"Dost thou not see what is before thy very eyes? Sir Jeremy is in too poor a condition to travel!"

"Oh please! He seems just fine to me!"

So many alarm clocks I've had to deal with throughout my life, yet somehow I don't think there's a snooze button that could ever allow me to tune those two out when they argued like this.

Course, it probably didn't help that most of the wake up came from the flash of memories that all but sprinted across my mind as I remembered what happened. The Portal, the cave...

I practically shot up from whatever 'bed' I had been laying on, the reality of how eventful the last few moments I could recall truly were only just now starting to hit me.

In hindsight though, I really shouldn't have gotten up so quick. You ever stand up from bed just a wee bit too fast and get a disproportionately large sense of vertigo?

Well, multiply that by whatever else starvation, head injuries, and lots of bruises adds onto the equation and you might be able to piece together why I was barely able to keep myself from screaming out in pain as my body caught up with my brain. Instead, a series of less than pleasant sounding grunts escaped me, my eyes watering as I barely held a rather colorful point of language in my mouth.

Chrysalis and Nightmare Moon seemed to have noticed I had woken up again pretty quickly.

Nightmare Moon looked me over for but a moment. She narrowed her eyes and looked back to Chrysalis.

"Prithee, dost thou think of him to be fair of health now?" Chrysalis didn't answer, instead rolling her eyes and giving out an exaggerated sigh as Nightmare Moon began to make her way to me. Her hooves trot lightly on the rock floor below, echoing quite clearly in the otherwise muted cave.

Once she was no more than a few feet from me, she stopped and gave a very purposeful bow of her head.

"Good morrow, Sir Jeremy."

I tried to reply, but found myself unable to. I guess the gesture had thrown me off balance.

I gave myself a moment to take a deep breath, finally seeming to catch up with everything that had happened.

Side note: I have to chew out Chrysalis later for throwing me into a swirling vortex of magic as well as head first onto a rock.

"Uh.. Yeah, yeah, morning. I think." I didn't exactly know what time it was, so I was just guessing with my response.

Then again, I couldn't help but to flinch at what I said, a part of me realizing just what the word "morning" might have even meant for me and my "issue".

I tried to raise myself further up onto the bed but barely made it so much as an inch or two before I felt pain jolt through me like lightning. I gave out a hiss as my ribs seemed to scream at me.

At this, Nightmare Moon gained a look of concern before making her way to my side and seating herself next to where I sat. Shortly after, to my earnest surprise, I could hear the chitinous hooves of Chrysalis make their way opposite of Nightmare Moon. The two practically shoved me back down onto the floor, though thankfully whatever soft object I had been laying on had made it so that it wasn't an entirely unpleasant process for me.

"Ye have suffered greatly by the looks of it. For a goodly amount of time, no less." Nightmare Moon practically whispered, as if she believed her very words could hurt me if she wasn't careful enough. From where I laid, I watched as Nightmare Moon closed her eyes and began to breathe with a slow and purposeful pace. Her horn started to glow and, shortly after, I felt an odd warmth surround me. I could faintly see a dark blue aura at the edges of my eyes as well as hear a silent hum seem to chirp at the back of my ears.

As this was going on, Chrysalis was also busying herself. She laid her two forehooves on me--one on my forehead, the other on the center of my chest--before narrowing her eyes as she looked me up and down. This was uh... awkward, to say the least.

"What exactly did they do to you while you were down there?" Chrysalis practically growled as both she and Nightmare Moon continued their actions. I didn't really want to talk about it, if I'm being honest. In fact, I kind of wanted to move on from those less pleasant memories as quickly as possible.

"And don't even think about lying, because from what that one guard captain told me while I was in disguise, I would hardly believe that they treated you kindly." So much for that idea.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Well, remember how the food was basically the worst thing you could ever eat... ever." I returned a half-hearted shrug as my former cellmate began to explain. Truthfully, the food wasn't that bad. Granted, it wasn't nearly as delicious as the sweet and tender taste of love, but still. "As it turns out, quantity is better than quality." I looked to him questioningly as I felt a small hint of self-amusement pass through him, followed shortly after by a rather intense wave of silent indignation. "Seriously though, they practically starved me down there. Over a month of eating what felt like leftovers wasn't fun, but I guess it was bearable."

I blinked at this, scoffing at his words.

I went almost an entire year without feeding on love, not including the time before I had been captured, and he was complaining. Perhaps what I did said next wasn't exactly royal behavior, but I wasn't really royalty without subjects now was I?

"Is that all?" I asked sarcastically. I easily noticed a small twinge of something more flash through his emotions. However, I elected to ignore it. "If hunger is what you're going to whine about, then I suppose you owe me a few apologies for all of those arguments we held regarding the lack of love I was fed in confinement."

Again, I saw that twinge of something go through him. This time though, I was able to pinpoint what it was. It was something intense. Something I hadn't seen in quite some time. So you can probably imagine my surprise when I realized just how much of this... fury seemed to provide an edge to his next words.

"Hunger doesn't leave bruises, Chrysalis." He said simply, almost blankly. There was so much whipping around in his mind and body. Sadness, hopelessness, a feeling of dread and emptiness. I had a feeling that I had struck a particularly bad nerve there.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Aside from the shock that she felt from Jeremy's statements, she was even more shocked to see that bruises were actually the last of his worries. Cracked ribs, malnutrition, dehydration, even small cases of internal bleeding, though not lethal, could be seen clearly as she used her magic to look over his body. Chrysalis was more focused on his mental facilities rather than physical.

"What dost thou see from thine own observations?" Nightmare Moon asked Chrysalis, her magic to create a seemingly telepathic link. It wasn't exactly a difficult thing for her to do. Since her creation, Nightmare Moon had been exceptionally adept at influencing and communicating with the minds of others. How else would she have been able to communicate when she did not have a body prior?

"From what I could see, he obviously took some hard hits to his inner will, but his mental strength still seems stable. Not ideal, but stable." Chrysalis replied through Nightmare Moon's spell, causing her to flinch ever so slightly. To be harmed so gravely, mentally and physically, Nightmare Moon could only wonder as to what the guards had put him through after she and the changeling queen had escaped.

Opening her eyes as she gathered all the information she needed from her magic, Nightmare Moon gave a serious expression as she looked down to the human laid between her and Chrysalis.

"Pray tell, what say ye to their reasoning for treating you in a manner such as this?" Curiosity and concern were quite evident in her voice. Jeremy wasn't able to respond, barely opening his mouth before a certain blank faced changeling tuned in first.

"I wouldn't suppose the phrase 'I told you and the others before, I don't know where they went, and even if I did, I sure as hell wouldn't tell you' had anything to do with it, would it?"

Jeremy silently deadpanned at this, pursing his lips and clicking his tongue as he looked directly up to the cave ceiling above.

"Yeah, that would just about be the long and short of it."

Chrysalis smirked in smug satisfaction, though Nightmare Moon didn't seem to notice as she replayed the statement over and over in her head.

He had gone through all the unnecessary trouble of protecting the two of them, even after they had left him. He had endured what she could only assume to have been almost two months of torture and hunger, purely because he wouldn't say where the two had gone. Of course, he hadn't really known where they had gone, per se, but it was still the principle of the matter.

Let alone the fact that he was the reason they had escaped in the first place.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I would really like to get up now. Aside from that moment between Chrysalis and I were I could practically feel my blood boiling as she scoffed at how I was treated, the two were acting as if they were supposed to care for me. Like I was a sick puppy, or something. Also, I'm not sure what they saw in their 'examinations', but judging by the looks on their faces, I could tell that I didn't want to know. Still, it probably wasn't actually that bad.

"Perhaps... you do need some time after all." Chrysalis begrudgingly conceded.

Nevermind, I might actually be dying if she was so willing to give up an argument like that.

"...Very well then, we shall stay here for another day or so. After that, we have to move on." Chrysalis lifted her hooves from atop of me and turned her head into a direction further into the cave. It was as though she had suddenly found herself in a state of deep though.

Nightmare Moon, on the other hand, seemed almost insulted. Her eyes and mouth widened as she looked between Chrysalis and I with choked annoyance. "A day!?! A single night will do naught for his wounds, if not slight!"

I'll be honest, I had no idea what she said. Chrysalis seemed to understand perfectly though, as she looked back to her with a blank face. One of her ears twitched ever so slightly as she addressed Nightmare Moon in return.

"Be that as it may, tell me, which sounds more appealing? Would you prefer he be fully healed and in the castle dungeons again, along with the two of us? Or would you prefer he deals with whatever pain he feels for now so we can continue to be avoid the entirety of Equestria which is very likely actively hunting us down?" Her words were pointed, precise, and certain. Nightmare Moon didn't answer immediately, looking down to the floor in annoyance and letting out a sigh before she returned her gaze to Chrysalis.

"... The following moon then. 'Tis safer to go during the night, when the darkness shroudeth us from our foes." No complaints here. If anything, the darker, the better. "What say ye, Sir Jeremy?" Nightmare Moon asked, the two focusing on me once again. I felt kind of nervous with the two of them looking at me, but I pushed it aside.

"Fine by me." I commented with a grunt and a shrug. "If you two don't mind though, I have some questions to ask you both."

I've got a lot of blanks that need filling in here.

-------------------------------------

The two of them were actually pretty responsive, and patient, with me. I must have asked over three dozen questions, like how they had found this place, or what my 'bed' was made of. Turns out that it was just some straw, covered by a cloth. Where they got it? Beats me. I could have asked, but honestly I feel like it would have been a waste of time. Some of the more important questions I asked though had to do more with the two of them more than anything else.

"Nightmare Moon, how exactly did you get your physical body back? At least, I'm guessing that's your physicals body?" I asked, raising a brow as I looked to her curiously. "I thought you were stuck as a shadow." Nightmare Moon chuckled, pointing a forehoof to the opening of the cave that lead to the outside, which by now had been long darkened by the night.

"'Tis simple, Sir Jeremy. Just as my former sister, Celestia, gaineth power from the day, I gain my strength from the night. For what other reason would she have incarcerated me than to keep me weak?" I... guess that made sense? So she was like the opposite of solar powered? I wasn't really familiar with an alicorn's anatomy, let alone of the two princesses and the alter ego of one in front of me, so I hadn't really known that they got their strength from the sky. Still, it was interesting to find out as the very least.

"... Alright. One more question then. Chrysalis, didn't you say that you couldn't use any of your changeling abilities without love?" Chrysalis let out a sigh and rolled her eyes, giving me a deadpan look.

"Yes." She answered simply.

"Then how were you able to turn into that guard?" I continued, giving her a similar deadpan. She seemed to smile slightly at this as she looked over her shoulder in a seemingly coy manner.

"Oh, I may have seen a little foal 'lose' her precious stuffed animal and accidentally absorbed the love from it until it disintegrated into little more than soot. " She gave a cold chuckle as she recalled the thought while I just looked at her with a raised eyebrow. Pro: she hadn't hurt the foal and she had ended up using that love to help me. Con: that is quite possibly one of the crueler things I had heard her do, and that includes what happened in Canterlot.

"I'm... just gonna let that slide for now." I told her, receiving an amused smile from Chrysalis and a silent chuckle from Nightmare Moon. Seeing the two like this, despite my own resistance, I couldn't help but to smile.

It was good to have these chats again.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It was a rare moment between the three of them: One in which they would share a moment of amusement, despite the differences between one another. A small escape from the world around them and the situation they found themselves in. A minuscule moment of merriment. Unfortunately, reality often finds a way of showing itself whenever it believes it is needed.

Jeremy, in what could only be described a moment of pure bioligical shock, found himself doubled over with pain as a particularly nasty throb of his injuries made itself apparent to him. Chrysalis rose a brow while Nightmare Moon looked on with a face of concern. It was a minute or so before Jeremy's groans and aches began to calm down, leaving much smaller, whimper-like grunts escaping him as he began to speak again.

"I'm fine. I'm f-fine." He told the two, waving a dismissive arm at them as he put a hand over his mouth. His voice was slightly raspy from his strain, coming out more like sandpaper. His throat felt dry and coarse.

When they had lowered the amount of food he had received, they had done the same to the water, so it wasn't really a surprise of sorts.

"Would you wish to partake in sustenance?" Nightmare Moon asked, drawing a look of confusion from Jeremy. Chrysalis noticed this confusion and groaned.

"She's asking if you want something to eat or drink." The mention of food was quickly responded to by not Jeremy's stomach spoke for him in ways he could not. A loud rumble sounded through the cave, comparable to a snarling creature.

Nightmare Moon was barely able to hold back her laughter, her hoof covering her muzzle, while Jeremy's face became a light shade of red.

"I take it that's a yes?" Chrysalis teased.

"Um-... I-... What I mean is... S-sure." Jeremy stammered, the stalactites above suddenly holding a much greater sense of interest to him.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Mayhaps now thou canst see why I worry so." I questioned my fellow former 'roommate', as she had called it. We had left Sir Jeremy not moments ago, seeking sustenance that would allow us to replenish his health, if only slightly. As we went on, however, I could see that she had accompanied me with an ill mood, her face showing annoyance, rather than a shared concern. "... 'Tis disheartening to see that thou showest such little care for him."

She scoffed, glancing at me for the shortest of times before resuming her trot. "I have no reason to show more than I have to. Don't forget, the only reason I helped you and continue to help you is because I don't like to leave my debts unpaid."
I continued to show her no emotion, though verily, I felt naught but the upmost irritant of her and I was certain she could see it. "And now, here we are, looking for food and water for him. He held out for about a month and a half, he could go another few days."

A mental battlefield was quickly created for me, as my ideals began to combat one another for supremacy. "He wasn't joking when he said he would be dead weight, it would seem."

I felt my eyes narrow as she uttered this, the mental conflict quickly being ended with a mighty roar of victory. Perhaps I would break my word, but I would not allow her to speak so dishonorably of Sir Jeremy. I cleared my throat as I addressed the changeling monarch before me with a careful choice of words.

"Pray tell, for what length of time dost thou think he, as 'dead weight', went without a proper meal." The queen Chrysalis' expression as I asked this only served to further increase the sense of irritation I held within me.

"Haven't you been paying attention? 42 days, the same amount of time its been since we had escaped." I very pointedly rose a brow at her, drawing a look of confusion.

"Thou misunderstand. I meant previous to the days of our escape." Her confusion quickly grew in intensity as I looked ahead of myself, searching the surrounding area for berries and the like. "Hast thou verily accustomed thyself to the belief that the guards would occasionally show thee respect? Perchance, thou hadst not realized that there was greater reason for thine increase in rations during our time in imprisonment." I told her with as little emotion as I could muster, knowing perfectly well that she could sense it.

"... What do you mean?" I didn't respond to her question, instead continuing as I left off.

"Was it not odd to thee that during the time that Sir Jeremy would go hungry, thou wouldst be full and content? At least, as much as thou can be without thine precious love." Suddenly she had frozen in her trot, realization likely having finally grasped her just as I had hoped.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chrysalis' eyes widened, her walk brought to a pause as she slowly began to absorb what she had just been told. Noticing this, Nightmare Moon stopped as well. She looked back to her with a small smile as she noticed the situation turning in her favor. Chrysalis took a moment to stare back at the mare, an indecipherable expression on her face.

"... Hmph. I'll admit, you almost had me there. You should know better than to try to trick me."

Nightmare Moon kept her smug smile though, watching as Chrysalis easily took notice and narrowed her eyes in return.

"'Tis not a ruse of any sort, changeling queen. Throughout thine incarceration, Sir Jeremy willingly donated over half of his food to thee, sacrificing his own health in the hopes of keeping thee from growing weaker." Chrysalis could feel her teeth bare as she said this, anger and irritation quickly taking over her usually clear mind.

"Oh please! If that were true, then why didn't the idiot tell me about that?!?" Nightmare Moon felt her smile diminish at the insult, but she continued nonetheless.

"He did so because he knew of the importance thou hast in thy pride. When he learned of this, he made it a matter of significant reason that he would not tell thee. I had to break my very word not to inform thee of this! Wherefore? For no other reason than the fact that thou seemst to trot so heavily on his kindness!" I found my voice growing fiercer and fiercer as I spoke, like an avalanche of fury escaping from within me. I was only able to keep myself under control due to my knowledge that the royal Canterlot voice would likely only attract attention. "Thou showest not even the care to remember his name! Sir Jeremy is a kind and noble soul, and he deserveth better accompaniment than the likes of thee!"

Nightmare Moon, as she finished giving her piece, awaited a rebuttal, an insult, even the slightest of gestures. To her surprise though, none came. Rather, Chrysalis just narrowed her eyes even further and looked ahead.

"The sooner we get this over with, the better."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Just another step. C'mon, you've been able to walk on your own most of your life, there's no way you cant do it now just because of a couple of bad bruises."

I had been laying around for almost two months, lost feeling in my legs over 30 times, and started chafing over 15 times, so for me it was only natural that I would at least want to stand. The problem though is that it felt as if it was the most painful thing in the world just to take a step forward. My arms, head, and everything below my lower torso was fine, albeit a bit weak from hunger. My ribs and upper were the real issue. Every step I took felt like another familiar punch to the ribs, winding me and almost causing me to collapse then and there.

I took in another short breath as I moved my foot ahead yet again, grunting as I put weight on it. The only reason I had even made it as far as I had so far was just because I was mostly leaning on the cave wall next to me. I wasn't going to leave the cave, I wasn't that stupid, but I just felt like I couldn't stay in the same place for much longer. Its like there were ants in my legs, biting and crawling all over just so they could be sure I would actually be able to put them to use again.

"Sir Jeremy, we have returned with-" I turned my head to the two in surprise, noticing they were looking at me with similar expressions. "Sir Jeremy! What in Equestria art thou doing!? Thou shouldst be resting!" Nightmare Moon practically yelled, the echo of her voice in the cavern practically ringing in my ears.

Oh boy, this wasn't good.

"L-let me explain." I told her, gesturing for her to hold on. I focused even more of my weight on the cave wall and turned myself to face the two, taking a much longer time than I normally would have liked. Luckily, the two waited patiently, though Nightmare Moon showed more than a little concern and Chrysalis seemed to tap her hoof against the floor. It wasn't more than a few moments before I could eventually turn to face them entirely.

"Alright, there we go. Look, I can see why you're so concerned, but I can't just lay down all day. Believe me, after sitting in the exact same spot for over a month I've had enough staying still for a while."

No sooner than the words had left my mouth did I shortly feel a familiar warmth, alongside it's accompanying dark aura and silent hum in the back of my head. The discomfort I had been feeling from my bruises lessened greatly and it felt as though my entire body had suddenly become as light as a feather.

"T'is... amongst the least sensical things that we have ever heard." Nightmare Moon began, causing me to flinch slightly. "But if you must walk, then we shan't stop thee. Realize, however, that we will not allow you to do so without our or Chrysalis' assistance. Your wounds hath already been strained enough, they need not any more."

I looked to the two in silence, standing up straight for the first time in what felt like ages as my spine releasing several thankful cracks. Without really thinking about it, I smiled and nodded my head in understanding and agreement.

"Splendid!" Nightmare Moon suddenly then suddenly exclaimed in a rather cheerful manner, bringing about a raised brow from both Chrysalis and I. "Now then, shall we eat, Sir Jeremy?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I had to pace myself. I had to pace myself. This was what I kept on thinking as I was eating with the other two. Granted, they had only brought back berries and a bucket full of water. I had no idea where they had gotten it from, though I suspect Chrysalis had something to do with it. Still, the amount of stress I felt as I slowly ate the berries one by one had no comparison. I knew that if I ate too fast my body would reject the sudden increase in food and go nuts, but it was really hard to limit oneself when they are eating from a giant pile of berries, or really anything that isn't that slop from before.

Other than that though, the rest of the night went by pretty well. It was like I was living another life being outside of that small metal prison. The only thing that didn't change, which I personally welcomed, was the fact that I was with Chrysalis and Nightmare Moon again.

Soon though, much to my chagrin, the sun began to rise. It wasn't exactly hard to notice, seeing as the light shined in through the cave opening quite clearly. In fact, I'm not even sure I visibly noticed it before the back of my mind did, as though it were some gnawing, all encroaching feeling of dread. We were too far back for the light to reach us, thankfully.

It wasn't long after that the three of us decided to get some rest. I was practically shoved into the makeshift bed again, the sensation of Nightmare Moon's magic disappearing shortly after. The other two took their places nearby, sprawled upon the ground of the cave in their own respective sleeping positions.

"Good night... er, day, you two." I told them with a yawn. Chrysalis grumbled silently, curling up into her usual lump, while Nightmare Moon returned the gesture with a 'Sleep well, Sir Jeremy'.

Yeah, it was definitely good to have company again.

Next Chapter: Chapter 6: Life Before Prison [Here Again] Estimated time remaining: 14 Hours, 50 Minutes