Chapter 10: The Journey Home
The rumbling had finally stopped. Both hopeful and worried, Hope Spot uncurled from her position from the windowsill and dared to look out. Only a moment ago, the air had been roaring, like the raging call of some massive beast. A tornado had appeared near the side of the mansion, tearing part of it away and tossing the crumbled pieces of stone aside. The roaring was accompanied by the occasional boom of thunder. And then...silence. When Hope Spot looked out again, the scene hadn't changed much from the last time. A cloud of dust still rose over the ruined section of the manor. However, there was no sign that whatever had been happening before was going to resume.
She continued to look out the window, trying to figure out just what was going on. The young mare had no idea just how long she spent there, staring. However, she was startled by a sharp knocking sound from the door.
"Miss Hope Spot," called somepony from the other side, "Are you there?"
"Y-yes..." stammered Hope Spot, wondering what was going on. The voice didn't sound like Skan, Zhan, or any of the other household staff that had spoken to her (rarely). In fact, it sounded like the voice of a colt.
"If you are standing near the door, I suggest you get back," said the pony from the other side. A second later, there was a faint whistling noise and the door fell to pieces. Hope leaned forward, both afraid and eager to get a good look at the pony on the other side.
Her eyes widened when she saw that the pony was indeed a colt. More importantly, he was a colt with the strangest eyes that she had ever seen, turquoise with vertical, slit-pupils. They were unsettling to look at, to be sure, but, at the same time, compelling. In spite of their rather unnatural appearance, Hope couldn't help but find a certain gentleness in the colt's strange eyes that gave her a reassuring feeling.
"Who are you?"
The colt bobbed his head politely. "My name is Dawn Lightwing. My...ally and I are here to rescue you."
"Rescue me," whispered Hope Spot, her heart fluttering. Could it be true? "Are you really here to help me?"
Dawn nodded and beckoned her towards the door. "However, we should be on our way quickly. We need to hurry if we're to catch the last train out of here. Do you have any belongings that you need to bring with you?"
Hope shook her head and followed Dawn as he quickly led the way down the stairs. At the bottom of the staircase, a cream-colored colt, looking half-asleep waited for them. His body was covered with a black cloak with several tears on it. Through the tears, Hope saw a glint of metal. Currently, the other colt was in conversation with one of the mansion's servants. As he heard them approach, the young stallion looked up from his conversation and nodded to them before shooing off the servant.
"And what was that all about?" asked Dawn, his eyes narrowing as he approached Perlin.
"Oh nothing," said Perlin with the most obviously forced-innocent tone he could muster, "I was just giving some employment advice to one of the servants to spread around to the rest of the staff here. Sweet Water is likely to be quite unhappy when she learns what happened, especially when she finds out how badly the estate was damaged. I was just suggesting to the servants that they perhaps seek employment elsewhere. As it so happens, I know a few places where they might be better off than staying here."
"I probably shouldn't be surprised," muttered Dawn as he came the rest of the way down, Hope following in his wake.
"And is this lady Hope Spot?" asked Perlin, eyeing the teal mare, who shivered nervously under his gaze. However, she managed to nod to Perlin who smiled and bowed. "A pleasure to meet you. I'm sure we'd all like to spend some time getting to know each other better. But it is probably in our best interests to be away from this place as soon as possible."
"Can you even make it to the train station?" asked Dawn, eyeing the older colt warily.
"I should hope so," said Perlin, doing his best to remain steady, "If not, you can always make good on your promise to leave me behind."
"Fine then," said Dawn.
Together, the three of them set out through the mansion, making their way through the hallways towards the entry. While the manor was unfamiliar to them, it was no maze and it wasn't any harder for the group to find their way to the exit than it was for Dawn and Perlin to make their way to the tower in the first place. When they reached the large hall leading to the doors out, they found their way blocked by the bulk of Skan as the large griffon waited for them.
"I'm impressed to see you up and about so quickly," said Dawn, though his eyes noted the subtle quivering in the muscles of the griffon's legs. It was clear that Skan was doing everything in his power to remain standing. He wouldn't be an impediment to them.
"Well, I am obligated to do everything in my power to see this job through to the end," said Skan, smirking at them. He turned his gaze to Hope Spot, who, surprisingly, didn't seem all that afraid of the imposing griffon. "Thus I am obligated to ask that you return to your room."
"I'm sorry," said Hope, smiling up at the griffon, "But I won't. Thank you for treating me so well, while I was here."
Skan chuckled and bowed to her, nearly pitching over onto his face as his legs threatened to give out. He turned his attention back to Dawn and Perlin, "Well, there's nothing left to do I guess. Zhan and I will have to look for work elsewhere. I doubt the Viscountess will be very happy with us for ruining her precious estate."
"You could always return to the griffon lands," Dawn suggested.
To the jet-black colt's surprise, Skan shook his head slowly. "That isn't possible for us. We've been more or less marked for death back there."
"Criminals?" asked Dawn, raising an eyebrow.
The large griffon laughed at that. "If we were criminals, we could simply flee to a different aerie than the one we were convicted in. That's the advantage to the political situation there. But that isn't the problem.
"Zhan and I are good at what we do...too good, you could say. In the griffon lands, that usually results in making yourself into a priority target."
"Ah, I get it," said Perlin, "I've heard that amongst the griffon aeries, if one of them starts growing too powerful, they are quickly swarmed by their weaker, but far more numerous competitors. It doesn't surprise me at all that such practices would filter down to the treatment of individual warriors."
Skan nodded. "So, in the end, Equestria was our best hope to continue living. We want to have eggs and raise a little flock of our own someday. And I would much prefer to do that in a place where I can be certain that everybird isn't trying to kill us because we've gotten a little too good at what we do best." He sighed and slumped. "But it's hard for griffons like us to make a living in Equestria, especially since our kind don't have the best of reputations here...not that it isn't somewhat deserved, but still..."
"May I make a suggestion," said Dawn, stepping forward, moving closer to Skan so that he could speak without the other two members of his own party overhearing.
"When you and your mate recover, fly to Cloudsdale and go to see Spitfire of the Wonderbolts," whispered Dawn, "Tell her that Dawn Lightwing sent you and she may well be able to do something to help you."
Dawn stepped away from Skan, who nodded to him. "I will. Thank you."
"If we are lucky, this won't be the last time we meet," said Dawn as he proceeded past Skan, "And if we do, I would much rather meet you as a friend."
"A sentiment I share," replied Skan as Hope and Perlin also walked past. Skan turned and watched them go, his eyes following the trio until they were past the gates and on their way down the mountain.
The trip through town was uneventful, thankfully. Dawn's unique eyes had attracted a lot of attention, but enough ponies and griffons had seen him heading up to Sweet Water's estate on the top of the mountain to put two and two together and realize just who had been behind the disturbance. Even the members of the town Guard kept their distance, though they shadowed the trio carefully, their black and gray armor blending in nearly perfectly with the natural hues of the stone that the town had been carved from.
Perlin's condition slowed their journey somewhat. His steps were halting, stumbling, as he fought to keep himself awake while dealing with the drain on his stamina caused by the healing spell. Dawn wasn't exactly feeling particularly chipper either, having been worn down by the arduous battle with Skan. However, he trusted his endurance to at least see them through to the train station if any of the Guard tried to object to their leaving.
When they arrived at the station, it was just in time to catch the very last train leaving for the day. It had taken longer than Dawn and Perlin had wagered, but their erring on the side of caution had paid off. Perlin once again booked a compartment for the three of them, first-class no less. Dawn wondered where he kept the bits to pay for it all. However, he then saw Perlin flash something in front of the ticket-seller's eyes. The pony behind the counter had nodded and provided Perlin with the three tickets.
Moments later, the train rumbled out of the station. The first-class compartment was very much the same as the one that Dawn and Perlin had ridden on their way up to Diamond Mountain. It was furnished with no less than four beds, arranged in bunks. The side of the wall opposite the door into the compartment was fitted with a large, plush couch, situated up against the wall, just underneath the large window that dominated the rest of the wall. The floor was covered with thick, soft carpeting that felt positively heavenly beneath Dawn's hooves after their ordeal. On one side, there was a door that led to an adjoining bathroom, with all the amenities needed to see them through their journey.
Perlin wasted no time in shrugging off his cloak before climbing into one of the lower bunks and laying down, paying no mind to Hope's shocked gasp as he fully revealed his wings for the first time. His eyes were closed and he was fast asleep by the time his head hit the pillow.
"Is he going to be alright?" asked Hope Spot, looking at the cream-colored colt.
"He'll be fine," said Dawn, rolling his wings in their sockets. He still felt clammy and grimy. Dust clung to his coat and feathers, where it had mixed with sweat. Though he wasn't on the edge of passing out, Dawn wasn't exactly bursting with energy either.
"If you don't mind," he said to Hope, "I'd like to take a little time to clean myself up."
"Go ahead," said Hope, watching the colt as he went into the bathroom and shut the door behind him. She was having a hard time processing what was going on. The whole situation felt so surreal to her. First, she'd never expected to be rescued. She had always figured either her captors would get what they wanted or she would be held in that room until she defaulted on her debts and lost everything. She had even entertained the possibility that her captors would simply end her life to maintain her silence. However, she had been rescued. And, to make the whole situation stranger, her rescuers were just so...weird.
Dawn was certainly nice enough. Though he seemed somewhat distant and taciturn at times, there was still a warmth to him, in spite of his strange-looking eyes. However, Perlin was a different matter. While the young stallion was polite, Hope didn't like the way he had looked her over at all. His eyes had been observing her, sizing her up and evaluating her for...something. Looking at him now, she was also vaguely intimidated by those strange, metal wings of his.
Still, Hope knew better than to look a gift horse in the mouth. These two were her best hope for getting home and getting back to living her life, assuming that nopony tried to foalnap her again. Hope Spot would like to avoid that fate if she could. She puzzled over this in silence, her ears picking up the sounds of running water from the shower in the other room.
"You look rather thoughtful."
"Eep!" squealed Hope Spot when she suddenly realized that Perlin was looking at her. I thought he was asleep!
"Well, I plan on sleeping soon enough," said Perlin, smiling at her, seemingly reading her mind. There was still that glazed look in his eyes. However, his gaze was still razor-sharp. Just feeling it on her made Hope feel a hundred times more nervous than when Dawn looked at her with those strange, catlike eyes of his. The older colt, one who was only just short of being a stallion in age, grinned at her. "However, I have some business with you to wrap-up."
"W-with me..." That made Hope Spot nervous. The ponies who had abducted her from her home had said the something similar after all. She'd had her fill of ponies who had "business" with her.
"Don't worry, it's nothing like what Sweet Water's goons wanted," said Perlin, "My employer filled me in on your situation before you left. You have student loans to pay off, not to mention a few other debts as well. Given your current earnings and adjusting for how much you might make once you finish your education and get a new job, you're still looking at anywhere from fifteen to twenty years of debt if you try to get by paying the bare minimum. Am I right?"
Hope Spot nodded and Perlin continued. "Furthermore, if you try to pay extra so that you can get your loans paid off earlier and avoid accruing too much interest, you're still looking at about ten to twelve years, right?"
Again Hope nodded. Getting through school with her own funds was a challenge after all. Her work as a nurse managed to provide for room and board for herself, as well as enough to keep meeting the minimum payments. Once she graduated and, assuming she managed to find work as a doctor, she'd have more money to work with. But much of that money would still go to the necessities while she'd put as much as possible into paying off the loan.
"I thought so," said Perlin, "Your family could help, but they're all government workers, which means they're not swimming in money either. This was something you wanted to do yourself as a matter of pride, right?"
Yet again, Hope nodded.
"That's what I thought," said Perlin, "Which means you probably won't care for my initial offer, but I'll lay it out for anyway 'cause my current employer is an annoying jerk who gets worked up if I don't do what he wants.
"Basically, my employer wants to pay off your entire debt in one fell swoop. In fact, you could say that he would like to sponsor your education, cover for everything; room, board, schooling, the works."
Hope was silent as she mulled it over. There was, no doubt, a certain tantalizing quality to that offer. But such generosity never came without strings attached, or so she believed. "No thank you," she said after a long moment.
To her surprise, Perlin laughed and gave her a smile that was more genuine and less conniving, which made her feel a bit more at ease. "You're a clever mare. I think you understand the gist of what he's trying to do. Rather than wiping away your debts, you'd simply be transferring them to a new holder. I don't know what my employer wants with you. It may be just another move to cover his bases, but I can guarantee that you wouldn't get off scot-free."
Perlin slowly extended a metal-feathered wing, gently slipping a single feather beneath the hem of his cloak. Moving carefully, so that what remained of the garment wouldn't be cut by the razor-sharp edges of his feathers, he slowly lifted it up onto the bed with him. "That being the case, I have a different offer to make you, one that my employer doesn't know about."
"What's that?" asked Hope, feeling nervous once again. She wasn't sure she wanted to be in this young stallion's debt either.
"It's not an exchange, but a gift," replied Perlin smoothly. Ducking his head beneath the cloak, he pulled out what looked like a small note. "This is a onetime thing, so you'll need to look after it carefully until you use it and then it won't be of any worth to you again."
"What is that?" asked Hope.
"A blank check of sorts," replied Perlin, "Write the amount you need and bring it to any bank in Equestria and the sum will be transferred to your own account. You could easily choose to take enough to settle your debts in one go plus extra."
"R-really!" exclaimed Hope, "But how could you possibly-?"
"This mercenary work is something I do for enjoyment, rather than the money," replied Perlin, "But I still draw a pretty nice fee, all told. I also happen to have been born into a lot of money, so what I've earned just happens to be tucked away into my account, gathering dust. Bleed it dry if you want. I don't mind."
"B-but why make an offer like this?" asked Hope, "Do you w-want me to do something for you too?"
"Nah," replied Perlin, "But while most ponies aren't stupid enough to try the same thing twice, I've found it can be a pain to underestimate just how stupid ponies can be. As long as your debt is there and as long as your brother is where he is, you'll be a tempting target for ponies, like Sweet Water, who want to manipulate the situation towards a certain outcome."
"Is that what this is about?" asked Hope, "My brother?"
Perlin nodded. "Dawn's the one you should ask about that, since he's the one with the stake in what your brother is doing. Anyway...my point is this. If we use the metaphor of a game, it would be much better for everyone concerned if the piece you represented was taken off the board, so to speak. This is my way of doing that. I have no need of any kind of recompense from you, so consider this a no-strings-attached offer, a gift, if you will."
"But why would you do that?" asked Hope.
"Like I said, I'd much prefer that you were off the board," replied Perlin, "But also, my current employer already stands to gain a great deal from what Dawn and I did on Diamond Mountain. He's outmaneuvered a rival and humiliated her in the process. On top of that, he's gained a nice little cadre of trained servants who will soon be looking for greener pastures, lest the Viscountess' wrath fall on their heads. If you accepted his offer, he'd be getting a doctor and a pony with ties to an important government department and ministry, giving him plenty of inroads.
"But it's no fun to let him get everything he wants." Perlin's grin became positively chilling. "He's enough of an annoying ass already, that it's a pain to hear him always crow about how perfectly his plans are going and how he's going to reform the country and so on. I think it would be fun for him to deal with a wrinkle or two of his own. Don't you think?"
Sweat beaded on Hope's brow as she listened to Perlin, her body shivering. There was something about this colt that terrified her. Now she had some degree of understanding of what he was doing when he was looking at her. This was like a game to him and she was just a piece of it to him. He was evaluating her value and decided he didn't want her on the board anymore. But was that all...?
"Is that all?" she asked.
"It's nothing you need worry about," replied Perlin, all amusement gone from his tone, as though her inquiry had struck some sort of sore spot for him, even though it was far too general for her to puzzle out any of the specifics of his situation. However, she realized that there was more to this than simply removing her piece from play and spiting his employer. But what? I'll probably never know.
"I'll give this to you," said Perlin, gently flicking the note so that it came to rest on her forehooves, "You can decide whether or not to use it and how much to use it for. I've said what I wanted to. Now, if you'll excuse me..." he settled his chin back down onto his forehooves, eyes drifting shut once again, "...I've got some real sleeping to do."
A second later, he was slumbering away quietly. Hope idly stared down at his gift to her and wondered just what to do about it.
A few minutes later, Dawn emerged from the shower, looking distinctly better off than he had before. Hope had tucked the check Perlin had given her into the hairs of her tail for safekeeping, though she still wasn't certain that she would ever make use of it. Even with all that Perlin had told her, she had trouble believing that he wouldn't ever come after her, demanding repayment in some form or another.
"Something on your mind?" asked Dawn, apparently noticing her confused and agitated state.
"Well..." Hope stared down at her forelegs as she sprawled across the bed. Perlin continued to quietly snore away on the other side.
"I take it that it's about your conversation with him," said Dawn, tilting his head towards Perlin. Seeing the surprise on Hope's face, he smirked at her in a manner that wasn't all that different from how Perlin did it. "He isn't very good at feigning sleep. And it's particularly hard to pretend to be asleep when you're a hair's-breadth from actually being asleep. I figured he wanted to speak to you about something."
"Do you know what?" asked Hope.
Dawn shook his head. "No, and I won't ask. Ironically, though I dislike him to the extreme, I can at least trust him somewhat."
"Why?"
"He's a pony who is very honest about what he wants. At this point in time, what he wants is me, or rather, the chance to settle our score and fight to the death, or something like that." Dawn gave Perlin a look that could almost be called pitying. "It's not the kind of desire I put much stock in. But he at least has the fortitude to hold himself to it."
"I see..." said Hope Spot, "He mentioned that this had something to do with my brother. Please tell me what's happening."
Dawn recounted the situation to her, from Softhoof's coming to Ponyville to inspect Fluttershy's fitness for motherhood, to Grayblood's unwillingness to accept the agent's evaluations.
"Why that little..." Hope growled, fury humming in her very bones, "How could he do that to anypony, to a foal no less?"
"I was frustrated before," explained Dawn, "But I can't bring myself to dislike him for what he has done. My mother is very dear to me, as are all the friends I have gained since coming to live in Ponyville. I can't rightly say what I wouldn't do for them...even if what I would might be something they couldn't forgive me for. I hope I never have to make that kind of decision, but I can't fault your brother in his willingness to help you."
"But, he could have ruined your life," protested Hope.
"He wouldn't be the first pony to try," replied Dawn coolly, "And at least he isn't doing so out of some sort of ridiculous superstition. I can appreciate that much."
"Are you sure?" asked Hope.
"Sure enough," said Dawn, "I have no intention of holding a grudge." He eyed the clock that hung over the door to the room. "It's getting late. We should get some sleep. It will take time for this train to get...wherever it's going."
"I think the tickets were to Canterlot," said Hope Spot, "The train will be stopping on the way, but I think we should get there the day after tomorrow."
"That's about how long it took us to get to Diamond Mountain," mused Dawn, "If they send word by pegasus courier, Sweet Water could find out what happened and be there waiting for us."
Hope shivered, terrified at the prospect of being taken captive again after just having tasted freedom. However, she calmed when Dawn smiled at her.
"Whatever might lay ahead, I'll protect you and get you to your family safely," he promised in a solemn tone that filled Hope with warmth and reassurance.
With that, Dawn fluttered up to the bunk above Perlin's bed and settled down. Hope used her magic to shut off the lights and they joined Perlin in the land of dreams.
The trip to Canterlot was perfectly uneventful. Both Hope Spot and Perlin helped themselves freely to the train's amenities, including the dining car. However, Dawn chose to forgo eating for the time being, having had more than enough of train food on his way out from Ponyville. He'd occasionally gone days between meals during his time in the Everfree. Ever since coming to live with Fluttershy, Dawn had gotten used to eating regularly, but he would still be able to go a day or more without eating and be fine, so long as he had water. He figured it would be better to deal with a grumbling, empty stomach than a full one that was very upset with him.
As the sun rose on the morning of their second day of traveling, the company awoke to see the gleaming white city perched on the mountainside out their window. Hope Spot's heart soared as she looked at the city that, for a little while, she'd been afraid she would never get to see again. It was there that her family waited.
"Looks like our little trip is almost over," noted Perlin as he too stared at the approaching city.
Dawn, however, was less sanguine about the situation. After all, depending on how fast the Viscountess' lines of communication with her estate on Diamond Mountain were, she might already know about the situation and be prepared for their arrival. Of course, he thought, somewhat wryly, I'm willing to bet that Perlin is actually looking forward to that.
Dawn's pessimism towards their chances of finishing their little journey unmolested led him to keep a careful eye on the situation as the train began to slow down on its approach towards the platform. His mind was already working through probable scenarios. Obviously, it all depended on the tactics that Sweet Water would employ if she were aware of what had transpired in her domain on Diamond Mountain. She wouldn't resort to force, especially not out in the open, with dozens of potential witnesses around. However, he couldn't reason out what other methods the Viscountess might use to try and halt their progress.
He was so caught up in his thoughts that Dawn barely noticed Perlin speaking to him. "Alas, this is where we part ways," said the cream-colored colt with a cheeky smirk, "It wouldn't do for you to be seen in the company of a wanted criminal, now would it?"
"I suppose not," muttered Dawn, under his breath. If anything, this was probably a good sign as the only thing he could probably count on from Perlin was to make even more of a scene.
So it was that Perlin Bluestreak practically vanished from sight and mind as the train pulled up to the platform, whether because he had hidden himself to get off later or because he had already disembarked, Dawn couldn't say. Dawn did find himself wishing that he had made more of an effort to make arrangements with his friends and family before departing. There might have been the opportunity to arrange a rendezvous that would increase their chances of dissuading Sweet Water from trying anything. As it was, they would simply have to hope for the best.
"Stay close to me," murmured Dawn as the train slid to a stop with a final, ear-splitting screech, "Don't let your guard down just yet."
Swallowing, Hope Spot nodded and fell in beside the colt, feeling a bit bemused by the fact that the pony who was little more than a foal himself was the one protecting her. But the quiet assurance in Dawn's tone helped to put her at ease. He had been the one to lead her out of that lavish prison and bring her back to Canterlot. She could trust him to see her safely home.
Together, they stepped off the cars and onto the platform. As he moved out into the open air, Dawn's wings spread ever-so-slightly, not enough to hint at readying for an attack, but more than enough to allow him to spread his awareness across the space around them. The feathers of his wings twitched as the wind flowed over them, Dawn's magic blending with the flow of the air itself until his awareness spread out in a near perfect radius around him, feeling out the eddies, whorls, and vortices generated by ponies as they milled about, feeling the air flowing across their bodies, mapping their contours, their posture, and their orientation.
It took less than a single second for Dawn to notice the ponies that stood out. All across the platform, several ponies were standing still, which wasn't distinct in and of itself. There were plenty of mares and stallions waiting patiently for friends and relatives to disembark while others were waiting for their own opportunity to board the trains. However, a few ponies were especially apparent to Dawn's senses, for they stood a little too still. Oh certainly, they fidgeted and shifted their weight and postures, trying to imitate the rest of the mass of equinity around them. However, even as they tried to imitate the motion of normal ponies, the movement of their heads betrayed the purpose of their eyes as they systematically swept the platform, looking for a specific target. These ponies were hunters...spotters. They had been sent to monitor the arriving trains and find out where their target was. Once they located Dawn and Hope Spot, the hunters would begin to tighten their snare and lead the two fugitives someplace where they could be more easily isolated.
Dawn frowned, his lips tight as he read the situation. These ponies knew their business. They had positioned themselves so that their fields of vision overlapped, allowing them to view the same locations from multiple angles, eliminating blind-spots and methods of escape. Were he by himself Dawn would have been confident of his ability to evade their notice. His short stature would have made him nearly impossible to see among the press of ponies rushing to and fro across the platform, so bent on their own business that even his distinctive eyes were failing to cause a stir...yet...
But Dawn wasn't alone. He had a companion, a unicorn mare with no training or experience in the ways of evasion. And while there was nothing that really set her apart from the rest of the ponies on the platform, the hunters were probably briefed well enough on her appearance that they would be able to spot her easily.
However, Dawn knew that stopping and waiting would only make them stand out even more. They had to move. Fortunately, he was able to conceive of a plan. Stepping forward, he paused only for a few seconds to nudge Hope Spot. "Follow exactly where I go," he said softly. He felt, rather than saw her nod and set off through the crowd, closing his eyes and placing all his trust in the wind.
Their best bet was to make use of the fact that the hunters' eyes were constantly on the move, sweeping the platform in an attempt to survey as much as possible. Since he was able to read their motions, Dawn could tell when a particular pony's eyes were oriented away from them. Moving carefully, he wove in and out amongst the ponies in the crowd, tracking the gaze of the ponies that were searching for him. When one was looking away, he slipped, taking Hope with him, to one side of a press of ponies that screened them from the view of another as her gaze shifted in their direction.
It was uneasy, delicate work. Dawn had to alter his movement on the fly to evade detection, while still moving in-synch with the crowd itself to keep from causing a noticeable disruption. On top of it all, he had to be mindful of Hope Spot. She did not share a trace of his polished senses, nor did she have the grace and balance of a trained martial artist. If he changed his course too abruptly, he could accidentally trip her up and cause a commotion that was certain to give them away. Also, since she was the one who needed to truly hide, Dawn had to position them carefully to ensure that she was the one who was concealed from roving eyes.
Still, it was going well. Hope had narrowed her focus on Dawn, trusting him to not lead her to collide with someone. She followed his movements with careful fidelity, while still trying her best to look just like any other ordinary pony going about her business. Together, the two of them wove about the crowd, winding their way amongst the throng of ponies, slowly and steadily making their way towards the exit. If they could reach the exit, then it wouldn't matter if they were spotted, as they would have room to bolt for safety, or at least a more defensible position.
Then it happened. Dawn had thought that they had moved to a sufficiently obscured position as they passed within view of one of the watchers, closer than they had to any others. In an instant, Dawn knew he was mistaken as the hunter went still; not the faked, semi-motionless of his previous behavior, but a complete stillness as the observer froze in place, his eyes zeroing in on Hope Spot, barely picking out her tail and flank from his position, perhaps enough for him to recognize Hope's cutie mark. But it was clearly enough to arouse suspicion. His behavior reminded Dawn of an occasion where the ebony colt had once hidden himself from a much more dreadful hunter in the Everfree. When that hunter had picked up his scent upon the forest floor, it had gone still in much the same way.
Dawn did his best to keep them moving as normally as possible. Even if they had been spotted, it wasn't yet time to let them know that the game was up, that he had spotted them even more surely than they had spotted Dawn and Hope. Every second the hunter spent confirming his target was a second more Dawn and Hope had to continue moving toward the exit and possible escape.
The feathers of Dawn's wings quivered as they picked up faint, trembling vibrations emerging from a point near the top of the unknown unicorn's head. Dawn's awareness was such that he could read the intent of spells, including whether or not said spells might be directed at him or anyone near him. However, there was no sign of this intent from the unicorn hunter. It must be a signal then, he thought, He's about to let his friends know that he spotted us.
"Hope," said Dawn, his tone sharp, catching her attention immediately.
"Yes?"
"Get ready to run. When I give the word, you need to run to the exit as fast as possible."
"But what about you?"
"I'll stay with you and match my pace to yours." Dawn opened his eyes and looked up at her. "We've been spotted and we need to move fast."
"O-okay," whimpered Hope, that crushing feeling of dread stamping down mercilessly upon the hopes that had been all too briefly enkindled by the sight of Canterlot and its false promise of safety and security.
The watcher that had spotted them was still occupied by his spell, signaling his companions that the prey had been spotted. However, it wasn't until he abandoned the spell and began to move to pursue them that their moment would come. That brief moment where he shifted from monitoring and communicating to pursuit would be their window of opportunity, an opening the briefly take him off-guard and buy them a precious few seconds more to make their getaway.
The tingling, itching feeling in the air around the unicorn's horn began to fade. Slowly, the hunter began to shift from his haunches to an upright position in order to take up the chase...
"Now!"
Dawn's voice was barely a hiss in Hope's ear. But his sharp, commanding tone set her into motion almost immediately. The mare rushed forward, bounding into a rapid gallop, nearly careening into an overdressed mare towing a pile of suitcases behind her. Startled by Hope's sudden passing across her vision prompted the mare to let out a loud yelp and rear back, losing control over her magic in the process. The pile of luggage dropped to the ground and scattered across the platform, tripping up other ponies going about their business and creating a massive snarl of horseflesh. The sudden commotion was an unexpected boon to Dawn and Hope's flight, the resulting check on the crowd's motion catching up their immediate pursuer as he was caught in the snarl of ponies. It also drew the eyes of the other hunters on the platform for a brief instant as they tried to determine if Hope and Dawn were amongst the tangle of tripped ponies distracting their attention away from where Hope and Dawn were actually heading.
The two of them burst out of the train station and onto the streets of Canterlot. Dawn paused only briefly as his wings spread to their fullest, doing his absolute best to discern the situation around them. He was relieved to note that there appeared to be no other ponies watching the exits of the station itself, their opponent having apparently expended all of her marepower on monitoring the platform. However, their respite would be brief, as their pursuers weren't far behind. The stallion that had spotted them was already extricating himself from the scene of the accident and his companions were converging on the exit as well.
"Where to now?" asked Hope, dancing on her hooves as her head swung back and forth, desperately looking for some sign of safety.
Dawn frowned and berated himself for his own foolishness. He had been so focused on getting off the platform that he hadn't given a single thought to where they would head after that. He knew almost nothing about Canterlot; where they could run, where they could hide, where they could find help. Dawn's eyes swept over the broad avenue, taking everything in as he desperately tried to formulate a plan of action, his indecision eating away precious seconds. Their location didn't help matters. The buildings rising on either side of the street cut off their view giving Dawn few places to choose from.
Then his eyes alit on one building that stood out from the rest, that loomed over the city like a motherly bird looming over her chicks. Given the circumstances of their arrival, the massive building seemed painfully, agonizingly distant from the station. However, within that building were ponies Dawn knew he could count on to help them. There were also probably ponies there who would either hinder them or aid their pursuers. However, given the circumstances, it was the best option Dawn could call to mind at the moment.
"To the palace," said Dawn sharply, looking imploringly at Hope Spot, "As fast as you can!"
Though she didn't know the reasoning behind Dawn's decision, it was clear that Hope trusted him enough not to question it. Without hesitating any further, she bolted, galloping down the street, trying to reach the Royal Palace and the safety that she desperately hoped would wait for her and her escort there. Dawn followed along, slightly behind her, doing his best to keep track of the ponies that now burst from the train station in pursuit.