The Magic Thief

by DraconequusInLove


Chapter 3

As they wake, the two monsters immediately know something is wrong. The forest is silent and still, but even more so than usual. They stand up and look around, searching for a hint as to what is wrong, when through the trees shine several pairs of eyes.

A low growling comes from the creatures behind the eyes. "Timberwolves." Xena whispers.

The wolves slowly approach, surrounding the two. Comet tenses up and charges forward, opening her wings and flapping, trying to leap over the canines but failing and falling onto a timberwolf's back, her face near its butt. The timberwolves lunge at their pack member, trying to reach Comet.

"Fox! Help!" She calls out, twisting away from the snapping jaws as the timberwolf she's on twists and tries to buck her off.

"My name is not 'Fox,'" Xena mutters, leaping up onto the backs of the timberwolves and running across to Comet. She helps the pegasus up and pulls her into a nearby tree. Together they scramble to the top. "It's Xena."

The two try to recover their breath, panting in the darkness, the growls of the timberwolves loud below. Comet shivered and looked at Xena. "What are we going to do?"

"Run." This has to be part of the trial. "And hope we survive." She looks grimly at Comet, then leaps from tree to tree, spreading her tail feathers. Comet follows behind her, albeit more clumsily. The two run away from the timberwolves as fast as they can, the pack following them in the darkness. Xena doesn't know where she's going, only that she needs to get away.

Then suddenly the trees run out and they're bolting along open ground, wind streaming past them, sharp teeth just meters behind. The sky seems darker than normal and the stars fewer, but even so the outline of a pony is present ten meters on Xena's left.

The pony's hoof seems to have been caught in a pile of rocks along the open ground, and as they struggle to break free the timberwolves change their course to slink forward towards the easier prey.

As Xena and Comet run, they realize that they're no longer being followed. Instead, their pursuers have left them and surrounded the trapped pony.

"Come on!" Comet yells, noticing that Xena has stopped and is staring at the pony. "Better her than us!"

Xena shakes her head. "We should help."

"Are you crazy!" Comet yells, but her cries fall on deaf ears as Xena is already bolting toward the timberwolves. She doesn't slow down and instead dashes through the circle of wolves, grabs the pony, and dashes out before the timberwolves can react.

But the wolves don't remain stunned, and take chase, running after Xena and the pony.

"Can you fly?" Xena asks, and the pony nods then takes off into the sky. Good, that just makes one of us now. But the wolves are after her again, and even though she escaped once, there's no trapped pony to save her.

The sound of wingbeats overhead alerts Xena to Comet, flying clumsily in the air above her, and swooping down to taunt the timberwolves. "Don't worry fox, I gotcha!" Comet yells, flapping her large wings and pulling the focus off of Xena and onto her. While Comet makes herself known as the new prey, Xena scurries off to hide behind some rocks with the pony.

Eventually, the timberwolves get bored with Comet's taunting and turn to look for their previous prey, but she's nowhere to be found.

"Yeah, that's right, give it up jerkheads!" Comet flies around the head of the pack leader, then up into the sky to watch as the timberwolves finally leave. Once the danger has passed, she lands and looks around for Xena and the pony.

From the shadows, Xena tackles Comet in a hug. "You did it! Thankyouthankyouthankyou!" Neither of them are used to this feeling, this... happiness, and it shows. Their hug is awkward, but heartfelt. However, the reunion is cut short by the pony trotting up to them.

"Congratulations, you passed," she says. Now that they can see her clearly, it's apparent the pony has a similar sky-blue coat to Comet and a rainbow mane. "I'm sure you have questions, but right now, it's important we return to the camp." The pony turns and says, "I'm Rainbow Dash, by the way."


As Rainbow Dash leads them back toward the pony camp, Xena is lost in thought. Why did I rescue her? I had the chance. I could've gotten away. But I rescued a pony.

Nearby, Comet is having similar thoughts. Of all the trials, it had to be to rescue a pony? But why would they take that chance, especially if we might not have helped?

Xena voices those concerns. "Rainbow, what would you have done if we hadn't saved you?"

"Fly away, of course. What, you thought I would actually risk my life so you could save me?" She smirks and shrugs. "That'd be dumb."

Xena and Comet glance at each other. "Are you serious-" Comet begins, before Xena cuts her off.

"Why would you expect anything else? We're monsters, after all." A shiver goes up her spine. We're monsters, after all, Athanasios. The name she hasn't heard for years. The name she thought she left behind.


As they walk, the small cliff in the distance gets larger as they get closer to the pony camp nestled at the base of it. But as they approach, the small group knows something is wrong.

A horde of Flying Foxes have swarmed over the small town and captured the inhabitants, who are unable to resist due to having most of their magic taken from them. In the center of all that destruction is Twilight Sparkle and four other ponies, bound together and guarded by elite Flying Foxes. As Xena watches, a ruby Voidwing steps out from behind the bound ponies.

"Hello, Athanasios."