The Ambassador

When Savanna awoke, she yawned widely, stretched and rolled onto her back. She stared up at the smooth-barked branches and waxy leaves of the spinefruit tree she rested beneath, breathing slow, steady breaths. Her body felt normal. No adverse signs from eating the spinefruit the day prior were manifesting. Beneath shelter sustained by the lake’s ring of trees, she felt relatively relaxed—even safe—in the fertile sanctuary.

She stood and stretched deeply, trotting to the lakefront and splashing some water on her face. It was cold and refreshing.

Peeking out from behind fluffy, grey clouds, the sun cast some balmy rays. On the sandy shore of the lake, Savanna sat back onto her haunches and tilted her head back, basking in the golden glow.

The intrusive thought of her friends and family at home in Equestria brought Savanna back to reality. She gazed out across the lake, contemplating. It was a gorgeous sight. The lush flora growing along the lakefront moved to-and-fro in the breeze. The wind noisily flowed through the leaves of the loosely-knit circle of trees surrounding the lake, creating natural static like feedback from a loudspeaker.

Birds regularly flitted from tree to tree, twittering. Members from the family of deer across the lake occasionally peeked their heads out from within their dens beneath the dense brush.

Savanna sighed, disheartened. Equestria was a gigantic continent hosting countless unique biomes and territories. Traveling from one coast to the other on hoof without the assistance of pegasi, unicorns or technology would take weeks or months to accomplish. She couldn’t imagine how long and arduous such an expedition would be.

What other choices did she have?

Savanna raised her head to investigate a nearby rustling noise. Behind her, a fawn nuzzled its nose curiously into the grass at the roots of a spinefruit tree. It took long and exaggerated steps with spindly, underdeveloped legs.

“Hey, lil’ guy. Whatcha doin’ on this side’a the lake?”

Savanna’s voice, hoarse from disuse, startled the fawn. It sprung to attention and dashed behind the tree, where a motherly doe was waiting. She nudged the fawn behind herself with her nose in a protective gesture and raised her head, gazing warily towards the interloping pony.

“Don’t y'all mind me none.”

The couple of deer gazed at her curiously, remaining silent. Their shiny, black eyes blinked. There wasn’t a hint of intelligence within.

“Gonna be leavin’ soon. Y'all can have this whole side’a the lake." Savanna hesitated a moment, waiting for a response before continuing, "Well, have at it, then. Ah won't disturb ya."

She hadn’t expected them to give a verbal response, considering their empty, lifeless gazes, but it would have been welcome. She felt so incredibly lonely.

Savanna squinted thoughtfully, reaching into her satchel and withdrawing her camera. Before they could scatter, she looked through the camera's viewfinder and snapped a photo. Out of the slot at the bottom, the newly-developed photograph was released. Savanna examined it briefly before storing both the camera and the new picture away. It was perfect, showing the meek deer and the vastness of the lake and all of the beautiful flora in the backdrop. It would make a great addition to her growing collection of photographs.

Savanna consulted her compass for directions, turned and began trotting through the line of spiney-fruit trees ringing the lake. Her goal was to reach the city and navigate through it. She wouldn't be able to pass through in a single day without directions, so hopefully she could find some shelter there and sleep safely.

As Savanna trotted into an open field, she noticed another of those black strips off in the distance. It led directly into the city. Chugging along it were ground vehicles, similar to those she had encountered yesterday. Could they be the same ones, by coincidence? Savanna remained hidden behind a tree until they drove out of sight behind a row of buildings, occasionally belching black smoke into the sky like miniature trains.

The realization that those things prowled the streets of the city gave Savanna all the more reason to stay out of sight. They may have ponies inside who controlled them, and she didn't want to be spotted.

She descended the hill, taking quick, trotting steps, but placing her hooves carefully. She was hungry and not at full strength. She didn't want to misstep and hurt herself.

Savanna had seen pictures of modernized Equestrian cities with concrete and steel construction. Evidently, the city before her right now was no different. It was darker, though. It seemed grim, actually. There was hardly any color. It was like looking into a black-and-white photograph.

Savanna strayed away from the paved road and assumed a quicker trot. The grass wasn't tall enough to hide in, and even if she tried, she may already have been spotted. It didn't feel like she being watched, though. The outskirts of the city held small, several-level-high buildings. Their windows were dark. Curtains were drawn, if any. Savanna realized there might not be any ponies to spot her, after all. If so, then why were the vehicles coming here, if not for security?

Speaking of security, the outskirts of the city weren't very secure in the slightest. Savanna had seen pictures of Canterlot surrounded by its huge, ivory castle walls. The doors to these buildings were exposed to the outside world, separated only by a row of chain-link fencing that could be vaulted or flown over provided one had wings. One of the windows was even open.

She climbed some concrete steps, approached a door and knocked, rapping loudly with a hoof. "Hello? Ah'm lost. Need directions."

Unsurprisingly, there was no answer.

Savanna trotted down the concrete landing and onto a sidewalk, trying in vain to blend into the shadows cast by the midday sun. As a farm pony from an isolated town, Savanna concluded that the city was very large. Imposing. It made her feel tiny and insignificant. She felt insignificant in the grand scheme of things, but also because she literally was so small. The houses around her were fairly large, and they incrementally grew taller and wider as she trotted deeper. She was leaving the residential neighborhood of the city outskirts and entering the city proper. Massive buildings and skyscrapers dozens of levels high surrounded her.

So many ponies once lived here... Were they now all gone? Thousands, or maybe tens of thousands?

Still, the city was undeniably gorgeous. Sure, Savanna felt unwelcome and anxious, but there was so much to see. There was detail packed everywhere. It was sort of a visual assault. Despite how dull and grey the buildings were, there was a lot of bright graffiti around. Savanna dismissed it as senseless gibberish and didn't attempt to decipher any. They did add a well-deserved splash of color, though. Inspired, she took some quick photos of a few pieces.

The streets were paved with asphalt—a mysterious substance that Savanna was still unfamiliar with. It apparently allowed large vehicles to move smoothly across, but it seemed so unnecessarily expensive. Dirt, concrete or even brick roads would work perfectly fine.

The sidewalk she navigated now was concrete. Cheap, reliable, strong and easy to lay. It was everywhere in Equestrian construction, and clearly these ponies thought similarly. Her hooves made solid clops as they landed onto the durable surface, quickly and one after the other.

If she wanted to navigate directly north, she would need to cut across the street. She left the dark recesses of the shadows of the skyscrapers, looking around.

Savanna drew her camera from her satchel and snapped a quick photo of the road. She almost felt like an adventurer or urban explorer, taking photos and seeing the sights as she went.

After consulting her compass and deciding to turn the corner and take another road, she encountered a roundabout. Within was a massive tree with several benches and a public, communal area. The roundabout was constructed around this spot, with several branching roads splitting off into different directions. Savanna drew her camera from her bag and looked through the viewfinder, lining up the perfect shot.

"Hey! You!"

Savanna's ears swiveled, detecting the call behind her. She turned to investigate. A pegasus was approaching with short, quick strides. His dress was similar to that of the grunts Savanna had encountered earlier in the wind farm. At the sight of him, she felt anxiety swelling in her chest.

He kept a safe distance away, maintaining a gap.

"This side of Cerise is under lockdown! Why are you loitering?"

"Ah, uh..." Savanna slowly reached for her satchel and stored her camera away. Her hoof promptly returned to the ground.

"Do you have I.D.? Who are you?"

"Well, ah'm just... Ah wasn't doing anything..."

Savanna winced. Her opportunity to remedy the situation had passed. She had fumbled nervously over her own words.

Over his shoulder, Savanna noticed a second pegasus crossing the street and approaching them. Her muscles began to tense up. She was reading the first stallion's facial expression and body language, and didn't like what she was noticing. She saw his eyes scanning her too, drifting back and forth between her own eyes and her revolver hanging near her chest, trying to read her mind and predict her next move.

Savanna had used one of the metal, spherical clips from her binder and the decorative carabiner previously attached to her satchel to fashion a makeshift hold for her weapon. It hung precariously from her satchel's strap, pointing at the ground. She had done it on a whim, imagining that keeping the weapon outside of her satchel and the barrel pointed away from her body would be a smart choice. Now, she was beginning to regret that decision. It made her appear even more suspicious.

The moment one of the grunts twitched was when she wheeled around and began to sprint.

She heard shouts from behind, threatening and warning her to stop. She ignored them, and immediately broke line of sight using the edge of a building, turning and galloping down the sidewalk of a new street. She could hear them close behind and knew she had to break line of sight again if she wanted to escape. Everything on the block was shut down and closed up tight, though. There were no obvious unlocked doors or windows to leap through.

She passed by four before the idea clicked in her mind: the alleys.

She darted into the alley closest to her and was confronted by a tall chain-link fence and a pile of garbage. Her panicking mind didn't see it as garbage, though. She saw everything as stepping stones to help her vault the fence. Without even thinking if they could support her weight, Savanna leapt onto a pile of cardboard boxes and jumped off onto a tall waste bin. Precariously balancing on her rear legs, Savanna leapt and barely managed to clear the peak of the fence. She briefly felt cold metal scrape her inner thigh and abdomen, but she had successfully cleared the obstacle. The force from the jump had knocked the waste bin over. This would have impeded the ponies pursuing her and prevented them from chasing her further if not for the fact they could fly.

Savanna landed hard and paused briefly to look around for an escape route. To her left, she spotted it—an open door. She dashed through the opening and yanked the door shut behind her, sitting down and physically holding her breath with a hoof over her mouth. Had they seen her enter here? Would they try to get in? Her insignificant weight couldn't impede the bucking force of a fully-grown stallion. The door wouldn't protect her for long.

When she heard them both dash past the door, she took it as an all-clear sign. Savanna immediately released her hoof, gasping. She was seeing stars—she desperately needed oxygen.

It took her a minute or two to catch her breath and recover from the shock of adrenaline. Her legs were aching from the desperate gallop.

Pangs of hunger were now regularly striking her, which she made an earnest attempt to ignore.

She was in a utility shaft with a closed door across and a metal, spiral stairway leading both upwards and downwards. A plaque labeled with a "1" marked the floor she currently occupied. She stepped forward and tried to push the door open. Finding it was locked or jammed, she knocked firmly. "Hello?"

When there was no answer, she abandoned that door and climbed the nearby stairs in search of the next.

The door to the second floor didn't open, as anticipated. Savanna knocked nonetheless, hopeful. When there was no answer, she sighed and continued upwards.

The next few doors were locked. Savanna was growing impatient. How tall was the building? She leaned against the stairway's rail on the edge and tilted her head, looking up the shaft. When she saw no roof and only more stairs, she sighed disappointedly. "For Luna's sake..."

When Savanna tried the door to the fifth floor, she frowned, having not expected it to move when she touched the door handle. It was unlocked.

She stepped through the doorway, letting the door swing shut behind her with a bang of metal. A series of numbered apartment doors stretched in front of her, down a long, ill-lit hallway. It was illuminated by natural sunlight, but only barely. The industrial lights in the ceiling were inoperative.

There were a lot of doors to check. Surely one of them would be open, or somepony would answer.

The building felt completely empty, though. Her ascent had been plagued with silence. Her only company was the sound of her own hoofsteps against the hard ceramic flooring.

On the third-to-last door, right when Savanna was beginning to lose hope in finding anypony, the door she tried opening budged a little. Giving it a small shove, she confirmed her suspicions: the door was unlocked, but blocked by something.

Savanna leaned her shoulder against the cold metal of the door and gave it a hard shove. Her negligible weight did nothing but rock the obstruction on the other side. She sighed in exasperation, turned around and gave the door a powerful buck with her good leg. That managed to dislodge the blockage with a loud splintering sound of wood.

Despite the fact she was technically still a filly, the strength of an earth pony wasn't to be underestimated. She had also worked on her family's farm her entire life, so she had experience and natural strength to boot.

Savanna took a step inside, immediately being blinded by a powerful beam of sunlight from a nearby, east-facing window. She held a hoof in front of her face, blocking the rays. "Hello?" Savanna lowered her hoof a little, looking around the room.

Among the random assemblage of household items obstructing the door was a wooden chair. Its corpse laid to a side, now destroyed. One of its legs had splintered and gave way.

The room was empty. Savanna turned the corner and found a bedroom, only to discover it was uninhabited too.

Savanna scanned the room for signs of recent occupancy, but found nothing noteworthy.

She shivered gently as a breeze blew in from a nearby, open glass door leading to a balcony. Some woolen curtains that were drawn aside fluttered. A pegasus had probably barricaded the front door and leapt off the edge to safety. Savanna could practically visualize it happening as she looked back and forth between the broken, splintered chair and the opened door. But why would somepony do that?

While her eyes drifted across the room in search of clues, she spotted a note with scribbled text on a nearby table. It was completely cleared of clutter, and the note was clearly visible, pinned directly to the laminated wood with a strip of clear adhesive tape.

Savanna lifted the note from the table, ripping the tape and breaking its flimsy adhesion.

The text looked hastily scribbled, and was barely legible. She squinted, holding the note closer to her face.

"Lei, if you're reading this and don't know where to find me, I'm at my sister's place. I know you probably didn't even have time to get used to lockdown last week, but they're ordering an evacuation today, and I don't think I can choose to stay behind. I'm sorry I couldn't wait for you, but I swear the military is keeping our streets safe. They promised us that much. They just captured a group of the terrorists yesterday, they have things under control. Just stay safe, please. I love you, Lei."

Savanna frowned, lowering the note back onto the table where she had found it. That was a completely new word for her, "terrorist." It was probably derived from the word "terror." Savanna was smart, she could put two-and-two together.

A mandatory evacuation would certainly explain why an entire side of the city seemed deserted. Savanna imagined that a group with evil intent had passed through, and these ponies in the city were reacting. And this all had been going on for at least a week...

Outside in the hallway, Savanna continued traveling forward. She had spotted proper, concrete stairs that weren't locked behind a metal door in a utility shaft. Surely they led to an exit out onto the streets.

Savanna recalled what the grunts she had encountered earlier had said. They were demanding she show identification and pressing her for details. They were probably just trying to keep the streets safe, but...

She was conflicted, not wanting to trust them. The grunts she had encountered at the wind farm were so intent on capturing and imprisoning her that they had willingly shot at her in an attempt to prevent her escape. On the other hand, if the ponies in Cerise were just trying to keep civilians safe from an unknown terrorist group, surely if Savanna could prove her innocence they would protect her and escort her to safety. What if she encountered a band of the roaming, dangerous criminals? She wouldn't be able to defend herself.

Savanna tried vocalizing the new word, letting the multitude of R's roll over her tongue. "Terrorist," she murmured, stuttering slightly.

"Rose?" It was a male's voice, speaking to the left. It was just out of sight.

Savanna jumped, having not expected to hear a voice. She turned to investigate, catching only a glimpse of brown fur before the door slammed shut.

"H - hello?" Savanna trotted up to the door, knocking. Inside, voices could be heard. They seemed to be deliberating.

"Does anypony know where Rose is? One of you didn't lock the damn door, and somepony's out there!"

Another male voice asked a question, too quiet to be heard.

"I don't know! It wasn't me!" The first voice replied irritably. "I think it was Rose. She did it herself."

"Ah'm sorry, ah just..." Savanna trailed off, searching for words. "Ah need help," she called through the door.

More deliberation from inside. At first, it sounded like they were considering letting her in, but...

The stallion with the brown fur opened the door a crack and peered out warily. "Who are you?"

"Savanna. Dry Savanna. Ah live in Maripony, western Equestria. Or, well... ah used to." At the reference of her home, Savanna's ears laid back sadly. "I'm travelin' north to Cerulia to get the help of some unicorns."

The stallion raised an eyebrow. He looked like he was considering asking her more questions to satisfy his own curiousity, but bit his tongue. "Just come inside. When Rose comes back—if she comes back—then we'll talk. Something better not have happened to her."

Slowly, the door was opened. At the sight of Savanna, some of the ponies inside glared in the direction of the stallion who had opened the door. One of them spoke, "what the hell, Ray? She's just a kid. Why the paranoia?"

"Keeping us safe is what's important to me right now. I don't care how young she is! It doesn't matter! You don't know who she is." The brown-coated stallion who had opened the door sulked.

Savanna stood still, processing a brief shock of adrenaline. While happy to see other ponies, the realization had struck her that the ponies before her may be a group of the terrorists. If given the chance, what would they do to her?

"You coming in, or what, kid?" The brown-coated stallion demanded.

Before Savanna could make the decision to move forward or flee, a voice spoke from behind her. "Who's this?"

Savanna, surrounded and without any other options, turned to see who had spoken.

It was a mare. Her coat was a dull, muted white. Her mane was a pinkish, coppery orange, and her eyes were sharp and narrow. A thin horn protruded from her forehead. Savanna gulped, intimidated.

"I leave for a half hour and you've already started opening our door to total strangers. Look Ray, I..." Exasperated, the mare raised a hoof and rested it across her face. "I'm tired of working with you. All of you!" She threw her hoof forward in an exaggerated gesture to indicate everypony. "Go back inside! What are you gawking at?"

As the crowd of ponies dispersed and began retreating back into the apartment, the mare made eye contact with Savanna and nodded her head in the direction of the doorway. "Get inside."

"B - but, ah—"

"Get the hell inside!"

Fearful, Savanna lowered her head and obediently trudged forward into the apartment. With a resounding click, the door was closed and locked behind her, trapping her inside.

As the ponies conversed amongst themselves, Savanna withdrew into a corner under the watchful eyes of a few armed ponies. She sat down, looking upwards at an inactive, industrial-sized light hanging from the ceiling. She sat motionless for a few moments, taking a few deep breaths.

It didn't take long for her to be addressed. The unicorn mare had an obvious interest in her, and made eye contact as she trotted over.

The mare pulled up a chair and sat in front of Savanna, looking down to meet her eyes. "Alright. You aren't going to tell anypony we're hiding out here, are you? Because if you do, I—"

"N - no! Ah won't tell a soul. Ya have mah word."

"You're an unknown, kid," Rose responded. "For all we know, you're going to run straight to the military if we let you leave and blow the whistle."

"Ah gave you my word..."

She didn't reply. Savanna gulped.

"We're few and far between. If I get a whiff that ponies know we're here, I'll know exactly who to go to. I'll remember you. I'll remember your face. I have a good memory." The mare nodded astutely.

Shocked silent, Savanna froze, staring into the mare's menacing expression.

"I think we've come to an understanding." Rose leaned back, releasing a sigh.

Savanna broke eye contact and looked around the room, scanning the faces of ponies. One pegasus in the background was in the process of lighting a cigarette.

"Why are you in our building? On our floor?" The mare leaned back in, squinted suspiciously.

"Look, ah realize how this may seem unbelievable, but ah was being chased..."

"Pursued," Rose repeated. Judging by her expression, she wasn't believing Savanna's story so far.

"These two ponies, one of 'em asked for I.D., and ah had nothin' to show 'em. Ah guess they thought ah was actin' suspicious?"

"They probably thought you were a revolutionary. You have a gun, and you're wandering on this side of town."

"Ah was just takin' pictures." Savanna glowered, her ears laying back.

"Pictures," Rose repeated again. She chuckled, amused by the ridiculousness of that concept. "Sightseeing? In this city?"

Before Savanna could reaffirm her statement, the mare interrupted. "Well, you should have known what you were getting into, kid. You honestly didn't suspect anything was wrong when this entire side of the city is empty? How stupid are you?"

Savanna remained silent.

Rose's eyes widened as a thought visibly came to her mind. She turned, making eye contact with Savanna. "Which way are you traveling?"

"Uh... north?" Savanna had identified her sudden interest immediately and was perturbed.

"Past or near Juniper?"

"Ah don't know where that is. Sorry."

Rose levitated over a large, neatly-folded sheet of paper from the nearby table. "Here, kid. Look."

"Ah have a name." Despite making a passive-aggressive remark, Savanna obeyed, giving her upmost attention. She watched as Rose unrolled the sheet of paper, revealing it to be a map. The filly blinked, not believing what she was seeing. "Is that...?"

"It's a map of Emperia. What, you've never seen a map before?"

"Celestia..." Savanna gawked, stunned. The land itself was identical to Equestria, but some cities or main roads were renamed or missing entirely. Plenty of new landmarks had been added or planted atop where others once stood. Ponyville was renamed, and the mountain above it which used to hold the city of Canterlot was bare. Cities in the south like Appleloosa and the Pie rock farm were completely missing, replaced by barren desert. The bigger cities like Vanhoover and Fillydelphia had been renamed.

The main continent was named "Eon". To the northwest, there was a little island named "Cerulia," and to the southwest, another, larger island named "Era." In Equestria, during Savanna's life, those islands hadn't been named—they were newly discovered and barely explored.

If Savanna was reading the map correctly, it seemed Eon and the surrounding islands were all part of a larger territory called "Emperia", exactly like how Equestria operated. Cerulia, however, was, seemingly, its own independent country.

Savanna quickly located where Maripony was supposed to be on the map, but it was gone, erased. There was just an empty patch in its place.

"Cerulia is this island." Rose tapped a hoof against Cerulia on the map. "Why are you so convinced on traveling halfway across Eon?"

"A stallion mentioned unicorns living in Cerulia. Need to talk to Melody."

"Who was the stallion?"

"A soldier, ah suspect. There were quite a few of them. They captured me well before ah came to this city."

"Military? Not around here. Still... you were captured by CED officers and escaped?" Rose frowned. She folded the map up and set it aside, her full attention now directed at the filly. "Why would they even bother you? You're a kid. What did you do?"

"Ah snuck into an area they were living—not intentionally," she added quickly. "Made myself seem real suspicious, when ah was just lookin' for shelter from the rain."

"Hey," she spoke up before Rose could reply, "what does CED stand for?"

"'Civilian Enforcement Division. They're paramilitary. Here solely for security and to keep us under surveillance. Treat us like shit."

Savanna paused for a few beats. "How far off the coast is Cerulia?" She asked desperately, dreading the answer.

The mare belted out a laugh. "Miles. What are you going to do, swim there?"

Savanna furrowed her brow. "Ah don't know, yet."

"You're delusional, kid."

The two sat in silence for a moment. Savanna's thirst for explanations had been momentarily sated.

Rose levitated the map of Emperia. "From here?" Rose pointed to where they were now—Cerise, a northwestern city—and measured the distance with a hoof. "Cerulia's about 75 miles away. Probably more than that. Far to travel on hoof."

Savanna hung her head. At the moment, she truly thought it was an impossible distance to travel.

Rose folded the map and set it aside on the nearby table, standing up. Savanna rested back against the wall, watching the unicorn go and talk with the other ponies.

"Everypony, it's settled," Rose spoke, addressing everypony in the room. "I'm leaving tonight." She got a lot of confused looks and questions. "This is a sign," she affirmed. "I talk about leaving for Juniper, and a few days later a kid stumbles into our exact building looking for help? And she's also traveling north? It's settled."

"I didn't think you'd stick by that, Rose," the smoking pegasus responded. "We need you. You're one of the only unicorns we have, and you know restoration magic."

"You can't stop me." Rose levitated a saddlebag and began packing things, circling around the room to collect various items. Canned food, water, a can opener, a compass, the map of Emperia, various tubes and brushes for cleaning and maintaining firearms and other practical tools. She closed the bag's flap and secured it by slipped a button through a small loop. She sat back on her haunches and set the bag down beside herself. Pointedly, she laid a hoof on top. "Kid's going to run straight to the cops and let them know you're hiding out here. She's coming with me. I'm making sure she doesn't talk."

The pegasus waved a wing dismissively, sighing. "I'm done talking to you about this, Rose. I can't stop you if you really want to leave, but you're not welcome here if you come back."

"Fine."

She exchanged a final intense glare with the stallion before standing and trotting over to Savanna.

"Give me your bag."

"Why?" Savanna questioned, not wanting to hand over everything she owned so quickly.

"Going to pack you shit. What do you think?"

The filly hesitated for a moment before unshouldering her satchel and handing it over. She felt naked without the familiar weight of her satchel's strap on her back.

Rose packed her the same general supplies. Savanna saw a flashlight and a knife, two essentials she didn't have prior to that moment.

Partially concealed behind a highrise, the sun was beginning to set. Shadows were creeping, drawing longer as the sun dipped further below the horizon, casting its telltale, orange-red glow.

"We should leave soon," Rose spoke, noticing the impending descent of the sun.

Savanna nodded in agreement. She lifted her satchel and tossed it over her shoulder, adjusting the strap.

When she returned her gaze to the mare, she noticed her levitating a square of some strange material. When she unfolded it, Savanna frowned. "What's that?"

"It's a poncho. It can conceal your identity and keep you dry, too. Now put it on." Rose waited until Savanna took the poncho before she stopped levitating it.

Savanna rotated the garment, feeling it in her hooves. Lightweight, rubbery and probably water-resistant. It was a dull shade of nickel-grey, like the clothes worn by the CED. It was a strange garment that the filly who lived in a savanna her entire life was unfamiliar with. "Hey... what do ah do with this?" Savanna asked quietly, embarrassed.

"It's like a cloak or cape, but it has a hood. You pull it all the way over. Yeah, like that. Keeps your forelegs free, that way."

"Thanks." With instructions, Savanna quickly dressed. The poncho was loose and lightweight, like a second skin.

By the time she was geared up, Rose had also gotten situated. She was wearing a vest with pockets, pouches and loops. Secured in their own dedicated pouches on the chest were two thin, long magazines.

Wrapped around her barrel were two pleather belts, secured with buckles. A long gun was stuffed between her side and the belts. The friction and tightness of the pleather material meant that the weapon would stay completely secure and not jostle when Rose walked or even trotted.

"You about ready to head out?" She spoke after quickly donning a poncho. As expected, it covered and concealed all of her gear and most of her body, except for the head and legs.

"Yeah, ah guess so."

Rose led the way. They walked to the maintenance shaft and began descending the stairs. Nopony tried to stop them, and Rose ignored all of the passing glances she got. Savanna kept her eyes glued to the floor, not making eye contact with anypony as she walked.

Five flights, they had to descend. Savanna occupied herself by planning what to write in her journal that night. What to write, who to write about and what to sketch. The day had been eventful.

In the alley outside, Savanna breathed deeply, inhaling fresh air. It was a welcome improvement compared to the scents of second-hand smoke and bleach inside.

"You jumped over that, did you?" Rose motioned to the chain-link fence.

"Yeah." As Savanna approached and her position shifted, the barbed wire atop glinted, catching light. "Didn't even notice the wire."

"You didn't cut yourself, did you? You better be able to walk. We're going to be doing a lot of that." Rose led the way down the alley. It was impossible to see clearly all the way down at the bottom, compressed between two buildings. The highrises above cast impressive shadows. Rose seemed to know exactly where to walk, deftly stepping in her own hoofprints. Savanna felt brief anxiety, hoping she wouldn't step on anything sharp.

As the two stepped out onto the street, they cautiously looked around, surveying the environment, and exchanged glances. There were a couple of CED officers patrolling to the far west. Luckily, that wasn't the direction Savanna and her companion needed to go.

"We're going to be avoiding town square. Should expect more light patrols out here. Nothing more."

"Sure. Followin' ya."

Savanna looked around, appreciating the environment. There were countless little shops and advertisement signs dotted everywhere, but all of the names were foreign and unrecognizable.

One building in particular stood out. It looked old, constructed of stone bricks instead of concrete and steel. What were once tall and thin stained glass windows colored all the shades of the rainbow had been shattered. The walls were all caved inwards in a very deliberate way. A spire that had once been mounted on the roof and touching the sky was now lying dormant and forgotten on the floor among the rubble. At the very tip of the spire was a dusty gold star and a silver crescent moon intertwining together.

"What was that place?" Savanna stopped, pointing.

"It was an old temple for Luminescence and..." Rose frowned in thought, concentrating, "...Obysious, I think? Can never remember her name. The sun and moon goddesses. The CED tore it down a while ago."

Savanna sat back on her haunches, stunned. "What?"

"Yeah. Those kind of names are old as dirt, huh? Anyway, I think it's all a bunch of hocus-pocus garbage, personally. The goddesses don't actually exist. But whatever makes superstitious ponies happy, I guess." Rose chuckled softly. "You know, I think that old thing had been around when this city was built. Don't know how it hadn't crumbled to dust already before now."

Savanna lowered her head, mulling quietly to herself.

"You okay, kid? You look like you've seen a ghost, or something."

Savanna sighed, shaking her head. "Yeah, ah'm fine. Just need a moment to think. Where are we headed next?"

"Going up north. Following Main Street the whole way. Once we cross the bridge, we'll be in the clear. But we have to get there first."

Savanna nodded and stood, giving a final glance to the temple ruins. Inside the ruins, partially hidden within the rubble, the gold star and silver moon caught what light remained in the dying twilight, twinkling.

When she finally turned to walk with Rose, she noticed the mare had left her behind and was almost 50 paces away. Savanna trotted to catch up, but froze dead in her tracks when a particular page attached to a pinboard caught her eye. It was an official notice, and it had a comprehensive sketch of Rose's face. It was unmistakable—Rose's sharp, narrow eyes and thin horn. Savanna ripped the notice from its pin and held it in a hoof, scanning the lettering beneath the sketch.

"Wanted for detention: 'Rose Gold'. On the charges of assault, murder, treason ... "

Loyal citizens of the new Republic, please report any information you may possess on the subject to the nearest military authority. Your compliance may be necessary for their apprehension.

Savanna's chest tightened anxiously as she lowered the poster and looked in Rose's direction. She hadn't seen Savanna take the poster, or even knew Savanna knew. She could just leave the poster here and forget about it...

Savanna had suspected that Rose and her posse weren't all that innocent, but she had never considered it was this bad.

She had enough time to fold the poster and store it in her satchel before Rose called out.

"Savanna?"

"Sorry, ah—"

"Goddesses..." Rose hissed. "Keep up with me, won't you?"

The sharp tone made Savanna flinch. "Ah'm sorry, ah just—"

She didn't have time to finish her sentence before she was interrupted once again. But it wasn't Rose who was responsible this time.

"Bit late for a camping trip, isn't it?" It was a CED officer who had approached from behind them, and where there was one, there surely were more close by.

"You could say that," Rose quickly responded, stepping forward to meet him. "I thought the streets were kept safe at all times, and we didn't have a time constraint."

"Sure. You do know there's a new curfew, don't you? Ponies aren't allowed in or out of the city without identification." The stallion's body language was casual. He wasn't suspicious of the two yet. He seemed to buy the disguises.

"No, I haven't heard of that."

"Don't worry, it isn't in effect until Saturday morning. Well, I guess that's all. You two had best be on your way, then..." He paused, glancing up at the evening sky. "I heard it's going to absolutely pour tonight."

"Of course! We packed in preparation of that." Savanna her companion had only turned and moved a few steps before their attention was called for again.

"Hey! Wait."

Savanna froze. She leaned in, whispering to Rose, "what do we do‽"

"Stop panicking," the mare hissed in response. "Let's just see what he wants."

Savanna reluctantly turned in tandem with Rose and waited for the officer to approach. He wore a suspicious expression now, and his eyes were glued to Savanna's. His partner was trailing behind him, now. It was like those pegasi conveniently teleported or materialized out of thin air when needed.

The first officer slowly nodded, as if he were beginning to piece things together. "At 5 o' clock this evening, we received a report of a suspicious pony in the restricted south commercial district at the intersection of Spire Avenue and Kings Street. You match her description perfectly, down to the cuts on her face."

Savanna knew it was impossible to deny her true identity any longer. "T - they were threatening me!" she protested. "Ah thought mah life was in danger!" This wasn't a lie, but it also wasn't entirely true.

"Excessive force—likely story. Well, we're giving you another chance," the officer spoke. "Both of you. Come with us peacefully. If you can prove your innocence and lack of a connection to those meddling, conspiring criminals, you're free to go." He swept his hoof in a gesture to indicate "free to go," then returned it to the ground.

His partner was at his side now. Both pegasi were ready to spring into action at a moment's notice, but they were hesitating, waiting for Savanna or Rose's response.

"Savanna," Rose spoke, looking down to meet her gaze. When Savanna locked eyes with her, she frowned, not immediately recognizing what Rose's subtle eye movement was supposed to mean.

The humming drone of a magical aura met her ears, and in the 10th of a second as Savanna blinked, she found herself standing in a different place, having been teleported. She gasped aloud in confusion, looking around. Before she could call out for Rose, a whistle to the right caught her attention.

"Come on! This way!"

It was Rose, and she was galloping down a tight alleyway. Savanna followed, trying to match her speed. The mare was pretty quick.

Behind her, Savanna heard the officers calling out angrily through the links of the chain-link fence. Did they know this was the alley Savanna and Rose had escaped to? Would they follow? Probably.

Rose fumbled with a levitated key and unlocked a door, pushing it inward and dashing inside. Savanna followed her without question.

"Are we safe?"

"Quiet." Rose shut the door behind them, locking it once again.

Savanna obeyed, though reluctantly. In her temporary spell of silence, she looked around at the environment she now found herself in.

"Oh mah Celestia, is this...?"

Savanna dashed up the orderly row of bookshelves, rising nearly as high as the ceiling. There were rows of shelves of books of all shapes and colors. The brick walls were decorated with colorful posters and more shelves of magazines and small books. At the head of a nearby T-corridor was a wide desk with pens, pencils, standing lamps and miscellaneous papers. A little, standing plaque read "returns."

"This place has been locked up tight for a long time," Rose spoke. "For now, it's one of our hideouts."

"Ah've never seen a library this big... the one in mah hometown is tiny."

"Hey," Rose spoke, recognizing Savanna's glee. "You know we can't stay."

"But..." Savanna's ears immediately lowered with disappointment. She looked back at the mare with unintentional puppy eyes.

"Goddesses..." Rose swore, practically rolling her eyes. "Just go grab one, or a couple," she relented. "We're short on time, here."

Savanna nodded, pleased with the compromise they had struck. "Where's the section on magic?"

"Fifth or sixth row in that direction, I think. You are after nonfiction, right?"

Savanna trotted alongside the sixth row of bookshelves as suggested, scanning the spines of books as quickly as she could. There was a section dedicated to elemental magic and another to magical runes. The titles of some tomes were written in unrecognizable, foreign languages.

Finally making a choice, Savanna pulled it off the shelf, studying it. "A brief study of elemental magic, volume one: pyrokinesis", it was titled.

"I think I've read this one. Yeah..." Rose nodded, reminiscing. "I read it before my midterm. Elemental was a son-of-a-bitch to learn, but I had a great tutor. She really helped me pull through."

"You can do elemental magic?" Savanna met Rose's eyes, intrigued. Most unicorns—especially those who didn't study in a magical university—had difficulty learning even basic elemental spells. It required excessive natural skill, knowledge and determination.

Rose nodded. "I studied elemental in university. Passed a few courses. I only know pyrokinesis—don't get too excited."

"Still, that's impressive."

"Thanks, I guess. You wouldn't be saying that if you met any of my peers, though. I got low 80-score grades, mostly, and I was fine with that, but you should have seen some of the ponies who went there—only settled for high 90s, no lower."

"Ah'm not the best student in my school, but I'm passing." Savanna sat back on her haunches, leaning against the bookshelf. "Ah don't obsess over grades."

"That's exactly what a kid who's failing in school would say." Rose chuckled.

"Ah'm doin' just fine." Savanna's mind began to wander, thinking of home and her school.

"Mah friend—he takes the same classes as me—he spent the better part of last year asleep in all his classes. You'd think he'd be doing terribly, but he actually gets amazing grades. He's really something else. Can just pick somethin' up and absorb it and remember it days later. He's a bat pony, so ah understand shiftin' his sleep schedule from day to night was probably a struggle."

Rose lifted an eyebrow. "You're friends with a thestral?"

"Ah am, yeah. Why do you look surprised?"

"Thestrals don't live in Emperia, kid. They're halfway across the world. You're from west Eon, aren't you?"

"Equestria," Savanna insisted. "Ah'm from west Equestria."

"Yeah, you keep saying that, but Equestria isn't a real place. So either you're a liar, or..." Rose shook her head, looking confused. "I'm confused."

"You're telling me." Savanna sighed, looking down. The reminder that she was so far from home had soured the mood.

"I hope you find answers," Rose spoke eventually. "If you really are speaking the truth."

"Ah am."

"You're... not from this world?"

Savanna didn't respond immediately. Disheartened, she stared down at the floor for a long while. "No. Ah miss home and my family more than ah could ever explain."

"I know the feeling, kid." Rose's tone was uncharacteristically soft.

"You'll... help me, won't ya?"

Rose shrugged. "I guess. I think I'd feel guilty if I didn't at this point. Be grateful we're both going in the same direction."

They exchanged a glance, wordlessly acknowledging it was time to move.

Because she had the key, Rose went first. Savanna stored the book away in her satchel and followed, quickly trotting to catch up. They left through a different exit, looking both ways before crossing the street.

The bridge Rose had mentioned earlier was only a few blocks down the road, after the highrises transformed into regularly-sized buildings and the regular-sized buildings transformed into modest houses. It was a wide bridge to accommodate vehicles, made of steel for structural stability. Savanna brushed a hoof against a thick cables as she passed, marveling.

Looking down over the edge, Savanna could barely see what was in the ravine below. It was getting darker, and she could make out the tops of trees, large boulders and the glint of light shining back at her. Though she couldn't hear it flowing, there was undoubtedly a river below.

She yelped as Rose gave her a hard tug with her levitation magic, pulling her away from the edge. "Hey!"

"Try not to fall to your death, yeah?" Rose gave her a pointed look.

"Relax! Ah'm not gonna fall."

The mare shook her head in disappointment, turning to continue forward again.

Savanna reached for her satchel and drew out her camera, snapping a photo. Afterwards, she idled for a few moments, taking in the view. Out in the distance, past the bridge's steel cords and triangular supports, were rolling hills, lush greenery and a wall of trees. The night sky was clear, and she could see the dim, white peaks of distant, snow-capped mountains. Savanna thought they were the Smokey Mountains of Equestria, or the unnamed mountains just west of them—but she could be anywhere in this world. This world that wasn't Equestria... Those mountains that weren't from Equestria...

Rose interrupted her and her homesick thoughts by giving a sharp whistle and a jerk of the head, ordering her to hurry.

"Sorry!" Savanna called, trotting to catch up. "Ah was just thinking..."

"You're not going to do this a lot, are you? Stick with me. A kid like you wouldn't survive long out in the wilderness by herself."

Savanna interjected immediately, defending herself. "Ah got to Cerise just fine by myself."

"And how'd that go for you?"

"Well, ah got attacked by a couple wild animals..."

"Yup."

Savanna stayed quiet, knowing her companion wasn't wrong. It had been dangerous for her to travel alone. She shivered uncomfortably as a memory of the massive, flying monster surfaced.

"Hey..."

"Hm?" Rose grunted questioningly, glancing over.

"One of the animals that attacked me—it almost looked like a pegasus pony. It had feathered wings, hooves and the ears of a pony, but had the jaws and slim body of a wolf."

Rose raised an eyebrow curiously. "Really? They usually don't migrate this far west."

"What are they called?"

"Caravi."

"Caravi," Savanna repeated, frowning. She let the unfamiliar word roll over her tongue, repeating it once again. "Caravi..."

"You're lucky to be alive. They aren't creatures to be messed with—very territorial."

"You're tellin' me."

Beyond the bridge was a wall of trees through which a dirt road was carved. As Savanna trotted forward into the forest, it was like the darkness swallowed her and her companion effortlessly. The leaves of the trees were the source of the overwhelming shadows—they blocked almost all moonlight. It was almost like Savanna was back in the forest near the windfarm again, except this time she wasn't stumbling blindly between trees. There was a path.

She was about to reach for her flashlight when Rose cast a luminescence spell and lit the tip of her horn alight with a magical orb, casting light ahead where they were walking.

"Thanks. Ah was about to say something—it's really dark out here."

"Watch our backs, kid. Make sure we aren't being followed. I'll lead the way."

Suddenly paranoid from that remark, Savanna looked over her shoulder. The path behind them was enveloped by darkness, and she could barely make out the bridge in the distance. She saw nothing yet, but fear flooded her senses.

"Why would they follow us?" Savanna didn't doubt they would be followed, she just wanted Rose to say something rational that would give her an excuse to relax. And indeed, Rose gave an immediate response. "They probably aren't. But I can't watch ahead and behind us simultaneously. Keep your eyes open."

They walked in tense silence for a while, Savanna glancing over her shoulder often. The occasional sound of sticks breaking or bushes rustling certainly didn't ease her anxiety. Wild animals were probably making the noises, but Savanna was on full-alert. Her ears were raised to their highest positions, swiveling in the direction of any sounds she and her companion didn't make.

Just outside of the ring of light that Rose's magical orb cast came a small snarl that made Savanna's heart leap. The animal was off the path and stalking them from behind the veil of the wall of trees. Savanna only saw light glinting off its bright fur before it retreated back into the woods.

"What was that?" Savanna wondered aloud, watching the empty space where the animal had once been. Her eyesight was betraying her, and she began seeing faces in the dark where there were none.

"Tell me if it's an actual threat," Rose responded quietly. "We're getting close. Let me focus."

"Sounded like a timberwolf, but..." Savanna shook her head, abandoning that train of thought altogether. "Close to what?"

"There's a clearing nearby. Well hidden. Would be good for spending the night." Rose looked over her shoulder and back at Savanna for a moment, raising an eyebrow. "What's a timberwolf?"

"They live in central Equestria. Not as far west as mah village. Ah've never seen one, personally, but ah've heard stories."

"The wild animals in these parts aren't the biggest threat to your health, Savanna. We need to get to Juniper as fast as possible. Eon is crawling with CED officers. And... they'll be coming for me, eventually."

"What do you—"

"We're here."

Suddenly cut off, Savanna stayed quiet, looking out into the forest. There was no obvious path or clearing in sight. "Are ya sure?"

"Follow me."

Rose led the way through the thicket, disappearing behind a tall shrub. The light being cast by her magical orb weaving its way through the thicket created long, creeping shadows. Savanna held a hoof in front of her face, shoving aside branches and vines. Thorns snagged her poncho as she passed through, but nothing tore the thick, exterior layer of rubber.

As Savanna looked out into the clearing, she saw hanging branches half-blanketed in shadow swinging in the wind. They reached like extended appendages with twigs like the long claws of a specific wooden, wolf-like monster. One branch swung and tapped her on the back, and she jumped, half-expecting there to be a timberwolf looming ominously over her shoulder. Rose got a brief chuckle out of her fear before quickly calming down and getting back to business. She levitated a roll of off-white fabric from her saddlebag. "There's nothing in these woods, kid, and I doubt anypony followed us. Now come on, help me set up the tent."

"Ah guess you're right..."

Still spooked, Savanna glanced over her shoulder before turning to offer her full attention to the task at hand. Rose carefully propped up a metal pole in the front and center of the triangularly-shaped tent, while Savanna began nailing an edge of the tent to the ground with a spike. She used a hoof, stomping hard on the spike's flat head to secure it in place.

When they were finished, Savanna brushed a hoof against one of the tent's walls. It was ivory-white canvas, and undoubtedly waterproof. She ducked inside, lying down and scooting all the way to the rear of the tent to make room for her companion. Rose hesitated, though, waiting outside for a moment. "I'll be taking first watch tonight."

Savanna didn't feel like arguing, so she just nodded, showing she understood. She was tired from the excitement of the day. As Rose left and circled around to the side of the tent, Savanna adjusted her weight, lying lengthwise with the tent on her stomach. She reached into her satchel for her journal, hesitating as she laid eyes on the folded wanted poster. She wanted to confront Rose about it, but just then seemed inappropriate of a time. She was tired, and her eyes felt blurry.

Drawing her journal and one of her pens from her satchel, Savanna opened it and flipped to a new page. Before she could begin sketching, though, the light given off by the magical orb projected from Rose's horn winked out. Plunged into total darkness, Savanna fumbled through her satchel's contents and eventually drew out her new flashlight. She clicked it on to provide some light to see by, and began writing.

The officers were right—there was a city nearby. It's a large metropolis named 'Cerise.' [?] The district I entered from the south was entirely abandoned. Houses and apartments were empty when I went searching for friendly ponies. While I did eventually happen upon a group of ponies, I now, in hindsight, wish I hadn't. They were all revolutionaries, hiding out from the law on a desolate floor in an apartment building. They were just as brusque and offensive as the officers, if not more so.

One of the revolutionaries by the name of Rose Gold has joined me in my journey northwards. Though, I suppose it is more her guiding me. She spoke of a town named 'Juniper' that she wishes to stop at.

While I hate to admit it, Rose frightens me. I found a wanted poster in Cerise requesting information to assist in her apprehension. According to the military, she's done some terrible things. She seems to perceive authority as a blight that must be snuffed out. She claims that the queen of this land was unjustly usurped from the throne, so surely the new ruler must be corrupt and a tyrant. I don't know who to trust. I want no part in this conflict, yet I have somehow found myself trapped between both sides.

Savanna sighed, lowering her pen for a moment as she thought. She needed to confront Rose with the wanted poster and ask for answers eventually.

Savanna began her daily sketches by drawing the long, desolate hallway on the fifth floor of the apartment the revolutionaries were hiding out in. She sketched the rows of bookshelves from the revolutionaries' library hideout and the wide steel bridge connecting Cerise's Main Street to the outside world. She drew a few rough sketches of timberwolves, but eventually gave up midway through.

When she was finished drawing, Savanna capped her pen and closed her journal, flicking her flashlight off and storing her things away into her satchel. She curled into a ball, preparing for a long rest.