Embers

I remember standing there, looking out over the field as we readied ourselves, the innocent expression on Arabelle’s face as she stood there, the sole witness as our other friends had decided to move back to the safety of the school yard just over the hill. Passion burned in my challenger’s eyes as the larger earth pony slunk down like a cat ready to pounce. I did the same hoping to get the jump on the older colt with my speed. Through the sounds of both our breathing I heard her counting. 3...2...1... go. The last word was spoken as soft as a whisper but we both got the message. I launched myself forward, outpacing the older colt in my first powerful bound. The euphoria rushed through me once again, The wind blowing through my mane, the earth pounding beneath my hooves, I was running and it was lovely.

        As I neared the tree that was to be the halfway point I knew the race was won, both the screaming cheers coming from Arabelle and the lack of my opponent’s hoof falls made it apparent that he was too far away to have any hope of catching up in time. I started to smile and would have let out a cheer were it not for the sight that greeted me as I rounded the tree, My opponent was no where near me... in fact he appeared to have never left the starting line, Arabelle appeared to be supporting him while all the time cheering me on... All at once I realized what was happening, the lack of hoof falls was because the stallion had never intended to race me. The screams I had thought were cheers we in fact cries for help as the older colt held her down so he could have his way with her... I felt sick as I watched, even now running as fast as possible hoping to stop the tragedy that, in my mind, I had created. I’ll never forget her eyes, filled with hope even as she was violated. Hope that when I got to her I would save her. but it was not to be. as I neared the pair the colt looked up and smiled at me brushing away his forelock he revealed his horn, previously hidden behind the thick mane.

        It was then, distracted as I was by the atrocity being committed and my own blazing anger, that I felt it. It felt like a load of bricks had been dropped onto my back and the force was enough to throw me to the ground mere feet from where my friend lay. I used every trick I knew, squirming, kicking, pushing, even using the little magic I knew to try and counter the force, but every effort failed, In the end I stretched out my hoof looking Arabelle in the eyes and watching as the hope died only to be replaced by fear and pain. I’ll never know whether it was that pained look or the force of the magic that made me black out... nonetheless that’s what I did. The last thing I heard before falling into unconsciousness was Arabelle crying out as the stallion forcefully ejected his searing hot seed into her womb... then utter blackness.

        I woke up much later to a pain in my back. Fogged as my mind was by the suddenness of the sleep I had been forced into I had no idea where I was or what had happened So I decided to simply lay there until the pain went away. As I went about waking up I soon began to hear a light sobbing, “Wha...” was all I managed to say before suddenly remembering what had happened. whipping my eyes open I quickly got to my hooves and took stock of my surroundings. Glad to see no sign of the colt who had attacked us I turned and saw Arabelle laying exactly where the he had left her, It was from her that the sobbing came. I closed the gap between us with a few steps cringing as she shied away from the sound, “Belle... I-it’s me... Afterburner... A...Are you okay?” I asked quietly praying against all evidence that it had just been a nightmare. All I got in return was more sobs as the broken mare tried her best to reply. Making soft soothing noises I reached out and began to stroke her mane, I had no idea what a pony was supposed to do in a situation like this and simply reverted back to my basic instincts. Eventually I was able to calm her down enough to get her to talk, “A-afty... I... I’m s-so cold... P-please hold me...” Not thinking about the consequences, or about the dangers holding the mare could imply I lay down beside her, wrapping my hooves gently around her neck and resuming my stroking of her mane. I confess, even with all that had happened, I felt a strange sense of contentment holding her in my arms, a feeling as if to say it was meant to be. It wasn’t long before she had cried herself to sleep and I unwillingly followed a few moments later.

        The awakening I received was a far cry from the gentleness of my sleep, one moment I lay holding Arabelle tightly in my arms and the next I was flying through the air as if hit by a giant hammer. Groggy and disoriented by my sleep I flailed around, trying to right myself when I suddenly slammed into the ground with enough force to crack at least two ribs. In spite of the searing pain in my side, or perhaps because of it, i found myself standing in a ready stance before I even knew what was happening.

        looking the scene over I saw a pair of fully grown night guards watching me with teeth bared, their wings spread wide to make them look more menacing as they stood between myself and Arabelle’s sleeping form. I glared at them, armor or no I wasn’t going to let anypony harm my friend again. “GET AWAY FROM HER” I shouted in the most menacing tone I could muster. The guards looked at one another and started laughing suddenly, The complete change in their demeanor throwing me completely off balance for a few seconds, “Hey look at that.” the taller of the two guards said to the shorter. his gruff voice grating on my already fraying nerves. “The little rapist thinks he can threaten us.” He turned his head and spoke directly to me, “What do you think you’re going to do huh? Attack us? We’re members of the Guard! Do you really think you have a chance?” I froze, both from the implications of the statement and the direct threat I had just recieved, “Y-you’re guards? B-but why... I didn’t...” I stammered before being interrupted by a hoof slamming into the ground. The shorter of the guards glared at me with fury burning in her eyes, “ENOUGH” She shouted causing me to shut up almost instantly, “Can I just kill him and be done with it?” she asks the elder, “We have to get this mare some help!” I took a step back at the mention of death. “Wha... K-kill me?! B-but I didn’t do it!” I shouted as terror started to worm it’s way into my mind.

        The older stallion sighs and shakes his head. “No” he says “Put him in cuffs. we’ll take him back to the guardhouse, the captain will decide his fate.” the mare nods and begins to advance on me, “Go ahead and resist you little bastard, it will only make this so much sweeter.” Too stunned to register her words I stood frozen until my hooves were kicked out from under me and clapped into a series of cuffs all in one smooth motion that happened far too fast for my eyes to follow. The next thing I knew I was slamming into the ground again as a searing pain tore up my side causing me to let loose a scream. The guard smiled maliciously before turning to the stallion who had picked up Arabelle by then, “So boss, can’t we just leave him here for the wolves? it’d be perfect way to deal with him. We could just say we found her alone.” I watched in sheer terror as the older stallion seemed to consider the option before resignedly shaking his head. “No... As much as I would like to we can’t chance a pair of our cuffs turning up with a set of severed hooves in them.” The bat mare scowled angrily looking me over as if assessing her next meal before suddenly brightening, “Then I suppose I’ll have to carry it won’t I?”  The stallion nodded, “Yep, and this time NO DROPPING HIM! The captain is suspicious enough of our late night trips as is... we don’t want to add more fuel to the fire.”

        The mare standing over me sighed, a long and drawn out thing it was, “Alright” she replied, hefting me onto her back with one powerful wing, “But next time I’m taking the mare.” With that my captor launched themselves into the air with one strong beat of their wings, taking us with them. I remember never having been so scared in my life, yet even through my fear I was able to thank the goddess that Arabelle had remained asleep throughout the ordeal, she had had enough stress for one day.