We travelled away from my intended direction, which annoyed me, more distance to travel.

“If I’m let go.” I thought grimly.

We headed Southeast, East of the frozen forest I’d just escaped. I expected to re-enter the same forest with the frozen ground and living trees but I was wrong. When we entered the forest it appeared slightly normal, the air was warm, no snow on the ground and the trees were normal. How was this place in the badlands it seemed so normal? Oh wait now I know, it’d because the trees were damn enormous! They could probably cast a shadow over Canterlot should they have grown next to it, but despite that it was strangely beautiful, this area of the forest. No flowers just grass and trees but it reminded me of forests I’d passed through on my travels. I started feeling homesick for normal Equestria (Well its roads are my home, not the badlands).

Ruby continued to support me even when I was beginning to feel lightheaded.

“Hay Bolt, take a look,” Ruby whispered I managed to force my head up and blinked refocusing my sight.

“Whoa.” I whispered.

Lamias certainly didn’t have the recourses to make another Canterlot, plus it’d probably stick out, but what they had made was still amazing. Like Canterlot it was built using the land itself around it, so the city was literally in the trees. Various tree houses that seemed to act as homes with rope bridge connections. The only connection to the ground was a ramp, it was about two wagons wide, which is generally quite small but here I guess it was large... or maybe it wasn’t built for transportation in mind, my wagon was probably the first to ever go up to this lamia city (Wow what a honour, can you tell I’m being sarcastic?). It climbed so high I imagined a non-Pegasus pony falling and becoming a smear on the ground below.

The ramp up was actually walled off, giant logs carved into spikes (Some with blood dripping down, inviting) formed a large square, lamias patrolled along the top of the walls, with various native weapons. Spears, bows, crossbows and shields, most looked homemade but I saw one lamia with a golden shield with a familiar golden coat of arms.

“Is that a Royal guard shield?” I mumbled looking at the Canterlot banner on the kite shield the lamia swordsmare held in front of her.

Ruby nodded grimly but said nothing, no need for words, I understood. The corners of the log walls rose up into watch towers with three guards on each tower

“Impressive.” I mumbled.

“Glad you think so, let us hope you keep yourself from facing the wrong end of our weaponry.” The Queen said.

I looked amount the ranks of lamias and finally noticed another detail.

“They’re all mares,” I didn’t see a single stallion amongst their ranks, I turned to Ruby.

“Where are all the stallions?” I asked softly Ruby suddenly looked slightly embarrassed.

“Well Bolt you see...” She began nervously, but the Queen cut her off.

“She hasn’t told you?” The Queen asked grinning “Lamias are an entirely female race now, not a single stallion can be born with a tail, since when we have a child it is always the same gender as the lamia, and all the male lamias have long since disappeared and died out, as far as we know, or at least, here where we live... This means we have to capture regular pony stallions to... repopulate.” I felt my face burn, uh oh this can’t be good.

“Don’t panic there are other stallions like the Queen said earlier,” Ruby whispered “You won’t be used... for that.” Ruby tried to smile but I could tell she was uncertain, as was my fate in this city.

We stopped outside the log walls, two doors had been fitted on the front and they started to slowly open, when I could see inside I noticed two lamias on either side turning something that looked like a ship wheel anti-clockwise to open the door. We walked through (Well I did) and when the wagon, which was at the very back of the group, passed through the lamias began spinning the ship wheels clockwise. The gates closed with an ominous bang.

“How do you intend to keep me here, if I can just fly away?” I asked Ruby shook her head but the Queen chuckled glancing at Ruby.

“Oh we won’t remove his wings, no we have something else keeping him grounded,” Ruby looked worried then confused as the Queen held her chin up with one hoof “You’ll keep him here... You’ll see.” She said before continuing on.

We reached a level point that was built like a crossroad and Midnight was told to give the wagon to another guard who the Queen spoke to quietly. Me, Ruby, Midnight, the Queen and her guards continued on forward whilst Midnight’s friends were sent away.

“We’re heading right for the Queen’s palace.” Ruby said nodding to the largest and grandest home built, it spanned between three trees and was several stories high with towers, like a little fortress, and a large python head above the doors watched me as I ascended.

“I don’t like this.” I mumbled, getting the creepy feeling the python had just winked at me.

“Me neither.” Ruby whispered gripping my right hoof tighter.

“Don’t break my other hoof Ruby, please.” I whispered managing a smile which she half-heartedly returned.

The palace doors opened inwardly by two guards, in similar armour as the pair flanking the Queen, I gasped looking at the palace interior. It was huge! A solid oak table spanned from one end to the other end of the room, with large pillows that could have been used to seat an entire class, with plenty of spare room, a stacked pile of pillows sat at the end of the hall and there were a few small piles on the sides closest to the fluffy thrown. The Queen slid to the large pile at the end of the room and laid her tail over the pillows getting comfortable, her guards stood either side of her, spears planted like flags and they just looked straight ahead as if they were statues. A minute later the table was carried away by several Earth lamias (They had no horn or wings so I assume they were Earth ponies on top). Two pillows were pulled to the base of the ‘throne’ and the Queen gestured for us to sit.

“You with Ruby, little stallion.” The Queen said grinning. Ruby spread her tail out and I climbed on top, Ruby holding my hoof up so it was less painful and not being rested upon.

Midnight sat besides us head cast down.

“So we’ll start with the issue of the stallion, since I doubt leaving his untreated hoof for so long has been good for him. He, unfortunately, as present company can see, is a Pegasi able to fly wherever he pleases. Whilst we have prepared for the situation, approving to have Pegasi wings... removed,” I didn’t like the sound of that “And that will happen if you do anything wrong, it wouldn’t however improve how you are, given your current injury... Plus bloody stumps would look very unappealing and your flight might be helpful, so...” The Queen smirked “I’m offering you the choice, you can stay with a lamia of my choice and keep your wings, so long as you don’t attempt to escape from your new ‘owners’ or you can turn and try to flee and when we catch you we’ll rip your wings off and assign you a home anyway... So I’d pick the first option if I was you.” The Queen said I glanced at Ruby.

“W-who would I be staying with?” I asked softly the Queen smirked.

“Well Ruby, obviously, since it seems you’re willing to protect her I’d imagine you wouldn’t mind living with her rather than a different Lamia. But in actual fact you’d be residing in her mother’s home since Ruby currently has no place of her own, until she fights that is,” The Queen raised an eyebrow “Do you agree to these terms?” She asked.

“I’ll reside with Ruby and her family whilst present in your Kingdom.” I whispered.

“You speak as if you believe you’ll leave someday.” The Queen said.

“...I’m a slave aren’t I.” I whispered the Queen pondered this.

“Tell you what we’ll make a wager,” The Queen grinned and I glanced at Ruby who shrugged “Should Ruby fight and win within the arena I will give both of you permission to travel outside the Kingdom at your own risk, but you must return once a month, should Ruby lose...” The Queen grinned “Six hours,” she whispered.

“What?” I asked the Queen’s grin widened

“Me and you in a room for six hours, you don’t resist anything I do, agree?” I glanced at Ruby who looked worried.

“Are we okay to think it over?” I asked the Queen shook her head.

“Should Ruby enter the arena those are the stakes, she is a citizen but may not have her own home and has the curfew upon her still, if you wish to try though let me know.” The Queen clapped her hooves “You may leave, I have to speak to Midnight now about her... punishment.” We left without a word.

Ruby led me back down from the palace and turned right (left from where we got up from the entrance) I tried to keep track of the ways we were going but it was like a maze... then again every new town was like that and I generally quite enjoyed exploring, but this place didn’t have the same appeal as, say, Canterlot. We eventually reached a house slightly larger and with a second story unlike the majority we’d passed. I’d received quite a few weird and seductive looks from other lamias and Ruby had got a bit of muttering which she’d responded to by saying.

“Just ignore them, don’t look at them either!” Though she said it through gritted teeth.

Ruby glanced at me then looked beside the house on the pathway. The bridges were about the size of my wagon and a half, so enough room to take it through and sure enough there it was, parked up next to Ruby’s house.

“My mum knows I’m coming.” Ruby whispered and silently led the way inside.

Ruby pushed open the door and within a second a unicorn mare with the same white fur and tail, with bright blond hair in a much neater fashion than Ruby’s but same length and a yellow belly, tackled her hugging her and began to sob. The mare pulled back and frowned tears still running down her cheeks turning her purple eyes bloodshot.

“Don’t you ever run away again young missy,” she broke into sobs again “Oh I was so worried when I found out you’d gone, the guard told me Midnight attacked you! Hope she gets a good punishment,” The mare turned to me and smiled warmly before hugging me much to my confusion. She pulled back smiling “You protected my daughter at the risk of your own health... Thank you.” She whispered.

Ruby managed to break in when, I assume, her mum began speaking to me.

“Actually mum (Yep called it) he did risk his health, as you can probably see Midnight broke his leg and...” Ruby’s mum held up a hoof.

“No more,” she turned to me nodding inside “I’ll get my supplies, come on.” She said. I noticed her cutie mark was two blue snakes in the shape of a medical cross, I hoped she knew how to heal more than snakes though.

Ruby’s mother had us go through the main hallway, into a door on the left, past a little kitchen (That looked too normal considering the environment) and into what looked like a small spare room with a wooden medical table and a large locked log wardrobe.

“Lie down on your back,” Ruby’s mum said picking up the lock with her hoof and touching her horn to it causing it to click open. She returned with several supplies.

“Ruby keep him pinned down, Bolt don’t thrash or struggle it’ll just make it take longer.” She said calmly.

“Wait aren’t you going to give me morphine or something so I don’t feel the pain?” Ruby and her mum shared a glance with each other “You don’t have morphine do you.” I said softly Ruby’s mum shook her head as Ruby coiled her tail around me looking at my face.

“Would hypnosis be an alternate, mum?” she asked as Ruby’s mum’s hooves hovered over my bad leg.

“You know it could... I have only ever treated lamias since...” She paused looking at me sadly “Slaves, no other way to call them sadly, generally don’t survive any injuries they get here... You’re the first full pony I’ll have treated,” Very reassuring, she must have noticed my face “We’re still half pony and we have to treat that half sometimes, it’s not that different. Just be thankful it’s your front hoof, I’ve fixed several before. Anyway, Ruby if you would like too.” Ruby nodded tilting my head to look at her.

“Just relax Bolt we’ll wake you when it’s over.” She whispered her eyes lighting up into colourful spirals.

I tried not to resist but I think it’s more a subconscious thing, that or I was self-consciously still afraid to give up control. Ruby flexed her tail which felt strangely relaxing and my want to stop feeling the pain in my leg helped. Soon my mind emptied leaving a blank blissful feeling across my whole body, I smiled faintly. The hypnosis sadly did nothing for the pain but the colours helped me ignore it and they’d make the pain better.

“Bolt, go to sleep, the pain will be gone when you wake up I promise.” Ruby whispered I nodded slightly and laid my head down against her tail, drifting off to sleep.

“You certainly are a cute pair.” Ruby’s mum commented before I fell asleep.

I was kept asleep by the hypnosis but had no idea why it didn’t keep my mind blank, perhaps it was focusing on not letting me feel pain and to keep sleeping, because I ended up having a nightmare. Midnight grinned pressing her nose against mine, she smelt of blood and her tail was looped behind my head with the rough, sandpaper like, feel pressing in.

“I’m going to completely shatter this hoof,” she said tapping my broken hoof, it burned but I remained asleep.

Since when could you sleep and feel pain I thought that was a rule, wake up after pain! Midnight tapped my other front hoof

“Then, I think I’ll break this one from your very body,” Midnight grinned taking hold of my hoof, she began to fade weird mist moving over her body “Then I’ll move onto...” Midnight’s voice faded along with her.

I… Well I suppose I floated, there was no physical ground, walls or ceilings but there was no sense of free falling. Midnight had just disappeared and left darkness, then I felt a tinge of warmth spread across my body, as if somepony had lit a fire. The warmth spread across my body and then colours appeared, bright multi coloured spirals all around me. All the pain, worries and fear just disappeared like Midnight. I smiled and drifted through a blissful empty dream.

My eyes fluttered open as I was shaken awake.

“Bolt, Bolt wake up… Rise and shine.” A voice said.

I blinked clearing my vision and glanced around from the bed I was lying on, it was a plain white master bed. It wasn’t my old bed because it was even larger than mine as if a giant used it.

“Well good morning sleepy head… How’re you feeling?” I looked towards the voice, leaning against the side of the bed was Ruby, smiling faintly at me, her purple eyes showing genuine worry.

I accessed the situation, as best I could in my groggy state. No pain but I couldn’t bend my right hoof, I looked down at it and noticed it sitting atop my chest in a thick cast.

“It’s not hurting… But it feels strange… Like it has fallen asleep.” I said slowly.

“That’d be the black ringed rose then,” Ruby said I looked at her concerned I’d been given a poison “It’s the closest thing to morphine we have, grounded up and added to water we made you drink it. Then directed it to your leg… it might spread to other places so warn me if you feel lightheaded at all today because it means you might collapse.” Ruby smiled nervously.

“What kind of flowers grow here?” I asked rubbing my eyes with one hoof and rolling over and climbing out of bed.

“Unique ones… Anyway follow me we’re going to have tea… I haven’t had that here for a while.” Ruby muttered the last part to herself.

I followed her through the house, which was awkward using three hooves, my broken leg was being kept held up by a sling Ruby had forced on me. The room I had slept in was on the second floor to the very back left, we headed down the hallway then down a slope (I guess lamias just don’t like stairs). We ended up at the end of the hallway on the first floor.

“Wait… that doesn’t make sense the second floor is further back?” I mumbled to myself.

“It’s built into the tree using its branches as support… we had to build the second floor overhanging since the stronger branches were further away for the second floor so the building has an overhang on the outside.” Ruby explained.

“What’s under the overhang?” I asked.

“The road, offers nice shade during summer.” Ruby said smiling slightly.

We didn’t head into the kitchen, instead we turned left and ended up in a brightly coloured room with a large fluffy rug taking up the majority of the room, with a small bookshelf and a pile of pillows in the other corner.

“What’s this room?” I asked.

“Living room, but it’s where we eat mostly, since well,” Ruby shifted her tail and smiled sheepishly “We’re not really very good at sitting around tiny tables… We tend to break them a lot, the Queen has hers for intimidation purposes, I think, or maybe to show off how graceful she is, that she can sit and not break everything around her.” Ruby said curling on the rug and lying down staring up at me, I watched on nervously as her tail looped over itself, you’d think she’d tie herself in knots doing that.

“Here you are.” Ruby’s mum said joining us, levitating a selection of plates loaded with a brown meat.

“Is that deer?” I mumbled softly Ruby’s mum stared at me then blushed slightly.

“I’m sorry I forgot you’re a normal pony, we don’t have much for vegetarians I’m afraid we mostly eat meat. You’ll just have to get used to it.” I shrugged.

“No it’s just… it’s a funny colour.” I noted, it was bright green with hints of the cooked brown underneath.

“Well that’d be the seasoning turning it green… Wait… How do you know it’s a funny colour?” Ruby said as her mum levitated over the plates to us, placing mine in front of me as I sat beside Ruby on a spare patch of the rug (Which felt amazingly soft, like a water bed of fluff) and Ruby took her plate in her own red aura.

“Well… See I, erm… I may have had meat before.” I whispered as if this was a crime, technically it wasn’t because of griffins.

Ponies drank milk and ate and cooked with unfertile chickens eggs but meat… well we sometimes had fish we just never talked about it and the west side of Equestria sold it more openly than anywhere else because some griffins had taken up residence there, and they’re part bird so meat was part of their diet. Some ponies tried it to be polite… some took to it better than other, I was one of them I suppose.

“Well that’s surprising, most of the other ponies here don’t eat anything until they’re starving.” Ruby’s mum said sadly.

“You haven’t given me any cutlery,” I mumbled standing up “Where do you keep it?” I asked.

“Cutlery?” Both mares asked in union.

“Knives and forks.” I said.

“Oh we don’t have them, we generally eat meat whole.” Ruby said.

“Oh right… Half snake, hang on I’ll get some from my wagon.” Ruby stood up placing her plate down.

“It’s okay Bolt I’ll go, stay here you need to rest.” Ruby didn’t even wait for me to argue, so I returned to my spot on the rug.

I tried not to stare but, I couldn’t help but watch open mouth in awe as Ruby’s mum unhinged her jaw. She levitated the meat over her mouth and lowered it down, her mouth wrapping around the meat making it roll itself up. She forced her mouth to work around the meat, a lump slowly forming around her neck as the meat entered. Ruby’s mum closed her mouth around the meat and I watched it move slowly down her throat, she made several gulping sounds, the meat shifting with each one, until it disappeared into her pony half. I wondered where her stomach was, her pony half or her tail… Maybe both?

Ruby’s mum looked over at me and blushed.

“Sorry that must have looked disgusting to you.” She said.

“No it’s okay it was… Actually impressive.” I muttered still staring in wonder at where the meat had disappeared.

“You’re incredibly polite, Bolt… I can see why my daughter has fallen for you.” I blushed.

“Ma’am we aren’t…” but she cut me off.

“Oh, how rude of me, I haven’t told you my name. I’m Diamond Cross, but you can call me Diamond… Well until you have to call me mum.” That last comment hurt slightly and also made me blush.

“Diamond I’m… I’m not your daughter’s coltfriend or anything, we’re hardly even friends anymore after…” Diamond chuckled.

“Blind love, both ways. Adorable… Keep telling yourself you don’t, you’ll stop believing your lies eventually.” She whispered standing up as Ruby returned levitating a knife and fork

“I’m going to head out soon, be good… and don’t run off again” Diamond said half joking, half seriously.

I dug into the meat with the knife and fork, focusing in detail on the meat rather than Ruby eating the same way her mum had earlier. She watched me eat for a minute since she was much faster. It wasn’t bad really, it was actually quite minty from the seasoning but I could imagine a lot of other ponies would still be disgusted at what I was eating. I looked over at Ruby and she smiled faintly. I flapped my wings nervously.

“So… What do you do around here for fun?” I asked Ruby blinked and grinned leaning towards me.

“Well we sometimes cuddle up to regular ponies for warmth and show them the wonders of hypnosis.” She whispered.

“Please don’t Ruby, I don’t really feel comfortable with it.” I said looking down at the floor.

“What about yesterday? You seemed alright to go under then.” Ruby countered.

“T-That was different! I wasn’t thinking straight, I was in pain and…” I took a shaky breath “Please Ruby just… Just let me get settled in before we do hypnosis again.” Ruby nodded.

“Alright sure… Anyway, as for passing time how’s about I show you around town?” Ruby said I nodded and she smiled standing up and offering her hoof.

“It’s alright, I can walk on my own thank you.” I said politely, managing to climb up, Ruby chuckling “What’s so funny?”

“Oh? Just you acting all independent and tough, the wounded warrior. It’s kinda cute.” Ruby said making me blush.

We, Ruby and I, left the tree house, Ruby saying in a sing song voice.

“Going out mum, see you later.” She closed the door before Diamond could respond and she pushed me along “Come on before she drags us back inside!” Ruby said forcing me to speed up, despite the awkwardness of walking on three hooves.

Ruby had us rushing away from her home until it was out of sight, then she sighed.

“Sorry about that Bolt, but my mum wouldn’t want me out of the house again after... Well you know.” Ruby said sadly.

“It’s alright, how’s about you show me around now.” I said Ruby smiled and nodded.

For the most part Ruby simply pointed out houses and who lived there, there were a few interesting places, such as a hypnosis spa. The hypnosis was mostly for normal ponies and for lamias to relax in other various ways. Another was a large suspended pool, it spanned between four trees and it was like a very large bowl with a fence around the side, the lamias way of swimming was quite impressive, their tails spread out behind them in long glittering waves. Ruby eventually brought me to a public sky garden, it was amazing. Much like the pool it spanned several trees, with grass dug up. Several small plants of various colours grew as well as regular small oak trees with zebra coloured vines, polka-dot roses and various other strange planets.

“You should see it at night, loads of them glow and it’s like a light show.” Ruby whispered leading me through the garden.

I glanced over noticing another lamia, bright purple fur with a long blond mane, matching tail obviously, her cutie mark was a basket of exotic fruits, with her child, a bright pink filly with her mother’s blond mane, no cutie mark yet, who was currently stalking a bird very badly since the bird kept flying in circles around the lamia, and a stallion. He was dark brown with a bright red mane like autumn leaves and brown eyes that had a hint of defeat in them, his cutie mark was a bright red maple leaf. He didn’t look that bad really, he was clean, not injured like me, the stallion looked perfectly healthy. But you could see in his face the pure fear, he was watching the adult lamia wide eye and he flinched when she looked over, despite her warm smile.

“Are all the stallions here afraid of lamias?” I asked Ruby looked sad and the stallion glanced over at me and instantly noticed my leg, his eyes widened in surprise.

“I think so... After all they’ve been ripped from their homes and families and trapped here, it makes sense to be scared.” Ruby said.

“What’s he so surprised about?” I asked as the stallion stared at my cast.

“Remember, treatment for regular ponies is virtually non-existent so he must be surprised... Maybe they might get a bit of hope that we’re not evil.”

“Not all of you, at least.” I said.

“Midnight is an exception... She’s an arse!” Ruby giggled and I chuckled softly.

I didn’t realise but both the stallion and his lamia master were now staring at us, as was the little lamia, though she wasn’t staring in shock, she looked curious. She slid over towards me and her mother suddenly realised racing over to catch her.

“Peg!” The little lamia said pointing her hoof at me.

I assumed she meant Pegasus, not peg as in clothes peg. I smiled at the little lamia and she clapped her hooves as her mother reached her, followed by the stallion.

“Can I fly?” she asked I hesitated then smiled at her exited face.

“Sure hop on.” I said crouching down for her to climb on my back.

The stallion’s mouth hung open in surprise and the mother held her hooves over her mouth, with that twinkle mothers do whenever they’re proud of their kids (Maybe she didn’t talk much, or wasn’t brave, I didn’t ask) Ruby however wasn’t so sure.

“Bolt do you think it’s a good idea...”

“For me to fly? I broke my leg Ruby, not my wings.” I said as the little lamia wrapped her hooves around my neck leaning down into my neck, her tail wrapped around my chest, barely managing four small coils.

I pushed the lamia’s coils back and spread my wings, flapping them a few times to brace for the new weight. Pegasi can carry single regular pony passenger’s short distances but we aren’t flying solo taxis (As for the sky wagons, magic my friend, magic... Okay it’s a simple anti-gravity spell, but magic sounds cooler!).

I hovered slightly off the ground and the little lamia gasped, then I spiralled up into the air and soared up. It felt amazing to fly again, it had been a while and my travels left little time to enjoy the freedom of the sky and the feeling of the wind through my mane, like I was breaking some sort of plant that had begun to wrap its vines around me holding me down, it felt amazing. The little lamia giggled looking forward as I broke the top of the tree line. The view... From the top of the mountain it’s like a little painting but some things can’t be captured by anything but the eye, the real thing is always better than a memory or picture for it is clearer than you’d believe.

The leaves of the tree tops had little bits of water droplets on them from the passing clouds and the sun was reflecting off it like miniature little sparkling gems. The sand in the distance seemed to glow red and snow whipped around the tops of the mountains like mist. This was freedom, seeing Equestria from a Pegasus’s view is, in my opinion, the best way to see anything. But seeing this reminded me... Of what I’d also lost. But it was hard to dwell on that as the little foal gasped and looked around, and reached up touching a fluffy white cloud trying to grip the vapour, as Pegasi can.

“Thank you, mister.” She whispered gripping my neck again.

“You’re welcome, ready to head back down?” I asked the filly nodded and I slowly descended.

And it felt like the ground was ready to bind my hooves down again.

I touched down and the filly jumped into her mother’s hooves, giggling, and began telling her details about the open blue sky and the glittering tree tops. She looked so happy.

“Hay you okay?” Ruby whispered I looked at her sadly.

“Yeah, fine.” I managed.

“Finally come to grips with what you’ve lost?” I jumped at the stallion who had walked over to us. He stared at me frowning, as if I’d done something wrong.

“I can’t believe you humoured it.” The way he said ‘it’ as if the little lamia was some sort of twisted demons spawn.

“She’s just a child who’s curious.” I said the stallion shook his head.

“They grow up like their parents, into monsters, and then they’ll teach their kids to be monsters. It’s all they know, all they’ll ever know, nothing will change.” He sounded almost defeated as if he’d fought a long battle and couldn’t be bothered to raise a sword again.

The lamia mother, with her daughter in her front hooves, slid over to me and nodded politely.

“Thank you that was really nice of you.” She said I nodded smiling and the little lamia waved goodbye and I returned it with my good hoof. The stallion turned to follow the pair.

“You do best to remember what caused you to get that injury, and that they can all do that and worse.” He muttered glancing back.

“And it’d do you good to know that it was a lamia who helped me, don’t think they’re all monsters. Do not judge the majority upon the actions of few.” I retorted, he simply grunted, as if I would learn, and walked away.

“Thank you.” Ruby whispered.

“What for, you have no reason to thank me.” I said.

“You defended me, my mother and our race... T-the slaves here get to talk to each other a lot, I imagine he’ll grumble to his friends about it.” The way Ruby tried to avoid saying the word slaves was... Refreshing, to know she didn’t like to.

“Come on, suns going down should we head back?” I asked.

“No,” Ruby smiled faintly “Not yet, I have one last place to show, it’s best at sunset, follow me.” Ruby said crossing the park and heading up another ramp.

Author's Notes:

So I finally got Bolt treated, tis about time! We also have a cute filly Lamia moment and a sky view of the horizon! Hope you all enjoyed, feedback is always appreciated, and sorry for how long this took been slow on writing cause of Christmas. It's a busy time. Sorry will try to get more done soon, bare with me.