//------------------------------// // Chapter 42 - Fierce Yet Tired // Story: Quest For Harmony // by destinedjagold //------------------------------// I am quietly resting on this very thin and very dirty rug that the unicorns claim as a mattress. Aside from my own calm and relaxed breathing, and the echoes of the water dripping somewhere, there are no more sound that my ears could hear inside this very dim prison-dungeon cell thingy that the unicorns threw me in. Aw well, at least I could rest myself up a bit. I find it a bit hilarious that the unicorns forced themselves to carry me all the way here with their magic, since I was really really tired to even stand up. Not even their threateningly-looking whips forced me to stand though... Applejack demanded to come and see me be put inside the dungeon though. She still didn't trust the unicorns, even though she was the one that turned me to them. Sigh... Anyway, they took my saddlebag. I asked them if they could at least give me some of the food I bought, for I was hungry at that time, and even now, but they refused, which sucked... I'm tired, and hungry... Yeah, I'm going to die... The last of the unicorns that brought me here was inspecting the contents of my saddlebag on the other side of the iron bars. He arched his eyebrow as he levitated the blue diamond-gem thingie. I told him that Rarity asked me to deliver it to Twilight. He tilted his head to the side in confusion though, as he asked me a question: why was I to deliver such item if the receipient was going to kill me? I didn't answer. He shrugged after deciding that he should deliver it himself. Meh, saves me the trouble of facing the wrath of the purple unicorn. Hm... I think I'm hearing footsteps...er...hoofsteps...hoovesteps...whatever...! A black figure stopped and stood a few meters in front of the iron bars that restricted me from escaping. I tilted my head weakly, and blinked a few times to help my eyes adjust to the blackness of things...even though I've been lying here in the dark for quite some time now. Well, outside my cell, there are torches that provides enough light to see the dungeon pathway. He was a unicorn, oh great. I dropped my head back on the ground as the unicorn used his magic to open the iron door and helped himself inside. He left the door open as he stopped in front of my weakened self. Gee, as if I have the strength to make an escape. "What do you want, Starfall?" I asked weakly, not bothering to look at him. "Oh? So you can still talk, huh?" came his stupid question, and I am certain he was grinning. I rolled my eyes and huffed. "Now now, you should learn how to show respect, after all," he took a step closer as a few more footsteps were echoing louder and louder from beyond the iron bars, "you don't want the princess to be angry with the way you bring yourself," I suddenly felt myself being pulled up in midair, and I felt my face was forcefully turned to meet a grinning unicornian face. "...right?" "You have no idea," I hissed as I threw daggers with my weak glare, "how I want to spit on your face..." He opened his mouth and was about to say something when three pony figures stopped in front of my dungeon-cell-room thingy. I don't really know what this place is called though. All I know is back at home where inside a police station, we call them jail cells. This here doesn't even look like a jail. Anyway, it was Applejack, and on both her sides were two unicorn ponies. "Commander," one of the unicorns spoke, making Starfall turn his head slightly, enough to give the three ponies a side-glance. "This pony here is demanding to get her reward money for the capture of Gold Blitz." Starfall sighed slightly before returning his full gaze back on my frowning face. "Yes yes, later, after I'm done he---" Sounds of breaking bones and painful groans boomed from behind him. The two of us turned our attention at the source, and we saw a grinning Applejack, with the two unicorns lying quite hurt and unconscious in both her sides. "Hey Star," I spoke, and Starfall immediately turned back to me with a shocked expression. I spat and hit his eye, making him yelp a bit, enough for him to remove his magical grasp on me. I may be tired, but I really tired my darnest to tackle him, it did made him take a step or two back. He clenched his teeth as he glared at me, but as he summoned magic on his horn, two powerful hooves kicked him from behind, sending him towards me, where I quickly lied down to avoid impact. He crashed on the wall, and bounced a bit back before falling on the ground in front of me. "You could have hit me!" I glared at the grinning Applejack. "Well, ya didn't, so stop yer complainin'," she smirked, and I rolled my eyes. She then came to me and helped me stand on my own four fe---er, hooves. "Ah can't believe yer stupid plan actually worked. I grinned as she took an apple from my saddlebag that she was wearing. "Told you so." "Whatever," she said as she handed me an apple. She went outside and dragged the other two unicorns inside my cell. "At least you didn't kill them," I said after I finished my apple, and after Applejack dragged the two unicorns inside. Seeing her smirk made me gulp a huge lump of uncertainty. "...right?" "Heh, dunno, dun care," she then faced me, "now hurry up before any more of those unicorns show up." I nodded and tried my best to ignore my tired body as we came out of the cell. She closed the door, locked it, and slammed both her hind hooves on the lock, bending the door and jamming the lock. I winced. "Heh, that'll give 'us more time when they wake up." What she just said made me breath at ease. "So, they're still alive, right?" I turned at the three unconscious unicorns. From the darkness, I can't really tell if they're still breathing or not. "Heh, who knows. Maybe, maybe not," she simply replied with a grin. I turned to her with a frown, and her grin dropped into an annoyed frown as she rolled her eyes. "Darn it, Brownie. Why do ya even care about 'em, anyway?" "Er... Good point, but..." She shook her head. "But nothin'. Now com'on. Their Princess Twi-whatever is waitin' fer ye in the castle ground." I nodded as we started walking towards the...sigh...spiraling stairway leading to the castle's ground floor. "Right," came my lame reply. There's one thing I hate about my plan, is that I didn't take into consideration my tired state. And...I didn't expect Applejack to immediately call the unicorns' attentions. She didn't even gave me a heads up that she'll start the plan! Aw well... No use complaining now. "So where next?" Applejack cautiously asked after we reached the end of the staircase. I sighed in frustration as I turned slightly, and pointed a hoof at the nearby set of spiraling staircase leading to the second floor. As we started heading towards it, where strangely, no unicorns were around, I think Applejack noticed my frustration. "Gotta love these here stairs," she grinned, and chuckled, and completely ignored my fierce-yet-tired glare.