Swifty slowly moved her legs to get the circulation running through them again. She winced as she got to her feet, the feeling of pins and needles pricking her legs making her sore. The dark gray unicorn groaned and began to make her way back to the farm. She heard a scream in the distance. It sounded like, "Plow's Glory!" Swifty shrieked. She forced her legs to move in the direction the scream had come from. She raced over the hill, whipping past the farm, legs moving in a blur. Suddenly, a fence loomed in front of her. Swifty steeled herself. She ran faster, and, at the last moment, leaped. She sailed over the fence, landing heavily on the other side.
Plow was dragging at the ground with his front hooves, kicking with his back ones. A griffin had him clamped in her front claws, using her wings for balance as she walked on her lion's paws. Angry at the struggling colt, she dug her claws into his side, making him cry out in pain.
Swifty used his anguished cries to guide herself. She entered the forest, ducking and leaping as branches loomed out of the darkness in front of her. Then her hoof caught on a root and she stumbled. Righting herself, she continued, right into the low branch of a nearby tree. The branch whipped her cheek; a thin stream of blood trickled down. Another branch whipped her forehead. Blood streamed down into her eye and Swifty was temporarily blinded. But she would not give up. Pushing herself, she shook her head violently, spattering the nearby leaves with bright red blood that glowed in the moonlight.
Plow managed to kick the griffin in the nose.
The griffin gripped him tighter, scoring her claws over his muzzle. His blood dripped onto the dirt beneath him, leaving a trail. "Stop your struggling or I'll stop it for you!" the griffin threatened, wiggling her claws beneath his nose meaningfully.
With a surge of fury, Plow plunged his muzzle downwards, clamping his jaws into the griffin's leg. He drove his front leg backwards, right into the griffin's stomach.
The griffin huffed and gasped for breath. She flapped her wings wildly, trying to regain her balance.
Swifty raced forwards, following the trail of blood. She skidded to a halt as she saw Plow's Glory in the grip of a griffin. She pelted up to the unbalanced creature, planted herself, and bucked backwards with both hind hooves.
The griffin cried out in pain, dropping the small colt as she did so. "Please", she said, cowering down with her wings wrapped protectively around herself. "Please, don't hurt me."
"Who are you?" Swifty demanded, stepping in front of Plow, shielding him from the griffin's hungry gaze.
"My name is Chary", the griffin whimpered. She clutched her tail in her claws.
Swifty looked down on her with disgust. "Why did you take my little brother?"
Chary cast a swift glance at Plow's Glory. "I-I didn't mean to take him specifically. The other one would have done just as well. Or any other colt or filly, really."
"Why? What were you going to do with him?" Swifty asked, anger growing by the second.
Chary shivered. "Nothing bad, I promise. I'm just...lonely. I have no one. I have nothing. I just wanted something, anything. I thought, if I stole something, I could feel something. Triumph, pride, something."
Swifty narrowed her eyes. "Living just to find an emotion, huh? Pitiful. Get out of my sight." With that, she turned and began to lead Plow's Glory back to the farm.
Chary watched them through eyes ablaze with anger. A wicked grin spread across her face, and she flexed her claws. "Oh", she chuckled sinisterly. "I've found one."
Indigo Moon and Dawn's Glow crested the hill just as the sun rose. Two weeks. It had taken them two weeks to get to New York. And now they had finally arrived.
Dawn turned to get a good look at her boyfriend as the sun shone down on them. "Thanks, Indy. For helping me get here. For everything, actually." She hung her head and scuffed her hoof through the dirt. "If-if you want to get back to Detroit, I-I wouldn't blame you."
Indy laughed. "You really think I prefer life in the slums to life with you?" He shoved her lightly. "Not a chance! You're stuck with me." The two laughed together and then trotted down the hill, pelts brushing.
Dawn's Glow was a down home country girl, and though she had been through several cities since her journey started, she was not at all prepared for what met her in New York. The sheer size of it stopped her in her tracks. All the ponies did nothing to help her. The buildings rose, many, many stories into the air.
"You've gotta find a job, right?" Indigo asked, drawing her back down to Equestria.
Dawn started, surprised. "Y-yes. Somewhere in here." The two started forwards, and the job hunt began.
"Nope. Sorry", the business pony said. "I've actually been meaning to take that sign down. But there are a couple places down the street that might hire you. You should try there." The pony stood, signifying that they were done.
Dawn sighed. That little episode pretty much summed up the entire day. It was always "meaning to take the sign down" or "just half an hour earlier we found someone." And there was always "a place or two down the street." Dawn lowered her head as they exited the shop. "Maybe coming here was a mistake."
Indigo Moon laughed. "You're giving up after less than a day? Come on, let's try that place over there." He gestured to a postal service.
The two trotted inside, and Dawn gasped. A gray pegasus with a bubble cutie mark was sorting through the mail, her eyes wandering around.
"Ditzy?" Dawn's Glow asked, incredulous.
Ditzy Do turned. "Yes, that's me." Her eyes widened when she saw Dawn. "Oh, it's you." Abruptly, she turned away.
The cream unicorn turned and marched straight out again. That was when she saw it. Her heart soared and she squealed. Loudly.
Indigo Moon blasted out of the door, looking around wildly. "What? What is it?"
Dawn extended a hoof, pointing. Indy looked towards it, and his jaws fell open. "Let's go."
The Doctor, a customer who was conveniently turned away from Dawn and Indy, gazed over his shoulder. His eyes widened briefly and then a grin appeared on his face. "Perfect."
Dawn's Glow opened the door quickly with her magic. She stood in front of the desk where a skyblue pony with a blazing yellow mane and tail sat. "My partner", she began, pointing to Indigo, "and I would like to audition."
The mare looked up from her paperwork. "Two doors down, on the left. But we've had some pretty good ones. I doubt you guys will make it." With that, she turned back to her papers.
Dawn and Indy tumbled into the room and stood on the wooden floor. "Hello", Dawn's Glow said. "We're here to audition. We saw your sign."
A brown stallion with a dark red mane and tail sat at a desk, head propped in his hooves. He looked up at the two unicorns. "Sorry, but the last act was pretty good. I'm gonna hire her."
Dawn was not ready to give this up. "Please. Just hear us sing."
The stallion heaved a loud sigh. "Fine."
Dawn stood on one side of the stage and faced Indigo Moon. "My heart's a stereo. It beats for you, so listen close. Hear my thoughts in every note. Make me your radio. Turn me up when you feel low. This melody was meant for you. Just sing along to my stereo."
Indigo walked forwards slowly. "If I was just another dusty record on the shelf. Would you blow me off and play me like everybody else. If I ask you to scratch my back, could you manage that. Like it read well, check it Travie, I can handle that. Furthermore, I apologize for any skipping tracks. It's just the last girl that played me left a couple cracks."
The stallion stood. "That's enough. That. Was. Amazing. You two are hired. Meet at the club two days from now." The pony walked out of the door, hollering for his secretary.
Dawn and Indy danced out of the door, singing and laughing with joy.
Ditzy watched them from the window of the post office. "She was going to work here?" Boy, that wouldn't have gone well. The bell rang, indicating the end of her shift. Ditzy took to the air after exiting the post office. She flew erratically, but she eventually made it back to her house.
Caramel swung the door open and embraced Ditzy. "Welcome home." The two shared a quick kiss and then entered the house, chatting and laughing.