MLR Miniseries 4.1: Winter is Coming

>it’s been a while since you’ve heard anything from Dr. Graphs or Tan
>you decide to see what they’re up to this afternoon
>time to get some answers
>you’re all going to move to New Ponyville soon, so better get all the loose ends tied up before you have to take a damn candy train back here every time some species needs to be rescued from eradication or something
>you kick some brass cases off to the side as you walk through your little living room, a reflex now ingrained in your indoor gait
>they aren’t Lego but it’s still not pleasant to step on bare-footed
>the clinking wakes Twilight
“Hmhuur-rifling twists?” she mumbles
>you get a half-grin, half scowl; you’ve doomed another one to gun nuttery
“Afternoon, Twi,”
>you throw her a little box of orange juice
>she rears back a little, eyes opening wide at the sudden missile headed for her sleepy little face
>she catches it with magic before she gets a carton corner imprint in her forehead
“Careful!” she quips
“At least you’re awake now,” you say with a cheeky grin.  “Speaking of that, you might not want to fall asleep in that box of Noslers, I don’t think lead is good for your health,”
>she casts a glance at the box of thirty caliber projectiles, her juice box floating nearby as she absent-mindedly pokes the straw through the little plastic foil opening
>you’d been working with her on how to imbue bullets with magical properties
>it’s pretty fascinating; Twilight is an expert in magic and you knew your way around ammunition pretty well
>she’d think of things that you would have never imagined with her magic while you could explain to her how these things were made, what they were made of and what they went through when fired
>this often brought on more little epiphanies from the magical pony
“Oh yeah…  Where were we?  I remember having trouble keeping the fire burst spell from going off when the bullet was supposed to swage in the rifling.  After that, I don’t really remember,”
>with pride, you smile at how she’s learning so fast
“We’ll have to pick this up a bit later.  I have some business at the lab, but it shouldn’t take too long.  How about we try some more after supper?”
>you do want to stay in and keep fiddling with spell-enhanced gun food, but duty calls
>oh the possibilities
>explosions, enhanced penetration, virtually nonexistent air drag spells, tracers that don’t work both ways, bullets that made targets shit themselves…
>you rub your face to stay focused on the task at hand
“Sounds good, but I still don’t see why you think loss of bowel control would be usefu—
“I’ll explain later, gotta go.  Take care now, bye bye then!”
>you hurry out the door before you have to try convey how demoralizing it would be for an opposing force to deal with wounded or deceased members that have all shat themselves
>or how hard it is to continue fighting with a gunshot wound when your lower intestines are being emptied by the force of a thousand magical laxatives
>you ignore the slightly confused and indignant protests of your purple friend and continue down the well-kept roads to the Castle
>it’s cloudy out; not a common sight in most of Equestria’s populated areas
>you’re still thrown off by how weather here isn’t a forecast
>they don’t guess, they schedule
>who would have known that Back to the Future’s future in real life wouldn’t have any of this, yet a bunch of magical, fluffy little horses would be able to keep the skies clear or the ground wet whenever they want
>you get to the Castle before it starts raining
>now you’re a little worried
>clouds in the sky were usually taken care of
>maybe some weather duty pony got lazy or didn’t call in for a sick day
>but rain like this, in Canterlot?
>somepony is going to get reamed right the fuck proper…
>you wave past the usual guards who also seem to raise an eyebrow at the surprise sky water
>turning a corner to the lab, you sense a strange ominous feeling work its way up your neck
>maybe it’s the petrichor, maybe it’s that eerie glow from under the lab door, maybe it’s the humming noise
>that doesn’t exactly spell “all is well”, in most cases
>you creep up and look into the lock hole
>if something is going on in there, you didn’t want to burst it and wreck some delicate process
>you just see Graphs and Tan chucking paper airplanes at each other
>you walk in, rolling your eyes, barking
“I SEE EQUESTRIA’S TAX DOLLARS ARE HARD AT WOR-
>you stop the snide remark when you see the source of the glow and hum
>Graphs takes an airplane to the snout but quickly recovers, saying
“Anon!  We were just…  About to contact you,”
>he doesn’t seem too sure about that last part
>you don’t really care either way and regardless of all that, you don’t even really know what you’re looking at
>there’s a large, roughly cylindrical chamber taking up a third of the lab
>it’s against the back corner to the right
>it has tree-like elements; the support beams are like large branches, there are pulsating, thick vines connecting various parts of it together
>the main chamber is bulging, held together by the knotty tree limbs
>from it comes that bluish light
>you don’t really know where the humming comes from and you probably wouldn’t understand the explanation
>above it are three floating crystals, half as big as you are
>slowly spinning, reflecting and refracting the cold light like a fancy disco ball
>it all looks very alien, very complicated and very expensive
>you wonder if Tan needs it all to be that way or if he is just showing off
“Anon.  I was wasting time with Dr. Graphs while the Changeling cure is performing a standard float point operation test.  We’ll need a few more things before the device is ready for implementation,”
>seems that the insectoid plant alien has no real problems admitting that some jobs just require a few hours of sticking your thumbs up your ass for everything to go smoothly
>or hooves
>or long, chitinous appendages, a few of which end in scythes
>did Roots even have anuses?
>you rub your chin while you wrestle with this important issue some more
>the glowing device grabs your attention
>maybe it should have a name
>in any case, they need more things for their fancy doodad to work
>you’re starting to wonder how much more crazy worlds you’d have to go through to finish this cure
“What kind of things?  If you tell me I have to get more moss from that shit hole world I’ll seriously consider slapping you then going to that time reality again so I can slap you once more, but backwards,”
>Tan’s antennas flourish as he deftly makes another paper airplane
>you were starting to associate that colorful antenna display with a feeling not unlike that of foreboding
>his large-jointed fingers fold the paper neatly and intricately, creasing it precisely with their clawed ends
“That won’t be necessary.  You shouldn’t have to leave this reality, for the most part.  I assure you that no moss collecting will be involved,”
>you stretch a little, crossing your fingers behind your head as you relax
“Oh good.  What do I have to get, then?”
>Tan pauses for a second, his antennas blinking and then exploding in a myriad of colors
>now you just have a bad feeling about this
“You’ll need to head north to fresh water streams and gather a dark green, fuzzy algae that grows on shale,”
>Graphs tries in vain to stop you as you grab a chair and run after Tan
>that damned five-limbed excuse for a space bonsai skitters away, his speakers tinning away a hurried reply
“Do be careful, there’s fragile equipment in here.  We also require a yeti beast,”
>you fling the chair at him, hoping to catch him in his little plated domecase
>sadly, you’re throwing something at a Root and they tend to have more eyes than limbs, and limbs aren’t something they’re lacking
>the dark, homogenously colored spheres on his head track the object with ease
>Tan’s leg bends upwards with a cartilaginous cluck and snatches the spinning furniture piece, twirling it safely back to the floor
>you shiver at a quick wet crunching noise coming from what should be his knee joint popping back into place
“A yeti?  Like the big white giant monster things?” you ask, grimacing
>Graph looks like a scared cat as all the hair on his back stands up after seeing that display of double-jointedness
“Not exactly; from what Dr. Graphs tells me, yetis are gentle creatures that can control temperatures from a distance with perfect accuracy.  My homeworld used to simply grow a microwave array and chill the rest of the device to three kelvin, but this would be almost impossible here,”
“Okay.  Find a yeti, bring it back, and get you that rock algae.  Sounds simple enough; can’t you get some intern to scrape moss?  I’m sure there’s bound to be a pony with a tuff of green vegetation tattooed on his ass or something,”
>Tan hunches back down in a three legged sitting position, a bit like a symmetrical flat footed squat
>Graphs fidgets a little, taking over
“The problem is that the north isn’t really the safest place at the moment.  It’s quite cold, the ground can be treacherous to tread on, and there are many dangerous creatures there,”
>you exhale
“So it’s a dangerous path to a dangerous goal and since I made a mess in the first place, it’s only fair that I should be the one to clean it up, I get it,”
“Anon, it’s actually just that we have to stay here to ensure that the device doesn’t malfunction or anything.  We would have taken care of it ourselves if it had been possible.  There aren’t too many spare guards at the moment either…”
“It’s fine, it’s fine, I’ll deal with it.  I think it’s about time I started doing my part again,”
>you rub the back of your neck
>it leaves a bad taste in your mouth when you think about how you pretty much started all this
>the vast majority of the ponyfolk are aware that it was just a bad coincidence that you happened to land in their universe
>and that your travels just happened to attract a hostile species
>maybe it would be easier to deal with if they all just hated you
>you joke around the issue, you try to forget it, you drink a little here and there
>but it doesn’t matter
>you know that you just have to deal with the choices you made, regardless of the circumstances
>you turn to walk out of the blue-shifted, buzzing laboratory
>Graph’s white mane looks almost electric in this light and you can see that he’s about to say something
>you cut him off before he’s even started
“Oh, is it you guys that are making it rain outside?”
>the doctor’s expression changes, looking a little dumbstruck, then glancing over at the hunched over alien
>the latter explains
“Yes, the environmental effects should subside soon,”
“I think you might want to inform somepony next time that happens, you wouldn’t want a pegasus to lose his job or something,” you reply as you leave
>as you leave, the white-haired doc goes back to his charts, thinking about how there’s something he forgot to do or something he forgot to say
>you leave the castle mulling things over
>shoving your hands in your pockets, you head back to your apartment
>you don’t really know the northern Equestrian regions too well so you’ll probably have to find a guide
>maybe Twilight or Dash know the north a little better or perhaps they know a pony who does
>you’ll be able to ask the purple one this evening
>in the meantime, you’ll get your stuff ready and probably try to find where Rainbow is
>finding Dash turns out to be very easy
>you spot her in a shouting match with a team of weather ponies about a furlong straight up
“EY DASH!” you shout, waving with both arms
>you see her put her hooves up, looking exasperated and then flying down over to you
“Anon, thank Celestia	!  I thought I’d never get to get them off my back.  They’ve been breathing down my neck all day over this weather-
“Yeah that’s actually not your fault; Tan and the Doc have been working on the changeling cure, they said it should stop messing with the weather soon,”
>she rolls her eyes and lands with a huff
“Darn eggheads, to think I was out today for like two hours trying to clear the skies,”
“Speaking of eggheads, they still need a couple things before all this changeling cure business is finally dealt with.  Mind giving me a hoof?”
>she rubs her chin for a few seconds
“I don’t see why I couldn’t, unless you’re planning on stabbing yourself again,”
>you chuckle, saying
“Damn, I’ll have to reschedule Thursday…”
>it’s her turn to laugh
“Honestly though, apparently they need some random bullshit again found up north.  Know anypony that could help me out with that?  Keep in mind that it might not be a walk in the park,”
>you start walking towards your apartment as Dash raises an eyebrow in thought
“Hmmm…  I’ve flown north a few times, but not too far.  I wouldn’t mind tagging along if we’re going to do some real adventuring this time…  I don’t really know of anypony that’s from there, actually."
>your pace is slow and relaxed, matching Rainbow’s
“Ya know, we could ask Vinyl, she has a bunch of contacts and I’m sure at least one of them could point us in the right direction.  You know her pretty well, right?”
>you didn’t think of that
>where’s Vinyl anyway?
“That a pretty good idea, Dash.  Is she still back at her club?”
>the psychedelic pegasus narrows her eyes pensively
“I’m not sure.  I’ll go look around town.  Meet ya back at your pad?”
“You bet.  Thanks a lot,”
>she takes off with a cocky wink and a nonchalant wave of her hoof
>you shove your hands in your pockets once more and finish the short walk to your little place
>once there, you feel that familiar frame of mind
>that habit of preparing your stuff for another escapade, of sorts
>it’s all about the little things
>taking the essentials, but not being overburdened
>you pack up emergency items like a mylar blanket, warm underwear, survival kits and rations
>a couple of trusty knives, a wire saw, plenty of kindling and fire-making supplies like matches, lighters, lighter fluid, magnesium bars and strikers
>since the conditions were likely going to be harsh and probably end up being horrible, you grab the trusty CZ Safari in .450 Rigby
>it was made for reliability in disastrous conditions
>you didn’t want it any oil or grease to freeze up and seize the action up if it got really cold
>you end up giving it a detail strip, a complete degrease, and a reassembly
>you wrap a couple strips of electrical tape over the muzzle to stop snow from falling into the barrel
>you pack fifty rounds of copper solids and fifty rounds of controlled expansion jacketed soft points
>that should be good enough, there aren’t many things that can shrug off those elephant-killing rounds
>you wrap it in a waterproof sock with holes for the sling, to keep humidity or rain off it until it got cold
>you give the same treatment to your sidearm, minus the tape
>you load up three mags of Hornady Critical Duty for it
>with a content, relaxed sigh, you sit back in your couch and go through your mental checklist once more
>water, food, guns, ammo, small tent, bedding stuff
>it did add up to a fair bit of gear and you aren’t getting any younger
>the good thing is that you don’t need to pack all that much water, just a bit more fuel for the lightweight stove
>fitting all the stuff in your old but still serviceable internal frame backpack, you’re happy that it all fits and weighs in just under a quarter of your weight
>right about perfect, actually
>with the gear ready, you double check the suit and the guns before getting some late lunch
>you’re making grilled cheese when there’s knocking at the door
>you open it, not sure if it’s Twilight coming early or if Dash’s back from her errand
“Vinyl?”
>pleasant surprise
“What’s up, Ace?  You never write, you never call, then you send Rainbow to ask me stuff,”
>behind the joking demeanor, you can tell that Vinyl is a little concerned
>if not miffed
>you wave her in, Dash a few feet behind, looking awkward
“Sorry, long story…  Happy to see you, though,”
>you clear some couch space, telling them to make themselves comfortable
“I have some free time, if you want to hang out a little.  I don’t mind hearing that long story,”
“No problem.  Want anything to drink?”
“I could use a beer or something, actually,”
>you grab a few cold ones, hand them to Vinyl and Rainbow, and sit down in your recliner
“So how’ve you been, Scratch?  Last I heard, you were doing good business in that club of yours,”
>she tilts her head back, taking long drags of her drink before sighing and sinking into the couch
“Much better now, and business is pretty darn good.  Had a long night, there was a bachelor party and I haven’t been able to sit down in like…  Forever…  Enough about me though, what’s been goin’ on that’s kept you away from the best DJ in Equestria?”
>you put your beer down and sit back, scrolling through the memories
>last you’d really seen her was quite a while ago, but you think you know where to start
“First, I’d like to thank you again for helping me out back there with those favors for that party,”
>a smile grows on Dash’s face, you can just hear her remember the flights she had with the Wonderbolts that evening
>you go from there, trying to cover the events leading you to today
>Rainbow has a lot of fun reenacting some particularly cool moments
>a few beers down, you flick a light on as the sun slowly makes its way down
>you continue retelling them a particular evening where you were invited to a fancy dinner
“You…  You fought with Princess Luna?  Again?  You actually punched her?”
>Rainbow and Vinyl were practically mirroring each other, hooves against their faces in exasperation and disbelief
“Hey, it’s what we agreed on-
>you’re interrupted by a knock at the door
>probably Twilight
“Hey Anon,”
>you’re happy to get a break from all that storytelling, but you do need to get to the point sooner rather than later
“Hi, Twilight.  Come in, take a seat,”
>you notice that Spike is behind her, keeping up with a little jog
“Hey Spike, long time no see,”
“Anon, it’s good to see you again, how are you doing?”
>you bend down to fist bump the little dragon
>Twilight canters in, closing the door behind Spike and her with a habitual magical glow
“What’s up, Rainbow?  Oh, hello, you must be miss Scratch, right?”
“Just call me Vinyl,”
“I’m Spike, it’s nice to meet you,”
“Likewise, I never met a dragon before,” she replies, smiling
“Come on Twi, Anon’s giving us some storytime!  Take a seat,” says the stoked bluefast
>you sit back down
>you quickly fill in Twilight and Spike before continuing regardless of how she’s facehoofing enough to leave marks
>the baby dragon, however, is all ears, mouth agape with wonder
“Where was I…  Oh right, I was talking about Luna and I, that time we ended up beating each other’s faces in,”
>after that, Rainbow and the purple unicorn were able to add their side of that time you went to the reality where time went backwards
>you had no idea that it messed with Twilight’s mind so much
>you had no idea that messing with Twilight could be so hilarious
>you had no idea that she could hit you upside the head that hard for laughing
“That’s…  That’s quite the tale.  Heck, Anon, you should call me up more often, my life sounds so boring now,” replies Vinyl after it all
“Twilight never lets me tag along when it’s adventure time with Anon…” says Spike, looking downtrodden
>you didn’t really blame the bookworm, your colorful language alone should stop you from spending time near children
>you stretch back
“It’s not as glamorous as it sounds, you know.  A lot of the time, you just end up with a sore back, scraping moss off rocks.  Oh right, so all that pretty much leads me to today; the eggheads need some more supplies to help out the Changelings, and they say its stuff that’s up north.  I was wondering if you knew ponies that live up there or something,”
>Vinyl puts her bottle down and furrows her brow in concentration
“Ya know, I’m not too sure.  Let me think…  North, hmmm,”
>a few moments pass, and she slowly says
“I think I’ll have to ask some outdoorsy types I know,”
>you’re about to open your mouth when a fiery scroll appears in front of Twilight, burning in reverse and settling in her magical grasp
“That’s darn neat, that is,” says the DJ
“What’s it say, Twi?” asks Rainbow
>there’s a pause as Twilight’s eyes go from surprise, to curiosity, to something like intense worry
“Dash, we’ll have to cut this evening a little short,”
>the tiny dragon seems to glow with bravery, jumping onto Twilight’s back like a knight heading into battle
>you’re already on your feet, leaving Vinyl to look around in confusion
“What’s going on?  What’s up?” she asks
“Princess Celestia requires my presence,” replies Twilight
“Does the letter say what’s going on?” you query
>Twilight slowly looks at you
“She didn’t say much, actually.  That time is of the essence, and that it’s to be my final task as her student.  It also mentions that this exam is taking place up north,”
>there’s a thin line between duty and panic
>you feel like Twilight’s balanced between the two on a razor’s edge, tipping towards panic
“Sorry there Scratch, we’ll have to talk later,”
>the white and blue unicorn cocks an eyebrow, saying
“Hey, wait up!  I want to help,”
“If you can get me someone that knows the north, that would be awesome,” you reply
“Vinyl, it was great meeting you, I hope we get to hang out again.  I really need to get my things ready…  At the library… Right away,” says Twilight, waving goodbye before vanishing in a puff of pink sparkles
>those last few words were ragged, escaping her grit teeth under those bugged out eyes
“I think I’ll get the rest of the gang down here; if Twilight’s going north, so are we.  Anon, you’re coming too right?  You have to go there anyway,” asks Rainbow
“Yep.  I’ve even got all my stuff ready to go,”
>the blue pegasus throws you a salute, looking focused
>Dash blurts out a hurried “bye” to Vinyl before flying out the window, fast enough to knock off some reloading books from the shelves nearby
“Geez, this sounds pretty serious…  I’ll get on my contacts right away.  I guess you’re also heading to the Castle?”
>you nod
“Yep, I’m sure I can be of some use to Twilight or the Princesses.  I’m going north too, so maybe we can kill two birds with one stone,”
>she trots towards the door
“See you soon, Anon,”
>you make sure you have everything ready before making your way to the Canterlot Castle
>the guards salute with an especially stiff vigor as you walk by
>you walk across the halls before coming to the main hall’s boldly decorated doors
>Spike is already before the large, ornate portal
>standing in a tense silence next to the little dragon, you can make out that Celestia and another pony, probably Twilight, are talking inside
>you can’t really make out what they’re saying, even with your hearing at maximum
>you stand for a while, feeling awkward and straining to make out words
>the guard scares the crap out of you when he’s prompted to open the doors
>Twilight walks out, and Spike approaches her
“Ah, Twilight! That was fast, let me guess, you got a perfect score!”
>she just hangs her head
“A-?” he asks
>Twilight’s downtrodden demeanor doesn’t change
“B+?”
>the purple unicorn’s face remains the same as she puts her books down
>you’re impressed by how many books she can carry and by how fast she managed to gather them from the Canterlot Library
“Twilight…  Did you…  Fail?”
>Spike stands by her side, looking like a kid that doesn’t know how to cheer up his mom
“I was ready for anything when I walked into that hall.  I know magic and friendship, I could have passed any test.  But…”
>both Spike and you hang on the word
“But I wasn’t prepared for this.  Princess Celestia’s given me a mission and it’s not like anything I’ve ever thought of doing,”
>she sighs, looking up at the stars
“Twilight, do you need anything?” you ask
>she just tilts her head to the side, acknowledging your question
“I’m okay, it’s just a lot to take in all at once.  I just hope I’m not going to be a disappointment, it’s my final task and I have no idea if I’ll fail…”
>it doesn’t sound like Equestria is at war, so you’re a little relieved
>a few moments pass in an uncomfortable silence
>you try to break it gently
“Rainbow’s gone to get the rest of our friends; they’ll probably be at the train station in the morning.  We should get you ready,”
>she nods slowly
“So, what exactly aren’t you prepared for, anyway?” asks Spike
>Twilight’s usual determination seems to surface
“Celestia and Luna have given me the task of helping protect the Crystal Empire,”
>you look at her blankly, but expect Spike to go “Oh yeah!” or something
“The ‘what now?”
>looks like Spike doesn’t know of it either
“Apparently it vanished long ago, and that’s why it isn’t well known.  My brother and Cadence have already been sent there,”
>Spike hops on her back as you all start walking towards her place
“So this Crystal Empire vanished and now it’s back?  What do you have to protect it from, anyway?” you ask
“Apparently, an evil unicorn took it over more than a thousand years ago, becoming a tyrannical king that enslaved his own ponies.  This King Sombra was defeated and banished by the Princesses, but not before he cursed the Empire, making it disappear.  There’s a strong magic in the Crystal Empire, and it has to be kept safe,”
“Got any idea how you’ll do that?”
“Princess Celestia told me that if the Crystal ponies are full of hope and love, that the Empire will be able to protect itself.  However, if fear and hate fall upon the inhabitants…”
>her voice trails off
>it’s pretty clear that magic is a fairly moody thing, so a kingdom full of angry, scared ponies that all have powerful magic to their whim might not be the best thing for everyone
“I think I get it.  I should probably come along; I might be able to help.  I have to go in that direction anyway,”
>she nods, smiling
“I’ll be happy to have you by my side, Anon.  I’ll get my things, we’ll meet up tomorrow morning at the train station,”
>you wave goodbye, heading back towards your place
>at least you’re already packed up
>you pretty much have nothing to do but relax with another beer and fall asleep
>with a comfortable buzz that helps you calm down and get rid of pre-adventure jitters, you drift off to sleep
>morning comes soon enough
>you put on warm long underwear, your suit, and backpack
>you check your guns and once your pistol secured in its holster and socked rifle is slung, you depart
>you’ve gotten used to the funny looks you get
>thankfully, they’re more curiosity than anything now
>you meet up with Twilight easily enough
>the train from Ponyville arrives before you can finish your little breakfast
>say what you will about train food, but the cafe at this train stations serves really mean eggs
>muffins are good too
>ponies leave the train in a steady stream until you see an especially colorful quartet nearly explode off the cart
>they trot forth in formation, looking grim and determined
>mostly
>Pinkie is still bounding in on a four-hoofed gait
>Fluttershy seems to be afraid of scratching the trainyard floor, while being scared of flying
>the cotton candy pony bursts into barely contained excitement
>you feel like you should commend her for staying this calm as she greets you without simply exploding into candy and confetti
“Hey Twilight and Spike, hey Anon, it’s so nice to see you guys again, I mean finally!  I know you were all super busy and you’re going to move to New Ponyville soon but I missed you all so much, and now we’re going off together just like old times, this is so great,”
>Pinkie continues to talk as you rub her fluffy pink head and catch up with the rest of the gang
>Rarity and Fluttershy say hello, and Applejack just tips her hat at you, smiling
>they look as cool as a girly A-Team could ever look.  Regardless, behind the fluffy pastel exterior, you know they could clear a small city of any foe with their magical power
>you look at them, a little fascinated by the concept of appearing to be a kid’s plush toy to maintain an element of surprise
>maybe you should paint your suit bright pink…
>you decide against it
>last time you painted your suit, it had been a total bitch to clean off
>Applejack walks next to you as you all start heading towards the next train
 “So yer movin’ ta New Ponyville soon, raight?  It’s been mighty quiet without y’all over there.  Havin’ a new barn is nothin’ ta complain about though,” she starts over Pinkie’s continuing rambles
>you notice Fluttershy’s mouth is moving but she’s so quiet, you wonder if she’s even moving air through her vocal cords
“What’s that, dear?” asks Rarity
>the white unicorn does have a good eye for details
“I…  I was, ummm, wondering where Mr. Tan was,” she asks, barely audibly
>you turn to Applejack first
“As soon as we finish the cure for the Changelings, I’ll be moving to New Ponyville.  That’s also why Tan isn’t here,”
>you then turn to Fluttershy
“He’s got his many limbs full back at the lab, so he can’t exactly come along today,”
>even if she cowers instinctively, she nods and thanks you, smiling
>well, you assume she thanked you, if your lip reading isn’t completely off
>you realize how big your smile is as the lot of you trot into the other train heading north
>you feel a little bad for the bunch, they’ve been cooped up in a train most of the night
>they barely had a chance to stretch their legs when they need to go back into a cabin again
>Rainbow doesn’t seem to mind
>making the trip to New Ponyville as fast as she did last night was impressive
>so she really just wants to go lay back down
>even if there’s undoubtedly a mountain of peril ahead, you can’t help but be happy to stand at the center of this little group of tiny horses
>you’re chucking your backpack on, boarding the cart when you hear galloping hoofsteps
“Anooon!”
>you look back to see Vinyl, sprinting as the train starts moving
“Vinyl?  Is everything okay?” you yell over the engine’s chattering steam engine revving up
>she catches up as the train lurches forward even faster
“I found you a guide, she’ll meet you at the Equestrian outpost an hour past the last stop north, I told her what you look like so she’ll find you no problem,” she hollers
>the train chugs faster, blowing steam
“Thanks, Vinyl, I owe you one!  What’s her name?” you scream
“Whaaaat?”
“What’s her naaaame?”
>the train is picking up a lot more speed, and with that comes even more noise
“Her naaame?  It’s-
[spoiler]I’M A TRAIN[/spoiler]
CHOOOOOOO-CHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
[spoiler]SUCK MY DIIIIICK[/spoiler]
>the train’s fucking horn cuts her off, and so does the end of the trainyard floor
>with the electric-colored DJ shrinking in the distance, you can only hope that whatever pony Scratch had found would be able to recognize you
>you do stand out compared to pretty much every other creature in Equestria, so you quickly stop worrying about it
>you stow your gear and head towards a cabin down the hall
>you assume that’s where they are, it’s the only one that’s lit up
>there are little footsteps behind you, so you turn to face them
“What was that all about?” ask Spike
>he’s one of the last ones to jump on the train before you, he must have heard the yelling
“Vinyl was just telling me she found me a guide up north,”
>you resume your walk to the cabin with the little dragon at your side
“Ah, that’s cool.  Got any idea who it is?”
“That was why we were yelling, the train cut us off before I heard the name,”
>you open the cabin door
>you bring the others up to speed, squeezing between Pinkie and Rarity
>even if it’s a little cramped, the temperature outside is plummeting at an impressive rate and the cabin is already getting chilly
“So if it’s possible, I’ll be able to find what I need with that guide after we see Twilight’s mission through,”
“That’s powerful comfortin’ ta hear, ya really don’t want to be caught up here without somepony that knows their way around,” comments Applejack
>she nestles between Rainbow and Twilight
“Hey, what are you doing with my wing?” asks the colorful pegasus
>Applejack seems to be using Rainbow’s wing as a blanket
“Yer hoggin’ up all the warm under those things.  Share a little,”
>Spike is already under Fluttershy’s, but it doesn’t look like it’s his idea
>he tries to escape but gives up fairly quickly; the warmth is quite welcome
“Just don’t yank on those flight feathers, they’re sensit-OW!”
“Whoops, mah bad,”
>Rarity’s eyes roll back so far at her friend’s shenanigans that they seem to vanish against her white coat
>Pinkie’s just practically vibrating with excitement
>or cold
>you wonder if that’s why she isn’t saying much, with how hard her jaw is chattering, she’d probably bite her tongue
>you throw an arm around her
“T-t-t-t-thanks Anon,”
>time to break out the mylar early
>you reach up into your pack, unfolding the tin foil-like material from something the size of two deck of cards to a blanket that covers you all
“What the hay is this stuff, Anon?”
“It’s a heat reflecting material from my old world.  Really useful when you want to pack light but you need to keep warm,”
>under the mirroring material, the chattering and shivering slows until leisurely chatting takes its place
>they all know that there’s bound to be trouble ahead, but for now, in this moment, all is well
“So what’s all this about, exactly?  All I’ve been told is that Twilight has an important task ahead and we should support her.  I, of course, have no issue with that, but since we’re all comfortable now, it would be nice to hear a few details on this situation we’re in,” says Rarity
>Twilight clears her throat
“I’m so happy to see you all, and I’d like to thank you again for helping me without a second thought,”
>Dash raises a hoof
“We wouldn’t have it any other way,”
>Rarity, Applejack, Fluttershy, and Pinkie comment in turn
“With no regrets, darling,”
“You betcha, we stuck to ya since the beginin’, we ain’t about ta stop,”
“I don’t know if I’ll be useful, but I’ll do anything I can,”
“YAY FRIENDSHIP!”
>you clamp a hand over your mouth to stop from drowning in all the cute
>Twilight’s almost tearing up
“I got your back, Sparks,” you chip in
>she retains her composure, starting
“Well, it seems that the Crystal Empire has returned,”
>Twilight’s horn glows, a magical map forming in the air over the shiny blanket
>you can make out Canterlot in the translucent, glowing display
“This has to do with the Crystal Empire; a forgotten realm that was cursed by a tyrannical unicorn of great power very long ago.”
>she brings up the Empire, a hexagonal shaped land with a large pillar-shaped tower at the center
“This King Sombra enslaved his own people to mine crystals for his personal gain.  The princesses fought him off and sealed him away, but not before he managed to curse the kingdom he enslaved, making it vanish under the ice,”
>Twilight’s horn flashes, bringing images of a large unicorn in colorful garbs
>nasty looking fellow, he looked more like a mad dog than a unicorn
 “I can’t wait to see what the Crystal Empire is like, it sounds absolutely beautiful,” says Rarity in a dreamy voice
>Pinkie’s head pops out from under the crinkling blanket
“Like this stuff?  My face is like, broken up into a thousand million dozen of little Pinkie bits!  I wonder what they eat over there,”
>you sit back and smile
>the conversations slows as ponies drop like flies, falling asleep in the crunching mylar
>you wake up when the train stops abruptly, almost knocking you off your seat
>you release Pinkie and Rarity
>the latter looks up at you with a bit of concern as you set her down
“Anon, darling, I thought you didn’t have those dreadful nightmares anymore,”
“I don’t, I guess it’s just a bad habit…”
>Pinkie bounces back into your arms
“It’s not that bad, he’s warm!”
>Rarity giggles lightly, then starts shivering
>you fold away the stuff you’d taken out, packing it up again properly
>Twilight’s already up, helping her friends to their hooves
“No time to lose,”
>your friends don’t stay groggy for long, the cold really wakes everyone up
>Rarity hands out scarves like she’s a cantering “free samples” booth
>she wraps one around your neck with magic
“Thanks, but I don’t really need one, this suit is good to minus ei-
“Nonsense, I made it just for you.  It even manages to match that…  Outfit of yours,”
>she says this with a wave of her little white hoof
>you put your helmet on before your nose falls off
>the scarf has a bit of a tiger stripe camouflage pattern to it, so it did look good with the suit
>not that woodland tiger stripe camouflage would be very useful in a white, snowy environment
>however, with ponies being all the colors of the rainbow and even rainbow colored, you consider that in this world, camouflage might simply be overrated
“Thanks, Rarity, it’s pretty cool.  I’ll take good care of it,”
>Twilight trots by, checking the cabin for anything anypony might’ve forgotten
“Let’s go, the Crystal Empire’s waiting,” she says, looking pumped
>outside, the weather is going from bad to worse
>dark clouds roll in, pushing aside clouds that were already rather ominous
>it’s already snowing, and the winds just keep getting more intense
>you start a slow jog, keeping up with the trotting pace of the small ponies with their shorter legs
>you feel that pack weighing you down
>there’s a figure in the distance as the snow begins to make visibility drop more and more
>it’s a pony, a unicorn to be exact
>a familiar one
“Shining?” asks Twilight
>the unicorn moves down a sun visor from his eyes and a scarf from his snout with magic
“Twily!”
>Twily?
>you met Twilight’s brother before during the war, but only in passing
>at the time, he was keeping a shield around Ponyville in place, so you didn’t really get to speak to him
>you just hope your pokerface holds and you don’t lose every single ounce of your shit to that little nickname he has for Twilight
“Shining, it’s so good to see you,” she replies, hugging him
“There’s no time, we have to get to the Empire before dark,” he says hurriedly
>the winds pick up as snow falls harder and harder
“Let’s just say there are things out here we really don’t want to run into after dark,”
>his tone is low and deep
“What kind of things?” whispers Fluttershy, already squeaky with fright
“The Empire wasn’t the only thing that’s returned…”
>dark clouds make it feel like it’s nighttime already
>there’s a shiver that goes up your neck
>you all follow Shining as he guides you towards the Empire
“Something keeps trying to get in.  We think it’s the unicorn king who originally cursed the place” he shouts over the rising winds
>Twilight looks confused
“But Princess Celestia said I was sent here to protect the Empire.  If King Sombra can’t get in, then it must already be protected,”
>the winds howl, but something howls back, cutting Twilight’s train of thought short
>you turn to see those clouds forming into a shape, like a unicorn’s head
>two glowing eyes seem to shine brightly in the black, cloud-like figure
“We have to get to the Crystal Empire, right now!” yells Shining
>the winds pick up even more, you feel like you’re losing grip in the hard packed snow
>you’re but a few feet behind Fluttershy and Twilight, you can see Applejack, Rarity, Pinkie Pie and Rainbow all running beside you
“Go!  Go!”
“Almost there!”
>you slip, skidding to a knee, your hands flailing around as you try to regain your balance on this treacherous ground
>you bounce back to a full run, as fast as your backpacked frame can go
>but they’re gone, lost in the dull gray expanse
>you keep running where you think they’re going to be
>you see a bright flash to the right, and the faint shadow of Shining against the nearly opaque snowfall
>Twilight’s brother faces off with a gargantuan pillar of black smoke, surrounded by swirling winds, its eyes still glowing dangerously
>its outline is fuzzy, like a ghost or a spirit that’s holding itself together with pure spite
>you couldn’t hear anything, the wind is howling with the fury of a thousand banshees
>you can only see fuzzy shapes in the blinding snow, along with flashes of light
>you take a knee, ripping the sock off your rifle
>the dark shape’s glowing eyes dive forward, and the wind brings what sounds like Shining’s screams in the gray snow engulfing you
>you aim the simple peep sights at the origin of the glow, pushing the safety off
>it was harder to move than usual
>unlubricated metal just didn’t move as smoothly
>but you feel the click in your thumb, and putting that black front blade on the distant glow isn’t complicated
>you struggle to keep the rifle steady; even if aiming isn’t complicated, it’s damned hard with the wind rocking you hard enough to push the sights left and right
>the wind steadies, and you pull the trigger
>it breaks as you see the sights settle right where you want them
>you feel your shoulder being yanked back by a fast, hard blow
>the sights blur up as the recoil sends its wave of power through your shoulder, down your leg
>your eyes blur for a fraction of a second as the quick blow’s force moves your head a good inch in turn
>the rifle sent more than an ounce of copper jacketed, soft point lead at two and a half times the speed of sound towards the mystical foe
>over the howling winds, the ear-splitting crack-bang is all but lost
>you mostly feel it on your face and chest as a simple thump of air pressure
>this fraction of a second felt like much longer, and your foot slips from under you on the hard, icy snow
>you drop your left hand to the ground and retain your balance
>your right is occupied, holding the rifle and keeping the muzzle up off the ground so it doesn’t scoop up snow
>the ominous, purple glow subsides, but that doesn’t mean it’s over
>you yank on the cold, dry bolt handle, the extraction feeling rough and gritty in your gloved hands
>bare metal on metal, rubbing in the cold, trying to rip out a brass case that’s just been fired and formed to the chamber’s exact surface
>you pull the bolt open without having to unshoulder the stock, even if the harsh weather isn’t making it easy
>you feel a satisfying two step stop when the bolt is fully open
>the first being the case getting kicked out of the action, the second being the bolt coming to a full stop at the back of the receiver
>you push it forward again
>the controlled round feed strips a fresh round with ease, caring little for flecks of snow
>you simply aim for the center of the massive shadow and pull the trigger
>the dark mass seems to dissipate after the second shot
>the buttstock slips off your shoulder, you feed a few more soft points in the mag, close the bolt, and flick the safety back on
>you sit for a moment in the snow, shaking the adrenaline off, staring at the flurry around you
>it was like being swallowed in white noise
>air was coming through your filters, warmed up but still almost freezing
>you steady your breathing
>you can’t see or hear Shining Armor anymore
>there are no signs of Twilight or the others
>using the butt of the rifle to push yourself to your feet, you try to sharpen the contrast in your eye
>your hands move on their own, wrapping around the muzzle to warm the electrical tape, unwrapping a strip and putting it back over the muzzle
>you start walking, sharpened contrast in your eye making every snowflake a needlepoint in your vision
>you turn your hand on, seeing if you can feel anything out there
>you’re about to throw the sensitivity to maximum, hoping to get anything from your surroundings that may help you orient yourself when you almost gasp in surprise
>there’s something that had a large electromagnetic signature, much stronger than the planet’s magnetic field
>not yet strong enough to pull the metal off you or short your implants, but enough that your hand feels like it’s vibrating
>you can’t tell what it is as it simply maxes out your hand’s sensors, like a microphone getting feedback
>you turn the sensitivity down
>you flex your buzzing hand a little, feeling the intensity and wavelength
>it’s a pulsating field
>it’s THAT pulsating magnetic field
>you wave your left hand around, frantically searching for any other source of that pulsating wave of electromagnetism
>there’s just one, and it’s fading
>you’re happy that there’s just one signal, in a way
>getting farther away and getting weaker
>you keep your hand aimed towards it, mapping it out, getting as much information as you possibly can
>you open a window, making graphs of its patterns
>your heart’s pounding in your ears as you almost growl in panicked frustration when the signal vanishes
>how could those alien beings from another dimension have come here?
>what did it have to do with the Crystal Empire and that tyrannical unicorn king?
>you walk in the direction of the pulsating signal’s last known location, matching it with the magnetic compass your hand can give you
>you walk as fast as you can, rifle slung over and backpack feeling heavier than ever
>northeast
>you walk for a while, before running into an invisible wall
>shaking your head, you’re glad you had your visor down or you’d be nursing a flat nose right about now
>smacking it with your rifle butt, you see the wall glow with a bright purple flare
>you couldn’t feel any magnetism from it, even when putting your hand against it at maximum sensitivity
>you fire a round into it, with no effect
>just a bit brighter light show
>it’s probably magical, and it isn’t flat
>it looks like a large dome, and from what you remember of Celestia’s map, this should be where the Crystal Empire is
>you hope this protection is enough to keep that transdimensional being out, let alone King Sombra
>you rack your brains, wondering how in all of fuck that electromagnetic alien managed to come here
>they couldn’t have come back along with you or your party when you escaped their dimension, you made sure of that
>had they found a way to travel across realities?
>there’s also a cold possibility pouring ice water in your veins
>what if Luna and Celestia’s magic had sealed Sombra away not in ice, but in another dimension
>locked away in another reality, seeking a way back to Equestria
>you remember Twilight specifically saying how King Sombra had used his own people to gather crystals
>in the other reality, the only crystals that existed on the planet were gathered at one spot
>this is starting to sound like a pretty bad situation that just got worse
>you try to contact Tan, but he’s out of range
>you see if you can reach him over short wave, but the weather is really not letting anything through
>the magical shield is still closed off, and the train station is far away
>however, you aren’t too far from the outpost
>according to that map you took a picture of, it‘s northwest of here
>you walk along the magical dome, following the curve west until you could head north some more
>with your map aligned to your hand’s compass, finding your way isn’t too complicated
>but the thick snow, torrential winds and backpack don’t make it easy at all
>you finally come to the outpost
>”outpost” is a strong word
>a dozen shacks barely holding together, only a few of which seemed occupied
>you slowly start creeping down the little hill leading to it
>as careful as you try to be, your footing gives way
>predictably so, but there’s nothing you can do about it
>this slope was just too steep and slippery
>you try to dig your fingers but what isn’t hard ice is powdery snow
>before you know it, you’re on your stomach, heading down the slope head first
“FFFFFFUUUUUU-
CRASH
Owwww…”
>welp, that’s one way to enter a shack
>your everything hurts, but you’re still alive so you flip over to push yourself off the ground
>your visor is coated in snow, and before you can wipe it off you’re attacked by some fucking thing
“Get out, you freak!” says a low, but female voice
>then a shrieking battlecry, followed by blows that scrape over your armor, rattling you inside of it
>you try to get off your knees, but a particularly strong uppercut makes everything spin
“Gah!  Stop!” you cough, trying to not pass out
>you have your pistol out, but your hand is shaky and you don’t want to shoot some poor scared Equestrian guard or something
>thankfully, the hit knocked the snow off your visor so you aren’t blind anymore
>more importantly, whatever was using you as a personal punching bag has stopped
‘I don’t want to hurt you, stop hitting me,” you blurt, rolling back down on your side
>despite your vision spinning around, you can make out a strange creature over the pounding headache
>you put your pistol back in its holster
“Good…  I’ll just…  Stay here for a second,”
“Wait…  Are you that “thing” I’m supposed to help find a yeti up north?” asks the creature
>you blink and shake your head, slowly restoring your swimming eyes
“Yeah, I’m Vinyl’s friend…  You hit hard, like, ow…”
“If ya can’t hit hard, you won’t last very long up here.  What are you, anyway?”
>you sit up
“I’m Anon, a human,”
“Never heard of you or any hoo-mans.  You better tell Vinyl that we’re even after this; if I didn’t owe that dweeb so many bits, I wouldn’t be out here freezing my butt off…  I’m Gilda, by the way,”
>you extend a hand
“You’re a griffon, right?”
>she looks at your hand like it’s diseased
“Don’t touch me and don’t wonder off ‘cause I won’t go lookin’ for you.  We find the stuff you need, then I get you back to the train station.  That’s it.  Got it?”
>cheery little bugger
>you nod
“You’re the boss,”
>you pick up the faintest hint of a devious smile at the corner of her beak
>you get up, slowly
>you’re pretty bushed, but you still have stuff to do
>you notice her eyes going wide as you tower over her, head nearly touching the roof of the little shed
>she quickly looks away, unwilling to show any fear or awe
“Hey Gilda, I need to get a message back to Canterlot or the Crystal Empire,”
>she turns her head to you
“I don’t really care.  Are we getting that stuff now or are you going to sit here all day?  As far as I know, I’m not getting paid by the hour,”
>you feel like you pissed Vinyl off more than you thought you did
>maybe this “Gilda” is payback
“What if I pay you,”
>her ear twitches
“Fifty bits,”
>you can almost hear something in her head go “cha-ching”
“Seventy five,”
“Done,”
>she turns to look at you, almost jovially
“There should be a pegasus coming by the outpost tomorrow to bring supplies, you’ll be able to give them your message,”
>she extends a paw, her claws visible
>you notice large scratches on your suit
>yeeesh
>another mental note is created, entitled “keep suit on around griffons”
>you remember that you didn’t bring any bits
“Well, now you I owe you?”
>she huffs and turns away
“Fine, but you better pay up, or I’ll go after both you and Vinyl,”
>you make a mental note to pay Gilda before she starts clawing up your DJ
>you don’t want your pal and main source of income to get scratched
>then again, her name would be even cooler with a couple scars…
>you shake your head
>nope, nope, nope
“Relax, I’ll pay you myself when we get back.  No need to get anyone else involved,”
>she steps quietly towards the hole you made coming into the shack and hisses at the freezing wind
“This storm isn’t going to help at all; as much as I hate to admit it, we’ll have to wait it out a few hours,” she snarls
>you don’t mind all that much, you could use a bit of rest
>the shack isn’t very large
>simple twelve by twelve box with a door and a roof
>fire pit in the middle, ground covered in hay, haystacks to sleep on, and thick wool blankets folded in the corner
>in one corner, Gilda fishes through her own backpack
“Got any food?  And I don’t mean that sissy pony garbage; I mean real food,”
>you brought the arctic MREs you’d been saving up
>Gilda looks like a carnivore
>you wonder how well she can get along with the usual herbivores of Equestria
>looking through the preserved cartons, you find a tuna with noodles
>it’ll have to do, because you sure as hell aren’t eating that shit
>maybe if you were starving and it was either that or death
>then again, death isn’t that bad compared to tuna MREs
>you’ll keep the good meals for yourself, like that pork and rice in BBW sauce…
>thankfully, each meal packs a little over ten thousand calories, so giving her a dish wouldn’t make you starve
>you rip open the heater pack, throw it back in the box against the casserole sack and lean it on a rock or something
“What are you doing?”
>Gilda is staring at you with a raised eyebrow
“Relax, you’ll see in a few minutes.  It’s a meal that’s ready to eat, it even comes with a heater.  You’re lucky that I’m generous, there’s only a few of these in all of Equestria,”
>Gilda seems to ignore you, moving back some broken wall planks back in place, propping them up, and packing some snow to hold them in place
>she starts a fire, giving you a stink eye the entire time
>you snuffed it out when you dropped in, maybe you should be the one to light it back up again
>you move to bring some kindling towards the fire pit
>Gilda just opens a wing, blocking the way
“Buzz off, you’ll just mess it up again,” she growls
>fine then, miss grumpybeak, don’t accept free help
>you sit back down, stretching your sore muscles
“Will you stop staring at me?” she barks
>you recoil in surprise and some confusion
“What?  I’m not even looking in your direction!”
>her eyes are narrow and her head bobs a little side to side, examining you
“I can’t even tell where your eyes are on that freaky bug face of yours, so just point it some other way,”
>oh right, the helmet
“Relax, I’m not an insect or anything.  It’s a helmet,”
>you take the face plate off
>she just winces
“Uuugh, you’re even uglier on the inside!  Put it back on, creep,”
>you feel like you should have kept it on the entire time and acted more like a bug to scare her
>would have been fun, but oh well
>the hut doesn’t smell very good, and the cold air stings your eyes
>you’d also like to keep the warmth in your suit
>face plate now comfortably back on, you check the MRE
>should be just about ready
>you cut open the box, sticking the heater pack under the hay you’re sitting on
>no reason to waste a good heat source when your ass is getting cold
>you cut the dish bag open, leaving it in the box for support so it doesn’t spill everywhere
>the smell must have wafted over to that grumpy griffon, because you hear a few sniffs and her ears perk right up
“Here, try some.  It’s hot, so don’t burn your beak off,”
“Real funny, flat face,”
>talk about biting the hand that feeds you
>she bends down, carefully dipping a claw to try it out
>you see her eyes go wide and she snatches the boxed dish away, scurrying to the corner of the shed to consume it as quickly as possible
>she was starting to get on your nerves, but you were stuck with her for the time being
>grinning and bearing it sounds like the course of action that would be the easiest, so you stick to that
>for now
>you’re not hungry, but you unclasp your visor again and shove a powerbar in your mouth
>it takes a while to warm up and chew
>you wash it down with some water
>Gilda seems to be content, curled up on her haystack
>you sit back and relax a little, feeling better
>the winds seem to die down, slowly
>you peek outside through one of the broken wallboards
>to your surprise, you notice that the sun is nearly out and that it’s stopped snowing
“Hey Gilda, I think it’s clear outside,”
>she gets up, shaking off some hay that clung to her coat
>quietly, she props the shed door open a few inches
“Looks good, let’s go,”
>Gilda pushes the door opens and you follow her out