//------------------------------//
// Town 
// Story: Sundered Days 
// by Makazi 
//------------------------------//

Hours after the wagon set off, towards the end of day, the sun comes out from behind the clouds and slowly, in a rising crescendo, the birds begin to sing again.    

Deep down in a verdant valley comprised of soft rolling hills, you can see a throng of buildings all along a winding, scintillating river. The sunlight coronates the verdant hilltops in hues of yellow and gold, and the grass and tall fields of wheat blow gently as the wind passes through. You can see large oaks dotting the town, cobblestone paths built around them; can see the pink and white blossoms of dogwood trees by the riverside – their petals drifting down into the gelid waters, carried away. Further down the muddy trail you are on, forsythia and hydrangea bushes grow by the roadside, their outstretched branches brushing against the cart as it passes by. 

You let the canvas fall shut, ensconcing the cabin’s interior in relative darkness. Nervously, you look at the guard sitting across from you. He looks up and meets your gaze. You touch a hoof to your chest, then draw that hoof across your neck. He stares for a moment, then laughs softly, shaking his head. You grumble to yourself, looking away. After a moment passes, you feel the cart drawing to a stop. 

The shadows are chased away as the crimson-furred mare pulls open the flap at the back of the wagon. She smiles at the two of you, motioning for you to come outside. Feeling another pang of fear, you shake your head. She rolls her eyes, then points at something. You realise that she’s motioning to the box you’re sitting on top of. 

You get to your hooves, looking at her inquisitively. She nods, and you pull open the lid, peering inside. Within the box you can see a mass of bunched up, light-brown fabric. You lift it up with a hoof, and turning it around you can see that it’s a cloak with a hood attached. Smiling, you drape it over your body, pulling up the hood as far as it’ll go. You take the mirror and lift it, mulling over your own reflection. You glance at the stallion across from you. He grins and winks at you. You clamber down the back of the wagon, the guard close behind. The mare raises her brows and whistles, and you can’t help but laugh. 

The white mare is waiting by the front of the wagon, her yoke resting on the ground. She’s rubbing the back of her neck, then she glances up and sees you. She playfully nudges you on the shoulder, then the four of you set off towards town. 

It is not long before the crimson mare stops you by holding out a hoof in front of your chest. She points towards a small wooden building, a sign with a painted red cross hanging above the door. She nods at you, turning to leave. The white-furred mare goes to follow her, but before she leaves she places a hoof on your side. You meet her gaze for a moment, and in that diminutive space of time, you can feel the warmth of her compassion filling you with life – it is not much, but it is something. She joins her friend and ambles off into the crowd, and then she is gone. 

An hour later, the two of you egress from the building. The stallion carries a satchel containing rolls of gauze, cotton balls, and a bottle of pills. You, on the other hoof, limp forwards with a crude wooden brace attached to your leg. It clicks with every step you take, and it rubs awkwardly against your chitin whenever you move. But it doesn’t hurt as much when you put pressure on your limb, so you suppose it’s a slight improvement. 

As you both plod your way back into town, the sun is slowly dipping below the tree-tops, causing the light to fade from a brilliant yellow into a dull orange. Wispy clouds stretch across the sky, their underbellies lit up in hues of gold and lavender. You can see the first stars twinkling in the gray-blue sky, and you can hear the creatures of the night beginning to sing. 

There is something else you notice, too: Even though it is growing late, several ponies are still meandering about town – perhaps even more than earlier. It is then that you notice the banners and tapestries hung about the town; the ponies behind their stands, hawking their wares. Your companion looks around with a befuddled expression, and a group of ponies runs past – laughing and shouting at one another. 

You draw your hood up over your head, turning to move away from the lights of town. Before you can get very far, you see two guardsponies walking out from a nearby street, rounding the bend and making their way towards you. Your heart stops, and quickly you turn and begin walking in the other direction, your companion following closely behind. Soon you lose sight of the guards amongst the throng of ponies. You and your companion wend your way through the crowd, the others barely noticing as you brush past them. 

Suddenly, a high-pitched noise blares out into the night, startling you into the guard’s side. He grunts as you nearly topple him over. You frantically look around, only to be startled again when a resounding crack fulminates from above. Shouting, you duck and bury your face in your hooves, whimpering softly. 

You hear a chuckle, and the next moment you feel the guard’s nose brushing against your muzzle. You hesitantly crack an eye open and look at him. He motions up towards the sky, and you tremulously rise back to your hooves, gazing upwards. 

Above, you can see hundreds of motes of light scintillating in the deep blue sky, drifting lazily downwards until they flicker out of existence. 

Another sound rings out. You go to scramble away, but the stallion wraps a foreleg around you, pointing up at the star-speckled sky. You watch with wide eyes as a glimmering speck shoots up into the air, then gasp as it bursts into a thousand different colours, turning the night into day. The guard steps away from your side and smiles as you gaze up at the fireworks with your maw hanging open. 

The ponies around you cheer and applaud as more and more colourful explosions light up the sky. As you watch in awe, you hear a quartet kick up a sprightly tune. Around a building, through a cobblestone drang, you and the guard come out into an open area where the ponies have gathered. Stepping forwards, you see four ponies garbed in black suits within a gazebo, playing slowly to the cadence of a dream as purple and blue spheres of light jaunt around the stage. 

You smile as the light slowly fades from the sky, watching the band play their tune. There are ponies of all sorts crowded in the open area; you see couples and those standing aloof, foals and the elderly, stallions and mares. You can feel the warmth of day fading. And as the band continues to play, you see fireflies beginning to blink in and out of existence beyond the lights of town. 

To the side of the courtyard, through another throng of ponies, you and the stallion find a long table with a purple cloth draped over it, all sorts of confections laid out across its surface. Your stomach rumbles, and before you can stop yourself, you find that you’ve eaten almost three platters’ worth of muffins, cinnamon rolls, and coffee cakes. A few ponies cast uncertain gazes towards you, but quickly turn their attention back to the concert. 

You sigh and lick your fangs clean. Before you can turn around, you feel a light tapping on your shoulder. You look, seeing a peach-coloured mare with a cherry for her cutie mark. She gasps lightly as you turn to face her, a wave of surprise washing over you. When that dissipates, however, you sense a curious amount of fascination coming from the mare. 

There’s little time to ponder her emotions before she giggles and takes you by the hoof, dragging you out into the crowd. You cast a befuddled glance at the guard, but he only laughs, offering a wink. Before you know it, you’re out amongst the audience, balancing awkwardly on your hindlegs as she guides you into a slow, meandering dance. 

As the music lilts on in the background, you can’t help but gaze into her amber eyes. She smiles at you softly, resting a hoof on your shoulder, her emotions a mystery to you. Curious, you try and reach into her mind, only to have a maelstrom drive you back. 

Though the smile upon her lips seems genuine, you feel that she’s lost somehow – cast adrift in a tumultuous sea. Her gaze is distant and desperate, her dancing torpid and listless. Frowning, you lean into her and coax her head onto your shoulder. You hear a shuddering sigh, then a moment later you feel a bead of wetness drip onto your back. Then another. And another. 

The music swells, and you hold her gently as she weeps. A few moments later you nuzzle her on the cheek, and you feel a faint warmth wash over you. You’re not able to enjoy that feeling much longer, as looking ahead, you see a coterie of guards making their way towards you. Your heart stops momentarily, and when it starts again, the mare is looking at you with an inquisitive gaze, her eyes still glistening. With a faint nod you motion towards the guards. Sniffling, she turns to see – then gasps lightly as they come into view.    

She breaks off the dance, wiping away her tears. Taking you by the hoof, she quickly starts dragging you away into the bustling confusion of the crowd. As the two of you plunge through the tumultuous mass of ponies, you see a glimpse of your friend standing by the confectionary table. He’s smiling and seemingly conferring with somepony else. Grunting, you tug the mare in that direction. She casts an addled glance at you, which becomes even more addled when you point towards your friend. You ignore her objections as you pull her out of the crowd and rush over to the table, panting from the effort. The guard stares incredulously at the two of you as you rush up out of the crowd, the other pony turning to see what the hubbub is about. The moment he spots you, he drops his drink and let’s out a shriek, turning to run – knocking the table and all of its confections onto the ground as he scrambles away. 

The guards notice you standing thither with the mare beside you, her hoof in yours, the upended table, the stallion in golden armor between the two of you. They shout, pushing through the crowd in an effort to get at you. The stallion lifts a hoof and opens his mouth, then shuts it. He quickly motions for the two of you to follow him, galloping off in the opposite direction. 

You don’t hesitate to sprint after him. After a few strides, however, you stop and look back to see the mare hasn’t moved an inch. She stands there, one hoof poised to run, the others glued to the ground beneath her. She casts an uncertain glance towards you, then looks back out into the crowd. A blue stallion with a black mane comes into view. He looks up and their eyes meet, and in that short span of time you see the animosity chiselled across the stallion’s face, can see and feel the mare’s fear.    

She decides to run. 

The guards finally break free of the crowd, but you, the stallion, and the mare have already vanished into the darkness of night.