"Why is it every time I go outside during the night, I get attacked and led to the woods?" I said while wiping some of the dirt off my legs. Today has not been so great of a day. I was lied to about finding friendship lessons, I was basically knocked out for a day, I almost lost two friends today and now I'm being chased by the royal guard. If that wasn't bad enough, I only have less than 12 hours to meet Spikes kidnappers. "What did I do to deserve any of this!"
"Get after her! Just because she's a princess doesn't mean she's above the law, don't let her get away!" I could heard bluegrass shouting at the top of his lungs. He must've been serious about catching me. Why he had the nerve to fire at me, even when I hadn't done anything was beyond me. "Move it, move it, move it! I'll have your jobs if you let her get away!" I didn't waste any time as I made a full gallop through the woods. My wings were still paralyzed from the spell I was hit with. I ran through a small pathway covered by rocks, up a hill and noticed a wooden bridge with two guard ponies frantically searching lanterns.
"Stop running!" One of the guards spotted me and I galloped below the bridge and past a creaking wooden beam. I had to slow them down somehow, so I kicked the beam and part of the bridge collapsed, causing both of the guards to frantically back up. One of them fired off a light spell in the sky, alerting the others. Then both of them started firing spells at me. I don't know how they missed every shot, but I ran past and into another rocky pathway and lowered myself to hide under them, still slowly crawling underneath. "She slipped away, keep an eye out!" I took this chance to sprint as fast as I could through a few trees and over a rock, only to find another friendship letter in the way.
"Who the hay is laying all these things out in the open for me to find?" I wanted to read it, but remembered I was being chased, so I kept running. I ran to a small dirt road and stopped to catch my breath, until I heard heavy thuds coming my way. I instinctively ducked and felt a heavy gust of wind fly over my head. I got up and began to scream. "Can I please have one moment in this crazy town where something is trying to kill me!" I looked to my right and saw what flew past me. It was a guard carriage. It was nearly destroyed and there was nopony in it. I briefly heard bluegrass near me. I followed and saw he was with a group of guards. He was apparently talking to Sunset Shimmer over the spell phone.
"Blue grass, what in Equestria is going on? My informist tells me you fired at Twilight, and she didn't do anything. You almost hit a civilian instead."
"Sheriff, Speckle's running. I'm giving chase. I don't have time for this."
"Well, make the time! You can't just go shooting at ponies in this town!"
"I'm a royal guard pursuing a fugitive. You want to discuss my methods, Sheriff, make an appointment."
"You stay right where you are, guard Bluegrass, I'm on my way." Sunset then ends the call. Blue grass must really not like her, since after, he slammed his hoof into the ground with a loud grunt. I didn't waste much time as I backed up slowly, not to make any noise. I backed up onto the dirt road and pulled out the friendship letter.
Dear Princess Celestia,
This week my very talented friend Rarity learned that if you try to please everypony, you oftentimes end up pleasing nopony, especially yourself. And I learned this: when somepony offers to do you a favor, like making you a beautiful dress, you shouldn't be overly critical of something generously given to you. In other words, you shouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth.
I then looked to my right and found another page, using my magic to bring it close.
Dear Princess Celestia,
I am happy to report that I now realize there are wonderful things in this world you just can't explain, but that doesn't necessarily make them any less true. It just means you have to choose to believe in them. And sometimes it takes a friend to show you the way.
Always your faithful student,
Twilight Sparkle
I trotted past the carriage and up a set of wooden stairs into a bit of light from a stray lantern. As I began heading down this walkway near the mountain, I could hear the dark presence in the woods. I'm used to that kind of thing by now. What I'm not used to is hearing screams of agony as it's happening. Screams from all the guards who were coming after me. I only felt remorse because they were just doing their job. Although, I do kind of hope that Bluegrass was in there. The trees were flailing about like mad and faint black winds blowing through the tops of the trees. I quickly ran though the pathway, along a bridge and up a staircase to another mountain pass. There was another destroyed carriage barely hanging on the side of the path. I looked down and saw Bluegrass again, talking to Sunset again.
"Sheriff Shimmer, this is royal guard Bluegrass, I've lost contact with most of the stallions you assigned to me. It's Sparks doing!"
"Wait, are you seriously telling me the princess just took out my deputies? Are you kidding? I mean, do you even know her? She'd never harm another living thing!"
"She's the mare we're chasing! If it's not her, who then? Bighoof?"
"I don't know yet, but I'm not in the habit of jumping to conclusions. That tends to come back and bite you in the flank." She then ended the call. I'm so glad Pinkie isn't the only one left to help me through this.
Just then, two pegasi holding a unicorn flew up to my level. The unicorn looked extremely mad.
"You on the ground, hold it right there!" He then started shooting at me as I jumped behind a rock. I composed myself, the started bolting down the path. "There's nowhere to run!" I then heard birds, dark birds. A flock was flying right at the group of guards. One of them noticed and alerted the other. They both worked in unison to fly away as fast as they could from the dark crows. I watched as two more flocks came from nowhere and flanked the group, pecking at them violently. I didn't stay to watch, but I did see some blood from the wounds. This horror was everywhere I went, circling me. The cops didn't stand a chance; they were after a princess, not a monster.
I trotted further and found a gate. I would have walked through it if it weren't for the fact that the gate started shacking violently and a black mist erupted from it. I had no idea that the darkness could possess objects too. Thankfully the spell that I was hit with had worn off, since by this point, I would've been in the sheriffs office by now. I shined my light from my horn and I could hear that faint screeching coming from the gate. The gate erupted with light and I walked through, walking down a wooden staircase. I found another gate blocking my way with darkness, but I was too low on energy at the time to perform my light spell again. But I found a flashlight behind me on a box, how convenient. I picked it up in my mouth and burned the gate away.
I walked for a good five minutes before coming upon a radio station. I cautiously approached, even though the lights were on in the building. I passed through a door through a metal fence and approached the window. It was the stallion I met when Spike and I first arrived from the train. The stallion who said he...hosted a...radio show. I tapped on the glass to get his attention and he look and was shocked, but happy.
"Fillies and gentlecolt, we're gonna have to take a quick break. But don't worry, I'll still be here for ya." He then motioned me towards the door and I followed suit, walking through the main door for him to great me with a bow. "I'm so glad you finally accepted my offer to do that interview."
"I don't have time for that sir, I really need you to-" I was interrupted as I saw Bluegrass with a squadron of guards running up to the station. Sunset Shimmer was there as well. Bluegrass began screaming at me again.
"Nowhere to run now, Sparky! You back away from Speakeasy. Don't hurt him." He began to charge his horn up. This stallion was absolutely nuts!
"Woah, woah, woah, everypony calm down! Stop with the magic, we're all friends here...right?" The host was clearly confused by what was happening.
"Cool your jets, Bluegrass. We got her. I'm sure she can explain herself." Bluegrass completely ignored her and fired a magic bolt inside the building, not hitting any of us. Sunset pushed him back from the building. "What the hell's the matter with you? Are you trying to murder innocents?"
I took this as my chance to escape as I found an open window and jumped through, sprinting to the wooden railing and not noticing where it went, slamming my side into the ground. Bluegrass must've noticed I escaped again because he started screaming at the top of his lungs.
"I'll get you yet, even if it kills me! You hear me? You hear me, Twinkie!"
I had fallen off so many cliffs it was ridiculous. That's what I get for forgetting I have wings. At least I was one step closer to my destination, the Bright Foals Coal Mine.