Into Your Dreams...

Chapter 6: Inner Torment

Vinyl closed the door and looked at me with amazement.

"Always coming up with something new to impress huh? First magic, then cooking, and now trumpet playing? All accentuated by one extremely hot bod, if I may add," She commented with a smirk.

"Well I guess I have you to thank for that last part," I pondered.

"Hmm…I guess you're right," She smiled, "C'mon I've got a rave to go and set up for and I'm gonna need some help."

"So who's the lucky helper?" I teased.

"Oh, stop," She smiled, punching me in the arm.

Something happened. Starting from that spot I started tensing up completely. I started getting frightened as a cold spread over my shoulder, moving onto my head and hind legs. Soon, I stood in front of Vinyl, frozen. Then, heat came from within me, much like the day I got decked at lunch back on Earth. I guessed that as the other abilities I possessed before coming here were accentuated by ponification, so too were my downfalls such as my wicked temper in situations where physical violence is used. Although it was just a love-tap, not a hit thrown in menace, it didn't make sense as to why I started to become filled with fury as the heat grew from my inner self. I couldn't control it, save for breaking the spell cast over my body for long enough to tell Vinyl,

"Run."

She booked it to the door, and looked back once with worry as she opened the door, and quickly went outside, peering in through the window as I felt anger rise within me greater than before. The fire inside melted the icy cold and I was released, feeling full of energy and filled with bloodlust, ready to tear the next person I saw to pieces. Fortunately it was a new occurrence, and didn't last for more than a few seconds. Upon the energy's receding back to where it came from, I promptly passed out.

I opened my eyes to see that I was still in the piano room, somewhat relieved that I wasn't in the hospital. Not a fan of hospitals. I couldn't hear anything in the house, and wondered if Vinyl was still outside. I looked at the clock and it looked like I had only been out for about five minutes, so she wouldn't have been waiting long. I tried moving to get up, and found a film of something covering me. It was sticky and gross and didn't come off easily, however, upon detaching from my body, it disappeared. I shook some off that was attached to my foreleg, and it fell about six inches before dissipating into the atmosphere. I moved to get up again, this time successful, and went to the front door. On it was a hastily written note from Vinyl:

Joe,

Went to get Twilight to see if she knows anything about what I just saw. Will be back in ten minutes tops.

Love,
Vinyl

As I stood finishing the note, I saw Vinyl approaching from the window. She was blank faced, obviously lost in thought as I opened the door for her. She walked through the door without even noticing. I then closed the door behind her and she jumped and stared at me.

"Hey." I said, expecting the worst as for explanations.

"Hi." No emotion.

"Sorry for freaking out, I have no idea what it was."

"I see," She began, "Twilight seemed to know what was happening when I explained it to her, but she wouldn't tell me anything."

"Well that's life I guess."

"Hmm…" She gave me a look about to say something, but stopped. She seemed to be collecting her thoughts. "You said that…back on Earth…during the fight…" She slowly pieced together the question. "…You slowly filled with rage….what did that feel like?"

"Of course! I see where you're going with this. Yes, it felt much the same, although not with the freezing up part, just the fury."

"So is that why you told me to run when it started?"

"Yea, it took quite a bit of energy, but I wanted you out of there just in case I went berserk. Which I kind of did, but I didn't do any damage."

"Cool," I could see she was glad that no damage was made, "Now, how about we get this stuff over to Sugarcube corner, the party starts in about an hour and it takes me about half an hour to set up."

"All right let's get goin' then," I said happily.

"Hey how about you bring your trumpet and play some in the plaza for the other ponies that aren't into the whole 'club' scene?"

"Hmm, okay. What would you recommend?"

"Well based on your pony I can assume you have Jazz on Earth?"

"Of course!"

"Then why don't you play some of that?"

"Sounds like a plan."

"Sweet. Okay, NOW, let's get going."

As we headed off to go set up, I couldn't help but wonder what Twilight had realized about him. Do I have some sort of serious problem associated to my anger? Did I disrupt some balance being transferred from Earth? What about that gel? I kept drifting further and further from the present situation until Vinyl announced we were there. I set down the equipment I had levitated there and forced the questions away, for the moment. For the next fifteen minutes we set up her stuff inside Sugarcube Corner. Then, as Vinyl started going about her business, I helped Pinkie with the decorations like lights, streamers, and much to my dismay, the party cannon. I made sure however, to angle it upwards, just in case.

I grabbed my trumpet and headed outside to set myself up. I thought of my own songs to play and how I was to play them. I then thought of something. Magical accompaniment. I hadn't heard of it before, and wasn't sure if it was possible, or just wishful thinking. Nevertheless, I thought I'd try it anyway. Still not the magical type entirely, I had no idea what to do. To start, I thought of just a basic blues progression, then of the instruments that would be used in a jazz style combo: saxes, trombone, piano, drums and a bass. I focused through my horn all these thoughts. I felt smoke appearing around me, and gradually take form. As the instruments became more refined, they began tuning up to each other. They started very out of tune, but gradually they began solidifying, anchoring their tone perfectly with one another. I looked around me at the ghost instruments, losing my focus and they began to dissipate. Focusing back again they re-solidified and, remarkably, the trombone took off on a solo. Looking around again, pleased, I sent the instruments back to smoke, feeling ready for the nights performance.

Before the performance began, though, I saw Twilight galloping up to me with Applejack alongside her holding a lasso. I stood puzzled as they got closer and was even more confused when Applejack tied me up with her lasso. Upon doing so, they closed the rest of the distance between us.

"Umm, what's…up?" I asked, clearly confused as to why I was now hogtied on the ground.

"Don' take this the wrong way Joe, but I don' think ya should be out here."

"Why not?" Still confused.

Twilight spoke this time, "Because you are plagued by something that concerns me deeply."

I stare at her uncomprehensively.

"I'll explain more in private," she said after being stared at for a minute.

Vinyl came out to check on me, and didn't seem to comprehend what was going on any better than I was.

"What is going on here?"

"Don't worry Vinyl we got it under control."

She looks at me, I shrug.

"Are you sure Twilight?"

"Yup."

"Alright then."

I felt myself picked up by Twilight's cloud of purple magic, and being taken away.

At Twilight's house Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy were waiting for the three of us.

"No Rarity or Pinkie?"

"Pinkie is busy with the party and Rarity, well, never mind about her. We have bigger problems." Twilight responded to my question.

"We meaning…" I questioned raising an eyebrow.

"You." Finished Rainbow.

"I thought as much." I replied matter-of-factly.

I was set, still tied up, on a table in the center of the room, looked upon by the four mares.

"As I was saying before Joseph, you are plagued by something that has been alien to ponykind for several decades now. It is what we called, 'The Torment.' The Torment was an ailment contracted by ponies who were weak and unsure of themselves, but I am under the impression that this is not the case for you, as when meeting you you were very open and sure."

"Actually, I was extremely nervous but was, that is to say, reassured and that boosted my confidence long enough to make a good impression. You are correct in that I am not weak, but I get incredibly nervous around new people ...er ...ponies."

"Anyway, the Torment exponentiates a ponies power by having them tap into otherwise locked sources inside our bodies like rage and bloodlust. I am under the impression that your's was contracted due to the transfer interference from your world to ours."

"Yes Vinyl and I came to that conclusion."

"Good. But to make sure that The Torment is really what ails you, we're going to have to test something." Twilight and the others began looking at each other nervously.

"And that is?" I asked, not pleased with all this drama.

"We are going to try to put you back into the state, and see if the symptoms resemble that of the Torment."

"So Rainbow here is going to slap me up or something to see if I get twisted again?"

"Yup!" Rainbow replied for Twilight, a little TOO happy to be involved.

"Okay," another shrug, I just wanted it over with at that point, but also a little anxious to see what'll happen.

"Excellent. Applejack, go secure the ropes to him so he can't go too far."

"On it."

"Wait," I spoke up, mildly concerned, "Why is Fluttershy here? If what you're saying is going to happen happens…" I didn't finish the statement.

"She's here to talk you out of the Torment once we've determined your symptoms." Twilight explained.

"Well, no offense to her but, is that such a great idea?"

"Don't worry about me Joe," Fluttershy came over to me, "I can handle myself."

"Alright." I did worry, strangely, but I decided to believe her.

Applejack tightened the ropes down on my upper and lower body, two each, and stood back against the wall. Without warning, Rainbow came up and slapped me across the face, hard. I was about to look over and tell Twilight it didn't work, when I started tensing up, starting from the point of impact. It was much the same, except starting from my right cheek instead of left shoulder. Once the tension had spread to my lower back, the cold came as I felt myself retreating inwards. The cold froze me as before and in seconds I was solid as a rock, unmovable and distant. Twilight was holding a clipboard and pen with her magic, and check something off on it.

"Now Rainbow." Twilight commanded.

Rainbow came up and tried to push me, but was greeted by a shock of cold energy as she was, not too gracefully, thrown against the wall, shivering with cold. Twilight made another checkmark.

It was then that the fire began. The heat came pulsing and I began to thaw again. I felt the fire inside and was full of energy, bloodlust coursing through my veins. Rainbow was still in front of me when I finally unfroze, and it hit me, that she had hit me. She met my stare, and my heart rate peaked. I growled, yes growled, and lunged at her, impeded by the ropes. I pushed against them trying to get at her. After seeing me lunge, Rainbow's face went literally white with fear as I strained against my harnesses. I saw out of the corner of my eye Twilight checking something off on her board, and Fluttershy hiding behind her. I was pushing every bit of new found energy into my legs to get after Rainbow, and she started edging towards the door, noticeably frightened by the concept of being mauled by a massive black stallion with his eyes set on her.

"Okay, now Fluttershy." I faintly heard Twilight say, still intently focused on breaking free.

Fluttershy whimpered in response. For some reason, I heard this over the voice of my own rage. She started speaking in a slow manner, obviously scared as well. Slowly, the fire inside me was extinguished, and I immediately fell to the floor exhausted once again.