Chapter 23: No Hope Here

fwip!

“Gotta keep on moving,” I muttered under my breath. “Don’t let her catch up to you.”

My muscles continuously ached as I pulled myself up and shot out another string of webbing from my wrist. It latched onto the adjacent building as I continued to build my momentum. Swinging back down and through the alley, I narrowly avoided another large garbage bin before flinging myself back into the air.

Twisting around fluidly, I glanced above me and saw a familiar sight: a flying pony high above me. My eyes rolled as I flipped back and faced the alleyway again, shooting another string of webbing toward the edge of another building’s rooftop. As it securely latched onto it, the strain in my arms continued to irritate me as I swung low to the ground.

Letting go of it, I picked up the pace and ran for my life, dodging obstacles and occasionally glancing back to read the gap between Luna and me. Unfortunately, two garbage bins blocked the path ahead, forcing me to jump and wall-ride a bit before flipping over them. It resembled a parkour run but felt more amateur than I had hoped.

My legs buckled slightly as I landed, making me tumble onto the ground. As I got back up, I hissed from the unnerving pain as my strides grew shorter.

My watch started to flash an ominous orange hue, indicating a significant lowering of energy flow throughout my body’s bloodstream. Continuing to jog and survey the potential hazards blocking my path, I cut my losses and addressed the situation.

“Mikey?” I called out to the watch.

“Yes, Alex?” it asked in response.

“We have to cut the ‘health regeneration’ ability. It’s starting to cause me to lose energy when I should be gaining it,” I said, jumping over another pile of trash littering the alleyway.

“Alex, think about this request. If I do this, you cannot activate the ‘health regeneration’ ability for another 72 hours! Are you absolutely sure you want to go that long without the ability to heal from injuries and trauma?” the watch worriedly inquired.

I shook my head adamantly. “Just cut it. I need to put the energy elsewhere.” Immediately following that statement, my senses violently tingled as I dodged to the right.

boom!

crackle!

I skidded to the right and planted my shoes into the building’s exterior. Peering over my left shoulder, a smoldering crater of dark-blue energy radiated and pulsated as I gazed upward into the sky again. My eyes widened as the alicorn chasing me charged her horn again.

“Shit!” I frightfully commented before motioning my wrists to flick some more webbing at the side of the left building. Then, pulling myself back up and into the air with renewed strength, another beam of magic loudly struck the fencing underneath me as I passed over it.

Luna’s still on our tail, my right side commented before growling. So why does she continue to think we’ll just give up and return to Canterlot with her?

I don’t know, my left side countered agitatedly. Probably has something to do with us refusing to cooperate!

Well, do you want to become chopped liver, or do you want to keep your kneecaps? the right side of my mind barked back. My head began to hurt from their consistent arguing, eliciting a groan.

“They have to be an old married couple, huh?”

“Uughgh, just make out already,” my mouth uttered as I swung through the air again. Being within the alleyway made it easier for me to continuously keep my momentum going, but there was a massive side effect to it. I was still inside an enclosed space, wildly dodging blasts from an immortal alicorn, and there was no end in sight. Or at least, that’s what I thought.

Looking ahead, I noticed the buildings slowly loom overhead and block off the horizon. Faltering a bit, I swung back up with another string of webbing and realized why. The buildings up ahead closed off, shutting me in with no other path but up and over the rooftop.

Unless we get experimental and bulldoze a path through the brick structure, the left side of my brain snidely commented.

I shook my head at the idea and reminded myself why that wouldn’t work. “Ain’t no way I am putting myself at risk of bruising some bones or further diminishing my health when I JUST SHUT OFF the ‘health regeneration’ ability,” I coldly whispered.

As the two sides of my mind went silent, I continued to scan the area for an opening but found no luck. The dead-end continued to draw closer as I swung back toward the ground. Hurdling another garbage bin, I glanced downward and saw a shadow slowly enveloping the ground below me. It continued to grow in size as I cursed under my breath.

Fuck, I thought as I decided not to look above me. Luna’s getting closer, what do we dooo? I pondered the potential options, but nothing seemed viable other than giving up.

“That was until the solution just presented itself to you, right?”

Duh.

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bam!

A chunk of the fencing ahead of me swung open as I sprinted faster. Sliding onto my left leg, I kicked my right foot out and pushed aside the debris left piled up behind it. Getting back to my feet in one motion, I seized my opportunity with more trash ahead and one final large fence obstructing the end of the alleyway.

Aiming my wrist and activating the webs one final time, I shot one giant string of webbing toward one side of the building ahead. At the same time, I quickly shifted it left and disconnected it from my hands, watching it travel and stick to the adjacent building.

Then, a split second later, I began firing mini shots of webs toward the large string, connecting them and stretching them horizontally to make it appear like a trampoline. Finally, jumping over a significantly large trashcan with garbage spilled across the alleyway, I flicked my wrist upward and took aim.

The webbing that shot out latched onto a lamp atop a pole and stuck firmly. Pulling myself up with a lot of my built-up arm strength, I whipped the string underneath me and flew through the air. The lightpost shifted from the weight, uprooting from the ground and crashing into the pavement. The pole itself swung back into the air due to the action.

“Woah!” I heard the alicorn call out, most likely ducking the obstacle. I grinned slightly as I realized the lunar princess was right behind me in the alleyway.

Peering back at my setup a few seconds earlier, I fired off more from both wrists, ending with me slinging myself upward. Air rushed past me as I flipped backward and cut the strings off.

A split-second passed by, with Princess Luna briefly appearing overhead. I presumed she aimed to knock me off the trajectory before I hit the web trampoline, but little did she know, it was made for her.

As I fell past the web trap, I shot two more bands of webbing toward both ends of the web plain, pulling it toward me as I fell to the ground. The elastic webs stretched downward as Luna looked through them. Her eyes widened in surprise before attempting to veer away from it.

Gotcha, my mind thought.

slam!

My back immediately felt the pain as I rolled into the fence. It swung wildly and opened up the alley, my legs catching themselves and planting my feet onto the destroyed gate. Looking toward the above space, I aimed my wrists upward and activated the webbing again, flinging myself into the air.

Latching onto the building’s exterior wall underneath the roof, I clung to it upside-down. My eyes shifted to peer at my captured target, the air growing colder as each second passed. Finally, the alicorn’s eyes met mine.

Princess Luna was viciously trapped inside the web pocket I had created, struggling to free herself from the sticky substance. Her wings were sprawled out to both sides, her four legs kicking and attempting to free herself. Luna’s face displayed panic and fear, continuing her stare at me as her horn began sparking to life.

My left eye closed as I aimed my wrist toward her head. The magic from her horn shot out first, the beam of electric blue energy nearly missing my right ear by an inch. As it passed by, I flicked my fingers forward slightly and released the short burst of webbing toward her.

As Luna braced herself, the webs burst open and hit her horn, wrapping themselves around it. I continued to cling to the building with both hands and feet and stared at her in anticipation.

Luna hadn’t moved from her spot as she silently cursed to herself under her breath. She attempted to use her horn, but the magic wasn’t breaking through. As she ignored me, I thought about my next move and decided to set the record straight.

As I slowly crawled toward the web trap, Luna finally took notice, the pupils in her eyes dilating. The alicorn continued to struggle, attempting to free herself to no avail. The webs I had chosen were made of magic-proof material, causing her to remain incapacitated.

On the other hand, I had begun my crawl across the web plain toward her, tilting my head down. Luna’s expression changed to feeling uncomfortable, realizing I was approaching her much slower than before. She began to try and back away from me, but she couldn’t do that due to her state.

I kept my expression neutral, and my eyes squinted as Luna gritted her teeth.

“Get back, Alex!” Luna snapped. Nearing her frame, I flicked my right wrist behind my head and created a rope to hang onto. Finally, I elevated myself upright and into a standing position.

“I’m warning you.” the alicorn said aloud. I closed my eyes and breathed through my nose, slowly letting my chest expand. After exhaling, my head hung low as I looked at her with a disappointed look.

We’re not seriously going through with this, are we? the left side of my mind pondered softly.

They will never learn from their past mistakes unless we call them out on it, the right side goaded angrily. Let’s prove a point. Right here…right now!

“You should have known better than to interrupt me when I’m working,” I told her flatly. Luna’s eyes blinked as her mouth hung open in bewilderment.

“Wh-Whuh-What? What does that even mean, Alexander?” Princess Luna asked confusingly, her legs struggling profusely. “Let me go, now!”

I shook my head and held my left wrist above my head. “Mikey, activate the ax…now.”

“One moment, Alex,” the watch responded before Luna’s ears drooped quickly. Her jaw dropped as the ax’s handle slowly manifested into my hand, the weight of it bringing the webbed trap downward. The energy leaking off it trickled across my forearm, lines staining and scarring the delicate skin.

“You’re not insinuating that you were thinking of….”

“Alex?” Luna asked quietly. “What are thy planni-”

“I’m tired of playing these games with you all,” I responded grimly, cutting her off. “Again, you should have known better….” I raised the ax above me as Luna’s two-toned turquoise eyes began to close. Finally, her legs contracted as the lunar alicorn braced herself, believing I would slice through her with the steel blades.

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As I swung my ax downward, the sharp blade silently cut the main string suspending the trap web above the alleyway, in which I jumped up into the air. The other half swung back down toward the opposite. Luna opened her eyes temporarily before realizing what was happening.

smack!

grunt “Aaoow….” Luna groaned from the direct hit to her back with the wall, the webbing attaching to the wall and suspending her on the building’s exterior. I lowered the ax in my hand and continued to cling onto the string of webbing connecting me with the adjacent wall.

Gazing down at her, I slowly tilted my head and addressed her. “This time, you will listen, Princess Luna. My mind is clouded by what it seeks, and these past events have further addressed why Equestria is on course for disarray.” I shook my head at the thought.

“Alex,” Luna chimed in. “Please. Tell me-no. Tell US what thou are going through and how we can help you.” Her expression was sincere and concerned, but my mind wouldn’t have it.

“That’s none of your concern anymore,” I replied truthfully. “All of you have shown me I cannot confide any sort of respect, nor can I trust you with what I say or do. Therefore, I will not return until you all are ready to LISTEN.” I looked up into the afternoon sky and took a deep breath.

“BUT I AM!!” Luna’s Royal Canterlot Voice hung in the air as I glared back at her. Only this time, her eyes had changed to those of pleading. Two visible tears began to form in her eyes as she stayed trapped against the wall. Shifting my weight, I propelled myself to the alicorn as her eyes widened.

slam!

“Are you?” I sneered. “Then why didn’t you attempt to listen to me during my trial? I conveyed my message loud and clear, and NONE OF YOU bothered to care!” My heart was racing as I gritted my teeth in anguish. “I tried to do everything to build that trust with each and every leader in Equestria, even Queen Novo! And she still stabbed me in the back and slashed my arm!”

My head began to pound itself into submission as my breathing staggered. A few seconds passed with the gentle breeze dying away. Silence captivated the alley. “And now?” I croaked. “That bridge of trust collapsed… it’s dead….” I moved my head forward and whispered into her ear.

“Luna, do you believe I am a fucking joke to you? I am trying to warn you that ‘something is coming,’ and this is the response?” I moved away and stared at her with my two eyes. Luna could only shudder as she shook her head in response.

“Then don’t,” I reiterated. “You, Celestia, Nacreous, and Shifting…all of your actions since the death of that green motherfucker have hurt me in ways I can’t even describe…and much worse than the ‘incident’ that ruined my future….”

The memory flashed briefly as I looked down at my left leg. I winced as it represented a horrifying reminder of everything that had veered me off my predetermined future.

“Alex?” the watch spoke up, not waiting for my reply. “Let Princess Luna go.”

I stared at the screen in disbelief. “Mikey?” I asked, my mouth hanging open. “Why should I?”

“Because it doesn’t make you any better than them,” it responded loudly. “Remember what Mother taught us? “Just because they did that doesn’t mean you should act the same way.” Let. Her. Go.” Luna’s head tilted toward me quickly, and then her eyes slowly met mine.

“Wise words, kid. You should have thought better.”

Luna’s breathing had slowed as her mouth curved down. The flow of her mane was gone, the astral projection fizzling from sight. As the webbing kept her within the wall’s embrace, I exhaled through my nose and brought my hand up to my mouth.

Oh God, I thought to myself. What have I done?...I only cared about what I wanted, and it turned out to be me hurting them. I shuddered as sadness and grief overtook my brain. I’m not who I am. Not what I used to be…what am I now?

“Alex,” Luna’s voice broke through, my gaze reflecting off hers. “It’s okay. I promise not to hurt you anymore…and I’ll continue to watch over you and protect you from the nightmares that plague you.” Luna slowly began to smile, the warmth blossoming off of her. My heart began to thud louder than before, my ears relaying the sound of my blood pumping throughout my body.

Covering my face with my hand, I bit my lip and exhaled. “Mikey…sear off the webbing on Luna’s horn, please,” I asked. Luna continued to look at me as a tear fell down her cheek. I shook my head at the thought and peered over to the opposite wall where the other string webbing was latched onto.

“One moment, Alex…thank you…for being the better person….” the watch’s voice replied, a stand-by bar processing the directive. Nodding in contempt, I quickly returned to the other wall and detached the webs from my left wrist. Turning my head to the alicorn, the low hum of a sizzle! started to eat away at the webbing crowning her horn.

“Don’t shoot, Luna. Because it will deflect off of me and back at you,” I warned the alicorn. “And that would be a nasty mark for you to explain to Nacreous how it happened.” Luna quietly nodded before I readied my legs.

“Alex…I’m sorry…for everything….” Luna’s voice whispered within the space. My ears registered the sentence as I looked up.

“We love you dearly….”

Detaching my right wrist from the webbing, I flicked my wrist up and toward the sky. As it latched onto the roof of the building across from me, I pulled myself back up and vanished from Luna’s perspective.

Eyeing the Redwood Forest to the north, I finally gathered enough strength to catapult myself into the sky. From there, at the apex of my jump, the opposite side of the forest revealed my next destination.

A little village near a quiet lake, ending with a mountain range on the adjacent side.

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“Rrrrr…gah!” I was exasperated, my body falling to the ground. My legs couldn’t brace all the impact force as I slammed onto the ground’s surface, my body crumpling.

groan “Aah…ooww….” My head began to hurt as my horn slowly charged with life. Using as much energy as possible, I teleported out of the alley in Casaflanka and returned to my bedroom’s balcony in the Canterlot Castle.

poof!

pant! huff! “Huuh…oww….” I stretched my shoulders and back forward, hearing some pops and cracks that eased some of the tension in my muscles. Turning from the balcony, I trotted through the doors and into my private chambers.

Heading for the shower immediately, I grabbed a few shampoo bottles with my magic and set them down nearby. Finally, my horn activated, and I turned the faucet handles, the water spouting out from the shower head above and onto my head. The warm sensation of the water tickled my fur as the webbing that adorned my wings slowly slid off and onto the shower floor.

Dear Faust, I reflected sadly. He’s broken…and it’s all our fault…. I continued to think about the interaction with Alex, the human, as steam continuously built up inside the shower. My body shivered as the thoughts continued.

Why? What have we done? my mind said to itself. We’ve hurt him…he’s traumatized. And we can’t revert it…it’s all our fault…all ‘my’ fault…. hic!

My mouth elicited a silent hiccup as tears threatened to form in my eyes again. Then, turning off the water, I exited the shower onto the awaiting towels and dried myself as best as possible. My fur had been cleaned off, the grit and grime from the chase through Casaflanka staining the damp towels. I levitated them and slowly placed them into the hamper beside the sink.

Standing up to my full height, I glanced at the mirror over the sink. My expression reflected back to me as my mind silently cried.

The stains from my tears remained along with my disheveled mane. The stars adorning it were dim, and the flow was somewhat uneven. Picking up a brush with my magic, I tried to comb it and restore it to what it used to be.

The more I did, however, the less satisfied I was. Finally, shaking my head in annoyance, I set the brush down and exited the shower room. Trotting over to the bed, I saw the lump underneath the other half of the large, fluffy blankets. Finally, as Shifting’s head peeked into my vision, I shuddered.

Joining the stallion I had chosen to love, a question emerged within my mind that destroyed the dam blocking our relationship with Alex.

The rest of them don’t know…so what will he do now?

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fwip!

fwip!

Keep on moving, Alex, both sides of my mind said. We have to keep going if we want to get to shelter faster.

My arms were sluggish in movement, but I remained focused on the end goal. As the forest continuously expanded in all directions, I swung below the treeline, shooting out webs to carry me through the Redwood Range.

It was a relatively peaceful trip through the forest environment, as a matter of fact. Because of its size and sheer volume, the redwood trees towered overhead, creating a denser cloud of shade across the jungle floor.

The tops of the trees were shrouded, their thick leaves basking in all the sunlight that shone down upon them. As for the forest floor, the thick vines and bushes that littered it sat unopposed.

And while I was making my way through, the wildlife that inhabited this place was small compared to other sites. For instance, the birds here were plentiful and diverse, spending their time atop the tree branches. On the other hand, the varying critters like squirrels, bunnies, and sloths stayed close to the ground floor within the safety of the shrubbery.

But I noticed a peculiar sight as I traveled farther into the forest. It was a type of bird, but it was unlike anything I had ever seen here in Equestria…or anywhere for that matter.

tveeeet!

The call of the avian creature echoed throughout the entire forest. I immediately took to the side of a tree and hung onto it carefully, ceasing my movements. Then, that’s when they appeared.

A flock of crimson cardinal ‘fire-birds’ flew through the forest rapidly. They maneuvered this way and that way, ash sizzling off their bodies to the forest floor. Then, as quickly as they appeared, they suddenly disappeared into another part of the Redwood Forest and out of sight. I breathed a silent sigh, remembering my first run-in with them not going well.

“Wait, they’re called ‘fire-birds?’ As in, their entire body is on…fire?”

The stinging burn mark on my right leg was swollen red and bruised, following one of the birds colliding with me while I was swinging through the treescape. Immediately settling down onto a branch nearby, the flock of flame birds all spread out and scattered. Of course, they were real ‘fire’ birds, as their bodies burned like a candle’s flame.

“Fascinating. I am constantly surprised by the beauty that nature provides.”

As I tried looking for the bird that had hit me, I gave up after a few minutes and decided to press onward to the north. The trees continued to obstruct the path ahead as I swung between the trees and above the forest floor. Being dim within the jungle, I had to endlessly squint my eyes to recalibrate my position and find my way to the northern perimeter.

One area that definitely was coming up was this small pond between the surrounding trees’ vines and roots. It wasn’t nearly as significant as the one in the Wandering Woods, whereas that one allowed sunlight to break through and shine onto it.

I pressed my luck and ducked downward toward it. Just as I neared it, panic struck my heart in full force.

“Shit!” I shouted as a piranha fish jumped out of the water. It opened its mouth wide as I quickly reeled myself back up onto a solid tree branch. Its jaw slammed shut as it returned to the pond it jumped from.

splash!

I sat on the branch and held onto the trunk with my right hand. My breathing spiraled out of control as my mind flooded. With the branch’s girth holding my weight, I tried to regain control of my breathing as I stared at the large rings emanating from the pond’s middle.

That was nearly a costly mistake, I thought worriedly. Especially without the health regeneration ability being active, I have to constantly remain on my toes.

”We love you dearly….”

slip!

My foot slipped as I caught myself leaning too far forward. Scrambling to stay on the branch, I hyperventilated endlessly as my heart rate increased. Luna’s message from the alley continued to echo within my eardrums.

“Shut up, shut up, shut up!” I seethed, furiously hammering my fists into my ears. “Stop it!” My fists clenched and stopped hitting the sides of my head, my body shaking in fear.

“Fear?”

I felt short of breath again and knew I had to find cover soon. If I didn’t, the ramifications could have been disastrous.

Still feels like it’s afternoon, I methodically thought, my anger finally subsiding. Let’s get back on course and continue north. Aim for the mountains!

fwip!

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Over an hour had passed since that near-critical mistake with the piranha-infested pond, and finally, daylight greeted my eyes. It was eerily peaceful as the forest’s edges raised my awareness of where I was.

“Is that?” I began to comment.

Hope Hollow, my right side finished as I peered at the village.

What a village, the left side admired. I remember the legend of Twilight Sparkle and her friends restoring this village’s color. The ponies here appeared like those people on TV in the ’50s.

It was an exciting story to listen to. As Twilight Sparkle and her friends detailed the quote-on-quote ’Rainbow Festival Trip,’ noticeable and memorable events stood out. The fact that an entire village’s hue was dictated by their friendship and hope was baffling yet fascinating in concept.

“Eh, plausible in theory, possible in reality.”

It wasn’t just that. The mayor felt it was his fault since he had activated a machine for the last rainbow festival, but I had utterly forgotten about that detail.

Whatever and how the story was described didn’t matter since Twilight Sparkle’s visit to this town with her friends had helped them regain stability. They operated like a small community, with everypony having their responsibilities and being friendly toward one another.

As I hid in the shrubbery on the edge of the forest’s perimeter, I gazed out into the town with my binoculars. Surveying them silently, the ponies continued on with their days, some engaging in small talk while others were shopping at vendor stalls.

Self-serving economy? Do they ever engage with the outside world? I pondered as I aimed the binoculars elsewhere. Aha! Bingo….

Toward the opposite side of the village was the vast mountain range I had been searching for ever since entering the Redwood Forest. It was guarded by another forest area below it…

click! “Shoot.” I clicked my tongue and hummed in frustration. There appeared to be two horse-like statues on the other side of the small village, which adorned the banks of a river. That river had to lead to a nearby lake, probably before the forest. But those statues could mean anything.

Force-field? Magic barrier? Massive golems ready to hound me for eternity? I contemplated.

“Really? Ancient Equestrian golem guardians, that could target you? Only I can think that up, hah!”

Finally, as I finished my scouting of Hope Hollow, I held the binoculars by my head and tapped my watch with my right hand. The binoculars slowly disappeared into thin air, materializing into nothing before I slowly exited my spot.

Now, crouching beneath any line of sight, I attempted to brush off some of the leaves that had gathered onto my clothing as I held my breath. Anticipation built up inside my lungs as I quietly exhaled.

“This was it, Alex? Going for broke?”

There’s no other option available that would help us safely navigate the terrain, my mind thought. So we have no choice but to book it through the village without stopping. Whoever gets in our way, we promptly get them out of our way and dive into the pond.

My right foot slightly shifted back behind me as I elevated myself to a semi-standing position. I remained crouched behind the bush, although my head was now peeking over, looking at the town and its inhabitants with a laser-focused eye.

Number 1? Sprint right on through, and don’t look back. The two halves of my brain internalized my priorities. Number 2? Don’t get caught. Number 3?

“There is no number 3,” I silently uttered. “It’s ‘go’ time.”

Sprinting for the town, my long legs carried me across the plain and past the luscious grass adorning the village’s perimeter. At that point, the first pony there saw me, the mare’s eyes widening in surprise. The pony immediately scurried out of my way as I zoomed past and toward the town square.

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sigh “That about does it for all this darn paperwork,” I sighed exhaustingly. “Maybe I should go and get some fresh air right now to clear my head.”

I stood up from my desk and stretched my back. Then, after peeling some of the tension away from my shoulders, I shook my head and trotted to the door. I reached for my hat, grabbed it, placed it on my head, and adjusted my tie for good measure.

As I opened the door, the fresh atmosphere of the town I ran was peaceful and quiet. A quiet breeze floated through the air as I took a deep breath. Then, exhaling while whistling, I put on a cheery smile and closed the door behind me.

As the town hall door shut, I slowly trotted down the steps and looked up at the sun shining brightly in the sky. It cast a beautiful light toward the fountain before me, the town’s square appearing vibrant and lively. It gave me reassurance, a good feeling, about this evenin-

vwoosh!

“Bwaaah!” I exclaimed in surprise as something blurred past my eyes. I nearly hit the ground before catching myself on my hooves.

“Mayor Sunny! Are you alright?” a worried Petunia asked as she offered a hoof. Grabbing hers with my own, the mare helped me stand upright and dusted me off.

“I’m f-f-fine,” I stammered, looking off to my left. “What was that?” The thing, or creature, started becoming visible, running on two legs as it darted to the right and past another house.

“That’s what I was coming to warn you about! It’s the human everycreature has been warning us about!” Petunia cried as she stood by my right side.

My eyes widened in shock. “Th-Th-Th-That’s him?!” I exclaimed while pointing my hoof at the human.

“Yes! Shall I send a letter to Canterlot?” the mare hastily asked. I nodded firmly before smiling.

“At once,” I told her, giving her a quick kiss on the cheek. Her face brightened a slight red before she galloped up the stairs and through the town hall doors. I started to follow the human creature’s direction and gathered ponies along the way to give chase.

“Come on, everypony!” I announced. “We gotta chase after that human!” Some ponies began to gallop alongside me as a few more unfurled their wings and took to the skies.

As we headed north through the town, I saw the human beginning to slow down and dart back to the left. The pegasi flying through the sky slowly dipped through the air and approached the creature’s sides. I peered back at the creature and smirked to myself.

However, to our surprise, it was all a facade.

The human slid onto his knees low to the ground just as they aimed to hit him. But, instead of nailing the human, the small pegasi barreled into each other. As we passed the injured pegasi lying in the dirt, bruised and battered, some stopped to give first aid to them.

The statues before the lake emerged within our view, and I regained my speed from before. However, the human continued running ahead, showing no signs of slowing down, which troubled me.

Then, he darted to the left again, approaching the old wooden bridge. It lay there untouched above the river, to which the human decided to jump up and onto the railings spanning the walkway. The creature landed atop the nearest railing beam and leaped into the air again, crossing over and onto the other.

I stared on in amazement as his foot touched the second railing. Only now, his momentum carried him forward still, resulting in the human jum-

CRACK!!

gasp!

The human’s foot snapped the support railing on the other side, causing his arms to flail in the air. As his body tumbled over the bridge’s edge, the rest of us chasing after him slowed down. Confused, worried, and wondering what had happened, we approached with curiosity about the result of his actions.

splash!

A large splash caused the water to jump into the air and rain back down onto the spot it had been displaced from. I jumped in fright as a few ponies began crossing onto the bridge and toward the broken railing.

“B-B-Be careful!” I cried out. “We don’t know the damage yet!”

“Uhh, Mr. Mayor?” one of the earth ponies turned around to address. “You may want to take a look at this.” My head tilted to the side as I approached the bridge’s entrance and peered around the right side. My jaw dropped as the evidence was clear to everypony’s eyes.

There was no sign of the human creature…and a broken railing from his escapade through the village remained. My head swiveled around and locked onto the water’s surface.

As I continued to stare at the lake, I expected the human to pop out and give us a sign of him being alive. Instead, the more seconds passed, the less concerned I was for the bridge, and the more terrified I was of the escaped convict.

“Where did he go?!” I questioned aloud as everypony scanned the lake’s surface. Unfortunately, there was no sight of him, and we all returned our attention to the bridge.

After a few more seconds, I ushered everypony to clear the area, and slowly, we moved away from the lake.

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“...”

“Did you seriously swim the length of the pond?”

Keep going, Alex, my mind told me as my breath started to escape my grasp. Just a little bit more.

Keeping my legs together and violently kicking them like a dolphin, I raced to the opposite side of the lake as fast as I could. My lungs began choking themselves out as that feeling came to me.

Gotta breathe soon. Come on! I screamed internally as my head began to hurt. The fiery embrace of carbon dioxide began to overpower my lungs as my throat began to force itself open. Where is i-THERE!!

splash!

gasp!

I flopped out of the water and onto the shore quickly. My lungs were sucking in as much air as they could while my head started to spazz itself from the amount of activity within the past half a minute.

I picked myself up off the ground and doubled over in pain. My knees buckled, unable to support my weight as I crumpled to the sandy beach. As my wet shoes finally exited the lake, I pulled my body and flipped over onto my back. I stared into the evening sky as some dark clouds began to form above.

“Shii….” I stammered, my breathing erratic. My mind began to collect itself but at a snail’s pace. I felt like passing out on the beach, but as the clouds rolled over, I looked over my head and saw a row of trees a few feet away.

Come…onnnn, my mind’s right side urged me to get up. We have to move if we want to camp in for the night somewhere safe.

I…I-I c-c-can’t, the other side gasped silently. We’re…d-d-doooomed….

As my brain fell silent, my breathing slowed, and my eyes finally started to close. Maybe some sleep would be good for me now….

bzit!

“Uaah!” I yelped in pain. My hand began to sting as it felt like something had electrocuted me.

“Get up, Alex!” a monotone voice commanded me to do. “Move! NOW!!” The watch on my left wrist sent another shock through my arm, frustratingly pushing me to get on my feet.

“Such a good motivator.”

I’ll show you motivation, I mercilessly thought. Kicking up sand behind me, I leaped over the small bushes lining the jungle’s edge and flicked my wrist toward the branches.

A string of webbing emerged from it, latching onto a tree and sticking to it tightly. Then, pulling myself up, I began to fly through the air again, the breeze pounding into my chest at every downward motion.

Keep moving, I thought to myself before my vision started fading. We have to…to keep….

bzit! “Stay focused, Alex!” the watch’s voice barked as it shocked me in the air. My left arm froze as I gritted my teeth in pain. “Just a little more to the north, and we’ll have shelter. Stay on course.”

I nodded dumbfoundedly and continued to look ahead. Keeping my aim consistent and finding every possible chance to adjust and target another tree to swing under, my heartbeat started to get quieter and quieter…as did the surrounding environment.

My ears began to pick up less and less noise as the evening sky grew darker. Finally, my eyes started to shut themselves manually as I shot out another string of webbing, wrapping around a large branch above me.

fwip!

fsssh!

I motioned my wrist again and began to feel as though I was descending too quickly. I opened my eyes and knew the reason as to why I was falling to the ground rapidly, or lack thereof.

My eyes widened in surprise, and my arms came up to brace my impact with the ground. Landing in a large patch of grass that spanned across the area, the blades of grass didn’t cushion the blow.

SLAM!!

Author's Note

It's baaaaaaack! And it looks like our favorite characters are actually trying to understand one another. Hopefully Alex can repair this friendship between him and Luna, right? Riiiiight?

In other news, I'm back to work on this book. I want to finish this one by the end of the summer, which is a tall order, so I can then go back and start the prequel stories.

Stay tuned for more, but for now...have a good day!

-Harpy