//------------------------------//
// Flashback + Shining Armor (Part 2) 
// Story: Battle of the Moon and Sun 
// by EASTON 
//------------------------------//

Near Fillydelphia Fourteen years ago
Shining and Twinkle had been traveling through the forest leading to their destination for the last few months. Admittedly, not bringing a compass had not been the brightest of ideas as they had gotten lost various times. If Shining hadn't learned to guide himself through stars they wouldn't even be close to their destination.
"We should be only a few hours away from Fillydelphia, let's camp out and rest for a while." Said Shining.

After they were all set up it became clear that Twinkle had something on her thoughts. "Shining, I don't think we should leave Fillydelphia immediately."
"Why do you say that."
"These las few months were pretty hard. Perhaps we should stay a while and get a job to at least get a map and a compass; some supplies if possible."
Shining wanted to get to Trottingham as soon as posible, but Twinkle had a point. So maybe staying in town for a few months wouldn't be such a bad idea. They could recover and be better prepared for their trip. "All right. But we'll only stay for half a year tops."

Two nights later they found a job at a simple store where they worked on the counter 'after school' along with a pegasus named Firefly. She had pink fur, blue mane and two lightning bolts matching her mane color. Firefly worked doing deliveries given her speed and increased mobility as a pegasus.

About a week later she started asking questions like; at which school they went to, where they lived and so on. After three weeks it seemed that she had given up in trying to get info from them, but at the end of the month she decided to confront them. When their shift ended Firefly flew and grabbed Twinkle causing Shining to chase after her.
When he finally reached her they were nearly outside the city in some abandoned building. "What's all this about Firefly?"
"You two always act suspicious whenever I ask you something, almost as if you're afraid to tell me, so either tell me or I might have to report a suspicious pair to the guards."
Realizing that they wouldn't get out of this without telling the truth Shining decided to tell her everything. "All right, but you have to promise to tell anyone." To which Firefly agreed.
The next hour was spent with Firefly listening to the story of the two unicorns. "So you guys are runaway outlaws for high treason." The pair gave a slow nod not bothering to hide their nervous and scared faces. "Well, I gave you my word and I'm not going back on it." She then gave them a warning. "But if you do cause trouble for me or the boss you're going down."

During the next months they became friends with the pink pegasus and learned that she herself was an orphan but unlike her she had never known her parents since she was left at the doorstep of a local orphanage. The place had to close down after the city budget forced it to pay for it's own needs. The kids were transferred to other cities but those who had already gotten their Cutie Mark were given the option of staying and living on their own if they thought they could do it. In the end she was the only one who asked to do so; nopony had shown interest in adopting her anyway.
Since Firefly found out they just stay at some different random location each night she invited them to stay over at her place since she lived alone in some dumb boring apartment.

They lived like that for the next five months until a week before Shining and Twinkle were due to leave. The duo had already purchased supplies and other things they would need in their travel. In the early hours of the clock-cycle the owner of the store arrived with an object none of the three employees recognized.
Firefly decided to question the boss as to what the object was to which he replied, "This is a dial, it was used to mesure time before clocks were invented." The object seemed harmless enough, but little did they know of the trouble it would cause.

The cock-cicle after that the trio of workers were at back taking inventory when two Night Guards arrived. "We hear that there has been trading of illegal magic artifacts in this store, so we are here to investigate."
The boss had been resupplying the shop so he was facing at the stands behind the counter and refused to turn around. "Well... you won't find anything here; but feel free to investigate."
The group searched the place carefully as not to hurt the business of the owner should he be innocent. Eventually another Guard showed up but this one had a badge with a simbol marking him as a Captain. "Have you two found anything."
"There seems to be nothing out of the ordinary, Sir."
The Captain used his magic to scan the area in order to make sure anyway. "There is some sort of pedestal with magic embedded into it." Once he reached the object he noticed it was a sun dial. "Quite a lovely historical antique; too bad it has some sort of hex." The owner of the store threw a blade at the captains direction but unfortunately he caught it in his magic. "The info we had was that you sold anything to anyone as long they paid. You are under arrest for contraband." The owner of the store threw a smoke bomb and tried to escape but when he did so the two guards accidentally stabbed him. "YOU TWO, be more careful next time. As for you, if you die it's your own fault; without that futile escape attempt you wouldn't have been injured." After one of the two had taken the store owner the Captain turned to his other subordinate. "Find out if he had employees and if so investigate them."

Unbeknown to them is the fact that the three employees had witnessed the whole event. Obviously this caused Twinkle to worry. "Shining we need to get to the house and get out of the city as soon  as possible."
"I agree. We don't wanna cause Firefly any trouble."
But as the two were about to leave Firefly stopped them. "Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. Are you really going to head home now. It's most likely that you'll get caught if you go there right now."
Shining knew that full well. "But if we don't go then you'll also be found guilty just because you live there."
"Then we'll all leave town before the clock marks the last hour."
Both of the unicorns looked confused at the statement. "WE?"
"Well, yea. If I stay then I'm going to get in trouble and if I leave I also get in trouble. At least with you I don't go to jail and I can keep my friends. So... what do ya say?" And so the trio left town with noting except the stuff Shining took from his parents home as he never left without them just in case something like this happened.