I trotted in awe of the city’s wonderful buildings as I wondered how earth ponies even built such a place. I also noted that I had absolutely no idea where I was going. Rose garden didn't quite give me a whole tour of the city. In fact, she only told me that there was a Museum somewhere in the city. Shako freely flew around rather than going back into my saddle bag to hide.
Ponies stopped looking at me as if I was some kind of weird anomaly after I gained the cloak from Rose. I made sure to not arouse suspicion to myself by trying not to stare at everything I saw. It seemed to work as most ponies that trotted by me didn't look at me as if I was pony that never saw a building before. They didn't have the glamour of canterlot castle but they did have their own charm about them. The buildings were tall enough that I had to bend my head up to see the top.
I stopped for a moment to look around on the side of the black strip because I quickly learned not to be in the middle of it. I've had five ponies yell at me for standing in the middle the ‘Road’ as they called it. Most of them were using a machine that normally I won’t have a problem with but they weren't pony pulled. The machines they drove came in different sizes and shapes. It seemed that the ponies here knew a lot more in technology to make up for their lack of magic.
I could still find some similarities though sometimes I figure it out after staring at it for some time. Though the road was black and had white lines, I still could see intersections where the road would cross and some indication of a signal pony was there in the form of a few lights. Some of the buildings here also had similarities to manehattan though they were small.
'Wait? Manehattan? I'm remembering stuff!' I thought as I happily trotted along.
Passing two more lights I finally find my destination on the other side of the road. I quickly made my way to the front of the museum staring at the pristine marble columns standing proudly. Passing by a fountain, I stopped for a moment in front of the large doors. Searching the wall I spot a sign on the wall that said 'No Pets Allowed' along with 'No Smoking.'
"Looks like you can't come with me Shako," I looked to the air to see him gliding down to hover just in front of me."I'll go in alone while you can scout the area. I'll see what I can find out about the past here."
Shako screeched his acceptance and flew off as I looked back at the museum.Nodding, I pushed open the doors to the museum and trotted inside. The marble floors looked as nice as the pictures on the walls telling past stories of fame and glory. Passing a set of open doors I find old text and fossils of a variety of ancient race that use to roam equest. I gasped as my eyes fall upon a spell book opened to a particular page that had a fully intact spell. It took a bit to realize that I was touching the glass of the book.
"ahh! so your interested in that book there are you? Could you at least take your hoof off the glass and take that hood off,"says a brown earthpony with a black mane stepping up to me.
"hehe uhh... sorry but I can't pull down my hood for a number of reasons," I replied as put my hooves down."but ummm... where did you find this book?"
"Reasons?" the pony asks trying to get a look at my face.
"It is nothing dangerous at all... just something being out of place..." I say turning my head to the left avoiding his gaze.
"hmm," the pony squinted his eyes."Well we found this book a few months ago buried deep within the earth. It tells of a list of fictonary spells. I believed this book deserved to be in a book store or burned due to it being false but someone was persistent enough to get it put here. Why, this one right here is one of a book recovery spell."
'hmm... that sounds like twilight's kind of spell. She was the bookworm of the group. with this spell I coul-'
*Whoosh!* *GASP* My hood came off and reviled my horn for all to see. A shocked expression passed both of our faces as we stared at each other. A shaky hoof slowly reached and tapped my horn in disbelief.
"y-y-y-your a-a-a-"*SMASH*
I panicked and crushed the glass separating me from the book. Before the pony could stop me I swiped the book then galloped pass a group of equally shocked ponies. I made my way toward the door of the museum, alarms blaring loudly.
"STOP HIM! GUARDS!!" The pony shouted getting over his over all shock of the "I'm a unicorn" deal.
Two ponies, in what i guessed was the normal guard outfit, quickly blocked off the entrance pointing their guns straight at me. I used my magic to quickly shoving them to the side getting yelps of surprise.I burst though the doors catching the attention of everypony around to hear the slam of the doors. *Bang* A lone bullet whizzed by my ear as I ran for my life. *Bang* the next one grazed my cheek leaving a burning sensation. More shots were fired but those could be ignored.
I dashed through the road dodging machines as they swerved and screeched trying not to hit me. I noticed to my right there was a car that I wouldn't be able to outrun so I leap into the air. I landed on the black machine with a thud and leap once more onto the pavement on the other side. I dashed down sidewalk hoping that I was losing them. I turned around corners, weaving through crowds distancing myself from the museum. I turned around the one more corner and sprinted into an alley way. I looked around of a place I could hide and found an empty tin trash can.I tossed my saddlebag into it an dove in before it covering the top with the top generating a loud clang.
'Think think think!' I tried to create a plan as I heard hoof steps come into the alley.'Oh please work!'
"Dang it! don't be like that one mission last year!" A mare by the sound of her voice shouted in frustration.
"Hey, don't start getting frustrated until after we search the area. That criminal didn't get away yet," said a much deeper voice.
"*sigh* alright, lets look around here and see if we can find that bastard," the mare replied calming down a bit.
Beads of sweat dripped down my chin as my mind went into overdrive trying to a solution out of the problem I was in.'no no no NO! this is worst then I thought! first they will find me and then I will be probed! they will blame me for being alive and then show me off as a prize! I don't want to go down like that! I don't want to be a experiment!'
"Nothing over here," the mare called.
"Ok, Try that tin trashcan over there," the stallion replied.
"Alright."
'Wait! there was that one spell! How did it go again?' I thought quickly hearing the hoof steps getting nearer.'GOT IT!'
The top of the tin trash can came off as a mare peered inside. She had a cream colored face with emerald green eyes and matching green mane. I almost lost focus staring at her face but, I remembered why she was looking in the tin trashcan for a reason. The mare glared into the trashcan looking so close, that I could feel her breathing on my face. She turn away from the tin trashcan in anger, proving that one of the illusion spells I found in a spell book worked.
"*Clang* Dang it! That bastard got away! just like last year!" the mare toss the lid of the trash can onto a wall somewhere.
"and you brought him to justice just a month after. Don't worry about it so much Agent Crystal," stallion replied trotting over from where he was.
"Snow... you know I can't do that. but, what are we going to do about getting to sundown?"
"*sigh* Lets just do some damage control before this hits the news," Agent Snow calmly said.
"If this hasn't already hit the news," Agent Crystal replied with a hint of anger.
Hoof steps left the alleyway when I popped my head out of the trashcan. I looked around to make sure nopony was there. Satisfied, I hopped out the trashcan and stopped using my illusion that made me and my saddlebag invisible. I reached back into the trashcan to retrieve my bag to find that it wasn't as empty as I thought it was. The bag was smudged a bit with a rotten banana on the sun symbol. I tossed it off and put my saddlebag back on under my cloak. I replaced the hood on my head before I heard something screeching in the air.
"Shako!" I said with glee as he landed on my back.
Shako wrapped his wings around my neck happily. *clip* My head snapped to look at who stepped into the alleyway.
"Well well well, Look what we have here," a jet black stallion with a spiky blood red and dark purple mane wearing a brown vest."The little bat ran to his big soft owner. You teach your bat to be a chicken like you uni?"
All I could do was glare as my mind told me that speaking to somepony like that would not end well for me.
"Ohh so scary! You going to burn holes in my skin with your eyes!" the mad-pony laughed loudly causing me to step back in fear. "I wonder how much they will pay me if I bring you to them."
My eyes were glued to the black stallion as he pulled out a knife.
"Now you come with me or things might get a little messy."
The pony began to step forward, taking larger strides as he inched closer to me. My flank bumped against the back wall of the alleyway. I could see in his eyes just what he would do to me if I resisted. I considered going with him but, I remembered that when equestrians are pinned to a wall they fight back with all they have. I shifted my position as I eyed the lid of the tin trashcan in a corner.
Shako flew off my back into the air after he noticed my shift in stance. The stallion noticed it too as he stopped moving toward me and prepared to charge at me. I made a dash for the "shield" and ducked under the knife. I picked it up with my hoof fast enough to turn around and blocked the knife aimed for my back with the lid of the trashcan. A mean right hoof slammed into my face just after I blocked. Shako came from the air and used his small claws to scratch the pony's face.
"AH! YOU IRRITATING FLYING RAT!" the pony shouted swinging blindly at Shako.
Before his knife could find it's mark, I bashed my shield into the stallion's face. Taking a second a removed my hoof from the lid and used my magic to go in for the knock out blow with the temporary shield. The lid flew through the air with all the force I could muster and connected to his forehead. The knife hit the floor as the pony fell to the ground. His face was scratched up a bit and his forehead was bleeding just under his red and purple mane where the tin trashcan's lid had hit him, but he would live with just a nasty head ache when he woke up.
'I'm glad I had that combat training with... combat training? I guess that's where my fight came from. and it was with?... with... a unicorn a strong one. but who was it? I can't get a face... *Screech* Oh right we should get a move on before that pony wakes up.' I thought as I began trotting out the ally.'Wait, what about the book?'
I stop just before turning the corner just to check my saddle bag. The book I took was in my right opening. The title was almost faded from sight but that wasn't what I was focusing on at the moment. I quickly flipped the pages to the one I was looking for.
'Hmm... its strange that though all these years that this spell stay in this book as if it was just written. I guess twilight knew this would happen and made sure that this one spell was preserved no matter the period of time,' My eyes continued to trail the page. 'Shame that the other spells weren't held up so well.'
After looking though the page, I read the spell I saw in the museum. I looked around to see if anypony was in the area other than the knocked out pony. I turned back into the allyway, double checking the spell. My horn shined brightly, it's golden light covering the book in my grasp. It began to float in the air as magic freely flowed through the area. Blue wisps formed and circled trough the air, surrounding the the book as words began to reappear forming sentences into spells. Sweat formed on my brow as my breath quickened. The wisps disappeared leaving only my golden aura around the book.I placed the book back into the right slab of my saddle bag, knowing that the spell worked... or at least I thought it did.
"Shako, lets see what we can find around here. See if we can find a place to sit down," I called up to my bat who was sitting on a neon sign.
Shako flew down and landed on my back as I finally trotted out the alleyway. I turned to the right instead of going left cause that was the way I had just came from, and I didn't want a run in with the law at the moment. Some ponies pointed at me as I quickly trotted by, trying not to draw attention. I crossed a few roads when I came upon a bar. Shako flew off my back onto the sign before I trotted though the door.
The first thing that hit me was the smell. Alcohol was heavy in the air, It almost made me gag with how strong the scent was. A counter lined with a few chairs went about half way across the room. There were a few tables off to the side, three of them with a few ponies.The room was almost silent as a box in the corner of the room displayed a pony mentioning an RV with a name plastered on the sides called the Odyssey. Everypony here was stared at me for a moment or two before returning to what they were doing.Hushed whispers reached my ears as I sat down at one of the round tables near the back empty of other ponies.
"Sir?" I looked up to find a cream colored mare with a orangeish yellow mane wearing a red and brown crisscross shirt with a solid brown pants that hugs her curves.
"What can I get you?" She asked with a knowing smile.
"All I can get right at the moment is a water. I may come back later when I have some real money on me," I said reaching into my saddle bag and pulling out the possibly renewed spell book.
"Ok sir, I'll be right back," the mare said before trotting off.
I opened the spell book to find that the spell I used earlier worked! I was reading page after page and didn't notice that the mare came back until I heard the click of the glass hit the table.
"Here you are sir," her gaze trailed what she could see of me. "If you don't mind me asking what is that book your reading."
"Its... a spell book," I hesitantly spoke, unsure how to phrase the answer a different way.
"A spell book, like magic spells?" She asked raising her eye brow questioningly.
"umm... yeah magic spells."
Laughter roared from the surrounding tables after I made my comment.
"*giggle*you do know that magic doesn't exist right?"
"Sometimes you just have to believe in what is false to move forward."
"Breaking news!" the box blared loudly cutting across the room, Showing a middle-aged earthpony in a sky blue button-up shirt and red tie with a navy blue jacket(or something) over it."There is a thief unicorn, you heard me right, a thief Unicorn on the loose."
'Just my luck, It's been near an hour after that museum thing,' I thought and cursed under my breath.
"The Unicorn was first seen looking at an exhibit wearing a brown cloak."
I swear that I felt, FELT, the room drop a few degrees in temperature after he said that line. Silence ruled the room as the reporter continued his report.
"his coat is light green and his eyes are yellow. We also have a short video of when he was at the museum."
The visual box changed scenery and showed me trotting into the museum after shako flew off my back.
'How did they get this? somepony must have been watching me to have gotten this, but I didn't see any pegasi there. Maybe it is one of those technological advances?' I thought as I continued to watch the box.
well... I would have continued watching the box if a gun wasn't shoved up in my face.
"hey! I asked you a question!" a brown pony glared into my eyes.
"huh?" I blinked as i noticed the gun in my face.
"I said, answer the question!" he said that as he shoved the gun in my muzzle again.
"umm... I don't know what the question is..."
"*groan* Who. Are. You?" the stallion asked irritated.
"I am just a-"
"YOUR NAME!"
"Kanion."
"What did you think you were doing in that museum?"
"I was trying to find out what happened in the past." I stated.
"Hood off." He commanded.
I took off hood once again revealing my horn. My golden eyes locked in with the brown stallion's blue ones. His eyes slightly shifted downward and he raised his eyebrow.
"Take your cloak I want to check something."
I stood there for a moment and he clicked his gun. I reached for my cloak and pulled it off and into my saddle bag.
"Looks like our talented reporter missed the mythical kanion's wings. Well I guess he isn't mythical if he is standing right before us," He said running his gun along my feathers.
With a loud bang the door flew open to reveal dark magenta bat pony... Well if his wings were full grown, so I guess a semi-bat pony busted in. Everyone was looking at him as he scaned the room. When his eyes landed on me his eyes brightened in recognition. The stallion in front of me started to turn back to me when I kicked him in the face. The resounding wack brought everypony back from looking at the new pony. I quickly used my magic to wrench his double barreled gun from his hooves. I then pointed said weapon right at him.
'If he was using his left hoof for stability, then his right hoof if used to shoot it,' I thought quickly seeing as now the other ponies had thier own guns pointed at me.
"Hey now, you don't want to go hurting your self now," The brown stallion slowly stepped forward with his hooves up.
Two clicks from behind the row of three ponies showed that the semi-bat pony had come up, and set two guns to the back of the two ponies on the side of the brown one. He looked me in the eye and nodded.
"If you want to shoot you will have to push the trigger connected to the handle," the semi-bat pony said as if he knew that I didn't know anything about using guns... which I didn't.
"*growl* So what do you want?" The brown pony said.
"Well I'm just here to help out this umm..."
"Alicorn... oh, and my name is kanion" I reply.
"Mine's lavender song, Its a little bit girly I know."
"I think Its time to make our leave."
"Yeah."
"Could you move to the right a bit lavender."
Lavender nodded and moved enough for me to land beside him. I closed the spell book and placed it back into my saddle bag. I then put my saddle bag onto my back and prepared to jump. I spreaded my wings and flapped as I leapt through the air, gaining enough lift to jump over the row of menacing stallions. When my right hoof hit the ground I swerved so I was faceing the row of earth ponies. The brown stallion made a grab for the levitating double barreled gun. I lifted it out of his reach and back to my side.
"Follow me, Kanion," Lavender said as he moved toward the exit.
"Alright," I replied following him.
Before I exited the bar I stopped and looked over to the counter where the bartender and the mare from earlier.
"Sorry for the disturbance in your bar," I apologize for the event that took place.
"Next time you come here, you better not bring trouble or I'm kicking you out!" Said the grey maned blue stallion holding a gun just in case tartarus broke loose.
"Sorry again!" I apologize once more before I move out the door.
After I got out the door I was met with one of the vehicles and lavender calling over to me.
"Hey Kanion, what are you waiting for?! Get in the car!" He shouted motioning with his hooves.
I hesitated to get in the "car", unsure if its a safe idea.
"*groan* Its safe in the car. Its just me and my wife in here."
I took a few steps to the car and looked for where to open the back door. Just as I opened the door when I heard somepony yell.
"There, the theif is over there!"
I jumped into the back seat and closed the door. The car roared to life as a purpleish-pink mare with a two-toned dark pink mane put her hoof down on the pedal. My face bumped on the back of the front seat as the car lurched forward.
"You might want strap in. My wife the crazy driver of this family," Lavender said whispering the last part and pointed toward the mare.
"Hey! I'm better then you at least mister, run into a building!" She replied as I clipped in the seat belt.
"Did you expect me to run into the filly?"
"No, I expected you to stop before you hit the building!" She jerked the wheel to the right and the car swerved around a corner so quickly that even rainbow dash would have slowed down a bit, and thats saying something.
I pressed myself to the back seat holding on for dear life, their argument fadeing to the back of my mind. I took a gamble and looked out the back window. I immediately notice a car hot in our pursuit, closing in in fact, though not as dangerous as Lavender's wife. Red and blue lights flashed from the top of the car. I then notice the large dent in the front of the car.
'Opps, if that car belongs to who I think it does then I have a very angry, and beautiful mare after me.' I mentally gulped at the realization. 'I don't think she'll let me take her on a date anytime soon.'
"Lets try to get to the red road," Lavender said as I refocused on what was happening in the car.
"Are you crazy! they'll be all over us within seconds!" Lavender's wife yelped in surprise.
"Yeah, and he could help us with his magic and get us out of here."
"Really, thats all I am to you? A get away pony?!" I shouted.
"Oops, that came out the wrong way," He replied sheepishly.
"Yeah, likely story."
"Look, I'm sorry ok. We thought that we lost track of you after you showed up, struting your stuff a while ago." he said apologetically. "Did you know that you look like the solar one in the murals?"
"The solar one?"
"Well..."
"You both are gonna have to put the Q & A on hold. We are on the red road, much to my displeasure," Lavender's wife spoke, drawing our attention and muttering the last part.
Behind us were now three black cars, each with red and blue flashing lights. To our sides were the expansive plains leading to the mountains. Ahead of us though was a long line of black cars. Both Lavender and his wife's face paled, almost turning a ghostly white.
"Y-you w-w-wouldn't happen to be able to do something about this, would you Kanion?" Lavender stuttered.
"umm... I could try an illusion spell, but its kind of a 'stand still' spell. I haven't tried to move and use the illusion spell, so I don't trust it."
"*groan*Well, looks like we didn't think this through enough."
'*sigh* If only they could fly...' *click* *gasp* 'What did she say about the magic levels of all ponies in equestria?!' *click* 'Thats right! But it might hurt lavender... Then that's too bad! I've got to try!' Now determined with my thoughts set straight I grin.
"So you got somthing kani?" Lavender asked, his eyes filling up with hope at my grin.
"Weeeeellll... It Is Something that might cause you a little bit of pain... buuuut, you will be able to fly with your wife on you back..." I mention sheepishly.
The car skidded to a stop in front of the line of black cars. A trail of ponies lined behind the blockade. Just behind us the cars that were chasing formed a line, "blocking" our escape. Agent Crystal trotted out of the dented black car holding a microphone.
"We've got you surrounded come out with your hooves up!" Crystal shouted into the mic.
"Its now or never kanion. Do it!" Lavender turned in his seat to face me.
"But what about the-"
"DO IT!" Lavender ordered.
Lavender's wife and I looked at each other shocked before looking back at him. His eyes narrowed on me making me think twice about not listening to him. I closed my eyes and focused on the magical auras of the ponies around me.
"If you do not come out of your vehicle, we will use force!" Crystal threatened as I locked on to lavender's almost nonexistent magic signature.
I opened my eye to see Lavender fully facing me looking me in the eye. He noded and I closed my eyes, once more focusing on reaching out to his magic pool. Lavender's body began to glow the golden color of my magic as filled his body with magic, hastening the process of magic altering his body. I could hear the sound of a few bones breaking, not many since Lavender already had wings, but judging by the screams it was still painful. Careful not to fill him with too much magic I stopped soon after I didn't hear any bones shifting in him.
"So, how do I look?" Lavender asked in between gasping for breath.
I opened my eyes to find a full-fledged bat pony sitting before me. The pupils of his eyes are the trademark silts of all bat ponies. His coat turned a few coats darker from his past look to fit in with the night. Lavender's wings were fully grown in, able to extend to their full length. His ears had a bit of added fluff to end.
"Umm... like a good looking bat pony for the most part, but thats not what we are going for at the moment" I said as I checked outside.
"Alright, how do you fly with these wings then?" Lavender asked examining his wings.
"We don't have much more time. The IS is geting restless so, I'll just use a spell that copies my memory of how to fly, or would you like to try sink or swim?" I asked.
"I'll take the memories with a side of safety, hold the danger."
Lavender's wife facehoofed as I stared at him for a moment. The IS began inching their way to the car, with Agent Crystal as the closeist one.
'There is no better time then the present!' I thought as I quickly gathered my memories and copied them to transfer them to Lavender. The transfer was quick and simple, leaving only a light fizz in my mind. Suddenly tears streamed down his face earning a curious look from both his wife and I.
"So this is how it use to be," Lavender barely whispered the words bringing questions to what memories I gave him alongside the wing positions.
"Snap out of it! Its now or never!" I yelled to get his attention only slightly nervous about my saddle bag... Ok really nervous. The last time I tried to fly with them on I couldn't. And I can figure out the history later, if they can still remember their history lessons.I unfastened the seatbelt and kicked the door effectively unhingeing the door and sent it over the egde of the rails.
"Hey!" Lavender's wife shouted. "Why'd you do that!"
I ignored her and galloped out onto the road. Guns immediately clicked and pointed straight at me. When I took off into the air I almost started thinking I wouldn't get anymore lift than the jump, but when I kept raising into the air a smile found its way onto my face. Soon after, a shot fired and took the smile off my face as it hit the tip of my right wing. That one shot reminded me that there were other ponies watching me, most that want to kill me.
I look back to see Lavender with his wife holding tightly to his neck just exit the car that we occupied. Some of the ponies that were facing me noticed them as Lavender got a running start. I quickly calmed my panicking mind and focused on putting a barrier around both of us as I slowed to a hover. A bullet hit the back of my left hind-hoof. Ignoring the pain, I drew upon my magical reserves. Bullets lightly pinged on my freshly placed barrier, and seeing as the married couple isn't full of bullet holes, there was a barrier around them too.
I should have expected it but I was surprised when lavender zoomed right past me, his wife screaming by. The gust of wind knocked me off balanced, spinning me out of control. My magic disapated as I shifted my wings to regain my barings midair. A bullet louged itself into my flank as I took off after the two. Being slightly more experienced than lavender I quickly catch-up to him.
"Hey, slow down!" I shouted at him against the wind. 'If I remember right, then pegasi and batponies both can hear at high speeds nearing sonic rainboom levels . So if I shout at him from here it would be as if I was shouting at him and we both were standing still.'
"Slow down?! How?!" Lavender replied back slightly surprised that he even heard me over his wife's screaming.
"Spread your wings perpendicular to the direction your flying in or just stop flapping your wings so hard!" I instructed him slowly drifting behind him.
It took lavender a second but he got it and slowed down with me to a leasure pace. It took a minute though for lavender's wife to stop screaming. Slowly she cracked open an eye and gasped at the sight. Lavender whenced as she tightened her grip on him.
"Uhh... so when do I get down off this ride?" Lavender's wife asked.
"Whenever we are a good distance away from our persuers," I replied keeping even in the air. "So, I didn't get your name miss."
"Oh yeah, well my name is Ruby Ink, you?"
"Kanion, pleased to meet you though I wish it was under better circumstances."
"Like wise," Was all she said as we flew off to the mountains.