//------------------------------//
// Chapter 5 
// Story: You're a demon (Apparently) 
// by Turtwig-Tales 
//------------------------------//

The wind whipped through your hair as you and Amber stood in the middle of the field. Given the situation, being in the open like this probably wasn’t the best idea. Every so often, you look nervously to the sky, almost waiting to see one of those Pegasus diving towards you at high speed.

Okay, not Wimpy. She looked like the type to be afraid of heights. 

The Elements were undoubtedly hunting you down now. It had been a few days since your escape from the compound, so they were likely awake and after you. Whatever Father had done probably wasn’t lethal, because releasing a toxic gas or whatever when you were close to it would have just been moronic. 

Then again…this was Father. 

Currently, your progress was impeded by a decision. In this field was a set of train tracks of all things. A part of you wanted to be surprised, but at this point you felt sort of numb to this place’s brand of crazy. 

You had three options: forward, left, or right. Doubling back was probably not the best idea for your continued survival. Ahead of you was more open field, which as previously mentioned, may not be the best idea. Train tracks meant civilization. If nothing else, it was a better option to get supplies than foraging in the wilderness. 

To your left seemed to be a mountain range. Based on the vague recollection of your brief stint in Scouting, you guessed it was to the North of you. It was a way off, but still reachable. While the idea of climbing those didn’t exactly excite you, it would be a good place to hide. 

The tracks to the South appeared to head to a bridge over a deep, rocky gorge. So either way it was rock climbing, it was just a matter of whether you wanted to go up first then down, or vice versa.

“What do you think, left or right?” you ask, turning to Amber. 

She thought for a moment tapping her chin with a hoof. 

“If I remember right, Canterlot’s to the North in the mountains. That’s where the Princesses are.” 

“The Princesses. The stupidly over-powered, possibly immortal, quasi celestial deities I’ve been forcefully summoned to overthrow despite my overall lack powers, skills, or basic knowledge of the world I’ve found myself in?” 

There was a long moment of silence as the two of you weighed your options.

“Right.” You both say in unison.    







The air was cool in the chasm as your helped Amber clamber down the rocky slope. She was able to use her magic to clear a path down, but still needed your help past the steeper parts. Apparently hooves weren’t the best on rocky slopes. 

The bridge towered above you. You wished you could have crossed it, but it was too narrow for you be comfortable. Besides, you seen too many movies to trust train tracks on a bridge. It would be just your luck to meet a locomotive halfway across. 

To your dismay, the cliffside opposite was nearly straight up. No way you could climb it, much less while helping Amber. 

“What do you think, should we head back up?” you ask the unicorn.

"I’d rather not. If we need to climb again, I think we should be making progress. We need to keep ahead of the Elements.” She warned.

You nod, and look down the chasm to you right. 

“Maybe it flattens up down that way. Might as well keep going.” 

Hours passed you walked, your feet screaming in protest. The sky above turned orange as you assumed the sun was setting, you couldn’t see above the walls of the chasm. You noticed Amber was looking nervous. Well, even more nervous than normal. 

“You okay? You don’t look so good.” You ask.

“It’s not good to be out in the open in a place like this…especially at night.” She whispered. 

"Why? It’s not like there are monsters out here, right?” you joke. 

Amber didn’t laugh, and instead kept looking over her shoulder. 

“…Right…?” you ask again, far less confidant. 

She didn’t answer, but the look she gave you was clear enough. 

Suddenly finding a place to hole up for the night became your top priority. 

Ironically, the best place you found was, in fact, a hole. A decent-sized cave in the cliff, only a foot or so taller than yourself. You didn’t want to take the risk in trying find anywhere better, so it would have to do. 

Grateful for the rest, you sit against the cavern wall. Closing your eyes, you wondered if Amber was going to take her usual place in your lap. It had become her favorite place to sleep while you were with the cult, but ever since you’d left she’d felt a bit…distant. 

Sure enough you heard her hoofsteps stop nearby, followed by the shuffling sounds as she settled down.   

You crack your eyes open and steal a glance at her. She was laying on her side against the opposite wall, and staring intently at the cave’s entrance. Her ears were upright, and twitched at the slightest sound. She reminded of you of a nervous cat, alert for any potential danger. 

“Are there really monsters out there?” you ask after a moment.

“Father always said that the world was filled with monsters that would gobble up any pony they came across. I never knew if was telling the truth but…” she shook her head. “I don’t know what to believe anymore…”

“…You want to talk about it..?”

“Is that an order, Master?”

“No, of course not.”

“Then I think I’d rather get some sleep.” She laid down, clearly done with the conversation.

You sigh to yourself, and close your eyes again. If she didn’t want to talk, you weren’t going to force her. Settling into the most comfortable position you could manage against the rocks, you let exhaustion take over.

It didn’t take long for you to drift off to sleep.