The full moon was high in the sky and the stars glistened through the tree tops. Swarms of fireflies flashed in the darkness making the forest look like an extension of the sky. I never bothered to build a fire. Wasn’t much need for it since I never sleep at night. I slept more in the mid afternoon and wandered through the night. I never knew where I was going, just if I made it out of the forest I would turn back and keep walking. I’m not even sure what way I’m going now. I had been walking for hours so I decided to just to take a seat under a birch tree at the edge of a clearing.

I look up into the night sky and let myself become a part of the environment for a moment. The cool air blows through my long, matted mane and fills my lungs as I breath. I close my eyes and listen to the sounds; the crickets, the toads the bats, every creature of the night singing in harmony. I feel my head hang low as the world overtakes me and allows me a few moments peace. Crack!

I snap back into reality and quickly look in the sounds direction only to find a white bolt of magic energy flying towards me. My horn lights up the night as a shield spell engulfs me and absorbs the magic dart. I jump up and start running in the opposite direction of the attack.

“It’s making a break for it! Follow it!” Brand Fire’s voice shouts.

“Damn you Firebrand.” I curse to myself.

I continue full sprint for a few minutes before breaking though the other side of the Everfree Forest. A river now blocks my path. Too deep to run through and too far even for me to jump over. Out of the corner my eye I see a bridge around a hundred yards away. Another bolt of magic passes over my right shoulder just as I start running for the bridge.

“Stop him!” Firebrand shouted again.

I continue running. The wood of the bridge shutters as I run across in full stride. My heart suddenly sinks as the nighttime silhouette of Ponyville stretches out in front of me as I run over the apex of the bridge. No time to turn back, I have to run along market street and get back into the forest. Not my best plan, but not my worst. I continue running down the road until passing the Welcome to Ponyville sign. Stunned, I stop and take in what I’m seeing for a moment. On the other side, the stands of market street are covered in fake cobwebs and spiders while others were modified for games. I had nearly completely lost track of dates. It was Nightmare Night.

Everypony was dressed in costumes ranging from clowns to movie and book characters. I clear my head and hear the guards getting closer. The next bridge was north east of where I was and the road lead straight into the northern part of the Everfree Forest. Now I just need to hope I don’t hurt anyone while running through here. I zigzag through the dunk tanks and prize stands trying to lose my pursuers.

Damn, they’re quick. They don’t seem to be ready to give up either. Looking back forward, a fruit cart is pushed into the street a few yards ahead of me. I’m moving too fast to go around it. Here’s hoping my pistons are in good shape. I speed up and jump full power towards the cart. The one pushing it only gets a glimpse of me as I sail under the roof built into the cart and over his fruit. My fore legs dig hit the ground running and I continue full speed ahead.

The bridge is dead ahead now. Just a few hundred yards and I’m one step closer to being home free. A ball of energy shoots past me over my left shoulder half way to the bridge. After crossing the bridge and into the forest, I deviated from the path and weaved thought the trees. In hindsight, not my best plan. After running for nearly three minutes straight, I reach a sheer rock face. I reach back to deploy my wings when I realize, they probably have at least one Pegasus that could follow me. I slowly turn to see Brand Fire burst into the clearing with five Pegasi and two unicorns right behind him.

“You just don’t die, do you?” he asks me as he advances towards me.

“Look, you got me. Let’s just get this over with.” I say backing away form him.

“Oh, I only wish I could kill you right now, but the Princess wants you alive.”

“Why does Celestia want me alive?”

He didn’t answer. By now I was surrounded with my back to the wall of the cliff.

“If I’m wanted alive, then I’ll go quietly.” I say as the unicorns get within ten yards of me.

“You’re damn right you will.” Brand Fire says as a blue orb shoots from his horn and into my head.

The world around me turns completely black as I pass out.

Captain Armor just looks at me as I finish telling him my side of what happened and so does Spike.

“That’s what happened Captain, you have to believe me.”

Another guard passes by Spike and whispers something into the Captain’s ear.

“Hold on for a second.” he said getting up and following the guard out.

They stand only a few yards away, whispering. Never understood why people did this. The person they’re talking about can almost always hear what they are saying.

“Firebrand want’s an answer now. Celestia’s behind him.” the guard tells him.

“I don’t sense a magical field around him indicating a shape shifting spell. Maybe he’s telling the truth.”

“I swear your fiancé is making you soft. The risks if he is a Changeling are far to high.”

“Does Princess Luna know?”

“No, Celestia knows she will try and over rule her.”

“Over rule her on what?” I butt in.

Shining Armor sighs and turns to face me. “Whether or not we should put you to death.”

My heart sinks as the word death washes over my ears.

“Do you really think I’m lying to you Captain?”

“I don’t know.”

Thoughts start rattling through my mind. Escape plans, ways to talk him out of it, reasons to live; I found none. I feel my ears drop as the three words I never though I would say escape my lips.

“Then do it.”

The Shining Armor seems taken back by my statement. “Why?”

“’Cause, even if you believe me and I get let go, I have nowhere to go. Nothing to live for. Any doubt that you show will hurt you in the long run. So just let me die.”

“Okay.” he says. His voice is monotone as he continues. “Prepare the gallows. Be sure no pony knows publicly that he is being executed.” he tells the guard.

“Yes Captain.” he salutes and leaves with Shining Armor behind him.

Before he leaves he turns to me. “If it means anything, I believe you.”

“Whatever.”

I lay back down and watch as Spike hurries along behind them. I shut my eyes and let the darkness of the cell I lay in flow over me. The rain outside stops and the sun starts peaking in through the bared window. I lay still, feeling my own mortality way heavily on me. My heart beat and breathing slow as I begin to silently cry. My lips stay sealed as my tears roll down my face. They would be the only tears morning my death. As far as anyone else knew, I was already dead. I cry for several hours before falling asleep.