“Wake up.”

Tom grumbled and rolled over. “Wha-?”

“Guards are here. We need to leave. Now.” Shift was already dressed to leave.

“Fuck.” Tom rolled out of bed and threw all of his gear on in a daze, tripping over the bed sheets.

Shift began to look anxious. “There’s no time for-” a knock rang through the house. “Fuck!” he hissed. “Let’s go!”

Tom's heart began to beat in his head. How were they here so fast? He wasn't a difficult person to pick out in a crowd, but they had only arrived yesterday. He looked around the room for something to cover himself. In the corner was a cloak that looked to be long enough for him. He threw it over his shoulders; a tad bit short, but there wasn't much that could be done about it. The two looked at each other.

“Window?”

“Window."

"Easy for you to say, you have wings.”

“Then get with everyone else and evolve. Let’s go already.”

Shift changed into yet another random pegasus, and flew to the window. The sound of a door opening could be heard from below. Tom began to panic. He pulled the cloak over his head, and soon followed after Shift, climbing through the frame of the window and lowering himself into the bushes below. He peered slightly into the kitchen window to see the staple armour of the Equestrian guard, except something off about these ones…

“Praetorians… shit,” Shift noted, “If we didn’t already have a reason to leave, then there’s another.”

It was still early morning, which meant that sneaking about the village would not be an easy task. to undertake. Upon surveying the surrounding area, they both saw several guards at several different homes, inquiring to the villagers about a ‘tall, lanky, and mostly hairless ape’, while showing them a piece of paper, of which Tom assumed was a photograph.

“Shift,” Tom hissed, “they know what we look like. We spent enough time making those trips yesterday; everyone here knows about us. We need to get out of this town, or we're gonna have to deal with... them.”

Praetorians were the Guard’s version of special operators. From his time with Celestia, Tom knew how bad this situation was. The Praetorians began to move about the town again, moving house to house. Through the window they were currently hiding under, they heard Bread speaking with the Guards.
“...they were here, yeah… worked for me yesterday… slept upstairs.” ‘Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit.”

“Tom! Move it!” He didn’t need any more convincing. They moved through the back of Bread’s yard and hopped a fence into the connecting alleyway. Not long after, Tom watched in alarm as the guard’s red helmet plume came into view from the window they just escaped from, and looked through the window. Shift yanked Tom back down from the top of the fence.

“There is a port city a few day’s away. We cannot stop for whatever reason, or else you get to reunite with the love of your life, and I get to reunite with my Queen.”

Tom stopped himself before he said he wished he had a horse. “Fine by me, let’s get the hell out of here.”

They crept through the alleyway, dodging every opening they could. Soon, they came to the back of a house near the edge of town. Unfortunately for the pair, it was guarded by several Praetorians.

“Fuck...What do we do now?” Tom asked, glancing around for any possible guards they may
have missed along the way.

“Shut up, I’m thinking,” Shift growled.

A tall, unicorn stallion came into Tom’s view. He was a Praetorian without question, but he had a yellow streaked helmet. “Centurion…”

A beige canvas covered wagon came rumbling into view of the main street. By the looks of it, it was transporting the wheat they spent hours stacking the day before.

“Look, a caravan! Could we sneak into it?”

“Don’t be stupid!” Shift snapped at him.

“Ok, then tell me what other options we have right now!" Tom snapped back at him. "We’re surrounded by every angle imaginable, and things are not looking good for either of us right now. You are capable of illusion magic. Tell me why this won’t work out for us.”

Shift was silent for a moment. “Fine. I guarantee you they won’t expect changeling magic. However, it won’t work without a distraction.”

“Fucking burn something. Bread’s house for all I care.”

“That… may work.” A look of concentration crossed Shift’s face,

“If you’re planning on theatrics, now’s the time for them…”

“Will you shut up and let me concentrate?”

A plume of green fire caught onto the side of a nearby building. Slowly, it began licking up the sides of the building and began to engulf it. Bells began to ring across town, and the guards abandoned their posts to help those who needed it.

A sigh of relief followed. “We’re clear. Let’s move before they come back.”

The two quietly snuck towards the wheat cart. The back of the cart was covered in a canvas drape, mostly hiding the contents of the cart. Tom lifted the drape vaulted in first, and grabbed Shift to pull him in. He went flying into the back of the cart.

“My god…” Tom was trying not to panic. “They’re hell bent on getting me back.”

Shifts head poked out from under a burlap bag. “Still would rather be a changeling.”

A malicious look was shot towards him. “Really not helping, Shut up, someone’s coming,”
Tom took the chance to bury himself underneath the mountain of bags. Hoofsteps surrounded the cart. They heard the sound of the hoofsteps heading towards the front of the cart.

“You’re cleared... Make way... firefighters! ....apologies...take the main road..,better off.”

A gruff response was all that came after. The cart suddenly jerked forward, and they were off.

It was only a few minutes before Tom threw the bags off of him. The scent of wheat began to irritate his nose and eyes, Before he could say anything, Shift covered his mouth with his hoof, indicating silence. If they were caught by whoever was driving the cart, there was no guessing what would happen to them. So, they resigned themselves in silence, travelling through the main road.

It seemed like an hour before Shift said or did anything. Prodding Tom, he suggested that now would be a good time to leave their cart. In a flash of magic, Shift teleported the two of them behind a mossy boulder nearby. The canvas cart continued on it;s way, disappearing from sight after a few minutes.

“That was way too close for comfort,” Tom stated. "We need to keep moving."

Shift looked exhausted. He swayed in place for a moment leaning against the boulder. "I need a minute to recover...I used a lot of magic back there, after not using it for so long."

Tom looked at Shift, and he didn't like the look that crossed the human's face.

"Before you do anything stupid, what are you planning on doing?"

Before Shift could get an answer out of him, Tom lifted him onto his back.

"Normally, I'd object, but I find myself incapable of walking right now."

"Just shut up and say thanks already."

Shift ignored his comment. “I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but it’s only going to get much worse from here for us.”

A look of anguish adorned Tom’s face. “What next?”

“Did you see the Centurion’s horn?”

Tom recalled the stallion’s magic display. “What about it?”

“It was a tracking spell-”

A groan escaped tom. “You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.”

“It’s a shit joke. They now know that we were in the town. Fortunately for us, I don’t think the spell he was using could pinpoint exactly where we were.”

“But they still know where we were, which means-”

“They’ll be swarming this entire area in about an hour,” Shift finished. “Remember that port I mentioned? We should probably get going. Now.”

The pair emerged from behind their hiding spot, and once again took to the long road ahead.

__________________________________________________________________________

Celestia found herself dazing off as she listened to yet another noble whimper and moan about tariffs imposed upon their business. She grew tired of this fickle matter.

“Very well, I shall look into the matter further on my own time.”

The noble didn’t seem satisfied, but accepted these terms nonetheless. He gave an exaggerated bow before her, and left the room.

Since she had granted the use of the Forbidden Archives, there had not yet been any update as to his location. She became tired of waiting. ‘I will find him, if I have to tear the planet apart to do so’.

Memories drifted into the forefront of her consciousness, memories of a much happier time. Now was not the time to reminisce of the past, for that would only lead her further and further away from her goal. From him.

A knock resounded through out the room. “Enter,” Celestia ordered,

The very same battle mage had returned. Celestia’s attention peaked as he drew closer and closer to the throne.

“I trust the Archives have been of great use to you?”

“Yes, Your Grace. We have received word from the Praetorians about the whereabouts of the fugitive.”

Celestia snapped her head towards the guard at this information, and stared into the pits of his soul. “Tell me everything you know. Now.”

“The bloodhound spell had tracked them to a local traveller’s outpost on the outskirts of the Everfree. He seems to be heading towards Stoneview Port.”

‘No matter where you run, I always find you in the end.’ “that is good news indeed. Prepare my chariot, we depart at once.”

“Yes, your Highness.”
___________________________________________________________________________

Author's Note

Thanks everyone for all the support. Much love to you all and stay safe.