Problems of a Dead World

Chapter 3: A Change of Heart

The Colonel slowly turned around as the knives finished their extensive clattering, to find Earl. His expression was completely terrified as he glanced between the menacing colonel and the knives that had just given away his intentions. Jackson cleared his throat and blinked a few times before looking Earl in the eye.

"What do you think you're doing, Earl?" Colonel Jackson asked, his tone slightly choked.

Earl continued glancing between the knives and him, and backed away slowly.

"I was just... checking out..." Earl said, trailing off.

"Earl..." Jackson replied, cutting off Earl's babbling. "What do you think you're doing?"

Twilight looked between the two men, terrified. She backed away slowly and into her brother, who held the same terrified expression. Macintosh simply stayed in front of his sister, ready to defend them if anything were to happen. As Twilight backed away however, Jackson swiftly drew his pistol out of it's holster on his leg and aimed it directly at Twilight, causing her to back away even farther and scream.

"Wha-?! Jackson, NO!" Earl shouted.

"What, Earl? You think you can just waltz in here and not tell me what the hell you're doing?" Jackson replied.

He used his thumb to quickly cock the pistol, readying the bullet for whoever was in it's path.

"Earl, now would be a great time to tell him what you were doing!" Shining shouted, clutching his sister as the gun was pointed to her head.

"Well, Earl?" Jackson said with a sinister smile.

"I-I was just checking out the knives... that's it." Earl said shakily.

Jackson chuckled and moved closer to Twilight, the gun still staring her down.

"Please! You think I'm that simple?!" The Colonel said.

"Colonel please, just put the gun down!" Earl pleaded, taking a few steps towards the Colonel.

"Ah Ah Ah...." Jackson said, now placing the barrel against Twilight's head, causing her to scream again.

"God's sake man, don't kill her!" Earl screamed angrily.

Jackson paused for a moment and let out another sinister laugh as he tapped the gun against Twilight's head and whispered the word bam before pulling it away and pointing it at Earl. The human quickly jumped backwards at the gun's change in direction and put his hands up.

"Over here. Now." Jackson said, waving the gun to his group of friends.

Earl obliged and quickly side-stepped to his friends, placing one arm around Twilight's shoulder, calming her slightly. The Colonel rolled his eyes and kept the gun fixated on Earl.

"Now. I thought we were going to be able to handle this in a civilized manor. But, because some people would like to be savages, we have to do things the hard way." Jackson said, approaching Earl.

The Colonel harshly shoved Twilight and Shining away, and grabbed Earl by the collar of his light-grey shirt.

"You're going to tell us." Jackson said, shoving the barrel of his shining pistol under Earl's chin.

Earl shivered for a moment as the cold steel of the gun connected with his skin.

"T-Tell you what?!" Earl asked, frantically and shakily.

Jackson narrowed his eyebrows.

"The light." He said in a low tone.

Earl's expression quickly changed to confused.

"What light?!" He asked, his voice growing even more terrified.

Colonel Jackson scowled and threw Earl to the floor, causing his head to collide harshly with one of the metal cabinets in the kitchen. The air instantly escaped Twilight's lungs as Jackson advanced forward and swung the pistol at Earl's face. It hit him square in the jaw, causing his head to fly sideways, along with a string of blood that painted the checkered floor of the kitchen.

"The light! There was a light in your home!" Jackson shouted angrily.

Earl winced in pain as he crawled into a seated position against the metallic cabinet.

"L... Light....?" He asked, glancing to his group of friends.

It only took him a few seconds to realize what Jackson was speaking of.

The portal.

Earl hesitated for a moment and shook his head.

"I-I don't know what you're talking about..." He said shakily.

Jackson scowled and harshly ripped Earl from his seated position and back to his feet.

"We'll find out... you lying, sniveling, ungrateful bastard..." The Colonel said in a grim tone.

He shoved Earl into his friends once more and waved the gun towards the door.

"Move. Now."

* * *

The metallic door to the jail cell briskly shut, sending a sharp clank! throughout the room. Earl scowled and rubbed his hand against his jaw as he glared at Jackson.

"I'm sorry kid. I really am." Jackson said, spinning his pistol around his index finger.

He quickly slid it into the holster on his leg and turned to leave the room which contained the cell.

"Just remember, this was your fault." Jackson said, turning back for a moment. "I'll be back very soon."

With that, the colonel slammed the door shut, leaving only the glow from outside to light the dreary cell that Applejack, Shining, Macintosh, Earl, and Twilight were now trapped in. Earl sighed and ran his hands through his short, black hair as he approached a small cot on the opposite side of the cell where Twilight was sitting. Big Mac was sitting against the far wall, his arm around his cowering sister, while Shining Armor paced around the middle of the cell.

Without a word, Earl set himself down on the cot and pulled Twilight close as she sobbed lightly. Shining continued pacing, his steps growing angrier and angrier as Twilight's sobs echoed throughout the room.

"I....I-I'm not letting him hurt you...alright?" Earl said quietly, and in his most comforting voice.

Shining rolled his eyes and stomped over to the cot.

"And how do you expect to do that, Earl?!" The blue-haired human asked, his voice carrying a tone of anger.

"Shines... c'mon man." Earl replied, motioning to Twilight.

"No! You just had to go back... you just had to have your moment of glory, saving your insane species!" Shining said, his expression now showing the anger that was apparent in his voice.

Earl scowled and pulled his arm away from Twilight, lifting himself off of the cot so that he was only inches from Shining's face. The former-unicorn was slightly intimidated in the difference between their height's and body-structure, and backed away slightly.

"Not all humans are like this Shines!" Earl said angrily. " Am I insane?!"

Shining hesitated for a moment.

"Not yet I'm not..." Earl said under his breath, setting himself down onto the cot.

The blue-haired human shook his head and turned away.

"Shines..." Earl said.

Shining Armor simply shook his head again.

With a sigh, Earl lifted himself from the bed once more and put his hand on Shining's shoulder.

"If we're going to make it out of this, I can't have my friends turning my back on me." He said.

Shining sighed and continued shaking his head.

"I just want to take Twi, and go home..." He said, desperation entering his tone.

"And I'm getting you home. I'm getting Twi home. I'm getting everyone home, even if it kills me." Earl replied, his voice now filled with confidence.

Shining gave a quick nod and continued pacing around the room as Earl walked back to the cot.

"I just... I want to go home... I forgot how much I hate this world..." Twilight sobbed.

"I know... I know. I hate it here too." Earl said, stroking her hair lightly.

"Y-You told me... it used to be OK here. Before all of the..."

"It was. I promise it was. But... it can also change people..."

Twilight continued cowering and glanced up to Earl.

"You're not... you're not going to let them...?"

Earl quickly shook his head.

"Any finger they lay on you, or anyone, is a finger they better be prepared to lose." He said.

Twilight sniffled and rested her head against his chest as she shifted her body to lay on the cot, the sunlight from outside quickly fading into night.

"Nothing's gonna touch you..." Earl whispered.

* * *

"No! No! Don'chu touch him!" Applejack screamed.

Earl's head quickly shot up as he was interrupted from his sleep. He quickly glanced to the direction of AJ's scream and found a group of soldiers in the cell, one of which, was dragging Mac out.

"Hey, what's going on?!" Earl shouted, heaving himself of of the bed and near one of the soldiers.

The man quickly shoved him back and aimed his rifle in Earl's direction.

"Colonel's orders. Stay back!" The soldier replied.

Earl threw his hands in the air and backed away.

"Earl!" Applejack shouted, looking to him. "Do something!"

Mac flailed around wildly in the soldier's grasp as he was pulled out of the cell.

"You let me go, right now!" Mac shouted angrily as his legs dragged against the dusty cement floor.

After the soldiers had left, they slammed the cell door shut. Almost instantly, Applejack leaned against the bars and reached an arm out to her brother.

"Mac!" She screamed desperately.

It was no use, the soldiers simply continued dragging him out of the room, slamming the door shut behind them.

"Mac..."