//------------------------------//
// Chapter 12: The Fur-Lined Prison 
// Story: Agent Con Mane in Doctor Ironhoof (Under Revision) 
// by Fairytail 
//------------------------------//

	“Evil eyes glowing yellow! I think you have awoken the sleepy fellow.”
Joe bolted out of the cave with unbelievable speed. The ground shook with each step the Dragon took towards the mouth of the cave. Its glowing eyes grew wider and fiercer. Sea Swirl had retreated behind one of the turned over mine carts. The elongated head of the beast emerged from the darkness. The rising moon illuminated foggy grey scales. The monster’s joint creaked and ached with each step. The beast was wingless and rows of twisted, broken iron lined its back. The tail was short and spiked at the end and swung with powerful, hydraulic might. As it reared its metal head, a stream of steam screamed from the joints in its neck. The yellow lights of its eyes flickered from behind glass lenses.
“Now, Captain, do you see?” said Anavua stricken with terror, “If that is not a Dragon then what else could it be?”
“A robot.” Joe answered, though he could hardly believe it himself, “A frickin Dragon robot.”
The robot opened it’s metal jaws and the tell-tale swirls of leaking gases filled the air. Joe grabbed Anavua, still as a mannequin, and threw him to the ground behind the mine cart where Sea Swirl peered beyond in awe. The dark quarry was ablaze with an orange light as the Dragon robot scorched the earth where the ponies once stood. The beast roared in the air, or merely revved its engine, and scanned the quarry for its prey. 
“Well it certainly breathes fire like a Dragon.” Sea Swirl pointed out.
Joe risked a peek over the cart. The robot was small for a dragon, about only the size of a single story building. Much of its metal coating was heavily dented or even rusted. Its movements were slow and rigid. “We’ll have to defeat it in order to get inside.”
Anavua gripped Joe’s shirt. “You have finally lost your mind, Captain! One does not simply slay a Dragon!”
Joe slapped Anavua off of him and gave the manic Zebra a stern glance. He grabbed Anavua in turn and forced him to look out towards the monstrous machine. “It aint a real Dragon! It’s just a machine! Which means all we have to do is break it. Look at it’s back. see that loose panel? If I can get onto it’s back I can do it but I need a distraction. Can you do it?”
Anavua’s eyes were as white as death. He looked at Joe as if he were stranger or a pony who spoke a different language. The robot groaned again. Joe could tell that the machine was growing impatient. He knew it was only a matter of time until it found them. Joe attempted to keep his breathing regular but the choking lump in his throat made it difficult. Anavua took notice of this. He blinked in bewilderment. He could not believe that this stallion, to whom killing another pony was as easy as catching fish, was just as scared as any of them. Anavua inhaled the solace. “A Zebra’s aid you can always trust.” He said with conviction. “I’ll have this Dragon eating my dust!”
Anavua leaped over the mine cart. In full gallop he rushed towards the mechanical behemoth. The robot caught him in its luminescent gaze and creaked with delight. Anavua picked up a nearby gem shard and chucked at the beast’s face. The mere pebble of a stone harmlessly bounced off the metal chassis. “Look over here you overgrown cooking pot!” he yelled at the top of his lungs, “Why don’t you give me your best shot!?” The dragon prepared another artificial fire-breath. As the ball of flames erupted into the air, Anavua took to the dirt and dodged the inferno. He could smell the acrid scent of singed fur. “Is that the best you can do? Me grandma has worse breath than you!” Anavua took a wide turn across the quarry. The Dragon craned its neck to try and follow him but it was soon forced to move its rigid legs to keep him in its sight. As the monster turned its back to Joe and Sea Swirl, Joe couldn't help but smile with confidence.
Sea Swirl tried to stick out her hoof in silent protest but it was too late. Joe had left the sanctity of the mine cart and was rushing towards the Dragon. Anavua had become completely obscured by the rest of the dragon. Joe could still hear his rhythmic taunts. The Dragon breathed another wall of fire and Joe nearly stumbled as his heart skipped a beat. Thankfully after the flames subsided Anavua’s insulting couplets still continued. The machine was clearly getting frustrated. It groaned and wretched more violently than ever. Its spiked tail whipped to the side with unexpected agility and would have easily impaled Joe had he not dove to the earth. The tail whipped back around and this time Joe leaped into the air and this time he grabbed onto it. He clung tightly to the rough metal surface and concentrated on maintaining his grip. Joe waited until the tail was relatively still once more and scaled his way up using the metal plates as hoof hold.Even as he reached the broader portion of the robot body, he found it difficult to keep hold of the smoother portions of metal.
Joe eventually reached the highest arc of the Dragon’s back. From the height he could once again clearly see Anavua dodging the Dragon which had given up on trying to roast the moving target and was now trying to catch him in its metal jaws. Anavua had managed to bait the Dragon to the other end of the Quarry. A tall impassable rock face bordered the perimeter of the quarry and Joe knew that Anavua would soon run out of room to run. Joe quickly charged his horn and surrounded the panel that covered the control box for the robot. He violently ripped the panel off and revealed a hodgepodge of wires and boxes and switches and meters. Joe could not focus on any one part for long due to the constant swaying of the Dragon.
Anavua continued to taunt and yell. He had succumbed to an adrenaline fueled laughter. Anavua danced around the snapping jaws of the Dragon and in his confidence he neglected to see where he was going. Anavua tripped on a rock and collided with the stone wall. He was at the edge of the quarry. Large rocks surrounded him on both sides. With nowhere left to go, Anavua stared up towards the looming monster. The Dragon opened its jaws and released the flammable gases within. Both Joe and Anavua watched, paralyzed by horror. Joe attempted to call out to Anavua but it was too late. His cries were deafened by the roaring flames that engulfed Anavua’s body. The sizzling flames lingered longer than usual. When they subsided, Joe looked down at the blackened land below. There sprawled in the center of the blackened glass, was the unrecognizable burning corpse of Anavua.
Joe could make out the sobbing scream of Sea Swirl . At least he thought it was Sea Swirl. It could easily have been his own cries of disbelief or even the Dragon robot reveling in its triumph. Joe could not tell nor did he care. His horn burned with blinding intensity. His gaze focused on the web of wires and gears inside the open hatch. It was a black heart devoid of soul and emotion and friendship-- qualities that Anavua possessed in great quantities. But such an absence of heart also carried with it an absence of blame. The Dragon was a machine. It was nothing more than a tool or weapon. No, Joe’s burning rage was not directed at the machine but at the pony who drove Anavua to this isle of death. The pony whose own selfish aims had caused him the life of yet another friend. His horn burned brighter. His usual casual green magical aura had become as red as a Dragon’s flame.
Smoke rose from the control hatch. The plastic covering the wires melted and the black boxes sizzled and popped. Blinding sparks erupted from the exposed mechanisms and flames swirled around the black gears. Joe used his magic to turn the insides of the Dragon into an oven. He was a master baker. His control over temperature was second to none. He knew at which point a donut stopped being a donut and was instead an inedible black ring. So he knew exactly which limits to pass. The heat emanated to the outer chassis and made contact with Joe’s bare hooves but he paid it no mind. He baked the Dragon hotter and hotter until the robot roared in agonizing pain. More accurately, it was the mechanical joints within the robot failing that was making the horrible noises but Joe didn't pay that any mind either. He needed the Dragon to suffer-- he needed something else besides him-- to suffer.
Black smoke billowed out of the Dragon as it crashed into the cold dirt below. Sea Swirl had to blind her eyes from the cloud of dust that had erupted. When she could see again, she saw Con Mane limping towards her. She instinctively ran out and caught him in her hooves. She held him close like a mother gorilla would her child. She glanced to the edge of the quarry at Anavua’s blackened body. she couldn’t handle the sight and shut her eyes to all of reality and wept.
Joe coughed and sputtered. Smoke stung his lungs and his hooves ached with light burns. He wrestled out of Sea Swirl’s grasp and wobbled to his feat. Tall flames now roared from the Dragon’s broken body and the quarry was alight in an orange glow.
Joe embraced Sea Swirl and tried to get her to settle down. Already the red adrenaline was fading from his own eyes. The tranquility was upsetting. The quarry had grown silent and peaceful and Joe felt strangely angry at it for this. He almost felt as though the rocks themselves should be weeping just like Sea Swirl. He closed his eyes and tried to force his mind back to the reality at hoof. Joe fell back to his training-- the emotional detachment that Mane6 had drilled into his head ever since he was a colt. An agent is not supposed to care. Agents do not take revenge and they do not make things personal. Joe had seen death on a countless scale. He had even seen civilians caught in the crossfire before. But for some reason. This felt different.
Joe’s thoughts were interrupted by the press of a sharp cold blade against the back of his neck. A trio of creatures the likes of which Joe had never seen before surrounded Sea Swirl and him. “Freeze Ponies!” one of them said in a raspy voice.
“What are these things?” Sea Swirl screamed.
Joe looked again. The creatures were not as alien as he thought. They walked on two legs but were short and scrawny. Their bodies were completely covered in yellow plastic suits. They wore on their heads special yellow helmets with black visors and air filters. From the shape of the helmets, Joe could make out exactly what they were. “Diamond Dogs.” 
“But why are they wearing such strange clothing?”
Joe had seen protective clothing like that before. They were probably lined with lead enchanted with special runes. Such suits were usually worn during experiments with unstable magic. If Joe had to wager a guess, he would say that these models were used to ward off against Shadow Magic.
“Quit talking, pony!” The Diamond Dogs held long spears that they poked and jutted at the ponies. Joe sat on his haunches and raised his forelegs, motioning Sea Swirl to do the same. Once he was satisfied the Diamond Dog in charge said, “Get inside! Quickly!”
“I surrender,” Joe said, “but let the filly go. She ain't got anything to do with this.”
“No!” The Diamond Dog didn't even consider Joe’s words. “Both ponies will come!”
“I’m sorry, Sea Swirl.”
“No, Con,” she said, “I am sorry.”
“Move ponies!” The Dog said impatiently. Joe and Sea Swirl were led by the Dogs into the mouth of the Dragons cave and were forced through a large lead door in the back.
The massive circular door came to life and opened up to the side using some mechanism. The room on the other side was blanch white. More Diamond Dogs, all in protective suits, ran around the room. Several of them had clipboards. The blanch white walls and thick suits did not do much to hide the potent odor of a race that was utterly against bathing. The Dogs that captured Joe and Sea Swirl continued to prod them forward with their spears.
“Stand here!” The leader ordered. He then addressed his colleague. “Ponies were found in swamp. Contaminated with Dark Magic. Begin decontamination!”
“What does that mean?” Sea Swirl asked in confusion.
Joe’s face was serious and stern. “Long term exposure to Shadow Magic corrupts the heart.“ He explained. “That’s especially true of us Unicorns. Legends tell of an ancient evil king who was fully corrupted by it. Don’t worry. It looks like they’re going to remove the darkness from our bodies.”
A large machine descended from the ceiling. It’s end thinned into a sharp needle. It looked like some sort of torture device or something that would be used in a dentist’s office.
“Begin decontamination” ordered a Diamond Dog with a clipboard. By the sound of the voice, Joe could tell that this particular Dog was a female. He had never seen a Diamond Dog bitch before and very curious about what she looked like under the suit.
“Do the filly first!” Joe demanded. Sea Swirl looked at him utterly appalled. “You've been to this island many times. You’re probably more contaminated than I am. Please. Heal her first.” The Diamond Dogs at first grew tense at the prospect of being ordered by a pony prisoner, but a few head nods between them showed their compliance. The needle edged towards Sea Swirl. Joe saw the terror in her eyes and knew her animalistic reflexes were telling her to run. “Sea Swirl, whatever you do stay still. Don’t move a muscle. Don’t worry, It’ll be over soon.”
“Will it hurt?” she asked.
“I’m sorry. I’m afraid I don’t know.”
Sea Swirl was a dear caught in a carriage’s lamp light. She braced herself as best as she could as the needle penetrated the tip of her horn. She shut her eyes tightly. Unicorn horns didn't possess any nerve cells or blood vessels at least until the base. Joe wondered how deep the needle went.
The dreaded decontamination machine activated with a buzz. Sea Swirl started to squirm and whimper. Tears fell from her eyes as she began to scream in pain. Energy started to form from her horn, however it was not the typical flow of Unicorn magic. Shadowy tendrils wrapped around her horn and it bubbled with sickening purples and greens. A deep purple mist emanated from the corners of her eyes. She opened them wide and her whites were now a neon green and her irises were blood red. She continued to scream, unable to move from the spot. The black tendrils ran across her horn and were sucked into the machine. The needle kept draining energy and Sea Swirl kept screaming. Her eyes returned to normal. The purple mist and green and red eyes were replaced with her normal eyes.The black tendrils vanished from her horn.
“Checking contamination levels.” The bitch said as she walked over to a monitor that sat on the other side of the room. “Corruption at zero percent.”
The needle slid out of Sea Swirl’s horn and she collapsed to the floor. She was clearly shaken but overall looked unharmed. The needle device turned to Joe. He knew he was next. He braced himself as the needle drew near. He felt the needle penetrate the tip of his horn and winced when the tip barely punctured the horn’s base. The machine hummed once again and Joe felt the needle suck from within him. His temples pounded. The magical nerves within his brain were being forcefully activated. A sudden rush of magical energy exploded from within. The pain inside burned hotter than any Dragonfire he had ever felt. Griffons clawed at his brain while a pair of Manticores stung his temples repeatedly with their tails. The swirling, bubbling black aura surrounded Joe’s horn. His eyes became green and red and cried purple mist. The needle sucked harder and harder until Joe thought his head was going to cave in from the pain. And then it stopped. The needle effortlessly exited his horn. Joe fought against the urges to throw up and faint.
“Checking contamination levels.” said the bitch. “Corruption at ten percent. Remaining shadow contamination located in horn. zero likeliness of heart corruption. Levels acceptable. Move them to the prison.”
Joe and Sea Swirl barely had time to recuperate from their ordeal before the Diamond Dogs once again prodded at their backs with spears. They pair were led through another large circular lead door. As the doors opened, Joe expected to find the hellish entrails of a gemstone mine. But instead of rough caverns supported by ancient wooden beams, they entered what appeared to be the lobby of a fancy hotel or resort spa. The ceiling, walls and even carpet were fully furnished. It was nearly impossible to believe that they were really underground. Standing in front of the reception desk was a pony mare dressed in a formal outfit and her mane tied in a bun.
“Greetings,” she said in a voice so sweet it was sickening, “I am Sister Lilly. I’m here to make your visit as pleasant as possible.” Her smile was far too nice to the point where it had far left the realms of unbelievable and had become ludicrous. Joe noticed that the Diamond Dogs that captured them had long gone. The lead door behind them was shut tight with no clear way of opening it. “The Doctor has been expecting you! We only got word of your arrival last night, however your rooms are already prepared. If you would follow me please.” Sister Lilly daintily pranced down a corridor lined with beautifully furnished wooden doors. Lost in a haze of pain and unrecognizable emotion, Joe and Sea Swirl obediently followed. “The Doctor would like to have dinner with you tomorrow.” She continued as they trotted. “He would be delighted if you join him.”
“Tell him I feel likewise.” Joe said. He tried to picture this doctor in his mind. Thanks to the lovely wallpaper adorning the corridor, Joe couldn't help but picture a well dressed stallion in a pristine, white coat and minty smile. The prospect was borderline comical.
Lilly stopped in front of one of the wooden doors. She placed a hoof on the nearby panel and revealed that the wooden surface was a facade. The door slid to the side with a mechanical grinding. Lilly gestured the pair inside. “This is your room, Mr. Mane.” The interior of the room was one of the most luxurious accommodations Joe had ever seen. The beds, couches, the chinaware and the table on which it sat were all manufactured by the most expensive and high quality brands. Even the plush carpeting worked to lull away the pain of walking and burns on Joe’s hooves. Lilly walked over to the far wall which was made out of fogged glass. She slid the glass aside to reveal an identical room next door. “Miss Swirl will find her room through here.” With each item she showcased, Lilly waved her hoof and crocked her head with a sickening smile. “Complimentary coffee and donuts are on the table there. If there is anything else you need, feel free to let us know.”
“How about two tickets to Canterlot?” Joe scoffed. Lilly merely giggled with delight and walked out the doorway. The door closed on her and Joe noticed that the interior of the door had no wooden facade, just a bare red metal surface. There was also no control mechanism to open it. “Yeah, I figured.” Joe mumbled to nopony.
Sea Swirl was already at the door trying everything she could to open it. Even her horn proved ineffective. “The door won’t open will it?” She cried.
“And there are no windows.” Joe responded, “We are probably deep underground by now.”
Sea Swirl sat on her haunches and hung her head low. “So this is a prison...”
“Fur lined with first class service but yes. Well we better have some donuts.” Joe made himself comfortable on the plushly upholstered Davenport Designs love seat and poured himself some coffee.
“How can you eat at a time like this!?” Sea Swirl asked.
“Because I’m hungry.” he answered before taking a bite of a chocolate donut. “And we don’t know when we’ll get a chance to eat again.”
“I suppose you’re right.” Sea Swirl surrendered and joined Joe on the love seat. Joe levitated a freshly poured cup to her.
“Now here. Drink some coffee. It’s probably about time for breakfast anyway.” Joe and Sea Swirl sat in silence for several moments, Sea Swirl refused all offers of donuts but continued to sip the coffee. “I wonder how long we’ll have to wait before we meet our host?” Joe pondered mostly to himself.
“I don’t care.” Sea Swirl answered. All signs of life had left her voice. “I just want to get out of here as soon as possible.”
Joe looked over to the poor mare sitting beside him. He noticed the puffiness of eyes that had been crying too much and had been devoid of proper rest. As Sea Swirl fiddled with her coffee cup in her hooves, Joe couldn't help but see another unfortunate soul that he had ruined because they got caught up in his stupid life. “I’ll save you Sea Swirl.” said Joe. “That I promise.” Sea Swirl’s eyes were half closed. He realized how much a warm cup of coffee and a comfy couch invited sleep. He felt his exhaustion catching up to him as well. Sea Swirl placed her hoof on her temple and started to groan in agony. She then rubbed her stomach. Joe grew concerned. “What’s the matter?” he said.
Sea Swirl started to wobble in her seat. “I don’t know. I feel so…” The coffee cup fell from Sea Swirl’s hooves and she collapsed into Joe. Her head rested against his shoulder as she fell completely unconscious. The room started to spin. A maelstrom erupted in Joe’s stomach. He tried to stay focused but reality itself escaped him. Joe looked down at his own cup and focused on the swirling blacks and browns within.
“Blasted coffee!” Joe yelled as he chucked the expensive cup across the room. It shattered upon impact with the wall. Joe got off the couch and desperately tried to trot forward. Where he was headed or what he was trying to accomplish not even he knew. However, he didn't make it far. His knees buckled under him and he reached out towards the table for support. Unfortunately he grabbed the tray holding the china set which slipped under his weight. The china fell to the ground with a roaring clatter. Joe collapsed as well and he watched as the whole room was engulfed in darkness.