//------------------------------//
// Chapter 13 
// Story: Rising Sun 
// by Jet Howitzer 
//------------------------------//

(Just as a warning, there may be some more graphic stuff in this chapter, although not much.  Just a warning.)

You slowly regain consciousness, and find yourself in a large underground cavern.  You feel no bindings about your hooves, and so you manage to pull yourself up.  You are alone, but you can hear the sounds of fighting.  You figure that the others have come to save you, so you hobble towards the sound.
Before too long you enter another, even larger, chamber.  In the middle of the room you see the three dogs from before, and another, even larger dog.  In the largest one’s hand you see Rainbow Dash hanging limply.
Your don’t understand what you’re looking at, at first.  Your mind seems to shut down, and you just stare.  Eventually one of the dogs looks over, and sees you standing there.  With a bark his companions all look over to you.  The large one just drops Rainbow, and they begin advancing.
Your mind snaps, as you look on the limp body of Rainbow.  With a bestial cry you hurl yourself at the dogs, and a red haze descends upon your vision.  Everything is a blur, until after some time, your vision clears.  You only now notice that you are bleeding quite heavily from several different wounds, and there is blood splattered on you that is not your own.
You limp over to Rainbow, and notice with a sigh of relief that she is still breathing.  You nudge her gently, and her eyes open a crack.
“I came to try to rescue you.”  She coughs as she says that.  “The others came too, but they didn’t make it.  There were too many of them.”  She begins crying as she speaks.  “But, even now, you save me.  You did it with your music, and now you do it with your body.”  She gives a small smile, before it is replaced with a grimace.
“Rainbow, don’t worry, I’ll get help!”  You are frantic, and somehow you know that help won’t get here in time.  Before you can move, though, she grabs your leg.
“Don’t go.  I want you here.”  She has a pleading look in her eyes.  You look at her, and find yourself drawn to her eyes again, and again.  Something is different about them.  As you look, you notice a yellow tinge to them.  No, you think, this isn’t right.  This isn’t happening.
“You aren’t Rainbow.”  You take a step back, breaking her grip on your leg.  “Rainbow’s eyes aren’t yellow.  Whoever you are, you aren’t Rainbow.”  As you finish the not-Rainbow stands up, and looks at you.
“Damn.  Just a bit more and I would’ve broken you.”  The voice is eerily familiar, but you can’t place it.  “Ah well, I suppose we can always try again.  You will be here for a while, considering that your friends have abandoned you.  That’s right, you’re all alone down here.  It’s just you and me inside your little mortal brain.”
Before you can say anything the world goes black, and you feel your mind slowing as you lose consciousness once more.

ABOVE GROUND

Twilight, AJ, and the others were gathered at the small quarry where Rarity was harvesting gems the last time the Diamond Dogs attacked.  They were looking for a hole that didn’t get filled in when the dogs fled.
After searching for almost an hour they finally found a hole, and they were preparing to descend.  There was no friendly banter this time, as the situation was far too serious.  AJ kicks a final bolt into the rock face nearby, and strings a rope through the hoop, and ties off the end to a bolt higher up on the rock face.
“We’ve got about three hundred feet worth a rope, so if we need to go farther down that that we’ve got ta improvise.”  The others nod, and Rainbow steps up to the lip of the hole.  The others gather around her, and offer up some emotional support for her.  After the moment passes Rainbow jumps down the hole while using her wings to slow her descent.  Fluttershy follows a moment later, and then the rest.
The trip into the tunnel system takes several hours, and before long they are deep within the mountain, and no closer to finding Storm, or the Diamond Dog lair.  They continue on, though, determined to find Storm, and get him out.

Your Mind

You look around, trying to find a way to prove to yourself that this is another one of Discord’s illusions.  He’s getting better at this, you think to yourself.  The past few tricks you only solved by forcing a pony to do something they would never do.  This illusion has you back in Ponyville, at a party thrown by Pinkie to celebrate your rescue.
You’ve been in this state for almost a day now, and it’s beginning to wear on you.  Everything seems so real, but you can’t allow yourself a moment of rest.  Despite your trying situation the party is quite enjoyable.  You mingle with the others, looking for a mistake, but you can’t seem to find one.
After a few more hours of partying you and Rainbow head off to your home, looking forward to an evening together.  You get home, and head upstairs to the piano in the bedroom.  Rainbow heads over to the bed, and lies down the same way she did the last time you played for her.  Your mind wanders, as you contemplate what to play.  You can’t do anything you’ve done before, as Discord likely knows all the notes, and would be able to replicate the sounds.  You wrack your brain, trying to find something you haven’t done before, and then you find it.
You flex your hooves a moment, and your wings, before you dive right into the Maple Leaf Rag.  (Listen here)  As you play the song it sounds flawless.  Until you reach the very end, where some of the notes come out wrong, despite you playing the right keys.
“Ha!  You thought that you could get me, Discord.  But no!  I know this song perfectly, and the piano is wrong.  You’ll never break me!  The others are coming, just you wait.  They’ll find me, and get me out of here.”  You look around, and see nothing but the blackness that has overtaken you once more.  “Wherever here is…”

MANE 6

Applejack finally managed to move the boulder blocking the tunnel, revealing a large chamber filled with gems of all sizes and colors.
“I think we’ve found at least part of their lair,” Twilight says.  “We should be on guard, in case they attack.”  Almost as if on queue a pair of dogs leaps on them, and attacks.  They are outmatched, though, and quickly beaten into unconsciousness.  They venture into the room, and before long find themselves in another even larger room.
Rainbow is the first to notice Storm shackled to the wall, though, and she lets out a gasp.  The others notice too, and they all start running across the room, to get him down, and free him.  Before they can make it across, though, a massive Diamond Dog jumps down from a balcony, ad stands between them and Storm.  AJ gives a quick snort, but Rainbow puts into words what they are all thinking.
“We’re gonna buck yer ass from here ta kingdom come!”

Your Mind

You sit at your desk, writing yours, and Rainbow’s acceptance letters to the Wonderbolts, when suddenly you hear Rainbow shout something about a kingdom.
“No, Rainbow, we aren’t taking a vacation just yet.  Maybe next month.”  It’s been almost a year since the others managed to save you from the Diamond Dogs.  Just a month after she rescued you, you proposed to her.  Now you’ve been married for almost five months, and you are the happiest pony in the world.
Rainbow finally got her wish, and now she’s going to be a member of the Wonderbolts.  You were shocked when the letter said that they wanted you as well, but you weren’t going to turn them down.  You put the finishing touches on the letter, and roll it up.  You place it into your saddlebag, and head downstairs to the most beautiful sight you’ll ever see.  Rainbow is curled up on the couch, reading the latest Daring-Do novel.
You leap over the couch and cuddle up next to her.  She puts the book down, and nuzzles your neck.  You share a fond moment together.  Soon, though you get up, and Rainbow follows.  You head off for the library so that Spike can send the letter off with his magic.  Before long you arrive, and Spike sends the letter off to Cloudsdale.
After thanking Spike you and Rainbow head off to the lake.  You arrive, and find a bench to sit on.  Rainbow curls up next to you, and you just enjoy the moment.
Rainbow gently nuzzles your neck, and she speaks to you.  “Please, wake up.”
You look at her strangely.  “What?  I am awake.  What are you talking about?”
“Please, just wake up.”  She repeats it, this time with more stress.
“What are you talking about?  Oh, I get it.  We’re playing this game again.  No, it’s not a dream, this is our life.  We’ll be together and grow old together.  I’ll never leave you, so please, just stop this game.”
She starts to cry, and you move away slightly.  “Wake up!”
You are starting to worry some.  She hasn’t been this emotional since your wedding day.  And then again when you got the letter from the Wonderbolts.
“Twilight, please!  Help me!”
You are about to point out that Twilight isn’t here, when suddenly she appears.
“You really should warn a pony before you just teleport in!  You gave me quite a shock!”  She just looks at you, and the world around you.  Her face is a mask of confusion.  Suddenly she has a look of inspiration.
“Storm, please.  Listen to me for a minute.”  You nod, and she continues.  “You are currently in a dream state, likely brought on by your injuries, although I am detecting large amounts of magic.  Anyway, I need you to believe that this is a dream, or else you won’t wake up.”
You laugh at this.  “Really, Twi?  You’re in on this joke too?”  This is just too absurd, you think to yourself.  You are about to speak again, when suddenly Twilight jumps towards you, and gives you a kiss.
You push her off, and sputter for a moment.  “What the hay are you doing?  I’m married!”  As you say it, something deep inside your tortured mind clicks.  “You know I’m married, and you always supported it.  You were the one who encouraged me to propose!”  You look at the world around you, and start to really focus on things, and you see the small flaws that are present.
You look over at Twilight, and you are horrified.  “What’s going on?  I’ve been living what I thought was my life for the past year, and now I learn it was all a trick?  Please, help me, Twilight!  This dream has become a nightmare, and I want to wake up.”
She looks at you with a happy look.  “Good, now that you realize this is a dream we can start working on waking you up.  You’ll need to concentrate all your energy in your mind, and then I will use my magic to force your mind into a more active state.  Hopefully it will force your mind into a more active state, and wake you up.”
You nod, and start meditating.  Your head begins to pound with energy, and you feel a tingle across your face, and then it worms its way into your mind.  Before long your head is pounding with the worst headache you’ve ever had, and its still growing in intensity.  Suddenly it is all released in a sudden burst, and you black out.  Again…

As you return to the world of the conscious you hear a chuckle come from Discord.  “I’m not done with you yet.  But for now, I need to think.  We’ll meet again Storm.”

You slowly open your eyes, and are greeted by a set of deep pink, but bloodshot eyes.
“Rainbow-” you get no farther, before she gives you a huge kiss.  You kiss her back, and feel happier than you have in, what feels like, a year.  You break the kiss, and look her in the eyes, and you start crying.  “I really want to go home now.”

(Well, that's the end of this chapter.  Be sure to leave some comments to let me know what you think.)