//------------------------------//
// Chapter 2 
// Story: The Magic Thief 
// by DraconequusInLove 
//------------------------------//

The cliff isn't too tall, only about a hundred feet. Below is a collection of sharp rocks and more dry ground. Their pursuer opens his wings and lazily floats down, waiting for them to break their bones on the ground and become easy prey.  

Xena spreads her tail feathers to slow her fall, and notices that the Voidwing isn't doing anything similar. Instead, she's screaming her head off. "Help! Fox! Help!" She manages to choke out. 

Closing her feathers, Xena dives for the pegasus. She latches on to Comet and reopens her feathers. They spiral down to the ground and land in a heap, faces close and breathing hard. 

Comet shrieks and scrambles out from underneath Xena. "Well. that's one way to treat someone who saved your life," Xena remarks. "Why can't you fly?" 

Before Comet can reply, a blast of fire scorches her back and she screams, twisting away from the flames and falling to the ground. The dragon growls and readies another blast of flame before an arrow lodges into his underbelly. 

Approaching from behind a rock is a lavender unicorn with a navy, pink, and purple mane. She has a quiver of arrows on her back and a bow in her hoof. Quickly, before Xena or Comet can react, several more arrows find their way to the dragon's wings and head. 

She seems to not have noticed the two smaller monsters and continues firing away until the dragon has retreated. Once it's gone she looks directly at Comet and Xena and holds an arrow in the bow. "You have five seconds before I fire." 

"Please don't hurt us!" Comet throws herself on the ground and covers her head with her wings. "We were just running from the dragon! We didn't know there were ponies nearby!"

Xena rolls her eyes. "It's almost like you're not a monster at all," she mutters. "Look, uni. I'm gonna be honest with you. Either you run along back to your hovel, or you get drained." 

The unicorn stares defiantly at her, then turns and trots away. "You should go. Monsters aren't really welcome where I live." 

That was a surprise. Xena thought. Ponies don't usually just go... especially without a fight. "Well, at least tell us your name," she said, running up to the unicorn. 

"Twilight Sparkle." She replies. "But please. I don't want you to get hurt if you follow me. You seem nice, so for both our sakes, stay alive." 

"Come on, Uni!" Comet says, coming up on the other side of Twilight. "I don't care about the fox, but I need a place to live." 

"Yeah, come on. We can hunt and work and be helpful." Xena adds. "Just give us a chance."

"I don't need you around," Comet snarls. 

"Try and survive without me," Xena scoffs. 

"Stop it." Twilight puts in. "If you really want to come, you have to promise. By your death will you defend ponykind and promise never to hurt a pony again in your life?" She stops walking and turns to look at them both. 

"I promise," Xena says, placing a paw to her heart. "No ponies of yours will be drained by me."

Comet rolls her eyes. "Seriously, can you trust a fox?"

"I am willing to try. In this age, trust is long and little between. We all must try." 

The Voidwing snorted but put in her word that she would never harm a pony. 

Twilight still seemed skeptical, but she led the two monsters through the rocks alongside the cliff. Soon they came to a corner, and as they turned, she warned them to stay out of the village while she went to talk to the settlement's leaders. "They'll listen to me, but there's no need to cause a panic." 

Xena and Comet obliged, but as Twilight entered the small collection of boulders they were confused. Then when she seemingly disappeared into one they realized. It was some kind of illusion, protecting the ponies from the monsters that roamed the wastelands. There were a few tense moments as the two waited, then Twilight came back out. 

"You're free to live with us, but first you have to pass a trial." She told them, approaching the two. "It will take place in the forest over there." She pointed to a collection of ashy trees. "You are to fall asleep there." 





"Well, this is strange," Xena says. The two were lying on their backs in the forest, black trees spiraling up to the blank sky above. "I wonder what the trial will include." 

"We'll find out if you shut up and let us go to sleep," Comet mutters. 

Xena sighs and curls up, her back pressed against Comet's for warmth.