Chapter Ten: Canon Camp
~BlackRoseRaven

Datura had offered to go through the checkpoint first on his own, since he was convinced that Canon Camp was after him: even if it stemmed from paranoia, it was still a surprisingly nice gesture from the stallion. And Sally had almost let him, except Splinthoof had pointed out that if Datura wanted to pretend he was a Figment to try and slip past the checkpoint, he was going to need an Avatar with him.

Whisper had seemed like the natural choice, but instead, Datura had asked Sally if she wanted to walk with him. And as they strode down the wide dirt highway towards a mass of tents and ponies and chain-link fencing, the Pegasus Avatar finally asked the stallion striding on her left: “Why?”

Datura glanced at her quizzically with his one uncovered eye, then he shrugged before smiling as he gestured with his head towards the side of the road: now there were only a few scattered trees here and there decorating the pretty fields that spread for miles around. “Look at that. You're never far from civilization here in Equestria, but you're also never far from nature. I think it's wonderful.”

Sally looked at him irritably, then she asked in a slow, firm voice: “Why did you choose to walk with me?”

“Because I care less if you get caught than if Whisper does.” Datura said mildly, and Sally scowled at him, feeling a little stung... but also like that wasn't the whole story. Datura could certainly be cruel, but that answer was careless, even by his standards, which meant...

She continued to study him for a few moments, and Datura grimaced a bit at the intensity of her gaze before he rolled his eye and looked away, muttering: “Oh, fine. If it'll stop you from giving me those bedroom eyes, it's because Whisper lives with a Figment and Canon Camp's given her a warning more than once for 'propaganda' they said she spreads through her music and art. She's a beautiful singer... a gorgeous painter, a... a special person.”

Datura seemed to lose focus, looking away from her as she studied him silently, and for a few moments, the only sound came from the jingling of the chains and other equipment in the bags hanging off his sides. But finally, he murmured more to himself than her: “It's because I promised to protect her, no matter what. And you shouldn't ever break a promise.”

He halted, then suddenly looked back at her, saying abruptly: “Promises are important. The only thing more important is... what's right. Not morally right, but... right, what's just right. What your very soul tells you is...”

He stopped in his tracks, bit his lip and seemed to struggle for a moment to find the words, and Sally stopped and studied him intently before the stallion shook his head quickly, murmuring: “Sorry. I like you, Sally. I find you interesting and better yet, you can put up with my mouth and you fight back, fearlessly. You're sharp, but never rude. And yet you're compassionate, too: I think sometimes you must be a Figment.”

Sally smiled briefly at this, understanding it was a compliment coming from the orange-painted stallion, and she nodded awkwardly before she said finally: “You're... you're not such a bad guy. You're... completely crazy, and you're moody and cranky, and you're... intense... but I think you're not a bad guy. I understand you. You're just...”

“I make people feel weird, I know. I always have.” Datura replied with a brief smile, looking ahead before he said softly: “I can't blame them. Look at me, and what I am.”

“I do.” Sally smiled again, looking over at him and studying him silently before she reached a wing out and silently rested it against him, Datura looking surprised as the Pegasus Avatar said softly: “What you look like doesn't matter. It's what you do in spite of what you look like. What I see is a stallion who, even if he's... crazy, and looks like a monster, even if you're probably kind of evil... you want to save the world. You believe in magic. You keep... trying to help us, even if you have to be a complete asshole about it.”

Datura looked away awkwardly, and then he mumbled: “Leave me alone. I'm not your friend, Sally O'Connor. You're... literally an Irish brood mare.”

Sally couldn't help but grin: try as he might, Datura was blushing and shying away from her, and his words only made the victory she'd scored all the sweeter. “And you can say whatever you want, Datura, but it doesn't change the truth. And you know what? It doesn't even matter either way, because even if I'm not your friend... you're still mine.”

Datura looked over at her with surprise, and Sally smiled a little before she looked ahead and said finally: “It's weird, all these people talking about... friendship and stuff. But I guess that's one thing you couldn't take away from the ponies, but they taught you guys, huh?”

“That's what they have to teach all of us. The little things. The things we too easily forget.” Datura replied softly after a moment, and then he turned his eyes ahead, saying quietly: “Remember: I'm your Figment. My name is Harvest Moon. I'm a farm worker, like you. That's why I attached to you, because your talent is for farming.”

“I remember. Keep it simple, no big stories, nothing complicated. If they ask weird questions, just repeat the simple stuff and complain that I'm in a hurry.” Sally said mildly, furling her wing back at her side before she asked uncertainly: “Will they be able to tell that... I haven't been here for long?”

“No, there's no way to tell how long an Avatar's been in this world, apart from the changes. But at the same time, you'd never be able to tell unless you were actually there, monitoring them the whole time. We all... degenerate at different rates.” Datura replied, shaking his head briefly. “And most of us... the moment we start to... change... Equestria feels less welcoming and we start to hate what we're becoming. So we... usually leave.”

“Usually.” Sally said softly, studying the stallion silently for a few moments before she turned her eyes ahead, adding: “I have a lot of questions for you and... I think I'm going to start poking you until you answer me. But...”

“Yeah. Eyes forwards, head up, don't let them see your fear.” the orange-painted stallion replied with a short nod, and then he scowled a little and hunched his shoulders a little as they approached the back of the large, shuffling crowd that was gathered on the road. “I hate crowds.”

Sally only nodded a little as she looked uneasily through the mob, but at the same time, she felt relieved: there were all kinds of ponies milling here, of every shape and size. Some seemed to be waiting for something, some were holding colored tags, and plenty of others were all lined up in front of booths that guarded the gates leading into the... compound, Sally supposed it was.

“Alright. If you get handed a tag, that means they're going to want to do an 'interview.'” Datura muttered quietly to Sally as he half-led her carefully through the crowd, and Sally frowned uneasily over at him: his voice was just a whisper, and he was shivering a little, looking nervously back and forth through the crowd around them, and clearly trying his damnedest not to touch anyone. “I'll wait for you inside the checkpoint at a 'designated rest area' if you do. You try and do the same if I get held up. Otherwise, this is the easy part.”

“Really? Because I see a lot of ponies waiting here.” Sally said, grimacing a bit before she looked uneasily towards the gates again, watching as a pony went from one of the booths to one of the uniformed ponies standing at attention in front of the gate. But then her eyes were drawn back to Datura as he flinched at a sudden loud shout of frustration from another pony. “Are you okay?”

“I'm fine.” he snapped, then he shook himself quickly and answered brusquely, even as he shivered a little, his eye nervously darting back and forth: “Getting in is never hard. It's getting out of the propaganda prison that takes time. Think roach hotel.”

Sally shivered again, wanting to ask why and how Celestia could allow these things to crop up through Equestria, but then Datura suddenly muttered: “We have to part ways here. Get in line and I'll go through another. They segregate us.”

The Pegasus Avatar grimaced... but when she looked up, she realized that each booth did in fact have a different sign above it: two for Avatars, one for Figments, one for Trueborn... and from the dismissive treatment she saw the Figments and Trueborn were getting, she thought that maybe 'segregate' wasn't such a bad word for the process after all.

She walked towards one of the Avatar lines, while Datura calmly stepped into the line for Figments: in spite of the number of ponies here, the lines were quickly and efficiently being dealt with. She noted, however, that while plenty of ponies were going in through the entrances... the exit gates were much more secure, and only one pony came out in the time it took Sally to get halfway up the line. Granted, that was only a few minutes, but considering how fast they were going in...

Sally couldn't help but watch as a uniformed pony strode slowly down the line, glaring out from under the stiff cap he was wearing, his uniform without a single wrinkle and even his hooves polished to a dustless shine. He was cold, and he seemed... generic, in a word: solid colors, a cutie mark of a medal, the exact same march and uniform as all the other patrolling soldiers...

She did her best not to let her eyes linger, turning her attention forwards as the line shuffled onwards. She could understand what Canon Camp wanted to do in this world, but the way they were going about it and the methods they employed... they were terrifying. Could they not see what they were doing to themselves, and to this world? What was so wrong with taking something you loved and playing with the rules a little?

Soon enough, the Pegasus Avatar found herself in front of the booth, and she cleared her throat as she stepped carefully up in front of it, gazing through reinforced, barred glass at another generic pony, who asked her curtly: “Reason for passage?”

“Headin' to Canterlot.” Sally had been told to keep her answers short, and having lived with a pack of gossipy brothers had sure as hell taught her how to do that.

The soldier didn't seem to notice or care about her curtness, questioning in an equally brisk tone: “Luggage? Associations?”

“I don't have any luggage. Harvest Moon is my Figment, he's waiting in line.” replied Sally equably, and the stallion in the booth made a few short notes before leaning away and pressing a button, muttering into what looked like some kind of radio system.

Sally only watched, doing her best not to fidget before the stallion straightened and looked at her moodily. His eyes narrowed as he half-reached for a stack of papers, but Sally only looked fearlessly back... and the Canon Camper dropped his eyes with a grumble before he grabbed a strip of some kind instead, sliding this through a slot in the window. “Put this on and proceed to the Avatar entrance.”

Sally nodded shortly as she picked up the plastic band, grimacing a bit: it was just like a hospital wristband, and it fit uncomfortably around her leg... again, just like a hospital wristband. And the last time she'd worn one of those was when...

She forced herself not to think about that as she headed to the gates, fearlessly striding up to the guard and thrusting her hoof out towards him. The uniformed soldier seemed a little surprised by her confidence, leaning back slightly... but he caught himself after only a moment, gesturing quickly at the gate and saying shortly: “Go.”

Sally strode towards the gates and pushed through: something clanked as she did so, and the Pegasus Avatar grimaced as she stepped into a narrow corridor formed by chainlink fencing on either side of her: she felt like a cow being herded towards the slaughterhouse.

At the end of the corridor, she stepped out into a lobby of sorts, and the mare's eyes widened in surprised as she looked back and forth: there were guards standing calmly at the only exit, and several uniformed mares all extolling the virtues of Canon Camp happily at one side of the room, to an audience of Avatars seated in benches that took up half the room. Sally looked at these for a moment, then she shivered a little before striding quickly past, ignoring the guards as she passed through the exit... and thankfully, they ignored her, too.

She stepped out into... god, it was hard to describe. It was a sea of tents and signs and uniformed ponies, and all of it seemed geared towards 'Keeping Equestria Pure.' And she felt almost entranced as she turned her eyes towards the nearest poster, which showed several smiling, saluting Canon Camp soldiers in front of a sun crest, the words: 'Purity Is Joy' emblazoned along the top border.

She shivered a little, then strode slowly down the road as she realized that this little road was filled with propaganda that was all geared towards Avatars. She figured that must mean the other entrances probably catered to Figments and Trueborn... and Sally couldn't help but stare as her eyes settled on another image, of a scowling pony leaning out of another poster that declared: 'If he doesn't CONFORM, show him SCORN! Good little ponies follow the NORM!'

“Hello there, miss!” said an enthusiastic voice, and Sally winced and looked in surprise to see a stallion smiling at her, wearing a dressier uniform and with a little more uniqueness to his body... except it was a very bland uniqueness, Sally thought. An extra touch of color to his mane, a bit of modification to his uniform... just enough to make him different, not enough to mean he didn't conform to the standards of the world around him. Living, breathing propaganda... carrying even more propaganda in the form of the flyers stuffed into the satchels hanging off his sides. “Can I interest you in a bit of literature? I'm sure a pretty mare like yourself would appreciate it: why, you clearly understand the concept of Simple Beauty!”

Sally laughed weakly, and then she shook her head quickly, turning and awkwardly hurrying onward... and hating that the stallion followed after her, even as she said quickly: “I'm sorry, I'm really not interested, just... passing through...”

“Oh, please, ma'am! It'll just take a moment!” the stallion pleaded, but his smile didn't reach his eyes even as he continued happily: “I know you might be saying to yourself right now, 'but Canon Camp isn't for me, because I enjoy art and writing involving unique fictional ponies!' Well, ma'am, don't be afraid, because Canon Camp takes a very progressive view towards the arts and encourages all ponies to express themselves however they want, as long as it's in a respectable manner in a private setting! Why, take one visit to our library and ask to see our fanfiction archive, and you might be surprised to see how many 'inventive' authors grace our shelves!”

Sally smiled weakly, then she winced and stumbled to a halt to avoid running into another pony, trying to step past... and ending up cornered by the propagandist against a tent, as he extolled: “No, Canon Camp merely wants to ensure that all living Avatars remember to respect the rules of this world, and to keep Equestria pure of any questionable influences! We aren't 'censoring' anyone, but we're instead making sure that this remains a fun and My Little Pony-centered environment, where we all respect and take care of one-another like ponies were meant to. We don't want to see Equestria become a wasteland or a reflection of the world we all come from, do we? Equestria always was and always will be meant to be Equestria, and we can all play a role in protecting this great nation and all she represents!”

Sally stared at the stallion blankly for a moment: holy hell, did he ever talk fast. And then the uniformed soldier grabbed a pamphlet out of a satchel before thrusting it towards her, and the mare winced as she took this, the Canon Camp stallion saying happily: “But why don't you see for yourself? Please feel free to take a look around this Safe Enlightenment Rest Station and explore the tents and all we have to offer! And when you're ready, just head to our headquarters, right smack dab in the middle of the camp, and tell them you're ready to join up, and they'll welcome you to the family with a big Pinkie Pie-style party and a brand new uniform, that I'm sure you'll look absolutely smashing in!”

And thankfully, with that, the propagandist turned and bolted off towards another Avatar to begin his spiel all over again. Sally stared for a moment after him, then she looked down at the flyer and shivered a bit: she wanted to just throw it away... but when she looked back and forth, she saw there were no garbage cans, but plenty of uniformed soldiers.

She decided to carry it for now as she made her way nervously down the road, looking uncomfortably back and forth until she reached an intersection. There was a large map here at least, and Sally studied this quietly for a few moments before she noted there was a rest station just up ahead... she figured that Datura would probably try and meet her there, so...

Sally made her way on through the camp, every now and then unable to stop herself from peering into a tent here or there. Some were just tents for soldiers or rest areas, but a few were filled with toys, and what looked like classrooms, and Canon Camp merchandise and posters...

These ponies were frightening, and this 'checkpoint' was massive. Even meandering, the fact it took her ten minutes to reach the rest area was frightening to her: she was barely a quarter of the way through the camp. And if this was the easy part, what was getting out going to be like?

The rest area was covered in propaganda, too: it was basically a corral filled with seats and benches, and the chain link walls were covered in posters and eye-catching pictures. She noted that there were a few illustrations of important ponies here as well, each with a motto under it: among these, Sally's eyes couldn't help but catch on one of Princess Celestia, who had been drawn with a warm, friendly smile, and with the words: 'I love FAITHFUL ponies most' beneath her.

There was another headshot of a purple mare, who was smiling proudly with her head high and the words 'SMART ponies are NORMAL ponies!' beneath her. And another, of a laughing pink mare, with: 'The BEST parties are with ponies JUST LIKE US.'

Christ, this place was terrifying.

Sally shook herself briefly, and then she uneasily looked down at the pamphlet in her hooves. She could see how it would be tantalizing, though: when you could be just like everyone else, and they all promised to treat you as brother or sister and you would all be fighting for a 'good cause...'

She opened the pamphlet, then grimaced a bit. So many happy, smiling ponies, all of them normal looking... and one of the first things her eyes caught on was 'How you can be Normal too!'

She laughed dryly at this, then shook her head slowly as she looked through the list, which was accompanied by art of some... sparkly unicorn thing with wings that somehow looked like a horribly racist caricature. But as it went down the list, it began to look more and more normal, until it was dressed as a proud member of Canon Camp, in a full uniform and looking as plain as any other pony, mane trimmed and neat and horn safely hidden under some kind of special hat made especially for 'alicorns,' or whatever they were called.

Sally flipped through the pamphlet with a mix of horror and fascination: they were so... zealous. And yet they were careful to make themselves sound so accepting, so tolerant, like they were truly going to welcome anyone and everyone into their ranks... so long as they agreed to follow the rules.

The Pegasus Avatar shook her head slowly, and then she frowned a bit as she turned a page and noted a... well, a picture of a horse. An actual picture of an actual horse, and she studied it silently before looking at the text beneath it: 'Ferals, and why we protect them.'

Except as she read further, it didn't sound very much like they were interested in protecting so-called 'feral' ponies: it sounded more like they wanted to cage them away and put them out of sight, or in special 'reserves.' God, that thought was horrible to her...

Sally shivered a bit, then her ears flicked before she frowned and looked quizzically up as she thought she caught something. And then she smiled briefly as she saw Datura trudging towards her, the Pegasus Avatar quickly standing up and waving to him.

She could swear that he looked relieved to see her underneath his scowl, the stallion nodding briefly once before he said pointedly: “Hello, Miss Sally.”

“Hello... Harvest Moon.” Sally replied with a slight smile, rolling her eyes before she asked softly: “Any trouble?”

“No, Miss Sally. I'm ready to leave whenever you are.” Datura replied calmly, and the mare nodded before reaching up and gently adjusting his eyepatch for him, which made Datura shift awkwardly and blush ever so slightly.

Then she strode past him and back onto the road, doing her best to recall the map... but either way, she knew they had to head towards the far side of the encampment, and she grimaced a bit as she realized that would mean likely passing through... “Everything leads to the recruitment center, right?”

“You're smarter than I thought.” Datura muttered, nodding as he leaned in close to her as they walked along, the stallion grimacing a little as he looked back and forth. “Everything ponies need – food, water, clothing, washrooms – all of those are around the recruitment center. Only ferals like to eat and poop in the wild, after all.”

“Yeah, not the most pleasant experience I've ever had. Not the worst, either, unfortunately. At least our butts are far away from our faces.” Sally said dryly, flicking her tail absently, and Datura snorted in amusement at this. “But I get what you're saying. No matter what you're here for... you have to go there eventually, right?”

“That's right. Let's just keep moving, though.” Datura looked back and forth, then gestured at Sally when he noted she still had the pamphlet tucked under her wing. “Here, you can put that in my pack.”

“Thanks.” Sally absently used her wing to flick the stallion's satchel open, then she tossed the pamphlet easily inside, and Datura studied her with an interest she had learned to associate with something that was about to annoy her. “What now?”

Datura only smiled wryly, shrugging before he replied: “You're just using your wings more than naturally, now. I don't know how many Pegasi you've seen using their wings to manipulate things, but you've caught on to it yourself. A little too well... but hey, maybe it's a good sign. That's not something a feral would do.”

Sally grumbled a little, but then she hesitantly looked towards him, biting her lip before she asked hesitantly: “You really... I mean, maybe I'm not...”

“I don't know, Sally. I do know that...” Datura bit his lip for a moment, and then he cleared his throat before looking ahead and saying softly: “I know that this isn't your world. I know you want to go home. But I think that when you let yourself sink into this world, when you look at us not just as magical talking horses but... people, purely, you seem... better.”

The Pegasus Avatar gave the stallion a small smile, then she nodded briefly before murmuring: “Yeah. I think I understand what you mean and... I think you're right. Everything here is more than just talking horses and I guess... I'm starting to adjust to that.”

She stopped, then quieted as she glanced at a poster with the word 'PERFECTION!' across it in bold red font, showing a family of four absolutely normal ponies standing together: mom, dad, son and daughter. “Even if sometimes I guess I wish you really were all nothing but... magical talking horses.”

“Sometimes I wish the same.” Datura said softly, smiling briefly before he looked to the side, continuing hesitantly: “I... I think Canon Camp scares me so much because I've often fallen on the opposite end of the spectrum. But unfortunately, that's the exact same as this: wanting everyone to be unique, wanting to indulge in everyone's darkest and wildest dreams, wanting to be absolutely free... it's just as destructive as this.”

Sally looked over at him curiously, but Datura had quieted again, and the mare studied him for a few moments before she asked finally: “Do you... really enjoy pain?”

“Yes.” Datura said simply, and they both fell into silence as they walked down the road... and yet for some reason, Sally found herself stepping a little closer to his side, wanting to comfort him as he kept his eyes forwards, expressionless and yet... melancholy. Not quite sad, not quite upset, but strangely... resigned.

After about ten minutes, Sally could smell food: delicious scents wafted through the air, like cotton candy and pies and other sugary treats that made her mouth water. She shivered a bit as she licked her lips slowly, but then squeaked when Datura leaned over and bit her shoulder before he said moodily: “Don't think about it.”

“What the hell!” Sally snapped, her ears laying back as she glared at him furiously, and then she leaned over and took a bite out of the stallion's shoulder, making him yelp in surprise as his eyes widened and he stumbled. His eye twitched, but Sally bared her teeth at him challengingly for a few moments before they both swore loudly at the other, then huffed and turned their attention forwards almost in synchronization, both ponies scowling horribly and refusing to look at each other even as they strode in nearly perfect time together.

Sally eventually snuck a look at Datura, and she couldn't help but smile a little when she saw the stallion was doing his best to repress his own grin. And all of a sudden, she laughed before blushing deeply and quickly turning her gaze away, clearing her throat violently when Datura looked over at her with amusement.

But soon, they both faded into seriousness as they passed the food stands and the little shops and began to circle around the massive recruitment center: it was surrounded by heavy iron fencing, which was broken up into sections by massive statues... although Sally realized after they had passed several of these statues that they were actually plaster, not stone, and likely supported by nothing but wire frames. They looked impressive, just like the huge tent-structure of the recruitment center did, but...

Sally laughed a little, and Datura glanced curiously over at her before she muttered: “I just realized that... this place reminds me of the Cirque du Noir.”

Datura scowled for a moment, opening his mouth... and then he frowned and looked around before giving a short laugh, muttering: “You're... actually right. Except Canon Camp has a few moving towns like this one... and one big, scary base somewhere far away from here. These checkpoints might be frightening, but they're really just the tip of what Canon Camp is capable of, with all their people and resources.”

“Everyone wants to be part of something.” Sally said softly, and Datura nodded with a grunt after a moment, lowering his head moodily.

“We all want to be heroes. But we also want the comfort of just being another face in the crowd at the same time, too.” Datura said quietly, smiling briefly. “We want to be unique, as long as we aren't unique in a bad way. But we also want to be able to hide away, and having nothing hinge on us...”

He looked away, and Sally nodded a little, studying him before she asked: “Is that why you keep refusing to take the lead?”

“This isn't my story, Sally, this is yours. You're clearly the hero of the tale: I might kill things – and often very creatively, if I may say so myself – but I'm nothing but the muscle, the brute. I'm a foil at times for you, but not even a romantic interest: you're clearly going to end up with Splinthoof.” Datura smiled again as Sally looked at him mildly. “And at the end of the day, Whisper will go home safe and sound, and I'll return to my own dark place, with... no one.”

He quieted, glancing away, and there was silence for a moment before Sally said impulsively: “We're all going back to our world after this is over, Datura. And I'll... I'll find you there.”

Datura laughed shortly at this, almost glaring at Sally, and she was surprised by how suddenly... angry he seemed as he snapped: “Don't make any promises you can't keep. It's one thing that you're here: you're doing a job, and you still might turn around and leave the first chance you get, I'm not stupid. It's another completely to think we're going to be nice and friendly back in reality.”

“Let me guess. You're not nearly as handsome in real life as you are here, right?” asked Sally dryly, and Datura gave her a sour look... although at the same time, he also seemed to relent a little, shifting backwards a bit before the mare said in a softer voice: “If I can put up with murderous Datura, your sick little inner self fantasy or whatever the hell you really are... what makes you think I can't put up with the real you? The real...”

She broke off, and Datura's eyes flicked away before he mumbled grudgingly: “Just... call me Johnny. It's not my actual name but... it's what everyone calls me.”

“Okay, Datura.” Sally said, and the stallion looked at her for a few moments... then he smiled briefly at her and gave a short nod.

“Alright, Sally.” Datura agreed, and then he hesitated before looking ahead and saying finally: “Sorry I'm... dumb.”

“You really are a little crazy in there, aren't you? I mean... I thought you were exaggerating a little at first but... you really are a little...” She studied him for a moment, then blushed a bit and turned her eyes back forwards as they finally began to curve past the recruitment center, the Pegasus Avatar mumbling: “Sorry. I don't mean to be rude, I just... want to understand you better.”

Datura grunted at her, shrugging a bit as he gazed ahead before he muttered: “Even I don't understand me most of the time, Sally. I think it's better that way, too. It's like there's three of me, all the time, trying to talk over all the pain...”

He halted, then cleared his throat and shook his head shortly when Sally looked at him uncertainly. “Let's just concentrate on getting through here. They're going to want to search both of us and they might run a scan. It'll be a very slow process. But once you get through, walk for... about an hour, straight down the highway, and then find a safe place to wait for us. Just stay patient and watch the road, and hope we don't take all night. Or that bandits don't find you. Among other things.”

“Great. Thank you.” Sally said dryly, glowering at Datura before she sighed and shook her head, muttering: “I hate you so much sometimes.”

Datura grunted and shrugged, and the two simply continued on down the path for a little while in silence, Sally looking uneasily back and forth and Datura doing his best to keep his eyes straight ahead. Sally noted as they passed into the upper half of the camp that the tents here formed even tighter rows, the road running between them even narrower and the propaganda much more obvious: more frustrating was the fact that the road often curved back on itself and branched out in directions that gave the illusion of leading forwards when in fact they led instead towards the recruitment center.

It was a maze designed to keep ponies trapped inside this checkpoint... but Sally and Datura navigated it patiently, using the enormous recruitment center as a landmark and always trying to keep their backs to it. With a bit of effort, they finally managed to step into a large, open dirt yard in front of a single set of gates leading out... and Sally grimaced as she noted there was only one booth here, but dozens of ponies waiting impatiently.

There were a whole lot of guards here, though... and Sally was surprised to see these ones were actually armed, many with crossbows and a few with guns. The rifles were lever action and designed to work with a pony's hooves, and the mare found herself staring for maybe a little longer than was appropriate before Datura muttered: “Eyes forwards. Let's concentrate on getting out of here before we end up stuck in here forever.”

Sally blushed and nodded quickly, turning her eyes back ahead as she mumbled: “Right. We're... going to be here for hours, though...”

Her eyes roved slowly through the courtyard, over all the gathered ponies... and then she uneasily looked towards a large tent as several uniformed soldiers marched another Avatar out of it, the pony looking humiliated and frightened as they escorted him towards the gate. But even there, the guards halted him to do one final check, sharp voices asking questions that the Pegasus Avatar couldn't quite make out but could tell all the same were clearly humiliating for the poor pony.

The two stopped at the end of the line, standing side-by-side as they studied their surroundings uneasily. Walking had at least helped distract her: the moment they stopped, Sally felt her ears swiveling back and forth automatically like radar dishes, and her whole body tensing up as she all-but- felt every little noise around them.

Datura seemed to grow more anxious himself as the seconds passed into minutes, the orange stallion looking around nervously, then starting to grind his teeth together as his frustrations visibly mounted. The Pegasus Avatar shifted closer to him, wanting to say something but unsure of what; as unsure she was of what instinct guided her to get closer even when Datura leaned away.

The stallion looked at her grumpily... but then he actually seemed to calm a little, nodding briefly before he muttered: “Every time I go through here, something goes wrong. I'm going to end up killing something.”

“You know, I get that you've convinced yourself these lives don't matter, but you don't have to sound so... casual about it.” Sally muttered, and Datura grunted, glowering at her... but at least arguing kept their concentration on each other.

The Pegasus Avatar hesitated, then asked suddenly: “When was... when was the first time you really hurt someone?”

Datura frowned at her, and then his eyes flicked to the side before he muttered: “Long before I came here. But I know what you're trying to ask, and... it's a little awkward to talk about right now. Let's just say it caused more trouble than it was worth, and it's a big part of why certain elements find me... disagreeable.”

Sally studied him silently, and Datura shook his head before he glanced away, saying quietly: “I... I understand why you don't like the thought of 'killing' the people who attack us. At first, it was hard for me to stomach, too. But being here... I've always considered it a special privilege. None of us have any right to be here: not you, not me, not anyone else. None of us know for sure what happens when we're forcibly kicked and sent back to our world, but... I do know that... we have to pay the price for our sins.”

“You're not a very good atheist. Or you're just too... metaphory.” Sally said softly, and Datura gave her a wry smile before the Pegasus Avatar studied him for a few moments, then nodded briefly to him. “I don't really agree with you about a lot of things. But I do... I do respect you, even if I argue with you all the time.”

“I know. It's because you argue with me that I like you. I like people who I can actually have a decent argument with. Me calling you stupid, you calling me stupid, but both of us still listening to the other, looking each other in the eye.” He smiled slightly, glancing over at her. “And you balance it with your nice little compliments and the way you constantly undress me with your eyes. You know, as much as you can undress a talking magical horse. You get what I mean: you're not just whining at me about what annoys you. You think. You rationalize and you empathize. I like that.”

Sally shrugged a bit, looking warmly over at Datura before she said finally: “Well... you're the only person I ever argue with like this, you know. Don't usually have a whole lot of murderers out on the family farm.”

“I could say something really offensive right now, but I won't.” Datura said mildly, and Sally gave him a dry look before the stallion frowned a bit, becoming serious as he muttered: “Look ahead.”

Sally followed his gaze... and then her eyes widened slightly in surprise as she saw two bruised and battered ponies being slowly escorted down the line. They were shivering and limping, surrounded by four impassive, uniformed stallions, and Sally recognized the two all too well: Dirk and Sock, the Crossworlders who had been trying to lead them into an ambush.

Datura swore under his breath, then he looked over his shoulder at Sally, muttering: “Stay beside me. Step backwards a bit so the first thing they see is your cutie mark, hide your face behind me. We might just get lucky.”

The Crossworlders were obviously being forced to inspect the lines... but they both looked exhausted and miserable, and neither was paying all that much attention to the ponies, looking more as if they were just running through the motions with no hope of escape. Every now and then they would stop and stare at some pony, but it seemed more so they could have an excuse to rest their obviously-aching bodies more than anything else.

Datura did his best to swallow his anxiety as Sock and Dirk moved down the line: part of him was stupidly worried about being caught himself, even with all the trouble they had gone through to hide him from sight. But he never worried – and rarely cared – about other people screwing up. When things happened, there was always that unreasonable monster guilt, clawing into him and telling him all the things he had done wrong and...

The stallion made himself look straight ahead even as Sock and Dirk started to pass, before the two Crossworlders halted, staring at them. Beside him, Sally stiffened up, her ears laying back as she pressed her head against the stallion's side, her flanks shivering a bit as she clenched her eyes shut... but then Dirk mumbled: “None of them are here. Can we please just sleep?”

“Yeah, this... this is pointless.” complained Sock... and then both Crossworlders yelped as they were seized by the back of the necks and forcefully yanked around in circles, swearing and cursing as they were half-pulled back up along the line by the Canon Camp troops.

Datura sighed in relief as Sally groaned and closed her eyes. She blushed after a moment as she realized she still had her head buried against the stallion's side, and then she quickly pulled her head back, clearing her throat and wiping absently at her face... before paling and staring in disbelief as she saw that she'd just accidentally rubbed off a large swathe of orange paint from the stallion's side.

Datura looked back at her... then his mouth fell agape as he saw that almost half of Sally's face had turned orange. And then his eyes widened further in horror as his eyes flicked towards his side before he hissed through his teeth, knowing that he only had a few seconds to act: any moment, somepony was going to point them out.

He closed his eyes tightly, gritting his teeth, visualizing the yard around them in his mind: it was a faded image, with blurs of shape and color, but the uniformed soldiers were all clearly marked by red swatches of color and the rest of the ponies listless grays... except for Sally, who was a gold dot in his mental calculation.

There were three soldiers to the left: in all likelihood, the middle Canon Camp trooper would notice them first, if he hadn't already. He would give a warning, and the soldiers would converge after only a few seconds, especially because he knew Sally's instinct would be to bolt. But she would be immediately cut off by the Canon Camp officers who were currently escorting Dirk and Sock: two of them would restrain the Crossworlders while the other two would make a rush.

At least sixteen soldiers posed an immediate threat to them. Datura knew he couldn't protect Sally and fight his way through the line at the same time. Logically, however, the best thing he could do was sacrifice Sally: he could drive her into insanity or frenzy with a single spell, with how much she trusted him, and then rush for the exit while terrorizing every pony on the way to start a riot that would keep Canon Camp busy. Sally would probably die, but then she'd just go home, precisely what she wanted.

But that felt... wrong. It felt like he would be betraying her, and he didn't want to do that. So after a moment, Datura's eyes snapped open as he realized grimly that left him with one unpleasant option that all the same felt like the best possible choice at the moment.

The stallion's foreleg reached sharply out and seized Sally around the neck before he yanked her up against his side, and the Pegasus Avatar yelped before gagging as the stallion started to choke her. She struggled, grinding her face against his side as she gave a frightened, gasping whinny, her wings flapping and her body uselessly shoving against his.

“Hey! Stop!” shouted a soldier, and Datura smiled grimly before he half-turned and flung Sally viciously at the Canon Camp trooper as he charged, adding a blast of telekinesis that made the Pegasus shriek before she smashed painfully into the soldier and knocked him sprawling with a gasp.

Then Datura half-spun as ponies began to panic and yell, a malicious miasma leaking out from behind his eyepatch as his horn glowed darkly before he snapped it forwards, and shock and fear and outrage became shrieking terror and violent frenzy as his magic ripped through their startled minds, twisting their vision, making their emotions go haywire... and their hysteria only drove the rest of the ponies around them into panic, even as Canon Camp troops stumbled and rushed towards Datura.

But as the crowd surged and stampeded in all directions, they almost formed a shield that Datura was able to rush behind, a twisted grin on his face as he zigzagged in the direction of the gates. As he'd expected, several soldiers had rushed to try and reinforce it, but there were too many ponies. And the moment some stupid unicorn sent up a wild flare of magic, Avatars began to lash out on instinct with their own wild powers.

A single Canon Camp soldier managed to push through the crowd, leaping towards Datura... before he screamed as he was impaled on the stallion's horn as the scarred unicorn refused to stop, the trooper flailing his limbs wildly before Datura unleashed an unfocused blast of telekinesis that launched the pony through the air in a bloody comet and made the raging and panicking ponies scream and shout and howl in abject terror.

Pegasi were zipping into the air, distracting the Canon Camp troops that had been stationed in hidden places on clouds above, their own Pegasi shooting down to try and force ponies back out of the sky... but some of the frenzied ponies turned on the soldiers, out of either desperation or rage. They grappled, grabbed at them in panic and howled for mercy or help, or outright tackled the troopers, punching and kicking at them viciously.

Blood-splattered Datura grinned as the panicking ponies slammed the guards back into the gates, which quaked and groaned before bending backwards as ponies began to scrabble up each other in panic to try and get over it. Bodies formed into a natural ramp that Datura was quick to take advantage of, his front hooves snapping apart into claws that grabbed carelessly into pony bodies, making them scream and shout as he leapt quickly up them before slinging himself forwards and diving over the fence.

He landed awkwardly, half-rolling and half-bouncing on his shoulder and face before he clawed his way back to his hooves, laughing loudly as he bolted away from the gate despite the bloody nose and bruises he had given himself. Canon Camp troops shouted after him, but only two Pegasi gave chase... but a moment later, the sound of the gate being forcibly battered down and the screams of ponies being trampled brought them hurrying back to try and help as much as they could.

In the panic, Sally had stumbled to her hooves and was charging back and forth on instinct, her heart thudding like a drum in her chest, her eyes rolling in wild fear. She tripped and rolled through the dirt, then leapt back up to her hooves and bolted in terror away from whatever she'd tripped over, frightened whinnies escaping her jaws as her ears pinned back and her eyes darted everywhere at once, before all her attention turned to the stampede of her fellow equines as they bolted out to the safety of the open road past the broken-down gate.

She didn't think, she only acted, charging forwards before her wings spread automatically, flapping hard several times before she leapt into the air, continuing to gallop through the sky as her wings flapped hard, the mare streaking over the heads of most of the panicked ponies before she dropped to the road near the head of the herd, muscling her way between the other ponies as she whinnied fearfully again, cramming herself into the place her instincts told her was safest.

For a few minutes, the stampede ran on before it started to thin slowly out, and Sally trembled as she felt herself becoming lucid, even if she was still terrified out of her mind. Her eyes darted back and forth as her whole body shook with adrenaline and fear, and then she suddenly yelped as she realized she was packed in with a whole group of strangers, leaping up to the air and flapping her wings wildly to shoot out of the crowd.

She zigzagged back and forth through the sky, zipping down the road before she dropped to the ground and gasped in pain, stumbling to the side of the road and clutching at her side as her wing spasmed painfully. She looked at the dirty, damaged feathers, and she grimaced a bit as she remembered Splinthoof's advice... before she bared her teeth and glared down the road as she thought about another stupid stallion who she had been stupid enough to trust.

But she was finally starting to calm down now, even as a few last terrified ponies bolted by: only the most anxious and frightened ponies were still running, though, and Sally couldn't see a single pursuer from Canon Camp when she looked uneasily down the road: just lots of ponies strewn along the dirt highway, catching their breath and gathering themselves and just walking, here and there. And after a moment, she couldn't help but laugh weakly in spite of the fact she was still feeling sore and frustrated and her body was jittery with fear: they had made it through the checkpoint, at least.

After a few minutes, Sally forced herself to turn her attention forwards, breathing quietly as she trudged slowly down the road. She walked with her head lowered, feeling herself gradually steadying as she just kept her attention on her front hooves, feeling every flex and shift of her body and taking a strange comfort in it.

It was almost twenty minutes before her ears twitched and her nostrils flared. She scowled a little at the ground even as her upper lip curled back and she inhaled again, confirming what she already knew: he smelled like metal and blood and soil, with a sprinkling of sweat for good measure. He always smelled like he needed a bath.

Sally's eyes moodily flicked towards the side of the road, where she saw Datura simply sitting, smiling pleasantly at her, a bit of dried blood still visible over his face and body. Most of the orange had been rubbed clean from his form, and purple was starting to show through in his mane and tail.

She glared at him, and he continued to look back at her with an uncomfortable amount of cheer before he said easily: “I don't think I even killed anyone. That's a new record for me.”

Sally looked at the stallion for a few moments, and then she strode up to him and simply punched him across the jaw with a firm right hook, Datura's head twisting to the side as spittle flew from his surprised muzzle. He swayed a little, then slowly fell on his side with a thump, and Sally groaned as she reached up and rubbed slowly at her face, shaking her other hoof out as the stallion settled himself on the ground and propped his head up with one hoof, smiling up at her pleasantly. “Foreplay?”

“God dang it.” Sally muttered, and then she sighed and reached down to shove a hoof against Datura's face, pinning him by the head into the ground as she glowered at him... and the worst part was that even if she was still pissed as hell at him... she was glad to see him, and she was... oh, she didn't know. Amused by him? Relieved? Comforted, in some weird, masochistic way?

She drew her hoof off his head, and the two looked at each other for a moment before Datura suddenly, impulsively reached up and grabbed her, then yanked her down and rolled with her, Sally yelping before she swore and automatically twisted her body with him, making him wince before she ended up on top of the scarred stallion, pinning him to the ground and glaring down at him as Datura looked up at her with surprise... and then he laughed.

Sally scowled at him, then huffed a bit, trying to pull away... but he caught her by one foreleg as his other claw remained on her side, looking up at her with a smile. They studied each other for a few moments, and then Sally sighed a little and blushed a bit, lowering her head and muttering: “You're an ass.”

“Yeah. I am.” Datura said softly, and they looked at each other for several seconds longer before the stallion pulled her gently down against his chest, embracing her tightly and mumbling: “I'm sorry I didn't warn you. But I didn't want to take the risk. I'm... I'm glad you're okay.”

Sally blushed a bit against the stallion, feeling surprised and... and safe. His claws dug a little into her back, his embrace was tight, their bodies pressed together in a way that was uncomfortable... and at the same time, she felt secure here, and she didn't want to move.

They stayed together for a few long moments, and then Sally finally shifted and Datura allowed her to slide away. They looked at each other curiously, and then Datura smiled briefly as he sat up, rubbing the back of his head as he mumbled: “Sorry.”

“Don't be. You're just... a jerk.” Sally said finally, studying him quietly for a few moments... and then she gave a small smile, reaching out to silently touch his claw. She looked at him, and he looked back before she asked hesitantly: “Friends?”

“Hell no.” Datura said sulkily, looking away, and Sally smiled amusedly at him as the scarred stallion quietly reached up and took her hoof, giving it a gentle squeeze for a moment. She felt her intangible fingers intertwine silently with his claws, and Datura glanced at her... then he sighed a little before dropping his head and murmuring: “Fine. We're... partial acquaintances. Friend... that word has a lot of meaning to me. If I call you a friend...”

He stopped, then cleared his throat before saying grumpily as he pulled his claw away: “And if you want to get laid, why don't you go annoy Splinthoof? He seems to have a thing for you.”

“Yeah, I'll put that right at the top of my to-do list. And that'd be... too weird, anyway. Besides, he reminds me too much of one of my brothers. And honestly, I... I don't want a quick romance. I want to find... real love, one day.” Sally shrugged a bit, then smiled a bit as she looked at Datura's claw, watching the way he flexed and opened it uncertainly. “Have you... well, have you ever been in love?”

Datura closed his claw into a hoof, flexing it slowly before he lowered his head. And there was silence for the longest time before he closed his eyes and answered simply: “Yes.”

“I... I didn't mean to bring up... I'm sorry.” Sally said quietly, realizing how thoughtless the question was, with Angel so recently gone and the fact that... Datura had been here a century, and she really didn't know how much of that time had been spent with Angel. But it had sounded like decades... decades. Whether she had been a Figment or not... “Angel is...”

“No, no. No... it's fine. And yes, I cared... very deeply for Angel. But I was thinking of... someone else.” Datura murmured, reaching up and touching his breast before he smiled faintly, glancing over at her, his eyes clouded... but at the same time, more lucid than she'd ever seen. There was no madness, no moodiness... just calm, and remembrance. “And not the angels in Heaven above, nor the demons down under the sea... could ever dissever my soul from the soul of the beautiful... Annabel Lee.”

Sally tilted her head, and Datura chuckled before shaking his head, murmuring: “Old romance poet who everyone thinks is a horror poet. Annabel Lee is my favorite poem: it always makes me think of...” He stopped, then cleared his throat before saying finally: “I doubt I quoted it right, anyway. Look, help me get this crap off my body and we'll find something to do until Splinthoof gets here. But if you keep jumping on me, you know that-”

“Oh shut up.” Sally said crankily, and Datura gave her an entertained look... but she thought there was thankfulness in his eye, too. A gratitude that she felt herself, for this strange new friend in this strange new world she had become a part of...

She just hoped that they wouldn't have to part ways too soon.