It’s him.
Arrow.
Leanin aginst a wall in a corner of the male fighters’ exercise yard, chewin on another twig. Starin at me. When he sees me lookin at him, he pushes of from the wall an wanders over to the fence. Without my tellin ’em to, my hoofs start movin an all of a sudden I’m standin in front of him. His mane’s gone now. Shaved off, like the rest of us.
"Angel, angel, angel," he says. He’s smilin an shakin his head. "What’re you up to?"
"I dunno what yer talkin about," I says.
"You don’t lose fights," he says. "Not unless you want to, that is."
His silvery blue eyes flick over to where Epona’s standin, talkin to some of th’other mares. "I saw you talkin to yer friend th’other day," he says. "Looked like a mighty innerestin conversation."
"I dunno what you mean," I says. Heat’s startin to crawl all over my chest. The heartstone feels warm aginst my coat. The same thing that happened the last time I talked to him. I frown.
He shrugs. "All right," he says. "Don’t tell me. I’ll find out eventually."
"You won’t find out nuthin," I says. "Cuz there ain’t nuthin to find out."
Suddenly he’s got hold of my hoof. I didn’t even see him move. A tingle shoots up my arm. Like when Sun an me was nearly hit by the lightnin that day. The smile’s gone. His face looks dead serious. "Looks to me like yer playin a dangerous game, angel," he says.
"Why should you care what I do?"
We stare at each other a long moment. Then, "No reason," he says. "Jest … be careful, Angel. That’s all." He lets go of my hoof slowly. Almost like he don’t want to.
As I move away from him, the heartstone starts to cool down.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Darkness. Hard to see. Smoke fills the air. Burns my throat, my nostrils, stings my eyes.
"Where are you?" I scream.
No answer. Hungry flames lick at wood. Embers pop an hiss.
I hafta find him. Cain’t leave him here.
The sound of a heartbeat. My heartbeat. Over an over. So loud. It fills my brain, my head. I flaten my ears. Panic grips me. I turn in circles, blind.
"Where are you?" I shout. "Where are you?"
Another voice now. Whisperin. Mercy’s voice.
"The heartstone lets you know … the heartstone … heartstone … hurry, Moon …"
Bright sun. Exercise yard. Epona smiles. "We’re gonna burn Hopetown to the ground," she says.
I gotta find him. Before it’s too late.
Too late … too late … too late …
I wake, mutterin to myself. I’m soaked with sweat, my blanket twisted around my legs, my heart poundin in my chest.
That was a new one. I ain’t dreamed of fire before. An it warn’t Sun I was searchin fer so frantic. I dunno who it was.
I do what I always do to chase the nightmares away. I sit on my cot, hug myself an close my eyes.
I think of water. Clean, clear water. A lake. I dive in. It washes over me, around me.
My tired body, my tattered soul, my heavy heart. As I swim, it washes me clean.
An so I make it through to another dawn.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The keeper opens the door. I step into the Cage fer the last time. My hoofs feel far away, like they don’t belong to me. My stummick’s clenched into knots. My mouth’s dry.
I cain’t hear myself think fer the noise of the crowd. Them that couldn’t squeeze into the Colosseum fill the streets an sit on rooftops. Even if they cain’t see what’s goin on, they can hear the shouts an roars. One way or another, they all wanna be part of the Angel’s end. Of my end.
The chaal vendors is doin a roarin trade, strugglin through the crowds with big baskets of the dark green leaf balanced on their heads. They wanna git everybody hopped up fer the big finish.
The Cage Master’s on his balcony, all crammed with people dressed in their finest. I can see the Pinches there—Golden an Miz Pinch pushed into a corner. Ruby Pinch, the King, is the center of attention. He sits on a fancy golden chair an everybody dances around him, offerin him cups of this an plates of that. He waves ’em all away with his
lace kercheef an stares down at the Colosseum.
Blaze stands nearby.
I hope Penny Rose’s safe. The Free Hawks said they’d look after her, but I won’t be happy till I see her fer myself.
I stare at the center aisle. It runs from the bottom of the Colosseum right to the top in a straight line.
The gauntlet run.
Feath’s in the front row on the center aisle. Right next to the gauntlet run. She gives me the tiniest nod. She looks behind her an then looks back at me. Fer the first ten rows or so, there’s tough-lookin girls packed in at the ends of the
rows, also right next to the gauntlet run. I see a man try to push one of ’em outta the way. Tryin to steal her place along the
gauntlet, to git closer to where the action’s gonna be. The girl don’t even look as she chops him in the throat with her wing.
The Free Hawks is here. Jest like Feath promised.
Nero sits on the light tower that stands right next to the Cage. He cries out, over an over agin. He’s beside hisself with fear, I can tell. All of a sudden, he swoops down, lands on the Cage an slips in through the bars. He ain’t never done that the whole time I bin fightin.
He flutters down to sit on my raised hoof. The whole place goes quiet. Even though I’m on a losin streak, they still believe I git my powers from him. Even fer this, my last fight, they ain’t bin able to sell the cheap seats on the light tower because he’s there. I nuzzle his beak an his head. He purrs in that way crows have, jest like a cat. I didn’t know how much I bin missin him till right now.
"Okay," I whisper to him, "good boy Nero." He leans his head to one side. Looks straight at me with his bright black eyes. "It’s okay," I says. "I’m gonna be okay."
He gives a croak. He knows what okay means. He unnerstands.
I kiss his feathery head then lift my hoof an he flies outta the Cage. Lands on his usual perch on the light tower.
The crowd murmurs, mutters, shifts in their seats.
The Cage door creaks open agin an Epona walks in.
My heart’s bangin aginst my ribs. The blood pounds in my ears.
We face up. Eye to eye. Crouch down. The keeper sounds the gong.
My last fight begins.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I let Epona set the pace. Let her chase me round the Cage, corner me, hurt me.
But then the red hot kicks in. I try to shove it down, push it away, but it rips through me. Takes me over. The red hot don’t know Feath. It don’t know she’s got a plan. It don’t trust her. Because the red hot don’t know plans or ponies or trust. It only knows one thing.
Survival.
An I cain’t keep it down. It’s wild. Cornered. It starts to fight Epona. It fights fer my life.
"W hat’re you doin?" she says, her eyes wide. Epona’s strong. She’s smart. She pushes me to the edge. But I push right back. I got more to lose than her, with the gauntlet in my sights.
We fight till we’re both bloodied, battered, exhausted.
At last she makes a mistake. I git her by the throat. I push her aginst the bars. The crowd goes crazy. They leap to their feet. Outta the corner of my eye, I see Feath. By her face, I know she cain’t believe what she’s seein. She waves her hoofs at me. Her mouth moves. Sayin somethin I cain’t hear.
But it’s the red hot that fills my ears now. Roars at me to squeeze Epona’s neck. My hoofs tighten. Wait! No! No! I grit my teeth, think of smotherin the red hot with blackness, holdin it down in deep black water till it cain’t breathe. There’s somethin … I know I gotta do somethin or … remember somethin but I … cain’t git hold of it, cain’t …
Sun. Sun. I nearly fergot him. How could I?
'I’ll find you. Wherever they take you, I’ll find you I swear.'
I raise my head. The roar of the red hot starts to fade. Then it’s gone an I come back to myself.
The need, deep inside me, fer my heart to keep on beatin, fer my lungs to keep on breathin, that powerful need nearly took me over.
Sun's waitin fer me. Countin on me. Feath. The plan. It’s my only hope of gittin outta here. What was I thinkin of?
I let go. Epona falls into my arms. I hold her as she gasps fer breath.
"I’m sorry," I says. "Sorry." Then I step back.
Epona lifts her head, holds her hand to her neck. She looks at me, her face confused.
I nod. "Go ahead," I says. "Do it."
Then she does. She takes me down.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The two cagekeepers haul me to my hoofs. Before I know it I’m walkin outta the Cage an standin in front of the crowd. They’re off their heads with rage. They know damn well I took a fall. They hate bein cheated. They boo an bay fer my blood like a pack of wolves. Them that stands near to the gauntlet run, climb an punch an push to git the best place. They all want their chance to be in on the kill.
The red hot’s gone. My stummick’s in knots. My knees is shakin. I drag in deep breaths, try to git air into my lungs. I thought I felt terror before, but never like this.
Never like this.
I look at Feath in the front row. At the Free Hawks, standin at the start of the gauntlet. They look confident. Strong. Hard. Feath’s eyes burn into mine. I’ve put my life in her hands. Sun’s life. Penny Rose’s. What was I thinkin of, trustin a stranger? Even if she can be trusted, what if she cain’t pull it off? What if the Free Hawks ain’t the warriors she says they are an she’s jest a girl who talks it up an acts tough?
I look over at the Cage Master’s balcony. Everybody in the Colosseum turns to face it.
The whole place falls quiet.
Ruby Pinch stands. Takes the red kercheef from the Cage Master. Raises his arm.
I don’t dare breathe. When his arm falls, I gotta run. My legs feel like water. Too weak to move.
At that moment, Pinch turns to the Cage Master. Leans in an whispers somethin in his ear. As the Cage Master listens, a little smile comes over his face. He moves to the edge of the balcony. Holds up both his hoofs.
"Ladies and gentlement!" he cries. "This ain’t no ordinary warrior! This ain’t no ordinary death! On such a historical occasion, his Majesty, King Sombra demands a clear view of proceedings. Therefore! He decrees that the gauntlet will be run … here!" An he throws open his arms. Opens ’em out to the aisle that runs from the Cage to right below his balcony.
Pinch has changed the gauntlet run. He’s moved it.
My whole body starts shakin. Sick rises in my throat.
The crowd busts out talkin, yellin, protestin. The gauntlet’s always run in the same place, always without fail. People bid more to stand by it an be in on the action. They start to face up to the Tonton an the guards, pushin an shovin at ’em.
"No!" shouts Epona from inside the Cage. She launches herself at the bars, screamin, "No, no, no!"
Ruby Pinch smiles.
I look at Feath. Her head moves this way an that—lookin at the Free Hawks, at me, at the new gauntlet run where ponies is already crowdin in. I can see from her face that she’s frantic, tryin to think what to do. But it’s too late fer a new plan, too late fer the Hawks to move to the new spot. Anyways, the guards an the Tonton’s already in place at the top an bottom of the run to stop people pushin in.The cagekeepers take me by the arms an drag me over to stand in front of the new run.
So.
After all I bin through, it comes down to this.
Me. Alone. No Feath. No Hawks. No plan.
If I don’t think of somethin quick, I’m gonna die in the gauntlet.
Nero calls. Over an over, urgent like I never heard him before.
He’s perched on top of the Cage. As soon as he sees me look up, he calls agin an flaps over to land on the light tower. Back to the Cage. Then back to the light tower.
Not so alone after all.
It’s a long jump. Maybe six foot.
But I ain’t got no choice.
Pinch raises his arm agin. The red kercheef goes down.
Suddenly, I make my legs collapse. I take the cagekeepers by surprise. They lose their grip. I slip free. I run. I spring at the Cage an grab the bars. I start to climb up the outside of it, fast as I can go.
One of the keepers leaps. Grabs my hoof. Pulls. I’m hangin on. I kick out. Hit him in the face with my other hoof. His nose crunches. Blood spurts. He cries out, lets go, falls to the ground. I keep goin. Don’t look back.
I pull myself onto the top of the Cage. Stand up, run across the top.
Careful! Careful don’t fall through!
Down below me, inside the Cage, Epona takes a runnin leap at the keeper who’s still
there with her. Outta the corner of my eye, I see him go flyin. Good girl.
I’m nearly at the edge closest to the light tower. I pause. Glance back. Tonton an guards is swarmin up the Cage now, after me. One’s jest about to pull hisself onto the top.
The few pegasi in the crowd try to fly at me, but their so hyped on Chaal that they crash back down into the crowd, or into the Tonton an guards chashin me.
I eye up the gap between the Cage an the light tower. I take two steps back. I run. I leap offa the Cage an launch myself into the air.
I throw my hoofs up. There! I grab warm metal. My body slams into the tower. A jolt through my arms, my shoulders. Jest made it. I pull myself up. Start to climb. Climb higher. Scramble through to th’other side of the tower. The Hopetown
side. Down below me, shanty roofs, all crammed in tight together. Ponies who’s on the rooftops to hear the fight better stare up at me, their mouths hangin open.
I jump offa the tower. Some ponies, a young griffon, a donkey, a couple goats an a minotaur dive outta the way as I land on the nearest shanty roof.
It’s crude, made of some flimsy wood.
I go right through the roof an land on a table inside.
It collapses unnerneath me.
I’m dazed fer a second. I look up through the hole in the roof. Surprised faces look down at me. I leap to my hoofs an head outta the door. I grab a cloak from a hook on my way out an throw it over me. Hidden inside the cloak, I quickly lose myself in the crowds fillin the streets. I keep to the edges, move in an outta doorways. I can hear the commotion back in the Colosseum. It’s startin to spread to the streets. My heart’s beatin like mad. An I’m jest noticin that my right foreleg an ribs hurt like nopony’s business. I must of banged myself up a bit when I landed on the table. Not to mention the poundin I took from Epona. Well, I sure gave Feath the diversion she wanted.
Now to steal some supplies an meet up with Penny Rose.
She knows the plan. While the Hawks is lettin out the fighters an settin Hopetown on fire, her an me’s gonna meet at the northeast corner. There’s probly gonna be a Hawk with Pen. I’ll hafta git her outta the way. But once that’s done, we should be free an clear. We’ll leave through the hole that the Hawks’ve made in the palisade wall an head north, deep into the Black Mountains where we’ll find Freedom Fields, jest like Wysteria said.
Where we’ll find Sun.
Jest then, somepony grabs me.
Strong hoofs yank me into a stinkin alley. I throw wild punches. I twist an turn, tryin to free myself.
"Wait! Stop, you idiot!" a voice yells. "I’m a Hawk!"
I stop fer a second, pantin. The pony pushes back their hood. It’s a mare I ain’t seen before. Tall earth pony, light brown mane an tail with blue streaks, grey coat, hard rose eyes. Strong lookin.
"I’m Ash," she says.
"Oh," I says. "Right."
"Didn’t have you down as the nervous type." She reaches unner her cloak an gives me a crossbow an a quiver. "Right. This way."
I hesitate.
"C’mon," she says.
I’m exhausted. Sore. In no shape to fight her. I’ll play along now. Ditch her the first chance I git. The alley’s short. It ends in a high metal wall, battered an bent.
"You go first," I says.
"No," she says. "You go."
I sling the bow an quiver on my back unner my cloak an launch myself at the wall. I grab the top an pull myself up. Nopony in sight. I drop down on th’other side an Ash is right there behind me.
We race along a narrow street with shanties crowded up close together, turn right, left, then right agin. White rays of light slice through the darkness. I got no idea where we are.
There’s the sound of runnin hoofs. Voices. Shoutin. To our left.
"Fan out!" somepony calls. "Cover all the streets!"
"This way!" Ash dives into a ramshackle stone buildin. I’m right behind. She runs to the corner an lifts a wooden hatch in the earth floor. "Follow me," she says. "Close the hatch behind you."
I wait fer a split second. Then I turn to run.
She grabs me. She’s strong. Real strong. "Oh no, you don’t," she says.
"Let me go," I says. "I gotta go find my brother." I try to twist outta her grasp, but she’s got me in a strong grip.
"I see," she says. "The Hawks help you out, risk our lives fer you an yer sister an you cheat us."
"You couldn’t of done nuthin without me." I glare at her. "I could of killed Epona, you know."
"The Hawks help you," she says, "you help the Hawks. Then yer free to go after yer brother. That’s the deal you made with Feath."
"You don’t need me," I says. "There’s enough of you."
"So you’ll leave all them fighters," she says, "the ones stole by slavers jest like you an yer sister was, you’ll leave ’em in this place. That’s the kinda pony you are. Somepony who don’t keep their word. Somepony who lets ponies down.
"No," I says. "No, I ain’t like that."
She waits.
"All right," I says. "All right, I’ll keep my word. I promise I will." She lets me go. I straighten up. "I’m sorry," I says.
We look at each other a moment. Then she smiles. Her eyes don’t look so hard after all. She lifts the wooden hatch. "After you," she says.
I swing myself down into the hole, set my hoofs on a rickety ladder I find there an start down it. Ash follows me an closes the hatch behind her. It’s black. I cain’t see a thing. The cool earth smell of bein unnerground fills my nose. I feel my way to the bottom, ten rungs. Ash jumps down beside me an lights a torch.
"Where’re we goin?" I says.
"You’ll see," she says. "This way."
We crouch over an head down a low tunnel. Pretty soon, we reach the end. The tunnel ends in a brick wall. There’s weapons piled up along with a crowbar an some glass bottles filled with what looks like water an rags stuffed in their tops.
"Lets get that magic stopping ring offa your horn shall we?" I nod and she gets a bolt cutter. Soon the ring is on the ground, I kick it to the shadows.
"Hold this." Ash holds out the lit torch. I take it in my magic, useing my magic feels so good after a month without it. "Keep it well away from them bottles." She picks up the crowbar, sticks it in between the bricks an starts workin one free.
"What is this?" I says. "Are we breakin in somewhere?"
"I sure hope so," she says. "Otherwise we’ve jest spent the last three days clearin out this tunnel for no good reason." We’re talkin in whispers. The first brick’s free. "Take it, will you?"
While I pull the brick free an put it on the ground, she starts on the next one. "So this was already here," I says. "How did you know about it? Where does it lead to?" The second brick’s loose. I take it away.
"There was a big escape from this place about ten year ago," she says. "The fighters dug theirselves out. One tunnel from the stallion’s cellblock an one tunnel from the mare’s cellblock, another from the griffons. They filled in the tunnels afterwards. If they’d bin smart, they would of collapsed ’em."
Third brick done. "So we’re breakin into the cellblock," I says. "My cellblock?"
"That’s the idea," she says.
"An yer gonna tell me that there’s a good reason why we ain’t jest takin out the guards an cuttin through the fence to let ’em out?" I says.
"There’s a full guard shift on duty," she says. "They must of bin nervous that the fighters ’ud try somethin unner cover of all the activity in town. You should always have a Plan B."
"I’ll remember that," I says.
"Shhh," says Ash as I take away the fourth brick. She blows out the torch. She nods at the hole an we look through.
We’re lookin straight into the female fighters’ cellblock. In fact, we’re lookin down into my cell. My cot’s directly below us. My cell door stands open. The girls in the big main cell’s all mainly sittin or lyin down on the floor. They ain’t got no cots, not even blankets. At the far end on eether side of the main door, there’s two cellblock guards sittin on chairs. We can work the last few bricks free with our hoofs. We’re silent, quick about it. When we got a hole big enough fer us to slip through, she takes a blowpipe outta the belt she wears an slides a dart into it.
Jest then, one of the girls in the main cell sees us. Her eyes go wide. I shake my head. She gives a little nod. Ash lifts the pipe to her lips. Takes in a big breath. Blows. It’s a hit. The guard to the left of the door cries out. He slaps a hoof to his neck an falls offa his chair. Th’other guard jumps to his hoofs, but Ash sends another dart flyin. He don’t make a sound. Jest crumples to the ground.
"Very neat," I says.
"Let’s go," she says.
She slides through the hole an jumps down. While she gits the key ring from the guard’s belt an unlocks the main cell to let the girls out, I toss the weapons down onto my cot. Bows, quivers full of arrows, slingshots, bolt shooters, a couple old swords.
"Help yerself to weapons, girls!" Ash says. "Then wait fer us by the door." They come runnin into my cell an in a minute or two they’ve scooped up all the ammo.
"Now," says Ash. "We’re gonna take four of the bottles an leave the rest there. Be careful."
I magically give the rag-stuffed bottles down to her an she sets ’em gentle on the ground. Then I jump down outta the hole. It feels strange to be back in my cell like this. Ash takes two of the bottles an I take two. "Th’others should be lettin the stallions out", she whispers. She cricks open the main door of the cellblock. She waits fer a moment, then she slips outside an starts up the outside steps, real slow an careful.
She comes runnin back down an throws the door wide open. "Git outta here!" she says.
The girls don’t wait to be told a second time. They go runnin past her an don’t look back. When they’re all gone, when the cellblock’s clear, Ash grabs a lit torch from a wall sconce an says, "Let’s git this party started!" I follow her out the door an up the stairs into the exercise yard. She holds up one of her bottles. She grins a wicked grin. "Wreckers called these beauties cocktails," she says. "Two should do the trick. Throw it, then run like hell."
I hold one of my bottles out.
"My pleasure," she says. She touches the torch to the rag an it catches light right away. Quickly she lights her bottle. We toss ’em down the stairs. Then we run like stink. Two seconds later, there’s a huge bang. The ground shakes unner our hoofs. We stop, turn an look behind us. Flames come shootin up the stairs, outta the cellblock.
"Wait’ll them flames hit the bottles in the tunnel," she says. "Then we’ll really see some real action."
The female fighters is jumpin up an down, shoutin an huggin each other an cheerin. They pound Ash an me on the back. We look around. There’s Free Hawks everywhere an dead guards lyin on the ground. The male fighters is all streamin outta their cellblock now.
There’s about six Hawks climbin all over the fence around the compound, snippin at it with wire cutters an rollin it back so’s everypony can git out. The few pegasi fighters would fly if they could, but their wings've bin clipped, ir they've lost a wing when fightin, same with the dozen or so griffon fighters. Cause so few griffon fighters, males would fight against females, and they had to lose six times to run the gauntlet. Other Hawks stand near a weapons pile an throw bows an spears an slingshots to whoever’s runnin past.
I can see flames shootin up all over Hopetown. Feath warn’t foolin when she said she was gonna wipe it offa the face of the earth. I’m lookin fer one pony but I cain’t see him nowhere. Silver blue gray eyes an a crooked smile.
I grab one of the stallions runnin past. "Where’s—?" He pushes me off.
I grab another. "I’m lookin fer Arrow," I says. "He’s a new fighter. They brought him in a few days ago. Gray blueish eyes, came in with a long brown mane, down to his shoulders."
"I know," he says. He jerks his head back to the stallion’s cellblock. "Try the Cooler. They threw him in there yesterday."
My heart leaps into my throat. The Cooler. Jest like in the female cellblock, the male’s block has a metal punishment box sunk into the floor. I grab the brown earth pony by the shoulders.
"He ain’t still in there?" I says.
"Well I didn’t let him out," he says an runs off.
"Ash!" I yell, lookin all around me to see where she is. "Ash! There’s somepony trapped in..."
Then I see her.
She’s lightin another cocktail.
Aimin it at the door of the males cellblock.
"Ash!" I scream. "No! Don’t!"
I start to run towards her. But I cain’t go fast enough.
It’s like the whole world slows down to a crawl.
Ash pulls her hoof back. She throws the lit bottle down the steps of the males cellblock. She turns, runs towards me. She holds up her arms in victory, a big grin on her face.
"Aaaaash!" I yell. The ground shakes, the flames come shootin up the stairs. I grab her arm. "There’s somepony in there!" I says. "He’s locked in the Cooler."
Her eyes go wide." It’s too late," she says.
"No," I says. "It cain’t be." I start to run, pullin her along behind me.
Jest then, there’s the most almighty blast. We’re sent flyin into the air. I land hard on the ground. I lift my head. A great plume of black smoke billows into the sky. Ash scrambles to her hoofs, helps me up.
"That must of bin the bottles in the tunnel!" she says. "The whole town’s burnin! You cain’t go in there, Moon! It ain’t safe!"
"I cain’t leave him there," I says. "Where’s the keys?"
"That was Ruby’s job." Ash looks around. She gives a sharp whistle. A short red earth pony mare with a brown mane by the weapons pile lifts her head.
"Ruby," Ash yells. "I need the keys!"
Ruby runs over an tosses ’em at us. I catch ’em in my magic an start to go. Ash grabs my arm. "It’s too dangerous," she says.
"Let go Ash," I says.
She swears. "Who is this guy? What’s he to you anyways?"
"Arrow," I says. "His name’s Arrow."
She lets go an I’m runnin towards the burnin cellblock.
"Moon!" Ash screams. "Come back!"
I don’t stop.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Smoke pours outta the door of the stallions’s cellblock. I wrap my cloak around my head to cover my mouth an nose. Then I plunge inside.
Darkness. Hard to see. Smoke fills the air. Burns my throat, my nostrils, stings my eyes.
It’s ezzackly the way it was in my dream. The fire dream. I’m here. It’s happenin.
"Arrow!" I shout. "Arrow! Where are you?"
No answer. Hungry flames lick at the wood beams in the walls an ceilin. Embers pop an hiss.
He’s in the Cooler. The guy said so. But where is it? I know it’s sunk into the floor, but how far along the cellblock? Halfway? At the far end? It could be anywhere. He’ll be cooked to death in that metal box if I don’t git him out.
I move ahead real careful, feelin my way with my hoofs. I keep my eyes closed aginst the smoke. I ain’t never bin in here before, but I’m hopin the layout’s the same as in our cellblock. A ember lands on my cloak, hisses greedily as it burns a hole. I rub it out.
"Arrow!" I shout agin. "Arrow! Where are you?"
No reply. I go forwards. Call out agin. Take another couple of steps. Then another.
The sound of a heartbeat. My heartbeat. Over an over. So loud. It fills my brain, my head.
He must be in here. But what if he ain’t? What if that guy was wrong? What if somepony else told the Hawks he was in the Cooler an they found him an let him out?
If they did, he’ll be long gone. I curse myself fer not askin Ruby.
I cough. The smoke’s burnin my throat. It’s gittin hard to breathe. He ain’t here. If he was, he would of heard me an shouted out. I need to git outta here. I cough agin. My breath comes short an shallow.
Panic grips me. I turn in circles, blind.
Jest like in the dream.
I’m bathed in sweat. It’s so hot in here. I’m startin to feel funny, kinda dizzy. I need air. Gotta git outta here an find the door. I should go back to the door.
Another voice. Whisperin. Mercy’s voice.
"The heartstone lets you know … the heartstone … heartstone … hurry, Moon …"
Heartstone. My hoof fumbles unner my cloak. There it is. An it’s warm. Strange. It’s always cool. Even on the hottest day, next to my skin, it stays cool. It was only warm twice. An both times, I was standin in front of him. Warm heartstone means … it means somethin, Mercy said so but I cain’t … remember … cain’t … think …
The heartstone … lets you know …
One last time. I’ll shout fer him one … last time. I take a couple of steps forwards. I feel the heartstone git warmer.
"Arrow! Arrow! Where are you?" I call out.
I wait.
Nuthin.
I turn to go.
Then.
I hear it.
Poundin.
A faint voice.
He’s here.
Strength floods through me. I stumble ahead, my eyes streamin, squintin through them smoke. My hooftip hits the edge of somethin. The trapdoor to the Cooler? I fall to my knees.
Feel around. I touch hot metal. Yes! The door. I wrap my hoof in my cloak an pound on it to let him know I’m here. He pounds back.
"Arrow!" I yell. "Hang on! I’m gonna git you outta there!"
Keys. Quick. I feel the keys on the ring in my magic. My heart stops. There’s gotta be ten keys on here. All the same size.
"Arrow!" I yell. "I got the keys! I jest gotta find the right one!"
He thumps to let me know he heard. I run my hoof over the trapdoor. There it is. The keyhole. Try the first key. Gotta work fast. Faster. Too fast. Magics clumsy. The key slips an slides past the keyhole.
Fer each key I try, I hold my hoof aginst the keyhole to guide it in. Then I snatch it away as soon as I know the key ain’t the right one. I grit my teeth.
I'm covered with sweat. It’s runnin down my face, into my eyes. My heart’s poundin. Time’s runnin out. Once the roof timbers burn through, this ceilin’s gonna come down an that’ll be it.
"Hurry, hurry, hurry," I mutter.
The second to last key slips in. I turn it. Leap to my hoofs. The second I touch the handle of the trapdoor to pull it up, I snatch my hoof away, cursin. The metal’s hot. I use my magic, grab the handle an haul the door open.
I reach down in the darkness. His hoof shoots up, grabs mine with a strong grip. I lean back an help him climb out. He’s coughin. I pull my cloak over both of us.
"This way!" I says. We head towards the door of the cellblock. To the outside an fresh air.The groan of creakin timbers splits the air. "The roof!" I says. "It’s gonna go!" Another groan an, then, at the door end of the cellblock, the roof collapses with the most almighty crash. Dust an dirt mix with the smoke an billow towards us.
"We’re trapped!" he says.
"Go back!" I says.
We turn around, head back the way we jest come. Think, Moon, think. You an Ash went in through the tunnel. How did Ruby git in here?
The same way?
"A tunnel!" I yell. :I think there’s a tunnel in the wall at the end!"
We feel our way to the back wall of the cellblock. Run our hoofs up an down an along the bricks, searchin fer a hole.
"There ain’t nuthin here!" he says.
"There’s gotta be!" I drop to my knees, my hoofs fumblin, feelin all along the bottom of the wall, down near the ground, then over to the corner an—
"Here!" I says. "C’mon!" I git down on my belly an start crawlin through it. He’s right behind me. The tunnel’s filled with smoke. I go as fast as I can go. There ain’t no sound but our shallow breathin, our gasps fer air. Then the tunnel starts to widen, the ceilin’s higher an we can crouch an run along. The smoke starts to thin out.
"I can see light ahead!" I says.
Then we’re at the end of the tunnel. A rusted metal ladder. A pale golden light beams down. I scramble up the ladder. He’s right behind me.
There’s sackin laid over the hole at the top. I push it up, real careful. Bits of straw drift down. I peer out. Straw all around. I lift the sackin a bit more.
The tunnel comes up into a fenced yard between two shanties. Straw on the ground, three pigs snufflin in the corner. Besides them, nopony in sight.
In the distance, screams an shouts fill the air. The smell of smoke’s strong.
"It’s safe," I says. "Let’s go."
We climb out, vault over the fence, run along a little alley an peer around the corner. Looks like Feath an the Hawks’ve done theirselves proud. Smoke’s billowin high into the air. A hotwind’s sprung up to help spread the fire through the town from the
direction of the cellblocks. It catches up sparks an bits of burnin wood an blows ’em onto rooftops an inside the flimsy buildins.
Ponies hurry through the streets, headed fer the main gate, all loaded down with what valuables they can carry. They’re pullin bulgin samsonites behind ’em, clutchin lumpy bundles to their chests an pushin an pullin carts loaded up so high they cain’t see over ’em.
"Follow me," says Arrow. He dives into the crowd an I follow him as he dodges in an out among all the ponies. There’s a little foal wailin with fright, red-faced unner his dirty white coat, as he’s hauled along by the hoof.
"The Angel of Death’s a bit too well-known here," says Arrow. His hoof shoots out an next thing I know, he’s nicked a hat offa some old stallion’s head an crammed it down on mine. "That’ll help," he says.
"I gotta find Ash," I says, scannin the crowd. "An the rest of the Hawks. They got my sister."
"I always wanted a sister," he says. "So this is the Hawks’ doin. Very nice."
"You know ’em?" I says, still lookin fer anypony I can recognize.
"I heard of ’em," he says. "I travel a fair bit in my line of work. C’mon, this way!" He grabs my hoof an heads down a alley to the right. At the end we turn left, then right agin. There ain’t nopony left in this part of town at all. It’s all quiet. Jest the faint sound of shoutin in the distance.
He checks inside a shanty. "Nopony home," he says an pulls me after him through the door.
He dumps a pile of stuff on the table.
"Where’d you git all that?" I says.
"Lesson number one," he says. "Best place to steal anythin is in a crowd. Specially a crowd in a hurry to be somewhere else." He pulls off his fighters tunic. When I see his bare chest I git a jolt, deep in my gut. Three long scars—pink, twisted, puckered—run from his right shoulder all the ways down unner his belly. Claw marks. I ain’t never seen the kinda beast that’ud leave marks like that.
He pulls the new tunic over his head.
"Lesson number two," he says. "Even if yer in a hurry, go fer the best cloak you can find. Don’t compromise on quality. Here, these should fit you." He tosses me a nice, clean tunic, an a rather fine cloak.
"Well go on," he says, "try ’em fer size."
I discard my fighters tunic an pull on the new one, an put the cloak over the top. "It fits perfect" I says. "That’s amazin."
"I got a good eye," he says.
I smile slightly an look at him. His face is streaked with soot an ash. His teeth flash white in the gloom. "You know my name," he says. "What’s yers? Yer real name, I mean."
"Moon," I says.
"Moon," he says. "I like it."
"I gotta git movin," I says. "My sister’ll be waitin with the Hawks an—"
Before I know what he’s up to, he grabs my hoof.
"Hey!" I try to pull it away but he holds it even tighter.
"Moon," he says, "I dunno what happy star sent you lookin fer me but I’m mighty thankful it did. If you hadn’t of turned up, I’d be dead by now."
Then he brings my hoof to his lips an kisses the back of it. While he’s doin it, he looks straight at me with his blueish silver moonlight eyes. I can smell the smoke on his skin. That an dried sweat an—faint, like a whisper—sage.
"Thank you," he says.
Heat washes over my chest an up my neck. Rushes into my face. I snatch my hoof away, shove it unner my armpit an glare at him. "What’d you do that fer?" I says.
"I was thankin you," he says. "I was bein polite."
"I ain’t never seen polite like that before," I scowl.
"Oh that ain’t nuthin," he says. "I can be a lot more polite than that." He grins. A cocky, jimswagger grin like he’s king of the world. Then he bends down to pick up a crossbow an quiver that he must of took at the same time as the clothes. He also has a bolt cutter, which he uses to get rid of the magic stoppin ring. "Ahh, much better."
"I need to find my sister," I says. "She should be with the Hawks."
"Always good to have a plan," says Arrow. "Where you meetin her?"
"At the gate in the northeast corner," I says.
"There ain’t no gate there," he says.
"There will be by the time I git there," I says. "Nice to meet you, Arrow." I turn to go.
"Wait!" he grabs my arm. "I ain’t in no particular hurry," he says. "I’ll tag along. Make sure you find ’em."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I duck down the side streets an alleyways, headed fer the northeast corner of Hopetown at top speed. Arrow’s right beside me. We swerve an leap as bits of burnin buildin crash to the ground. Roof timbers, a door. The metal shanties twist an buckle an groan in the heat.
"Ever heard of the rule of three?" he shouts as we run.
"No!"
"If you save somepony’s life three times, their life belongs to you. You saved my life today, that makes once. Save it twice more an I’m all yers."
"I’ll jest hafta make sure that don’t happen," I says.
We shoot out onto open ground an there they are. Penny Rose, Feath, Ash an a bunch more Free Hawks waitin fer us. They’ve cut out a big section of the tall palisade fence big enough fer us to git through. A back gate, jest like Feath said.
Arrow grabs both my arms. Turns me to face him. "It’ll happen if it’s meant to happen," he says. "It’s all written in the stars. It’s all fate."
"I don’t believe in the stars," I says. "Not no more."
"We’ll see about that. G’bye Angel." Before I know what he’s up to, he pulls me to him, gives me a quick hard kiss an then he’s off an gallopin back the way we jest come.
I hold my hoof to my tinglin lips an stare after him.
"Moon!" Penny runs to me an she throws her skinny little arms around my neck. I hug her back
"You all right?" I says. She nods. Buries her face in my neck an squeezes so tight she jest about chokes me.
"Where’s Nero?" I says.
"I dunno," she says. "I ain’t seen him fer ages."
"Moon!" yells Ash. "C’mon! We’re outta here!"
They’re all strappin on their saddlebags full of supplies. Feath gives me some an I strap mine on, then help Penny with hers.
"I see you found yer friend all right," says Feath. She gives me a pistol crossbow an a quiver. Leather legbands. Gives me a sly little smile.
"Yeah," I says. I feel my face flushin hot. I busy myself strappin on the armbands an slippin the bow over my head. "Sorry," I says, "I didn’t mean fer it to take so long. Listen Feath, thanks fer—"
"You can thank me later," she says, cuttin in. "Let’s git outta this hellhole first. Move out!"
"Better keep up, Pen," I says.
We stream through the gap in the palisade at a gallop an head north. Feaths on my right side. Somepony comes up on my left. It’s Epona. She shoots me a grin, her eyes sparkin.
"Glad to see you made it," I says.
"Likewise," she says. "That was a nasty moment. Who’d of thought they’d change the gauntlet run?"
Once we’re well away from Hopetown, we slow down an look back. Streams of ponies pour outta the burnin town through the Gate, the pegasi an griffons not too chaaled up to fly, fly away. They’re all headed south. Nopony’s comin this way, nopony’s followin us. The sky’s filled with great clouds of gray smoke. The Hawks break into cheers an pound each other on the back.
"We did it," I says. I reach over an grab Feath’s hoof. "You got us all out. I gotta tell you, I didn’t think you could do it."
"I know you didn’t," she says. "But yer gittin out alive warn’t nuthin to do with me in the end." She tilts her head back an looks above us. "You need to thank that crow of yers," she says.
Nero swoops down over our heads, cawin an callin out in his hoarse voice.
"I will," I says. I wave a arm at him.
He does one last swoop down then soars up high. He likes a good view.
"I ain’t never seen a creature like that before," she says. "He’s so smart, he’s—"
"More like a pony than a bird?" I says.
"Yeah," she says. "That’s it."
"Whatever you do," I says, "don’t tell him that. I’ll never hear the end of it."
We head due north, in the direction of the mountains that cut across the plain. They look to be a good five or six leagues off.
"Is that the Black Mountains?" I says to Feath.
"That’s jest the beginnin of ’em," she says. "Foothills, I guess you’d call ’em."
"My brother’s in a place called Freedom Fields," I says. "Deep in the Black Mountains. D’you know it?"
She shakes her head. "Never heard of it," she says.
My heart sinks.
"Come with us," she says. "To our summer camp at Darktrees. It’s half a day’s treck from here. Once we git there, you can rest up. We’ll git you kitted out, help you make plans to find yer brother."
"I ain’t got time to rest," I says. "I gotta git there before midsummer."
She looks at me. "That’s less than two weeks from now," she says.
"I know," I says. "I’d be glad of some supplies an food if you got any to spare."
"I think we can help with that," says Feath.
"An I’d like to leave Penny Rose with yuz," I says. Penny looks up at me. She’s bin runnin in front of me the whole time, not sayin a word. She looks away quick. "Jest till I git back with Sun," I says. "I got no idea what’s at Freedom Fields or what
I’m gonna hafta do to git there. I need to know Penny will be safe."
"We’ll take care of her," says Feath. "Whaddya say, Penny?"
"Okay," she says.
Ash gallops past. "Hey Feath!" she shouts, jerkin her head back towards Hopetown. "We got company!" She runs on ahead to catch up with th’other Free Hawks.
Feath an me turn to look over our shoulders.
"Holy hell on earth," says Feath. "What’s that?"
A cloud of dust’s comin at us from Hopetown way. It’s movin fast.
"That ain’t no bull pulled cart," says Feath. "Not travelin that fast. Let’s git the lead out."
In the pit of my stummick, I know what’s inside that cloud of dust. The wind’s picked up. Perfect conditions fer a landboat.
"Hurry up, Pen!" I shout. She nods an gallops as fast as she can, to try an catch the other Free Hawks. I gallop after, fast as my hoofs'll carry me.
I look behind. The dust cloud’s gainin on us.
"Whatever it is, it’s movin too fast!" shouts Feath. "We got no chance of outrunnin it!"
Up ahead, Ash has catched up with th’other Free Hawks. Told ’em what’s goin on. They all turn in a wide arc an start racin back to join us.
I look back agin. The dustcloud’s even closer. Now I can see what’s makin it. An it’s jest like I thought. It’s the Desert Swan. With this fierce wind behind it, the sails is billowin.
Feath whistles. "Friends of yers?" she says.
"No," I says. "Not friends. Not at all."
Penny looks back at me with big afeared eyes. "It’s the Pinches," she says.
"They’re after me," I says to Feath.
"Right," she says.
The Hawks thunder up.
"Keep Moon an Penny Rose in the middle!" yells Feath. They move to surround us, takin up positions to the front, the sides an the rear. Nero flies jest overhead. We’re still headin fer the mountains, at full gallop. Epona’s runnin right beside us.
"Don’t be frightened, Pen, I" says. "I ain’t gonna let ’em hurt you."
"I ain’t afeared of them!" she says. From her quavery little voice, I can tell she’s
terrified.
"They’ll hafta git through me first," Epona calls over, with a smile. "I don’t take kindly to ponies who try to do that."
Jest then, the Free Hawks at the back of the pack start yellin. We look back. The landboat’s comin at us, full speed.
"They’re gonna run us down!" I yell.
"Break out!" shouts Feath. "Break out!"
The herd breaks apart an behind us the Hawks scatter in all directions. I see Penny slowin, gettin tired.
"Epona!" I yell. "Take Penny!"
Right away, with the help of my magic, she pulls Penny Rose onto her back.
"Take her to Darktrees!" I says. "I’ll meet you there!"
Epona nods an they race off towards the mountains with a few of the Hawks.
I slow an stop. Feath stops too.
"This is my fight," I says to her. "You done enough already. Leave me to it."
"Not on yer life," she says. Then, "Ash!" she yells. "With me! The rest of yuz, go!"
The three of us wheel around, an head straight towards the Desert Swan at a full gallop.
"Keep in tight!" Feath says. We pull up close together, so’s our packs almost touch.
Feath on my right, Ash on my left.
"Bows!" Feath yells. We pull our crossbows round an load ’em up, me with my magic, Feath with her wings, and Ash somehow with her mouth.
Ruby Pinch clings to the mast. His robes billow behind him. Golden Pinch works the sails. The Cage Master steers. Miz Pinch is tied to the front railin, beside the Cage Master.
She’s aimin a crossbow at us. She shoots.
The arrow comes straight at Ash.
She’s lookin away, yellin somethin at Feath. I fling my arm in front of her head. She turns, startled. Th’arrow pierces my armband, sticks in the thick leather pad. I yank it out.
"That would of had me!" Ash says. "Thanks, I owe you."
"Ready, aim, fire!" yells Feath. We let fly with our arrows.
Miz Pinch ducks. But the Cage Master’s too slow. Two of our arrows catch him direct in the chest. He cries out, lets go the steerin bar an goes tumblin over the railin. He falls unnerneath the Swan. As the wheels hit him, the landboat fishtails wildly. The right back wheel snaps off. The one I helped Golden fix. I guess we didn’t fix it too good, a stroke of luck. It goes bouncin an rollin off. The Desert Swan’s outta control. Jackknifin all over the place.
"Look out!" shouts Maev.
Her, me an Ash scatter outta the way.
Golden works the sail ropes madly. The Swan tips. It rolls. Once, twice, three times, four. Real quick. Like a tumbleweed. Miz Pinch gits thrown out. She flies through the air an lands hard. She don’t move. The landboat skids across the ground, upside down, throwin up a great dustcloud. It comes to a stop an it’s all quiet.
Me, Feath an Ash walk over. Feath goes to git down, but I says, "No, let me do it."
I crouch to peer unnerneath the Swan.
Golden dangles head down. Trapped by the steel beams of the crushed hut. His eyes an mouth is wide open. He looks surprised. Ruby Pinch lies on the ground, his thick black mane in a heap beside him. He’s completely bald, with ugly lookin open sores all over his head. Blood covers his face. His right leg splays out at a strange angle.
I wait fer a moment, my heart bangin in my chest. Silence. Neether of ’em moves.
Neether of ’em’s breathin.
"They’re dead," I says. "The King’s dead! That means that Sun’s safe. They won’t have no reason to kill him now."
"Good," says Feath.
Then I walk over to Miz Pinch. Looks like her neck broke when she hit the ground.
She lies on her back. Her open eyes stare up at the sky. They’re full of fury, even in death.
I stare down at her. I fit a arrow to my bow. Take aim. "This is fer Penny" Rose, I says. Then I shoot her in the heart.
Nero flaps down an lands on her chest. He spreads his wings an caws. Plucks at her shirt with his beak. Pecks at her hoof.
"That’s enough, Nero," I says. "Let’s go." He flies onto my shoulder. I turn towards the mountains.
The mountains an Sun.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
We ain’t gone more’n a league.
We’re pickin our way over a big rocky outcrop when Ash glances over her shoulder.
"Here they come", she says. She wheels around an me an Feath follow her to the edge of the outcrop. From here, we can see over the plain back to the fires an smoke of Hopetown.
We can also see the Desert Swan. An the little group of Tonton, maybe ten in all, headed towards it.
"Better not hang around," says Feath.
"Not when you got a brother to find," Ash says to me.