-
"ALL ABOARD!" Firestrider shouted, giving the coal one quick puff of flame from his horn to get it lit. Without hesitation, he hurried to the one car still connected to the engine and looked over at the supply of rockets he had in store. 'I hope there's enough to get us clear...' He thought. He grabbed a couple of the smaller rockets and made his way to the back of the car. "Alright, Lightning Dust! Let me know when we got bugs on our tail! I'll light a rocket, then you grab it and guide it home!" he called up to the pegasus. "Make sure you let go before these things blow, too. I don't want to see actual 'Lightning Dust' today, got it?"
-
Lightning rolled her eyes, then smirked and pat Firestrider's head. "But you are seeing the actual Lightning Dust, in action soon enough." She stood atop the fireworks cart and waited til there was any sign of Changelings, which might be soon enough as the smoke from the stack of the trial will most likely give them away. She held steady as the train started to slowly get up to speed. "Just watch me pal, I'm not your run of the middle pegasus ya know."
-
Charmcaster looked back at her new friends and smiled. Firestrider was honest and true. She could trust him to see them through. Then she looked up at lightening dust. Even though charmcaster was not a brave or reckless pony, lightening dust's bravery was catching, and charmcaster felt like she could do anything. As charmcaster checked the gauges, she realised how much the two had become to her. She never felt like this for anyone but family before. She felt she would lay down her life for them. 'we're making great time. We're nearing the guard post at the edge of canterlot. Once we're past that, we can run full speed. Hopefully, the changelings will stay away from us and we get out ok. The less rockets we have to use, the more we'll have once we have a game plan on fighting back.'
-
Lighting Dust watched the sky feeling good that there weren't any Changelings after them...yet. "Well, you' dbetter spped it up now, cuz we got company coming our way!" She saw a swarm heading for them in the distance. "I knew it wouldn't be long before they saw us. The smoke gave us away. Better start lighting some rocket's Strider, but save the big ones for later. I have an idea for in case of emergency."
-
Firestrider nodded and straightened his hat once again. "Let the games begin." he said. He went over to one of the smaller rockets and lit the fuse. After making sure it would stay lit, he grabbed it and tossed it up to Lightning Dust. "Let 'em have it!" he called up to the pegasus. He looked back to Charmcaster, who was busy keeping the engine going. 'I hope this works...' he thought.
-
'ok then, firestrider, use this to tie yourself down.' charmcaster said tossing him a rope after tying herself down. 'leave enough room to move so you can do what is needed. If i am to put the train at high speed, we need to be anchored. Lightening dust can fly, so she's safe, but if we fly out going around the curves too fast, we will be safe.' charmcaster shoved more coal into the furnace causing the fire to burn hotter and the train to go faster. 'ok that should do it. All we can do is pray that we don't run out of water.'
-
Lightning Dust grabbed the rocket and held on as it took off, saving her strength and using her wings to lazily guide the rocket at the Changelings. "Present for ya!" she lets go of the rocket, hitting a Changeling as it pushed it back into a small group and exploded. "aw yeah, good start!" She dives down quickly, landing back on the cart. "Ready for more when you are Firestrider!"
-
Charmcaster started to go through her saddle bag and took out a canteen, took off the lid and held it up to lightening. 'here lightening, have some. It'll help you out. It's a tea my grandmother made me. I get tired hiking. It helps pick me up when I'm tired.'
-
Lightning Dust took the canteen from Charmcaster and down a swig of it's contents. "Ugh, that tastes weird, but it did help, thanks." She tossed the canteen back to her and stood ready. "Alright, ready when you are Strider."
-
Firestider finished anchoring himself down and lit another rocket. "Let them have it, Lightning!" he said. He looked over at Charmcaster and said, "Don't use too much of that Charmcaster, we might need it later." He looked at the swarm that was rising from Canterlot. 'I hope all of that isn't for us...' he thought, 'If it is...we may have to think of a new plan...stat.'
-
Lightning Duat grabbed hold of the next rocket, letting it take off and carry her up again as she guided it right into another group of Changelings and let it go. "Aw yeah! Take that you buggers!" She flew back down quickly preparing for another rocket assault. "Think this is the most fun I've had all day!" She laughed heartily.
-
Charmcaster grins at firestrider. 'i have a nice sized bag of tea leaves and herbs in my saddle bag. It's the mixture for the tea in the canteen. I was planning on a week in canterlot, so my grandmother made sure i had plenty. I love my granny right now. Ok we're about to pass the guard post. If we can get past the tunnel, we'll be safe. The changelings will want to stay near their food source, if my granny was right about her stories.' charmcaster said rechecking the train gauges. Soon, the guard post comes into view and charmcaster looks back briefly to see everything is working out. 'it's funny, i go to canterlot looking for treasures and i get friends. If i can call you Guys my friends.' charmcaster says. A screeching fills the engine room as the furnace strains with the intense heat and a bolt flies loose towards firestrider. Charmcaster without thinking gets in the way and the bolt hits her shoulder. Biting back the pain, charmcaster gets back to the gauges as they pass the guard post and exit canterlot. 'i can tend to it later. Getting away is more important right now' charmcaster thinks to herself hoping firestrider didn't see what just happened. She wanted nothing to distract him or lightening dust. 'w-w-we just passed the guard post. We're almost free.' charmcaster yelled over the screeching furnace. (occ: the bolt thing could happen. Heat causes metal to expand and the built up pressure can shoot bolts. It's happened in the past with steam engines when they are pushed harder then engine should be pushed. Just putting this in oc so no one can say its no realistic)
-
"Heh, that's what I like to hear! Now for the big finale!" Lightning Dust flies up to the swarm of Changelings and stops a short ways. "Only got one more of these left in me." She said to herself as she created another tornado to suck up all the Changelings, zooming round and round as they once again were sucked up by the powerful wind current. She was sweating as she pushed herself to keep it up. "Come on, just a little...more." She squinted her eyes, dodging the oncoming Changelings that swirled around in the vortex. She dodged them again, avoiding some trying to hit her and bite her. One was actually able to sink their fangs into on of her legs, she winced then kicked it off, breaking off one of it's fangs that was stuck in her leg. "Damn...can't believe I let one of them get me..." She shot out of the tornado as it twisted away back towards Canterlot, Lightning headed back to the train herself, landing on the cart, standing tall as all were well. "Heh...see? N-Nothing to it!"
-
'nicely done lightening dust! We should clear the tunnel way before they can recover from that one.' charmcaster says as the furnace continues to screech. 'hopefully the train will make it. From the sound of the furnace, the engine isn't used to being used this roughly.' charmcaster checks the gauges then pulls the brake lightly slowing down for the tunnel coming into view. 'i know we need speed, but taking the tunnel too fast WILL kill us. And we didn't go through that mess to die in the tunnel.' charmcaster weaves a little part from the uneven footing near the controls and part from the bolt wound in her shoulder.
-
Lightning Dust chuckled a bit sheepishly. "Ah, nothing to it. But I for sure am too tired to do that again, but it got us clear and free. I was planning on lighting the whole cart up as a last resort, but that took care of them so it wasn't needed." She laid down on the cart, resting after her whole endeavor to get them out of the danger zone. She hid her bleeding leg out of sight, not wanting to show any weakness. She was too prideful to let it be shown. "So, how long is the travel, to where ever we're going?"
-
Charmcaster smiles sheepishly and says 'if the train holds out, we'll be just outside of ponyville soon. Then, we need rest and to get help and a plan of how to fight back.' charmcaster goes back to the controls. 'thanks for your help. I'm sorry about before. I never really depended on anyone but myself before. In school, i was the snob, who thought she was better then everypony. Well, that was the rumors. I really wanted friends but my studies always came first. So, i always believed in fact not leaps of faith. I didn't mean to act stupid or snobby if i did.' charmcaster says as the train pulls father and farther from canterlot.
-
Lightning Dust looks back to make sure they're all clear as it is so, not paying much attention to what Charmcaster said. "Mhm, yeah, friends." She mutters then sighs of relief. "Glad we got out, I could have gotten away myself being as fast as I am. Though I'm not one to run away from danger."
-
'i figured as much from watching you fight today.' charmcaster said as she started to slow the train down with ponyville coming into sight. As, they pulled into ponyville, charmcaster finally shut the train down. 'we're here, everypony.' charmcaster said as she tried to get down from the engine room. The pain in her shoulder causing her to wince, she goes and sits on a bench nearby.
-
Firestrider shuffled out of the train and sighed. "That was a little easier than I thought." he said. "But I really think you too should get to the hospital before you think of doing anything else. You can't hide your injuries from me." He looked over at them, concern evident on his face. "Let's go, while you too are getting looked at, I'm going to warn everypony of what just happened."
-
Charmcaster grinned at firestrider and and picked up her saddle bag. 'ok firestrider. Lightening dust, you coming? Besides, taking the fangs out of your leg will give us proof to the changelings in canterlot.' charmcaster said getting up and starting toward the hospital.
-
"I can see you're one to push yourself, Lightning, but trust me, you don't want to risk it." Firestrider said seriously. "Let's follow Charmcaster."
-
Lightning Dust scoffed. "Can't extend my limits if I don't push myself. If I don't, then there's no way I can become a Wonderbolt someday. No doubt I'll be a shoo in for the job. Sides, this isn't bad it's hardly noticeable." She stands and hops down, the pressure from the landing making her flinch slightly, she quickly brushes it off like it didn't happen. "See? Told ya there's nothing to worry about." She says as she trots along.
-
"There is a line between pushing yourself and being reckless, Lightning." Firestrider said. "These things might have some sort of slow-acting poison. So let's get you looked at." He said as the ragtag group reached the hospital.
-
Lightning Dust rolled her her eyes. "There's a line between being awesome, and lame. I choose the awesome side, being a daredevil, of course you have to take risks." She stops and looks at the hospital, frowning at it. "Nope, not going in there. I don't like hospitals, I'll fix this myself." She starts trotting in a different direction, away from the hospital, her steps kind of stamping the ground red with the bleeding from the embedded fang in her hindleg.
-
'firestrider is right lightening. True the wonderbolts push their limits, but when they get injured, they take down time to get better. If they fly injured, it hurts their performance and it looks bad on the one injured and the group. It's the same here. I didn't say anything at first because i didn't want anypony distracted when we were trying to escape. After we get done at the hospital, we should visit my granny, relic dancer. Maybe she might know how to stop those things in canterlot. After all, that's who i learned about changelings from. Just didn't know what they looked like till now.' charmcaster says sitting down in the waiting room. She looks around and thinks about something her granny said about love and why the changelings stole it rather then earned it.
-
Lightning Dust shrugged. "I'm fine really, this doesn't hurt a bit." She said with confidence to keep herself from feeling weak, hospitals weren't her favorite places to be. "I can take it out myself and bring it back later. And there are a lot of time when you need to take risks, it's all trial and error. Luckily, I don't get hurt on my stunts since I'm so amazingly awesome."
-
Charmcaster watched lightening dust walk off and sighs. She puts her head down on her hooves and tries to remember what her granny said. Then, a nurse takes charmcaster back to tend to her shoulder.
-
Lightning Dust goes to the door only to be blocked off by the hospital nurses, wanting to help her with the fang stuck in her leg. "Nono, i-it's fine really. Now if you would be so kind as to let me go and take care of it." She tries to get through but doesn't make any progress on leaving as she's pushed back into the hospital, she resits and goes around running to the door and is then tackled by the staff as she struggles to get free. "No! I don't want to go! Let go of me!" She gets put in a straight jacket and carried off for treatment, still struggling around. "This is why I hate hospitaaaaaals!"
-
Charmcaster comes out of the back to see the nurses take lightening dust to the back and she chuckles a little. 'if she had went willingly, they wouldn't have to drag her.' charmcaster says as she sits by firestrider with her shoulder bandaged.
-
Firestrider sighed. "Well, at least they got her." he said. A doctor came up to him, as if expecting an injury from him. "I'm fine, thank you." He began tapping his hoof and began thinking, 'What to do now? We need to formulate a strategy.'
-
'we need to find princess luna. Obviously, the moon is rising here. But the sun still shines in canterlot. So, luna is ok for now, but what about when she gets to canterlot? The changelings will catch her just like celestia. We have to find her and warn her.' charmcaster said tapping the ground with one of her back hooves. 'but where and how do we find her? She could be already on her way to canterlot! Ponyfeathers! This is so frustrating!'
-
"If there's one thing we need, it's an authority figure. Princess Luna would be a great help in taking back Canterlot." Firestrider said. He looked out the window at the moon. "Question is, how do we get her attention?"
-
Charmcaster taps her hoof on the ground and she looks out the window. 'maybe fireworks. Do you think you can make one to say luna?' charmcaster says looking at firestrider.
-
"Thing about fireworks is that they are unpredictable. You can change the colours and how they burn, but that's about it." Firestrider said. "If only it were Nightmare Night..."
-
Charmcaster thought a minute and looked at the moon 'what about a megaphone? '
-
Lightning Dust came out with her leg bandaged and a frown on her face. "I...hate...hospitals." She mutters as she rejoins the two in the lobby. "So, what are we doing now? Making plans to take back Canterlot?"
-
"No, trying to figure out how to warn Princess Luna." He began thinking about different ways they could warn her. They needed to get her attention, somehow. "Got any ideas, girls?"
-
Lightning Dust shrugged. "I dunno, unless you can turn time forward and raise the moon, you're not gonna anywhere." She sat down and sighed lightly. "Guess all we can do is wait. Sleeping would make the time go by faster, heh, who knows? Maybe we'll see her in our dreams."
-
'wait, lightening dust may be on to something there.' charmcaster said standing up carefully. 'we could have ourselves put in a controlled dream state. Therapist ponies use dreams to try to help their patients all of the time. And we can use what we saw in canterlot to be a base.' charmcaster looked outside and then looked back at her new friends. 'we can start the dream in the middle of the changeling attack. Princess luna should already know what they are because, from what my granny told me, the last changeling attack was before luna was imprisoned a thousand years ago. While in the dream, we can call out for her. Mind, it is a long shot, but it is the best we have to warning her in time. While in the dream, you can get hurt, but it is only in your mind, not your body.'
-
Lightning Dust rubbed her head feeling a bit puzzled. "Wait what? How do we warn her in our dreams? Is she telepathic or something? I was actually kind hoping to catch some Z's. And you want us to sleep in the middle of a Changeling attack? Are you nuts?!"