//------------------------------// // Captured! // Story: Applejack Through the Ages // by Paradise Oasis //------------------------------// Captured! "Fillies and gentlecolts, I give you the incredible western pony duo, Green Apple and Chocolate!" The announcer's voice boomed across the large stadium, as the mare and the stallion bowed to the wildly applauding audience. The two of them trotted towards the steps, as the audience clapped their hooves, cheered and threw roses onto the stage. Both Chocolate and Green Apple were certain that these satisfied customers would pass on stories of her wonderful rope tricks, and his amazing acrobatics, drumming up even more business for the two show ponies. What happened next, all happened so terribly fast... the skylight overhead imploding, goblins descending the ropes, and ponies pointing their hooves and yelling. Most of it would be a blur to Green Apple later, though she could remember screaming ponies running in every directions as the little green bipedal monsters chased after them. Green Apple remembered rushing at them furiously, kicking the invaders away this way and that, until their numbers finally overwhelmed the strong mare. Their clubs and sticks beat down upon her head, pounding and beating until the mare passed out . "Hey! Lemme go, ya filthy varmints! Get offa me! Chocolate! Anypony! HAAAALP!" Green knew only darkness for several hours, until she awoke to find herself hog tied, gagged, and stuffed int on a large burlap sack. The earth mare felt herself carried by a muscular goblin out of the city, the sounds of terrified shrieks and smashing glass reached her ears... though she could see nothing. It wasn't long before the horrific noises of the destroyed city faded behind her. From her burlap prison, the earth pony did not see the torn up roads and destroyed cars they passed on the highway. She didn't see the stacks upon stacks of pony remains, stripped clean by the monsters and left to bleach in the sun as the scavengers picked over them for remaining morsels of flesh. The mare inside the bag, so wrapped up in her own short-term happiness these past few months, didn't realize that this was the end of Equestria. When next she saw freedom. Green would learn to her horror that out of the two hundred million ponies who called this kingdom home at the start of the the Grogar wars, only four million would survive to see it's end. A pitiful end, to a once mighty land. But none of these things mattered to the captive pony right now, as she suddenly felt the bag she was in being carried out of the sunlight, and into a very dark place. Suddenly, the goblin carrying her opened the bag, and dumped it out onto the cold stone floor of a cave. The ugly bat eared creature them removed Green's gag, and the mare began a tirade of angry yelling. "Why you ornery critter! Where the hay am I? What's going on here? You better tell me, or I'm gonna-" Her ranting was eyes slowly adjusted to the eerie natural light of the place, and the mare could not believe what she saw. Crystals... crystals everywhere. On the ceiling, on the walls, hanging from or sticking out of every surface. Crystals of every color, shape and size, glowing in the darkness. It was obvious to Green Apple, that they were somewhere in the northern latitudes of Equestria, near the lands of the Crystal snow pony tribes. It was only after staring at the beautiful gemstones for several minutes, that the mare notices the hideous-looking goblin guards standing throughout the room. It was then she spotted the bizarrely odd figure, sitting at the very center of the chamber.... He was dressed in a blue, ornamental garb... glittering gemstones covering every inch of his garb. It was a wizard, unless Green Apple missed her guess at his strangely-adorned wardrobe. A-a... what had Twilight once called the creatures? A gnome, that's it! The gnome wizard was sitting upon a throne made of pure crystals, almost laughing at the mare sprawled on the floor before him. "So, this is the famed harmony bearer of honesty, hm?" He asked quizzically. "Well, she looks strong and healthy enough to join her fellow mares in the mines." "She will serve you well, o great Jewel Wizard of the north!" An all too familiar voice called out, causing the earth mare's heart to sink in her chest. "Now, where is that little reward you promised me?" "Quite so, and you have earned that reward!" The gnome chuckled, motioning to a pony on the far side of the chamber to come over to him. Applejack's heart nearly broke in two as she saw Chocolate step forward, and claim a bag of gold from the gaudily dressed wizard. "You did well in all your earning of the harmony bearer's trust, and ensuring the ease of her capture." "Chocolate..." The still tied up mare whimpered in disbelief, trying to hold back the tears. "W-why? Ah-ah thought we- why?" "Hey babe, I told ya I'd show you a good time." The stallion replied with a chuckle, smiling as he trotted towards the entrance of the cave. "Sorry Green, but the asking price was just too good!" "Awww, poor little betrayed pony, you must feel so hurt and alone right now!" The wicked wizard snapped his fingers. "Guards, have her fitted with a chain and collar, and take her down to work in the mine with the other mares." A small chortle escaped his lips. "Let 'honesty' be reunited with her fellow ponies!" "At once, my lord!" The commander of the goblin guard saluted, as two of his underlings moved to take the sobbing mare in chains away. "Shall we put her down in solitary along with your rebellious nephew?" "Yes, an excellent idea!" The jewel wizard beamed, agreeing with his monster guard. "Let that rebellious gnome try and convince a harmony bearer about his crazy ideas about friendship and peace!" ... He betrayed you to the Jewel Wizard?! How horrible! Yeah, apple blossom, he did. But I learned an important lesson that day... and it would be long before I would soon meet the gnome that would one day become Dream Valley's greatest friend...