"Are you sure, Twi? If Princess Celestia says it's important, then maybe we all should go?" Applejack offered, a little unsure of what to say. "I don't doubt her word, don't get me wrong, but don't you think it's a little weird she specifically sent for you and me?"

Twilight chewed on the inside of her cheek, thinking the situation over as the two walked to the Ponyville train station, stopping right under the train schedule board. Most of the trains were either canceled or postponed, barring the few that coursed from Ponyville, to Canterlot and beyond. On one hoof, it was a rare occurrence that Twilight went on an adventure without her friends, map decisions notwithstanding. On the other hoof, the letter was labeled beyond top secret, and the Princess made it clear the information was on a need to know basis, so the less ponies knew the details, the better.

"I think she knows best. And she keeps everypony's interests in mind." It's been a few days since Celestia sent the letter, granting Twilight a bit of time to prepare for the trip and gather her thoughts. It was a bit of a hassle to explain to her friends why they couldn't go without saying too much, just confronting Pinkie gave her one hell of a headache, nevermind convincing Rainbow to stand down. "Surely she deserves the benefit of the doubt, don't you think?"

Applejack looked crestfallen for a moment, but nodded in agreement. "I just hope it's nothin' serious. I can't help but think it's all connected with the Appleloosa blackout..." Applejack sighed as the two friends settled into their seats, the last minutes before the train's departure bringing a small crowd into the station. "I'm worried sick about Braeburn, haven't heard from him ever since this whole commotion started..."

Twilight could only sympathize with her friend, despite the foreboding feeling gnawing at her heart as the steady rumble set the locomotive into motion.

"Luna, my decision is final." Celestia's voice hardened as her eyes scanned over another document, that particular one highlighting the importance of restorative agricultural forestry. An important matter indeed, perhaps, for another time. She filed the paper into the 'to be done' folder, her attention on her dear sister.

The young alicorn wore a pensive expression, feeling the need to protest, but knowing better. She rested in a comfortable, if a little overly soft velvet chair, feeling like a foal in the middle of a scolding.

"I disallow you from visiting James on your own. And until you find yourself ready to apologize, I will not take you into his dream with me."

"Apologize?" Luna's voice was low as she spoke, as if she couldn't believe her ears. "I should apologize? Not the abomination that thought killing and transforming ponies was a reasonable course of action?"

"He apologized, Luna. Perhaps if you had listened, you would've heard. Besides, your sincerity is not required. There may come a day when we have to release James from his prison, and I would rather have him on good terms with us when the time comes." Celestia stood up from her working place, moving to exit her study. "Now excuse me, sister, I have duties to attend to."

As the doors shut behind the Solar Diarch, Luna found herself wishing Celestia screamed at her, instead of speaking in an even, disappointed tone that left the younger sister questioning her decisions.

I took a long sip of a carbonated drink out of an aluminum can, the branding unrecognizable under layers upon layers of scratches. The taste was distantly familiar, appealing and just a tad bit nostalgic. I set the can on a coaster of a sizable sofa, laying down and stretching my whole body, chill autumn air swirling in my lungs.

I looked at the evening sky through the thick canopy of a towering oak tree, my gaze lazily drifting over the rolling hills towards a quaint little settlement down below, distant silhouettes bustling about the town's square. Skyscrapers and big city lights were visible just on the horizon, a winding asphalt road full of vehicles connecting the two islands of civilization via a much smaller gravel pathway.

I was acutely aware that the scene was conjured from my memory with little to no alien influence, yet I couldn't recall the significance of the sight before me, if it had any. A tranquil atmosphere enveloped me like a tight blanket, a dreamy sigh escaping my lips. I closed my eyes and basked in the stillness of the moment, trying in vain to shake off the feeling that my blissful rest was not meant to last.

In a blink of an eye, the sun grew brighter, its rays hotter, more intense. The leaves danced in a frenzied whirlwind, stirred by the flaps of mighty, millenia old wings. All background noise was drowned out by the jingle of magic, stupefying and mesmerizing. The faint smile that tugged at my lips faded as I once again regretted being right.

"Forgive me for not bowing, your Highness, I'm afraid I can't be arsed at the moment." The approaching sound of shuffling grass came to an abrupt stop.

"Worry yourself not, James. I believe our extraordinary situation allows us to ignore titles." Her voice was careful, but otherwise kind and nonthreatening.

"Alright, Celestia- Can I call you Celly?" I rose up from the sofa, putting a pillow behind my back and propping myself into a sitting position. "Using the full name is such a mouthful, you know?" My eyes opened to notice a surprised expression on the Solar Diarch's face, that, in any other situation, one would consider cute.

"I-"

"Right, Celly it is then." I clapped my hands, rising from my seat and stretching my sore limbs. "You know, I gotta hand it to you, Celly, you surprised me." She arched an eyebrow in response. "I've actually debated whether or not I should let your sister and you into my mind pretty heavily. To make a long story short, I anticipated two possible outcomes. Numero uno: you turn out to be the kind and benevolent leader your subjects think you are, I cure the ponies of Appleloosa, and we come to some sort of consensus." I pushed the sofa behind me with my right leg, the furniture sliding far enough to give me ample place to pace back and forth.

"Numero dos: You don't give a damn about those cuddly cutie patooties, and thusly, wouldn't have any reason to keep me alive." I could feel her need to speak up, either to dissuade my fears or defend herself, a need that she suppressed, ever so politely. "But you see, I had a way out of that situation too: A loyal, intelligent bio-weapon that would give Equestria an edge would surely be too good to pass up, thus my existence would be secured once more." I expected to see indignation, revulsion, perhaps anger written on her features. Instead, I only saw an ever-annoying mix of worry and pity.

"You know what I didn't expect? You distracting me long enough to let your sister rip me out of my body, all the while playing the role of a good cop. Yeah, you think I'm dull enough not to see through your act? Now my body is left without a leader, a voice to guide it. Easy pickings for those goons of you to burn to the ground. And me? I believed you! Hell, I apologized!" A bitter chuckle escaped my lips. "You've got me on a silver platter, ready to pick my mind apart, neuron by neuron, memory by memory." I approached Celestia, the mare assuming a catlike loaf position on the grass. "And that's why you surprised me, Celly." I offered her my hand, not expecting a hoofshake in return. "You're more human than I thought."

She wore the same pitiful look on her face that urged me to pummel it into mush as she stood up, her voice bringing little consolation.

"I am sorry you see it that way. But I assure you, what had transpired, was a mere accident, nothing more. My sister jumped to conclusions, and let her temper get the best of her. It was not my intention to separate your soul and body." I clenched my fist and dug my foot into the soil, the couch sliding towards me on que. This holier that thou hag was still insistent on keeping up appearances? Fine, It was her choice.

"Alright, I'll play along, Princess." I spat the last word with enough venom to kill a Smasher. "Since you're willing to chat, why don't tell me about Appleloosa? I do so love the smell of napalm in the morning!" An uncomfortable look on Celestia's face only spurred my interest. "Come on, don't be shy. I assure you I will immensely enjoy seeing all my accomplishments being turned to dust." I sighed, not too enthused about her indecisiveness. "In all seriousness, I really want to know how pony napalm, or whatever substitute you use, does to my carapace. So if you'd be so kind-"

A golden glow encompassing her horn produced a decently sized screen, depicting a bird's eye view of Appleloosa, a shimmering dome covering the town. Tiny black figures were concentrated on one side of said dome, seemingly trying to break through.

"We weren't sure what effects your removal would provoke, and I'm afraid we've stumbled on a worst case scenario." Celestia began, her expression grim. "Ever since your mind and 'body' were separated, we've been registering magnitude four earthquakes, coupled with increased activity from infected ponies." She fell silent for a moment, fighting past the lump in her throat. "They took the ground teams by surprise, and there were... casualties, but the situation is under control, for now."

"That is... Fascinating!" I took a deliberate step towards the screen, trying to take in as many details as possible. "Without a centralized intelligence to command them, I expected the infected to grow catatonic.... You said they're trying to breach the perimeter. I presume the infected are coordinated?" An incredulous expression on her face answers my question. "Unbelievable... They're running the show for me, with acceptable results." I smiled, beside myself, and muttered. "Gotta give 'em a raise or something."

I turned on my heels to face the befuddled princess and clapped my hands.

"Right, I believe we can come to an agreement. You return me to my body, I calm the boys and girls at Appleloosa down, and we have a nice, long talk. You know, like adults." I couldn't quite read her expression but I felt the atmosphere change. A chilly breeze brushed through my hair, and I once again figured that I underestimated Celestia.

"The spell requires both casters to be reversed." She spoke curtly, her horn shimmering with the might of the sun. "I will consult with my sister, but the choice is, ultimately, out of my hooves." I couldn't help but avert my eyes from hers, wilting a little under her piercing gaze.

"Goodbye."

A wave of heat washed over me as she disappeared, somehow leaving me even less certain of my future than before.

"So you're tellin' me he's... Under this thing's control, or somethin'?" Was all Applejack could say as she struggled to process what Princess Celestia told her.

"From what we've gathered, yes. Before Jason was transported here he had control over every infected citizen of Appleloosa."

"You've brought him here!?"

"We brought his mind, Applejack." Celestia corrected the agitated farmer, calming her down somewhat. "He cannot infect anypony in his current state, be not afraid."

Applejack raised an eyebrow. "I don't think I see a problem, then. If he can't do anything, why don't we just concentrate on healing the ponies he infected?"

"Ever since we've moved him here, his 'body' has been lashing out at everypony around it without rest. If we do not return him, within the next week his forces will overcome the barrier, either from the ground forces constantly assaulting it, or the underground growths snaking their way beneath it."

"And you want me to talk some sense to him before you get him back. You want me to reason with the monster who, for all I know, has killed my cousin?" Celestia recognised the look Applejack was giving her, it was one from a long gone era of grand conquests and bloody battles, when entire families lost their sons and daughters to merciless campaigns.

"I'll do it. But you better give that thing a good whooping after you're done."

Luna was hard to surprise. The mare lived a long life, fought in more wars than was polite to mention, and was quite proficient in spotting trouble if it was coming her way. Most of the time, anyway. A millennium of exile was regrettable, if avoidable, and ultimately left the Princess of the Night a better ruler. At a great cost, yes, but the point still stood.

Now, standing before her sister, accompanied by Honesty and Magic, she found herself questioning her instincts.

"You want me to... Accompany you into his mindscape?" Luna wondered aloud, going over Celestia's offer in her head. "Mere hours ago, you forbade me from visiting that wretch without your explicit permission." The words weren't meant to hurt Celestia, but were nonetheless a jab at her sister's commanding nature. "Pray tell, what brought on this change of heart?"

"I believe James isn't too far gone, but his attitude during our conversation worries me." The two smaller ponies were rapt at attention, hanging on the diarch's every word. "He is cynical, assuming the worst of his opponent, thinking his displacement was a clever trick, not an accident. Worst of all, he congratulated me on this success. Either something happened that made him this way, or it's simply in his nature."

"He's dangerous either way." Luna concluded, shaking her head. "If you wish to see young Applejack try to persuade him, I will not stop you. Yet I fail to see the need for my participation. Surely, your dreamwalking hasn't deteriorated that much over the years?" Luna, of course, suspected why her involvement may be necessary, but seeing as her opinion on the matter was well known to her sister, she chose to disregard the possibility of returning James to his body as a viable option.

"That's where I come in!" Twilight's excitement could only be matched by her nervousness. "Back when Discord was due for reformation, I had a backup plan in case Fluttershy wasn't successful." Twilight descended into her own explanation, manifesting a worn tome out of thin air.

"Back then, I found it too... Questionable for use on live subjects, but when Pr-Celestia notified me on what was going on, I deemed it suitable. The amount of raw magical energy the spell requires is staggering, but I believe it's well within the capabilities of three Alicorns." In her tirade, the fledgeling alicorn didn't see the troubled expression on Luna's face. "Of course, the Elements of harmony should work too, and perhaps they'd be more secure, but I'd advise not involving any more ponies than necessary. If this 'James' is as dangerous as you say, we can't afford to take any chances."

"A forced reformation spell?" Luna shook her head, her doubts continuing to linger as the conversation progressed. "IT sounds... Extreme, even for my tastes. What are the conditions of the one the spell is cast upon?" Twilight rubbed her chin, looking a tad bit unsure.

"The answer is... complicated. From my analysis, the spell matrix indicates a system of incentives and punishments to influence the decision making process of the subject. A carrot and stick situation, as it were." She teleported the book away, secured somewhere even Discord would have a hard time accessing. "For the purposes of successful reformation, the subject is subservient to the caster or casters until the magic is dispelled."

Luna stood shocked, unable to trust her own ears. What Twilight suggested was mind control, something made illegal long before Sombra used what little mentions of its techniques remained in literature to unleash its terrifying power over the unsuspecting crystal ponies.

"And how long would you leave James in such a state, before deeming him 'reformed'? What would he do, after you release the hold on his mind, if that ever happens?" With each question, Twilight's mood sullied even further, her enthusiasm curbed. “However harsh it may sound, but I believe death is more merciful."

"Can't say Ah like the idea of killing anypony, but what Twilight suggests is downright heinos. Ahm no genius, but it doesn't take one to know the spell just ain't right." She sighed, shaking her head. "Just lemme talk to the feller, Ahm sure we can find a middle ground of sorts."

I swayed back and forth as a pleasant electronic tune drifted through my mind, one I no doubt enjoyed a long time ago, and now couldn't recall anything about. The wave of nostalgia convinced me it was time for a change of scenery, the world around me dissolving into nothing but the black expanse of void, white dots flying past me with enough speed to smudge into thin white lines. A little unconventional, sure, but going to space is every kid’s dream, right? And what little visual stimulation there is, it’s still better than the timeless nothing I was in for God knows how long.

“Aaaaand now I’m uncomfortable. Lovely.” There was little to no reason for speaking out loud, of course, apart from feeling a little less lonely. “Never thought I’d miss the chimeras, nosy little fucks. ’You can’t do that, the biology is incompatible.’ ’Growing a second horn won’t increase the energy output!’ ’DO NOT LET THEM IN!’” I sighed, the memory of our meeting leaving a bad taste in my mouth. “Should’ve listened to them on that one.”

Seeing as nothing took my mind off things better than work, I focused on more productive endeavors. Such as getting out of the unpleasant predicament I was in, and back into my own ‘body’. Would it have been harder for the sisters to rip my consciousness out if I had a permanent body? Would that kind of bond somehow protect me from outside intrusions? I didn’t know for sure, but I had to admit the thought was eating me up inside.

“Whoa nelly! This feels mighty weird!” The southern twang behind me started a chain reaction of reference points in my mind, flashes of memories helping me pinpoint the speaker. However, before I could voice my findings, I couldn’t help but express a more natural, knee-jerk reaction.

“JESUS FUCKING CHRIST!” A very manly shriek left my lips as I gracefully landed on my rear end, the ground surprisingly hard, considering its void-like consistency. My eyes darted between not one, not two, but four ponies now inhabiting my very crowded consciousness. “Is this an intervention? Cause it’s getting real crowded here.”

“Darn right it is, ‘bout time somepony set ya straight!” The orange one replied with a scowl, thumping her hoof on the nonexistent floor. She probably thought she was very intimidating.

“I’m surprised you know what that means. It’s a pretty long word, after all.” I stood up with a groan, the thought of carrying a conversation with the group swiftly souring my mood. “What, Celly’s niceties didn’t work, so now yall are gonna pummel me into submission?” I expected Moonbutt to object, maybe throw a fit or try to buck me to death, but to my surprise, it was the purple horse that took offense.

“That’s Princess Celestia to you!” She pawed at the ground, a cute gesture, to be honest. “What gives you the right to speak to my friends in such a way? You should be grateful we’re giving you the time of day!” I rolled my eyes, really wishing I was doing something else at the moment.

“Really, I should be grateful? I’m not the one having trouble with an entire town going ballistic.” I noticed the earth pony’s eyes glistening with worry, my eyes narrowing on the mare. “Huh, I thought you sounded familiar. You got relatives in Appleloosa?”

“Yeah, Braeburn’s mah cousin. The name’s Applejack, by the way.” Her expression turned hopeful. “Have you met him? Is he alright?” I sucked air through my teeth, wracking my brain around, trying to remember what happened to the guy.

“Eh, fifty-fifty. I’m pretty sure he was alive the last time I checked, but it’s been a little while, and I had more important things to worry about.” Her worry turned into anger as I continued. “But fret not, if he is dead, I’m 90% sure I have his consciousness saved in a nerve cluster somewhere.” I glared daggers at the two taller alicorns, momentarily letting the farm mare out of view. “At the very least, I had it saved. Now that I’m missing, I’m not sure to what lengths chimeras might go to ensure their survival. For all I know, he’s as good as dead.” I felt something jabbing me in the chest, the somewhat painful sensation prompting me to look down.

“Don’t ya dare talk ‘bout mah cousin like that. Other ponies’ lives aren’t yer playthings, James. And unless ya want yer butt handed to ya by the Princess’, ya better mellow out, shut it, and start listenin’.” How Applejack said it all with a straight face, was beyond me. Her attitude, however, wasn’t.

“Now listen to me, you inbred piece of meat, and listen closely. I’ve spent a millenia in the cold silence of the space between stars, and I won’t allow anyone to speak to me in that tone. I don’t give a shit about your cousin, hell, I don’t give a shit about your entire fuckin’ family. And you know why?”

“James.” Moonbutt’s voice stopped me dead in my tracks, because it was the last voice I expected to hear. “Stop before you say something you will regret.” I wasn’t sure what riled me up more: the sympathy in her voice, or the pity in her eyes. “You don’t have to lash out. You can still get out of this-”

“Release me.” I crossed my arms on my chest, my attention on the Lunar Princess.

“We can’t. Not after what you said.” My eyes grew wide at Celestia’s words. “You’re clearly unstable-”

“Why are you here then? To taunt me? Dangle freedom before my eyes, just to rub your victory in my face?”

“We have an offer, James.” The purple one began. “We all need you to return to your body, but since we can’t trust you to do what’s needed, we came up with a different solution.” I didn’t like the tone of her voice, like she was talking about a lab experiment. “The spell’s quite complex, which leaves little room for errors, but once cast, it will ensure absolute compliance.” Paradoxically, I felt my heart skip a beat as she stepped closer, a dangerous glint in her eyes sending a shiver down my spine as I involuntarily took a step back. “Once we see that you’ve changed, we’ll release the spell, and everypony will be happy.”

“Jesus Christ.” For a moment, I thought the conversation was all in my head, which it couldn’t have been, really, I’ve been out of my head for a while now, because of how utterly insane the mare sounded. “You’re out of your fucking mind, aren’t you?” I shook my head, the sound of blood rushing in my ears growing louder. “Thanks, but no thanks. I’d rather stay here ‘till I croak, than be your lapdog.”

“You misunderstand me, James.” Her voice didn’t change, which was the worst part. “It’s not an offer you can refuse.” A lilac glow engulfed her horn, the steady hum of magic permeating the mindscape.

“And you’re gonna allow this?” Celestia shied away from my gaze, a vivid gold color joining the lilac as magic pooled around me.

“I... I can’t allow you to hurt my ponies any longer, James. I wish it didn’t come to this.” Celestia didn’t even look at me as she said it.

“Could’ve fooled me, Princess.”

“Twilight, Sister, have both of you gone mad?” Once again, Luna surprised me. Her face was a mask of confusion and revulsion with a hint of terror. Her eyes darted from one alicorn to another, bewilderment in her gaze. “Do you wish to equate yourselves to Sombra? The fate you threaten to impart upon him would make the Tyrant King blush!”

“Come on, Princess! You’ve seen what he’d done, this is our best chance!” Twilight’s voice gained an edge as she sensed Luna’s indecisiveness. “The spell needs all three of us to work! You have to help, now!”

“Luna, please.” Celestia’s voice seemed to have tipped Luna’s emotional scale, a deep, midnight blue aura trailing up her horn. I swear, Luna looked like a kicked puppy as she prepared a fate worse than death for me.

“There’s nothing I can do.” Her eyes were so impossibly old.

“It’s the thought that counts.” As my final moment grew near, I turned to look at my soon-to-be-captor, not a shred of doubt or sympathy in her eyes. “Listen to me, Sparkle, and listen well. No matter how long it’ll take or how hard it will be, one day I will be free again. And when that day comes, you will suffer. Everything you love, everything you hold dear will crumble before your eyes, and you’ll be powerless to stop it. And it’ll be all your fault.”

Just as a stream of white hot magic engulfed me, I heard her speak.

“Duly noted.”

Something was wrong, I wasn’t alone in my head anymore, or the one in charge. Something was burrowing in, clouding every thought, making it hard to think. I had to-

Painpainpainpainohgodpleasestopit

Don’t think. Just do. Someone else will do the thinking. But was it right? It couldn’t be-

nonononononostopitpleasestopit

A head-splitting migraine erupted out of nowhere, scrambling that train of thought. Don’t think, just don’t think and it’ll go away. My brain was leaking out of my ears and when I find that purple bitch I’ll-

stopstopstopstopstopstopstopstopstopstopstopstopi’minhellidiedpleaseletmedie

I’ll fucking kill her.

The pain was too much, and for once I was grateful for the darkness that engulfed me.

Author's Note

Ow, I think I cut myself on the edge, guys.

It’s been eeeeeh six month, or something? I’d say something in my defense, but you guys know I’m an ass, so there’s no point in making up excuses.

Enjoy the chapter, because James sure didn’t.