//------------------------------// // Chapter 7: Every Coin... // Story: Chronicles of the Glow // by Rusty Parker //------------------------------// Chronicles of the Glow Written by: Rusty Parker Edited by: Wanderwing ========================================================================= 7 Every Coin… The clock tower shot up from the ruins like a single soldier at the end of a massive battle. It seemed to be the only untouched building in the whole of Beacon. Ponies went here and there, shifting through the chaos that was once their homes in search of possessions, food, and possibly, other ponies. It still wasn’t entirely clear whether there had been any losses of life. Glitter’s eyes didn’t stay too firmly stuck to the ground, however. She had no real interest in the ants below; it was the flies above that pestered her now. On top of the school’s roof, she would have the perfect point from which to spot anypony coming in to land. Hey, they might even land on the roof itself, the rest of the town so thoroughly wrecked. She heard from somepony that Blitzy had decided to fly off to Canterlot in order to get help for everypony here. It seemed reasonable enough, but Glitter still didn’t trust much about the idea of asking them for help. She had sent letter after letter in to the royal offices to try and get just a little extra aid here, to try and help out the ponies that lived here in the most meager of ways, and she was still turned down at every chance. The politicians didn’t think anything that happened here was important enough to bother with, since they had no real exports, and she rather hated the idea of them. Asking for help now, it just felt like they would get the same pat on the shoulder that a foal would when it did something out of line. The wind blew through her hair as she felt its chill run down her body. A slight sigh escaped her lips as she lowered her head. She still didn’t know what to think in this whole situation. She knew that they needed the help, and that the ponies of Canterlot would gladly lend their hooves in aid once some of them saw the destruction, but she still couldn’t stand any of them. Celestia herself couldn’t find the time to bother with them, and even if she could, it felt like there would be nothing gained anyway. Everypony here was so enslaved, so entrapped by the beasts. They must seem like myths and legends to anypony who had never spent their nights wide awake, terrified for their children. Her children… She felt the heavy stones in her chest grow as she recalled yet again of the situation with poor Crimson. She was so young, so innocent, and even with that, she still had the kindest soul a pony could ever hope to come across in their days. And now she had a time limit on her life. She felt her eyes clench shut as she thought of it. This would have all been prevented if Canterlot had sent help like she had pleaded for so often. If they had, maybe her daughter wouldn’t be lost to this. Glitter stomped her front hooves into the thick clay that made up the roof. She hated them, all of them. Her little filly was going to die soon, and it was their fault. If only they had listened… if only she had been more convincing. She sat down, her head still hung low. There was nothing that anypony could do now, and not even Celestia had the power to change that. Her eyes clenched shut, she breathed deeply to try and calm herself. They would be here soon, and she would have to be strong. So strong that she would be able to look them in the eye without lunging at them. There was no denying it. She needed their help and she knew it. The wind blew lightly as she sat, waiting for her enemies to come to her in all their glory to help. … A chalk board was nailed solidly into the back wall. Where usually there was some sort of equation or sentence to be rewritten now were many tacked on papers, the arrangement appearing messy and disorganized. Pictures of injuries, x-rays, and medical reports were amongst them. They seemed to be thrown up one on top of the other, and to the any other, must seem a rather big disaster. This was not the case for Steff, as he knew all too well how each sheet was placed. The wall gave information on several of the patients of which he was assigned to, the ones who were in the most severe of conditions. While he wasn’t used to working in the school house, he had done what he could to turn it into a workable space for himself. As he looked at the board, his eyes caught on the picture of that red manned filly’s gash. It was a frightening sight; the veins flushed black with the vile infection. They were fortunate that this had been the only infection, though she had more than one issue. He squinted as he looked at the muscles around the infection, the shape and size not at all regular. The report that hung half over the image detailed how the muscles had been torn from the very bone. The tendons had given way, and as he looked it over, he shook his head. This one would have been better to just put down. She didn’t have any hope here, with these injuries. The poor little filly would never walk again, the damage was permanent. Kalk was able to give her time. Time that would be wasted. Steff had become a doctor to help ponies, to make their pain go away and let them continue on with their lives without it. All this did for the filly was fill her head with more pain, he knew. She wouldn’t be able to walk again, everypony would be terrified of her, and she wouldn’t be able to do anything with what she had left now. Steff turned and, with a bit of levitation magic, pulled all his utensils and tools into his doctor’s bag. “Some spells are forbidden for a reason,” he spoke as if to the filly herself. It was plain what had happened, she had gotten ahead of herself and used a spell to beef up her muscles. He had a friend once who did the same, and who met the same results as her. It doesn’t matter what the reasons are, such things are not to be played with, he thought as he brushed his way out of his temporary office. He had his routine to get to, and if he was correct, she was the first on his list of lost souls to check up on. As a doctor, he knew that he shouldn’t be angry with his patients, but he couldn’t help it. His friend died not much longer after his disability was earned, the will to live having faded with his movement. As he walked down the corridor, some ponies off to the sides spoke to one another in hushed voices. They were using this wing of the building as a hospital area, the magic labs and second wing of the building were now housing. Steff soon found himself in front of her door, the window tinted as to not let anypony see through. He inhaled deeply, letting the oxygen calm his mind before he went in. He couldn’t be angry with her for her mistakes; he had to make sure she was alright. Or at least, close enough too alright that she wasn’t screaming with agony by midnight. He pushed the door open, letting it swing off to the side and almost close as he stood stunned. “Hello there, Doc!” the red manned filly said with near glee as she stood near the window, a small jewel held in her levitation spell. “I was just chipping away at this gem a little, think I might have figured something out!” she said, smiling with all her teeth. He blinked several times, staring not at the gem she held proudly up to him, but at her legs. They were solidly set on the floor, not wobbling, not shaking. “Is there something wrong? Why the confused look?” “Y-you standing?” he stammered out. “You shouldn’t… you shouldn’t be out of bed at all right now,” he said, his voice growing a little louder. “Oh, I’m sorry,” she said, looking off to the side with a bit of a pout. “Did I break a rule?” “What?” her almost yelled, his expression being thrown deeper into its twist of confusion. He shook his head, and inhaled deeply to let himself calm down a little. This shouldn’t be possible, but maybe she knows something. “Um. Well then. Did you… How are you standing?” he asked finally still unsure of what he should ask first. “What do you mean?” she asked, an eye lid rising a little in question. “All I did was rest and let my legs get better. They were weak for a bit, but now they are just fine!” she said with a smile again adorning her face. “That… doesn’t make any sense at all,” he said looking at her plainly now. “What do you mean?” she asked, her expression suddenly serious. “Why wouldn’t that make any sense?” she seemed to be completely without worry still, but she was also taking this with a logical hoof hold. “Your legs are what don’t make sense,” he told her, a tilt of the head her only response. “Right then, how do I say this?” he asked the ceiling as he brushed his green mane to the side. “The muscle in all of your legs had been cut off from the bone entirely, you shouldn’t have been able to stand,” he said as he brought his gaze back down to her. “Ever.” “But I am standing,” she said, laughing a little. “Are you sure about that?” He gave her a solid look, not shifting his eyes away. He didn’t know what was going on, but he didn’t like it in the least. Sure, she was standing, walking even, but there was no defined cause. It could be anything that made her legs better, but he was more inclined to believe it to be a negative cause. “Did you use another forbidden spell?” he asked, his expression showing a little bit of his anger. “What? No!” she said, shaking her head in a sudden shrill of obvious fear. Her eyes grew wide as she took a step back. “You knew?” “Of course I knew! It disabled you,” he said, pausing for a moment. “Or, it should have. But you need to tell me, I can help you if it’s not too late. Did you use a forbidden spell to walk?” “No! I would never even consider doing tha-“ “Then why did you the first time?” he interrupted. Her expression instantly faded, a frown forming as she looked down and fell to her haunches. He felt himself regretting that, it was a little harsh to be so accusative with her. That didn’t change the fact of what she had done, though. She closed her eyes, and after a moment, smiled. “I had to,” she said, looking up to him as her eyes reopened. “What do you mean you had to? You don’t ever have to use a spell like that,” he asked with a raised eyebrow. She seemed oddly content with what she had done, like there were no regrets behind it. “Out there, in the dark with the rain pouring down,” she paused, her eyes closing again as she thought. “My little brother found a filly. She was out cold, and in a bad way, but alive. I… I couldn’t carry her, and she would have died from the rain or the beasts if I left her. So I did the only thing I could,” she said, her voice low but filled to the brim with emotion. She opened her eyes and stared him in the face. “I saved her.” Steff stared at her with an outwardly blank expression, but just below the skin, he was in turmoil. She didn’t have any greedy, malicious intent with which to use a spell like that? Impossible! She had to have her own little reason for using it and not leaving behind the other filly. Who would, in their right mind, sacrifice their movement entirely just to save someone who could be a lost cause already? It was more than likely that this filly they came across would have died by illness than ever recover. He turned his gaze down. “That’s just stupid,” he said, turning away from her now to head for the door. “How is that stupid? How can you think that?” she asked, anger flaring in her voice. “You’re a doctor! Doctors know more than anypony else that anypony who has a chance is worth trying for!” he heard her stand and step forward as he approached the doorway. “That isn’t the way it works,” he said, not turning to her or even stopping as he stepped through the door. She ended up in front of him, her face butting into his as she lifted herself up off the floor. “If that isn’t how it works, then why did you let Kalk try to save me?” she asked, putting the facts before him as plainly as they had occurred. Steff froze entirely, his eyes growing wide with her question echoing in his mind. She was right; he was the one in charge of dealing with her condition. Why didn’t he do his part and stop her suffering? He found himself blinking several times as she glared into his face. “Well?” “I… don’t know,” he said plainly, looking her in the eyes. They were so bright and full of life, and as he looked on, he noticed something. The bandage that covered her scar was clean, no blood to be shown at all. Instead, a deep, black vein popped out of the filly’s white coat just outside the wrappings. She would be dead now without Kalk’s spell, he remembered, or without his daft skill with a needle as soon as she arrived. It reminded him of why he became a doctor. He turned and, without saying a word, started down the hall. “Wait, please,” she asked as he stepped farther down the hall. “You’re fine now. You can walk, move around, and soon you might even be able to run. There’s nothing I can do to help you, all your wounds have healed,” he told her, staring straight ahead. She was so persistent; even now she walked alongside him as he went. What was it about this filly that brought him back so far? He never remembered his days an assistant anymore, but he could see himself now, nervous and eager to do what he could. It wasn’t long before he became a full-fledged nurse, and after years, a doctor worth his skill. She followed him all the way down the hall to the next room he was going to enter, the next patient laying inside still. He stopped, and turned to see her face, a small frown upon it. “Why are you following me?” he asked plainly, looking at her with blank eyes. What did she intend to gain? “I have to check up on the other patients now. You are fine, that vile curse excluded. Go on, back to your room now,” he told her, annoyed as he pointed his hoof down the hall they had come from. “I want to help,” she said out of nowhere after rubbing her hoof against the other. He blinked. He blinked again and again, almost certain he had misheard her. She has so little time now, and she wants to help? Where was this foolishness coming from? It was positively outrageous! “So… can I please help? Please?” she almost begged. He let out a sigh and turned half way to the door before stopping. “I guess there’s no stopping you,” he said before stopping to think for a moment. He turned back to her and brought himself on level with her “However,” he said, looking her in the eyes now. “You’ll have to listen to my direction here. I don’t want any more miracles, got that?” “Oh, yes, yes! Of course!” she almost squeaked with joy as he turned back to the door. Steff, what vile mess have you gotten yourself into now? He opened the door and entered the first of many patients’ rooms for examination. … The old floorboards seemed to be creased with dust, and it was evident that they had been there for a very long time. The building was rebuilt many times; erosion having taken its toll, but the wooden floors never seemed to need to be changed out. They were solid, creaky at times, but very steady. In all of Beacon, there were only a few buildings that had wood built into them. Sitting there, it seemed an oddity to the purple filly. Why were only some buildings floored with wood? Why wasn’t Kalk’s? Or, most confusing of all, how was wood obtained without a huge shipment or having to risk life and limb by traveling into the forest? Tick sat beside the door to a room where her friend had entered to check on somepony. It was more than apparent that she was only trying to come up with an excuse to not think of the many things that worried her so, but that didn’t matter. She’d go insane if she kept on thinking of what was wrong with Kalk earlier, or of how Re- Crimson was going to die soon. Was it so bad that she didn’t want to think of these things? Her eyes traced the faded but fluidly swirling texture of the floor to her hooves. She saw the watch firmly gripping her hoof, and starred at it. It was just like back then, when everything happened. The creak of the door opening snapped her attention to the orange manned colt as he stepped out into the hall. He bore a morbid expression, his eyes downcast as he unconsciously came to her side. She looked at him with a frown. It was plain that, not only had the blue manned filly remained asleep still, but that she wasn’t getting much better. “Hey,” she found herself saying. Why was she so quick to speak all of a sudden? It was never like this before; in class she would always remain dead silent for moments after she felt the urge to speak. Even then, she was still reluctant to say what she wanted, with all those eyes focused on her. It was as if she could be herself near him. “She’ll get better,” she said after a moment, offering a smile as he sat. He returned it. “I hope so,” he said in a low whisper. She was still confused, as confused as she had been when he asked if it would be okay with her if he went in alone. Tick knew this blue manned filly. She was not in any way friendly; rather, she was completely wretched. She was more than often the spark that lead to many fillies and colts laughing their flanks off at her for something she had said. Either her low, whisper like voice had invoked this, or they all really thought she was an idiot. Tick didn’t want to admit it, but she rather hated the blue manned filly. She looked over to her friend with concern. “Are you two… friends?” she asked nervously. The cyan colt laughed at this, bringing his yellow eyes to her now. “No, I don’t think we are,” he said, smiling now. He let out a puff of air from his nostrils, and then turned his attention over to the wall as he began to think. “I actually think she hates me,” he let out softly. “I see,” she responded, not at all surprised. Was there anypony that she liked? Even the ones who responded to her pointed and cruel attitude in a positive way seemed to get shut out by her. “Um… this is going to sound… weird,” she let out. She knew it was rude, intrusive, and of all things, a little mean to ask, but she had to know. “What is it?” he asked, turning to face her again. He seemed eager to hear what was on her mind. “Well… you’re not friends with her… and she’s… sort of,” she paused, trying to think of a word to fit the description well. “Mean,” she said as the colt nodded in agreement. So he knew what she was talking about then? She inhaled before continuing. “So… why are you so worried about her?” she was finally able to say. He raised his chin in thought, his tired eyes closing for focus. A few moments passed with him just sitting there, trapped in his thought. Tick felt herself creep back into her shell little by little the longer he was silent. “To be honest,” he said, opening his eyes finally and turning to her. “I don’t know at all,” he said, his eyes dropping to the floor. “It’s just… well. I think there is more to what she does than we know. She’s hurt me a lot already… but what kind of a monster am I if I do just the same?” he asked. The sincerity in his voice, the way his eyes were so focused as he spoke, he meant every word. Tick let out a little sigh of relief. She had thought her curiosity might make him dislike her. “You’re just like your sister, Orange,” she said, putting a hoof gently against his shoulder. He looked up to her and smiled. Tick brought her hoof down as she rose the other one to her mouth in thought. “You know, Kalk should be back soon. He said he just needed to check up on some things around town,” she said as she put her hoof down. She rose and stretched her legs out, the floor having left them stiff. “I really have no clue what he wants to tell us,” he said, getting up himself. “I can’t wait to find out though.” “With him, you can never know for sure. I just hope it’s not more bad news,” she said as they both went down the hall. Tick wasn’t all too sure why her step father had needed to leave so quickly, but it must be important. He left with the same haste he had when she told him about Crimson’s injury, and that could only mean he was incredibly worried about something. What that was, though she had no idea. For the time being, she simply enjoyed the company of her friend, conversing on many things as they waited. … Sticky mud coated the spaces between the stones that made up all of Beacon’s streets. The rubble was being steadily cleared away, and to a surprising degree, everypony was really pulling together. It would take a long time to rebuild, but with so much done already, there seemed to be plenty of hope for the little town yet. Just an hour or two ago, these very streets were flooded to knee height. Now, with the path cleared, the water could drain and the late afternoon sun could beat down strong on the mud. Walking through the destruction had been such a hassle. Were the matter not so urgent, Kalk could have simply waited and then wouldn’t have had to dirty his hooves. The mud that ran up his legs didn’t matter though, he got the job done. The damage was minor, a small crack over the surface of one of the five pillars that stuck up from the ground around town, and proved an easy enough fix. He was quite sure that a few of those who worked on clearing the roads had thought him insane for rushing across the mine field that the streets had become, but if he hadn’t gotten there on time, things couldn’t have been worse. Appearing to be normal stones, these rocks were actually the very reason Beacon could even continue to exist. They were as old as the town itself, dating back to its very foundation. His magic had once formed seals that burned their way deep into the surface. They were invisible to the naked eye, though a little magic detection from just about any unicorn would light them up like a Hearth’s Warming tree. The crack in the stone had cut off the flow of energies to the rest of the seals, causing it to nearly fail altogether. Kalk let out a sigh as he walked around a puddle in the path. He didn’t even want to consider just how bad it would have been if that seal had been broken. His nightmares as of late were nothing compared to what this would cause. Right now, everypony was just happy to be alive and that their loved ones had made it through this. Kalk himself, a few others aside, was more than likely the only one who thought things only got worse after the attack had ended. He knew all too well what this all meant, and if any one of the others did, they would likely be running and screaming at this very moment. Around the next corner was a surprising sight. Ponies were gathering up in a circle around one pile of rock and clay that had half poured into the streets. All around town, everypony had been working hard to clear this type of mess up and get it out of the way. And they usually worked alone. He flicked his ears a little, trying to get his head around what was going on. All of their voices were either frantic or in shock. “Oh Celestia…” “Is she okay?” “She’s…” “This can’t be happening!” “Doctor! Somepony, anypony, get a doctor!” Kalk moved in closer, coming to push aside a few of the ponies who formed the crowd as he did. There was somepony lying on the rocks, not moving. Had there been a cave in while she was working? He pushed farther into the group. There was a pony with a black coat kneeling beside her, eyes overflowing with fresh tears. “Why?” she asked, her face buried in her ankles. Her mane was shortly cut, but still showed signs that her hooves had been running it over many times. Some stray pieces stuck out at odd angles while the rest was in a frizz. She was sobbing heavily over the inanimate pony that lay still on the rocks. Having finally reached the front of the crowd, he could now see the way she laid, her head turned to the side limply with hair falling over her eyes. “Why did you have to stay here? Why didn’t you just…” He knew. He knew from the moment he saw the gathering ponies what this might be. He didn’t want to admit it, and in the end had to see it for himself to accept it. We’ve lost some poor soul after all. He looked at the mare beside her, the dirt that covered her own body must have been from the other’s. Kalk hung his head low. There was nothing to be done about it. Nopony said a word now as the crowd settled down, the sound of the mare’s weeping the only thing audible now. “You’re stubborn as a mule!” she cried, looking at the lifeless face below her. “How you can you just…” She became overcome with the pain in her to even speak another word. She sat there on her haunches, letting it all flow from her as Kalk turned to go. He wasn’t a god. He wasn’t like Celestia. He couldn’t make this all better. Who were you to her? Who were you to the others? You poor, poor mare. It was never meant for you to end so early, to leave us all in this life behind. He knew that now, there was a family with an empty space. Somepony missing from the equation, somepony they all loved and cared about now gone. Just like him. The only difference was, he was the only one who didn’t find an eternal slumber. Do you miss them, wherever you are? He knew he missed them. So she must too. Every step was heavy, and as he walked, he could feel the weight bearing down on him. This innocent mare, gone forever from all of those she loved. He knew that feeling too well. He would have to go on just a little while longer now. Just long enough to make sure what happened to him doesn’t to others. Then he could rest. … Rays of glimmering light broke through the creased window on the wall. Seeping into the room in every direction from the small window, they shone brighter than the gem that hung overhead. Squinting, the filly raised her head from the pillow. Looking straight ahead, she saw her leg hanging limply from a harness. Cast in a solidified, white material and wrapped in gauze, it seemed she had broken her leg. How had she done that? She blinked several times as her blue mane fell off to the right side of her face dark grey face. Then she remembered. Her breathing hastened as she her eyes widened. She didn’t know where she was, but she had to go back to the house. She lifted herself to her side before she was stopped mid motion by the harness. A grunt of anger and frustration escaped her lips as she pulled the bound limb. She stopped, feeling her eyes well up with the frustration. She couldn’t just sit here in this hospital bed! She needed to find her family right away. She threw herself back onto the pillow with the frustration of it all. In this position, the cloth holding her leg up in the air hooked her leg so that she couldn’t get it out without moving it. She would have done so eagerly, broken leg or not, had it not been for the blasted cast. Tears welled in her eyes as she stared at the ceiling. She quickly blinked them away. No, I can’t cry. I can’t. What would she think? The very thought of her mother almost made the water in her eyes burst down her cheeks. She sniffled as she blinked it back desperately. “I am not weak,” she grunted as she did her best to keep her tears where they belonged. Mother would never cry. She was always telling her how she can’t cry, no matter how hard things are. Don’t show weakness. Her thoughts took control as she felt herself begin to drown in the memories. It was a hot day in the middle of summer some time ago, and she had scrapped her knee playing with some of her friends. They were pretending that there were monsters in the park, and they had to run off from them. The monster in question this time turned out to be her, her dark mane and coat letting her hide more easily in the long cast shadows of the afternoon. One of her friends had tripped over her as she lay in waiting, his knee colliding solidly with her cheekbone. She could remember clearly how the two ended up in a clump on the ground, the lot of her friends encircling to see if they were alright. She had scrapped her other cheek heavily on the stone pathway, and was stunned by the blow she received to the head when she hit the ground. She couldn’t bear it; the pain was too much for her. She ran off, tears streaming from her eyes as she headed straight home. Her friends had tried to follow, looking back now. She could hear them galloping not far behind, but that didn’t matter anymore. She had already stopped speaking with them. Bursting into her home, her mommy came quickly to her. Blood had dripped its way off her cheek onto the floor, but her priority was the wound itself. She was rushed into the bathroom, where the wound had to be cleaned with a wet, rag. It burned and she cried out as it was rubbed against her exposed flesh. Tears were rolling right out her eyes all the while as Mommy finished the process. Smiling, she wiped away the tears with another rag before pulling the bandage over the scrapped skin. “There, all better now!” she announced triumphantly as she threw the rag into the hamper with a flick of her horn’s magic. “But it still hurts so much, Mommy!” she said as tears continued to pour from her eyes. Her whole face seemed to hurt, as well as her head. Sniffling, she almost burst out again. Her other mother stepped into the room now, looking down at her with eyes that seemed filled with concern. She turned to Mommy and spoke. “I think I need to talk to our little filly alone for a minute, dear. I hope you don’t mind?” she asked. “Of course not, I will be in the living room cleaning up if you need me,” Mommy responded with a smile, trotting out of the room now. Mom’s attention now came down to her, the little filly with tears and snot spilling from her face. She still cried then, her eyes feeling like they could go dry. “Blue grey,” Mom addressed her, bringing her flanks to the ground as she inhaled deeply in preparation. “Y-yes,” she was able to say through her gasps for air. “We… we live in hard times now. And well… things are probably going to get worse,” she said earnestly, staring off at the wall. “I wouldn’t lie to you,” she paused briefly, thinking for a moment. She got up and pulled her into a hug. “W-why are you telling me these things?” she had asked as she buried her face in Mom’s bosom. “Because you are going to have to be so very strong, my dearest daughter,” she said looking her in the eyes now with a frown. She lifted her hoof, and whipped a tear away from the filly’s cheek. Holding it before her, the fluid forming a bubble on her hoof that dripped away, she spoke again. “Don’t let anypony see these tears. These tears that show your pain. They’ll take advantage of your pain; they’ll use it against you and make you weaker. To survive in hard times like this… you have got to be strong.” From then on, she didn’t let herself cry. She would hold in all the while, and didn’t let herself show any of her pain. She was strong. She had to be. That’s why she couldn’t let herself give in now. Would Mom have been happy to see her giving in to the pain now? She couldn’t let her down, especially after what had happened. Her eyes had risen to the ceiling, and in looking up, saw that the harness hung from an arm attached to the bed. She had to get out of here; it didn’t matter if she had to limp the whole way. With a flick of her horn, the cloth near the arm, where it was thinnest, was cut through. Her leg fell like a lead weight, and she could feel the pain of the impact in the region near her hoof. It was plain that she wouldn’t be able to simply walk her way back home. She stared at the cast with anger alight in her eyes. The filly rolled off of the bed, stumbling as she landed on her three good legs. The broken one was locked at the joint, and so she had to hold off to the side in order to keep it off the floor. With time, she knew the small amount of muscle needed to hold this position would grow weak and she’d have to stop. She’d get to that when it came, though. For now, she needed to get back to her home. Mom might still be there, she hoped as she limped out into the hallway. In both directions, there the hall was clear, not a single pony in sight. With it came an eerie silence. Her blue mane getting in her face again, she rushed for the stairwell. With any luck, she could avoid anypony else if she was quick. They would never let her back to her home at a time like this, she knew. Especially not with her leg as it is. As she rounded the corner, she heard voices coming from below. Looking under the railing, she spotted a doctor with some red haired filly. They turned and headed up the flight of stairs right toward her as she scrambled to climb the stairs to the next level. They were speaking, but she didn’t hear a word they said. She was hiding behind the railing at the top of the last step, looking down on them as they walked through the doorway she had come from. A sigh a relief escaped her lips as she waited a few moments. She had eluded the pair, but she was more cautious now than ever. As it turned out, even more were making their way up the stairs now. She puffed air from her nostrils in frustration as she turned away. Now what was she going to do? She couldn’t sneak past them all like this. Her eyes wandered across the wall until they came to another door at the top of the stairs. Light glared from the other side, showing underneath the door brightly. That must be the rooftop. Maybe there will be a way to see how things are from there, her mind wondered as curiosity took over. A good view couldn’t hurt her odds of reaching home either. With a short, stumbling climb, she was pushing the door open. It was heavier than the kind that her room had, but then, it had to be with what happened at night. She struggled to put enough strength into her shoulder as the hinge creaked and the door slowly slid aside. Not wide, but just enough for the filly to slip through. On her way through, though, she forgot herself. The cast caught in the frame, and she tumbled over onto the flat roof with a thud. There was another mare sitting not far off from the door, she saw. She immediately scrambled around the structure from which the door frame was attached, but stopped when she saw that she didn’t move. Looking around the hut like structure on the roof, she saw her just staring into the sky. She heard her. She knew she had, the mare’s ears twitched right when she fell over. The blue manned filly let her own eyes rise with hers, and came to know why immediately. She fell back on her flank in surprise. There is no way this is happening; it has to be some sort of dream! She rubbed her eyes with the wrist of her hoof, shook her head, and looked up again. No, it was. It really was her. Mom never believed she would, and thinking now, neither did anypony else in town. But there she was, coming toward them, at that, with her guard escort and a pegasus she recognized from somewhere. Princess Celestia had finally come to their aid, for the very first time since even her mothers could remember. ========================================================================= A jagged trail of hoof prints zigzagged through the caking mud in forest. Every now and then, the trail took a sudden skid off to the side. Many sharp turns lead to these lengthened prints, each an attempt to get around the trees that were scattered close to one another. Roots reached out like fresh clams, grabbing at anything that might come by. It wasn’t clear just how many times the cold, wet mud was felt as balance was lost. There was never any time to recover, never any let up on the power being thrust away. As far away as possible from that place. The whole of the dark veil was on the move, not one able to withstand the pull of the Blood. Burning was felt in the joints that brought the mud flying in the air. Like never before, Blood forced its way into the body of every single one of them. This wasn’t a venture of regularity. With a push, actually, it seemed as though this had never happened before. Images flashed in every eye, ones of burned flesh and piles of ash. This was the work of the flames that engulfed all but the safety of nothingness. The feeling that the Blood gave on this one was so very different. Something sparked the memories of times that never came to be. Memories of things that were never seen. They brought on something so familiar, a rush that was felt so often in this fake place. Fear jolted from it like a strike from impact. The Blood was pulling away from the blazing flames, rather than forcing its way around it. There was no suppressing this flame, that of the Burning One. None were safe with it there, and none would stop running for as long as the Burning One chased. The emptiness was the only shield that would stop this fire.