Chapter 12: Lament
Lost and Fallen
Chapter 12: Lament
We had finally made it. Fillydelphia. And it wasn’t as grand as I had made it out to have been in my head. Sure, the buildings were up to par with what I used to live around, but the inhabitants tainted that feeling like a disease. The humans were numerous - what I had expected - but watching them walk around with a pony was just plain cruel.
Prideful humans strutting down the winding roads as ponies followed along like obedient dogs. Many of the humans had two or more, perhaps as a sign of wealth and power. And I truly felt sick from witnessing slavery at its finest. Ponyville was only a taste of what that city had. Hell, even the buildings themselves felt off; their dull colors acting as if they were tainted with humanity’s stench.
That was what Applejack, Carrot Top, and I were seeing, walking down the street as we simply examined our surroundings.There were a few people staring at us, probably because of my heavy clothing, but all in all, they ignored us. At least my disguise was still working. However, we had no idea where to go, as we had no idea where to find Fluttershy. At least we weren’t pressured to hurry; Rainbow had given us plenty of time, and would even extend it if needed.
Asking around was probably the best option, but I found myself hesitant to do so. It wasn’t that I was worried that I would be found out, but rather I had a feeling that it would be a waste of time. Besides, if I inquired about looking for a particular pony, people would point to the local police, and I didn’t want to get anywhere near them. I was probably at the top of their ‘Most Wanted’ list. Maybe even the only one.
“So where do we go?” Carrot Top asked, trotting beside me as she glanced over to a group of humans talking with each other.
I faced downward in thought, idly scratching my cheek. I really had no idea where to start, it truly would be like finding a needle in a haystack. “I don’t know,” I admitted with frustration, shaking my head. “We have to start somewhere though.”
“We can try splittin’ up again,” Applejack suggested, walking up to the other side of myself. I briefly considered it, but remembered how well it had gone the last time we had split up.
“No, we need to stick together,” I said, looking off down the road, “This place doesn’t seem as forgiving as Ponyville.”
I noticed Applejack and Carrot Top step closer to myself, as if the mention of the lack of safety caused them to become wary. I found it a bit humorous, though not enough to chuckle. As we continued on, I thought back to how I would find someone back on Earth, how Emma and I would figure things out. The both of us would go to areas that were possible places that our target would hang out: bars, strip clubs, and such. And if he wasn’t there, we could always find someone who knows of him. Sometimes, the criminals were just that predictable.
I stopped to think for a moment, and the two ponies halted as well when they saw that I wasn’t with them. Looking over to me, they each raised a brow, but I ignored them for a moment, my mind suddenly coming up with an idea. If this was after a war, then the victors would have more of a reason to visit someplace to celebrate, even after many months.
“We need to find a map,” I announced, causing the two to light up in recognition.
“That’s a good idea,” Applejack agreed with a nod, “It’d be a lot easier ta navigate if we had one of those.”
“Not just any map though,” I said, looking around like the item I sought would be in sight. “We need a tourist map. Something that can tell us where all the bars and restaurants are.”
“Why do we need to find one of those?” Applejack asked as I began walking again.
“Long story short, it’ll help us find Fluttershy,” I explained quickly, not wanting to go through the small details as I walked away.
“All that matters, I guess,” Carrot Top muttered as she galloped to catch up to me. Applejack did the same a few seconds later. When I thought about my plan as a whole, it was ridiculous that we would find a single pony by going to a recreational area, possibly a place where Fluttershy wouldn’t be at. But it was worth a look. It was better than stumbling through this city for days on end.
{~+~}
I should have realized sooner that humans would have no use for tourist maps. They had the whole city to themselves, who said they had to utilize old maps made by ponies? So, after nearly an hour of looking through shops, I knew that no one would have a map laying around, let alone a map for tourists.
“Consarnit,” Applejack cursed, stepping out of the shop with Carrot Top and I behind her. “Did the humans burn ‘em all or somethin’?”
That sparked a lead in my head that could actually produce results, though it was a bit disgusting to think about. “They wouldn’t burn them,” I started slowly as we stopped in the street. “They’d get rid of them, sure, but they wouldn’t waste the time to burn them. Humans try to get things done the easiest way.”
Carrot Top eyed me with a raised brow, “That seems sort of odd.”
“No kidding,” I remarked with a sigh, “Anyway, the humans here would probably throw them away.”
“Does that mean…?” Applejack trailed off, lifting a hoof as she backed her head away in disgust. She may be the type to get her hooves dirty, but no one likes dumpster diving.
“Yep,” I exhaled, walking past them as I briskly headed for a nearby alley. I rounded the corner, and there stood a dark green dumpster with a black lid. From the exterior, it looked heavily neglected, with patches of dried slime and large rust spots. However, as I neared it, I didn’t smell a whiff of any putrid smell. There was a lingering smell of garbage, but nothing bad enough to have to take a shower afterwards.
“You’re not seriously goin’ ta climb in there, are ya?” Applejack asked uncertainly, pointing a hoof at the dumpster.
“Unless you’d like to volunteer,” I quipped, lifting up the lid and leaning it away so it would stay open. Inside was nothing but papers - old newspapers, office reports, and various scraps - that filled up half the dumpster. The humans must have been dumping them in droves.
Not hearing a response from Applejack, I glanced over to see her playing with her hooves as she gave a nervous smile. I sighed, “Figured as much.”
And with that, I placed my hands on the edges and climbed inside. As soon as my feet landed on the multitude of papers, I nearly slipped, clutching the sides like a lifeline.
Kneeling down, I nearly hid inside the dumpster as I pushed papers around, searching around for what we were looking for. “I have a question, Nolan,” Applejack announced, standing on her back legs as she leaned onto the dumpster to look inside. “What makes you think that the humans will use the same buildings that ponies did?”
I gave a small grunt, “Like I said, humans try to get things done the easiest way. If something was a club, they’ll make it a club. If something was a cafe, they’ll make it a cafe.”
“Shoot,” Applejack said with a hint of disbelief, “humans sure are lazy.”
“Tell me about it,” I said, lifting a map from the other papers, only to find it was a map of a place called ‘Hoofington’. Tossing it behind me, I instantly found another map in the form of a pamphlet, and when I picked it up, I knew it was the one I was looking for. “Here we are.”
Applejack perked her head, trying to get a closer look from where she stood. I brought the pamphlet up to the sunlight, scanning over its contents. “Yeah, this is definitely a tourist map,” I nodded, standing back up inside the dumpster. I held it over to Applejack, “Here, take a look.”
She grabbed it in her mouth and pushed off of the dumpster, landing back on her forehooves. As I climbed out, Applejack opened it up, laying it on the ground as she looked it over with Carrot Top. Once I was free from the miserable metal box, I stretched my back, feeling slightly sore from hunching over.
After hearing a few pops from my spine, I gave a content sigh, relaxing my shoulders. Carrying around all this heavy equipment was murder on my back.
“If you’re right about what you said,” Carrot Top said, smiling as she looked up to me. “Then this will definitely come in handy." I smiled back, crouching down as I picked up the map. “The nearest location on the map is a restaurant just down the street.”
Nodding, I gave a large sigh, shaking my head as I looked at all the different locations. There were a lot of them, and I hoped my hunch was correct. I would like to find Fluttershy as fast as possible, and this map was our first lead to getting that mission done.
“Let’s get going.”
{~+~}
After finding another boarded up, decrepit building, I wondered if my hunch was just a lie I had told myself in hopes of finding Fluttershy faster. Hours of searching yielded no results as none of the buildings indicated on our map were occupied whatsoever. The sun had nearly set as we trudged on, not knowing what we would do for sleep.
I was able to keep a somewhat brisk pace, determined to find the Element of Kindness with my eyes glued to the map. Because I didn’t have a writing utensil, I couldn’t mark where we had gone, and we had walked in circles more than once. It didn’t deter me very much, but when I glanced back to my pony friends, they looked like they could fare better.
They weren’t so much tired, as simply despondent. Dragging their hooves, they held their heads lower as their eyes were half closed. They needed something to cheer them up, and speaking with them was the best option, but I decided to hold out on that. We were coming up on another recreational location that might actually be in use.
The map placed it somewhere North West of where we entered the city, and it was called ‘Club Eclipse’. There wasn’t much said on the map, besides the fact that it was a nightclub. So, closing the map, I kept my eyes peeled for the building, hoping that it would lead us somewhere. The streets were nearing empty as night slowly approached, causing my mind to suddenly think of something. Did this city have a curfew? If that was the case, then we had to be careful. We didn't have a place to stay for the night, which would cause us to end up in a jail cell. Not only that, they would search through our belongings, find my mask, and then we’d really be in trouble.
With my head running through these scenarios, my ears suddenly picked up strange music. A rhythmic sound that thumped loudly, almost reverberating through the streets. It was slightly muffled, like the music was being blocked off, and if I had to guess, I would say it sounded like dubstep. Emma had dragged me over to a club that played nothing but dubstep once. The music was alright, but it wasn’t something I would listen to all the time. I mostly went along with her because, well, it was Emma.
“Do ya guys hear that?” Applejack asked as we neared the noise.
“Yeah,” Carrot Top said with a thoughtful tone, “It’s almost like the music DJ Pon-3 would play.”
“Who?” I inquired, looking over my shoulder with a raised brow.
“She was a famous DJ that played around Equestria,” Carrot Top explained. It should have been obvious that these ponies had music with them, but to have the type of technology to play music like dubstep? This land couldn’t seem to make up its mind if it was technologically advanced or not. Nodding in understanding, I faced forward again with conviction. The only place the music could be coming from was from the nightclub, which meant that we would have our first lead after all our searching.
Rounding a street corner, the club came into view, and it wasn’t hard to miss. The club itself was like any other building in the city, but its neon sign and flashing exterior lights set it apart. Not only that, but there was a line stretching to where we stood, each person eagerly waiting to be let in. Glancing to the front, I could tell that no one was having any luck, with the bouncer turning nearly everyone down.
“How in tarnation are we suppose ta get inside?” Applejack asked incandescently, a face scrunching up in frustration, “It’d be ages before we’re get in there.”
“Well,” I said with an indifferent shrug, “We could use the way Emma and I used to get into a club.”
“And that would be…?” Carrot Top trailed off, rolling a hoof for emphasis.
I gestured towards a nearby alley adjacent to the club, unable to stop a small smirk from growing, “The back door.”
Carrot Top and Applejack looked at each other with a blank gaze, like they couldn’t believe they hadn’t thought of that sooner. Not waiting for their brains to kick in, I calmly entered the alleyway to appear inconspicuous, then picked up the pace once the darkness encompassed me. The sound of hoofsteps behind me indicated that Applejack and Carrot Top were right behind me, having snapped out of their trances.
I came across another door bathed in the white light of a single bulb hanging overhead. It was practically begging to be opened. It made me briefly wonder why it wasn’t guarded, but I came to realize that the guards were probably inside. We should approach carefully.
“Alright, let’s get goin’,” Applejack exclaimed charging towards it, making my eyes shoot open. I didn’t have time to utter a word before Applejack was in front of the door, and in that same time, she pivoted on her hooves, and bucked the door open. I instantly winced, but when I heard the sound of pain, I stepped towards the door hesitantly.
Peering inside, I saw a man lying on his stomach on the floor, giving a low groan. I stared at his still form before turning slowly towards Applejack, who was also wide eyed at the sight. I had to remember that she had one hell of a kick. Shaking off my surprise, I waved the ponies inside, who watched their hooves to make sure they didn’t step on the man. Once they were inside, I gave a glance down both ways of the alleyway and shuffled inside, closing it behind myself.
The area we entered must have been a back room, what with the cleaning supplies, extra bulbs and chairs, and crates. It was slightly dark, probably from the mixture of the dim lights and contrasting brighter lights from an open door way. I braced myself for someone to come investigate the noise Applejack made, but none came. The music must have been too loud for anyone to hear.
After my eyes lingered on the door way for a time, I crouched down and grabbed the unconscious man’s arms, dragging him over to a nearby closet. I swung open the door, and with a small grunt, I shoved him inside, closing it afterwards.
“That should do for a while,” I muttered, brushing my gloves together with a nod.
“Whoa… N-Nelly,” Applejack said behind me, and when I turned around, I saw her and Carrot Top looking through the doorway with the largest blush I’ve ever seen on their cheeks. Applejack had put her hat over her face in embarrassment while Carrot Top simply stared with a worried and uncertain expression.
“Something the matter?” I asked, walking over to them.
“U-Um… uh…” Carrot Top mumbled blushing harder, if that were possible.
Without another word, I stood behind them, leaning forward to get a better look out the door. I balked at the sight, my mouth slightly agape.
The room was where the majority of the nightclub took place, with men drinking alcohol at a nearby bar and tables that were strung around. A light fog hugged the floor, flowing out of a device next to the DJ stand. The DJ herself, strangely, was a pony. The humans must know good talent when they see it. The pony had a white coat, contrasting the blue tint of the club. Although, her electric blue mane fit the setting, and her purple shades complemented it nicely. Even her Cutie Mark - a music symbol of some sort - fit her.
However, despite everything that I was seeing, there was something that stood out the most.
The ponies that were dancing like strippers on top of a stage next to the bar.
I had the decency to look away when I found out their intention, and I could see why Applejack and Carrot Top were anxious about the scene. Reluctantly, I examined the room again, to get a better picture. I was an adult, I could handle myself. The humans seemed to be enjoying the show immensely, smiling and cheering them on with hoots and hollers. It put me out of whack way more than I thought it would.
Swallowing a lump that had formed in my throat, I finally spoke to the ponies, closing my eyes in mild frustration. “God fucking damnit,” I hissed quietly.
“Please tell me I’m dreamin’,” Applejack whimpered inside her hat.
“Nope,” I said with a sigh, glancing around the room again. “But if there’s someone who’ll know where Fluttershy is, it’s in here.”
“Ugh,” Carrot Top said, dipping her head down. These two were very uncomfortable with what was going on. And who wouldn’t in their position? I was willing to bet that ponies weren’t into… this sort of thing before the invasion. It must have been new to them.
“Why don’t you two wait outside?” I suggested, jabbing a thumb over the door we had previously entered through. “You don’t have to put up with this if you don’t want to.”
They both faced me, opening their mouths either to argue or agree. But they closed it soon after, nodding instead. They briskly swept past me, exiting the room before I even knew they were gone. They must have been really uncomfortable.
Facing the room again, I wished I didn’t have to go through all this just to find a single pony, but I had very little choice. Besides, maybe I could get through without being thoroughly disgusted. Big fat emphasis on ‘maybe’. I stuck one foot out, but halted, suddenly having second thoughts, but pushed that aside as I finished the step, walking into the room.
I made my way to the bar, all the while checking out anything else in the room. The ponies were giving any human within sight a suggestive look, dancing suggestively while wearing clothing not meant for everyday living. A few ponies were already on top of humans laps, making me avert my gaze quickly.
They were actually making out with them.
It sent shivers down my spine, and I gave a shaky breath. It was already awkward enough walking through here, but they had to do that as well? Wouldn’t that count as bestiality? Then again, these were intelligent, talking ponies, not the ones from my world. This was probably normal here. Still, none of them were even hesitant to think about it. My mind was much too clouded to give it much thought. The mixture of the scene, music, and fog was making me disoriented.
On the brightside, the ponies were all mares. I don’t know what I would do if even one stallion was in this place.
I finally made it to the bar, which didn’t have many patrons sitting around. I sat on a stool and crossed my arms as I leaned them on the furnished wood. I could hear the ponies and humans, moaning in their embrace. The thought of them having sex suddenly appeared in my mind, causing me to slap a hand to my head. I didn’t need that thought going through my mind. For once, I wished the music was louder.
“What can I get ya?” someone asked in front of me, and when I looked up, I saw it was the bartender. He was slightly fat, but not so much that it was immediately noticeable, and he had his brown hair in a comb over. He was cleaning a glass with a dishrag, just like every bartender ever known. Ingesting alcohol at this point of time seemed absolutely valid, but I doubted getting drunk in a place like this would end well.
“Not thirsty,” I said with a small growl laced in. I hoped he got the message that I didn’t feel like talking.
“Alright, what about a pony?” he asked, gesturing to the other ponies milling about with the humans.
I gritted my teeth, “God, no.”
“Ah,” he said knowingly, putting the items in his hands down on the counter. He gave a frank expression as he looked me up and down. “You must be one of those folks that hate interracial sex.”
I wasn’t totally against the idea, once it warmed up to me in the next three or so years. “They common?” I inquired, hoping to get something out of all this.
“Yeah,” he answered with a small nod, looking around, “Not many people like the idea, especially after we conquered them. Ya know?”
“Right…” I said with a roll of my eyes. That was when I remembered why I was in this place to begin with. “Listen, could you-?”
“Hey there, handsome,” a female voice said, and when I turned to the stool next to mine, I quickly looked the other way, cursing under my breath. Fine time for a pony to hit on me! “What’s the matter? You uptight?”
Calming myself down, I faced her again, giving a bored look, the bartender having left to do his job. The pony herself was gray furred, a nearly black mane and tail combed to perfection. She carried an air of class with her, like she had participated in many fancy parties before everything went to shit. Glancing down, I saw that she wore silky, pink striped socks, probably to appear more appealing to the people here. Then I noticed her Cutie Mark: another music note, this one being purple.
“You like what you see?” she asked, causing me to flinch as she ran her hoof along her flank. I berated myself for doing being caught staring at her flank. Confound these ponies and their Cutie Mark placement. I turned away from her, staring straight ahead as I ignored her, hoping that the silent treatment worked in this world.
“Come on, you can talk to me,” she said, running her hoof along my arm. “I’m Octavia. What’s your name?”
I hoped that was her actual name and not a stage one. Still, it wouldn’t hurt to tell her my own name. “Nolan,” I said bluntly, still not looking at her.
“Nolan,” she repeated, rolling the name off her tongue like it was majestic. She leaned in, her eyes half shut, “I like that. Why don’t you and me go somewhere more private, hmm?”
I was starting to play with my hands. I hadn’t been this uneasy since asking Emma out on an official date. My throat was unexpectedly dry, as I forced myself to swallow, the lump having grown much bigger than before. I had to calm down, I wasn’t going to have sex with a pony. Plain and simple. I kept repeated that in my head to ease my nerves, with little success.
“N-No,” I managed to say, “I’m fine.”
“Your mouth says one thing,” she said, leaning in close to my head, her muzzle only a few inches away from my ear. She whispered, “But your pants say otherwise.”
I didn’t have a boner, so I had to assume she was just flirting with me. I was at the end of my rope, though, and I gently pushed her away, standing to my feet. She seemed mildly surprised, but that didn’t deter me as I spoke to her.
“Listen, Octavia,” I said sternly, “I’d appreciate if you’d just leave me alone.”
I had to be upfront with it, and hoped it didn’t appear I was playing hard to get. I had no experience when it came to getting girls off my back. She just stared at me, her mind working hard to come up with a response, whether it be a flirtatious or a serious one. Without waiting for one, I walked away, wondering where I could get information so I could get the hell out of there.
Unfortunately, I couldn’t take everything that was happening in this room, and briskly went back to the room I had come from. As soon as I was away from club, I paced back and forth, rubbing the headache that had formed. This was way more stressful than I had anticipated. Even if there was someone who knew of Fluttershy, I didn’t think I would find that one person before I was overwhelmed.
“Excuse me, sir?” A familiar voice called out from the doorway. I cringed, already expecting the flirts to come flooding back.
“What do you want?” I groaned, turning to Octavia, who was somewhat nervous where she stood. “I already told you I’m not interested.”
“I understand your request, sir,” she said in a professional tone. “I just wanted to apologize if I had done something wrong.”
“What, so you wouldn't drive away a customer?” I asked with a blank face.
She turned away in embarrassment. I was spot on with that guess. “Well, yes, I suppose that’s part of the truth.”
“Right, whatever,” I said with a wave of my hand.
“But…” she continued, glancing up at me. “There’s another reason.”
“I thought I told you-”
“It’s not that, sir,” she interrupted, facing me completely. “It’s just… you have a certain air about you. The other humans just come in and expect to have sex, but you’re a completely different story.”
“Shocker,” I grunted, crossing my arms.
“It’s like you don’t care what happens to yourself,” she finished, unfazed with my word. That caught my attention, causing me to look at her questionably. “You’re the type that has been through a lot, and distance yourself because of it. You have a story.”
Well, it was nice to be set apart from the rest by a pony prostitute, but what else did I expect? She didn’t go on, and waited patiently for my response, which I actually had to think about. I wasn’t used to people saying that I had little reason to hang out with others.
“Thanks for the concern,” I said quietly, turning away, “But I have to find someone. It’s really important.”
“Maybe I can help,” she said, and I looked over to her, seeing her smiling face. It wasn’t the one that I saw back in the club, but one of genuine friendship. I had little to lose, so I might as well get what I came for.
“Do you know where I can find a pony named Fluttershy?”
She was taken aback by my words, but replied nonetheless. “But of course,” she answered, making my breath hitch, my eyes widening. “The owner of this brothel is her master. But why do you want to find her?”
“Long story,” I said frantically, kneeling down in front of her, “You have to tell me where this owner is.”
“But… why?”
“Just tell me!” I shouted, making her jump a bit.
Her face contorted with anger as she narrowed her eyes at me. “That’s privileged information. I’m afraid I can't tell you that."
“Not even for the Masked Man?” I asked before I could stop myself, standing back on my feet. She balked at the mention of my alter ego, her mouth falling open instantly.
“You’re the Masked Man!?” she said, suddenly short on breath.
“Yes, yes,” I sighed. Who knew that people becoming awestruck of my reputation would get old so fast? “Now, can you tell me where Fluttershy is?”
“You’re the one that saved all those foals in Appleoosa?” she whispered, her eyes slowly traveling down my body and back up.
“Yes,” I emphasised, growing annoyed, “Now where’s Fluttershy?”
“Right, yes, sorry,” she apologized, shaking her head to collect her thoughts. “I just… can you help me?”
I raised a brow, “With what?”
“Escape this place,” she clarified, looking over her shoulder into the club, “I want to get out if here. With my lover, Vinyl.”
“Alright, so you want me to free her,” I summed up. It wouldn’t be the first time I had to get shit done to get anywhere. “Easy. Where is she?”
“She’s DJ-ing the club right now,” she said, pointing a hoof out the door.
I grunted, already striding back to the club, “This’ll be a piece of cake.”
However, when I walked through, I saw that the DJ known as Vinyl was gone, the music playing in a loop. I found myself panicking, thinking that Octavia would ditch me if I couldn’t find Vinyl in time. I scanned the room, my vision looking for anything white as a basis of my search. Eventually, I caught sight of her, though in a predicament that I didn't want her to be in.
A human was dragging her away to a door, gripping her mane tightly. She tried to break free with her hooves, scruffing up the floor at the same time. She really was resisting with whatever strength she could muster, but it was futile as he pulled her without even a backwards glance. The other people around saw it too, but chose to ignore it. How normal was all this crap!?
Without speaking with Octavia, I rushed through the room, knocking past people that got in my way. As I got closer, the conversation between the two was heard, and it only drove me to go faster.
“Let me go, you drunk human!” Vinyl cried, her glasses falling off after a hard tug, causing her to whimper. “I’m just supposed to DJ!”
“Shud up, slut!” he slurred, nearly tripping over himself. Yeah, he definitely had too much. “Just take it like the pony you are!”
“No!” she cried defiantly, “You are not going to do anything to me!”
“Damn right he’s not!” I said, grabbing his arm when I was close enough. He let go of her out of instinct, and Vinyl scampered to a safe distance, panting slightly as she watched the two of us. I figured she would have fled entirely when she was free, but I couldn't complain.
“What do you want?” he said, tipping back and forth as he turned to me, jabbing a finger at my chest with his other hand. He was far younger than I thought, maybe twenty years old. His eyes were bloodshot and droopy, and his blonde hair was messy. “Get outta here, there’s plenty of other ponies to fuck.”
“That isn’t my intention, asshole,” I growled, tossing his arm away angrily. He swayed a bit, but I wasn’t finished yet. “Go get yourself another drink before I shove my boot up your-”
“Whoa there, sir!” the bartender interrupted, walking between us and pushing us apart. His focus was on me though. “The rule around here is that if someone wants a pony, that person gets her. He got her first, and she should not have been resisting.”
I could feel Vinyl hide behind me, and I was a bit perplexed by that. Wouldn’t she think I was just another human? “Well, I think that rule is bullshit,” I replied, narrowing my eyes.
“Look, sir,” the bartender said, “You can have a round with her afterwards. Is that alright?”
That comment made me growl angrily, and I had to force my rage to subside before I would do something stupid. He must have forgotten that I didn’t want to have intercorse at all, let alone with a pony. “Fuck. off,” I said in a dangerously low tone. “I’m not having sex with her, and neither is he. That’s final.”
“Sir, if you don’t stop now, I will have to take drastic matters,” he warned, looking at me cautiously.
Figuring he meant calling the Military Police, I said, “Whatever.”
I would be gone before they would show up, so I wasn’t worried about them finding me. Besides, I could handle myself pretty well. Turning around, I saw that Vinyl was facing me with awe, utterly shocked that I would stick up for her. I simply gestured to the doorway leading to the back room.
When she turned to look over her shoulder, she saw Octavia waving her over with a hoof, a smile adjourned on her face. Vinyl smiled back, trotted over, and they hugged each other. It felt oddly nice to see those two have each other. It reminded me of my time with Emma.
I took a few steps forward to follow, but the crack of a revolver behind me with the impact of a bullet on my back stopped me. The force of the bullet sent me to the ground, my lower back burning with pain. My bullet-proof vest saved me again, but I wasn’t out of the woods yet. I hissed as I pushed myself to my feet, the chatter around the club going silent.
Vinyl and Octavia’s jaws dropped like rocks, just like the ponies back in Las Pegasus. And when I was turning to face my shooter, the other people and ponies in the club were just as dumbfounded to see I was back on my feet. My eyes landed on the bartender, a revolver out and pointed at myself. His arm was shaking, probably from seeing me stand back up after taking a shot to the back. What I didn’t understand was why he shot me in the back. Why not in the head? Or if he wanted to injure me, in the leg or arm? Whatever his reasoning was, I was thoroughly pissed.
“Big mistake,” I said, right before I grabbed his revolver, pointed it up, and smashed my fist into his face. He tumbled into a table, destroying it, and driving those who sat around it to step away. He had let go of his weapon, leaving it in my hands, and I just tossed it to the side.
I knew I was in trouble. Not just from the fact that I had punched the bartender, but also that someone else had fired upon me. It narrowly missed my head by inches, causing me to whip around and dive out of the way, just as more bullets were shot in my direction. I picked myself up and sprinted for the doorway. I saw the other ponies, including Applejack and Carrot Top, were gathered inside.
“Go! Now! Run!” I shouted, pulling out my shotgun. It was the time for superior firepower. The ponies scrambled for the exit, as I turned back to the doorway, already seeing the humans coming through. I discharged my shotgun into doorway, and caught more people than I thought in the blast. In that time, the room was clear of ponies, and I got outside as well.
I slammed the door shut, and pushed my body against it. “Applejack! I need my mask!” I ordered as I felt someone run into the door. The mask was pretty much useless since people had already seen who I was, but I hoped they didn’t see my face long enough to get an accurate depiction.
“Right, hold on,” she said, ducking her head into her saddle bag. In mere seconds, she pulled out my stuff, and with a nod, I jumped away from the door and shot through it, killing whoever was behind it. With that, I pumped my shotgun, quickly clipped it to my back, and snatched my mask, all the while running with the other ponies down the alley away from the street.
I fumbled with my mask, but eventually got it on, though uncomfortably. It felt good to put it on, like I was suddenly given permission to go on a rampage. Of course, I would never do such a thing, it was just what I was feeling. We reached the end of the alleyway, only to find a street branching in two different directions. The good news was that it was empty of other humans, the bad news was that we had no idea where to go.
A bullet whizzed to my right, making me flinch and take cover behind a building, drawing my revolver at the same time. The ponies did the same, with Octavia and Vinyl hugging each other tightly beside me. They were so desperate to get out, and at that moment, they thought they were going to die. It was a bit irritating that they would dismiss my own skills with a gun, but we had only just met, so I let it slide.
Knocking open the cylinder of my revolver, I checked to see if it was loaded. Satisfied, I closed it shut, and aimed it down the alley. A few humans were making their way up, and as they were out in the open, I was easily able to take a few out. After three of them dropped dead, the others took cover behind various dumpsters strung about. As soon as they did, they opened fire on me with their rifles, forcing me back behind cover as a hail of bullets struck where I stood only a second before.
“Damn,” I cursed, not seeing an opening anytime soon. They would overtake me in no time. We were definitely outnumbered this time.
“What do we do?!” Carrot Top shouted over to me from the other side of the alley, covering her ears from the multiple gunshots.
“I’m thinking!” I shouted back, loading three bullets back into my revolver. I wasn’t kidding either, my mind was working furiously to think of a way to avoid the humans as my eyes glanced around the area.
It was at that moment that a sewer lid in the middle of the street was pushed open by a hoof.
I stared quizzically at the opening in the street, not expecting a pony to be hiding in the sewer. A stallion poked his head out, looking very cross when he laid eyes on me, but quickly spoke to the group.
“Get inside, quickly!” he yelled, making everybody look bewildered at his appearance. The lighting was too bad to get a good look at him, and the fact that he ducked back inside the hole didn’t help either. “If you want to survive, get in here!”
Octavia and Vinyl were the first to take a few steps, but were stopped when a few bullets nearly hit them. They scurried back, frightened to take another foot closer to the death hole. I knew the odds, and the best way to get out of this was to follow that pony’s instructions. But we needed something to distract the guards.
Exactly after I thought that, a small object was thrown out of the hole and through the alley. It exploded a second later, erupting thick gray smoke that clouded the area. It was way too convenient, in my opinion, but I didn’t want to tempt fate, as most of the humans had stopped firing. It was hard to hit a target you couldn’t see.
“That’s our cue!” I announced to everyone, “Get inside!”
Without hesitation, the ponies rushed over to the manhole, heading inside one at a time. As if the sound of us escaping was a trigger, the humans were shooting at us again, though missing horribly. Applejack and Carrot Top were able to get inside safely, and Octavia wasn’t too far behind. Unfortunately, one of the humans’ stray bullets hit home. Vinyl was hit in the chest, giving a small whine of pain as she fell to the ground, unmoving.
“Vinyl!” Octavia cried out from the top of the manhole. She made to head straight for her, but we were running out of time, so I threw my hands out in a gesture to stop.
“I’ll get her!” I said, “Just hurry!”
She stared at me, seriously contemplating if I could be trusted to bring Vinyl. She may have known that I was the Masked Man, but I was still a human, and she seriously did not want to take that risk. Thankfully, she did anyway. Shutting her eyes tightly while scrunching up her muzzle in worry, she climbed down and out of sight.
Taking a deep breath, I pushed away from the wall and fired a few shots as I backed towards Vinyl. When I stood beside her, I holstered my revolver and tucked my arms under her. There wasn’t nearly as much blood as I thought, but I didn’t waste time as I hurried over to the manhole. Once I got there, I shifted Vinyl to my right hand and carefully lowered myself inside, making sure Vinyl didn’t scrape against the walls. It was difficult, but I managed.
As soon as my feet hit the ground, I held Vinyl in both hands again, seeing darkness. The only light came from the entrance just above me. In time, it closed by itself, probably by a Unicorn using magic, and I was shrouded in complete blackness. I didn’t dare utter a word though, and neither did the other ponies that I could hear breathing. We weren't out of the woods just yet.
The echoing of shouts and orders from above were indistinguishable, and the thumps of boots were prominent. As it was going on, I clamped a hand over where Vinyl’s wound was, holding back the blood until she could get medical attention. It was several minutes before all noise above faded away, and I released a sigh of relief. If that stallion hadn’t saved our skins, we would have been toast.
That’s when all the lights in the sewers came on, and I saw everything at once. It was definitely a sewer, complete with grimy, gray walls and metal flooring. I could hear rushing water somewhere nearby, and I was surprised I hadn’t smelled the stench in the place sooner. It was horrid. Most of my attention, however, was focused on the many spears and swords pointed right at me, only a few inches away from making contact with myself.
The ponies were wearing gold armor that fit snuggly around their body, and most of their coats were white, though they had dark spots from muck and dirt. A gold helmet also displayed their manes in a mohawk fashion, reminding me of Roman soldiers. And of course, they were giving me the death glare. They wouldn’t be ponies if they didn’t hate humans.
“Put the pony down, and step away,” one pony ordered, stepping a bit closer. I pinned him as being in charge, but that didn’t stop me from talking back.
“She’s been shot,” I explained exasperatingly, “She needs a doctor.”
A cyan magic aura surrounded Vinyl, and I glanced over to the a Unicorn stallion to see his magic in use, so I let her go as she floated away from me. She hovered through the gathered ponies, and was placed on a gurney. The light disappeared, and I could see a white coated mare look her over as Octavia stood right next to Vinyl, her eyes tearing up.
“She’ll be taken care of,” the stallion in charge stated plainly as he kept his gaze on me, “Now, drop all of your weapons and kick them over.”
“Wait!” I heard Applejack shout, making the stallion groan, dipping his head. I could see her pushing through the ponies, and Carrot Top was right behind her.
“I thought I told you to-” the stallion started.
“I know what ya said,” Applejack retorted hotly, standing in front of the armored ponies. “But leave this here human alone, he ain’t done nothin’ wrong.”
“I know he’s the Masked Man,” the stallion spoke back, his voice hinting that he was holding back his anger. “But he’s still a human.”
I smiled as a memory popped in my mind. I pointed towards the stallion, “And you’re a pony, and she’s a pony.”
The stallion looked at me funnily, as did many of the others. Even Applejack was facing me with confusion. With a quiet and short chuckle, I explained, “A doctor in Las Pegasus said that. I didn’t really get it then, but I think I do now.”
“Alright…” the stallion said, trailing off to hear what I meant.
“It means that I may be a human, but that shouldn’t be what separates me from a pony. We’re all unique, and not everyone will behave like the one beside him.”
“Nice philosophy, human-”
“Nolan,” Applejack interrupted again, furrowing her brows at the stallion. “His name is Nolan.”
The stallion sighed, definitely annoyed with the situation he got himself into. “Right, whatever,” he said, taking a few steps closer to me. “Nice philosophy, Nolan, but we need assurance that we can trust you.”
“Wait, Nolan!?” a pony in the crowd exclaimed, “Is that you?!”
I tilted my head to the side in wonder; how could a pony in this place I’d never been to know me? The ponies parted again to reveal another stallion in gold armor, except he had a bluish gray coat and a dark gray mane. He seemed vaguely familiar, but I couldn’t put my finger on it.
He smiled up at me, “It’s me! Lucky Clover!”
That’s when my brain clicked, and put a hand on my head in shock. “Lucky?” I whispered in disbelief. He nodded excitedly, and without any care, I tore off my mask and dropped it to the floor, showing my wide grin. I never thought I’d meet a friendly face in a place like this. Though we weren’t exactly friends, it was still a nice thought. “Good to see you.”
The stallion in charge looked between us trying to figure out what was going on. “Now, hold on a moment,” he said, his eyes landing on Lucky. “You know him, Lucky?”
“Yep,” Lucky nodded, “He freed me and Applejack from Sweet Apple Acres in Ponyville.”
There was muttering amongst the other armored ponies, discussions about this new revelation. The memory of the times in Ponyville filled my head, and though they weren’t exactly nice, it still presented itself as a reminder of my first two days in this topsy turvy world.
“Nolan,” Lucky said, catching my attention, “How are Rose and Goldengrape? You must’ve run into them at some point.”
And at that moment, I remembered the horrible end those two had met. My eyes held sadness as they dropped to the floor, my voice suddenly gone. Lucky’s smile faded away to be replaced with worry and apprehension.
“Wha- What’s the matter?” he asked.
“Lucky,” Applejack spoke up on my behalf, stepping closer to him. When he turned to her, she continued, “They’re dead.”
There was suddenly silence, even the guards, who were talking amongst each other stopped to listen in. They must have gotten to know Lucky, so I could imagine that they were sympathizing with him. Lucky started to breath hard, backing away as he shook his head.
“No, no that’s not possible,” he said to himself.
I swallowed, “It’s true. Sorry, Lucky.”
“But…” he said, falling to his haunches. “I never got a chance to tell Rose that I loved her.”
I looked away as my eyes closed shut, I could hear sobbing and nothing else. It was deafening, and I wished I could have brought better news. Losing loved ones was hard. It always was, and always would be.
“I’m sorry,” I whispered, feeling like I could have changed something. I was there, I could have saved her. LIke with Emma. My teeth clenched shut as I put a hand over my face. “I’m sorry.”
I could have said something else; to comfort him, to explain what happened. But it was all I could say. How could I have failed to saved a pony that another loved? But yet again, factors were out of my hands. And the humans were to blame.
{~+~}
I was lying on a bed given to me by the ponies here, staring up at the ceiling as I placed my hands behind my head. My mask laid on the floor; there was no point wearing it in a sanctuary like this. After our moment of silence for Lucky, the ponies ushered us to rooms. I was thankful enough not to be placed in a prison cell, hell, they even disclosed a bit of information about themselves.
They called themselves the Old Guard, a group from the Royal Guard that was stationed in Fillydelphia during the invasion. They were all that was left, as far as they knew, and seeing as I’ve been to a few locations, I couldn’t argue with that statement. Their leader was named Solar Flare, someone who had served under Princess Celestia herself. They all worked as a type of resistance of their own, performing spy work and such. They probably had a clue to where we could find Fluttershy.
My thoughts traveled to Lucky Clover. I wondered how he got into becoming part of the Old Guard in the first place, but I was able to come up with a personal conclusion. The most logical thing was he simply trotted to Fillydelphia, and found out about the group. I gave a small smirk, glad he decided to help against the humans. He was an ex-slave after all, so he must have had more than enough information about the humans.
The door opened, and with sideways glance, I saw that it was Solar Flare with a neutral expression. I sat up in my bed, leaning my arms against my legs as I waited a few moments before speaking.
“How’s Vinyl?” I asked, turning my head to him.
“She’ll live,” he answered plainly, making me wonder if he even cared at all. I nodded nonetheless, and got out of bed, pushing my back in as the bones cracked. “We’re actually having a meeting in a minute.”
“Well, I’m glad you’re fetching me to join,” I said with only a dash of sarcasm.
“Not my choice,” Solar replied, and I couldn’t tell if he detected my tone. “The Element of Honesty wants you there.”
“She has a name, you know,” I remarked bitterly, crossing my arms. “Applejack, is that so hard?”
“I was disciplined to address those of higher status by title, not name,” Solar snapped back, already leaving the room. “Come on, before I start it without you.”
Rolling my eyes, I pick up my mask and followed him out. As we exited, I got a good look of their headquarters. Since it was underground, there were obviously no windows, so most of the walls were covered in posters and billboards. The number of civilian ponies were few and far between. I suspected that it was difficult freeing ponies without being caught.
The main room itself held multiple tables holding various items. One table held armor pieces as a pony looked them over, while another held medieval weaponry.
“Nice little operation you got here,” I commented, my eyes trained on other tables, holding other items.
“Glad you like it,” Solar responded with a small grunt, “We scavenge whatever the humans throw out, and take what we can when night comes.”
We were nearing another door that probably lead to the meeting room, but before we walked through, I took note of two other tables. There were guns on one table; revolvers, shotguns, and rifles. I figured that ponies were stealing the humans’ weapons, considering the Pony Resistance in Las Pegasus did the same. What really caught my eye, however, was the other table.
It had the smoke grenades that were used on the surface. Out of curiosity, I broke off from following Solar, and stood over the table, looking at each grenade. They were the homemade variety, being made of mostly of old food cans, and were laid out in neat rows. I picked one up, noticing that it was a bit heavier than a flashbang, and lightly tossed it to myself.
“Something distracting you?” Solar shot out rather harshly, standing in front of the door.
“Just wondering how you knew how to make this?” I asked honestly, gesturing to the table as I set down the grenade.
Solar stepped closer, picking up a grenade in his magic. “The Unicorn wizards thought it up. They started with a design that could cover our escapes, and worked from there. These grenades use condensed magic to do just that.”
I stared at the grenade a moment longer before I question came to mind, “Ever thought of making an actual grenade?”
Solar looked at me with a bit of confusion, tilting his head to the side. “An… actual grenade?”
“Yeah, one that blows up and kills people?” I explained, making an imitation of a small explosion with my hands. Solar blinked a few times, a look of pity washing over his face.
“We… haven’t thought of that,” he admitted, looking at the grenade in a new light.
I had a feeling that ponies wouldn’t come up with stuff to kill before anything else. They were the opposite of humans, and it made me glad that these ponies held their morals even in a time of war. I had to respect them for that.
“Probably for the best that you don’t,” I said, walking past him towards the door. I walked through, and found nearly everyone there familiar as they sat around a small table. Applejack and Carrot Top were talking with each other, though I wasn’t sure about what. Octavia was fretting over Vinyl, who was trying to laugh it off. I could tell that where she was shot was still very sore, evident by how she reacted when Octavia touched a little too close to the wound.
The only pony that I didn’t recognize was sitting silently, her eyes trained forward. She had the same gold armor as all the other Old Guard members, and her coat was just as white as well. The only difference was the orange-red mane and tail. By the time I finished looking around the room, Solar pushed past me, standing before the gathered group as they all quieted down to hear what he had to say.
“To start this meeting,” he said, eyeing the new figure in particular as I stepped beside him, “I want Nova to give her report about human activity.”
The mare known as Nova stood up, her seat being pushed back as she cleared her throat, looking down at a piece of paper. “Their activity has been crazed and frantic,” she read off, her eyes moving from left to right. “They have desperately been searching for the human known as the ‘Masked Man’, and are growing desperate. They have been going through each house, and are on the look out for any suspicious activity.”
“Damn persistent bastards,” I muttered with a shake of my head as Nova sat back down in her seat.
“I don’t think I have to say that we’re in trouble right now,” Solar said, “If any of you want to leave, you’ll have to be careful when going back up there.”
“A few of them saw my face,” I said, rubbing my chin thoughtfully, “I think it’ll be a major issue when we do leave.”
“If you want, we can have a few of the Guards to kill the witnesses,” Nova offered, causing me to smile thankfully. Though the Guards here were still wary of my presence, they knew that I was no longer with the other humans around. I was glad that Lucky vouched for me.
“That would be appreciated,” I thanked with a nod, “I think the only person we have to worry about seeing my face is the bartender of Club Eclipse.”
“I really despise that place,” Octavia commented with a very low growl.
“We’ll be sure to take him out,” Nova finished up. I was about to ask what would happen to the slave ponies that worked in the club, but stopped myself. The owner of the club was the person who owned them, so even though the bartender would die, he would simply be replaced. That’s when I remembered what Octavia said back at the club, and I instantly spoke up.
“Octavia,” I called, catching not only her attention, but Vinyl’s as well. “You said you knew where Fluttershy’s... master is, right?”
Octavia nodded, “His name is Robert. He lives somewhere near the edge of the city.”
I gave a determined nod, “Then that’s where I’m heading.”
“If I may ask,” Solar said, “why are you so interested in finding the Element of Kindness?”
“Fluttershy,” Applejack corrected quietly through narrowed eyes.
Ignoring Applejack’s comment, I crossed my arms, “In truth, it’s to help me get home.”
“In the North?” Vinyl asked with a tilt of her head.
“Look,” I sighed, shaking my head, “I’d love to tell you the whole thing, but I doubt you’d even believe me.”
Nova gave a humorous grunt, “I’ll take your word for it.”
Waving her off, I got back on topic. “So, if I’m going to get Fluttershy and get her back to Las Pegasus,” I said, “I’m going to need someone to lead us there.”
“Nova can do that for you,” Solar announced, earning a nod from her, “She knows the city inside and out.” Then, as an afterthought, he added, “She was stationed here way before humans were even heard of.”
I nodded before turning to Octavia and Vinyl again, “What about you two? You coming with us?”
“We’re going to stay here,” Vinyl answered with Octavia nodded in agreement. At a logical standpoint, saving them was pretty much a waste of time. But from a thoughtful standpoint, it was the right thing to do, regardless of what I got out of it. I wondered what they intended to do here, or why they didn’t want to tag along, but I didn’t feel like getting details, and remained silent a moment.
“Alright then,” I said at last, rolling my right shoulder. “We should head out as soon as possible.”
Everyone gave their agreement and walked out of the room. I remained where I was for a moment, in thought of the reasoning behind my overall behavior in this place. The only reason I had ever given in helping any of these ponies was to selfishly get to my own world. I could have just as easily done it by siding with the humans, but there was always a nagging feeling in my mind. Something that strayed me away from doing just that.
I cared about the ponies long before I liked them.
It was a strange and ridiculous thought, but I suppose these ponies had that effect on me. Taking a deep breath, I made my way for the door. I felt somewhat ready, at that point, to free Fluttershy and get out of this shameful city.
{~+~}
“Here’s a question that’s been bugging me,” I said with a grunt of disgust, “How can you guys live down here?”
We were walking along a concrete path that was to the side of a river of sewage. My mask was back on my face, as I predicted that the house that Fluttershy was held in would have people milling about. Nova lead the way with a torch in her magic, the light of the fire illuminating the dull walls. Applejack and Carrot Top followed behind me, and from what I could tell, they disliked the sights and smells as much as I did.
Nova chuckled, a smile appearing on her face for the first time, “You’d be surprised how much ponies can adapt when they’re in a pinch.”
“Sounds like humans,” I muttered with a sigh. A small squeak near my feet made me jump, and I lifted a foot as I glanced downward. A rat glared back at me - who knew that non-intellectual creatures could still have human qualities - and zipped away into a hole in the wall.
I grimaced as Applejack stood beside me. “This place is worse than a pigsty.”
Carrot Top nodded as she scrunched up her nose, looking past the two of us to Nova, “Are we almost there?”
“Yep,” Nova answered rather cheerily. I had a sneaking suspicion that she was liking our dismay a little too much. “Just a few more blocks.”
A couple of minutes later, and Nova had us standing below a ladder leading back to the surface. I rubbed the back of my neck as I looked straight up, my mind becoming anxious. We were so close, and I was afraid that something would come up and block us from our objective.
“So, just up here and we’ll be at Robert’s place?” I asked, facing Nova again with a finger pointing up.
“That’s right,” Nova nodded, “Be careful though, I have no idea who might be waiting for you.”
She was actually concerned for my well being. What was surprising about that was I had only just met her. Shaking off the thought, I gazed at the ladder a moment before placing my hands on the bars.
“I’ll take that risk,” I said, climbing up. Once I reached the top, I took a deep breath, and pushed on it with all my might. These lids weren’t exactly light, but I was still able to push it just enough to take a peek outside. It was still dark out, which I was thankful for, and the empty street added to that benefit. It was perfect time to rescue Fluttershy.
With the rest of my strength, I shoved the lid to the side as I forced myself out of the manhole. Once I was back on my feet, I turned in every direction, and nodded in satisfaction when there wasn’t a thing in sight.
“All clear,” I called softly into the hole. Afterwards, I kept an eye out as Applejack and Carrot Top pulled themselves onto the open street, giving a quick look around themselves.
“So, what house are we lookin’ for?” Applejack asked Nova, sticking her head a bit into the hole. Carrot Top and I leaned to look inside as well, seeing Nova standing there with her torch still in her magical hold.
“Should be a white painted building,” she explained, “You can’t miss it.”
“Gotcha,” I replied, glancing over to the said building. She was right that we wouldn’t miss it; the building was shining brightly, even in the moonlight. I faced Nova again, “Thanks for the help.”
“No problem,” she said, gazing at us with determination, “And if you ever need any more help, you know where we are.”
I gave her the thumbs up, having to hold it slightly sideways so she could clearly see it. And before I knew it, Nova enveloped the lid in her magic and placed it back where it was. Without waiting for the others, I briskly made for the white building, wanting to hurry in getting to Fluttershy. Who knew when these humans would spot us.
Applejack and Carrot Top hurried after me, not speaking a word as I neared the front door. I took a shallow breath as I contemplated whether to sneak in or just kick it down. In the end, sneaking won, and I attempted to turn the handle. It was a good thing I tried it first, as it was unlocked. These humans were either laid back in security or they were just plain stupid. I liked to think it was the latter.
I got out my revolver as I charged through, aiming around the dark and broad room. It was empty as well, but that didn’t stop me from keeping up my guard. Applejack and Carrot Top followed after, and they were just as cautious as I was. The room was much more simplistic than I anticipated; there wasn’t a single piece of decoration, just a few pieces of furniture. A few doors and a staircase on the far side of the room presented options for us to check out, and I ran plans through my head of how to approach searching each room.
“Let’s take each floor together,” I suggested quietly, holding my revolver up to reduce the strain on my arm. “I’d rather not get ambushed by a human here.”
Applejack and Carrot Top silently nodded, and we spread out from the main door. Applejack slunk towards an open door that seemed to lead to a kitchen, while Carrot Top snuck over to a closed door. I decided to check out the door below the staircase. Watching my footing, I stepped closer to the door, weaving between couches and tables.
When I was close enough, I pressed myself against it and waited a moment to open it. Gripping my revolver tightly with one hand, and another hand on the handle, I braced myself for a human on the other side. In a fluid motion, I turned the handle, pushed through the door, and swept my weapon over the room. It was extremely dark, the only light coming from the light from the main room. I could smell the scent of sex in the air, and it made me uneasy. My ears, however, heard light scratching on the hardwood floor.
If it was a human, I would have heard him speak by then, and the scratching noise sounded awfully close to what a hoof would make. With these points, I risked calling out. “Hello?” I said, my voice just above a whisper. The only reply I received was a slight whimper, and perhaps a suppressed sob. “Fluttershy?”
There was still no response, and with a sigh, I grabbed my lighter from a pouch, lighting it swiftly. I wasn’t expecting it to illuminate the entire room, and when I looked along the nearby wall, I found a torch. I held my lighter underneath it, and just as I guessed, it instantly caught fire, and lit up the rest of the room.
As I put away my lighter, my eyes instantly landed on a yellow furred pegasus mare, though the sight was not as comforting as I would have hoped. The pony was lying on the floor, her fore legs and back legs were chained together. A piece of rope wrapped around her midsection, trapping her wings. The awkwardly pointed feathers was proof that it was on way too tight. Another piece of rope was tightened around her muzzle, keeping any form of words from escaping. Her back was against the wall as her legs pushed her as far as possible. That would explain the noise I had heard.
It was absolutely terrible how the pony was treated; stuck in a dark room for god knows how long while being restrained like a pig about to be slaughtered. I didn’t even mention the amount of red marks along her body. But the absolutely worst part was her eyes, they looked up at me, quivering in fright that I would do the same thing to her. It tore me apart.
I was utterly speechless as the pony trying everything she can to get away from me. I eventually snapped out of my stupor and approached her, but when I took a single step, she squeaked in protest, her eyes clamped shut as she shook like a leaf. I couldn’t bring myself to go any closer, and simply looked at her in sad disbelief.
As I stared at her, I couldn’t get over the fact that she looked so innocent, so pure hearted. And to see her in this situation made me feel completely guilty. My species did this to her, and I felt dirty because of it.
“Nolan?” Applejack said behind me, “You find anything?”
The yellow mare, who had to be Fluttershy, opened her eyes in shock, her shaking being toned down a bit. I still couldn’t speak, and simply grunted, as I placed a hand against the wall to hold my balance. Since I had shifted away from the door, Applejack got a clear view of what lay inside, and her breath hitched in her throat.
“F-Fluttershy,” she whispered, her jaw hanging open as her breathing increased. “You- You’re-”
Fluttershy’s eyes glistened with water, probably from seeing a friend after so long. Applejack didn’t say another word as she trotted over to Fluttershy, gripping the rope around her muzzle and yanking it off. As soon as Fluttershy’s mouth was free, she looked at her friend with tears building up.
“Applejack?” Fluttershy asked, a tear streaking down her face. Her voice was so soft, and it made me feel worse. “I-Is it really y-you?”
Applejack faced away, unable to bear witness to the condition that Fluttershy was in. “Yes, Fluttershy,” she said after a few seconds, “It’s me.”
And without another word, Applejack flung herself onto Fluttershy, wrapping her tightly in a hug. Fluttershy was sobbing at that point, her tears coming out in streams as she cried. I raised my right hand, staring at it a moment as if it was to blame for what happened. It had the capability to save and harm, and I wished the former had befallen Fluttershy.
“Oh, Applejack,” Fluttershy said in between sobs, “My master… he did… I mean, he forced me to…”
“What did he do, Fluttershy?” Applejack asked, and a second later, I knew exactly what she was going to say, and I froze where I was, refusing to breath.
“H-He raped me,” she said, breaking back into her sobs, and ever so slowly, my hands balled into fists. “Over a-and over! I… Applejack, I…”
Applejack hugged her tighter, “You don’t have to say anything else. Everything’s going to be okay.”
Applejack was taking it rather calmly, while I, on the other hand, was breathing hard, my left hand tightening so hard that I could feel my nails cut into my glove. I was more than upset, I was past pissed. I was downright enraged. What human had the right to do something like that to someone like her?! My teeth was clenched tightly as I threw my hand on my head, gripping it tightly. He had to pay, he deserved what I had in store.
“What the hell!?” a new voice shouted from the other room, “What the hell is going on?!”
I glanced over to the room, my face downcast as I saw it was a human. He had a gangling figure, sporting a black shirt with jeans, and his hair was long and tattered. I pushed away from the wall, presenting myself fully as I stood across from him.
“Who the fuck-” he started.
“Are you Robert?” I interrupted coldly, still not facing him fully.
“I asked-”
“Are you Robert!?” I repeated loudly. The man took a step back, looking me up and down in confusion.
“Yes, I am,” he answered brashly, a form of mockery that only made my mood worse.
“Good,” I said, and without a care, I pointed my revolver at his legs and fired. A bullet ripped through his foreleg. He dropped to the floor, crying out in pain as he clutched the newly made injury. I watched him squirm for a bit, relishing in it as I slowly walked towards him.
“Wha-” he said before recognition filled his face, “Y-You’re the Masked Man!”
I didn’t acknowledge that he spoke to me. Instead, I let go of my revolver, allowing it to fall to the floor. After that, all I could remember was jumping on top of him, and while I grasped the collar of his shirt in my left hand, I punched him square in the face with my right hand.
I didn’t stop after that, nor did I have any plan of stopping anytime soon. I just lifted up my arm again and smashed my fist into his face, and I did it again and again. I was blind with rage, my body working on its own, and I was just fine with that. I could only hear my fist making contact with his head, and his shouts of pain. I didn’t let up, each swing of my arm crashing down harder than the last one.
No one deserved to live after doing what he did.
I had lost track of time, seconds could have become minutes as I brutalized Robert without remorse. My breathing was shaky, my movements slowing after excessive use. I wasn’t done though, bringing my arm further out to make up for my lessened speed. I heard someone call me from behind, but I ignored them, too focused on the matter at hand. I pulled my hand back again, desperate to feel my fist hit him yet again.
“Stop!” Fluttershy cried, covering Robert’s face with her body as she looked up to me.
I halted immediately, my face frozen in shock from her sudden appearance and the realization of my berserk. I felt my fist had become pretty much broken at that point, my shoulders tensed up. Fluttershy was still crying though, her breathing getting caught in her throat with each inhalation. Her teal eyes looked up at me with a pleading expression, begging me to do what she had said.
“Please…” she whispered, her head dropping as tears fell from her muzzle. “Just stop…”
My strength left me, causing me to drop my arm as my torso swayed from side to side. I fell back, my arms catching myself as I pushed myself away from Robert and Fluttershy.
I shook my head with disdain, “No, it’s not right…”
Fluttershy didn’t reply, and I finally caught sight of Applejack and Carrot Top watching from a distance, their eyes wide with sorrow. “He doesn’t deserve to live,” I said, my eyes trained on his still form. “That monster can’t get away with what he did.”
I brought my hands to my face, seeing them shake from the adrenaline. “It shouldn’t be like this!” I roared, my hands gripping my head. Despite what I learned of Fluttershy, my mind was still reeling over something.
She had defended the person that abused her.
Why? Why would she do such a thing? Did she not hold a grudge? A thirst for revenge? She wouldn’t even let me avenge her. I felt so useless, powerless.
Why did good people have to suffer so much?
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Robert meet
. She will make cupcakes out of you.
bullet ripped through his foreleg.
Robert has a foreleg? or is he secretly a pony?
Wow, that was surprising...
This... This chapter, man. Fucking sucker punch right to the feels.
The strip-club was....unexpected. Good to know that they have Flutters.
Is it wrong that MY name is also Robert?
Fluttershy got raped?!
images5.fanpop.com/image/answers/2631000/2631094_1335053673644.86res_500_333.jpg
You posted this literally right after I left home for the day.
Is it wrong that I'm with Nolan on this? That guy deserved everything he got and more.
Regardless, good job. I can't wait for next chapter so we can find out what they do with him...
Write on,
Legion
HOW COULD U HAVE STOCKHOLMED FLUTTERSHY!?!?!??!?!
3955580
That name and that comment go perfectly with this entire situationtroll.me/images/conspiracy-keanu/woah.jpg#woah%20meme
So how much longer until Nolan turns into an unlikable, misanthropic cockbag?
ok.... idk if you did this or not but did you make a bad refes to a movie call ramage???
3957386 I have never heard of that movie before. So, no, I'm no trying to reference it.
3958229 I have to say fluttershy still holding her ideals after her beating was great.
She like jusse only she was not hang on a cross
im geusing Celestia is the reason Nolan is in equestrian and slightly minipalating him to help the ponies
I don't really blame the guy for his reaction toward Robert. I would feel the same way if someone did something like that to someone so innocent and kind. And yet, even after all the crap he did to her, she still couldn’t bear to see anyone get hurt. You have to admire the poor mare for staying true to her kindness.
C&Cs:
“You’re the one that saved all those foals in Appleoosa?”
> Correction: ‘Appleloosa’.
I want to get out if here.
> Replace ‘if’ with ‘of’.
He must have forgotten that I didn’t want to have intercorse at all, let alone with a pony.
> Correction: ‘intercourse’.
3956583
You are absolutely correct.
3958277
*Guessing
*Manipulating
Sorry. Just had to.
Please don't be mad...
3958673 pfffffft....nice name XD
Also,damn good chapter!I tip my hat to you!
3956424 I beleive it is "Stockholm Sydrom" in which a captive takes a liking to their captors,and then refuses rescue.
3959858 U DON"T SAY
3960275 I do say :B
3961233 alright just wanted to clarify
I don't want to be that guy, but Octavia's Cutie Mark isn't a music note, its a Treble Clef
3962472 Yep, it is, but in the eyes of Nolan here, he has no clue. So he just assumes it's a music note of some sort. The magic of First Person perspective!
The part where AJ calls humans lazy after Nolan talks about how humans like to do the easiest thing possible just downright confused me, so what your saying is that if ponies invaded humans and beat them they would take a cafe, destroy it then turn it into a club? seriously, what the fuck, i don't see how that's lazy in anyway, its just convenient.
3963877 Which is lazy. Convenient is a form of laziness.
Well then, i would rather be convenient (totally not laziness) than stupid.
3968256 Think of an elevator. It's convenient because it helps us get to a higher floor easily and efficiently. It can also be considered lazy, because people aren't using the stairs, and are just using a way to get somewhere without much effort. Same with cars and planes. Yes, they're contentment, but they're also lazy. It's inevitable.
3968310 Sigh lets agree to disagree, i would rather be lazy than inefficient any day, besides the point i was trying to convey in my original post was that it seemed really weird that AJ would be in disbelief for humans using a club for well, a fucking club, considering it's just far more efficient.
3968399 Agreed. We agree to disagree. Plus, nobody is perfect, so I could have worded it better (I was having problems working it anyway). Hazah! Internet argument is closed!
3968506 To be honest i always am i bit nick picky with these sought of things, they always seems to piss me off, but take it with a grain of salt since like you said it was just bad wording
3968589
3968506
There a derfent.
If it was a club before sure they will use it as a club, but if they fix it up add new things to it and a new floor to it. Than is it really lazy?
If anything its it work bote way for everone, like i don't need to know where the new club is becasue the new club where the old one use to be.
True lazy is were you use a club and do noting new to it, but if you fix it add new things and everything new than it's not lazy at all.
New chapter... NOW!
DEAR LORDY
I need a new chapter, and right NOW!
3968506 can you give me a better detil on who the weapons of the humans in the mlp world work like is it made in a way where its complex and that's why the swat guy was having a hard time using the weapon unlike the world we live in the weapons or sample and anyone can pick it up and use it with ease
4150430 No one in this world can simply pick up a weapon and use it with ease. I've tried firing a pistol a few years back for the first time, and it's hard just trying to aim. Add the loud noise and recoil, and it's damn difficult to get used to. Maybe with more practice, but no one can just pick up a gun and instantly fire it like it's normal unless they have had prior experience. In this case, Nolan has never used old-school weapons like these before, so of course he's going to have a bit of trouble and complaints with the weaponry.
4150569 becasue i fire a WW1 and 2 bolt action gun and there not hard to fire off a round or let along having hard time loading a new one.
i've seen 1st timers pick up today rilfe and they have no problem with it. but also i would like to know is did they ever made semi auto weapons?
Also my little frd fire a pistol before and he didn't have a hard time aiming it, maybe he was using 38 spl on his gun.
so ya am just wondeing how did they build there weapons like did they hand made them if so i would like to have a few words with the guy that made them.
Also a 20 ga shotgun that have that carzy recoil? sorry but i've seen kids old and new to guns and have little recoil.
4150835 You're missing the point. If you pick up a gun in a different dimension, made from a different time period, and fired it for the first time, of course you're going to have trouble with them. Notice how Nolan never comments on the weapons again after he fires them for the first time?
4150849 i gusse your right.
and yes i did nocie how he never ask about the guns. but still i would like to know how test fire the guns anyway.
btw what the size of the rilfe round is just something on side just wondeing is all.
btw keep up the good work. i like it how you make fluttershy try to keep her vual of life you know "live and let live"
but more likely that veiw ponit is 2d and you can't really get by with that really. just like in tri gun our hero in that show finlly laern that not everthing is black and wirth
Honestly, I would've kept shooting his arms and legs until I was out of ammo or said limbs were no longer there to shoot(whichever came first), then savagely beat the shit out of him, THEN when he was broken and begging for death, I'd slit his throat.
Course, that may be because I consider rapists to be worse then terrorists... just saying.
4214280 Agreed. All rapists should be tortured live!
All rapists should be tortured within an inch of their life, healed, tortured again within an inch of their life, healed, then killed in the most painful way possible. Crucifiction.
Each chapter I read enforces my prediction that he will get captured by the humans and interrogated by the baron in person. Maybe he'll stay behind to let a pony/ponies escape at some point and get KOed. Then there can be a cool break out mission. Idk, it's never as simple as finding all the elements - maybe he'll use the excuse he wants to finish what he started to pit off going back home. Either way, you haven't disappointed me so far so I trust whatever happens to be somewhat entertaining to read and satisfying
Robert should be killed, I woulkd kill him, regardless of what ever happens.
I don't cur, he should be killed.
Sorry Flutters, but it has to be done.
Nicely done.
6208947 I would gladly torture him before you kill him.