Chapter 4

Western Equestria

The early morning sun slips under the curtains and assaults my eyes as I turn over in my hammock. I never was a morning person, and I still seem to not be a morning Pokémon either. Rubbing my eyes to clear the sleep from them, I recount last night's sleep; it had been fitful, with the only memory being of blurred action and shouting. I hope the dream wasn't a forewarning of how the trip would go. Well, premonition or no, the wheel and corner bracing needed to be fixed, and woodworking did not come with this group’s repertoire.

Sitting up in my hammock, I take a peek through the curtains. Pulling the slightly faded cloth aside, I get a full dose of the early morning sunlight. Groaning and covering my smarting eyes, I roll backwards out of the hammock and fall to the floor. With a muffled thump, I land on my back as my pillow falls on top of me. It seems that this is another morning of the vengeful sort. The floor had two points and growing. At least it seems that I am now fully awake, better early than never.

With clear eyes, I take a look around. Silver mane pokes out from the edge of a larger hammock, signifying that Trixie will be sleeping through this sunrise. Deciding to let her sleep, for now, I search the stacks of boxes for anything breakfast-related. I locate what looks like some sort of pancake mix sitting on a high shelf. Levitating it down, I give the box a once-over. The appearance of a flapjack on the front confirms my guess. Learning to read Equish would prove very useful in the future. I wouldn't want to mix some sort of flash powder with my breakfast by accident. Looking around for a pan, I find one and lever it out from a pile of its brethren. Now that I have everything, I wonder if I have a way to relight the fire to make breakfast. I try to recall if Trixie had used any sort of fire-starting tools. I may need to wake her for this, better sooner than later.

Setting the things on a shelf next to a pitcher of water, I think of a way to wake the sleeping mare. Taking the curtains in a telekinetic grasp, I push them aside, flooding the carriage with light.

"Wanted to get an early start didya now?" A tired voice snarks after a long yawn.

As Trixie's head lifts up, I float the box of pancake mix down in front of her disgruntled face.

With a snort she looks at me, "You woke me up to make us breakfast, and you need my help?"

I nod and begin to make an attempt at shaking Trixie out of her hammock. A few swings and a teal mass falls to the floor.

"Alright, alright... I'm up." She calls out from beneath her blanket.

This morning had begun with a slow crawl. Trixie and I had finished a light breakfast before moving heavier objects out of the carriage. With a combined effort, we had finished the task quickly. All that was left to move was the carriage itself.

Ensuring that there would be no distractions, I reach for the carriage with a telekinetic grasp. After a few failed attempts, I secure a hold on the target as it begins to glow softly. A flash in my peripheral vision indicates that Trixie is prepared to lift the carriage. As our telekinetic auras mix, a strange feeling washes over me. It appears that the same had also happened to Trixie, with a prominent shiver making her snout scrunch. I wisely ignore the feeling, for now, turning my focus to upwards motion. I give a nod to signal for Trixie's assistance, and she complies, the weight noticeably lessening. Suspended at a reasonable distance, there seems to be much less strain than before.

With another nod, we hold the carriage steady and begin to move it towards the forest. The speed is slow at first but increases to a quick walking pace. At the halfway mark, I begin to feel an increasing weight from the carriage. Looking over, I see Trixie beginning to tire. I may not know much about magic, but magical exhaustion would prove a hindrance in the upcoming trip.

I turn to Trixie and attempt to signal for her to take a break. Seeming to understand, she backs away and sits down on her haunches. I notice that Trixie seemed to be more fatigued than she let on, panting and wiping sweat with her foreleg. Some rest should help her recover her strength for the trip. The sudden increase in weight brings me back to the task at hand- with the carriage nearly slipping from my grip. I refocus my grip once more and trudge onwards.

The rest of the plan goes without hitch. I had set the carriage down a good ways into the forest and had begun to place the heavier items inside. Trixie had mostly recovered and had brought items from our original encampment. Some branches had been placed around the carriage to offer some camouflage. Trixie had retrieved her saddlebags, hat, and cloak from within before locking and securing the door and windows. This was the best we could do with the available time, the morning having mostly passed.

I stand back and look at our handiwork- or hoofwork, I am not sure which. Branches found scattered about the forest floor conceal most of the brighter colors. With the carriage more-or-less concealed, we can now set out for the nearest town. Trixie dons her hat, and we set off to the West.

So far, the trip had gone without incident. We had stopped once to rest and eat a short lunch. Now, the mid-afternoon sun was slowly sinking in the sky. The Whitetail Woods lay to the north of us, with rolling plains to the south.

I squint against the sunlight and look at the road up ahead. Nothing lay ahead save for that growing cloud of dust.

Wait...

That dust must mean other travelers. Hopefully, ones that can tell us the distance to the target town or offer assistance. The size of the dust cloud signifies the odd speed of the oncoming travelers. They seem to be moving at a near full-galloping pace with their caravan. I see that both a unicorn stallion and a pegasus mare are pulling said cargo as they draw closer. I also notice that they appear to be wearing masks of some sort and are on a path straight towards us.

Trixie seems to notice this as well as she leans forwards and peers at the duo. Something clicks as her head snaps up, "Bandits!" She screams, "Run!"

Without any further encouragement, I shoot one direction as Trixie gallops in the other. Looking behind me, I see the carriage begin to slow as it barrels past. After stopping, the pair are immediately in pursuit of Trixie. I see a net fly from the unicorn's side as he nears Trixie. She stumbles and falls as the weights tangle her legs.

I pause my charge as the pegasus places something over Trixie's muzzle with her wing. She appears to fall unconscious as she goes limp. The ponies move with practiced precision as they tie Trixie up and drag her back to the carriage. They vanish inside with my new and only friend in this unfamiliar world.

Hiding behind a lone-standing tree, I struggle to think of a way to rescue her.

Author's Notes:

I struggled with a bout of writer's block to attempt to get this chapter published in a timely fashion. As I had said, travel also messed with my work schedule. Not to mention having much to do when I arrived home.

As per the usual, I hope you have enjoyed this chapter! Feedback and corrections are always appreciated.