//------------------------------//
// 10,000 Feet 
// Story: Quoth the Raven 
// by midworld1999 
//------------------------------//

	Take, the time, to see, the other things in life.





Plateau City came into sight the morning of the ninth day. I was enraptured by it. If you've ever seen it, you know exactly what I mean.

We had just crested over a hill when the trees suddenly broke behind us, giving way to plains that stretched to the horizon. Out in the middle of plains rested a plateau elevated at least ten thousand feet above the surrounding countryside, huge flatlands spotted with plantations and the occasional township.

Atop the enormous mesa was a skyline silhouetted against the sun rising in the east. Even from our significant distance away, I could tell that this city was far superior to the one we had left. The buildings were taller and more majestic, and had a timelessness about them. I felt that if I visited this place in a thousand years, it would look much the same. The domes and spires seemed to be a natural part of the landscape, just as sturdy and immovable as the tableland it sat on.

I almost crashed while I gaped at the colossal masterpiece before me. My painful faceplant was thankfully prevented, as Lenore managed to catch my tail and swing me upright so I could land.

As I tried to form coherent sentences, Lenore spoke up. "I know, right? Biggest earthbound city in the Griffon Empire, not to mention richest overall. This is where all the action happens. Lots of money changes claws there (especially among the politically inclined), and us jokers and thieves get to reap the benefits.

"It's the best of both worlds, Nevermore! Altitude for us flyers and stairways up for others. I'm no scientist or anything, but I think that's why this city's so successful: access and relative comfort for all, not to mention cheaper than cloud cities. It's not that hard to figure, really.

"And aside from all that mumbo jumbo, it's beautiful. If I had to stay in one place, I think it would be here. Yeah..." Then she too fell silent, seeming to realize with embarrassment that she was making a speech. Instead, she simply beheld the view before us, anticipating our flight over.

I waited for her to say something else, but she stood quiet next to me. I broke the silence after a few minutes. "Should we go now?"

She blinked, as if woken up suddenly from a trance. "Umm, yeah, yeah. Let's not waste anymore time, I guess." With that, she took off, me trailing a couple seconds behind.

As we flew over countryside, we saw ponies working the fields below, growing a bountiful harvest for the rest of the year. I had never seen so many ponies in one place before.

"Why are there so many ponies down there?" I inquired.

"We're pretty close to the border of that new country Equestria. Lots of migrants from over there end up here as well, since the soil's s'good. You'll see a lot of ponies in the city as well. This place's got the best trade anywhere in a hundred wheels, Griffon Empire or Equestria."

Equestria back then was a new country, and rather famous everywhere. This fame came from the fact that the country had essentially popped up overnight, yet was one of the most prosperous. This was usually attributed to the country's diarchs, who had also seemingly come from nowhere, but somehow kept the place running smoothly despite their apparent lack of experience.

As we neared the plateau, I began to make details out of the city. A long, narrow path wrapped around the plateau, leading all the way up to the city proper. At the base of this path, there was a small village, where numerous carts and wagons were being inspected before gaining admittance to the road.

Later, Lenore would explain to me that they were being taxed on whatever goods they bringing to sell to city. Flyers got to bypass this system, because it was assumed a single griffon or pegasi couldn't carry enough to make too much of a profit. When I asked about sky carriages, Lenore said she didn't know.

I also noticed that the city seemed to have a mist speeding by just above it, which the tallest of the buildings just managed to scrape. It took me a moment to realize that this was actually cloud, considering the city's altitude. I surmised that because the clouds were moving so fast, it must be too windy to set up residences in them. 

We landed in an alleyway just off of a busy plaza. The marketplace was more crowded than any I had ever seen. I could see why Lenore had said there were so many jokers and thieves here. You could probably take the coat off somepony's back and they wouldn't even notice, in a place with that much movement. My already potent first impression of the place somehow grew. It looked like it would be impossible not to make money in a place like this.

Lenore tapped my shoulder, and I tore my gaze from the plaza next to us. "Listen Nevermore, I'm gonna have a look around for some of the jokers I know from here. They change where they gather and camp about every two weeks or so, or at least they did the last time I was here. I need to find out where it is. Since I know this city better than you, I can get around faster on my own. Meet me back here at noonish. Until then, just explore a bit, but don't steal anything yet."

My gaze had already drifted back to the market. "Sure, sounds good," I said. With that, Lenore flew off and I was left to my own devices.

I plunged into the crowd without hesitation. Among the throng of bodies, both equine and griffon, I felt in control. As I had done in my old town, I simply acted normal. No one seemed to notice my unwelcome presence as I traversed the stalls and shops of the market.

My eager eyes flitted from merchant to merchant, trying to take in all the culture at once. I saw exotic foods I'd never seen before, being sold by strange striped ponies, with mohawks and bizarre jewelry, who were equally exotic. Another vendor sold animals unknown to me, from multicolored bats to a raccoon-like creature that gazed at me with gold ringed eyes. I was drawn to a stall that dealt in tomes of the magical arts. The books looked about at thick as a brick, and I already knew where to get Lenore's promised freebee from.

I observed more intense kinds of jokering as well, a pegasus fire thrower and an griffoness plate thrower. She held dual metal plates (sharpened keen) in each of her claws, and threw in intersecting patterns through her partner's sentient fire, screaming some indistinguishable word as she did so. I gawked as the plates whistled between the narrow gaps of flame, their paths crossing before embedding three inches into a narrow but solid piece of wood with a great twang. The plates were so close together that I couldn't have stuck a slip of paper between them. The fire thrower was just as impressive, her flames flitting into images that danced.

A large group had formed around the two jokers, and I observed that the occupants of this city seemed a lot more generous than the residents of the town I'd left behind, leaving over 300 bits for the duo. Considering how much this pair was raking in without even resorting to thieving, I wondered if my services would even be necessary. Sure, Lenore's music wasn't nearly as impressive as the spectacle here, but she might still be able to manage here on her own. What if–

Somepony had their hoof in my bag. I spun around to find a teenaged colt red hooved. Despite my smaller size, I saw fear in his eyes. Getting caught would mean disaster not only for him, but for his jokering accomplices as well. I felt an urge to rat him out, but stopped myself for two reasons. One, I could sympathize with his situation. Two, I'd undoubtedly meet him later. I didn't want to get off on the wrong hoof with the jokers and thieves in this city.

Instead of yelling, I glared at him. "Better luck next time, friend," I whispered. "Now scat!" He threw me a sheepish grin and galloped off, his blue body melting into the ambient crowd. When I turned back to the show, I noticed angry glances thrown my way from the performers every so often. I decided I'd stayed in one place long enough, and moved on to another stall.





As promised, I met Lenore back in the alley at exactly noonish o'clock.

"You look pleased," I commented, as she glided down to where I waited. A smile lay on her beak.

"That's right. I found out where we're gonna be staying. Apparently we've been bribing some merchants to let us set up camp in their shipping yard on a permanent basis. We'll be heading on over after we buy some food from the market. I thought we'd try some Zebrican. Weird lookin' shit, but tasty."

"Are they the striped ones?" I asked, more interested in them than our future home, at least for the moment.

"Yup. They're pretty much earth ponies, but with accents. Generally a pretty nice bunch. I'm sure you'll meet a few once we head over to the shipping yard. Anyways, let's head to the market and pick up that grub."

As we walked, Lenore asked me what I thought of the city. "There's so much to look at. It's all kinda overwhelming, honestly, but once I get used to it, I think I'll be alright."

"What was your favorite part?"

"No clue. The book stand was full of all this really archaic shit, and that was fascinating. I'm definitely getting my freebee from there. There was also this pet store with a weird raccoon thing. Oh, wait, I know! The best thingby far was the performance I saw. There were these two girls, a griffon and a pegasi, who were doing this routine with a throwing plate and fire twirling. I don't think I've ever seen anything that cool in my whole life!"

"Plates and fireworks, aye? I think I know who you're talkin' about. That'd be Molly and Charlie, respectively. They'll probably be back at shipping yard. Once we get back to camp, be sure to give them a compliment. I've seen their show too, and it is pretty awesome."

I frowned. "I don't know, I don't think they liked me much. There was a thief with them, but I caught him before he could get anything off me. After I sent him off, they glared at me until I left."

Lenore seemed unperturbed. "HA! That's funny! Can't wait to see the looks on their faces when they see you stride into camp! They'll be embarrassed as hell! What'd the thief look like?"

"Blue colt, a bit older than you."

"Earth pony?"

"I think so."

She laughed. "Blue Snatch. Poor guy, what an awful name. His parents must've been sadists or something. Sheesh, they're never gonna let him hear the end of this one. Can't even pickpocket a kid not even a quarter his age! That's gotta hurt!" She saw me mock pouting, so she added, "Course, that's to be expected when dealing with a thief of your caliber, Nevermore!"

I grinned. "You got that right!"

By that point, we'd reached the food stand. I let Lenore order, since I had no idea what was good. I observed while the cook prepared our meal, some sort of mushed up mixture of meat and spices in turtle shell dishes. The elder zebra heading the stall smiled at my curiosity. When I noticed him watching, I asked, "Aren't you guys like ponies?" He nodded. "Then why are you preparing meat? I thought ponies didn't like meat."

He spoke up in a thick accent. "It is true we Zebricans eat not meat, but Griffons find it a tasty treat. If our business is to stay afloat, we cannot deal in only oat."

"I forgot to mention they speak only limerick," Lenore cut in.

"No, I think it's a couplet. Right?" The old Zebrican nodded. "Why do you do that?"

"T'is a tale too long to tell, and as old as The Turtle's shell."

"What?"

"Oh, I know this one! 'The Turtle's shell' is the earth, right? That's just your way of saying it's really old, right?" Lenore asked.

The zebra nodded again. "The Turtle's shell is as old as time, as is our story of why we rhyme."

Before I could ask anymore questions, out food was ready, held in a casing of two turtle shells clamped firmly together. Lenore shoved it in her bag and we set off for the shipping yard, taking flight and getting a much closer view of Plateau City. Spires and domed temples whizzed by as we flew. We weaved between buildings with me following Lenore, who was much more familiar with the surroundings.

After a couple minutes of flying, and passing over too many stores and open markets to count, we landed outside a large warehouse. Griffon, pegasus, earth pony, and zebra alike were moving crates to and fro in some unfathomable pattern. Other species I'd get to know later, like deer and buffalo, were also helping.

I'd learn later that Plateau City was one of the most integrated cities in the world at the time, and everyone pretty much tolerated each other (if not always happily). I hadn't noticed it at that point, but the zebra who sold us our food had no problem with me, something I'd later take for granted. When the Griffo-Equine War broke out, Plateau City was the only neutral territory between the two countries. Unfortunately for me, I was long gone by that time.

Lenore walked up to a pegasus wearing a badge, had a brief conversation with him, gave him a sack of bits, and came back. "Easier than I thought it would be. I hinted at our intentions, and he set the whole thing up. We can head on in now."

We walked casually through the warehouse, and no one stopped us. After exiting out the back, we came to a wall of shipping crates, which went on to create some sort of perimeter. I extended my wings to fly over, but Lenore stopped me.

"The guy I talked to said there's a force field over top. They paid a unicorn to set it up. There's only one way in."

"Wow, fancy."

"I know, right? Come on, follow me." Lenore led me to an inconspicuous crate marked "19" and opened it up. We clambered inside, and Lenore shut the door behind us. "Sorry for the dark, it's the only way for it to work," she apologized. She wasted no time in opening the opposite side of the crate. We stumbled back into the sunlight.

Before us stood a microcity. Almost all of the buildings were fashioned out of used crates. These makeshift houses and shops radiated from a fire pit in the center of the complex, which in turn was surrounded by wooden benches. The entire thing was almost too simple.

After contemplating it for a moment, I saw the genius of the setup. If they were ever discovered by some governing authority, they could have their camp broken down within an hour, possibly even less if there was unicorn present. What was left would look just like any old shipping yard.

"Let's go commandeer a crate, Nevermore," said Lenore. "The sooner we get ourselves settled, the sooner we can rest and get to know the others."





It took us a few hours, but by six o'clock we were moved in. I was glad Lenore had thought to get dinner in advance, because after setting up a whole house, I was exhausted and didn't feel like going anywhere.

We sat down at one of the benches around the blazing fire pit. Several griffons, ponies, and other species were also lazing around the fire, eating and chatting with each other. Lenore took a seat nearby Charlie, Molly, and Blue. They smiled at the sight of Lenore, but visibly flinched at the sight of me (especially Blue).

Lenore took this in stride. "Heh, you guys are right to be so freaked out. My little buddy saw through your ruse in like five seconds. Didn'tcha, Nevermore?"

Mimicking her cocky attitude, I gave a confident nod. I almost cracked a grin when I saw their outrage.

"Pfft, c'mon Charlie, Molly, Blue. I'm just fuckin' with you! Mind if we join you?" Now that the joke was over, the entire group relaxed a bit. Lenore started to catch up with Charlie and Molly. I was stuck in the awkward position of making conversation with Blue. Even though we were both calmer now, there was still some tension.

At first, Blue and I just didn't talk. That was fine by me. I wasn't very familiar with casual conversation anyways, since I had only ever interacted with Lenore. Besides, the Zebrican food was more than enough to hold my attention. Lenore had been right. It was delicious! Despite the awkwardness, after a couple minutes of quiet chewing between us, Blue asked me a question.

"Ain'tchoo kinda young tuhbe a thief?" He spoke with a thick Trottingham accent. "Wut is ya, ten monfs old?"

It took me a moment to realize that this wasn't insult, but a sort of disguised compliment. "Uh, yeah, I guess that's about right. Don't know my actual birthday."

"Mighty 'pressive, that. I dint git roped inta thievin' til 'bout six year ago, an' it took me 'bout a year tuhget 'alf desunt. You's makin' me look bad!"

I shrugged. "It just kind of same naturally to me."

"Juss my luck, I surpose. Anywhose, 'ow'd yoo git roped in wiv Lenore? I'll bet thas a story! 'Ow'd she convince Jonah tuhlet yoo along?"

I blinked. "What? Who's Jonah?"

"Wut dooya mean 'oo's Jonah?' Yuh know, Lenore's olda brutha! Ain't ee bin travlin wiv yoo?"

I shook my head. "I think she might've mentioned a brother, but never by name."

Blue's eyes widened. "Oh! Oh shite. Oh, umm... juss fergit I sed anyfink 'bout it. Dint say nuffink."

I frowned. "Why?" I pressed. Jonah mimed zipping his mouth shut, locking it, then tossing the key over his shoulder. I thought for a moment. "How about I tell you how Lenore and I met, and you tell me about Jonah." Blue narrowed his eyes in thought, then proceeded to reach behind him, grab the invisible key, unlock the zipper, and unzip his mouth.

"Alroight then. Yoo furst."

I opened my mouth to argue, but his firm expression told me it'd get me nowhere. "Alright, alright. I was orphaned, I guess. I sort of remember my mom, but it's hazy."

"Least ya mum wasn't batshite crazy. I 'ad tuhleave cuz the crazy bitch"–he saw he was interrupting me–"Oh, sorry!"

I rolled my eyes. "Anyways, I was living on the streets when Lenore happened to glimpse me nabbing some food from a stall. She was impressed, so we formed a partnership. After I learned to fly, we headed here. That's about it."

"Well, that wuz short." I glared at him. "Oh, um, anywhose, yoo nevah met anygrif named Jonah, didja?" I shook my no. "Thas real odd. I wonner if mehbe they 'ad a fallin' owt?"

I shrugged. "I have no idea. I guess I'll ask her about it later. I wonder why she never mentioned him."

"No idear, mite. Moight be a good idear tuhaxe 'er in private, though. Moight not be sumtin she wants spread 'round. Othawise, she woulda sed sumfink already."

I nodded. "Yeah, that's a good idea. Thanks for the tip. And, uh, sorry for the, you know... earlier."

Blue just laughed. "Ain't no big fing! Kinda funny in 'indsight."

I smiled, glad I had earned myself a friend (and not an enemy) in this new city. After a few more minutes of idle chatter and finishing my dinner, Lenore called us over to join in their conversation.

"What's up?" I asked.

"Just wanted to show off my little buddy! These featherheads could hardly believe you got the best of them!"

Charlie leaned over the fire to get a better look at me, her fiery coat glinting. "Eh, he doesn't look like much. How old are you?"

"A little under a year old, I think."

Charlie raised an eyebrow. "Isn't that a bit young?"

Lenore sighed. "You don't know anything a bout griffons, do you?" Charlie shook her head. "We age out of our hatchling stage very quickly compared to ponies. I reckon hippogriffs age the same way. He's about the equivalent of a four year old pony foal right now. He'll age at about the rate of a pony from now on, though. At least that's how griffons age."

"Right, right I knew that!" Charlie recovered. "Anyhow, that's still young to have that kind of skill."

"Just natural talent, Charlie," I teased. I decided to ask a question of my own. "Hey, uh, isn't Charlie a, uh–"

"Boy name? Yeah, it's short for Charlene. Nickname my dad gave me."

I blinked. "Actually, I was going to say griffon name. I figured it was a nickname. Ponies usually have names like Blue's, don't they?" Blue blushed. "Oh, sorry!"

"I guess. I don't know. I didn't choose my name, ask my parents!"

I sensed she was aggravated, but I had another question that was bothering me. "How can you manipulate fire if you're not a unicorn?"

Charlie snorted. "It's my special talent, duh. Lenore said you were smart!"

"It's just that in all the books I've read, it says only unicorns and other select creatures can directly manipulate magic. I never heard of a non-unicorn who could do it."

Charlie grinned savagely. "Maybe I'm not using magic, Einstein! Ever think of that?"

"What? Einstein?"

"Ah, shit! Nevermind!"

I sighed, muttered a quick apology, and fell quiet. The conversation was over. Charlie headed back to her tent soon after. We were all left in an uncomfortable silence.

Lenore decided to break the quiet. "Eh, don't feel bad Nevermore. Charlie's always had a temper on her, hasn't she Molly."

Molly nodded. "You get used to it, learn how to skirt around it. Not your fault bah-bo. Just tread a bit more lightly next time. She's real sensitive 'bout her fires, but she's a real sweetheart once you've known her awhile."

"Thanks," I said. "Hey– wait, are you sensitive about your plates?" Molly shook her head. "Okay, where'd you learn to that?" Remembering what Lenore said earlier, I added, "That throwing earlier was incredible!"

"My mother. Helluva lady, let me tell you. She could split a grain of rice from 25 meters with her eyes closed. Not to mention she raised me up okay."

"That throwing sure attracts a lot of people."

"Eh, kinda. I think that Charlie's fires attract them, and my plates keep them there awhile. At least long enough for Blue to do his job."

"Yuh got that right!" said Blue.

"Speaking of jobs, Nevermore and I ought to be getting some shut eye. You know, so we can do what we do best tomorrow. What do you say?"

"Sounds fine," I replied. I followed Lenore back to our crate. Since we had just moved in, we only had pile of hay to sleep on. Not the most comfortable thing, but better than the floor. After settling in, I recalled my earlier conversation with Blue.

"Hey, Lenore?"

"Yeah?"

"Can I ask you something?"

"It's late, Nevermore. Can it wait?"

"I don't really want it to."

Lenore sighed. "Alright, shoot."

I didn't mince words. "Lenore, what's up with your brother? You've mentioned him, but never went into any detail. Blue said his name was Jonah. Why isn't he here? Why haven't you told me abou–"

"He's gone."

I almost flinched. "Oh... sheesh, I'm sorry Lenore. I didn't know he die–"

"He's not dead."

I took a closer look at Lenore, and saw she was staring into the wall. Spacing out. I continued carefully. "But Lenore, you said he was–"

"Gone. Not dead."

"Where's he gone?"

"Shooting stars and crescent moons. Lost pets. They took him. Jonah. Through the door, in the field. Then the door closed, and they were aaaall gone. Poof. They wanted his radio."

"What? Radio? What!?"

"With every one of those late night stations playing songs, bringing tears to my eyes. I was seriously thinking about hiding the receiver."

"What are you talking about?" I was starting to get scared.

Lenore shook her head, a pained expression on her face. "Ugh, what? Listen, Nevermore, it's late. Your question can wait 'til morning, m'kay? G'night," she mumbled. The next second she collapsed into the hay. I rushed over to check if she was alright. I could feel air coming out of her mouth. She was breathing.

I let out a sigh of relief. She was okay. But what had she been babbling about? Radio? Crescent moons? What was all that? What happened to Jonah?

I went to bed with these questions plaguing my mind. Then Lenore's music started, and I drifted off.





Despite the rough start, our time in Plateau City was some of the best years of my life. Lenore and I had a weekly set of tasks that we performed without really thinking about them, joking and thieving, spending time with each other and our friends, perfecting flight skills that weren't quite right, and anything else that came up.

I made fast friends with Blue, and stayed on good terms with Molly (Charlie was always a bit short with me, but warmed up to and tolerated me after a while). I made friends with others too, but none as strong as I did with Blue and Molly.

Blue and I would spend days goofing off around town. I think it unnerved him at first that I was so much younger than him, but I kept up and pulled my weight, so he got used to it over time. Mostly we'd pull pranks on unsuspecting bystanders (I always made sure they never went too far).

My flying ability proved invaluable in these pranks, and through them I built up stealth ability without even realizing it. By the time I was six years old, I could be just as invisible in the air as I could on the ground. One day this would save my life.

The time I spent with Molly was a lot more... practical. She had grown up in farming village far away, and the griffonesses there had perfected plate throwing. When I showed an interest in her stories of throwing, she decided to let me have shot. After a few years of practice, I was almost as proficient as she was. I could throw the plates with unwavering confidence and know I'd hit the target. I wasn't cocky, I trusted my own abilities. This self trust, being sure of my own movements, would also be immensely useful.

Throughout all of this, I continued my self imposed studies. As before, my primary interest was in magic. I learned the fundamentals quick and moved on to more advanced stuff. These took me longer to grasp, but through steady work I learned as much as I could from the books. From Star Swirl's Laws of Conservation to Clover the Clever's then more recent discoveries in gravity manipulation, I learned them all.

One theory stuck out to me the most: The Ambiance Theory. This theory stated that the world around us is filled to the brim with potential magic, which unicorns draw from. According to theory, all magic comes from the world around us, and unicorn horns are just a way to make it kinetic and enforce direct motives upon it. What interested me in particular were accounts of non-unicorn entities, such as earth ponies and pegasi, utilizing magical influence outside normal parameters (normal parameters being cloud manipulation, etc.). The book I had didn't go into too much detail, but just the idea of it made me excited.

I wanted to find out if the theory was true. To test some of the theories, I began to modify equipment with magical amplifiers, trying to get them to work on the world's potential magic. I also built some of my own equipment, trying to measure the supposed "Ambient Magic". My results were... null. It was really just a hobby more than serious research, just something to do and take joy in. Later, necessity would be the mother of invention.

Over the blissful years I spent in Plateau City, Lenore and I only got closer. She participated in a lot of Blue and I's pranks, sat in on my training with Molly, took as much interest as she could in my magical yearnings. I thieved for her and got better at my craft, listened to her music (night and day), practiced obstacle and agility flying with her, and hung out with her whenever I wasn't doing something else. We were inseparable.

I grew to love Plateau City as she had. When she felt nostalgic for the place, she said it was for the place itself. That's wrong. It was for the happy times that the city held, first for her, and now for both of us. I became attached to the place just as she had. I wanted to live there forever.

I was seven years old. I had lived in Plateau City for six years of my life. Life since arriving, as I've said, had been good. I was accustomed to the city, knew it inside out. I was used to being treated, if not nicely, than at least adequately by most. Being singled out for my species was a distant, unimportant memory. You forget those kinds of things fast. I enjoyed life, both working with Lenore for our money and being with my friends. It was like a pocket of paradise. Nothing outside the city mattered.

I was about to get a reality check.





It's amazing what can happen in one day. Your life as you knew it can go to hell, for instance.

Lenore and I were walking down the street, just returning from a tough but enjoyable flight session. I was laughing at a joke Lenore had just told when she stopped. She was staring at the ground, her jaw slack. I turned to see what she was looking at.

Chalk drawings on the ground. The moon, stars, comets, most likely drawn by foals.

I turned to Lenore. "Lenore..." I asked. "Are you alri-"

"No, no, no no..." Without warning, she took off. A second later I was trailing behind her. I could hear her mumbling under breath. "No, no, not again... can't be... please, for fuck's sake, no... lost pets..."

She touched down in the marketplace, making an instant beeline for a wall littered with posters, advertisements, and the like. She stared at one particular poster. I read it:


Looking for our lost cat

Female, Brown Tabby, Small

May be with small, black kitten

Will respond to Jude or Poe

If found, please return to this address (with kitten too)! We miss her very much!

Large Reward!!!


At the bottom of the page an address was listed.

I turned to Lenore and stifled a shriek. The look on her face was of pure, undisguised horror. Her eyes were as wide as dinner plates, her pupils as small as pins. It was hard to look at her in such a state. And worse, she seemed stuck, in another one of her trances. I knew this time, I had to snap her out of it. I didn't question how I knew, it was just instinct. I hugged her, and she flinched, gawked at me, then gawked at the sign. After a minute, she got herself together.

"We have to go."

Without waiting for a reply, she took off again, this time heading for our camp. As we flew I glanced over at her. The raw look of terror was still on her face, but other emotions had entered it as well. Anger. Determination. And almost scarier than the terror I saw there, desperation. I saw that whatever she was doing, nothing was going to get in her way. Such pure resolve might kill. Little did I know that before long, my face would hold the same expression.

The flight back to the camp was the fastest we'd ever done. Once we had returned to our crate, Lenore began shoving everything in sight into her travel bags. She glanced up at me, still panting from the speedy flight back from the market. "Anything you need, anything that could be identified as yours, bring with you."

I didn't ask questions or argue. There'd be time for that later. I threw my books, experiments, anything I could reach into my bag helter skelter. Once I had everything, we hurried out of the camp and flew out of the city, leaving it trailing behind us. We were heading east.

"Where are we going?" I asked.

"Equestria. Just shut up for now, Nevermore. I need to think. Once we stop for the night, interrogate me all you want."

I did as she asked. Considering the flurry of emotions I'd just witnessed, she seemed owed a bit of time to think.





Once we had set up camp (fireless tonight), I considered what to ask Lenore about our sudden departure. As it turned out, I didn't have to.

"Nevermore, since you've known me, have I ever done anything... weird? Anything I wasn't aware of?" Lenore asked. Her voice was tense.

This was it. I had to tell her. I mustered up my courage and responded, "Uhh... define weird."

"Nevermore..." I'd never heard her so pissed, not even when I tricked her on our first thieving session. She wasn't in the mood for jokes.

I sighed. "Okay... at night... you sing in your sleep. Except it's not you... others are singing, it's not your voice. What does this have to do wi–"

The change was instantaneous. "WHAT!? NEVERMORE, WHY, IN THE FLYING FUCK, DIDN'T YOU TELL ME!? DOESN'T THIS SOUND LIKE SOMETHING I'D WANT TO KNOW ABOUT?" She wasn't just angry. She was shaking with rage.

I tried to shrink away, on the verge of tears. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry! I didn't know it was important! I didn't know what would happen if I told you! It seemed crazy! I thought if I told you, you might go crazy!" I closed my eyes and turned away, ashamed of myself and scared to look at her. Tears seeped through my eyelids.

"WELL YOU THOUGHT WRONG! AND NOW, WE'RE BOTH IN DANGER! DO YOU UNDERSTAND!?"

I was full on sobbing now. "N-no, I don't understand. Please, tell me what's going on." Once I managed to overpower my tears, I chanced a watery glance over at Lenore. She was still fuming, and glaring at me, but seemed to have herself composed now. "W-what's going on I?" I repeated.

"First off, come over here." I looked at her eyes, and saw regret swimming in them. I walked over and sat on her lap. All anger left in her face dissipated. She wrapped her front legs around me and held me tight. "I'm sorry," she whispered. "Look, I'm scared. I shouldn't have yelled. You didn't know what was going on. You just did what you thought was right. I can't fault you for that."

"Lenore, what's going on?"

Lenore thought for a moment, then responded. "Years ago, before I found you, I had a brother named Jonah. He... he did the same thing at night, you know, that I do. For awhile, everything was fine. But one day, we saw the chalk figures, and the pet signs. 'Grey tom, will respond to Edgar.' We were a little spooked, but didn't do anything. A week later, I woke up and he was gone. I searched everywhere, and found him in a field, being forced into a door."

"Just a door in a field? Was it attached to anything?" I asked. She continued as though I hadn't spoken.

"Two ponies shoved him into the door. Only they weren't really ponies. I don't know what they were, but they only looked like ponies. Anyways, they shoved him in, then walked in themselves. The door shut, and disappeared. I waited in that field for a week. The door never came back.

"Deep down, I knew why they'd taken him. I still don't know how I know, but I know I know. It was the music he sang at night. Coming out through his open beak. They wanted it for some reason.

"Do you understand why I'm scared now, Nevermore? They want to take me too! And you! As much as I want to see Jonah again, I know I can't let them. Whatever they want, it isn't good."

We sat in silence for a few minutes. I sat there, mulling over her story. There was no question that I believed her. I thought everything through twice before I spoke up. "So, we're going to Equestria."

"Yeah."

"Where in Equestria?"

"We'll figure that out later. I'm tired."

"Will we be safe there?"

"I don't know. But life is gonna be rougher, a lot rougher, than in Plateau City, that's for sure. Ponies there aren't nearly as accepting as those where we came from."

I nodded, thinking I knew what this entailed. I didn't know anything.

Lenore was asleep a minute later. The music started, and for the first time in years, it made me shiver.