Previously
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>Anon's face twitches, stunned.
>Quiet Dawn is standing, mouth agape.
>The air is thick with shock.
>The robe you wear thankfully keeps you from Jasmine's sight.
>There's no way you're getting out of this one.
>This is all Anon's fault anyway.
>If he hadn't practically forced you to come here, none of you would be in this situation.
>That treacherous guard...
>If only you could explain to Luna!
>If only...

>You've all been too afraid to move.
>“You know, I can't believe you, Dawn! I always gave you a chance and told you where to improve and-”
>The black-maned mare stands firm, shouting down at the guard.
>What an odd disguise she donned previously.
>Convincing too.
>Fooled you well enough.
>But there's other matters at hand.
>“Told ME where to improve?! Your whole life you've been a stuck-up prude! Not to mention your boring, tear-inducing stories that could drive anypony insane!”
>The arguing continues, but you've lost interest.
>You want to escape, but you don't reckon that chance is in your favour.
>Echo looks up to you though, giving you a funny look.
>Shrugging your shoulders, you try to ask what the hell she means.
>She moves her head towards the side lane beside the entrance.
>You whisper to her, the two guards distracted by their own bickering.
“Think we can make a break for it?”
>“Jasmine is the slowest pony I know. We could be in Ponyville and she'd not even be close to the Everfree.”
>You two look away from each other.
>“-and furthermore, Quiet Dawn, what have you ever done to deserve the royal guard position?”
>You hold up three fingers.
>“More than you, that's for sure!”
>Two.
>“Hell, I could name fillies who'd make better guards than you!”
>One.
>“You're a fool, Dawn. A liar and a fool!”
>As light-footed as you can, you make a break for the lane.
>An enormous gasp is heard from Jasmine's throat.
>“DAWN! AFTER THEM!”
>“Who said you give the orders around here?!”
>“If you catch them I'll let you go free!”
>Oh great.
>A whooping noise from the traitorous foe.
>“Sorry, Anon. I didn't count on that!”
“Well, we'll just have to outrun the pair of them. Think you're up to it?”
>Your friend turns up to you, a gallant look on her face.
>“You bet.”
>You wonder why she hasn't used her wings yet.
>The gallops of Quiet Dawn are sluggishly but steadily catching up to you.
>“Anon, when I give the signal, grab onto my leg.”
“What?”
>She huffs, her breath slowly dissipating from her tiny lungs.
>“Just trust me!”
>Feet slamming down on the cold ground, you focus on one thing only.
>“Now!”
>The jumping batpony.
>With an almighty thrust at the floor, physics takes place.
>You grab onto the flying pony, getting some height above the ground.
>“Ugh-! You're a- a little heavier than I thought you'd be!”
>Holding onto her curled hindlegs is more of a challenge than you thought it'd be.
>You can feel your grip surely slipping.
“Echo, we can't keep this up much longer.”
>“Ngh! No- Anon. I can do this.”
>Her words ring hollow.
“Echo, set down now!”
>“We'll be sitting ducks!”
>Eyes tracing downward, you see the buildings of Hollow Shades beneath.
>And you're not that far from the gates.
“Echo, trust me. We'll be home-free before you know it.”
>She grunts.
>“Fine.”
>The black-maned guard cries out at you from the distance.
>“Get back here NOW!”
>She's barely through the sideway passage of the lane.
>No way she'll catch you.
>Dawn, though...
>She's gaining.
>In the middle of the square however, attempting a leap over the statue of Princess Luna...
>Results in a pitiful smack of flesh and stone.
>A wincing screech makes its way from the idiot.
>You hadn't noticed before, but her wings are fairly little.
>That'll be it, then.
“Echo, now! Set us down!”
>She puffs for breath, and almost descends into freefall.
>Your grip isn't tightening any.
>Hands slipping, you feel yourself about to fall...
>Out of nowhere, the hard stone touches your feet.
>“Get back here, you two!”
>A cringe-worthy scream from the faster guard.
“Let's hurry.”
>The gates are still open in the dead of the night.
>“CLOSE THAT GATE!”
>The shunting groan of steel scrapes along the rock.
>No time to pace yourself.
>“Run!”
>You obey.
>Pedalling along the floor, almost all oxygen inside of you has drained.
>Your legs are fatigued, your head is pounding with adrenaline.
>Maybe it's enough to get you through.
>Creaks and clangs.
>“Anon, hurry!”
>She starts flapping her wings to the point where they blur, and bolts out of the village.
>You never were an athlete, but...
>You can run to save your life.
>That's exactly what you're doing.
>Boot upon gravel, wind passing by, you're going to make this.
>The dark streets of Hollow Shades will be gone soon.
>The guards that stand beside the mechanism try to reach out to you as you pass the gate, but no use.
>You're through!

>A slam of metal hits your ears.
>You plop yourself down behind the wrong side of the hulking steel gate.
>Now you're going to be thrown to the jails for sure.
>Your ears perk up, and pants enter your auditory nerves.
>“Dih... Did you catch them?!”
>Jasmine.
>You have no energy left.
>You're for it.
>And the secrets inside the Chronicle will be returned to a vault in Canterlot, likely.
>Not sold to the highest bidder.
“No.”
>“What?! Wha- hold on a sec...”
>She coughs for a moment.
>“What do you mean you didn't catch them?!”
“They're past the gate, Jasmine!”
>The pony looks horrified.
>Her voice softens.
>“Do you even understand what this means, Quiet?”
>It's unnerving.
>“You know what's going to happen, right...?”
>That, you do.
>The torment of Luna's dream spells have only been spoken of in folklore.
>But you know full well, for capital offenses like this, you're going to drown in insanity.
>Those two will pay.
>Oh yes, they'll pay.

>“Where to now?”
>You and your friend are still going at a steady pace.
>Better safe than sorry.
“Back to Ponyville, I suppose.”
>It's becoming increasingly difficult to navigate through the brush of the Everfree.
>That map is still in your pocket.
>“Won't they think to look there?”
>The navigational tool is broken, though.
>You wonder if there any more of those bright opals in the vicinity.
>While you push aside some rough branches, you spot a clearing.
>A small one, yet enough room for the two of you.
“One second, Echo. We need a break.”
>Before you can even lift a foot, she interrupts.
>“No, you mean YOU need a break.”
>She giggles.
“Well... Yes.”
>A smug grin greets you in the gloom.
“Quiet Dawn and Jasmine don't know where I live. They probably haven't even heard of Ponyville.”
>Taking a seat on a rock, you pick up a miniscule stone and throw it as far as you can.
>“Probably not.”
>She sits on her haunches, peering around.
“What are you doing?”
>“Sonar.”
“Oh, of course. You're a batpony.”
>The mares face looks to you.
>“You're really something, Anon. You know that, right?”
>You chuckle.
>Noises of the forest creep around you and your friend.
>A minute bug on the floor crawls beside your boot.
>“Anon, why are we here?”
>Your gaze is drawn to her.
“Huh?”
>“Why did you leave your home? Why come for the Chronicle? I'm nothing significant. I'm just your average stole-an-ancient-artifact-and-got-banned-from-her-hometown batpony.”
>She's good with words, this one.
“I...”
>Echo's legs raise slightly.
“I don't know. I'm curious about you.”
>Her eyebrows do the same.
>That bug begins to crawl away.
“You say you're regular, apart from stealing the book. There's something about you.”
>“What? What could there be?”
>You ponder for a moment.
>She waits intently, lurking for an answer.
“I'm not sure. Shall we head off home now?”
>Dejected, she sighs gruffly.
>“Fine.”

>After about an hour of fast walking, and some more assistance from Zecora, you and Echo come into the village.
>Dawn breaks.
>Dawn.
“I don't like this.”
>The small mare looks to you.
>“Why?”
>You can't meet her gaze.
“It just... doesn't feel right. Us being here at daybreak exactly.”
>She doesn't seem as concerned with it as you.
>“Oh come on, Anon! You're just being facetious. We lost those ponies an age ago. There's no way they'll find us.”
“Maybe you're right.”
>Tiredness in her stride, Echo trots with want of sleep.
>“Hurry up, I need a good sleep.”
>You can't argue with that.
>Your feet pursue her into the house.
>It feels like an age since you were last in here.
>The clopclop of hooves on the stairs greet you.
>“Goodness, I'm so tired. I'm still stealing your bed, by the way.”
>Smiling up at her, an air of guilt surrounds you.
“Take it. You deserve it.”
>“Alright.”
>Under a false small, the batpony looks...
>Drained.
>Grim.
>And worst of all...
>Betrayed.
>There's a sinking feeling this won't be your home much longer.
>You're too tired to dwell on it for now, though.
>For once, sleep comes easy.

>A swirling coldness grabs you.
>Blackness surrounds the air around you, tightening its grip with every breath you take.
>“This is your fault.”
“I didn't mean for this to happen!”
>There's another squeeze upon your life.
>“Oh, of course! Nah, thought you'd just waltz on into my trust, and then shatter it like glass.”
“I... My intention was never-”
>“Shut up! Just shut up shut up shut up, SHUT! UP!”
>There's an almighty screech.
>“You're a coward, Anon! A lousy, pathetic, worthless coward!”
>The sound of bones snapping.
“No!”
>“You know you are! Don't deny it!”
“I'm not!”
>“You can't even steal a book right! You're not even worth the effort of being killed!”
>An inglorious roar.

>A knock at the door.
“Agh!”
>That dream wasn't pleasant.
>The voice...
>It was like Echo's.
>But it was different, somehow.
>The curtains are still drawn inside, but a tiny lick of light shines.
>She sounded...
>Anguished.
>The knock comes again.
“Ugh, I'm comi-coming, just wait a minute.”
>A rough head and a cold body isn't a great combination for neighbourly activities.
>You pull open the door.
>“Where have you two been?!”
>It's Lyra.
>“I've been looking all over town for the past two days worried sick! I thought you two had disappeared!”
>You look off to the side.
>Canterlot Palace is in view.
“We might be gone again sometime soon.”