//------------------------------// // Awakening // Story: OTR: Haven Station // by The King of Hearts //------------------------------// //// Awakening //// Nothing made sense… Twilight could see normally… But she had no control. She tried to speak, but nothing came out. She tried to shout, but again, nothing. She was in the passenger seat of her own brain and could only see out the windshield. Twilight watched as she turned to Alex. There was something off about him. It was probably the same thing that was wrong with her. “Now, ponies,” Alpha said as Twilight and Alex turned to face him. “Yes, sir.” Twilight said. “Yes, sir.” Alex repeated. Twilight tried to slap him again. But, it didn’t happen. She had zero control. She was stuck here. “Now that you’re on payroll, let me explain how things will be happening.” Alpha said as Alex and Twilight nodded. “You’re both very powerful ponies,” Alpha said, “In fact, all of your friends are.” As he said that, Fluttershy, Rarity, Spike, Pinkie, and Applejack walking into the illuminated part of the room, having been in the darkness the whole time. “All that’s left, is for me to condition your friend Rainbow Dash, and Dax.” Alpha explained, “I will use her to get him back here, where the magic field will weaken him, and we will capture him.” They all nodded. “Now, when everypony is under changeling control, you’ll be sent home,” Alpha continued, “Where you will work for us, to undermine the current power in Equestria.” Alpha looked across his group of brainwashed ponies and couldn’t help but smile. The Queen had had her doubts, but here it was, all coming together. “Then, when the grand plan is executed next year, they will have no hope of defending themselves.” Alpha finished. They all nodded. “Alright everypony,” Alpha said, “Follow me, we have a message to deliver to Dax.” //// The silence of the desert was once again broken by the loud PA system in the Station. “Dax!” Alpha called, “You forgot somepony, when you ran away.” “Dax!” Dash shouted, “Don’t—“ “You hear that?” Alpha said, “That’s your little girlfriend. And she’s not doing too well here.” “That asshole…” “Here’s the deal,” Alpha said, “I’m going to give you a chance to save her. We’re underneath the spa, and you can walk right in the front door, with no resistance.” “Is he serious?” “After that, well, anything goes,” Alpha said, finishing, “I know you’d leave Alex, and Twilight. But not her. So come on. Let’s do this.” “Fine.” Dax said, standing up from his hiding spot within the compound. It appeared that Alpha had fallen for that imitation of him flying away from the Station, “You’re going to get hurt for taking my friends away.” //// “And now we wait,” Alpha said, turning to his minions, “Everypony, head out into the perimeter, just in case he snuck in somehow.” “Yes sir!” They all called as they turned away and walked out of the room. “Alex!” He shouted, making the white pony stop and turn to face him. “You stay here…” Alpha said, “We don’t know what Dax could do to you, to free you.” Nodding, Alex stood in place and waited for his next orders. “Go keep your friend company,” Alpha said, pointing to the room Dash had been taken to, “I’ll call when Dax arrives.” Nodding, Alex walked toward the room Dash was being held in, and walked past the guards, closing the door behind him. “…Alex?” Dash squeaked, clearly having been knocked around by the guards a bit as her wings were bound, and she was inside a cage, “A- are you really under his control?” Alex didn’t respond. “No…” She said, her eyes filling with tears. Feeling his heart wrench, he watched on, wishing he could say something to her. Dash looked away from him. Here was the strongest pony she had ever met… And now he was against her. She had never felt as alone as she did right now. “Alex… If you can hear me in there,” She said, still not looking at him, “I’m not mad at you for whatever he makes you do.” ‘Thank you,’ Alex thought to himself. Dash looked back to him as he turned away from her, and looked at a large cable running across the ceiling. Cocking her head, she watched as a small spark came out of his horn, and floated into the cable, vanishing. “Wha--?” Alex turned to her for a moment, before turning away again. Closing her mouth, she left it alone. For all she knew, this was some part of his brainwashing. But, she couldn’t help but hope that it meant something good. //// Pinkie bounced down the road, looking around for the white pony she was supposed to bring back to the boss. Noticing some rustling in the bushes, she decided to inspect it. Maybe she’d get a promotion! “Stick ‘em up!” Pinkie said, jumping behind it. “Shhh,” Dax said, touching her with his horn, knocking her out, “Doesn’t look like Alpha can stop all the magic here.” Seeing the spa in front of him, he decided to take the same path he had taken before. Stealthily flying upwards, he kept to the shadowed side of the building as he headed for the window that he had melted out from its place last time he was here. Walking into the still empty office space, he pondered his next move. Should he run in guns blazing? No, if he had trouble casting spells up here, he was willing to bet that he would have no luck downstairs. “Um… Excuse me…” Fluttershy said from behind him, “I think you need to come with me…” Turning quickly, Dax cast the same sleep spell on her that he had on Pinkie, knocking her out on the floor. If she knew he was here, chances were that everypony else did too. Zapping into the room, Twilight gave him a smirk, “Come on, Dax. Come downstairs.” “I’m pretty sure Alpha said I wouldn’t meet resistance when I came in,” Dax said. “He’s a lying jerk,” Twilight said, smiling, “But he’s the boss.” “Geez,” Dax said, “What has he done to you?” “Taken control of me,” She shrugged, “Nothing huge.” Carefully stepping toward her, Dax tried to knock her out, in the same way he did with the others. “Slow down there!” She said, “Your magic is blocked out here, mine isn’t. Only chaotic magic is blocked up here. Downstairs is the opposite.” Dax stepped back. “Now, allow me to take you downstairs, so you can begin your spa treatment!” Twilight said, smiling WAY too much. Dax shook his head, “Twilight, can you not hear me at all?” “Hey!” She said angrily, “You abandoned me, and left me to him! Don’t try to appeal to me!” “You know, for brainwashed, you sure seem to be acting normal,” Dax continued, just trying to buy some time for him to think up an escape plan. “Don’t ask me,” She said, “I’m not the one who made that machine.” “This was done by a machine?” Dax asked. “He put me on a bed, and a strange light shined in my eyes from this big green ball.” Twilight explained, “It separated me from some of my soul, I think.” “That sounds horrible.” Dax said quietly. “But it’s okay,” Twilight continued, “I overheard a guard saying that it needed to be protected because destroying it would free everypony.” “You sure are being open with information,” Dax said, “Any reason for that?” “My separated soul told you that,” She said blankly, “Now, please come with me.” “Thanks, Twi.” Dax smiled, “I’ll see you when this is all over.” Backing up, Dax stepped on to the piece of the floor that had previously opened when they fell down, and charged a spell. “How are you using magic?” Twilight asked. Lifting a hoof to his lips, he shushed her, and then zapped her with a bolt of energy, knocking her out. “I’m coming to see you, Alpha.” Dax said, lifting off the ground, and focusing his magic on his hoofs. Then, he smashed into the floor, with his arms extended out in front of him as he broke through the floor, to the next floor, where he immediately punched through the next one, and the next one, as he made his way down the building interior. //// “Where is that damn pony?” Alpha asked himself as he looked from monitor to monitor, looking for any sign of Dax. Hearing something in the distance, Alpha quieted down and listened as some kind of smashing could be heard. “What is that?” Alpha whispered to himself as it grew louder and louder, until it was literally right above him. Then, completely shockingly, the ceiling above him crumbled to pieces and collapsed a few feet away from Alpha. Crashing into the ground next to him, Dax looked for the green ball Twilight had described. Seeing it, he dove for it, feeling his power start to fail him here. “Oh no, you don’t!” Alpha shouted, throwing himself at Dax, knocking him out of the way, and sending them both on to the ground. “Guards!” Alpha shouted, holding Dax down, “Adjust the magic field, and negate Discordic magic in cage two, and lower it down here!” Standing up, Alpha lifted Dax, and tossed him over to a marked place on the floor, where a massive cage fell down, locking him inside. Staggering up, Dax tried to cast a spell, and get himself out of the cage. Unfortunately, it didn’t happen. His magic was cut off here. “That is what I call a home run!” Alpha laughed, “I’ve got you all!” Dax panted, “What is with this damn magic field?!” “I’ve concentrated every ounce of anti-chaotic magic into that cage,” Alpha explained, “When the spell is that potent, it can be a bit overwhelming to the other parts of your body.” Dax fell forward on to his knees. “Alex!” Alpha called, “Prepare the tables for Dax and Rainbow Dash!” Walking into the room, Alex looked to Dax, and then to Alpha. “Go!” He ordered. Nodding, Alex walked over to the table and went about his business. “With the eight of you ponies under my control, you have no idea how much power I will have!” Alpha laughed, looking to the almost unconscious Dax in the cage. “I just have one thing to say…” Dax said, looking up weakly. “What is it?” Alpha asked. Gesturing for him to come closer, Alpha stepped forward. Dax mumbled something Alpha couldn’t understand. “Speak up!” Alpha said, stepping right up to the cage, “What do you have to say?” “My eyes.” Dax whispered. Giving him a confused look, Alpha looked at Dax’s blue eyes. “What?” He asked, before it all clicked. “No!” Immediately, Alpha was lifted off the ground, and thrown into one of the support pillars and collapsed on the ground. Next, the massive cage was lifted off Dax, and thrown into the green orb above the operating tables, smashing it to pieces. “No!” Alpha shouted, “No, no, no, no!” “Oh, just let me finish this one off as well,” Alex said, smirking, as an explosion in the power line on the ceiling knocked out the power to the anti-magic generator. “Check.” Alex said from where he had been trapped by the cage. “Mate.” Dax said from the operation tables. “I’m afraid you had us mixed up,” Alex grinned. “You really should pay more attention.” Dax smirked. ////