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Organised by
RogerDodger
Word limit
400–750
Snakes on a Train
Daring Do gave one last push against the train-car door, straining as hard as she could, trying not to focus on the dusty ground rushing past her on all sides. She tried doubly hard not to think of how much more convenient it would be if the rest of the passengers were pegasi, too.
The door squealed on its broken hinges, but it opened far enough for her to squeeze through. “Come on!” she roared back at the wide-eyed group of young earth ponies behind her. They dutifully began to trot across the coupling and into the empty passenger car as quickly as they dared. Interspersed with the youngsters were their hoof-ful of adult chaperones, and a smattering of other incidental passengers; again, all earth ponies.
Daring Do frowned as she watched one of them, the mare with a pale yellow coat and pink-and-blue hair, step across the coupling. She moved with a grace that seemed practiced, and she appeared calmer than the others, despite the circumstances.
“All right, keep going,” Daring Do said to those still crossing. Only a few colts and a grey-maned chaperone were left. She waved them in, then threw her shoulder against the door, trying to get it closed before—
A shape shot past her; leg-long and serpentine. She recoiled on instinct, even before hearing the scream; but then, fearing that others would follow, she redoubled her efforts to get the door closed again. The door squealed even louder, but eventually yielded.
She turned, drew her short belt-knife, and watched two of the adults flail uselessly at the thrashing hooves of the grey chaperone, who was on his back and struggling with… it.
A moment’s hesitation brought the sight of a powerful blue snake with a pink head and yellow teeth that were plunged into the barrel of the unfortunate chaperone. Daring Do leapt toward the pair, and slashed at the snake’s long body. It brought its head around to face her, hissing as it lashed out with its three whip-like tongues. She dodged, then gripped its body with her free hoof as she slammed the knife into it.
The snake went limp and fell to the ground. Daring Do shook with adrenaline as she kept her eyes fixed upon its unmoving form.
“A Tatzlwurm,” she said at length. “Does anypony know why there would be a bunch of immature—” She looked up; all eyes were focused on the yellow pony, who was bending over the grey chaperone and applying a field dressing with uncanny steadiness.
Daring Do snarled, stalked up to the pony, gripped her withers, and whirled her around. “You’re the only one who doesn’t seem surprised by the attack; the only one who’s kept their horse-apples together in the face of all this. And, headmaster?”
“Yes?” asked a tall white pony.
“This one isn’t with your school group, right?”
“That is correct, Ms. Do.”
Daring Do pointed her knife at the yellow pony. “I want answers, now. Good ones.”
The pony sighed, then turned a flat look on her. “Why don’t I keep this stallion from bleeding out, then we’ll talk.”
Daring Do frowned, but nodded.
Minutes later, the yellow mare stood up, approached Daring Do, and brought her head close. “My name is Special Agent Sweetie Drops, from the Royal Bureau of Monster Affairs,” she whispered. “My mission was to transport a crate of immature Tatzlwurms in secret, on civilian transportation, to Canterlot for further study.”
“You’re what?!”
Sweetie Drops’ eyes narrowed. “I didn’t know somepony would exploit the situation to try killing you! The sabotaged engine compartment, the welded-together doors and couplings… even the mostly earth pony passenger compliment! It’s a perfect trap.”
Daring Do laughed in spite of the situation. “Caballeron isn’t known to spare expenses. I guess the question is whether or not Celestia did. You packin’ any firepower?”
Sweetie Drops raised an eyebrow. “I’ve got a few explosives.”
The pegasus nodded. “Well, this is everypony who was in the cars between us and the engine. We blow the coupling right in front of us, and the rest of the train will just coast to a halt.”
The agent hesitated. “We’ll still have to recapture the Tatzlwurms, but at least everypony else will be safe.”
“All right then!” Daring Do shouted back at the beleaguered passengers. “I don’t know about anypony else, but I’ve had enough of these motherbucking snakes on this motherbucking train! Everypony take cover at the back of the car; we’re gonna blow this coupling!”
The door squealed on its broken hinges, but it opened far enough for her to squeeze through. “Come on!” she roared back at the wide-eyed group of young earth ponies behind her. They dutifully began to trot across the coupling and into the empty passenger car as quickly as they dared. Interspersed with the youngsters were their hoof-ful of adult chaperones, and a smattering of other incidental passengers; again, all earth ponies.
Daring Do frowned as she watched one of them, the mare with a pale yellow coat and pink-and-blue hair, step across the coupling. She moved with a grace that seemed practiced, and she appeared calmer than the others, despite the circumstances.
“All right, keep going,” Daring Do said to those still crossing. Only a few colts and a grey-maned chaperone were left. She waved them in, then threw her shoulder against the door, trying to get it closed before—
A shape shot past her; leg-long and serpentine. She recoiled on instinct, even before hearing the scream; but then, fearing that others would follow, she redoubled her efforts to get the door closed again. The door squealed even louder, but eventually yielded.
She turned, drew her short belt-knife, and watched two of the adults flail uselessly at the thrashing hooves of the grey chaperone, who was on his back and struggling with… it.
A moment’s hesitation brought the sight of a powerful blue snake with a pink head and yellow teeth that were plunged into the barrel of the unfortunate chaperone. Daring Do leapt toward the pair, and slashed at the snake’s long body. It brought its head around to face her, hissing as it lashed out with its three whip-like tongues. She dodged, then gripped its body with her free hoof as she slammed the knife into it.
The snake went limp and fell to the ground. Daring Do shook with adrenaline as she kept her eyes fixed upon its unmoving form.
“A Tatzlwurm,” she said at length. “Does anypony know why there would be a bunch of immature—” She looked up; all eyes were focused on the yellow pony, who was bending over the grey chaperone and applying a field dressing with uncanny steadiness.
Daring Do snarled, stalked up to the pony, gripped her withers, and whirled her around. “You’re the only one who doesn’t seem surprised by the attack; the only one who’s kept their horse-apples together in the face of all this. And, headmaster?”
“Yes?” asked a tall white pony.
“This one isn’t with your school group, right?”
“That is correct, Ms. Do.”
Daring Do pointed her knife at the yellow pony. “I want answers, now. Good ones.”
The pony sighed, then turned a flat look on her. “Why don’t I keep this stallion from bleeding out, then we’ll talk.”
Daring Do frowned, but nodded.
Minutes later, the yellow mare stood up, approached Daring Do, and brought her head close. “My name is Special Agent Sweetie Drops, from the Royal Bureau of Monster Affairs,” she whispered. “My mission was to transport a crate of immature Tatzlwurms in secret, on civilian transportation, to Canterlot for further study.”
“You’re what?!”
Sweetie Drops’ eyes narrowed. “I didn’t know somepony would exploit the situation to try killing you! The sabotaged engine compartment, the welded-together doors and couplings… even the mostly earth pony passenger compliment! It’s a perfect trap.”
Daring Do laughed in spite of the situation. “Caballeron isn’t known to spare expenses. I guess the question is whether or not Celestia did. You packin’ any firepower?”
Sweetie Drops raised an eyebrow. “I’ve got a few explosives.”
The pegasus nodded. “Well, this is everypony who was in the cars between us and the engine. We blow the coupling right in front of us, and the rest of the train will just coast to a halt.”
The agent hesitated. “We’ll still have to recapture the Tatzlwurms, but at least everypony else will be safe.”
“All right then!” Daring Do shouted back at the beleaguered passengers. “I don’t know about anypony else, but I’ve had enough of these motherbucking snakes on this motherbucking train! Everypony take cover at the back of the car; we’re gonna blow this coupling!”