12 November 1008
Winter in the jungles of Aztlan was barely any different from any other season, except for the fact it was marginally less warm. Not cold, mind you, just less warm.
Jungle Trek didn’t care too much. He was used to all sorts of temperatures from the jungle, and at least it wasn’t raining.
‘’We received news from the north,’’ one of his scouts reported without preamble as he entered the tent. ‘’Baltimare is completely overrun. Their troops are going to collapse in the next few days.’’
And then they’ll come for us.
At least with Celestia, there would have been a possibility of negotiation. No such thing was there with Nightmare Moon. She would crush them all.
And Jungle knew they couldn’t win.
Oh sure, they could wage a guerrilla war for months, perhaps even years. But people grew tired eventually, and then their cause would be lost, stamped out by the iron hoof of the Lunar Empire until naught but specks of ash remained of the flame of Aztlan’s dream.
Jungle got verbose when thinking.
‘’Try to see if some can’t be convinced to fight with us.’’ Any hooves to aid their fight would be welcomed easily enough, even former enemies. Anybody who tried to resist such an idea was a fool.
The scout nodded. ‘’I’ll tell the others, sir.’’
Jungle nodded. ‘’Dismissed.’’
Once the scout was gone, Jungle sank into his chair. ‘’What a clusterfuck,’’ he muttered as he reached for his glass.
Something exploded outside.
Jungle grabbed his gun instead of his glass, then jumped out of his chair and ran outside.
People were shouting, guns were being fired, and someone was casting spells- Jungle frowned, and shot the first thestral he spotted in the neck. The stallion - or mare, he couldn’t tell from this distance - went down with a gurgled scream.
Jungle dove to the side immediately, taking cover behind a couple of boxes and only occasionally peeking out to shoot whoever caught his eye first. He was a good marksman, and only missed twice, neither of which were his own fault.
He had no idea if they were winning or losing, or how the enemy had discovered their camp, but he knew two things: he was still breathing, and he still had a working gun with ammo. That meant he could fight.
And so he kept on fighting.
He killed… maybe ten? Fifteen? Something like that, before he received a blow to his back.
As Jungle tried to get up - smashing through wooden boxes was not fun - he turned around to see an orange unicorn tower over him.
‘’Evening,’’ she greeted casually as a bolt of crackling energy flew from her horn. ‘’I’m Sunset Shimmer.’’
You’re beautiful.
Despite everything, that was the first thing Jungle could think of.
‘’Uhhh…’’
Sunset Shimmer smiled sweetly as she sent another spell forth. ‘’I’ve been informed you’re Jungle Trek?’’
‘’Yes?’’ He cringed at his own voice crack. Steady Jungle. She’s the enemy, no matter how attractive she is.
Sunset Shimmer’s smile widened. ‘’Good.’’
And the world went black.
12 November 1008
Jungle awoke to find Sunset Shimmer was still standing over him, but in a single second he could already tell he wasn’t outside anymore. He was laying on something soft - a bed, if he had to guess.
And he was in a room. A dark one, true, with just a single lamp hanging from the roof, and only the bed he was apparently laying in. Oh, and the mare standing next to said bed, looking rather irritated.
‘’So, you’re finally awake,’’ Sunset Shimmer said. ‘’Good. I have some questions for you.’’
‘’And then what?’’ Jungle inquired. Damn, his throat was sore.
‘’I haven’t decided yet,’’ Sunset Shimmer replied brightly. ‘’So, first question!’’ She pulled out a sheet of paper from somewhere, then flipped it around.
Silence hung in the room for about five seconds.
‘’I can’t read,’’ Jungle drolly deadpanned.
Sunset Shimmer’s face went through a flood of emotions that did very flattering things to her eyebrows. ‘’Celestia fucking damnit,’’ she swore.
Jungle managed to raise an eyebrow. ‘’Are you allowed to say that?’’
Before he could see it happen, he felt something bounce off against his head. Sunset Shimmer glared murder at him.
‘’Not. Funny,’’ she ground out, before flipping the paper again.
Jungle took the time to settle himself in a more comfortable position. Given that he was probably going to be executed as soon as this mare was finished torturing him, he might as well enjoy the small comforts they were offering him.
‘’Very well.’’ Sunset Shimmer exhaled loudly. ‘’First question: why are you fighting against the Lunar Empire?’’
‘’Money.’’ It wasn’t a lie, but it wasn’t the full truth either. Despite what some people - fuck you too Reed - thought, Jungle did have morals, and he truly did believe in Aztlan’s cause of freedom.
‘’Surprising,’’ Sunset Shimmer muttered under her breath, just loud enough for Jungle to catch. He couldn’t help but smirk at that.
‘’Any more?’’ he asked lightly as he shifted a little. That was a very soft pillow. He wanted one.
‘’Shut that face of yours,’’ Sunset Shimmer ordered. ‘’Next question. Where is Doctor Caballeron?’’
Now that, I won’t share. ‘’Somewhere, I’m sure,’’ Jungle answered, and that was all he would say.
‘’That’s not an answer.’’
‘’I couldn’t care less.’’
Sunset Shimmer’s glare intensified. ‘’Answer me.’’
‘’Nah.’’ You’re beautiful, sure, but I don’t answer to Lunarists.
Their gazes locked for a few seconds.
‘’You will answer me.’’ Sunset Shimmer’s tone was low and commanding. Her horn was starting to glow a dangerous shade of teal.
‘’I won’t.’’
The world turned fully teal. Sweet Tree it was bright.
‘’We’re in your mind.’’ Sunset Shimmer’s voice was coming everywhere at once and Sweet Tree Jungle was almost pissing himself. ‘’If you’re not going to give the information willingly, I will just have to obtain it the hard way.’’
Jungle looked down and saw nothing but teal light. If they were truly in some sort of mindscape, it wasn’t his own.
He steeled himself. He was Jungle Trek, and he had survived worse than this. He could do this, for Aztlan.
For Aztlan.