A large sigh escaped her mouth as she pressed against the cold damp grass. The moist dew dampened her white, dirty coat, soaking through her black cloak that hugged her body. The rhythmic thump thump of her racing heartbeat echoed in her mind, piercing through her buzzing thoughts.
Thankfully her balaclava-like mask muffled her exhale, as she concealed herself against the darkness of the thick brush around her.
The gentle and monotonous thud, thud, thud, of an earth pony pulling a carriage was heard throughout the deep, yet silent wood. It gently echoed off the thick, strong trees, challenging her sharp sense as to where it was located. The wheels turned without much complaint, carrying the brown and golden-trimmed carriage with ease. The golden royal trim glistened with what small lamplight it carried, as the alicorn inside held a lit lantern. It gave it a radiant glow; so innocent, so untouchable... Well, almost untouchable.
It wasn't the carriage itself she was interested in; it was the contents.
It would be the catch of the season, she'd be able to ease her weary senses for a month or two. Her immediate life depended on the success of this raid, she could not afford to blow it. Canvas and her partner would be able to kick back and relax, finally having some time to themselves to just be.
She gently glanced to her left, the dark shadow crouched, as still as the shrubbery surrounding them. She couldn't even hear his breathing.
"You ready?" The deep silky voice broke the silence, drifting in the still air until it found its way to her ear, which flickered in response. The bulky earth pony sitting beside her shifted his weight.
In a swift flash of black and gold, the earth pony had derailed the passing carriage, causing a huge crash! As it was thrown to the grown. The lantern inside spilt, as she heard the shattering of glass and the screaming of the alicorn inside. The black figure of her partner swiftly threw open the carriage door, to which the smoke began to billow out.
Canvas's heart raced as she jumped into action. The shrieks of the alicorn were drowned out by the ringing in her head, as she bolted to the carriage.
The smoke filled her mask, caught up in the fibres. She breathed heavily through it, coughing and spluttering as she worked her way into the cabinet of the carriage. A searing pain engulfed her hooves, as she looked down to see a growing fire within the cabinet. Flashes of yellow, red and orange coincided with the screaming alicorn, as she zipped out of the carriage, her mane, wings and coat on fire.
Must stay focused... On the task.... She thought with harsh concentration. Her mind was as clouded as the carriage she stood before. She wriggled into the sideways cabin, feeling around and ignoring the blazing flames. Dammit! There's nothing here! She quickly withdrew with burned hooves, stamping them out in the damp dirt.
She heard the thudding of weight and the shouts of her partner. Her head whipped to the side as she saw him fighting back the earth pony that drew the carriage. A lump grew in her throat as the sweat broke on her brow. If she allowed the alicorn to escape, they would be out of luck. They would be hunted down, caught, prosecuted.
But the earth pony had the upper hoof, pinning the cloaked pony to the ground with all his weight. He reared up before him; she began to run towards him to take him out.
With a haunting, echoed neigh, her partner was reigned upon with heavy guard hooves. The thud on his throat was undeniably fatal; his body went limp as his cry bounced between the trees, piercing her ears with an unforgettable pain.
"Oh god NO!" She screamed, taking flight with her white outstretched wings. A heavy blow hit her from her side, throwing her down into the shrubs below. The wind was knocked out of her, ribs aching.
Blood quickly filled her mouth as she slipped on the dewy dirt, trying to gain her footing. Canvas could hear the shouts of the guard, and the wingbeats of the alicorn. She had to escape, there was no time.
Rustling leaves and chirping crickets were all she could focus on to drown out the echoes of her partner's screams, as they resonated in her mind. How could she have been so careless? She left him to defend for himself, she left him to fight alone... She left him to die.
Exhaustion got the better of her weary body as she dropped to the floor of the dark woods to rest. Once she knew she was safe, Canvas began to cry. The tears flowed down her cheeks, cleaning the dirt and blood that had mingled in her white, once-pure coat. It was only once she stopped flying that she realised the wound on her side.
"Damn that alicorn!" She cursed under her breath, tugging her cloak aside to reveal the gaping gash on her flank. The mattered white fur was stained with the thick blood that dribbled down.
"Guess I better patch this up..." Her voice was vacant and dull, as she bound the cloak around her flank with a secure knot. The bleeding soon stopped and the shock set in, her blood-red main falling down over her watering eyes, as she surrounded herself with loose leaves and uprooted bushes.
Daybreak was arriving as she settled into her makeshift bed. Canvas decided it would be best to sleep in the day, and journey in the night. She had failed. No food, no water, no money, and no treasure.
"Tarun..." The face of her partner flashed before her aching eyes. Canvas pulled her hooves over her ears, trying to block out the dying cries of her one and only friend, her earth pony lover.
The warmth of day gently shone through the thick, dark canopy. The rays warmed her sore body and eased her worries, lulling her gently into a light and uneasy sleep.
The only image that passed through her mind before losing conciousness to the sun's love was that of the alicorn; her shimmering white coat, her flowing mane. The image of her pain, the cause of her wounds. Her prize, the victory that was meant to set up months of joy and ease for her and Tarun, all collapsed into the horror that played before her eyes. The horror that played within her mind all throughout her broken sleep.
The one statement she managed to utter was the one statement that would shift her heart, and redefine her entire life. Under the protection of her forest bed, she allowed herself a moment of anger, the threat that grew in her heart, escaping her dry lips;
"Princess Celestia, I will have my revenge."
