//------------------------------// // Chapter 2 // Story: Left Behind // by Hybridnecros //------------------------------// I would like to think that I know myself pretty well. I mean that in a non-double entendre type of way, of course. I know myself in that way too, cause yeah, I am a hormone-filled meat sack that is the average, early 20 year-old, single, human male, with a stable Internet connection. But what I’m actually talking about is the way I tend to act when faced with certain situations or circumstances. Therefore, whenever I know that something is probably happen in the future, I plan out accordingly to make Future me respond in a way that is beneficial to us both. Often times, it works out pretty well. By that, I mean that somehow Future me ends up haphazardly following what plan I had, complaining all the while, and eventually ends up where I need to be with a few nicks and scratches as souvenirs. When it boils down to it, almost every conscious decision in my life is based off of three simple, somewhat contradictory, things: 1. I am lazy as all-get-out and will spend as much time as possible lazing about as humanly possible. 2. I get bored incredibly quickly and will seek ways to combat this, even if it means working. 3. I will finish any task that gets between me and lazing about like a bum as long as it keeps me entertained. It’s like a circle of procrastination. Although, for some reason, it makes me look like a real go-getter, even if my motivation for “excelling” is boredom and laziness. Military job school is self-paced? I’ll finish the four to six month curriculum in a little more than three just so I can spend the extra few weeks loafing about in my room while they try to find me new orders. I have to finish this 1.5 mile run in under twelve minutes? I’ll finish it in about nine so I can go back to my room and slog about on the Internet for the 30+ minutes it takes for everyone to get back to work. Marine Corps offering martial arts program enrollment instead of regular ole command PT (physical training)? I’ll stay until I’m at the highest belt level they can get me if it means that I can come into work about three hours later than normal. Hell, that’s half the reason I joined the military. I saw myself stuck in the cycle of “go to school, go to work, go home, repeat” and decided a change of scenery was in order. The fact that I was slightly inebriated when I first talked to the recruiter and was too lazy to stop the process once I sobered up, may have played a role. But that is beside the point. What I mean to say is that years of finding random tidbits of knowledge and skills to combat boredom has lead me to become acutely aware of my strengths and shortfalls. Even more when compared to most people. Not that I’m anything extraordinary, or something like that; it’s just that whenever I come face-to face with a situation, I can accurately judge whether it is within my current ability to overcome. A waist high Bat-horse hybrid came charging at me, full-tilt? It would definitely be within my ability to overcome. Now I’m not a violent guy. Honestly. I could have simply ducked out of the way and tried to talk him down. Heck, I probably could have gotten Purple-Princess-Horsey-Thing to vouch for me after she got over the whole “you can talk” thing. But it’s like this: People who say violence is never the answer usually fail to take into consider the circumstances. Like say, for instance, you have an equine-thingy charging at you with heavy armor, fully intent on giving you a one-way ticket to Pain-ville. I would like to believe that the question that flashes through everyone’s mind is “How do I make it so he won’t hurt me?” Bottom line? Physical violence is always an option. Sometimes, it’s the most effective option you have available. However, that doesn’t make it the best option. In that situation? Definitely not; because if I hadn’t incapacitated bat-stallion, I wouldn’t be getting chased by a whole castle’s of guards . .....Probably. =---__---= For the first few seconds during my second encounter with a horsey-thing/ first encounter with bat-stallions, everything was going well. They were frozen in shock. I was dumbfounded by the sheer amount of weirdness that had occurred to me within such a short time-period. Granted, I was unconscious for some of said time-period, but yeah. Anyways, all parties involved were having a grand ole time gawking at each other like teenagers at their first strip club. Scratch that, more along the lines of middle-school kids at their first Algebra problem with the whole “What the hell is this?” thing going on. However, as the milliseconds turned into seconds, I eventually regained enough brain function to voice the common thought in the room. “Uhhhhh.” I blubbered out, my eyes darting from the Purple Princess and the Bat Stallions. Apparently, my masterful use of the English language jumpstarted the two stallion’s brains out of their stupor, because almost instantly, the two launched from across the room. And I mean launched. Seriously, those guys went from standing to tearing through the air in less than a second. Before I could even try to comprehend their reaction, one of the two was a little more than a foot away from me, flying at about crotch-level. Now before I continue, let me just reiterate that I don’t consider myself a violent person. Sarcastic? Yes. Immature? Undoubtedly. Not violent. On the other hand, a combination of nearly a year of MCMAP and an adolescence of being one Katie’s sparring partners/training dummies, I tend to react to certain things a little differently than some other people. For instance, if someone comes in for a low side-tackle, most would try to dodge and just leave it at that. I, thanks to the stuff I mentioned earlier, can’t just “leave it at that” anymore unless I actively think about stopping. That being said, when that someone (aka Bat-stallion number two ) is close enough that I could see the contours of his wings, all I could have done was react. By the time I realized what I was doing, it was too late. The counter that was ingrained to my muscle memory is actually quite simple, really. It begins with disrupting the aggressor’s line of sight and force them down and outward slightly, easily accomplished by placing you left or right hand in his ( a part of me is still hoping that it was a he) fa….muzzle, in this case and lowering his trajectory. Then you step on the outside foot while pivoting on your inside foot and following his momentum until your body is nearly perpendicular to his line of attack, all while keeping your hand still on his…muzzle. Then comes the painful part. You thrust your inside knee sharply upwards, towards the aggressor’s head, throat, or whatever you can hit at that point. Afterwards, you let his momentum carry him past you and return to your stance. I was already at about midway through the knee-thrust point when I realized what I was doing and the implications. Seriously, I was about two-for-three on the whole “causing pain to every alien you meet” thing, which would destroy nearly all chance for me to use “I come in peace” line you sometimes see used ironically in films nowadays. Anyways, as I felt the force of my knee impact fur and muscle, a part of me was thankful that I had managed to hit one of the places that was not covered in armor. On top of that, the impact of me hitting what I guess was his throat caused his wings to clamp up slightly, allowing him to fully pass me. In retrospect, if that hadn’t have happened, his wing would have either clipped me or brought me down with him anyway. What happened however, was pretty much what usually occurs when I do this to someone: The guy went past me fell to the floor almost instantly and started gasping for air while clutching his throat in pain. I just want to reiterate that I am not a violent person..... normally. When reflexes finally switched back off, I realized that I was still in a fighting stance and quickly dropped it. I quickly ran over to the gasping BatStallion and tried to take a closer look at him. While the fact that his hooves were clutching his throat as he rolled around trying to suck in air did hinder my line of sight a bit, he didn’t seem to be coughing up blood or anything so I figured that he should be right as rain in a few minutes. Letting out a sigh of relief, I suddenly remembered that there were two, slightly less injured, pony-things still in the room with me. Looking up, I saw the reason why the other one hadn’t attacked me yet. Across the room, BatStallion number two was standing in front of Princess Horse-thingy, the pair gawking at me with their eyes widened and jaws dropped to an almost cartoonish degree. I, on the other hand, still held some semblance of thought which, at the time, was screaming at me to get the heck out of there before one of the two finally broke free from the haze of confusion. “Uhh. Yeah.” I murmured, slowly backing away from the downed BatStallion. “Sorry about that. He , ummm, kinda surprised me a little. You know it is sometimes. He should be fine though, once he catches his breath, I mean. Sooooo. Yeah…..” Once I saw I was a little ways away from the entrance, I turned around and darted through the doors while I still had the chance. About five or so seconds after, I heard a rough, tremulous voice boom out behind me. “HALT CREATURE!” Boomed a rough, tremulous voice as I dashed through the hallway. Now honestly? It may have been a good idea to listen to the guy. Who knows? At the time, however, my brain was pumped full of fear and adrenaline due to the weirdness of the situation and all I could think of was getting away from whatever mess I had caused as quickly as possible. So yeah. I was essentially running away like an underage teenager at a house-party that was just busted by the cops. Kinda brings back memories, actually. =---__---= For the last hour or so, me and the palace guards had been playing a more intense version of tag/hide and go seek. I got to admit though, these guys have some serious skills in that department. Luckily though, every time they managed to either find or corner me, I had managed to find a way to slip through their clutches through the clever use of distractions and outright unpredictability. I tried to keep any injuries I dole out to my pursuers minimal at best and, aside from a few bruised backs, heads, and egos, I was actually doing pretty well on that aspect. What was really getting me was the lack of any other horse-things roaming the halls. Granted, a quick peek at the outside through one of the numerous plate windows gave me a quick explanation. Holy crap, it’s still dark out there, I thought as I stealthily evaded another search group by diving into an unlocked room. Well, it lightened up a little, I guess. I wonder how long I’ve been running. Ensuring the door behind me was locked, I let my mind wander as I searched the room for anything useful. At this point I figure that they probably are ordered to capture me rather than kill me on sight. The guys carrying the spears weren’t moving around much, so they’re probably just guarding the exits. So I guess that leaves…. Putting my thoughts on hold, I went to the window looked out from the side. Well unless I can sprout wings in the next few minutes, that option’s out. I turned back to the room, taking in as much detail I could. King-size bed. Large dresser and mirror. Closet. Huh. Looks like a high-end hotel room, only everything’s a little shorter. Freaky. As I continued to let my eyes look over the room, I noticed a small chest on the opposite side of the bed. Hello. I wonder what’s in that thing. After making my way around the bed, a knelt down and opened the lid. "Woah." I muttered as my jaw fell open as I beheld the chests' bounty. Inside were dozens of small, finely cut jewels, the moonlight reflecting off their polished surface. Diamonds, Rubies, Emeralds, Sapphires. No way. Picking a single ruby up, I held it against the window, letting the moonlight light shine through. Holy shit, I think it’s real. A small part of my mind screamed out for me to stuff my pockets with as many jewels as I could. That small part was quickly smashed by a combination of my conscience and rational mind. I’m not a thief. Besides, if I do take a few, I might as well be tying a bell around my neck with all the noise I would make while I ran. Although,I could try wrapping a few in a cloth to help lessen the…….Shut up brain. Not. A. Thief. So with some reluctance, I set the ruby back into the chest and shut the lid. Letting out a sigh I pondered my next move. However, my planning was put on hold when the sound of a jiggling doorknob broke the silence of the room. “What the?” a young, throaty voice muttered confusedly as knob jiggled again “I could have sworn I left this unlocked.” As much as I wanted to move and find somewhere to hide, my body stood rock still, locking my gaze onto the door. Pleasedon’thaveakeyPleasedon’thaveakeyI repeated in my head. After a few heart-pounding seconds of the apparent owner of the room jiggling the door and a few half-baked attempts at shoulder ramming it while turning the handle, I heard a muted sigh. “Darn it.” The voice said angrily, kicking the door soundly. “Owowowow.Sssss. ” Do not laugh. Do not laugh. “Guess I’ll have to find Night Light or someone with the master keys. He should still be in his office. Figures, the one time I sneak out..” I lost the rest of the voices complaint as his steps got further and further away. Wait a sec. Steps? I quietly made my way toward the door and pressed my ear against the wood. 1-pause-2-pause-1-pause-2. No clacking either. Voice sounded a bit young…..What’s a kid doing here? As my curiosity grew, a new voice entered my range of hearing. “Sir Spike?” A young, raspy voice stammered out as a rapid clacking of hooves grew closer. “What are you doing out of your room?” “Oh. Hey Night Light, what’s got you so riled up?” Spike quipped curtly. “Shhhhh.” The stallion shushed as his voice dropped a few volumes. “Didn’t you hear? There’s a creature terrorizing the palace. Everything is on lockdown right now until it’s captured.” Huh. Least I know for sure they won’t kill me outright. “Creature eh?” Spike replied, his voice dripping with sarcasm. “You sure some new recruit didn’t just see me walking around and overreacted? Again.” “Err. I doubt it. I would like to think the new batch of recruits have learned their lesson after last month’s fiasco. But that’s beside the point? What are you doing outside your room? You’re usually still asleep at this hour.” “Ummm, IIIIII went to the kitchens to get some water and I got locked out of my room???” The voice stuttered out. Smooth “Nevermind.” Night Light interrupted as the sound of keys jingling caught my attention. “ Now which one of these infuriating things was for your door?” Oh Shit. As stealthily as possible, I retreated from the door and looked around the room for a viable means of escape. Closet? A quick peek let me see that it was filled to the brim with knick-knacks and clothes, leaving me no room to hide. Under the bed? Way too small a space. ShitShitShitShit The sound of a key being inserted into a lock broke my panic, making me fixate on the door. “Blasted keys.” Cursed Night Light as the key evidently failed to turn. “I swear, one day I’ll find an easier way to unlock a door.” I let out a breath I didn’t realize I was holding before kicking my mind into overdrive. There’s got to be a way….out. I thought before my eyes darted to the window. “This is a horrible idea.” I muttered to myself, quietly making my way over and undoing the latch. However, my efforts at stealth were rendered null when the ancient hinges of the windowpane screeched out as I slowly pushed the windows open. “Eeeep!” shrieked a voice from the door, accompanied by a clamor of keys falling on to a hard floor in the distance. “What was that?” Spike asked, his voice alarmed, yet oddly calm. “I I I don’t know.” Night Light stammered out. Not willing to take the chance at listening for more, I turned back to the window and, after double- checking that I had enough space to stand, stepped out and onto the ledge. Thankfully, the ledge was as sturdy as I had hoped and was wide enough for me to maneuver a little. Going over my insane plan, I stepped to one side and began to shut the windows behind me. Not surprisingly, the hinges screeched out as pushed the sides back in. Well if they haven’t noticed now, THAT probably got their attention. I thought, slowly edging my way on the edges of the castle with my back to the wall. So: A) Get out of room using window; B) Use conveniently spaced wall ledges to maneuver along wall until I find an open window; C)…….…shit. So much for planning. My thoughts were swiftly interrupted by the familiar sound of a door smashing inward in the direction I was shimming away from. “SHITSHITSHITSHIT” I whispered to myself as I hurried my pace away from the room and towards a nearby corner. “Come on out!” shouted Spike, his roar muffled by the stone walls of the castle. After a few seconds of silence, I heard the sound of another door being thrown open. Thankful for his failed search, I all but lunged around the corner as I heard the tell-tale creaking of the bedroom window. Pressing myself as close to the wall as possible, I waited for the sound of the window closing as the sound of my heart pounding resonated in my ears. Come on. Come on. I thought to myself as each second seemed to stretch to an eternity. “Dang-it!” I heard Spike exclaim, followed by a loud bang and as he roughly shut the windows behind him. “Phew.” I sighed out, letting out a breath that I apparently was holding. My evasion finally assured, I took a second to take in my surroundings before I began to move. Woah. Now I’ve never been one for mountain climbing, or even a fan high places. I mean, sure, I’ve done a few trails up a couple really large hills, even seen the top of the Willis tower in Chicago. But this? This was something entirely different. The view in front of me was the literal definition of awesome. Before me, a rolling sea of shadowed green, scarcely illuminated by the telling colors of a slowly rising sun, spread out as I looked down the mountain cliff. In the distance, light hues of orange and purple blended underneath the covering of the night sky. And what a sky it was. Even though the stars were slowly beginning to fade into the dawn, the ones that still remained shined with a brilliance I hadn’t seen since I was on a ship, floating the middle of the Pacific. The stunning contrast of both night and day played out seamlessly in front of me, reflecting itself in the various pools of water that dotted the landscape. Completely awestruck, I reached inside my pocket to grab my phone in an attempt to capture the picturesque scene. However, after a few seconds of fumbling around air, a new thought broke me out of my daze. Where the hell is my phone!? I thought as my hands flew from pocket to pocket on my jeans. Wallet? Check. Keys? Check. Phone?......dammit! With a grunt of frustration and annoyance, I restarted my shuffling along castle ledge. How in the world did I lose my phone and not my keys? Seriously. Bah. Coming up to another window, I gently pushed and pulled the frame before moving along. Locked. Anyways, I have been doing a lot of running around, so I probably dropped it sometime. I mean, seeing as I still have the rest of my stuff, it probably made it from Earth to whatever this place is called. Stopping at another window, I repeated my prodding, only to find it this one locked as well. “Come on” I quietly complained before continuing. Although, after finding the next few windows locked as well, I slowly began to wonder just how I would escape from my precarious position. Well breaking through the window again isn’t an option I thought passing the last window before making my way around another corner. So how do…... I…get. My thoughts came to a grinding halt as I beheld a new sight. That'll do. In front of me stood a large, diagonal stanchion that lead to the bottom edge an even larger semicircle that jutted out of the castle about a floor above. These things have helicopters? Wait. That can’t be right. Moving closer, I managed to make out the fine details of the brace in the dawning light. [ i]Huh. It’s like a Gothic design, only less pointy. Alright then. No use just standing around. I thought, hoisting myself onto the structure. Who knows? Maybe there’s a way back in? After straddling it as best as I could, I began to slowly inch myself along. Thankfully, the brace was horizontal enough that climbing it was feasible, but not impossible. A minute or two into the ascent, I decided to chance looking downwards. Below was a scene completely different from the one I had seen earlier. What was once a sheer cliff side had now become an expansive courtyard, filled with luscious trees, light poles, stone paths, and even statues of horse-things in artful poses. If it wasn’t for the walls that lined the edges, I would have probably mistaken it for a park. So this is how the other half lives. It is a castle, I guess. So maybe they make announcements here or something. Then again, I’m like , what, five or six stories up? They’d have to have invented a megaphone or something to get their voices to carry. Oh well. As I neared the edge of the dais, the stanchion widened to the point where could just barely continue straddling. Now comes the hard part, I thought as neared the bottom of the circle. After gauging the distance between myself and the ledge, I slowly began to piece together a plan. An insane plan that could end in my falling about five or so stories if I screwed up, but a plan nonetheless. I lied down on my back, letting my arms dangle off the sides as I tried took a deep breath to prepare myself for this monumentally idiotic idea. After a few second of mental preparation, I stretched out my arm as far as I could, barely managing to grip the edge of the circle. Slowly, I began to pull my upper body off the brace until I could catch my other hand to the edge as well while turning until I was bridging myself between the two structures. Now comes the hard partI thought, taking another deep breath. Slowly, I began pulling my lower body off the brace until I was hanging entirely off the dais. Grunting, I began pulling myself up, my muscles screaming out in pain as I pushed them to their limit. Once I was high enough, I noticed the railing and immediately moved my grip to one of the poles and swung one of my feet onto the edge. Come On! I thought, pulling the rest of my body up until I could move my grip to the top of the railing. With a burst of strength, I pushed myself off the edge and rolled over the railing. I don’t know how long I just lied there, panting as my lungs greedily ate as much air as they could. My entire upper body seemed like it was wrapped in a blanket of fire and my ears were ringing louder than an air raid siren, but strangely, I could tell I was smiling. Fueled by a mix of exhilaration and adrenalin, I shot up and brought myself to the railing. “Fuck you, Gravity!” I proclaimed, laughing wholeheartedly as I raised both my middle fingers to the ground. However, my reverie was quickly cut short by a sudden, heavy sting to my back. As I felt a strange tingling begin to radiate from the impact point, I turned around to see another princess-horsey-thing. This one, on the other hand, was completely different from the purple one I had first met. While that one was only about waist high, the one that stood before me was just about tall enough to look me directly in the eyes. Additionally, this one had a deep cyan coat that accented a long, azure mane that seemed to float as if carried on a breeze. One of the only similarities I could see, besides the wings and horn, was the look of utter shock and disbelief that was plastered on her face. “Jeremy?” she stammered, her voice shaking. ”Is...Is that you?” What? Before I could have a chance to respond, the tingling sensation reached my head, suddenly making everything turn dark and. Before I was, once again, whisked off to the blissful land of unconsciousness, I heard the princess yell out for a guard, followed by a thundering of hooves and sound of a door being slammed open. Oh come on. All that work and they…still……caught…….