Equestria and the Machine

by SapphireRose87

21) Kidnapping

{Rainbow Dash}

As soon as we noticed the seekers and who they were after. We didn’t realize that we weren’t able to move and couldn’t use our pocket dimensions to escape. That’s when we heard a menacing laugh and it was a laugh that would not only make your blood run cold but it actually make your blood freeze instead.

“Well, well, well,” cackled Gabriel, “it’s about time I got to speak with you two personally!”

“Personally?” I said. “But you’re the…”

Gabriel did his freeze blood laugh again, “You agents of the Sixth are about as dumb they come! If I were a code for Emily I would've done something to her by now! And I overheard you guys talking about my seekers!”

“Your seekers?” Oliver questioned.

“Yup!” Gabriel said. “My seekers! As a matter of fact, I’m the head of the seekers! Don’t you remember me, Agent Oliver? You know, damaging the 7th Gate? Hello! I do believe you and the other pest agents that were with you fought me that time.”

I looked to see that Oliver did indeed remember the guy because he didn’t look horrified; he looked pissed and he showed it by laughing at the guy.

“That’s hilarious Gabriel!” Oliver laughed wickedly. “The Machine sends help for the seekers to take us! Yeah I think you should consider doing stand up comedy! You don’t have to keep your day job on this one!”

“Whatever! And my title is Head Seeker Gabriel to you!” Gabriel snapped.

“Yeah, like I’m gonna show respect to you!” Oliver snarled.

“Aww that’s cute!” Gabriel taunted. “The kitten has brought it’s claws out again! Too bad you won’t be able to scratch me this time! You two didn’t even notice you were tied down until the world was paused. I did have some trouble pausing your agent friends but the remote worked a charm!”

I rolled my eyes and sneered at him, “Remote? Why does a Machine need a Tv remote to pause everyone?”

“Not everyone,” smirked Gabriel, “just pest agents of the Sixth! We would use it to eliminate your pests but the Lord doesn’t have the heart too! I don’t know why though!”

“Who exactly is this annoying Lord guy?” I asked. “Are we gonna find out anytime soon?”

Gabriel looked at us as if he had no idea of what we were talking about.

“I would tell you but the Lord doesn’t allow us to!” Gabriel said as he shifted his gaze. The type of look he had on his face was the look of a liar to me. “And I’m not sure he’ll make an appearance to you two! Because he’s very ticked off at both of you for doing damage to AI’s gates!”

Once again I raise an eyebrow, “AI?”

“What you call the Machine, its name is AI!” Gabriel growled.

“You’re just about as bad as fighting Eli!” I said. “You both get on my nerves!”

Gabriel did his freeze blood laugh again, “Did you just say, Eli? As in Firewall Eli?”

“So what if I did!” I snapped.

“Word on the street is you two were siblings at one point,” Gabriel taunted, “and when you fight each other the Lord gets a real kick out watching you two because you’d rather taunt each other rather than fight!”

“And that’s exactly what you’re doing!” I shouted. “I’m seriously gonna-”

I forgot I couldn’t move because I started to run towards Gabriel and I couldn’t move an inch. Gabriel seemed to be entertained by me and possibly Oliver because I could hear him snarling at the guy. Gabriel’s reaction to it was to do his freeze blood laugh. The more Gabriel did that the more I wanted to change into my pony form so I could go stomp on his head with my hooves.

“You wanna know something?” Gabriel said. “I had you two tied up before I even paused everything and you two didn’t even notice until now!”

“How is that even possible?” Oliver said.

“It was right after you pointed at the moon and said it was full and you couldn’t contain your laughter. I’m surprised you didn’t ask if you could bring the moon down to her and give that to her as an engagement ring instead! And you two are tied down with what we seekers call ‘the black rope of death’ mah haha!” Gabriel said.

“Why is that supposed to scare me?” I snarled.

“Because,” said Gabriel, “these ropes hold you still and I can decide what type of death I want to give you! But I’m not allowed to decide what type of death to give you. The Lord just wants you two knocked out by using this!”

Oliver gasped at what Gabriel was holding up. What he was holding in his hand was a small blue box that looked like it had a small thunderstorm inside.

“What is that thing?” I asked.

“It’s called a stunner!” Oliver exclaimed. “I’ve heard stories about it. Once that thing is put inside of you, then you’ll die a slow painful death! It’s just like the Copper but instead of dying a painless death or possibly recovering from it, there’s no way you can recover from it! Every agent that has had that put in them it’s game over the period!”

Gabriel did his freeze blood laugh again and this time he had a slow clap to it and smiled as he did it.

“Bravo!” Gabriel cheered a wicked cheer. “Looks like Agent Oliver has done his homework! And you pass with flying colors! Oh well while you two are very entertaining while you’re alive the Lord wants me to bring you to AI’s castle as soon as possible. As far as you go Agent Oliver I’m done having fun with you for now! You don’t seem to realize that you’re being strangled right now and I want to see how long you’ll fight to keep me from using the stunner on you! Agent Rainbow Dash, on the other hand, I’m waiting for someone special to kill her! I wonder if I should let him kill both of you! And Agent Rainbow Dash you’re being strangled too now!”

“Keep taunting me and I’m gonna-” I wheezed trying to get the words out. Gabriel was right. I didn’t know I was being strangled until he said something about it.

“Leave Rainbow Dash alone!” Oliver wheezed. “It’s me you want, let her go!”

“Actually,” said Gabriel, “I do believe I said this but the Lord wants both of you! So I can’t do that you pest! It looks like my partner will kill both of you after all! You two are just doing your jobs. I guess that’s within your nature considering you’ve been trained by the Sixth! Here’s my executioner right now!”

Right on cue Eli pulled up in his motorcycle and took his helmet. Like I did many times before as soon as he took his helmet off I snarled at him because of that stupid grin he had on his face. Oliver tried to snarl at him along with me.

Gabriel was smiling, tossing the stunner up in the air as if he were tossing a ball up and down.

“Perfect timing Firewall Eli!” Gabriel said. “It’s time we exterminate these two rodents!”

“It’s about time that’s for sure,” said Eli, “Rainbow Dash seems to have a bad habit of chomping down on my attacks lately and it’s getting annoying!”

Gabriel couldn’t help but laugh again. Afterwards he looked at us like he was impressed with us and why I had no idea.

“Interesting,” said Gabriel, “you guys have lasted a full five minutes of being strangled. I guess it’s because you are trying to do your jobs.”

“Would you stop taunting them Head Seeker Gabriel!” Eli snapped. “That’s my job!”

Gabriel snorted, “Sure, sure, here you go have fun with those two!”

Gabriel handed Eli the stunners and he smiled a smile that made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up.

“It’s too bad you’re not in your pegasus form,” said Eli, “ so you could do a skydive at me just so you could chomp on one of my attacks! You won’t be able to chomp down on this one. But I’ll kill your boyfriend first. That way you’ll get the pleasure of hearing him die!”

“No!” I wheezed. I listened and felt nothing but terror when I heard Oliver cry out in pain and then after a while, I heard nothing.

Eli gave his signature stupid grin to me, “Now it’s your turn! You’ll finally be out of my hair once and for all!”

Eli then took the stunner and pushed it into my chest. I felt extreme pressure at first and then the pain got worse and afterwards, the world started to go dark when I heard Eli whisper into my ear.

“My name is Firewall Eli,” Eli said, “and don’t you forget it!”

I could hear his menacing laughter as the world slowly went dark.

* * *

The next time I woke up was when I felt a bucket of water being dumped on my head. I knew that Eli did it because it was his favourite prank when I was stuck inside the Machine.

“Eli?” I said. “Don’t you think you’re getting a little too old for that?”

“How did you know it was me?” Eli laughed. “It could’ve been the Lord himself!”

Eli just couldn’t help but laugh at my expense.

“Judging by your laughter,” I said as I rolled my eyes, “you did it.”

“Just like old times huh Rainbow Dash?” Eli said.

“Yeah,” I said, “I’m so glad I could be the entertainment for tonight. I just like I do with everyone else.”

“Is that what you were talking about with the whole stand up comedy thing?” Eli said.

“Yeah and I still wonder when am I going to get paid for it!” I said. “You too, seriously! I’m not funny!”

“Yup you are!” Eli said, chuckling. “You should probably record yourself talking.”

“That’s exactly what Oliver tells me!” I growled. “I don’t think stand up comedy should be my day job! Now, if you don’t stop laughing so help me!”

I tried to get out of bed and felt an electric shock go through my body and it wasn’t the type of electric shock that I would get when ignoring my summons for an assignment.

“Ow! Hey was that for? Am I ignoring a summons for an assignment or something?” I said.

“Wow,” said Eli, “the Sixth does electric shocks like that?”

“It’s less than that, it just feels like a static shock and I wouldn’t put it past the Founders to step things up for that,” I responded.

“So what is that for?” Eli said.

I groaned, “It’s to make sure you report to your boss for an assignment. Sometimes a summons can happen when you’re sleeping and let’s just say it’s a rude awakening. What was that electric shock for?”

Eli answered. “It's a side effect of being revived from a stunner and yes Agent Oliver’s been revived too. He’s in the next room down the hall.”

“Next room?” I asked. I blinked. “I’m not in a dungeon?”

“Yes you’re in a room,” said Eli, “the Lord's orders were to put you in a room oh and you’re still in your human form.”

I put a hand up to see that I was indeed in my human form. “At least I can’t sleepwalk right now. Or at least I hope I can’t.”

“Sleepwalk?” Eli repeated.

“Yeah it’s been happening recently,” I explained, “especially since I’m getting my memory back and of course a lot of the memories are about flying and it’s getting on my nerves. Apparently, when I’m a pegasus I fly in my sleep, I didn’t find out I crashed into a wall while trying to save someone in my sleep. Hey seriously, again! I’m not that funny!”

“So what do you do about it?” Eli said while laughing.

“Oliver tied me to the bed by my ankle,” I said, “and apparently when I was a pegasus back in Equestria the same thing happened with my hoof. So let me ask you this before you start laughing again, where am I?”

“It’s about time you finally asked that question! You’re at AI’s castle in what you call ‘the Machine’.” Eli said.

“The Machine as a castle?” I said.

“Yes, AI has a castle,” said Eli, “think of it as AI’s headquarters. How do you think the Lord rules over it?”

“Seriously!” I said. I rolled my eyes and then said in a mocking tone, “The Lord this, the Lord that honestly! It’s getting on my nerves! Knock it off Eli!”

I guess I must be funny, just like Oliver said I just can’t help myself can I?

“What happened to Oliver?” I said. “If I recall correctly the Lord guy was upset with him too!”

“The Lord has allowed him to live along with you and I have no idea why,” Eli said. “And I forgot to congratulate you on your engagement with Agent Oliver. He’s better than Code Silas any day!”

Did I just hear that correctly, or have I gone nuts? I have no idea, that might be another side effect from getting hit by a stunner!

Eli looked like he was amused by my reaction, “No you’re not going nuts Rainbow Dash, can’t a big brother be happy for his little sister?”

“I’m not so sure that posing as my brother while inside AI counts as being a big brother,” I said. “And if you start laughing again I swear…”

Eli rolled his eyes, “Oh come on Rainbow Dash I’m not evil all the time.”

“Yeah and telling me ‘I'm Firewall Eli and don’t you forget it' before I passed out isn’t evil how?” I said.

Eli laughed again as if I had just told another joke. “Oh just said that dramatic effect! Like I told Head Seeker Gabriel, taunting you is my job because for some reason the Lord gets a real out of watching us do that.”

“I guess the dialogue before a fight is more interesting than the fight itself,” I said.

As Eli started to laugh again, I laughed along with him. Then we heard another laugh join in, it was a laugh that sounded like it belonged to someone that would live in the countryside. Eli stopped laughing when he turned around to see that Applejack had decided to visit me.

* * *

Much to my surprise as soon as Eli saw Applejack he stood up so quickly that I didn’t have time to blink. He had taken out his weapons, one of them was the usual barrier that he would use to fight me and the other weapon he had in his other hand was a dagger that looked a lot like the one that I would use while fighting him.

“Life Force Applejack,” snarled Eli, “do you want to tell me what you’re doing here?”

“Oh?” Applejack said with a hateful voice. “I just wanted to pay RD a little visit!”

“RD?” Eli said. “I do believe her name is Rainbow Dash. I know, she’s told me that penalty of times!”

“It is,” said Applejack, “it’s just a pet name that I have for my ex-girlfriend!”

“The two letters are ‘E’ and ‘X’ for a reason,” I said, “Apple Lair!”

“I do believe I asked what you’re doing here?” Eli snarled glaring at Applejack.

“I just wanted to confront RD with some information that I just found out!” Applejack said.

“And what might that be?” I snapped.

“Life Force Fluttershy is dead because of you!” Applejack said.

“Why is Fluttershy’s death my fault?” I said.

“Even though you didn’t kill her you might’ve well had,” said Applejack, “you just didn’t want to get your hands dirty!”

“What are you talking about?” I said. “I don’t remember giving an order to kill her!”

“Life Force Fluttershy was killed and it should have been you instead!” Applejack cried. “I don't know why the Lord killed her over killing you!”

“Now I know you’re not that stupid Life Force Applejack!” Eli shouted.

“I know!” Applejack shouted back. “I just wanted RD to know that it should’ve been her that Lord should’ve killed instead!”

“How is me not dying my fault?” I said. I tilted my head. “I don’t get it!”

“You know very good and well that if the Lord kills someone himself then that person was a threat to AI itself!” Eli roared.

“I doubt that Firewall Eli,” said Applejack, “Life Force Fluttershy would never be a threat to AI and you know it! RD is the one who did damage to AI’s gates and not Life Force Fluttershy.”

“Just because she didn’t do damage to a gate doesn’t mean she wasn’t a threat to AI!” Eli said.

“Just like people think that you wouldn’t tell a lie Apple Lair!” I said. “Or did you forget about Silas?”

Applejack gave me a wicked smile, “That’s right I know all about Silas. Me and Life Force Fluttershy set it up! And I had so much fun teasing you about it afterwards! Didn’t I RD? That’s because of your reaction to it!”

“You did what?” Eli gasped.

“Yup,” said Applejack, “and I was just doing my job too!”

“Excuse me?” I snarled at her. “Your job was to have someone assault me? Really! If you ask me you’re the one that’s the threat.”

“I agree with Rainbow Dash on that one,” said Eli, “and no that was not your job!”

“Oh, I think the Lord owes me a debt of gratitude for him even being born!” Applejack said.

“Oh really?” Eli said. “Because a Code can do its job on its own and does not need any help!”

I really couldn’t believe what I had just heard and what I was seeing on top of that. The Lord owes Applejack a debt of gratitude for being born? Applejack also blames me for Fluttershy’s death and Eli is protecting me from her.

I must’ve hit my head something before I got hit by the stunner! I’m going to check myself into the ‘off your rocker’ place when I get back to the Sixth! That is if I get back to the Sixth!

The next thing I knew Applejack stomped her hoof and charged at Eli who was ready to kill her if need be. When Applejack charged at Eli he threw his dagger at her and it grazed her ear and shattered disappearing afterwards.

Applejack laughed, “Ha! You missed Firewall Eli! And I thought you had better aim than that! From what I was told you had a bad aim when you fought Agent Oliver and that’s how he destroyed the 7th Gate!”

Eli rolled his eyes. “If I recall correctly you messed up big on your assignment too! So I don’t think you have any ammunition to taunt me on that one!”

“Oh,” said Applejack, “cause from the way I see it, I did my job better than you!”

“Helping Code Silas out was not your job!” Eli roared at her. “Because of your stupidity, all of the elements of harmony have broken out of AI!”

“My stupidity?” Applejack snarled.

“Yes, your stupidity!” Eli said. “Did you not hear a word I just said! In case you didn’t know, but it seems you didn't, so let me give you a lesson on what your job was when you were happily assisting Code Silas on his job! You were supposed to be keeping the gates shut that had the elements of harmony in them! And because of you not doing your job, they’re all out of AI now. And Life Force Fluttershy was supposed to be helping you!”

“And you should be admitting your stupidity too!” Applejack said. “Because you couldn’t squash a bug agent even with the help of Head Seeker Gabriel thanks to you two the 7th Gate got destroyed!”

“That’s because five other agents were fighting along with Agent Oliver that day!” Eli snapped. “I was only able to hit two of those agents with the Copper that day. And Life Force Applejack you know for a fact that Head Seeker Gabriel can’t hit targets that fast! And that’s even with the ropes of death! The ropes of death only work when the world is paused! Back then there was no way that Head Seeker Gabriel could pause agents of the Sixth!”

“Aww,” said Applejack, “I would feel sorry for you but I don’t!”

“And I don’t feel sorry for you!” Eli said. “And you know for a fact that back then I wasn’t a fully developed Firewall! Actually, Firewalls were just being created, and that’s why we couldn’t do our fighting as fast as the agents of the Sixth were. I was just in the testing phase myself and I still don’t have any idea why AI would send me to pose as your brother Rainbow Dash.”

“Wait for a second,” said Applejack, “if you were posing as her brother then why didn’t you assist Code Silas?”

“You’re the definition of stupid you know that Life Force Applejack?” Eli said. “Codes do not need assistance in doing their jobs! That’s why I left Rainbow Dash, I was informed that a Code was being sent to her and I wasn’t needed to pose as her brother anymore. So I left and went to go do my job just like you should’ve been doing yours!”

Yup! I’m off my rocker! I need help!

The look on my face must’ve said it all because Applejack went into hard laughter.

“You should see the look on your face RD!” Applejack said.

Applejack stomped her hoof and looked at me menacingly as if she were trying to intimidate me but I wasn’t scared of her just like I wasn’t afraid of the Copper. I was about to get ready to get out of bed and push Eli out the way of Applejack when Eli gave me a look of panic. That puzzled me because I didn't know what that look was for. When I tried to get to our bed I felt the electric shock go through my body again and I couldn’t move.

“Don’t get out of bed! Please don’t Rainbow Dah!” Eli begged.

Applejack snorted, “That’s cute! A Firewall is concerned about an element of harmony! Weren’t the elements of harmony supposed to be a threat to AI? But of course, Life Force Fluttershy is dead because of the element of loyalty! So I’d step aside and let me kill her if I were you!”

“I do believe I have a name!” I growled. “For crying out loud, it’s Rainbow Dash!”

Eli didn’t laugh when I said that this time, he looked pissed at Applejack. When he saw the look on my face he was even more mad.

“The first dagger that I threw and missed was a warning shot!” Eli said.

“I wouldn’t charge at me if I were you, Apple Lair,” I said. “Eli does have better aim now and if I had my weapon, I’d add fuel to the fire.”

“That’s cute,” said Applejack, “Loyalty complimenting you! Actually, that’s pretty funny!”

“Thank you Rainbow Dash,” said Eli, “I think I can fight my own battle here. I was getting ready to say the next dagger won’t miss!”

Applejack stomped her hoof again and just as Eli was about ready to throw his dagger the next thing I knew, a thick needle that was about a foot long shot inside Applejack's shoulder and didn’t exit through it. When Eli saw that happen he quickly put away his weapons.

“Your highness!” Eli said. He then bowed to the guy that was standing in the doorway and the guy that Eli was bowing to did not look happy at all.