The Runaway Bodyguard

by scifipony

Chapter 52 — Hot Potato

My team scattered without hesitation as I grabbed up Safe in my magic and ran. Crystal Skies spiraled up and arrowed through the forest canopy, snapping branches as he went. Pig Pen crashed through the underbrush to parallel the trail, plenty of the end of the chain looped in his lips, while Citron dashed ahead to scout for the ambush I implied by the direction I had looked. Citron couldn't lift a full pony weight either magically or physically, so I had the potato who whinnied, flailed like a child, and complained, "Put me down, you foal!"

"Sticks and stones—"

Crystal Skies yelled through our shared magic, "Incoming 10-3!"

I skidded to a stop, looking 10 o'clock up and 3 o'clock (to my right), ready to duck. Safe yelled, "What theTartarus?" I heard from different directions a chain rattle and a whizzing hiss.

The pegasus added, "Javelin!"

"Javelin—?" I repeated.

Bang!

Metal hit wood. I leapt forward through what turned out to be a hail of splinters. Luckily I'd been looking away. Safe hadn't.

He yowled, now flailing at splinters that turned his muzzle into a porcupine. "A javelin? What the horse apples, C.A.!"

Pig Pen had flung his chain and struck the javelin; I heard the jangling as he jerked it back into a manageable loop. This was a classic example of why you don't want to get into a fight with an earth pony. As best I understood it, unlike a unicorn, his strength was in no way hampered by psychological reluctance to hurt a pony. Scary. For my part, I had to lower Safe closer to the ground the faster I ran or risk losing the spell as the magic took into account me galloping faster and making my carrying him riskier.

"You lose points for letting me get hurt!"

"Want to tell us who or what is chasing us?"

"Fat chance—"

"Celestia on roller skates! Safe—"

"I mean, I—I can't."

I jerked him over a big rock to the side of the trail. I barely missed smashing him into it because of my speed—honest.

"I can't! Normally, I wouldn't share by professional choice, but this time the boss wouldn't discuss it so I just can't!"

"I find that hard to believe."

"Honest! Want me to pinkie swear?"

I heard wings. Foliage ripped and branches cracked. A light blue afterimage banked along the trail, swerving right and up again. It confirmed Crystal Skies had spotted hoof traffic in that direction. Pig Pen crossed my path to follow his friend's lead.

From Citron: "Horns!"

I asked, "Why wouldn't she discuss—?"

"We're talking Carne Asada, here. Guessing? She's wants to scare you." He tossed away the last sliver he'd pulled out with both hooves.

"For your sake, I hope so."

When the trail looped to my left, I smelled smoke just before I had to leap a burning branch. Saplings and brush burned on both sides of the trail, and I heard somepony crashing away.

"No Force spells, Safe? Really?"

"Maybe they played with matches?" He squirmed, judging my ire. "Look, I can gallop faster than you can."

Turk was a unicorn. Safe was an earth pony.

"Good," I said, flinging him upright and letting the Levitate spell unravel. I subvocalized, "Citron!" as Safe stumbled, then hit legs pumping in a fast trot.

Through my magic, I heard, "I've chased two unicorns off. Doubling back."

The pegasus added, "One in flight."

"Ha!" Pig Pen said, faintly, "That one will have a limp. Doubling back."

I said, "Do that."

"Talk to yourself much?" asked Safe.

"I'm a good listener." To Crystal Skies: "Three on the run, then?"

"Didn't say that!" Crystal Skies’ voice echoed, the magic buzzing the teeth in my jaw ahead of his voice passing through the air as he came screaming down from above. "Duck!"

I shouldered Safe. He tumbled into some brush as I skidded in the dirt. A wooden clank announced a javelin hitting the path ahead of me. The point fetched up on a stone, flipping it into the trees.

I caught up Safe on the scruff of the neck, covered in dew-wettened leaves, and pushed him forward.

"Go!" I yelled. "There must be a second pegasus. A bit more than a test, Safe, don't you think? Somepony doesn't like you." We hit a gallop as the trail opened up. Citron got in front within a few seconds. I heard Pig Pen breaking through saplings to get in behind us.

"Or you," Safe returned.

I blinked, then shook my head. Just concentrate on getting out of here. At some point, we'd leave the park and enter a lightly traveled side-street through a small business district. It would be safer from ambush, but it would also leave us more exposed to ponies that didn't care if they were seen or not.

Pig Pen's pace suddenly doubled as I realized I'd missed something Crystal Skies had said. As we turned a bend in the trail, I heard jangling and a grunt.

A metal chain went whirling through the air above us. Wood splintered. A pony shrieked. I heard a loud oof!

I glimpsed a yellow pegasus tangled with metal in some large upper branches. Three sticks, like long pine pool cues but pointed, clanked and clunked woodenly down through the canopy. Unfortunately, Pig Pen's chain was wrapped around branches that now caged the akimbo stallion and not following his javelins down to him any time soon. Crystal Skies fluttered down either to free the chain or keep the downed pegasus downed.

"Come-on!" cried Citron.

We galloped ahead, getting glimpses through the trees of the street lamps, modest homes in need of paint or repair, and a warehouse. I worried about the second javelin throwing pegasus going to help fight Crystal Skies.

"We just have to get to the buildings—"

The trail opened up on a grassy knoll with redwood picnic benches. I saw Citron's horn suddenly glow brightly, but it all happened faster than I could process.

Both Safe and I flinched, and that saved the two of us from getting skewered like an onion and zucchini on a barbecue kabob stick. The javelin creased my flank, ripping the trailing fabric of my fluttering cloak. Safe, a quarter gallop behind me, wasn't as lucky.

Author's Note:

Next: Starlight begins to learn “certain truths” as she struggles to keep herself and her charge alive.