The sounds of explosions, of panic. The smell of blood, and something worse filling the air. A painful drumming in my ears, my head feeling like it split. These things, and more whirled through my mind.

How long, have I been asleep?...

Opening my eyes slowly, I feel the dull pounding in my skull, my eyes aching and my hoofs hurting. I try to get up, but I feel a tense pain in my right forehoof. Flinching, I immediately look at my hoof, my eyes widening as I see a long, crooked cut along my hoof. It is coated in blood, the red liquid staining my hoof and the floor. Gingerly, I test it out, trying to balance on my wounded hoof. It holds, but with a sharp pain I give up putting pressure on it. My wound has long since healed, so I instead focus on my surroundings. Shaking my head clear of the dust in my mind, I see that I seem to be in a stone house, the walls made of a light tan rock. Blinking my eyes as I adjust to the darkness, I can make out a single window, above me. It reveals a dark, star ridden sky, the moon right above me. It also reveals to me, that I am in a cage.

Unsteadily thanks to my wounded hoof, I try standing on three legs, trying to take in the dark surroundings. From what I see, I am in a sort of large dome sunk into the ground, with a cage on the top of the dome to keep me in. In front of me is five doors, each with their own symbol. A Horseshoe, A Tree, A Moon inside of a Star, A Lightning Bolt with Wings, and a Jester Hat with a Smile. My eyes widen, looking at each of these doors, a sense of unease filling me.

Holding my head, I try to remember what happened before I blacked out. Not only that, but who I am.. I try to remember my name, but nothing comes up. All I know is that I am an earth stallion, just going into adulthood, and I did not have my cutie mark. Slowly, my mind begins to fill with images. Of me, in a place called Sunny Hills. I was.. Helping my mother as we tried to cross the border into New Ponyville, with a caravan of other earth ponies. Why couldn't I remember their faces? Sitting on my flank, my left hoof under my chin, I tried to remember more.

We were about to cross the border, when.. Something, rose through the sky. I remember someone shouting something about an "Airship", and suddenly there was shouting and firing. I remember my mother telling me to run, while several ponies began to run towards us from the direction of New Ponyville wearing armor. I remember hearing something explode near me, and seeing some freakish thing coming out of one of our caravans. It.. It was horrible.. Like from a nightmare. A strange box on mechanical legs with this sick, horrible worm coming from the box. I remember it smiling at me, and..

I stopped my musings as I felt a smile coming to my face. Wait, why was I smiling? Shaking my head, I returned to my memories. After the Grinning Worm smiled at me, I remember several ponies leap off the Airship using ropes, and fighting the other ponies. The ones who came from New Ponyville rushed into us, attacking both the ponies from the airship and these Grinning Worms that were popping up from the caravans.

" Wait.." I mumble, my voice quiet." Were we trying to smuggle those.. Things, into New Ponyville?"

" Who knows? I believe so, considering many of those others were of the Cult." answered a voice from the darkness, startling me. I turn around, looking above me towards where the voice came from. Lanterns were suddenly lit all around me, blinding me. Some laughter was heard while my eyes adjusted to the light. Looking above me, I saw that I was indeed in some kind of arena, surrounded by a large, tough looking cage. Around me were several seats and chairs and benches. It looked like I was in a mini gladiator arena/bar, and sitting in a kinda throne surrounded by a few other ponies, was a rather intimidating looking unicorn.

He had a dark green coat, with fiery red hair. He also had a rather impressive goatee and mane eloquently combed into a style that, with his rimed hat with a single feather, reminded me kinda of a pirate. He wore a dark vest with many pockets, and had two curved blades at his sides. Looking at his side, I saw his cutie mark was of three things. A golden pirate ship, two crossed swords, and a male and female sex symbal intertwining. It was then I was drawn to his eyes.

My heart nearly stopped when I saw his eyes. One eye was a vibrant, almost glowing yellow that burned with intensity. The other eye, was a gentle pink. For some reason, looking into the pink eye made me feel like he was observing me like one does a cute filly. I immediately felt embarrassed and nervous, crossing my legs reflexively.

The pony laughed, some of the others around him laughing as well.

" Don't take my gaze to heart lad, although I do like what I see." He chuckled, watching me blush.

" Who.. Who are you?" I asked, trying to recover from the unneeded flirt.

" I am known by many names." He replied, sitting up and smiling." Those I fight, know me as the Crimson Blade. Those I work for, know me as a the leader of the Blood Lust Ponies of Fortune. To those in the District of Delights, I am the Emerald Lover." The other Ponies of Fortune laughed, a Sapphire Siren giggling.

" But for my true name.. Call me, Regal Charmer." Regal Charmer stated, his crew stomping their hooves and hooting. I bite my lip, some memories of my past resurfacing. Regal Charmer was a very bloodthirsty, very sexual pony pirate. If I was in his clutches, I was fucked.. Probably in more then one way.

" So, now you are probably wondering why you are here." Regal Charmer spoke, catching my attention." Well, my mates here caught you, and a few other deserters under order of House WhiteGold. The fact you were mostly Cultists was a suprise, but easily dealt with." He glanced at his right blade, before continuing.

" Lady Rarity didn't need every deserter, so we kept a few for ourselves to, test a few things out." For some reason my heart begins to speed up and my eyes widen as he says these last few words.

" Test, out what?" I ask, worried for the answer. Smiling a sinister smile, Regal Charmer pressed a button on the right side of his throne. Out of the floor inside the cage with me, comes a strange music box. It seems familiar, but also different. I feel a weird sense of ease around it, then I noticed a special attachment connected to the crank.

" This," spoke Regal Charmer, drawing my attention.", Is a Macabre Music Machine. A toy of the Cult of Laughter. Me and my men captured this little gift on an earlier raid. After a bit of tweaking, some studying, and a little torture or two, we found out how to play it effectively, using its multiple effects to our will.

" We even managed to make a special type of enchantment that repels the magic of this music box, though the enchantment can only be used to enchant chains and cages so far."

I uneasily look at the cage I am currently trapped in, and Regal laughs.

" Exactly. Anything inside that cage is affected by the Macabre Music Box, while us outside are safe. In addition, we can make it so that the musical effect lasts and hone it, so that it can affect a mass of ponies or a single pony and everywhere in between. Unfortunately, this process is only usable in areas where the Cult has a good grip. Like, say," He spreads his arms open, obviously referring to where we were now.", Baltimare.

" Now, I intend to make a little addition to the District of Desires. A mixture, between a fighting arena, betting hall, and brothel." At his last word I blush, trying to keep my gaze centered on him, but nervously glancing at the Macabre Music Machine.

" To put it simply, depending on what button I push," he refers to the buttons on his throne." I can have two opponents fight to the death, see who loses their sanity first, or.." He presses a button, and I immediately tense up. I see the music box winding up, playing its twisted music. But I don't hear it? Why don't I hear it?

What I do hear, is one of the doors opening. Turning my eyes to the door, I see it is the one with the Jester Hat and Smile. From inside comes a mare. She is a Pegasus, and a rather cute one at that. Her eyes are a light orange color, her coat a light silver. Her mane is slightly poofy, done in pigtails. One half is colored blue, the other white. She is wearing a strange top, kinda like a Jester's outfit. But the most alarming features are the metal blades on her wings, her face upturned in a wild smile, and the intense look of lust in her eyes as she blushes at me, licking her lips.

" Have one of the gladiators rape the other." Finished Regal Charmer, smiling his demented smile.

Author's Note

Well, first chapter over all. Though I am still unsure about this site, I will see if I can fit in and let my stories go forth. ^^ Hope you enjoy this little cliffhanger.