A Locked Jewel

by JesterintheNight

Chapter 3: Nightmares

Author's Note:

Hey everypony, me again. Here with another chapter, some people have asked me to explain more about if he did or didn't create the virus I don't explain this for a good reason. And why he would do it, you'll have to read for more answers :)

A Locked Jewel
Chapter 3: Nightmares

“Princess Celestia! Your majesty! Urgent news from Lost Hope Prison!”

A panicked guard in gold armor, with blue hair coming out of his galea charged through the golden doors of a throne room. As the doors burst open two guards clad in the same armor pointed their spears at the panicked guard who bowed all the way to the ground.

“Let him through.” A calm and gentle voice said, the two guards relaxed at the voices order. The bowing guard ran forward looking up at a light gray unico- no an alicorn. Her mane cerulean, turquoise, cobalt blue and a light pink, her tail matched her unique mane. It waved as if the wind was blowing through it, though there was no wind.

“Princess Celestia, Warden Armorheart of Lost Hope Prison had sent word to the Crystal Empire requesting a garrison of soldiers. Prince Shining Armor had sent two garrisons to assist the warden, going himself to lead the group.” The guard said, the alicorn’s light magenta eyes widen a bit. Her wings opened up matching her expression, she stood up a bit.

“Send an additional garrison immediately” She said, the guard shook his head to his princess. “Prince Shining Armor’s garrison managed to assist the Warden, there was a large pack of Timberwolves at the old fort. The garrison sent the wolves back into the forest, and helped clean up a large riot inside the prison. But…”

“But?” The Princess said. “But, inmate 62-“ Before the guard could finish his words the Princess cut him off. “Jasper!? Where is he!?” She sounded more concerned than angry by this news, the guard slightly faltered at her outburst but continued. “Jasper…Abbott, has escaped Warden Armorheart’s custody and moved into the Everfree Forest. His current whereabouts after that are unknown, shall I inform the public of this?” He asked, the Princess was silent for a long moment.

“No… if we inform them they will panic, but go inform my advisors immediately. Then send a small garrison into the forest to search for him, he is not to be harmed. And brought to me first nopony else.” She ordered, the guard bowed once more before going to the open door. “Oh, and one more thing.” She added, the guard turned to her. “Please send a letter to Shining Armor thanking him for assisting the Warden” the guard once again bowed taking his leave. The princess looked out the window into the darkness of the night…

“…What are you planning Jasper?..”

…
…..

Somewhere under Canterlot Castle…

“The human escaped the prison?” A voice said to the guard who had just finished speaking to the Princess. “Yes Professor Comet, the Princess has ordered me to tell all her advisor this news.” Professor Comet looked at the guard his emerald eyes were soft almost tired looking, with a sigh the Professor nodded once. “And did her royal highness say anything about this bit of news?” He said, the guard bowed his head a little.

“Yes sir, she seemed…concerned about him. Ordering me to thank Prince Shining Armor for assisting the prison. And to send a garrison into the Everfree Forest to capture the prisoner alive.” The Professor’s eyes closed lightly before sighing once more seeming exhausted though he was just asleep a short moment ago.

“Even after all the evidence against the human, she still believes in him… Of course she believed in Sunset Shimmer as well. I commend her dedication to those she loves, but he was a monster this isn’t a case of learning he wan-“ The Professor grew quiet at the guards tense reaction, seeing him a little worried. “Forgive me, I just am worried for the kingdom. If the human managed to get his hoov- hands, on that virus. We are all doomed.” He said sounding rather grim about the whole deal, the guard nodded to him.

“Excuse me for asking Sir, but wasn’t it you who captured the human?” The guard asked with a hint of curiosity in his tone, the professor nodded once he walked out of the shadows of his bedroom given that he was in the doorframe. Stepping into the light of the royal hallway the guard could see an old unicorn with a light gray mane, his old emerald eyes looked at the floor for a moment.

“Yes, I was forced to when I had discovered him creating a strange device. I believe he called it a pipe bomb given the notes I discovered in his bedroom. But anyway, when I discovered them I had tied him up ordering the Royal Guard to arrest him. But we sadly never found the virus itself only the bomb material needed to release it.” The old unicorn answered, his eyes moved to the guard.

“It’s a shame too, he had so much potential he could have bridged his world to ours. And opened a new era…but that is the past. Continue informing the others and make sure to tell the garrison to be on guard. That human is more dangerouuuuus then he appears.” He said with a yawn partway, he raised a hoof to his eyes rubbing them. The guard saluted the Professor before taking off to tell the rest of the advisors, he watched him go for a minute before closing his bedroom door.

“So you’re finally coming back for revenge…” He said as he returned to bed…

…
…..

“Tell us where it is!”

An angry voice said, as a painful punch came from the darkness. Then another, then another til nothing but pain could be felt on a young man’s face. “Get the rag and bucket!” The voice said, the young man cried out for them to stop but as he did an old rag covered his face. He tried to shake it off but as he flailed his head from side to side a cold wetness washed over his face. He tried to spit out some water that got into his mouth, but the now wet rag only sent it back into his throat causing him to cough.

“Tell us!” Another bucket of water entered the mouth of the young teenager as he tried to speak, most of it washed down his throat. It entered the wrong pipe making him choke on the harsh liquid, but it didn’t stop as they poured another bucket. Doubling the amount of water in the teenager’s throat, he tried to throw his head forward to get the water out. But as soon as it went forward another punch sent his head backward a painful crack was heard. The teenager cried out in pain, his tears weren’t seeable in the soaked cloth. But he could feel the warmth of something in the rag.

“Aw lookie the freak’s nose is broken, he’s bleeding!” Several laughed were heard around the boy tied up in the chair, he tried to sob but the water in his throat only caused him to choke. “Mom! H-Help me!” The boy thought in his head, only for the throat to vanish with another punch.

“Tell us n-“ The voice died out as a young man jumped awake, he sat up in the pitch black room he was in. His heart racing, his breathing ragged and painful as he felt the stabbing pain in his chest. “D-Damn rib…” He said placing a hand on his chest, though he felt his shirt was gone. Replaced with what felt like bandage wraps, his fingertips glided across the fabric. It didn’t feel like the normal cloth of a bandage it felt more like…silk? He couldn’t tell for sure since it was pitch black in the room, he could faintly make out two sounds…

“Rain and… humming?.. A machine?” He said to the darkness, looking in the direction of the humming he listened closely. “A…sewing machine?..” He thought, he felt around the silk like cloth to what was on his lap. Blankets? He squeezed it once, it was blankets very soft…warm. Warmth… something he hadn’t felt in the last 5 years. It was… welcoming, though he needed to figure out where he was. He slid the blanket back but as he did cold air rushed over his groan. Wait…

“I-I’m n-naked!?” He shouted, he quickly covered himself with the blankets. He was butt naked! He held the blankets with one hand the other searched around trying to find his clothing, his free hand reached the edge of what felt like a bed. ‘Squeeze’ sure enough it was a bed somepony brought him in… and stripped him naked!

“It..must have been that…unicorn?” He thought, he tried searching his memory… He was moving quickly through the Everfree, dodging cockatrices, timberwolves, and some nasty vines. Only to be rained on from the strange weather of the forest, he managed to escape it only to collapse from hypothermia, hunger, and lack of sleep. He then passed out only to be woken up by an almost musical voice. He opened his eyes, and saw a white unicorn…

“After that it’s a blur…” He said to himself, he ran his hand through his hair only… it was shorter… “Huh?” Releasing the blanket he felt his hair, it was shorter! Somepony housed him, stripped, haircut, treated his wounds… who the hell was this pony? He reached for the blanket tightly wrapping it around his waist as he slipped out of bed, his feet met a very warm carpet. It too was soft like his wraps, and his blanket. Running his hands along the bed he noted it was curved, circular maybe?

“Kinda like the beds in the castle…” He said remembering the castle, they too were warm… Taking careful stepped he bummed into something, it swayed a bit before pushing into his painful rib. “S-Shit!” He cried out swinging his fist into the object it faintly felt like a ponies head. It fell to the floor with a hollow thud, confused he knelt down feeling the object. Plastic, knock! Hollow, a mannequin? Had to be, standing up he noted the humming sound was gone… a new sound replaced it. Stepped, trotting…

“Hide hide hide!” He said to himself, he saw a warm glow forming under a doorway. A candle! He quickly but quietly moved it, feeling the doorframe he found the hinges and moved to where the door would hide him when it opened. A neon blue aura engulfed the door knob, turning it, and the door slowly slid open. The flame from the handle lit up half the room, as a light gray unicorn slowly crept into the room.

The unicorn stepped into the room, Jasper first noted her azure eyes. They were strangely very beautiful, he then noted her ma- towel wrapped around her head hiding her mane. He saw she had three light blue diamonds on her flank, and a violet colored tail that looked like it had curlers in it. So her mane is violet, he thought. Her height was almost up to his chest height though is she propped herself on her back legs she’d most likely match his height minus a few inches.

“I must hurry, I’m very much behind” He heard the unicorn said, her tone was very…beautiful, so sophisticated, it reminded him of the stuck up nobles of Canterlot that Celestia would invite to the castle from time to time though he never met them in person. He often spied on the parties Celestia hosted, listening to them with their noses so high in the air. He’d get caught by the guards at these parties, though Celestia often smiled at his attempts to eavesdrop on the parties.

“W-Wait where did he go?” The unicorn said snapping Jasper out of his fantasy, she was at the bed the glow of the candle illuminating the empty/blanketless bed. She wiped around “There’s no way he could of left the room without me seeing him.” She thought as her azure eyes moved to the door to try finding him, she saw a black mass emerge from the darkness. Tackling her onto the bed, the candle slipped free from her magic going out as it hit the floor. An object she had in one hoof fell as well landing soundlessly on the bed.

“H-Help! Unhand me you ruffian!” She cried out, the mass carefully pinned her hoofs above her head. His weight pressed down on her bottom legs pinning them, he had her pinned though he didn’t intend to hurt her unless needed. Putting both hooves together he put his forearm on them keeping them down while his now free hand covered her mouth.

“Listen to me, and answer me honestly. I promise I won’t hurt you if you do.” He said, his tone stern yet honest. “Do you understand? You yell, I’ll be forced to hurt you…and you saved me so I’d rather not do that…” He added, she nodded a few times understanding him.

“Good… now where am I? And who are you?” Removing his hand from her mouth she took a deep breath to try calming herself down. “I-I’m Rarity, and you’re in my home. Carousel B-Boutique in P-“ He gently covered her mouth once more “Ponyville…” He whispered, he had heard of Carousel Boutique a few times while in prison. A few guards talked about a unicorn with a nice…marshmallow plot. This must be her, he looked down at her once more.

“Miss…Rarity is it? I’ve heard of you, and your shop. If rumors are true you are quite the designer.” He said, he once more removed his hand from her lips to let her speak. “Y-You’ve heard of me?” She said almost in disbelief, was she even famous wherever this thing was from. A smile pulled at her lips, her creativity was more popular then she thought. She couldn’t help but be proud of this.

“Yes, some of… my friends spoke highly of you. Though back on track, Miss. Rarity, Ponyville, now why rescue me? What do you want from me?” He asked two more questions, Rarity couldn’t help but smile in the darkness of the room. For somepony who was a ruffian he was rather civil in calling her ‘Miss. Rarity’, and even his touch wasn’t rough. Just to keep her there not really harm her, almost like how a lover would hold their special somepony. She couldn’t help but find it romantic like something in one of her nov-

“Miss. Rarity?” Rarity blinked, maybe he wasn’t that romantic ruining her dream. “My apologies, you required help. So I helped, and I don’t want anything from you.” She answered, Jasper listened carefully to her answer. She sounded honest to him, he had a few more questions but before he could ask… his butt felt strangely cold…oh right.

“One more question… where are my clothes?” Rarity’s face turned a bit red, he was naked. She completely forgot her main reason for coming in here, she turned her head away from him. “Those ratty things are in the trash where they belong, of course I didn’t expect to see…” She cleared her throat with a small cough before turning her eyes up to the dark mass on top of her.

“I made you something really quick, to cover your…dignity. Of course with your rough housing I dropped it on the bed.” She finished, he move his hand around the bed for a few seconds. His fingertips grazed the handmade clothing, getting off her he felt the clothing. It was somewhat like boxers minus the flap used for going to the bathroom, slipping them on quickly to cover himself. He sat on the bed sighing, Rarity swiftly got up stepping onto the floor, the candle once again lit itself as her magic lifted it.

“Not to be rude, but you never told me your name. And… what you are?” Rarity asked, Jasper looked at her he noted the towel on her mane had slipped a bit. It revealed her violet mane a little, the towel then glowed lightly as she refasten it to her head.

“Are you planning to answer me because I do have a tight schedule this evening.” “Doing what?” He avoided her question answering only with his own, out of curiosity and out of worry she was planning to report him to the authorities. Her expression seemed a little hurt, but she answered him. “I have a dress for a client that I need to have finished by tomorrow evening. And brought to her the day after before noon.” Business related of course, she trotted the door leaving him in the darkness. Though watching her go he felt a strange desire to stop her, must be because he hasn’t had a friendly chat with someone in 5 years…

“Jasper Abbott, I’m a human.” Rarity stopped in the door frame turning to Jasper “Jasper Abbott? A rather… charming name” She said, it was unique to her a ‘rarity’. “What’s a human?” She asked, Jasper looked down. “They are me, not sure how else to explain it.”

“Well then… You’re welcome to stay the night if you’d like, I have a lot of work to do. Will I see you in the morning, Jasper?” She asked slightly curious, he watched her for a moment. He should move on to the next step of his plan, but… he didn’t want to leave just yet. Maybe get his strength back, going now he’d most likely lose and die. He couldn’t die, not yet at least…

“Sure… I’ll see you in the morning Miss. Rarity. And thank you, and what my ‘friends’ is true.” Rarity smiled lightly “And what did they say?” Jasper laid back on the bed staring at the canopy that hung above her bed.

“You’re just as beautiful as they said.” He said closing his eyes, before she could even respond to his words he was out cold once again. Careful not to wake him she lifted him, the blanket on the floor and tucked him in.

“Well thank you Jasper, you’re rather handsome yourself.” She said before closing the bedroom door submerging the bedroom in darkness once again. Jasper curled up into the blankets, his nightmare never returned that night…