The Badlands: Outskirts Daring Do and the Draconic Doom (StaticPinks, SuperSaiyanMeg, & Guest Starring Bellosh101)

[StaticPinks]

Fable was pretty dead by the time he got to Snowstorm, his hooves were already aching and his chest was starting to hurt, and he was nearly about to abandon the plan and just wait for the next train, but he quickly decided against it as he had to get to Ponyville straight away. He may be terribly weak and out of shape, but he could make it if Snowstorm stalls the train for just a few moments.

After grabbing his money and explaining the situation to Snowstorm, who nodded at his orders, Fable bolted once again across the train platform, even going as far as to flap his neglected wings every so often to give him an extra boost in speed and to get off his aching hooves. If he would have just flown the entire way across, he wouldn't have been in so much pain, but his stubbornness and scatter-brained attitude at insisting he was an Earth Pony rather than a Pegasus prevented that, which was starting to be a huge deterrent in Fable's life.

"Stop the train! We have a lost pony!"

Fable turned his head around as he was running, very obviously taking note in a very loud voice. He saw a glimpse of Snowstorm next to what looked to be the Conductor who had a panic expression on his face. As he yelled, he heard the screeching sound of the trains wheels coming to a stop, just as the Conductor had instructed. Relieved at Snowstorm who had most likely made the train stop, making him feel a strong amount of gratitude at the mare, Fable's sprint quickly turned into a relaxed trot, still heading to the ticket booth. He didn't know how she did it, except it had something to do with a lost pony, but he just didn't have the strength or patience to worry about it until he spoke with her.

Fable finally reached the ticket booth, still moderately out-of-breath, but doing better than he was a few minutes ago, and briefly spoke with the ticket pony before getting his tickets. Apparently there was a rather tearful Pegasus mare who had exclaimed that her younger brother had run off, and the Conductor ordered the train to stop and erect a search for him. Smirking ever so slightly at the story, once again grateful for Snowstorm's fast thinking, Fable expressed his concern and wished for the pony to be reunited with his big sister before trotting off with a chuckle, tickets to Ponyville in tow.

Fable returned to Snowstorm where she still was, next to his belongings and Winston, before flashing an exhausted smile at Snowstorm and tossed her the ticket. Now they could board this train without a hitch, and they could be at Ponyville in no time at all! Although, there was a small detail that Fable was trying to think of, but for now, rest was the only think on Fable's mind at the moment.

"That was simply brilliant, Snowstorm! That was some quick cranial maneuvers there, I never do well under pressure! Well done, now we won't have to wait for a half hour locomotive to come and can continue on our quest posthaste! ...But first, I need a lie down if you don't mind, my dear..."

Fable flopped down on the nearest bench and exhaled all of his strain away. He was really going to need to excersise more often after all this. After a few moments, Fable got his bearings back after settling down on one of the benches, thinking over the series of events that happened recently all the while. They would have to wait for the search team to clear out before the train can get moving again, but they would have to believe by the so-called "missing little brother" was alive and well. Fable turned around on the spot and looked at Snowstorm quizzically.

"Once again, good work Snowstorm, but the Conductor still thinks there's a lost colt running amok. How exactly did you think this plan would work out, exactly, if you don't mind me asking?"

[SuperSaiyanMeg]

"Don't worry I always have a back up plan"

Snowstorm walked up to the conductor and said something that made the panic expression on his face disappear. She walked back over to Fable and smiled.

"The trains going to be leaving soon, we're good to go!"

Snowstorm was good at coming up with excuses, it helped her get away with not participating with school activities. She had simply said that her 'brother' had been found and was with her 'parents'. She pointed to a random family who happened to have a young foal with them. She sat on the train opposite Fable, and Winston, and looked out the window as the train began to move.

[StaticPinks]

"Don't worry I always have a back up plan"

Fable looked on as Snowstorm got out of her seat and nonchalantly trotted up to the conductor, whispered something to him, and simply walked back with the good news of the end of their plan. The train was back on schedule, they got their tickets, and sooner or later they would arrive in Ponyville and save the day! The notion of exposing a potentially dangerous cult still gave Fable a few shivers of anticipation, and hopefully Snowstorm was feeling the same way!

"The trains going to be leaving soon, we're good to go!"

Fable nodded his head in agreement, then picked his saddlebags up from off the ground while stuffing Winston in one of the pockets, to the furry pet's dismay. He then turned to Snowstorm after he was all rested up from his excess exertion, bags in tow.

"Alrighty then, let's not waste any more precious time! Off we trot to Ponyville!

There was enough talk and petty set-backs, it was time for action! With a renewed fire in his eyes, Fable, along with Snowstorm, boarded the train with no problems whatsoever, their tickets checked out and a comfortable seat in a roomy train compartment. Now was the time to relax and wait for the train to arrive at their destination. Snowstorm was already in her seat, gazing out the window as the train lurched forward and started its own journey. Fable followed suit and sat right next to her, plopping his saddlebags on the empty spot next to him, Winston now sleeping peacefully in his own little pocket with a small smile on his face.

Fable turned toward Snowstorm, a more melancholy mood set as the train passed mountains and small settlements, with a beautiful backdrop of Celestia's sun perched above the glory of Equestria. Everything was quiet except the sounds of the train moving and the sounds of their breathing.

"You know Snowstorm, I'm glad your here with me. To be honest, if it was just me going on this trek, I probably wouldn't have even gone in the first place. My scatter-brained mind would have just made me forget about it, or tell somepony else so they could do it, but with you here, I gathered the strength and courage and was able to go on this journey. Once again, we have only met for maybe an hour or so, but you already feel like a good friend, and I respect that. I thank you for offering to join me."

Now, Fable wasn't very good with friends, especially if they are mares , and Fable was already slightly social awkward as it was, but he felt like he had to do something else. Very awkwardly and hesitantly, Fable leaned over to Snowstorm and slowly wrapped his arms around her form and gave her a really stiff, really awkward hug. Her frame felt slender in his hooves, and she felt very warm. Her coat was also really soft too. It all felt pretty strange to Fable, both physically and emotionally, as he had never done this before in his short life.

[SuperSaiyanMeg]

"You know Snowstorm, I'm glad your here with me. To be honest, if it was just me going on this trek, I probably wouldn't have even gone in the first place. My scatter-brained mind would have just made me forget about it, or tell somepony else so they could do it, but with you here, I gathered the strength and courage and was able to go on this journey. Once again, we have only met for maybe an hour or so, but you already feel like a good friend, and I respect that. I thank you for offering to join me."

Snowstorm didn't know what was going on when he leant forward. When she felt him give her a stiff and awkward hug, she smiled and hugged him back. She didn't do this much but from hugging her parents and seeing other ponies hug their friends she knew that it was a normal thing to do.

"You don't need to thank me. From what I've seen you were a brave pony from the start. I'm certain that if we do this right and stick together nothings going to bring us down or hurt us"

She gave him a pat on the back before reaching into her bag and pulling out some food.

"Would you like some" Snowstorm asked offering Fable some of it.

[StaticPinks]

Fable blushed and shyly turned his head when Snowstorm returned the hug, her hooves patting his back all the while. He did not know why he did that, even if thats what friends do or not. Snowstorm didn't seem to care all that much about it, accepting it as if she always does this sort of thing with other ponies she hardly knew. Fable finally just shrugged it off, and decided to take it for what it was. Fable still was embarrassed about the whole thing, keeping a blush on his face as they pulled away from the embrace. He then turned his head towards the window, watching as mountains and trees flew by.

"You don't need to thank me. From what I've seen you were a brave pony from the start. I'm certain that if we do this right and stick together nothings going to bring us down or hurt us"

Fable turned back to Snowstorm, touched by her words, giving him some new confidence on their journey. He may not have agreed with the bravery sentiment, as he could be a pretty big wimp in the right circumstance, but he did agree with her stating that nothing can go wrong if they stick together and focus on the task at hoof. Fable nodded his head to the Pegasus mare, igniting a spark within Fable, determination in his eyes.

If we do this right and stick together, nothing can bring us down or hurt us.

Fable repeated the words to himself, realizing the impact of the words. They could actually do this, they were going to expose a dangerous cult and bring it down together, as friends.

Fable looked on as Snowstorm brought out some food from her own saddlebags, offering some to Fable. In response, his stomach gurgled loudly in the train compartment, voicing it's own opinion on the matter. Fable blushed, remembering that he had forgotten to eat lunch before he went out to the library. He was pretty famished, so it couldn't hurt to dip into his and Snowstorm's rations for a late lunch.

"Oh yes, I'm particularly starved right now, haven't had lunch today, so we could eat now, if you wish, Snowstorm."

Fable took the food from Snowstorm and started munching on it, while opening his saddlebags for his food, rummaging around the bottom of it, trying to find something to sate his appetite. His hoof found a bag of oats and an apple, something that seemed right up Fable's alley for a meal. Taking his oats, apple, and water canteen, he propped himself back on his seat and started eating silently as the train continued on its course for Ponyville. They were about halfway there, give or take really, not too sure on how long they were sitting there for.

As Fable was eating, a silly question came to his head. Since they were friends, maybe he could give her a nickname? That's what friends do, right? After swallowing a bit of apple, Fable spoke up to Snowstorm.

"Umm, sorry for the odd question, but do you mind if I call you something different, as in a nickname? I presume that's what friends do, yes? Could I call you Snow? Or Snowy? Maybe even Storm?"

[SuperSaiyanMeg]

"Umm, sorry for the odd question, but do you mind if I call you something different, as in a nickname? I presume that's what friends do, yes? Could I call you Snow? Or Snowy? Maybe even Storm?"

She turned to him and smiled. Her parents usually called her Snow when she was still living with them, and the occasional Snowstorm when they were angry at her. Her sister on the other hand called her more 'colourful' nicknames in which she didn't appreciate. Snowstorm had never gotten closer to any other ponies to create nicknames for each other. That was one of the problems she had when she was at school. But this time was going to be different. She was going to stay friends with Fable.

"You can call me Snow if you like, that's what most people called me anyway. Do you have any nicknames I could call you?"

[Bellosh]

*EXCERPT FROM ROUGH-DRAFT MANUSCRIPT*

.....

Daring Do slowly only to see nothing but darkness; a blindfold around her head. She could feel all her legs outstretched, bound to a stone wall by shackles. Wherever she was, the air was thick with the smell of mold, and drips of water occasionally dropped on our blinded adventurer. Daring must surely be held prisoner in the dragon cult’s hideout. It’s been said that all who dared attempt to infiltrate the Cult of Galzra... never return.

Far off, Daring Do heard the sound of threatening dragons in a serious conversation. It seemed like they were fiercely debating something, although the pegasus could only pick up little bits and details:

“.....others after the.....”

“We must.....”

“Don’t worry..... ..... ..... friends are already taking care of it.”

-----------

Two mean-looking stallions, impeccably dressed in black suit jackets and fedoras, slowly advanced towards the compartment contain Fable Weaver and Snowstorm. The shorter one with the thick belly possessed a rather round face with a well-grown beard, while his taller ganglier companion a pencil-thin mustache. These ponies were Manehattan gangsters working out of Fillydelphia, who only hours ago received a big pay day from a shadowy figure claiming to be a representative of WRAITH, whatever that was. For some reason, the client needed a pay of mobsters to... “silence” these two ponies. The duo didn’t know why, and frankly they didn’t care. Business was business, no matter the dirty deed.

Their mandate was elegantly simple; subdue the two troublemakers, knock them out, and keep the captives locked up for several days until their mysterious client delivered a second round of payment. Neither Fable or Snowstorm were described as ponies with self-defense skills, so the job seemed to be quite easy. Even more so since the two had no idea what was coming their way. The tall gangster led the way, knocking on the compartment door. He stayed silent, waiting for somepony to open up the door.

[StaticPinks]

The train ride couldn't have been any better as it was now. Fable relished in the sheer serenity of the moment with his new friend Snowstorm, lounging in his seat while both gazing out the window to take in the beauty of the sprawling landscape beyond the glass known as Equestria, while being able to calmly chat with the mare he was with in some polite small talk, hoping to get to know her a bit better before continuing their trek to the Everfree Forest. In fact, right now it didn't even feel like he was on a mission to expose a group of crazy dragon worshippers to the world, while putting them in a very dangerous position. No, for the moment it felt like Fable Weaver was simply taking another vacation to the idyllic town of Ponyville with a new friend in tow. He was content with that notion, and settled in his seat for the few moments of respite before returning to the present and remembering what he was exactly doing in the first place, as the distracted novelist often did.

Wanting to perhaps be a bit more friendly to the Pegasus and entice the magic of friendship a little more, Fable had asked Snowstorm about any nicknames she might have, not really knowing if this was something a newly made friend would do as Fable rarely had time or motivation for anything like that. She liked the idea of simply being called Snow, but with Fable's investigative prowess, he noticed a slight bit of apprehension while replying to him. Maybe it was his imagination, or he wasn't as good as he thought he was, but Fable held a look of worry in his features. Had he overstepped a boundary of some sort, maybe he was taking things too quickly for something as personal as a nickname? Fable really didn't know, and it bothered him slightly until Snow asked him the same. Maybe she was just being nice and catering to whatever Fable asked and pushing aside her feelings to find common ground with the stallion. it was only a thought, but with a slightly forced smile and a slight bit of worry still on his face, Fable responded with hesitancy, turning back to face the mare with unease.

"Well, my dear... umm, I am not one to go by a shortened term of my birth name, although except for my pen name, F.A Weaver, but I suppose simply Fable will do just fine...yes..."

After speaking, Fable couldn't help but think he may have made a wrong move, despite Snow not being too bothered by it. He just didn't want to scare away his first friend since moving to Fillydelphia by his inexperience and quirky nature, and decided to speak up about it, turning back to Snowstorm with a weak smile.

"Hmm, Snow? Answer me truthfully, but do you think I may be pushing this new friend-"

Fable was suddenly interrupted by a loud, smart rap on the door to the two ponies train compartment, which made Fable slightly jump, and after calming down he briefly considered who would want to meet with them. Maybe it was just a routine check of the passengers to see if they had their tickets? Or maybe somepony who wanted a seat here because all the other compartments were full or something. Fable swiveled in his seat to look to Snow with a look of confusion. There really wasn't much else to do then open the door and see who it was, not knowing who could be on the other side. Fable stood up out of his comfy seat, legs aching slightly due to the marathon Fable underwent to get on the train.

"Just sit tight, Snow, I'll uncover who this mysterious visitor is."

Fable walked up to the door where he heard the knocks, and spoke up to the presence who waited beyond the wooden door, not willing to just open up the door and let the strangers just waltz in to a private train compartment. He had standards, and obviously showed his and Snow's ticket to the conductor. Simply asking who it might be wouldn't be rude, he just wanted.... Confirmation first.

"Hello? Who might this be? If you have come to check tickets, me and my friend already checked through with the conductor about them. Everything is in chipper shape, especially after my friend Snowstorm found her adorable, defenseless little brother. No worries about him either, the poor chap. He's with his folks now, so all that's been sorted out."

Fable fought the hide a chuckle as he glanced back at Snow with a wink behind his glasses. He simply loved that little story, and they couldn't be too careful. If anypony found out that was a lie to just stop the train, there may be a bit of trouble and Fable wanted to avoid any of that at all costs, since the train was going to arrive in Ponyville soon, and didn't want anymore delays. It was best to get the word out about that and put the story behind them once and for all.

[SuperSaiyanMeg]

Snow smiled as she heard Fable mentioned the little 'story' she had told the conductor, hopefully it won't come back to haunt her. She saw that Fable was talking to what was presumably the conductor but something felt off. Her eyes wandered to door and narrowed. She couldn't help but feel uneasy about this character. She had gotten a chill when they had knocked on the door. The chill that you get when you're around someone you don't like or the feeling that you're being followed. Maybe this adventured has started to take the more dangerous route.

"Fable...could you just come over here a minute" She asked to try and tell him her worries

[Bellosh]

"Hello? Who might this be? If you have come to check tickets, me and my friend already checked through with the conductor about them. Everything is in chipper shape, especially after my friend Snowstorm found her adorable, defenseless little brother. No worries about him either, the poor chap. He's with his folks now, so all that's been sorted out."

The tall lanky stallion gave Fable Weaver a dismissive nod, caring less for the passenger's story. “‘Dis train just got intercepted by a lovely gentlecolt from the Royal Guard,” the goon lied, making sure to keep his voice as authoritative as possible; “Says he’s got an urgent message for the ‘da of yah. He’s exhausted from his long flight trying to find you, so could you come with us now? The guard’s restin’ in ‘da caboose.”

It looked like the dame smelled something off, but the lanky mobster took care of that by firmly pulling Fable Weaver out into the corridor, but not too roughly. The fat mobster meanwhile used his girth to prevent any escape towards the front. Once Fable had been brought out into the hall as much as possible, the lanky goon forcefully gestured for Snowstorm to follow; “Come on now! ‘Dose royal guards don’t like waitin’ for nopony.” Once the two ponies were ushered into the unoccupied caboose, the two gangsters would have their way with them.

[StaticPinks]

Fable Weaver was pretty surprised to find that the two stallions with a very thick Manehatten accent were sent by someone from the royal guard to speak to both of them, which was... very weird if you wanted another word for it. Getting an urgent message from somepony from the Royal Guard was a big deal, but it just didn't click with Fable. It rubbed him the wrong way, sent a smell of fish his way, all of those colourful sayings and whatnot. Fable couldn't believe his books would be the reason, he just wasn't that famous enough, and considering they asked for Snowstorm as well really off-putted him. He just met her recently, over the talk of ancient cults, no less.

The gears started turning in Fable's head as he was being ushered out into the hall, quite stiffly and quickly at that. Snowstorm's uneasy request fell on deaf ears as Fable moved into the hall, being almost dragged by a large suit-clad, fedora-wearing, serious-looking, piece of stallion. They almost looked as if they were some kind of thug, really, and more and more Fable thought it was because of what they discovered back in Fillydelphia.

Snowstorm's cautious sounding voice set the tone, the sheer timing of their arrival very much telling, and the looks and feeling of the two stallions now ushering him and Snowstorm to the back of the train as if they had no time at all set Fable in a very anxious state. Mystery novel upon mystery novel, memories of stereotypical two-bit gangsters who tried to sabotage Hoof Print in his novels to prevent him from solving the mysteries in his novels flew through Fable's mind, setting the fuse of Fable's future actions. Fable had always wanted to be put in Hoof Print's metaphorical horseshoes, and now he had to channel him in order to not let what the two ponies do what Fable thought they were going to do.

“Come on now! ‘Dose royal guards don’t like waitin’ for nopony.”

On that note, Fable ducked back into his train compartment with the natural reflexes of a pegasus, slamming the door in the lanky stallion's face, as the way up front towards the conductor being blocked by the large one. Bolting down the aisle towards the back would have been selfish as he didn't want to leave Snowstorm with the goons and save himself in the process. There was one alternate path they could go, but first he had to think about Snowstorm. Fable threw his small frame against the door, not in any way a tough obstacle to bypass, and turned towards Snowstorm, panic in his eyes and his face tightening as he did his best to block the door.

"Snow, get anything heavy you can in this compartment and stack them against the door! After that, you need to fly out that window while I stall these guys! Hurry! I can't hold this door for too long!"

[SuperSaiyanMeg]

"Snow, get anything heavy you can in this compartment and stack them against the door! After that, you need to fly out that window while I stall these guys! Hurry! I can't hold this door for too long!"

Snow nodded and jumped up looking around for any large objects. She saw a few boxes and began to stack them, they weren't very large but they appeared to have some heavy items in them. Hopefully they will keep the goons out for a few moments. There wasn't much in the cart apart from the boxes and a alley tray which she had rolled up against the door.

"I can't find much to barricade the door" Snow said rushing over to the window "Are you sure you can stall them...I can carry you out of the window"

[Bellosh]

The lanky stallion’s voice could be heard taunting the two passengers from the other side of the door; “Ey, yah think you can miss with us? You’re gonna’ get what’s comin’ to you, ‘den!” On that cue, the weightier mobster started slamming on the door hoping to break it open. The wooden door wasn’t the strongest thing in the world, so it wouldn’t be able to withstand the pressure from long. Blocking the door could help the two passengers, but they had little time nonetheless.

“Come out now, and we promise we aint’s gonna’ hurt you.”

[StaticPinks]

As soon as Fable had slammed the door in desperation to stop the stallions from entering, he felt the weight of what he assumed was the larger one tackling the flimsy wooden train door, threatening to break down the door into splinters with Fable feebly trying to hold it down on the other side. Snowstorm had managed to find a few moderately sized boxes to further try to stop the door from opening, but it looked as if it was a lost cause. Within seconds, the door was likely going to break down and let the mysterious, mean-looking ponies in to do what they please.

“Come out now, and we promise we aint’s gonna’ hurt you,” the lanky stallion called through the door, the tone not reassuring at all. Fable just couldn't trust them, both his gut and his knowledge swaying him to stay very far away from the two.

"Mmm, I would rather not, sirs, but I thank you for the offer. I would prefer if both of you return to whoever sent you, doubtfully the Royal Guard if you were to assume I was some sort of degenerate. Now, if you don't mind telling me who really sent you before me and Snowstorm shove off, I would appreciate it," Fable replied, both with a tone of snarkiness and a genuine desire for the truth. He was unlikely to get it, but he would most likely find out sooner or later when he found the cult or whoever sent them.

"I can't find much to barricade the door. Are you sure you can stall them...I can carry you out of the window," Snowstorm called from the window, bringing Fable back to to the situation at hoof. The door was likely to give at any moment, the way out into the hall blocked by the very thing they were trying to get away from. The window was the best bet, and even though Fable was a pegasus and really didn't need to be carried, it could be for the best as Fable was hardly a good flyer.

"If you can support my weight, I think it would be for the best. I don't want my wings to give out on me mid-flight, as I am not the best flyer around. Try to go for a level piece of land somewhere, then we break for the closest group of trees as we should be quite near to the Everfree Forest at this point. I would be most thankful if we get out as soon as you're ready. Those boxes won't hold for long, and the door will splinter any second," Fable shouted at Snowstorm, trying his best to make light of the situation for Snow's sake. On the inside, Fable was quite afraid of the two gangsters at the door, but he was showing a surprising amount of calmness and level-headed thinking, drawing inspiration from Prof. Hoof Print himself. He always wrote him as that snarky, cool detective character that always knows what's best in any situation thrown at him, now it was time to bring that to life inside of Fable Weaver's soul and be the hero for once.

[SuperSaiyanMeg]

"If you can support my weight, I think it would be for the best. I don't want my wings to give out on me mid-flight, as I am not the best flyer around. Try to go for a level piece of land somewhere, then we break for the closest group of trees as we should be quite near to the Everfree Forest at this point. I would be most thankful if we get out as soon as you're ready. Those boxes won't hold for long, and the door will splinter any second,"

She quickly opened the window and turned to him. The door was nearly off its hinges. Snow put a hoof out the window to get herself ready to fly out. She looked around her surroundings. Luckily there were places they could hide in. Anything would do they just needed a place to get away, if they were captured it would be all over and she did not want that. Everything was dependent on this very moment.

"Okay I'm ready. I can see the forest. If we work together I'm pretty sure we can get there within 10 minutes"

[Bellosh]

With one final slam, the gangsters unhinged the cabin door with a thunderous *BOOM*! But there was still the matter of the piled-up boxes. Still, a single charge was all it took for the two mobsters to clear the obstruction, sending packages flying everywhere. If Fable and Snowstorm weren't fast enough to escape, their two tormentors would lunge at them and try knocking the two out.....

[StaticPinks]

Fable never felt a more intense rush of adrenaline as he did now, mainly because he never really did anything of as much importance as what he did now. The most harrowing things he did were either when he had to rush for a book deadline with his publisher, or get hot under the collar when he had to go to a book signing, something that was still quite uncomfortable for him. Now with two stereotypical gangsters charging the door, most probably to get their hooves on the ancient badge of Galzra's cult, and that they were really thinking of flying out of a speeding train through a window to the safety of the most dangerous forest in all of Equestria, Fable could reasonably say that he now understood what that adrenaline rush entailed, after facing such a dangerous unknown of the two gang ponies.

"Okay I'm ready," called out Snowstorm, opening the detachable glass window their compartment had and extending a hoof towards the bespectacled stallion. "I can see the forest. If we work together I'm pretty sure we can get there within 10 minutes"

Fable was still plastered to the door, the ponies still ramming the door with all their strength and not even humoring him with the questions he had about their motives and intentions. Oh well, he didn't expect them to say anything worth using anyway. Stereotypical gangster ponies were normally very daft and were only told to stick to what they were paid to do, something that they were trained to do and nothing was going to make them speak up and give Fable some insight.

Waiting a few more seconds at the door, unsure if he was ready to do this and possibly risk his life, he heard the door finally start to give way, hearing the sharp cracking of the wood of the train door. There was simply no other option here, Fable had to move now. Fable finally bolted from the door and the boxes aiding in the blockade, scooping up his saddlebags and Winston before joining Snowstorm at the window. As soon as he reached his only escape, the door let out a loud crash as it finally splintering and unhinged from its frame. The two gangsters emerged and with no trouble, nudged the boxes out of their way and proceeded to advance on the two defenseless ponies.

Still feeling a little snarky despite the situation they were in, channeling the strength of all of the heroes and protagonists he created through his literary medium all the while, Fable grabbed Snowstorm's outstretched hoof and saluted the two hired muscles with a smirk on his face and a twinkle in his eyes, Winston doing very much the same from the small pouch he was currently in, waving at the two gangsters and sticking his tiny tongue out at them. He then shouted at them in one of Professor Hoof Print's many catchphrases before extending his very alien-feeling wings and jumping out the window of the train with Snow and gliding to the grassy plains in front of them.

"Sorry for the abrupt exit, gentlecolts, but I must really take off. Say hello to Princess Twilight Sparkle for me when you reach Ponyville! Au Revoir!"

With a deep breath and shaky knees, Fable held on to Snowstorm as they both leaped out the window of the train and into the air. Hopefully Snowstorm was as good of a flyer as he hoped, and could support the weight of himself, their saddlebags and a mouse, because he really didn't feel like plummeting to his doom today!

[SuperSaiyanMeg]

Snowstorm used the strength she could muster up and lifter herself and Fable into the air. She directed herself towards the forest and started to fly as fast as she could while making sure she didn't accidentally let go of Fable or the luggage. She could fly through snowstorms! This was nothing for compared to that.

She flew until the train was out of sight and looked around for a few places to land. She crooked her head slightly towards Fable.

"Can you keep a look out for any places that are suitable hiding places. Such as a cave"

What they needed was somewhere small but big enough for them to set out some sort of camp. If anything they could be there for the night. One thing was boggling Snowstorms mind though...who were those two thugs and why were they after Fable and herself.

[Bellosh]

By the time the two gangsters crashed their way into the cabin, Fable and Snowstorm had already made their escape from the train. Unable to chase after a flying pegasus, the mustached mobster made do with a threatening shaking of his hoof; "Ha! You two cowards go run in some dark hole!!! You'll be found one way or the other!" With that done with, the stallion concluded affairs by spitting out the side of the window.

*EXIT mobster ponies*

[StaticPinks]

Fable was a very straightforward kind of pony. He preferred to have some sort of plan or a notion of what was going to happen in his day before jumping into the thick of it. He never would have even the slightest chance think that he could have planned out jumping off a speeding train while being carried by a pegasus mare away from two-bit, stereotypical gangster ponies who were most likely affiliated with a dangerous, dragon-worshipping cult deep in the Everfree Forest, which a pretty important thing to plan out considering the situation Fable and Snow were in.

The mare lifted Fable off the moving train through the small window, avoiding the terrifying unknown that was still on the train, shouting at the two ponies now careening out into the open air. They were suspended above a rather grassy plains, with trees doting the environment, along with some rocky cliffs jutting out of some hills nearby. Off in the distance, Fable noticed two key things. One was that the sun was rapidly descending down to make way for the night, and Fable and Snow would have to sleep out in fear of running into any notoriously dangerous creatures lurking in the woods, which could also be seen a ways away from where they were.

"Can you keep a look out for any places that are suitable hiding places. Such as a cave," called Snowstorm from above Fable Weaver, who was still holding on for dear life, his wings in not the best shape to keep him from plummeting to his doom. With the train speeding away along with the two hired muscles into the horizon, shouting and cursing at the two for their getaway, they wouldn't have to worry about them being caught in one place if they hurried to find a suitable shelter for the night.

Fable scanned the ground through his glasses, squinting at anything that could hide them properly for the night. Thankfully, Celestia was smiling down on the two adventurers as Fable spotted a moderately sized opening leading inside one of the rocky cliffs he glanced at earlier.

"Snowstorm, go up a fair way and turn west, there's an opening inside those hills we can use to set up a decent camping site for the night," Fable shouted up to Snowstorm while pointing in the general direction of the cave. "We decide what to do in the morning, at day break."

Yes, they would sleep until sunrise, than start their journey into the Everfree Forest. Then, with a few devices Fable added to his saddlebags, they should be able to find the general area of where this centuries-old cult was hiding out. They would just have to figure out a plan of attack, and then hopefully things will go well. Fable was still a little bit frightened at what they might run into in the dreaded forest, but this is what Fable asked for, and was going to try his best at. He had wanted adventure, mystery, and action in his life, to be able to play his own characters in his stories. He was certainly getting his wish, but to what cost? This wasn't some kind of fantasy dreamt up by a young colt, this was the real thing. He had lasted this long, but when was their luck going to run out? Fable didn't know, and didn't even want to think about it, except something his mother told him when Fable was having a hard time with something in his youth. 'Just do what you can,' she said all too often, and Fable had to hold on to those words or set himself up for failure where he needed it the least, for his sake and Snow's.

[SuperSaiyanMeg]

"Snowstorm, go up a fair way and turn west, there's an opening inside those hills we can use to set up a decent camping site for the night,"

Snowstorm nodded and proceeded in the direction towards the hills. It was a fairly good place to use for a camp as it was hidden and big enough for them to sleep in but also small enough so it wouldn't hold any large occupants who wouldn't be happy with their intruding.

She landed down by the opening and looked around for anything that could be classed as a danger to the two. She kept her head up, scouting out, while she walked into the small cave like place. Luckily there was nothing here...well apart from the various insects which Snowstorm couldn't help but shudder at. She sat down in the cave and gave out a sigh of relief.

"We made it..." She looked at her wings, they were a bit sore so she just let them flop down to her sides. She looked back at Fable.

"How are you holding up?"

[StaticPinks]

After pointing out the landmark to his ride, she moved her head in affirmation and started to glide down to the hillside. Fable just simply let her do the tough job of getting them to safety, not wanting to break her concentration and be the cause of falling to their doom. The more Fable hung there in Snowstorm's grasp, the more Fable wished he wasn't so useless in the flying department. It would be really helpful in their journey if Fable could at least hover in the air for at least a minute, if he was lucky. Negligence, poor exercising routines and forgetfulness over a long period of time was not optimal for proper wing care.

Fable simply looked at his own wings in regret as the two travelers touched down at the mouth of the cave. It was big enough so the two could comfortably rest, and small enough to be almost unnoticeable to a passing eye, or to house any unwanted residents, such as bears or manticores. The two looked on in silence as they tried to classify the hole as a safe enough area. When all was well, they both finally entered the cool cave. The temperature was decent enough and the size was good, yet the hard, stone floor was a little on the rough side. The lighting was fine closer to the mouth, but darkened slightly towards the back, only bright enough to make out a few cracks and divots on the wall.

Fable snapped back from his cursory glance around the cave as Snowstorm let out a huge sigh and plopped down onto her haunches. "We made it..." was all she said her wings opened limply at her sides, obviously spent from their daring escape. Fable once again looked to his own wings, with a grim look on his face. Proper wing treatment couldn't be too time-consuming could it? Before Fable could consider the thought any more, Snow spoke up from her sitting position.

"How are you holding up?"

Fable looked back to the mare and let out a long sigh. He moved over to her and proceeded to sit next to her on the cold stone floor. Sure it was uncomfortable and freezing, but Fable decided to ignore that for a while.

"I should be asking you that question, you look quite tuckered out from exerting yourself like that. I'm sure if I tried to carry you like that, I wouldn't have lasted half as long as you did..."

Fable opened his own wings and flapped them feebly. It was strange, they almost felt alien to him, as if they shouldn't even be there. Fable had almost believed he was an Earth Pony after he stopped caring about his wings, almost always referring himself as one to others. Now, the reality of the fact came back to Fable as he tested his wings out. He had put so much on Snowstorm's plate and expected her to carry him to safety despite having wings of his own. Fable felt disappointed in himself, and wished he could have changed things so that he was as good of a flyer when he was a young colt.

"Snow, I...I'm sorry for making you do that. I know you're a much better flyer than I am, but it must have been absolutely tiring to carry me like that. For Celestia's sake, I'm a pegasus living like an Earth Pony and here I am letting you do all the work...Why did I have to stop caring about being a pegasus..."

Fable looked away from the mare, ashamed at his lack of wing training. Snowstorm most likely didn't have a problem with it, but it was a personal thing that only Fable could understand. She didn't know what it was like to be a great flyer you never appreciated, then neglect it for so long you don't even realize it was there to begin until you needed it the most. As they say, the harshest critic is yourself, and Fable was drowning in his pity.

Without a second thought, Fable shot up and put all his strength into flapping his wings, desperate to prove to himself he could still fly. Fable lifted up in the air a fair number of feet before feeling his wings go limp, exhausting all his energy into the simple task. He promptly fell the few feet he gained and hit the hard stone underneath him, his left side taking most of the force. Fable then let the sudden pain course through his body, but did nothing about it. He didn't even let out a whimper as he lied on his side, unmoving.

[SuperSaiyanMeg]

"Snow, I...I'm sorry for making you do that. I know you're a much better flyer than I am, but it must have been absolutely tiring to carry me like that. For Celestia's sake, I'm a pegasus living like an Earth Pony and here I am letting you do all the work...Why did I have to stop caring about being a pegasus..."

Snow watched as Fable tried to fly up into the air before he fell down. She stood up and walked over to his other side so she could see his face.

"It doesn't matter if you're a weak flyer, all you need to do is practice. Just put your mind to it and someday you'll be able to fly as much as you want. Every Pegasus couldn't fly properly at one point in their life" She sat down next to him folding her wings up. "And don't worry about earlier I can take on much more than that...Like I said you need friends to help you along"

She looked down at him and still saw the gloomy look on his face. She sighed and looked up at the sky. She remembered the times she would spend flying, which was usually everyday. She loved it and all that commitment gave her the courage and strength to do what many others couldn't.

.

"Listen...I don't mind helping you if you want to get better at your flying, you know like a friend helping out another"

[StaticPinks]

Fable didn't bother to look up as Snowstorm walked over to the writer so she could see him. His guilt of being nearly grounded and his belief that he didn't bring anything to the table during their journey was weighing him down considerably.

"It doesn't matter if you're a weak flyer, all you need to do is practice. Just put your mind to it and someday you'll be able to fly as much as you want. Every Pegasus couldn't fly properly at one point in their life" She sat down next to him folding her wings up. "And don't worry about earlier I can take on much more than that...Like I said you need friends to help you along"

Through Snowstorm's words, he managed to look up at her with caring eyes. Friends... he needed friends. He recalled back to a newspaper article he read back in Fillydelphia a few weeks back about six mares and their bond that was strong enough to defeat any evil or threat to Equestria. The thought of something like that spurred something inside of him, which prompted him to be more open and friendly in general and travel a lot more. It was because of friendship that got him his faithful pet, friendship that made him understand life a lot more and it was friendship that got him to this point in his journey.

With Snowstorm's words, he managed to pick himself off the ground, smiling at his friend with a new-found confidence in himself. He then decided to throw an awkward, but meaningful hug around the female pegasus, thankful for her words.

"You're absolutely right, Snow. I'm so foolish to let that get me saddened. I have a lot of time to show my worth on this whole epic we've gotten ourselves in. I'm glad I have you as a friend."

"Listen...I don't mind helping you if you want to get better at your flying, you know like a friend helping out another"

Fable lit up at the idea, having such an experienced flyer guide him so at least he had another skill under his metaphorical belt for the rest of their adventure, but after a quick peek outside shown that it was rather dark outside, Princess's Luna's moon glowing every brightly in the starry sky. 'Time simply flies when you're on a perilous journey to discover a cult of dragons, I suppose,' Fable thought as he turned from the entrance to their makeshift home and walked back to where Snowstorm was still sitting.

"Believe me, Snowstorm my dear, I would love it if you showed me the ropes for old times sake, but it's getting rather late outside all of a sudden, not to mention we already tired ourselves out enough for one day, with the train and whatnot. I think we should call this day successful and gather our strength for our trek through the Everfree. We leave at sunrise, does that sound good to you?"

Fable then trotted over to his set of saddlebags, dragging out his impatient, sleepy mouse and some blankets he stored for this very occasion. He then prepared a small bed for his rodent friend so he could gather his strength as well. With a wave at Snowstorm and a soft yawn, the white mouse nestled in his pile of blankets and promptly fell asleep, ready to tackle the world of dreams.

[SuperSaiyanMeg]

"Believe me, Snowstorm my dear, I would love it if you showed me the ropes for old times sake, but it's getting rather late outside all of a sudden, not to mention we already tired ourselves out enough for one day, with the train and whatnot. I think we should call this day successful and gather our strength for our trek through the Everfree. We leave at sunrise, does that sound good to you?"

Snowstorm nodded and stood up walking further into the cave to find a good spot to sleep. She pulled out her blanket from her bag and laid down on the cold floor. She looked out at the cave entrance and watched as stars appeared and disappeared from the hidden clouds in the darkness. It was a truly beautiful night. She smiled and closed her eyes and softly fell asleep. They had a long day tomorrow and it was going to full of danger and excitement. She needed as much sleep as she could get.