I stood stock still, my hooves planted firmly on the tree branch below me. I started mentally picking out the prominent features of the Ponyville skyline. There was the three story mayor’s office at the center of town, casting a long shadow over the market square in the evening light. I could see that the clock tower across town read 7:23, its face easily visible to me, as it towered above the rest of the city atop its five story tall tower. Carousel Boutique’s blunt spire was three blocks off to my right, standing a half story above the surrounding buildings. That was my destination tonight.
A light breeze blowing through the tree caused the branch I’d perched on to sway. I barely noticed; instinct allowing me to remain upright and balanced even while the wood shifted beneath my hooves. Something was wrong, though. Why aren’t the street lights on? They should’ve been on by… no wait, that’s not right, they come on at 7:35. Argh, I can’t think like this!
An itch had formed in my right wing while I stood there, begging to be taken care of. Reluctantly I tore my eyes away from the town’s darkening skyline and sat down. There was no helping it anymore. My wings demanded a good preening.
Eventually, after gnawing carefully at my secondary coverts, the irritating feather came loose in my mouth. Ah… sweet relief. The itch melted away, causing a shiver to run down my spine and ruffle my wings.
Spitting the offending feather into my hoof, I scrutinized it closely, wary of the dangers which came with improper wing care. I could not afford to get any diseases, it being nearly impossible for me to acquire any medicine these days. Its deep blue color wasn’t dull, thankfully, and the shaft had come out cleanly, telling me that it was healthy and that I didn’t have to worry too much about infection.
Taking another look out at the town and deciding that I had time, I continued preening the rest of my wing, making sure not to miss anything.
The balcony door beneath me creaked and opened, startling me into accidentally yanking on the wing in my mouth.
“Spike! Come and look at the sunset.”
“Owowowow. Sweet Celestia that...” I quickly shoved a hoof in my mouth. That’d been the librarians voice I’d heard. This was bad. Knowing her, I’d become another one of her lab experiments if she found me. I must not let myself be seen!
I quickly folded my wings, and hugged the branch in an attempt to present a smaller profile. I ever so carefully leaned out over the branch, hoping that she hadn’t heard me. I was disappointed. She stood there at the door’s threshold, ears swiveling and looking around inquisitively. “Hello? Is somepony out here?” I held my breath, afraid that I might give myself away. She walked out onto the balcony, passing directly below me. Her ears folded back when she found the space empty.
“Rainbow Dash. I know you’re out here. I’m not in the mood for pranks.” A sly grin appeared on her face as she tensed herself in preparation to use a spell. “Got you!” The balcony door suddenly tore off its hinges and floated away.
My jaw dropped. I think my heart may have skipped a beat or two as well. That could have been me which she’d grabbed. This was just another reason never to let the big ponies catch me. The shock and embarrassment written on her face suggested it had been unintentional, but that didn’t change the fact that it could have killed me.
The librarians ear twitched, swiveling to point directly at me. Uh-oh. What’d I do? I swear I didn’t do anything! I was suddenly afraid for my life. The branch I was on wouldn’t hide me if she decided to actually look up. Thinking quickly, I made the only choice I could think of at the time and leapt with all my might towards salvation.
Twilight looked up at the noise she’d heard. It had sounded so soft, but she’d definitely heard a sigh. All she could see, though, were a few small leafy branches above the doorway. Her eyes narrowed.
“What’re you lookin at Twilight... Whoa!” Twilight looked down to find Spike standing in the doorway, staring pointedly at her. Twilight grinned sheepishly.
“I thought I heard something, Spike.”
“So you ripped the door off?” Spike replied, tapping his foot in annoyance.
Twilight looked back to spot the missing feature, still floating in her magical aura. “Oh!” She’d completely forgotten about it in the last few seconds. In her surprise she released the magic which had been holding it airborne. It quickly dropped to the ground below the balcony, where a thud and the sound of shattering glass marked the end of its journey. Twilight cringed at the sound before looking back at Spike, “Hehe… yeah, I guess I did.”
“Twilight! How many times do Celestia and I have to tell you that you need to be careful with your magic!? Now the house is going to be drafty all night. Come inside before you set the tree on fire or something.” Twilight followed Spike inside, head lowered, a guilty look on her face.
“And I’m not cleaning that up you know.”
A low wail pierced the night around the Golden Oaks Library.
I sighed and slumped down against the leaf I’d hid behind, glad that I could resume breathing again. Safe… I was safe. My heart’s wild beating finally started to slow down. That was far too close. I’ll have to be more careful in the future. I stood up and shook myself to be rid of the shudders, taking a moment to calm my nerves.
After I’d gotten myself under control I checked to see if the coast was clear. Once certain that I wouldn’t be noticed I proceeded to backflip off of the leaf like it was a diving board, ready for this night’s expedition. I spread my wings and flew off towards Carousel Boutique as the streetlights below flickered on.
I flew swiftly over the rooftops of Ponyville, dodging chimneys as I made my way towards Carousel boutique. I carefully measured my wing beats, staggering them so that I might appear to be a sparrow in the fading light of the evening. Of course the trick would never fool a real sparrow, but it didn’t have too. Its purpose was to fool ponies.
It felt good to be outside again. The last few days had been far too windy to fly in and I’d been stuck in the library. In years past that wouldn’t have been such a problem, but the new librarian kept strange hours and it was no longer prudent to fly around the main room. So I’d been stuck in the mouse holes for the past few days.
Still, stretching my wings wasn't the main reason for tonight’s expedition. I also was in desperate need of supplies. I had a shopping list of stuff that I needed to borrow, and the boutique provided most of them within easy reach.
Landing in the gutter of the house across the street from my target, I dared a peek to see if the coast was clear. I groaned when I found Carousel's lights to be still on. Horseapples! Now I'd have to wait until they went to bed. Unlike the library which had been riddled with mouse runs and hidey holes to begin with, the boutique had none of those, meaning that I would be running about in the main living area. I certainly wasn't about to do that with any of the Belles still awake.
Luckily I spotted something I could pass the time on. Dropping from my perch in the gutter, I came to rest on the flowerbox in the window below. The curtain was drawn and I could hear snoring when I pressed my ear to the window, so I was safe. Besides, those daisies look delicious.
Plucking a petal or two from each flower, I lay down and began nibbling on my snack while I waited for Carousel's lights to go off. One snack later, I found myself pacing back and forth in agitation. This is so frustrating! The first expedition of the week and I'm stuck here wasting the night away. I couldn't afford the time. I had other houses that I needed to visit tonight as well. The boutique was supposed to be the easiest of the bunch.
I shot another glare at the still blazing windows across the street. "Can't you ponies just go to sleep already?!"
"Who!" My stomach dropped into my hooves and I whirled around at the noise, fearful of the possibility of being caught.
"Please don't hurt me! I didn't mean t..." I trailed off once I saw him, "Owlicious! No fair sneaking up on me like that! I went and scared myself half to death with worry."
The owl cocked his head, "Who? Who-Ooh?"
I shoved at his leg playfully, "Sorry isn't going to cut it mister. You know how scared of the bigger ponies I get! I'll have to start thinking of ways to get revenge on you now. Where I've been? I've been stuck in the mouse holes since forever! Well... actually the windstorm only started last Monday... but I was so bored in there! How about you?"
"Who."
"Oh yeah. You live in the Everfree don't you? You're probably used to bad weather by now." I sat down on my haunches, "Say... how do you keep sneaking up on me like that? I don't mean to brag... but that's usually hard to do."
In response the big owl unfurled his wing and smacked me in the back of the head. Ow! That hur... wait a minute... that hadn't really hurt at all. "Lemme see those wings of yours." I said, gesturing for him to hold them closer.
Owlicious obligingly extended them again. I took hold of one and brought it down so I could examine the feathers closely.
"Oh, wow..." I said, running a hoof down the edge of a primary, "...Your wings are really rough, Owlicious! I thought all bird feathers had smooth edges, but yours have these tiny strands which stick out. Sort of feels like wool to the touch... Is that it? Is that what lets you fly silently?" I let go of the wing and jumped up to glomp Owlicious' middle, "That's so cool! Your an amazing owl, Owlicious."
Owlicious embraced me in return, chuckling in his own owlish way. I would've been happy to stay there for a while too, had fate not decided to intervene.
Daisy opened her window angrily, ready to give a piece of her mind to whoever it was who'd been making all that racket, "Keep it down out there! Someponies are trying to sleep! Do you even know wha-Aah-Aieee..." Daisy's jaw dropped, made speechless by the scary owl before her.
"WHO!?"
She screamed and made for the frying pan on her nightstand. Returning to the window, she loosed a tirade of verbal abuse at the bird, "You Beast! I'll bash your brains out. GET AWAY FROM MY DAISIES!" She waved her weapon about, trying to ward it away only to have it fly just out of reach, "You're terrible! A horrible evil little thing. Shoo! Git! Begone you Vile Creature you!"
The thing flew about, hooting and making a racket before flying away as Daisy shouted after it.
"...And don't let me catch you near my window again!"
Looking down, the mare let out a strangled cry at the sight of the new carnage that was her flowerbox. "Noooo... My precious daisies! Murdered! Mutilated! Oh, The Horror..." She wailed, descending into incoherent blubbering before fainting dramatically.
My eyes flew open at the sound of the window opening. Taken completely by surprise, I could only watch in fear as the giant pony leaned out and shouted something before looking this direction. My mind blanked as her eyes locked with mine, her shocked face burning holes in my memory.
Screaming at me she disappeared. I tried desperately to get myself together, of course failing utterly. I only succeeded in disengaging myself from Owlicious. Looking up at him, I opened my mouth, but words failed me as well. Escape! Flee, Run away!
"YOU BEAST!" My head snapped around, and I just barely managed to duck as a frying pan flew by above me, ripping through the flowers around me and nearly taking my head with it, "I'll Bash Your Brains Out! GET AWAY FROM MY DAISIES!"
I think I lost it at that point. She wanted to kill me. I-I... She wanted to kill me! A dull cold spread throughout my body, gripping my mind as I backed away, stuttering in a voice barely above a whisper, "I-I... but I... I'm..."
"You're terrible! A Horrible EVIL LITTLE THING! Shoo! Git!" I flinched as if struck, eyes unfocusing as shock set in.
"There she is! The runt did it!"
"Dewdrop, what have you done? How could you?!"
"No I-I didn't do it. Please, you've got to believe me! I didn't do it!"
"I saw her do it Miss Homebody. She's Evil! She tried to get us too!"
"But I..."
"Just... Just stop, Dewdrop. I don't believe you... I don't believe you..."
"No, I... pleease... I di-didn't..." Tears welled up in my eyes as I stood there, shivering uncontrollably at the very edge of the flowerbox.
"BEGONE YOU VILE CREATURE YOU!"
I froze. My mind ground to complete halt... In shock, I stepped back... And fell, tumbling from ledge...
...
...
...
...
I ran full tilt along the streets and alleys, terror driving my hooves onward. Barely even touching the clouds beneath me.
A whistle screeched behind me and shouts rose above the sounds of the city at night. I took another corner randomly and found myself in an alley. Looking over my shoulder, I ran blindly into a fence which blocked the way. Horror filled my mind at the thought of being cornered, the whistle sounding again, closer than before.
Eyes shrinking to pinpricks, I turned and clamoured my way up onto a trash can. With an adrenaline borne of fear, I tensed and leapt as high as I could, managing to hook my forehoof around the top of the fence. I couldn't quite reach it with the other...
"STOP!" Bellowed a voice from behind me, sounding harsh and emotionless to my young mind. Looking back, I spotted the largest meanest looking guard my mind could imagine. Screaming in terror, I reached up once more and managed to scramble up to the top. Looking over my shoulder once more, I froze as I found the guard RIGHT THERE, reaching for me.
"I've got you now you little squirt!"
"NO!" Thinking only of escape, I turned and leapt from the fence down to the other side. Only there was no other side.
To traumatized to even scream anymore, I watched as the cloud city above me shrunk into the distance. The wind whipped around me as I tumbled in free fall. Darkness overtook me, and I knew no more...
...
...
Thud.
I woke up screaming. Heart pounding, I looked about frantically and spotted Owlicious beside me. Somehow I knew that he'd retrieved me from below the window, but it barely mattered where I was or how I'd gotten here. I quickly buried myself in his feathers, bursting into tears and bawling my eyes out. Tenderly the caring owl embraced me, practically engulfing me in his huge wingspan. No words passed between us, but his presence was comfort enough.
