Chapter III
Griffonia

Thomas

He hadn’t stopped running for the last 20 minutes or so. The only thing that was keeping him going was the feeling of pure fear in his heart.. His scar began to hurt again, and it hadn’t for a while. She was close. Yet, even though the guards were faster, had wings, and magic, he was still eluding them. Somehow. Ahead of him was the forest, which lead back to the farm, and his home. Swinging himself around the corner, he jumped to avoid yet another stall that was in his way. Thomas found that ponies weren’t very flexible, or very good at hurdling over things. This was proven to be true when one of the guards ran straight into the stall. It was definitely an odd discovery, but one that he couldn't think about right now. Sweat poured from his brow as he weaved to and fro to avoid his pursuers. Faces blurred as he ran. Griffins and ponies alike were shouting and yelling as he burst through the busy streets. Ahead, he saw a large group of ponies and griffins that had all gathered around a large stage by the town hall. The mayor of the town seemed to be addressing the townsfolk. It was the perfect getaway option; get in among the crowd, make yourself small, and get away when it’s safe to do so. Quickly, he found his opening into the crowd and began to make his way towards the butcher’s shop; if he could get there, then he would be able to sneak around back and get back to the pathway home. From there, he would figure out what the next step was. Even though most of the time he was not fond of his short stature, he was quite thankful to be the way he was right now. He was still taller than most griffins and ponies around, but he was able to somewhat fit in. As he moved among the crowd, he dare not look behind him, because they’d be able to see his face if he did. Various difference fragrances wafted about; perfumes, colognes, different fruits, vegetables, and baked goods. He moved slowly, careful not to draw attention to himself. Eventually, after squeezing through the large crowd, he slipped behind the old butcher’s shop. It wasn’t the most well-kept spot, but it was part of a family business. It was only after he was behind the shop that he turned around and gave himself a chance to look at his pursuers. There were several guards combing through the crowd, trying to find Thomas (which, in reality, shouldn’t be that hard considering he’s an alien), and several more circling the sky, like vultures. The area behind him leading towards his home looked to be clear, but it probably would be the best option to take the woods again.

After waiting 5 minutes to make sure he wasn’t being followed (or hadn’t been seen by anybody), he quickly moved to the dense brush ahead of him. It was only once he was well hidden, that he let out a heavy sigh. He lay still for a very long time, watching the guards scamper about in an attempt to find him.

***

Celestia

“How did you lose him? He’s literally an alien! No one else looks like him!” hollered the Lieutenant.

The troop of guards tried to look shameful, but it wasn’t working out very well. The Lieutenant sighed and rubbed his hoof against his forehead. This was going to be painful. After dismissing the troop, he made his way to the princesses’ private room, where two Centurion guards were posted. They always managed to get under his skin. They never moved. It wasn’t like the regular guard-type of not moving, but like a dead-type of not moving. He slowly raised his hoof to knock, but he heard a gentle voice ring through the door.

“Come in.”

Taken aback, the Lieutenant was startled for a moment. Then, after gathering himself, he entered the room. The Princess of the Sun stood at the mirror, staring at her own reflection in a deep state of meditation. The Lieutenant swallowed and stepped forward, suddenly feeling a heavy weight upon his shoulders.

“Am I correct in my assumption that you were not able to detain him, Lieutenant Flare?” said the Princess in a monotone voice.

“My apologies, Your Grace,” said Flare, “The Human is evasive, and we had a very difficult time tracking him. For some reason, the tracking spells would not work due to magical interference from an unknown source.”

Celestia was quiet for a minute. “And the pegasi squadron?”

“Reported the same. The Human…”

“Thomas,” the Princess snapped, anger quickly rising in her tone, “His name is Thomas, and you will do well to address him as such.”

“But of course, Your Majesty,” Flare gulped, “forgive me. I will remember that.”

The Princess didn’t move from the mirror. She already had an idea in mind that needed to be done.

“Dismissed,” she said simply.

***

Thomas

He didn’t know how long he was waiting for. Obviously it was several hours, because the sun was quickly descending behind the horizon. Now seemed like the best time to move, but not before looking around the area one last time. It seemed that the guards were leaving, hopefully giving up. It was 5 minutes later when he finally made his move, slowly rising to a crouching position. Looking around one more time, it seemed to be clear. Then, he slowly began the walk back home, pondering what had happened earlier that day.

***

The sun had set long before Thomas returned home. The night sky was covered in diamonds of light. The moon was like a centrepiece of the sky, drawing the eyes to the white glow. Crickets softly chirped and jumped as he made his way through the path in the field. Relief overcame him when his humble abode came into view; he was due for a long rest tonight. It would be a well earned rest. As he got closer, he began to think about what he saw earlier. It was almost surreal; he thought she would leave him alone. After all, to most ponies in Canterlot, it was known how and when the Human had died When he walked up the steps to the wooden house, the door was slightly ajar. He made sure it was locked when he had originally left; he never left home without locking the door. There was something definitely wrong here. Instead of going through the main entryway, Thomas went around the back door. As he entered, he grabbed the pitchfork from the corner of the room. Quietly, he crept over to the torches and lit one. Nothing seemed out of place. There wasn't any noticeable difference from when he had left. Originally, he thought that he had been robbed, or it was some animal from the forest. To his left he heard a noise that was so quiet, it almost wasn't there. Thomas called out,

"Hello? Who's there? I just want to..."

But before he could finish, Thomas felt a heavy hit in the stomach, which made him recoil in pain. The pitchfork went clattering onto the floor as Thomas held his bruised abdomen. In the dim light of the torch, he saw several figures advance towards him. One of them swung for his head, and the other lunged forward with a baton. Thomas quickly threw up an arm in defense of the oncoming attack, and swung with the other to disable the figure. The second figure crashed into Thomas and began to beat him savagely. Gathering his strength, Thomas threw off his attacker and stood up into a defensive position. From what he could see, they wore some kind of armor, but he couldn't tell who they served based on what they wore. Suddenly, Thomas felt like all energy was drained from him. He looked down to see a dart protruding from his chest. Rage suddenly overcame him and he rushed towards his attackers with new motivation. One unfortunate bastard got a uppercut and fell over. Another was given a firm kick in the head. Then, the world became distorted, and Thomas felt nauseated. It was incredibly hard to stay upright, and he felt himself fall over onto the cold wooden floor of his home. Thomas felt his stomach lurch as he was picked up and thrown at the wall of his home, breaking the shelves of his kitchen pantry that he spent so long making. Everything in his view was blurry; all he could see were outlines of the figures in the torchlight... They were... Griffins? They weren't strong enough to throw him, nor did they have the balance. It was then that he knew who they were, when a white light filled his view.

"It's good to see you again, my old friend," said a snide voice.

And then Thomas knew no more.

Author's Note

2 chapters in one day. Goodnight.
EDIT: it was this one and the previous one for those who are confused.