//------------------------------// // Down the Rabbit Hole (Re write 5/1/18) Chapter 1 // Story: All Hail To The Queen // by Hunter96 //------------------------------// In the room nothing stirred, the cold winds of outside fended off by a space heater humming softly in the corner. The sound of early morning traffic was muffled by the walls as commuters made their way to work. A lone man lay half naked on his bed, his sheets spread haphazardly around him as he tossed in his sleep. The room was blissfully sireine between the distant car horns, loud yells of street vendors and the constant breaths of the man. His name was Alex cogs. A Chicago steel worker. Alex lives a shitty low class life. He was like anyone’s of of us. He had a job, a crapy apartment, a homicidal ex girlfriend and loving parents who loved the fist born more. His life is as normal as it can get livening in Chicago as a single 27 year old. He rests egsauted from along week end of day drinking and dealing with seedy characters. let us now sit back, sip our tea and watch as he meets his second biggest foe one which has plagued many for centuries. Waking up on a Monday. BEEP BEEP BEEP BE- Click A lone hand extened from the sheets as the once peaceful studio apartment was now filled with the disinterested aura of Alex Cogs. The clock went off once more and in one swift motion he knocked the alarm clock down and sat up stretching his sore body naked and unprepared for another week of bullshit. Getting up Alex walked over to his bathroom, entering the shower and tuning the water steam soon wafting out of the curtains as he stepped in. Alex thought about the day ahead of him, as scalding water flowed down his back marking it red. He listed out his objectives for basic human function. “I need to get breakfast and get to the bus. It was simple. Stupidly simple, repitive in fact and in ending. What could possibly go wrong with just a simple day of work maybe a beer on the way home and pick up some egg noodles if it wasn’t snowing. After his shower the man stood in front of his mirror naked shaving off his stubble with a safety razor. The gold plating mostly flecked of. It wasn’t great, but it wasn’t like he was trying to impress anyone anyways. Alex walked back into the main room pulling on his workshirt and blue jeans. The fabric work with many patches sew into it by hand. Breakfast was a power bar he stole from the break room and all that was left was to get his things and walk to the bus. The sky was choked with clouds and the beginnings of winter had arrived, brown slush lined all the streets and winds whipped though the air seeming to nip the skin from your bone. Alex shivered and warped his coat tighter as he made his way down the busy morning sidewalk. only stoping to buy a coffee from a street vendor. He held the cup close trying to keep himself warm as steam wafted up into the air and the heat of the drink burned his hand. He took a left turn and came to a cross walk. Realizing the time and figuring traffic was sparse enough, he walked off the cub and into the street. Alex dodged between cars as he crossed , the angry drivers honking at the lackadaisical man. He was half way across the street when he felt his leg give out. The Would was suddenly moved beneath him as he fell backwards. He threw his hands out trying to gain balance but only succceded in smacking his head on the pavement. Alex blinked and looked up at the hazy sky his coffee spilled like a brown halo above him . He stood up with a groan, rubbing the back of his head and he limped forwards a few steps unsure of where he was when a twenty ton bus slammed into him. THUD Alex felt him self get slamed hard to the left. Time slowed as he was sent to the pavement the ground became closer to him and people stared in horror as he was flung down the street. Then when he was soposed to his tar pack he felt nothing. Just blackness encompassed him wrapping him in it’s sweltering coldness. Alex shakily stood up gingerly nursing his right leg as his head spun, everything was shaking, his vision blotchy. Alex stumbled forwards and grabbed onto a nearby street vendors cart. Trying desperately to stay up he pushed off of it but was too rough and knocked it over. He fell once more onto his sore everything looking around his very unsettlingly warm surroundings from his perch on the hot cobblestones. Perhaps this was the downtown historic district and he was now measly smear on the road. He wiggled around a bit on the road calling out for help. His hearing coming back slowly as the ringing ebbed away into the sounds of the horse drawn carragies that towed tourists. The sun was shining and refracted off a rearby fountain the light too much, Alex groaned and once more made it to his feet. He walked toward what looked like a person trying to get help. Alex grabbed them in a desperate attempt, thier response was to push him back. Alex lost his balance and bumped into another cart knocking it over. Alex held his head in his hands before slinking away from the road into a nearby alley. Unsure of what to do he clawed his way under a dumpster before passing out from pain. The ponies that had been present screamed and ran from the destruction of the creature that had destroyed the carts and assaluted the ponies. The streets filled with more chaos as many fled Indoors. A lone guard saw all of this and sprinted off towards the castle screaming of a Monster. He hurried knowing the defense of canterlot was carried on his back. He slammed past the dentures and headed up to the castle only pausing for a quick scan before being allowed into the main guard post. The building was built of glistening white marble with turrets and towers seeming to be a smaller version of the castle. Like a tiny guard dog next to a Great Dane. “Captain Shining Armor! Captain Shining Armor!" yelled the royal guard as he burst into the captains office. "What is it?" asked Shining used to the over the top antics of the guards. Who came to him for thing from a jay walker to Changelings, with a sigh he put down his newspaper and opened his ears to the guard. “Go on, spit it out.” "Sir theres a monster on the loose in upper Cantorlot, and its headed this way!" Reported the guard. "Really? And what does this...monster look like?” He asked skepticaly “last week I had a report of a monster and it was just some dog rooting around in a trash can.” “I-it was loud! And scary, I didn’t want it to risk it seeing me!” The guard explains standing up on his back two hooves, It stands on two legs like this and has big teeth, it runs fast, it destroyed some carts before trying to eat two ponies!” “This is terrible to hear! Gather the garrison! Detain this creature!" ordered the Captain levitating his amor on. The guard saluted and ran off to relay the orders. “Even if it’s just some animal... destruction of property is a punishable offense.” Alex cogs looked out from under the dumpster gazing at the world as the swirling in his vision slowed down. He rubbed his temples and groaned. “What did coach always say? Something about fingers....”Alex held up his fingers and tried to count them, eventually giving up. He dry heaved once more before looking down the alley from his resting spot in the shade. “No one is coming huh...where the fuck is the hospital in relation to here... I do probably look like a bum, but still, it would have been nice to get an ambulance ride.” He yawned and rolled onto his side his black coat looking like any other trash bag. “I heard you aren’t soposed to sleep when concussed.....I’m tired.” He bit his nails and thought of solutions to his dilemma, each one even less useful than the last. Finally he rooted around in his bag and sighed in relief as he felt the cold metal of a familiar friend. With his new found confidence Alex wrapped his coat tighter as courage flowed weakly through his veins. The man then walked out in to the streets of cobble only to find them empty and abandoned. Alex thought about it and decided to go back to the dumpster. He crawled under the metal friend and drifted off. A few hours later he woke up, groggily and promptly banged his head on the bottom of the dumpster. "What the fuck? Am I dead?"Asked Alex looking around, Instead of Saint Peter he saw trash and rusted metal. It wasn't much of a step up from Chicago but still what he got. His head had stopped spinning and he could finally get a good look at his sourondings as he limped around a bit. He was definitely not in the Chicago historic district. The streets looked purple and the buildings looked to expensive to be Chicago. His mind kicked into over gear desperately thinking of a way to piece together what was going on. He took out his phone dialing 911 but there was no signal. "What's going on?!" Said alex holding his head in his Hands. “Where the fuck am I?” The royal guards had showed up in force searching for several hours unable to find the tall creature. The sight of the destroyed carts was unsettling to say the least. Smashed like they had been made of cheap wood, glue and paper. They were but that was besides the point. They scoured every inch of the purple colored cobbled streets. They checked behinda nd inbetween each white marble building not finding anything but old trash bags. They where about to give up the hunt when one unit shouted and they all rushed to see. A lone creature stood menacingly growling at them. The tall twisted thing was grotesque with its freakish hight and lack of four legs. Alex was nervous, he had been walking for the past few minutes and had not seen a single person. It was a ghost town, everybuilding had its shutters closed and some even boarded up. The scared man turned the corner and was met with a giant Palace. It had pillars made of ivory white marble, a gate made of gold and towers that rose up into the clouds. While Alex was admiring the architecture he was oblivious to the sound of hooves and clanking metal. Turning around as he lost interest in the structure he was met with an army. All of the troops had white fur, golden armor and very pointy spears. The army stopped and time seemed to stand still as they met eyes. So, which one of you is an angel?” Alex asked in a light chuckle. when their reply was to rush him with spears In one quick motion. The mans response was to turn around and sprint away from the golden army screaming at the top of his lungs. "AFTER IT," yelled Shining Armor, as he charged after the odd two legged creature. He readjusted his armor and got a firmer grip on his spear, then smiled to himself. He turned the corner in pursuit. The stupid thing was going to be surrounded, it was running to the edge of canterlot. It would have to be suicidal to try to escape. Alex was frantic he was being chased by the things, what had he done wrong? thought Alex as he turned the corner, and jumped a hedge that the horses plowed over. Alex soon found the path in front of him was blocked, there was at least 100 of the golden jerks. He turned around and was about to run off the way he came, but the original welcoming comity had showed up. Now he was surrounded with no way out. To his left was a wall of smooth marble, his right a railing and the rest the horse things. He ran over to the railing and looked over, It was a long, long way down. Alex reached Into his bag and puled out his last ditch effort to ward off the horses, a .38 revolver. Shining Armor watched from afar as the creature clumsily pulled out a small metal object. "Very Cute" laughed Shining Armor as he stepped past the line of guards, purple armor gleaming in the sun. "So whats that thing do? You gonna hit me with it?" Jested Shining Armor as he got with in ten yards of the creature. "Zůstaňte Zpět" snarled the creature flashing its teeth and raising the odd object. "Did it just talk?!" said Shining confused as he took a few steps forward. Click "Řekl jsem zůstat zpět!" screamed the creature as it pulled back a small hammer on the object. Alex watched the horse creature infront of him. It was all so much to take in at once, the city in the sky, horses in armor and terribly gross miss use of white marble. But, Alex knew one thing for sure at that moment. If that thing took one more step forward it was painting the floor red. CLACKLE A pair of cuffs landed at his feet. He sighed and looked back up. Shining Armor was not sure what to do so he levitated a pair of hand cuffs from behind him, and held them up above his head before tossing them to the creatures feet. "Stand down and we will show mercy if not we will use force." He said in a strong voice. Shinning armor stepped foward to intimidate the creature. He heard a loud CRACK Shining Armor stopped, and looked around confused by the sound. He looked at his guards, all of them stared back in fear. He tried to speak but all that came up was blood. The captain held a hoof to a small hole in his armor, out of which blood spurted out. His vision started to fade and he collapsed. His heart pumped on nothing as it came to a halt and Shining Armor husband of Princes cadence, older brother of Princess Twilight Sparkle had been hit by the shot heard round the world and now lay dead in a pool of his own blood. Alex looked on in fear at the now dead creature, his hand shook as his gun smoked in his hand. Knowing he was going to die alex without a word turned and ran up to the railing before hurling himself over as the entire wave of golden armored horses rushed forward like a Typhoon. Alex screamed as he fell, he tried to control his fall but could not and he plummeted. The wind stung his eyes and made his coat and clothes flap in the wind. As he fell he heard a voice. It was calming, feminine and sounded like someone whispering into both his ears. It spoke only a sentence into his ear. "Let me in and you will survive, reject me and you will die. " The voice cooed seemilyly flirting with his soul. Alex welcomed the odd felling of a warm damp blanket as he started to glow a dark purple and went into a deep sleep just as he hit the water. __________________________________________________________________________________________________ Private Fox Trot saw the creature jump over the railing. Along with everyone else, seeking his glory he yelled out to his fellow guards then jumped over to chase after it. He quickly remembered that he wasn't a Pegasus his mane flapping in the wind as he plummeted and when he hit the water at maximum velocity, head first, his neck snapped and his heavy armor dragged him to the bottom, as he was swept away with the current and the human.