Metaphorical Future

“Metaphor, hey Met!”

The blue unicorn looked up slowly from his drink. The rosy glow on his cheeks gave a clear sign of his current level of intoxication, the half full mug of cider in front of him adding to the image. A brown coloured earth pony was addressing him, a pony he usually tried to ignore.

“What is it Shard?” he replied gruffly, keeping his tone as neutral as he could.

“Heard you just got back from the Southern Wastes,” continued the earth pony, “You brought something back didn’t you?”

“What of it if I did?”

“Oh nothing, just keeping my nose in.”

“More like sticking it in where it doesn’t belong.”

Metaphor huffed and quickly raised the mug to his lips using his magic. His coordination was a little off though and a portion of his drink ended up hitting the table top as he upended the glass.

“Hahah! How many drinks is that?”

“Two...and what does it matter?”

Metaphor had already had enough of the idle chatter. He rarely used the soldiers bar and he usually ended up regretting it later. With a shake of his head he got up and started walking towards the exit. The earth pony continued to throw words at him but Metaphor didn’t pay them any heed and simply continued on. He wanted some sleep.

As he walked he found himself musing on his previous mission and the events that had unfolded following it. The young filly hadn’t put up any resistance on the way back to the base, she hadn’t even spoken. Metaphor had found it a little unnerving at first but had soon blocked it out. He hadn’t seen her since they had arrived, two security guards escorting her elsewhere as Metaphor had been summoned for debriefing.

He had been told not to say anything. He didn’t need to be told though. It was a well-known fact that Metaphor didn’t speak to many ponies, he simply did his job and that was that. Even so he couldn’t help but feel a little curious about this mission more than the rest. An Element of Harmony? Could such a thing actually exist or was it just a clever lie to try and throw him off guard?

In the end it didn’t matter, it wasn’t his problem anymore. Command would take care of both the chest he had found and the filly while he would just be given another mission to complete. It was just how it was...how it had always been.

Metaphor sighed as he arrived at his dorm room. At the very least his skills in completing assignment did have its perks, the main one being his own private room. He couldn’t stand sharing a room with other ponies. The snoring, the idle chit-chat, the constant pranks and stupidity. Here he could be alone and sleep peacefully.

The room wasn’t big, barely large enough to fit a single bed in it. A small window was set high up on the wall and at the foot of the bed laid a small trunk. Metaphor stumbled towards the bed, his magic activating just long enough to levitate the blanket so he could slide himself under it. It wasn’t the lap of luxury but then he wouldn’t have known. Metaphor’s earliest memories were those of military service; it was all he knew, it was all any pony knew in this age. He always felt there was more to life than this but he had no idea how he could find out or where to even start looking.

As he lay still the effects of the alcohol started to take effect as he felt himself sliding into the realms of sleep. He yawned and closed his eyes; the image of the young filly’s face flashing before his eyes for a moment but it did little to prevent the unconscious state he had already succumbed to.

It was a few hours later when the door to his room clicked and slowly slid open. A pony stood in the doorway, dark against the unlit corridor behind him. Slowly he crossed the room, carefully placing his hooves so they made as little sound as possible. He looked down at Metaphor, the drunken pony sleeping soundly. The pony smiled to himself as he reached out with a hoof, a long needle held carefully in his grip.

Just then he paused as a sparkle lit up the air. At the tip of Metaphor’s horn a single point of light blue magic hung in the air. It happened quickly, Metaphor snapping to his senses and lashing out sideways with a hoof. The needle was knocked from the ponies hoof and he jumped back in alarm. Metaphor was also moving, rising to his hooves as he turned to face the newcomer. From a pack at the side of the room two small sidearms appeared surrounded in a magical glow as the point of light at the tip of Metaphor’s horn increased in magnitude.

“Who are you?!” he demanded quickly.

The other pony just grinned and started to chuckle to himself slightly. Metaphor was perplexed, what was going on? Before he had time to think though a sharp pain filled his head.  His magic faded in a moment as the sidearms clattered to the floor. Metaphor quickly glanced to his side as a new chuckle filled the air. A unicorn stood in the doorway, his horn glowing with a light yellow tint. Metaphor knew what it was, a magic dampening field. He and every other unicorn had been through rigorous training to help them counter the effects of such a spell. He had to focus!

Unfortunately he didn’t have the time to counter the spell. The earth pony who was stood not a few feet away made a grab for one of the dropped handguns and in the moment that Metaphor looked away he struck. Metaphor felt the cold impact of metal against the side of his head followed be another blow as he struck the wall and collapsed to his bed. He was still conscious but the blow gave the earth pony enough time to recover the needle he had been carrying earlier and jab it into Metaphor’s neck.

The content was injected long before the blue unicorn could knock him away again. It was also fast acting, the drug fogging his mind as he collapsed fully onto the bed and passed out.