Shattered

by sunstar93

Chapter VI

Prisoner. The word rings in my ears and at first I refuse to believe her. This must simply be a dream, or rather, a nightmare. But the iron shackle weighs heavily around my hoof and I know that this is reality. A foreign emotion creeps through my chest, burning in the back of my throat and sending adrenaline racing to my heart: I am afraid, truly frightened.

I’ve heard storied, rumors, of some of the Everfree tribes. They perform blood rituals, sacrifices, some even practice cannibalism. Would I be reduced to nothing more than a mutilated corpse, drained of my blood? Or worse, feasted on by the ponies of the forest? I have not felt true fear since I was a colt, afraid of the monsters lurking in the shadows; now I realize the monsters surround me, waiting, biding their time.

“I can sense you are afraid,” the Unicorn states. “Rest assured that you are safe…for now.” She turns to leave when I stop her.

“Wait! Can you at least tell me why I’m here?” I plead.

“In due time, Storm Surge,” she answers casually, using her magic to gently close the door behind her.

I want to stand up and go after her, to demand answers, but I cannot will myself to get to my hooves. Traces of the poison continue to flow through my system and I still feel weak; I am not entirely sure my legs could support me if I did try to stand. I feel so vulnerable, tethered and held like an animal, in a strange place with ponies I know nothing about. I lay my head on the ground, sighing heavily and closing my eyes.

I dream of when I was a colt, when the war had barely begun and I had no responsibility. Though Sweet Apple Acres had already gone out of business and the trees rotted away, Father taught me the art of apple bucking. We would practice in the decaying orchard and I admired how Father was strong enough to cause the tree trunks to crumble when he bucked. There would be huge hoof prints indented into the black wood, and I remember how I made it my goal to someday be able to crack the trunks. Of course, by the time I was strong enough, I had already been drafted into the Juggernauts, the apple bucking lessons forgotten.

When I wake up again, it is dusk. Twilight has always been an odd time for me: it is no longer the daytime, but the moon has yet to fully show its face, and the world is caught in a fragile state of unknown. And now, as I blink my eyes open and adjust to the dim light, I understand that feeling of uncertainty, and I’m not sure exactly what will happen to me.
I test my strength and slowly stand up, my legs buzzing with numbness. But I do not fall or stumble as I pace the small hut, hopefully a sign that the poison’s effects have subsided. What I need to do is figure out a way to get out of this hut so I can finally get some answers.

I examine the iron ring that is bolted to the wall. There would be no use trying to pull on the chain, and I don’t want to push myself just yet. And then I recall my dream of Father teaching me about apple bucking, how to balance my weight on my front hooves and concentrate on controlling the strength of my kick. For a moment I think it’s too extreme, that it will cause a commotion and warn the ponies outside. But I refuse to stay in here, caged and captive.

I turn so the ring is directly behind me, the chain coiled in the dirt like a snake. I lean forward and raise my hind legs, glancing backwards to check my target before unleashing a powerful kick. My hooves collide with the sticks and I hear them splinter, the chain knocking against the ring and producing an obnoxious metallic clang. I lean forward again, head tucked between my front legs and kick as hard as I can. I feel my hooves break through the wall, sticking out the other side. I pull them back in and prepare to kick again when the door bursts open, the same Unicorn from earlier standing in the doorway.

“What are you doing?” she scolds.

“What does it look like I’m doing? I’m trying to get out of this tiny room. If you haven’t noticed, I barely fit in here as it is!” I growl. “I can’t stand to be tied up!”

“And if I let you go? You’ll just go back to New Ponyville,” she huffs, planting her hooves firmly into the ground.

“Like I could! I have no idea where the hell I am, or what the hell is waiting out in the forest. I just can’t be tied up anymore,” I confess, the tone of my voice a combination of frustration and distress.

The mare thinks for a minute before replying, “Fine. But be warned, if I even think that you are attempting to escape, I’ll summon the wraiths. They’ll finish you off before you can gallop two lengths.” The very mention of those horrible creatures sends a dreadful shiver down my back. Although I had no intention of running away- I mean it when I say I couldn’t find my way back, no way in hell- I definitely will not try now. I don’t want to know if she would be true to her threat.

“You have my word.”

“For all that’s worth,” she snorts. Her horn glows with a violet aura as she uses her magic to break the shackle off my leg, coiling the chain again and setting the iron cuff on top.

I walked up to her, but she shrank back through the doorway, hiding her face behind her long indigo mane. “All I want are some answers,” I say. “You already knew my name. It was obvious I was targeted from the beginning of the battle. Don’t I at least deserve that?”

She sighed softly, turning around and calling, “Follow me.”

Finally.