Darkness had fallen on this land. Marching through dense grass that reaches my knees, the wet earth sucks on my leather boots as I trudge through the unbroken path. With axe held in my arm pit, I am able to grab food with one hand whilst the other holds the leather bag it was contained in.

With only a minimal amount of fuel on board, the train had soon dragged itself to a stop some distance from the city. I therefore had to abandon the thing if I was to put any distance between me and the authorities. At least the carriage I kept being pulled by the engine had contained some supplies, likely what the workers fuelling the engine would have eaten on a journey.

With a leather satchel hung from a belt over my shoulder, I place the small food bag into a compartment of the satchel. Digging into its main contents, I pull out something else I scavenged: a map. Arguably the most important thing I could have snatched before bailing. Unrolling the thin parchment, my eyes switch between watching the uneven ground and the detailed layout of settlements and trails.

As I walk, ever slight sound makes me stop and look around at my surroundings. The fact I'm marching through hilly plains, with no trees for cover, makes me anxious that my pursuers will have an easy time spotting me. My eyes, though barely able to make sense of the poorly illuminated fields of grass, keep trying to pierce the dark veil for golden armour.

It would make sense that they would send guards down the rail on another train perhaps, where they'd find my abandoned one and know to look for me.

"I must be getting paranoid." I think to myself as I return to my scrambling through the wilderness.

I remember the train having to go through a tunnel that ran through a mountain. I was so anxious of an ambush at the other end that I had sat with my back against the engine cart's wall with my axe ready in both hands. Apparently, the map shows that I had gone past a place called "Hollow Shades". And the image meant to represent the place looked too ominous for me.

But looking over the map as I walk, I can see the only populated area is a place called "Manehatten". From the looks of it on the map, it's only connected to the mainland via a bridge. That bridge is the only way to the city, so how am I meant to slip in undetected? Also, why does the name seem so familiar? I can't seem to remember why it sounds so familiar.

My walking comes to a stop as I think.

My home... friends... my last name? My hand grips my forehead as my body trembles in shock, unable to process what is going on. I can't remember?! It's like I can feel the traces of the past telling me that this world isn't mine, but otherwise it's like this land is the only one I have breathed in. I know how to read, I know how to speak, but is the language from my world or this one? Have I been speaking this world's language the whole time?

Is my name even mine, or have I taken it from some forgotten memory?

A sudden chill dashes down my spine, but no breeze had blown on this slightly warm night. Twisting my whole body around, yanking the axe from my armpit and holding its handle with trembling fingers. Adrenaline forces its way through my veins as my eyes scan this way and that.

My axe, nearly completely blunt from exhaustive use, is still readied for an ambush. I'll just have to bring the axe down harder. For two agonising minutes, my breathing is all I can hear before slight breezes whisper across the grass. I'm alone, stood sweating in the darkness.

My ears hear no breathing or shuffling through the grass, and I can't just stay here to risk the guards catching up to me. Exhaling strongly, I straighten my posture and lower my axe. Laughing a little to myself, I chastise my paranoia. Peering thoughtlessly into the darkness, I smile.

"Those two stars look pretty close. Must be a constellation." I say to the darkness around me as I turn.

Still nervous, I leave the axe held tight as I turn around and walk slightly faster. My boots continue to get tugged at by the mud they step in, my hands swiping the tall grass out of my way. Still trying to remember anything of my life before this nightmare, I start hitting my own skull in frustration.

Did those damn ponies wipe my memory or something whilst I slept? If so, I think I've got a heavy bit of steel on a stick that will help make them nothing but a memory. Still fuming, I grab a leather flask from the satchel and angrily suck down the slightly-cool water. With only slight weight dashing inside of the contained when shook, I know that I'll need to refill it soon.

My legs burn as I breath heavily, the hill I'm traversing being so damned steep. But finally, I reach the summit of this grassy slope, giving me a clear view of my surroundings. My first view of the city takes me breath away.

Great steel and glass pillars rise up to the sky like grey plants, with the many lights from within each building casting their shine into the darkness of the night. A great brass horse's head perches at the summit of the largest of towers, peering over the city itself as the moon casts a glistening aura across its metal surface. A copper statue of a robed pony holding a torch sits isolated on an island lit by only a handful of lanterns, but through age the poorly illuminated structure looks almost a green.

Despite the moon hanging high in the sky, citizens still remained in the streets. Although I can only see them as hordes of pastel colours, as I am much too far away to discern individual ponies. Carriages of varying shades of paint also run through the streets, large enough to still be visible even from this great distance.

Shaking myself out of the mesmerising state the sight leaves me in, I look down the hill to its grassy base. At the base of the hill, I see the typical cobblestone road you'd expect from a medieval-styled land. Although the contrast from the advanced city and the primitive nature of what I'd seen thus far is great, I don't let myself get lost in thought.

Now is the time for action. Scanning my eyes up from the road, I see a "roadblock" set up near the city. Although it does not seem nearly as well guarded as you'd expect, with only a pair of armoured guards keeping security. Carrying lanterns in the night, they are easily spotted as their golden armour casts the light almost blindingly. A small purple tent is set up next to them, and another light from within casts a sleeping pony's shadow against the fabric.

As a carriage draws in, a guard flags it down with a hoof. Its wooden wheels halt their turning, and a guard walks over to inspect it. The other remains at a wooden desk sat next to the tent, looking over papers. I yawn, covering my mouth with a hand to prevent them hearing. After moving for so long, and wasting away so much energy with adrenaline, I'll be lucky to get into the city without passing out.

Obviously, a subtle method of getting past is needed. No charging in and whacking everything in the area with a blunt axe, unfortunately. Guess I have to do things the hard way.

Crouching low to the ground, my calves flex painfully from the constant squatting, I start to shuffle slowly down the hill's steep slope. Keeping my steps agonisingly slow, I finally reach the base and remain low to the ground. Thankfully, the tall grass obscures my body in this position, giving me a protective veil of green.

Stalking in the long grass, I stare through the green blades at the guard. He looks tired, I think at least it seems that way, as he lazily looks underneath the cart. The lantern casts light over me as he turns to the other guard at the desk, making me duck down and out of sight. I can't keep moving with this guard so close.

Shuffling my legs backwards, I go prone as I wait for the inspection to end. Sighing from impatience, I lazily turn away from the roadside inspection and out onto the sea beside the city. Gently, large ships seem to drift out of the city and off into the empty sea. Curious, I right myself a little and continue thoughtfully gazing at the wooden vessels.

I'd hoped a city by the sea would have ships, and looks like I was right to assume this would be the case. I'm a wanted man here, and staying in this country would be foolish. They even have a roadblock for me specifically. They mean business. Thankfully, it looks like I can take a permanent cruise.

"Shame I forgot my suitcase..." I whisper weakly to myself, smiling despite the awful joke. Mouth returning to a frown, I watch as the carriage finally finishes its inspection, and can now move into the city itself.

As the inspecting guard stands with a yawn, he turns back and faces the one on the desk to wave his hoof in an "all clear" gesture. Crawling forwards, I roll underneath the carriage and bite the wooden handle of the axe. With both hands free, I grab at any available surface and tuck my legs up, pressing my body forcefully against the wood.

The steel-reinforced wheels turn with a creak, the carriage lurching forwards and into a decent speed. The clopping of hooves begins anew as the driver instructs the ponies pulling the wooden vehicle to hurry. It seems they are in as much of a rush to get into the city as I am.

My teeth clench hard against the wood, my grip almost being lost when the taste and stench of dried blood seem to seep into my lips. But I refuse to drop the only weapon I have, my arms and legs flexing and tensing as they struggle to hold onto the carriage's vibrating underbelly.

As the carriage's wheels start to move on concrete and steel, my eyes shut tightly as my limbs ache from the constant vibration. I must have gotten onto the bridge, and I hold back a groan as I remember just how long the bridge looked from a distance.

By the time I get into the first street of the city, the bridge leading into it, my muscles ache yet still clench agonisingly. Tears brim at the edges of my closed eyelids, but I refuse to lose my grip. When I finally open my eyes to scan my surroundings, all I see is a wave of multicoloured legs on either side of the carriage. Grunting just low enough to be drowned out by the grinding of wood on tarmac, I wait for an opportunity to bail this cart.

"Stop! Thief!" I hear a snobbish voice say, turning my head to the noise. Apparently, the blue legs on my left had stopped and began trembling. Golden armour on hooves dart past the left side of the carriage, and I watch as the blue legs also disappear from sight.

Now or never, I guess. Seeing the crowd to have not continued flowing down the left side of the carriage, I take a leap of faith and roll out from beneath the wagon and onto the street itself.

I hear shocked gasps all around me and a guard's typical commanding voice demanding me to halt, but I pay them no attention as my body stumbles to its feet and starts to dash forwards. With the sounds of hooves thundering towards me, my legs burn as they sprint into an alleyway.

Diving over some crates with guard in pursuit, I moan in the shadows as I feel my stomach ache from the landing. Turning back and seeing a unicorn guard still chasing me. Dragging myself up, I keep running with my chest burning from the effort.

I look over my shoulder at the guard's slightly tilted head as they point their horn at me like a lance. Looking back, I slam into a chain-link fence, hitting the back of my head on the stone floor. Pulling on the chains to support myself, I rub the back of my head as I notice the axe I'd dropped.

The guard had long since stopped sprinting, and seemed to be prowling forwards like a predator. A dangerous glint in their eye and a wicked smile give me all the motivation I need to swipe the axe. But tiredness had already sapped away at my energy, and I can't stay here when other guards can be heard storming down the alleys towards us.

Looking back at the fence for just a moment, I can see that the fence is not too high. I should be able to climb this, but the pony won't. Grabbing a free hand against the fence, I point the axe's blunted steel head towards the pony threateningly. The unicorn only laughs as they lower themselves, horn glowing with an amber aura.

But their horn soon loses its aura with amber sparks spitting from it, their concentration lost. They growl at some forgotten fact, as their grin returns in full force as another amber aura encases my axe. Grunting, my body seems to get pulled towards the unicorn as my hand refuses to leave the axe's handle, my arm pulling the fence and making it flex slightly.

The force pulling the axe towards the unicorn grows ever stronger, beads of sweat becoming visible on the pony's furred forehead. My weakened arms can't continue this fight for long, but losing the axe would mean losing my only protection from this crazed guard!

A sinister plan comes to mind, as I grin wickedly. I begin to pull as hard as I can on the axe, making my grin weaken as my face scrunches with the effort, sweat gracing my own forehead. I feel the magic levitating my axe towards the guard grow impossibly strong, leaving my arm numb under the strain.

I let go of the axe with a smile.

Round and round, the axe spins in the air towards the now startled guard. They try to turn away, but the axe, more of a brown and grey blur with the speed, sends them flying back with its impact and into a pile of cardboard boxes. Even from this far, I can see the axe had embedded itself in the side of their skull. The axe's handle standing like a wooden monolith, and only their leg twitches in the darkness.

I go to retrieve the axe, the coming patrol is getting too loud (and therefore to close) for comfort. I can't hope to face an entire patrol on a near-empty stomach whilst sleep deprived. Sighing in annoyance, I start climbing the fence but at the top I end up sliding off. Luckily, on the side without guards coming to investigate.

Except I hadn't noticed the fence was meant to keep ponies from slipping down an incline and into another alley a few foot down. So I end up falling that distance, and more, with my only bit of fortune meaning I land on a pile of cardboard and metal cans.

With my mind cloudy and sight going dark, my head flops back onto the discarded boxes as sleep finally takes me. My last sight being the night sky hovering over the city.

Author's Note

Got to have that faint/black out, otherwise it doesn't count as an authentic HiE story, right? This chapter didn't take long to plan out, but it did take too long writing. Sorry if that has disappointed anyone still reading.

Thanks for keeping with this for this long!