Santiago's lifeless corpse hit the ground hard. I stared as the remaining Swat cleared the rest of the catacombs searching for any hidden slaves or guards still fighting. My thoughts ground to a halt when the officer from before came up to me and spoke.

"Hell of a job you did out there... Ever handled a gun before?" the captain asked.

I shook my head as I removed the empty magazine from the PDW and slotted in the last one that I had one me. I took a brief glance at the M1911 and everything seemed in order. I turned back to the captain as he spoke again.

"Well for someone who'd never shot a gun before you handled that calmly and rationally, even some certified Swat officers have trouble sometimes." he spoke truthfully.

I nodded and started walking to the exit as the captain followed me. The adrenaline in my body finally reaching normal levels leaving me tired and lethargic, I rounded the corner as I felt my legs getting weak. Suddenly, a hidden guard peeked out and before I could react he fired a shot at me. I felt it barrel into my chest. I cried out in pain as I fell to the floor. A hailstorm of bullets flew over me as I heard his body hit the floor with a thud. I gasped for breath as the corner of my vision started to go black. I drew in one more breath and heard the captain speak.

"Shit, get him out the front... carefully! We don't want the bullet to hit anything vital! Fucking idiots..."

Before my vision faded.

"Oh god is that Ray?"

"Mein gott, he's been shot get him ze paramedics!"

"Hang in there Ray your gonna be fine."

"I told you to be careful son..."

*Beep* *Beep* *Beep* *Beep* *Beep* *Beep* *Beep* *Beep* *Beep* *Beep*

I woke up to the faint sound of the heart monitor slowly beeping to my left. I looked to the corner of the room and saw Theta with tears in his eyes. I tried to move my arm but to no avail. Theta took notice of my moving and shot up to my side.

"R-Ray... you scared me. You scared Selene and Solarei. Why did you jump head first into danger?"

-It just felt right, like I was doing the right thing.-

"It may have felt like the right thing to do but remember, I live inside you. I'm a part of you now so that means if you die... I die too." Theta explained.

My eyes widened as I realised the gravity of what I had done. If I were to have died from my wounds, Theta too would suffer the consequences of my actions. Tears started to well up into my eyes as I stared at Theta.

"Come now Ray... there's no need to cry. Besides were both fine. Well except from the gunshot wound buuuut..." Theta dragged off.

At that moment a nurse walked in and I tensed up but when she paid Theta no mind I threw a confused glance his way.

"Remember Ray, they can't see me. I may be my own person but in the end i'm just emotions given life."

I slowly nodded my head as I used my only strength to tap on the metal bed frame to get the nurse's attention. The nurse visibly jumped at the noise and slowly turned around to see me looking at her with a tired stare.

"O-Oh it's just you. Well it's good to see your awake. You've been under for around three weeks and two and a half days."

My eyes widened in shock as I heard how long I had been asleep for. I looked around the room to take in my surroundings. The walls were made of tile and were a clean white seemingly devoid of any dirt or damage. The heart monitor slowly beeping as I breathed slowly. I was dressed in a blue hospital gown with various fluids being injected by needles and IV bags.

"Hmm well everything seems in order. Do you need anything other then a drink of course." She said with a smile.

I weakly pointed to my throat trying to show her that I couldn't talk.

"I think I don't quite understand?" she questioned.

Luckily for me both Zoey and Aidan walked in. I smiled as I turned to them and waved weakly.

"Hey Ray, how you holding up?" Zoey asked.

I put a thumbs up to show that I was OK.

"Well glad to see your holding up buddy... finally out of that place huh? Free to try and continue with our life. Most of us require counselling after what happened to us in that place, I would imagine you do too." Aidan explained.

"Um, can I ask a question? Why isn't your friend talking. He pointed to his throat but I didn't quite understand." the nurse asked.

"Oh. Yeah, he's mute. They sliced his vocal chords stopping him from speaking seventeen years ago."

"T-That's horrible... who did it?"

"He can't tell us but I presume it was Johnathon Santiago himself, the now dead leader of the Santiago Cartel that was toppled around three weeks ago." Zoey explained

"Well at least he got his comeuppance in the end. Well visitor hours are now so i would make the most of them before time runs out." the nurse said as she left the room.

"Well lets chat... er communicate, heh sorry."

"Well visiting hours are over Ray, we best be going now let your get some rest." said Aidan.

I waved as they exited the room and silence once again overcame the room again. I felt my eyes slowly close as I drifted off to sleep.

I opened my eyes to once again find myself in my mind again. However this time the dark clouds had parted and sunshine was shining down onto the ground allowing me to see clearer. I sat under one of the suns ray's ,(heh), and I once again felt the warm sunshine on my face after seventeen years of almost no freedom. I heard the sound of teleportation behind me and I was smothered by Selene as she hugged me. I gasped for breath as she cut of my airways.

"Selene! Get off him your smothering him to death!" Solarei shouted.

"Oh... I'm so sorry Ray here let me help you up." Selene spoke as she held out her hand.

I grabbed Selene's hand and used it to get up. I then grabbed Selene in a hug as I smiled.

"Don't worry Ray, we've almost figured out how to get you from your world into ours only a couple more days and we should be able to get you to Equestria."

I smiled at Selene and Solarei and gave both of them a hug. Suddenly, the world around me shook as I started to hear muffled voices.

"Hmm seems like someone is waking you up earlier than you would. Well goodbye for now and we will see you in Equestria soon." Solarei explained.

I waved as the world around me started to crumble until only I was left and then everything went dark.

"We need to speak to him... It's imperative." spoke a muffled voice.

"He is currently sleeping you will have to return later." said the nurse from earlier.

I banged on the side of the bed to alert them that I was awake.

"See... he is awake. Now if you would be so kind to let is see him."

"Fine but don't keep him for too long, he needs to sleep so his wounds can heal."

The door clicked open and the light was switched on as the captain from the castle entered the room. I stared at the captain and waved to greet him as he entered the room.

"Hello again Ray. How are you holding up last time I saw you was when you were carted off in an ambulance to the hospital after we got you out of there." The captain asked.

I shook my hand to do a so-so gesture and the captain nodded.

"Good. Good. At least your recovering. Well I came to tell you that the remaining Cartel members that were apprehended are set to stand on trial on the fifth of May we were wondering if you would be able to write a witness report and give detail on what took place there. However if you wish too you can leave out any personal details on what happened there. If you give a more detailed description then the trial will go smoother with most of them receiving life sentences for what they've done. And since you were in that hellhole for over half your life, your description will be key to the prosecution." Explained the captain.

I nodded saying yes to writing a detailed report.

"Good, Tomorrow I will be around to help you write the report. Just try and get some sleep and get your head in order to write that report tomorrow."

I nodded once more and the captain left turning out the lights and leaving me to sleep. And soon the darkness took me once more.

I woke to the suns ray's pouring in through the clear window as a light breeze drifted from the fan in my room. The nurse from yesterday walked in and did what she did yesterday. The nurse then turned the fan off and opened the window to let in fresh air.

"There, that's better some fresh air. Now how about I get you some food?" She asked.

I nodded vigorously, hungry from hardly eating anything yesterday. Once I responded the nurse left the room to get me some hospital food, which was probably better than what we got while we were kept as slaves. I looked to my left and saw some flowers that someone had left there. I smiled at the fact that someone left flowers for me. I then looked outside and saw dark clouds in the sky as rain fell from the sky. I then realised something that I completely forgot about. I needed the toilet.

After the nurse returned and I notified her of my predicament everything from that point on went smoothly. The captain arrived a few hours later to help me write the statement.

"So now I need you to write about what happened in that place and how you got there. I'm sorry if it's painful dredging up those memories and if you need to take a break you can. Just write it at your own pace and don't force yourself to write if you don't want too." The captain said.

I nodded and began to write about the first memory that led to these past seventeen years.

Me and my family were walking up the hill past the old abandoned castle late at night when we were returning from a family gathering early 2002. It was late at around eleven PM when my parents first started hearing noises. At first it didn't bother them but as we went on I saw the noises started to worry them more and more. By this time my seven year old sister had almost fallen asleep in my mother's arms. My nineteen year old brother walked with my dad as I walked with my mom. It was late at night when they jumped me and my family. They first shot my father and brother in the head killing them instantly. I watched as their lives were cut short. I watched as their bodies hit the cold floor.

My mother was about to scream until another masked person shot her in the back of the head killing her too. All that was left was me and my sister. My sister was about to start crying so one of them hit her in the back of the head to knock her out. The second grabbed me and pulled a black bag over my head as I heard a car pull up and I was forced inside. The car journey was short. I was pulled out of the car and lead forward like and animal to slaughter. They removed the bag off my head as soon as we entered the castle and I took in that my little sister was still unconscious an we were being lead to the throne room.

We arrived at the throne room quickly and I stood in front of the leader of the Cartel. Johnathon Santiago. Johnathon was a bulky man, powerful and strong, he didn't mind if he got his hands dirty killing, maiming and scarring people. In the end he was killed by my own hands about a month ago when this was written. As I was guided forward Santiago spoke.

"Well, Well, Well two new animals to add to our pen! Look at this one, she'll make a fine toy when she gets older!" Santiago laughed heartily.

"Your sick! Your empire will fall. T-the police will find us..." I spoke foolishly. "The police will find you and tear down your empire, everything you have will be gone one day."

At that time I had no idea how my words would affect my life from that day forth.

"*sigh* Well we got ourselves a tough one... seeing you family die wasn't enough hmm? Well how about this then!" Santiago shouted.

When he finished his sentence he stabbed my little sister multiple times in the head killing her instantly. My eyes widened as tears welled up in my eyes as i saw he lifeless eyes stare into nothingness.

"Is that not enough? OK then... bring the boy here."

Santiago's men brought me over to him while he wielded the knife covered in my sister's blood.

"Since you like your voice so much how about I take it from you?"

My hand was trembling as i dropped then pen onto the table tears welled up in my eyes as I remembered the events that started my life in that hell. The captain looked at me with a sincere smile on his face. I looked back to the paper and reached for the pen to continue writing again.

One Year Later...

I still couldn't sleep... no dare sleep. The faces, etched into my mind like a scar. I was resting in the pen waiting for work to start. At the usual time, the guards came and collected us to work. But a separate guard pulled me to the side and escorted me to the throne room. Once we arrived at the throne room I saw him sitting there with his newly wed wife Samantha. Once I entered I bowed as usual and then he spoke.

"Well if it isn't your one year anniversary. Your tough, i'll give you that you survived much more than other twelve year old kids, i'll tell you that now."

I stood there with a straight face and kept listening to him.

"Well every anniversary we celebrate with a mark. We scar marks on our slaves backs to show how long they had been here. And today is your first one." Santiago said with a smile.

My mouth opened wide as they brought me to Santiago turned me around and removed my shirt. Santiago grabbed his knife and slowly cut down my back leaving a singular mark to show my first year of survival.

Author's Note

This will probably be the only chapter with actual spoken dialogue by Ray, not between him and Theta which I classify as mind speaking, since they share the same mind.