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Prologue373 words
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Manehattan2,764 words

Manehattan

While Twilight Sparkle and Rainbow Dash were busy with their problems, another pony was dealing with issues of her own. Her family had been captured and she wasn't going to stand for it. She learned that they had been transferred to a containment camp in Manehatten, so she set off on her journey to rescue them. What pony you ask? Applejack, of course.

Applejack had made it to Manehatten, and it had changed a lot since she last came here. The Returners occupied the city nowadays, and the rules were heavily enforced. She had to wear a suit of iron armor in order to hide her true identity. It didn't stand out as much as it would have five years ago, mainly because it was so much safer to wear the armor. The Returners could attack at any moment, and most ponies knew they had a better chance of survival with it on. Applejack didn't have the bits to buy or rent an apartment, so she lived on the streets. Her bed being whatever alley was nearest to her when the curfew took effect.

Applejack was walking along a sidewalk when a Returner passed her. She waved hi, but the Returner just stared her down. They weren't exactly friendly. She saw another containment camp up ahead and she sped up. She was hoping this one was the one. She arrived at the camp and walked around the outside perimeter. She was starting to lose hope when she heard a familiar filly.

"No let my big brother go!"

Applejack looked towards the direction of the screams to see a group of Returner guards forcefully pushing Big Mac along the ground. He was fighting back but the guards were too strong. Apple Bloom went up towards a Returner guard and tried to slip through in order to get to her struggling brother. The guard pushed her onto the ground, and Apple Bloom started crying. Applejack was furious. She galloped to the front of the camp, and broke the gate open by bucking it.

She ran straight for the guards, but some more guards intercepted her path. She tried to force her way through them, but they pushed her down. The Returner guards dragged her to the struggling Big Mac and threw her down next to him. The group of guards formed a circle around them, and another guard went and shut the main gate

Applejack yelled,"What the hay! I swear to Celestia when I escape y'all will pay!"

Apple Bloom recognized the voice and exclaimed,"Apple Jack!"

One of the guards smiled and said,"Oh boy would you look at that. I know who you are."

Applejack looked up and asked,"What? How do you know me?"

The guards said,"You are an Element of Harmony user. The Honesty one to be more specific."

Applejack asked,"Well, how and why do you know that?"

The guard said,"I don't have time to explain this to you. I have to go contact Kefka about your little visit."

Applejack said,"Tell me who Kefka is."

The guard said,"Like I stated earlier, I don't have time for any of this."

The guard walked away to the office building, while other guards dragged away Apple Bloom and Big Mac. They struggled, but they were overpowered. The guards pushed them into a cage, shut the door, and locked it. Apple Bloom shouted for help, but Big Mac knew they had been defeated. He put a hoof on Apple Bloom's head and shook his head. She stopped yelling, and sat in a corner to pout silently. Applejack got mad and tried to escape, but the guards kept her from moving. After a while the guard from earlier emerged from the building with a big grin slapped on his face.

He gave one order," Knock her out."

A hoof came down on Applejack's head and her world went black. When she awoke her vision was blurry and her head hurt a lot. She waited for her vision to clear up, but regretted what she saw when it did. There was machinery everywhere. There were tubes with unidentifiable liquids in them, and there was a big lever on a giant machine. Her flight instinct kicked in, but when she tried to move, she couldn't. She looked down and saw that she was in a metal chair. Her hoofs were restrained by metal cuffs attached to the arms and legs of the chair. She called out but no pony answered. She took a better look around and found that she was in a cement room with a metal electronically locked door. A loud beeping noise came from somewhere in the crowded room. It was followed by a maniacal laugh, then a voice.

"Hello Applejack. How are we doing today"

Applejack yelled,"Let me out. Show yourself."

The voice said,"Now that is not an answer to the question I gave. I'll ask again. How are we doing today?"

Applejack furrowed her brow in anger and said,"I'm doing horrible. Who are you?"

The voice said,"Wow, you really want to know who I am. I know you have many more questions than just that one. Tell you what, since i'm so generous I will let you ask one question, to which I will give an honest answer. I will be waiting."

Applejack thought about it for a minute and finally spoke,"I just want to know why I am here and if I will be released soon."

The voice said,"That is simple. I need you for the Element of Honesty, and no you won't be released anytime soon."

Applejack said,"Why do you need the Element of Honesty? Why won't I be released soon?"

The voice laughed and said,"I only said one question. Besides, I have to go, but fear not, for I will be back soon. Goodbye Applejack."

Another loud beeping noise was heard and then there was silence. Applejack yelled at the voice, but got no response. Her head started to hurt even more, so she closed her eyes to try and sleep. It worked because she started dreaming. It was vivid and she could almost feel it. Applejack was in a glass box with holes on the bottom that seemed to lead only to darkness. Parallel to her, Apple Bloom was in another glass cage. Applejack heard the voice from the intercom, but it was distorted and stretched out. She made out the words initiate, protocol, and goodbye. All of a sudden water started coming up Apple Bloom's glass box. It started filling up the box rapidly, and Apple Bloom was already having to swim to stay afloat. Applejack started yelling and bucking her cage, but nothing was breaking.

Apple Bloom said,"Applejack why won't you save me? Please Applejack help!"

Applejack started bucking the cage harder this time, but still it wasn't breaking. Apple Bloom's tank was filled to the top, and Apple Bloom was holding her breath. Applejack put her hoofs against her tank and sobbed. She looked up to see that Apple Bloom had gone limp in the water. She cried some more, but then water started to fill her cage from the holes on the bottom. She cried and got ready for the worst. The water was filling fast and Applejack had to swim already. The water reached the top, so Applejack held her breath. Her lungs were on fire, and she was close to passing out. As her world went black she heard the distorted, stretched out laugh of the voice. She woke up sweating and crying.

She regained her composure after she got a grasp on reality. After she calmed down completely the voice spoke.

"I went to check on you an hour ago and you were asleep. You were struggling a lot and you were sweaty, so I knew you having a nightmare. It was great watching you torture yourself like that. When you think about nightmares are an interesting thing. They cause you no real harm yet everypony seems to fear them. Why? It's because of the emotions they make us feel. Fear, horror, despair, anxiety, and sadness. These emotions are what lead us to create the monsters under our bed, in our closet, and in the dark of night. Those monsters aren't there. They never were. We fear nightmares because of those monsters, and we fear monsters because of those nightmares. It is just one big circle. No pony can win."

Applejack furrowed her brow in confusion this time and said,"What in the hay? I reckon you got a screw loose. Do you mind letting me out now?"

The voice said,"Oh that's rude, calling me crazy and everything. How about we make a deal. You use the Element of Honesty for me, and I will forget you called me crazy. I will even think about letting you go back to a containment camp."

Applejack said,"No, I won't. I don't even have it, but if I did I wouldn't use it for you."

The voice said,"So naive. I have the Elements. All six of them to be exact. I am the one who stole them and I side with the Returners. If you don't want to use it you don't have to. I have another method."

Applejack asked,"What other method? What do you mean?"

Laughing was heard followed by the beeping noise from earlier. Applejack knew this meant the voice wouldn't speak anymore. She thought about going back to sleep, but couldn't. The nightmare from earlier was burnt into her mind. As she was contemplating what to do the mechanical door started to beep in a pattern. Applejack fixed her eyes on it waiting for something to happen. The door opened and Applejack saw a stallion she didn't recognize. He had a blond mane and tail. The mane was accentuated by a feather and a horn. He wore a green robe with gold lining and red clothes underneath. He had a leather bag strapped around his back. He walked slowly towards Applejack.

Applejack asked,"Who are you and why are you here?

The stallion laughed and Applejack recognized who it was. She gasped and he smiled.

"So, I see you know who I am, or more precisely you know my voice."

Applejack said,"Yeah I do. You mind telling me who in the hay you are?"

He smiled and said,"Why me? That's easy. I'm Kefka."

Applejack said,"Who are you to the Returners?"

Kefka laughed and said,"The leader. The one who overthrew Celestia and Luna. The one who stole your precious Elements, and I am the one who is now the ruler of Equestria."

Applejack shouted,"No you aren't. Someone will stop you. Someone has to."

Kefka said,"Oh that's cute. Who can stop me? I overthrew the royal guards, Celestia, Luna, and even Cadence and Shining Armor. I have the Elements in my possession, and an army that will do anything I say."

Applejack looked down. She didn't want to admit it, but things looked dark for Equestria. Kefka knew she had realized this and laughed again. She looked up at him and stared him in the eyes..

She said,"My friends."

Kefka said,"What was that?"

Applejack spoke again, louder this time,"I said my friends. They will save Equestria. They have done it before, and I know the can do it again."

Kefka laughed for a long time before he said,"I know they have, but the Elements of Harmony are what they've used to do so, and as I recall the Elements are in my possession. Nice try though. Since there is no hope for Equestria do you want to use the Element of Honesty for me now?"

Applejack said,"No, I don't. I would never help you."

He looked at her and said,"Suit yourself."

He used his horn to open the leather bag, and he used his magic to pull out a big syringe filled with a strange clear liquid. He started to inject Applejack with the liquid.

She protested by yelling,"What do you think you are doing? Get away from me now."

He sighed and said,"You are very annoying. Do you even know what I am doing?"

Applejack said,"No, I don't. Just get away from me. You can't do this!"

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He said,"Who is going to stop me? We went through this before and I don't want to explain it again. Do you have anymore pointless questions?"

She said,"Yeah I do. What is this liquid going to do to me?

He said,"That wasn't a bad question, but still it was stupid. The liquid infuses with your cells. From there the liquid finds the nucleus where the DNA is located. It infuses with your DNA then Travels up a plastic tube into this machine. A chemical is mixed into the liquid which allows the DNA to infuse with somepony else.

Applejack yelled,"What other pony?"

He yelled in annoyance and said,"One of my generals. He or she will be able to then use the Element. Now, I have had enough of you and your voice. You don't know how annoying you are. You brought this upon yourself Applejack."

His horn glowed and a flash of purple light followed. When the light was gone, so was Applejack's mouth. She tried to speak but it was muffled. She hung her head in defeat. Kefka took a plastic tube and fed it up through her front left leg. Then he went over towards the big red lever on the machine and laughed louder than ever.

"Don't say anything, I know what you are thinking. The lever is dramatic and cliche, but that just makes victory all the more sweeter."

He laughed again and pulled it. Immense pain shot through Applejack's body and she yelled a muffled scream. A green liquid started to come out of the tubes up and into the machine. The process was over rather quickly and the intense pain that Applejack had experienced earlier was replaced by a slight sting. The machine was making a rattling noise and a few seconds later a bottle of green and blue liquid came out of the machine on a conveyor belt. Kefka took it and put it in his bag.

He said,"I know, the machine is also very stupid. It is the only way this process can work, so I have to deal with it. Anyway, I have what I needed from you. Now if you'll excuse me, I have five other ponies to find. I would let you go, but I don't have time to undo those metal restraints. Being the leader of an unstoppable army doesn't give me a lot of time for petty tasks. It's to bad you won't get to see me shape Equestria into my perfect image. Goodbye Applejack."

Applejack started crying as she hung her head in shame. When Kefka left his horn glowed that purple shade again. There was a flash of purple light, and Applejack had her mouth back. She looked up at the door to see it wasn't closed, but Kefka wasn't in sight. She was confused until another pony became visible in the dark hallway. The pony was walking slowly and Applejack couldn't make out any distinct features. As the pony got closer Applejack could see he or she was wearing a hooded robe. The pony made it into the room, stepped in front of Applejack, and threw the hood back, revealing a blue unicorn.

Applejack gasped and said,"Trixie"

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