Life-Led

by Trevor Rain

Chapter 5

“Hold still!”

“Stop twisting it!”

“I’m not twisting, you won’t stop moving!”

“Well, see how you- ARGH!”

A sickening crack was heard as Gilda mercilessly shoved the dislocated wing back into it’s place like a loud key being fit into a door, interrupting Dash’s protest in the process. Dash grit her teeth in an attempt to endure the momentary pain. The sharp pain quickly subsided to a dull hurt that throbbed as a constant reminder of what happened the night before.

Gilda let go of the wing after the sound confirmed the correct placement. Her face showed little emotion as she stared at Dash, and waited for the pegasus to finish enduring the pain. Dash extended a hoof to her shoulder in an attempt to rub the soreness from her wing, but silently cursed equine anatomy when she couldn’t reach over. It was then that her head decided to add another wave of misery that centered around the new bruise that adorned the right side of her face.

Dash took solace in the fact that she could at least reach to caress her throbbing head. “Why did you have to hit me so hard?” Dash groaned.

Gilda stood up and padded over to the straw and started to dig through it with her talons. “I needed you to be quiet.” She said, finding a block of wood and pulling it out of the straw. Gilda continued to do this until she had a small pile of wood at the center of the tower. Gilda kicked a pile of straw over the wood, then picked up a stone that was among the wood and nicked it with a claw. A slight smile came to her face as the stone let off a few sparks.

“You could have just asked.” Dash said, looking curiously at Gilda as she returned to the pile of wood and straw. Gilda began striking the stone with her claw, showering the pile with sparks over and again.

“Please, I would be bucking trees and eating grass long before anyone got Rainbow Dash to shut up.” Gilda struck the stone harder out of frustration, and was rewarded with an ember amidst the straw. Gilds stooped low and gave the ember a soft breath, and watched as it proceeded to turn into a flame that began to dance along the wood and tinder. Gilda stepped back and watched along with Dash as the blaze began to consume the remainder of the tinder, then move on to the wood.

The warmth of the fire was a welcoming one, and so was the light. Dash remembered that the sun was setting before her ‘encounter’ with Gilda. She remembered the moment that Gilda struck her; the pain still evident across her skull. Then there was blackness when she awoke along with her entire skin crawling with discomfort. She had jumped out of the moldy straw vigorously scratching at the insects that crawled into her coat while she was out.

Afterwards, there had been Gilda standing there alone. Dash still didn’t know the excuse she gave her companions to have them leave her behind, and Gilda had yet to give her an answer, but she was far from done complaining to Gilda about her need to knock her out like that.

“Yea, but you could have-”

“They would have killed you, Dash.”

What Gilda said stopped Dash cold. She looked up at Gilda who was wearing a serious expression she had never seen her old friend have before. The statement that Gilda made sent a chill across her body in realization of how much of a different place this was than that of Equestria. Rainbow never had to worry about being alone there. Sure, there were monsters, but there was places of obvious safety. There, the storms were controlled by the pegasi, and didn’t randomly throw them out of the sky and-

Dash rubbed her head harder, but grateful for the pain this time. It kept her from remembering.

Gilda continued staring at Dash from across the flames of the fire, the light playing with the shadows on her that cause Gilda to look more... scary? Dash couldn’t put a hoof on it, but something about her old friend had changed. Some parts were obvious, her appearance having a broader chest and stronger legs, but there were also scars across her beak, and several clumps of feathers were missing around her upper body. What Dash couldn’t figure out was how she ‘seemed’ different. Her eyes used to show some sort of rebellion to the world, now they were nearly emotionless as she looked at Dash.

It was giving Rainbow the creeps. Dash was about to question, but Gilda spoke up before she was able to.

“Why are you here, Dash?”

Dash saw this question coming. She responded in her usual way,

“It’s none of your business, Gilda.”

“You’re such an idiot, Dash.”

“It’s not like I asked your opinion!”

“I almost killed you, Dash!” Gilda rose to a standing position and was shouting, the shadows dancing across her form from the flames. Dash was fearful of her past friend, but didn’t show it as she held her ground. Gilda stopped herself, and sat back down to look at the flames. Talking quietly, she spoke, “Things are different here, you can’t stay Dash. Equestria is safe for ponies and provides everything you need to survive,” She gestured outside, then pointed to the ground below her, “This place bleeds you dry.” These last words came out more softly than the others, and there was a hint of sadness in Gilda’s eyes.

A moment of silence was shared between the two fliers, the crackling flames being the only sound in the tuneless night. Dash watched the fires dance off the aged wood as it consumed, questions bouncing around her head that seemed to mirror the cadence of the fire. Of the many, there was one that Rainbow voiced which circled her mind the most,

“What happened to you, Gilda?”

Gilda said nothing, and Dash thought she wasn’t going to answer.

“That’s none of your business, Dash.” Came her muttered reply.

They were no longer friends, only memories were left. The connection they once has was severed long ago.

Gilda drew in a breath and let it out slowly before peaking again, “Don’t walk around during the day, you stand out and will be spotted by them from a mile away. If you have to move during the day, stick to the tall grass and stay, low.” she emphasized her last two words. “Throwing your hooves in the air like a feather-brain was the worst thing you could do.”

Gilda stood up and stretched out her wings, then began to walk towards the tower’s exit. Dash realized her momentary companion was planning to leave, and quickly stood up to stop her. “Gilda, wait, who are ‘they’?” Dash asked, stepping in the way.

Gilda didn’t hesitate in practically throwing Dash out of her way. Dash lost her balance and fell, hitting the ground hard inches away from the fire. Dash looked back up to Gilda whose eyes burned with anger, but as sudden as the anger came, it was gone. The anger was replaced with a look of sadness.

“They are the Gryphons, Dash. They eat meat, and they don’t care who you are or where you’re from. You’re food Dash, and they will kill you if you let them.” Gilda turned back towards the exit before speaking once more. “They have changed, Dash. They have began doing things I never even heard of, or thought I’d see. I don’t know what’s going on to make them do these stupid things, it’s not in the traditions I remember.

“I can’t help you again. Next time you see me, Dash, ‘them’ will be ‘us’. Stay away from me, any Gryphon that you find, and do not go to the forest.”

Gilda left, and Dash looked after her a moment before rising to her hooves and galloping outside after her. Dash ran out and looked around but could only see the blackness of the night, the moon not giving off light from the sky. Gilda was gone in the blackness, but Dash spread her wings and took off from the ground regardless. She rose a few feet, but was dropped to the ground by a jolt of pain that was sent through her wing. The ground itself brought a reminded of the rest of her fresh wounds, including the one nearest to her neck that had opened, and had begun to bleed again.

Dash stood on three legs looking up to where Gilda had disappeared, mindlessly holding the wound with her hoof to suppress the bleeding. She found the darkness to be substantial, and it suddenly seemed to close about her as the feeling of isolation started to take hold. Gilda’s words and departure brought back many of the thoughts she tried to keep from surfacing. They rushed forward all at once, strengthened by the very real danger that laid in the skies above.

She wasn’t going to be rescued. Things were around, trying to kill her, to eat her! They weren’t monsters, they were Gilda!

The darkness of the night sky was almost suffocating. Dash turned back towards the tower with an awkward gait since she was still holding the wound. The light of the fire became a saving grace, a beacon, as she fell inside the entrance and lay by the fire. The warmth thereof started to spread around her and begun to banish her fears one after the other. Dash looked out to the dark with a new appreciation for those who forsook it, despite it being Luna’s gift.

The darkness hid the creatures, hid the dangers that would seek to take her life. Gilda had said to travel at night, but this was impossible. How could she survive the things for the night? Things she couldn’t see and defend herself from, and the fact that they were ‘things’, and not something she could define made it all the worse. Rainbow Dash felt small.

Her friends weren’t here, they weren’t coming. They didn’t know where she was. They were probably still going along with their lives. Twilight was reading some egghead book about the stars. Applejack would be harvesting and storing what she could before the winter would hit. Rarity would be throwing cloths together for winter, and fluttershy helping animals with their dens so they can hibernate comfortably, and Pinkie Pie...

Would be Pinkie Pie.

She had only been gone for a day. Why would they worry about her? Why would they come?

The heat of the fire seem to have a calming effect on Dash. Soon her thoughts began to slow and her eyes became heavy. Sleep began to take over her and she fall into it, despite her rising fears mercifully calming them to near extinction in a dreamless escape.

The following morning shed light through the tower’s top opening, falling on the sleeping form of Rainbow Dash. The light was an unwelcome irritation that disturbed her sleep, causing Dash to let out a groan. She pulled her legs closer to try and extend the comfort she felt, silently cursing Celestia for turning on the sun so early. Rainbow wished the clouds she formed over her room would stay in place so it would block the morning sun.

Rainbow Dash opened her eyes, and saw that this wasn’t her home. She was on the ground, and shivering from the chill the night brought which the sun had yet to dispel. She saw the fire had long since died down to nothing but coals and smoke, leaving her open to the cold night that contrasted the warm days that the land seemed to have.

Dash shook the sleep from her eyes and stood up onto her stiff hooves, looking to her side to see the gash had scabbed over by itself. Dash barely registered the fact as she walked outside into the warmth of the sun and the side of the rain barrel. With barely a hesitation, she dunked her head into the cold waters to clear her thoughts. The cold water brought a shock to her system, and she brought her head out gasping. The previous days events started to come back to her.

Flying, crashing, dying, waking, walking, seeing flyers...

Gilda.

At the time her thoughts went to the conversation, Dash could have sworn she heard something whisper in her ear. It was faint, and spoke quickly,

“Look up.”

Dash looked to the skies, suddenly feeling vulnerable to everything around her as the realization hit that she was exposed outside. The skies were clear, but there seemed to be a few specks that were coming from the north, and they were getting bigger.

Dash thought about running back inside the tower to hide, but it would be too obvious. Gilda had said to stay in the grass in the day time. Dash knew that the tall grass would provide a hiding place, along with a place to move and run. She would be a sitting duck in the tower.

With hardly another thought, Dash ran. The stiffness quickly banished as she willed her legs to run, her wounds healed enough to allow her to move quickly as she made her way east toward the rising sun. She saw from the top of the tower that the grass began to grow tall again as it neared the forest, and Dash was not going to go back the way of the ocean any time soon. Gilda had said to say out of the forest, but she said nothing about staying in the outskirts.

Dash hoped that she wouldn’t be seen. She must be obvious to the surroundings with her bright blue coat and rainbow mane. Dash didn't want to think about facing an enemy in her flightless state right now. She had once challenged the malignant spirit Discord, but her failure to fight win against him, and the recent wounds inflicted by a, more or less, friendly Gryphon had her hesitant to go against such. By herself, Dash knew that if she fought, she would die. Dash didn’t want to die.

Again.

The grass grew closer, gradually rising up to meet her. Dash looked behind her to see the two specks had grown into recognizable figures. They were Gryphons, and there were diving down towards Lifeled. One perched on the top of the tower while the other landed at the base where they both entered together. Dash didn't want to think of what could have happened if she stayed in the tower, but she imagined it anyway. Dash was beginning to sympathize with Fluttershy’s fear of claws. The cut on her still stung.

Dash broke into the tall grass and watched it fall under her running form, wanting to put as much distance between her and the predators as she could. Taking another glance back, she saw the two had left the tower and had taken flight. They were making a straight line for the forest on the same path that Dash took. She tried to think of a reason they would be trying to follow her, then the realization struck.

Fluttershy had told her about how every creature leaves signs behind that can lead to them. She was always tracking down creatures in the forest that were hurt or lost, and would sometimes find specks of blood or hair that meant they were injured and needed help. Fluttershy would ask dash to fly above to try and spot for her. Other times Fluttershy just wanted her closest friend to be near her when going into the dangerous Everfree. Dash never paid much attention to the details that Fluttershy would point out, but she remembered enough to know...

She left behind signs. Hot coals of a recent fire. Droplets of blood from the wound Gilda inflicted; maybe even a few tracks that led towards the forest. She was being hunted, and they would find her.

Dash dug her hooves harder into the dirt and kept running, heavy hooffalls resounding with each step. Dash realized she was making noise and slid to a stop, the Gryphons would hear her moving through the grass. Dash tried suppressing her rapid breathing which seemed, to her, to echo in all direction for everyone to hear. Her breathing began to slow, and she managed to quell it to a quiet intake of breath. The area around her grew quiet, as the only sound that could be heard was each blade of grass brushing against the other in a symphony of rustle.

Dash crouched low in the grass, and listened. She could hear the wind, the grass, then something else. An impact with the ground, then another one. She could hear slight scraping of paws over ground, and rustling that was asynchronous to the wind. Then a rock being kicked directly to her right that made the hairs on her neck stand on end. Dash shot her head to the sound, expecting to be pounced by any second, but what she saw surprised her about as much.

It was Zecora! Wait, no. It wasn't Zecora, but it was a Zebra. Dash couldn’t tell if it were mare or stallion, but it had stripes running the length of it’s coat, and grey eyes that bore into that of Dash’s rose. They both stood, eyes locked on the other’s. Each was a stranger to them, and Dash’s prismatic mane made that all the more obvious, it itself was unique back in Equestria.

The zebra’s eyes broke contact, and looked behind Dash. Dash snapped her head behind her just in time to see one of the Gryphons crouched down and ready to spring. Dash sprawled out on her stomach just in time for it jump over her in a snarl, barely missing where her neck had been seconds before. The Gryphon it into the Zebra, but Dash didn’t stay long enough to see it’s fate, as she was galloping towards the forest to get away from the scene. She ducked as the other Gryphon jumped past her view, but this one managed to swipe at Dash. Pain erupted at Rainbow’s neck, and she could feel something wet run down her side, but she didn’t stop running.

The Gryphon behind her spun around and gave chase, talons and paws working together to bring it’s powerful form closer to Dash with every bound. It only took a few bounds before it decided to spread it’s wings out and gain ground by speeding towards it’s prey through flight.

Dash could see the pale white of the forest before, but had little time to take note of the details. The trees in front of her spoke of shelter and safety, and it consumed all her thoughts as she willed her legs to move faster. She imagined the breath of the beast on her flank ready to take her down for the kill. Dash did not dare look back to confirm her fears, but she could hear the beating wings getting close, and the treeline to the forest seemed so far away.

Dash would think about this instant again and again, and still not completely understand what caused her to move this way. Time seemed to slow as she felt the air from the Gryphon’s wings on her back. Dash seemed to lose control of herself at that moment, and found herself jumping in the air and using her wings to spin in the air and face the Gryphon. The Gryphon, set in it’s movements to take down a grounded prey, tries to correct for the change and ended up barreling into the hooves of Dash who kicked out with all her strength. The Gryphon was thrown to the ground while Dash sailed into the treeline, her body slamming into the trunk of one of the pale-while trees with a heavy thud.

Dash would have yelled from the pain, but all the air from her lungs were blown out on impact. She lay against the base of the tree dazed, trying to get her lungs to work from the shock so that she can pull in the air she desperately needed. Dash finally calmed herself, and tried to focus on her breathing. It came shallow at first, but soon she was able to draw in a full breath of air, and another. Her lungs were working again, and her head was beginning clear enough to realize that the Gryphon would soon be upon her if she didn't get off the ground soon.

Dash brought her hooves under her and pushed up, standing with effort. She began to turn into the depths of the forest, but was stopped when she stole a quick glance behind her.

They Gryphon had stopped at the treeline. It stared hungrily at Dash, but made no move to go further. It stalked back and forth, pawing at the ground with each turn, sometimes muttering words that Dash could not understand.

Despite her situation, Dash found herself stepping closer to the Gryphon, her curiosity outweighing her common sense for survival. It was almost like there were voices screaming at her to run this very instant. Her nostrils flared as the Gryphon’s breath seemed to carry a smell that she only encountered in the Ponyville Cemetery. This particular gryphon had more scars about it’s flank and more feathers missing in it’s torso than Gilda did. It’s face was also sporting a diagonal scar that ran across it’s face, moving through it’s eye. It was also missing that very eye that the scar cut across.

Dash moved a little closer, but stepped back in time to avoid a swiping talon from the Gryphon. It screamed in pain after it’s arm passed the treeline of the forest, a darkness covering it’s limb that seemed to quickly dissipate. The Gryphon grasped it’s talon, but never took it’s eyes of pure hate off of her prey.

Dash took a few steps back and looked around her own form, but could not see the same wisps that plagued the Gryphon. Still, she did not feel safe being under the watchful eye of the hunter.

Dash looked behind her a the Gryphon that continued to stare daggers in her direction. She turned back into the forest and found that she could only see so far into the forest before darkness consumed everything. There were no trails she could see from here, just trees that would make the journey deeper in all the more difficult. She took one more look back, before finally moving forward into the blackness.

Comments

[Kolwynia]

Solid stuff here. Your action sequences continue to be well-crafted and detailed. I thought the scene between Rainbow Dash and Gilda was interesting. I wonder why Gilda doesn't know what has happened to change the Gryphons' behavior (or if she was being honest with Dash about that).

[Trevor Rain]

1449121 Thank you for your reader fidelity Kolwynia, and for the compliment on the action sequences. I'm happy you enjoy them.

I wouldn't put my thoughts about Gilda not knowing what happened, but more towards not understanding why.

Sorry if this comment comes off weird. I just got off work, and it's Graveyard shift. I'm a little loopy