****
Diamond Mountains
Ari

One moment I’m comforting a sobbing mare and next thing I know I’m hit in the face and knocked unconscious. The orb that hit me shattered, but I didn’t even have a chance to feel the pain from the glass shards before it released a gas that knocked me out.

I’m really starting to dislike this world.

Now I was cold, groggy, and more than a little pissed off. I mean, does anyone even respect me? First, I was dropped from a lethal height. I have had the previously mentioned mare launch herself at me, and now I’m assaulted by some sort of knockout gas. I just wasn’t getting any breaks.

Did I mention my face hurt? I think I should point out that several spots feel like something is lodged in it. My muzzle fur feels stiff too, like something sticky was dried in it. I don’t even want to think about what it could be. Why? The smell here is horrible. I’m not even trying to take in the scents, but just breathing is enough to take in the wet dog, feces, musty air smell. It tells me all I need to know. Mainly that, I’m going to hate opening my eyes.

I called it. In front of me was a rusty cell door, looking around it didn’t look much better. Rock ceiling, slightly slimy rock floor, and matching rock walls. There wasn’t even a window in this cell, isn’t that like a prerequisite to prisons? Give the prisoners a tiny hole of window that provides just enough light to highlight how gloomy their cell is but not big enough to escape from. Whoever captured me is doing it all wrong.

The need to sleep was starting to fade when several important facts hit me. Chrissy wasn't with me anymore. My hooves are hand- no hoof cuffed to a chain attached to the wall. My horn itches and my wings are tied to my barrel.

Wow, my mission just went doomed to not a chance in hell of happening. I don’t even know what to feel at that. Chrissy had just agreed to help me too. But then she was so upset, she had suffered and those rulers did nothing. I hope she is okay.

*jingle*

*grumble*

Something was coming, something with keys! I stood up, taking longer than normal due to the shackles.

What approached threw me off: three really ugly dogs walking on two legs. Well, they weren’t the Fido you would picture per say, they came in a range of brown and grays with the oddest tails, at the end of them a spiked club tip. Their faces all had large jaws and tiny black eyes, those jaws were fascinating in a way. They jutted outward so their lower jaw never touched their top jaw. It looked uncomfortable to me, it also let their bad breath waft out of their maws.

“Graw grumble raw mu.”, said the dark gray dog thing on the right, he was pointing at me. I am not explaining how I knew he was a he. Here’s a hint: they don’t wear clothes.

“Mu gra.” The tallest and only brown dog thing replied in what I assume was a condescending tone. It was hard to tell when they all sounded so gravelly and low.

“Mu.” The gray one on the left stated, he had a…Monotone voice. It was kind of creepy with his black eyes looking at me.

They were looking all staring at me now. I couldn’t tell if this was good or bad, their eyes weren’t very expressive. But I decided to try and make the best of this situation, I had my captors here after all.

“Hello there. Why did you capture me?” They just continued looking at me. The tall brown dog cocked his head at me.

“Mu gra?” The brown dog said, he sounded confused.

“Ra, ra. MU RAW!” The one on the right seemed pretty serious when he said that. Well, it looked like they either don’t understand me or don’t care to tell me why I’m in a cell. Somehow I’m leaning towards the latter with the way my life has been going.

“Mu raw? *snicker* Awo Mu gras.” The brown one hit him on the back of the head.

At least I get a little entertainment. I think the gray one on the left thought so too, he was looking at them with a toothy grin.

“MU RAWWW!” Well, now the gray one was angry at the brown one, and the brown one didn’t seem to care for shouting as his upper lip started twitching revealing lots of sharp incisors. I really should avoid getting bit; with their huge jaws they could easily snap my neck. I backed up slightly, as a prey animal now my instincts screamed that these dogs were bad news. As a rule if something locks me up for no reason then they are guaranteed to be bad news.

The jingling of my chains caught the other gray dog’s attention. He looked at his keys then at me, as he did so a glint entered his eyes, and I’m not sure I liked that look.

We all froze as the keys started jingling, left gray dog was looking for the right key. After finding it he looked at his pack mates, “Mu gra o raw. Grawo.” They looked at each other and nodded. I didn’t like where this was going.

“So mind letting me in on the secret?” my voice trembled a bit, call me crazy but I like to know what my jailers have planned for me.

The left gray dog opened the door and walked up to me. I stood my ground, a mix of fear and uncertainty holding me in place. Maybe they were like real dogs and could smell fear? I just needed to be strong to get their respect. I know I could smell new smells now, although with him around I wouldn’t for much longer. He was right in front of my muzzle now. Consider yourself lucky you can’t smell his breath, they really could use it instead of that gas.

“Stay.” I blinked in shock. He knew what I was saying? He could speak English?! My ears flattened, he had got to be kidding.

I was brought out my anger by a tug on my shackles, I nearly lost my balance, and my wings trying to escape their bindings to help me balance. I really hated these shackles. They kept my front hooves and back hooves close together making walking hard. Another tug and I followed the dog, my ears pinned back the whole time. Did i get to choose anything?!

Maybe their leader wants to talk or I could be walking to my death, yet at this point I’m not sure why I bother.

Outside the cell it opened into a large circular cavern, stalactites hung from the cave ceiling, and I could several tunnel openings along the walls. The stalactites dripped into small puddles on the floor. I couldn’t help but lick my lips at the sight of the water. We had been traveling for hours without finding any streams.

I jumped in place and pinned my ears, those dogs were touching my tail. For some reason that irked me, actually this whole situation irked me. Was I just a toy for everyone? Not everyone I guess, Chrissy sort of respected me. She actually cared enough to ask me questions unlike everything else I have met so far.

Then something poked my ball sack. I reacted more on instinct than anything else, my ears flattened even further and I squealed in anger and surprise. Once I caught sight of the dog that was back there my bottom lowered and I gave a double kick. It sent the gray one with the keys flying into the nearest wall. Snorting I turned around to face him, he didn’t move.

The satisfaction was short lived before I knew it the brown dog grabbed my mane and jumped on my back. Instincts flared back up and I started to buck. With every buck we moved around the cavern, somehow he kept missing the stalactites when I went airborne. Or not, I heard a crunch but I didn’t stop, I wasn’t stopping till this dog was off my back.

To the dog’s credit, he did know how to ride a buck. When I sailed into the air with my back arched he gripped my barrel with his legs and when I went down he tried to use my mane to flex my head into a choke hold. It wasn’t working though, I felt like I could buck all day and I think his legs were getting tired if is waning grip was any evidence. We both decided to change it up around the same time, I strained my wings against the ropes as I went up and he grabbed my horn. When we landed I stopped straining my wings and lowered my head. A satisfying crunch echoed as he hit wall across from my cell.

I was breathing hard but I had won, looking around I grimaced at the sight. That crunch turned out to be the other gray dog’s head, my stomach felt uneasy at the sight of his caved in face. No, he wasn’t getting up from that. Averting my eyes, I looked at the other gray dog on the wall. He also wasn’t ever getting up if the new puddle was any sign. wow, I had killed three dog people...But now wasn’t the time to lament my captors deaths.

I had to find Chrissy.

My heart was racing, okay, first things first, these shackles had to come off.

Float to me keys.

Nothing happened. Maybe I didn’t use enough intent?

Again, I tried harder, scrunching my eyes in concentration. My horn burned but nothing was happening! Sighing, I opened my eyes and walked over to the keys. I stared at the keys in contempt: they were lying partially in the dog’s blood.

Why me?

Sitting down I began the fun task of struggling with the twenty odd keys. It was not easy to twist a key with your mouth, much less line it up with the hole to begin with. The worst part was when the key would give a half turn before letting me know that it was the wrong one. Lucky number thirteen was the one though.

I rubbed my hocks, they were missing a little fur where the shackles had been. Those shackles could really dig in, I hope they weren’t covered in any diseases. That would just be what I needed.

My horn still bugged me. Did they damage it? Was it broken? I touched the tip of horn hesitantly, it was still there! Making my way down my horn I noticed something new. It felt like a shackle, circling around my base and interlocking in a strange pattern.

I tried to levitate a small rock while touching my horn shackle. All that did was make the shackle warmer under my hoof.

Great, apparently you can lock up magic.

Not to mention, I still needed to find Chrysalis. Keys in tow, I looked at my options. Across from cell there was five large tunnel openings, I knew that the dogs came from one of the ones on the left. Should I go the direction they came from? There might be a whole pack of these crazy creatures waiting for me, or it could lead to the entrance, or an office, or- I could do this all day. Left does make the most sense though.

Then I heard her scream in pain, the voice unmistably Chrissy. It ricocheted off the cavern walls and without a thought I dropped the keys, Turned tail, and broke into a gallop towards the tunnel it came from.

****
Batshit Crazy
Help me
Best God Ever and prisoner Friend Unworthy Pion

Well I’m ready for some more popcorn! Did you want any?

*Glares*

I’m going to take that as “Yes sir. Please feed me.”

*Shakes head*

Did you want some candy instead? Nachos? I have a chocolate fountain I could break out. Oh! That is a great idea. You’re welcome. No, no, YOU ARE welcome-

*thrashes in chair*

Stop making so much NOISE! You can deliver my stupid brother’s message AFTER you watch my genius and admit that I’M THE BETTER GOD!!!!