A ringing sound was buzzing around inside my head, a bright flash of light obscuring my vision. I can still feel around me, but it is numbed to the point that I can't identify anything as of yet. Last I remember, I was laying down in bed, getting some rest to wake up early for my birthday... and now this. There's no describing just how much my head hurts either... the sharp pain of almost having a smoldered, two hundred degree rock affixed into your forehead is the best that I can to, but even then that doesn't describe it very well. In my disabled state, I work my way around several objects, not knowing what they were, until I fell over a small shift downwards on the path I was supposedly moving on, hitting the ground face-first. My hooves were frail, and I couldn't seem to stand up regardless of how much I tried.
Then, something was touching me... I wasn't touching it, it was touching me. I had no idea what it was, but it helped me up onto my hooves. Through the unbearable ringing, I heard a heavily muffled voice, and couldn't make any sense of it. I looked in the direction of where it came from, a very blurry outline of something being there; my vision was starting to come back. Just as dark is the night, light was the day, as it seemed to be, rays from the sun now shining directly onto my eyes. The feeling of not being able to feel anything was beginning to lift from my hooves, a strange stone object being underneath them, the light wind hitting my coat. The ringing in my ears began to dissipate, and I could hear strange sounds I'd never heard before, almost sounding of that like an engine on the other side of the portal kept in the castle, but... different. As my eyesight drew back in, an unfamiliar creature stood before me. It looked like one of the humans from the portal, but... it didn't too. Its eyes were much smaller in comparison, and definitely not as round... its nose was almost monstrous compared to those of the humans I know... its hair was very short... and its skin looked like a peach... but other than these details, they were very close to the same. Just to the side of it was a metallic object with strange, black wheels.
That didn't matter... I was paralyzed. My senses came back, especially my strength, but I just couldn't move. How I had gotten here was a mystery, what these things were was just as puzzling, and what this place even was remained a total enigma. I could feel my eyes at their smallest, trembling where I remained at the threat that was probably more than just possible at this point. I couldn't understand the thing at all with what it said, it sounding like total gibberish. I tried to catch my breath, hyperventilating to the point it hurt my chest almost, sprawling onto the floor and curling up, terrified beyond doubt. I had no idea where I was, I had no idea what was going on, and I was surrounded by things that were more than unfamiliar.
In a split second, I was able to move, and I immediately darted off, my wings still not budging. Everywhere I looked, there were things that I knew nothing of, but wanted to get far, far away from. I could barely think, barely breathe as I figuratively flew down what I could only assume was a road... until I was brought to a screeching halt by a horde of these human things. Some of them were different colors than others, but not by much... I didn't know what to do, since they were all yelling, bright flashes from cameras coming from all directions, and I didn't know what to do...
...until another group of them, all in similar attire, came in and moved the others away. Their attire consisted of the same uniform, it being a strange camouflage, along with odd-looking headgear and black visors of some sort. I was moved from the center of the mob to an area that had more of those strange metal things, only they were more square and were somewhat taller. A few of them were around me, making me go in the direction that they were until I was put in one of what was now resembling a carriage... but with a hood and a strange wheel at the front, along with cushioned flooring. It then began shaking a few moments later, two of the human things being in two half-seats in a more forward area than the one I was in, and two being beside me, as I was in the middle. In just what seemed like a couple minutes, I had woken up, discovered I wasn't in Equestria, ran from something that I'd never seen before, and now I was here... oh, how my life has changed.
One of the two beside me looked over with one of their hands - or what I could only assume was their hand - around my shoulder area. There was strange padding over it, and the humans from beyond the portal in the castle didn't wear socks on their hands. It strangely resembled what it wore, too. Then, it told me something...
"Est-ce que tu vas bien?"
I didn't understand what it was saying by any means. If it was an accent, I couldn't understand how it would be a thing... if it was a language, I probably would've known it, being as smart as I am... what was it saying?
"Are you alright?" it then said. That I could understand... but I didn't know how to respond. All I could do was nod. As I looked forward, inside the strange machinery we were moving, the direction being influenced by the strange wheel in the front. I could stop the contraption altogether... if I could use my magic, which I couldn't, as I couldn't even sit still where I was. Where I was being taken was not clear, and probably would never be clear.
"Just get some rest," it told me. As much as I wanted to refuse, I was completely deprived of my energy after what I went through, so I curled where I was, putting my head on my hooves, hesitating to close my eyes at first, then complying, closing them... the soft rumbling coming from outside of the wagon-like conception aiding my drifting into sleep, me having forgotten all about what had happened for that moment, since I wanted out of it so unbearably bad... and where I would awake was out of my mind both when falling asleep... and would still not be clear to me until I was brought there at whatever point in time.
Flame in the Darkness
by... L o n e
I regained my consciousness after a bit of rest, though I kept my eyes closed at the remaining time... I couldn't tell if it was the next day or the same day, but I could definitely tell that the day before was no dream, just from the rumbling sound, the strange cushion and the movements coming from below said cushion. I couldn't fully comprehend the situation, but the second the thought of where I was came back into mind, my eyes shot open. All the scenery was the same inside of what I was now starting to think of as an unusual metal vehicle. The two humanoid things were still beside me, the one sitting to the right being asleep, the one to the left simply sitting there looking out the window beside it. I remained in my laying position, not bearing enough courage to move in the given situation... it's a wonder I even fell asleep. Outside of the windows, the sky was steeped in the darkness of the night. Though, several lights were affixed against the sky on a large, black surface erect what looked like sky-high, able to touch the clouds, and easily caught my interest. There were many trees blocking the way of the rest of the view of what was out there, but that was in plain sight. Many curiosities flew through my mind, just as they had before, and the overflow left an ache in my mind.
A few moments after I had finally gotten my head on straight, the human to the left of me turned, placing its covered hand against my back. I turned my head to look over at it, where behind its visor I could still feel the sympathy in its expression; you didn't have to be a pony or some human to know that look. "You're going to be fine," it told me. Normally I wouldn't trust something or someone I had no prior knowledge of, and even more so if it was a pony I did not trust, but this was a being that was like a human, and it even spoke the same language as me for some inexplicable reason... so I had the tiniest shrivel of trust there, maybe even hope that whatever this was could turn out to be friendly, and I wasn't just being kidnapped or something.
It was not long until the movement of what I was in came to a stop, the rumbling coming to an end. The two of the creatures in the front exited through what were most likely doors, the ones beside me doing the same. I was gestured to come out by the one that was left of me, and as it was the only one of them to say a single word to me at all, I went outside of it from that side. I may not have had much trust in whatever it was, but it was more than the others, at the very least. They surrounded me again, moving in unison as I was moved along with them. They were following one of the others, but this one had been in an outfit that looked just like a stallion's suit, equipped with a tie and long sleeves. Their face was not blocked or screened by any object, its hair being gray and frizzy, probably from what I could assume was growing age. While all the others - the ones that had been wearing something atop their head - were carrying weapons of sorts, this one was not. Its hands were open and to its sides as it was trying to signal for me to come over. It took a few moments to realize it was signalling to me, as I had to look to my sides to notice the others of its own kind were not moving, standing completely still like statues, and after I came to the realization, I walked over.
As I walked, I could feel a soft surface under my hooves. It felt like that of wool or a soft-layered carpet. When I looked down, it was just that, the color of it being a noble red. I looked back upon the old being, in which it looked back at me with what looked like a grin. "Now what are you supposed to be?" it spoke aloud in thought, kneeling onto one knee (as was to be expected) and looking at me. There was no aggression to be heard in its voice, and sounded like that of a male. I was no longer too afraid or shocked to speak, but I did not say anything due to the fact I felt a stinging nervousness in the back of my head. Its hand then moved forward with no warning, and I was braced for whatever was going to happen, whether it be a forceful grab or a heavy hit.
...but neither happened. I was greeted with its hand petting my head and mane. I did not understand the meaning of this, but an unusual sensation went through my mind, like it was enjoyable... which it partially was. After the shock of arriving here, already I had some sort of relief and relaxation from where I had least expected it. I had never had this happen before, even by a pony. "Now, I heard there was a bright pink unicorn with wings that appeared in some alley a few hours ago. I'm guessing that it was you?" it then asked. All I could do currently was nod, being at a complete and total loss of any words to say. It answered with a short laugh of sincerity. "I thought so. Why don't you come on in?"
It turned to what was behind it: a large, black iron gate... or, what looked like black iron. I hadn't even noticed them before. They opened upon it moving up to them, where it then turned and waved me over. I moved just behind it, the others with headgear just behind me as we then began to move. What was off in the distance was excessively large in size... and painted a bright, stone gray with lights beaming out of it. From my own experience in Equestria, this looked quite like a mansion of sorts. It was almost unbelievable to look at, and coming from a pony that had lived in a castle its whole life, that's surely saying something. It took almost a whole five minutes of walking by beautifully-arrayed gardens and sculpted bushes - which, by the way, was very clever to do - we finally arrived at the stairs leading up to the doors, and finally, the doors. Two more of them in suits similar to the older one's, but with what easily were sunglasses, were at them, opening them.
Inside of this enormous building was grand and beautiful. The floors were decorated with shining marble, and decor was spread through the room such as paintings that were almost unrecognizable as such, magnificent rugs with designs filled with splendor... all of its grandeur was amazing to look at, and I almost couldn't look away. I was basically forced to after being called from down the hall by whatever its name was, following not far behind now. There were many more paintings on the bold, white walls, all of them being more of these creatures with the same attire as the one I was walking behind, only with difference facial features. They all looked terribly serious. At the end of this strange hallway, we turned to the left and entered a door where two more of them with helmets on were waiting, and upon entering, the doors closed... making me and the older one the only two in the room.
