I shuffled over to the human. "Be still and be quiet. I'm going to try my hardest, but you have to stay still. If you get caught, it's all for nothing."

My eyes never left the panicked guard. She knew she was in trouble, and the crowd wasn't shy about reminding her why that was. They had been whipped up into a frenzy, and it wasn't about individual morals anymore, just a group desire for satisfaction.

I reached out with my magic, stretching it thinner and thinner. My horn began to throb along with the rest of my head as I reached out. It was stretched so thin that the glow it once made was basically invisible, which was to my benefit, but I wasn't thinking about that, just making it longer and longer. I was about halfway through the crowd when it felt like a rubber band pulled taut and I began to pant and wheeze in exhaustion.

The human seemed to notice my efforts and put a hand on my head, his fingers gently kneading the flesh. "You can do it," he whispered. "She's counting on you."

She was counting on me. I wasn't a backup plan. I wasn't an extra measure. I was the only way out for her. I'd either succeed, or she would be dead, another victim of this situation. I pushed further, bit by bit. They were preparing the hanging as I worked. They were tying the rope nice and tight as I started to reach her. They were potting the rope around her neck as I climbed around the same. I formed a loose band around her. This was going to hurt, I was sure of it, but I wouldn't let her die.

The mayor nodded when all was in readiness. "Does anyone have any words to say for the accused?" No pleasant words were offered, though some of them looked guilty, powerfully guilty. She did have friends, but unable or unwilling to battle the rest of the town, they just watched sadly instead of speaking up for her. I felt a little bad for them, but most of my focus was on that thin little thread of magic.

They hauled her up onto a tall stool and adjusted the rope to hang around her a little more tightly. "Do you have any words for yourself?"

She began to pray. She prayed for serenity for herself, and for forgiveness for those around her. She prayed for God to put everything to right, and that she would accept whatever came. Her prayers didn't sit right with the crowd, and the mayor could see it. She gave the signal, and the stool was kicked out from under her, and I blacked out.

It was only for a moment, but I thought I had failed it all. I woke up a moment later and grabbed at that threadbare bit of magic, barely keeping the band around her neck from dissolving. It pressed back against the tight rope, giving her barely enough room to breath, cushioning her just enough to not have her neck snap when she dropped. I felt like my entire head was in a blender with the effort, but there wasn't another way. I succeeded, or she died. I said a little prayer of my own, hoping she would be still and quiet. Thank whatever was watching over us, she did.

She hung there limply, appearing quite dead to the crowd. Hooves were far from ideal tools for checking the pulse of a hanging person, and no attempt was made. They left her there, hanging. "Justice has been done, now let's try to get some sleep. Guards, you're on double duty for the next week to make sure we're all safe from wild humans, the same that this former associate let free."

The guards grumbled, but seemed to understand, and the crowd began to disperse. It was late, or early, and people retreated into their homes, where some light could be found, and warmth, both things denied to the sentenced. She was soon abandoned in the dark, thought to be dead, or soon dead. Justice had been done, as far as they were concerned.

All I knew is that I was touching her. I worked a paper-thin shield around her as the ache grew worse and spread wider. Even my hooves were starting to tingle with the effort. One more trick... One more. I pulled sharply and she vanished into the void between places. My band vanished, as did my consciousness. I was told later, by the human, what happened.

I sank to the rooftop in a limp pile just as the guard appeared beside us. She gasped loudly and looked around in the dark. "Where am I? Am I dead?" She saw the light from the square and knew that wasn't the case, then she saw the human and frowned. "What... happened?"

He tried to placate her gently with raised hands. "We saved you, that's what happened."

She wasn't entirely grateful. "If you hadn't broke out, I wouldn't have needed saving! You... You cost me everything... I should just scream!"

He shook his head quickly. "They'll catch both of us, and we'll both hang, and he won't be able to save us." He gestured at my sleeping and collapsed form. "He hurt himself getting you out of there. He could have just left, but he didn't. He had to save you."

She hadn't even noticed me until then. "He did it?" She sank to the rooftop and sighed. She didn't know what to do, but she didn't scream.

I woke up. I ached, but I didn't feel stretched out like an abused taffy anymore. I climbed up to my haunches and saw her. "You're alive..."

She quirked a little smile. "I am... I'm told I have you to thank for that?"

I nodded quickly. "I'm so sorry you were blamed! Really, that was awful! I just wanted to save him." I pointed at the human. "He didn't do it, honest. He's innocent of everything but being a loving uncle."

She raised a brow. "Uncle? Of who?"

He made a faroff gesture. "The girl you sold off the moment her owner was dead. She's my niece."

This only confused the mare, but she waved her hooves. "Nevermind any of that right now. I..." She clenched her jaw, likely working out that she had no home. "What's next?"

I got to my hooves, wobbling but upright. "Next is we go to my friends. We can get you both out of the state, then we have our own business."

The guard looked down at the new guards roaming the city before she sighed. "They were my friends..."

One of them noticed the dangling noose, and things begin to get excited quickly. That seemed to decide it for the guard mare. She nodded at me. "Let's go."

I moved between her and the human, and we vanished, only to appear beside the others. I aimed for the bush nearby, and that's where we landed, putting the refugees out of direct view of the outside guard. "We're back!" I whispered to the others. "We really should go."

Dust Kicker scrambled to her hooves and rushed over, but came to an abrupt and skidding halt when she saw another pony. "Who are you?"

She rose up to poke her head free of the bush. "I was a guard... not so much anymore. My name's Even Faith, and I hope to keep that true, no matter how mad everything else gets."

Lizzie dashed across the clearing and dived into the bushes, hugging her badly-battered uncle. They held each other gratefully, and I felt it was all worth the effort.

Will softly pat me on the shoulder. "You did a good job tonight. You have to tell us all about it, after we leave. I get the feeling staying would be a bad idea."

I leaned up, and got dizzy. All that magic had been rougher on me than I thought it had been, and I was already pretty sure it was really hard. I collapsed into her grasp and wouldn't wake up until morning.

While Will pet me, Lizzie got scolded by her uncle. "You shouldn't have done that. Telling her no was enough."

She frowned angrily. "She wasn't taking 'no' for an answer. 'You're just a little girl, you don't understand things!' she said. She got it in her head that I didn't know what was best for me and she was going to do it anyway." She squeezed her uncle tightly. "I'm just happy you're alright. That was crazy brave of you to do that."

He cracked a smile and chuckled. "What, I was going to let my girl get axed by a bunch of furry haters? I think not. I'd sooner rot away in a stockade. Speaking of which, I don't suppose you saved any food? I'm starving."

Some of the rations were surrendered to get his strength up while Neon sat across from the guard. "So, what was that name?"

"Even Faith," she said. "I prayed to get through the change without losing myself, and it worked. I... I was part of the first few. Hardly anyone remembers, but I'm the reason this town exists at all."

Neon raised a brow. "Is that so? Why aren't you the mayor instead?"

Even sighed. "I didn't want any of that, never did. I didn't do it to get a fancy position or anything. I just wanted to help my neighbors out. It seemed like the right thing to do, and... now this. They hate me, and I didn't even do anything wrong."

Dust shoved a hoof in front of Neon. "Stop whatever you were about to say." She looked to Even and smiled gently. "People make mistakes. Don't be too angry with them, won't help anything. We'll get you to a new home."

Even frowned a little. "It's easy to say that... I had friends, real friends. Lifelong practically. I'm going to miss them all so much, even if they weren't brave enough to do something... when I needed it." She let out a slow sigh. "I suppose that was their test of faith. I'll go where you take me, and try not to be in the way."

Sandra shook her head. "I mean it's a nice idea and all, but we can't head straight back. Our job is to diffuse that." She pointed to Lizzie and her uncle. "Humans deserve the same rights as everyone else. We taught that to South America, and now we're here in New York. We're better together, working for a common goal. Neither side has to be ruling the other. We're all humans under it all."

Even's ears began to tremble. "All... humans... Oh. Oh God... I was human... How did I forget that? I remember changing, but I didn't remember what I was before that!" She hopped to her hooves and spun on Lizzie's family. "I'm so sorry! We've been absolutely awful to..." She shook her head furiously. "To... It's so close! I can almost... I can almost remember my human name. Can you help me?"

William nodded slowly. "Are you sure you want it? Knowing can be very painful at times." She nodded and Will set me down gently before pulling her in. He did whatever princess magic lets him clear the fog away. It only worked so well on me, but she wasn't feral by a long shot.

She went misty-eyed and trembled. "L-Lizzie... I..."

Lizzie looked over at Even Faith, confused.

Even broke into loud sobs and buried her face into Will. "I abandoned her! She's my daughter!"

Lizzie looked confused. "You're not mom. She became a pegasus. Me and dad ran away.

Even shook her head quickly. "That was me! I'm... I'm your dad..."

Author's Notes:

We're all related, and the typos bind us together.

Did she feel some kinship with Lizzie's uncle that she couldn't explain to herself?