A human turned pegasus struggles with existance and other paradoxes whilst imprisoned at some city zoo.
Redemption, loss, and tragically adorable...yeah, that just about sums it up. I can no longer speak English, which causes problems, I have an insufferable unicorn with whom I'm forced to share this glass cell and there's no hope of reversing this curse.
So...this is me, a "cute little guy" stuck in this accursed life just waiting for the punch line. This is what I get for writing fanfiction...
I try gaining control of my body, but it ignores me.
"Worthless," my mutterings come out as slurred neighs, my tongue tripping over itself.
Great, now I'm immobilized and essentially mute. I mentally curse as the room spins uncontrollably.
My gaze focuses on the general area of my enemies, doctors in white coats and black suits. Scientists that think I belong to them.
I try to stand, focusing all my strength into the action.
I make it to my hooves, just barely able to keep my wobbling form upright. I know I can't fight well, but I knew I couldn't surrender either.
I stumble towards the group, my vision blacking out in regular intervals. "Youth...canth," My head cracks off the floor and blackness fills my vision.
Pain!
My mind snaps awake and I find myself restrained, legs and wings strapped down to an operating table. I scream as the demon possessed woman scratches another layer off the bottom of my hooves.
"They shouldn't be this sensitive," she mutters, pausing for a second, "the unicorn's aren't."
We're not the same you evil... my cursing of the doctor was cut off by another rampage of agonizing pain.
I felt my consciousness slipping, If she keeps this up I'm going to black out for sure.
"Was that really so bad," she asks like a pediatrician giving a protesting child a vaccine.
Get any closer and you won't have a nose. I glare, defiance matching her confidence blow for blow.
"If you would be a good boy you wouldn't need those restraints."
You can't do this to me! I'm an American!
"Really, now? Are you really that angry," she reaches down to scratch my neck.
I bite down, missing her hand by less than an inch, So close!
"Stop that!" she scolds, smacking my nose, "why can't you just let me help you?"
Help me? Witch, you're the one who needs help. Like a firing squad.
"I want you to know that I'm here to help you," she lies, stepping outside my field of view.
My ears flatten against my skull as the sound of the doctor preparing a syringe reached them. I thrash against my bindings, desperate Please, just this once...
A single tear fell, slapping against the disposable sheet that covered the table.
It's all over in a second, my mind loses control of my limbs and they give up the fight. With a single pinch, a single injection I could be forced into submission.
"I hate doing that," the doctor sighs, setting the used needle back onto the moving table, "I'm just putting a collar on you, okay?"
I follow her with my eyes, hoping, praying for a chance. Just once to be unshackled just once to be able to fight back.
The collar latches around my throat with a loud click, sealing me in this hell forever.
The doctor adjusts the size, making it smaller and larger until she finally decides it's reasonably not going anywhere, "It's time for you to meet your new friend."
She works on unstrapping me she keeps a suspicious eye trained on me looking for any kind of movement.
I can't think, I can't move. There's nothing left.
She picks me up like a puppy, cradling my frozen form in her arms, "you're so much cuter this way."
I watch her hair move as we make our way down the halls, I barely manage to turn my gaze towards the passing doors and operating rooms.
The light reflecting off the tiles hurts my eyes, drawing a single tear from each one, but still we continue.
She stops about halfway down the hall to shift me into a more bearable position, "Play nice okay? No biting."
We continue down the hall for what feels like hours until we breach the underground and immerge into the blinding sunlight.
My vision doesn't return for several long minutes , but it doesn't matter. We're moving again.
I could feel the drug starting to loosen its hold on my mind.
My vision returned with a vengeance, the zoo was alive with guests even this early. Frost clung to the flagstones and grass, giving the illusion of the whole world being a giant diamond.
I sneezed drawing the attention of a passing family. The doctor, Kathrine, invited them to "Come and see" me.
They had two kids, a teenage guy wearing a black leather jacket and a constant glare as if life itself just pissed him off; and a little girl who took an interest in my coloration.
"What's his name," she asked as Katherine lowered me to a more child friendly height.
She pauses a mischievous grin adorning her face, "You know, we haven't actually named him yet."
The little girl squeals and pats my head when Kathrine gives her permission.
"Okay," the teenage guy says as he snaps a picture with his phone, "that's pretty cool. Do you sell those in the gift shop or something?"
Kathrine laughs softly at the question, "I wish, but no. He's real."
He didn't believe her until he felt my fur, something people obsess over for some reason. "Whoa, mom, dad check this out!"
The drug starts to wear off further, allowing me to move my head. But I can't bring myself to bite anyone.
I turn my gaze to the parents standing nearby they came nearer, hesitant to touch me.
"Go ahead, he's okay," Kathrine smiles down at me, "he's sedated."
With Kathrine's assurances and their daughter's insistence eventually they gave me a scratch here and there, testing for themselves what seemed so impossible.
"It...it's real," The father mutters in disbelief.
"Can we get one daddy, please?" the little girl asks, just the tragic way she asked made me want to do anything to fix the problem.
Her father stumbled over some excuse for why I had to stay in the zoo.
Then, an idea strikes me like a bat to the skull. I grip one of my feathers in my teeth and pull. It comes loose with a rapidly fading pain and I offer it to the little girl.
She squeals with joy taking the white feather. I just made her day...with something so stupid as a feather.
Kathrine gives me a knowing smile, "There's nothing saying she can't keep a Pegasus feather in the rules."
Maybe she's not so... I shake my head, trying to clear it of stupidity, No. She's the evil scientist who's being nice to gain my trust before she finally rips me apart in her underground lair!
"Thank you Yankee," the little girl says upon some gentle prodding from her mother.
All of us turn and give her an inquiring look. "What?" Kathrine asks, breaking the short, awkward silence.
"That's his name," the girl insists, pacing the feather in her hair.
"Well, it's better than anything I can come up with," Kathrine confesses, "Yankee it is."
After exchanging a few farewells Kathrine and I continued our journey up the main hill towards what appears to be a glass bunker. Talk about an oxymoron.
Kathrine deposits me on the floor of the enclosure and with a final false goodbye closed the door.
I roll to my hooves, still tipsy I scan the surroundings, looking for the best way to escape. There was a large tree in the center off the grassy enclosure with massive interlocking roots that lifted out of the sandy soil and created a natural cavity under the tree. There was a small stream cutting though the back of the grassland it's not very deep, just deep enough for swimming in the deepest part.
I trip over my unsteady hooves and face plant into the sand. I pick myself up and dust off my nose with a hoof, Okay...now what do I do?
Idly I wonder around my new prison, marveling at how quiet it was, not a lot of privacy though...
The feeling of grass under my hooves put a spring in my step as I make my way over to the water for a much needed drink.
"Oh, bloody hell," a voice gasps from right behind me, "you scared me."
"You've got to be kidding me," I groan, "...here I thought this couldn't get any worse."
"Not exactly one for putting the right foot forward," The red and blue British unicorn observed.
"At least I'm not the one who arranged this little get together," I pace glaring down my new rival. I'm not happy about getting stuck in here, but her organizing it for her own...just ew.
"What...?"
"Don't play dumb with me..." I pause not knowing her name, before just moving on, "You know exactly why we're put in here together!"
"Yes, but..."
"There's no buts about it, princess!" I poke her with my hoof, "there's no way I'm doing that. So don't try, got it?"
She looks down glaring at my hoof, "Don't touch me."
It's like everything slowed down when she reached to swat my hoof, I moved over her foreleg easily and swatted it instead.
"Do. Not. Touch. Me," I order poking her with every word.
She swung wildly for my head, but I duck under the blow, and flip her over my shoulder.
Quickly I pin her down and whisper in her ear, "Just play along, both of us could overpower the guard and escape. Just follow my lead, and please pull your punches."
Her back leg snaps up into my chest knocking me over. I cough trying to get some breath in my lungs while struggling to my hooves.
She got me across the jaw before I could fully stand and sent me sprawling to the dirt.
I knew that any minute the guard would come bursting through the door and then we'd change focus and escape.
I gingerly touch my jaw and draw away blood. Definitely not pulling her punches.
She grabbed one of my wings with her mouth and pulled me over her back where I landed on the dislocated limb with a sickening crack.
I scream in pain, but she ignores me continuing her rampage.
As if by some miracle the drug wears off and my Pegasus reflexes kick in.
I block a blow that would've knocked me out and give her a black eye for it.
We both bled from cuts and scrapes and were both covered in bruises by the time the guard came running in.
I turn my attention to the guard, going for his legs.
A roaring pain fills my body and my ears pop before I collapse to the ground unconscious.
"...but why would he attack you?" Kathrine asks in disbelief, "look at his injuries! that's a lot more than self defense."
I crack open my unbandaged eye with no small amount of pain. I'm in the infirmary with Kathrine and that devil unicorn.
"Because he's a senseless moron? How am I supposed to know," The unicorn defended, "it's not like he said much of anything before he up and attacked me."
"There's..." Kathrine's eyes light up like firecrackers and an involuntary shiver runs down my spine, "Wait, you can understand him?"
"What, and you can't?"
Kathrine shrugs, "Not yet...?"
"Oh, bloody hell," the unicorn mutters under her breath, "I'm supposed to be getting my life back not living here with this...thing!"
"I'm aware of the deal, but I can't do research while you're killing each other!"
Wait, what deal?
"What...sold your soul and you didn't invite me," I ask, voice cracking.
The unicorn glares, "Not now idiot."
"What's the deal?" I ask, shoving off the loose bindings, "you give me to them for your freedom?"
"Shut up, kid!"
"That is it ain't it?" I stumble, barely able to stay standing.
"What's he saying?" Kathrine interrupts, simply watching me suffer.
The unicorn sighs, "He's asking about the deal."
"Well, don't tell him. It's simple as that isn't it?"
I glare, growing bored of this, "I'm leaving."
"No, no, you're not, Yankee. you're going back home with Elizabeth and until you two learn to live together there will be no privileges." Kathrine blocks my way with crossed arms.
Mengele, that's who you remind me of.
"Guard, tranq Yankee and take them back home." Kathrine orders.
I groan It's not fair, she can speak and gets all the perks from this and I get...
How I got up here I have no idea. I stretch out a bit the tree branch was much softer than I thought it would be, and I momentarily entertain the fantasy of returning to sleep.
"Yankee, get down here!"
I groan, "No. I won't submit to you or your lackeys so leave me alone!" I pull a branch closer to hide me from the ground.
Why does reality hate me so much? The only thing I've gotten out of this is pain and abuse for science. No, I'm stuck in a glass cage with one of the two women that are ruining my life! No, I'm not moving. With my mind made up I planned out my day as an exhibit, I decided the best course of action would be to hide and wait for the people to go away.
I relax, rolling over onto my back I plucked an apple from one of the nearby branches half expecting it to set off an alarm or kill me as soon as I touched it, but nope for once my luck was holding out.
I happily munch on the sour apple for a while, ignoring the growing frustration in the unicorn's negotiations.
"I'm not coming down, go away!" I threw the core in the general direction of the voice.
"Yes you are," she was angry now.
"That hurt?" I call, momentarily making eye contact with my adversary.
"You're so going to pay little runt!" I note her voice squeaks when she gets angry, something I stored away for later use.
"You jealous that you can't fly?" I taunt, flaring my wings.
She screams and storms off like a little child.
I snag another apple, "I win again."
There was one problem with my infallible plan, only one: boredom. It wasn't worth another brawl with the British heavyweight down there, so I simply stayed in my tree. For hours.
What have I done today, I think to myself, I've eaten several apples and stashed the cores and seeds, maybe I can weaponize them? Anyways, I've gotten pretty good at throwing them, the unicorn makes a great target.
I try, and try but I can't get a slingshot of any kind to stay usable for more than six seconds.
Gingerly I brush away some fresh blood from the cracked scabs on my face, "that's going to leave a mark." I was surprised my jaw wasn't broken by that blow.
My ear twitches, a strange sound reaching them, What is that? I wonder, turning my head to see.
My ears fall at the sight of the massive crowd, and at the head, of course, was Katherine talking to them like a southern pastor addressing his congregation.
I spread my wings, hoping to simply step from my perch to the ground.
...that...didn't happen.
I sneezed, sending dust and sand flying from my burning nostrils. I fall to my haunches, watching the people curiously, What're they doing here?
Quite a few were scientists of some kind, I notice their blaring white coats and full clipboards.
Something's going down, and I don't like the looks of it. I force myself upright, ignoring the complaints from my burnt nerves. Momentarily I entertain the idea of letting them dissect me rather than continue this pointless charade... but, then something stops me. Or rather somepony.
"Yankee, a little help here," the unicorn calls from behind the tree.
I groan, but can't find an excuse to ignore her plea, "fine."
I make my way around the trunk, wary of an ambush the whole way. I was not going to let her catch me with my guard down. Then I found her, she was stuck between the tree and the sandy ground, scratching and screaming like a zombie clawing its way out of its grave.
"What're you doing," I demand, looking down at her with disdain.
"Don't just stand there, get me out of here!" She screams, thrashing against her wooden prison.
I sat down, safely out of range, "Why? So you can beat me up again, or so you can sell me to that Nazi friend of yours down in the lab?"
She thrashed again her rage boiling over, "Get me out of here, now!"
"and what happens if I say no, queen Victoria," I ask, beeping her nose.
She growls and swings at my hoof, missing by inches.
"I need to guarantee my future survival, and to do that I need to know what 'the deal' is. So, if you want my help you tell me what you know. Until then you can thrash about and scream." I say, pausing for dramatic effect, "you know, maybe your scientist friend could help you tomorrow when they come to take me away again."
"You wouldn't leave me here," she sniffs, the hopelessness of her situation finally sinking in.
I swallowed my pity and met her teary eyes with rage, "I would leave you at Guantanamo."
I turn to leave, flicking up a small cloud of dust with my tail.
"Wait! I..." she pauses, trying in vain to think of another way. "I'll tell you everything I know, just... get me out of here."
"...I never expected that," I mutter, unable to believe my new ears, "and you went through all of this willingly?"
"No," she answers, watching me work, "not entirely willingly. You see, I was dying of...a lot of things, but they promised this could help others suffering the same conditions. They said it was revolutionary and would modernize cancer research."
"...and then they found me..." for the first time, my new life started to make a little sense, "...but...why are we here, and not in some Nazi-esc research hospital?"
"Have you seen Europe lately? It was either here or an old prison in Siberia," She laughs a little, before continuing, "you sealed the deal, and were snap bang in the heartland of the United States."
"Huh." I mutter as I shove another large load of debris away from the forming caller, I had been digging for hours and had made some substantial progress. "I didn't think I was that important."
"You're paying for this whole thing, you know that right? there's never been a Pegasus on earth before. Not a real one anyway, and skeptics can write me off as a fake, but you can't fake these," she gently lifted one of my wings.
I shudder against her touch, my muscles tense as of bracing against a coming blow.
Her soft, fluffy hoof slowly worked its way closer to my body, curiously inspecting all the feathers on between it and my shoulder. "This is amazing, I never thought anything could be so..."
I tipped over and felt the grass brush against my burning face, my entire body went numb. Whoa...what is this?
She screams in pain, clutching at her glowing skull, and her limp body falls to the ground with a soft thud.
"Elizabeth," I gasped out, reaching for her as if I could somehow save her from... whatever this was.
Then...
Then nothing. Although, I have to question, who is it I'm talking to?
Princess Celestia paced the room, something was on her mind, weighing heavily on her already frazzled sanity. But, what was it?
"Luna, could you take over for a while here," Celestia asks, bracing herself against the marble wall, "I need some air..."
Luna rolls her eyes and resumes the trial, it was a murder case so that at least it intrigues her. "You will have to excuse my sister Detective, she's been a little off the past few days."
Celestia dashed out the back door, refusing a guarded escort with a simple wave. She knows the guard will follow anyway, but now he'll be discrete about it.
"What is it," Celestia growls, after her fourteenth lap around the palace gardens. "Something is very wrong, but what and where? Who? Why?" The solar princess, lost herself, gazing into her reflection in the coin littered fountain. She remembered when she was a filly how she would collect the coins and give them to her father, presenting them as wishes from the ponies. Her father would always laugh and bring Celestia up to his lap and she would watch the goings on of the everyday nobility. These coins however were corroded till they resembled bits of coral stuck to the ocean floor, and the fountain's stagnant water was a favorite hangout for all kinds of buzzing parasites. These wishes belonged to her when her father laid dying, and her mother ran away, she wished so many times that she could have them back.
This has to be the first time in a thousand years the princess has visited this sacred place.
"Why am I here," she wonders, gazing around the blooming willows and rosebushes that, no doubt, concealed all six of her near-mythical, elite guards.
"Any news, Captain," Celestia asks her invisible protector, with the makings of a victorious grin.
"Nothing solid, yet , ma'am," the glowing, hooded unicorn reports, teleporting next to his beloved princess.
"There has to be something we know," Celestia denies defiantly.
"We do have a hypothesis, but before you get excited it's not going anywhere."
"What's the hypothesis, Captain?" Celestia asks through gritted teeth, his way of putting her down really wore her nerves down.
"It involves..." the Captain glances around warily, before signaling Celestia to lean closer, "...her."
Celestia sighed, she knew she had to face this problem sooner or later, "No. Write to Twilight Sparkle, I'll need her expertise. This project I'm taking up by myself Captain, nopony but me knows, understood?"
The Captain was already gone, halfway to the Ponyville library, leaving Celestia with a heavy pain in her heart and mind.
I hate myself, I have barely any time for anything before all of them show up and there's nothing I can do afterwards because... no, settle down, maybe they won't come today... maybe they decided to go see something else, yeah. I hope so....
Slowly, ever so slowly, I crawl out of my sanctuary gazing around for the slightest hint of trouble. The roots brush against my back and get snagged in my tail, I have to spend the next three minutes freeing myself from the brambles and dirt.
Suddenly my ears snap down and I drop to the ground, covering my head with my hooves, something's out there. And it's not Elizabeth.
Footsteps, a human wearing boots, by the sound. She's calling me, my ears twitch as I debate making a run for it.
She steps into my field of view, freezing my body and mind with her presence, I feel my blood run cold and my sweat turn to ice as it rolls off my coat.
"There you are, Yankee I've been looking everywhere for you," she says, hooking the Kevlar leash to my collar. "Let's go for a walk shall we, maybe if you're good like yesterday we can stop by the aviary again and watch the birds. Won't that be fun?"
I drop my head and blush, feeling rather stupid. It was only Brittany, she was the nice one, she took me on long walks around the zoo after hours and sometimes even let me fly, or at least... she used to. Before Katherine banned my aviation. She thought I would fall and hurt myself.
I followed after Brittany keeping my head to the ground as I pondered all that has happened in the past few days... since... since the first time we blacked out. Elizabeth had gotten her cutie mark, and I got my stars.
My once plain blue mane and tail were now sprinkled with white stars, and the tips of my wings had turned red. I thought it was awesome, but... with every change something was lost, something important, sometimes it was a memory, or others it was a feather or some fur. But it costs us... and dearly.
I just want this nightmare to end, tears roll slowly down my cheeks as I step over the refugees the janitors couldn't sweep up.
The cobblestone path clicks under my hooves as I walk on, desperate to match the pace of my handler.
"Are you okay, Stars," Brittany asks, dropping to her knees.
I do my best to turn away, but I know it's obvious that something's bothering me.
"Hey, it's okay," she says, scratching my ear, "you can tell me."
No I can't, Britt, I wish I could sometimes.
"Okay," she asks, standing again, "let's go see the new exhibit. I hear you know one of the occupants."
I tilt my head, my somber depression forgotten, How, nopony else was discovered, I would know. They would've told me...right?
I press on after Brittany, an extra spring in my step as I silently press her for information.
"Don't worry, Stars, you'll find out when we get there," she says pointing up the path, "it's just up the hill there."
So...what? they found someone else and are experimenting on her too? What am I supposed to do with a cadge full of....
I squeak, leaping back from the glass, all of my hair and wings standing at attention.
It was vaguely human, having scales rather than skin, a longer face, a tail, and poison injecting teeth. Worst of all it was real...and I knew him. I knew him very well.
"Caught you too," he observed, dragging a clawed finger over the metal collar that bound him to the cadge.
I felt something shift in my throat, like my voice box changing gears. Something that sounds like someone cracking their knuckles fills my ears when I try speaking.
"Don't suppose you speak Pegasus, do you?" I ask, resting a hoof on the glass, it's my friend in there. No, he's one of my best friends, a title I've only given once.
He looked at me slightly confused for a couple seconds, "Well, that's one problem solved."
My ears sag as the disappointment takes hold, "I should've known it would be too good to be true."
"No, Chris. I understand you perfectly, no language gap. We're fine, nothing I say get's though to them though," Noah points to my handler and snarls, showing rows of sharp teeth.
"Save it for Katherine, Britt here is one of the nice ones," I say, stepping defensively between my friends.
"Wait," Noah demands, anger fading in an instant, "Katherine, she's the vet right. Blond, about six nothing..."
"With blue eyes and a swastika in her heart," I interrupt, "we've had a few meetings."
"She's our ally here, listen, she's working something out for us, so we can finally get out of here."
"Noah, don't," I shake my head tears forming, "I...I thought you were immune to deception."
A loud bang, we both jump, and all my attention zooms in on the source of the sound. I can't hear what she's saying through the adrenaline explosion, but she claps her hands over her chest and bounces in place.
"She's... not okay." Noah says, barely audible over the ringing in my ears, "more so than me."
"He's so cute!" she squeals, shattering any sense of mainlines I had ever claimed.
"See? Look what you did, you made him sad," Noah reprimands, smacking the back of her head.
"But, he's so cute! Can we keep him," she asks Brittany, "just for a couple hours, please?"
"I'm just glad they don't speak..." I'm interrupted by Brittany's hesitant consent to the idea.
Desperately I dig in, resisting my handler's insistent pulling as best I could, Think, think, think! Come on... frantically I shove aside bits of litter and discarded cups until I find them. They're plastic, faded, and used, but I don't think that will matter.
I swallow my self-preservation and, stashing them in my mane, follow Brittany to my certain death and dismemberment. Allon-sy....
The door wrenches open, and my collar beeps, leaving me rigid, and clinging to Britt's leg.
"It's okay, they're not going to hurt you. You're okay," she assures, calmly breaking my death grip and picking me up.
"Touch me, you die," I spit, shoving my face into as much of a glare as possible.
That... didn't help. At all, and neither did the spoons I picked up, although they have kept Noah quite entertained for the past half hour.
"Argonians," I mutter bitterly under the girls' conversation, "I officially hate Argonians.
Eventually Brittany starts brushing the oil buildup out of my coat.
"Thank you," I nickered, relaxing as best as I could on the wet, slimy stone.
"Yeah, he is a sweetheart once you get to know him," Britt boasts, like she was showing off her new puppy.
"Um, may I," the Argonian asks, gesturing to the brush in Brittany's hand.
"Sure, just... be gentle, he likes to be brushed, but he can be very touchy." Brittany warns before surrendering the slightly fluffy brush.
"Oh," she asks as she begins cleaning the day's debris from my mane, "I had horses before... all this. I know how fidgety they can get. Especially if they don't know the person taking care of them."
"Yeah, he just...I don't know, he just seems so sad all the time." Brittany lamented, watching Noah chase a fish for a few seconds, "you can tell with them, how they're feeling. Their eyes light up and their coats just seem to shine when they're happy, but when they're sad... they... well, they fade. Their colors turn to a dull grey and their eyes dim."
"Maybe he just needs some time to adjust to what's happened." She paused, spending a long moment in painful memories, "I know I did."
I vaguely listen to their conversation, more concerned with my own survival. It was bad enough to be a ticket seller, a freak show, but to be a girls' conversation piece... that, my friend, is a whole different ball game.
They just kept right on talking, on occasion returning the conversation back to me, or the general idea for the zoo type activities. Brittany found a friend, someone to complain to, and a few days later she was transferred to the crew working with the Argonians, leaving me without a handler.
So here I sit, embracing the blades of grass brushing against my weakening frame. I felt cold constantly and my hooves were like lead, I wasn't sleeping well either and, for a while, I gave up any hope of seeing another day.
"Well," I say, mustering the courage to stand, "this is it I guess."
Blood pools around my hooves as I watch the sunset from my glass prison. The place that would serve as my grave in another minute or so.
Tears fall to the grass as I consider my life, all I'd done, all I'd failed. There wasn't any point, just living in this fishbowl forever was something I was not going to do. So I took control of the only thing I could: when I die.
Celestia jolts awake, sheets and comforters flying across the room as her wings extend to a combat position. With senses sharpened by a sleepless night she scans the room for anything out of the ordinary, anything that could explain what she had just witnessed. But only the wholesome silence of her beloved sister's night greeted her frazzled senses and flaming nerves.
She knows what the problem is, "but maybe I just dreamt it?"
Celestia's justifications do nothing to soothe her back to sleep, and eventually she finds herself stirring, pacing the bedroom. Drawing up the plans for conferences that she never intended on going to. She even planned out next years Gala disaster. But, nothing, not even the most complex of tasks could ease her mind for more than a few seconds.
...that's when it came through the window. It was the sound of a pony, one of HER little ponies suffering. Suffering unbearably and alone.
Celestia screams for help, for somepony to save her, it had to be a bad dream. It just had to be.
"Luna, please, Luna wake me up! Wake me up, Luna! Please..."
When the night guard and Luna arrive they find Equestria's leader and defender curled into a ball on her bedroom floor spewing morbid nonsense. Luna, try as she might, can't find any trace of foul play, nothing broke in, not even a trace of magic was to be found on her sister or in the room save her own, and the door was locked from the inside.
"Sister, Celestia what happened," Luna, having finished with her search turned to her elder sister in a panic.
"Please... wake me up, this can't be real, none of it... please Luna," Celestia's ranting filled everypony with sheer terror.
"Tia, who did this to you," Luna demands ready to blast whoever it was to the darkest pits of Oblivion to spend an eternity in her own personal torture chambers.
"Luna, please... they need our help, we must save them..."
"Get a doctor, and have Celestia restrained!" Luna orders, never once taking her pained gaze off of her broken sister.
"It's not too late... he's been spared," Celestia whispers before her head cracks into the marble floor with a wet smacking noise that threatened to make Luna sick.
Blood leaked from the elder sister's ears and nostrils as if she had used a massive amount of dark magic. But there was no sign of it anywhere.
"Princess, Luna," one of the guards pulled her away and sealed her in an enchanted shield, "we need to get her to the shelter now!"
One of the other black armored guards nodded and together they shoved Luna out into the halls and the door slammed shut severing Luna's weeping gaze from her broken sister.
"I see an America unafraid of beauty and grace..."
.... there's a slight... buzzing as my head is about to hit the ground, stopping the collision. There wasn't enough time to find the source before reality detached and I was sent sprawling into the blackness.
Bright flashes and colors explode before my eyes as I'm rapidly shuffled through scenes of my life, some of which haven't happened yet.
Then, as if smashing through a glass window, I break my way through the sky and into... somewhere...
Weakened by blood loss, I feel myself plummet towards the castle like a brick of lead.
I slam my eyes closed, bracing for my death. The wind whistling harshly against my ears heralding the impact...
It took me a second to realize nothing happened, no smashing or even any pain.
I risked opening my eyes, only to discover a glowing field of golden sparkles sounding me, conforming to my every move.
"Wh.... what?" I barely manage out before the sparkles lower me gently to the ground.
"There's no time," a voice snapped, with all the power of the sun, yet as gentle as a spring day. "I have to save your life, then return you."
I felt myself being laid down on some sort of a stretcher, I was shivering uncontrollably and tired, so tired...
"Oh, blood hell," Elizabeth sighs finally getting back to the enclosure, "I'm surprised he lasted this long."
"Code black! Get me the Victoria!" Elizabeth's handler shouts out the door, momentarily dropping the unicorn's leash.
Elizabeth looks from the dying Pegasus to the door several times, it was unguarded. She could escape, go back to London and then home....
Then she looked back at him, his ragged blood-soaked form, holding onto life by half a thread. She couldn't leave him like this, but her home waited, she might not get another chance at this. She had to try, to make sure his sacrifice wasn't in vain.
Elizabeth bolted for the door, shoving the single zookeeper aside, she was free now. And she would never, ever go back.
"How are they?"
"She's stable, but he's... not so much."
I turn my head, trying to make sense of what just happened. I was in the clinic, although it was much more smudgy than before. I barely have the strength to hold my head up for a few seconds before collapsing to the table with a metallic thud.
"Will he pull through?"
"We can't be sure, we don't know exactly what we're dealing with here."
"Make sure he lives. That's an order."
With one final valiant effort I gaze around the room, struggling in vain for a clear picture
My gaze rests upon two human smudges one was a female in white the other was a guy in green.
I squeak something out, turn, vomit, then black out again.
"Make sure he lives, doc. Uncle Sam's invested a lot of money in your freak show." He orders, pushing around the scientist.
"I know that, he tried to kill himself! It wasn't our fault." She protests, backing down.
"Just keep him alive, we're going to start testing by the end of the month." He pushed her back, enraged.
"You can't do that!" Kathrine protests gripping the Sargent's arm, "they're not ready, Yankee has just barely recovered and Elizabeth just got a tranquilizer overdose."
He broke her grip, "The end of the month."
With his agenda stated he let the door slam shut behind him, leaving a softly crying Kathrine and two critical ponies in the dark lab.
In which I get stuck in a petting zoo...and maybe bite someone...just maybe though.
"This... is... stupid..." I glare into the camera for what has to be the millionth picture in the last twenty minutes.
I'm stuck behind some ornamental fence panels made to resemble a farm fence, but only very vaguely. I loose track of the people going in and out, it's a constant swarm of teenage and younger girls, and even guys. Most snap a couple 'picks and move on, but some stick around and really invest in our captivity.
"Eh...maybe it could be worse," I mutter as I catch a glance into the next "stall" where Elizabeth is swarmed by over-exuberant young girls.
"You're telling me," the sheep on my right says catching my attention for the first time today, "ever since you two showed up, it took the heat off of us."
"Glad my helpless captivity conveniences you," I say, studying the small groups of people hanging around the benches and other animal enclosures in the area.
"Don't try it," the sheep warns, "that collar on your neck; that thing'll put you down faster than their darts."
"Great, and since I've got these," I held up one of my hooves in despair, "there's no way of removing said collar."
"I can't help you there, but I know one of the vets here might."
"Let me guess, the lead Nazi?" I interrupt, "there's nobody here I'd more like to put down than her, believe me. But there's no way I could do anything against her, she's got my number in this body."
I sat down, surrendering to yet another photograph and pat down.
"Don't give up, kid. There's always hope, especially for you," the sheep reassures, reaching through the slats in the fence.
I pressed my hoof against his, "Yankee."
"Bob," he introduced with a slight bow, "always honored to make the acquaintance of another of God's misplaced creatures."
"I'm not misplaced," I argue hopelessly, searching in vain for an escape.
"You sure are something," one of the older guys tells me, dropping to meet my gaze, "it's almost like you're searching for something..." he stops suddenly and reaches for a notebook in his back pocket.
I tilt my head curiously, what is he doing?
"Maybe, just maybe..." he mutters clicking his pen excitedly, "it's a long shot, but considering that you guys are magical and all..." He holds up the small, black book with a hastily scratched out "nod twice" on the open page.
I blink a couple times in confusion, I can still read English, but I can't speak it...how is that fair?
He waits for the confusion to pass, hoping for me to comply.
"Craig, stop torturing the horse," his girlfriend admonishes from a distance.
"Come, on. Please, just prove her wrong...just once."
Here goes my sanity, I mentally complain as I comply with the message.
"Jessie, come here," Craig nearly shouts as he leaps to his feet, "he understands, look. Watch."
"Craig," she says, pointing to me, "it's a horse. It doesn't know how to read." Jessie tries to snatch her friend's book, but he's just a second too quick.
"I'll prove it to you," he says showing her something he's written just now.
"Fine, but after this can we go home? I'm sick of this place."
Let's torture the girlfriend, I decide, bracing myself for whatever simple instructions I had to follow to prove my intelligence...
One word decorates the page, only one. Three letters.
I'm barely aware of my ears sagging, and I sink back to the ground in a hopeless lump.
The word fills me with hopelessness, like a millstone around my heart: "fly."
"I can't," I try to say, jerking on my chain, "it's not long enough."
Of course he doesn't understand a word, and hesitantly takes his infuriated girlfriend home.
The hours tick by slowly, so slowly it seems that a single day takes all of eternity. it's the same dang thing, day in, day out. I stand here, pace a bit, eat some...what is this anyways?
Is it bad I've stopped questioning what they feed me?
So, that's my life as of late, letting little girls run their fingers through my oily coat and laboriously choke down this "food" whatever it is, and no, drinking water does not help. on that topic the water tastes weird, is lukewarm, oh...and drugged. So...yeah, someone wants me to be a nice little pony and will do anything, including drugging my only source of water.
"This has to be against the Geneva Convention," I complain, pulling with all my might against this stupid chain.
"Aw! look at this," a voice from behind me shouts, "he's so adorable."
The next person to call me adorable will die. I kicked the metal post, trying to vent my frustration.
I started scratching at the base of the post with my hooves, desperate for an escape.
"Oh, he is just too cute."
That's it! I turned and bit the hand petting me.
My satisfaction was cut alarmingly short when I noticed exactly who's hand was currently in my mouth. My gaze slowly travelled up the slender white-coated arms to the slightly alarmed and alarmingly pissed off face of Katherine.
"Um...sorry...?" I mumbled.
...and that's why I'm wearing a muzzle and talking to myself about it. Why I bother is a whole other debate, but I'm leaving to get some long overdue exercise.
Celestia paced uncontrollably, she had other symptoms of a imminent breakdown. She was like a time bomb, just waiting for the right second. She had been slacking in her duties lately, leaving most of the legal struggles to her younger sister. Her very concerned younger sister.
"Celestia, what is going on?" Luna demanded as she burst into her sister's bedroom. "You've been slacking off, sleeping in, and..."
Luna's anger shattered when she saw her.
Celestia was sprawled out on her bed, weeping uncontrollably. She hadn't even noticed the disturbance in the room.
"...he tried to kill himself, Luna. Why would he do that?" Celestia asked, her bloodshot eyes carving into Luna's soul.
"Who? There hasn't been any case of suicide for centuries," Luna couldn't figure it out, why would Celestia be stressing herself this much over a legal case that was centuries old?
"I...," Celestia composed herself as best as she was able, "I don't know his name. But he's real, Luna. I know he is..."
Slowly, so that her rambling sister wouldn't notice Luna paged her guards.
"He's out there, Luna...we need to save them."
"Wait, them? that's a plural term sister, you said there was one," Luna asked, confusedly tapping out the conversation on the floor pager.
"There's two of them, in captivity. Maybe more, I can't be sure...I know they're out there, Luna you have to believe me!" Celestia leaped off of the over-stuffed bed to the marble floor. "I'm not crazy, sister."
"I..." Luna started, unable to refute her sister, unsure if she wanted to.
"There's exactly twenty-seven point nine, two, one, six portals connecting Equestria to its surrounding neighbors through an indirect magical conference. There's seventeen sets of armored hooves coming down the hall to restrain me, that you called just a few seconds ago." Celestia paused her almost meaningless observations, "I'm as sharp as ever, Luna. You can trust me, I'm not crazy."
"I hope you're not, sister but I can't take that chance." Luna had tears in her eyes, "I can't risk Equestria...it's too much."
"I know," Celestia sighed, pulling her sister into a tight hug, "and I wouldn't ask you to."
"I'll visit and write to you," Luna assured, "as soon as this clears up we'll find them. Okay?"
Celestia smiled for the first time in days, "I look forward to it, could you also get Twilight and her friends to write to me. I may need their assistance."
"Of course."
The door flew open and several guards of both departments stormed in and subdued the compliant princess.
"I will find them, and then we'll save them. Together." Celestia vowed as the guard carried her out of the room.
"Yes...together," Luna muttered into the empty room. Once again, she was alone with her thoughts.
The stitches pulled the fur around my hooves whenever I moved, driving a sharp, pinching pain through my system with every step.
What was that, I wince as several strands are forcibly removed from my leg. Was that just a hallucination, or something else?
My hooves clicked against the path as I follow Kathrine and her green suited rival.
What happened to Elizabeth, she was just here a second ago, I glance around for my fellow pony, Well...that's weird.
People seemed to pull away from us like two opposing magnets.
I sniffed the gentle breeze, picking up the scent of an oncoming shower. I wrote it off as Pegasus instinct and picked up my pace to listen in to the conversation.
"I still don't think he's ready," Kathrine cautioned, pretending like she actually cared.
"It doesn't matter what you think ma'am the brass made the program a priority." He responds with a sharp tug on the leash.
I stumble, breath burned from my lungs.
"Besides, he's fine."
Kathrine glared, but remained silent.
She's afraid of him, I realized, matching their pace so I was between them.
"There's something you should know about him," Kathrine sighs deeply before confessing, "the deal doesn't protect him."
He nearly dropped the leash. "What?"
Kathrine flinches, "the deal protects the unicorn, not him."
An idea flashes through my mind, something every pet knows. I grip the leash in my mouth and take off running.
I passed the duo and turn towards the soldier restraining me. I get the leash just under his knees, and he gives a second of shock before falling to the ornamental pavement.
I gather up as much of the cord as I can before sprinting off in the direction of the main entrance, I'm getting out of here!
Now I know how a dog feels, I wince, the scent of singed fur reaching my nostrils, so that's what the collar's for...
"I have to hand it to you, doc. I didn't think it had that much juice," the soldier compliments, reaching to recover his control over me.
I snarl, ready to bite. I will never go back!
Here I am, ears back, and hell in my eyes. I have been given a second chance at life and I am not going to waste it here.
The people around me fade into the background, leaving only the scientist and the soldier. both of which have taken a step away from me for some reason...
I awoke in a small metallic room with a few basic tools and a locked door that lead into a long, blacked-out hallway.
"Okay, demon steed," the soldier's voice bled through the crackly speakers, "Your job is to survive. Uncle Sam's invested a lot of money into this project, and it's time to pay him back."
I paced the room, searching for a way out of the test chambers, but there weren't any obvious ways of escape besides the door itself. It was an old metal thing that's seen better days. There were a few ways I could do this, I could take the hinges off, get something between the latch and the frame, or break the door down somehow.
That last one seemed to be the most probable, but also the least intelligent. if I figured these "tests" right they were looking for intelligence rather than strength, so I turned my attention to the tools.
A flat head screwdriver would do it, I thought as I dug my way through the small pile of metal instruments. There was a hammer, a few nails, some sturdy cord and a blade. Nothing entirely useful in the current context.
I sighed and turning my attention to the doorknob.
"Why does it have to be round," I demanded after many failed attempts to get any semblance of a grip on the dang thing.
I growled in frustration, pivoted and brought a back hoof down upon the offending metal.
The knob rang off of the concrete with an immensely satisfying noise, and the door drifted open as if on command. "Thank you, hunk of junk," I said with a nod towards the door, and stepped into the long hallway.
"Hey, doughboy! That all you got!" I yelled down the corridor.
No response. Not even static from the hidden speakers.
I took advantage of the downtime and let my eyes shuffle lazily into low light mode. Then I saw it, at the end of the hallway, next to an open exit was the mother of all fans. With six blades, each as long or longer than me (it's rather hard to tell at a distance).
With a long whining complaint the blades started to turn, very slowly at first but then they started picking up speed. Like a helicopter getting ready for dust-off.
I braced myself, wings folded tightly and head down. This was going to end in awesomely or very, very badly and with the way my luck has been going the latter seems the most likely.
Exhaling became next to impossible, and my tail whipped out like an old flag, but so far I stood the test...I think, or maybe this whole experience was an elaborate fantasy conjured by a broken mind in a padded cell.
My hooves scraped against the floor as I struggled to regain precious footing...or is it hoofing?
No, mind focus on getting us out of here! I hesitantly took a half step I could feel the wind increase gradually the longer I was in here.
After a few minutes I managed a couple yards, all but crawling towards my salvation: that open door.
My ears popped and every muscle in my body felt like a roaring fire, but I kept going, clawing my way towards the proverbial light at the end of the tunnel.
"What the..." crackled over the speakers, "that pressure should be lethal."
A determined, if not, evil grin split my lips as I made even more progress. I was just a couple yards away from safety.
"If you wanna play hardball little girl..."
I gulped, This can't be good.
"...try this!"
I was momentarily weightless, sent through the air like a leaf on a autumn day. I closed my eyes, relying solely on Pegasus instinct.
"Good boy, Yankee, good job," Katherine praised as she ran her fingers through my mane.
I didn't care at this point, I was far more interested in the bowl of water left for me at the end of the test chamber.
"I have to admit, the results exceed the expectation," the soldier agreed, kneeling down to congratulate me.
I turned to face him, panting like a dog, "don't you dare say anything right now. I'm in no mood."
Katherine stepped between him and me, "that's enough military sanctioned torment for one day."
He looked up at her with a newfound respect, got up, and marched back to his office.
"I'm so proud of you," Katherine said as she picked me up. "There's not very many creatures that can do what you just did."
I sighed in relief, and rested my head on her shoulder. This was finally a good day, something I could conquer. For once since my transformation something had gone right.
I blew Kathrine's ponytail out of my face, and settled into a catnap.
I awoke beneath the apple tree in the enclosure. Well, awoke might be an understatement...more of Elizabeth kicking me.
"Ow!" I curled into a defensive ball, "what do you want?"
She glanced around for anybody eavesdropping, "To escape. What's the plan?"
I raised an eyebrow, "Really, you have this sudden urge for fresh air and I become Angus MacGyver?"
She tipped her head, and blinked, "...I don't even know who that is..."
I face-hoofed, "why am I so insufferably old?"
Elizabeth shook her head dismissively, "Anyways...about this plan of yours..."
"Yeah, I'm still working on it, but," I crawled under the tree into my Secret Cove Of Secrets...oh sure, like you could come up with a better name...
Elizabeth impatiently watched from the entrance while I grappled with my maps and supplies, "do you need help with anything. Hopefully that doesn't involve me getting devoured by a tree."
"Just hold your horses. I'll be coming out in a few seconds!" I had to gather everything and quick, if we were going to do this we had to play the game like we have nothing to loose.
I pulled myself out of the entangling roots, making sure to kick them back into place on the way out. "Alright I've got the guards' patrols mapped out as well as the vet schedules..." I turned to find Elizabeth rolling on the ground laughing for some reason.
"Did I miss the nitrous oxide grenades?" I asked head tipped to the side in confusion, "are those even legal?"
She paused, considered my question, and promptly started laughing again.
"What is it," I demanded, stomping my hooves, "what's so funny?"
"You...you said..." Elizabeth paused, pointed between the both of us, "and we're..."
I sighed, "here's the plan then, Giggles," I unrolled the rough, hoof-drawn map. "We're here, on the northern edge of the compound, the nearest exit is here, about a quarter mile that way," I pointed off in the direction of our escape.
"That's actually really good, have you considered going into espionage," Elizabeth asked, kneeling next to me to study the map.
"Just childhood fantasies," I flipped another page over the map, "here's the guards' routes. There's only three that I've seen thus far and they shouldn't be a problem."
"What do you need me to do," she asked, pouring over the rough map.
"I need you to get into the maintenance shed and set off the fire alarm. I'll worry about getting us through the locked doors, and around the fire department when they show up." I rolled up the maps and tossed them through the roots into my new home. "Any questions?"
"Will anybody get hurt," she asked, "what if someone gets in the way?"
"Don't worry about that, just leave it to me," I sighed and laid down next to her, "listen, you've got a life out there to get back to so don't worry about me. I'm a tough little pony. I'll get you out, okay?"
She nodded behind her tears, "what if we just stay here? eventually somebody important is going to notice we're here and then we'll get to go home..."
"Did they give you contacts," I asked, finally getting a good look at her eyes. The once vibrant blue spheres had turned a dull green, almost jade color.
" Uh, yeah," she nodded, "it's....experimental...why?"
"Just curious," I glanced up at the night sky between the mild rainclouds, "I liked your eyes better before. The color really suits you better than that green."
She smiled, "You really can be a sweetheart when you want to be."
"Yeah...that's me I guess, a beautiful cobra."
"I...I'm not sure I understand..." she asked, seemingly unable to break eye contact.
I glanced at the ground, "I look good from the outside, but I'm full of poison and fangs behind the graceful tongue, and nice colors. It's just my nature," I found my gaze drawn to my stitches, "who I'm damned to be..."
Her eyes adopted a softer, almost sad stance, "Maybe," she gently pushed my foreleg out of view, "maybe it's not a curse. Maybe it's a gift that you haven't quite gotten used to."
I was unable to meet her gaze, suddenly ashamed of myself, I had failed her. The one living thing that I should've invested the most time and effort into our relationship.
She got up, "it's been lovely, but I need to get some sleep. Big day tomorrow."
I flexed my wings, preparing to jump to my favorite perch, "yeah...our V-day."
"Goodnight, Yankee, I'll see you tomorrow evening."
I gave her a small salute, before disappearing into the branches. Something's up, but I can't quite put my hoof on it... I caressed the worn bark with my left wing, Maybe friendship was, after all, magic.
I awoke to the soft metal click of a leash being fastened onto my collar and my handler urging me to follow her. I groaned, but then again it is my last day here...
Soon I had all four hooves on the ground and was walking with the teenage girl, who was just happy to be this close to us.
My hooves clicked lightly on the colored paving stones as I trotted along next to her, "Her?" I don't even know her name...
Well, she was nice to me, name or not, and that right now was good enough for me.
We passed by the various exhibits and buildings as we made our way around the facility. It was a nice late-spring day with plenty of sunshine and birds in the air.
I couldn't help it, I was smiling at everyone we met, letting them pet me, and even posed for pictures.
This has to be the greatest day of my life, and the best part is they have no idea what's going to happen. I thought as I hugged a little girl for a picture.
"Thank you," he mother whispered to my handler, "you just made her day."
My handler only smiled a bit and exchanged a few short words before urging me onward.
I fallowed, hardly feeling the ground beneath my hooves. Today's going to be a good day.
Why am I such a gullible idiot? Seriously why?
I pressed my glare deeper into the vibrating floor of the military transport truck. I hadn't been free two hours before they caught me again. I don't know what went wrong, I had everything perfectly planned out, but guards showed up in places they weren't supposed to be, and Elizabeth got busted breaking into the maintenance shed.
I groaned, and let the memories resurface, I needed to start at the beginning, find what went wrong, and fix it for my next attempt.
I had gotten back to the enclosure at about 23:56 and Elizabeth was there with the supplies we needed. Next we crept across the zoo to our pre-stated objectives, all was well. Then at the change of the hour, everything fell apart...
Alright, if I just, I reasoned, bracing my back under one of the turn-y entrance bars and pushed for all I was worth. Ha, Ha! there she goes! I smiled as the grinding of gears gave way to free movement.
"Hold it right there!" A gruff voice from behind me ordered.
I turned to gaze down the barrel of an M4.
My eyes widened in shock, "what's with the heavy artillery?"
"It's quite simple, really. We need you because you're a legitimate Pegasus, and of course we can't forget the revenue you've turned up. We just can't afford to let you go." The woman next to the soldier explained, "on top of all that your emotions are just so..." she paused to lick her fingers, "...tender."
My ears fell and I scratched glumly at the sand, I felt like crying. "I trusted you..."
"I think that's enough, ma'am. There's no need to depress him further," the soldier insisted, relaxing his grip on the assault rifle.
"But, his depression is so..."
I didn't let her finish. I jumped and pumped my wings, filling their faces with sand.
Elizabeth and the guard stumbled around blindly for a few moments, allowing me to escape. By the time they had recovered I was half way across the parking lot.
I ran beside the main road as much as I could, diving into the thick weeds whenever a vehicle passed.
I pulled myself through the brambles ignoring the countless sandburs assaulting my skin.
"He's around here somewhere," Elizabeth sighed in her humanoid form. It was black, almost shell-like with her seaweed green hair falling somewhere around her shoulders.
I've got to save her! She had to have been blackmailed right, there's no way she'd just up and betray me like that.
I crawled towards her slowly, carful not to make a sound.
She sniffed the air like it was a fine whine, "I've found him."
I cursed something in Equestrian, Now or never.
I exploded out of the ditch and punched a guard on the way to the ground.
He fell, hand clasped over his eye and I noticed blood on my hoof.
I tossed his gun to Elizabeth who was still shocked by my entrance, "Come on! Let's go!"
She caught the gun, admiring it in her fingers.
"Elizabeth, we've got to go now!" I yelled, panicking as the rest of the guards closed in.
"You really can be a sweetheart when you want to be," Elizabeth pushed her stringy, green hair out of her face. "But, no. No I'm not going with you, there's nothing for me out there."
"You've got a home, a family," my gaze shifted between my fellow captive and the approaching soldiers, "we can find them."
She scoffed, "even if we did, who would take something like me? No, it's better this way."
"It doesn't matter what you look like!" I shouted, "they're your family. They'd love you regardless!"
"Look at me," she waved the gun around, "I'm a bloody changeling!"
"And? I'm a Pegasus, what's the big deal?"
Something hit my side, hard enough to knock me over.
"He never learns, does he?" the guard asked from on top of me, "thanks for the assist." he added with a nod to Elizabeth.
A single tear traced its way down my face, "Why?"
She looked at me with those sparkling blue eyes, a tear of her own falling.
I never got my answer, they just shoved me into the back of a truck and took off down the highway.
Now I'm here, stuck in an outdated military transport truck driving through the Midwest.
My face met the wall over and over, my tears slapping against the floor.
'I don't know where I'm going or why, but I know I'm going to fight any way I can. That, no matter the cost I'll get my freedom,' the rouge thought inspired me.
"I'm watching out for you, my little pony," the voice from my hallucination whispered from inside my head.
"Who are you," I demanded, pulling against the chain.
"I'm the one that breaks your chains," she whispered, and my chain broke off at my hoof.
I shred my wings and leaped from the truck.
I heard a single gunshot, and I was sent, in a bleeding ball, into the ditch.
It hurt to breathe and I couldn't move.
The truck stopped and a pair of soldiers got out and made their way to my crash site.
"Great." One of them groaned, "it's dead."
The other one threw his hat at the ground, "let's say we lost it."
"We should bring the body, we can't just leave it here."
I grit my teeth and tried to move, to crawl away.
"Oh, my..." I heard one of them gag, "it's...it's still alive."
The sound of approaching sirens sent the bad guys back to their truck and they tore off into the night.
The cop stopped and started looking around. His jaw dropped when he saw me.
He got out of his old Crown Victoria, stopping only long enough to grab an old blanket from the back seat.
He wrapped me, I nearly screamed when he touched my wound, and set me in the back of his car, "Don't worry buddy, we'll get ya some help."
he threw it in gear and tore off down the road, thankfully in the opposite direction of my old captors.
I curled up on the seat next to him, and, using my tail as a pillow I passed into the realm of dreams.