//------------------------------// // The Roommate // Story: Three Abducted Ponies // by sbloom85 //------------------------------// Applejack finds herself being moved into yet another room. This felt more like a prison cell than anything else. The alien loosens the restraints and floats the mare toward a corner of the room before leaving. It presses a button outside and a barrier appears, closing the room. AJ gallops to the door. "I wouldn't do that if I were you." A voice said. AJ ignored him and slammed into the door. The field gave a light shock to the pony and she stepped back. "What in tarnation?" She asked herself. "What kind of magic are they usin' here?" She grumbles. "It's not magic." The voice said. She turns around and sees another strange creature, but this one was taller than the ones outside, had pink skin, a rounder face, dark hair and a matching beard. He looked like he'd been here for a while. The mare cautiously approaches the new creature. "Name's Greg." He says, extending his hand. AJ flinches back. "Relax, I'm not going to bite." He says, getting a chuckle out of the mare and the shake was finalized. "Ah'm Applejack." She says. "Who or... what... are they?" She asked. "I wish I knew." Greg says, approaching the barrier and stands in front of it. "I've been locked up on this ship for so long that I gave up on keeping track, much less learn what they are." He adds, hearing a loud gulp come from his roommate. "What do they want?" Greg chuckles and turns to his cell mate. "I've been here long enough to know that they're just curious. This is a scientific vessel, and there are biologists and sociologists here." He explains. "Bio-whatnow?" The mare asks. "They study living things, and their purpose, as far as I can tell, is to see which different species are compatible with each other." He explains. The mare let out a quick gasp. "As in... mating?" She asks with an audible gulp. Greg nods. This got the mare worried even more. "Ah gotta get outta here and save mah sister!" She yells, going for the door again. Greg stops her. "It's too early, Applejack. Now tell me, is it just you and your sister?" He asks. AJ shakes her head. "Mah brother's here too. Ah've got a photo of us under mah hat." She says. Greg takes her hat off and grabs the picture. He shows the picture to AJ and points to Apple Bloom. "I take it that's your sister?" He asks. AJ nods and Greg examines the photo further. "If this photo is recent, I wouldn't worry about her." He explained further, somewhat calming down the distressed mare. "What about these... socio-whatsits." She asks, getting another chuckle from Greg. "Hay!" She yells. "Ah may not be book smart, but Ah'm not stupid, either." She says with an annoyed tone. "I never said you were. Sociologists study social behavioral patterns." He tells her, pointing to different cameras in the room. "They're watching us right now." He continues. AJ shudders. "That ain't creepy or anything." She says. "Can Ah ask a question?" Greg nods. "How many...?" She begins, getting a smile from Greg. "How many species have they tried to get me to mate with?" He asks for her. She nods with a blush. "To my surprise, none. However, they have put me in with several different females, and you wouldn't be the first quadruped I've met." They hear a door sliding open in the back. "Applejack, let's move to the back of the room." She didn't want to, but he's been here longer and listens to him. Two of the aliens enter the room, one is carrying a platter of mixed vegetables for the pony, setting it on the ground and another carries a platter of mixed food for the other creature, passing it off to him. "Thank you." Greg says, bowing his head. The two head leave the room. AJ looks at the platter in front of her, then up to Greg. "They're feeding us?" She asks. Greg sits down in front of her platter and sets his on his lap. "They're not barbarians, Applejack. Go ahead, eat up." He says, putting a bit of his food in his mouth. "Ah suppose." She says, picking at her food. "There's one thing buggin' me: how are we able to communicate? And don't tell me it's not magic." She says, getting another chuckle from Greg. "It's not magic, Applejack. It's the room." He answers, swallowing the food in his mouth. "They have translators built into it, so what ever I say gets translated to your language and vice versa." He finishes, putting more food into his mouth. AJ's eyes narrow. "Yer people are obviously more advanced than mine to come up with that theory." She conceded. "Ah still say it's magic." Greg smiles. "Well, one's technology is another's magic." He says, sticking out his tongue at AJ. She giggles. "Now come on, eat up." The two finish their meal, Greg stacks the platters on top of each other and slides them through a slot at the bottom of the door. "So... Greg." AJ says, poking her hoof at the floor. "What's yer species?" She asks. "I'm human. Now, let me guess yours." He answers, examing the mare. "You look similar to the horses found on my planet. Much smaller body and larger eyes, though. I'll venture a guess and say you're a pony." AJ smiles. "Wow. Ah think you'd like mah friend Twilight. You two are crazy smart." The two laugh, then AJ quickly sinks into depression. "What's wrong?" Greg asks. AJ looks up at him, on the verge of tears. "Think mah brother and sister and Ah will see our world again?" She asks, knowing that her roommate has been there longer than he can count. "If I said yes, I'd be lying, but there is a possibility." He says. AJ's ears pop right up. "It's possible?" The lights quickly go out and AJ yelps. "What happened to the lights?!" She asks. "Stay calm, Applejack. It's just their way of saying it's time to sleep." After a few moments, some light returns, not enough to illuminate the entire room, but enough for AJ to see Greg. "Ah guess it's time to hit the hay." She says with a yawn. Greg agreed with a yawn of his own. The two crawl into their respective cots. AJ was still restless and trots over to Greg's bed. "Greg?" She asks, poking him with her hoof. He lets out a low groan. "Can Ah...?" She starts to ask, but stops herself. "Nevermind." She begins to trot back to her bed, but Greg pats her on the back. "Go ahead, but don't expect any action." He slurs. AJ smiles and hops into the cot with him. "Thank ya." She says, nuzzling against him. "Don't mention it." He responds. Applejack could not sleep at all and it felt like hours since the lights went out. Greg had an arm draped over her, not tight enough to keep her from going anywhere though, and she was comfortable with that. Her mind kept racing about what happened tonight and was worried about her brother and sister. Moreso for Apple Bloom than Big Macintosh. She was at that point where she was almost asleep, that is until Greg started snoring. It wasn't loud or annoying, but more like the purr of a kitten. She thought it was adorable and lets out a soft giggle.