>As you stare down the barrel of your own offspring, you very slowly begin to hatch a plan.
>It’s not going to be very pretty, but it’ll stop these guys and keep your party alive.
>At least, ideally.
>The only way this is going to work is if you have enough magic, and you’re unsure.
>But there’s no other way.
>You have to act now before you lose three more members out of cover.
“A-alright, I- We give up! You don’t have to shoot, I’m finito. Okay?”
>Your eyes betray you and glance over at Gable, Berry and Iron’s position, and they look confused.
>At first, anyways.
>Gable’s eyes light up in understanding.
>”I don’t think you had a choice anyways, doctor! If you don’t shut up, we’ll take more than what we came here for! I could use a tight little mare right about now anyways.
>The crazed mule’s eyes linger over Redheart, and she shrinks closer to you.
>Perfect.
>You wrap one arm around her lightly.
“It’ll be alright, Red… It’ll be okay..”
>She hugs you tightly, obviously frightened by this situation.
>The thugs don’t respond to the normal assurance, and while you’re speaking you lower to a whisper.
“Get ready to block.”
>Her eyes widen in shock, but you have to trust that she’ll be ready.
>Then you summon the one known as Sir Ducksalot.
“Master, I require your assistance.”
~Speak, my child.~
“On my mark, I need you to attack that mule, okay?”
~It shall be done.~
>You look at Five to make sure she’s ready, and she hasn’t lowered her guard. Good.
>It’s all down to you to make sure you keep them safe.
>You look carefully at the crossbow-wielding stallion, watching his face carefully.
>He notices after a while.
>”Hey, fuckface, want an arrow to the knee?”
>He raises his arms to adjust himself, and your ticket opens.
>The instant he blinks, you act immediately.
>Used Teleport (-20 MP)
Anon: [HP: 175/140][MP: 35/105]
>You zap behind them with your markings flaring to life, yelling to the rest of your party.
“ATTACK NOW!”
>Used Levitate
>The crossbow fires off right at Redheart, but she already had her shield up, the arrow penetrating the top half a few inches in, succesfully blocking it.
>”SHIT, HE’S BEHIND US!”
>Guns begin to converge on you, but you yank the crossbow and shotgun out of the two’s hooves with an adrenaline rushed pull of magic.
>The trigger of the shotgun pulls, and the stallion’s head is blown apart by the blast of the barrel, blood spraying behind him onto the elder stallion, whom gets blinded.
>Sir Ducksalot flies out at the mule and strikes him in the nose with such force his nose audibly breaks, sending him reeling back and out of commission.
>Five runs out of cover, dodges the bullet from the four-eyed mule and wrenches the C.O.C.K. out of his grasp, bucking him right in the chest and sending him back into the half-destroyed conductor’s room.
>The rifle the elder stallion has ends up firing from the shock of seeing his teammate die, and the bullet ricochets off the ceiling.
>Gable had ran out of cover himself to go after him, but the previous bullet penetrates his shoulder, his own blood adding to the carnage.
>-150 HP<
Gable: [HP: 50/200]
>”GHHA-”
>He falls to the ground in front of him, but gets up before the thug can react, sinking his talons into his arms and headbutting him.
>The thug butts him with the end of the rifle, and the two start fighting for their lives.
>You turn around and look at the sudden firing of the dual-wielding pistols the zebra has, and you manage to throw yourself to the ground before they hit you.
>Raising your hands again, you get both of them out of his grasp and turn them to him, twitching your fingers ever so delicately to put just the right amount of pressure on the triggers.
>Both guns fire their second round right into the Zebra’s temple, splattering brain-matter over the door as he slumps to the ground.
>”NO, F! WHAT THE FUCK DID YOU DO!?”
>The insane burro becomes blinded with righteous anger and charges you down, slamming you right in your chest and pins you, starting to choke you out.
[-30 HP]
>Red is up at this point and draws her spear, charging at the youngest stallion with the dagger, and parries his first strike, bashes his jaw in with her shield, and attemps to knock him outcold with the center of her weapon.
>The stallion suddenly wrenches her shield to the side before she can, pulls her in, and delivers a deciding kick to her diaphragm, knocking the breath out of her.
>She crumbles to the ground and the stallion picks up one of the discarded guns, aiming it right between her eyes.
>No, no no!
[-30 HP]
>You sacrifice one of your hands trying to keep you from suffocating and try to push the weapon out of his hooves, but a green light picks it up, whips it around, and fires right into his mouth.
>The stallion falls forward and covers Redheart in his blood, dying over her shield.
>While this happens, Gable loses his edge against the rifle-wielding stallion, tumbling back as the elder cocks the rifle and stuffs the barrel down his throat, ready to fire.
>There’s a loud banging noise, and you assume that you’ve just failed.
[-30 HP]
>But you hear his pained grunts still going, and manage to see that Iron had thrown Berry right on top of the elder stallion and she just now collided with him.
>With one fell swoop, he crashes to the ground, she raises her spear, and crashes the tip through his skull and kills him, stapling him to the floor of the train with it.
[-30 HP]
>Once this is done, Five, Red and Iron all converge on the mule that nearly succeeds in wringing the life out of you, and they all throw him back simultaneously to the wall, and you try to get your breath back.
>He managed to slip under Iron and crosswind his side, kick his knee under and bash a hoof into the side of his face with unprecedented strength, sending him sprawling to the ground.
>-100 HP<
Iron: [HP: 175/275, KO]
>Five nearly has another chaos blast charged, but the mule throws both arms into the sides of her head, discombobulating her, and then he pushes Red off of him to bite down on the changeling’s horn, completely canceling out the spell and causing her great pain.
>-65 HP<
Five: [HP: 55/120, S][MP: 50/100]
>Red tries to get up, but right before the mule takes off, he throws his leg back and clocks her right in the skull, throwing her back and hitting her head on one of the corners of the booths.
>She falls to the ground, unmoving and blood beginning to seep out of her mane.
>-40/-80 HP<
Redheart: [HP: 30/150, KO]
>The mule runs forward and rolls over one of the pistols, standing up and cocking it, aiming up and firing at the first pony he sees.
>It crashes into Berry’s knee, making her roll off of the stallion’s body and crash to the ground.
>”AAGH... ooh f-fuck...”
>-80 HP<
Berry Punch: [HP: 140/220, Incap]
>The crazy burro then turns the sights at your head, and it fires.
>However, a grey and brown blurry mass crashes into him just as it happens, sending his aiming off course and the pistol flying to the air.
>Gable tackles the mule with his good shoulder straight into the wall, and wraps his talons over his face to try and force him back.
>The thug’s rampage grants him adrenaline that forces Gable back, and he slams his elbow into Gable’s bullet wound, which brings him to his knees in searing agony.
>But that’s all that would happen.
>You catch the wild pistol in the air, point it at him, and pull the trigger.
>The projectile cannons through the burro’s cheek, dropping him to the ground with one final slice of blood painting the wall.
>All is still after this.
>You look around and guage the situation.
>You, Berry, Iron, and Gable have been shot to varying degrees of severity, Redheart might have a concussion, and Five’s magic doesn’t seem to be working properly.
>You also hear shuffling in the conductor’s room, and the light’s glint of glasses catching your eye.
 
>Status
Anonymous: [HP: 20/140][MP: 5/105]
Redheart: [HP: 30/150, KO]
Berry Punch: [HP: 140/220, Incap]
Gable: [HP: 50/200, S]
Iron Will: [HP: 175/275, KO]
Five: [HP: 55/120, S][MP: 50/100]
 
>What would you like to do?
 
 
 
>Dropping the C.O.C.K., you unbuckle your F.L.A.R.E. from your belt and raise your left hand, holding it up with the right.
>Used Luminate
>Your free hand lights up and reveals the shadows of the train, properly displaying the final thug, the goateed burro who’s still recovering from having his ribs broken.
>Then you raise the magical cannon to the nearest gun he reaches for, and fire it.
>Used Shoot Flare (-5 MP)
[You are out of mana!]
>The fireball bursts from the F.L.A.R.E.’s barrel and incinerates the spot in front of him, destroying his last chance for revenge by taking away his weapon.
>You stare at him closely while the conscious members of your party watch the ensuing staredown.
“Give it up. Your life is worth more than this, so stop the blood, and you’ll live another day.”
>These words stir the stubborn mule, and he slowly stands up, using his arm to support himself on the train’s console.
>”My colleagues are dead… You stand there, looking so smug at your victory, killing these innocent ponies who needed this break to feed their wives and children…”
>He coughs up blood, staining his black suit.
>”...And you have the gall to tell me to give up?... No… It’s over when I SAY IT’S OVER.”
>He suddenly draws a knife from his back pocket, and thrusts his hooves on the accelerator lever.
>You watch as he forces it to its highest limit, then stabs the console trail with his knife, sparks and magic flying everywhere as the train lurches backward.
>Everyone falls back and the train explodes in screams and wails from the train going haywire, and the locomotive begins to increase in velocity at a staggering rate, the engine beginning to thrust and protest with the increased workload.
>By the time you’re able to stand back up, you see that the burro is gone, completely vanished.
>Then you spot that the right window in the conductor’s room is open.
>Your party still needs help.
 
 
 
>Used Magic Recombobulator
>+105 MP<
Anon: [HP: 20/140][MP: 105/105]
MRP: (13/500)
 
>Used ESHP on Redheart!
>+66% HP<
Redheart: [HP: 130/150, KO]
>Used Doctor’s Kit on Gable and Iron Will! (Split)
>(+62.5%/+62.5%) + (x3 Trips bonus) = >125%/125%<
Gable: [HP: 250/200]
Iron Will: [HP: 344/275, KO]
>Gable gets himself up, actively avoiding looking at the battlefield.
>”Thanks…”
>Used Blessing of Harmony on Iron Will and Redheart! (-8 MP)
[Red and Iron cured of all mental and spiritual status effects!]
>Your two friends stir and feel themselves carefully for injuries as they awake, confused when they don’t find anything.
“Are you guys okay?”
>Iron feels the side of his face and sees the carnage that has transpired, going green in the face.
>”...No. ...I might talk tough, but I can’t handle that.”
>Redheart feels her head, looking at the blood that covers the back of her name displayed on her hoof.
>”... We’re fine… can’t say the same for them, though.”
>She ended up glancing at the sight, but she looks back at you without emotion.
>”What do we do?”
“I need you to help the rest. I’ve got a train to stop!”
>”Alright. … Five, come here!”
>Red and Five converge and run over to Berry, and she starts to patch her up.
“Iron, go find my wand. It went under the booths on the left side.”
>He gets up wordlessly and shuffles over to the booths, beginning his search.
>You step over the bodies and think of how you can stop this.
>You walk into the conductor’s room and limp over to the bound and gagged Steam Pocket, and you start to undo the gag and ropes.
“Stop this train however we need to! Cut the fuel, kill the power to the control panel, wear the brakes down to nothing, just get this thing stopped!”
>He shrugs his hooves out of the bind and jumps out of the seat the instant you get him free.
>”Confounded thugs, if they just… Good Celestia, boy!”
>He looks out into the hallway for a moment before wretching and turning to the console.
>”I knew those metal bow things were nothin’ but trouble… If I ever find the pony responsible for those inventions, I’d tear him a new one… What’s your name, boy?”
“Anon!”
>”Alright Anon, go to the fuel room over there and knock on the door. The password’s ‘Zeal for the rail’, now get in there and tell my crew to get out here and stop fueling!”
>You don’t even want for him to finish as you run over to the other side of the conductor’s room, standing in front of the big padlocked iron door and knocking as hard as you can five times.
>After a moment, the slide opens revealing two frightened eyes.
“Zeal for the rail! It’s safe now, get out here guys!”
>The slide shuts, and a moment later the door swings open, filing many dirty apron-clad mares and stallions that line up around Steam Pocket, who’s already working the controls and trying everything he can.
>The locomotive twists and screeches on the rails as he tries brakes, auxillary power, and coldwiring the acceleration system.
>”C’mon, you stupid piece of junk! Juniper, go out to the back and start getting people ready for emergency eject! I don’t know if this baby’s gonna stop!”
>The mare known as Juniper runs out of the room, and yelps in fear and surprise the instant she sees the blood bath, crying and whimpering as she tiphoofs around the bodies to do what she was told.
>Steam slams his hoof on the console, thinking hard.
>Then he looks at you for a moment.
>”You got any ice or water spells with that magic of yours?”
“I’m afraid not.”
>Now you regret not taking that staff from Cadance.
>Cadance… This whole situation’s been more dangerous than the fight with the shadow.
>It seems you and your party were much more prepared for magical combat and swords rather than ranged weapons that kill on impact.
>Why did you ever brings guns into this world?
>”Then we’ll have to do it the hard way. I need you to go to the very back of the passenger’s car, right before the supply line, get out onto the roof, and find the main water pumps. IF you can sever that hose and brings it out through here and douse the flames, we can get this thing stopped. Go on, hurry!”
>You nod, turning towards your given goal.
>What would you like to do?
 
 
 
>You turn around for one question that just budded in your mind.
“Can't you undo some steam valves to release pressure to buy us time or stop this thing? How about shutting down the boiler and disabling the pistons or the water pipes attached to it to prevent steam?”
>”What do you think I’ve been doing, Anon? The whole console’s jacked up so I can’t access any of the auxillaries, and the only way to shut down the boiler is to drown it. Trust me when I say this is the only way, now get going!”
>Right, you didn’t think so.
>You turn and run out of the room, seeing the bodies again.
>As dire as the situation is, it’s not going to do any good letting them sit here right now.
>You very carefully start moving the bodies, having a bit of trouble stomaching it yourself.
>Once you get the five side by side, you pull off your coat and cover their heads with its length, so at least most of the gore is censored.
[Dropped Thick Winter Coat.]
>That coat’s definitely ruined, but it’ll help the morale of the situation.
>Before leaving, an afterthought takes you back and you approach the blonde-maned stallion, Celestia rest his soul.
>...
 
[LOOT]
>BATTLEGROUND: 3 Copy C.O.C.K.’s (Half normal value/damage), 1 Copy F.U.C.K.E.R. (Half normal value/damage), 1 Copy D.I.C.K. (Half normal value/damage)
>THUGS: Concise Lead Ammo (17, +25 PA), Rifle Lead Slugs (8, +50 PA), Four-Barrel Lead Ammo (4, +25 PA), 170 bits, Letter to M (unsealed), Reinforced Platinum Dagger (+38 PA, grants Parry, Grants ability Shank)
>...
 
>Once you’re finished getting what you need, you move back over to Red and Berry to make sure she’s alright.
>Red patched her up quite nicely.
[-1 Supply Medkit]
Berry: [HP: 220/220]
>Berry doesn’t seem to be very happy about it, though.
>In fact, nobody’s smiling right now.
>With a situation like that, you wouldn’t be either.
>You turn to leave for the back door, when you bump into Iron.
“Oh, did you find it?”
[Iron Will gives you Starswirl’s Wand.]
Anon: [HP: 20/140][MP: 297/305]
>”Here it is, now why’s the train moving so quick?”
“I’m attending to that right now. Be right back. Make sure everyone else is alright.”
>”Be careful, brother.”
>Even Iron Will’s tone is solemn and sullen.
>You push the issue out of your mind and move to the very back of the passenger cars, ponies looking at you in a mixture of gratitude and fear if they weren’t comforting their loved ones.
>You look up and realize you’ll need to do this quickly, and this shouldn’t be too hard now that you’ve mastered both spells.
>You close your eyes and envision the top of the train, a mere ten feet up, and you activate two spells at once to get done what you need to do.
>Used Wallwalking (-4 MP)
>Used Teleport (-20 MP)
>You zap into high-rushing winds, and you’re already falling away from the train.
>Three supply carts rush past you before you’re able to grip the train with your spell.
>The instant you touch your hands and feet to it, your entire body lurches to meet the momentum of the train, heavily straining your muscles and bullet wounds.
>Fuck, that hurts.
>You compose yourself after a moment and slowly stand, your feet still sticking to the top of the train as you look around.
>There’s the water pipe on the left at the first supply car, right where Steam said it’d be.
>What is concerning you, however, is the same mule that escaped is now climbing off the top with a rope tied around his hoof.
>You advance towards him, but he turns around before you can get anywhere close, and he spots you.
>”What the hell are you doing up here?! Gh, it doesn’t matter. You’re on the right side. Say hello to my crew when you meet them.”
>The burro pulls the rope tightly straight up, and there’s a prominent metallic clang below.
>The car he stands on begins to speed up dramatically, and the supply carts are slowing down.
>He just disconnected them, with you on the business end, and he smiles as soon as you realize this.
>What do you do?
 
 
 
>You’re not about to sit here and let him get away with this.
>He might’ve just gotten the trotium for his crew, but that doesn’t mean he isn’t going to go to jail.
>You take a running start and thrust your hand forward, markings flaring to life.
>Used Ignite (-1 MP)
>The spell rockets at him as fast as an arrow, but he was already rolling the instant you fired, and he dodges.
>You pick yourself up to the fastest running speed you can with your body as injured as it is, and jump off the surprisingly large gap, your mind’s eye doing your work for you.
>Used Teleport (-20 MP)
>Used Teleport (-20 MP)
>Two white flashes of magic later, your feet plant onto the passenger car roof, and you turn around to gain contact with him for one more teleport, already imagining the first passenger car.
>But instead of your fingers meeting fur, you get two solid hooves to the chest, right where your bullet wounds are.
>-60 HP, Stun<
Anon: [HP: 80/140, S][MP: 232/305]
“AAGGH!”
>The unimaginable pain and break of your wounds nearly breaks your concentration for your wallwalking spell, but at the last second you manage to keep yourself from sliding off by holding yourself backwards.
>You thought you had the element of surprise, but it feels like this guy’s dealt with magic users before.
>You try to get up, but you’re far too dizzy and seeing stars to think straight.
>You then suddenly feel something pour on your chest, and all of your magic leaves your presence, as if it’s been locked away.
[You have been manasealed!]
>”I’ve been in this business a long time, human. I’m not about to sit on my flanks while you take me wherever you want. I hope you’re proud of your heroics, because that’s what your little friends will remember you by.”
>You can’t focus, but you feel two front hooves on your side.
>”No hard feelings about my teammates, by the way. In my eyes, you’re already dead. Goodbye.”
>The leader of the thugs pushes you right off the train.
>You can’t stop it.
>You feel yourself falling to the ground, and you bounce down the side of the deserty hill, rolling and thrashing your limbs for what seems like hours until you finally stop, aching pains and stabbing agony going through your chest and body.
[-70 HP]
Anon: [HP: 10/140, S][MP: Manasealed]
>The dust around you settles as you watch the front of the train zoom away, and the supply cars going down further still at a slightly slower pace.
>Soon, it all passes, and the whole locomotive disappears out of the horizon, leaving you stranded in the middle of nowhere, bruised and bloodied, with no mana to behold.
>It takes a good deal of time for you to be able to sit up, and when you do you spit blood.
>Your reopened wounds are getting serious, and it might be time to use a healing potion.
>Not that’d it’d be very useful… You take a good look around and see no civilization.
>You hope your party can stop that train.
>With great force and arduous effort, you manage to stand up.
>What would you like to do?