//------------------------------//
// Chapter 69: Daring Escape 
// Story: Rosa 
// by awf 
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It was finally time to do it. Knowing that Rosa had no choice didn't make it any easier, though. Starla had told her to be ready tonight. She needed to tell Maribelle. Rosa was not going to just disappear on her. Luckily her roommate had put her strange mood down to continued tummy problems. She had gone to sleep but told Rosa to wake her up if she wasn't feeling well.

Maribelle had always been so kind...

Rosa was sitting on her haunches right beside her bed, ears hanging down and heart heavy. It wouldn't be fair to just run away without telling Maribelle. She would worry so much. Well, she would probably still worry, but at least she'd know why Rosa had gone.

Taking a deep breath, Rosa gently put a hoof on her friend's sleeping form. "Um, Maribelle?" she whispered. There weren't any humans around, but Rosa still wanted to be careful.

Unlike Starla, her friend wasn't a heavy sleeper and opened her eyes immediately. "Mmm? Rosa?" she asked, then sat upright. "Everything okay? Does it hurt?"

Rosa shook her head, but understood how Maribelle could have gotten that impression from her expression. "No, this is... something else."

Maribelle was obviously worried, but she kept it under control and tapped her bed instead. "Come on, you'll be more comfortable up here." She waited for Rosa to obey, then put a very warm hoof around her shoulder. "Take your time."

It made Rosa smile faintly. Maribelle was so nice! "I'm, uh-" she tried, but failed to find the words. "Maribelle, I have to-" her muzzle clamped shut and all Rosa could get out was a faint whimper.

By now her friend was getting really scared, even though she was still putting up a brave face for Rosa's sake. "I won't be mad, I promise," she said and it damn near broke Rosa's heart.

"I have to go."

"Aw, I'm so sorry Rosa," Maribelle immediately commiserated. "They have us locked in here until morning. If you can't hold it, just- um, take the sheet off the bed and-"

"No, not 'go' like that," Rosa corrected, horrified. Maribelle really wouldn't mind sleeping in a room that smelled of pee all night? No doubt she'd even offer to share her bed, since the other would have no sheets on it. What an angel!

It made her confession it a little harder, because Rosa knew she would make Maribelle sad with what she was going to say. Her eyes were already filling with tears.

Maribelle frowned a little in confusion. "Then go like what?"

"I h-have to l-leave!" Rosa blurted out.

"Oh no! Are they sending you away? Maybe I can talk with Dr. Barton and-"

This time Rosa plugged her friend's mouth with a hoof to silence her erratic guesses. She sniffled, but gathered her courage and continued her explanation. "No, I'm running away. I'm s-sorry!"

The other mare stared at her in shock for a while. Then she pushed Rosa's hoof away. "How?! Why?!"

Of course Rosa couldn't tell her too much about Starla, so she would just have to improvise. "It doesn't matter. I have a way. I'm getting Sky Light and we're getting out of here."

Her other question went unanswered and Maribelle repeated it, with a touch of anger in her eyes: "Why?!"

Rosa heaved a sigh and leaned against her. At least Maribelle didn't push her away. "I don't like it here. I don't wanna be a human slave, Maribelle. Maybe it's because I've been out there- free."

"You'll be a fugitive," Maribelle pointed out.

"Well, maybe. If I go far enough I'll be safe." Rosa was thinking about Equestria, but she didn't say it out loud.

"That's the stupidest, most hare-brained thing you ever-"

A half-choked sob stopped the pony in her tracks and her eyes narrowed. "Why are you crying?"

It was impossible to stop the tide now and Rosa's hot tears dripped down from her muzzle. "B-Because I'll- I'll m-muuuh," she wailed.

Maribelle put a hoof around her, but didn't say anything.

"I'll miss youuuuu!"

Her expression softened, anger momentarily forgotten. Maribelle didn't give up, though. "Rosa, I know it's all strange and scary here, but it's not so bad, I promise," Maribelle pleaded, getting a bit teary-eyed herself. "They're treating us nice and they'll even give us jobs for our cutie marks. Just- please, Rosa, just hold out a bit longer, it'll get better!" She put both hooves on Rosa and turned her around to face her. Rosa couldn't meet her eyes, so she stared fixedly at Maribelle's left ear. "I didn't even know you hated it here. Why didn't you tell me?! I thought you were happy..."

Rosa sniffed and wiped some snot away with her foreleg. "I am- I was. I d-don't know how I can explain this..."

Her friend kindly waited for Rosa to try.

"I-" What could she even say? "This is too important. I'm s-sorry, Maribelle, I just can't!" she whimpered miserably.

There was silence for a moment, then Maribelle said: "I see."

The tone of quiet anger and frustration didn't escape Rosa and she felt wretched. At least she should be able to give her some kind of reason! She decided to tell Maribelle some of the truth. "I h-have a way of going to Equestria. I have to go! It's where ponies belong. I was h-hoping, m-m-maybe, you..."

She gave her stern friend her most hopeful look, but all that did was to deepen Maribelle's glare. "That's baloney, Rosa! Equestria is a myth! Even if if ever existed, it doesn't anymore! Even if it did, we can't go there!" She even growled a little. "Is it that pegasus? Is she filling your head with these crazy ideas?! I'll tell Dr. Barton and they'll-"

"No!" Rosa cried out. "Please!"

Maribelle fell silent, but only because Rosa's face was now a mess of tears and she was sobbing quietly.

"You really believe all that, don't you?"

All Rosa could do in reply was nod.

The other mare heaved a long-suffering sigh. "Can I talk you out of this craziness?"

This time Rosa shook her head.

Maribelle pulled her against her barrel, completely ignoring Rosa's messy face, and Rosa gratefully buried her nuzzle in the soft fur. She took a very deep breath and tried her hardest to commit the scent to memory. Maribelle was doing the same, it felt like.

"I don't like this. I really don't, Rosa, but if it's that important to you, I guess I can't stop you."

"I'm s-sorry..."

Rosa enjoyed the embrace for long minutes, then Maribelle let out her breath and asked: "Will I ever see you again?"

Pushing away so Rosa could look her in the eye, she tried to smile. "If Equestria really exists, I'll come back and tell you. Then we can go together. They have trains, you know? They could use a skilled engineer!"

There was an indefinable moment of longing in Maribelle's eyes and Rosa felt a bit more cheerful. She really did like the idea. If she could get her some solid proof that Equestria existed - that Rosa had seen it with her own eyes - Maribelle would follow her.

This time, though, Maribelle shook her head. "That's just dreams, Rosa. What will you do when you can't get there. Or even if you get there and it's gone?"

That had always been an outside chance. "I'll come back."

Maribelle was already shaking her head. "No, that would be a terminally stupid idea, you little idiot," she whispered. "The humans will put you down if they catch you after you escape. Promise me you'll stay away from this place, Rosa!"

The thought was scary and made Rosa gulp in sudden fear. "I p-p-promise," she stammered.

"Good. Just keep yourself safe. Don't worry about me."

"H-How about- when you have a job somewhere, on a train. What if I find you then?"

Maribelle gave it some thought, but then she shrugged. "Rosa, I don't have the faintest idea what my life is going to be like. It's crazy to try and make plans now." Opening her muzzle to argue, Rosa subsided when Maribelle held up a hoof. "Okay, listen. If I end up working on a train, and if I don't have constant oversight of these people, and if it's safe - then I'd like to see you again."

A big smile spread Rosa mouth and the other mare rolled her eyes. "I said if, Rosa! If you manage to find me, I dunno, a year or two down the line, leave me a small message or something, just to let me know you're there, but don't show yourself, okay?" She was thinking rapidly now, making plans, despite her words that she shouldn't. "If it's safe for you to approach me, I'll give you a sign too." The mare sagged a little and sighed. "This is so hard to plan. Just- find me and keep your eyes open and let me know you're there when it's safe, okay? We'll figure something out."

"And then I'll take you to Equestria. It's there, it really is!" Rosa told her.

"Okay. Fine. Go see for yourself, just promise me you won't get your fool self killed, okay?"

Rosa gave her friend a nod and hugged her again. "I swear!"

Maribelle patted her back with her hooves and let Rosa rest against her barrel for a bit longer. Rosa closed her eyes and listened to her friend's steady heartbeat. "Please," she whispered, eyes filling up with tears again, "please be happy, Maribelle. I want you to have a happy life."

Her roommate grunted and squeezed extra hard for a moment. "I was hoping we could do that together, Rosa."

There was longing in her voice and Rosa felt like a monster for dashing that dream. There was no choice! She had to try and find Equestria. Starla had sounded so sure, so matter-of-fact! If Rosa could get both of them there - all three, including Sky Light - they would be much happier, she just knew it.

She opened her mouth to tell Maribelle that, but then changed her mind. She didn't believe it and it might just make her angry again. It was best to part like this - sad, but hopeful.

After a minute or two, Maribelle let Rosa go and then looked at the door. "So, how are you getting out?"

Rosa didn't want to give Starla away, so she lied by omission. "A friend is busting me out."

"Sky Light?! How did she get out of her cell?"

"Please- If I tell you, you'll just get in more trouble. It's best you don't know, Maribelle."

The other mare gave a wry chuckle. "Yeah, like they won't interrogate me at all if I say I don't know anything."

That was a thought that hadn't occurred to Rosa yet. What if the humans decided Maribelle was complicit?

Maribelle saw her terrified expression and gave Rosa a small smile. "Oh, so now you're getting worried?"

"Come with me?" Rosa pleaded.

The other mare thought about it for a moment! Then she shook her head sadly. "Rosa, I'm happy here. I'm doing what I love and I actually like the attendings and the teachers. It's not a bad life, even if I'll never really be a citizen."

Rosa's ears folded down in sorrow again, but Maribelle carefully lifted one up with a hoof. "Just tell me this - whether you find Equestria or not, will you be happier out there than you are in here?"

She thought back on her time on the streets with Sky Light. It hadn't been an easy life, but - Rosa suddenly realized - she had kinda liked it. Maybe enough to understand why Sky Light didn't want to live indoors with a family. Well, not exactly understand, but now Rosa believed that there could be an actual reason. Being homeless gave a pony a certain, undefinable freedom. "Yes," she said with finality, "even if I don't find Equestria I'll be happier out there."

"Then that's good enough for me. I'll be fine here. They'll ask me questions and I'll tell them I was sleeping when you left and I don't know how you did it, and that will be the end of it. Trust me, I'll be fine."

Rosa couldn't talk her into coming and she couldn't stay, so she would just have to make herself believe Maribelle. "Okay."

"So what now? We wait for your mysterious friend to let you out?"

Rosa nodded at the mare, who gave it some thought, then shrugged a little to herself and lay down. "C'mere," she said and patted the pillow next to her head. Rosa gladly joined her and her friend pulled the blanket over them both. "Since you'll be gone soon," Maribelle declared, "I'll just have to hug you enough for the next two years right now."

Rosa didn't have a single problem with that plan and happily accepted the hooves around her barrel. For good measure, she pressed her muzzle in Maribelle's fluff.

"So, Speedy has a crush on you. Did you notice that? He's going to be so sad when you're gone."

The bit of gossip made Rosa chuckle softly. "Yeah," she replied, voice a little muffled. "It was kinda obvious."

"I hope you let him down gently..."

Chatting about unimportant matters with Maribelle was the best way to spend the final few hours with the mare. It was how Rosa wanted to remember her. Maribelle was ignoring the fact that Rosa would leave and pretending everything was normal, just to help her friend relax and rest up before her stressful escape.

Maribelle was just such a sweetheart!

Rosa let the tears flow freely, even while she kept smiling at their conversation. "I actually just kinda ignored it..."





The tentative knock on the door was quiet, but enough to wake Rosa up from a pleasant, cuddly stupor she'd fallen into. She didn't know how much time had passed, but at least it had been enough for her tears to have dried. That saved her the embarrassment of having Starla see her indecision.

"I g-guess it's t-time," Rosa mumbled.

Marobelle gave her one of her finest, sad, heart-tugging Looks. "You really want to go?" she asked.

All Rosa could do was nod, ears splayed and trying hard not to start weeping again.

"Please be safe, Rosa."

"Yeah, y-you too."

She gave Maribelle one last quick hug, then slipped out of the bed. Rosa tried to put on a defiant expression for Starla, unwilling to let the older mare see her self-doubt, or she might decide Rosa was too risky and leave her there.

"I'm ready..."

The door unlocked and swung open. There was no one standing outside. Rosa swallowed a lump, cast one last look back at Maribelle, who gave her a brave smile Rosa knew she wasn't feeling, and then she stepped outside.

"Close the door," came a voice from the shadows. Once Rosa had done there, there was a faint click as the lock closed again.

Outside of her room, Rosa looked for the disguised unicorn with wide, unblinking eyes. She briefly wondered whether Starla would still have her disguise, but soon decided that she probably would. She would be in far less trouble if she were just an earth pony sneaking around, rather than a dangerous unicorn.

"Okay, come on," the mare said, stepping up next to Rosa.

Now that she'd had a moment to adjust, Rosa could see quite well in the faint moonlight coming from the windows. In particular, she noticed a crude little bag made from sheets which Starla had slung over her shoulder. Rosa wondered what was in it while the two walked over to the big iron door which opened into the rest of the facility. Once they reached it, Rosa swallowed and tried to keep her legs from trembling.

"Okay," Starla said, having paused to give some last minute instructions. "Keep quiet, follow me and do what I say without question, understand?"

Rosa nodded, but then felt that was not enough so she added her voice: "I p-promise."

"Good."

The other mare looked up at the keypad next to the door. Rosa wondered what magic would be like and watched her mysterious friend closely. There was no apparent change, but something caught her eye and Rosa saw a very faint, turquoise glow surround the buttons. They beeped faintly as Starla typed in the code, then there was a click and a whir as the door unlocked. Starla pushed it just a bit, so it opened a tiny crack. Rosa went to help, but the unicorn held up a hoof. "Hold on!"

Rosa froze for a moment, then took a careful step back. Nothing happened for a moment, then Starla smiled proudly. "Okay, we can go now." She opened the door all the way and walked outside. Her hooves rang faintly on the tiles and she slowed down. "I always forget how loud this is..." she muttered to herself. "Tread lightly," she told Rosa.

It took effort to place her hooves down softly enough not to make them ring out, but Rosa managed an acceptable speed while keeping the noise down. "W-Why did we have to wait?" she asked.

"Security camera in the hall. I disabled it with magic."

That was a clever trick and, once again, a reminder of how badly Rosa herself would have failed if she'd tried escaping on her own. Except... Starla had been going out a lot lately, wouldn't the humans be suspicious if cameras died every night?

"Don't they come investigate if the camera suddenly goes off?"

"They haven't yet, at least not during the night. I saw some technicians looking at it the other day. They probably just think it's a faulty system. I only keep it out for a minute while I'm walking past."

Rosa guessed the humans had no reason to be suspicious, since they probably couldn't imagine they had a hidden unicorn in the facility. Anyway, if they had suspected anything, they would have interrogated the lot of them already. Starla led the pair down the length of the corridor, but stopped right after they'd turned at an intersection. She closed her eyes and concentrated for a moment, then whispered: "The camera is back."

It wasn't really super critical for Rosa to know, but she still appreciated the warning. "Okay."

She recognized the hall. That was where Sky Light was being kept, so Rosa guessed they were going to pick up the pegasus first, then whatever Starla needed their help with. Rosa wholeheartedly approved. This sneaking around was making her heart pound like crazy and she was trembling all over. Having her close and trusted friend with them would be very welcome. They made another turn and Rosa saw the row of cells with their metal bars.

Her eyes clamped to the correct cell and Rosa and almost rushed for it, but Starla put a leg in her way. "Cameras, remember?!" she hissed.

"Oh. Sorry!" Rosa whispered back.

Starla stood still for a moment, then she started walking with that same careful gait for keeping hooves quiet on tiles. Rosa waited a moment longer to see if the other mare had further instructions, but when she said nothing Rosa quietly followed. It was only a few dozen steps to Sky Light's cell, but it felt like it was taking ages. Every now and then one of them placed a hoof down too quickly and a very faint clop rang out. They both froze in place each time, but nothing happened. If Rosa had thought ahead, she would have taken her sheet, ripped it apart and wrapped her hooves in the fabric. It would have made sneaking around so much easier. Nevertheless, they were soon at the right cell and Sky Light was already at the bars, waiting. She grinned widely when she saw who it was.

"Rosa!" she whispered, keeping her voice low, "Starlight said it's tonight but I don't think I believed it until now!"

The other mare just grinned. "Okay, stand back, I'll open the cell."

Her magical glow appeared around the lock and there was a definite click as it opened. The bars swung inward quietly and Sky Light sneaked around them. Rosa was amazed at her skill, both for whispering and for how quietly she could place her hooves. Rosa opened her muzzle to tell her so, but the mare guessed what she was about to say and gave her friends a proud smirk.

"I heard you sneaking over," Sky Light explained in a quiet voice. "I guess we're being quiet in case any humans are still around?"

"Bingo," Starla said. Starlight, rather. Rosa realized she should take Sky Light's example and start using the unicorn's proper name. "This way."

Rosa bumped her shoulder against Sky Light in lieu of a hug, just to let her know she was there, and to further convince herself that Sky Light was finally back with her, then they set out after the unicorn. She was going back the way they came, in the direction of the lift. In minutes they were in the small, metal room again, and Starlight pushed one of the buttons for the sub-basement. Rosa's stomach clenched when she realized they going underground. Thoughts of empty, echoing, cavernous rooms filled her mind. A moment later she remembered that she could have taken Sky Light's blanket to muffle their hoofsteps, but once again it was too late. She nearly growled at herself in exasperation, but managed to bite it back.

Underground felt very worrying. The most dangerous experiments were probably kept there. Rosa wondered if Starlight was looking for a weapon her resistance could use, or something even more dangerous. She needed somepony very strong to carry it out, but she hadn't told them yet what it was. No matter, Rosa was an earth pony, she could do it. It was a small price to pay for her own and Sky Light's freedom.

The elevator ride felt a lot longer this time, but it finally stopped. The door started to open, but Starlight jammed a button with a hoof to keep it shut. "A few cameras up ahead," she said by way of explanation.

"How did you know the first time you came here? You couldn't have seen it."

Starla was concentrating on her spell, Rosa thought, but she was still able to answer: "Sensing spell. A friend of mine came up with a way to detect complicated electronics." The mare gave a soft chuckle. "This place is a mess of electronics, but I learned how to recognize cameras and motion sensors. That's basically all I needed anyway." She let out a breath and relaxed. "There, that's all of them. I might not have time to mask each of them when we're escaping, so I just fried them. They'll notice pretty soon, but I hope to be out of here before that."

It was happening! The big heist or whatever! Rosa was about to help Starlight steal something big and important from the humans, then they would make their escape. There was no going back now!

Noticing how fast her breath was getting, Sky Light draped a wing over Rosa. "Relax, we got this," she whispered.

Rosa gave her a very grateful smile and managed to slow down her panting. The elevator door opened to reveal another bland, unremarkable hallway. Humans really loved their identical-looking corridors, Rosa guessed. Starla had started walking a bit more quickly now, apparently not caring about the noise her hooves made. Rosa followed, still trying to place her legs softly, but also unwilling to fall behind. A few turns brought them to a different-looking door. It was made from shiny metal and there were some danger symbols around it. There was also a clipboard with signatures and a plaque with tiny text above it.

Rosa didn't have time to try and read it, because Starlight beamed at her. "Thanks for that code, by the way. This is where we use it!"

There was a keypad on the wall and the turquoise magic enveloped it briefly. There were four beeps and then a whir of machinery. The door split in the middle and each section began to slide smoothly, but ponderously into the wall.

Rosa saw the two sides were thick slabs of metal and she made the connection. "Oh, it was too thick to cut with magic or something?"

The unicorn shook her head. "No, not exactly..." she explained. "This room is coated with something that blocks all magic. I don't know how it works."

Once the door was open enough, Starla stepped in and flicked the light switch. The sudden brightness nearly blinded Rosa, but she blinked until she could see again and then she couldn't hold in a soft gasp.

There was a metal... table or something in the middle of the room and strapped to it - a pony. She was a unicorn, navy-blue and with a very long, sharp looking horn. There was no mistaking it. Rosa realized she was also somewhat taller than any other pony she knew, although it was hard to judge with her lying on her side. Chains bound her legs and there was an IV drip going into a vein. When Rosa saw it, her leg itched where hers had been and she scratched without looking.

The pony was apparently asleep and didn't wake up at the light. She looked peaceful enough, despite the heavy chains.

"Here. It took some finding to get this," Starlight said and took her makeshift bag off. She upended it and a key tinged on the floor. "Unlock those chains, I'll get the IV out."

Rosa was happy to do that, because she was way too squeamish to fiddle with a needle in someone's leg. She grabbed the metallic key in her mouth and reared up to start with the hind legs, while Starla worked on the IV in the foreleg. Something caught Rosa's eye and the key dropped from her nerveless mouth.

"She's a-" Rosa said, stunned. "Both h-horn and wings!"

"An alicorn," Starla confirmed. "You understand why it's critical to get her free now?"

Rosa recalled some of the legends surrounding this mythical type of pony. Except she was not mythical - she was lying on the table right in front of her. They could move the sun and the stars and make hurricanes just by flapping their wings. They lived forever and nothing could ever kill them. Rosa didn't know how much of it was true, but this pony on the table was an alicorn!

A faint clink woke Rosa up from her astonished staring and she saw that Sky Light had taken the key and unlocked the shackles on the alicorn's hind legs. Meanwhile, Starlight had dropped the IV tube on the floor and was unwrapping the bandage around the strange mare's leg to get the plastic bit out. That was the potentially bloody part, so Rosa looked away.

The sleeping pony's mane caught her eye. It looked like it was glittering with small sequins and moving around of its own accord. Rosa had never seen hair like that! The tail was similar, long and flowing and glittery. "W-What's her name?" Rosa mumbled.

Starlight seemed to be about done with the bandage. She didn't immediately answer because she was gently pulling a very sharp looking needle from the alicorn's leg with her mouth. There was hardly any blood, but she started wrapping the bandage back anyway. Then she spat out the piece of plastic. "Princess Luna. I think she reached out to you in your dreams and told you the code."

"What?! Why? H-How?!"

"That's what she does," Starlight explained, then stepped aside for Sky Light to unlock the shackles on Luna's forelegs. "She can walk the dreamland and make sure ponies don't have nightmares. She used to watch over us every night in Equestria. What I don't understand is - why you?" Starlight came up right close and examined Rosa's astonished face closely. "What's so special about you, Rosa? Luna was able to tell Cadence - that's Princess Cadence, by the way - where she was being held. They came up with the plan for me to be 'captured', but then Luna stopped showing up in Cadence's dreams."

The chains rattled as they fell off and Sky Light dropped the key next to them. "What now?" she asked, all businesslike. Rosa was about to say she didn't know, when she realized the pegasus was talking to herself. She did not want to forget some crucial step which would cause them problems down the line.

On the plus side, Rosa understand now what Starlight needed her to carry, so she stepped beside the table and looked to the pegasus. "Help me get her on my back. You'll have to help balance her."

While the two were carefully handling the alicorn, Starlight continued talking: "I've been trying to get the code to this door for weeks! Upstairs was easy, humans keep coming and going and it was just a matter of watching what they typed in. That obviously wouldn't work down here."

"I don't know why Luna showed up in my dreams! I've been having them for a few months, but they stopped just after I came here." In light of the new revelation Rosa made a tentative connection. "It felt like they were getting weaker. Maybe she couldn't reach Cadence anymore? Maybe it's harder to reach some ponies?" It was not completely convincing, but she didn't have a better guess.

"Yeah, maybe," Starlight said. "She'll be able to tell us later anyway. Let's get out of here."

Sky Light smiled at the news. "I wholeheartedly agree!"

Rosa felt a tiny bit better, too. All they had to do was sneak out the corridor, up the elevator and out the front door. Now there were three of them and they had a unicorn, so the guards shouldn't be a problem. It was strange that the alicorn hadn't yet woken up, but Rosa guessed she was drugged or something. Maybe that was being administered through the IV.

Rosa took a few experimental steps to test the balance. Sky Light watched her with an expert eye and came to her side. "I'll help support her over here," she said.

Between Rosa and Sky, they were able to easily carry Princess Luna. Her tail and hind hooves were dragging on the floor, but at least her wings had remained folded up. Her forelegs draped over Rosa's shoulders and with the pegasus helping, she wasn't in danger of falling off.

"I'll help too once we get out of here and my magic works again," Starlight explained.

Rosa followed the unicorn back to the hallway and waited as she poked her head out and looked for danger. A moment later Starlight waved a hoof and left. This time it was impossible to keep her hoofsteps quiet, even though Rosa was trying. The mare ahead of them was in a hurry and Rosa was having a hard enough time to keep up as it was. Without Sky Light this would have been a whole lot harder. She could still have done it, of course. Rescuing an alicorn right from the humans! Heroic, even if Rosa did say so herself.

In minutes the group was back at the elevator. Getting all of them inside was a bit harder, but Starlight used her magic to move Luna's tail and hind legs and Rosa managed to bunch up enough so that the door could close. Then the unicorn pressed the ground floor button and Rosa became aware of just how fast her heart was going. Freedom was so close she could practically taste it!

Starlight turned to her with a big smile. "Thanks, Rosa! This wouldn't have been possible without you!"

On her other side, Sky Light was also grinning, but she looked uneasy. "Let's wait with the back-slapping until we're actually out," she whispered.

The elevator came to a stop and the door opened.

Rosa's heart sank as all three of them froze. There was a harsh light shining in their faces, coming from a powerful flashlight, held by one of the soldiers waiting for them. Terror nearly made her lose control of her bladder, but Rosa managed to hold it at the last possible second.

They were caught. It was over. So close, yet so impossibly far!

She wanted to cry, but she was too scared even for that. They'd kill her - all three of them - and Luna would probably go back on that table, pumped full of drugs and with who knew what kinds of experiments performed on her! They had guns, so even if the ponies tried to fight their way out, it would just mean they would die faster.

Rosa caught Starlight's eyes as all this flashed through her mind in an instant. The unicorn leaned closer and whispered urgently: "Pretend to go along. When I give the signal, fight!"

Already Rosa's breathing was quickening and all her muscles were tensing up. She didn't know if she'd be any use fighting, not in the face of guns!

Starlight winked and Rosa felt Sky Light's hoof touch her flank.

"Okay, come out of the elevator, slowly," one of the men said.

Starlight was the first to react. She turned around and walked forward, head low and ears hanging down, the perfect picture of misery. Rosa had never seen any pony so defeated. If she hadn't told them to expect her signal, Rosa would think Starlight had completely given up. Rosa took her inspiration from the older mare and followed, looking at the floor. She didn't even have to fake her fear, and tears were already dripping from her muzzle. Behind them, Sky Light heaved a sigh and joined them, still supporting Luna on Rosa's back.

"So, what was the plan here?" a new, calm voice demanded and two of the soldiers stepped aside to admit him. Rosa's heart sank even lower. Dr. Simmons. He had special reason for hating her guts. The mare stayed silent, hoping he wouldn't remember that she had bitten him. Maybe he'd focus on the rescued alicorn, instead.

"I g-guess you saw the cameras go out, d-downstairs?" Starlight said miserably.

The man grinned, smirking at his own cleverness. "Oh, that was a definite clue, Starla. I don't know how you did that, but I'll find out - trust me." The unicorn sagged a little more, but stayed silent. "No, the real reason," Dr. Simmons went on, "is simply that you're stupid."

"W-What?"

He chuckled a little to himself. "You didn't think we'd have your dorm thoroughly bugged? You assumed we were complacent and stupid and, well, turns out it goes the other way. Oh, I'll admit it-" Simmons turned and paced around while the soldiers relaxed a little. Their guns lowered, but only slightly and they all still had their fingers on the triggers. "I'll give you that one, Starla. We were really confused by the cameras going out - and always in the same pattern, too. Starting and ending with the one just outside the dorm. We didn't have a clue what was really going on, until you two-"

Now the man pointed at Rosa and then at Starlight, "- started talking about your big escape plan right in the dorm. That was kinda stupid, wasn't it?"

Rosa could sense how angry the unicorn was, but she didn't know if she was upset with the man, herself or Rosa. "S-So, what happens now?" Starlight asked.

The man rubbed his hands together in delight, looking specifically at Rosa. "Now, my little pony, we play a fun little game called 'interrogate the criminal'. Oh, I was so looking forward to this, Rosa." The mention of her name made Rosa whimper. Of course he remembered and of course he was still holding his grudge. "Except this time, your precious Dr. Mason won't be able to save you. You're going to tell me how you knew that we have an alicorn here and then you're going to tell me where the rest of your friends are."

Rosa didn't say anything. She didn't know any of that, but he probably wasn't going to believe it. He was just going to torture her for revenge! It made her stomach queasy and maybe Rosa would have thrown up if dinner hadn't been so long ago.

"You and you, take the freak back down and secure it. Stay in the room. I've called Dr. Barton to hook up the sedative again, he'll be here in thirty minutes," Dr. Simmons commanded. Then he pointed at the other two soldiers. "You two are with me. We're going to lock up these- scum!"

The word almost felt like a whip and Rosa twitched. She stayed perfectly still while the two soldiers he had indicated released their weapons and reached down to grab Luna. 

In that moment Starlight lifted up her head. "Close your eyes!" she commanded.

Just barely in time Rosa managed to shut her eyelids, but she still saw the incredibly bright flash of light come from the unicorn, and she felt the thump in her chest. There were a couple of thuds and then Starlight yelled: "Come on!"

Rosa looked, head ringing from the bang and the flash. The soldiers were sprawled on the floor, struggling feebly. Dr. Simmons was lying on his belly, groaning. Rosa whimpered and ran after the unicorn, Sky Light easily keeping pace and holding Luna so she didn't slip off her back.

"STOP!" came a shout behind them and Rosa tensed up, waiting for the sound of gunfire and the feeling of bullets piercing her flesh. Somewhere outside, an alarm siren started to wail.

That was fast!

There was a click behind them and then an incredibly loud rattle of gunfire. Rosa heard the whiz of bullets, but none of them hit her. Risking a glance behind, she nearly stumbled and fell. There was a lavender surface floating just behind the retreating ponies, keeping pace with them. As Rosa watched, the soldier fired his gun again, but his face was slack with amazement. The bullet made a tiny ripple in the light as it ricocheted off.

"I can't keep this up very long," Starlight said urgently, "but I have an idea!"

The other soldiers were also staring at the display of magic and Rosa could see Dr. Simmons screaming in rage: "She's a unicorn! GET THEM!"

Already there were running footsteps outside and Rosa knew the building would be surrounded soon. There was no way out and even Starlight's spells couldn't stop the bullets forever.

"This is super risky, but we don't have a choice!" Starlight yelled. "I won't be able to walk after this, you'll have to drag me!"

Rosa was shaking her head, afraid of whatever Starlight was about to do, but the mare was not looking back. "Wait, don't-"

The rest of the words were wrenched from her throat as the entire universe did a somersault. Rosa's gut lurched and she realized she was upside down and falling!

"Oh, shiiiiit!" Sky Light said, twisting in the air and opening her wings with a loud flap. "Grab the branches, Rosa!"

Before Rosa could really register what the pegasus was saying, a piece of wood slapped her right in the muzzle and she instinctively tried to latch on to it. There were the sounds of crashing and breaking wood beside her as Starlight plummeted through the branches. Rosa was unable to keep hold of Luna and the alicorn slipped from her, accompanied with more cracking wood. Not that her death grip helped any - the twig Rosa was holding snapped and she met another one, a few feet lower. The impact hurts less this time, but it drove all air from her lungs and she couldn't grab it in time. Several more smacked her from all sides and then Rosa thumped heavily on the ground, which made her see stars and hurt a lot. All the air was driven from her lungs.

She had probably broken some bones, Rosa thought in that first instant.

Next to her Sky Light landed heavily with a grunt and Rosa managed to lift her head enough to see if her friend was okay. The pegasus was holding Starlight and they both seemed pretty battered. To Rosa's other side there was the immovable form of Luna. Rosa froze for a moment, afraid, but then saw that the alicorn was still breathing. Maybe the unconscious Luna had the best 'ride' down the tree, Rosa imagined. Didn't drunk people always land softly?

Anyway, she was able to fill her lungs again and the pain was receding. She gently felt around her barrel with a hoof, but nothing felt really broken. A brief inspection of her legs confirmed that and Rosa sagged with relief.

"What the FUCK was that?!" Rosa demanded.

Starlight was barely able to open her eyes. "Teleportation spell... really hard on Earth. C-Can't... aim."

So she had moved them around with magic and they ended up somewhere in the air?! It was pure luck they hadn't appeared higher up! They all nearly died as it was! Worse- what if they had popped in under the ground?! It was too horrible to imagine. Rosa couldn't believe Starlight would be so reckless.

"Fuck!" Rosa swore again, "Fucking fuck! We could have died!"

"I know..." Starlight gasped and manages a weak smile. "Only way." She tried to get to her hooves, but her legs didn't seem to be able to hold her up. "Have to... run. Only couple of miles..."

Sky Light was the most present of all of them. She pointed a hoof. "We'll talk about it later, Rosa! Check that Luna is okay and get her over your back again! I'll help Starlight! Let's move, people!"

The mare was right. They were not out of the woods yet.

A small, desperate, crazy chuckle escaped Rosa's muzzle at the pun. No time to laugh now, even though she wanted to. If the humans caught them, it would really[/i/] get bad. Hopefully they would need some time to get organized. Maybe they didn't have a chopper, but it would still be a very good idea to hoof it as quickly as they could. Rosa went and checked on the alicorn. Nothing seemed broken, but she wouldn't really know until Luna woke up. Strangely enough, all the commotion and noise and the fall hadn't woken her. The poor thing must have had some pretty strong stuff in her blood. Her wings were unfolded and Rosa reached down to close them, but then she paused. She didn't know how wings really worked and she'd be liable to snap something.

"Sky Light! Come here!"

The mare walked over, leaving the unicorn to sit leaning against the tree trunk. "What's up?"

Rosa pointed to the fallen alicorn. "C-Can you check her wings? And fold them? I'm afraid I'll hurt her..."

"Oh, good point," the mare said and bent over the sleeping pony. "Hmm." She straightened out each wing in turn and prodded here and there, before pushing it in at the front and folding it neatly up. Seeing that, Rosa was sure she wouldn't have known how to do it. She had never really examined how pegasus wings worked.

"There, nothing is broken, thank god," Sky Light said. While she was at it, she straightened each leg in turn and felt them with her hooves. "Legs okay, too. I guess she landed softly, like a drunk."

"I was thinking the same thing," Rosa admitted.

"Okay, come here, I'll help you get her on."

Rosa walked over and together with the pegasus they were able to sling Luna over her back again. Meanwhile, Starlight looked a little better, but her head was still lolling. It almost looked like she was exhausted beyond reason! The mare tried to stand, but Sky Light wouldn't have any of it and offered her back instead.

The unicorn didn't complain, she just struggled up across the pegasus and gripped her around the neck.

"Okay, which way?" Sky Light asked.

Starlight looked around, frowning as she thought, then pointed a hoof. "That way. Let's get as far as we can and then hide somewhere before morning. After I sleep I'll be able to send a message to Cadence and they'll come get us."

"Good. Come, Rosa." Sky Light started walking and Rosa followed. It was a bit easier because she didn't have to be quiet, but it still took a lot of concentration to keep the alicorn stable on her back. Besides, Rosa was too confused, and weirded out, and afraid to really talk. She would need time to even completely understand what had happened, let alone get over it. The thing she knew, right at the moment, was that she was alive, she had her best friend with her, a powerful unicorn and a Princess of Equestria.

They've escaped - probably - from the secret government facility and they were going to meet the pony resistance on Earth, who were going to help them get to Equestria.

What even was her life at this point?!