The Second Dimension

Before I had a chance to react, Rainbow Dash took off. She hovered above the ground with her wings, and rammed into me, propelling me backwards. I flew across the room, slamming back first into the wall and crashed to the floor. Rainbow Dash practically towered over me, looking down as I struggled to get back on my hooves. Using her moment of inactivity to my advantage, I thrust my hind hoof into her muzzle. She recoiled backwards, as I scrambled back to my hooves and grabbed my gun. I didn't have a set strategy in mind aside from not dying, but my first priority was getting Rainbow Dash and myself out of Sugarcube Corner as quickly as possible.

Rainbow Dash was quick to recover, and moved to block the exit before I reached the door. I took a quick glance at my gun, before smacking her across the face with it. She fell to the floor in pain as I ran outside. Upon leaving the building, I instantly regretted my decision to run. The way I swung my body to hit Rainbow in the face had put too much strain on my stitches, and they were now stinging. My hooves were growing numb, to the point where I could barely feel them stomping on the ground as I ran. It was spreading, climbing up until I couldn't feel my legs. My peripheral vision was fading, growing darker. Hazier.

Don't pass out! I demanded myself, fighting to see clearly. My tunnel vision was growing smaller and smaller. My body grew cold and weak, and I was starting to feel increasingly more unbalanced and light-headed. Don't pass out! Whatever you do. Do. Not. Pass. Out. I went completely blind, and my knees gave out as I tumbled to the dirt road.

I regained control of my body a few seconds later. More than enough time for Rainbow Dash to leave the building and walk up behind me.

"Can I ask what happened?" She tilted her head to the side. "What happened to the Jason I saw a few nights ago? The one who put up a good fight?" She smirked. "It seems like you've lost your touch."

I didn't reply, too busy trying to catch my breath. Trying to fight while this messed up made things way more exhausting than when I was in good shape. White lances of pain pierced my sides as I quickly regained my hooves. Rainbow Dash raised an eyebrow.

"I've barely touched you. Why are you this exhausted already?" The cynical grin on her face grew larger as she finally noticed the gauze wrapped around my barrel. "Huh, you're injured. And by the looks of it, you're still recovering." Her wings suddenly burst open, as she prepared to pounce. This is going to hurt. She bolted, smashing straight in to me. She held onto my back, and we took off to the skies. Rainbow Dash continuously pelted my stitches with attacks from her hoof. I endured the pain as best I could, letting out grunts with each impact. It felt like a knife phasing through my sides as she continued thrashing across my back. I had to act fast. While we were still comfortably low on the ground, we were steadily gaining more and more height, and I had to do something before the fall could feasibly kill me. I threw my hoof into her face. It seemed to have stunned her, but not enough for her to drop me. I threw my hoof into her face again, harder this time. She grunted, but still kept her grip. Deciding that this was going nowhere, I wrapped both hooves around her head, and pulled down hard. Rainbow lost control as we veered to the left and crashed into a pole.

The impact caused Rainbow Dash to let go of me, the momentum making me tumble alongside the road and opening one of my stitches. I couldn't hold back my scream of pure agony. Rainbow Dash managed to recover and landed a few meters in front of me. She grimaced and groaned as the headache kicked in.

"Why won't you just give up already? Stop trying to prolong the inevitable."

"I got away from you once," I said. "What makes you think I won't do it again?"

"Because you can't!" Rainbow snapped. "Don't you see, you can't escape! You can run all you want, but no matter what, I will catch you. I have to. Why can't you just accept your fate?"

"Because there are ponies depending on me"—The image of Hannah's locket and the faces of Sarah and Ethan flashed in my mind—"And I won't die until they are safe. That's why I refuse to die, and that's why I continue to get back up, no matter how many times you knock me down. Maybe if you knew how to stand up for yourself the way I do, you wouldn't be fearing for your own life right now."

Rainbow Dash stiffened.

"What are you talking about?"

"There's no point in trying to hide it, Dash," I smirked. "I know you're afraid. Terrified even. You can threaten me all you want, but that does not change the fact you are in just as much danger as I am. Can't you see Argo for the cruel ruler that he is? You're considered to be one of, if not his most loyal servant, and yet he still walks all over you!"

"Don't you dare talk about Argo like that!" she screamed. "Argo is the greatest ruler of Equestria who has ever lived. He maintains order, discipline, and peace. He watches over us, and takes good care of us. Equestria would perish without him."

"Right, and that's why you're afraid of him? That's why he threatened to choke you?"

Through the glass eye in her mask, I noticed Rainbow's bulging eyes. "I AM NOT AFRAID OF HIM!"

"Bullshit!" I yelled. "The night Argo almost choked you, there was genuine fear in your eyes. The real reason you're so anxious to bring me back to Argo is because you know full well what will happen if you don't. He's blackmailing you!"

"Argo has given me a task to apprehend you, and that's exactly what I'm going to do."

"Cause Argo will kill you if you don't. He doesn't care about you. Rainbow Dash, you have so much potential. You're fast, strong, agile. I've heard you're one of the best fliers in all of Equestria. All of these gifts. All of these talents. All this potential. And yet you willingly waste it all for Argo's selfish, personal gain. You deserve better!"

"You have no idea what you're talking about!" Rainbow shouted.

"I know exactly what I'm talking about," I snapped. "You just don't want to accept it. You don't want to accept that I'm right about your boss. That I'm right about the fact he's mistreating you, and forcing you to carry out his wicked crimes-"

"Stop it!"

"And you're afraid to confront him. You're afraid to say 'no'. Because you know full well no matter where you are, no matter what you do, Argo is watching."

"Stop it!!!"

"And you can't do jack shit about it. Cause you don't have the balls to stand up for yourself."

"SHUT UP!!!" Rainbow screamed, tears pouring down her face. "SHUT UP, SHUT UP!!!"

I glanced over her shoulder. I gasped, my eyes shrunk, and I jumped backwards. "Oh God," I said in a shaky voice. "He's here!"

Rainbow Dash appeared just as startled as I was, as she jumped around… only to realise there was nopony there. I leapt onto her, pinning her to the ground. She struggled, fluttered her wings, and shook her hooves, trying to break free. I grabbed my knife and placed it against her neck.

At that moment, I took notice of her rapid breathing, and despite her mask, I could still see the terror in her face through her shattered glass eye. She looked, and sounded just as terrified as I would've been in her place. Then I remembered Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie. While this Pegasus was a great enemy, I remembered that she was also a really close friend to those two. If I was to kill her, I'd be killing one of their closest friends. My grip with the knife loosened, and I took a deep breath. I couldn't do it.

Rainbow Dash saw her opportunity and kicked me in the face with her hind legs. Still clutching the knife, I held onto my face with my hoof, trying to alleviate some of the pain. Rainbow Dash picked herself up and stared at me.

"You hesitated," she said.

"I had to. This isn't you. Argo is not your boss, and my world is not your home. You don't belong there."

"Yes, I do."

"No, you don't. You belong here. You have friends here. Friends who care for you. Who want you back. Don't you remember them?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Your friends!" I reiterated. "You know, Pinkie Pie? Fluttershy? Don't you remember anything?"

Rainbow Dash snickered. "Pinkie Pie? Fluttershy? Those have got to be some of the funniest names I have ever heard."

"How dare you insult Fluttershy like that!" I snapped, my grip on the knife tightening once more. "She was your friend! She trusted you! She looked up to you! She was crushed when she found out what you have become."

Rainbow seemed to have reached her emotional limit as she walked stoically towards me. "I've heard enough. I'm taking you to Argo. Don't make this harder on yourself."

I paced backwards without taking my eyes off her. "I'm not going back. Not as long as I'm still standing."

A gleeful smirk grew onto Rainbow's face. "I was hoping you'd say that."

I came to a sudden stop when my back ran into something. My head jerked around as I saw the Unicorn guard I had just backed into.

My legs took off as I ran to the left. The guard swiftly took pursuit. My stitches stung and throbbed as I ran, and running at this speed was putting me in serious danger of ripping the rest of my stitches open. I kept taking unpredictable sharp turns—trying to lose the guard—but the lack of skyscrapers and a dark environment made it significantly harder to throw her off. Next time, no losing myself in thought like that. I get a chance, and she is dead.

After as little as a minute of running, I was exhausted, and my muscles were aching as if I had just run a marathon. My legs, my lungs, and my stitches strained as I pushed myself to keep running, but I was losing speed regardless. I glanced behind me. The guard was catching up. My breathing grew shallow. My legs went from sore to numb, and I felt dizzy as my vision got fuzzy and discoloured. I went completely blind, my legs gave way, and I collapsed to the floor.

I recovered quick enough from my episode. Unfortunately, what little time I had been unconscious for was enough for the guard to catch up to me. I tried to stand up, every ounce of my body instantly seizing up in the process. My stitches were swollen, my head pounded, and I was short of breath. Why did I have to leave that damn hospital?

I stood up and tried to run, but my body didn't move an inch. My hooves just dragged across the ground as I attempted to run, but I wasn't going anywhere. I looked behind me. Gulp. My barrel was wrapped up in a shield of magic harnessed by the Unicorn guard. My heart lodged itself in my throat as she pulled me towards her. I fell to the ground, digging my hooves into the dirt, and trying my absolute hardest to pull free with what little energy I still had left.

Despite my efforts, I was making no progress. Streaks of red smeared onto the ground as I was pulled closer and closer.

"Help!" I yelled, scrambling and kicking the grass. "Somebody help!" There wasn't a single bystander in sight.

As my body reached the Unicorn guard, she pushed her forelegs onto my back, and an additional four shields of magic formed around each of my hooves, pinning me down. Just as things couldn't get any worse, Rainbow Dash slammed onto the ground, creating a tiny crater upon impact, and was now approaching me. I took a huge gulp of air, and prepared to let out the loudest scream for help my lungs would manage.

"HEL-" My mouth was forcefully snapped shut. I tried to open it again, but now there was a shield of magic around my snout, fusing it closed. My throat strained as I screamed at the top of my lungs, completely muffled by my sealed mouth.

"Don't even think about it!" hissed the Unicorn. "You scream, you die! Got that?" She turned her head to look at a line of blood droplets on the ground that led to my body. "Thanks for leaving a blood trail behind. Made my job much easier."

When Dash reached me, I was visibly shaking, my eyes were wet with unshed tears, and my heart was now thrashing violently at my ribs. She stood tall and strong, an the angle from the ground made her appear far larger. If she was trying to intimidate me, it was definitely working. This time, there was no Ethan coming to the rescue. Rainbow Dash removed her mask so I could see her face.

She moved in really close, placed her hoof under my chin, and her face was so close to mine our muzzles were practically touching each other. All I could see was her scrunched up snout, and her eyes. They were small, and fueled with rage and hate. The shield of magic around my mouth tightened, as I made another failed attempt to scream. "I've got you now."

By this point, I was so terrified, I felt like breaking down and crying. I was already thinking in my head the many terrible ways I was probably going to be tortured once she delivered me to Argo. But if I was going to die no matter what, the least I could do is make sure she didn't get to enjoy it. "You know, Jason," Rainbow Dash continued. "Argo is furious with you, so naturally his punishments will be extreme. We've already got your friend, Ethan." At that moment my blood boiled as fear gave way to anger. Now that my I knew Ethan had been captured during the escape, I wasn't going to give up until he was safe. He won't die because of my mistakes. "And you wanna know the best part, Jason? Since Argo is annoyed with you most of all, he's got the worst punishment of all planned just for you. He's planning to kill Ethan first, slowly, and painfully." She leaned in, and whispered very closely to my left ear "and you are going to watch every second of it."

Finally, with a herculean feat of strength, I managed to break free from my magic bonds. "NO HE WON'T!" I screamed at the top of my lungs. I was ready to tear that fucking Pegasus from the inside out. I jumped at her, and knocked her to the ground, pinning her down with my hooves. The Unicorn was rushing towards me. Without pausing, I swiftly pulled out my gun and fired three shots it into her face. She crashed dead onto the floor not long after.

I turned away from the Unicorn to focus my attention back on Rainbow Dash, only for her to kick me in the chest, propelling me backwards onto the grass. She took flight, stopping once she was roughly ten meters high, then bolted back towards the ground. I tossed myself to the side and rolled out of the way, and managed to stand back up in one swift movement. With seconds to spare, Rainbow crashed into the ground, creating a massive dust cloud and crater underneath her. Now that, that had to hurt.

Unable to see her through the dust, I slowly approached the crater to see if she had injured herself. It was right about when she shot out of the crater and took flight with me in her hooves that I realized I was an idiot for going anywhere near that dust cloud instead of waiting for it to dissipate. I was now holding onto Rainbow Dash as hard as I could, as we travelled through Ponyville at an insane speed. I could barely hear my thoughts over the wind roaring in my ears. I had no idea where Rainbow Dash was taking me, but if she wanted to watch me plummet to my death, she would have let go by now. I struggled and shook violently, but instead she just pulled up so I was in front of her face, her grip tightening. Now it felt more like she was pushing me instead of carrying me. Okay, why was she doing that? I turned my head to see the two storey building we were heading for at terminal velocity. Fantastic. I braced myself for the extreme pain coming my way.

We slammed directly into the building, penetrating the wall. Wood cracked and snapped, as the beams supporting the building were smashed to oblivion. Within seconds, we tore through the other side of the building, creating a massive hole in our wake. Rainbow Dash was completely shielded—aside from some debris that had grazed her sides—as my body took the full force of the impact, my back aching to an agonising degree. I quickly glanced back to the direction we were flying again. Oh great, she was aiming for another one.

Crash.

And another.

Crash.

And another.

Crash.

That was it! I repeatedly punched her in the face with a forehoof as hard as I could, as we crashed into yet, another building. I punched her again, and again, and again, but she was refusing to drop me. I looked up, spotting another rapidly approaching building. Not this time, bitch!

"Come on!!!" I yelled, kicking her up the stomach with my hind leg. Rainbow Dash let out a loud gasp, winded by the blow. I leaned back, causing the two of us to spin. We were now flying uncontrollably, and I slipped through her hooves. I rolled and tumbled upon smacking the ground, until I finally came to a stop bent over double. After spending a minute to breathe, I slowly stood up. Ow! All this pain. It wasn't just my back either. I was aching all over. My bones, my organs, my muscles, everything hurt.

I looked up to see Rainbow Dash lying on her side. It seemed like her crash landing was as brutal as mine.

"Jason?" said a familiar voice. I looked behind me. Fluttershy was back, and this time, she wasn't alone. Standing next to her was a pony I didn't recognise. She was a lavender Unicorn, with pink and purple stripes running through her hair. Her cutie mark consisted of a large pink star, surrounded by six smaller white stars. As I glanced to her side, I saw that she had wings. An Alicorn! She didn't seem to have registered me yet. She was too busy staring at Rainbow, who was shaking violently as she attempted to stand up. Her hooves appeared unsturdy, and she looked like she was about to collapse under her own weight in a matter of seconds.

The Alicorn's mouth was agape, her eyes wide, as if she couldn't believe the pony that was in front of her. "Rainbow Dash, is that you?" She sounded like she barely recognised the pony she was addressing.

Rainbow glared at me, ignoring the Alicorn's presence. A smirk emerged onto her face, as she probably picked up that I was struggling to stand up straight.

"Give up?" she said. Despite my panting, I moved my legs into a stance that showed that I was ready to fight.

"I could do this all day, Crash." I said, a small smirk forming.

"Oh no," said Fluttershy. Clearly she knew what was coming. Rainbow bolted, ready to ram into me.

"Rainbow Dash, stop!" Fluttershy ran in between us, blocking Rainbow's path. "What are you doing?"

Rainbow dug her hooves into the ground, coming to a halt just in time to avoid colliding into Fluttershy. "I don't know who you think you are, but unless you want to end up like him, I suggest you step aside."

"Don't you recognise me?" said Fluttershy, her voice cracking. She almost sounded betrayed.

"No, I don't," said Rainbow Dash.

Tears were forming in her eyes, and she tried to hold back her sobs. "Rainbow Dash, it's me! Fluttershy!"

"I have never seen you before in my life. Now get out of my way!" Rainbow Dash took off, shoving a now crying Fluttershy to the side. She was now inches away from me, but this wasn't going to be like the last time. I dodged her blow, grabbing her right wing with my mouth in the process, and swung her over my back.

"Ow!" she yelled, as she head dived into the ground. Before she had time to get up, I rolled her onto her back, and placed my dagger to her neck. I placed my hooves on top of her wings and stomped down as hard as I could, the sound of cracking bone below my hooves was music to my ears. Rainbow Dash screamed.

The Alicorn gasped. "Rainbow!"

"Listen here, Dash!" I snapped. "I have had it up to here with you! I've had it with your attempts at trying to kill me, and I've had it with your MOTHERFUCKING BOSS! However, I am benevolent and merciful, so I'm going to give you one more chance to redeem yourself."

A thin line of blood was forming on Rainbow Dash's neck from how closely I was holding the knife. "So. Let this be a warning." I cleared my throat, and moved my face in extremely close to hers, and screamed at the top of my lungs. "STAY THE FUCK AWAY FROM MY FRIENDS!!!"

"Leave her alone!" yelled the Alicorn. I turned my head around to see her running straight for me. She turned and kicked me in the side, sending me flying across the grass, flecks of blood escaping my gaping mouth. I scrambled to my hooves, a little blood leaking from my muzzle. The Alicorn was standing in front of Rainbow Dash like a protective mother, her wings outstretched and ready to pounce.

"What are you doing, you maniac?!" I yelled. "Why are you defending her?"

"Because she's one of my best friends." she said. Honestly, I was so lost in my anger that I completely forgot that Rainbow Dash was once friends with these ponies. "And if you lay as much as a hoof on her, I swear I will banish you straight to Tartarus!"

Tartarus? I've heard about that place from a couple books we managed to salvage from a burnt down library. A place for the wicked to experience eternal damnation as a price for their sins. This pony thought I belonged there? The thought stung me in my chest. I swore that I would be a beacon of hope for citizens. That I would seek justice for what Argo put us all through. That I would make the world a better place, even if it was just for those few I helped along the way. And for an innocent pony to tell me I had a place among the wicked, it struck at something primal within me. Then I remembered that this world was nothing like mine. This world wasn't a war zone, so seeing ponies fighting must have been extremely out of the norm here. However, while I didn't know the Rainbow Dash that was once their friend, I did know the Rainbow Dash she was now. She could not be trusted.

"I know you and Rainbow Dash used to be friends," I said. "But I've known her for the past few days, and I can say for certain that she's changed. You're making a mistake trying to defend her. I'm sorry, but the Rainbow Dash that was your friend—the real Rainbow Dash—is dead. Gone forever."

The Alicorn went quiet. She looked to the ground briefly, before looking back at me. "No. Not forever. Not yet." Okay, what exactly did she mean by 'not yet'? The Alicorn turned back towards Rainbow Dash. Rainbow squirmed for a second, but didn't do much else. The Alicorn calmly placed her hoof on Rainbow's chest. The next thing I noticed about the Alicorn was her horn. The tip of it was glowing white. Rainbow Dash struggled, trying to shake the Alicorn off. She managed to hold on, as her horn was slowly coming closer, and closer to Rainbow's forehead. Eventually, the Alicorn's horn made contact with Rainbow's head.

The light from her horn slowly faded, and Rainbow Dash appeared to have calmed down. She was staring at the Alicorn and Fluttershy with blank eyes, almost as if she just woke up from a deep sleep with a massive headache. She rubbed her forehead with her hoof and blinked a few times, before looking back at the Alicorn and Fluttershy.

"Twilight?" she said, still sounding confused.

"Rainbow Dash!" the Alicorn cried, letting out a huge sigh of relief. She wrapped her hooves around Rainbow and lifted her up, hugging her. "You're back!" Fluttershy was quick to join the hug, and the three of them were huddled together in their little reunion. Fluttershy and the Alicorn were smiling, almost crying into her shoulder. Rainbow Dash just looked like she had a massive headache. She blinked rapidly, and grimaced as she rubbed her forehead with her hoof.

"What happened?" she asked once they seperated. She tried to stand up before stumbling back to the ground. Eventually she spotted me. "Jason-"

Cutting her off, I huffed, and bolted towards her. Her eyes suddenly widened.

"Jason, wait!" she said quickly. Fluttershy yelped, and curled herself into a ball as if to shield herself from me. Before I could reach Dash, the Alicorn leapt onto me like a predator catching its prey. Before I knew it, I was on my back with an Alicorn standing on top of me. Her hooves planted into my chest, and her magic shackled my forehooves to the ground.

"Get off me, you bitch!" I yelled, struggling against her magic around my hooves.

"Calm down!" she demanded.

"Jason," said Rainbow Dash. She appeared as though she was recovering from her stupa, and was walking towards me. "Please, I assure you I mean you no harm."

"Likely story!" I hissed. "A couple minutes ago you were trying to kill me. Why the sudden change of heart?"

"It's a long story, but you have to trust me."

"Trust you? I trust you about as well as I trust Argo."

"Jason, I promise, I'm not going to hurt you."

She looked up to the Alicorn.

"Let him go."

"But, Rainbow-"

"Let him go Twi. Please."

The Alicorn hesitated for a minute, before sighing and getting off me, releasing her magic in the process. I slowly stood to my hooves. The three of them stared at me, the Alicorn looking like she was ready to pounce if I made any sudden moves. Probably best if I didn't provoke her. I glanced down at the knife that was still held tightly in my hoof. The Alicorn's horn immediately glowed. I shot my other hoof in front of me.

"Wait! Stop!" I said quickly. "It's okay, I'm putting my knife away." Careful not to make any sudden movements, I slowly slid the knife back into its scabbard.

"There… see? I'm not going to use it. It's gone now. We cool?" The magic around the Alicorn's horn died down. I looked over to Rainbow Dash, who hadn't moved an inch.

"Two seconds ago you were trying to murder me. Now all of a sudden you're claiming you come in peace?" I asked, coming ever so slightly closer. She shook her head. "Why? You get hit with another mind control spell from Twinkles over there?"

"I know this looks really bad," said Rainbow. "But when I was acting like that, you need to understand that I wasn't exactly... myself."

I narrowed my eyes in thinly veiled anger. "The fuck kind of excuse is that? You expect me to believe that justifies everything? Don't think I won't beat the stuffing out of you just because you're not fighting back." I flinched as Twilight lit her horn with a grimace.

Rainbow Dash sighed. "It's a long story. I'll explain later." I was about to demand to her that she tell me now, but she quickly changed the subject. "Anyway, Jason, I'd like to introduce you to my friends. This yellow Pegasus here is Fluttershy."

"I know," I said, my eyes moving over to her before turning back. "We've met."

"Okay," said Rainbow, turning to look at Twinkles. "And this here is Twilight Sparkle."

I really didn't like the way Twilight was looking at me. She was fixing me with that look of disapproval. The glare was bad enough, but her being an Alicorn made things a whole lot worse. Even if she was the complete opposite of Argo, my experiences with Alicorns had been pretty shitty and, if given the choice, I prefered to avoid them at all costs. Not wanting to be rude, I did the first thing that came to mind.

"Hi," I said, offering my hoof to shake. Twilight just stood there, staring down coldly at my outstretched hoof.

"Who do you think you are?" she finally said.

Oh. So this is how it's going to be. I lowered my hoof. "My name is Jason Colby."

"And what are you doing here?" Twilight fixated an icy glare directly at me.

"Excuse me, but have you got a problem with me or something?"

"Yes I have a problem with you!" Wow. I suppose I can give her credit for being blunt about it. "You're a complete stranger that I've never met before, and the first thing I've seen you do is pin down one of my best friends and threaten to slit her throat open. What kind of pony does that?"

Okay, to be fair, she did have a legit point. If I saw somepony with a knife threatening my best friend like that, I probably would've felt the same way; granted any moron who would try something like that would already be dead from lead poisoning by now. Regardless, I certainly wasn't going to apologize for what I did, not when the life of myself and Ethan was on the line.

"And look at the damage you've done!" She pointed her hoof at the line of buildings that had huge holes in the walls where Rainbow and I had crashed into them, along with the craters in the ground.

"That was Rainbow pushing me into those walls, so if you want somepony to blame for the collateral damage, blame her. I'm sure a bunch of witnesses were nearby to confirm that."

"Hey, is anypony else hungry?" Rainbow Dash said abruptly in an attempt to change the subject.

Truth be told, I was stuffed, since I had just come out of Sugarcube Corner minutes ago.

"I'm starving," I lied. Anything was worth getting out of this conversation.

"Come on then," she said, signalling us to follow her. "Let's go and get something to eat."

Twilight followed silently, glaring daggers at me while Dash took the lead. Fluttershy ignored the two of us and walked next to Rainbow Dash, smiling, happy to have her friend back with her. Occasionally she peeped behind her to catch us still exchanging pointed glares, but I attempted to ignore it and focus on my next move. Get the answers you need from Dash, make sure you don't spill much to Twinkles, and get some clues on this Doctor fella. Twinkles looks like she don't know jack about interrogation, and Rainbow looks like she'll open up fast. My face betrayed the barest hints of a smirk. Should be easy enough.

Rainbow Dash directed us to a restaurant. When we arrived, my initial reaction was that it looked more like a Saloon than a restaurant, especially considering the use of swinging doors for the entrance. The inside consisted of wooden architecture, full of wooden benches occupied by colourful and cheerful ponies. Some of whom turned to look at us as we entered. Still looks unnatural how happy they are.

The second we walked in, the smell of hot food cooking in the kitchens entered my nose. The fresh salads, the soups, the burgers, the fries, and seeing other ponies' plates looked appetising, but nothing compared to the sweetness that was Sugarcube Corner.

We selected a table, and Rainbow Dash excused herself to the bathroom, leaving the three of us alone. Twilight sat opposite of me, while Fluttershy sat to the left next to her. Before Twilight could get a start on her promptu interrogation, I stuffed my face into the menu. I'm sorry, Twinkles. You're gonna have to do better than that.

After what felt like five minutes had passed, Rainbow Dash emerged from the restroom. The sight of her left me stunned. Leaving that bathroom was a blue Pegasus that was borderline unrecognizable. She was no longer wearing her uniform. Her mane, once rough and unkempt, now looked nice, clean and tidy. She might still need a proper shower to remove a bit of the grime that had worked into her coat after so long in Argo's service, but her coat and mane were now bright, saturated, and her large rose eyes made her appear friendlier—a much more pleasant sight than before.

An unnerving sensation washed over me as she sat next to me at the table, and grabbed a spare menu. I still had my weapons on me, and was prepared to draw them if she tried any surprise attacks.

A Unicorn stallion approached our table. He was holding a notepad and a pencil with his magic.

"May I please take your order?"

Rainbow Dash quickly dropped the menu and placed her hooves on the table. "Can I get a large apple cider with a medium watercress salad?"

The waiter scribbled Rainbow's order into his notepad before looking at Twilight and Fluttershy.

"I'll have a small salad with an apple juice, thanks," said Twilight.

The waiter finished writing down her request and focused her attention on Fluttershy. "I'll pass. I've already eaten."

"I'll have a small apple juice too, thanks," I said. The waiter nodded, then jolted my order down. "Well then, that'll be seventeen bits. Ten for the large Apple cider and medium salad, five for the small apple juice and salad, and two for the apple juice." Twilight and Rainbow Dash pulled out their cash and passed to the waiter. Shit. I forgot I had no money. Before I could cancel my order, Rainbow Dash pulled out an additional two bits.

"Your food should be ready in a few minutes." He accepted the money, smiled and walked off.

After hoofing her bits to the waiter, Twilight returned to glaring at me. She opened her mouth to speak. Oh no you don't. I turned to Rainbow Dash.

"Did you just pay for my drink?"

Rainbow nodded, fixing me with a remorseful expression. "Yeah, I kinda owe you. A lot."

Twilight's jaw dropped. "You owehim? He placed a knife to your throat!"

Dash ignored her and continued speaking. "Think of it as a little payback for everything I've put you through."

"Well, thanks Dash," I said. Even though you're the one who kidnapped and robbed me in the first place.

Twilight was staring at us, her mouth agape. "How is it that-"

"Oh, I almost forgot," I interrupted, turning to Fluttershy. "I just wanted to thank you for paying my hospital bills. I don't have insurance out here, so that is greatly appreciated."

Fluttershy seemed startled by my comment. "How did you know that was me?"

"My doctor told me. I just thought you'd like to know that your deed doesn't go unappreciated. Hospital bills are really bloody expensive, so I'd feel like a dick if I didn't show my gratitude for doing something like that."

"You're… um... welcome," she said, sounding awkward. Twinkles took another breath to speak.

"Well, this place is certainly peaceful," I said, cutting her off again. Her eyes narrowed, and a subtle growl escaped her throat, despite her lips being pressed firmly together. "I haven't been here for very long, but I can definitely say it's pretty different to where I'm from." Twilight let out a light snort and continued to glare at me but didn't say anything. I was tempted to snap at her and tell her to 'quit it,' but I resisted the temptation.

"You look different," said Fluttershy. "I've never seen a pony that looks like you. Where exactly are you from?"

"Manehattan," I said. Fluttershy and Twilight lifted an eyebrow slightly, and Rainbow Dash showed no reaction at all. Probably because this wasn't news to her.

"Manehattan?" said Fluttershy. "How exactly does a pony like you live in Manehattan, and still end up looking the way you do? I always thought Manehattan was a very tidy and high class place. No offense, but you're in a horrible state."

I sighed. "Tell me about it." The Manehattan here was probably incredibly different to the Manehattan I'm used to. "No offense taken. I completely get why ponies like you would feel uncomfortable talking to somepony like me. Sadly, ponies that look like me are quite common where I'm from."

Twilight continued to scowl at me, her eyebrow lifting slightly higher than before. It was hard for me to pinpoint if she was curious, uncomfortable, or afraid of me.

"I've been to Manehattan a few times, and you're still the first pony I've ever met that looks and acts like… well… you," said Fluttershy.

"I guess you just haven't been to my neighborhood," I said. "In my part of Manehattan, there happens to be a lot of crime. The local area is very dangerous." Twilight's face scrunched up even further. I felt like punching her in the face just to get her to snap out of it.

"If your neighbourhood is so bad, why haven't I heard about this yet?" said Twilight.

I shrugged. "Why is it important that you specifically should know?"

"I am 'The Princess of Friendship'." Wow. The Princess of Friendship? Now that was the dumbest sounding title I've ever heard. "Nothing bad happens in Equestria without me hearing about it. Our map always tells us when there's a Friendship Problem. In other words, you're telling me about a Friendship Problem that doesn't exist."

"The fuck is a Friendship Problem?"

Twilight froze, and became speechless. Rainbow Dash broke the ensuing silence with a sigh. "A Friendship Problem is when there are two or more friends that seem to struggle to get along. We're notified via glowing cutie marks, and it's our job to fix it."

"Wow." I said, in the most flat tone I could manage. "Ain't life sunshine and fucking rainbows out here? You're telling me that the biggest worries you have out here is when a bully breaks a filly's favourite toy? I've seen things happen to fillies so terrible, I can't even say them since we're out in public. So I'll spare you the gruesome details, but-" I glanced at our surroundings to see if anypony was watching us. They all had their backs turned towards us. I turned back to the trio, and slid my hoof across my neck.

Fluttershy's eyes bulged, and she placed her hoof over her mouth as she gasped. "Oh my goodness! Those poor fillies!"

Twilight looked sceptical rather than horrified. "Why wasn't I ever told all of this was happening?"

"You tell me, 'Princess'"—I looked down to stare at my numerous wounds and scars—"or do you think I got all these falling down the stairs?"

Twilight tilted her head. "You're avoiding the question." I didn't answer. "It is my duty to help those less fortunate in life. What dark secrets are you hiding from us, Jason?"

I slammed my hooves on the table. "Don't talk about things you don't understand, Princess. Do I make myself clear?"

Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy and Twinkles all jumped backwards, appearing startled by my sudden outburst. I looked around the room. Some of the other ponies in the building were staring at me. Realising I was creating a scene, I took a deep breath, and tried to calm myself down.

"Umm, if you don't mind me asking," Fluttershy said softly, barely louder than a whisper. "But if you're from Manehattan, then what's the story with the portal that you fell through a few days ago?"

"The portal that appeared a couple days ago?" said Twilight, fixing me with yet another suspicious look.

"Umm..." I had to think of something fast. "It's a project a friend of mine was working on. Mass teleportation to and from fixed locations. I offered to be a guinea pig for a cut of the earnings. Numbskull probably messed up the receiving point and I ended up here."

"Sounds like powerful magic," said Twinkles. "Who is this pony?"

"That's classified. Honestly, she didn't want me telling you about this. The spell still needs work. It's highly unstable, and we'd rather show up with a finished product."

"So what exactly are you doing here, Jason?"

"Didn't you hear, Twinkles? Me ending up here was a mistake," I said.
"My name is Twilight!" Twinkles hissed through her grit teeth.
I rolled my eyes. "Whatever, Twinkles. Besides, what I do is none of your business. I am not obstructing the law and my previous actions were in self-defense. You have nothing to hold me accountable for."

Twinkles squinted at me, placing a hoof under her muzzle. "So if you came here by accident, how are you going to get back? In fact, if your home is so terrible, why are you even trying to go back in the first place? Why are you in such a hurry?"

My blood was boiling, and with each proceeding question, my fuming anger was intensifying. One more question, and I was ready to maul her. Don't lose it, Jason! Don't lose it! I took a long deep breath through my nose, and hissed.

"It's none of your business," I repeated.

"Why so secretive?" said Twinkels. "Are you hiding something?" It occured to me that this Alicorn was going to get on my case no matter what I said. By now, my body was tense and hot. I was making loud heavy deep breaths, gritting my teeth, and fighting my insatiable urge to punch her in the face. Twinkles glanced at my flank. "Another question, where's your cutie mark?"

Finally, something I can answer. "Don't have one. Bloody awful fashion sense if you ask me."

"You're kidding."

"Nope, I'm serious. I don't have a cutie mark. I never have, and I probably never will."

"How do you not have a cutie mark?" asked Fluttershy.

"Simple," I said. "I just never got one."

"Come on, every fully grown pony has a cutie mark!" said Twinkles.

"This may come as a shock to you, Twinkles," I said. "But where I'm from, we have bigger problems to deal with. Hell, I didn't even know what cutie marks were until today. Even if they were a thing, we still have more important things to worry about. Things like trying to reach the end of the day in one piece." I looked Twilight straight in the eye. "That portal is my ticket to a better life, and I will not let you ruin it for me. Capiche?"

At that moment, the waiter arrived at the table with our food. At last. I needed something to distract me from the conversation before I exploded, and said or did something I'd regret.

Twilight raised an eyebrow. "Are you alright, Jason? You're going red in the face. Was it something I said?"

"It's everything you're saying!" I blurted out before I could stop myself. "There are rules for how an interrogation should be done, and you are pushing all the wrong buttons. I added as Twilight was about to speak up. "What you're asking me is extremely personal—stuff that I have zero intentions in sharing—so don't even try."

"But-"

"If you ask me one more Goddamn question, it may very well be the last thing you ever say. Now either you shut your mouth, or I'll shut it for you."

Twilight just sat there, her mouth open. As if she had just turned into a statue. Fluttershy looked just as shocked, and Rainbow had a look of disapproval on her face.

The waiter just stood there, pale in the face, alternating between looking away and at us. He cleared his throat.

"Enjoy your meal," the waiter said, as he placed the food in front of Rainbow Dash, myself and Twilight. I felt bad for forcing him to stand there listening to us fight. I sat down quietly, hoping the food would be enough to distract Twilight from the conversation.

As we ate, Twilight occasionally attempted to start a conversation. At this point, I had completely lost interest in questioning Rainbow's sudden change in behaviour. All I wanted to do was to get Twilight to shut up, and continue searching for The Doctor.

Everytime Twilight asked me a question, I avoided answering the question using my drink. I would slurp it, or pretend to take a sip while I thought of a good enough answer.

"So, Jason, I just wanted to know-"

Twilight was cut off as I 'accidentally' knocked my mug off the table, and watched it clang on the wooden floor. I bent down and picked it back up. After putting back on the table, Twilight tried again.

"Would you mind telling me-"

"Oh my gosh!" I butt in, pretending I just remembered something important. "I really need to go to the bathroom. Be right back."

Without waiting for a response I got up and left. A few minutes later, I came back out and saw that Dash and Twilight had finished their meals. That meant it was time to book. I walked back to my seat and grabbed my saddlebags.

"I'd love to stay and chat," I lied. "But I really need to be going."

"How come?" asked Twilight, raising an eyebrow. "What's the hurry?"

"Sorry Twinkles, but that's private. Now if you would excuse me-"

"You can't say?" Twilight was still looking at me funny. "Is there something you're not telling us, Jason?"

I grunted, before snapping at her. "For Christ sake! Can you please stop acting like I'm some sort of criminal?"

"You're the pony who came out of nowhere!" she said. "I've never seen you before in my life, you feel obligated to carry weapons with you everywhere you go, and my first time meeting you involved you threatening to slit my best friend's throat! Why shouldn't I be suspicious of you?"

"I'm sorry, are we glossing over what got me into that situation to begin with? Dashie over there crashed me through a couple of buildings, nearly broke my spine, threatened to kill my friend while I watched, and we're just going to pretend I'm the villain in this scene?"

Twilight shook her head. "No way. That's not true. I know Rainbow Dash. She would never do something like that."

"Actually, he's right," Rainbow sheepishly added.

Twilight's face managed to make two expressions at once. Her eyes stayed narrowed but turned toward Rainbow Dash, meanwhile her jaw slowly slipped lower. Rainbow Dash winced.

"In his defense, Twilight, I completely understand why he did that considering what Argo made me do to him and his friends. If you were in his situation, you'd probably feel his frustration."

Twilight stared at Rainbow Dash, closing her mouth. "Who's this Argo?"

"An asshole, that's who," I said. "He's the reason Ethan's life is in grave danger."

"Who's Ethan? One of your friends I assume?"

"For fucks sake, Twinkles!" I curtly snapped. Fluttershy flinched, startled by my sudden explosion, but I didn't care. I was positively furious at Twilight. "Give it a rest, already!"

Twilight slammed her hooves on the table. "Watch your language!"

"No, I won't!" I yelled as the entire restaurant went quiet to watch us. "I've had a really shitty day. And the last thing I need is some stuck-up pony with a stick shoved up their ass and a 'holier-than-thou' attitude talking down to me like I'm the scum below her hooves. So for the last time. Fuck. Off." I slammed my hoof into the ground, turned around and stormed towards the exit. "Jason, wait," called Rainbow Dash.

"WHAT!?" I screeched, turning around and coming to a stop.

Rainbow Dash calmly dismissed herself from the table and walked towards me. Her voice was low, quiet and calm. "I do not appreciate you talking to my friend like that." The veins in my head nearly popped as I got ready to smack her. "But I know what you're going through, and I just wanted to say… I'm sorry." I froze, and slowly took a few deep breaths through my nostrils.

"You're apologising to him?" Twilight said, flabbergasted. Rainbow Dash ignored her and took a deep breath. The patrons appeared to have seen enough as they went back to talking in their groups.

"Several months ago, Argo infiltrated Equestria, and kidnapped me. He told me who he was, what his beliefs were, and what he expected me to do. He requested me to commit wicked crimes in his name, and for weeks I refused, even when he started torturing me. Until he cast the spell."

Fluttershy and Twilight looked horrified. Rainbow Dash gave a few heavy sniffles, wiping the tears out her eyes as she continued.

"One night, he completely wiped my memory while I was asleep. I woke up not knowing anything. Friends, family, my own identity. He erased it all, and I lost it. He turned me into something I never wanted to be. A monster." Her tears were getting worse. By now, she was straight up crying. "I've done terrible things to you. I kidnapped you, robbed you, hurt you, tried to kill you multiple times. Yet you still brought me home—even if it was by accident. Rainbow Dash stopped as her throat constricted, the words being forcibly pushed out her mouth. "I'm not asking you to forgive me. I just want you to know, that I'm sorry. I am so, so sorry."

Upon saying this, Rainbow Dash completely broke down. A part of me wanted to believe everything she was saying was bullshit—that she was lying through her teeth—but… I couldn't. The story of Twilight using a memory spell sounded completely plausible—lined up nicely with what Pinkie said at Sugarcube. Guards also never got this emotional. A real servant of Argo would happily murder an innocent filly in cold blood without breaking a sweat. Rainbow's crying felt completely genuine. You can't fake raw emotions this well. I took a deep breath.

"I forgive you."

Rainbow Dash looked at me, and tried to smile through her tears, despite the fact she looked surprised to hear my response.

"But I will never forget what you've done. You've hurt a lot of ponies, Rainbow Dash, and they won't forget what you've done either." Her smile died at my words, but at least the tears stopped as well.

"Listen, I want to make up for how I treated you," she said. "I know why you're here, and I know what you're looking for. I'm assuming you haven't found it yet. I'll understand if you don't trust me yet, but I want to help you find the… You-Know-What."

Was she for real? On one hoof, it would've been extremely useful to have a resident of this dimension helping me find this thing. Especially since she's the only pony here besides myself who actually knows what the T.S.D. is, how it works, or what it looks like. However, this also could've been a trap. What if she took it and sent me straight back to Argo's as soon as we found it? Damned if you do, damned if you don't. But I'd rather have her near me where she's always in my sight.

"Alright," I said. "I'll let you help me, under one condition."

"Name it," said Rainbow Dash.

"If we find it, you're not allowed to touch it. You so much as lay a hoof on it, and you join the headless horsemen club. Heard they've been looking for some new talent."

Rainbow Dash placed a hoof on her chest. "I swear not to go near it."

Twilight and Fluttershy got up from the table and joined us. "Rainbow Dash, is it possible for me to-"

I pointed at her with my hoof. "And she's not coming," I said firmly.

"Jason, Twilight is a really close friend of mine," said Rainbow Dash. "She's one of the greatest friends a pony could ask, and I trust her with my life. I honestly think we could use her help."

"I don't trust her," I said. "She keeps glaring at me as if I'm about to attack every time I even look at her. She is not willing to trust me, and I am not willing to be used by her. Honestly, I think she's worse than Argo, because at least Argo never played the 'good guy' card. This benevolent ruler with a heart of gold shtick honestly makes me wanna puke."

Rainbow bit her lip while I droned on.

"I mean, the way she treats me is somehow creating way more discomfort to me than Argo ever could. I'm not trusting her, Rainbow, and that's my bottom line."

"Rainbow Dash is one of my best friends, and I completely trust her judgment," said Twilight. "I am willing to help if you tell me what's going on." I shook my head. The day I trusted her with that kind of secret would be the day she'd take a step down and talk to me as an equal.

Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted a black figure moving outside the window, steadily approaching the building at a rapid pace.

"Totally random question, Dash, but don't they keep a tracker on you guards in case of emergency situations?" I said, as I slowly made my way to the counter. "Just a funny rumour that was passed around in the slums." Rainbow Dash jolted still, her face went pale, and she slowly placed her hoof over the back of her head.

"They... did. Standard guard procedure."

"And you wouldn't happen to have, I don't know, activated the tracker before Twinkles could get that spell working on you?"

Rainbow Dash was frantically tapping the tracking device at the back of her neck with her hoof. "What am I gonna do?" she said, panicking.

What would Argo do to her if he found out she went rogue? My best guess was that Argo would sentence her to death for mutiny.

"Well here's hoping there you've got acting skills to put half of Hollywood to shame. No pressure," I said as I ducked behind the counter.

"Umm..." Rainbow Dash's head darted frantically from left to right, trying to compose herself, but she was too late. The guard entered the room, and had seen her immediately.

"You!" the guard snapped. This one was definitely a he. I listened intently, as his hoofsteps slowly approached Rainbow Dash. His hoofsteps came to a stop, followed the sound of a gun being cocked. "Listen here, Rainbow Dash. We need to talk... in private." A loud ear splitting gunshot sounded and the next thing I knew, everypony in the building was screaming and running for the exit. Within seconds, the place went silent, and the three of us were presumably alone, unless Fluttershy and Twilight had decided to stick around. Glancing upwards, there was a fresh bullet hole in the ceiling.

"That's better," he said. "Now, what are you doing out of your uniform, Lieutenant?" Rainbow Dash just gulped. "Never mind that now. We got your distress signal. What's the situation?"

"I-" Come on Rainbow! Don't let me down. I really hope you're better at bullshitting you way out of situations than Ethan… I can't believe I just thought that.

"I'm afraid I'm going to have to call it a false alarm, Sir."

"How come?"

"Clearly, Jason's not here."

"Where is he?"

"I don't know."

"Then what was with the distress call? I thought you either found him, or that something was wrong."

"Well..." You're doing so well. Please, don't slip up. "I did find him, but he's a lot stronger than I thought. I spotted him, activated my tracking device to call in reinforcements, and attempted to apprehend the target. I think he was ready for me, because he attacked me and got away. He's the reason this happened to my throat."

"Wow," said the guard. "Jason did that to your neck?"

"Sure did, Commander. Broke my wing too. I underestimated how competent of a fighter he could still be, even when injured. The dude was shot, and he still got away from me."

The guard snickered. "Let me get this straight. Argo's number one most loyal and capable servant, the fastest Pegasus in Equestria, got her ass kicked by an injured Earth pony?"

"Umm… yeah. I did."

The guard exploded with laughter. Stupid Argo and his stupid ideologies. Just because we couldn't fly or cast spells didn't mean we were incompetent. It took him a moment to collect himself and focus.

"That was hilarious, Dash! Definitely the funniest thing I've heard in a while. Ah, we're going to hold this over your head for weeks. But seriously, one does not simply just lose an Earth Pony. If he ran off, you would've caught up to him in ten seconds flat."

"He broke my wings, Sir!" Rainbow reiterated. There was a notable shift in her tone, as she struggled to regain control of the situation.

"Even if he did get away," said the guard. "You would've deactivated the device until you found him again."

"I forgot to turn it off!" It didn't take a genius to notice the palpable panic in Dash's voice.

"Forgot to turn it off? I find that unlikely. Tell me something, Lieutenant. Where is Jason?"

I slightly peeked over the counter. The guard was leaning forward, almost touching Rainbow Dash's muzzle. Rainbow's legs were nearly about to buckle and crumble apart like wet toilet paper at any second. Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted Twilight and Fluttershy hiding behind a knocked-over table.

"I-I don't know where he is."

"Don't play dumb with me!" the guard yelled. "You know exactly where he is! Why has it taken you this long to capture him? You even said yourself that you found him. Based on your reputation, I would've figured he'd be captured by now. Especially if you were involved."

"For the last time, HE BROKE MY WINGS!"

The guard slapped Rainbow across the face. "You will treat your commanding officer with respect. Do I make make myself clear, Lieutenant?" Rainbow Dash shakily nodded. "I'm going to ask you one more time, and this time, I expect a real answer. Where. Is. Jason?"

"I..." Rainbow Dash faltered. "I don't..."

"What do you want with Jason?" Twilight emerged from the table, cautiously approaching the guard.

The gun instantly pointed to Twilight. "Who the fuck are you?" he snapped. "Explain why you were listening on our conversation!"

"I'm sorry," said Twilight. "Rainbow Dash is just a close friend of mine, and-"

"Wait a minute!" said the guard. "Did you just say you know who Jason is?" Oh God no! If Twilight was planning on complying with him, I was so beyond fucked.

"No!" Rainbow Dash said quickly. Too quickly. "She doesn't. She has no idea who Jason is."

"Why are you defending that guy?" said Twilight. Rainbow Dash used every single facial expression she could trying to signal Twilight to shut up. It seemed like she either didn't get the memo, or was just plain ignoring it. "Ever since that pony showed up, everypony that has gone near him has ended up in danger!"

"Don't worry, I don't want any trouble," said the guard. "I just want to know where exactly Jason is, and then I'll be out of here. If you tell me his whereabouts, I promise Jason will disappear forever."

A bolt of fear shot up my throat.

"I trust you at least would have an idea of his location, Rainbow Dash. Considering you saw him earlier, and you were the one tasked with capturing him in the first place."

"I'm sorry, Sir, but I can't find him. I've been looking ever since he attacked me and got away, and I can't find him anywhere. He can't have moved too far from this location, and the more we argue the higher the chance he'll slip away."

The guard slowly moved closer towards Rainbow Dash, until their muzzles were almost touching. He was looking into Rainbow's eyes, who was now quivering. "Rainbow Dash, why are you lying to me?"

Rainbow Dash gulped. "I-"

"You've seen him," he said. "I can see it in your eyes. Tell me, where he is. Now."

Rainbow Dash took a few deep breaths, and gulped again. After a final deep breath, she spoke again. "I don't know. After he attacked me, and disappeared without a trace. I have no idea where is."

The guard backed away from Rainbow Dash. "Very well then," he said. "I'm afraid I'm going to have to officially label you as a traitor."

"Wait, what?" said Rainbow Dash in horror.

"Not only did you lie to me, you are deliberately trying to sabotage our mission. You also have proven that you are incapable of following the simplest of orders. Argo gave you one job, Rainbow Dash! And he made it quite clear to us your penalty for failure. Death!"

Rainbow Dash gulped for a third time. She was shaking violently, and her tiny eyes were bulging.

"Stop!" Twilight cried. "I know where Jason is!" Twilight, please! If you tell him where I am, you'll get me killed! And then you and your friends will be next. I quickly ducked back down, so I was completely hidden behind the counter.

"Do tell," said the guard, sounding amused.

"If I tell you where Jason is, will you promise to leave Rainbow Dash alone?" Twilight, you're making a huge mistake!

"Cross my heart." Twilight! No! Don't trust him! Don't fall for it!

Twilight sighed. "He's hiding just behind that counter." Fuck you, Twinkles!

"I knew you'd be reasonable," said the guard smiling. "I'll deal with you in a minute, Jason!" I removed my gun from my strap, and cocked it as quietly as I could.

"Now, let her go," said Twilight.

"Yeah, I don't think that's going to happen. I'm afraid Rainbow Dash is still going to have to be terminated for capital treason."

"No!" Fluttershy cried, most likely emerging from behind the table herself. "You can't do that to her!"

"You monster!" Twilight yelled. "You promised!"

That was it. The guard already knew I was here, so there was no point in hiding, and Rainbow Dash was risking her life for me. I couldn't just leave her there. I had to do something. I took a deep breath, and climbed to the top of the counter until I was standing on top of it.

"Put the gun down!" I said in a firm voice.

The guard instantly turned towards me. "Well I'll be damned, the little bitch was telling the truth."

"All three of you, get out of here! Now!" I yelled. "I'll take care of this bozo. Go!"

"Give me one good reason why I should take orders from you!" said Twilight.

"Twilight, we should probably do as he says," said Rainbow Dash, trying to usher the three of them towards the exit. "Come on! Let's go!"

A brown force of magic generated from the guard's horn, and wrapped around Rainbow's tail. She came to a dead stop, and the guard slowly pulled her towards him."

"Oh no you don't!" he said. "You're not going anywhere!"

"DASHIE!" Fluttershy screamed.

"Help!" Rainbow Dash yelled, her hooves helplessly scrambling across the floorboards.

"Leave her alone!" I snapped, leaping off the counter and landing directly on top of the guard. The guard dropped his magic, and Rainbow Dash stared at me with a shocked look on her face.

"You... just... saved my life," she said. As the guard tried to get up, I smacked him in the face with my hoof, still lying on top of him, letting out a loud yell in sync with my hit. I looked back at Rainbow Dash.

"RUN!" I screamed. Rainbow Dash scrambled to her hooves and ran for the exit. Now it was just the two of us. The guard managed to shake me off and kick me in the chest, propelling me across the room and landing onto a table, smashing it under my weight. The impact caused my hearing to muffle, and my vision to haze. Not again!

In the time it took for me come to and to get up, the guard was already aiming his gun at me. I jumped towards another table, falling over as I landed. I pushed the table so it was standing vertically on its side. Bullets were rapidly flying past me. I sat down with my back against my makeshift shield. Bullets punctured the wood around me, leaving trails of lights to pass through in their wake. Others whizzed past my ear. A sharp stinging pain struck me in the face, as a bullet narrowly whizzed through my left cheek.

The bullets came to an eventual stop, as the gun made a clicking noise. I knocked the table down with my hind leg. It crashed upside down onto the floor, and I ran around it straight towards the guard. Screaming, I lifted my right foreleg as I prepared to thrust it into the guard's face. Before the hit could connect, it came to a sudden stop, magic wrapped around my extended hoof. I tried to pull my hoof away, but the magic was too strong. The magic had a vice grip around my foreleg, and I could subtly feel a force pushing on the underside of my fetlock. I yanked myself backwards, trying to pull my leg free. The guard just kept piling on more pressure. I grit my teeth, breathing in and out heavily as the sensation went from minor annoyance to burning pain.

The tension in my leg grew tighter. My teeth grinded, and my eyes watered as the tension continued to grow tighter, and tighter, until…

Crack!

It sounded like a bullet being fired off as the bones in my forearm could no longer withstand the pressure and snapped in two. My eyes bulged, and I screamed at the top of my lungs, howling in agony.

"AAAHHHHHHHHHH!!!" I screamed. "FUCK! FUCK! FUCK!"

The guard lifted my entire body off the ground and threw me onto the counter. I rolled over and fell off the other side, knocking over everything in my path. I crashed face first into the ground behind the counter. Glasses, plates and bottles fell off the counter, smashing all around me. Shards of shattered glass were flying everywhere, coating the floor with millions of tiny glass fragments. It felt like my leg was on fire. Burning hot, searing pain shot from the fracture point up to my shoulder. I nearly hurled when I saw sharp, white bone fragments breaking through my skin. As I attempted to push myself up with my left hoof, it landed in a pile of shattered glass. I barely registered the numerous glass shards now embedded into my hoof, nor the blood dripping from the cuts like a fountain.

My entire body grew tight, and paralysed, as I was wrapped in a shield of magic. My legs dangled above the ground, before I was flung across the room, smashed back first into the wall. The mirror behind me shattered, leaving me lying in the middle of another large pile of shattered glass. Blood was trickling out of my mouth. I just laid there. Everything hurt. Everything was excruciating. It would've been so easy for to just lie there and embrace blissful nothingness. My head throbbed, my back ached. I saw my reflection through the shattered remains of the mirror. I had a swollen hoof covered in glass, and the pain in my broken leg had fallen back to a dull throb. Not to mention my wound being completely ripped open and leaking blood onto the floor. I really wish I hadn't left the hospital.

I realised that I physically felt weaker, and I could barely lift myself up. How much blood have I lost?

Coming from behind me, I could hear talking.

"He's not moving." said Rainbow Dash. "I think he's dead!"

"Do something, Twilight!" Fluttershy cried.

My body lifted from the ground, as the guard picked me up with his levitation, and placed me right in front of him. He pulled out his gun, and pressed the nozzle right to my forehead. All I could do was stare at him through barely conscious eyes.

Before the guard could pull the trigger, he froze. A pink force of magic wrapped around the guard's whole body, paralyzing him.

"What the...?" said the guard.

I looked behind me. Twilight was holding the guard in place with her magic. I honestly didn't know how to feel about Twilight of all ponies coming to the rescue. Without letting the guard go, Twilight gently pulled me back to safety behind her, and used her levitation to grab a nearby rope, and tied it around the guard's legs, binding them together. Twilight released her magic and took a deep breath, a smug sense of pride radiating off her. The guard just stared flatly at his legs. Grabbing the rope with his magic, he effortlessly untied the knot.

"Seriously?" he said. "That was your plan?"

"Oookay," she said, starting to back out of the building. "Looks like I'm going to have to try something else."

The guard turned his attention away from me and walked straight towards Twilight, placing his gun on her forehead.

"TWILIGHT!" Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy screamed in unison. While the guard was distracted, I removed my gun with my teeth, that little movement causing my broken leg to flare up in pain before calming down. Without letting off a single sound, I placed it in my other hoof.

"You ponies are so pathetic!" said the guard. "You could have done anything just then. You could have tried to stab me, steal my gun, cast a killing spell. Literally anything, but you're too bloody soft."

I picked up my gun, cocked it with my teeth, and aimed at the guard's head. Pieces of glass dug deeper as my hoof pressed against the handle. It hurt like hell, but I tried to ignore it and focus on my aim. My leg strained as I tried to prop it up, as if I was swimming through molasses with how difficult each movement felt.

The guard chuckled. "Next time you get the chance to kill someone, don't hesitate!"

I pulled the trigger, and fired. The bullet whizzed past Twilight and penetrated the guards' skull.

"Thanks for the advice," I said, smirking. With that, my leg collapsed onto the ground, panting as sweat matted my mane, and dripped from my muzzle. Rainbow Dash walked towards me, looking down at my bruised body. She towered over me, but this time she was lacked the intimidating and dominating presence. She was bending down slightly so I didn't have to strain myself to look at her.

"Done being the hero yet?" She had a hint of a smirk on her face.

"I feel like I'm going to pass out," I gasped. "So I'm going to say yes." Rainbow's face changed from a smirk to a look of genuine concern.

"Are you alright?" she asked.

"Well I'm not dead, so that's a bonus," I chuckled.

"Here, let me help you." Rainbow Dash knelt down, and allowed me to grab onto her as she pulled me up. All of my pains woke up all at once and I hissed as I let go of her hoof.

"Actually, I think I like the ground more. Think I'll just stay here till the ambulance shows up. Wonder if the doctor will be happy to see me again so soon."

Twilight and Fluttershy were standing at either side at the fresh corpse of the guard. Fluttershy's eyes were tiny, and her mouth was covered by her forehoof. Twilight was stunned. She stood there, looking horrified at what I had done, before marching over to me and giving me a withering look.

"I can't believe you." she said. "You shot him. You actually shot him."

"You're welcome," I said. "Feel free to thank me when the mood strikes."

"You... you murdered him!"

"Twinkles, twinkles, twinkles," I said to her as if lecturing a six year old. "I'm currently bleeding from several spots, have glass lodged into my hoof, several broken bones, and I think I emptied my stomach when he flung me over the counter. Do you think this is the best time to have this discussion? And try not to show too much sympathy to your 'would be' murderer."

"I had it under control," Twilight insisted.

I snickered. "Listen, what I just did wasn't murder, it was self defence. Learn the difference. It could save your life one day. Besides"—I gestured with my head to our dead friend—"Guys like him lost the right to be called a pony a long time ago."

"Wow," said Twilight. "Unbelievable. You just killed a pony in cold blood, and you don't even feel bad about it? How cold and insensitive could you possibly be?"

"Insensitive?" I hissed, flabbergasted. "Insensitive? You think I'm a cold blooded monster who kills everyone with no emotion? You listen here! I've had a really messed up week, and I just saved your fucking life! The least you could do is show me a little respect, and—what are you doing?" Twilight suddenly seemed abnormally calm and collective. She was breathing slowly and silently, her eyes were closed, almost as if she was meditating. Then her horn glowed white, and she bent down. "Twinkles? What are you doing?"

Her horn connected with my forehead. In an instant, a soothing and drowsy sensation washed over me. My body felt much more... relaxed. Everything was going numb, and I couldn't feel anything. Any energy I had left completely vanished. Everything was rapidly fading. My eyes rolled to the back of my head as I blacked out.