A Fractured World

(Somewhere in the darkest part of Africa’s Jungles)

Simon Cornwall was sitting by his fireplace reading his favorite story, The Most Dangerous Game, while drinking his favorite wine. He had just hung a beautiful trophy of one of his hunts and was watching the light beautifully dance off it. It was a jaguar that he been hunting for over two months and now was hanging in the perfect spot. He was one of the greatest hunters in the world for a reason.

As he took another sip, he heard a creak of wood behind him. He calmly sat his wine down and look at him, seeing only darkness in his hallway. He sat back down and very slowly reach under his seat for his handgun. Just as he was grabbing it, a loud ringtone came out from his closet.

“Son of a bitch.” A voice mutter from the closet. Before Simon could respond, the four small blast ripped through the door and he felt three bullets hit him. Two in his right arm, his gun arm and one into his liver. He screamed in pain as he collapsed to the ground. He looked to see a woman walked out of his closet, holding a pistol with a silencer. She pulled a cell phone and answer the call.

“This have better be important.” She said as Simon laid on the ground, moaning in pain. “I was going to get a bonus if I’d killed him with one of his trophies. Do you want to know how long I was sitting in this closet? What part of not to call me until I’m done with the job?” She shot Simon in his right knee cap, causing a new series of screams. “Who cares about the noise? We’re in the middle of a godforsaken jungle! Do you know how hard it is to get through a jungle?”

She put another shot in his left leg. “I think I killed at least five monkeys on my way here. And I hope to God that what is covering up to my knees is only mud.” She paused, listening to whoever called. Her eyes widen with shock. “Wait, he wants us to work for him again? What ever happen to this is a one-time thing?” She paused a couple more seconds and then nodded. “Okay, I’ll be there as soon as possible. Just let me finish this up.” She hangs up and turn to Simon.

“Okay, Cupcake.” She said, kneeling down next to him. “I was going to beat you to death with that stuff rhino head but I need to be on a plane in about…” She looked at her phone. “Twenty minutes. And since it takes about twelve to get through the jungle I really have to get going. I know I hit your liver so I don’t have to worry about you making any weekend plans” She got up and started walking to his front door. Just as she opened the door, she snaps her finger and turns around.

“You know, I hate to leave a job unfinished.” She kicks the door open. “And who know what predator stalk the night?”

(Portal Camp, Command tent. Equestrian Side)

“Princess Twilight,” Scorpio said with a smile. “I didn’t expect you to be here any longer. This is clearly a military operation and I already explain to the other princesses this might not be the best place for you. Celestia and Luna have returned to Canterlot, so I figured you would return to Ponyville”

“We understand that General,” Twilight said. “But Celestia said that I need be here to talk to the humans. My friends will be here because I might need their help. Is that a problem?” Scorpio bit his tongue and continue to smile.

“That is perfectly fine.” He said behind the smile. “But we will be in every meeting and no pony is crossing the portal. We got that?”

“Yeah, about that?” Twilight brought a hoof behind her head. “We are dealing with some kind of magic on a new level so I brought over a…expert.” Scorpio raised an eyebrow when he heard a small crackling noise behind him and a whiff of cinnamon filled the air.

“Oh no.” Scorpio mutter as he turns to see a very familiar sight. Holding an umbrella made completely out of fish stood Discord wearing what look like a fishing outfit. Beside him was a small unicorn that Scorpio recognize as Starlight Glimmer, with a shocked face and wearing a shower cap.

“General Scorpio.” Discord said with a crooked smiled. “What a nice surprise to see you again.”

(Carson City. Nearing Midnight.)

Ryan sat in a bar, looking at the clock that slowly ticks on the wall and drank his beer as slow as possible. He hated that they insisted that they meet in person this time but he had to get that voice to be quiet. As he set his half fill mug down, his phone chimed to alert a text was sent. He opened his phone to see a message was flashing.

“Look behind you.” The text read. He turned to see three people sitting in a booth in the back. Two men and a woman wearing tourist gear and drinking a shared bottle of wine. The woman motion for Ryan to come to them. He sighed then took another swing of his drink before walking over.

“Well, if it isn’t the esteem Governor.” The woman said, raising a glass to him. The two men raised their glasses too but didn’t bother to look up. “I believe you have a job that requires our service.”

“Before I offer the job, there some…things we need to discuss.” Ryan said, rubbing his temples. “This isn’t going to be a regular job. I need this handle with the most discretion.”

“Relax, Governor.” The one on the left of the woman said. “We’ve to handle those nut jobs for you a while back. So, what? Did more of them show up or something?”

“That another thing we need to discuss is this is not a normal target,” Ryan said. He pulled out his phone and turn it on. He pulled up a video and handed it to the woman. She watched it and she looks back up to Ryan.

“Is this real?” She asked. She handed it to the man to her right. “Eli, does this look real?” Eli looks at it and then look up to Ryan.

“What is this?” He said, cold and very calculated.

“Can you do the job?” Ryan ask. There were three clicks from under table and Ryan knew what it was.

“You have three Desert Engels pointing right at you with suppressors and hollow point bullets,” Eli said, not breaking a sweat. “You start telling me what this is about or you're about to find yourself in the history book as the first Nevada governor to die under mysterious circumstance.”

Ryan nodded and quickly explain what has happen over the last few days. He talked about Luna, Celestia and all the info he had on him. He didn’t say anything about the voice since it whispered him what to say. When he finished, Eli didn’t move but in fact, lean in to be closer to Ryan.

“So, let me get this straight,” Eli said, keeping his gun steady. “You want me and my two friends here to break into a military compound, sneak into a world that we would have no way of scouting, and kill basically their leaders because you said they are going to take over our world. Did I get that right?” Ryan nodded and Eli leads back. “Well, I guess there is nothing left to talk about.”

Eli stood up and the other two did too. Ryan looks up in confusion as they start to walk away.

“Wait, but you have to…” Ryan started but was cut off by Eli turn around, glaring down at him.

“You’re lucky I don’t just shoot and leave you to rot,” Eli said. “What in God’s name make you think we would do something so stupid?”

Ryan’s jaw drop and started to stammer. That’s when ice cold feeling shot through his head and he almost blacks out.

“My poor pet.” The voice said, icy cold. “Let me handle this.” He felt like ice water was rushing in his veins and his vision started to blur. He felt himself jump from his seat and in almost lightning like reflexes, grab Eli arm. His hand tightened to almost vice like and Eli notices almost immediately.

“Let go of me.” Eli started but stop the second he saw Ryan face. Gone was the shaken, desperate man that sat in the bar. Now he saw something else entirely different being in front of him. Whatever was in front of him wasn’t the Governor, he wasn’t sure if was even human.

“Let me tell you, Elijah,” Ryan said although the voice sounded like it was coming from something imitating Ryan. “I know why you kill. You remember what growing up was like. Daddy always hurting Mommy and no one believe you. Until you met Father McCoy that one summer. You weep about how Daddy drinks his special water and then that brought out the bad man. And what did he say?” Ryan cracks his neck and Eli heard a voice he never thought he heard again.

“Don’t worry, my boy,” Ryan spoke but it was Father McCoy voice that popped out of his mouth. “God will rid you of your demons if you pray hard enough.” Ryan chuckled. “But that didn’t happen, didn’t it? You prayed and prayed but all you got out of it was disappointment. But then, it happened. You heard a little voice in your head, remember? Telling you if you just put some rat poison in his special water and bye-bye daddy.”

He brought Eli closer and Eli could smell something like a cool night air. “That when you found your answer.” Ryan sang it out. “You believe God made you his personal little assassin and every time that voice whisper, you did what it told you. You join the army, became the best Ranger they seen in a long time and after about eighteen years of being loyal to your country, you decided to put your service to more…profitable.”

“I only kill…” Eli started but Ryan cut him off. His voice seemed to switch over to imitate Eli’s voice.

“I only kill those who offend God.” Ryan rolled his eyes and tighten his grip. “I know and that why you’re going to do this mission. Think about it.” Ryan led go of Eli’s arm and put his hand on his shoulder. “There is a being claiming to be god and will eventually come over to here. Do you really want another religion added to this world? Just think that your God’s little angel.”

“Alright, I’ll do it,” Eli said. The woman scoffs and folded her arms.

“So, you convince Eli but what about me?” The woman asked. “Because I don’t believe in that religious crap.”

“Ah, if it isn’t Judy,” Ryan said, a creepily smiled plaster on his face. “You’re right. You never care about morals or what happens after you die. You just care about proving that you're better than the rest. You love riddles, right? Well then here a riddle for you.” Ryan brought up a hand and started counting on his fingers. “Name me one person who can claim they killed a god or a unicorn? You’ll be known as one of the best assassins in history because no one can beat being the first.”

Ryan looks at their last partner, who just watch in amusement. Ryan walks over to him and flash his creepy smile. “Do I need to convince you, Sticks?” Sticks scratch his chin and just shrugged.

“I guessing you already know why I do this.” Sticks said, pulling out a combat knife and twirling in his hand.

‘Yes, you sociopath, you.” Ryan said. “Always like the cutting. You find more joy in the dead than the living. Just imagine what it will be like to sink your knife into a helpless little pony. It will be like Christmas for you.” Ryan leans in and whisper in his ear. “Imagen, hearing it last cries as you gut it. It seeing you as the very monster you been building yourself and you becoming a nightmare for an entire race. Sound like fun?”

Sticks smiled. “Where do I sign up?”

“Wait,” Eli said. “How are we going to get into this world? How do we make sure we are going to be safe? I rather not get cancer or grow another limb because we go to a strange world.”

“Right, almost forgot,” Ryan said, walking up to Eli. “I got something that will help with that.” Ryan slap Eli on the back. Eli felt a sting on his right shoulder. He saw a small mirror hanging above the bar. He pulled back on his shirt to see a tattoo on him. It was a circle with a line in the middle. On the left side of the circle was a rising sun while on the right side, the sun was setting.

“That symbol will protect you from the magic of the world,” Ryan said, doing the same to Judy and Sticks. “As long as the symbol remains intact, you will not be affected by the world. But if it breaks,” Ryan wince and mock concern. “I won’t want to be in the area when that happens. Well, I’ll be going.” Ryan started to walk but turn around before exiting the bar. “I will tell you all this. Fail me and you’ll truly regret it.”

Ryan walks to his car and sat down inside before he felt the heat return to his entire body. He almost passed out and look in the rearview mirror. “What was that?”

“Don’t question me, Pet.” The voice hissed angrier. “I know more than what going on in your head. I also can’t let that Luna live. She keeps ruining things for me and doesn’t know it.” Ryan shook his head and started to weep.

“I can’t keep doing this.” Ryan cried, pressing his head against the steering wheel. “I just what to be left alone.” As soon as the words left his mouth, a burning pain erupted in his head. He let out a scream and tried bashing his head onto the steering wheel but his whole body lock up.

“You aren’t even close to being done.” The voice said, almost mocking. “You need to gather a little army. I have a feeling things are about to get a little tense.”

(Portal Camp, Human Side)

President Anatolios was sitting at the commander tent when a soldier ran in.

“Sir, you need to see this.” She said, pulling out a tablet. He saw that it was open to a news app All he had to see was the caption of the top new story: Proof of Another Life in a Different Dimension. Anatolios started to shake with rage and the soldier watch as he stood up and threw the tablet across the tent.

“WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON!?!” He screamed as the tablet bounce off the tent wall. He pointed at the soldier. “Get my press team now! I need to control this. And get me the Governor on the phone, he got hell to pay.