Beauty in the Dark

The desert sun descended slowly behind the distant skyline of Klugetown, the little stand of trees sending long shadows over the small camp of Moon Petal and Starshine. The pegasi had kept it simple, with only a small bedroll laid out next to some fire crystals and a couple metal camp mugs staying warm beside them. The soft glow of the crystals couldn't break past the surrounding trees, keeping the couriers largely hidden in their rest.

Moon Petal sighed, stretching out on the bedroll with her eyes closed while Starshine massaged her flank. Between the scent of the mint tea and the loving touch of her husband's hooves easing the muscles from her wings to her fetlocks, she was drifting on the edge of sleep. “That feels so good,” she cooed, opening her eyes to look at Starshine while she smiled. “You take such good care of me.”

“What else could I do for my night flower?” he teased, tracing his hooves over the petals of the white Cereus orchid in her cutie mark.

She sighed, her smile growing wider. “I love when you call me that.” Stretching her forelegs up over her head, she looked at the growing shadows. “I suppose we really should get going while there's still light. That pouch isn't going to deliver itself.” She didn't move to stand, savoring the continuing massage.

Starshine smiled as well, picking up on the lack of motion toward actually doing what she suggested they do. Shifting the pressure of his massage ever so slightly, continuing to work on her flank, he suggested, “We could always just stay the night here. We'd still be ahead of schedule, and you would be fully rested before we cross the Badlands.”

“I think we both know,” she replied with a laugh, ”that if I agree to stay we'll be anything but rested by the time morning comes.”

“Oh, I don't know about that. I'm sure we'd get some rest.” His hooves moved slowly along her flank, then up along her back to her wings. “We never did get a chance to celebrate the big news properly, though.”

Moon Petal reached over to run a hoof over Starshine's flank, tracing the stars and lines of his constellation cutie mark. “That's true,” she admitted. “Although our last celebration is the reason we have that big news now.” She moved closer still, raising her muzzle close to his slowly as she added, “Still, you know how very much I enjoy our celebrations, don't you?”

Star didn't dare break the spell of this moment, feeling her breath on his lips at her question. “Oh yes, I do,” he agreed breathlessly, leaning in closer, closing his eyes in anticipation of the coming kiss and all that would follow.

Moon held the moment, smile growing while watching Star surrender to his imagination. She suddenly pulled her head back, reaching up a hoof and booping his nose. “Our duty comes first, lover. Come on, we've got to get this message back to Canterlot.” With a laugh she stood up, stepping over to the saddlebags.

Starshine's eyes popped open at the boop, his jaw dropping open with the change in tone. “Of course,” he finally said, sighing. He rolled up the bedroll, standing to bring it to his pack. “You really enjoy doing that, don't you?”

“Yeah, I do,” she agreed with a chuckle. “I promise, as soon as the message is in the Princess's hooves, we'll see about properly celebrating.” Stowing the camp mugs, she pulled her saddlebags into place on her back.

Star shook his head, smiling. He was just opening his mouth to respond when the sound of twigs rustling and breaking reached his ear. He turned toward the surrounding trees, peering through the fading light of sunset. “Did you hear that, Moon?” he asked, a tone of concern in his voice.

Moon Petal looked up just as a loud click echoed through the glade, followed by a net launching out of the shadows, directly at her. “Star! Move!” she shouted, leaping into flight. The net caught over one leg, tangling around her hoof. It drew back almost immediately, dragging her back down from the sky. She hit the ground hard, knocking her hoof free but leaving her prone.

“Moon!” Starshine shouted, diving out of the way of another snare launched from the trees to the right. He spread his wings mid-dive, turning it into a fast climb over a third snare and landing in a defensive crouch in front of his wife. “Get up! They've got us surrounded on three sides. We've got to get to the sky!”

She was already in motion, pulling herself up. She winced at a lance of pain jabbing up from her ankle when she tried to put weight on the hoof that was caught. “Ahh! Let's go!” She launched into the air with Starshine right behind her. They flew toward the edge of the clearing opposite from the first attack, angling for a large gap in the branches to reach the open sky.

Their attackers finally revealed themselves when three stout, boar-like creatures leaped from the cover of the trees before the pair. Raising the crossbow-like devices they carried, the creatures fired as one, one snare rising directly into the pegasi's path with the others bracketing them to either side. There was nowhere to dodge, and Moon Petal hit the net hard, becoming entangled in the strong rope. With a loud whir, the creature reeled in the net, dragging the mare out of the sky.

“Moon Petal!” screamed Starshine, narrowly avoiding the traps. He dove at the creature full-speed, leaving a midnight-blue blur in his wake, and put all of his momentum into his kick. The creature's eyes grew wide at the sight of him approaching, but it couldn't begin to dodge before the impact sent him flying backward.

The other two tried desperately to reload their snare-launchers to get off another shot at the enraged stallion, backing away. “Get 'im, guys! Don't let him free the other one!” one shouted. Figures rose up from the tree cover, jumping out to reveal a collection of large lizard creatures carrying spears and spiked catch-poles in their claws. On the opposite side of the glade three more of the boar-creatures rushed out, running to get into range with their snares.

Starshine pulled at the snare entangling Moon Petal, loosening it enough for her to struggle free. “Fly, Moon!” he shouted, turning toward the advancing creatures. “I'll hold them off. Get going!”

“I'm not leaving you here!” she shouted back, wobbling on her injured hoof. She still took up a defensive crouch at his back, glaring at the approaching creatures.

Any reply was lost when the lizards charged forward, hissing and growling, flaring out the scaled ridges around their heads. Star met them head-on, taking flight and weaving around their spears to get close, hooves cracking and thudding into them as he passed. Moon jumped to the side as a catch-pole swung at her, flying straight at the closest boar. She rammed into him, knocking the snare-launcher into the bushes and stomping him hard into the ground.

She shouted, “Duck!” seeing another snare flying toward Star. He ducked, stomping the foot of a lizard. The lizard yelled and reared back right into the snare, getting yanked right out of the fight. Star took the briefest moment to look smug at the maneuver, only to have two more lizards jumping at him. Moon flew up, diving into the fray with a crash, knocking lizards rolling. “The snares are down! Go, go, go!”

Star cracked a lizard in the jaw, jumping into the air alongside Moon and flying toward the open sky again. Another lizard jumped up, throwing a spear with all its strength. The spear ripped into Star's flank, blood spraying over his feathers. He gasped, flank exploding in pain until his vision flashed white with the intensity. He fell, finally letting out a scream before hitting the ground with a thud.

Moon spun around, eyes wide. “Star!” she screeched, diving back to his side. “Star! Get up! We've got to get out of here. C'mon, Star, get up. Please, get up!” She cradled his head, patting his cheek.

Suddenly his eyes flew open as he gasped in a deep breath, wincing at the knife-point pain when his chest expanded. “I'm OK,” he gasped. “Fall just knocked the wind outta me.” He shifted to stand, dragging an anguished scream from his throat, pain igniting along his wounded flank. “Arrrghh! Alright, I'm not that OK.”

The spear-throwing lizard stood watching the pony fall with a smug smirk, glancing to his companions for approval. The largest of them frowned and backhanded him. “You idiot! The boss said he wants them alive, and unscarred.” The first came back hissing, facing down the bigger lizard. “They both were gettin' away! Better one than none, I say.” He leapt at the larger one, bashing his face with a fist. “An' don't go slappin' me!” The two fell into a heap of flailing arms and curses.

Moon leaned into Star, letting him use her for support. “Get up quick,” she said softly. “If we can get to open air we'll lose them. Stay with me, Star.” Star struggled to rise, biting his lip to keep from crying out from the splitting pain of each motion. Spotting the broken, bloody spear beside him, he gripped the haft and leaned heavily against it.

The two were nearly ready to take to the air again when one of the boars looked away from the fight in their midst and saw them. “Stop fighting, morons! Get the mare before they get away!” He fired off his snare-launcher, and seconds later three others did the same.

Moon Petal hesitated, still supporting Starshine, but launched into the air at the last moment, dodging the snare. She saw him stumble and paused again, only for another snare to hit her full-on, dragging her back to the boars. “Star!” she screamed, twisting against her bonds. “Get out of here!”

Starshine looked over the boars and lizards surrounding his wife, steadying himself with the bloody spear that wounded him. “So you're supposed to take us alive, are you?” He took to the air, raising himself just off the ground, narrowing his eyes. “The advantage is mine.” Leveling the spear he charged, screaming, into the group.

The boars stood dumbfounded, glancing at each other to make sure they were seeing the same thing. The big lizard rose from the fight, leaving the smaller one groaning on the ground, frowning at the expressions on the boars' faces as they stared behind him. With a grunt he turned around, right into the tip of the spear. Blood erupted from the lizard's back along with the spearhead and he tumbled back onto the one he'd fought, drawing a scream from him, too.

Star kicked off the lizard's chest to keep momentum, losing the spear to its corpse. He swooped up and dove again, striking out at the boar holding Moon's snare. “Let her go!” he snarled, missing when the boar started to dodge again. He shook his head, trying hard to focus on the boar to drive him off.

Moon struggled against the ropes, feeling them tighten over her limbs. She spotted his wounded flank and gasped at the sight of his blood flowing rapidly over every inch of his leg and belly. “Star, please! Just get out of here!”

He shook his head sharply, trying to clear his thoughts enough to understand what Moon was shouting. He saw the remaining creatures approaching, spreading into a semi-circle, and rose up higher to get in a good dive for his next strike. With a garbled yell he swooped down at the closest boar, not realizing how much slower he'd become, leaving a steady trail of blood on the ground below him. He found himself running into a catch-pole, the spikes sending up ripples of pain as he ripped himself free of it.

“Star!” Moon Petal screeched, unable to even look away as her husband wobbled through the air. “Fly up!”

Star snapped into clarity at the tone of Moon's voice, finally feeling his rapid breathing and beating of his heart. His wounded flank felt dangerously cold, and his hind legs weren't moving. He tried to do as she asked, but his wings just wouldn't beat fast enough now. With the creatures closing in behind him, he floated there like a deflating balloon, looking toward Moon Petal where she lay bound. He met her gaze with his own. “I'm sorry, Moon.”

One of the lizards jumped up and caught hold of his hind legs, swinging him suddenly to the ground. The other creatures fell on him in a wave of fists and kicks.

Moon Petal could see him still weakly lashing out at them when the boar holding her pulled a sack over her head, cutting off the sight, but not the sound. The sounds carried on for a long time before her sobs overtook them.