'Damn my life! Damn it to Tartarus!'
A dark-gray thestral mare flew away from the town known as Ponyville. Her leathery dusk-blue wings flapped madly as they carried her forward into the looming forest ahead. Her orchid eyes glanced behind to see the small group that had chased her stopping.
It was too risky. It wasn't worth it. They were still sane. They wouldn't dare enter. Hopefully.
Darkness consumed her body, and she turned around for a second only to realize her mistake a moment later. Whirling around, she caught sight of a tree trunk. Too late.
Her body slammed into the tree with a thud; agonizing pain shot through her as she crashed roughly onto the ground. She bit her lip to keep herself from screaming out a string of curses. ...Of course, that didn't stop her mind from doing so.
Her eyes widened as she made a momentary realization. 'My saddlebag!'
It wasn't on her back. She'd left it behind in her hasty escape. "Shit... What am I gonna do now without the notes?"
Luckily for her, no pony seemed to have chased her. Picking herself up slowly, she winced. Her hooves hurt, her wings hurt, everything just hurt! But she couldn't stay. Those ponies would eventually come after her. Or if they didn't, those mentally infected would wander in without hesitation and kill her.
So she limped. Deeper and deeper into the forest she went as the way grew darker and darker.
"Come on, where is that cursed place?" She hissed. Her ears suddenly pricked up.
Silence.
Her slitted eyes narrowed as they darted around. 'Could've sworn I heard some-'
Instantly, she snapped open her wings and shot upward, causing a jolt of pain to run through her left wing. She lifted up just in time it seemed, for a khopesh with glowing purple moon phases engraved on it now stuck out of the ground where she previously stood.
The thestral blinked and the khopesh was gone. She stared in bewilderment until a pegasus shot out of a nearby tree towards her. She barely managed to process the sudden attack before she felt a sting from her chest.
She looked down in shock; green ichor was dripping from a long, horizontal slice in her chest. Fortunately, it wasn't very deep; she'd live. Her eyes snapped back up to see the pegasus who'd attacked her.
They had a white coat and wore a black cloak. Armor covered their legs and chest. Her attacker fixed their cerulean eyes on her from behind a dusk-blue closed helm that reminded the thestral of something; she couldn't place her hoof on it though. She gritted her teeth as she caught sight of a glimmer in her attacker's wings. They had wing blades; that's what had caused her gash.
The situation wasn't in her favor; she had no weapons at her disposal while her opponent did. It'd be best to try and wear them out. She never liked fighting anyway.
"Who are you? What do you want?" The mare asked her attacker as they circled each other in the tight space of the surrounding trees.
Their curt response echoed off the inside of their helmet, making it disoriented. "I could ask you the same. Insect."
"Dusk Eclipse. I want passage to the ruins of the Castle of the Two Royal Pony Sisters." The thestral replied stiffly. 'Damn it, she saw the green blood...' She narrowed her eyes. "Your turn."
The attacker remained silent for a moment.
"...Snow Dusk. And what I want, is for you to leave. I don't need your kind straying around my forest."
Dusk snorted in spite of herself. Her attacker narrowed their eyes.
"Great talk, Snowy. I need to get there. Now. And I'm not about to let some insane disease-riddled pony tell me what I can or can't do."
Dusk stiffened as Snow suddenly started to laugh.
"Heh heh, you- hahaha, think that I'm- hahahaha, one of those ponies?! HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Snow fixed their gaze on Dusk and with a bemused gleam in their eyes, said, "I'm not insane, dear. Hardly so. The Plague didn't affect me like it did others. That said, I still can't allow you to pass without good reason. And considering what you are, that reason will have to be extremely convincing."
Dusk scowled. "What about the fact that I was just chased here? That I could've died?! That I have no other place to go?!"
"You think I care?! Your kind started this entire mess. Your kind allied themselves with that tyrant. Your kind killed hundreds. Your kind left us with no choice. Your kind caused this entire thing. And now, your kind shall repent!" Snow dashed forward and slashed with a wing.
Dusk backed up to dodge, and hissed, "I don't have time for your qualms about my kind!"
She ducked as a khopesh flew past her head and embedded itself in a tree trunk. In an instant, it was back in Snow's hoof. Dusk felt her left wing stop moving as it cramped up. 'Nononononono... Damn it, now's not the time!'
Air rushed past her ears, and the ground drew closer. Closing her eyes, she braced for impact.
...
...
"Huh?"
She opened her eyes. A blue aura was around her. She landed on her hooves and looked up. Snow lighted down beside her. Oddly enough, their khopesh was nowhere to be seen.
Dusk's mind struggled for words. "Wait... What... How... Why- Huh?"
Snow sighed as they turned and started to walk into the dense undergrowth. "You can save the questions for later. Now, come."
Dusk scrunched up her nose. "You're kidding, right? You just freaking tried to kill me, and now you expect me to follow you to Allmother knows where in the Everfree?!"
They stopped and turned their head back just enough to meet Dusk's eyes with their own.
"It's your decision. But I hope you know I'm your only chance at survival against them."
Dusk blinked. "Them?"
Snow turned around fully and pointed with a hoof in the direction of where Dusk had come from.
"Look closely."
Dusk's eyes widened as she stared into the undergrowth. Glints of golden eyes stared back.
"So," Dusk snapped her head back to Snow. "What's it gonna be?"
The eyes stalked closer, and she heard a branch snap. "...Fine. Guess there isn't too much of a choice."
Snow nodded. Dusk swore they were smirking under that helmet.
"Majesty, Arctic. Have fun!" Snow called out. Without any instruction, Snow spread their wings and took off. Dusk jolted and scrabbled to keep up. She noticed a slight glimpse of fire on the edge of her vision as she kept her eyes trained on Snow's billowing cloak.
'This was supposed to be easy! Get the info to a lab, concoct the antidote, and get it over with!'
Dodging a tree branch as she ran, she grimaced.
'What have I gotten myself into...?'