//------------------------------//
// Chapter 4: The Long Road to Baltimare 
// Story: War Machine 
// by DannyJ 
//------------------------------//

A panting Starlight lumbered down the path in front of him. The road was even worse than he had imagined. Rocks protruded from a thin layer of grainy dirt that marked the loose trail. The spiky death-traps were all over the place, threatening to drive right into his flesh if he took his eyes off the ground for even a second. On top of that, the raw gusts of high-altitude wind constantly beat him, slowing him and Ambition even further.

The trail hugged the mountain's side and spiraled around it. While at some point lower down it would surely open out onto larger cliffs, meeting the train tracks and the main road again, right now it was dangerously narrow. Starlight had been on the precipice of a lethal fall for the entirety of the trip so far. In the place of a proper railing was a crumbling stone wall that would be right at home in some half-buried ancient ruins. When combined with the uneven ground and his hobble of a walk, there could be no denying the danger of the situation.

Though, there was one redeeming factor, he supposed. The view to his right side was breathtaking. It was like looking down at a highly detailed three-dimensional map. He could spend over an hour just picking out the different landmarks that dotted the landscape below. Even the view of the lower parts of the mountain was nice. As unnerving as it was to look over the edge, it was almost worth it to see the great rivers and waterfalls further down, which originated all the way up in the city and would eventually lead down to Canterlot Basin.

Unfortunately, Starlight couldn't help but keep his eyes on the ground immediately in front of him. Beautiful as it was, he couldn't walk and admire the scenery at the same time without his nerves getting the better of him, forcing himself to instead keep his attention was on the hazardous ground.

"I need to take a break..." he said, coming to a stop by the side of the road.

Starlight leaned against the mountainside and breathed deeply, taking a moment to look out over Equestria. He heard the low rumbling of Ambition's voice in his head, answering him.

For the fifth time, no. It's been ten minutes and you've been going at the speed of snail the entire time. I mean, come on. I knew you were some hardcore nerd, but this is ridiculous.

Starlight gritted his teeth. "Well, maybe if we didn't go down this Celestia-forsaken 'road', we would be making some actual progress!"

What? Haven't you been on a hiking trail before?

"No, I haven't, but I'm pretty sure that they can't all be absurd death traps! Have you even taken a look at my surroundings?"

He gestured to the edge of the path and the sheer drop below. Almost as if to illustrate his point, a large chunk of stone broke away from the crumbly wall and tumbled down out of sight.

Yes. Well enough to see that you're overreacting. It's perfectly safe. It even has a wall to make sure clutzes like you don't fall and die. Sure, it might be a bit rough, but it's not going to kill you. If anything, this is helpful. Maybe you'll finally learn how to man up.

"What does that even mean? What the hell is a man?"

It means to toughen up and stop acting like you're five. God, I really have a lot of work to do with you.

Starlight scoffed.

"Yes, because ignoring obvious dangers and being reckless is so adult."

There is a fine line between being aware of a danger and needless bitching.

Starlight stomped the ground with his larger foreleg in preparation for a retort. Instead, he yelped out in pain and collapsed onto the dusty trail as he accidentally drove a rock into the underside of his hoof. His eyes watered as he pulled himself up and removed it.

"Owww!" Starlight yelled, tightly holding his throbbing hoof. "Y-you see! This is what happens when we traverse a minefield of a road like this! It's not safe to put my hooves on! Now I'll be stranded here until my wound heals!"

Oh, come on! What wounds? You're not even bleeding! We're not losing time because you can't handle hitting your hoof against a rock! Get up and stop being a wimp!

"I understand the severity of the situation, I really do, but I simply need a moment. Surely we can spare at least that!"

No. We can't spare a moment. I don't think you understand just how fast the Purifiers work. It kind of borders on unreal.

"If I remember correctly, you claimed that they wouldn't be able to find us if we went this way," Starlight growled, glaring at his own horn.

It doesn't matter what I told you. What matters is what I'm telling you right now, which is to get your ass in gear and cover as much distance as you can before night comes. You can rest as much you want then.

"Fine," he conceded.

Starlight firmly believed that a pony of his caliber shouldn't have to take orders, and shouldn't need to be told what to do. Still, he definitely saw reason behind what Ambition said, and it wasn't really following orders if he was doing it for his own reasons. If the Purifier HQ was really in Canterlot, they needed to get as far away from the city as soon as possible. It just made sense. He would have to somehow bear the pain and exhaustion and soldier on. But he wasn't doing it because Ambition told him so. He was doing it because he came to the same conclusion independently and agreed with the assessment. Clearly.

Attaboy. Make me proud.

The aching unicorn climbed back into a wobbly standing position, shook the dirt off, and continued trudging down the trail.

Starlight had started off weak and continued to be so. Humiliating and bruising falls were commonplace. The kind of terrain he was on was virtually nonexistent in the real Canterlot. Before, the choppiest surfaces he had experienced were the occasional badly-maintained cobblestone walkways. But as he spent more time on his journey, he became more accustomed to the road and keeping his balance.

Once two painful hours had dragged by, he stopped falling for good. The rocks started to become less threatening once he learned how to keep his steps high and stay away from the edges of the trail, where the rocks were in much higher concentration. He could even go for periods where he didn't have to look at the ground. With his grand conquering of the road, it was more or less smooth sailing. His pace became strong, or at least as strong as his stumbling gait ever could get anyways.

Time flew by, and every so often Starlight would look up at the sky to see how long he had left until nightfall. It was already late when they had left the city, but now it was rapidly approaching sunset. If anything, the view was even more gorgeous in the waning daylight. It allowed Starlight to relax his mind somewhat, even if the ever-present threat of walking the mountain trail in the dark if they didn't move fast enough loomed over them.

Then fatigue seemed to catch up with Starlight. He had been at least slightly panting the whole way down, more than once having to wipe off sweat before it poured into his eyes. It had been inconvenient, but now his pace was starting to deteriorate. The sweat was actually running out, now only a dried, salty residue strewn about his fur. Blurred vision and lightheadedness even started to emerge. His body was like a rubber band that was gradually being stretched too far. A breaking point had to be reached eventually.

The unicorn's drenched and aching body gasped for air as it dropped down onto a patch of soft grass, and his eyes remained wide open and watering as he stared over the edge at Canterlot Basin, now so close he could almost taste it. After hours of trooping downwards, he had finally reached the bottom, but at some cost. He didn't know if he could get up. He didn't know if he could even survive this. Literally running out of sweat was usually a sure sign that a pony was close to death.

Starlight rolled onto his back and looked up in awe at the Equestria's crown jewel, halfway up the great mountain. The looming, deep-purple body of rock was overwhelmingly huge from this perspective, forcing the unicorn to tilt his head back as much as he possibly could to see the lofty snow-capped peak. It had taken him hours of constant descent just to get here from its midpoint. He gave a defeated smile. As possibly the last thing he ever saw in this life, he couldn't really complain. It looked pretty.

While looking to the higher parts of the world, he also saw the fiery hues of sunset starting to build up in the western half of the sky. Night would be arriving soon. Starlight waited to get his breathing under control and tried to speak, but only let out a weak croak. He decided to communicate by thought instead.

This looks to be a good stopping point for the day.

No, it isn't. One, we have plenty of daylight left. Two, this spot is waaay too open. And three, we might have a lot more vertical distance from Canterlot, but horizontally we still have a ways to go.

Starlight rolled over onto his side and moaned.

"With the energy I have right now, there's no physical way. I can't keep up a brisk walk. I would basically be limping."

Then limp! Just keep moving! If we can't reach the forest south of here soon, there's no doubt they'll see us.

Starlight ignored the command and instead closed his eyes. He knew that this situation was nothing to take lightly, but he was sure this investment of time in resting would pay off. Surely a short nap wouldn't put that much of a dent in their time. He smiled again as he drifted off, completely forgetting that he still lay in the middle of a road.


***


Starlight awoke to the sound of his own voice.

"Yeah, I completely feel you. Sure, the main road is a bit more maintained, but going down the trail is so worth it. It just feels so much more... natural going down a loose road, you know?"

"Sure do," a feminine voice responded in a clear country accent. "It's good to see that folk from the city can appreciate nature."

Starlight had been in this situation before. This time, instead of a griffon bar, he found himself on the open road, sitting on the front bench of a rickety wagon. Although from his current point of view he was limited to an expanse of flat, grassy ground with a few isolated patches of wild flowers, the sound of rummaging of hollow barrels in the back made it apparent that they were hitchhiking on some type of cargo vehicle.

Several thoughts came to him in rapid succession.

His first thought was to go back to sleep. Night had yet to come, but he still wanted to get back to his nap and sleep off his exhaustion. His second thought was to notice that he actually no longer felt so battered or exhausted at all. In fact, he felt like he'd drank, eaten and rested recently, and the various pains from earlier accidents had already faded. Really, he felt much more lively. Perhaps he could take control again again now.

His third thought was to dismiss his second. He felt less tired, but he figured it might be a good idea to go back to sleep anyway. Even if it wasn't nighttime, it was rapidly approaching. Besides, Ambition looked to have the situation under control. He had taken care of their body, arranged transport, and was conversing with a mare right now. It would be nice to let him take responsibility for a while after a whole day of suffering on his behalf.

His fourth thought was a tinge of panic that dug into his skin when he suddenly remembered that Ambition, the same being who had used hijacked bodies to murder over two dozen ponies in the last couple of days, was in control of his body. What was he thinking? He couldn't trust this monster to take charge for a second. Who knew what he planned to do with this mare?

Starlight fully came back to the waking world screaming.

I would like control back immediately!

Oh, you're awake. It's about time. Here, take it. Oh, and a 'thank you' would be nice. With this ride I got us, we'll reach the forest in no time. All you have to do is sit back, relax, and enjoy the countryside. Maybe enjoy some pleasant conversation. Her name is Cherry Blossom. I think she likes you. Well, she likes me anyway, because I'm charming like that. Make a move if you are so inclined, and don't say I don't ever do anything for you.

Starlight regained control with a jolt. Experimentally, he stretched out his back and forelegs to get the hang of things again, staring at his own hooves and checking for blood.

Uh... thank you. You haven't killed anypony... have you?

Of course not. You've been out for less than an hour. Calm down.

"It's a bit hard to do that when I'm stuck with an unstable, psychotic demon!" Starlight shouted out, before quickly clamping his hooves over his mouth.

Real smooth there, partner.

This accidental outburst quickly earned him a stare from the earth pony mare sitting opposite him and a backward glance from the stallion pulling the wagon.

Starlight was forced to pay attention to the other passenger for the first time so far. He noted her cutie mark of a double cherry coupled with a golden bit, as well as the brown ten-gallon hat on her head and weathered red bandana tied around her neck. All were obvious signs that he was dealing with some kind of uncultured hick. This wagon, he further surmised, was returning from Canterlot after either delivering or selling a large amount of cherries. They were probably now heading back to whatever farm this mare spent her life working on instead of getting an education.

"Oh, sorry. I was... simply thinking, about..." Starlight tried to recall the last thing she said before Ambition gave up control. "...About my partner. He detests nature. I wouldn't want to bore you with the details, though. Sorry. Forgive my outburst."

The mare raised one eyebrow at him.

"Well, that's a real shame..." she replied, seeming unsure of her words. "Say, is somethin' wrong? You sound... different."

Starlight hadn't expected observation skills of this level from his adversary. She not only had suspicions about his partner story but also noticed the slight change in diction between him and Ambition. He had to step up his game.

"Ah, you're starting to see the side effects now. I feared as much."

"Oh, my. You're not gonna need to get to a hospital, are ya?" Cherry asked, the skepticism in her tone fading as she placed a hoof on his shoulder.

Starlight shook his head.

"No, I'm quite alright. Well, physically at least. You see, I forgot to bring along my medication, which keeps me under a sort of light sedation. I see that's worn off. It's really rather sudden. The upside to this is that I have more cognitive function and am more myself, but the downside is, well... sort of frightening. I might do some extremely erratic things."

She gave him an apologetic smile.

"I reckon that's why you shouted out that nonsense a second ago. Darn, that sure sounds rough. Sorry if I offended ya."

The idiot took Starlight's story without a question, which wasn't really her fault. After all, it was good enough to fool Celestia herself.

"Not at all. I'll just remain silent, so as not to rile myself up any."

Cherry Blossom nodded and turned back to face the darkening road.

"Sure thing. Just tell me if ya need anything."

Great work there, Master Ruseman. I'm slightly proud of you, even if you did make yourself sound like a mental patient.

Starlight snagged a canteen and some alfalfa jars from his bags. He could finally have some time to relax and recuperate.

His meal was short and furious. Usually he would eat a meal like dinner in a slow, dignified manner. He had to show his superior table manners when with company. Given the setting, however, he was beyond caring today. He shoveled it down and tried to remind himself that he couldn't show a lack of table manners when there was no table either. The bumpkin beside him still dared laugh, for which he would have retaliated for if she hadn't given him tribute in the form of about a dozen cherries.

Once he had more than his fill, Starlight slumped back and watched the countryside roll by. It took him about five minutes to figure out that mindlessly gazing at the landscape was painfully boring. It was unchanging to an unsettling degree. He could have been staring at a big green piece of paper if not for the trees in the distance. A few wildflower patches broke the monotony every once and a while, but even they started to become repetitive. He could now see why stupid ponies were attracted to rural areas. Their surroundings were so simple and provoked so little thought, it was perfect for them.

I think that once we get all of this over with, I should write a book. I'll call it Musings of the World's Most Stuck-Up Unicorn. I can see that thing getting published in a heart-beat.

I don't see how making logical connections makes me 'stuck-up'. I'm simply stating facts.

Oh! Another quote for the book!

Starlight huffed. He didn't even know why he bothered carrying on conversations with the soulless monster. He surely had better ways to entertain himself.

With nothing to do but stare at the cooling sky, the hours dragged by. Actually, dragged was an understatement from Starlight's perspective. The hours were more being scraped against a bed of nails, occasionally pulling its blood-stained self out to achieve a miniscule amount of progress. Starlight found himself pining for the mountain trail, where at least the constant stinging pain provided a distraction and there was something nice to look at. Now all he had to do was idly sit against old rotten piece of wood, and all he had to look at were the same dull sights, only with increasingly less light to see them by.

He looked into the opening of his saddlebag and sighed. He had packed in as many food and water containers as was physically possible, but didn't even think to bring along one book. Maybe if he had brought along a survival guide of some sort, Ambition wouldn't have nagged him out about it.

I still would have.

Oh, great. It's always nice to have a reminder that I don't possess a single private sanctuary.

What? It's not like I listen to every last one of your thoughts. I just keep an ear out for mentions of anything important. That and your hilariously oblivious mental rants.

I see. Is that all you wanted to tell me?

No, actually. You might have noticed that this clunky old wagon is hardly even moving. Tell them to hurry it up. I would do it myself, but you complicated things with that story you made up.

Starlight glanced down at the ivory and tan meathead responsible for pulling the wagon, an earth pony just like Cherry. Decked out in the same accessories, he looked to be another rural simpleton. However, this one was most likely even worse. He didn't even have to learn basic math like the Cherry must have had to, if she was indeed a salespony as well as a farmer, as her cutie mark led Starlight to believe. All this guy had to do was pull a cart from point A to point B, which was a job most animals could do just as well, if not better.

Starlight hadn't noticed it before, but the driver was practically taking a slow stroll in the park. They had to be going less than walking pace. He couldn't even well perform his one exceedingly simple job. Ambition was right. This had to be fixed.

I agree, this cart could actually be getting us somewhere if that stallion responsible for pulling the cart would stop lazing about.

Great, remember to be assertive.

Starlight thought he heard Ambition snicker, but ignored it, cleared his throat and turned to face the mare. She probably had more influence on the beast below than he did.

"Excuse me, but we seem to be going painfully slow. How much do you pay that stallion?"

The driver looked back to scowl at him. Cherry, however, remained amiable enough and quickly responded.

"Oh, that fella's paid by the ranch, so I wouldn't really know. And sorry bout' the speed, but he looks like really tryin' his best."

"If this is his best, it's a miracle he got hired for this job in the first place," Starlight sneered. "Can you not get him to go faster?"

Okaaay, tone it down there, Mr. Rogers.

What? Did you not ask me to be assertive?

Yeah, A for effort and all, but we need to be on their good side.

I'm going to get my point across. Nothing more.

The mare frowned. "You sure you're not havin' another one of those episodes?"

"Yes, I'm sure! Now, please tell you're slacking partner over there to start earning his pay!"

"He's doin' just fine!"

"He's slacking off!"

Starlight…

Tension swiftly escalated between the two. Both were right in each other's faces, neither one relenting eye contact for even a moment.

"Says the pony who's just sittin' there, bein' deadweight! Show some gratitude!"

"I don't need some uneducated hick telling me what to do!"

Starlight, stop.

"Uneducated hick? I knew you Canterlot folk were all the same!"

"What? That we're all more intelligent and cultured?"

At this point, they were both practically butting heads.

"I'll tell ya what ya'll are! You're a buncha stuck-up, phony, head-in-the-clouds, know-it-all snobs!"

"Oh, now I see you've descended into petty insults!"

Starlight, seriously.

"Ya just called me a 'uneducated hick'!"

"Because that's what you are, and wasting my time trying to get you to see that is futile! Now for the third time, tell your partner to go faster!"

"If ya want'm to go faster, tell him yourself!"

"I will!"

You know, it's not too late to just apologize and continue getting a free ride.

Starlight immediately swung the squeaky wagon door out, seeing that the vehicle had now come to a halt, and leaped out, stumbling greatly from the fall. In less than a few seconds he stomped his way over to the stallion and gave him a dead eye stare.

"Move. Faster. Now."

The stout earth pony responded by smiling and taking off like a rocket down the road, leaving a slack-jawed unicorn behind in his dust. Starlight didn't shout or give chase to the quickly disappearing wagon. He instead just fell back onto the side of the road and curled up in a ball, not making a sound and staring off blankly into the distance.

This is your fault, you know! You could have actually listened!

Starlight didn't respond.

Oh, come on. It's fine.

Still nothing.

Okay, well, not really. You fucked up majorly back there. But that's not the point. Just get up and keep going forward. We're almost to the forest. It's going to be okay.

Okay? Okay? Everything was on that wagon! Everything! Those... those criminals just took all of my food and water! We've got nowhere to go to resupply, not without getting inevitably captured anyways! And this is all your fault! We could have simply enjoyed a leisurely train ride if you hadn't gone and murdered a senior Purifier officer in broad daylight!

We are not going to waste time doing some pointless 'who did what' game. If you want to count all my sins, you can do it at the end when we're not fleeing for our lives. You should be smart enough to know that arguing won't get us anywhere. Now are you going to stop having a fit, or do I have to walk your awkward body into the forest myself?

Starlight rose to his hooves. Seeing the dense treeline ahead, he sighed.

How am I supposed to get food and water in the forest? There won't be an inkling of civilization anywhere!

We'll just have to live off the land for a bit. 

What, like savages?

Pretty much, but for tonight we don't need to focus on that. You stuffed yourself pretty well on that wagon ride. Just follow the road a little ways up and you can have a good long rest.

I intend on it.

Starlight, now with some sort of tangible goal in sight, started at good canter towards the darkening treeline in the distance.


***


Starlight was slogging through a mass of overgrown ferns, bushes, and low-hanging branches. With every moment that he pushed deeper into the forest, he noticed a difference in the messy thickness of it all. Moving forward felt less like walking and more like digging a tunnel in an underground of green rock. He couldn't even use a simple light spell in the fear that it would help potential predators more than himself.

Night was in full swing, transforming the previous winter nip to a ferocious bite. What had been an inconvenience before quickly became a crippling obstacle. His whole body shivered in a futile attempt to maintain homeostasis, and his appendages were gradually turning numb. But what really tortured him the most were his his numerous scabs. The disgusting chips of flesh, when exposed to such frigid air, felt like several ultra sharp needles being poked into him all at once. It was only now that he truly appreciated what he'd had with the wagon.

"Please tell me we're far enough... I don't know how much more I can take," he gasped.

Hmm... We should be about a quarter of a mile away from the trail. We're pretty much in raw wilderness here. Let's set up.

Starlight reached a small clearing in the foliage and sat down to catch his breath.

"Set up?"

Yes, set up. Place down a sensor rune that will detect anyone trying to sneak up on our little camp here.

Starlight looked around the small clearing.

"That's... actually very doable. The radius will be short, but it's dependable and won't be affected by the foliage if I cast it right, which I will."

Good. Just make sure to etch it with half-inch lines. This is one of those weird runes that doesn't follow the standard 0.3 line thickness.

"I was planning on it."

Starlight got up and walked around the clearing, mentally working out where to place the runes, when he stopped in place and looked up at his forehead again.

"Hang on, where did you learn about rune construction?"

Oh, I learned all about 'em when I was in the mind of this one unicorn... I can't remember her name, but she was a real wiz with the things.

"I'm guessing this was before you were imprisoned?"

Right you are. Being inside a pony's head and having access to all their knowledge means that I collect a lot of it myself. I'll freely admit that I'm probably not actually that smart, but my technical knowledge and skills are unmatched. If you think me knowing about that rune was impressive, you'd go crazy if you saw some of my more advanced spells.

"What kind of advanced spells?" asked Starlight, scratching the floor with his hooves and keeping an eye on the trees.

Well, for one example, do you remember that spell I used to remove the scorch-mark back at the school? The one that drained most of your magic at the time?

"Yes..."

Localized time distortion spell. Literally reversed time for the scorch-mark so that it never existed. Can only manage it on a really small scale, of course, but still.

Starlight froze in place, his jaw almost dropping.

"Shut up! You're telling me that you know chronomancy?"

I knew the guy who invented it, so yes, I'm acquainted with the theory. It does take difficulty to pull off, though. A spell like that has a lot of moving parts.

"Chronomancy. Seriously?"

I'm proficient with most other forms of magic too. Pyromancy is easily my strongest suit, as you could probably tell by my appearance. I'm also pretty good with summoning and necromancy, but I don't have much use for those skills.

Starlight shook his head and went back to pacing around the clearing. He stopped at one point and placed a rock down. Then he picked up a nearby tree branch. He used his hoof to estimate the length of the branch and placed it on the ground.

"Hey, how is your spatial magic?" he asked without drawing his attention from the measurement.

Decent. Why?

Starlight reached the point he needed to and threw away the tree branch, marking a point on the ground by placing another rock.

"Could you help me out with my teleporting some time? I basically have it. It's just that some would say I haven't perfected it."

You bet your ass you haven't perfected it. You almost killed yourself the last time I saw you use it.

Starlight's cheeks reddened slightly.

"I was fleeing for my life. You should take that into account before so hastily judging my execution."

He could hear the spirit chuckling in his mind.

I'll tell you what. The first time we get a chance, I'll teach you how to teleport properly. But for now, you need to get the rune up and get a good rest. There'll be plenty of time tomorrow.

"I'll get right to it."

Once satisfied that he had the locations right, Starlight mentally ran through the process, recalling all his classes on the subject. After taking a few moments to calm himself and find his focus, he pointed his horn to the ground and etched a somewhat simple hexagonal symbol into the bare dirt with a thin laser beam, the edges of which were connected at the points he'd marked with the rocks. Once complete, the lines sprung to life, glowing with Starlight's magical aura. He removed the rocks and threw them away.

He fired another spell just to the right of the rune, a portable fire spell which he learned back in his first year of the academy. It was a simple, self-contained magical flame sustained by his own energy, not reliant on an outside fuel source. It was one of the most basic pyromancies, but that didn't diminish its usefulness. The warmth it gave off was all the shivering unicorn could have wished for at the moment.

Now that's an interesting one. It's like Sun Bringer's fire spell in function, but the structure is simpler. Seems like the magic was refined somewhat in the last thousand years.

Starlight raised a hoof and pointed it at himself, trying to emulate the gesture other ponies used when they gave him a stern lecture. The fact that Starlight had to point at himself rather than at any other tangible presence made it lose something.

"Before you demand I take this fire down, I'm going to already say no. If any agent gets close enough to detect it, they would have already picked up on our presence anyways."

No, I agree. I was actually just about to suggest this very spell. It's ideal for our circumstances, considering its smaller size and lack of smoke.

"Oh." Starlight awkwardly lowered his hoof. "Well... thank you. I suppose I'll get some rest now."

Just don't sleep past noon or something.

Starlight positioned himself close to the fire and got as cozy as he could on the dirty forest floor. Usually he would not stand for such obscene sleeping conditions, but then again, he wasn't feeling like he usually felt. He had experienced a lot of new things today, most of them agonizing. All he wanted to do was curl up by the fire and peacefully drift off to sleep, which is exactly what he did.


***


A hazy dream subsided and rapidly faded from memory. A nameless unicorn clutched at all the details he could reach, trying to keep them when he fell back to the real world. His thoughts were of shadowy figures in suits and masks, of a demonic, fiery ghost that stood on the other side of a classroom with a sinister grin, and of dark mare that watched him from the shadows. She was ever-present, but her features were vague. Soon, the dream's nameless protagonist forgot that she was even there, let alone what she looked like.

Then he forgot that he was not a nameless hero, like a brave knight of legend or a brilliant sorcerer, and remembered that he was merely Starlight. His armor and lance crumbled to dust, revealing a coat covered in scabs, and his spell-books burned in an inferno that consumed his surroundings. Figures approached through the flames. Starlight screamed and cried, before jolting awake with his eyes wide, white noise blasting in his ears.

Acting on the same reflexes which his alarm clock set off every morning, he lifted his upper body and reached over to turn off the nonexistent timepiece, only to hit his hoof against a stick. His mouth was agape as his mind tried to catch up with the situation. He turned his gaze over to the rune symbol in open dirt, which was, as he feared, flashing brightly to further get his attention. It was like he'd just been sentenced to death. A Purifier agent was within radius, probably poised to attack at just the right moment.

Starlight had never felt his heart beat so fast, even back on the mountain trail. Logically, he knew he should be doing something instead of just lying there there with his hooves over his head, but fear had frozen all movement save for quivering.

Hey! This is no time for fucking around! Move! Do something!

I-I can't! I c-can't fight! They'll k-kill me!" Starlight stuttered out loud, not having the focus to mentally say anything.

That's the thing! They won't kill you, but we can kill them! And remember, you have me! I have years and years of magical combat experience! I can advise you! And on top of all of that, this is probably just one scout! The odds are so stacked in your favor with this fight, the agent might as well be handing themselves to you on a silver platter!

Starlight's mind was a battlefield. Logic was trying its best to push back against the onslaught of fear that had washed over him. However, the points that Ambition had brought up were starting to turn the tides. Slowly but surely, logic started to regain its position. The trembling unicorn reluctantly rose to a standing position and looked around the curtain of darkness surrounding the clearing. It didn't take him long to spot the loose, shadowy form of a pegasus up in the tree branches. Starlight shot up a ball of light from his horn to better see what he was up against.

He immediately regretted it. The white magical glow illuminated the pony, except it wasn't a pony. Starlight had read about these types of creatures and had been unnerved by them even when they were just a text description to him. He'd even seen one once or twice during the rare times he was in the city after dark, as many of them comprised the night guard. That hadn't helped. And now he was staring directly at one of the crossbreeds known colloquially as batponies, its face obscured by a mask depicting a grinning crocodile, but its race still apparent by the bat wings and the dark gray coat that all of their kind seemed to have.

Thestral! We've got a thestral! Fire spells, Starlight! Burn the wings and take out its flight! They're useless on the ground!

The freak was perched on a thick branch above him, with its disgusting bat wings folded at its side. Even through the agent's crocodile mask, Starlight knew that its eyes were fixed on him, making the calculations necessary to swoop down and rip his throat right out of his neck. The vivid image of his mangled corpse took hold of his mind. In Starlight's mind, logic gurgled incoherently as a spear was thrust through its back, and fear screamed at him to run for his life.

Starlight's mad gallop to get away was the fastest he had ever gone. He didn't even check to see if the batpony had followed as he bolted off even deeper into the forest's thicket. He was certain that the crocodile agent was in pursuit, however. He could hear the disturbances in the tree branches right behind him.

You idiot!

There were few things going through Starlight's head. He knew he had to move forward and he knew he had to breathe. The fleeing unicorn was so absorbed in moving as far away from his pursuers as possible that he didn't even try to avoid the usual obstacles of the forest.

Soon his mane was tangled with briars, thorns decorated every square inch of his coat, some drawing blood, and his muscles were sore and tender from several bruises that he had earned from ramming into tree trunks. This also reminded him that his injuries from walking the mountain trail hadn't gone away. Some of the old bruises were still there and still hurt like hell. The scabs didn't help either, each of them screaming at him every time they scraped against something.

He ignored everything. All the pain, all the cold, and every angry message Ambition tried to get across to him. He had nothing close to an idea of where he was going. The concept of time had gone away. It was like he had turned off most of his senses and just let autopilot take over.

But as adrenaline started running low, consciousness began its return. It seemed like Starlight had managed to get away. Before, he had heard the rustling of tree branches above as monster gave chase. Now, there was nothing but the sound of his own gallop and the wind blowing against him. He had to be in the clear, so Starlight came to a halt and rested his tormented body against a smooth-barked tree. As his breathing slowed, he looked down at his own hooves with astonishment. The mixture of blood, dirt, and leaves that covered them looked absolutely savage.

See? It would have been so much easier if you would have just killed the guy! Now we're lost and have an even more crippled body! Thanks a lot!

"I was scared!" Starlight gasped. "I mean, I was rationally afraid! So I ran! Next time I'll fight... I swear it."

No, next time you won't fight. They'll be traveling in a full team. That scout was just one of member of it. We're not risking a fight like that in our current condition.

Starlight started hearing voices off in the distance behind the tree, along with the same rustling tree branch noise from earlier. He whimpered and crouched down as low as possible, hugging the tree.

"I can hear them! What am I to do?" he whispered. "I can't keep outrunning them!"

The best choice is to hide. And talk mentally. Batponies have good hearing.

Starlight collected himself.

Right, like in that log just ahead.

No! Are you insane? They know that we're in this area now, and they're probably going to search this place from top to bottom! Even if they don't, they'll at least check the obvious hiding spots like that!

And how do you propose I hide without a hiding spot?

Can you turn yourself invisible?

Of course I can't! Invisibility is one of the most advanced techniques in academia!

I thought that you at least had one talent!

Most of my professors don't even know that spell! If I haven't mastered teleportation, why in Equestria would I know invisibility?

Mother of...

I can do a very deceiving camouflage spell! Will that work? The forest is pretty dark, so...

The voices grew louder.

God, just... just let me take over. I'll handle this.

Starlight quickly relinquished control to the phantom and once again became paralyzed in a spectator state. Ambition started channeling the needed energy towards his horn. A hazy purple aura surrounded his body, and before he knew it, he had turned perfectly transparent. He couldn't even see his own muzzle. Starlight attempted to focus on memorizing the technique that Ambition just used, hoping to remember the mechanics of the high-level illusion spell, but his thoughts were pulled away once a familiar voice shouted out for him.

"Starlight, I know you're out there! I just want to talk!"

That voice. He knew that voice, but he couldn't remember who its owner was. The name was on the tip of his tongue. If he could just get a glimpse of the group...

Ambition, could you turn your head to see who our foes are?

Starlight's head craned out from behind the tree to see the group of Purifiers. The squad was comprised of four unicorn agents, each one carrying with them the incredibly bright glow on their horns. The team was a wave of fluid motion, each one dashing and darting around, checking under rocks, in bushes, and in just about every other crevice he could of imagined hiding in. Alongside them was his very own Uncle Viper, wearing a pale-blue basilisk mask. He seemed to be leading the group.

The sight of the red and black unicorn came with many mutually contradictory thoughts.

His memories insisted that this stallion was basically family to him, that he was supposed to mean something. He was the one who would treat him to ice cream every friday after school. He was the one who would take him on walks around Canterlot, introducing him to hidden gems of the city while warning him of spots of danger. He was the one who always gave the perfect birthday present and the one that gave equally valuable advice. He was the one he was always happy to see. But Viper was also the one who destroyed it, the snake who, by choice, tore his family apart. How could he trust someone who wasn't loyal to those he was closest to? How could ever condone a betrayal with such implications? He would never be able to. Yet he still wanted to.

"Starlight, I know that you remember. I'm sorry, alright? I never meant for it to end the way it did. I tried my best to convince them to go easy on all three of you. I even tried to save Clair! Honestly, I did!"

Starlight wasn't sure if he was telling the truth, but it wouldn't have surprised him if he were. Viper was always close with them all; it's just that he was closer with the Purifiers.

"Starlight, I know who you're working with and what he's making you do. Whether you're with him willingly or not, you can't do this. Fight back against him and let us help you! You can't trust him, Starlight! He's a fragment. You know what those are, right?"

Starlight thought for a moment. No, he really didn't know what the fragments were, and Ambition hadn't once told him. The question had been ignored or avoided every time it had come up. Now he was more curious than ever.

"They're parasites, Starlight! They're monsters that are a threat to the stability of this nation, and you're with one of the worst! He'll use you to get what he wants and won't give a damn about your well-being! You can't let him fool you!"

Something inside of Starlight felt compelled to run out to meet agents. They were most likely only after Ambition. He wouldn't have to keep up this absurd quest and eventually get mauled by some monster or die of thirst somewhere in the forest. Home was just one call for help away.

Woah, woah, woah. Starlight, are you really going to listen to this guy? Even if he was telling the whole truth about me, which he's not, there's no way they're just going to let you go scot-free. Remember what they have planned for you? They're both our problem. Not just mine.

How can I trust you? It's their word against yours.

Well, you can't. You can't trust anyone here, really. But it's all about risk and reward. Both I and the Purifiers can manipulate your mind and do far worse things to you than kill you, but remember that you've already fought my influence before. You can resist me, but you can't resist a memory-wipe. And remember that of the two of us, the Purifiers are offering a return to the status quo, while I'm offering you your father and a life without false memories. Even if you don't trust me and it comes down to a gamble, this isn't fifty-fifty. Bet on the guy with the better odds. I know our little quest took a bad turn in the first day, but it's only going to get better from here. We'll get through this, and that's a guarantee.

The temptation died away, again replaced by fear as the search party neared closer. One of the agents soon came face to face with his crystal-clear invisible body. The batpony from earlier seemed to look straight through him. It was strange to feel fear when he didn't have influence over anything in his body. He couldn't tremble or do anything he would have normally done. Somehow, it made him feel even more helpless.

"Starlight!" Viper called out to the forest again. "I know that he must sound convincing right now, but he's just manipulating you! Whatever he's promising you, you won't get it! Just come with us, and we can assure your safety! Please, don't let him win!"

The words struck harder when they had an agent this close. Starlight would be lying if he said he didn't feel the same temptation creep up. However, temptation didn't have time to sink in. It wasn't long before the batpony was out of his face and looking around another tree. And after a few more minutes of tearing open the area to find them, Starlight saw Viper, now with his head held low, hold up a hoof as some sort signal. The four agents teleported away immediately afterwards, making a sharp pop sound before the forest returned to it's usual quiet ambience.

Ha, we did it! Well, I did it, but that's it for me. Keeping up an invisibility spell like that for nearly five minutes is draining. You can take over.

Starlight once again found himself in control. For a minute he just sat there, leaning against the smooth bark of the tree until his breath slowed.

Well, are you waiting for them to come back? Get the hell outta here! It doesn't matter where, just leave!

Ignoring his body's cries for rest, he strained himself onto his hooves and started to stumble off in a random direction.

Whew, that sure was a close one. I gotta admit, I never thought someone like Viper would be after us.

"Why not?" Starlight muttered as he trotted around some exposed tree roots. "He does anything he's told to do. "

It's slim chance that he was told to do this, though. I wouldn't expect you to know this, but that mask you saw on him, the basilisk, is one of the most senior levels.

Starlight stopped walking.

"So you're saying... He's the boss now? They wouldn't send him on some field mission like this because he's too important?"

Exactly. Not the boss, obviously. That's the Director. But an agent of Viper's caliber would never be out on the ground like this. Hell, he's technically not even an agent anymore. If I remember correctly, a basilisk mask signifies the rank of a county manager. And if that's what he is, then Viper's jurisdiction covers Canterlot, Ponyville, most of the eastern Unicorn Range, and probably Foal Mountain and the Everfree too. Not the most densely-populated area, I know, but that's a wide sphere of influence.

"Which means he must have chosen to come out here of his own accord..."

True, but don't think he did it for you. He probably just went so he could bring me and you back like some sort of trophy. He thought that you would fall for his emotion trap. Good thing you aren't too much of an idiot.

"Erm... thanks. But do you have any idea of where we are?"

Not a clue.

Starlight tried to look around for anything that would tell him their location. He knew that they were still deep within some kind of forest, and that he couldn't even see the moon through the thickness of the trees, but that was all. Were they even still in the same part of the forest? Or was this the same forest at all? There was no practical way to tell the difference between this area and the previous one.

He then noticed that it was raining. Why hadn't he realized that earlier? No, wait. He hadn't noticed it earlier because it had only just started. It had just spontaneously started to rain, and in seconds it became an absolute tempest complete with gusting winds and thunder claps. Starlight ran for the nearest tree and hid under it, wondering where the weather had just came from.

Just as he questioned why the storm started up so erratically, it all stopped just as suddenly. There wasn't a moment of it letting up or dying down. It just stopped, like someone pressed a button and it all went away. That's when the grim realization started to sink in. There was no mistaking this kind of weather.

"Ambition, I think I might know where we've wandered off into..."

Ambition was quiet for a second.

The Everfree Forest, right?

"And... are you even the slightest bit panicked that we're in the Everfree Forest?"

No. We're in one of the safest places in the country right now.

Right...

Starlight must have been getting delusional. He just needed to sleep. If he could get sleep, all would be better in the morning. He would not be a filthy mess. He would not be covered in thorns and briars. He would not be bruised and battered to point of limping. He would not be on the verge of hypothermia. And he wouldn't be lost in a monster-infested forest without any food or water.

The unicorn staggered over to a hollowed out tree and climbed inside so as to have shelter from the weather that was starting pick up again. With his last increments of energy he managed to pull some rocks and tree branches over to cover the hole he'd climbed in through. This time, he bothered with neither campfires nor security spells. Once his body was nestled up inside the cramped space, he closed his eyes and relaxed. After a hard night, he drifted off into what he hoped would be an uninterrupted sleep.

That night, he dreamed of fire.