easily fit in any large city if ponies do have such problems. It’s just nobody thought about this!

Well, I’ll just shelve all these ideas for now. I’m not sure if I and Sapphira will even fit in that town, and the thought of helping to resolve some problems with changelings is just a silly fantasy at the moment. Amber’s voice disrupted my thoughts.

“You seem to be deep in thought, partner!” said Brand.

“Yeah. Thinking about changelings and their way of living. There must be a solution for them to live without bringing harm to other species.” I said thoughtfully.

“Nah, that’s too complicated! Changelings are changelings; never expect anything good from them… Err… Sorry, your… mare is an exception. Did I guess right about her? The way she looks at you… I'm rarely wrong about such things.” Brand made a silly look, scratching the back of his head.

“Yeah, you guessed correctly, Brand… She is my mare, and she doesn’t need to steal love from anyone, I give her more than enough by myself. She also does not belong to any hives, meaning she is completely free.” I said in a calm voice.

“How uncommon! Never seen a changeling like her. Actually, I had never seen a changeling at all before today! But she does not look like one should, does she? Don’t tell me she is a queen!” Brand was a talkative guy, but completely lacked a sense of tact.

“Oh don’t spout nonsense, Brand,” – I waved my hand dismissively – “She is a true changeling, a complete grown-up form of any changeling, except for queens. Others are drones. Besides, a queen should be bigger, right?”

“I guess you’re right, partner! I’m not some big-head stallion from Canterlot anyway! There's a lot I don't know! But I know how to keep the train going and manage fire. You won’t find anyone better on this railroad!” Brand became a bit sad about his lack of knowledge but then started boasting about his talents.

“He is not exaggerating, Ray! He is good at that!” said Wheels with a smile. “You know, you can’t always find a pony with a talent for every job, but Brand has it.”

Brand beamed with a toothy smile when he got praised.

“I guess you are right. So we are lucky to have the best firepony with us.” I chuckled.

“Sure thing! I’m never gonna do my job half-assed!” said Brand with pride.

And so we just swapped to idle chatter. The train was going decently fast for a steam engine, maybe around fifty kilometers per hour or so on the fastest parts of the railway.

I’ll give those ponies credit for they’ve managed to create semi-automatic water towers, pumping water from the underground with the use of magic gems and devices. And it was not some ‘wonders’, but pure engineering mixed with magic science! I guess it’s cheaper than keeping workers around to manage water towers or transporting water in tanks, but the fact that trains are running on firewood and not magic gems means it may not be so cheap.

While the guys were busy refilling the water tank, we had a short break. The door of the first car slid open and… two Lilys jumped out! What the? Ah, of course! One of Lily's had a black changeling horn on her head and also had Sapphira’s set of armor.

“Surprised? How do you like it? Aren’t I pretty?” Sapphira made a coquettish pose.

“Ha-ha, sure you are, both in disguise and without it!”

“Sapphi, stop acting like this while in my guise, or I’ll bite you!” Lily said jokingly, poking Sapphira with a hoof at the gap in her armor on the underside.

“E-e-e! Not fair! That tickles!” Sapphire jerked, losing her disguise.

Lily just laughed at her reaction. “Serves you right!” – She showed Sapphira her tongue and turned to me – “Anyway, why did we stop? Ah, I see. The water.” Lily moved her eyes to the guys working with the water tower. “Oh, yes, Ray, I thought of that envious disguise ability of changelings, and it seems Sapphira is not very proficient with it, so we decided that she needs some practice. Never know when and where this talent will be useful!”

“Always thinking like a professional tracker, Lily?” – I chuckled – “But you know… I support your ideas. How can I not, after all that trouble in the jungle? Every extra trick can help.” I looked at Sapphira. “What do you think, Sapphi?”

“Well, yes, it can be useful. Now I no longer struggle with transformation, just need more training.”

“Talking about training… I have a good idea! I usually have a training schedule when not on a job, and now you two” – she pointed with her hoof at us – “will be joining me in my training sessions.” She furrowed her brows and glared at us, trying to look more imposing. “And I won’t take no for an answer!”

I and Sapphira looked at each other and laughed at this show.

“What? You don’t wanna train with me?” asked Lily with indignation.

“Ha-ha, no, Lily, we will, but you are too adorable when trying to be scary!” Sapphira told her through laughter.

“Why? But… Everypony in my department was apprehensive of me when I was talking like that!” Lily said in disappointment.

“Why, you ask? First, we are not ponies, second… One moment… Ray!” called Sapphira.

“Ha-ha, what?” I raised my brow.

“Make a scary face!” Sapphira laughed again.

“Wait, wait… I can’t while I’m laughing.” I forcefully stopped smiling and tried to portray some evil villain with my face. But I could not hold it for long and Sapphira started to laugh again, but this time at my grimace. “Ha-ha, I’ve tried.”

“I guess it was scary, for a moment!” Lily was giggling too. “But I know what you mean, Sapphira… Ray’s face when he rushed out of the bushes with an ax, when the manticores surrounded us…”

“Yes, exactly, Lily. Ponies, me included, are not that good at making scary faces. Even if we have fangs it does not help much. Ah, forget it! Returning to the training topic, didn’t Ray train during that night? Keep him in line, so he won’t do silly things again at night, while he should be busy with something else.” Sapphira looked at me slyly.

“Um… alright? I guess,” said Lily, looking upwards in thought.

“And that’s how a poor human got under the mares’ hooves,” I said sarcastically. “Just kidding, and I had nothing else to do that night anyway.”

“Hey, everypony! We’re finished, get back on the train!” Wheels shouted to us from the water tower.

“Ah, yes, take it, Ray! You guys must be hungry!” Sapphira gave me a bag with leftover fruits. “We have enough for ourselves, so don’t worry.”

“Thanks, girls, let’s get back.” I took the bag and went to the locomotive cab.

PoV: Starlight Glimmer.

Looking out of the window of our carriage, I felt our journey growing boring and tiresome. The deserted landscape stretching out towards the horizon lay bare, without any noticeable landmarks. Altogether, it was not a joyful sight. Twilight had found some books in the Princess’ baggage and was busy reading them in silence. Princess Luna herself was taking a nap. It must be hard for her to work at night and also manage our expedition. Spike decided to support the Princess in her decision to have some sleep and I was the only one left with nothing to do.

Finally, I saw an outline of the sprawling town rising from the horizon, its outlines waving slightly in the heat haze. The town grew quite big but mainly had low-rise buildings, as expected of the town which was deemed a frontier just a few years ago. Never having been to this place before and only being given a brief description by Twilight, I had some expectations for this visit. I hoped that we could rest and have some fun there! Well, it gets a bit complicated when you try to combine Twilight and fun in one sentence, but I’ll manage, somehow, like always. Spike will be there to help me at least. My thoughts, however, were interrupted by the voice of one of the thestral stallions pulling our flying carriage.

“Your highness! We are approaching the town, what will be your orders?” asked the stallion.

Princess Luna woke up and sat comfortably. Thinking for a while, she finally opened the window to give her answer.

“Prepare to fly under a concealment spell. Get to the east side of the town, find the carriage workshop on the outskirts, past the warehouse area, and land behind its walls. It should be quite conspicuous from above,” ordered Luna in a strict loud voice.

“We obey your orders, Princess!”

Luna’s horn lit up and became enveloped by a thick, deep blue aura. A cloud of fog surrounded our carriage, partially blocking our view. Now it must look like a white cloud from the outside, and I bet there is also an attention diversion spell at work! A marvelous combined spell! Too bad I can’t see clearly into its workings, but perhaps Twilight could if she was not too indulged in reading the book right now…

“Um… Princess?” I asked shyly.

“Yes, Starlight?” Princess Luna asked amiably.

“Why the carriage workshop?” I raised my brows in bewilderment.

“Ah, that’s simple! It is a place I designated for my personal use in this town, it is also the hub of operations for my” – Luna waved her hoof, trying to find the right word – “less noticeable subordinates. This place is a good cover, with few visitors, quite remote and overall useful when I want to do something without attracting much attention. Also, it’s easy to hide my royal carriage there.” Princess was quite enthusiastic when talking about it. “Oh my… I should keep my mouth shut about it, I guess! I’m quite surprised that Princess Luna has such a secret place!”

“What? Eh… have we arrived already?” Twilight finally got distracted from the book she was reading. ‘The fundamentals of dream magic’ the title stated. Twilight sighed. “I still can’t get my head around it!”

“Don’t get upset about it, Twilight. You’ll understand it, given time. And yes, we are indeed arriving in Appleloosa,” said Princess Luna kindly.

“But… even with my talent…” Twilight was really upset with herself.

“Twilight, look at me,” – Princess waited for her to raise her gaze – “talent is not everything. Your talent lies in universal magic, the widest sphere of magic. But dream magic is a very specialized type of magic. It does not conform to the general laws, oftentimes even contradicts them! You can’t even imagine how many headaches I had because of it, before I was able to understand something about dream magic, much less use it! And remember that I even have an affinity for it!”

Twilight was listening to Princess Luna attentively, almost the same way she usually listened to Princess Celestia.

“This revision” – Princess bent forward and tapped the cover of the book lightly – “is made personally by me, the old one would seem a complete gibberish to you!” Luna kicked back to the seat again.

“Sorry, Luna, it seems I’ve underestimated the dream magic. I’ll work hard on that topic later.” Twilight made a tight smile, looking at Luna.

“Twilight, I think you have better things to do now, than learning dream magic. It’s not like I’m going to retire from my night duties anytime soon, am I?” Luna giggled.

“I guess so… Ah, right, what will we do in the town?” Twilight has finally changed the topic.

“Yaaawn! Did someone say ‘town’? Are we there already?” Spike woke up to the ruckus.

“While I wait for Night Lily, you all can take a walk and unwind a little. I know the expedition was tedious for you.”

“Great! Time for some fun!” Spike stretched and looked outside the window. “Wow! The town has grown so big since the last time we were here!”

“Naturally, Spike! Trade with the Eastern continent is blooming, and Appleloosa is situated right on the trade route!” Twilight interjected.

“The trade route… Why can’t ships just go straight to Las Pegasus or Vanhoover from the south?” asked Spike.

“Oh, come on, Spike! Las Pegasus is in the clouds, there is no port there, and the only structure on the ground is a train station. Pegasi don’t like to build anything on the ground! And I still can’t understand why, that’s illogical!” Twilight furrowed her brows. She always disliked illogical reasoning.

“And about Vanhoover, it’s too far to the north. Besides, even if it’s Las Pegasus, there are a lot of dangerous reefs at the shore, terrible weather in the deep ocean, along with not so friendly sea serpents, and finally, pirates who like local islands so much. They are mainly diamond dogs, who live near the ocean in the deserts and mountains to the south of Las Pegasus. Our fleet can never catch them all. New pirates pop out even faster than the old ones are caught! So the southern sea route is much, much safer.” I shared my thoughts.

“How troublesome! Alright, enough with the boring stuff!” proclaimed Spike, waved his clawed hand, and returned to observing the approaching city through the window.

The carriage softly landed in the inner courtyard, steadily hovering above the ground. One of the six batpony guards quickly unhitched, walked up to the carriage door, and pulled a lever on the underside. The bottom part of the door frame clicked and moved down, revealing folding stairs, which quickly slid forward and set in place. The other members of the Lunar Guard were already standing at attention on both sides of the door, holding their right hooves on their chest plates. The first guard quickly joined them.

Suddenly, a stallion dressed in an austere style rushed out from the nearby building and knelt before the carriage some distance away, standing still in that pose. The Lunar Guard didn’t move at the slightest, but their vertical pupils attentively followed his every move. The stallion was well past his prime, with silver lines adorning his grayish-black mane in abundance.

PoV: Luna.

I opened the carriage door and disembarked unhurriedly. A rather familiar stallion was kneeling before me. He was Silver Mist, a reliable stallion I’ve assigned to look over this town. He may be getting old, but his grip on affairs going on in this area is as strong as ever. Oftentimes he is underestimated for his aristocratic looks, but that only makes his job easier.

“Hello, Silver. You may rise.” I said in a soft voice. He is not a member of the royal guard, thus there is no need to be too official in the absence of a public, but with him it always gets complicated.

Silver Mist straightened his body, before speaking with reverence: “Greetings, your majesty! What brings your highness to my humble abode? I’m ready to serve to the best of my waning ability!” He lowered his head after that.

I sighed at this display. “Ah, Silver, didn’t I tell you to drop this way of addressing. I have more than enough of it in Canterlot. And also, don't belittle your abilities, you still can give your subordinates a good head start in many things.”

“I don’t dare to address you otherwise, your highness! My respect for you forbids me to do so.” Silver said without raising his head, then looked at me.

Ahh, it’s useless! He was always like that ever since I helped to save his family, but all I did was to give a few orders…

“But my abilities… I can feel the difference with the old me, your highness, and each passing year takes some from what’s left.” Silver’s voice gained on some melancholic vibes.

And he is too strict with himself.

Others were already out of the carriage and looked at the show before them with interest.

“But still, your good head can serve Equestria for a long time to come, as long as you wish it. You are managing this place excellently, but let’s talk about our visit first. There is nothing important this time, Silver. It is a private visit, and I want it to stay out of the general public. Also, I need a room for me and my guests. One large room will be enough for now.”

Silver nodded his head, “That will be easy, your highness, nopony will ever know you were here! May I borrow your Lunar Guards for a minute?”

“Of course!” I turned to my Lunar Guard and nodded my head.

“Then excuse me for a moment,” – Silver turned towards the guards – “Soldiers, see this garage door?” He pointed with his hoof towards one of the large gates of one particularly long building “It’s open, tow the royal carriage there and close the door from inside. That’s all. The faster you do it, the better, we don’t want some loafing pegasi with nothing better to do to see her royal highness’ carriage here!” Silver said in a loud commanding voice.

Batponies loudly hit their chest plates with their hooves and got to work.

“Princess Twilight Sparkle!” Silver Mist bowed to Twilight as well. “Excuse me for not greeting you earlier!” He also nodded to Starlight and Spike and received polite greetings in return. “Your highnesses, please follow me. I’ll escort you and your entourage to your room!” Silver looked at me. “I’m sorry to tell you that we don’t have any personnel to attend to your needs, Princess Luna. But you already know it, of course.” Silver had an apologetic voice, guiding us towards one of the edifices in the backyard. “Currently, I’m the only one on the premises of this facility. Others are busy doing their jobs in the town.”

“Trouble?” I asked with a raised brow.

“We are not sure yet,” – he looked back at me – “I have a hunch there is, but my intuition is just that: intuition. We need facts to work with.” His voice was weary. He turned away his gaze, shaking his head. “While the trade decreased due to booming piracy at the seas, the numbers of foreigners are still rising. The most concerning thing is that they are mainly diamond dogs and griffon mercenaries. They don’t cause much trouble… at least for now. But I can’t see a good reason for them being here in such numbers too.”

“I see. Don’t hesitate to call for help when needed, Silver. I can aid you personally if need be,” I said sincerely. I won’t leave my people in trouble. “After all, we don’t have a proper guard division stationed in this town yet, something more serious may be too much for the sheriff's recruits. Many of them don’t have any experience in such complex things.”

“Thank you, your highness,” – he bowed slightly again – “but it can be just a false alarm or some small fry upstarts trying to play big. Time will tell, I just hope we are not missing anything serious.” He held the door for us to enter. “Still, I’ll keep your offer in mind in case we need help.”

The interior indicated it was something like an owner’s personal office. It was made in an older aristocratic style, but the furniture was of humbler design. It was easy to tell the owner’s taste was good, but much more strict, practical, and not as exceedingly fancy as that of Canterlot’s aristocrats.

There was no other way to get to the other rooms and floors without passing through this office. It's a somewhat strange design, but there must be a reason for it. After ascending to the second floor the atmosphere changed drastically. The entire interior was made in Royal Canterlot style as much as it possibly could, with a lot of white colors and golden ornaments. The windows were covered by dense tulle, so it was hard to see the details from the outside. I don’t remember this building even being here the last time I visited the place. Silver did a good job, but I doubt it was worth it to spend the bits on such luxury.

“This is your room, your majesty.” Silver stopped before one of the doors. “It is the best of the three we have here. Are you satisfied with these chambers, your highness?” He unlocked the door with a golden key and opened it. Seeing me nod approvingly, he continued: “This whole building was designed exclusively for hosting our royal guests, should any royalty ever need to stop by this town. The secrecy and safety are guaranteed by me personally!” He ushered us to enter the room and handed over the golden key. “If you need anything, just say it, your highness. You can just press the button on the table and I’ll be here in a minute!”

“Very good, Silver Mist, thank you. We don’t need anything at the moment, you can return to your duties; we have already taken too much of your time.” I said, smiling at this dutiful stallion.

“I serve you, your majesty, and all of my time is yours.” He bowed again. “I will excuse myself then. May you have a good stay, distinguished guests.” Silver exited the room, closing the door behind him.

I finally paid attention to the trio which was silently following me ever since we left the carriage. All three had dumbfounded expressions on their faces.

“That was… something!” Twilight has finally spoken, having a taut smile on her face.

“Do you mean Silver or this whole establishment?” I asked, amused with their reaction.

“Both!” said Twilight and Starlight simultaneously. Spike nodded his head in agreement.

I thought about how I should put it for them.

“You must have heard some rumors about Shadow Guard, am I right? Twilight must know it anyway. This place is exactly one of their bases of operations, a bit undeveloped, like the whole town, but that’s just a matter of time. They are working under the guise of a large carriage workshop. This will be your home for the duration of our stay in Appleloosa.”

“I see, and that Silver Mist, who is he?” asked Twilight.

“He is managing this place for me, a good pony, very diligent and loyal. But his respect for me is almost fanatical, I’d say. Can’t do anything about it.”

“What does his cutie mark mean? A mask with some kind of a cloak…” Starlight asked.

“To put it more simply, his specialties are disguise and deception. He is able to blend in any society or circle easily after some observations and will be perceived as their own. Naturally, a proper disguise and attire are mandatory, but those we can provide with ease. He can alter his personality and demeanor to such an extent any changeling would be willing to risk their life to have such a talent. The fact he is an earth pony often makes his job even easier, as he draws fewer suspicions, perfect for information gathering. I’m surprised he was working as a butler for a noble house for so long. The country needs ponies like him.” Oh, it seems I’ve gotten too carried away. I doubt such topics are interesting to them. “But enough about Silver Mist, don’t you all want to go and unwind in the town?” My glance ran over them.

“Of course, we want to!” Spike was the first to answer.

“Yes, that would be good.” Starlight added.

“I don’t know…” Twilight hesitated.

“You promised, Twilight!” Spike pressed her, crossing his hands before his chest, making a malcontent face.

“Alright, alright, we are going together!” Twilight didn’t hold for long.

“Then settle in this room, and you are free to go! Oh yes, Twilight, it will be for the best if you’ll be going in and out of here by teleporting to some back alley. Also, put on some clothes which can hide your wings. You don’t want to see the same performance as you saw not long ago wherever you go, are you? Being an alicorn has its downsides too.” I chuckled.

“Oh, right. I think I had a cape in my baggage. I often forget that in Ponyville, I’m still just the same Twilight Sparkle I was before for most ponies, but in other places, it will be different,” said Twilight, already unstrapping her saddlebag.

In a short time, the trio of my companions was ready.

“Um… Princess Luna… It seems my magic does not work here!” Twilight said in confusion.

“Ah, of course, that must be one of the spells integrated into this building. Most likely a teleportation inhibitor spell prevents anyone from getting inside in this way. On second thought, maybe you don’t even need to teleport, as you are wearing a cape now. You can just exit through the shop’s backdoor, I guess. Go and find Silver, he will help you to navigate this place. The town has changed quite a lot.”

Left alone, I was sitting on the bed in silence for quite some time already, busy casting the tracking spell. I’ve left my special ‘dream mark’ on Lily. Not only does it allow me to find her quickly in the dreamland over vast distances, but also in the real world too, albeit within a greatly reduced range. At the very least, I will know if she has reached the town. It seems they have not arrived yet, but this is expected, after all, we set out very early.

I’ve already sent the results of our search to my sister with Spike’s help, but I didn’t mention anything about Ray for now. Celestia tends to overreact to some things and worry over nothing. I will manage everything myself, and everything will be smooth and calm.

“Ya-a-awn… I still need some rest.” I shook my head, trying to get rid of my sleepiness, but it didn’t help much. Recently I was using my magic too often: examining the ruins during the day and wandering the dreamland at night. I need to recuperate, and sleep is one of the best ways to do it. I took a deep breath. “Alright, I can use this time to get a little nap while I’m waiting.” So I just lay on the soft bed and closed my eyes.

PoV: Ray.

Leaning on the metal wall of the cab, I was impassively observing the landscape, slowly moving by. We were going without any stops for quite a time already, finally leaving the densely forested area, now drawing closer to the foothills of the towering mountains in the north. The terrain gradually changed to a sparse forest, then brushland, until the grasslands covered in mottled flower patches became the only thing I could see around. Now the train was moving uphill, losing much of its speed. Breeze said we will go even slower soon. That’s not surprising, this locomotive is not one of those electric or diesel monsters I’ve seen back home.

I didn’t have to wait for long, as we began slowing down even more. Now I’m hauling firewood from the tender for Amber, so he can raise the pressure in the steam engine. The tender itself is not too large and was already partially emptied. Thick smoke is coming out of the chimney, the train is slowly but steadily going up the slope.

While I was working I noticed a shadow momentarily crossing the Sun above me. “Must be some bird.” I thought and continued my work. Amber and I were working as a pair until Breeze interrupted us.

“Guys, we’ve got trouble!” Breeze blurted out suddenly and gulped nervously when we looked at him.

“What trouble?” asked Amber, frowning.

“From above…” Breeze pointed upwards with his hoof.

Amber and I stuck our heads out of the cab and looked above us. I saw five flying creatures above the train. They are following us, no doubt about that. From this distance, I could see a metallic sheen, glimmering in the sun rays.

“Are these bladed weapons?” I asked.

“Of course. It must be Hookbill’s gang, and we are about to get in deep… Bucking horse apples!” Breeze hit his hoof on the floor in irritation and looked at us. “This is not the first time they are at it, I heard they attacked other trains before, and it was always freight trains without a guard. This time they have just five, but it does not mean more won’t show up!”

“Fuck! I must warn the girls!”

I was going to get on top of the first car from the tender, but then saw a small slit for ventilation below the roof, they’ll be able to hear me through it.

“Sapphi, Lily! Can you hear me?” I shouted.

“What’s wrong, Ray?” I could see Lily’s eyes looking at me through that gap.

“Griffon bandits are above us. Can see five, there may be more. All armed. Stay alert and lock the door somehow. You will be outnumbered in the air if you fly out.” I tried to relay the important information as fast as I could.

“Understood! We will act according to the situation! Guard the train, Ray, don’t let them harm those two if you can. We will help when they get distracted.” Lily said in a military tone.

“Good, I’m going back! Shout if anything bad happens.” I shouted back.

Lily may be a mare, but she is a military person to some extent. I should trust her in this regard, and knowing her, she won’t sit still anyway, even if I ask her to. I looked up, the griffons started descending, increasing their speed and overtaking us. I rushed back into the cab and unstrapped my ax from the belt, the only weapon I currently have on me. Amber and Breeze were already holding a shovel and an iron poker respectively.

“Ray, they will definitely try to stop the train, but it’s dangerous to stop the train here. If we are stopped, the train going from the other direction, which goes downhill, might just crash into us!” Breeze told me, rotating some valves with a shaking hoof.

“Don’t panic! Try to keep them from entering the cab, guys, we’ll see what we can do against them, just be careful and don’t get injured. The time will be on our side if the train continues going forward.” The guys nodded their heads and prepared to resist.

“The train won’t last for long without throwing in more firewood, Ray,” Amber said dejectedly.

“Shit! Still, I can’t see the way to avoid the trouble without a fight.” I said, sighing.

The cab, despite being substantially more spacious than cabs of human steam locomotives, was still quite tight for combat, especially when there are three of us inside. Even with a rather short ax, my movements will be constrained. The train slowed down to the speed of a running man, giving the griffons absolute freedom of movement. Three of them appeared on the left side of the train, with the rest out of our sight.

“Hey you, losers! Listen up! I have a proposition for you!” A large griffon shouted to us in a raspy voice, flying sideways parallel to our course.

He had two scimitar-like swords in his front bird claws. His face was crossed by a large cut, going from his forehead under his left eye, ending on his cheek. if birds can have cheeks at all. We remained silent. I concentrated my mind and got my body into combat mode, my muscles bulging a little, my breathing intensifying. I won’t give them any chances and will go in full force.

“What? Did you swallow your tongues from fear? Ha-ha-ha! Useless ponies!” He scoffed. “Hey, you don’t look like a pony!” – He squinted one of his eyes at me. – “Anywho, I can’t care less! This is my proposition: you give up, stop the train, and we won’t hurt you… too much! A-ha-ha-ha! I rarely make such a generous offer. So come on, accept it! Or else…”

“Or else what, moron? Will you cluck until our brains melt from your stupid ravings?” I taunted the smug bastard in a mocking voice. I just can’t resist insulting idiots who try to make trouble for me and my friends… I know I just made a fight inevitable, but there was not even a hint for a peaceful solution anyway. The Hookbill glared at me as if I’ve just murdered his whole family.

“What did you say?” His voice became somewhat quiet. “Did you just say ‘cluck’? Are you trying to say I’m a chicken, bastard?” His voice became louder and louder as he spoke.

“Never call griffons a chicken…” said Breeze quietly, “They get really mad when you do!”

“You are dead meat! I’ll shred your sorry ass to pieces!” Griffon’s voice took on maddened vibes, he was tearing his throat in rage, shouting at me.

“You want my sorry ass? Are you into males, honey?” I said in a comically-seductive voice, adding more fuel to the fire.

“You! You! YOU!” He started stammering.

“Boss! Tell us what to do already!” One of the other griffons said.

“Shut up, Bristlequill! Shut up!” His breathing became labored. “This freak without any fur,” – he pointed one of his scimitars at me – “he is mine, got it? That’s personal!” He growled. “Now you two, storm the cab with me, and you,” – he looked up above the cab – “open the first train car, forget the rest, this is your task. Now, freaking do your job already!” He rattled his scimitars in irritation.

“But boss… we… we don’t kill, right? Why are you…” That griffon looked disturbed and nervous.

“I’ve already told you all to shut up! Do you need a personal order, bastard? Get to work!” Hookbill roared in anger. “And where is our clucking cargo carriage? Ghhhrah! Forget the carriage for now, go!”

With these words, he lunged towards the left entrance of the cab. I pushed Breeze aside and took his place to meet him. This griffon was not a rookie, he started to poke with his scimitars at me from a maximum distance and I had to retreat from the door by two steps, but the space was limited and it was almost as far as I could retreat. A second griffon appeared from the other side, confronted by Amber who had an iron poke in his hooves. He had a pretty good balance standing on his hind legs, for a quadruped. I’m not sure for how long he will be able to fight like that though.

“You will pay for your insults! My griffon pride demands your blood!” Hookbill proclaimed in a growl.

He tried to get inside while shouting this nonsense, but quickly fell back when I swung my ax at him. Good reaction.

“Talking about the pride of a bandit… You must be kidding!” I taunted Hookbill again while I was unable to reach him.

At the same time, I noticed another griffon was trying to get inside from the tender in the back.

“Take this!” shouted Breeze, turning to face the griffon.

Breeze reared on his hind legs and delivered a heavy blow with his shovel. The shovel glided across griffon’s saber when he tried to block and hit him straight in the face with a soft metallic bang. The griffon screeched, toppled back, and flew away. What an idiot! And hell, the earth ponies… are strong! I didn’t think I could rely on them much, but I’m glad I was wrong. Our standoff continued for quite some time, as the griffons were no longer that eager to try getting inside, circling around and probing the guys with rare attacks. I’ve heard Amber made a few good hits, judging by the griffon’s screams and screeches.

“So, are you gonna just fly around and watch?” I shouted to Hookbill. “Want to chicken out?”

He did not answer anything and charged at me again. I sidestepped behind the iron wall, waiting for him to show up, and he did exactly that… layman. First I saw his lion hind leg enter the cab, then his head showed up. Hookbill’s eyes were mad, with red veins clearly visible in his sclera. He raised his scimitar to make a strike, but an overhead powerful swing of my ax was already descending on him.

He tried to hastily block it with both of his weapons but was too slow. I did not go easy on him, this strike was powerful, it landed on his scimitar he was holding in the right hand. Metal rang and sparks flew out, then a slightly bent and chipped scimitar dropped to the floor with a clang. The griffon disappeared back outside, grunting from the pain in his clawed hand.

“Who taught you to block an ax with a sword, genius?” I shouted snidely.

Hookbill grunted before flying upwards out of my sight. “Capture the ponies, idiots! Somebody set us up! There should be no guard on this train.” I heard Hookbill’s shouts from above the cab. “This bastard is no ordinary fella!”

“This redhead pony is too strong, Hookbill! We can’t capture them! I’m already bruised all over!” One of the griffons complained.

“And I lost my saber!” said the second one.

“What? Oh you moronic yellow-beaked useless bastards, damn it! Why the cluck must I always do all the work in your retarded stead every bloody time?” Hookbill raged. “And you two, what takes so long to open the damn door, huh? Work faster you dimwits!” – he fell silent for a moment – “Forget the ponies you two! We can’t stop the damn train this time! Join the idiots who can’t even break the bloody wooden door, get as many crates as you can, thrash and dump away everything else you can’t steal! I’ll make sure you aren’t disturbed.”

I hope the girls are ready, but I must help them somehow! I exited the cabin and got on the tender, which was half-loaded with firewood. This griffon might be a buffoon, but he is in no way an idiot, and can judge his chances and priorities properly, no longer reacting to my insults.

“You are not going anywhere, two-legged freak!” Hookbill hovered above the first train car, seemingly to prevent me from doing anything to stop their robbery. “I may not be able to spill your blood today, but I can still make you fail!” He pointed his scimitar at me, spitting out each word.

I picked up his other damaged scimitar before I went out. I’m not too proficient in dual-wielding, but it still may come useful. I heard the crunch of the wooden boards and clangs of broken metal, it seems they have finally broken the door. I bent my body over the side of the tender to see what was happening there. They moved the door to the side with the screeching noise.

Two griffons rushed inside instantly, only to be thrown out a moment later, with a loud bang of the lightning strike, in a sparse cloud of smoking feathers. “Sapphira’s work! Perfect!” I thought.

Two unlucky griffons were unable to maintain their flight after being electrocuted and dropped to the ground. They were lucky that the train's speed was pretty low, so they did not get any injuries apart from some bruises due to their fall, but they got more than enough from the lightning strike. I was going to start throwing firewood at our adversaries as the only means of ranged combat for me at the moment, but the events had an unexpected turn.

“Guards!” One griffon shouted in panic, flying farther from the car.

“A battle unicorn!” A second one retreated after the first in haste.

“What?” Hookbill became flustered and had a dumbfounded look, landing on the roof of the train car.

Both griffons stopped retreating a fair distance from the train, continuing to slowly fly along with its movement, warily looking at the train car they tried to storm into just now. Of the two griffons, only one was armed with a short sword, the second one must be that guy who had lost his weapon before.

Lily charged out of the train car, her speed surprisingly high, holding my spear under her foreleg with her hooves. She stormed towards the two griffons, holding my spear before her steadily. She caught up with griffons pretty quickly but didn’t attack them with the spear, instead, I heard a shrill high-pitched scream when she flew past them. Even at this distance, my ears were ringing slightly. “Did she do it?” I was amazed by what she just did. It was a genuine sonic attack.

“A-a-a-a-a! My ears! My ears! I can’t hear anything!” A griffon screamed hysterically, his flight shaky.

“Run, bro! It's the vampire soldiers!” shouted the griffon with the saber, he seemed somewhat better than his friend. I doubt his accomplice was able to hear him though.

Griffons flew in panic in different directions to get away from Lily as fast as they could, quickly turning to flee with their tails between their legs. Lily made a wide high-speed turn in the air, aiming to attack Hookbill next. I saw her eyes at the moment, brimming with unyielding resolve.

“Is she always like that in such situations? She is much more confident fighting the bandits compared to manticores.” I thought, but at the same time, I could not help her with anything at the moment.

Sapphira silently hovered out of the train car with a sword in her magic grip, closing to Hookbill from behind, unnoticed. Her eyes were menacingly squinting and she had a scary toothy grin on her face. She hissed at Hookbill angrily, startling him and forcing him to look back in fear.

“Fuck!” Hookbill’s voice had risen by two octaves. His precious griffon pride has disappeared into thin air. “We’ve been set up! Retreat!” He shouted in a screeching high-pitched voice, but his commands were meaningless. His accomplices had already abandoned him and were hastily flying away towards the horizon. Hookbill abruptly rushed upwards to avoid the attacks, letting Lily fly by underneath him, and followed his retreating subordinates. They didn’t even mind the other two griffons who were left behind on the ground. “That bastard will pay us a triple price for this misinformation!” I heard him scolding someone in rage, probably the one who hired them or sold them information. So… it seems it wasn’t a regular robbery.

I breathed a sigh of relief from this development. These guys were… bad at their job. Yeah. The only one with some skills and guts was that ringleader, and even he was not that good. But they would be a certain game over for Amber and Breeze if we were not around. That Hookbill probably put together a ragtag gang out of some rookie fighters and hoping for easy pickings. I’m glad they were cowards, otherwise, there could be problems for us. They should have had a cargo carriage even, as I overheard, but it seems it got lost or late for some reason, what losers!

Lily landed beside me, exhaling with a little horsey snort, steadying her breath after her crazily fast attack. I didn’t know they could make that cute noise.

“Sorry, Ray, I took your spear,” she smiled at me apologetically, giving me my spear back.

I took it and put it down beside us. “Oh, that’s nothing, I won’t care about some spear when it can save your life, even if you break it.” I ruffled her puffy mane and she closed her eyes in pleasure. She likes my hands, doesn't she? “And that scream of yours was truly something!”

Lily was visibly happy at my high assessment of her actions. Sapphira hovered down from the roof and softly landed beside us too.

“And here comes our heavy artillery! You did well, Sapphira! That attack was truly badass!”

“Oh, but it was all Lily’s plan, so praise her more! And what is that artil… lery?” asked Sapphira.

“Oh, that’s… a cannon of sorts, a serious one.” I realized I was mixing languages again.

“Ah, I get it now. And where is my reward?” She walked closer to me, smiling. “Come on, use those hands of yours already, you just did it for Lily!”

Ah, she likes that too. It seems all ponies like their manes being stroked, so I reached my hand to Sapphira’s head, slowly caressing her silky flowing mane, but soon I heard a cough from my back. “I… just hope he does not want me to pet his mane.” I had this funny thought for a moment.

“Sorry to interrupt, but we must return to our work, and just wanted to say thanks. You all have saved us from that Hookbill bandit… So, thanks a lot! We both owe you one!” Breeze walked up to us with a happy smile.

“Uh… Yup! Y’all really saved our hides today!” Amber joined Breeze too.

“You guys were good too, even beat them a little!” I chuckled.

“Ya know, Ray…” – Amber awkwardly scratched his head – “I get into fights often, and I’m… strong! That griffon didn’t even know what a proper fight is! Even his saber didn’t help him much! I’m just glad Breeze wasn’t injured, he is not like me, after all.” He pulled up his bandana that slid down to his brows, smiling.

“I’m fine, buddy, got lucky, I guess! He almost cut me a few times, but then he lost his weapon when I hit him in his face with my shovel, ha-ha!” He moved his gaze to me. “Ray, your left hand…”

I took a look at my left hand and saw some blood on it. That bastard must have made a slight cut, but it must have already healed up on its own, I didn’t even feel anything. I looked at my clothes, the fact that my last shirt was still intact was reassuring.

“Ah, that’s not a big deal, guys, don’t mind it.” I waved my hand.

“If you say so. Well, we’ll return to the cab. Have to look after this iron fella!” – He hit the iron wall of the tender with his hoof. – “We will reach the tunnel in an hour or so, then we will go at full speed again!” said Wheels, turning around to walk back.

“So, girls, that’s another day with some shit happening, right?” I said jokingly.

“Can’t argue with that anymore, Ray!” Lily replied with a somewhat sad smile, I guess she believes in my bad luck now.

“But such things can’t be happening every single day… can they?” Sapphira tried to be optimistic, but I think she failed at that.

“Well, today it’s ‘almost no trouble’ by my personal shit’o’meter, so perhaps I should instead deem us lucky! But seriously, what can happen to us in the town? Nothing too bad, I suppose. Therefore, our bad times are over and we can finally have a rest from all that jungle, manticores, and now bandits too!”

I just sat on the floor, leaning against the metal side of the tender, and did not care about my clothes getting dirty. We should have some time to ourselves, Amber still has some firewood inside the cab and won’t bother us. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, listening to the constant chuffing of the steam engine and the rattling sounds of steel wheels.

“I need a day off from all of it, just one day…” I said slowly under my breath. I’m not exhausted physically, but mentally… I think I’m starting to burn out. Being always on guard leaves that uncertain, weak, but the constant feeling of unease in the back of my mind, like I’ve forgotten to do something important, but can’t remember what exactly. And of course, I’m always forgetting something important or doing something wrong, I’m not a survival expert, after all…

I felt a hoof touch my chest softly. I opened my eyes and saw Lily’s face before me, to my surprise. I thought it would be Sapphira.

“Ray, that was just a freak accident, everything will be fine!” she said softly.

She has a very kind voice when not trying to play soldier. I was drowning in her yellow eyes, looking into them. There is something mesmerizing about their large colorful eyes with a vertical pupil.

“I know, Lily, but I was useless again. Could not help you and Sapphi at all!” I said regretfully, then hugged her by her barrel and brought her into my embrace. She put her head on my right shoulder, and I could feel her soft pale lilac fur touching my bare skin. That would be a fantastic sensation if she wasn’t wearing her armor.

“No, you did enough! I said we would manage, and so we did, so just stop taking everything on yourself, we are mares, not foals,” she cooed in my ear quietly.

Sapphira sat down beside me on the left, leaning on my side. I could feel the warmth of her body even through her armor. Sapphira sat in a rather humanlike manner, freeing her front hooves, one of those was instantly placed on my thigh. Sometimes I wonder why they are still walking on all four with such flexibility.

“Lily is right, we can stand for ourselves too, you’ve seen it yourself. You had to protect the guys, and you did!” Sapphira said and blew into my ear with her hot breath.

I didn't say anything, they were right in their own way.

“You sure like hugging our fluffy batty!” said Sapphira playfully.

I chuckled, “Hugging our fluffy batty is the best anti-stress therapy! I’m already in a good mood!” Well, that was also true. “I became forever addicted to hugging with ponies, and changelings too, but you are also ponies, apparently,” I said to Sapphira.

Lily smiled and got more comfortable in my embrace, obviously not going to leave her spot anytime soon. We just sat like that in silence, enjoying the company of each other. Everything will change when we reach the town, hopefully for the better.