By the Borders

by Rakoom

Chapter 2: In the Shadow

No time to think, no time to rest. A shadow flowed over the land, killing everything (not my kind of fun). The trees, flowers and the grass even, everything took a bow. I started to gallop in the opposite direction, but then I realized that my wings would likely carry me faster. I focused all my might on my wings, and it worked. I levitated above the ground a foot, two feet, and then five feet backwards into a tree. Now, panic really struck me as I knew that the shadows where on my hooves any second now. In a frantic maneuver, I flapped my wings everywhere around me to gain altitude. It worked, though I had to work on my balance quite a bit unless I learned to enjoy kissing trees with my entire face. And the trees wouldn't like that!

The shadows where below me now. A fall would be far more than undesirable at this point, so I leaned slightly forward while my wings kept me up to drive forwards. A turtle would win in a race against me with the speed I first had, but I didn't really think there and then. The shadows moved faster than I thought, they had spread far across the fields towards Acorn. ACORN! I could not let her get caught! I felt adrenaline pumping in my veins, forcing me to actively think for the first time since I arrived here (yay). A bird does not simply lean forward like a helicopter have to, that would take away plenty of its maneuverability. SO, that means that the WINGS create the forward movement! "I got it now," I said to myself, though I only had the theoretical part figured out. But it worked. I moved much quicker, as fast as the shadows. But I had to go faster to catch up with Acorn.

At that point when I managed to separate how a bird and a mechanized vehicle worked, it all became clear to me. I had to take the best of those two worlds to gain speed! But I didn't have any jet engines. So swallowed, took a deep breath and folded my wings. I fell a bit fast as you can imagine, but folding my wings out again and tilting them up made the risk worth the effort. I glided just above the ground at an INCREADIBLE speed! Not as fast as Rainbow Dash of course (cuz she is just too AWESOME for me to even reach up to her hooves), but far more than I needed to catch up to Acorn. The shadows had almost caught up with her. I could see she had sprinted to the best of her abilities to avoid whatever being touched by the shadows would involve. But she was clearly tired now "TO THE RESCUE," I thought before I flew over her and grabbed her around her waist (or whatever) before pulling her with me.

She struggled since she probably didn't think it was me, and that was the last thing I needed. "H- hey! Quit it," I said while trying to keep my grip (wait, how could I possibly have gotten a grip with HOOVES!?), but I lowered my altitude in case I would lose her. Which I did. She screamed when I lost her into a green barrier of leaves. "ACORN," I screamed after her before following. She had broken a couple of branches on the way. The branches gave her some bruises, but I think she would have been worse off if she had hit the ground dead-on with no speed bumps. "Acorn! We gotta move. Can you walk," We both knew the urgency. She stood up, but she clearly had a lot of pain in her right plot (Search for "dat plot" on Google if you don't understand me). "Ngh, I don't think so. I would be too slow," "Hang on," I said before sliding under her and standing up with a clearly blushing pony on my back.

I can't say she was too heavy, and I can't say that I would dare to complain after all the other awesome stuff today. But I had massive troubles flying with her over the trees, and now I couldn't risk dropping her again. So I had to lose a shadow on foot... Great. So, how do you lose a shadow following you? I had, and still have no idea. So I just ran with Acorn on my back, hoping for the best (in the form of a miracle preferably). I had put some distance between us and the shadow, but it was catching up now. I wondered what that creature really was. Since it roared, it had to be a creature of some sort. Hopefully I could outsmart it or something. But at this rate I would perish, and so would Acorn. Suddenly the forest ended, before us was a great patch of grass. My hooves was almost too tired to go on, but further away was a steep mountain we could rest upon. If only we could reach it.

You know, I've always loved the wind. But sometimes it carries nothing but troubles. Sometimes, it's comforting to hear it flowing through the grass or the leaves. But sometimes it would all be better if it would just shut up. Then again, I wouldn't have made the good friends I did from that day on if it did (the wind that is). I am never more angry at anyone for any reason than when someone (doesn't matter who) annoys me while I take a nap. You can only IMAGINE how furious I was with all the background noise when I had finally gotten a day free from practice. And those nagging girls in class never shut it when I want to be left alone, why in the blazes did they have to keep on nagging!? Oh, but I guess I derailed... A beautiful sparrow soared above me, a beautiful sight you don't get to get a good look at much. Not when you are training so much as me. But then, a huge flock of birds just raged over the cloudless sky in a single, massive wave.

I looked to the opposite direction, and I could never have anticipated what met my eyes.A wave of darkness flowed over the forest, devouring it. It left only rotten and broken trees behind. I could not fathom this, how could a forest so lush and beautiful simply die in the matter of hours!? How could I stop this? How could I save the forest? Would the forest ever grow back to normal again? All of these questions in my head where silenced when a silhouette fled from the forest. Even though I have good eyes, I would have to get closer to actually see what it was. But it didn't matter to me. If someone was fleeing from that abomination behind it, I would save him (or her). I thought to myself: "I am the fastest flier there is, and I will not let someone perish while I am here," I was always a cocky bastard back then, but I had the right to with those intentions in mind. "I'll save you," I said, and I jumped over the edge and Dashed downwards with my incredible speed and agility.

No time to waste, I could see now that it was two ponies running from the shade. One of them injured. A brown pegasus with a thick stream of dried blood noticed me and called out to me; "Oy! I could sure use some help here. If you don't MIND that is," A teal-colored filly with a purple mane rested on his back, barely conscious. The shadow were mere steps away as I helped her off him, and carried her towards the cliff to safety. Her hooves were in the worst shape, the rest of her body came off easy with just a few cuts and bruises. I knew a place nearby where we could get herbs for her, herbs that would get her up on her feet in no time. I was going to ask for help recovering them, but the brown pegasus was not there. "Hey! Greenmane! I need some help here," But my call was returned with silence. He had probably been slightly injured too, but he looked fine enough to fly by my account. He must've been all good, considering the distance they had traveled. I thought "Yeah, I'll just have to help him if he have some trouble on the last part," and I turned around. There he stood. Well within the shadows, staring into the woods. I don't know what I found most petrifying. Whether it was the fact that he was now standing hooves and flank far inside the shadows that had annihilated an entire forest, without a scratch. Or the monster that was making its way towards him.

Even at half a mile's distance, I couldn't move. I could feel the malice pulse from this creature. "Is he okay? Where is he," I heard the filly whisper behind me. She was so exhausted that she couldn't stand up. I had to do something. "Stay here," I said before my stupid pride took over once again. I jumped over the cliff and headed straight for the colt. Even looking in the malicious creature's general direction was almost maddening; I knew the Colt was defenseless. I aimed for the Colt, but my eyes burned in the smoke that rose from the ground. I closed my eyes and grabbed blindly in front of me where I thought the Colt stood. I latched onto something, and I felt my hooves having a solid grip around him. I smiled, but my eyes burned yet. Suddenly something pulled the Colt downwards.

I heard something similar to a snake's hiss everywhere on the ground at the same time. I had never been more afraid. I heard something whisper in my head to "let him go" and "flee while you still can". My heart was pounding, and it felt like all was lost. Like it was all over. I felt weak, my strength fading. Clouds shrouded my thoughts, and I could hardly even think with the whispers rising inside my head. But I could not let him down! Whatever wanted him, could go another day without him! With every muscle in both hooves and wings, I fought to gain altitude. It was like he had been caught in a group of vines in the jungle. But I had to stay strong.

Within a split second, he was free. One moment, something held him with an incredible force. In the next... Nothing. Absolutely nothing. The whispers were deafening inside my head moments ago, but now it was as though they never had existed! My head was crystal-clear. I could open my eyes, they were completely fine! And even the ground which was as dead as can-be was now a great green plain again! Nothing was changed! It was just like one of granny's old ghost stories, but right then I felt like nothing else than shout out in joy! I won! Whatever that thing was, it was gone! I couldn't believe it! I laughed and jumped about, I had never been more relieved. But what was that? And what just happened? I remembered the very reason I flew down here: The pegasus.

He lay motionless on the ground facing the other way with his mane over his head. I was careful when dropping him not to let him fall and injure himself. But how could he be fine after what THAT? Something was wrong somehow, but he looked fine. I stroke his mane away from his face and a chill went down my spine. His eyes were pitch black. Black as tar. I had never seen anything like it. But then again, I had never experienced anything like what I just experienced within the last five minutes. For starters, I had to get him up to the cliff. This is just one of those days…