Belle dashed around the corner of a house, Crimson directly behind her. They’d been on the run for the better part of an hour, weaving their way through the labyrinth of back alleys and side streets of the city. They alternated who lead them at regular intervals, and made sure to choose directions as randomly as they could, all in the hopes of ditching Dusty or any others.
Dashing around a corner they skidded to a halt before a ledge, overlooking the north side of town with the Crystal Snake River in the background. Belle dodged behind the corner of a house and collapsed, as short ragged breaths escaped her. Crimson followed shortly after, taking care to set Alex down as gently as he could.
Alex had passed out somewhere along the way. Even though they weren’t awake for that long, the pain and exhaustion he felt took a toll on him until he just gave up. Belle once again checked his vitals, relieved to find he was still breathing.
She slumped against the wall of the building, right next to Crimson.
“You think we lost him?” She asked.
“I sure hope so.” Crimson responded. “If he’s still onto us after everything we did, I don’t think we’ll ever escape.”
They both took a moment to catch their breath. After running for so long they were both exhausted, especially Crimson who had to carry Alex on their run.
“I just don’t know why he’d do something like this.” Belle said. “We’ve known each other for so long. Dusty was like a father to me!”
Now that she finally had a moment to rest, what happened finally started to sink in. She racked her brain for anything that might have indicated why Dusty would suddenly try to kill her.
“Morning Sun.” She said slowly, her eyes widening in realization. “He called me Morning Sun when we escaped!” Her voice took on a sliver of panic when she looked between Alex and Crimson. “You didn’t tell anypony, did you?”
“What?” Crimson said. “No! Why would we? Is your real name that important?”
Belle looked away from him. “I… I’d rather tell you when Alex is awake too.”
“So it is important, huh?” Crimson responded. “Alright I’ll let it slide for now, but once we get out of this city I want the full story.”
They fell into silence again. Belle thought about the implications of their situation. Somebody must have told Dusty about her real identity, and the only one interested in killing her would be…
“Mother.” Belle quietly said.
“What was that?” Crimson asked.
Belle flinched and looked at Crimson again. “Nothing!” She said. “Anyway. What are we gonna do now?”
Crimson took some time to think it over and sighed. “Well we can’t take the chariot, like we planned to.” He said. “Dusty knows about our plans. If we really lost him, that’s gonna be the first place he’s going to be looking for us.”
“So are we just gonna lay low for now?” Belle asked.
“No. I’d assume Dusty has a lot of connections in High Rock, and it would only be a matter of time before he finds us. We need to move.”
“But where should we go? To the Crystal Kingdom? Dusty knows that’s where we wanted to go.” Belle said exasperated.
“Hmmm…” Crimson looked at the sleeping form of Alex. “We’re still going to the kingdom. We just have to avoid the main roads. I don’t know if Dusty’s willing to pursue us that far, but once we get over the border we should be relatively safe.”
“But Alex is in no condition to make a trip like this!” Belle said while casting a worried look towards Alex.
“I’ll just have to carry him for now.” Crimson said. “You’ll have to make sure he doesn’t die on us, ok?”
Belle looked at Crimson for a moment. Under normal circumstances she’d recommend heavy bedrest after receiving a wound like this. Alas, the situation was anything but normal. They needed to disappear, and they needed to do it fast. Even though it hurt her having to leave her friends behind like this, she nodded towards Crimson in agreement.
“Good. I have a small first aid kit in my bags, so once we’re a safe distance away, make sure that wound is properly cared for.” Crimson said.
“Alright.” Belle responded. “Let’s go.”
They surreptitiously took a look around, scanning the city below for anything suspicious, as well as the alley behind them.
“Do you know a fast way out?” Crimson asked.
“Yeah, I’ll have to swim for a bit though.” She answered. “Just don’t drop Alex in the water when you fly over.”
Crimson chuckled a bit and went to pick up Alex. Hovering at low altitude again, he motioned for Belle to lead the way.
Belle nodded and started to trot down the side of the ledge at a brisk pace, where a staircase was neatly tucked away. Once again they made their way through the maze that was High Rock. While not running at full tilt anymore, they both still moved with a purpose.
Every pony they met in the backstreets was a possible informant to Dusty, so they tried to avoid contact as much as they could. After all a pegasus carrying an unconscious unicorn would attract unwanted attention, and was bound to spread by word of mouth.
So it was after about half an hour that they reached the river. The current wasn’t strong at the point Belle chose, in fact it was an ideal spot for bathing. A few families could be seen playing in the cool water. Belle wouldn’t really stand out amongst them, but Crimson would draw the eyes of everypony, should he cross here.
So with a nod to each other they split up. Belle gave Crimson both of her saddlebags. Although Crimson was now weighed down considerably, he assured her that he would manage. They couldn’t risk getting their provisions wet, so that was the only option they had. Crimson flew downstream for a bit, until he reached a spot where he could cross over relatively unseen while also carrying Alex. Belle trotted out of the alley she was in and nonchalantly made her way to the river. A few foals ran past her playing a game of tag. She entered the water and started to paddle her way across.
Ponies crossing the river by swimming to the other side were not an unusual sight at all, since bridges connecting both sides were few and far between. Swimming across could potentially save quite a bit of time.
After she swam about halfway across, she remembered something Alex said to her yesterday. She had to agree that some cleaning would do her some good, so when she reached the other shore. In the shallow water she cleaned off the dirt that had accumulated over the last few months, revealing her pink coat. She dunked her head into the water and tried to wash the dirt out of her mane.
When Crimson called out to her she still had a few patches of dirt in her mane and tail, but now she actually looked presentable. When she approached Crimson, he took a good look at her. Her mane was a dark shade of pink, complimented by some yellow highlights. Her coat was pink as well, albeit brighter.
“You clean up nicely.” Crimson said when she got close to him.
“Thanks!” She replied happily. “You cross without trouble?”
“Yeah, I think a few ponies saw me and Alex, but they seemed rather uninterested.”
Crimson let down Alex, and threw off the saddlebags he got from Belle. He stretched and arched his back, the weight had taken it’s toll.
“You ok?” Belle asked him. “I can’t imagine carrying that much being good for your back.”
“Yeah, don’t worry.” Crimson answered. “I have carried heavier things over longer distances back in my days as a courier. I’m just a bit out of practice.”
Belle strapped on Alex’s and her saddlebag, fastening the belts with her mouth.
“So what now?” She asked. “Do we just start walking towards the border?”
“Yeah. I’d like to get some distance between us and the city, maybe find a place to hide out for a bit and check our inventory.”
“Alright. You ready?”
Crimson sighed and stretched his back once again. He looked to the other side of the river, checking if someone was paying attention to them. The ponies seemed more interested in their own activities though, so he turned to pick up Alex again.
“Alex is so gonna owe me for this.” He muttered just loud enough for Belle to hear.
She snickered and started trotting towards the mountains in the distance, away from High Rock.
Away from her home.
--------------------------------------
Dusty sat on the roof overlooking a little plaza. Various chariots occupied the space, passengers boarding and disembarking from them.
After he had lost track of Morning Sun and her two friends, he ran around town for a while, checking a few places “Belle” would most likely choose as a hiding spot. It hurt his old heart deep inside, having received the order to kill her.
Even though he was just an undercover agent of the Queen, placed in the slums to gather information, the bonds he formed there were real. Especially the one with Belle, she was like a daughter to him.
He found her in the streets at the gentle age of six. Hungry, weak and without parents. He brought her back to the little community he built for himself to make his life as a hobo more bearable. They cared for the little filly, raising her as good as they could.
He was so proud of her when she discovered her talent and got her Cutie Mark. It was also the day he felt like a father for the first time. For years he watched her grow up to be a respectable member of their group.
He always protected her as good as he could be expected to, even going so far as to make a few ponies disappear here and there. He was glad that his skills could help her, but he still wanted to give her a better life. She deserved more, but he couldn’t give it to her without blowing his cover.
When Alex and Crimson agreed to take her along on their journey, he felt happy. She was always interested in the other races, especially unicorns. The concept of magic was so foreign and fascinating to her, meeting a unicorn who was willing to show, or even teach her about it was her biggest dream.
It crushed him when he was reactivated yesterday, and the target of his mission was revealed to be Charity Belle. Or Morning Sun, as he had learned. He had considered just letting her go, but his loyalty to his queen was beyond question.
It took him a long time to finally go through with it however. And when he finally did, Alex ruined everything.
According to the information he received, Alex claimed to be immortal. Dusty chuckled at the thought. When he was younger he had the pleasure to kill quite a few of the nutjob unicorns who claimed to have found a spell to make them immortal.
Still, those usually acted high and mighty, trying to stir up trouble in the city, or even the palace. Alex didn’t strike him as arrogant at all. The stabwound he received was most likely not fatal, but there was still a chance he would succumb to it. Although with Belle at his side, that was unlikely to happen.
He had been sitting on the roof for the better part of an hour. They told him that this was the place where they would take a chariot to the border. He assumed they weren’t stupid enough to actually come here, but for now it was the best lead he had.
He used his connections, so when they were spotted within the city he would get word as soon as possible. So he opted to stake out the place they would most likely appear in.
Hoofsteps could be heard behind him. They approached until they were a few steps behind him.
“Report.” Dusty said without turning around.
“They’ve been spotted crossing the Crystal Snake River, they were heading North, a member of the thieves guild said this was around ten minutes ago. Wanted a good amount for the information too.”
“Thanks, you’re dismissed.”
“Sir. Will you be needing backup?” The voice asked.
“No.” Dusty replied. “This is something I have to do myself.”
“Yes, Sir!”
The hoofsteps distanced themselves from him, until he couldn’t hear them anymore. He sat there for a few minutes longer, considering his options.
Twenty years ago, Dusty had messed up a big operation, which resulted in his demotion. He was placed in the slums to gather ‘information’ and keep tabs on possible revolts. The Queen's orders were absolute, so he accepted his fate without a single complaint. Now, there was a chance offered to him to finally redeem himself. Even though he loved Belle and all the others he met over the years. His loyalty to Queen Eventide was still strong, but in his mind it was as much about redemption as loyalty.
After a while he decided. He would give them exactly one day of a head start. It would be the last thing he would do as Charity Belle’s father, Dusty.
Then he would hunt down Morning Sun and her friends without mercy, as the agent Dry Desert.
--------------------------------------
Crimson and Belle sat between two Cherry trees. Alex was lying next to them, his head resting upon a blanket they’d received from their friends. Various things were strewn out in front of them, ranging from blankets to small cooking knives.
They had entered the Cherry Orchard around noon, looking for a place to take a break where they wouldn’t be spotted so easily. After setting down the still fast asleep Alex, they made to check out their new traveling gear. They emptied their saddlebags of everything that wasn’t food or bits, and laid it out to take a good look at it.
Crimson was in the middle of distributing the various things to different saddlebags, when a groan escaped from Alex. Both looked over to see him stirring, they watched until he eventually opened his eyes. He looked around groggily, taking in his surroundings. After a few moments he made to sit up, but was reminded of his wound by a sharp pain before he settled back down.
“Good morning, Sleepyhead.” Crimson chuckled.
“‘Morning.” Alex grumbled. “So I take it you managed to shake him off?” He let his gaze wander over the cherry trees surrounding them. Relishing in the fact that they weren’t on the run anymore.
“Yeah. We’re actually a few hours away from the city.” Crimson responded while putting a worn out compass next to his bag.
“How are you feeling?” Belle asked as she approached Alex.
“Like shit.”
“So normal then?” Crimson quipped from the side, which got him a playful smack up the head by Belle.
“Come on Alex, I need to take a look at your wound, and change the bandages.” Belle said softly. “Can you sit up for me?”
Alex gritted his teeth and got into an upright position, allowing Belle better access. Belle carefully took off the makeshift bandages which were soaked in blood, revealing the hole made by Dusty’s blade.
“How’s it look, Doc?” Alex asked her.
“Could be worse.” Belle answered, while using the unsoaked part of the bandage to clean up the area around the wound. “I don’t think Dusty hit any vital organs, so you should make a full recovery. You got lucky.”
For a while Belle worked silently, making sure to not cause Alex any unneeded pain.
“Thanks.” She said quietly, stopping her motions for a second. “For saving me, you know?”
Alex turned his head to look at her, noticing for the first time that she wasn’t covered in dirt anymore.
“Don’t mention it.” He said with a smile on his face. “It’s what friends do.”
Belle looked up from Alex’s side and into his eyes. Her eyes started to water a bit, and she smiled back at him.
“You look pretty nice without all that dirt by the way.” Alex said.
Belle blushed and avoided his eyes, accidently putting pressure on his wound, which elicited a pained hiss from Alex.
“Sorry.” She smiled sheepishly at him before turning towards Crimson. “Hey Crimson. Can you throw me the first-aid kit?”
The box in question came flying in their direction almost immediately, accompanied by a “Sure thing!” from Crimson. She opened it up to reveal the contents, which consisted of mostly clean bandages, a small knife and some salves. She pulled out one of the rolled up bandages and went to work.
“I was actually kind of hoping this would have already healed by the time I woke up.” Alex said casually.
“What do you mean?” Belle asked him confused.
“Well the last time I got seriously hurt, everything was already healed up by the time I woke up the next time.” Alex explained. “I hoped it would be the same with this.”
“Oh, you mean because of the whole immortal business?” Alex nodded. “Well I don’t know how any of that would work. But right now you’re looking at a recovery time of about two weeks.” Belle said with the finality of a caretaker.
“What?” Alex exclaimed. “But how am I supposed to travel with you guys?” He asked desperately.
“I’ll just have to carry you all the way.” Crimson said, still organizing their equipment. “Won’t be easy, but I’ll manage.”
“Come on Crimson. I know you’ll actually do this. But there has to be a better way!” Alex responded.
“Well unless your magic healing powers kick in, there isn’t.” Belle said while wrapping the bandage around Alex.
Alex tried to think of something, anything that would make this easier for all of them. He had several ideas from constructing a little wagon to just hiding out until he recovered completely. After dismissing several ideas, he finally struck gold. He didn’t like the idea, and his friends certainly wouldn’t like it either, but it was the best option they had right now.
“I think I know how to solve this.” Alex said, a mad grin adorning his face.
Belle and Crimson perked up at Alex’s announcement, both looking at him expectantly.
“Kill me.”
Silence reigned for a few seconds, while Belle and Crimson processed the words just spoken.
“WHAT?!”