Flight

by wkblack

The Flight

Canary sighed as another food guard left her room. Much of her waking thoughts were centered around Echo's disappearance. Almost subconsciously she'd run through a hundred scenarios every day.

A whisper from far behind her made her jump. “Canary!”

Her eyes widened. Though she strained her neck to look behind her, she saw no one. Silhouetted in the prison window though was a small bat. It jumped down in a blast of green flames and landed as Echo before her.

“Where have you been‽”

Echo frowned. “They took me off guard duty—they found out about us.”

“Wait—what? How?”

His frown deepened. “Iris noticed my behavior changing. She suspected I was getting too attached to some of the prisoners and had me moved to a different shift.”

Canary stomped her hoof. “I knew it! That's not fair! They can't do that!”

“They already have.” He sighed. “It was impossible enough, sneaking in as a bat.” Echo held Canary close. “I decided I can't let that keep us apart!”

“Then why don't you get me out of here!”

“You know that's impossible.”

Canary smiled. “If you can turn into a bat, could you turn into other things? Can you change just part of your body? Try turning your hoof into a spike.”

Echo frowned at his hoof. In a burst of light, it changed into a point.

Canary's heart leapt. “Then you can turn it into a key!”

Echo's jaw dropped. “It is possible—We can escape!”

With Canary's help, Echo picked the lock to her restraints, freeing her hooves to move for the first time in months. It burned, using her legs after so much atrophy, but her joy overrode her pain. “So what's between us and freedom?”

“There's a main door to this section we have to get through before the Maze—a series of tunnels that lead to the surface. The door has a password that changes regularly—it's currently 'Cobalt.'”

“And the Maze? Can we get through?”

“I could navigate it with my eyes closed.”

“Brilliant. We should leave at the change of guard. You'll take on a guard's form so we can get through the door. What do the defenses look like in the Maze?”

Echo chuckled. “It's its own defense—even veteran guards have gotten lost before.”

Canary beamed. “Perfect. Then what are we waiting for!” Canary put Echo's hoof to the door for him to pick.

“Shouldn't we plan this out more?”

Canary scowled. “Open the door.”

The caves leading up to the door were maze enough—Canary kept close enough to Echo that his tail would sometimes brush her face. Though her legs complained so loud she could nearly hear them, the adrenaline was more than enough to keep her running.

“Who's there‽”

In a burst of flames, Echo turned into Iris. He nudged Canary forwards just as the other guard came into view.

“What are you doing‽”

Echo stiffened. “Taking this prisoner to the captain.”

The guard's eyes narrowed. “Out of shift? Why would she ask you to transport her?”

Echo moved up to the guard so their noses were nearly touching. “Are you questioning the captain?”

The guard didn't flinch. “What did I tell you this morning?”

Echo rolled his eyes. “You expect me to remember what an amateur guard like yourself said?”

The guard's battleclaws had nearly pierced Echo's neck before the changeling's hoof intercepted his jab. The twin blades gleamed in the mosslight, a hairsbreadth from Echo's neck. “Why are you freeing Canary, Echo‽”

The changeling blinked. In a flurry of swipes, Echo batted the guard's claw away with his right hoof, setting him off-balance, while with the other hoof he smashed the guard's head into the opposite wall, making him collapse to the ground. The guard stopped moving. Sensing Canary's concern, he assured her his heart was still beating. After pushing him to the wall, Echo took on the guard's form in an emerald flash.

Echo shook his head. “They must have added some security measures,” he murmured. Tapping his hoof, he turned to Canary. “Should we still go for it?”

Canary felt the sinking feeling in her heart. Why would I feel that now? She nodded vigorously. “It was just between Iris and that guard. We'll be fine.”

Echo nodded and led on. After a minute, Echo whispered, “Here we are.”

The passage ahead had been cemented shut, all besides a dark wooden door. Though it was about twice their height, it was barely wide enough to fit through. Echo waved Canary to the side before he knocked on the door.

A slot opened at eye-level, revealing a pair of bright green eyes.

“Password?”

“Cobalt,” Echo responded.

Silence.

Canary hopped from hoof to hoof, waiting for a response. After what felt like an entire minute, the door clicked open.

Echo walked calmly through the door—barely large enough for two ponies to fit through. In a blink he lashed out at the two entry guards, knocking them out before they could so much as inhale. “Come on Canary,” he whispered. “We'll need to hurry.”

The passageway was a bit brighter than the cells—the glowing moss was bright enough to cast a shadow now. The cavern branched a thousand times—Canary lost track after the tenth turn.

“This is why Korporis is inescapable,” Echo whispered. “Even if a prisoner escapes, they're more likely to die lost in the caves than make it to the surface. Only seasoned guards could ever get through here alone. Thankfully,” he added, “I have a perfect memory.”

After the ten-thousandth turn, Canary felt a breeze brush her face. Echo turned back and whispered with a smile, “Nearly there.”

Canary's eyes widened as she saw a spattering of light shining from around the left corner of a T-junction ahead. Canary smiled and broke into a gallop.

“Wait!” Echo whispered, chasing after her.

Just as Canary was about to round the corner, Echo tackled her, pinning her to the ground. As Canary inhaled to protest, but Echo held her mouth shut. Putting his mouth right at her ear, he whispered, “Don't move. Don't talk.”

Then she heard it—the sound of guards approaching.

Canary worried her heart would explode. We're so close!
Echo helped Canary to her hooves and motioned for her to hide against the wall, just behind a stalactite. Canary grabbed a rock from the ground and held it close. As she stood against the wall, a soft glow emanated from her side. Canary watched in horror as Echo's horn glowed brighter and brighter. Of all the times he had to start glowing! Canary moved to cover his horn, but Echo pinned her hoof against the wall. Canary glared at him. What's come over him‽

Shadows were running up the wall, stretched thin by the angle. In the few seconds before the guards arrived, Canary looked towards the entrance, then down at the stone in her hoof. Her heart was racing—from the sound of it, the guards would be on them in seconds. Canary squinted to take aim, then launched the stone towards the entrance. Just as she released the stone, she felt Echo's hoof on hers, holding back her hoof. Canary shot him a glare. What are you doing‽ The rock hit a wall near the light, sending echoes through the tunnel.

“Left!”

Echo released Canary's hooves and jumped into a fighting stance. “I was cloaking us!” he whispered aggressively. “You just gave up our position!”

Three guards rounded the corner and closed in on Echo. In a flash, he reverted to his insectoid form and landed blows on the two nearest guards.

Canary pushed off the cave wall and bucked the nearest guard, sending him flying into the opposite wall. She landed on all fours and skidded along the ground. Before she could gauge the situation, a blow from her right knocked her to the ground.

She found herself pinned down by a noctal guard, but with a quick jerk, she freed her right leg and kicked upwards. Her hoof made contact with his ribs, throwing him off enough to set her free.

To her left, she saw Echo holding his ground against three other guards. He was flitting around like a dragonfly, dealing double the blows as he was taking. Canary leapt towards the nearest guard to pounce on him, but just before her hooves made contact, a guard spawned from the darkness and knocked her sideways into the cave wall.

The world went black.

Comments

[ookacha]

Well uuh, I guess all of a sudden it's Romeo and Juliet, but as a two man army.
Not much interesting happening here other than an escape sequence with random facts about security being thrown in.

I will confess I skimmed over a lot, but I still recommend revising your previous chapters.
Potentially start from chapter two and flesh it all out a bit. Especially Canarys attitudes towards her surroundings.
Maybe out a 'revised' tag at the end of the chapter names to show they should be reread.

But alas, for now, I am going to leave this story in my tracking page and revisit at a later time.