Rise

A story by somedude726

RISE

Chapter 6: Not Alone

Turns out we were in a castle. It made sense I guess, she was a princess. And according to fairy tales, princesses live in castles or something. After I decided I should stop gawking and freaking out at every little thing in the castle-- no really, it was amazing, they had a buncha portraits and stuff, one such portrait including one of the Princess Celestia that Luna was talking about and it looked really awesome, but she was levitating a banana in it for some reason-- we headed out into Canterlot. To say it was badass was the understatement of the year. The houses here looked a bit more high-class than Ponyville, with shinier paint and seemingly high quality materials. Which mostly consisted of wood. I didn't really know what classified 'high quality' wood, but, it looked pretty.. wood-y. That makes sense.

No it doesn't.

So, Luna was now trying a spell to find the elements, while Spike held the elements... yeah. So the ponies aren't the elements of harmony. Well they kind of are. But, the elements of harmony were actually some jewelry. Necklaces, and a crown. After Luna grabbed the elements for the elements Spike held on to them. So the Elements must wear the Elements in order to be the Elements and do whatever the Elements of Harmony do. Fucking magic, how does it work.

Luna seemed to be having a hard time with the spell. She was struggling a bit, and seemed to be putting a lot of energy and concentration into it. Well, I guess using goddamn magic to find out a pers-- pony's location is pretty hard to do. I should really get into the pony lingo here.

"...It's not working," Luna finally said, with the light slowly dying from her horn. She seemed mostly confused more than anything, while a bit disappointed too. This is a buncha shit.

"Why not? Do you need to like rest or something?" I asked. She shook her head, although she seemed exhausted after trying that spell.

"No, no, I should've been able to do that. My magic was supposed to connect to their magic, and give me at least an approximate location to where they are. But it's as if they don't have their--" Luna's eyes suddenly widened, and mouth dropped slightly.

"Don't have their what? Luna?" I raised and eyebrow and walked over. She looked okay, though.

"Discord! He must've gotten rid of their magic! That's why I can't sense it, it doesn't exist!" Luna frowned, and looked to her hooves again. Well that sucks. Big time. Wait a second...

"You say you need to connect to their magic, right? Well, there's no magic where I come from, and uh, no offense Spike," I glanced over to him, who was standing beside me. "but Spike here isn't exactly a unicorn. If we don't have magic, then how'd you find us?" I asked. If she can find us, and we don't have magic, then there might be a way to find them still, I thought.

"Ah. I thought you'd ask that. All of Equestria has their own kind of magic. Only unicorns can use it out of the abilities they were born with. Say, pegasi, they have magic to have flying easier for them. Their magic makes them a bit lighter when taking to the skies. And Earth ponies, they have a great natural ability to farm, build, or any other physical work. Dragons have the same magic as pegasi when it comes to flying, and--"

"FUCKING MAGIC!" I kicked a rock down the streets and at a random grey pegasus. She gave me a look, but went on her way anyway. Wait, this one had bubbles for a cutie mark. What? But anyway, goddamn, everything has magic here? Wow. I want magic. Wait.. shit, I just cut off the princess of this place.

"Uhh. Right. So you, uh, just, looked for Spike then.. right? Heh heh.." I said, blushing a bit.

"You need to learn your magic, dude," Spike said suddenly. He's been a bit quiet, I just noticed.

"Well excuuuuuuuuse me, Princess. I only come from.. a really far place." I rolled my eyes and replied. Honestly, saying that made me consider the fact that I'm on the same world, here being called Earth and all.

"Huh? I didn't say anything." Luna interjected.

"What? I'm talking to Spike, Luna."

"But you made it sound like that was addressed to me."

"And how did I do that?"

"You said 'Princess'."

"Er... it's a human thing. Anyway. So if they don't have magic, how are we gonna find them?" I scratched my head and asked Luna.

"I'm not sure." she answered, drooping her head. She seemed really beat up that she couldn't find the elements. They sound like serious business these ponies. And if their magic is gone-- oh wait a fucking minute.

"Luna! If a pony dies, do they still have magic in them?" I blurted to the princess, and stood right in front of her. Spike's eyes widened, and I could see tears just barely starting to appear.

"J-Jason.. no.. they don't. If a pony dies, they lose their magic.. and since I can't detect the elements' magic, I can't check for life signs. B-But Discord.. Discord only took their magic away. It has to be that. He doesn't kill.. I think.." Luna responded, taking a step back. He doesn't kill? Bullshit. Buuut I probably shouldn't bring up my doubts.

"R-Right. Where would a likely place for.. um.. I apologize for these words, but, hostages go in Canterlot?" I ask, scratching my beard. Wait, I don't have a beard. What am I doing. Goddammit.

"Hmm.. they'd usually go into the dungeons of the castle. Discord most likely put the elements in there. We should go see." Luna started walking back to the castle gates. Welp, alright then.

***

"Ahhh... hello my little ponies. Good evening."

A voice that just screams 'mischievous' roared through the now slightly lit room. It was still dim, but the ponies could now at least see each other. It wasn't just the six elements now, a very large group of armored ponies stood next to them, in around the same position. Mouths tied shut, magic removed, and all those good things. The entirety of the Royal Guards sat in the room, having fallen victim to a certain dragonequus' traps. Only then did the elements realize how large of a room they were in.

"How is everypony doing? Oh, why, Rainbow Dash, do you have something to say?"

The same voice spoke again after seeing a struggling pegasus, and with a faint snapping noise, Rainbow Dash could speak again.

"DISCORD! You're not getting away with this! The human is gonna come save us, and kick your sorry flank!" she yelled at the top of her lungs, continuing to struggle out of the now somewhat warm chair, failing at every move.

"The human? And why, may I ask, do you have so much trust in him, Dashie? He's claiming he's from another world, walks on two feet, and who knows what he could do! I mean, you all just and up and left him in bed merely an hour after his arrival, and gave him permission to go around Ponyville! For all you know, he could have terrorized it by now. You might return to nothing. Is this trust, or is this false hope? Are you realizing you have nothing, now?" Discord replied, with sound logic. Was it trust? Maybe it was.

"Of course I trust him! My element is loyalty, duh! At first, I didn't think so highly of him, obviously, but then once he woke up and all of us started talking I gave him a chance! And I'd like to call him a friend! His race is full of talented people, they have millions of humans assigned to different armies just to protect his kind, he even said he considered enlisting for it in a while! He said he tries to protect!" Rainbow shot back, tears welling up in her eyes. She really did hope he would come. But would he? Was he ready to protect?

"Oh, please, Rainbow, why would he want to come protect you? You said it yourself! 'Millions of humans assigned to different armies just to protect his kind'. This is an entirely different place, filled with things he had never seen before. You guys are aliens to him. He protects his kind, his friends. What reason does he have to come back for you?" Discord replied.

Rainbow Dash didn't say anything. She burst into tears at that, and started to realize just what kind of situation they were in. Everypony had been there for hours, starting to starve, thirst, and get cold. They would die in here. With so many ponies there, the air wouldn't be fresh much longer. It was probably already done.

"Anypony else? Oh? How about you, Twilight? Any words about the precious human?" Discord was having fun. He was having fun torturing these ponies. Doing these things to them.

Twilight took in a gasp of air, as soon as her mouth opened. Her mind attempted to put words together, but only one came out.

"Why?"

Twilight had tears streaming down her face as well. All she wanted to know was why anypony would enjoy this. Why did Discord keep bringing chaos? Sure, he's the god of it, but, why? Why did he have to exist?

"Why what? Why do I continue to do the things I do? Why did the human come? Or perhaps, why is the most powerful beings in Equestria, as in the Elements of Harmony, the Royal Guards, all trapped in a room? Along with Princ-- sorry, Queen Celestia being a bit.. different? Well, those last questions I intend to answer. So if you would please be silent, and turn off your cell phones, we may continue," Discord said. Just a few seconds later, Twilight found her mouth closed once again. "No!" she thought, her one chance to talk to Discord and it was ruined. But she was left wondering this: "What's a cell phone?"

"You all know about the human that arrived. Jason. You six met him, why, you found him as soon as he arrived. You guards were informed of him as soon as Celestia found out about him. Anyone know why he's here? No? Come on let's see some hooves everypony. Oh, right, you're all tied up, sorry bout that." Discord chuckled, as all ponies just simply wanted to go home. To be safe. To return to their families. But with this thing here, that was just a hopeless wish. It must've been well past the time everypony should've been home, and with Equestria's army gone, and Celestia becoming a tyrant... everypony was fearing the worst.

"Something must have brought him here, you must be thinking. And, why.. you might be right! You also, might be in the same room as him. Oh! I spoiled it was a male. Darn it. Oh well. Anyways. What is the reason that he's here? Hmm.. eh, I don't wanna answer that yet. Suspense? Yeah, suspense. Suspense is a great part of chaos. Can he go home? Maaaaybe. Oh, look at me, being so vague. Here, how about an actual answer to a question. Is he the only one here...?"

***

"Goddammit squad! Get your shit together!" a loud voice barked out towards the four he was working with, as one dropped the package he carried, before picking it up seconds after. The five were in a forest, but not your average, peaceful green forest. No.. this one was shrouded by darkness, blackness and wreckage. The pitch black trees had fallen over, making movement a problem. Steps and the loud voice of the first male were the only sound anyone in the area could hear.

"Sarge, where do you think we are?" the same that dropped the package asked his superior.

"I don't know, Private. But we need to get out A.S.A.P, I'm thinkin' that bomb might have detonated.. let's hope Echo Team defused it, and we're just goin' crazy or some shit..." Sarge responded to his fellow soldier, whilst raising up a blue and cyan camouflaged metal object and looking through the scope on the top, scanning the area with it.

"I'm thinking the latter might be true, Sarge. Echo gets shit done. And, it's not raining." another soldier replied, doing the same, holding up his own metal object. His was a bit smaller, and had a shorter scope, still donning the same blue/cyan camouflage.

"Yeah. It's nice to not be soaking wet, and not having to hear the raindrops and lightning cracking and such. But why? Did the storms actually stop, finally?" a fourth soldier put in his own two cents. This one was holding another package, just like the Private was.

"Shit, man. Think about it. We're dozing off in humvees, while Echo was still moving in, then we wake up in a dead forest and the rain stopped. You don't think.." the fifth and final soldier said, trailing off.

"No, dumbass! That was a nuke for god's sake! We'd be dead, and last time I checked nukes don't turn off the weather. And we cannot under any circumstances have let that nuke detonate. Now, shut the fuck up, all of you. It's late, so grab an MRE, we're setting up camp right here for the night. In the morning, we're Oscar Mike, and we're gonna look for civilization. Or at least a way out of this goddamn forest." Sarge shouted to all of them, making them salute in return, as the soldiers looked in the packages for an MRE. Well, except for one.

"Um. Guys? I think we got a bogey. It's a pretty big bogey. Might wanna check this out." the Private said, looking off into the distance.