//------------------------------// // Maybe Not Such a Good Idea // Story: A Pegasus Horn // by Ignimbrite //------------------------------// "Well yes, actually, my associate and I did uncover that story. Took quite a bit of work too." Mud Slinger took on an air of pride. "Probably our best work too, considering how much they went through to hide it. "We followed the colt around everywhere to try to catch him revealing himself. We even managed to sneak a tape recorder into the saddlebags of that filly that's supposed to be his sister. We never were able to recover that one though." Muck Raker nodded in agreement. "You know we even had to sort through the kid's old medical and school records. Not that we found anything; they covered that up too. "Shame we couldn't find any adoption papers; that would have been the ultimate proof. We looked through every file in the city office too." "Wait a second," Sunny Skies squeaked, "You actually believe all that stuff in the story?" Mud Slinger and Muck Raker looked at each other. In a moment, everything clicked into place: the foals going to such bizarre measures to get in, the tape recorder, the camera... It was then that they realized that every picture the foals had taken had been at an angle to ensure that at least one of the two reporters was always in the frame. Those foals had been trying to set them up. But if that was the case... They looked down at the foals again, turning specifically to Moonlit Night. Their eyebrows rose as his saddlebags twitched slightly. It was quite fortunate that the officer arrived just that moment. "Excuse me a moment. Are there any ponies here by the names of Sunny Skies, Moonlit Night, and Dusk Dawn?" By the way the three foals' eyes widened, they must have known the trouble they were in. Must be some sort of instinct foals all have. Naturally, all three of them ran. Obsidian, Feldspar, and Kind Face were in a state commonly known to most ponies as raw panic. It was in this state that they charged through the newspaper building, dodging through every opening they could find. Behind them, two angry reporters and a frustrated law officer followed. They dove into the nearest door and charged around the stairwell. As soon as they blasted through the last door, a new realization hit them square in the face. Obsidian's and Feldspar's instincts had betrayed them. They were on the roof. The Reporters of Vengeance looked around. There were plenty of structures, smokestacks, and assorted piles of junk up on the roof to hide behind. Unfortunately, they were spaced so far apart that the ponies searching for them wouldn't have to look long. The only way to ensure they remained hidden would be to constantly move. Just as they scattered, the door burst open, revealing the two news reporters and the officer. Muck Raker looked around, glaring at the shadows between the AC unit and an overturned wooden box. Tiny hooves clattered behind him. He turned around, only to find nothing. As he stepped over to inspect the area, he heard more hooves. Looking back, he saw that the overturned box had relocated itself to an area next to the old power weatherhead. He facehooved at falling for such an obvious trick and stepped over to the box. Just as he was about to lift it, something splashed on his rump. Turning around again, he saw nothing, and turning back, he found the box on its side and empty. He made his way back to the others to see how they were doing. As he did, the officer snickered. "What's so funny?" "Nothing much, although it seems the foals are a bit craftier than I thought." "What do you..?" He looked behind him and found that his entire backside had been painted pink. The foals were actually putting deliberate effort into getting on his last nerve. Mud Slinger dropped beside them from a hover. "I saw them moving on the east side of the building. Looks like they're all trying to find a way down." "Let's go, then." The three looked down. The fog still rolled across the city, obscuring their view of the ground. "Get back here!" They turned to see the three ponies that had been chasing them. Without a second thought, all three of them ran the opposite direction. As they rounded a corner, the roof came to a dead end, but the outline of another roof hung in the fog within jumping distance. Feldspar jumped, spreading her wings to glide, with Obsidian leaping after her. They both landed on the opposite side as Kind Face leaped to join them. Both looked down, realizing their mistake. "Don't jump! It's..." Kind Face fell through the layer of dense fog that, from a distance, had looked just like a roof. Obsidian shot her with his horn without even thinking. He heard a thump below and was suddenly sick at the thought that he hadn't caught her. Feldspar, meanwhile, pulled a hole in the cloud and looked down. "Whatever you're doing, don't stop!" "What?" He looked down through the hole and saw Kind Face sprawled out on another layer of fog just below them, her body enveloped in a green glow. Feldspar quickly jumped in, with Obsidian following. It was just in time too, as a thump above them reminded them that one of their pursuers was also a pegasus. Obsidian leaned in and whispered to the others. "We need to head down." They carefully descended through the fog. The layers formed an ever-shifting maze, making finding a path difficult. Several times, they had to backtrack just to keep from falling through a thin patch. Finally, they found a layer drifting near a building's fire escape. It was a good thing they found it when they did. Obsidian's horn was getting dimmer. Cloudwalking by itself may not use too much magic for pegasi, but having to cloudwalk for two was draining. He wouldn't admit it out loud, but Kind Face was getting noticeably heavier. Just as they were about to make it, Obsidian's magic fizzled out. Feldspar watched as he and Kind Face fell all the way to the ground below. "Oof" "Ow" She fluttered down beside them. "Hey! I think my flying's getting better!" Kind Face slowly made her way back to her feet. Obsidian, meanwhile, just lifted his head and groaned. "Well good for you." He slumped back to the ground and closed his eyes. Feldspar poked him. "Come on Obsidian, get up." She poked him harder. "Get up! Get up!" He didn't move. "Obsidian?" "There you are." Feldspar and Kind Face looked up. The law officer stood at the end of the alley. They were trapped.