Hollow Hope

"This way. Don't get left behind."

Glider moved at a swift, steady pace--a marathon runner taking a brisk jog in the middle of the night. Sunny, meanwhile, lost ground at every turn--stopping to check every corner, eyes wide. "Would you slow down? I'd rather not get caught by surprise--"

He gasped softly as he ran into her. There was a brief tangle of hooves, and her wings flared out to balance her as he scrambled backward.

"Sorry! Sorry. I'm more out of sorts than--"

"Lemme guess: Than an orange in an apple orchard?" Glider snickered; her tail flicked back and forth as she started walking again. "You're such a fuckin' dweeb, dude."

As they picked their way past a jumble of furniture, Sunny spoke up again.

"When did you get here? I don't remember meeting you, and--well, I'm the mayor." It was true that he'd been busy preparing the festival, but he still made a point of greeting new arrivals.

"Late-night flight," Glider explained. "Got here right as the fog came in. This place is spooky when it's dark out. I kinda like it. Could do without the flesh-eating monsters, though."

"I see your point," Sunny mumbled as he negotiated a particularly wobbly armoire. "I'd rather save this sort of thing for Nightmare Night."

"You need a hoof?"

"No, no, I'm--" The armoire twisted under him, and he yelped as Gilded Glider scooped him up, floating a short distance before setting down with a scrape of hooves against floorboards.

She squeezed him for a moment; he could feel her breath, hot against his ear, before she let go.

"Almost there," she muttered under her breath, "but we got some trouble."

She pointed ahead, where two griffon bodies were lurching back and forth in the hall. She tugged her knife out of its sheath, licking her lips. Sunny raised the wrench; he didn't have time to think about it. Maybe this mare was some kind of sadist, but maybe that'd keep him alive for now.

As she lunged forward, he ran along behind her; she took the one on the left, tackling it to the ground, while he leapt at the one on the right, bringing the wrench down across its shoulder. He heard a slick, wet noise, and shut it out, focusing on crippling his target; he smashed it twice, three times, and it finally stopped moving.

Turning around, he caught himself staring at Glider--she brought the knife down again, adding another ragged opening to the griffon-body she had pounced on. Glancing up, she met his eyes--and grinned, arching her back slightly, tossing her head and letting her mane tumble back down. He bit back a grunt of disgust, and followed behind her as she started walking again. "We're almost there," she muttered, as they rounded a corner...

"So, come here often?" Glider smirked as she relaxed into the sofa. Stripping her saddlebags and the knife's sheath off, she crossed her legs and fanned her wings out, reclining into the cushions.

"Ha ha. " Sunny said with a roll of his eyes. "I'd rather be at home. The crowd around here is...well, dead. Kind of ruins the mood, I'd think."

"I know, right?" Glider stifled a chuckle; a little snort snuck out of her, and Sunny couldn't help but smile. "Then again--"

"Hm?" Sunny cocked his head to the side, tucking his tail under himself.

"I dunno," Glider murmured, uncrossing her legs. "Something about winning a fight does get my blood pumping."

Sunny felt sweat running down his face. "I don't follow," he whimpered.

Glider laughed--a short-and-sweet, barking, snorting laugh. "You're clueless, huh? Tell you what--you come over here, and I'll show you."

"You know what, I should go." Sunny hopped out of his chair, bee-lining for the door.

"Come on. There's nothin' out there that can't wait."

"My wife's out there," Sunny muttered under his breath.

"And what she don't know won't hurt her, right?" Glider murmured, as she slinked off the couch. Sunny didn't wait for her to continue; he yanked on the doorknob, but it wouldn't budge--Glider had locked the door behind them. As he turned around, his breath caught in his throat--she pressed her muzzle against his neck, purring just loud enough for him to hear. "C'mon. Pony like you, you wanna get a little wild sometimes, right?"

"Eugh!" He shoved her away, scrambling to the side. "I--I barely know you! And I'm married! What kind of colt do you take me for!?"

"The kind who knows a good catch when he sees one," she answers, as she stalks around the side of the room. "You've got the opportunity of a lifetime, here. I'll rock your world like she can't."

He shuffles sideways, and his hoof brushes against her saddlebags. "I don't care--I've got to find Petunia! She might be hurt!"

"If those things got to her, she's dead already. Might as well get over it while you can!" With a low growl, Glider pounced at him--and he ducked under her, scrambling for the door, dragging Glider's saddlebags along with him. His hoof scrabbled through the bag, closing around the key--he shoved it in the lock and twisted, as Glider untangled herself from the couch cushions--and he heard her scream as he slammed the door shut behind him.