The Equestrian Event

Jay entered the kitchen to find Rover seated at the corner of the dining table, his fore legs still bound behind his back. At the sight of the human, the diamond dog growled, flattening his ears.

“Why, hello to you as well,” Jay said. He took a seat next to Rover, hiding the items he had taken from the bag in his lap.

“My friend mentioned that you’re not feeling very talkative. Why is that?”

“I have nothing to say to you,” Rover snapped. “And you can’t make me. The ponies took away your ‘gun’ when you fell down. You’re were so weak, you couldn’t even stand.”

Rover leaned back and bared his teeth in arrogant grin.

“You know,” Jay laughed. “There are a lot of words coming out of your mouth now. Too bad they’re not the ones I want to hear.”

“Why should I care?” Rover laughed. “Those ponies won’t let you do anything to me.”

“Know what, doggo?” Jay prompted. “You strike me as the type of person that has trouble retaining information. So, allow me to jog your memory.”

He set one of the golden capsules he had taken from the duffle bag on the table. It was modest in its size, roughly an inch tall.

“This is called a ‘bullet,’” Jay explained, pointing at the capsule. “When I put it in a gun and pull the trigger, this top part is propelled out of the gun barrel by a small explosion from inside the casing. I used two of these to put down those other pups.”

Rover’s grin faltered a little.

Jay placed the silver object with the black grip on the table.

“This is called a ‘revolver.’ It too is a gun, just like the one that killed your friends. One major difference is that a revolver uses a cylinder, as opposed to a clip, or a magazine. Which means, it can’t hold as many rounds as other guns.”

Jay picked up the revolver and flipped out its cylinder, revealing five large holes.

“Now, obviously, that little nine millimeter round won’t fit in this,” Jay said, looking through the holes of the cylinder.

“Then it is useless to you,” Rover said with a grin.

“Au contraire, friendo,” Jay said.

He placed the other capsule on the table. It was almost twice the size of the nine millimeter round. Rover’s smile withered away at the sight of it.

“This is known as a ‘Four-Five-Four Casull.’ It exerts a force of more than twenty-five hundred joules,” Jay explained.

“I was clearing out an abandoned military cargo freighter a couple of years back and just happened to find the revolver and a stash of these buggers in one of the officer’s cabins. They must have been a collector of some sort, considering these cartridges are, although entirely functional, somewhat outdated.”

Jay smiled as he weighed the revolver in his hand.

“As I’m sure you can see, it’s a bit bigger than the ones that blew out the back of the other pups’ skulls. You remember what a mess that was, right?”

Jay picked up the bullet and placed it in one of the cylinder’s chambers.

“What kind of mess do you think this one will leave?”

“You- you can’t,” Rover said. “They won’t let you!”

“Actually, I can,” Jay said, getting up from his chair.

“I- I can’t talk,” Rover whimpered. “I can’t say anything or else they’ll kill me!”

“I’ll kill you if you don’t talk, you stupid shit!” Jay laughed.

“I- You can’t-” Rover stuttered.

“Tell you what,” Jay said, dragging Rover’s chair away from the table. “Let’s play a game. Allow me to explain the rules.”

He spun the cylinder of the revolver and then, with a flick of his wrist, slapped it back into its original place with a click.

“I ask you a question and you decide whether or not to answer. If you don’t -” Jay pressed the barrel of the gun flush against Rover’s forehead. “- I pull this big shiny trigger. Then, you have a one in five chance of losing your head. Sound like fun?”

“Please,” Rover pleaded. “I can’t-”

“First question!” Jay said. He pulled back the hammer on the back of the revolver.

“Who hired you?”

“I can’t tell you,” Rover whimpered.

“Ehh!” Jay shouted, imitating the noise of of a buzzer. He pulled the trigger.

It clicked without a bang.

Rover yelped in terror, panting rapidly.

“Try again,” Jay said.

He looked down and smiled deviously.

“How about we save ourselves a trip to the vet?” Jay suggested, pointing the gun at Rover’s crotch.

“Please, no!” The dog struggled against his restraints.

“Then answer the damn question!” Jay yelled.

“I can’t!” Rover cried.

“Wrong!” Jay shouted.

He pulled the trigger again.

Once more, it gave a metallic click.

Rover was sobbing now.

“Strike two,” Jay said. “Come on pup! It’s the bottom of the ninth and you’re two balls away from losing the series. Wait... did that joke make sense to you? Do you guys even have baseball around here?”

“Y- You don’t know what they’ll do to me,” Rover heaved.

“But I know what I’ll do,” Jay laughed.

He began to pace around the kitchen, whistling a low melody. He ceased as his eyes came across something of great interest to him.

On the counter, not far from the sink, was a knife block, full of cutlery.

A large, mischievous grin stretched across Jay’s face.

He walked over to the block and brushed his fingers along the handles of each blade.

“Perhaps we should try a different approach,” Jay said, pulling a small paring knife out.

“You know, it really is surprising that someone such as yourself has so much loyalty to their employer. I’m amazed you haven’t squealed yet. What’s the secret? A big paycheck? Blackmail? Fear for your life? It’s the fear for your life, isn’t it?”

He walked over to Rover and placed the knife to the dog’s cheek, slowly pressing the blade into the skin.

“What do you think your chances are of living if you don’t talk to me?”

Rover’s breathing had become shallow and his pupils were now pinpricks.

“O- Okay,” he whimpered. “I’ll talk. I’ll talk.”

“You see?” Jay said, pulling the knife away. He walked back to the block and slid the blade back into place.

“That wasn’t so hard, was it?”

He took a seat at the table across from Rover once more.

“So, who do you work for? And be sure to answer honestly.”

“I… I don’t know who they are,” Rover answered. “They don’t tell us nothing. Only when they need work done. It’s always the same pony that pays us. The one in the hood…” Rover trailed off.

“Go on,” Jay said. He crossed his arms and leaned back in his chair. “Tell me about this pony in the hood.”

“He’s pushy,” Rover growled. “Always giving orders. Always demanding. He talks weird too. Whenever I ask about pay, he says stuff about a ‘transformation’ or something. Us diamond dogs not care about that. Only getting payed for the work they have us do.”

“You keep saying ‘they,’” Jay said. “You mean that there are others besides this hooded guy?”

“Sometimes,” Rover answered. “But never more than two come with him.”

“You have a designated meeting point then?” Jay asked.

“Out in Everfree,” Rover said. “It’s always in front of this big cave. We tried to change it to be closer to our hideout, but the hooded pony got angry. He started complaining about not wanting to walk so far just so he could ‘converse with us racketeers.’ Whatever that means.”

“When you were hired to deal with Twilight and I, did they tell you why?” Jay asked. “Did they give you any specific instructions?”

“He told us to make it messy,” Rover said, gazing at the wall. “He wanted you hurt badly. Slowly... But it all had to be done before sunset.”

“Before sunset?” Jay raised an eyebrow. “Did he give you a reason?”

“I asked him why,” Rover explained. “One of the ponies that was with him began to say something about, ‘holy fire,’ and, ‘the fall of false gods.’”

Jay looked down at his watch. It was getting late. Sunset was only an hour away at the most.

“Well, it took awhile, but you’ve been at least somewhat helpful,” Jay said, rising from his seat.

“Is there anything else you remember about your last get together? Anything at all?” he asked, removing the revolver and spare cartridge from the table.

“Only that the hooded pony was in a rush to get it over with,” Rover snorted. “He said something about having a meeting with a princess. It must have been joke, because the ponies with him laughed. I didn’t get it though.”

Jay went rigid at the mention of the princess.

“That can’t be good,” he thought.

“Are you sure?” Jay asked.

“Yeah,” Rover said, shrugging his shoulders. “They all kept laughing about how, ‘a knife in the back isn’t painful enough,’ and that, ‘the harlot will get a blast to the face instead.’ Then they yelled at us for not having left yet.”

“Well, if you’ll excuse me, I have to go now,” Jay said as he hurriedly made his way to the door. Then he stopped and turned around, raising a finger.

“Oh, and don’t think about escaping. I’d rather not have to make a mess of Twilight’s kitchen, okay? Okay. You behave yourself now. Bye!”

With that, Jay excused himself from the room, leaving Rover to contemplate his current predicament.

******

“Well?” Twilight asked as soon as Jay had returned.

“What happened? Did he say anything? What did you do to him?”

“We had a little talk,” Jay replied as he strode over to the black chest in the center of the room. “He told me a little about his employers. That’s all.”

“We heard shouting, so we started to get worried…” Fluttershy said timidly.

“How did you get him to talk?” Dash asked, eyeing Jay with a hint of contempt.

“I simply asked him a few questions,” Jay grunted, reaching over to the nearest duffel bag and dragging it closer to him.

“And he answered them. Well, some of them.”

“What are you in such a hurry for?” Applejack asked.

“No reason,” Jay said, digging through the bag. He pulled out a small communications device that was akin to the one he had given to Luna the night before. Placing it in his ear, he began to rummage through the chest once more.

“I just have to run a quick errand.”

“Where?” Twilight asked, becoming perturbed by this sudden change of pace.

“To Canterlot, and fast,” Jay replied. “In the meantime, I need you girls to keep an eye on our guest. Lock him in the basement if you have to. I take it you’ve thought up some questions since you heard that recording? We can talk about that later.”

Jay withdrew a small silver rod from the chest and got to his feet.

“Ice, divert our sector scans to the Everfree Forest,” Jay ordered. “Make a clean sweep and pay extra attention to tunnel systems. The Marker is probably located underground.”

“Yes sir,” Ice said.

“Let me know when you get a pinpoint on its location,” Jay said, brushing past Twilight as he walked to the front door. “I want to know where this thing is the same second that you do.”

“Wait, what’s going on?” Twilight asked, trotting after Jay. “Why aren’t you telling us?”

“I will, but not now,” Jay said. “Where’s my bag?”

“Here you go!” Pinkie said. She was now standing in front of the human, the bag held between her teeth.

“Thanks,” Jay said, deciding not to concern himself with just how the pony had appeared out of nowhere.

“How are you even going to get to Canterlot?” Dash asked. “The fastest way there is by train. It’s not even running now.”

“Ice,” Jay said, tapping the earpiece lightly.

“Yes?” Ice’s voice replied, emanating from the device’s speaker.

“I need a package delivered,” Jay said. “How fast can you get the ‘Sidewinder Kit’ down here?”

He opened the front door of the library and took a peek outside. The street was relatively empty, with only a smattering of townsfolk up and about. Jay took the silver rod, gave it a twist, and tossed it into a nearby clearing.

“Coordinates received,” Ice said. “It should be there in the next minute or so.”

“Thanks, Ice,” Jay said. He slung his bag over his shoulder and turned to face the ponies.

“I’ll be back as soon as I can,” Jay said. “Ice will keep you up to speed on what’s happening. Give me a call if you feel like it.”

After Jay had finished his address, a distant crackling could be heard from far above. The entire group stepped outside and turned their gazes skyward.

Cutting a path through the thin blanket of clouds that littered the sky was a large, blazing object. A series of sharp, popping noises could be heard as the base of the object grew brighter and began to slow. Without warning, a foil sail exploded from the top of the projectile, acting as a parachute and allowing it to drift through the air.

“What is that?” Twilight asked with a sense of fascination.

“And where did it come from?” Fluttershy asked.

“Is it from space?” Pinkie inquired excitedly. “Is it a UFO?”

“It’s just a container,” Jay said as the vessel landed with a dull thud, its sail draping over it in a graceful manner.

“A container for what?” Twilight asked.

Jay calmly walked over to the container and pulled the sail away, revealing the metal box beneath. Its color was a dull gray, as if it had been coated in ash. An array of faded numbers and symbols were displayed on each face. Embedded in the side closest to Jay was a yellow lever connected to a large panel.

Jay took hold of the lever and gave it a firm tug. It was warm, yet still cool enough to touch. The lever pulled away from the panel with ease, causing it to slide open with a loud hiss. A burst of steam escaped from the inside of the unsealed container as its pressure equalized with that of the outside air.

As Jay performed these tasks, Twilight was becoming increasingly irritated at the human’s unwillingness to respond to her questions. She gave a nervous look to the townsfolk that were still on the open street. Many of them were watching the current events unfold with a sense of unease.

“Jay!” Twilight shouted from the steps of the library. “What are you doing?”

“I need a way to get to Canterlot,” Jay said, letting the container’s panel to lower to the ground and creating a built in ramp.

“So, I called for a ride.”

Jay ducked his head down and stepped inside the container. What little sunlight that shone inside revealed a tarp that was pinned to the floor of the container by four latches. Jay went about detaching these restraints and pulled the tarp away.

Jay smiled at what resided underneath and placed both hands on the object, pushing it out of the container.

What Jay wheeled out was a contraption that seemed quite foreign, not to mention impractical, to the ponies.

It was clearly a vehicle of some sort. It was supported by just two relatively thin wheels and possessed a set of handlebars as the only obvious means of steering. In place of a conventional seat was a thick rubber pad. The metal frame of the vehicle was painted with a series of black and gray speckles, as if to serve as camouflage.

“This, my friends, is what is known as an ‘all-terrain, motorized, combat bike,’” Jay explained.

“Of course, I just call it, ‘The Sidewinder.’ Catchy, no?”

Jay kicked a metallic rod away from the base of the bike, allowing it to stand without his support. He then walked back into the dropped container, only to return a moment later with a pair of matte black cases in his arms. They were joined together by a length of dense fabric, giving them the appearance of saddlebags. Jay tossed these over the back of the bike and checked to make sure that they were secure.

“I notice a lack of questions coming from your mouths at the moment,” Jay said as he swung his right leg over the seat of the bike.

“I’ll take that as a blessing,” Jay said. “Seeing as that I really must be off, we don’t have much time to chat. That, and I also really don’t feel like explaining basic concepts to you right now. Feel free to ask Ice whatever you want. I’m sure she’ll be able to provide you with more insight than what you currently have.”

Jay knocked the metal rod that was previously holding the bike up back into place and took hold the handlebars. He then extended his fingers on his left hand to squeeze a silver lever on the handle. Next, he raised his right foot up onto another lever that was located just above the base of the bike and gave a firm, downward kick.

The machine sprang to life, uttering a series of loud coughs from the pipe located at the rear of the bike. A small puff of smoke escaped along with it. This sudden outburst caused all the ponies to jump in fright.

“I shouldn’t be gone too long,” Jay said as he gave the right grip of the handlebars a few quick turns, causing the bike to sputter even more.

“If I am, then that means something has probably gone horribly wrong. Like I said though, feel free to give me a call if you start feeling antsy. Now, if you’ll excuse me…”

Without another word, Jay was off, leaving behind a trail of dust as the tires of the bike tore over the dirt road. The group of ponies he had left behind watched as the human sped away.

“What’s gotten into him?” Applejack asked, shaking her head.

“Are you sure that spell of yours didn’t screw him up even more?” Dash asked Twilight.

“Whatever is going on, it can’t be good,” Twilight replied grimly.

“I just hope Jay knows what he’s doing.”