"Rise and shine, Mr. West."
Pain erupted across my chest, and my eyes flew open, my body jerking against the restraints holding down my hands and ankles. Light overloaded my retinas, and for a moment, all I could see was white. Slowly, however, my body began surrendering back to unconciousness, unable to handle the stress of being awake after being so brutally abused.
Darkness began to cover up the world again, but yet another wave of pure agony forced me back into the world of the living. Another burst of harsh light attacked my tired eyes, and I was momentarily blinded by a sea of white. After a short time, however, my eyes adjusted to the sensory overload, and I began to make out shapes.
From what I could see, I was tied to a wall in a dilapidated old shack, my arms and legs having been spread apart so I was spread-eagled across the vertical surface. My jeans were torn up, and my shirt was completely gone, exposing my badly burned chest to the forces of nature.
Light filtered into the beat up cabin through holes in the ceiling, and I could vaguely make out the shapes of trees through the gaps. Was I back in the Everfree? Perhaps.
Glancing down, I finally noticed my captor. Or, I should say captors, plural. Three ponies were staring up at me, two of them unicorn stallions, one of them a pegasus mare. I recognized one of the stallions as the pony who was spying on me while I rested in Fluttershy's cottage. The same pony who blasted Rainbow Dash.
"I suppose you're wondering just who we are, Mr. West." The silver pegasus said, her voice high and cold. She gazed up at me with a mix of revulsion and curiosity, paying particular attention to my hands and feet.
My head pounded, and I winced at the noise the mare was making. "Water..." I croaked, fighting back the combination of a hangover and a mugging. My mind felt sluggish, and I blearily tried to clear it. What had happened last night...? There was the party, I was shot in the chest by... something... and...
Applejack.
Did she manage to get away? If she did, did she get help? Would she be able to find me? If not, what were these ruffians planning on doing with me?
Alright, James. One thing at a time.
One of the unicorn stallions brought me my requested glass of water, his crimson coat standing out against the bleak brown boards that made up the shack's walls.
He levitated the glass up to my lips in a familiar red glow, and my eyes narrowed as I contemplated the ramifications of this. He had blasted me last night, he was the reason my chest looked like it had been exposed to a solar flare. Well, that might be slightly exaggerated, but I was still pissed.
For a moment, I considered just spitting the water into his ugly equine face, but I cast the thought out of my mind almost as quickly as it came. If I was gonna survive this, I would need to keep up my strength.
"More." I demanded as I finished the glass, eager to let these ponies know that I wouldn't let them dictate the terms of our meeting.
The silver pegasus lifted an eyebrow and chuckled lightly, a high, cruel sound that made my skin crawl. I had already decided that I hated this stupid little punk.
"You get another glass of water when you begin cooperating with us."
"How about I get another glass of water and I don't break your spindly little legs."
She responded with another disgusting, high pitched laugh.
"Oh, my poor delusional human, if you think that you're in any position to make demands, then you're ape-like brain must be more primitive than I thought." She smiled all the while she said it, shaking her head at me condescendingly, her yellow eyes flashing with delight as she tormented me.
"What did you say!?" I whisper angrily, straining against the thick ropes that bound me.
"Oh, you'll make a fine pet, James. It's good that you're fighting us; it'll only make breaking you that much more satisfying."
"What the hell are you talking about?" I demanded, gritting my teeth against the bitter headache that pounded beneath my skull. With any luck, this would be a throw up hangover and I could give this little silver witch a new hairdo.
"Put simply," The blue one from Fluttershy's spoke up, "We own you. I summoned you to Equestria, I forged the pact with you, and I get to decide when you go home to whatever pitiful existence you have waiting for you. So you better play nice, monkey, 'cause you're gonna have to do whatever we say from now on."
I hate this one, too. "Just what is it you want me to do, anyways?"
"Put simply, you're going to make us three the rulers of Equestria." He stated nonchalantly. I stared at him with wide eyes for a moment, wearing a look that practically screamed 'what the hell is the matter with you?'.
"Oooh, why didn't you say so?" I spat bitingly. "Would you like anything else while I'm at it? Perhaps a nice boot up your ass?"
He sighed, and shook his head, looking sidelong at his red companion. "Give him another shock, Slate."
"With pleasure," he rumbled. The crimson pony's horn glowed red for a moment, before a lance of blood red lighting shot out and danced along the burn on my chest, causing me to scream in yet more pure agony. The pain was all consuming. I couldn't talk, couldn't breathe, couldn't even think. The pain was, in that moment, my entire world.
The first thing I see when I get back to earth had better be naked women and whole lot of aloe vera.
The lightning stopped, and I sagged in my bindings, all of my meager strength fleeing retraction of the magical electricity. Small plumes of smoke drifted upwards, and I tried not to think about how much damage this was doing to my insides. Would the doctors here even know how to operate on the human anatomy?
Alright.. alright... just focus. Come up with a way out of here.
"Now then, Mr. West, would you like to make any more jokes before I get to the point?"
"I don't even know why you're asking me for a good joke. With that haircut, you've pretty much got the market cornered on funny. Funny lookin', at least."
Another mind numbing red shock. Worth it.
I coughed up some blood, the red liquid splattering on the ground in front of me. Okay, not so worth it after all. "... What do you want from me?"
Silver pony smiled at me smugly, causing me to ball my hands into tight fists. I hate that smile almost as much as I hate the mare wearing it. "Aww, giving up so soon? Pity, I was hoping we'd get to play with you some more before you broke."
"Don't. test me." I said acidly, flexing my fingers. Have I mentioned how much I hate her?
The navy blue stallion brought a hoof up to silence his silver comrade. I was beginning to get the feeling that he was the leader. "Enough, Myrrh." He looked up at me, locking my green eyes with his obsidian ones. "We represent-"
"Discord." I finished for him, taking vindictive pleasure at the shocked expressions on the ponies faces.
"My, it seems you've been doing your homework while you caroused with the Ponyville yokels. I suppose it was Celestia's lapdog, Twilight Sparkle, who deciphered the words on my cloak for you?"
I remained silent, and gently twisted my wrists against the course fibers of the ropes. I really didn't like where this was going. I needed to get the hell out of Dodge.
"No matter. Yes, we represent Lord Discord, Avatar of Chaos."
"Let me guess," I muttered, "You want me to free you're long imprisoned master so he can take the throne, and grant you all places of power?"
"No," he responded simply, and curiosity momentarily overrode my bitter hatred. No? So... why was I here?
I voiced my question, and he grinned maliciously at me, his pearly white teeth standing out in sharp contrast with his dark fur coat. "Ah, the many mysteries of the universe. Why are any of us here? Is there some grand, cosmic scheme, or-"
"Get to the point, cuddles."
"The Elements of Harmony are a threat to our Lord and Master, Discord. As long as they're around, any attempt to free his Chaoticness will end in failure."
"Okay, first of all, 'Chaoticness' isn't a word, and second of all, I fail to see how any of this involves me." My patience was at an all-time low, and my strength was beginning to return to my battered body. The boards in this shack looked pretty rotten. Busting them shouldn't be too difficult.
"How can I put this in terms your monkey brain can understand...?" Fuck you. "Well, the Elements of Harmony trust you. You have become friends with them. What we wish you to do is to simply render them unable to perform their duties as Magical Guardians of Equestria."
"Okay, okay, good offer but-" I was cut off by another burst of red lightning, this one slicing across my stomach and leaving another, burn streaking messily up my body.
"You will be silent."
Party pooper.
"Now, you may be wondering how you're supposed to go about doing this," The navy blue stallion continued, nodding sagely, "and we gave it some thought for quite a while, too. For you see, Discord has, in the past, driven a wedge in the friendship of those bothersome fillies, and yet there was one among them who managed to reunite their little club. Twilight Sparkle. She has proven time and time again to be quite resourceful, and I believe that we've come up with an appropriate solution to our purple problem.
"You shall, along with one of our... associates... will retrieve a magical artifact of great power. You will not be told what the artifact is until you reach its location, and you will not be told where the artifact is. Your guide will lead the way. You must simply protect her and do our bidding at any cost. Any questions?"
You mean other than the bazillion your little monologue raised? "What's to stop me from just going back to Ponyville and telling everyone your grand scheme?"
Navy blue smiled. "While you were... sleeping, we took the liberty of placing certain enchantments on your person. Attempt to reveal anything of what we have discussed here, and I can assure you that the pain you feel will be most unpleasant. Anything else?"
"Why me!?" I spat, lashing wildly against my bonds. "Why the hell did you have to drag me from my home!? I have a father who's probably freaking out right now, and-"
"I'm afraid that information is on a need to know basis, ape-arms." Oh great, Myrrh the Cur was talking again. As if things weren't awesome enough.
"Now then, Slate, render our prisoner unconscious. We shall send Miss Trixie to collect him in the morning."
"Nononononononononono, you keep that horn at non-glow, little mist-" I was cut off once again as the great red brute brought a hoof down in my stomach, and followed up by another burst of red magic. As blackness began to envelop my world yet again, I heard Myrrh laugh again.
God I hate her.
The sun was beginning to set over Sweet Apple Acres, a beautiful mix of orange and purple. The rays of light bathed the farm in its warm glow, and Big Macintosh could be seen closing the barn up for the day. A certain tranquility had overtaken the Acres, one that was broken only by the farmhouse.
Applejack, Rarity, Twilight, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, and Rainbow Dash were all huddled around Applejack's kitchen table, pouring over a map of the area that had been laid out against the smooth wood surface. The group had searched all day for their human friend, to no avail. Wherever James was, he certainly wasn't in Ponyville.
"Ungh, we've looked everywhere!" Rainbow Dash whined, resting her head in her hoof.
"Other than the deep Everfree, of course... But James might not even be in the area anymore. For all we know, his foalnappers have brought him halfway to Manehatten." Twilight Sparkle was exhausted; she had coordinated the search effort all day, and every volunteer group had come up with nothing.
"Alrigh', we ain't looked around the northern forest by the ol' castle yet! As a matter o' fact, Ah'm willin' ta bet that that's where they dragged James off to!" Applejack offered optimistically, standing up out of her chair and heading towards the door. Her friends all knew that the cheeriness was just a facade, but they didn't dare call her on it. The orange mare was taking the human's abduction hard, harder than the rest of them.
"Alright, Applejack, we can look. But tomorrow would probably be better," Twilight yawned, and rubbed her lavender eyes with her hooves. "
"Tomorrow!? We can't wait 'till tomorrow!" The farmer rebuked, her smiling mask beginning to crack. "If he's out there all night, there's no tellin' what kinda shenanigans he could get in to! An' who knows what those ponies who took him are doin'!"
"Come on, AJ, we'll all end up getting lost if we search during the dark." Rainbow Dash was exhausted after searching Ponyville and the surrounding forest all day with a hang over, and her patience was rapidly dwindling. "Besides, James is tough. If anyone can make it in the Everfree forest overnight with possibly dangerous foalnappers-"
"That's quite enough, Rainbow." Rarity warned. The snow-white mare had found the torn and burnt purple shirt that she had custom tailored for her alien friend, and feared the worst for the man wearing it. Even so, simply wouldn't do to go bringing up the worst case scenario.
Rainbow Dash, however, just kept talking. "-Besides, if it was the Discord cultists who got him, he's of more use to them alive then dead."
"Woah there, Nelly!" Applejack's emerald eyes flashed with anger, and she reared up on her hind legs. "When did we start talkin' 'bout James bein' dead!?"
"Applejack, I'm sure Rainbow was just-"
"Well AH'M sure that y'all are already writin' him off! When Nightmare Moon returned we went into the woods at night!"
"That was because there wouldn't be anything but night if we didn't." Twilight said in a concerned voice, trying to defuse the situation.
"Well the way Rainbow's talkin', she's given up on 'im! Element of loyalty my-"
"Applejack, please!" Rarity intervened again, this time, however, with a much sterner voice. "I understand that you're worried but that is simply not a reason to attack us! James is our friend as well, and it pains us all that we have to take a break. But it's necessary."
"Ya don't understand..." The southern cowpony whispered, her stetson hat pulled low over her eyes.
"Applejack, we all under-"
"Ah was the one who was bringin' James home, Ah was the one who didn't listen to 'im when he thought somethin' funny was up, Ah'm the one who didn't do a darned thing to help 'im. Ah just... ran off, an' let 'em get away with James..." Applejack's voice cracked, and she lowered her head slightly so that her hat covered her deeply expressive face.
There was an uncomfortable silence as her friends began to understand Applejack's manic drive to find James. "Oh Applejack," A yellow pegasus, Fluttershy, mumbled, "You shouldn't blame yourself. You were drinking, he was drinking, mistakes happen. It's noponies fault... Well, except for those nasty colts who foalnapped him, but you can't honestly blame yourself for that. Now, why don't I make you a cup of tea, and we can all just cool off for a little while."
The girls all nodded at this idea, weary from their physically and emotionally trying day. Applejack still looked rather glum, though most of the other Elements knew it couldn't be helped. She would just need to work through her inner turmoil by herself, as it was becoming increasingly clear that she would refuse any attempt the others made to alleviate her of responsibility.
Twilight Sparkle wasn't going to give up on her friend, though. "Listen, Applejack, you know James better than the rest of us, but we all care about him, and we will all find him. I know it's hard to just call it a night, but we can't save him if we're placed in danger as well. Whether you blame yourself or not, he needs us. If we go risking our lives stumbling around the Everfree, we might meet some danger that would prevent us from ever helping him. We can make a choice here, to sit around and wallow in guilt, or, we can come up with a game plan and play it safe. Besides, what would James say if he saw you sitting around here piling guilt onto yourself?"
Applejack snorted and smiled weakly. "...He'd probably come up with some stupid nickname for me, and tell me to get over myself."
Twilight smiled. "Exactly. Now, let's go get that tea, hmm?"
"Right. Thanks, sugarcube."
Man, being tied to wall sucks.
The ropes were digging in to my ankles and wrists, and the burn on my chest wasn't getting any better. I needed help, and I needed it now. The sun was beginning to set, however, and I knew that if Applejack and the others were smart, they would wait until morning to come looking for me.
That is, if Applejack made it home safe.
Surely the Discord Cultists would have told me if they had captured her as well though, wouldn't they? They seemed like the type to use any extra leverage they could get over me. Still, that placed Applejack and the others in danger.
My mind began to wander as I worked the ropes tying my arms above my head and to the rotting wall. When I had asked why they needed me specifically, they had refused to answer. What was it? Obviously, it was information that would give me some sort of advantage if I was privy to it. So it would be up to me to discover what plot these freaks were getting me tied up in.
The artifact, my mysterious guide 'Trixie'... In reality, I didn't know a whole lot. What were they planning to do to Twilight? What was to stop me from just... refusing?
As soon as the thought passed through my mind, the classic vision of my distraught father came up front and center in my minds eye. If I ever wanted to get back home, I would have literally no choice but to play their game. But... whatever they were planning for the Elements... for my friends... it probably wasn't too pleasant. I'm not sure if I can have a hand in it. I would just have to make a choice; be the only human on the planet, and live amongst ponies while my father slips deeply into depression, or ruin the lives of my new friends and save my dad?
I never even got my second glass of water.