Tamed II: As Time Went On

by PiercingZen

Chapter VII - Punishment

Act 2 – Fate

Chapter VII – Punishment

Edited by Vertorm and MysteryAlabaster

*****

I feel so cold… Where am I? All I can see is darkness. I can hear the wind blowing, but I can’t feel my ears. So cold… Is this where it all ends? My eyes won’t open… I can’t feel my legs. All I can feel… is regret.

*****

It must have been hours… days… I still don’t know where I am. After all of these years… I still fail… I am nothing… I never will be... anything.

*****

Far to the north, past the Crystal Kingdom, there is a land called the Frozen North. A land that’s always cold and never stops snowing. It was one of the last areas touched by the spirits of frost fueled by disharmony. When the majority of its denizens left, the Frozen North became calm and quiet.

“Wow, babe! I’ve never seen such an incredible stunt before! Where did you learn that one?”

Amidst the frost and heavy snow of the tundra, there are still ponies who eked out a living there. Two pegasi were merrily soaring through the cold air after a long evening at a local event. The air was riddled with large, slow-moving flakes of snow that have created a large, never-ending blanket beneath.

“It was something an old friend and mentor showed me once,” said an orange, pegasus mare with a slightly messy purple mane, and a decorative skateboard holstered in a bag on her back. She blushed and turned her head to the side. “Was it really that cool?” The mare was speaking to a yellow stallion with a typical red ball cap covering his black mane.

“The whole crowd blew up! Didn’t you hear them? They went wild!”

“Well, when I get into the zone, I don’t hear anything except the sounds of my board. Everything else is just white noise.”

“That’s just crazy. You have to teach me how you do it.”

The mare reared her head back and put a hoof to her chest. “Sorry, but you can’t teach awesome. That’s something you have to figure out for yourself.”

The comment made the stallion chuckle. “Sure, sure.” There was a brief silence between them before the stallion cleared his throat. “So uhh… Do you mind if I hang out with you for a while? I got nothing else to do tonight.”

The mare furrowed her brow and smirked. “What? You mean hang out at the park or something? I’m a little tired of riding today after-” Grinder cut her off.

“No no. I mean at the club… or your place… you know?” He grew quieter with each word. The mare suddenly stopped her flight and the stallion flew ahead a couple of yards before stopping himself. The mare had an intense look on her face, but she wasn’t looking at him. “W-was it something I said?” He approached her and after a few seconds of silence, he tried again. “Scootaloo? Is there something wrong? I-I was just kidding.”

Scootaloo was staring at something odd in the distance. “Look, Grinder. Over there.” She pointed with a hoof.

From where they were, the two could see a series of fallen trees with an enormous trail of disturbed snow. At the end of the trail was a well-sized crater in the snow.

“What is that? Was there an accident or something?”

“Let’s check it out!” Scoots dashed away toward the crater, leaving Grinder dazed.

“Uhhh- wait for me!” He followed after her as fast as he could.

In a few moments, the mare had arrived at the scene. She stood over one of several dozen fallen trees. Some of them were snapped in half and others completely split into pieces. She followed the trail one way into the distance and then slowly turned her gaze to the crater. “What in the world could have done this?”

She hovered just above the snow and made her way to the depression. As she got closer, her purple eyes grew wider. “Oh no!” In the center of the crater was a body almost completely encased in snow. She quickly descended to investigate. By now, Grinder had finally caught up and was completely out of breath.

“Y-You… can’t do that. You know I can’t… keep up with you,” he panted.

“Would you suck it up and help me? There’s somepony here!” Scootaloo was digging and brushing away snow.

“Somepony? Oh, great…” He joined her in her excavation. “Another daredevil probably…”

As the two slowly uncovered the pony underneath, they could see its features. There was shredded cloth seamlessly covering the pony’s coat, tail, and ears. It had an untidy purple mane and many parts of its body were bloodied. It didn’t appear to be breathing and even with a quick brush of a hoof, it was colder than ice. They both suddenly stopped when they finally revealed its face. It was the masked pony… It had been banished from Equestria. Suddenly, one purple eye flashed open and stared up at the couple.

“Whoa!” Grinder and Scoots fell back a bit. Being the braver of the two, Scootaloo approached the pony and leaned her muzzle in.

“Hey, are you all right? Can you stand?” She looked at Grinder. “I’m gonna need your help carrying him to my place.”

“Carry him? Your house is like five miles away!”

Scoots groaned. “You always wanted to spend time with me! Well, now’s your chance, hotshot!” The mare dug around the head of the pony so she could get her hooves around its neck and shoulders. “You get the back.”

“Why do I get the back?!” Grinder complained.

Scoots rolled her eyes. “This is going to be a long night…”

*****

It had taken the two a solid hour of carrying the surprisingly light body to Scootaloo’s home, which was a tiny house in one of the few towns in the Frozen North. Scoots kicked open her front door and motioned Grinder over to the only couch in the living room. The two delicately placed the body there. Scootaloo had already tossed her bag to the side and began working on making a fire in a small pit in the middle of the room.

“Grab some water for me. I’m gonna try to get all of this clothing off of him.”

“R-right. Okay.” Grinder looked around a bit before entering another room and leaving Scoots and the stranger alone. After getting the fire going, the mare silently approached the body. After closer examination, she could see two minute limbs jutting out of the pony’s sides; the remnants of wings that have had all of their feathers removed. The front of the mask was slightly caved into its muzzle. Part of it was buried into the pony’s right eye. There was blood around where the eyehole should have been, but was now just a damaged mess of metal. The other eye was open and staring directly at Scoots. It was a little unnerving for her.

“Can you hear me? Do you think I can take that mask off for you?” Unfortunately, she got no answer. “Well, at least let me get that mess you got for clothing.” Scoots laid a hoof on the pony’s body. Suddenly, the pony came to life. It leaned forward and shoved the pegasus away from it. Scootaloo was a bit startled, and she now kept her distance. “O-Okay. Good. At least you’re moving. I’m going to heat up some water for you so we can warm you up. You’re glacial… in more ways than one apparently.”

The masked pony slowly got up into a resting position on the couch. Carefully, it lifted a hoof and touched its damaged eye.

“Does it hurt? What happened to you? That must have been some accident.”

It turned its head to look at one of its damaged wings. Scoots heard a small gasp from the pony as it reached to touch it with a hoof. In a few moments, Grinder returned with a pail of water in his mouth. His eyes grew wide as he saw the pony alive and moving. Scoots motioned him over to the crackling fire where he then placed the pail in a metal holder, flames licking at the bottom.

“Did he just start moving while I was away?” The stallion moved closer to Scoots.

“Yeah, and he’s got some kick in’em. He doesn’t want to be touched.”

“Can he speak?” The two were observing the masked pony like two inquisitive scientists.

“No idea. He hasn’t yet…” Scootaloo put a hoof to her chin. “Hey! Say something! Tell us what happened!”

“Yeah! After all, we helped you out. Could you at least tell us your name or something?” Grinder added.

There was almost no reaction from the pony. It just turned the damaged side of its muzzle towards them and rested its head on its hooves. There was a mutual disappointment between the two ponies as they briefly looked at each other. Scoots sighed.

“Well, that didn’t work.”

“I didn’t notice its eye before. Think he’ll be all right?”

“I hope so. Not really much we can do when it’s refusing our help.” The mare glanced over at the pail of water and then at Grinder. “Keep it company for a second.” Scootaloo ducked out of the room leaving the two alone.

There was an uncomfortable silence between the two for a while until finally the stallion blurted, “You know, it’s a little early for Nightmare Night. How do you move in that getup anyway? What’s with the mask? Are you trying to hide something?” There wasn’t a response from the pony. “I have to thank you though. You got me a free pass into Scoots home. Do you know how long I’ve been trying to get her attention?”

The stranger rolled its eye that was out of sight of Grinder. It gave him an audible sigh and secretly closed its eye.

“She was so great at the park tonight! So many flips and spins! I’m surprised she wasn’t dizzy half the time!”

His excitement wasn’t shared by the strange pony. It was still as stone and just as uninterested. Grinder’s smile gradually faded as he was slowly realizing it was pointless.

“She’s definitely the best. Wish I could be something just as awesome, you know?” Grinder paused for a moment to see if it would react. With nothing, he finally gave up. “Scootaloo?” He called for her. Surprisingly, the masked pony raised its head and looked at Grinder. The two stared at each other for a few seconds. “Scoots. He’s looking at me.”

The orange mare returned with a few towels draped over her back. “What is it? You’re being a little noisy, you know?” The masked pony now looked at Scootaloo. The mare felt a little uneasy. Suddenly, the pony jumped to its hooves and approached Scootaloo. “Whoa! Whoa! Easy!”

“Hey, back off a little!” Grinder meekly tried to dissuade the pony from doing anything. Scoots was a bit frightened as the pony stared directly into her eyes from only a few inches away. Then, with no warning, it spoke to her in a soft, muffled voice.

“Scootaloo?”

“Y-Yeah, that’s me. Aheh… Don’t wear it out.” She gave it a frightened cheesy grin.

“Where am I? Am I still in Equestria? I… I thought… No…” The pony trailed off.

Grinder spoke up, “You’re not in Equestria. This is the Frozen North.”

“Frozen… North?” It glanced at Grinder. “I have to go back.” The pony quickly turned and was heading away from the two. Scoots intercepted it.

“Hey, hold on! There’s no way you’re going to Equestria on hoof. You look terrible! Plus you’ll freeze like a popsicle! I can’t let you leave!”

The pony backed down a little. “Don’t… get in my way. I have to find Twilight!”

“Twilight?” Scoots furrowed her brow and looked at Grinder who gave her a shrug. “Look, you’re in no shape to go anywhere. It takes nearly four days by train to get to Equestria.” The pony’s features shrunk a little. It took a glance at its mangled wings and then squeezed its eye shut in frustration. “If it really is that important that you leave, I can pay for your ride, but the train just left this morning. It won’t be back for a whole week and even then it’ll take four more days to get there.”

“So it looks like you’re stuck here!” Grinder added.

Defeated, the masked pony sunk to the floor and banged a hoof on it. The impact was actually quite loud and it cracked the flooring. It startled the two ponies, but Scootaloo sunk to the ground as well to look at it.

“I’m sorry. It must be rough… Wish there was something I could-” The masked pony interrupted her.

“Can I stay here? Until… you know… the train comes back?” It asked quietly.

“Uhhh… Yeah!” The mare smiled. “Why not? I mean… I don’t really have much to offer.”

Grinder was visibly offended by her decision and he approached the two. “Wait a minute, Scoots! You don’t even know who this is! You’re just going to let a complete stranger stay here?”

Scootaloo glanced angrily at him. “Of course! What? I’m not going to let him sleep outside! That would be selfish!”

“This pony could be a fugitive or something! I mean look at him! That mask and those clothes! He’s obviously trying to hide his identity!”

“Who cares about that? Still no reason to push a pony out into the freezing cold!”

“Psh! Fine! At least let me stay too! I want to keep an eye on him… for your sake!”

Scootaloo rolled her eyes. “Fine, but you get the floor.”

“The floor?! The stranger gets the couch?!”

“My home. My rules. Strangers get the couch. Actually, I take that back. He gets the bed. I get the couch.”

Grinder groaned. “Fine! Fine. Have it your way.” He mumbled quiet curses to himself.

Scoots grinned and chuckled. “Good. Is that all right with you… Masky?”

The pony looked at her and nodded. “Thank you.” It paused for a moment. “Call me… Middy.”

*****

So I am trapped here. Trapped in a block of ice they call the Frozen North. Trapped with… her. I feel so powerless and weak. I just want to smash everything around me. My eye and my wings... I can’t believe I failed. I was so close. I had become arrogant and overconfident. I thought I could take on anything… I was wrong. Princess Celestia… I could see the hatred in her eyes. I could see the built up pain in her voice from all the carnage I wreaked. Maybe this is what I deserve… Maybe I deserve this punishment.

“…you anything?” Middy heard a voice. She was lying in the bed she was given with her head propped on two crossed forelegs. She turned her head to see who it was; Scootaloo was standing in the entranceway with a surprisingly nonchalant expression on her face.

“Hm?” Middy hummed.

“I said can I get you anything?” She repeated herself. Middy lifted her head and slowly raised a hoof, pointing to a nearby painting on a wall.

“That,” she muttered simply. Scoots followed her hoof to the painting, a framed group photo of the Wonderbolts to be more precise.

“What? You mean this?” She meandered over to it. Scoots glanced over at Middy for an affirmative nod. The pegasus hovered slightly to pull the photo down. She could see a layer of dust on the top edge of the frame which she quickly blew off. She landed back on the wooden flooring and obligingly placed the photo onto the bed in front of Middy.

Quietly, the masked pony turned the frame in place until it was correctly oriented. Without a hint of appreciation, she began to scan those who were in the photo. The Wonderbolts were all unmasked and in more casual flight gear. There was Spitfire, Fleetfoot, Soarin’, and some of the other veterans. However, it was a group of three that caught Middy’s eye: Rainbow Dash… Scootaloo… and the third was a deep violet pony who was identified by the photo as… Midnight Sun.

“That photo was taken over five years ago. That was such an awesome time in my life. I was finally old enough to apply for the Wonderbolts. Even though I didn’t make the cut, I was able to hang out with-”

“Didn’t make the cut?” Middy interrupted her. Scoots lifted a hoof to rub her foreleg.

“Y-Yeah. While I learned to fly pretty well a year or two before that, I still wasn’t that great of a flier. At least not as good as she was.” Her expression cringed in disappointment. There was a subtle longing in her eyes.

“By she you mean Rainbow Dash?” Middy took a guess.

This lifted Scoots spirits up a little. “Yeah! You know her?”

“Yes… I know her. Known her for a long time actually.”

“Really?” She smiled. “How cool…” Scoots trailed off and her expression sank. “Everypony always talks about what she did at the Wonderbolt ceremony a couple years back, but I know her for what she really is. She’ll always be my idol. I don’t care what she says or what she does. Grinder always calls her a fraud…” she mumbled.

The masked pony suddenly sat up. “She’s not a fraud!” Middy blurted out. It actually startled Scoots for a moment and made her retreat a few steps. Only a few seconds later, Grinder poked his head into the room. The masked pony glared at him as soon as it saw him.

“What’s going on in here?” The stallion asked firmly. He had begun putting on a fake bravado ever since he had been given a chance to stay at Scootaloo’s place. He was always waiting for a chance to impress Scootaloo.

“I-it’s nothing, Grinder.” Scoots reassured him. “Me and Middy are just talking.”

“Okay, but if he… or she gives you any trouble, just call me.”

“I’m pretty sure that won’t be a problem.” The orange mare grinned.

Middy’s persistent gaze made Grinder feel uneasy. A shiver up his spine as he turned his head away. “A-All right. I’ll just be in the other room.” He swiftly left the two alone again.

The masked mare drew her attention back to the photo. “Anyways, if you didn’t make the cut, why are you in this photo?”

“Oh, right.” The orange pegasus stood opposite of her and turned the photo around. “It wasn’t a formal picture or anything. It was a gift from Rainbow Dash when I first made it to the Academy.” The longer she stared at the picture, the bigger her smile grew. “I remember she told me that she couldn’t coddle me because we knew each other. I was so overwhelmed with excitement even though I was struggling half the time. I didn’t make it, but I had a great time.”

“A great time, huh?”

“Yeah. When I wasn’t failing to be a Wonderbolt, Dash and I were hanging out almost all the time. She was much different than she ever was when we lived in Ponyville, but she was still awesome. I guess nothing can change that.”

Middy let out a soft chuckle. Scoots chuckled with her for a few moments. That was the first time she heard the pony have any enjoyment. After the mirth subsided, Scoots felt more comfortable asking it questions,

“So how did you know Rainbow?”

Middy briefly looked at Midnight Sun in the photograph. It appeared that Scoots couldn’t make any connection to it. “She was a good friend of mine at some point during her career. It’s been a long time since then and we went our separate ways. She had other agendas that I didn’t care much for.”

“It’s weird I’ve never heard of you. I thought Dash talked about all of her friends.”

“I’m pretty sure she does… She just doesn’t know it sometimes.”

This confused Scoots a bit, but she had something else on her mind now as she looked over the mask it was wearing and the tattered clothing. “You probably get this a lot but… why the mask?”

Middy sighed. “It is an annoying question. Let’s just say I have a lot to hide and I can’t risk anypony knowing who I was. Especially one particular pony.”

“Who?” Scoots asked hesitantly. Unfortunately, the only response she got was a sigh and a head turn. “S-sorry. Nevermind. It’s not important, but it looks like that mask you’re wearing is hurting you. I mean your eye is...” she trailed off.

“It does hurt. I won’t lie, but I have much bigger pains than that. It’s why I have to get back to Equestria. I have to find Twilight Sparkle.”

Scootaloo planted her haunches on the floor and rested a foreleg on the bed. “You mentioned her before… Who is she? Did she do something to you?”

“No… Not what she did to me, but what she did to somepony else. Somepony I really care about. Needless to say Twilight can be a little insensitive and I need to stick it to her.”

“She sounds like trouble. So… how did you end up here then?”

“Twilight has a lot of protection. More than I suspected. I may have stepped on too many hooves on my way to see her. I was banished.”

Scoots raised a brow. “Banished? Wait… you mean like Princess Celestia banished you from Equestria banished?”

“Yes… that kind of banished.”

“Wow… He was right… You are a criminal.”

“I know it must make you think less of me. I just do what I think is right… whether it is wrong or right… it doesn’t make a difference to me. It didn’t make a difference to her.”

“I understand… I think. I just want you to promise, after you get back to Equestria, that nopony gets hurt. You know… for helping you out.”

“Well… hm…” Middy knew that wasn’t possible. Before she could refuse, she felt a hoof on her own. Her eye could see Scootaloo’s pleading look.

Why are you looking at me like that? Strange… I actually feel a little guilty. Ha… What a laugh… It’s the same feeling I had when I hurt Rainbow Dash. How come I didn’t feel the same with all of those other ponies?

Middy turned her gaze to that orange hoof. Scoots spoke again. “Please, Middy? I know there are things you can’t let go; hatred and vengeance to name a few. I had some similar feelings when Dash made her little fiasco, but I got over it. I know when she did what she did, she was doing it for the right reasons too.”

Odd… Is that how I really feel? Guilty? After all of the things I’ve done… I just want peace of mind, but now… I’m not sure if that’s even obtainable anymore.

“So… promise me, all right? At least find a different way to resolve things with that Twilight character. Like have cocoa with her or something.”

Middy tilted her head at her. “What?” She burst into a soft laughter. “Cocoa? Really?”

“Yeah! I mean talk with her or something before doing anything stupid.”

“Well, maybe… I guess my previous approach did get me here. I suppose I can try.”

“Yeah? So is that a promise? Middy?”

“Why do you care?”

“Because I know if I can stop something here, I won’t regret it later.”

“Regret, huh?”

The same mindset that started all of this to begin with. Unfortunately, ponies need to be punished for their bad decisions… For Twilight, I’ll make sure of that… one way or another.

“Hm...” Middy slightly brushed the orange hoof away. “Fine. I promise. I promise I won’t hurt anypony.”

Comments

[PiercingZen]

Chapter 8 - Reunited

Finally...

[Phobiac01]

I loved the first story, im sure ill love the second

[Stone Cold Steve Buscemi]

Scootaloo: " Why the mask "

Batman: ' It's not for you. It's to protect the people your care about. '

[Lightningflasher]

I dont know what's going on anmore!
Still a great story though.