An Azure Future Part 4
So Very Strapped
The Styrofoam cup floated in front of John Norris' face. This is what I wanted when I woke up this morning. Eyup. Nothing like being strapped down by a madman. Or is that Madcolt? Madstallion? Madpony? Oh god, I’m about to be ponified and my last human thoughts are of TERMINOLOGY. When did this become my life? Wonder what kind of pony I’d be? ...What would Azure think? The thought of his son woke something up in John. Aw shit, the note! He must think I’m dead. I have to get out of here, for Azure! John examined the straps on his wrist, they had a small amount of give but the leather was good. Then John noticed something about the strapping system itself, it was a metal button in a well worn notch in the leather strap. All he had to do was push out against it. A plan quickly formed in John’s racing mind.
“So, you mind if I ask a question before this happens?” John asked as nonchalantly as he could manage given the situation. This had to work. There was no plan b. There was hardly a plan a to begin with.
A twisted smile adorned Grey Crusader’s face at the perceived crushed spirit before him. ”You caught me in a good mood, I’ll tell you what, you get three.” The gray pony smirked, already celebrating victory judging from his tone. He kept the cup floating in front of John’s face.
John’s plan was working. So far so good, now if only I actually had questions... PER members are mostly all ex-human and hate their human past, that could work for me. “So, what’s your story? start at when you human. Equestrian ponies wouldn’t hardly ever bother with humans like you PER ponies do, so don’t play like you’re equestrian born.” John was taking a lot of risks, if he messed up he'd be ponified anyways, if he somehow succeeded...
“You know, your very mouthy for someone strapped down.” Crusader spoke through gritted teeth. “But I will answer nonetheless.” He cleared his throat and began. “I was born in Anaheim, just a few block from here infact. I grew up in what you would call a ‘broken home’ never knew my father, mother was either not around or on something. I kept my head down and my nose clean. I lost my closest friend when I was eighteen to gang violence, wore the wrong color shirt on the wrong street. I graduated shortly after the incident. I broke ties with home and studied ecology at FCSU. When the AI’s finally took over my job and my degree wasn’t worth the paper it was printed on, as if some sort of saviour, the ponies came, offering ponification, offering peace, offering to take away the corruption I’ve seen, offering to heal the earth. I was among the first covenrtee’s. But then the HLF came along, they refused ponification, they refused to heal the planet. It was then I founded Ponification for Earth’s Rebirth. Things went well at first, but then we were condemned by our own kind and now we have to work in complete secrecy. Next question?”
John thought for a bit. He had undone the straps on his hands but was now at the full attention of his captor. Oh man, that was pretty all inclusive... I need something else... “So... Uh... Come here often?” Dammit.
Grey Crusader blinked out of confused, “You can’t be serious. Are you fucking real with that question? This is the local chapters base of operations. I am the Grand Master of the PER and headquaters is nearby. I spend a good deal of time here. Do you even HAVE a third question?”
John smirked, “Why yes I do.” John mentally prepped himself mentally, Here we go... “What happens when you throw a styrofoam cup of ponification anaesthetic in an insane ponies face?” Before the gray pony could react, John snatched the cup out of the air and threw its contents at Grey Crusader. It hit him square in the face. John unstrapped his legs with haste, he had no idea if it would do as he tought it would and render his captor uncounsious.
“What the fuck?! Do you know how much this shit stings when it gets in your eyes?! Motherfuck son!” The gray pony screamed, blinded by the potion. John removed the strap from the chair and placed it over Grey's muzzle, tightening it so he couldn't scream. He moved on to check the door Locked. Right by the door was a map of the building in the form of a fire escape route on a piece of paper taped to the wall. Must be my lucky day.
John looked at the map, the closest room was well down the way. Maybe nobody heard him scream. The alarm’s eerie siren started blazing. “Goddamit.”
The intercom came to life “We are under attack, I repeat we are under attack. This is not a drill. Enforcers, to your battle stations. This is not a drill.” The recording played endlessly.
“Well, that sounds like fun. I need a plan...” John stared listlessly at the fire routes for a few long moments, trying to make sense of the multilevel map. “Screw this, lets just get out and roll with whatever.” John kicked the door open. The scene before him was one of war. Scattered across the large compound were men in dark clothing, HLF across their backs, wielded various weapons. A few would charge into a building, shots were fired, sounds of struggle came from within, even fewer emerged from the room. Sometimes, no one would come out. The local HLF found the Local PER, the two terrorist orginizations fighting over the fate of mankind.
John ran into the closest building, careful to avoid the crossfire. It apperead to be dedicated to the weaponization of potion. Looking around, John could see various projects that would put the final gravemarker on mankind. There was modifications for pistols, rifles, and machines to shoot potion tainted rounds. A picked apart 81mm mortar round suggested their development of a long range area ponification. What really caught his eye was a tear gas canister marked 'Ponification Gas X-17'. If they could just carpet bomb an area with gas...
There was a sudden noise, an earth pony with fresh crimson stains on his chest and streaks across his side stumbled from somwhere in the back. "You..." it rasped, blood dripping from its muzzle.
John stepped back in shock. "W-what did I do?"
"This," The pony motioned to itself with a hoof. "to me."
"I'm not with the HLF." John tried to reason.
"Oh, are you sure about that? Why are you still human then?" The pony posed his last question just before there was the crack of a gunshot and a large chunk of the pony's skull disappeared.
“Are you okay? I didn’t expect to see a non-combatant here.” John turned to the voice. The boy seemed to be about seventeen years old. He was holding an old bolt action rifle. John identified it as world war two era. His dad was a gun aficionado and he knew a few things himself as a rule. “The names Enfield, we need to get you out of here, ASAP. Lets go.” The young man took off, leading the way.
They ran through the large PER compound, which John now knew was mostly dedicated to R&D. Bullets wizzed through the air and there was a ceasless chatter of gun fire. The pair ducked into cover behind a concrete slab. Checking the map, John tried making sure they were headed out but was pulled away from where he crouched as potion splattered against the slab's corner. "That was close eh?" Enfield smirked.
A few ponies filed out of a building and Enfield quickly dispatched them the moment they dared come into view. John was perturbed by the how easily the young man pulled the trigger. There was no hesitation, no visible remorse, he didn’t even looked troubled. "This way!" Enfield bolted and John chased after. Soon, John could see a large gate that lead to the street. Better yet, it was open.
John and Enfield charged through the gate. He looked around whilst panting, John recognized his surroundings, he was just a bit over a mile from his apartment, he could see the high rise from here. There was a good number Human Liberation Front vans parked askew around the building. A few men heavily armed guarding the front in case they needed to make a hasty retreat or some support.
“Where the fuck did you find him?” One of them asked Enfeild.
“We kinda ran into each other. I think they were going to forcibly ponify him.” He answered. Well, out of the frying pan and into the fire. I probably could make a run for it, but knowing HLF they’re likely to shoot me down for fun. I wonder if these are the same bastards that killed her... John looked around for an escape route. He had to get out of here. I need a distraction.
Then the night exploded. Standing before him was a pony as dark as the night itself with all the night’s stars in its mane. It was a pony that John had seen before, both in person and on TV. Princess Luna. That’ll work. John took off, the barbaric screams of humans and the fearful screams ponies mixing in the night.
**********
John was out of breath when he reached the entrance of the apartment. He made his way to the elevator and hit the button for his floor. He collapesed on the floor of the elevator as it began its ascent. “Jesus, that was fun stuff.” He sighed. The doors slid open, John exited the elevator and entered the apartment.
“And where the hay were you?” Asked a small pegasus staring at him from the counter. “Did you think it’d be funny just to leave this note and disappear?” Azure asked with as much anger as he could muster up, then he started to tear up. “I worried about you, dad. I don't want to be alone again.” His voice wavered.
”Azure, its okay now, I’m here. I kinda realized after the fact that the note was a bad idea. I... got caught up with some.... stuff.” John checked the time, it was eight pm the following day. I must’ve been knocked out for a good while. “Hey how about some dinner?”
“Sure, where are the groceries?” Azure asked.
“Shit." John cursed, realizing they were still in the truck, miles away. "Knew I was forgetting something. Wanna help me go get some fresh groceries tomorrow?”
Azure laughed lightly “Sure dad, why not?”
_______________________________________________________________NOTES:
Thats right, of all the references to be made, I reference one of the only fics whose author dosen’t hang out on the tcb /fic/ threads anymore..What son? (Ten rounds Written by defoloce)
Also, The character from the show is none other than Luna in Princess mode.
Fun chapter.
I was just playing around with my imagination and everything got INTENSE.
As always, thoughts, concerns, ideas, what you’d like to see. I’m going to try to put a cameo in each update from here on. So post ‘em in the current TCB thread or email me at or if your interested in a cameo.
Anonymous Is Grammar NUTZI. Also a dirty liar.