Lost and Fallen
Chapter 20: Belief
The door leading to the jail cell rested right in front of me. The reception room I stood in was plain and bare, and I hardly cared what was in it. All that mattered at that moment was what I had just heard from Shining Armor, who was at my side. Even though my breathing was normal, I could feel my heart harden, and it just showed that I really didn’t know what to do.
“Ask him again,” I ordered, my gaze intensifying against the door.
Shining Armor kept his sight straight on me, staring me down like I did with the door. “It wouldn’t make a difference,” he stated plainly.
“Make a difference?” I questioned as I turned to him, my anger seeping out. “There’s no way in hell he’s Jayden.”
Shining raised a brow, “And you don’t think he’s telling the truth?”
My thoughts fell apart like the first time I had heard that word. What was the truth when it came to this Human? He had no reason to reveal any information to us, yet I was supposed to trust him like a good friend. He could just be lying about his name to cover the real truth, and the note was just to help cover his ass. But the bird hated Humans like a lot of Ponies I knew, and there was no way he could get the bird to help him. Plus, Zecora wasn’t one to suddenly change sides either.
There had to be something we were missing, something that would explain this whole predicament. Zecora was the link, but the best we could do was ask for clarification, and there was no telling how long it would take to get a reply.
The ambient talking outside drew my attention to the door behind me. The group of Ponies lounging out there were growing antsy, on edge with the Human in jail.
Shining Armor glanced to the door before turning back to me, his expression just as troubled as it had been since I had showed him the note. “Do you think it’s wise we keep the note a secret?” he questioned, “I’m grateful you showed it to my family and me, but everyone else has a right to know too, especially the diplomats.”
“It wouldn’t do any good,” I said gruffly, rubbing my head. The headache from the poison was acting up again. It almost made me wish I had stayed in bed. “Showing it to them would just make everyone want answers, and since we don’t have those, we’d be kind of stuck.”
Shining Armor looked at me like he wanted to argue further, but said nothing as he turned back to the door that lead to Jayden. I looked back as well, stumped on what to do next. Though there was an option, it wasn’t one I wanted to follow through with.
“He’s all yours to interrogate, you know,” Shining Armor said as he gestured to the door. I swore he could read my mind, considering how stumped I was, especially with the grin he gave me; a mixture of arrogance and reassurance. I grimaced at his suggestion, taking a long breath. How ironic that I once was determined to beat the truth out of him, and when it was indicated by a slip of paper that he would tell the truth, I chicken out. I wasn’t even sure what I was so afraid about.
I lifted up the note that I still clutched in my hand, reading it over again like I had done several times already. Nothing had changed about it, but that was just from what I could see. Maybe Zecora left something unseen on the message, only detectable by magical means. I rubbed the paper between my fingers, not really expecting anything to happen, and was none too surprised when I was right.
“Here,” I said, presenting the paper to Shining Armor, who picked it up with his magic, “Take it to Twilight. Maybe she can find something that I missed.”
He read the message himself before glancing at me with a raised brow. “I’m pretty sure the words won’t change when Twilight reads it again,” he said, his tone dripping with skepticism.
“Just have her look it over,” I demanded with a dismissive wave, stepping for the door, “I’ve got a Human to question.”
“Just don’t go overboard,” Shining Armor warned as he made his way to the other door, eyeing me warily.
“No promises,” I answered as I eyed the door knob. The door behind me opened, letting in a stream of voices before being silenced as it was closed again. I took in a big breath, holding it as tried to think how I would handle Jayden. He knew me from somewhere, and I knew him, if my presumption of him being from Appleloosa was correct. We would have a lot to talk about, that was for sure. Releasing the breath, I twisted the doorknob and entered in one fluid motion, wanting to pass that barrier as quickly as possible.
Yet, as I closed the door behind me, I swallowed like a new recruit in the police force as Jayden gave a knowing smirk from behind the large single cell. It used up half the room, and it proved that crimes were rarer than a good Human in Equestria. He didn’t speak, but locked his gaze with mine. I didn’t move for the longest time, anticipating that he would be the first to speak. But when not a word was spoken, I walked further into the room, my footsteps echoing against the walls. I approached the lone chair in the room, slipping into the seat as I took a load off, relaxing my body as I leaned back. Jayden mimicked me as he leaned back in his bed, resting against the wall as he brought his hands behind his head.
“Well, here we are,” he stated, gesturing to the room, “alone at last.”
“Fuck off,” I muttered, crossing my arms as I narrowed my eyes. He laughed at my remark, but it was dry and forced.
“It’s been a long time since Appleloosa,” he said with a shrug, “Things change… people change.”
“Considering how you nearly shot the Buffalo chief,” I said sharply, “I highly doubt you changed in the least.”
“Now who said anything about me changing?” he asked before chuckling with that same dusty laugh. It was getting on my nerves, which meant he was using it to try to break me. I knew how these interrogations went: some guy thinks he has a leg up on the questioner and try to get him to crack and lose himself. However, that was in my world, where physical means would get someone in trouble because of people's rights. In this world, I wasn’t at all held down by any means, but I knew the Ponies would not be happy. Strange how that, of all things, would be what held me back.
I leaned forward in my chair, resting my elbows on my lap. “Who are you?” I asked attentively, running a mental checklist in my head for possible questions.
“Jayden Joseph Garratt,” he stated, his tone far too relaxed for my liking. He acted like I was hosting a job interview, and I had a feeling he knew he was slowly getting to me. “Military Police of the Humans’ Occupational Army at the Appaloosa Juvenile Rehabilitation, retired.”
“Retired?” I asked, suspending my disbelief for the moment.
Jayden nodded, “Yeah. You did blow up half the building, remember?”
“I’m pretty sure you can’t just leave the army,” I snapped back.
He shrugged again with an even larger smirk, “Didn’t stop Alex.”
For the first time, I showed surprise, instantly regretting it as Jayden chortled. My expression slid back to thoughtfulness, but it hardly mattered. Jayden knew a lot more than he was leading me to believe, but it could just as easily been a lie. Damn, this would have been a lot easier if I hadn't gotten that message from Zecora. Everything was way too complicated. Some of what Jayden had said sounded like it could be true, but it could still be some elaborate trick meant to distract me from some grander scheme.
“Was anybody with you?” I questioned, skipping my personal question about Alex for later.
“Nope,” he said, “Got no friends, my family is in Humania, and the military has me listed as a deserter. The only Humans for a hundred miles are you… and me.”
Once again, I was at an impasse whether he was honest. For all I knew, this whole exchange was a ruse to buy time for other Humans to slip in and do whatever they have planned. What the hell was Zecora thinking by sending that message? Of course, Jayden had no trouble telling me all of this, which either meant he was a good liar or it was the bonafide truth.
“Do you know a Zebra named Zecora?” I questioned. If I was going to learn more about him, it might as well be about his relation with her and that message.
“When I was heading here,” Jayden began, tilting his head up to the ceiling, and getting even more relaxed, “I made my way through Ponyville. You certainly left a nice reputation there. Anyway, everyone said you disappeared in the Everfree Forest. Went in there, and followed a convenient little trail right up to this hut. Place was deserted, but there were lots of potions. All just sitting there, waiting for me to stumble right in.”
Just following his tale was putting my trust on the limits. Just suddenly coming across a hut in the middle of that damned forest full of potions made me really question him. Then again, it was true that Zecora lived in the Everfree Forest, so it wasn’t too far off that she had a permanent residence somewhere in there.
“There was this one potion,” Jayden continued, sitting up as he held his arms parallel to each other, just a couple inches apart. “The biggest one of the bunch. Full of a liquid, all red and gooey and shit. Drank the whole thing.”
“Why?” I asked, truly confused at the dumb stunt.
“Biggest potion equals best rewards,” he said with a shrug, still smiling his smartass smile, “Anywho, it tasted like piss, but now look at me. Confident and everything. A lot better than how I was when you tricked me into an alley before hitting me over the head and stealing my crap, huh?”
So, the person sitting before me was the same idiot that was dumber than anybody else I had met. Granted, I had only known him for about five minutes, but he was certainly pretty stupid to think the Baron wanted him specifically. And to think, the same person sat before me. That was if he was saying the truth.
“Then!” Jayden went on, suddenly getting more excited as he shifted on his bed as if he was getting really into his story, “This Zebra comes in and speaks in perfect rhyme before booking it! I grabbed the nearest potion and took off right before she could bring her woodland friends. Cause if the tales of that forest are true, I don’t want any Manticore chewing on my ass! Ha!”
The way he told his story was very jarring. The questions were staggering in my mind, and I knew that asking any of them would just lead to even more questions. The real question was what reason Jayden had to tell me the truth? He knew who I was and who I was helping, yet he wasn’t at all afraid to tell me everything like I was a diary. And the closest thing that came close to an explanation was the potion he drank.
“Why tell me all this?” I asked. If I was going to ask anything else, it might as well be the one that would make or break his honesty. Jayden closed his eyes as his smile widened, as if trying to contain his laughter.
“Why…” he said with emphasis, eyes wandering off to the side, “That’s always the question. Well, I’ll tell you why.”
As much information as he had given me - whether it was real or fabricated - I wasn’t nearly as interested as his explanation for his actions. Even if it was just another lie, I was far too curious not to know. And as he leaned forward, I clenched my hands tightly as I hardened my expression.
“I don’t believe you’ll do it,” he stated plainly, sinking into his seat as he let his arms dangle. He didn’t follow up with an explanation, prompting me to stare at him intently. With a bout of fury, I glanced to the side as I suppressed my anger. I was close to losing it, and maybe it wouldn’t be a bad thing. At least then I could get some frustration out and some proper answers.
“Do what?” I emphasised.
Jayden chuckled, “You’ll never stop us. Not you, not this resistance, not a thing. It’s all pointless. It won’t matter if I give you all the secrets on our species, you will all lose this fight.”
It was my turn to chuckle, though it didn’t change his expression. He was really sure the Humans would inevitably win, and just that alone made me laugh. I wagged a finger in his direction, a grin on my face.
“You sure are an overconfident bastard, aren’t you?” I asked, shaking my head again at his absurdity. These Ponies might not seem like much, but after helping them out, they were definitely not something to be trifled with. Granted, I didn’t think they would have gotten as far as they did without me, but they were still a resilient species.
“Confident? Yes,” he replied nonchalantly, “That’s what the potion I drank did to me.”
So that’s what the potion did. I was wondering if it had changed his personality in some way, but to give him immense confidence was still far fetched. There was no proof that the potion was what changed him, and I wasn’t even counting if he had even drank a potion.
I had a lot to consider, what with everything he told being truth or not. From what I could discern, it sounded real, but that meant very little in the long run. I just needed some concrete evidence to reassure myself. It would help no one if these Ponies paid a heavy price for not double checking myself.
The door swung open behind me and I glanced back to find Sweetie Belle coming in, looking around with a curious expression. Seeing her in this room, around another Human, instantly put me on edge as I shot up to my feet and hurried over to her. She was startled by my sudden movement, as she backed up a bit to see me fully.
“Sweetie,” I scolded quietly, my eyes shifting behind me to see Jayden still smiling. If I didn't know better, I would say he was high as hell. “What are you doing here?”
“Twilight asked me to help look for you,” she said with a smile. Taking a deep breath, I calmed myself down, not wanting to yell at her for coming in here. Who knew what Jayden was keeping from me, and having Sweetie in here with him was something to be avoided.
I shooed her out the open door, following behind her with my hands still behind her to keep her going. When we were in the receptionist room, I slammed the door shut, making Sweetie jump before cowering a bit. I wouldn’t say I was mad at her, since I was more on the line of worry, but she really needed to knock. She must have known who was in there. And hell, what if I had been beating the truth out of Jayden? She would have walked right into that scene. Despite already knowing first hand the wrath of a Human, she didn’t need to see me do that.
“Look,” I said firmly, causing her to shrink down even further. I took another deep breath, “Just knock before you come in alright. I don’t want to see you hurt.”
Sweetie quickly nodded before standing back up, albeit a bit more shaken than before, “Twilight wanted to talk to you. She didn’t tell me why though.”
“Thanks for letting me know,” I said as sincerely as possible, hoping it would make up for my earlier attitude. She gave a smile, reassuring me I hadn’t hurt her feelings too much.
{~+~}
The outside was quiet without the pedestrians breathing on the door. They most likely moved along, finding something else to worry over, no doubt. Sweetie had skittered off down the street, almost stumbling a few times in her haste. I wasn’t nearly as hurried as I headed down the street opposite of her. It wasn’t until I realized I had no idea where Twilight was that I berated myself for not asking Sweetie before hand. I ran a hand down my face from such a mistake. The stress was bad enough, but having to wander around in search of an Alicorn was going to be a waste of time.
“Nolan!” I voice said ahead of me, and a small pale yellow Pony slammed into my gut. It didn’t take the wind out of me, but it did catch me by surprise as my arms instinctively caught the Pony. The Pony was Apple bloom snuggling up against my stomach with contentment, even bringing a small smile out of me. No words needed to be spoken to show her affection.
“‘Bout time we found ya,” Applejack said as she trotted into view. Her radiant smile was a drastic relief from my oppressive thoughts. For both me and her as well, since she had that nightmare just a couple hours ago. “Ya left the clinic in such a hurry, we didn’t even know ya were awake.”
“You two were sleeping,” I explained, petting Apple Bloom. She enjoyed it thoroughly, rubbing her head against my hand. It resembled a cat so much, but it was adorable. “I didn’t want to wake you.”
“Ah, shucks, Sugarcube,” Applejack waved off, stepping closer, “You don’t need ta worry none ‘bout us. You were the one who got poisoned.” Her expression slid to concern. “How ya feelin’?”
I sighed, not really knowing the answer myself. Having hurried out of the clinic probably wasn’t the best idea, but with Jayden still locked up, I didn’t have too much time to waste. Apple Bloom was distracted by my petting to listen to our conversation, or maybe she was faking it. Just petting her made me realize why I was pushing myself.
“I’d be feeling better if I knew the Human was telling the truth or not,” I grumbled, adjusting my hold on Apple Bloom so it would be more comfortable for the two of us. “As far as I could tell, he took a confidence potion. Can’t tell what he says is truth or not. It’s become such a shit show.”
Applejack nodded, more out of sympathy for my effort than in understanding. She wasn’t the type to pity others, she always had to do the right thing when someone needed it. Seeing her stand there, keeping me company… it reminded me of our first meeting, how hostile she was, and how we practically hated each others guts. Somewhere down the line, we became friends, not on the same level as her other friends, but pretty high up nonetheless.
“AJ,” I started, searching for the words to speak my mind. Applejack didn’t react much, but her ears did perk up ever so slightly. “Back in Ponyville after the first night… how could you have trusted me enough to take me to Twilight?”
The question had been in my mind for some time, but it wasn’t until I was standing in front of Applejack, wondering how I was to trust a clearly bad Human, did it ever come to light. Twilight was a princess, one that was so valuable that she went into hiding, riding out the majority of the invasion. If Applejack knew of her location, then her other friends knew as well. They were trusted with that information, and yet Applejack had taken me to her. It didn’t matter that I saved her life; she could hardly stand to have guns around me at the time.
The silence Applejack provided was in no way unnerving. If I was stuck with such a question I would need time to answer too. However, the way she remained motionless, gazing off to the side with a far off look scared me. Did she ask herself that very same question before?
“Nolan,” she said, still staying still, “I don’t think ya know exactly how us ponies were handlin’ being slaves. We lost everythin’ to the Humans, more than just our homes and loved ones. We lost ourselves too. We couldn’t be what we were; the Humans made us to be nothin’ but workers or… playthings. They treated us like objects, just to be used 'ntil we died.”
Her pause and frequent blinking was enough to show me she wasn’t taking this explanation well. I didn’t say a word, letting her reach the courage to continue. “Then you came out of the blue, sayin’ you’d help, and got the entire town huntin' ya by the next day. Takin' ya ta Twilight, even after ya did save me from… something I didn’t want ta go through again, was wrong. Twilight was supposed to come out when the time was right, not when a friend comes knockin’. She was learnin’ more than just Humans; spells, magic and the like. She was supposed to be the one ta lead us.”
“What did I do to change your mind?” I asked. It sounded foreign to hear my voice, like it had no reason to be spoken.
“Ya gave us… me, somethin’ to believe in. Somepony that could get a Pony’s hat and headbands back just to get some questions answered. I didn’t trust ya as far as I could throw ya, but… I guess I wanted ta believe a Human really did want to help us.”
“Applejack, I’m hardly someone to believe in,” I stated, “I did what any right person would do.”
“No, ya ain’t,” Applejack shot back, finally facing me with a hard glare. It was laced with respect and admiration, but I was still taken aback. “Ya ain’t just some feller that happened ta appear outta nowhere, you’re Nolan. You’re the one who was taken here.”
“So, what?” I questioned, “You think some divine intervention just popped me in this world just because you were in trouble?”
“That’s not…” Applejack started but the response died in her throat as she broke eye contact shaking her head, “The point is that I wanted somepony to believe in. Even if you had no reason ta be here in the first place. My hat and hairbands? They’re just clothes. I had loads back home.”
“You sure do make a big deal out of them,” I noted. Applejack pawed at the ground closing her eyes.
“I was testin’ ya,” she admitted, “I knew I didn’t really need those clothes, but in a way, I was gettin’ back at the Humans, and by some miracle ya do come back with them, and then… I don’t know.”
“I doubt you could put your faith in some bastard that so happened to get your hat back,” I stated. A hat that she didn’t really care about too. It almost felt like she was just coming up with an excuse. Maybe she didn’t really know to begin with, just wanting to believe in someone like me was way too far fetched.
“I think ya can do it,” Applejack said firmly, standing tall with her chin just a tad higher. “I don’t rightly know what I was thinkin’ back then, but right now, I know you can help us.”
She genuinely believed I could pull it off and save everyone. At that point, I just felt embarrassed. When the hell did I become a messiah of hope and freedom for these Ponies? These Ponies gave me too much credit. I may have played a part in numerous activities, but these Ponies were the very reason I was doing them at all. If I had the chance to leave before I had become involved, I would have taken it. But that was before I witnessed the atrocities these Humans were doing, and how the Ponies were in terrible shape because of it.
Apparently, doing something about it suddenly marks me as a hero. As flattering as that was, I would have been the biggest douchebag if I found the ability to leave during my the first few days in Equestria.
“Heh,” Applejack said, staring at Apple Bloom, her voice quiet, “She fell asleep.”
Suddenly aware of her status made me realize how my arms were positioned. They rested just underneath her, cradling her as she rested her head above my elbow. I was afraid that moving any of my arms would wake her, and I couldn’t stand to let that happen.
“I guess we’re pretty boring, huh?” I smiled, earning a chuckle from Applejack. Gently, and at an appropriately slow pace, I shifted over to Applejack and laid Apple Bloom on Applejack’s back. She watched me do it with a quiet thanks.
“Maybe some extra shuteye wouldn’t be so bad,” Applejack pondered, “It has been a long day for us.”
“You deserve some rest,” I stated in agreement, nodding.
She chuckled as she turned away, “Ya need it more than I do, Sugarcube.”
Some rest would be terrific. Just to be able to fall into a bed and not worry about what could happen. It was a fantastical dream in itself, and to reach it, I’d have to deal with Jayden at the least. Which meant finding Twilight and seeing what she wanted.
“I’ll take a rain check on that,” I said as we parted ways. I could have sworn I heard Applejack say something being too hard. It was most likely directed at me. She was too motherly for her own good. I should tease her about it, I would love to see her reaction. In the meantime, I still had to find Twilight in this stupid city, cause I still had no idea where she was.
Damnit, I didn't want to spend my fucking time like this.
{~+~}
The time it took to find Twilight wasn’t as long as I had anticipated. It was thanks to an explosion that rocked the ground and left a large column of purple smoke a couple blocks away. There wasn’t any sort of panic either, more confusion than anything. Ponies, Zebras, and Buffaloes alike were hardly in awe, though still surprised by the sudden appearance. Considering I had been gone for a few days, I had no idea if it was normal, but the murmuring amongst the others mentioned Twilight in more than a few conversations.
Since the cloud could easily be seen from any part of the city, finding its origin was a piece of cake. And arriving on the scene proved that thought to be very literal. The small lot that held the firing range was completely covered in purple gunk. Not just the lot either, but the street and the surrounding buildings were also affected by the explosion. Reaching over to a nearby wall with the purple gunk, I wiped a finger across it and gave it a closer inspection.
“Frosting?” I questioned, carefully slipping my purple coated finger into my mouth. The rich, sugary taste definitely pointed to my assumption. Just as I rubbed the rest of the frosting onto my pants, an object shifted in the lot. The area in actuality had lots of pony-sized clumps, standing as still as statues. All except for one, which really wasn’t saying much, since it was simply swaying its body.
A vigorous shake of the head brought back Twilight as she gritted her teeth. She wasn’t seething, but she wasn’t at all pleased either.
“Pinkie!” she shouted, looking around at the other clumps of frosting, “Which one are you?”
“Over here!” Pinkie said back, raising a hoof high enough to differentiate her from the other poor ponies. A tongue stuck out of her mouth and combed around her face like a wiper in a storm, swallowing the frosting in one gulp. Considering Pinkie’s other bizarre antics, I was more shocked that I wasn’t shocked that she could do that. Her face showed absolute glee as she hopped a few times, shaking off the rest of the frosting on her body. “That was so good!”
Twilight licked her hoof before wincing, “Unfortunately, I have to agree.”
“Fortune has nothing to do with it,” Pinkie proclaimed as she stuck her entire hoof in her mouth, moaning in delight, “I know that I need waaaaaay less frosting next time for my party cannon.”
The other ponies were wiping off their coats, either with acceptance or irritation, but all grumbling to themselves. All except for one, which I assumed was the party cannon Pinkie spoke of. It was very undermining for such a contraption to cover itself in the substance it was supposed to be shooting out, but Pinkie was involved, so fuck it. It was what it was.
A loud gasp drew my attention back to the other ponies as Pinkie bounced up to me, “No-Lane! You’re amongst the standing!”
Twilight chuckled as she trotted up to me as well, “I suppose he is standing with us. Glad you’re okay, Nolan.”
“Yeah,” I said glancing around at the mess again, “Should I ask what the hell happened?”
“You can,” Twilight said with a shrug, giving a scornful sideways look at Pinkie, “All that happened is somepony decided she wanted to fire her frosting-filled cannon at the firing range.”
“Psst!” Pinkie whispered with her hoof held up to the side of her mouth, “The pony is me!”
A grunt escaped my throat as Twilight gazed above. I did the same, but found nothing out of the ordinary; still the same blue sky. In my thought process, I remembered the purple cloud that had lead me to this very spot. It’s disappearance was much faster than I thought was capable. Either the Pegasus ponies work fast, or the gas contents were very thin.
“I hope nopony saw that,” she said, wincing ever so slightly. “If the Humans saw it, they’d know somepony is here, they’d come and investigate, then we’d be-”
“I doubt that’s the case,” I interrupted, holding up a hand. Twilight’s eyes were wide enough to encompass her entire head, and her voice was getting higher too. I was glad I had spoken up; I didn’t want to have to deal with a panicking Alicorn. “According to our Human friend, there isn’t another Human for a hundred miles, though I think sending a few scouts around wouldn’t be a bad idea.”
Twilight blinked at my words before she recoiled her head and turned back to where she once stood, muttering to herself. She pushed away the frosting, her eyes focused on the ground. Pinkie gave me one last smile - all teeth and happiness - before bowing her head and eating the frosting. Not just eating it, but walking around with her mouth open, allowing the frosting to slide into her mouth and leaving a trough of exposed pavement and sand. Watching her at work was almost hypnotic, like my brain was still processing the strange behavior. The other ponies were getting brooms and mops, and though Pinkie wasn’t doing much, she was still clearing up a bit of the frosting.
“Here it is,” Twilight exclaimed, levitating a slip of paper. It had bits of frosting on it, but was still intact. Staring at the paper made me realize it was the note I had given to Shining Armor. With a gallop, Twilight stood in front of me as she presented it. Her firm expression didn’t fill me with confidence. “Here’s the note Shining gave me.”
Suspending my worries, I took hold of the note, reading the message again: Trust everything Jayden says -Zecora. It still hadn’t changed. “Did you learn anything?” I requested, almost hesitantly.
Twilight sighed, “I couldn't detect any type of magic in the note, Zebra or otherwise. There’s only the paper and the ink.”
So much for getting a clue on Zecora’s meaning. My eyes flickered to the ground, anxiety building in the pit of my stomach. There had to be some way to interpret her message. Maybe it was a code? And the way to decipher it was on its way via bird? At that point, I was grasping at straws, desperately trying to find a reasonable explanation for… everything.
“What could she mean?” I questioned aloud, more to myself than to Twilight.
“Zecora?” Twilight asked, lifting a hoof as she raised a brow, “I don’t think she could be hiding a ‘meaning’ in the message. I think it’s pretty clear on what it means.”
“I know that,” I replied gruffly, walking to the side, my boots sloshing through the frosting as I stared at the note, “But this can’t be it. How am I supposed to trust Jayden?” I crushed the note into my fist, tightening it in impatience. “Just how the hell does she expect me to trust that fucking asshole!?”
I was almost ready to just pack up and head to Zecora myself, just to get a clear, straight answer. Hell, I might just drag Jayden along to avoid another misunderstanding. However, since that was just plain illogical, I took a deep breath, soothing my temper. Cracking under all this stress wasn’t going to help anyone, least of all me.
“Why do you have to trust Jayden?” Twilight questioned, causing me to look at her in bafflement. I was prepared to chew her out in the idiocy of her question: because he had the answers, because he was holding something back, because he was a completely arrogant prick that needed to be put in his place. However, something held me back. The look in her eyes held my tongue, the look of a cool, collected mind. She knew exactly what she was going to say.
“There isn’t anything forcing you to put your trust in Jayden,” Twilight continued, closing her eyes. “What you can, and really should do, is put your trust in the one who told you to trust him.”
It didn't even take a fraction of a second to understand what she meant, “Zecora…”
“You trust her, right?” Twilight asked. It was the final nail in the coffin for my argument, if I even had one. She was right on so many levels, that I didn’t even fight a smile from emerging on my lips. It was the silent compliment for her, and Twilight took it as such as she smiled back.
“I trust her,” I stated, “And if I trust her, than I can trust what she says.”
Saying it aloud cemented the words as undeniable honesty. Twilight was right, as she normally was. I didn’t have to put any type of faith in the Human, but I can believe in what Zecora had to say, and what she said was to trust what he said.
Pinkie suddenly bumped into Twilight’s hind leg, causing her to lift it up. Lying in the frosting was Pinkie, looking up at us with innocent, apologetic eyes. Her cheeks were swollen with food, and her muzzle was covered in purple as she gave one last, large swallow before lifting up a frosting covered hoof.
“Want some?” she asked sweetly.
Twilight shook her head before Pinkie shrugged and went back to work. And then Twilight gave a huge smile, like a light bulb had gone off in her head. It was a bit jarring, considering it was so sudden. She pranced right up to me as she closed one eye and keenly examined my stomach. The only fascinating thing around there was my kevlar vest, and her staring at it so closely made me conclude her next question.
“Say, Nolan,” she started with as much sweetness as sugar itself. She backed away, putting a hoof in front of the other as she rocked back and forth on her hooves. “Here’s a crazy thought. You know how you can just… get shot and then stand right back up? Like you were never shot in the first place?”
“I wouldn’t phrase it like that,” I grumbled, rubbing my chest. As much as this protected me, getting shot with it on was still painful.
“Right, right,” Twilight said, nodding curtly as she waved a hoof. “But you still didn’t die! And that vest you wear all the time proves how effective it is.”
Her tone of voice was almost too girly, in a strange kind of way. It was higher and faster than how she normally spoke, but it sounded like she was sugarcoating something I wouldn’t like to hear. She might as well bat her eyelashes while she was at it. I never did like it when people beat around the bush.
“And…?” I asked impatiently.
“Can I borrow your vest to study?” she asked, stepping closer with a hopeful smile, batting her eyelashes. Damn, I didn’t think she would go that far. The eyelash batting anyway; I was actually beginning to wonder if the ponies would ever ask about my Kevlar Vest. Dusty brought it up once before, but other than that, everyone ignored that I had a bullet proof vest on.
It wasn’t until a couple seconds had passed did I realize I hadn’t answered Twilight’s question.
“Not unless I can borrow your wings,” I said jokingly, pointing to the appendages. They fluttered at my mentioning, and Twilight gasped in excitement.
“I can give you wings!” she said, her horn lighting up, “It’ll just take a-”
“No, stop,” I demanded quickly, watching her horn fade away. Thank god for that, who knew what Twilight was going to do to me with her magic. “I don’t want to suddenly grow a pair of wings, alright?”
“It’s not so bad,” she mumbled, her wings fluttering again.
“Look,” I said frankly, holding back a groan as I crossed my arms. “This vest goes where I go. In my world, I’d give it to you in a heartbeat; it’s heavy as hell and I hate lugging it around. But here?” I grunted in amusement, “I couldn’t even step near this place without getting shot at.”
“Please?” Twilight went on, glancing around desperately, “I’ll give you… something in return!”
“How kind of you,” I remarked, my arms still crossed, “But the answer is no.”
“Please,” she begged, sitting on her haunches to put her hooves together, “Pretty please with a cherry on top?”
I was suddenly reminded of Spitfire and her annoying attempt to get me to play the harmonica. With Twilight, I knew my anger wouldn’t stop her. I doubted even a legion of Humans would stop her from studying my kevlar vest. Just my luck. The harmonica, however, did give me an idea. A dastardly idea that was too good not to pull off.
“How about a deal?” I requested, which Twilight eagerly accepted with a nod, her smile widening. “If you can learn to play the harmonica, I’ll let you study my vest all you want.”
Her smile disappeared in a flash, and I was tempted to burst out laughing. Seeing her so confused and crestfallen was surprisingly comical in the context I was in. “Play the… harmonica?” she repeated, rolling the word in her mouth.
“Yes,” I answered, digging into my pocket and presenting the red harmonica. It wasn’t until that moment that I realized the redness reminded me of Applejack’s cutie mark. It was a very strange comment to think of, but luckily it was brief enough to brush away. “Learn to play it, and the vest is yours to study.”
I held out the harmonica, half expecting Twilight to refuse. She looked at the harmonica, tilting her head back in forth in examination. The expression she was giving pointed to her deep contemplation on my proposal, and the way she scrunched up her face didn’t bode well for the harmonica. Eventually, she gazed back up to me with a regretful frown. That decision didn’t take long.
“But I’ve never even played an instrument before,” she started, making me chuckle. She thought she could get out of the deal with an excuse like that. Cute.
“It’s a dying skill,” I explained, nearly slapping myself for using those words. It's how my dad had phrased his explanation. As much as I loathed him, the description was still accurate. Just my luck that my dad had a way with words. I took a deep breath before finishing, “It’s hard to find someone to play one.”
“And you can?” she asked, more out of shock than an angry outburst.
I smirked, “You bet your wings I can.”
Another flutter from her wings, and this time she even turned around to face them. She was very conscious about them. Though, from what I could remember, she had become an Alicorn a couple months ago. If two extra limbs were suddenly stuck to me, I’d be pretty conscious about them too.
Eyeing the harmonica, Twilight levitated it out of my hands as she placed it on her hooves, fiddling with it. Eventually, she held the harmonica up to her mouth, took a deep breath, and blew. The soft whine that came out flew through the air and brought me back to my summer vacation, twelve years ago.
The harmonica was orange, a color that made me want to hide it away from sight. Dad was in the backyard with me, prompting me to play it. I blew into the harmonica, and the same tune as Twilight’s came out. My dad just laughed and said it was a good start. I didn’t really care about that - I was sure any sucker could blow into the damn thing and make a noise - but the noise that the harmonica gave off was what truly encaptured me. The sound itself had potential, like it wanted to show the world what it was made of. It was pleasant, tranquil, but most importantly…
“Graceful,” Twilight said, transfixed on the harmonica.
I jerked back into reality, looking to Twilight, “Huh?”
“The sound,” she explained with a smile, holding up the harmonica, “I think it's graceful.”
The word was fine, but she couldn't think of better word than that? “That’s what you think when you hear that?” I asked, giving a small smile, keeping my voice friendly, “Graceful? What about soft or nice?”
“But that’s what it sounds like to me,” Twilight said, blowing into the harmonica again and recreating the tone, “Graceful.”
My cynicism for graceful was rather arrogant of me. My dad had called the tone charming and my mother, pretty. No one else had really heard me play, so they never heard the same note again, and the times someone did find me playing a short song, they would say it was good.
“What do you call the sound?” Twilight said with a playful smirk. She was going along with my remark, and I couldn’t blame her. I would have encouraged it if anything.
I closed my eyes, replaying the note again in my head, “Captivating.”
{~+~}
“Manehattan.”
All that came to mind after hearing that word was the dream I had earlier the same day. The voice that had mentioned it still echoed in my head. I knew that someone had tipped me off about Manehattan, but that person was still unknown. His personal goals could be completely out of whack, and the dream was a testament to how he behaved. However, there was no need to really trust that voice, as I had the word of Zecora that whatever Jayden told me would be the undeniable truth.
And for him to say Rarity, the last Element of Harmony, was in Manehattan made me both ecstatic and nervous. The latter was from how a low level grunt like Jayden knew where Rarity was. I asked as much and he laughed his high and mighty laugh. Asshole.
“Everybody knows she’s in Manehattan,” he explained matter-of-factly. He stood to his feet as I remained sitting, taking a few steps closer to the iron bars separating us. “It’s a well known fact. A Pony like that doesn't go unnoticed by us Humans. She’s probably the hottest Pony in this damn country!”
“Okay,” I said tiredly, rubbing my forehead, “Too much information.”
He chuckled, “What’s the matter, squeamish?”
My fist lashed out before I could stop it, hitting him in the nose as he tumbled back. Speeks of blood dripped onto the floor as he hastily wiped his nose. His arm was smeared with red and this face was an absolute mess, and I couldn’t be happier. Unfortunately, Jayden was still smiling. How potent was that potion he drank? He could take a punch to the face and still pull off a grin. A psychotic one at that.
“That’s right,” he said, his voice augmented from the blood clogging his nose, “Let it all out. No reason to hold back against another Human, right? Never stopped you before.”
“Shut the hell up,” I ordered with finality, “You act like you know me, but from what I understand, you don’t even know yourself. So just piss off.”
“Well,” he said, glancing to the side as his smile faltered. It was an interesting development, to say the least. His smile had never slipped once since I had spoken with him. “You’re right about that. Took a confidence potion to get me where I am. And even then, I’m a piece of shit anyway. Funny how things work.”
I had very little to work with when it came to Jayden. I had only met him briefly back in Appleloosa, and he was a pretty big idiot, but all together, still young. I didn’t know how the army worked for the Humans in this world, and quite frankly, I didn’t want to find out. Hell, the state of affairs for the Human country could be ugly as sin, and probably on the brink of collapse. Maybe a war was imminent, maybe lots of people were homeless, or even worse. But it wasn’t something I wanted to learn. If I did, than I’d have to pity the people who had resorted to invading a peaceful country to gain any momentum in their land.
Just as these Ponies were victims, who knew how many Humans suffered before hand. How could Equestria not know that a destabilizing country that neighbored them in the north needed help? They didn’t even know they existed! There were only two Ponies that would know, and one of them had violated my dreams, repeatedly. Finding Celestia would be a good step after rescuing Rarity, for both the Ponies and myself.
Blinking out of my reverie, I looked back at Jayden who hadn’t moved an inch, rubbing his nose every once and awhile. How quickly he dropped his arrogant attitude - no matter how slight - showed that the potion couldn’t cover all of his flaws, or perhaps it was a side effect. It could get worse, causing him to break down and lose his confidence even more than before, like an addictive drug. But for the time being, Jayden was just a Human that didn’t have any right to be anywhere. Not with the Humans and not with the Ponies.
Almost sounded like myself. And I was dead afraid of that.
{~+~}
Two cigarettes left.
The one I was using made it three, technically, but other than that, I was down to my last few. After that day, I was just glad I was able to use one. From coming back from Cloudsdale, to finding the Buffaloes and Zebras, to finding another Human, and then getting poisoned! I would have asked what else could have happened, but I wasn’t going to tempt fate. I really didn’t want some hellspawn crashing through the gates of the city because of my ill timed words.
Nonetheless, standing outside for a relaxing smoke after everything was nice. The meeting had already clouded my mind with how we would rescue Rarity, but that would be tomorrow, and at the moment, I could just smoke my thoughts away. Of course, they found a way to fester and gnaw at my mind anyway, but the cigarette helped hold them back.
Taking the cigarette out of my mouth, I breathed out a cloud of smoke as I glanced down to my holstered revolver. It had been too long since I had cleaned it. Maintaining a weapon was important, and not doing so would cause a malfunction at best, and an explosion at worst. I kept a mental note to ask a few Ponies to see if they had any cleaning agents to help with that. In the meantime, I had time to kill, and I was taking the time to not worry about anything.
The nighttime air was crisp enough to enjoy too. A few lanterns lit the streets, reminding me of the party that the Ponies had held when me and several other Ponies had arrived for the first time. That was also the first time I had shared a cigarette with a Pony, and it was also the last time. With Carrot Top…
Damn, that was one of the thoughts that were festering and gnawing in my head. I still had no idea what to do with Carrot Top. Emma was usually so understanding when it involved work that I never had a problem explaining to a girl about such things. In this predicament, I had no experience that could help me, which meant I needed outside help. My first thought was to ask someone who knew her personally, but that was a long shot. She hasn’t brought up anyone she was close to besides her brother. There might have been a chance Pinkie knew her well enough. Throwing parties for everyone was second nature to her, so she had to know a thing or two about the Ponies themselves.
Catching sight of Dusty passing by, I waved my hand, “Hey, Dusty.”
The sudden jump he gave was confusing. I was out in the open, near several lights; everyone could easily see me. Yet he acted like I had emerged from the darkness to give him a good scare. As fun as that would have been, I didn’t want to focus on how much I could have played with that.
“Why so jumpy?” I asked with a smile, shaking the ash off my cigarette.
“It’s nothing,” Dusty said dismissively, his eyes narrowing. “What do you want?”
Straight to the point then. “Do you know where I can find Pinkie?” I asked, tilting my head. Dusty gazed off to the side, far more tense than usual. From what I had learned about him, his behavior only meant one thing. I had to suppress a smirk at that thought.
“She was just talking with Twilight down that way,” he stated, gesturing down the road.
“Alright,” I said, taking another long drag from my cigarette, “So what did you want to talk to her about?”
He jumped a second time. I swore that he was turning a little pale too. He was way to easy to read, it was almost criminal to play with him like I was. However, he was able to recover his composure as he stood up straight. I wasn’t sure who he was trying to convince with that tough facade.
“If you must know,” he said disdainfully, “I was going to see how Pinkie was doing.”
I shrugged, if that was his explanation, I didn’t have a right to judge. Considering Pinkie was put through a lot, especially when she was having psychological problems, it was good of Dusty to take care of her as a friend would. I still couldn’t believe her friends had helped her so quickly. If they hadn’t told me she was back to her normal self, I would have assumed she was faking it.
“Ah, you do care, Dusty!” Pinkie said as she somehow appeared behind Dusty, giving him a hug. He froze, his eyes wide as a blush emerged on his cheeks. I was afraid if I didn’t speak up, he would be permanently petrified. However, as humorous as it was to see Dusty like that, Pinkie was holding on to him a lot longer than usual. I had seen her hug many times - if parties was second nature to her, than hugging was third nature - and she looked perfectly content on remaining by Dusty’s side.
Of course, Dusty was about to pass out from holding in his breath, so I would have to break Pinkie out of her rather heartwarming gesture. Just as I opened my mouth, a voice broke over the short silence, “You can quit trying to convince me, Shiny.”
Looking back, Twilight was exiting the bookstore, followed closely behind by Shining. Neither were pleased in the least. “Twily, if anypony is going, it should be me, not you,” Shining declared, pointing a hoof at Twilight. She whipped around, quickly trotting up to his face. His attitude made a one eighty as he reeled back from Twilight being so close. I was glad her glare wasn’t directed at me, and I had to suppress a chuckle at Twilight's nickname. It reminded me of my own silly one that Pinkie had provided.
“I’m going with Applejack and Nolan to find Rarity,” she announced, just as she had done back in the meeting. “And that. Is. Final.”
The princess side of her was leaking hard enough that other bystanders were getting a little scared. And Shining was taking it as well as he had back in the meeting. Hell, everyone was dead against Twilight coming along. I didn’t mind much, since having an Alicorn as back up was always a plus. Though I was smart to keep my mouth shut about it.
Shining grunted as he backed away from Twilight, “I know you’ve seen what the Humans are capable of-”
“And I’ve also seen what she’s capable of,” I spoke up as Twilight looked to me with appreciation. “She can handle herself. And if things turn bad, I’ll still be there to help.”
Shining gave me a dubious look. I couldn’t tell if he was questioning my ability to protect Twilight, or my support of her coming. Either way, I remained unyielding in my decision. I could tell that Twilight wouldn’t be budging in the matter, so the only option was to support her. Plus, she reminded me of myself, how I didn’t want to sit on the sidelines and wait for someone else to do the work. Seeing Twilight take the initiative shows how much she cares about her country, and everyone else will respect her even more.
For a moment, I thought it was simply a stunt to get attention, but knowing Twilight, that thought was pounded into the ground and punted away.
Shining trotted up to me and, with his magic, yanked my head so it was level with his. Because of how close I was, I couldn’t get a clear look at him, making his next words sound somewhat hollow. “Listen closely,” he said lowly, “If anything happens to Twilight, I’m holding you accountable. There isn’t a Pony alive that will stop me. You hear me?”
Ah, the fun with overprotective brothers. To think that love could be so strong between siblings that they would need to threaten their friends to get the point across. I was expecting it to come from Shining too, based on his attitude back in the meeting. Raising a hand, I held it next to Shining’s horn.
“Crystal,” I said, before flicking his horn, causing him to grunt before his magic died out, releasing me. Standing up straight, I smiled on how well that worked. It was only a guess whether a Unicorn’s horn was fragile enough to lose it’s magic with a simple flick. I couldn’t imagine how awkward it would have been if I had done that with no reaction to it. Shining didn’t take it well, his eyes narrowing at me before walking away.
Twilight came up to my side with a sigh, “Sorry about that. He’s always been pretty protective of me. It doesn’t help that he was brainwashed by a Changeling Queen a year ago.”
“I kind of figured…” I said before I blinked, looking over to Twilight, “Changeling?”
She chuckled, holding a hoof up to her mouth, “I’ll tell you later. Right now, I need to head to bed early. We’ve got a big day ahead of us.”
That was a smart thing to do, even if it hadn’t come from Twilight. She stifled a yawn before heading to her own room. Taking a deep breath, I figured I needed to get some extra sleep too. Another glance at my guns reminded me I still had something that needed doing, and a look back to Pinkie and Dusty, who stood motionless as they stared back at me. I didn’t think they would sit and watch that exchange like a show, but I was glad they didn’t leave. Saves me the trouble of finding them.
“Pinkie,” I called. She perked her head up. “You wouldn’t happen to have some cleaning supplies for firearms would you?”
“You bet your Vera I do!” Pinkie declared, hopping over Dusty in a single bound. She suddenly frowned as she stopped her advance, tapping her chin. “But I think you should wait for tomorrow. Like Twilight said, you’ve got a big day ahead of you, even though it’s technically still night.”
I smiled as I eyed the stars above, “Got that right.”
After making plans to meet with Pinkie, I headed back to my shack. By the looks of the Ponies, Zebras, and Buffalos I passed, everyone was in rather high spirits. It helped that we were drawing near to a final confrontation, if we ever got up to it. After saving Rarity, the main focus would be to get the Elements of Harmony back. And from there… I didn’t know. Maybe some super magic will erupt from it, or maybe it was just a symbol of reclaiming Equestria. Whatever happens when we get those pieces of jewelery back, there wouldn’t be anything stopping me from heading back home.
Closing in on my shack, a pang of sadness came over me. Leaving all these Ponies behind, after all we had been through, sounded selfish. But as I had maintained since arriving in this world, I didn’t belong here. They didn’t need some another damn Human around to remind them of a very bad part of their history.