EQUESTRIA WARS: EPISODE 1 - A PROPHECY FORETOLD

CHAPTER 2: THE ROAD TO SUNDOWN

A bad apple can spoil a bunch. A bad individual can corrupt a species.

Eclipse and Star Swirl stood near the railings as the ship descended towards the ground. By now other passengers had arrived on the main deck. Most looked over the side as well, while others stood towards the middle. Some stared at Eclipse and Star Swirl; talking between each other with one eye always pointed at them. Seeing and Alicorn out this far was a rare sight, especially when she was also accompanied by a younger colt.

Honestly, this was the farthest journey Eclipse had ever taken as an Alicorn. Most missions required her to travel to places like Manehattan and Fillydelphia. And even then the issues were petty crime syndicates and minor monster attacks. Including travel, the whole matter was usually resolved in less than five days.

But so far, this mission had already taken four days just to get started.

The crime syndicates and small monsters were nothing compared to the destruction caused by a Dragon. They had been fearsome since the earliest days of Equestria. Regal Sunlight herself had fought single-hoofedly to push them back into the Barren Mountains of the South. But that was thousands of years ago, and no one has seen a Dragon in Equestria since then.

There was no telling how much they had evolved and adapted in those years of isolation. The images Faust had shown seemed to replicate what Eclipse had read in the ancient manuscripts. But that that was just one Dragon….who knew what the others were like.

Turning her focus to other matters, Eclipse returned to looking over the railing. Soon the ship passed through the clouds, giving a better view of the land below.

Spreading out before them was a rocky red landscape. Small mountains and hills rose up in random places. Specks of vegetation dotted the area between the mountains and hills.

The ship itself was heading towards a large landing station. Above it sat a small conglomerate of buildings: not quite a town but close enough. To the right was a small train station, as well as a small road leading deeper into the mountains. Ponies walked amongst the buildings and the landing platform. Most didn’t even look up as the ship descended.

“Looks like a nice little place,” said Star Swirl. “Pity we won’t be spending much time here”.

Eclipse felt the same way, but that was how things had to be. Sundown was still over fifty miles south of here. And if they wanted to get there fast, they had to find somepony willing to take them there. That in and of itself was going to be a challenge. Usually no-pony would want to get anywhere near a town that was being attacked by Dragons. It was hard enough to find an airship that went this far.

Hopefully the train was still running to Sundown, otherwise they’d have to walk the rest of the way. Eclipse had thought of simply flying there; she did have wings after all. But carrying Star Swirl over that much distance would be killer on her back. Plus, if they did encounter any Dragons along the way, she didn’t want him to fall off either.

So, it was best to find a ride to Sundown….no matter how hard it took.

The airship touched down on the landing pad. Crew members on the ground hurriedly attached ropes and gangways to the ship. Ponies slowly began to disembark, while Pegasuses lifted cargo from the hatches on deck.

Eclipse and Star Swirl headed down the gangway and onto solid ground. The two relished in the feeling to Terra-Firma for the first time in days. It only occurred to them now that they were sweaing slightly. Of course that tended to happen when you swayed to keep up with the rocking of the ship.

“This way,” said Eclipse, heading towards the train station.

The two pushed past departing passengers from the airship. Most ponies stepped out of their way; not wanting to get in the way of an Alicorn. So Star Swirl kept behind Eclipse, allowing her to lead the way.

Once clear from the crowd, they continued towards the station. The locomotive and coaches were already at the platform. Ponies with luggage stood nearby, ready to board. The station itself seemed a little rough: rotten wood and rust was plastered all over it. Only one window was clear: the one for the ticket booth.

The pony inside the booth was busy reading a book. His eyes scanned the pages, not even looking up when Eclipse and Star Swirl stepped before it. The young Alicorn cleared her throat.

“Excuse me”.

The pony gave a glance upward, though his bored face didn’t change. Clearly he wasn’t as interested in seeing an Alicorn as the others had been.

“Can I help you,” he asked, his voice drowning in monotone.

“Two tickets to Sundown please,” said Eclipse.

The Clerk sighed. “All trains to and from Sundown have been suspended in the wake of Dragon attacks”.

He returned his gaze back down to his book. “Trains will resume once the issue has been dealt with”.

Star Swirl stepped forward. “Well maybe you can make a special exception for us. We’re the ones that are being sent to deal with it”.

The Clerk nodded. “Then please resolve it as quickly as possible; we’re loosing money because of these attacks”.

Eclipse quickly ignited her horn, just in time to catch Star Swirl as he jumped at the Clerk. The young colt struggled in her grasp as the Clerk continued to read.

“You stuck-up, half-whitted, scruffy-looking NERF HERDER!”

“Star Swirl, that’s enough,” bellowed Eclipse.

She set the young colt down next to her, keeping her arm in front so he wouldn’t jump again. Taking a deep breath, she turned her attention back to the Clerk.

“If trains aren’t available, is there anyone or anything that can take us to Sundown? It’s important we get there as soon as possible”.

The Clerk pointed away from the station, not even bothering to look up. Eclipse and Star Swirl followed his hoof. The two saw that he was pointing towards three elegant carriages sitting outside the station. Gruff looking Earth Ponies stood nearby; eyeing ponies that passed by them.

“Those stallions with the carriages are the only ones going to and from Sundown at the moment. I recommend trying one of them”.

Eclipse bowed her head. “Thank You”.

Turning away from the Clerk, Eclipse headed towards the carriages. Star Swirl followed along behind, giving the Clerk the stink-eye as he passed.

As they approached the carriages, one of the earth ponies caught sight of them. He quickly faced the two, standing up a little straighter. The others saw this and quickly did the same. Eclipse and Star Swirl stopped before them.

“Greetings gentlemen,” said Eclipse. “I was told you are offering rides to Sundown, correct”?

“That’s right,” said the stallion before them. “Of course, only if the price is right. Going through Dragon infested areas isn’t something one does for free”.

Star Swirl huffed. “Even for Alicorns that are being sent to deal with the Dragons”?

“Especially them,” said the stallion. “Alicorns can fly, so if they need transport, it must be for a good enough reason. A good enough reason to pay that is”.

The stallion held out his hoof. “Two hundred bits for transportation to Sundown; no negotiating”.

“TWO HUNDRED BITS,” screamed Star Swirl. “That’s outrageous”.

“My associates charge five hundred for a trip,” replied the stallion. “So you should be grateful that I charge so much less for the same trip”.

“Forget it, we don’t have to deal with this”. Star Swirl ignited his horn. “Miss Eclipse, you go ahead and fly to Sundown. I’ll teleport myself there in no time”.

But before he could cast the spell, Star Swirl felt a hoof come down hard on his head. His horn de-ignited as he slowly rubbed the sore spot.

“You will do no such thing,” said Eclipse. “If something were to go wrong you could end up dead, and I’m not having that happen on my watch”.

She turned back towards the stallion, who was now grinning smugly. But his expression soon changed when Eclipse gave HIM the smug grin.

“I’m afraid two hundred bits is too expensive for us. However, I’m sure I’m not the first pony to tell you that”.

“What….how….what makes you think that”?

“Oh it’s quite obvious. The man at the ticket booth was quick to point you out when we asked for transportation. That means he must have said the same thing quite often. And given how you were doing nothing when we arrived, it must mean you’ve taken no trips recently”.

The stallion huffed. “Okay, so business has been a little slow recently. That doesn’t mean anything”.

“Or, it means you have been trying to take advantage of the situation in Sundown”. Eclipse lowered her head so it was even with the stallion’s. “Did you ever stop to think that the ponies looking for a ride were trying to get to Sundown to check on family. Or see if they could provide aid”?

“I….no….I d-didn’t”.

“Right, you were just looking to take advantage of them,” said Eclipse, raising her head back up. “The Goddesses will be looking down upon you with shame for what you’ve done”.

The stallion was beginning to shake badly. Tears formed in his eyes as sat down on the ground. The others watched him, tears beginning to for in their eyes as well.

“Oh god….what have I done? I….I’ve been trying to hurt ponies who just wanted to help. How can I live with that”!?

“By changing your ways,” said Eclipse. “We still need to get to Sundown. If you’re willing to take us, the Goddesses will look upon you with favor”.

The stallion quickly wiped the tears from his eyes. He stood up and raised a hoof in salute.

“Of course mam, I’d be honored”.

He ran to the nearby carriage and opened the door, waving the two inside. Eclipse and Star Swirl walked forward and into the carriage.

The inside was far nicer than the outside. Ornate wooden carvings made up the walls, while a dark crimson rug sat on the floor. The seats were a navy blue fabric that looked freshly cleaned. A small selection of food and beverages sat in a alcove on the side opposite the door.

“Wow,” said Star Swirl as he walked inside.

“I think this is the most elegant transportation we’ve ever had,” said Eclipse.

The two took their seats opposite each other. The stallion closed the door, shutting the two inside. A few seconds later, the carriage started to rock as it moved away from the station.

Star Swirl pulled the curtain back, watching the countryside fly by.

“Nice, we’re on our way,” he said. “Good job on getting us a ride”.

Eclipse grinned. “You can always count on using a pony’s guilt against them”.

***

The next forty minutes went by in a flash.

Eclipse sat longways on the seat, keeping her eyes on the window. Given everything that had been said about Sundown, she couldn’t risk something happening. So, she’d spent the whole time staring out the window, looking for any signs of danger.

Of course that didn’t excuse the pile of food wrappers and bottles that sat between the seats. As much as she tried to stick to the Alicorn diet she’d known forever, she couldn’t help treating herself when the opportunity arose.

And hey, if they didn’t want ponies to eat in carriages they wouldn’t include snacks.

Star Swirl has passed the time doing what he always did: reading. Spell-books and instruction manuals sat around him, opened to random pages. He currently focused on a spell-book before him.

“May the ponies of light regain their power, even in this darkest hour. Though evil spreads onto my body, it’s wicked deeds I shall not copy. Reverse the deed that has been cast, for the one corrupted will not last”.

Eclipse raised an eyebrow. “What kind of spell is that”?

“I don’t know,” replied Star Swirl. “It’s from the book that I….borrowed….from Councilor Righthorn. Most of the spells listed in here are from the early days of the Alicorn Council”.

That was enough to get Eclipse’s full attention. A spell-book from the beginning of the Alicorn Council was rare indeed. Few artifacts remained from that time after The Great Temple Fire two hundred years ago; when most artifacts were engulfed in flames.

And now a surviving book was in the hooves of a young student. Eclipse could already see the fury in Righthorn’s eyes when they returned.

But before she could think about this further, the whole cart jerked forward and stopped. Star Swirl’s books flew into his seat, while Eclipse dug her hooves into the upholstery to keep from flying forward.

“What the hay was that,” asked Star Swirl.

Eclipse pulled back the curtains, taking a peek outside. They cart was no longer moving, and was now surrounded by high walls of red rock. As she moved the curtains back, the door to the carriage opened.

The Stallion from before poked his head inside, looking rather confused. Sweat poured from his forehead, leaving marks in the dust on his lower body.

“Sorry for the sudden stop,” he said through tired breaths. “But unfortunately the road is blocked”.

“What,” said Eclipse.

The Alicorn stepped out of the carriage, getting a better look at her surroundings. The carriage had stopped in a large canyon; explaining the red rock walls she’d seen out the window. Ahead of them was a large pile of rocks, cutting off the road ahead.

“Looks like a landslide,” said the Stallion.

Eclipse narrowed her eyes; something wasn’t right. Most landslides resulted in piles of rocks AND dirt falling down an incline. But given the angle of the cliffs, there wasn’t anything for them to slide down. Plus, all the rocks before them were of a large size: no variation. This wasn’t natural at all; it was deliberate.

“Get in the carriage”.

“What,” replied the stallion.

Eclipse ignited her horn. “Get In The Carriage”.

The Stallion, looking confused, did what she asked. After he was inside, Star Swirl came running out.

“What’s wrong,” he asked.

Eclipse looked up towards the top of the canyon. Shadowy figures started moving around the edges.

“We’re surrounded”, she said silently.

Star Swirl began to open his mouth; likely ready to ask what she was talking about. But he barely got a word out before a shadowy figure jumped down from the cliff. It hadn’t even hit the ground before flames shot from it’s mouth. The fire engulfed the road behind the coach, blocking the path.

“We’re trapped,” yelled Star Swirl.

The shadowy figure landed on the ground behind them. The two spun around, horns ignited in defense. Now that it wasn’t moving, they got a better look their attacker.

Before them stood a mid-sized Dragon; it’s scales a dark bronze color. It’s horns slowly poked out from the back of it’s head. The wings looked tan in color, though hard to tell with since they were folded. It was also covered in metal armor, except for it’s head.

Slowly, it lifted his head; giving the two ponies a large snearing-smile. It’s sharp teeth glinted in the sunlight….along with a slight tint of red in the gums.

“Well, well, well….a young equis and a true-blue Alicorn”.

Eclipse’s eyes narrowed; this wasn’t the Dragon she was expecting. The one she was shown acted like a wild animal. But this….this was a soldier. And if there was one soldier….there were likely more.

“You’re a dragon,” said Star Swirl.

“Oh, aren’t you smart,” remarked the Dragon. “Too bad you weren’t smart enough to stay away from this place”.

Eclipse stepped forward. “Stand aside, or we will be forced to subdue you”.

The Dragon laughed. “Oh, I’m so scared of a squishy Alicorn and her young welp. Please don’t hurt me, my friends wouldn’t like it”.

“Friends,” asked Eclipse.

The Dragon sneared, raising his right claw. Placing his fingers together, he let out a loud SNAP.

More shadows appeared, forming a large circle around the two ponies. Eclipse and Star Swirl barely had time to react before six more dragons dropped down around them. Each one of them was as armed as the first, and looking just as determined.

“Oh great,” said Star Swirl, “as if one Dragon was bad enough”.

The lead Dragon smiled smugly.

“FIRE,” he roared.

The Dragon soldiers opened their mouths, revealing swirling flames building up deep inside. Leaning forward, each Dragon sent sent a stream of flames shooting towards the two ponies. The ground charred at the immense heat, leaving dark streaks as the flames moves forward.

Eclipse spun around, pulling Star Swirl closer to her as the flames surrounded them. Soon the two were completely enveloped by the flames, which were now swirling around them and growing larger and larger.

The lead Dragon watched as the flames swirled around the two. He already knew what was happening; he could see it in his mind. Their flesh and muscles melting off their bones like ice-cream on a Popsicle stick. Soon the only thing left would be two charred skeletons lying in the center of the road.

“That’s enough,” he called out.

The Dragons stopped their attack, letting the flames be replaces by a dark smoke cloud. The lead Dragon took a few steps forward, trying to see past the smoke that still rose up from the ground.

“I think we’ve done it sir,” said one of the Dragons.

“Lord Thunder will be most pleased,” replied another.

“Especially when we say one of them was an Alicorn”.

The lead Dragon ignored their banter; the smoke was starting to clear. He smiled; ready to see the charred skeletons of the two ponies clinging to each other like frightened children.

But as the smoke cleared, he saw something else. From the smoke began to emerge a translucent, glowing half-circle. It didn’t seem to have a single mark on it; not even from the smoke.

What was even more surprising was what was inside. Standing in the center of the sphere was Eclipse; her horn glowing the same color as the sphere. Below her stood Star Swirl; looking at the translucent orb with awe.

Eclipse on the other hand wasn’t agape in awe...she was grinning smugly.

“Nice trick,” she said, “now it’s our turn”.

The Alicorn’s horn grew brighter. In a flash the sphere expanded; colliding with the Dragon soldiers and sending them flying backwards. Two of them smashed into the valley walls; falling to the ground and not moving again. The others rolled along the ground, coming to a stop just before the walls.

Eclipse spread her wings out. “Star Swirl, take cover,” she said as she flew upwards.

Star Swirl huffed. “No way, this is just the kind of practice I’ve been waiting for”.

Eclipse didn’t have time to tell him not to disobey her orders; the Dragons were starting to rise up again. Thinking quickly, Eclipse sent a beam of magic shooting towards them.

Unfortunately, the Dragons were more perceptive than she thought. Four of them quickly dodged out of the way, but the fifth wasn’t as lucky. He took the beam of magic right in his head. Eclipse watched as his eyes crossed and he fell back to the ground; a complete knock-out.

The lead Dragon stretched his wings and took to the air. He reached Eclipse’s level before sending another shot of flames towards her. Eclipse dodged right, her wings barely missing the flames.

On the ground, the other Dragons were taking aim at the Alicorn above them.

“Fire on my….ACH”!

The other Dragons looked backwards; just in time to see one of them fall to the ground. Lines of electricity ran across her body; full electrocution. Behind her stood Star Swirl; his horn ignited in a light-blue glow.

“Is this all you got,” he asked. “I thought Dragons would be much harder to fight”.

The other Dragons snarled. “You little WELP,” exclaimed one.

He quickly sent a line of fire shooting towards the young colt. Star Swirl jumped left, but found another line of fire coming towards him. Igniting his horn, the young colt summoned a small portal before him. The fire entered the swirling vortex, before appearing behind him from another portal.

When the Dragon stopped her attack, Star Swirl sprang into action. Banking right, he ran straight towards the two soldiers before him. One of them shot towards him, claws outstretched. Just as he was about to grab Star Swirl, the young colt leapt into the air and somersaulted over the Dragon. He landed on the Dragon’s back, pinning him to the ground.

Before the Dragon could get up, Star Swirl jammed his hooves into the area just below the wings. The Dragon convulsed for a moment before falling still.

“What...the...hell,” said the Dragon through gritted teeth.

“All Dragons have a weak spot just below their wings; causes temporary paralysis,” explained Star Swirl. “As a Dragon I thought you’d know that”.

Star Swirl turned to the remaining Dragon, who was now looking at him with fear. The young colt smiled.

“Ready for a fight,” he asked.

The Dragon quickly spread her wings and took off into the air. Star Swirl watched her soar up to the top of the canyon, disappearing from sight. It was only then that the young colt noticed Eclipse, who was still fighting with the lead Dragon.

The soldier was moving swiftly through the air, dodging every energy blast Eclipse threw at him. His armor was slightly marked, showing that he hadn’t dodge every attack. Even still, the Alicorn was having a hard time landing a hit on him.

“What’s the matter Alicorn? Loosing your touch,” mocked the Dragon.

Eclipse sent another blast of magic at the Dragon, who once again dodge the attack. But he wasn’t fast enough as a portion of his wing was hit. He wrenched in pain as he fell back towards the ground.

“Not yet,” said Eclipse smugly.

The Dragon, still wreathing, circled around midair before landing feet-first on the ground. He barely had time to react before Eclipse landed right on top of him, sending the rest of him down. Star Swirl quickly ran up to them.

“We did it,” he said happily, “we’ve defeated actual Dragons”!

Eclipse narrowed her eyes. “I thought I told you to take cover”.

“And I told you I’ve been looking forward to some real-world experience,” replied Star Swirl. “Besides, I managed to take down three of them all by myself”.

“From what I saw it was more like two; the third one flew off”.

Star Swirl waved a hoof. “Details, the point is I handled myself”.

“By disobeying a direct order,” replied Eclipse.

“Uh, excuse me….but are you going to kill me or what”.

The two ponies looked down at the Dragon; still pinned under Eclipse’s hooves. He held his head in his claws, looking rather bored.

“Kill? We’re not going to kill you,” said Eclipse.

“Why not, you killed the rest of my regiment,” replied the Dragon.

Star Swirl approached the Dragon, staring him directly in the face.

“We didn’t kill anyone; we just knocked them out. We don’t kill unless it’s absolutely necessary”.

The Dragon rolled his eyes. “Oh please, I’ve been told the legends of Alicorns. How they’re the ones that banished Dragons from Equestria thousands of years ago”.

Eclipse snorted. “Only because THEY were attacking innocent settlements and KILLING innocent citizens”.

“For settling on land that rightly belonged to the Dragon Kingdom,” replied the Dragon.

Eclipse opened her mouth, ready to say something else to prove the Dragon wrong. Star Swirl frowned; this was getting them nowhere. If they wanted to get to Sundown as fast as possible, they needed to speed this up.

“ENOUGH,” he screamed.

The Dragon and Alicorn looked at the young colt; fairly surprised by the ferocity in his voice.

“We don’t have time for this; Sundown is still in danger. We need to get there as soon as possible”.

Eclipse nodded. She was wasting too much time arguing with this Dragon. They had a mission to accomplish and it was still their top priority.

“You’re right Star Swirl, we need to get going”. She looked down at the Dragon below her hooves. “We’ll subdue this creature and be on our….”

Eclipse didn’t get a chance to finish her sentence before a shadow moved above them. Just as the two were looking up, something landed between them.

It was another Dragon soldier, but this one was different. It was slightly larger than the others, and had a much thicker armor as well. Its scales were grayish-blue color, while its wings were a reddish-orange color.

The two ponies took ready stances, igniting their horns simultaneously. This didn’t look like one of the Dragons from before; this one was new. And that brought about a whole new set of variables. He already looked bigger than the others, likely meaning he was stronger to.

The new Dragon looked down at the Dragon below Eclipse’s hooves. He frowned; a sense of disappointment flowing from his face.

“I would say I’m disappointed in you Dar’Ac, but then again I knew you’d do something like this”.

Dar’Ac snarled. “I did what you refused to do Talon: follow our Dragon-Lord’s orders”.

Talon rolled this eyes; he didn’t want to get into this conversation again. Instead, he focused his attention on the two ponies before him.

“I’m terribly sorry for this; I instructed them not to attack anything that wasn’t attacking us first”.

Eclipse and Star Swirl looked at each other questionably. This Dragon wasn’t anything like the others. In fact he didn’t seem like a Dragon at all; no acts of aggression, no tough talk, not even a measly ember shot.

Eclipse wanted some answers, she just hoped that this Dragon would be willing to give her some.

“That’s….good to know,” she said cautiously. “If you don’t mind be asking, who are you”?

The Dragon straightened himself up. “My name is Talon, though my title is Lieutenant Talon; leader of the 5th Patrol Regiment of the Grand Dragon Army”.

Eclipse’s eyes widened. “Dragon Army”!

“You mean there’s a lot more of you,” asked Star Swirl.

“I’m afraid so,” replied Talon.

Now Eclipse was worried; it was bad enough when it was just one Dragon. Now they had an entire army to deal with. The ones they had been dealing with were only part of a patrol regiment; not experienced soldiers. She could only imagine the strength of the actual army.

“I’m assuming you two are the ones the Alicorn Council sent to investigate the attacks on Sundown,” said Talon.

“Why should we tell you anything,” asked Star Swirl.

The Dragon paused; thinking over his response. “I know you have no reason to trust me; my kind haven’t exactly been stewards of good and peace. But believe me when I say I want you to end this war before it starts”.

“What do you mean,” asked Eclipse.

“For years Dragons have been told many things about the atrocities of pony-kind. We’ve been told of the Alicorn who forced us back into our homelands millennia ago. However, we’ve always kept to our lands so as to avoid conflict. We’re living war machines yes, but we knew any conflict with Equestria would cause harm and destruction not just for ponies but Dragons as well”.

“So what changed,” asked Star Swirl.

“Our leadership,” replied Talon. “Months ago our previous Dragon-Lord Vi-Ka was slain in combat by Thunder; a young head-strong Dragon. After taking the title of Dragon-Lord, Thunder began readying our armies for war. Despite the words of warning from myself and others, the population rallied behind his promises of returning lands taken from us by Equestria”.

Talon sighed. “These attacks on Sundown are just a test; to see how much damage one Dragon can do. Soon our armies will march into Equestria...and I fear of what that will mean for both our nations”.

“This is terrible,” said Star Swirl. “We need to get back to the council and inform them of the situation”.

Eclipse was about ready to agree with the young colt; they had already gotten more than enough information. And the council had told them that they were only to scout the location and report back; nothing else. But that had already gone astray when they encountered the Dragons. And besides, they should at least check to see if there was anything they could do for the town.

After all, that’s what Alicorns do.

“We can’t go back yet,” said Eclipse. “We have an obligation to help those in Sundown if we can”.

Star Swirl’s face scrunched in uncertainty. “Are you sure mam”?

“Yes,” replied Eclipse.

Talon slowly shook his head. “I say you do what the little one says and get out of here. But if you’re serious about this….I might be able to help”.

The two ponies raised their eyebrows questionably.

***

Of all the things Eclipse thought she’d do as an Alicorn, this wasn’t one of them.

She looked ahead at the mountains and hills that spread before her down below. The wind blew through her mane, waving it across her outstretched wings.

Flying; the one thing she enjoyed doing the most.

But the most surprising part was what was in front of her. Talon flew a few feet before her, his wings stretched out just as wide. And sitting on his back, clutching him tightly, was Star Swirl.

The young colt’s eyes were shut tight; a clear sign of fear. Eclipse still found this amusing, as he was training to be an Alicorn. And of course, that would eventually require flying lessons.

While amusing, Eclipse left it behind as he sped forward to be even with Talon.

“Are you sure this is the right way,” she called out.

“Absolutely,” Talon yelled back. “There are no Dragon patrols in this area, so we should be able to get you to Sundown without being spotted”.

“Less talking more flying,” called Star Swirl, now clinging tighter to Talon’s back.

Eclipse giggled. “Maybe we should have sent you back to the depot with the carriage driver if you’re this scarred”.

“And be the laughing stock of the Alicorn Council, no thanks,” called Star Swirl. “But couldn’t we have WALKED to Sundown instead”.

“This way is much faster,” called Talon.

The Dragon narrowed his eyes, putting a claw above them to see better.

“We’ll land on that ridge over there”.

Eclipse looked forward, spotting the ridge. Her and Talon sped towards it, touching down together. Star Swirl dropped to the ground, finally opening his eyes. A large smile formed on his face.

“Oh….solid ground. How I missed you so”.

Talon rolled his eyes, turning his attention towards Eclipse.

“Sundown is just over the ridge,” he explained. “Take this route again when you’re leaving”.

“Thank you,” said Eclipse. “What will you do now”?

“I’ll head back and grab my squad; convince them to keep quiet about you two. If Thunder finds out there’s an Alicorn in Sundown he’ll send his army in right away”.

Eclipse bent her knees, lowering herself to a bow. “You have our thanks”.

Talon nodded. He gave the two one last look before spreading his wings, taking off once more into the sky. The two watched as he flew away, slowly becoming a small dot in the distance.

Eclipse looked down at Star Swirl, who looked back up at her. Both were smiling.

“Come, we have work to do”.

The two turned and headed up towards the ridge….and the town on the other side.