Homeby NorthguardChaptersChapter 1Chapter 2Chapter 3Chapter 4Chapter 5Chapter 1The gales howled as the snow hit the ground like bullets. A blizzard like this hadn't been seen for some time and being out there unprepared could end your life, but who was Lightning Dust to complain? It was either this or the "sauna". She pulled the wagon with all her might as sweat rolled down her face. The stinging pain of sweat drops turning to ice and getting stuck in her fur was constant as she squeezed her bloodshot eyes shut as a powerful gust of wind hit her with snow that hit her face so hard that it felt like hail. When the gust had passed, she opened her eyes again as she continued pulling the wagon full of heavy cargo. She looked up at the trail she was all too familiar with to see faint lights in the distance. "Almost there..." she murmured to herself as she continued down the snow-filled trail. Her hooves felt like anvils as just taking one step was a hard task alone. She couldn't remember having a single day off despite all her efforts. No matter how many tasks she did, no matter how hard she worked. It was never good enough for him and she knew exactly why. He didn't care about them, not in a million years. The only time he went "easy" on them was when he let them have a few minutes to catch their breath when they had been mining for six hours straight. All he cared about was money and instead of getting it by doing something for the better of everypony in the land, he got it by taking children away from their families and turning them into slaves, who have to work day and night to get food and warmth enough to barely survive the harsh environment. He specifically took religious children as he shunned their beliefs and wanted to crush their faith in order to wipe their religion off the face of Equus. He believed money was everything and that you could buy anything with it and if parents accused him of a crime, he would bribe the judge before he could be found guilty. Lightning Dust highly disliked him in every way for this as she had lost several friends because of him. Luckily for her, the results of his actions had only made her faith stronger as she would never give up her hopes and dreams. Each night she prayed for a chance to be free again. Even after fifteen years of hard labour and poor treatment she still believed. She continued down the trail as she thought. Thinking was her way to ignore the pain of the freezing temperatures and bad weather and it had never failed her. Not even at the whipping post. She stopped her train of thought as she began to close in on her destination. It had taken her almost the entire night with the raging blizzard, but she never gave up and was the most hardworking slave in the constantly shrinking and expanding group. She gave the large door in front of her the hardest knock she could muster and waited for the guards to open it. After a few minutes, she could hear the lock being removed as the large double door of the barn slowly opened with a deep groan. She pulled the wagon a few meters inside before the guards took off the saddle that was connected to the wagon. "You've done well. Here's your reward." one of the guards said as he gave her half a bread. Lightning Dust only nodded thanks and took the dry bread before heading to the other side of the barn where she and all the other slaves slept. The place was a wide room that once was a storage room for grain had thin walls, no windows and a bunch of poorly made beds spread across the room. The beds had no mattresses and only had a single blanket (which were actually cheap paper-thin curtains). Lightning Dust slept in the bottom right-hand corner of the room which was the warmest place in the building, because she had figured out that a warm storage room was on the other side of one of the walls and she had then in secret created a hole at the bottom of it to let the warm air in. She sat down at the edge of her bed and began to slowly eat the dry piece of bread she had received. A small squeak beside her bed reached her ears and she looked in the direction to see a small mouse looking at her. "Hey there little buddy." Lightning Dust said and leaned over and reached a hoof down to the little critter. It let out a small squeak before jumping onto her hoof and climbing up to her shoulder. It then climbed down the hoof that held the bread and began to sniff on it hopefully. "Hungry, aren't you?" Lightning said before she ripped off a small chunk of the bread and gave it to the mouse, who happily ate it. Lightning only chuckled as she continued eating. The mouse had appeared a few weeks prior and after being fed by Lightning Dust for some time it had begun to grow attached to her. Lightning Dust didn't mind this as she missed having a friend. Throughout the years she had learned to keep to herself as making friends with the other slaves would only make things worse for yourself, but that didn't mean that she missed the feeling of running in the snow with her fillyhood friends. The memories came back to her as she sat there for herself in the empty room. She could still see them in front of her. Her three best fillyhood friends. She had forgotten their names over time, but their faces were still there. She had made a promise to herself never to forget them and her family, and it was a promise she was determined to keep. A few minutes later the rest of the slaves came in covered in frozen sweat as they had been in the scorching hot sauna, which was evident by some of them suffering 2nd degree burns. None of them said anything as they walked to their beds and lay down. Groans of pain filled the silent air as Lightning Dust stood up from her bed and quietly shoved it to the side. The floor beneath looked normal to the naked to the naked eye, but it was anything else than that. She tapped the floor carefully until she heard a hollow sound. When she added pressure to that point a "trapdoor" lifted slightly up. She grabbed the edge and pulled it away, revealing a tunnel just big enough for a pony to crawl through. She shot a quick glance around as she crawled down into the tunnel and pulled the lid over the hole again. She had worked on this tunnel every night for two years now and she knew that it was nearly finished. This tunnel was her key to freedom, and she would never give up on it. She just had one or two meters to go now, of course, she couldn't be sure, but she knew that she was close now as she could hear things more clearly underground. Stuart (the mouse) had been a massive help to her. He had guided her to dig in the right direction in the pitch-black darkness of the tunnel as she had no source of light. He knew the right way as he would look around the place during the day in order to find a place where the tunnel exit could be. Even though they couldn't understand each other Stuart had managed to show her what he meant through gestures. She squeezed herself through the narrow, wet and cold darkness as she followed Stuart's squeaks and chirps and after some time she reached a wall, which she immediately began digging into. She was already exhausted and battered from the heavy labour, but she wouldn't give up now that she was so close to freedom. Minutes turned to hours as the dirt began to get loose and light above her. Then suddenly she heard sounds echo through the tunnel and a voice shouted at the other end of it. "SHE'S ESCAPING!!!" Shit Lightning Dust thought as she began to punch the dirt above her in an effort to make it go faster. Adrenaline began to rush through her veins as she felt the ground above her beginning to give out. She sent one more punch at the dirt and felt her hoof go through it as the feeling of cold snow touched her hoof. She then pushed herself through the opening she had created and felt the snow and wind against her face. Freedom at last she thought as she pulled her hind hooves out of the hole. After a few moments to get her bearings, she went into a full gallop towards the forest she had spotted nearby as Stuart clung to her mane. She began to hear guards shouting after her as she ran through branches and sticks, which scratched up her face as she went. The sounds of the guards became more audible as she could also hear branches and sticks cracking beneath their and her own hooves. The state of panic she was in distracted her from focusing on the direction she was going and without warning the ground went from a rough forest ground to a steep cliff side. She had no time to stop as she found herself tumbling down the steep cliff. The last thing she saw was the dark grey sky of dawn as she hit her head on a boulder and fell unconscious. Chapter 2She didn't know how long it had been out. The only thing she could do was guess. Her guess was a few hours as the snow hadn't covered her that much. When she opened her eyes, she was first greeted by snow and a white cloud-filled sky. The next thing that came to her was pain. Her head pounded and her entire body ached. When she looked over herself, she discovered something that lit her mood. The rope around her wings had been so damaged by her escape that it barely hung on. She grabbed it with one hoof and gave it a firm, albeit weak, tug. The rope snapped and fell onto the snow. She sighed with relief and stretched out her wings for the first time in six years. The joints cracked and popped loudly and painfully as she opened them and flapped them several times in order to get feeling back into them. As she did this, she also felt Stuart climbing onto her back and then onto her head. "I see you made it too," she said with a chuckle. She looked around the area she now found herself in and the only way she could go now was straight into the desert of snow that stretched as long as the eye could see. Lightning Dust let out a sigh as she looked at her wings. "It's worth a try at least," she said as she began flapping them. It took some effort, but soon she found herself elevated above the ground. She started to fly forward at a slow pace as she knew that she couldn't push her body too hard, but due to her wings' six years of inactivity, the pain quickly began to grip her and after only a few moments she had to land. "I guess we'll have to walk." she sighed in slight disappointment as she began to walk away from the cliffside. Seconds turned to minutes and minutes turned hours. She had walked across the frozen land for so long that she no longer knew how long it had been. It was beginning to get dark and she began having problems seeing out in the night. She looked up at the sky, expecting to see a pitch-black void of darkness due to the clouds, but instead, she saw a sky filled with stars. The moon was full and shone down on the land. The sight mesmerized Lightning Dust and she stood there like she was stuck. When she looked downwards, she saw something that gave her hope. Light. It wasn't much, but it was there. The light was visible in the distance. Not only that, but smoke was present as well. Smoke came from fire and fire meant heat. Hope filled her as she began walking towards the source of the light that grew brighter with every step she took. Her effort led her over a small hill that revealed the source of light as a small village. Great joy swelled up in her chest, a smile spread across her face and her eyes began to sparkle with hope. Despite the odds, she had managed to find her way back to civilization. She began to walk down the small hill, but because of the aching pain in her body, she couldn't keep her balance and ended up falling over and rolling around a few times before she slid down the rest of the way. When she came to a stop, she found herself a few meters from the border, but the pain in her body wouldn't let her stand up again that easily. She lay there a few minutes before she managed to muster the strength to make an attempt to stand up again. After three failed attempts she managed to stumble up on her hooves again, but walking wouldn't come easy either as she almost fell over several times. The only thing really keeping her on her hooves by now was her willpower and the adrenaline that coursed through her veins. She wasn't giving up, not now, not ever. "Come on Lightning Dust. You promised." she hissed to herself as she forced her body to walk towards the village. She walked through the silent village as she looked for a place that she could walk right into. After a few minutes, she spotted a bar not far away and immediately set course for it. When she reached the door, she could feel the warmth radiating from the building. She pushed the door open and a massive wave of heat hit her like a runaway train, but as if the warmth triggered something, the pain in her body returned tenfold. She fell onto wooden the floor and she began sweating like crazy. Her head felt like it was about to split open and every single muscle in her body was aching to the point she almost wanted to scream in pain. Through the pain, she felt Stuart crawling out of her mane and beginning to scratch her face carefully in an attempt to get her back to her senses but to no avail. The bartender ran out from behind the counter and came up to her and put a hoof on her forehead. Lightning Dust's vision began to grow hazy as she heard the bartender shouting for help as somepony sat down next to her. She couldn't really see any major details, but she could at least see a light blue coat and a rainbow-coloured mane before everything went black. Chapter 3Rainbow Dash walked through the snowy desert that stretched on for miles. She pulled her scarf in front of her face as a small gust blew past her. Letting out a small groan as snow blew into her face. "Ugh...How did they get me into this?" She asked herself as she spread her wings and flew into the sky to get a better view. She spotted a village not far away from her location and set course for it immediately after as she needed to take a break from the harsh environment. The town wasn't that much to talk about, it was about ten buildings there and it seemed like seven of them were private homes. She entered the town's bar, which was close to the centre of town, and the only one present in the bar was the bartender. "Good evening." the mulberry mare greeted. "Likewise," Rainbow answered and sat down by the counter. "A glass of whiskey, please," she said while taking off her warm clothes. The bartender pulled out a bottle of whiskey and glass, which she poured the drink into before giving it to the rainbow-maned pegasus. Rainbow Dash downed the drink in one gulp and gave the glass back without a word being spoken. "What brings you here? We don't get visitors around here." the bartender said with a questioning look. "The name is Rainbow Dash. I was sent here because of the multiple dropped charges against Filthy Rich. Rumours say he's taking children away from their families and using them as slaves. He has denied it and says that he has normal workers who are paid and taken good care of. Thus, I was sent to investigate." Rainbow Dash explained. "Interesting. I've never really liked that guy, he's just another greedy business that this world wouldn't miss." the bartender said before stretching out a hoof to the rainbow mare. "My name is Berry Punch, by the way," she said with a small smile. Rainbow leaned forward and returned the hoofshake before leaning back in her seat again. Berry Punch sat down behind the counter and pulled out a bottle of champagne that she drank directly without a glass in huge gulps. Rainbow stared bewildered and confused at the mare chugging the bottle of alcohol. "Isn't the bartender supposed to be sober?" Rainbow asked as her confusion continued to rise. Berry Punch put the bottle down as she held up her hoof in a 'hold on' gesture before she let out a loud belch. "Excuse me," she said as she looked up at Rainbow Dash. "I'm born with some form of defect, if that's what you want to call it, that makes me immune to the effects of ethanol. I can drink alcohol as much as I want without damaging my organs," she explained. They both shared a small laugh as they began talking about other things. They talked about childhood friends, family, what their cutie marks were how they got them, etc, etc. It went on for hours, but the fun was cut short when the door was pushed open with a little more force than necessary. Both looked towards the door to see a mare that looked terrible and had no clothes to keep her warm. She was thin as a stick as her ribs were visible under the turquoise fur, she was riddled with what looked to be whipping scars, burn marks and frostbites, her amber and gold mane and tail were hanging down in a tangled mess and her gamboge eyes were bloodshot. Not even a second after walking in the mare fell onto the floor and instantly began to show symptoms of fever at a high rate. A mouse climbed out of her mane and looked to be trying to get her to wake up but to no avail. Berry Punch ran out from the counter and put a hoof to the mare's forehead before storming out the door, shouting for a medic. Rainbow went over to the mare and sat down by her as she tried to put the mare in a more comfortable position. The mare looked at her weakly with her tired and bloodshot eyes as a small smile began to form on her face before she blacked out and fell unconscious. Rainbow picked her up and carried her across the room before putting her down by the fireplace in an attempt to warm her up. She couldn't explain it, but it felt like something inside her changed when she made eye contact with the mare. It was like she could see all the suffering the mare had gone through in those few seconds of eye contact. Not only that, but it was also the relief she saw in those pained eyes. She didn't know... She didn't know why tears were coming from her eyes. She wiped a tear away as she continued to look at the mare and without thinking put her hoof on the mare's shoulder and spoke two sentences. "You're safe now. I won't let anyone hurt you again." After some time, a medic came storming in and sat down by the unconscious mare as he began checking her. Her heart was still beating, and she was breathing, so there was still hope, although when it came to temperature it wasn't the same story. "41°C!!!" the doctor said out loud as panic began gripping his voice. "We have to move her to the hospital! Now!" the doctor said as he looked at the frostbite on the mare's body. "Are you mad?!" Berry Punch shouted as she came in the door. "Not in that condition! I doubt her body can take more of the cold," she said, still in panic. "Get some carpets and towels. We'll have to tuck her in before we can as much as think about taking her out in the cold." Rainbow Dash said as she stroked the mare's brow and cheek. After a few minutes, they had tucked the mare in carpets and towels as best as they could when Rainbow Dash picked her up and flew full speed out of the bar and towards the hospital, after getting the directions from the doctor, of course. Due to her speed, she was at the hospital in only a few seconds and thankfully the staff were waiting by the doors. The doctors escorted Rainbow to a room where a bathtub of warm water was standing. Rainbow understood and took the mare out of the carpets and towels as the doctors picked her up and slowly lowered her into the bathtub. After a few seconds, the mare's eyelids began to twitch and she let out a groan as her eyes began to slowly flutter open. She shook her head and rubbed her eyes as she looked around. "W-where am I?" she weakly asked. "You're in Snow Hill Hospital at the moment. You are suffering from a dangerously high fever and some minor frostbites and thus have been put under immediate medical attention." one of the doctors explained. "For your fever, you'll be regularly put into a lukewarm bath to regulate your temperature and you will receive plenty of water to keep you hydrated. Your frostbites will be treated as quickly as possible as well." The mare didn't answer as she looked around the room, she spotted a light blue mare with a rainbow mane. "You. You sat by me when I blacked out," she said as Rainbow Dash walked up to her. "Yeah, I flew you here when you were out. The name is Rainbow Dash," she answered and reached out a hoof to the mare. The mare smiled as she lifted a soaked hoof and returned the gesture. "Thank you. I'm Lightning Dust." Author's Note She didn't know why tears were coming from her eyes. This sentence is based on a real life experience I've had. Chapter 4It had been a few days since Lightning Dust had been put under medical attention at Snow Hill and her condition was improving greatly. She was regularly put in a lukewarm bath to subside her fever and it looked like the fever was gonna break at any minute. She was given plenty of food and water, and her ribs were no longer visible under her skin, her eyes were no longer bloodshot and her frostbites would not cause permanent damage. After four days of medical care, ponies were allowed to visit her and it was not hard to guess who. "Hello, Lightning Dust. How have you been?" Rainbow Dash said as she entered the room. Said the turquoise mare looked towards the door to see the rainbow-maned Pegasus. "I haven't felt this good since I was a filly! Finally some free time and actual food, seriously this is a thousand times better than the shit I ate back at that damned place!" she ranted as she leaned back in the hospital bed. "And a comfortable bed at last." Lightning Dust's little rant spiked Rainbow's interest as she walked up to the bed the mare was lying in. "'Damned place'? What place is that?" she asked as she sat down beside the bed. "It's Filthy Rich's slave camp. I've been there for fifteen years!" "You're a slave?" Rainbow Dash asked, taken aback that living proof of the rumours she was sent to investigate was right in front of her. "Yes. I was. I escaped, that's all I can really say for sure." Lightning Dust answered as she sat up. "How was it there and how did you escape?" Rainbow further asked. "It was Tartarus! We had work until either we fell unconscious, broke our hind hooves or were too sick! The list just goes on and on! We slept in what was once a farm storage building. Paper-thin walls with no isolation, windows with no glass and no source of heat. The beds were poorly made, they had no mattresses and they had only one blanket per bed, that were actually cheap curtains!" Lightning Dust explained with Rainbow Dash taking in every word. "The tasks were endless and if we didn't do what we were told to do then we got the whip, I actually have a few scars to prove it." Lightning Dust continued as she turned to expose her back where several scars could be seen. "As for my escape, I secretly dug a hole from under the floor beneath my bed that would end up outside that concentration camp." Lightning Dust finished as a curious look grew on her face. "Why did you want to know?" Rainbow didn't hesitate to tell the truth. "I was sent to investigate some shady rumours about Filthy Rich's success and everything I've found and or discovered so far has all led me towards the abandoned farm that Rich bought a few decades ago, but I seem to have stumbled into a living proof by coincidence." This explanation made Lightning Dust's eyes grow as wide as dinner plates. "You're trying to blow the whistle on him?" "Well no, but actually yes. It depended on whether or not I found proof, but then again, you are living proof that the rumours are true. So, yes. I am going to blow the whistle on him." Rainbow Dash said as a new question entered her mind. "How did you manage to dig that tunnel without being spotted? If you don't mind me asking," she said, making Lightning Dust's smile fade slightly. "I learned that the guards would lock us in the barn for a certain amount of hours, the amount of hours depended on the day, but I managed to memorize them after a few months. Soon I accidentally discovered a trapdoor under my bed. There was nothing but dirt beneath it, so I guessed it was a project that the previous owners had given up on as soon as they cut the hole in the floor, but didn't bother patching up again. Anyway, after some time I managed to get help from a mouse that lived in the walls. During the day he would go out a look for a feasible way of escaping and during the night he would be my guide when I was digging the tunnel." Lightning Dust explained before a question crossed her mind as well. "Speaking of which, where is he?" she asked while looking around the room. "The little critter is in my room at the inn here. Since it looked like you two were close, I decided to take him in until you had recovered." Rainbow Dash explained while looking at the recovering frostbite and the many scars across the mare's body. "You better be careful from now on. With those scars, the stallions will be drooling over you. I have no idea how that's a fact as it's usually the opposite of what I've read in a few books, but whatever." Lightning chuckled lightly at that statement. "Guess they just can't handle the Lightning Dust style," she said in a mocking tone. They both looked at each other for a few seconds before they both broke into fits of laughter. Chapter 5Rainbow Dash became a frequent visitor for Lightning Dust. They would talk for hours about their dreams, family, plans for the future, etc. Over the course of a few weeks the two became good friends and when Lightning Dust had almost fully recovered Rainbow Dash began to help her get up on her wings again. A few days after the flying lessons started Lightning Dust was released from the hospital, having made a full recovery and now ready to live a free life. However, one problem stood out. Where was she going to live? She didn't have any bits, but fortunately for her Rainbow Dash had thought ahead of everyone and rented a room for two at the inn just down the street and when the evening came she had a place to stay. But when evening came an unforeseen problem appeared. "Rainbow? Are you there?" Lightning Dust asked through the darkness of the room. "Yes, for the one-hundredth time. Yes, I am here." the annoyed voice of Rainbow Dash answered from the other side of the room. "S-sorry. I'm just scared to be alone. You know, because of the past." Lightning replied as she tried to go back to sleep. The sound of a quiet rustle was heard as Rainbow sat up in bed. "Never really got to sleep with your parents that much?" she asked as she looked into the darkness barely seeing the edge of Lightning's bed. "Is it really that obvious?" Dust answered as the sound of her sitting up in bed was heard as well was heard. Then an idea lit up in her mind. "I know this can be a bit sudden, but could I sleep with you?" she asked, not really expecting a yes. Rainbow Dash's cheeks grew hot as she thought about the question. Indeed it was sudden and it wouldn't be the best thing for her reputation, but she would just have to make an exception here. "S-sure... If it makes you feel better," she answered and turned on the oil lamp on the nightstand beside her bed so that Lightning Dust could make her way without too much trouble. Lightning walked slowly as she made her way up to Rainbow's bed. After a minute or so Lightning jumped onto the bed and lay down beside the rainbow-maned mare. Rainbow rested her head on her pillow as she tried to ignore the fact that she was sharing the bed with somepony else, but it was hard for her when Lightning Dust pressed herself up against her back and pulled her into an embrace. Rainbow could do nothing but blush in embarrassment. 'This has got to be one of the most embarrassing things I've ever done.' she thought as she felt Lightning Dust's chest rise and fall with every breath. The more breaths Rainbow felt, the hotter her face burned. 'I'm never telling my friends about this'. she thought as sleep finally claimed her. "How in Equestria did she manage to escape?! Better yet, HOW were you unable to capture her?!" Filthy Rich screamed at two of his guards. "Sorry sir, but I'm afraid she outsmarted us all. Her timing with our shifts was masterful. She has most likely been planning this for years." one guard answered. "There is also the fact that she managed to push her body beyond the known limits. She should've been nowhere near rested enough to make such a feat. I'm afraid we underestimated her." the second guard added. "I DON'T WANT YOUR DAMN EXCUSES!! I want her back here, NOW!!" Filthy Rich screamed. "Get her back by any means necessary!" he commanded. "Yes sir!" the two guards said in unison with a salute before they exited the room. Filthy Rich sat down in his chair as he let out a frustrated sigh. He made thousands of bits on this and he was not going to give up his business that easily. "If these religious ponies weren't so useful for me they would be six feet under by now," he said to himself, unaware that somepony was listening on the other side of the door. Morning broke over Snow Hill as the rays of Sunlight came through the window to Rainbow and Lightning's room. The sunlight crept up Rainbow's face until it reached her eyes, to which she let out an annoyed grunt. She made an attempt to move away from the light, but something, no, somepony was hindering it. Rainbow's cheeks quickly ran red as she remembered the events of last night. Each attempt to wiggle out of Lightning's grasp proved unsuccessful as every time she tried Lightning would start letting out a whimpering noise, which really didn't give Rainbow any choice but to just lie there. "At least her coat is comfortable." she whispered to herself as she enjoyed the warmth that the "embrace" offered. After some time Lightning Dust shifted position, giving Rainbow a chance to wiggle herself free without any disturbances. When she got off the bed she stretched her body making some joints pop satisfyingly. Afterwards, she walked up to the window and peered out to see the view. Not the one she was used to back in Ponyville, but it would do. "Is it a nice view?" Lightning Dust's voice came from behind her. Rainbow turned around to see Lightning Dust looking at her with half-awake eyes. She had evidently just woken up. "Not like the one back in Ponyville, but it'll do for today," Rainbow answered without much thought. "Going somewhere?" Lightning Dust asked as she rubbed her eyes of sleep. "We're going somewhere." Rainbow corrected. "We'll walk and fly to the Crystal Empire, from there we'll take the train to Canterlot." When Rainbow was finished explaining a low grumble came from both Lightning and Rainbow's stomachs to which both looked away with an embarrassed blush. "But first, we'll need some breakfast," she added sheepishly. Lightning Dust just nodded and jumped off the bed as they made their way out the door. Author's Note Made while listening to Sabaton and Thousand Foot Krutch.
Chapter 1The gales howled as the snow hit the ground like bullets. A blizzard like this hadn't been seen for some time and being out there unprepared could end your life, but who was Lightning Dust to complain? It was either this or the "sauna". She pulled the wagon with all her might as sweat rolled down her face. The stinging pain of sweat drops turning to ice and getting stuck in her fur was constant as she squeezed her bloodshot eyes shut as a powerful gust of wind hit her with snow that hit her face so hard that it felt like hail. When the gust had passed, she opened her eyes again as she continued pulling the wagon full of heavy cargo. She looked up at the trail she was all too familiar with to see faint lights in the distance. "Almost there..." she murmured to herself as she continued down the snow-filled trail. Her hooves felt like anvils as just taking one step was a hard task alone. She couldn't remember having a single day off despite all her efforts. No matter how many tasks she did, no matter how hard she worked. It was never good enough for him and she knew exactly why. He didn't care about them, not in a million years. The only time he went "easy" on them was when he let them have a few minutes to catch their breath when they had been mining for six hours straight. All he cared about was money and instead of getting it by doing something for the better of everypony in the land, he got it by taking children away from their families and turning them into slaves, who have to work day and night to get food and warmth enough to barely survive the harsh environment. He specifically took religious children as he shunned their beliefs and wanted to crush their faith in order to wipe their religion off the face of Equus. He believed money was everything and that you could buy anything with it and if parents accused him of a crime, he would bribe the judge before he could be found guilty. Lightning Dust highly disliked him in every way for this as she had lost several friends because of him. Luckily for her, the results of his actions had only made her faith stronger as she would never give up her hopes and dreams. Each night she prayed for a chance to be free again. Even after fifteen years of hard labour and poor treatment she still believed. She continued down the trail as she thought. Thinking was her way to ignore the pain of the freezing temperatures and bad weather and it had never failed her. Not even at the whipping post. She stopped her train of thought as she began to close in on her destination. It had taken her almost the entire night with the raging blizzard, but she never gave up and was the most hardworking slave in the constantly shrinking and expanding group. She gave the large door in front of her the hardest knock she could muster and waited for the guards to open it. After a few minutes, she could hear the lock being removed as the large double door of the barn slowly opened with a deep groan. She pulled the wagon a few meters inside before the guards took off the saddle that was connected to the wagon. "You've done well. Here's your reward." one of the guards said as he gave her half a bread. Lightning Dust only nodded thanks and took the dry bread before heading to the other side of the barn where she and all the other slaves slept. The place was a wide room that once was a storage room for grain had thin walls, no windows and a bunch of poorly made beds spread across the room. The beds had no mattresses and only had a single blanket (which were actually cheap paper-thin curtains). Lightning Dust slept in the bottom right-hand corner of the room which was the warmest place in the building, because she had figured out that a warm storage room was on the other side of one of the walls and she had then in secret created a hole at the bottom of it to let the warm air in. She sat down at the edge of her bed and began to slowly eat the dry piece of bread she had received. A small squeak beside her bed reached her ears and she looked in the direction to see a small mouse looking at her. "Hey there little buddy." Lightning Dust said and leaned over and reached a hoof down to the little critter. It let out a small squeak before jumping onto her hoof and climbing up to her shoulder. It then climbed down the hoof that held the bread and began to sniff on it hopefully. "Hungry, aren't you?" Lightning said before she ripped off a small chunk of the bread and gave it to the mouse, who happily ate it. Lightning only chuckled as she continued eating. The mouse had appeared a few weeks prior and after being fed by Lightning Dust for some time it had begun to grow attached to her. Lightning Dust didn't mind this as she missed having a friend. Throughout the years she had learned to keep to herself as making friends with the other slaves would only make things worse for yourself, but that didn't mean that she missed the feeling of running in the snow with her fillyhood friends. The memories came back to her as she sat there for herself in the empty room. She could still see them in front of her. Her three best fillyhood friends. She had forgotten their names over time, but their faces were still there. She had made a promise to herself never to forget them and her family, and it was a promise she was determined to keep. A few minutes later the rest of the slaves came in covered in frozen sweat as they had been in the scorching hot sauna, which was evident by some of them suffering 2nd degree burns. None of them said anything as they walked to their beds and lay down. Groans of pain filled the silent air as Lightning Dust stood up from her bed and quietly shoved it to the side. The floor beneath looked normal to the naked to the naked eye, but it was anything else than that. She tapped the floor carefully until she heard a hollow sound. When she added pressure to that point a "trapdoor" lifted slightly up. She grabbed the edge and pulled it away, revealing a tunnel just big enough for a pony to crawl through. She shot a quick glance around as she crawled down into the tunnel and pulled the lid over the hole again. She had worked on this tunnel every night for two years now and she knew that it was nearly finished. This tunnel was her key to freedom, and she would never give up on it. She just had one or two meters to go now, of course, she couldn't be sure, but she knew that she was close now as she could hear things more clearly underground. Stuart (the mouse) had been a massive help to her. He had guided her to dig in the right direction in the pitch-black darkness of the tunnel as she had no source of light. He knew the right way as he would look around the place during the day in order to find a place where the tunnel exit could be. Even though they couldn't understand each other Stuart had managed to show her what he meant through gestures. She squeezed herself through the narrow, wet and cold darkness as she followed Stuart's squeaks and chirps and after some time she reached a wall, which she immediately began digging into. She was already exhausted and battered from the heavy labour, but she wouldn't give up now that she was so close to freedom. Minutes turned to hours as the dirt began to get loose and light above her. Then suddenly she heard sounds echo through the tunnel and a voice shouted at the other end of it. "SHE'S ESCAPING!!!" Shit Lightning Dust thought as she began to punch the dirt above her in an effort to make it go faster. Adrenaline began to rush through her veins as she felt the ground above her beginning to give out. She sent one more punch at the dirt and felt her hoof go through it as the feeling of cold snow touched her hoof. She then pushed herself through the opening she had created and felt the snow and wind against her face. Freedom at last she thought as she pulled her hind hooves out of the hole. After a few moments to get her bearings, she went into a full gallop towards the forest she had spotted nearby as Stuart clung to her mane. She began to hear guards shouting after her as she ran through branches and sticks, which scratched up her face as she went. The sounds of the guards became more audible as she could also hear branches and sticks cracking beneath their and her own hooves. The state of panic she was in distracted her from focusing on the direction she was going and without warning the ground went from a rough forest ground to a steep cliff side. She had no time to stop as she found herself tumbling down the steep cliff. The last thing she saw was the dark grey sky of dawn as she hit her head on a boulder and fell unconscious.
Chapter 2She didn't know how long it had been out. The only thing she could do was guess. Her guess was a few hours as the snow hadn't covered her that much. When she opened her eyes, she was first greeted by snow and a white cloud-filled sky. The next thing that came to her was pain. Her head pounded and her entire body ached. When she looked over herself, she discovered something that lit her mood. The rope around her wings had been so damaged by her escape that it barely hung on. She grabbed it with one hoof and gave it a firm, albeit weak, tug. The rope snapped and fell onto the snow. She sighed with relief and stretched out her wings for the first time in six years. The joints cracked and popped loudly and painfully as she opened them and flapped them several times in order to get feeling back into them. As she did this, she also felt Stuart climbing onto her back and then onto her head. "I see you made it too," she said with a chuckle. She looked around the area she now found herself in and the only way she could go now was straight into the desert of snow that stretched as long as the eye could see. Lightning Dust let out a sigh as she looked at her wings. "It's worth a try at least," she said as she began flapping them. It took some effort, but soon she found herself elevated above the ground. She started to fly forward at a slow pace as she knew that she couldn't push her body too hard, but due to her wings' six years of inactivity, the pain quickly began to grip her and after only a few moments she had to land. "I guess we'll have to walk." she sighed in slight disappointment as she began to walk away from the cliffside. Seconds turned to minutes and minutes turned hours. She had walked across the frozen land for so long that she no longer knew how long it had been. It was beginning to get dark and she began having problems seeing out in the night. She looked up at the sky, expecting to see a pitch-black void of darkness due to the clouds, but instead, she saw a sky filled with stars. The moon was full and shone down on the land. The sight mesmerized Lightning Dust and she stood there like she was stuck. When she looked downwards, she saw something that gave her hope. Light. It wasn't much, but it was there. The light was visible in the distance. Not only that, but smoke was present as well. Smoke came from fire and fire meant heat. Hope filled her as she began walking towards the source of the light that grew brighter with every step she took. Her effort led her over a small hill that revealed the source of light as a small village. Great joy swelled up in her chest, a smile spread across her face and her eyes began to sparkle with hope. Despite the odds, she had managed to find her way back to civilization. She began to walk down the small hill, but because of the aching pain in her body, she couldn't keep her balance and ended up falling over and rolling around a few times before she slid down the rest of the way. When she came to a stop, she found herself a few meters from the border, but the pain in her body wouldn't let her stand up again that easily. She lay there a few minutes before she managed to muster the strength to make an attempt to stand up again. After three failed attempts she managed to stumble up on her hooves again, but walking wouldn't come easy either as she almost fell over several times. The only thing really keeping her on her hooves by now was her willpower and the adrenaline that coursed through her veins. She wasn't giving up, not now, not ever. "Come on Lightning Dust. You promised." she hissed to herself as she forced her body to walk towards the village. She walked through the silent village as she looked for a place that she could walk right into. After a few minutes, she spotted a bar not far away and immediately set course for it. When she reached the door, she could feel the warmth radiating from the building. She pushed the door open and a massive wave of heat hit her like a runaway train, but as if the warmth triggered something, the pain in her body returned tenfold. She fell onto wooden the floor and she began sweating like crazy. Her head felt like it was about to split open and every single muscle in her body was aching to the point she almost wanted to scream in pain. Through the pain, she felt Stuart crawling out of her mane and beginning to scratch her face carefully in an attempt to get her back to her senses but to no avail. The bartender ran out from behind the counter and came up to her and put a hoof on her forehead. Lightning Dust's vision began to grow hazy as she heard the bartender shouting for help as somepony sat down next to her. She couldn't really see any major details, but she could at least see a light blue coat and a rainbow-coloured mane before everything went black.
Chapter 3Rainbow Dash walked through the snowy desert that stretched on for miles. She pulled her scarf in front of her face as a small gust blew past her. Letting out a small groan as snow blew into her face. "Ugh...How did they get me into this?" She asked herself as she spread her wings and flew into the sky to get a better view. She spotted a village not far away from her location and set course for it immediately after as she needed to take a break from the harsh environment. The town wasn't that much to talk about, it was about ten buildings there and it seemed like seven of them were private homes. She entered the town's bar, which was close to the centre of town, and the only one present in the bar was the bartender. "Good evening." the mulberry mare greeted. "Likewise," Rainbow answered and sat down by the counter. "A glass of whiskey, please," she said while taking off her warm clothes. The bartender pulled out a bottle of whiskey and glass, which she poured the drink into before giving it to the rainbow-maned pegasus. Rainbow Dash downed the drink in one gulp and gave the glass back without a word being spoken. "What brings you here? We don't get visitors around here." the bartender said with a questioning look. "The name is Rainbow Dash. I was sent here because of the multiple dropped charges against Filthy Rich. Rumours say he's taking children away from their families and using them as slaves. He has denied it and says that he has normal workers who are paid and taken good care of. Thus, I was sent to investigate." Rainbow Dash explained. "Interesting. I've never really liked that guy, he's just another greedy business that this world wouldn't miss." the bartender said before stretching out a hoof to the rainbow mare. "My name is Berry Punch, by the way," she said with a small smile. Rainbow leaned forward and returned the hoofshake before leaning back in her seat again. Berry Punch sat down behind the counter and pulled out a bottle of champagne that she drank directly without a glass in huge gulps. Rainbow stared bewildered and confused at the mare chugging the bottle of alcohol. "Isn't the bartender supposed to be sober?" Rainbow asked as her confusion continued to rise. Berry Punch put the bottle down as she held up her hoof in a 'hold on' gesture before she let out a loud belch. "Excuse me," she said as she looked up at Rainbow Dash. "I'm born with some form of defect, if that's what you want to call it, that makes me immune to the effects of ethanol. I can drink alcohol as much as I want without damaging my organs," she explained. They both shared a small laugh as they began talking about other things. They talked about childhood friends, family, what their cutie marks were how they got them, etc, etc. It went on for hours, but the fun was cut short when the door was pushed open with a little more force than necessary. Both looked towards the door to see a mare that looked terrible and had no clothes to keep her warm. She was thin as a stick as her ribs were visible under the turquoise fur, she was riddled with what looked to be whipping scars, burn marks and frostbites, her amber and gold mane and tail were hanging down in a tangled mess and her gamboge eyes were bloodshot. Not even a second after walking in the mare fell onto the floor and instantly began to show symptoms of fever at a high rate. A mouse climbed out of her mane and looked to be trying to get her to wake up but to no avail. Berry Punch ran out from the counter and put a hoof to the mare's forehead before storming out the door, shouting for a medic. Rainbow went over to the mare and sat down by her as she tried to put the mare in a more comfortable position. The mare looked at her weakly with her tired and bloodshot eyes as a small smile began to form on her face before she blacked out and fell unconscious. Rainbow picked her up and carried her across the room before putting her down by the fireplace in an attempt to warm her up. She couldn't explain it, but it felt like something inside her changed when she made eye contact with the mare. It was like she could see all the suffering the mare had gone through in those few seconds of eye contact. Not only that, but it was also the relief she saw in those pained eyes. She didn't know... She didn't know why tears were coming from her eyes. She wiped a tear away as she continued to look at the mare and without thinking put her hoof on the mare's shoulder and spoke two sentences. "You're safe now. I won't let anyone hurt you again." After some time, a medic came storming in and sat down by the unconscious mare as he began checking her. Her heart was still beating, and she was breathing, so there was still hope, although when it came to temperature it wasn't the same story. "41°C!!!" the doctor said out loud as panic began gripping his voice. "We have to move her to the hospital! Now!" the doctor said as he looked at the frostbite on the mare's body. "Are you mad?!" Berry Punch shouted as she came in the door. "Not in that condition! I doubt her body can take more of the cold," she said, still in panic. "Get some carpets and towels. We'll have to tuck her in before we can as much as think about taking her out in the cold." Rainbow Dash said as she stroked the mare's brow and cheek. After a few minutes, they had tucked the mare in carpets and towels as best as they could when Rainbow Dash picked her up and flew full speed out of the bar and towards the hospital, after getting the directions from the doctor, of course. Due to her speed, she was at the hospital in only a few seconds and thankfully the staff were waiting by the doors. The doctors escorted Rainbow to a room where a bathtub of warm water was standing. Rainbow understood and took the mare out of the carpets and towels as the doctors picked her up and slowly lowered her into the bathtub. After a few seconds, the mare's eyelids began to twitch and she let out a groan as her eyes began to slowly flutter open. She shook her head and rubbed her eyes as she looked around. "W-where am I?" she weakly asked. "You're in Snow Hill Hospital at the moment. You are suffering from a dangerously high fever and some minor frostbites and thus have been put under immediate medical attention." one of the doctors explained. "For your fever, you'll be regularly put into a lukewarm bath to regulate your temperature and you will receive plenty of water to keep you hydrated. Your frostbites will be treated as quickly as possible as well." The mare didn't answer as she looked around the room, she spotted a light blue mare with a rainbow mane. "You. You sat by me when I blacked out," she said as Rainbow Dash walked up to her. "Yeah, I flew you here when you were out. The name is Rainbow Dash," she answered and reached out a hoof to the mare. The mare smiled as she lifted a soaked hoof and returned the gesture. "Thank you. I'm Lightning Dust." Author's Note She didn't know why tears were coming from her eyes. This sentence is based on a real life experience I've had.
Chapter 4It had been a few days since Lightning Dust had been put under medical attention at Snow Hill and her condition was improving greatly. She was regularly put in a lukewarm bath to subside her fever and it looked like the fever was gonna break at any minute. She was given plenty of food and water, and her ribs were no longer visible under her skin, her eyes were no longer bloodshot and her frostbites would not cause permanent damage. After four days of medical care, ponies were allowed to visit her and it was not hard to guess who. "Hello, Lightning Dust. How have you been?" Rainbow Dash said as she entered the room. Said the turquoise mare looked towards the door to see the rainbow-maned Pegasus. "I haven't felt this good since I was a filly! Finally some free time and actual food, seriously this is a thousand times better than the shit I ate back at that damned place!" she ranted as she leaned back in the hospital bed. "And a comfortable bed at last." Lightning Dust's little rant spiked Rainbow's interest as she walked up to the bed the mare was lying in. "'Damned place'? What place is that?" she asked as she sat down beside the bed. "It's Filthy Rich's slave camp. I've been there for fifteen years!" "You're a slave?" Rainbow Dash asked, taken aback that living proof of the rumours she was sent to investigate was right in front of her. "Yes. I was. I escaped, that's all I can really say for sure." Lightning Dust answered as she sat up. "How was it there and how did you escape?" Rainbow further asked. "It was Tartarus! We had work until either we fell unconscious, broke our hind hooves or were too sick! The list just goes on and on! We slept in what was once a farm storage building. Paper-thin walls with no isolation, windows with no glass and no source of heat. The beds were poorly made, they had no mattresses and they had only one blanket per bed, that were actually cheap curtains!" Lightning Dust explained with Rainbow Dash taking in every word. "The tasks were endless and if we didn't do what we were told to do then we got the whip, I actually have a few scars to prove it." Lightning Dust continued as she turned to expose her back where several scars could be seen. "As for my escape, I secretly dug a hole from under the floor beneath my bed that would end up outside that concentration camp." Lightning Dust finished as a curious look grew on her face. "Why did you want to know?" Rainbow didn't hesitate to tell the truth. "I was sent to investigate some shady rumours about Filthy Rich's success and everything I've found and or discovered so far has all led me towards the abandoned farm that Rich bought a few decades ago, but I seem to have stumbled into a living proof by coincidence." This explanation made Lightning Dust's eyes grow as wide as dinner plates. "You're trying to blow the whistle on him?" "Well no, but actually yes. It depended on whether or not I found proof, but then again, you are living proof that the rumours are true. So, yes. I am going to blow the whistle on him." Rainbow Dash said as a new question entered her mind. "How did you manage to dig that tunnel without being spotted? If you don't mind me asking," she said, making Lightning Dust's smile fade slightly. "I learned that the guards would lock us in the barn for a certain amount of hours, the amount of hours depended on the day, but I managed to memorize them after a few months. Soon I accidentally discovered a trapdoor under my bed. There was nothing but dirt beneath it, so I guessed it was a project that the previous owners had given up on as soon as they cut the hole in the floor, but didn't bother patching up again. Anyway, after some time I managed to get help from a mouse that lived in the walls. During the day he would go out a look for a feasible way of escaping and during the night he would be my guide when I was digging the tunnel." Lightning Dust explained before a question crossed her mind as well. "Speaking of which, where is he?" she asked while looking around the room. "The little critter is in my room at the inn here. Since it looked like you two were close, I decided to take him in until you had recovered." Rainbow Dash explained while looking at the recovering frostbite and the many scars across the mare's body. "You better be careful from now on. With those scars, the stallions will be drooling over you. I have no idea how that's a fact as it's usually the opposite of what I've read in a few books, but whatever." Lightning chuckled lightly at that statement. "Guess they just can't handle the Lightning Dust style," she said in a mocking tone. They both looked at each other for a few seconds before they both broke into fits of laughter.
Chapter 5Rainbow Dash became a frequent visitor for Lightning Dust. They would talk for hours about their dreams, family, plans for the future, etc. Over the course of a few weeks the two became good friends and when Lightning Dust had almost fully recovered Rainbow Dash began to help her get up on her wings again. A few days after the flying lessons started Lightning Dust was released from the hospital, having made a full recovery and now ready to live a free life. However, one problem stood out. Where was she going to live? She didn't have any bits, but fortunately for her Rainbow Dash had thought ahead of everyone and rented a room for two at the inn just down the street and when the evening came she had a place to stay. But when evening came an unforeseen problem appeared. "Rainbow? Are you there?" Lightning Dust asked through the darkness of the room. "Yes, for the one-hundredth time. Yes, I am here." the annoyed voice of Rainbow Dash answered from the other side of the room. "S-sorry. I'm just scared to be alone. You know, because of the past." Lightning replied as she tried to go back to sleep. The sound of a quiet rustle was heard as Rainbow sat up in bed. "Never really got to sleep with your parents that much?" she asked as she looked into the darkness barely seeing the edge of Lightning's bed. "Is it really that obvious?" Dust answered as the sound of her sitting up in bed was heard as well was heard. Then an idea lit up in her mind. "I know this can be a bit sudden, but could I sleep with you?" she asked, not really expecting a yes. Rainbow Dash's cheeks grew hot as she thought about the question. Indeed it was sudden and it wouldn't be the best thing for her reputation, but she would just have to make an exception here. "S-sure... If it makes you feel better," she answered and turned on the oil lamp on the nightstand beside her bed so that Lightning Dust could make her way without too much trouble. Lightning walked slowly as she made her way up to Rainbow's bed. After a minute or so Lightning jumped onto the bed and lay down beside the rainbow-maned mare. Rainbow rested her head on her pillow as she tried to ignore the fact that she was sharing the bed with somepony else, but it was hard for her when Lightning Dust pressed herself up against her back and pulled her into an embrace. Rainbow could do nothing but blush in embarrassment. 'This has got to be one of the most embarrassing things I've ever done.' she thought as she felt Lightning Dust's chest rise and fall with every breath. The more breaths Rainbow felt, the hotter her face burned. 'I'm never telling my friends about this'. she thought as sleep finally claimed her. "How in Equestria did she manage to escape?! Better yet, HOW were you unable to capture her?!" Filthy Rich screamed at two of his guards. "Sorry sir, but I'm afraid she outsmarted us all. Her timing with our shifts was masterful. She has most likely been planning this for years." one guard answered. "There is also the fact that she managed to push her body beyond the known limits. She should've been nowhere near rested enough to make such a feat. I'm afraid we underestimated her." the second guard added. "I DON'T WANT YOUR DAMN EXCUSES!! I want her back here, NOW!!" Filthy Rich screamed. "Get her back by any means necessary!" he commanded. "Yes sir!" the two guards said in unison with a salute before they exited the room. Filthy Rich sat down in his chair as he let out a frustrated sigh. He made thousands of bits on this and he was not going to give up his business that easily. "If these religious ponies weren't so useful for me they would be six feet under by now," he said to himself, unaware that somepony was listening on the other side of the door. Morning broke over Snow Hill as the rays of Sunlight came through the window to Rainbow and Lightning's room. The sunlight crept up Rainbow's face until it reached her eyes, to which she let out an annoyed grunt. She made an attempt to move away from the light, but something, no, somepony was hindering it. Rainbow's cheeks quickly ran red as she remembered the events of last night. Each attempt to wiggle out of Lightning's grasp proved unsuccessful as every time she tried Lightning would start letting out a whimpering noise, which really didn't give Rainbow any choice but to just lie there. "At least her coat is comfortable." she whispered to herself as she enjoyed the warmth that the "embrace" offered. After some time Lightning Dust shifted position, giving Rainbow a chance to wiggle herself free without any disturbances. When she got off the bed she stretched her body making some joints pop satisfyingly. Afterwards, she walked up to the window and peered out to see the view. Not the one she was used to back in Ponyville, but it would do. "Is it a nice view?" Lightning Dust's voice came from behind her. Rainbow turned around to see Lightning Dust looking at her with half-awake eyes. She had evidently just woken up. "Not like the one back in Ponyville, but it'll do for today," Rainbow answered without much thought. "Going somewhere?" Lightning Dust asked as she rubbed her eyes of sleep. "We're going somewhere." Rainbow corrected. "We'll walk and fly to the Crystal Empire, from there we'll take the train to Canterlot." When Rainbow was finished explaining a low grumble came from both Lightning and Rainbow's stomachs to which both looked away with an embarrassed blush. "But first, we'll need some breakfast," she added sheepishly. Lightning Dust just nodded and jumped off the bed as they made their way out the door. Author's Note Made while listening to Sabaton and Thousand Foot Krutch.
