Dark Star starts has embarked in a new venture - infiltrating cells of leftwing radicals at a local university.
>>150081The white wolf does not look directly at Spark, but stares into the tile while just above the kitchen counter
>>150080Iron was sure to sneak in a couple of mane strokes from Sands to pass the time just to keep her spirits up in this rather precarious mission of theirs.
Regardless, he would soon step out in amazement and quite the confusion, unsure what he was even looking at aside from being a finely tuned concrete jungle wonder at work. "...what is this place?" he blurted out loud in puzzled awe.
>>150083White Sands smiles and closes her eyes, leaning into the pets, and then onto Iron. She moves her head to keep an eye on the tavern, moving back out of Iron's personal space when Cauldron is visible.
Some minutes later, at the large building, Black Cauldron says to Iron "It's the train station. Did you not arrive here?" She does not make eye contact while doing this, as she is busy picking up the items and trying to carry them. White Sands wordlessly gets out and watches the scene, before following the other two.
>>150084"...no?" Iron hesitantly uttered, vaguely remembering having walked there with no feeble machine transports they were talking about.
Regardless, he'd soon do his duty of carrying whatever he could after patting Sands' on the head as a quick little friendly gesture.
>>150085White Sands accepts the pats. She turns around, looking behind them, and all around them, as if looking for something.
Black Cauldron does not speak to Iron again, except to say "here, carry this." and hoofs him what seems to be one of the wrapped rifles. Then another one. Then a shovel. She starts to walk up the steps and into the building.
>>150086Iron nodded before dutifully carrying them as Cauldron instructed and carefully patted her head while walking alongside her just to improve spirits on the striped end.
He made sure Sands was nearby just in case she gets foalnapped or something like that.
>>150087She seems almost confused at first, but smiles at the pat.
Inside the building, there is a high, arched ceiling with recessed squares, and down below the floors are a marble with pink, black, and while spots in mixture. There is a wall with lettering that occasionally turns over through some mechanism.
Black Caudron stares at this wall
"No train ends at where we are going. But several stop nearby. We can get a seat and ride directly there in coach, or we can rent a compartment, or even a bedroom all to ourselves. We'd have to pay the fare for all the way to Hoofington, though."
>>150088Iron hummed softly: Renting the bedroom would prove to be a worthwhile emotional investment by acquiring some much needed privacy, allowing him to take advantage of the trip to strengthen his relationship with either Cauldron or Sands respectively, one being way easier to accomplish than the other. The seats, however, were much cheaper and would allow for more money to spend around later...
"...what is this compartment thing?" he tentatively asked the mare, wondering what was it.
>>150089Waabishki slowly turns to look up at Spark.
“To the hospital?” She asks
“Yes.”
>>150090Black Cauldron continues looking at the wall intensely. White Sands walks up and stands beside her, looking at the wall much the same way.
Black Cauldron:
“It’s a set of seats back to back from each other in a sort of closed off room. These aren’t necessarily reserved or private, though sometimes they have beds as well that fold down.”
>>150060"I suppose it depends on what we do. If we do good, we will be thought of as doing good. If we do evil, we will be thought of as doing evil. It may be they will have no opinion on what we do."
>>150080Dark Star looks excited about she just told him
"Really? That sounds very similar to the book i read. these outer ones also needed sacrifices."
>>150091Iron hums softly, looking still. "...what about the bedrooms?" he uttered out loud.
>>150092"I want to be liked." Mala says
"I don't mind danger, hardwork, or even pain...."
>>150094"Well, by 'sacrifice' I mean like fruits and stuff. Mangos and Bananas. At least I assume that is what she meant. But yes, they had a broader understanding of what was out there than the Earth ponies had. And the Earth ponies did not like them. Neither the natives nor the Equestrians. They did not like the clan."
>>150095Black Cauldron answers anyways
"Well, you can get a small room with just two beds on a bunk. Or a larger one with its own lavatory and chair. Or a much larger one with maybe four beds. Or combine two of the medium ones."
>>150096Iron grimaced a little bit at all the complicated, potentially expensive expenses that may not even give him a proper chance to accomplish his personal objective before shaking his head. "I feel these compartments are much better, all things considered," he quickly presented. "It should allow us to have some privacy, considering we're three ponies already.."
>>150097"If we can get one all of our own, and if we can close the blinds. I don't believe we can lock the door though. But it will be rather large for the three of us."
>>150098"You have any suggestions of your own?" Iron proposed Cauldron with a curious look, wondering what she was planning.
>>150099She turns and looks him in the eye, and then moves closer to him. She whispers into his ear
"Remember what we are carrying"
>>150100Iron's ear flickered softly before leaning back towards Cauldron to whisper on her ear.
"So we're taking the bedroom?" he whispered back in turn, thinking that's her plan.
>>150102"Then the cheap room is where we will go, Iron whispered back once again before taking the opportunity to nibble Cauldron's ear in a playful gesture as both a way to suggest what they were currently talking about.
Iron soon pulled off a sly smile towards her just to sell the ruse further.
>>150103"Alright"She smiles at the nibble, and goes to the ticket booth
"Stableside for three. One bedroom, two first class. One coach, express."
White Sands scrunches and pulls her ears back
>>150096"What was your mother's clan name?"
>>150104Iron spares a glance at the scrunching unicorn, feeling there was a sense of injustice currently happening to her to have soured her mood a little bit that he does not quite understand. Thus, he once again pats Sands' head in an attempt to cheer her up a little while the zebra mare finishes up ordering the ticket thingies.
>>150096Silver smiles at his precious friend.
"Then we will look for good work."
>>150105"We... They called themselves a name not easily said by non-thestrals. But the natives of the region called them the Ualh Youaltika - 'They come at night'."
>>150106The zebra takes one, two, three tickets from the stand, and gives one to each pony. White Sands still looks displeased, but Black Cauldron picks up her baggage, and starts moving
"This way."
>>150107Mala nods, and smiles back, continuing to walk alongside Silver
>>150108"Tomorrow would you come to the library with me? i would like to do more research on your clan."
>>150108Figuring he'll definitely have to make it up to Sands later, Iron hurriedly follows Cauldron along and see how this train thing feels while moving. Not to mention, have some alone time with the striped one.
>>150109"Sure!" she says
"I'll come. I really don't know much about them. I've met a few of them when we went to a village once. They didn't really want us though... I was very young at the time."
>>150110S t r i p e sShe walks down a hall - and indeed she is walking very fast - and walks onto a flight of stairs going up. The flight of stairs goes through a doorway and into a grand long hallway with long black machines, and many large brown painted carriages with lettering under rows of windows. The creatures walk along a walk way until they get to the third platform. It's a walkway maybe four meters wide with a couple benches and a clock in the middle, as well as a sign "Platform E," a little ways from the end of the stairs. The train - as surely that is what this collection of carriages must be - is to the left, so Cauldron says. She walks along black painted carriages with the words "Baltimare Southern" beneath rows of windows, all the while looking to her left. She finds a carriage she likes, and carefully walks past what looks like a pair of stallions with firearms standing out in the open. They stare at her, but she walks past, and starts up a narrow set of stairs to get in the carriage
>>150111Iron had to admit he had no idea what's even going on with all this seemingly aimless walking until they finally found a hunk of metal Cauldron liked and swooped inside. The two stallions didn't scare him enough to ward off this feeling of being rather lost and practically at the zebra mare's mercy, being careful enough not to bump into either of them as he, too, made his way inside.
I hope Sands is alright, he thought to himself, starting to understand the slightest bit what had just happened back at the ticket thing.
>>150113Black Cauldron turns around, looking uneasily at one of the stallions, and she pulls a long "sleeping bag" in front of herself and out of the line of sight of the stallion, careful not to hit it against the sides of the entryway. White Sands trails further behind unenthusiastically. A stallion asks her what sounds kind of like "Are you having a good day, miss?' and tips his hat, but she only seems to barely notice, making eye contact.
>>150114Iron couldn't help but shrink slightly at the question from the stallion, already starting to
really] feel he had committed a mistake in Sands' treatment that really required some real good apology act to make it up for it.
Nevertheless, the native continued onwards, hoping he at least could manage to squeeze the most of out this trip to deepen the relationship with Cauldron.
>>150116As Iron starts to get on, one stallion asks
"Sir, where are you going?"
>>150117Iron's ear flickered: He didn't hear that question when Cauldron passed through...
"Hoofington," Iron tentatively offered, a bit unsure about it.
>>150118"And what'cha got there?" He asks, noticing the large amount of strange shaped baggage Iron is carrying
>>150119"Camping gear," the native offered, barely recalling that's what Cauldron said this was.
>>150108And thus, the two continue to walk towards they destination.
>>150121The wind picks up, and it begins to snow
>>150120White Sands walks forward
"That's my servant"
She says to the stallion
>>150122In response to Sands' announcement, Iron quickly bows lightly at the arrival, hoping that'd sell the deal better to the two guards.
>>150122Silver holds his head up, feeling the cold snow hit his face. It somehow always reminds him of home, when it snows.
>>150123"Oh really?" The stallion says, talking to White Sands
"Yes, my father called me to come to his property in Hoofington. He has a tract there. In fact, he's been living in the area some time, but I've only been to his house in the town. Never on the tract. Says he has trees and open meadows. Wants his daughter to experience it or something?"
"Why do you need your servant."
"Hehe, why wouldn't I? I don't like to make even a meal for myself in the morning. And I wouldn't want to even in 'camping'."
The conversation continues like this, but it looks like both stallions are distracted
>>150124After some time, they near where Cherry Hill meets Cowtown.
>>150125Feeling this was his obvious cue, Iron decided to simply keep walking along and hope this wasn't going to be a constant issue.
>>150125"Names like this make me wonder: was there hill full of cherry trees behind us in Cherry Hill? And, do cows really live in Cowtown?"
>>150126Entering inside, Iron sees a narrow corridor - very narrow, narrower than perhaps any he's ever encountered before - that moves over to the right, and Black Cauldron is standing right there, were it turns.
"That was uncomfortable. Now let's go it's just down this hallway."
>>150127Mala looks up and speaks to him
"I don't know. I don't think I've ever seen a cherry tree before. Or a cow, for that matter."
>>150111"Thank you. i'm sure we'll both learn a lot."
>>150129She smiles to him
"So... Is that... what you are here to study?"
>>150128Iron wasn't going to argue at this point, simply following Cauldron's instructions until he can finally breathe comfortably again: He'd rather not ruin this gig when he could get both money and time to spend with the mares he loves.
>>150128"Hmm. Well, you
have lived your entire life in just one place. We might end up travelling to other places in our work. Some near, some far. You will see much more this world has to offer, I am sure of it."
>>150132Mala wags his tail
"You think so?"
>>150131Cauldron goes down the hallway, finds a door, and opens it. Iron presumably follows behind.
The room is small. Very small. Black Cauldron moves towards the opposite side by a window where there is a chair. To the right of the entryway is a bunk bed with blue sheets. It's rather narrow, and couldn't really fit two ponies side by side, though certainly one pony could fit on each bunk... maybe two ponies in one bed if they were on top of each other. There is a little room to the left, and Black Cauldron takes advantage of how this blocks off line of sight to take the objects off of her back, and place them between the chair and the small room.
"We're here" Black Cauldron says
>>150134Iron followed Cauldron's example by soon doing the same thing, hoping it'd be still a good hiding spot as he breathes out a sigh of relief he was holding so far before her words got off her lips.