A moment passed, and then another, as Flight and Scootaloo sped along the hallway, not looking back. If Scootaloo didn't know any better, she would've sworn that the air around them was getting hotter and hotter.

"We're there. It's on the left. Tell Flight to stop and duck down, and then crawl into the passage."

"Right," Scootaloo wheezed, for even she was starting to lose her breath. "Um... Flight, we're here," she said, skidding to a stop on the metal grating. "It's... on the left there... just duck down and you'll—"

"Yeah, I see it," Flight grumbled, slowing her hooves to a stop. Scootaloo watched as the filly crouched down and squeezed her way into a break in the pipes, one which Scootaloo likely wouldn't have even seen had Flight not found it for her. "This... isn't... as easy at it looks," came Flight's tense voice, muffled.

"It doesn't even look easy," Scootaloo murmured. She turned her head to look down the hallway, and let out a relieved sigh when there was nopony in sight. Looking back, she saw Flight's hooves disappear into whatever small passage lay within—so obviously there was enough space to fit inside.

Taking another breath, Scootaloo crouched down and got a better look at the cavity between the pipes. It was small, and Flight looked extremely cramped as she hoofed her way forward, nearly flattened to the ground by how low the "ceiling" of the thing was (if you could even call it a ceiling). Scootaloo gulped and then, once there was enough space so that her face wouldn't be jammed right into Flight's tail, she dove right in.

Immediately, she could taste the warm, stale air—dry, and irritating on her eyes. She shut them, pushing herself forward blindly so she could get her hooves out of the hallway. She wasn't nearly halfway in when she started to hear the thundering of hooves even clearer outside, and voices—loud voices—shouting.

"I think I see Scootaloo!" Dessic called. "Up there!"

"Yeah, I see her!" replied one of the other guards in a booming voice. "I think she's getting away!"

"...You think?! Quick, before she gets away into there! We'll never get into the pipes!"

Hyperventilating, Scootaloo nudged her way forward as quickly as she could, rapidly pushing her hooves along the sheer metal walls of what seemed to be a duct she was in.