My heart slams to a stop. Then it starts racin. “It cain’t be,” I says. “He’s dead!”
“What?” says Arrow. “You don’t mean Ruby Pinch? The King’s alive?”
“Yeah,” I says. “But I seen him. He was dead. I swear he was dead.”
“The devil ain’t so easy to kill,” says Pike.
Ruby Pinch is dressed all in blue an silver. Really shiny bluish silver armour, a silvery tunic, diamond studded boots an a big shiny amulet that glows. Over top of it all, he wears a splendrous shimmery light blue robe trimmed with white fur. The robe sweeps down to the floor an trails behind him. It’s crusted with colourful sparklin stones and diamonds, bits of lookin glass an shimmer discs. His mane is longer today with streaks of shimmery blue through the black, the long waves reach down past his shoulders. Towerin high above his curved red horn is a massive blueish silver crown set with more colourful shiny stones.
His coat, though still dark grey, somehow shines like diamond too. Close behind him is the small unicorn mare with the constantly glowing horn, using magic to keep up the illusion. She now wears a shimmery blue cloak, probably to match Pinch. The amulet glows the same colour as her horn, so maybe the amulet holds on to the spell so she doesn’t have to cast it all the time, after all, she hdn’t been in the landboat when it had crashed. Pinch poses at the top of the steps. The torchlight plays on him. He shines in the darkness, like a blue star come down to earth. The Crystal King. Suddenly I notice that he’s favorin his left leg.
‘I crouch down, peer unner the landboat. Ruby Pinch lies on the ground. His right leg splays out at a strange angle.’
“He’s hurt his foreleg,” I says. “Must of happened when the landboat flipped over on him.”
Four colt slaves lift the ends of his robe. Then two of the biggest ponies I ever seen come an lift him carefully. They carry him down the steps an hand him into a sparklin silvery blue chariot that’s waitin there. The colts arrange his robes. Then six Tonton pick the chariot up by the big bars they carry on their backs an start down the torchlit path towards the chaal fields. I track ’em with the looker as they head fer the open space where the platform is.
Pinch’s chariot squeezes through the heavin crowd of slaves, still chantin an dancin. They reach up their hooves, frantic to touch him. The Tonton carriers kick an shove ponies away. They carry the chariot up the stairs onto the platform an set it down in the middle. Then they lift him out. His shimmerin robes billow in the night wind. They carry him up the steps to the smaller platform, an sit him on the silvery blue throne. Then the Tonton take his chariot an leave.
I’m startin to git that feelin agin. The jumpy feelin, deep in my gut, that means somethin big’s about to happen. I don’t know ezzackly what it is, but I’m gonna be ready fer it. I used to git it before I went into the Cage. It’s the red hot. It’s on the rise.
“Let’s git down there,” I says.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
We keep low. Me an Arrow an Pike an Epona run between the rows of chaal bushes. We duck unner the irrigation troughs. We reach the edge of the open space. We crouch down behind the chaal bushes. They’re so thick with leaf that they give us real good cover. The slaves seem to be in a frenzy. They leap over the firebuckets. They dance an chant an leap an spin. The drums vibrate inside me. The stomp of hooves shakes the ground. The flutes squeal. The sweet smell of burnin chaal leaf fills the air.
Ruby Pinch sits in his shiny shimmerin throne. Blaze stands to one side of him. There’s another Tonton on his other side. Pinch is holdin somethin in his hoof that looks like a big horn. He lifts it in front of his mouth. I see his lips movin, like he’s sayin somethin, but there’s too much noise with the drums an chantin. Blaze whips a weird looking shooter out from inside his robe. Shoots it into the air. Three times. The shots crack through the air with a little flash. It’s such a shock that everythin stops. Jest like that. The drums, the dancin, the chantin.
“That ain’t no bolt shooter!” I whisper to Arrow.
“It’s a firestick,” says Arrow. “Stay outta its way, whatever you do.”
The slaves face the platform, pantin fer breath. Their faces an coats shine with sweat by the firelight an their eyes gleam, all wildlookin. Pinch speaks into the horn.
“Foals of Light!” he cries. “Behold your King!”
His voice rings out through the valley. The slaves roar, punchin their fists into the air.
“Your King is all powerful! All wise! All merciful!”
With each thing he says, they roar in reply.
“He is the fountain of life! The source of plenty! The earth herself bows to his will!”
“He’s crazy,” says Epona.
“Crazy like a fox,” says Pike.
“Foals of Light!” Pinch cries. “Tonight! In this place! On this midsummer eve! Our mother, the goddess Celestia’s sun, high in the sky, reaches the height of her powers. And tonight! The life force of the Winter-born Prince reaches its peak! Goddess Celestia’s sun! Goddess Luna’s moon! Their power is your King’s power! Tonight that power shall be one! They will be joined by fire! And your King will be born again!”
He throws his hooves out wide. The slaves go wild. I recognize the names he says, I remember stories my mum told me about two sister princesses who ruled the land before even the Wrecker times.
“Look!” hisses Epona. “Over at the Palace!”
I jam the looker to my eyes. A group of Tonton move down the steps an start down the path. They march along, two by two. The first four light the way with torches. The next four carry a stallion on a wood board thing their shoulders, laid out flat. The torchlight glints on a long gold and red plait.
It’s Sun.
“It’s him,” I whisper. “It’s Sun. He’s alive.”
An suddenly the tears come. I bin holdin it in so long. I bin lookin fer him so long. Arrow pulls me into his arms. Holds my face into his shoulder. My body shakes with silent sobs.
“Shhh,” he says. “Not now. This ain’t the time. Stop it, Moon.”
I lift my head. “I was afeared he was dead,” I says. “I never said so, but—“
“I know,” Arrow says, “I know. But he’s alive an we’re gonna git him outta here right now. All right?”
I take in a couple of deep breaths. Push away from him. Wipe my eyes. “Sorry,” I says. “Yeah. All right.”
“Okay, everypony,” says Arrow, “this is it. I’ll take the looker now. If me an Epona’s gonna create a diversion, we’ll need to git the timin jest right. Good luck, everypony. Make the most of any chance you git, but be careful. See you at the storage sheds.”
“Let’s git these bastards,” says Pike.
Arrow an Epona peel away to the left. Me an Pike go right. We’re headed in the direction of the Palace. We duck along the rows of chaal bushes at top speed, keepin outta sight. We stop where the chaal fields end an the gardens of the Palace begin. We crouch down behind the bushes at the side of the path. They’re gonna hafta go right past us to git to the platform. The Tonton party carryin Sun is skirtin around the fountain.
They start to march along the path, through the middle of the gardens, two by two. Four torch bearers at the front. Four carryin Sun. Six bringin up the rear. They march to the beat of the drums. An they chant as they march. The same chant as the crowd of slaves. The two Tonton at the very back of the group lag behind the rest a bit.
“Those’re our colts,” says Pike.
The Tonton’s in the orchard now. We watch as the torches bob along. They’ll be with us in a minute or so. “Ready?” I whisper.
“Ready,” Pike says.
We crouch down low. We each slide a length of nettlecord rope outta our pockets. The four torchbearers march past. Their hooves shake the ground. Their chants fill the air. Strange words I ain’t never heard before. Their robes brush aginst the bushes. I can feel the warmth of their bodies. I can smell ’em. The next four march past. The ones carryin Sun. I jest catch a glimpse of him. His eyes is closed. He moves his head from side to side, restless. My heart turns over. It looks like they drugged him. Here come the last six Tonton. We wait. I count ’em off in my head. Two, four.
A pause.
Then the last two Tonton come past. Me an Pike slip onto the path behind ’em. We move without a sound. My heart’s bangin so hard in my chest, it feels like it’s gonna smash right through my ribs. I hold the rope in my magic. Pike gives me the nod. We throw our ropes over the Tontons’ heads. Yank it tight around their throats an drag ’em offa the path into the bushes. They’re so surprised that they come without a fight. Pike lifts his bolt shooter high. One, two—he coshes ’em on the head with the butt. They’re out cold.
“The best place to git up to mischief,” says Pike, “is in a noisy crowd.”
The colts appear to have similar coat colours to us, which is a stroke of luck. We strip ’em. We truss ’em up, stuff a cloth into their mouths an leave ’em in the bushes, outta sight. We pull their black robes an breastplates over our own clothes. We check that our crossbows an quivers cain’t be seen. My robe’s way too long.
“Allow me,” says Pike. He grabs hold of his knife an slashes the button of the cloak off. Then we run to catch up with Sun’s escort.
Pike turns to me and grins. His teeth flash white in the torchlight. His eyes spark with excitement. He looks dangerous. So far, so good. It’s all gone accordin to plan. Me an Pike managed to join the Tonton. But this is where the plan ends. From now on, we gotta wing it. Jest like Arrow said. We march along the path, through the chaal fields towards the platform. We reach the edge of the open space. It’s jam packed an heavin with the hot sweaty bodies of the dancin slaves. The drums beat faster an faster. The slaves stamp their feet an chant. The noise is deafenin.
The four Tonton torchbearers push their way into the middle of the crowd, shoutin an shovin the dancin slaves aside, clearin the way to bring Sun through. Then we close ranks an ram our way through the crowd as one unit, with me an Pike bringin up the rear. Close up, the sour smell of unwashed bodies fills my nostrils. Makes me gag. We reach the stairs to the platform. We’re goin up the stairs. We’re on the platform. Pike an me shrink down inside our hoods. I throw a quick glance at Ruby Pinch. At King Sombra reborn. He sits on his thronein his silver blue robes, starin out at the heavin, chantin crowd. No expression on his shimmerin gold face.
The four Tonton carryin Sun march over to the sandpit. As they set him down, his knees give an his head lolls forward. They quickly catch him an stand him up on his hind legs with his back aginst the pole. They tie him to it. Then they start to lay dry kindlin at his hooves. Sun faces out towards the crowd. All he wears is a cape which flaps about him in the breeze that’s picked up. His eyes is still closed. His head hangs to one side, but I can see his lips movin. Without thinkin, I start towards him.
Pike grabs me. “Wait,” he hisses. “Watch.”
There’s movement all over the platform. The Tonton finish tyin Sun to the pole. They jam their lit torches around the edge of the sandpit. Then they hurry to line up on both sides of the pit. Two groups of seven, one on each side. In the confusion, Pike an me manage to git ourselves on the end of the rows, closest to the pit. We’re the closest to Sun. Pike on one side. Me on th’other. Make the most of any chance you git.
Drums beat, feet stamp, voices chant. The earth shakes. Ruby Pinch, the Crystal King, sits in his throne, raised up behind us on the small platform. He’s flanked by Blaze an another Tonton guard.
Blaze an th’other Tonton help Pinch to his Hooves. “Now!” Pinch screams. “Light the fire!”
He rears an lifts his head to the night sky. The Tonton beside us stomp their hooves. They chant an sway. Sweat runs down the back of my neck. We need Arrow an Epona to make their diversion. Now.
“C’mon, Arrow! Where are you?” I whisper to myself. I look over at Pike, hidden by the hood of my robe.
“Light the fire!” Pinch yells agin.
Pike nods. Him an me step into the sandpit. We take a couple of the torches. The crowd’s still chantin an dancin an drummin. They don’t seem to be payin that much attention to what’s goin on on the platform.
“Can you cover me while I cut him free?” I give Pike my torch. Lucky fer me he’s so big. He shields me with his robes as I duck down.
“Make it fast,” he says. “If we don’t light this fire, they’ll start wonderin what’s wrong.”
My knife’s sharp. It quickly slices through the rope holdin Sun’s hindlegs.
“Quick!” Pike hisses.
“I gotta free his forelegs,” I says.
C’mon, Arrow. The diversion! What’re you waitin fer?
“Light the fire!” Pinch screams agin.
At that moment, a siren wails across the valley. The same one that called the workers in from the fields earlier. A quick glance over my shoulder. The irrigation troughs all over the field start to bust open. Fast. One after another. Water sprays out in great gushes, silver in the moonlight. All over the chaal fields, the water troughs an channels blast open, over flowin, collapsin. Arrow’s diversion. It’s a flood. The end of Pinch’s precious crop. I work quickly at the ropes tyin Sun’s forelegs.
Ruby Pinch screams in fury. “Guards! Guards! Move, you fools! Move!”
Around us, all the Tonton start to run. Rushin down the stairs, leapin offa the platform, they disappear into the fields to try an stop it. I slice through the last rope tyin Sun’s forelegs to the pole. Pike heaves Sun over his back.
“Go!” I says.
Then it all happens in a flash. Blaze an th’other Tonton’s still standin beside Pinch. They suddenly notice what we’re up to. As Pikeke gallops across the platform with Sun, the hood of my robe falls back. Blaze clocks me. Our eyes meet. Then he turns away.
At the same time, Pinch points at me an screams, “Seize her! Seize her!”
Th’other Tonton guard leaps from the platform. Comes at me. As I grab a lit torch from the sandpit with my magic an throw it at him. He ducks. The torch lands on the edge of Pinch’s shimmmering robe. Flames race up the material. He screams an beats at the flames. I don’t stop to see what happens next. I leap down the stairs an into the middle of the crowd. The slaves is too chaaled up to do anythin. Most of them’s still dancin an chantin. Others sit on the ground or stand there, lookin confused, with foolish smiles on their faces. Then I’m away. I race through the chaal fields. Stayin low, keepin unner cover. I head towards the Palace an the storage sheds.
When I reach the shed, Ash’s got our weapons ready an waitin. Arrow’s already there, bow and arrows ready in his magical grasp. Pike’s movin Sun into a better position on his back, and Ash ties ropes around him to keep him steady. His head lolls forwards onto his chest. I run over an grab his hoof.
“Sun!” I cry.
“No time fer that,” says Arrow.
“Moon! Here!” Ash tosses me my bow an quiver an a sword. “We did it! You got him!” Her an Pike weapon up, ready to leave.
“Let’s go!” I says.
As we wheel around, Ash yells, “Wait! Where’s Epona?”
“She was right behind me!” Arrow says. “Leave her bow! She’ll catch us up!”
“We cain’t leave without Epona!” I says.
“Moon!” he shouts it at me. “We cain’t wait! C’mon!”
We all gallop outta the storage yard an up the hill behind the Palace. I bring up the rear. At the top of the hill, I look back, expec-tin to see Epona hard on my tail. She ain’t there. But down below, a mob of Tonton’s runnin along the path from the fields towards the Palace. They’re in the orchard, in the gardens, racin around the fountain. An they’re chasin somepony.
It’s Epona.
I pull up. “Wait!” I yell at th’others. “They got Epona!”
They wheel around an come back. We got a full view from here on top of the hill but there’s good tree cover so we cain’t be seen. Epona reaches the Palace.
“I’m goin back fer her, help me untie Sun” says Pike.
Arrow grabs his shoulder. Stops him. “It’s too late,” he says.
I watch, my heart in my throat. Epona makes a leap at a drainpipe an grabs hold. She starts to shin up it, real fast. Two Tonton start to climb behind her. They’re heavier, not so nimble. Epona ain’t armed. She must of lost her knives somewhere.
“We gotta do somethin!” Ash says. “We cain’t jest leave her, they’ll tear her apart!”
We all look at each other. I can see in Pike an Arrow’s eyes what needs to be done. I swing my bow around, take it off.
“Go on,” I says. “I’ll catch you up.”
“No,” says Ash. “No. Oh please, no.”
“There ain’t no other way, Ash,” says Pike.
Arrow says, “Moon, why don’t you let me—“
“I said I’ll catch you up,” I says.
They hesitate, lookin at each other.
“Moon,” says Ash.
“Go!” I says.
They turn an leave. I pull a arrow from my quiver an fit it to the bowstring. My magic grasp is shakin. Epona’s on the flat roof. She runs around, lookin every which way fer escape, but she’s trapped. The two Tonton’s at the top of the drainpipe now. They pull theirselves onto the roof. They reach fer their shooters. Start to move slowly towards her. There’s more Tonton arrivin below. They move out to surround the Palace. Epona looks over her shoulder. Sees the two Tonton comin towards her. Epona looks over her shoulder, like she sees somethin behind her. She turns back agin. She sees me.
Suddenly Epona spots me at the edge of the trees. The world slams to a stop. There ain’t nuthin an nopony else. Jest Epona an me an the sound of my heart.
Beat, beat, beat.
She nods. An it all happens slowly. So slow, I can see the blink of her eyelids. I can see her lips move as she takes in a breath. She starts to run towards me. She lifts forelegs high an lifts her face up to the sky. Tears blur my sight. I wipe ’em away. I lift my bow. I take aim. Epona smiles. She leaps offa the roof. She soars through the air. Fer one last moment, she’s free.
That’s when I shoot her.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Th’others is gone on ahead with Sun. Ash waits fer me. The clouds clear from infront of the moon. I see the tear tracks down her face.
“Hawks take care of each other,” she says. “No matter what that means. It should of bin me did it, not you. But I … I’m sorry, Moon. I’m sorry.”
“She was here because of me,” I says. “I had to be the one. It’s right that it was me.”
The clouds lift completely. The wind dies down. It’s a beautiful, clear midsummer night. We gallop north at a good pace. Head fer the meetin point where we sent Tommo an Penny Rose to wait fer us. We move downhill, outta the mountains the whole time. As we drop down, the ground changes. It’s drier, rockier. The trees is smaller now. Scrubby pine, juniper an some cottonwood. It didn’t take long fer me an Ash to catch up with Arrow an Pike.
Sun ain’t woke up yet. He slumps heavily on Pike’s back. I gallop next to Pike, and can hear his breathin. Sun’s here. I got him. He’s safe. I cain’t quite believe it. I dreamed of this so many times. Lived fer this moment, only this moment, fer so long. With a cold emptiness inside of me. A Sun-shaped space that cain’t be filled by nopony else. An now he’s here, back with me, everythin should be okay agin.
But it ain’t. My whole body’s numb. Epona. Fer the rest of my life, every time I close my eyes I’m gonna see her leapin offa that roof. I’ll hear the sound of the arrow singin outta my bow towards her heart. Arrow falls back to gallop beside me.
“Are you all right?” he says.
I says naught.
“Nopony should ever hafta do what you did,” he says. “I know it don’t feel like that now, but you did the right thing by her. The merciful thing.”
“It ain’t right,” I says. “She’d be alive now if it warn’t fer me. She should never of left Darktrees.” My voice comes out thick, clogged.
“Epona made her own decisions,” says Arrow. “She wanted to come. She knew the risks. We all did. Nopony blames you.”
“I’m sick of death,” I says. “I seen too much of it.”
“We all have.” He reaches out, nuzzles my cheek. “It’s gonna be okay, Moon.”
“This ain’t finished yet,” I says. “They’re gonna come after us. I’m right, ain’t I?”
“Most likely,” he says. “But me an Pike figger we got a good couple of hours’ head start. Pinch ain’t gonna go nowhere till he gits the floods in the chaal fields unner control.”
“I set him on fire,” I says. “Accidentally.”
“Nice touch,” he says. “Don’t s’pose you could of killed him?”
“What was it Pike said? The devil ain’t so easy to kill? No. I don’t think so.”
“Too bad,” he says. “Still, it might buy us a bit of extra time.”
I take a deep breath. Sit up straighter. “Let him come,” I says. “I ain’t come all this way jest to let that bastard win.”
“That’s the spirit,” he says. “That’s my girl.”
We gallop on in silence.
“Moon?” Sun’s voice. Hoarse. Confused. “Moon? Is that you?”
A jolt goes through my heart, Pike an I slow. “Sun,” I says. “It’s me. I’m here. I got you out.”
“Yer really here,” he whispers.
Tears start to my eyes. “He’s awake!” I call out. “Sun’s awake!” I stop, as does Pike. Him an me’s been travellin at the rear. Th’others wheel around an gallop back to join us.
“D’you think you can stand?” Arrow says to Sun, untying him. “I’ll help you.”
“Who’re you?” says Sun.
“I’m Arrow. A friend of Moon’s.”
“I’m another one,” Ash says. “The name’s Ash.”
“Me too,” says Pike. “Pike Appletree.”
Sun glances around. “I never knew you had so many friends,” he says to me. “Thank you. Thank you all.”
Arrow helps him down off Pike’s back.
“We’ll leave you two to say hello,” he says.
After they’ve moved away outta earshot, it’s jest me an Sun. We look at each other. We stare at each other fer a long long moment by the bright white light of the midsummer moon. His face looks thinner. He looks older. Harder. My heart twists. My golden brother. Still so beautiful. But changed. He ain’t that Silverlake colt no more.
“Are y’all right?” I says.
“A bit dizzy,” he says. “But … yeah, I’m … I’m good.”
“Good. I …” Tears start to my eyes. Roll down my cheeks. I dash ’em away. “Sorry it took me so long,” I says. “I got … delayed.”
There’s tears on his face too. He takes a couple of steps towards me. Sits. Holds out his forelegs. I run at him. I throw my forelegs around him. I hug him to me fiercely. I’m weepin. Sun’s forelegs go around me slowly. Lightly. Like he ain’t quite sure I’m real.
“Am I dreamin?” he says.
“No,” I says. “No. It’s real. I’m real. Here. Feel.” I hug him even tighter. Then he clutches me to him. We hang on tight. “I found you,” I says. “I said I would an I did. I did. I found you.”
“They told me you was dead,” says Sun. “They said they killed you an Penny Rose.”
“An you believed ’em?” I says.
“Not at first I didn’t,” he says. “At first, I kept thinkin … she’ll be here soon. She said she’d find me. She always keeps her word, she’ll find a way. So I waited fer you. I waited an I hoped an I kept on hopin … fer a long time. But you didn’t come. An I thought … I know Moon. She’s so gawdam stubborn th’only thing that ’ud keep her from comin is if she was dead. That’s when I started believin what they told me. An then I stopped hopin. That was the worst bit. When I thought you was dead. When I didn’t have no hope.”
“You really think death ’ud keep me from findin you?” I says. “You know me better’n that.”
“I do,” he says. “Guess I shouldn’t of bin so impatient. Is Penny okay?”
“She’s fine,” I says. “Still annoyin.” I touch his cheekbone. His birthmoon tattoo jest like mine. “Did they hurt you?” I says.
“No,” he says. “I mean, not … nopony laid a hoof on me. I never bin fed so well in my life.” Suddenly, it’s like he properly notices me. “What happened to yer mane?” he says.
I’d fergot all about my mane an tail bein shaved so short. I run a hoof over it. It feels a fair bit longer, an much softer. Must of grown some since I left Hopetown. But I won’t tell him about the Cage. Or anythin else. “Not now. It’s a long story,” I says. “I’ll tell you later.”
“It suits you.” There’s a pause. Then he says, “you look different.”
“I know,” I says. “My mane.”
“No,” he says. “It’s more’n that. It’s … you. You’ve changed, Moon.”
“The day the Tonton came to Silverlake, everythin changed,” I says.
“Guess we’ll jest hafta git to know each other all over agin.”
“Guess we will,” I says.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It’s bin two hours or so since we left Freedom Fields. Now that Sun’s regained his strength an is able to gallop with us, we’re coverin more ground.
“Meetin point’s jest ahead,” says Pike in a low voice.
We’re comin up to the Wrecker tire dump where Penny an Blade’s gonna be waitin with the rest of our stuff. It’s a big one. A hunnerd foot ahead, the piles loom high in the darkness by the side of the trail. Pike holds up a hoof an we stop. He does a high pitched squeak like a bat. It’s the signal to let Penny know it’s us. When she hears it, she’ll do one back. That’s what we agreed.
There ain’t no answer. A shiver runs through me.
“Where are they?” Sun whispers.
Pike signals agin. Nuthin.
“C’mon, Penny,” Ash mutters.
Pike does the bat squeak once more. This time, there’s the soft sound of hoofsteps. Somepony steps out from between two hills of tires. It’s Blade. But there ain’t no sign of Penny. My heart clutches. We gallop to meet Blade. I’m the first over to him. The rest of em’s right behind me.
“Where is she? What happened?” I grab Blade’s shoulders.
The look on his face tells me what I already know. She didn’t make it this far. You can tell he’s bin cryin.
“You left together,” says Pike.” I saw you off safe. What happened?”
“Tell us, Blade,” I says. “Go on.”
“Penny made me turn back,” he says. “She wanted to wait. See Sun. I couldn’t make her go.”
“Gawdammit,” I says. “Why cain’t she ever do what she’s told?”
“So we see Sun an then Penny says let’s go,” says Blade. “But there’s a griffon Tonton flying above us, an he spots us… We ran, but… She got caught. Than another came. They took her,” he says. “I wanted to follow an git her back, but Pike, you said—“
“I said no matter what happens, keep on goin till you git to the meetin point,” says Pike. “An that’s what you did, son.” He pulls Blade in an gives him a hug.
“I’m sorry,” says Blade. “Sorry.”
“It’s okay,” I says. “You did the right thing.”
“Penny’s a good fighter,” he says. “She kicked the griffons. She yelled an hit ’em, hurt one of their wings badly, he couldn’t fly no more.”
Relief floods through me. I look at th’others. “She’s alive,” I says.
“You mean she was alive then,” says Sun. “If that bastard hurts her, I swear—“
“I don’t think he will,” says Arrow. “More likely he’ll use her to bargain with.”
“Bargain fer what?” I says.
“Yer guess is as good as mine,” he says. He looks up at the moon. “Time’s movin on. They’ll be after us by now an they’ll follow our trail easy enough. We ain’t bin hidin our tracks.”
“I want Penny back,” says Sun.
“We all do,” says Arrow.
“So we’ll meet ’em,” I says. “We’ll meet Ruby Pinch an the Tonton. We’ll git Penny Rose back.”
“But we decide the where an the when,” says Arrow. “We find somewhere to take a stand.”
“What’s a stand?” says Blade.
“It’s when you meet yer enemy on yer own terms, son,” says Pike. “Not let him hunt you down like a beast.”
“I don’t like the odds,” says Ash. “At Freedom Fields, at least they wasn’t expectin us.”
“What else can we do?” says Sun. “We cain’t jest march up to him an demand that he hands Penny over. This way, at least we got a chance.”
“You think so?” she says.
There’s silence. We’re all thinkin the same thing. That this is a different order to anythin we’ve bin through so far. My stummick’s squeezed tight.
“No point pretendin it’s gonna be easy,” says Arrow.
“It ain’t possible,” says Ash.
“It ain’t impossible,” he says. “Nuthin’s impossible.”
Without thinkin, I glance up at the sky. As if Nero might be flyin across the moon at this very moment. But there ain’t no black crow comin to save us.
“I say we do it,” I says. “I say we take a stand.”
“Where?” says Sun.
“Pine Top Hill,” says Arrow. “Due north of here.”
“If you gotta take a stand,” says Pike, “you could do a lot worse.”
“You can see anypony comin at you from a long way off. There’s a good slope on it fer the last hunnerd foot,” says Arrow. “An if I remember rightly, it’s loose rock. Bad ground fer goin fast. They won’t be able to charge at us uphill. An there’s a lot of open space all around will make it easy to pick off any fliers with arrows.”
“Well we wanna be set up there well before they show,” says Ash.
“Then what’re we waitin fer then?” says Sun. “Let’s go.”