//------------------------------// // The one that got away // Story: Pony bound // by Shortcourt //------------------------------// “You know what we’re here for,” I muttered, trying to conceal the indignation in my tone. When I first came home I was already feeling uneasy, but I was immediately greeted with some unsettling news. I hope it isn’t true... but Katie is making it hard to doubt... “What do you mean?” Kaise quired while using her body to the block the entrance to the door.  Despite her question, her facial expression read nervousness, like she was anticipating something bad happening.   Okay, that was enough evidence.  She really is hiding the alien after all. I had a feeling she was, since Mom told me a guest was ‘upstairs’. She really has some BALLS! The thing is she’s not even hiding him in her room; nah, she chooses to host him in mine! Even if I don’t sleep in there anymore, I find it very disrespectful! Heck, him being hospitalized in the house in the first place is showing a lack of courtesy towards me. I really want to use The Purge approach and say ‘Give me the swineeeee!’ Sadly I can’t because the way it looks Katie is going to defend him, which means she will use by any means necessary to stop me.  I can’t get into a fight with Katie, but I will if I have to. I mean, that’s the last course of action anyway. I could just tell Kaise to restrain her with magic if anything escalates to that point... but then again we both will face backlash for that in the future. Dammit, it could be so easy if everyone was on the same page for freaking once. But it looks like I’m going to have to. I sighed. “Stop playing. Just tell me who’s in there.” “Hu isn’t in there.” I cocked an eyebrow. “What? No I said WHO is in there!” “I don’t know anybody named Hu,” she said. Kaise and I shared an agitated glance. Oh, so she is trying to pull the classic Castello and Abbott trick on me, huh? Well, I’m going to pull the classic ‘made you look!’ “Katie, you have a fly on your head!” I said with false alert. “Really?!”  she asked exasperatedly while folding her hands on top of her head, which then turned to full-fledged tapping.   Because of her sudden wide stance, I was able to dash through her legs and enter the room. Haha, what a sucker! A fly? Yeah, your sense flied away! I looked across the room and saw my soon to be third victim sitting on the bed. Wait, soon to be victim? I forgot, I can’t kill him yet. Let me be humble about it. The alien seemed to have met my eyes, for he scattered back into the bed out of the blue. “Ahh! It’s that mean pony!” he shrieked while clutching his legs defensively. I don’t know if he’s acting or not, but he’s a pretty damn good actor for convincing Katie he’s innocent. I threw my hands up. “Wait! I come in peace!” Hey, isn’t it supposed to be the other way around? That’s the aliens catch phrase. “Get away from me! You’re a bad pony! A really really bad pony!” he chided I frowned. Wow, how hypocritical. “I’m bad? I’m the bad one?” I repeated while accosting him even further.  He tried to crawl back further, but it seems the wall was a reminder he was trapped. “I just want my Uncle’s body...” “Stay away! I- I’ll... turn you into a Jack-N-a box you bad bad pony!” “I wish you would,”  I said while smirking sardonically. Deciding to entertain him, I closed my eyes and posed as if I was patiently waiting to be transformed into a jack n a box. Ha, jack n a box. What’s next? I’m going to be wished into the corn fields? Next thing I  knew, I felt my entire body elevate in air. “Heyyy! Put me down!” I bellowed while swinging my legs in the air frantically. I turned around and faced my sister, who’s eyes was draining with fire.  Suddenly, a sense of urgency took over my body. I know how Katie acts when she has those eyes... and it’s not pretty. My situation isn’t look good right now.  “I’m serious, Katie. Let goooo!” “Leave him alone, Shawn!” she demanded. “Why are you defending him?” “He’s just a little kid, that’s why! Why don’t you pick on someone your own size?” she grunted while ramming her nose in my face. My pupils diminished in fear. What is wrong with this girl? “Dante... help me out here...” I squeaked. “That’s none of my business though,” he snarled dismissively while reading a random magazine. I think it’s Men only? Wait, who the hell reads Men Only anymore? Who the hell looks at softcore porn anymore? Oh lord. I rolled my eyes and reverted my head back to my truculent sister.  “Katie... no one is killing anyone, okay? I  just want to free Uncle Ray. Don’t you want to free him?” “Yes but I don’t trust you. You might hurt him, even though you told me you won’t,” she replied. “Really? I don’t know if he’s gonna get hurt or not, okay? Would you just let me go so I can get this finished and get back to my friggin life?” “I don’t know,” she said with uncertainty, her eyes darting from me to Kaise. “I want to but then I don’t want to-” “Katie,” Kaise broke in, “calm down! No one is being hurt.  I’m just gonna use some sort of magic to free your uncle. I forgot what it was called, but no harm will be done, ight?” “Really?” Her tone became less tense as she discarded her grip on me,  which resulted in me landing face first. “Why didn’t you say so!” Really? I said the same exact thing! It seems when Kaise does it its an automatic true story, but when I say it it’s bullshit, right?  “Phuffin pitch!” I muffled into the ground out of frustration. I then slammed my hooves on the ground and leveraged myself off the ground with them. “Are you good?” Kaise asked. “Yes I am. Now that lemonsnatch is done with the sour act,” I said while referring to Katie, “go ahead and do what you gotta do.” The white pony grinned with determination. “Let’s get it!” Suddenly, Kaise’s jovial expression shattered and became reminiscent of a sedate Victor Newman. “What are you gonna do to me?” the alien whispered while curling into a ball. Instead of giving a proper response, loud chanting started to surface from Kaise’s lips. “Exorcizamus te, omnis immundus spiritus, omnis discorda potestas, omnis incursio infernalis adversarii, omnis legio, omnis congregatio et secta diabolica... “ Kaise’s horn started to flicker a clear light, where she then aimed it at the defenseless alien. He began to lose composure and collapsed on the bed, now laying flat while shaking uncontrollably. It’s as if he has just triggered a seizure or something. I flinched back. Damn, that looks way more intense than it did in the video.  There should have been a disclaimer because I promised there would be no pain. Oh well... “...Ergo, draco maledicte et omnis legio diabolica, adjuramus te ... cessa decipere humanas creaturas, eisque æternæ perditionìs venenum propinare... “ “AHHHHHH!” The alien started to howl out in pain.  To be honest, a part of me feels kinda bad for him. That was so loud it almost made my ears explode. “No!” Katie cried out. She tried to interfere with the process by running towards Kaise, but I reacted quickly and bit her leg, scrunching my pony teeth  deep in her leg.  “Ahhhh!” she shouted while crumbling on the ground.  I didn’t retreat in the slightest however and clutched my hooves around her right foot, inhibiting her locomotion temporarily.  “ Shawn get off of me! How are you gonna let this happen?! This isn’t right at all!” “It’s gonna be over soon! Just trust me for once!” I shouted with a powerful/reassuring voice. “Vade, discorda, inventor et magister omnis fallaciæ, hostis humanæ salutis... “ Kaise’s chanting increased in volume, along with the brightness of the spark floating on her horn. The alien's pupils rolled to the back of his head, exposing only the white of his eyes. A light started to encompass his body in a similar fashion to the last alien in the hospital. The light became so bright it illuminated the whole room, obscuring my vision . “Ut Ecclesiam tuam secura tibi facias libertate servire, te rogamus, audi nos!” Audi Nos! Audi Nos Audi Nos! The last two words echoed in my three times before an arising ‘synth’ sound surfaced. The light suddenly escaped the room through the window in the blink of an eye. I opened my eyes fully  and sighed. It’s finished. I had a feeling it was going to work. Now you see this? We found out how to expulse aliens from people in only 3 hours! After all that bullshit we been through, the solution was a simple as looking at a video where a guy used exorcism. And the script was the same one from supernatural, except it had pony variations in it. Like ‘Satania’ was changed to ‘Discordia’ etc... I scrutinized the condition of the room, looking to see if anything was damaged or missing. Besides everyone wearing dilated eyes, everything is the same and everybody that was in the room was still present.   “What the fuck just happened?” Dante blurted out, his eyes suffering more abuse than anybody else’s. Wait, how? He was reading a magazine the whole time. I ignored him and turned my attention to the ali- I mean Uncle Ray. He seemed to be knocked out. Not dead... but knocked out. Wait, did this work or not? If it did, than where is the alien?  There is no way he disappeared. “Um, Kaise. Is the alien supposed to disappear?” She nodded. “Yeah. You saw the light, right? That was the alien. Since it went out the window, it means he should be laying outside.” You don’t say? I quickly rushed towards the windows to get a look out the front yard. The sides of my lips curled into a smile when I saw a black figure sitting groggily on the ground. When I mean black, I mean black as a shadow. Like damn, he’s dark enough to blend in with my garbage bags... which brings up another question. Do they camouflage themselves at night? Oh no, maybe that explains the rising rate of robberies. By looking at his shape, I can confirm he is definitely anthropomorphic. It’s basically a human boy body, except his head is shaped like an almond (go figure).  “Well damn, I knew you were astute enough to perform the expulsion successfully, Kaise, but I didn’t know you would be aware of the complete details!” I exclaimed. “I try I try,” she said while shrugging. “What the hell are you talking about?”  Kaise asked with a condemning voice. “Is he outside?” “Hell yeah he is!”  I answered with expectancy. I nudged Kaise’s sides. “C’mon, Kaise, lets go murk an alien.” “Vendolocaust!” she chanted. We both forwarded towards the exit until Katie stepped in front of us, blocking us once again. “Dammit, Katie, get the fuck out of the way!” I snapped, the frustration propelling a flesh eating fire to burn it’s way through my skin, leaving my cheeks glowing pink.  She is really being annoying. “Facts. You really getting me tight, man. Just leave us alone, damn,” Kaise muttered. “How about you guys leave that alien alone? Look, he’s an inexperienced kid who obviously doesn’t know what’s going on. He has a chance to change his life, so why don’t you let him run free since he’s alre-” “ARE YOU DUMB!?” I bellowed, impertinently breaking into my sister’s sentence. “We can’t let him go! He’s going to go back to his base.. but the problem is he knows our exact location! He knows where we live, so we can’t let him live! Do you understand what I’m saying?” “Oh my god, Shawn, you’re really stubborn!” she said while face palming. “Do you understand that he doesn’t want to be apart of whatever his species is scheming? I doubt he will return and I think just to be safe, we should find somewhere he can stay. Know what I mean?” My ears erected after taking in her perspective. After hearing her out, I kinda agree with her... but I still don’t know. Like I said, he could still be putting up a facade. If he was able to fake death for a whole week, then what’s the odd of him faking this inexperienced shit? See, these are things nobody else besides me think about. And me! And me! I glanced at Dante. He’s been awfully quiet today. If I can’t reason with her, then maybe he could. “Dante, tell your sister something please!” “No, Dante, tell your ‘brother’ something please!” she countered, blowing a raspberry at me. “Dante...” “Dante...” “Dante!” “Dante!” “Danteeeeee!” “Dante!” “SHUT THE FUCK UP!” he exploded while throwing his magazine in the air. On it’s way down, he caught the mag and ripped it cleanly in half. Katie and I glared at him in total bewilderment. The only times he usually yell like that is when he’s on the phone and someone distracts him, but I learned not to ever do that again, ho-ho! He lowered his posture and crushed the ripped pieces of paper in his fsts. “You know why I’m acting like this for? Because I’m neutral! I have nothing to do with this alien bullshit! If I take Shawn’s side, Katie is gonna hate me; If I take Katie’s side, than Shawn will hate me! You see where I’m getting, mate? Damn, you got me talking like I’m English!” My jaw dropped to the floor once again. Wow, I never knew we were putting him through so much pressure. Now I feel crappy. “Dante...” I started, “Honestly, I would get angry if you take Katie’s side... because she is morally wrong in this situation. Do the right thing, Dante. Do it for me... DO IT FOR ALL MEN WORLDWIDE!” “No Dante,” Katie started sweetly, “do it for your sanity and everything ethical you stand for.” “Shut up, Katie!” I snapped. “You shut up!” “Both of ya’ll put a sock in it! You see, Shawn is acting like Bill Maher and Katie is acting like Ann Coulter. The truth is... hehe, oh yeaaaaa,” he snickered while closing his eyes, “I hate both of them! Screw you guys, I’m going to go get some kool aid!” Dante quickly brushed past us all and ran out the room. I tried to follow him, but Katie once again read my movements  and blocked my path. I tried to bite her leg again, but she shuffled to the side and lifted her foot off the ground, kicking me right in the abdomen. “Gah!” I croaked while clutching the recently affected body part. “Where do you think you’re going, little one?” Katie taunted. “I’m the bigger sibling now. Hahaaha!” Man, you don’t know how painful hearing that was. It was more painful than the kick in the stomach! She is the bigger sibling now, which means she can exploit me anytime she wants... damn. I miss being a human, man. “Do something, Kaise!” I hissed. “Don’t you think I was trying to use magic the last few minutes? Why else would I be so fucking quiet?” she huffed. “Wait, your magic isn’t working?” “No...” Oh great, there goes our only hope of escaping this hazardous room. Katie rushed towards the windows and opened it. What is she doing at the windows anyway? “Heyyy! Run away right now while you can! It’s your only chance! Just go! Runnn!” Oh, so she is still helping the alien with his little escape plan, huh? Katie turned back around to look at me, smirking deviously. “Shawn, you got it, alright? Uncle Ray is free, so calm your ass down and let him go!” “No!” I thought while rebounding on all fours. I shook my head and scraped my left hoof on the floor, priming my body to run right at Katie. I snorted, which made me look like a bull who’s about to charge. “ Fuck you! I won’t do what you tell me!” I shouted while bolting straight at her. Instead of attacking her, I jumped out the window and soared through the skies for a few seconds before I eventually felt myself landing. I tried to gather the tactics I learned from Kaise yesterday, but it proved futile when I landed uncomfortably on my leg. My whole body froze. I don’t why but I feel something... big coming up.  Tears threatened to flood from my eyes as I felt my mouth instinctively open, but I reacted quickly and  shoved the nearest thing, my hoof, inside my mouth. “My legggg!” I sobbed softly through my hoof while recovering off the floor. Instead of dwelling on my pain even longer, I started to look for the alien. Man, where could he go that quickly? I looked across the street and spotted him waiting at a stop sign. Okay, now I’m convinced it isn’t an act because no intelligible fugitive would give a stop light any acknowledgment at all.  He really is a kid. But then again, these aliens are stupid, so I wouldn’t be surprised. I slowly limped across the street. Maybe I should let him go. But if I do and he comes back to the house bigger and stronger,  it would be my fault for forsaking the chance to  finish him once and for all. I would never be able to live that down again... “Shawn!” Katie called out. I turned around and saw her and Kaise running out the house.  Dammit, I’m starting to lose respect for Katie! Why is she on me for? I didn’t want to say this, but she leaves me no choice. “Kaise! Stab her!” I ordered while continuing my pursuit of the alien. “What? Nah chill!” she shouted back. “Just do it! I don’t have much time!” I bellowed while speeding up my run, the increase in adrenaline making my leg injury less susceptible. The moment I crossed the street I was on the main avenue, meaning swarms of people walking appeared. “Shit, I lost sight of him!” I thought while flicking my head around all four corners of the street. I really hope Kaise does what I told her, because this crowded area is really going to slow me down. “Shawn!”  Katie's voice popped up behind me. Wow, looks like Kaise didn’t listen to me. That damn pussy!   “Moveeeeeee bitchhhh!” I barked while shoving past the swarm of people. “Get out of the way!” I made a u-turn in hopes of getting Katie off my tail. I don’t know if that worked or not, but I found my objective! The alien was all the way down the block, running for homebase. And when I mean all the way, I mean about 3 blocks away! I bared my teeth at the escaping pony,  feeling a combination of excitement and rage impacting my stomach.  “Oh no you don’t!” I started running at full speed, which then transitioned into me sprinting at full speed. It seems I had inhuman speed because I caught up to him in about fifteen seconds. “Heyyy!” I called out. He turned around and shrieked on instinct. He seemed to have found his second wind and eluded me, quickly crossing the street before the red light came on.  I stopped in my tracks and scowled. I shouldn’t have said anything, man. He was right there! I facehooved.  “Motherfucker!”  I decided to take a different route by making a right down the street. I’m going to have to catch him lacking. ......................................................................................................................................................................... Ray’s Pov My vision faded from black as I opened my eyes. The first thing I felt was the effect of a hangover,  which made me cover my head. “Ughhhh... what the hell happened?” My cheeks flushed as I realized I was talking in a little boy’s voice. Yup, I’m still a pony. I’m still a freaking pony. I thought I was still in a coma for a second  where I had a week long dream about becoming a pony, but I guess it’s reality after all. I checked my surroundings before anything. This doesn’t look like my house; it looks like my sister’s house. It looks like Shawn’s room! “But where is he?” I muttered. “Where is everybody at and why am I lying on their bed?” ......................................................................................................................................................................... Shawn Pov After running a circle around the whole block, I think I finally caught up with the alien. I got a glance at him from the back and noted that the almond head shape sticks out more than anything (no pun). He was foolishly waiting at the stoplight while I was right behind him. You know what that means, right? It means it’s time to bring out stealth mode! I’m going to channel my inner Solid Snake. I coughed, preparing to audition my solid snake voice. “I got you this time you butthole...” I said in an exaggerated low but badass voice. Hey, I sound just like him! I quietly sneaked behind the alien and  wrapped my hooves under his arms, placing him in a choke hold.  “I got you this time you butthole!” I screeched, the excitement apparently surmounting my badass voice and making it revert to it’s innate, high-pitched tone . Eh, not as epic but whatever. “Hey, let go of my son you freak!” A woman screamed. Wait, what? I flipped the ‘alien’ around and was greeted by a brown skinned boy who looked like he went through three stages of hell. Wait wait, that’s not the alien! It’s just a little boy who happens to have a matching black outfit with a black hoodie on, which ironically accentuates his head shape! Oh man. Here comes the lawsuit. I released my hold of the kid apace. I sighed and turned around to look at the mother, giving her a sympathetic look. “I’m sooo sorry, Ma’am! I thought it was an alien at first! I’m honestly sorr-” “-An alien? You thought my son was an alien? Girl, you’re tripping!” she sassed while opening her purse. I wonder what’s she’s getting from there. “I know but you see I was chasing one who was completely black and I thought that--AHHHHHH!” My question was quickly answered when I felt pepper spray travel into my eyes.  AYOOOO! That  bitch maced me! “Police! Police come right now! There’s a racist pony who goes around strangling little black kids just because she thinks they’re ‘aliens’!” she cried out. “I’m not racist!” I retorted, trying to defend myself while constantly rubbing my flared eyes. Dammit, it feels like my eyes are being microwaved! What can possibly be more painful than this? I spoke too soon since the next thing I felt was something heavy(estimated to be about 150 lb) swat me across the face.  That was the last thing I felt/heard, for I slipped into the territory of unconsciousness right after that cheap shot. Shawn? Shawn?........SHAWNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN! ...................................................................................................................................................................................................... End of day 13