Chapter VI: Strangers in a Not So Strange Land
Trixie
"What do you mean he escaped," I asked the guard angrily. A prisoner had complained of being overheated and demanded to be taken to the infirmary. "You dolt that is the oldest trick in the book," he apologizes and says it won't happen again. "You're right it won't you're get an all expense paid trip to our day spa." I clap my hooves as two more come in. "Take the commander to the dungeons and schedule a session with the rack," the hapless fool pleads for mercy as he is dragged away.
I still have the problem of Spike going to...no I can use my magic to track the fool and capture him and Twilight. I close my eyes casting a tracing spell, "He's heading for the train station. Perfect." Poor Spike, he's leading his friends to their doom.
Since that will be taken care of soon I can relax, "I need to rest," I teleport to the bathroom and draw a bubble bath. I remove my hat and cape before sinking into the bubbles. The hot water felt good on my aching hooves. "It sure beats a cold shower," I cast a music spell and let my mind drift away.
"FUDGE CRACKERS!" I hear someone yell as Vlad appears in the room and yanks me out of the tub. "Where is she?" he demands to know. "Where is Sam!" I ask him who in the hay is Sam. "The prisoner I had the guards bring in when you were interrogating that little dragon. The one encased in a slime prison," that must be the other prisoner the guard was talking about.
"Relax, his little plan will fail. Already I am...," he grabs me by the neck and says that she will go find someone named Daniel and all his hard work will be ruined. "Excuse me, it's my hard work and...," he throws me back in the tub and says it's his genius that runs Equestria. I was about to correct him when he said he had no time to fool around and teleports away.
Tucker
"SAM! SAM can you hear me," I try to call her but get no reply. Okay don't panic I am sure she is just out of range. However all the calming in the world won't help me get the image of her being in trouble out of my mind. "Hang on Sam I...," a cold voice comes through the speakers. "Who is this?" I ask nervously thinking it might be a ghost.
"You know who it is," the matter of fact way he spoke told me that it was Clockwork. I ask him if he knows where Sam is and if we can save her. "She is in good hands for the moment. I have an assignment for you." He tells that there is a book in Sam's library called Maledicta atque Remedi. Once I get I am to find page 349 and find the counter spell called Carnificinam."
"What is this about?" I question the time ghost but all he says that is important and there's no time to waste. He cuts off, "Just for once I wish he could be more direct." I made sure I wasn't being followed and left to find the book.
Twilight Sparkle
"Will you relax sugarcube," Applejack says as I pace around her living room. How can I relax when my brother is in trouble and needs help. "Shining Armor would let you know if he needs help," she says as I plop on the floor. "I will get you something to eat," I hear a knock at the door and go to answer it.
"Are you okay darling?" Rarity asks as she and the others come inside. "You raced out of the hospital so fast we thought you were in trouble," I smile and tell them I am fine just a little bit worried. "I think we are all at this stage," I ask her what she means.
"Haven't you seen the sky something is blocking the sun," Pinkie bursts in as I look out and see swarm of something race across the sky. It's too early for the parasprites to be returning and the birds just returned from the south last month.
"Applejack do you have a telescope," the earth pony nods and races upstairs and few minutes later returns with one. I ask her to set it up outside so I can see what's going on. I gasp in horror as I see changelings- tens of thousands of them. "Where are they coming from?"
"Who cares about that, I say we go and kick their flanks," Rainbow says jumping only to be met with a sharp pain. I tell her we can't do that, whatever is in control of Canterlot prevents us from getting the Elements and...a note appears magically. "Who's it from?" she asks.
"It's from Spike. He said that he escaped from the castle. It seems Trixie managed to take over Canterlot," Pinkie asks why she would do that.. Spike goes on to say that she's working for a pony named Vlad. I swallow hard at those words. If she has Canterlot than surely the Crystal Empire is next. "Meet me at the train station. A friend and I will be waiting there. Don't be alarmed if she looks strange she is not from here -Love Spike"
"It sounds like Spike made a new friend," Pinkie gasps in shock as her mane returns to normal "maybe she's a dragon too, we can throw a party." I remind her we have more important things to do. She didn't hear me and starts singing.
Before we leave Applejack asks Granny Smith if she can handle Sweetie Belle and her friends. "Don't worry young'un I can handle three fillies," Granny says waving goodbye to us.
Clockwork
"I never knew your tower was so large," Daniel says as we arrive at a black door. I take out a pocket watch from my belt revealing a silver key inside. I unlock the door and motion for my wards to enter. The boy looks up in amazement at the diamond constellations adorned on the ceiling. They shine brighter than real stars and move in a motion similar to them.
"This is the Pool of Crossing," I explain to them that this allows anyone to traverse multiple dimensions. "Think of it as an enhanced ghost portal," Danielle kneels down and places her hand in the silvery liquid. She asks if this what she thinks it is, "yes , liquid quanta, the very substance space and time are made from."
"How do you know that?" Danny asks surprised and a little put off she knows more than him. She tells him one of her friends is very smart and helps with homework. if he had studied more that he would know it as well. "It's not my fault, I can't just ignore Skulker coming to hunt me in the middle of night. I can't tell the Box Ghost to leave me alone during class?"
"We don't have time for that," I tell them impatiently as I place my staff in the silvery liquid. "You will use the pool to reach Equestria and stop Plasmius." he asks me just what are we supposed to do when we get there. "You are to look for a pony named Twilight Sparkle. If she is not available look for a pony calling himself Time Turner or whatever he calls himself now."
"Okay how do we do this?" Dani asks. I tell them to start walking into the water until they are fully under the surface. I warn them it will feel like they are drowning but it will pass and they will find themselves in Equestria. A look of fear crosses Danielle's face but her cousin holds her hand say they will do it together. She smiles at Danny as they slowly descend into the pool.
Spike
"I am glad to be off that mountain," Sam says as we arrive on the ground. "Heights are not my thing," I assure her that there are no more mountains. "Thank God," I tell her that the train station not far and from there we can... I begin to feel dizzy and cough up a message. "Whoa, talk about instant news," I open it up.
"It's from Twilight," I explain. The note says that from the station we will go to Sweet Apple Acres where we can tell her everything. Sam smiles saying she wouldn't mind a glass of apple juice. "I could go for a nice emerald or a sapphire." She looks at me strangely. "What? I'm a dragon. We eat gems. Why do you think some dragons hoard them." she shrugs saying it put a new spin on a book she read. I ask her what it's about?
"A little guy who gets dragged into a big adventure." It sounds like something Twilight would like. "There is just one problem, we don't have money to ride the..." I reveal that Twi sent us some bits. "Your friend thinks of everything doesn't she?"
"Yeah, she's pretty thorough," I tell her as we arrive at the Canterlot train station. I walk up the counter and ask for two tickets to Ponyville.
"That will be eight bits," the clerk tells me as I hand him the money and rush over to the train.
Dani
"Clockwork was right it did feel drowning," Danny said as we swam out of the lake. He asked me how I could put up being in Vlad's medical tanks so long. I shudder thinking of it. He would punish me by filling it with water and placing me in there to drown until I 'obeyed' him. I shake my head and give him a warning glance not to bring it up.
"Okay forget what I said," he tells me trying to get the water out of his ears. His stomach lets out a rumble. "You think we could get something to eat before we start our search for this Sparkle pony." he asks as I smile feeling my own belly growl.
A cart being carried by a gray pony approaches. Danny waves for it to stop as the horse looks at us in fear. "Take it easy, we mean no harm," I explain to him that we are from out of town and looking for some place we can get some food.
"Well Sugar Cube Corner is not far from here," he says nervously. I ask him if we could hitch a ride there. He looks nervously and says he might be able to take our weight. we climb into the cart and sit down as the pony carries into a nearby town.
A half hour later we arrive at what looks like some kind fairy tale home. It was a large gingerbread house complete with a cookie roof. I thank the pony and get out of the cart. I reach into my pocket to pay him but he leaves faster than I could get my wallet out. "Well come on, I am famished," we walk inside the building. The ponies look at us strangely.
"Don't worry we come in peace," I roll my eyes at Danny's attempt to speak. "We are from out of town and just want some food." We walk up the counter and ring the bell to get service.
"Welcome to...," a yellow pony with an orange mane asks as he looks at us in shock. I assure him that we are harmless. He hands a menu to look over. I ask for an ice cream sundae and Danny asks for a milkshake. "That...will be seven bits." I take out my wallet to pay but Danny snatches it and playfully riffles through it.
"Well well what is this?" Danny says snatching my wallet away, "A Power Rangers fan club membership card?" I tell him that they are big in my new town and have run into them. "So that's why you have you time to study," he playfully holds it out of reach but a quick kick to the knee makes him drop it. "Remind me never to make you mad again," he says rubbing his sore leg.
The horse comes out with our order, "is there anything I can do for you," Danny asks him about finding Twilight Sparkle. "She lives not far from here at the Golden Oaks Library but she hasn't been feeling well." I ask him about Time Turner, "he lives about 10 blocks down from here. You can't miss it, a large blue box. He's a bit strange though. No pony knows much about him," I go to thank him but can't as we never got his name, "my name is Carrot Cake and I hope you find what you are looking for," he says going back into the kitchen to fulfill another order but still looks at us from the corner of his eye.
