//------------------------------// // Escape Plan // Story: Trot Buddies! // by shortskirtsandexplosions //------------------------------// “Look!” Flash Sentry pointed, directing Trixie's fuzzy face towards the brightly-lit slits in the dirt wall behind them. “Look closely and see?” “Guh!” Trixie bristled, scuffling her hooves against the floor beneath her. “Stop! Shoving! Trixie!” “I mean it! Peer into these holes and tell me what you see!” “Mrmmff! Fine...” Trixie briefly huffed, then leaned in towards the slits with one eye open. She blinked several times. “... … ...what is Trixie looking for?” “For crying out loud. Look upward through the holes, ya muppet!” “Trixie is! She still doesn't know what—” Her muzzle hung agape. “... … ...I see blue skies.” “Right?” Flash beamed. “In other words, a way out!” “It seems a bit of a climb...” “Good enough for me!” Flash ran towards the junk pile. With a twirl of her white mane, Trixie turned to gawk at him. “What do you think you're doing?!” “Fear not!” Flash tossed away pots, pans, waffle irons, wheel jacks. “I have a plan!” Trixie blanched. “What kind of plan?” “A brilliant one!” Flash picked up a huge rusted gatling gun in his hooves. “And that plan is to—” He did a double take. He stared at the quintuple-barreled weapon for three seconds... five... Clackkk! He tossed the thing back into the pile, reached in, and grabbed a sledge hammer. “Right!” He turned to face Trixie, smiling again. “I have a plan! And that's to get us out of here!” “But...!” Trixie scrunched down on all fours, shivering as she stared towards the barred cell door with flattened ears. “B-b-but what if they notice you trying to—” “Rrrrrrrrrrgh!” Flash swung the hammer with all his hoofed might. SMASSSSH! The entire back wall of the cell gave way. A narrow crawlspace opened up, spilling over with bright sunlight. “Too late!” Flash nodded up the inclined escape route. “Looks like gophers caused a miniature sinkhole! There's our way out!” “But... it's so n-narrow!” Trixie stammered. “How can we both fit through?” “... … ...” Flash took a deep breath. “There's your way out!” “What?!?” Trixie's voice cracked. From a distance... ...the barking of dogs echoed through the caverns... ...as if an underground fox hunt was underway. “There's no time!” Flash urged her towards the package. “Go up and be free!” “Trixie can't just leave you behind!!!” “Yes you can! As long as one of us gets out, then that'll make all this worth it!” “Sad sack, don't be a flippin' martyr—” “Trixie, please...” Flash Sentry gazed at her with desperate eyes. “For once in my life, let me be useful for a change! So that way I'll know I've lived a good one!” “... … ...” Trixie fidgeted. She looked at the cell bars... then back up at the lit passageway. “Please!” Flash gestured. “They'll be here anytime soon! Just get up and get out! Run for safety!” “Mrmmmffff...” Trixie slowly, pensively crawled through the hole he made. “Don't take this as if Trixie enjoys this situation any...” “Don't worry about me.” Flash gestured at the bars behind them. “They're just mutts! What's the worse they could do?” She glared at him from inside the hole. “It only took nineteen hijackers to make the whole world collapse in a single morning.” “Silly magician.” He stuck his tongue out. “You know as well as I do that you gotta wait at least eighteen months before you're allowed to make such a comment.” “What.” “Head's up!” Flash swung his hammer high. “Aaa-aackies!” Trixie floundered up the hole. WHUD!!! As the sledgehammer struck a second time, the exit to the escape tunnel collapsed completely. Slivers of light remained from fresh new slits in the wall. Dust poured through, but that didn't stop Flash from leaning up to the tiny holes and hissing through: “Are you still in one piece, Trixx?!?” “Kaff! Coff! Y-yes!... Pffft... Nincompoop!” “You'd better run up while you can!” Flash shouted. “I suggest you head straight for the Everfree Forest! Wait there with the others and maybe Sunset will come back with Princess Twilight to find you!” Trixie replied— —but soon the underground chamber shook with the rush of canine paws. Flash spotted Trixie's shape scurrying up towards the sunlight. He spun around and faced the door just in time for— Creeeeak! Rover stepped in along with two guards. Keys dangled from his paw as his slitted eyes peered left and right, awash in dusty confusion. “What in Tartarussss bisssscuitsssss?” He shrugged wildly. “Weren't there two of you poniessssss?” “Uhhhhhhh...” Flash sweated, glancing left and right as he gripped the sledgehammer. “... … ...no?” “I'm pretty ssssssure there wassssss two poniessss!” spoke a short runt from outside the cell where a dozen other dogs had gathered. “At leasssst lesssss than three!” “Where did the other one go?!” Rover asked. “I... uhhh...” Flash brightened. “I ate her!” “... … ...you ate her.” “Yeah...!” “... … …she's inside your belly now?” “Most of her. Well... some of her.” Flash tittered. “The rest I... uh... lost.” Rover snorted, folding his hairy forelimbs. “Really... …. ….” “Hey... uh...” Flash waggled his eyebrows. “Y'all like Triple H?” “Triple what?” “IT'S TIME TO PLAY THE GAAAAAAME!” And Flash flung the sledgehammer at full force like an old Apple Computer commercial. Poor Rover took the flying bludgeon to the face. “FAPPO!” He fell hard on his dog butt. “Rrrrrrrrrgh!” Flash galloped straight into the crowd. “...You ain't got nothing on this—!” With one paw, a guard dog in armor hoisted him up by the neck and choke-slammed him hard to the ground. “Oooof!” Flash Sentry rolled over a few times, pinballed off a wall, and grinded to a dusty stop—limbs twitching. “Darn it.”