A Life, for A Life

by Zinnia


Chapter 5: Unexpected turn of events

As darkness slowly enveloped my vision, I felt the ground rumble beneath me, the monster slowly approaching my now prone body with each step. I also felt something vibrating on the side of my stomach where the injury was, causing me to wince slightly. It hurt and it was annoying, but it was the only thing keeping me conscious right now. Slowly, I felt my sides and went into my pocket to see what it was.

I pulled out the device that was in my pocket, the screen having a few blotches of blood on it. I flipped on the screen, trying desperately to keep myself awake.

It was ringing.

Surprised and confused in my dazed state, I read the caller ID. 'Do you want to live?' The number itself was unavailable, so I had no idea who this was. I was feeling the darkness envelop me again, so I felt inclined to answer if these were going to me my last moments. I put my finger over the green check, and slid it to the right.

"Isaiah!.." was the last thing I heard. I couldn't make out the voice, the darkness winning. As I passed out, I was aware that I was in the beast's claws now, the darkness finally taking over.

I felt heavy and pressure all around me, like I was underwater. I open my eyes to be greeted with darkness, and it was calming. Welcoming, beckoning me to go to sleep and relax. Although it was peaceful and calming, it felt.. off. Like I wasn't supposed to be here, but at the same time I was exactly where I needed to be at that moment.

I tried to move, but I found that I couldn't. I tried to say 'hello'?, but my mouth didn't comply. It felt trapped in my own thoughts, restrained from the outside world. I thought about what had happened and how I ended up here, and I start to recall the events that lead up to me eventually passing out. What was that strange caller ID?

I felt my body softly land on a smooth surface, breaking me from my thoughts. A few moments of silence passed, and a voice came to my ears. "It'll be okay.. let me handle things from here." It said. It was a feminine, disarming voice. I don't know what she meant but for some strange reason, I felt like I could trust her. But I had to go back eventually. My friends.. I miss my friends. I feel so alone here.

"Shh.." The voice whispered into my ears. "I'm done now. Just relax.. and go back to your friends. I'll be seeing you again very soon.." I did what I was told. There was no real reason for me not to, so I closed my eyes and let the darkness take me once again. Before I drifted off I felt something soft, warm and slightly moist on my forehead, making me feel at ease.

~ ~ ~ ~ > > < < ~ ~ ~ ~

Slowly, the silence around me dissipated and was replaced with a bird's song coming from my left side. I also heard a consistent albeit annoying beeping sound to the right. I opened my eyes, finding myself in what looked like a grand bedroom. That beeping sound was coming from a machine that was connected to my chest, and I saw a window slightly open to my left, the sunlight leaking through the curtains from the balcony.

Looking down at myself, I saw that I was shirtless. I had stitches on the right side of my torso, looking to stretch all the way around to my backside. I winced a little, not really liking the sight all that much. I tried moving around a bit while still in bed, stretching my stiff limbs out. It hurt when I stretched too much in one direction, but other than that I could move around just fine. Thank god for little miracles.

I looked around some more, taking in my new environment. There was a tray near the end of my bed that had all sorts of equipment, hadn't looked like they have been used all that recently. There was another tray on my left hand side, this one sporting a glass of water, some diced apples and a cupcake with blue frosting, all fresh. Even the water was still cold. Assuming those were for me, I took the water in hand and drank it all in one swift action, only just now realizing how thirsty I had been.

I sat there for a little while, just taking the opportunity to relax and get my thoughts in order. I remember everything up until I passed out, and when I was dreaming I remember that voice. At least I think it was a dream, what else could it have been? I froze up slightly as I remembered the mare I saved, Derpy I think her name was, and worry began to envelop me. I hope she made it out.

I also remembered that package Trixie had given me, a guilty feeling crawling it's way into my mind. I'd be surprised if it didn't get crushed or bent during any of that, but first I had to figure out where it was along with my phone. I got up out of bed, pulled the sensors off my chest, and walked around the room. I figured my stuff would still be here somewhere, and sure enough it was.

My phone, along with the purple box was resting on a small stool next to the closed door. I was right about the box not making it out unscathed. It wasn't too bad, it was mostly crushed only on one side of it, and it was still roughly in the shape of a box. Picking the items up, I put my phone in my shorts pocket, electing to keep the box in my hand for now.

I walked over to the balcony window and peered out of it. My jaw dropped and I stumbled slightly at what I saw. I was definitely no longer in Ponyville, that's for sure. I saw what looked like white buildings, tall and proud. Some glinted with golden light reflecting the sun perfectly, while others where a lot more modern in design. There were a few spiraling towers from my position, and I'm pretty sure I was elevated at an extreme altitude in whatever room I was in.

Opening the door and sticking my head out a bit, I saw that my suspicions were correct. I was in yet another castle, this one being much higher than the rest of the city. I could even see the town of Ponyville from here as far away as it was, the view was nothing less than spectacular. "Where am I..?" I mouthed to myself, stepping away from the window. I looked around the room again, hoping to spot something that would get my barrings.

Unfortunately, nothing seemed to stand out. At least nothing useful. So I shrugged, and walked out of the bedroom and into a narrow hallway. It connected to several other rooms as well, the hall itself looped around an unseen corner. I was definitely in the living quarters of the castle, the rooms I passed by consisted of a bathroom, a study, and even a lounge. Eventually rounding the hall, I saw another pair of doors.

Stepping forward, I walked on through them with a bit of trepidation. I felt sort of bad for snooping around, I was hoping to find like a guard or a maid, or someone to ask them where I was and if that monster was taken care of. Better yet my friends. The doors led to the throne room, a grand hall with tapestries adorned with the rising sun on one side of the room, and the moon on the other. I came in from behind the throne, the actual throne being right next to me, currently vacant.

On the steps leading up the the throne, I saw them. My friends, who were currently facing away from me so they didn't see me enter the room. Twilight, Rainbow, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, Applejack, Spike, Starlight and even Tempest. Derpy was also here, sitting a little ways away from the group. I wasn't going to say anything just yet though, I wanted to gauge the situation first.

"Do you think he'll be okay on his own?" Tempest asked cautiously, ears drooping. "I mean, what if he wakes up and he's scared or needs somepony by his side?" Applejack took her hat off, placing it against her chest and sighed.

"Well Ah'm sure he'll be alright for now, Pinkie and I left him some food and water just in case, and his stuff is still in there, minus his hoodie and shirt."

"And besides," Twilight chimed in. "Princess Celestia made sure he was comfortable. She even taught me the spell that will let me ping the electrocardiogram he's hooked up to. And just to prove my point.." Twilight's horn lit up with her signature pinkish aura, and it made a pinging sound. The sound that played next however, made everyone in the room turn pale as a ghost. A flat-line. "Oh Celestia no.." Twilight breathed.

Alright, enough lurking. "Uh, hey girls. And guy." I made my presence known, feeling extremely bad for not saying anything sooner. "So what did I miss?" I asked sheepishly, scratching the back of my head. Everyone whipped their head around so fast that it made me jump. Everyone tackled me to the floor, tears in their eyes while they embraced me. I winced slightly as the fall made me pull the stitches a little, but otherwise fine.

"Zale, I swear to bucking god if you scare me like that again I'll end you myself!!" Shouted Fluttershy, her faced buried into my chest. I reeled back in shock at her unusual volume. However, I did feel bad about making them worry so much, so I patted her gently in response.

"Seriously Zale like-" Rainbow began with a sniffle. "Like, you had me worried there for a minute. I knew you'd pull through tough guy." Rainbow wrapped a wing around me and gave me a little squeeze, which I leaned into without hesitation.

"Shucks sugarcube, y'all really had me going there for a moment." Applejack took her hat from the ground and perched it on top of my head. "But I'll admit, you definitely gave that Ursa Major a run for er' bits." I raised an eyebrow at that.

"Ursa Major?" I echoed in confusion. "Is that what that thing is called?" They all nodded, getting up off of me, except Fluttershy and Tempest. I sat up slightly, looking between the two. "And what do you mean I gave it a run for it's uh, bits?"

"You mean you don't remember?" Rarity said in bewilderment. "The whole town saw you, and let me tell you darling that was a dazzling display of heroics." I waved my hands dismissively, shaking my head.

"All I remember is catching Derpy and running from it to distract it, something hit my head and I passed out. Past that I don't remember a thing." The group looked at each other with concern, then back at me. I grew nervous at their expressions. "What.. what exactly did I do?"

"Dude, you were awesome!" Spike said, looking up at me with admiration. "When it had you in it's claws, you pulled yourself out of it with your bare hands, and then WHAM! You kicked it right in the nose!" Spike voice was filled with glee and excitement, and my eyes widened in shock.

"Yeah, you were almost just as awesome as me!" Rainbow chimed in. "After that, you were making flying circles around that thing, punching it with a left and a really heavy right hook, knocking it off it's feet!" Rainbow made fighting gestures in the air to portray her point.

"Wait, wait wait." I said, only just registering what was said. "You mean I was actually flying, and I punched it so hard I knocked that 10 story Ursa Major off of it's feet?" Spike and Rainbow nodded, smiles on their faces. I sat back against the throne, in total shock. There's no way I would have the strength to do anything like that, let alone fucking fly.

"Humans, don't fly. That's not a thing we do." I stated matter-of-factly. "Unless we are in a plane or rocket ship, or have some sort of engine attached to us, humans can't physically fly." Starlight cocked an eyebrow up.

"Well, you did. But you say you didn't remember any of that because you passed out, right?" Starlight asked. I nodded in confirmation. "Hm.. well when you threw the Ursa Major far into the Everfree Forest, you passed out again," Starlight explained. I wanted to say 'what.' but chose to not let anything surprise me anymore. "Your body, especially your phone had a very strong magical signature."

"Oh right, my phone!" I pulled out the device, and looked at the box in my other hand. "Oh, uh.. by the way, this is for you." Starlight eyed the box curiously, and looked back up at me in confusion. "Trixie wanted me to give this to you before that whole Ursa Major thing happened." I explained. Starlight mouthed an 'oh', and put the box away in a pair of saddlebags perched on the stairs. I turned on my phone and unlocked it, looking through the call log. It was blank.

"Huh.. well, right before the first time I passed out, my phone rang and it had a caller ID that read 'Do you want to live'. I answered the call, and that's when I passed out." Pinkie Pie hummed in thought.

"Well maaaaybe when you answered the phone it activated a strong magical spell and your phone actually has a spirit inside of it and that spell put your consciousnesses inside the phone and the phone spirit took over your body to fight for you and when it was done the spell was reversed!?" Pinkie exclaimed very fast all in one sitting. Everyone in the room was looking at her in bewilderment and just.. stared at her for a few moments.

"Well, I guess it could be a possibility.. it would explain that voice I heard in my head and what it said." Tempest looked at me, an eyebrow raised.

"What exactly did it say?" Tempest asked. I pondered on it for a moment, nodding my head once I was sure I remembered correctly.

"It said, 'I'll handle things from here; it'll be okay', something along those lines." I looked around the room, spotting Derpy, the mare I saved. Getting up, I took off Applejack's hat and put it back on her head as I made my way over to Derpy. She saw me coming, and looked away from me, a guilty expression on her face.

I knelt down beside her, giving her a pat on the head. "Hey." I said. She looked back up at me, somewhat hesitant. "You alright? No one else get hurt, did they?" She didn't answer for a moment, and then she relented with a sigh.

"Yes, I'm okay.. and no, no pony else was hurt.. you were the only one.." She answered, ears drooping. A breathed a sigh of relief, glad to hear no one else was injured. "When you told me to run, I flew straight to the castle to get help from Twilight and her friends, but when we got back you.. well, you know."

"I'm really glad you did, or else I'd probably would have bled out of nothing else. So thank you Derpy." She waved her hooves dismissively, frowning slightly.

"No, I should be thanking you. We all should you practically saved Ponyville from that Ursa Major on your own.. I'm sorry that you got hurt because of me though." Alright, enough was enough. It's time to pull out my secret anti-sad weapon.

I booped her, right in the center of her muzzle. Only for a moment, both of her eyes locked onto my finger, before she blinked and went cross-eyed again, looking up at me. "Hey, don't apologize. It was my own fault I got hurt, because I wanted to save you. I didn't want to lose a friend." I assured her, taking my finger away.

The throne room doors opened, and three ponies I've never seen before walked in, much taller than the ones I've met thus far. They had a regal aura to them, adorned with crowns, all three had both wings and a horn. Two of them had manes continuously flowing in a non-existent breeze. Only one though.. one of them radiated with immense power, having such an overwhelming charisma it actually scared me.

"Ah, I see our guest is awake." The tall white one said. She had a brilliantly shining mane and tail mixed with magenta, blue, green and teal. I was so enamored with her mane, I didn't even realize she walked right up to me, tall enough to actually be nearly eye level with me. I recomposed myself after a moment, picking my jaw up off of the floor. The other two were with the others in the room, chatting amongst themselves.

"O-Oh, uh.. hi your majesty." I stammered out. She chuckled at my stupor, waving a hoof dismissively.

"Please, no need for the formality. I am Princess Celestia, current ruler of this land." Celestia pointed a hoof towards the other two. "And the darker one is my sister and co-ruler, Princess Luna. The pink one is my niece and ruler of the Crystal Empire, Princess Mi Amore Cadenza."

"But you can just call me Cadence for short." Cadence added with a smile. I nodded, relaxing somewhat. "We've heard about what happened in Ponyville, are you feeling okay?" She asked.

"Oh, yeah I'm fine now," I assured her. "Just a bit confused and well, a little freaked out I guess. About the whole thing really." I looked down at the palms of my hands, clenching my fingers and spreading them out again. "I'm not sure how I feel about blacking out and fighting that thing; or about my body being taken over like that." Luna nodded in understanding, a grimace on her face.

"Indeed. Although it did save you from any major damage, and saved Ponyville in the process I can understand why it would trouble you so." Luna stated, walking towards me. "We have been through a similar experience, albeit mine was more.. villainy and hostile." She put a hoof on my shoulder, a warm smile on her face. "I am relieved that you did not have such intentions."

A question came to mind, I looked over at Celestia. "So, how long exactly was i out for?" She pondered the question for a moment, and nodded her head.

"About a full day, right now it's around noon, Saturday." Celestia answered. I sighed in relief at that, knowing that I wasn't unconscious for more than a day. "But it's finally nice to make your acquaintance, Mr. Chase." She teased, a smirk on her face. I chuckled at that, waving her off.

"It's only Isaiah, or Zale if you prefer." I said with a smile. Things didn't turn out so bad after all. The princesses were all they were made out to be, welcoming, caring and even had a sense of humor. I was so worked up over nothing and in the end, everyone is alright. I had these thoughts as we chatted for a little while, I described what my first encounters were like from the day I fell into this world, to right before the Usra Major Incident. Derpy had to head back to Ponyville though, so we said our goodbyes and she was on her way to the Canterlot station.

Eventually though, I was cut off when a rumbling came to my stomach. I looked down with a blush, placing a hand over my belly. "Sorry about that, hehe.. Guess all that sleep worked up an appetite." Everyone laughed and I pouted, but I couldn't keep it up and started to chuckle myself. "Well I still have those apple slices and a cupcake back in the room I woke up in, I'll go get them." I started to get up, but felt a force tug at my wrist, a golden aura surrounding it.

"Don't worry about that. I'll have a servant go clean those up, and we can all have breakfast together in the royal cafeteria." Celestia said, letting my wrist go. "Also, about your clothes.." I looked down, remembering I was still shirtless, and all I had on was my shorts.

"Leave that to me, darling." Rarity chimed in. "I can replace; no, I can make you a brand new set of clothes, and maybe even have you model for me sometime in the future?" She asked, batting her eyes in a pleading manner. I wasn't sure about how I felt being a dress up doll for a pony, but it was the least I could do to repay her for the clothing I figured.

"Sure. Now then, where's the cafeteria?" We all got up off of the stairs and walked out of the room, on our way to get our lunch for the day. However I couldn't shake this strange, uneasy feeling.

A few hours after the attack, in the Everfree Forest..

"W-Wait! Please, I-I didn't know he could do that!" The changeling queen cowered, shrinking back from the scrutinizing glare coming from the dark side of the woods. It stared down at her, disappointment and rage in it's gaze. "I did what I could!"

The figure in the shadows sighed, turning it's back on the queen. "No matter. I got what we came here for.." It said, a grin spreading across it's face. "I have no further use for you anymore.. Chrysalis." Chrysalis eyes shrunk to pinpricks, fear at the implication. The figure snapped back, his horn alight with a spell and shooting it out instantly. She barely avoided the blast, buzzing her wings through the trees to flee as fast as she could. However, he already had another spell ready and waiting.

Chrysalis hissed in pain has as fire struck her in between the wings, one of the translucent appendages burning away slightly. She fell onto the ground in a heap, rolling away a little from the impact. Without thinking, she opened a portal up with her magic, and jumped through it.

The figure growled, his razor fangs in a snarl. Whatever.. My plans will go unhindered from here on. All I need now is time..