Emerald then tugs his foreleg out of her firm grip and fires another magic missile at Praelia. This time however it doesn't seem to have much of an effect. It strikes her in the side of one of the legs holding the crossbow, causing her shot to fire very far off it's mark, high and to the left of Joyride.
Praelia swears again and charges angrily at Emerald.
"That's the last time you cast spells on me, little man!"
Emerald fumbles for the knife around his backleg, but before he can get it out Prealia has closed the distance. Much to Emerald's surprise she doesn't throw a punch at him. The last thing Emerald sees before he is knocked unconscious is the crossbow being swung heavily at him.
—-
"-erald? Emerald! Are you okay?" the colt hears Hope say.
Emerald sits up, and then holds the side of his aching head, which has been bandaged. The colt looks around to see that he is laying on a couch in Joyride's house. Emerald asks what happened.
"That…" Hope seems to struggle angrily with her words, and then says, " That woman hit you so hard with the crossbow that you went flying a few feet. I thought for sure you were dead. But after she knocked you out she turned back to the fight. I picked you up and ran towards where you had pointed Joyride's house was as fast as I could."
Emerald says he has to get back out there, and gets woozily to his hooves, but just as he does the door flies open and them quickly back shut again as a familiar face enters the domicile.
It's Joyride, and she looks to be a bit of a mess. Her clothes are torn and dirty, and she is sporting a pretty big black eye.
"Whew!" She then looks around while catching her breath and says, "Where's Ruby?"
——
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