Behind Blue Eyes in Equestria - Part 10

>You reach the doors of the club and smash them off the hinges.

>You weren't out of the woods yet.

>Changelings flood out of the building and into the darkness, but you notice another group.

>They're different.

>Clad in armor, a strange emblem across the chest.

>Royal guards.

>Your arm-blades SHINK forward.

>Finally, a worthy challenge.

>They weave through the cloud seeking escape.

>You knew their target.

>You'd caught them unawares, but now you didn't have the element of surprise.

>You shoulder your suit through the spaces between the buildings.

>If you could avoid the lights, perhaps you could escape undetected.

>*"Anonymous."

>Now was not the ti--

>*"Their armor."

>You glance at the scanner.

>Of course.

>You round a corner and hide against the wall.

>You hadn't seen any of the precious metal during your time here so your plan had simply proceeded onward.

>But now you needed to escape. Securing this objective was risky.

>You didn't really need to open your suit, did you?

 

 

>The question tugs on you, causing you to hesitate.

>Huge, colourful eyes stare at you through the mist of memory.

>Do you ever take it off...?

>That would explain his atrocious fashion sense...

>You take in a quick breath.

>You wanted to see them eye to eye.

>The Union seemed a distant memory.

>A small risk.

>A guard buzzed past you, searching the low corridors.

>This was your chance.

>You raise your gauntlet and fire off the Linebreaker.

>The Changeling reacts with lightning reflexes, diving out of the way.

>The chain embeds itself in the solid stone behind it.

>The Changeling chitters at high speed, its claws raised.

>You yank hard on the chain.

>Its stuck.

"Shit."

>More guards descend from the darkness above.

>You're trapped.

>The first attack comes quickly, and you swat the Changeling away.

>The guards swoop down, but remain just out of reach.

>They want to tire you out.

>You try to get the chain to disengage, but it won't budge.

>It tethers you to the wall.

>You're surrounded.

>It was just one small risk.

 

 

>Back in Ponyville, Twilight has gathered her friends at the library.

>"Twilaight, y'all said he'd be comin' back right quick. It's been three days," Applejack breaks the silence.

>"He should be back by now... w-what if he's trapped in those caves, and he's scared?" Fluttershy adds.

>"He said he didn't need any help, he was going to go in and do what he had to do, then get out quickly."

>"That plan didn't go so well, Twilight," Rainbow Dash notes.

>Both her and Pinkie just found out the plan, and of course its mastermind.

>Pinkie Pie is still miffed that nop0ny told her.

>"We can't just leave 'im in there."

>The suggestion sinks in quickly.

>Rainbow Dash clops her hooves together.

>"Maybe I'll finally get to meet this 'Anonymous'," she grins.

>She'd heard about the fire, and the upended tree.

>She'd show him up somehow.

>Pinkie seems to warm from her icy stupor.

>"I -GUESS- he'll need a real welcome."

>That was the plan.

>He was in trouble, and they'd get him out.

 

/~/

 

>*"Anonymous, don't give up."

>You grit your teeth and open your eyes.

>You entire body ached.

>Amber light anchored your suit to the floor, your suit's wrists and ankles immoveable.

>You tug on your extremities, but they don't move.

>A chunk of rock is still attached to your coiled Linebreaker, which reaches into the corner of your new cell.

>"You won't escape this time," a hiss comes from in front of you.

>This Changeling was different than the others, and was larger than Thrystra.

>Chrysalis.

>Her lesser cowered behind her, and you smiled at the nub that used to be her horn.

>Thrystra's mane had also lost colour: it was a pale gray, as if the pigment had leaked away.

>A green pin of light lances from Chrysalis' horn and spears your head.

>Pain overcomes every sense, burning your thoughts.

>It ends quickly, and you swallow the sensation.

>You were used to this.

>The only way to deal with such torture is to swallow it down, letting it fill an insatiable void from whence your rage came from.

>You would never give in.

>You had already endured a lifetime of pain and misery. Nothing this insect could throw at you could possibly put you in any more pain than you've already been in.

>You make no sound. The only reaction your tormentor gets is a cold stare from two blue orbs.

>Her sickly eyes narrow at you.

>A smile traces across her foul mouth.

>"Let's try something else."

 

 

>Another lance spears your helmet, but no pain comes this time.

>Instead, it is a foul stylus, turning your thoughts over as pages of a book instead of burning them.

>You force forward every horrific moment you had ever encountered.

>Sometimes you could shock interrogators with horrific images.

>Your teeth bare outwards as you roar silently in defiance.

>The blood, entrails, pain, and suffering.

>The terror, hatred, and pointless struggles.

>She delves into your endless fury and recoils.

>Furious anger erupts like a hurricane.

>You would not be read like text on a page.

>Your suit rises a few inches as your body tenses.

>Your optics flare painfully bright.

>Pain floods your body as you hear your joints pop and scream against the restraints.

>SHIT.

>You would not be a prisoner.

>A chuckle escapes the lips of the bug horse in front of you.

>The light comes back, this time effortlessly sweeping past your defences.

>You struggle against the invasion.

>It stops.

>"What's this...?"

>An image appears in your mind.

>Its Twilight and Rarity, looking over a hologram of a grand admiral.

>You push as hard as you can muster.

>The image does not dissipate.

>"Oh this is simply delicious... Thrystra... you will be very pleased..."

 

/~/

 

>Six p0nies trot into a dark cave.

>Fluttershy is very apprehensive of the dark, but a light from Twilight's horn encourages her.

>"From what we have on our meetings with the Changelings, they sleep at night like we do. There shouldn't be too many of them out right now," Twilight explains.

>"How will we know where he is? These caves go on and on... and... it’s... quite dark."

>"We know where he was going, we should be able to trace is steps."

>"He -is- a big'un, shouldn't be too hard."

>The group saunters into the cavern.

>They're awestruck. Not many outside of Changelings had ever seen the hive.

>They scan the towers.

>"Yep. Look," Applejack points with a hoof.

>The remains of a dome jut upwards in broken shards, bleeding light into the darkness.

>He'd obviously been there.

>Rarity sighs to herself. "He is -so- uncouth, what a barbarian!"

>It didn't matter, the group charges off into the darkness.

>The ground level is abandoned.

>Each p0ny can see thick boot prints on the dusty floor.

>They also see jagged prints of the holed hooves of Changelings.

>They'd backed him into a T junction, and he'd been overwhelmed.

>Rainbow Dash looks on. "Look at this, there were so many."

>Applejack also points out the cluster of boot prints near the wall, as well as the chunk missing.

>He didn't go down without a fight.

 

 

>The body of one of the Changeling royal guards lies crumpled against the wall.

>He wore a dull metal armor, the only adornment being a stylized symbol.

>Twilight picked the chest piece off carefully.

>"Ugh, yuck."

>At least this venture wasn't a total loss.

>"Uh, Twilaight."

>Applejack nudges a small round disk sitting near the wall.

>It was the projector that Pearl had used to show Twilight and Rarity the uniforms, as well as the latch.

>"He wouldn't just drop this," Rarity points out.

>*"Please identify yourself."

>"Why, I am Rarity of course. Is that you... Pearl?"

>*"Who wore white?"

>"That was the... Grand Admiral."

>Rarity looks puzzled.

>*"Confirmed. Finding this projector means that Anon has been captured. We have already been through the cell block, and he may be there again."

>A map appears in the misty light of the projector.

>Pearl's voice is terse and emotionless.

>*"I left a small copy of myself behind to guide you."

>A blip appears on the map, showing where the group was.

>*"Please hurry."

 

 

>The map showed where Anon probably was: the club.

>The doors lie off their hinges in the plaza outside, and the hallways ring hollow.

>The cavern is a ghost town: nothing disturbs the silence save half a dozen p0nies.

>They find the passage upwards and follow the map.

>Fear tugs on their pastel psyches, but it does not slow their pace.

>Twilight leads them into a long corridor, following the map.

>*"I have detected his signature. Here."

>Another blip dots the map, leading the group closer.

>They arrive at the door.

>"This should be it... Applejack?"

>The country p0ny lines up at the stone door, and bucks it hard.

>It doesn't budge.

>Twilight tries magic.

>Nothing.

>Pinkie Pie then saunters up to the door, inspects it for a moment, and presses down on a latch.

>It swings open.

>"You're so silly sometimes!" she says, skipping through the opening.

>They find him inside, bound to the floor and on his back.

>Twilight quickly undoes the magic binding.

>She taps her hoof on his helmet.

 

/~/

 

>Clink-clink.

>ORGANIC SYSTEMS FAILING: REBOOTING.

>Lightning arcs across your body.

>ORGANIC SYSTEMS CRITICAL.

>MEDICAL ASSISTANCE REQUIRED.

>AWAITING INPUT. . .

>You can dimly see Twilight looking down at you.

>*"Twilight, Anon needs to be removed from this place as soon as possible."

>"Right. Can he move?"

>Your vision swims.

>*"He cannot. Please hurry."

>Twilight nods, and motions her friends close.

>"I hope this works..."

>She concentrates.

>A clamour is heard from outside.

>The plan had been discovered.

>Twilight crouches low, her horn flares a bright light.

>QUANTUM EVENT DETECTED.

>"Come on Twi... they're gettin' closer..."

>The room collapses in on itself.

 

 

>*"Slowly, Anon."

>Your eyes slide open.

>You suck back a breath.

>*"You're safe now," Pearl whispers.

"Damage."

>*"That can wait, are you--"

"Damage," you repeat, sternly.

>A moment's pause, and your HUD displays a transparent skeleton.

>A great many parts of it burn red.

>*"Both ankles broken, left femur broken, both knees have torn ligaments, right hip dislocated, three broken ribs, right shoulder strained to near dislocation, both forearms broken, all fingers strained to near pulverization..." Pearl highlights each area on the image. "But these are not the injuries I'm concerned about."

>You remember the image of your new p0ny acquaintances.

>Friends.

>Acquaintances.

 

 

>Chrysalis had opened up that part of your mind.

>It had been rolled around.

>The laughter.

>It scorched like fire.

>Your friends.

>And then the memory evaporated.

>They laughed at you, desperately searching for it.

>The image remained... but it was gray. Lifeless.

>They had taken it from you.

>*"Anon--"

>A great void filled your heart.

>You suck back another breath, feeling choked.

>You gasp hard for air as your vision blurs.

>*"It’s all right..."

>For the first time, your immoveable psyche cracks.

>Another unfamiliar sensation crawls from the depths.

>You cry.

>They had taken new memories and killed them.

>That which softened the cold reality of centuries of war.

>That which elevated you from a mere pawn into something unique.

>The colour in your life was now a dead gray.

>You shiver inside your suit.

>Everything felt cold and dark.

>Your determination, the furious anger that drove you to impossible heights of stalwart bravery was snapped.

>Your one respite from pain...

>...was gone.