Chapter 2: First Contact

Twilight Sparkle's horn glowed with a delicate lavender aura as she dipped her magically held quill in the inkwell once more. Then she moved the quill back to the scroll she was writing on and began adding more details to her spell diagram.

Suddenly, the door to the library flew open. She jumped in startled surprise, her leg hitting the writing desk and jostling the scroll, causing the quill to leave an ugly jagged string of ink on the paper. Annoyance quickly rising inside of her, she looked at the door.

"Fluttershy! You startled me. Now I'm going to have to start over on this magical diagram I was making for Princess—"

"In the forest!" the yellow pegasus stammered, doing her best to talk between deep rapid breaths, "There's something in the forest! It's … it's … it's—"

"Whoa, Fluttershy! Calm down. What's in the forest?" Twilight raised an eyebrow, her mood quickly changing from one of annoyance at Fluttershy for barging in, to one of concern.

"I don't know," Fluttershy responded, her breathing slowing somewhat as she appeared to calm down a little. "In all my years of taking care of the forest animals, I've never seen anything like it before. I was looking at some strange … junk in the forest when it fell out of a thicket. It was oddly shaped. And … and it could talk!"

"It could talk?" Twilight's eyes lit up in excitement. A new creature? Something never before seen in Equestria? A new sentient creature that could talk? Oh yes, talk to it she would! She would study it. She would learn everything there was to know about it. She would write books and articles about it. She would —

"Twilight, are you listening to me?" Fluttershy asked in an exasperated tone.

"What? Oh … yes … sorry," she said, coming out of the side spur her train of thought had run down. "This creature. Tell me more about it. What did it look like?"

"Well … It was wearing clothes. Although they were kind of torn up and ragged. The parts of it that weren't covered with clothing didn't look like they had any fur. I think it was male … it had a deep voice like a male anyway. And it had a short brown mane, but no tail."

"Fascinating," Twilight responded, excitement growing inside of her. "And did it move? How did it walk?"

"Well … it didn't really. It was lying on the ground when I saw it. It might have been injured. I was moving towards it … to try to help it. And that's when it … it …" Fluttershy stopped and shuttered visibly.

"It what?" Twilight prompted.

"Well, it had some kind of weapon I think. A small black box. It threatened me. Then it pointed it at me and pushed something with … I guess its hoof? Or claw? or paw? It was strange looking. Anyway … it pressed something on the box. And this strange noise came out of it. A noise like nothing I've ever heard before."

Twilight frowned upon learning that the creature had tried to harm the timid pegasus. "But you are fine, right? I mean whatever it tried to do … You didn't actually get hurt, did you?"

"No," Fluttershy said quietly. "I'm fine. It must have missed, or something. But that's when I left. I flew away as fast as I could."

Twilight thought for a moment, then looked at Fluttershy again. "How far away were you from Ponyville when you encountered this creature?"

"About … fifteen thousand strides, I think," Fluttershy said in her usual quiet voice.

Twilight frowned at that. "If the creature is hostile, it could find its way to Ponyville in less than a day at that distance … Even if it is relatively slow." She thought for a moment again, shaking her head slightly in frustration. Oh how she wished Spike weren't away at young dragon summer camp. She knew she needed to get a letter to Princess Celestia as fast as possible, given how quickly this creature might be able to reach Ponyville. "Fluttershy, go find Rainbow Dash. I need to write a letter to The Princess. Without Spike here, Rainbow is the fastest way to get it to her and get a response back."

Fluttershy nodded "Okay …" she said quietly, turning and leaving the door, closing it much more gently than she had opened it. Twilight went over to her writing desk, moving the damaged scroll out of the way. She replaced it with a new one, magically dipped her quill in the ink again, and started to write:

Dear Princess Celestia,

I have just received disturbing news from Fluttershy. While she was out in the forest near Ponyville, she came across some strange debris—she called it junk—and started to investigate. In the process of looking into it, she encountered a sentient being of unknown species, but believed to be of male gender, that stumbled out of the undergrowth. This being was able to speak and was apparently armed with some type of unknown weapon. When Fluttershy attempted to approach the creature, it attempted to use the weapon on her. Thankfully, other than making a strange sound, the weapon did not injure her and she was able to escape unharmed.

My biggest concern now is, that this creature is approximately fifteen thousand strides away from Ponyville. At that distance, it could reach the town in less than one day of travel, even if it is relatively slow.

I request your immediate assistance and advice on how to best handle this matter.

Your faithful student,

Twilight Sparkle

A bumping noise outside, and another loud bang as the door to the library opened roughly again. A cyan pegasus stood in the door way, a look of annoyance on her muzzle.

"Rainbow, I need you to take this to Princess Celestia," Twilight said as she rolled up the scroll, affixing her wax seal on it.

The pegasus gave her an incredulous look, her eyes narrowing slightly. "Are you serious? Do I look like a mail pony? I mean it's just a letter. Can't you find somepony else to do something as mundane as deliver a letter for you?"

Twilight sighed and glared back at the other pony. "Rainbow! This letter is very important! Ponyville might be in danger, and you are the fastest flier in Equestria! I need you to get this letter to The Princess as soon as possible! Deliver it to her personally and wait for her to write her response. Then bring it back to me. Time is very important."

Rainbow raised her eyebrows at that. "Danger? What kind of danger. Whatever danger there might be, just let me know where to find it. I can kick its tail!"

Twilight rolled her eyes at the pegasus' antics. "From what Fluttershy said, it doesn't have a tail to kick. But there's no time to explain it right now, Rainbow. This potential danger could reach Ponyville in less than a day. In a matter of hours really. If it is, in fact, coming here. Just go. Please?"

The pegasus hesitated for a moment, then gave her another annoyed look, taking the floating scroll out of the air with her teeth, mumbling through her clenched jaws. "Fine! But I should be out finding this so called danger and kicking its nonexistent tail instead of acting as a mail courier."

Rainbow was out the door before Twilight got a chance to respond, not that she wanted to respond anyway. Rainbow could say whatever she wanted, as long as it got her on her way to deliver the letter. She watched as the cyan pegasus spread her wings and leaped into the sky, disappearing from sight quickly. A few seconds later, an ear shattering boom shook the library's windows. The shelves vibrated, several books falling to the floor.

"That would be her creating a sonic rainboom," Twilight muttered to herself as she started to magically pick up the books that had fallen, although she acknowledged she had no pony to blame for that but herself. She had asked Rainbow to hurry after all. When she had finished putting the displaced books back on their shelves, she went back to her writing desk, dipping her quill in the ink again and starting to redraw the magical diagram she had been working on. There was nothing else she could do now, except wait. But despite her best efforts to concentrate on the diagram, she found she could not. Instead, she kept looking out the window, hoping to see some sign of Rainbow Dash's return.

James jumped as he heard a loud BOOM that echoed off the trees around him. "What the hell was that?" he said to himself, looking up. Not thunder. It was a clear morning and there wasn't a cloud in the sky. Some kind of object was streaking past above him. Behind it, as if coming from the object itself, was a rainbow, like a multicolored smoke trail from a jet fighter. It didn't take long for him to come to the conclusion that what he had heard was a sonic boom, and the object traveling overhead was responsible for it. Some type of supersonic aircraft, he surmised.

That prospect both intrigued and frightened him. The object, and the trail behind it, was nothing like any human designed aircraft he was familiar with. Was it something created by the race of sentient ponies he had encountered earlier? If so, they were far more technologically advanced than he had originally assumed they were. After his initial encounter with the yellow pony, he assumed she was part of some kind of primitive tribal society. If the object he had just seen shooting across the sky was any indication, they were far more advanced than he had originally given them credit for.

Mentally, he chided himself for leaping to his original conclusion based on an isolated encounter with just one of their kind. He knew better than to do that. But there would be plenty of time to beat himself up over it later. For now, he had bigger problems. They might be coming for him sooner than he thought if they were that much more advanced than he gave them credit for. And they might be better prepared to deal with him once they found him. He was no fighter … no warrior … He really had no idea what to do at this point. He could run, but where would he go? Surely, they would be able to track him. And how far could he run anyway? He had no food, no water. He could go for awhile without food, yes. But the lack of water was already making his throat feel parched. Any water he found in the forest might not be safe to drink, and he had no way to purify it. No container to boil it in. No way to start a fire even if he had had a container.

He tried to analyze what the best course of action would be, but the situation he was in was just to incredibly foreign to him. All of his scientific knowledge was coming up with nothing at all. And so he simply sat on the ground, drawing his knees up to his chest. He wrapped his arms around them, rocking back and forth in a rather pathetic manner. He had no idea what to do.

Twilight Sparkle ran back to the door of the library as she heard the sound of a pegasus landing outside. Before she could get to it, it had already flown open. Rainbow Dash stood in the door frame, wearing a pair of saddle bags now. She reached into one of them, removed a scroll, and tossed it at Twilight. The unicorn's horn glowed slightly as she caught it out of midair. After checking the royal seal to make sure it was authentic—it was simply habit that made her do so, rather than any distrust of Rainbow Dash—she unrolled it and began to read:

My Dearest, Most Faithful Student, Twilight Sparkle,

I agree that this situation is indeed a potential threat to Ponyville. I am sending a wing of Pegasus Guards to find and apprehend this creature. Unicorn Guards will accompany them in case the creature is capable of using magic. They will stop at Fluttershy's cottage as they will need her to accompany them and show them where she found the creature. If at all possible, the Royal Guards are to apprehend the creature without harming him, as we do not know if he poses any threat to us. Once he has been captured, and is safely in custody, my guards will stop to get you. I wish for you to accompany them to Canterlot as I may have need of you in this situation. Once the creature has been brought to me in Canterlot, I will determine how he should be dealt with.

Please wait for my guards at Fluttershy's cottage outside of town, as I do not wish for them to bring the creature into Ponyville and cause a commotion. As a precaution, I would suggest you inform all ponies who do not need to go outside to remain indoors until an all clear is given. The Royal Guard will be well on their way by the time you receive this. Please await their arrival.

Princess Celestia.

She finished reading, remaining silent for several moments, just looking at the letter in front of her.

"Twilight? Are you alright? What's going on?" Rainbow asked, interrupting her thoughts from behind.

She turned to look at Rainbow. "The Princess has sent a wing of Royal Guards to capture him. Once they have, I am to accompany them to Canterlot. For now, please spread the word asking ponies to remain indoors if they don't need to be outside. We will let them know when the threat has passed. But first, please stop by Fluttershy's and let her know that the Royal Guards will be stopping by to get her."

"I'll spread the word, but you don't think I'm letting you go to Canterlot alone do you? With some strange creature?"

She shook her head. "I won't be alone, Rainbow. There will be an entire wing of Pegasus Guards with me, as well as several Unicorn Guards."

The pegasus scoffed. "Guards or no guards, I'm coming with you."

"We'll talk about that later, Rainbow. For now, please just go talk to Fluttershy and warn the ponies around town."

"I'm on it! But Fluttershy's not gonna be happy about having to go back out there with the guards. And she's really not gonna be happy about the plan to bring that creature to her place," Rainbow responded, giving a salute with her forehoof, backing out the door and taking to the air again before Twilight had a chance to respond.

James finally got back to his feet, then winced in pain as he stumbled on his twisted ankle. Catching himself, he slowly put weight on it. It was definitely sore, but it didn't seem to be broken. Still, it was going to slow him down, at a time when he could ill afford it. He knew he had to move now. They were certain to come back to this spot where the yellow pony had encountered him. He definitely didn't want to be here when they returned.

Quickly, he tried to remember which direction the pony had flown off in, then turned around, heading the other way. He stopped, almost forgetting his makeshift weapon. Bending down, he picked up the long piece of jagged steel again, then started off, his injured ankle slowing him down and causing him to limp.

Bushes, ferns, and other forest growth blocked his path, acting like a thick wall that impeded his progress. Vines tried to grab his feet, attempting to entangle them and make him fall again. He found himself using the long piece of steel to try to slash his way through the thick foliage. Of course, that was going to leave a trail even a blind bat could follow. But he had no other options if he was going to make any progress.

A few minutes passed, and he was sure his progress was agonizingly slow. He heard a rushing sound above him, looking up to see another one of the flying ponies, a pegasus he guessed. But this one wore golden, Roman style armor. The flying pony was pure white in color, larger, and of a more muscular build than the yellow one he had seen earlier. His heart, already racing from the exertion of forcing his way through the thick forest, started racing even faster. Some type of guard, police officer, or soldier, no doubt. Searching for him by air.

He looked back down, trying to move faster. But the dense forest growth and increasing protests of his ankle fought his attempts, keeping him moving much slower than he would have liked.

From somewhere behind him, he heard a male voice. "He went this way, sir. He didn't try to hide it either. The trail he slashed through the brush will be easy to follow."

Another male voice. "Spread out. I don't want to come up on him unexpectedly. And keep vigilant. We can't see very far in this thick brush and could be on top of him before we even realize it."

The same male voice called out loudly then, clearly intended for James to hear it. "I am Captain Swordstorm. Commander of the Pegasus Guard division of Her Majesty's Royal Guard! Her Majesty, Princess Celestia, demands your surrender! There is no way out of here and my guards will have you surrounded shortly. Show yourself peacefully, with your hooves where we can see them, and you have my word of honor as Captain of Her Majesty's Pegasus Guard, that you will not be harmed and will be treated fairly and with respect."

What good is your word of honor to me James thought to himself. For all he knew, these pony like creatures had no honor. The Captain's word of honor could be completely worthless. Or he could have just said it to obtain his compliance. And this Princess Celestia? How was he to know she wasn't a veritable Elizabeth Báthory?

He stopped trying to hack his way through the brush now. That would only make noise and draw attention to himself. The impenetrable foliage that had been a curse before had become a blessing now. At least it would prevent them from spotting him until they were practically on top of him. Furthermore, it would prevent the flying ponies from landing. At least that's what he hoped. If it did, that would make it harder for them to slip in front of him and surround him.

He started walking again, trying to make as little noise as possible as he picked his way carefully through the thickets, though he wondered if they might be able to hear him anyway. From what he had seen on the yellow pegasus, they had raised, pointed ears capable of swiveling to gather sound, just like regular horses did. Horses also had much better hearing than humans, didn't they? He wondered if these horse like creatures did as well.

Realistically though, he knew it was only a matter of time before they found him. Even if he could hide well in this thick undergrowth, it seemed unlikely they would simply give up the search. Not when they knew he was in the immediate area.

He took shelter near some thick ferns, squatting close to the ground, and considered his options. Running didn't seem like it would get him anywhere. They were close enough to hear him now, and there was no way he could outrun them forever—especially not with his injured ankle. Not to mention the fact that they were horses, weren't they? Surely, they could run him down easily. He could simply surrender, but he had little faith in the Captain's promise that he wouldn't be harmed and was not keen on the idea of placing himself at the mercy of a bunch of 'aliens' he knew nothing about. Finally, he could continue to move slowly and attempt to stay hidden. But really, how long could he keep up a game of hide and seek with them? Especially one where there were multiple seekers? Perhaps if he could just avoid capture until nightfall, he could slip away. But nightfall was a long way off. He didn't think it could be any later than noon right now. That was a long time to try to stay hidden from multiple guards who were spreading out in a coordinated search.

"I think I've picked up his scent, sir. It doesn't smell like any forest animal."

My scent? They can track me by scent? Of course they can, they're horses! Stupid, James! Stupid! He chastised himself for being so careless and not trying to stay downwind of them. What could he do about it now though? Probably nothing. Now that they already had his scent, there was no way they would let him circle around behind and get downwind of them now. He knew he was rapidly running out of options.

Finally, he simply turned around, taking a fencing stance—he had been in the fencing club during his college years—and waited for them to appear. To face them head on was better than getting pulled down from behind.

"I see him, sir. Up ahead. He's facing us. He has a long piece of metal. His stance … He may have some skill with a blade, sir. No other visible weapons than the piece of metal."

"I'm giving you another chance to surrender peacefully!" the voice that he now recognized as the Captain of the guards called out. "Drop the object you are holding, come out peacefully with your hooves where we can see them, and you will be treated with fairness and respect, and will not be harmed."

His feet stayed still, but his mind scrambled and his breathing was rapid. "I haven't done anything wrong! I just want to go home!" he responded, swinging the long piece of jagged metal wildly, as if fending off a pack of unseen wolves.

"We can talk about that," the Captain responded. "Her Majesty will be willing to listen to your concerns. You should know that. And she will do what she can to help you. I'm willing to help you as well. But I can't if you don't cooperate with me. What is your name? It will make it easier to talk with you if I have a name to call you by."

I should know that? Why would I know that? "It's James … My name is James … Stay away!" He swung the long piece of metal in an arc again, like a batter swinging at a fastball. He may have never been in trouble with the police before, but he knew the Captain's negotiating tactics and talk of helping him was probably only a ploy to gain his surrender without incident. And once he was in custody, chained and defenseless, there was no telling what they would do to him. Still, he thought there was no harm in giving them his first name.

"Well, James. The only way out of here is by coming with us. That can be as easy or as difficult as you want to make it on yourself. But the end result will be the same. Don't squander the good will I'm extending to you."

"Stay away!" he yelled once more, again swinging his makeshift club. Any fencing skills he remembered were completely lost to him right now overwhelmed in the face of fear.

Suddenly, something slammed into him from behind. Furry forelegs wrapped around his neck above his shoulders and an impact drove him to the ground, face first. He yelled out in surprise, quickly trying to push himself up off the ground. He was immediately forced back down as the pony that had attacked him from behind sat down on the small of his back, pinning him firmly. There was a flash of armored white hoof out of the corner of his right eye, as another one of the guards quickly removed the metal stick from his grasp.

"We've got him, sir," the guard seated on top of him called out. "And he's disarmed."

He slapped the ground in frustration with his fist. Stupid! he chastised himself again. When the Captain was talking to him, it never occurred to him that he was simply keeping his attention so some of his guards could circle around unnoticed and pull him down from behind. He tried to push himself off the ground once more, lifting his head and pushing up with his forearms.

"Hold still and keep your head down!" The guard seated on top him ordered, easily keeping him pinned.

It would do him no good to wear himself out struggling. He grunted, but held still. Armored white forehooves approached from his front. He tried to raise his head again to see what was going on. "I said keep your head down!" the pony seated on his back said in a gruff tone, placing a forehoof on the side of his head, pushing it back down to the ground, and holding it there. He winced, but made no further attempts at lifting his head.

"Search him," the Captain said.

James felt a strange tingling sensation moving over his body, like static electricity when you hold your arm in front of the screen of an old fashioned tube type television. Instinctively, he started to struggle again, trying to move away from it. "Hold still!" the pony sitting on his back ordered again, pressing him down more firmly. He did his best to try to stop moving again. Struggling wasn't making his situation any better. The tingling moved further down, over his side pants pocket now. Then, he felt his iPhone being lifted out. Strangely though, he could not feel any hands … or hooves reaching into his pocket. A few seconds later, the tingling moved to his back pocket, and his wallet was lifted out. Again, he felt no physical contact. He strained his eyes as far as he could in that direction, trying to see what was going on. But head pressed to the ground by the pony's forehoof, he could see nothing.

"This must be the weapon Fluttershy told us about, sir," another guard, who's voice he hadn't heard before said. James was thankful he'd had the foresight to turn the iPhone off after he'd gotten done with it. He might need the battery later. If he ever got it back, that is.

"It's not a weapon," James protested through gritted teeth, the pony's hoof still firmly holding his head to the ground.

"Is there anything else?" the Captain asked.

"Just a small folder like object, sir. It contains some personal effects. Some photographs, a few plastic cards with strange writing on them, something that looks like some sort of identification card. It has his photo on it. That's it, sir."

James considered protesting the fact that they were going through his personal affairs, but thought better of it. Not knowing how these ponies might use anything he said now against him later, he decided the best course of action was to simply not say anything. He didn't think there would be any sympathetic ears listening anyway.

"Get the restraints on him. Lets get him in the chariot," the Captain responded.

At the mention of the word 'restraints', James started trying to struggle again. "Keep him still!" the Captain called out … Captain Swordstorm he thought he had said his name was? He felt another one of the guards move to assist the one that was already pinning him, grunting as his legs were pinned now. Gathering all the willpower he could muster, he forced himself to hold still again, reminding himself that it would do no good to wear himself out right now, when escape seemed out of the question. Better to save his energy for an opportunity where it might do him some good to use it.

Again, he felt the weird tingling sensation, this time around his ankles, felt something cold closing around each one, hearing a metallic clink as they closed. The tingling sensation moved to his arms. As if being pulled by some unseen force, his arms started moving behind his back, like they had been grabbed by invisible hands. Instinctively, he tried to struggle against the mysterious feeling. But the two ponies restraining him held him firmly. Another cold feeling around his wrists, a metallic clank, as what he knew were iron or steel manacles locked into place. The tingling went away, the unseen force releasing his arms. Experimentally, he tried to move them back in front of himself. As expected, the two manacles were connected by a short length of chain, preventing him from doing so.

The tingling reappeared, this time around his neck. From the corner of his eye, he saw an iron collar floating towards his neck … Floating? It seemed to be. The edges of it glowed with a strange green fluorescence, as if it were illuminated with neon lighting. Then, the same cold feeling he had felt around his wrists and ankles as the collar closed around his neck, clicking and locking into place.

"Get him up," the Captain commanded. "And be careful about it. Don't injure him."

The pony sitting on his back finally stood up and stepped off of him. At least it felt good to finally have that weight off his back. Two forelegs hooked under his shoulders and he was quickly, although not roughly, pulled to his feet. His muscles had become stiff from being pinned in one place for so long, and he winced as they protested at the sudden movement, sending small jolts of soreness through him. It passed quickly though, and was replaced by the relief of finally being able to stand up, finally no longer having his head pinned to the ground by a hoof, finally no longer being held down, even if he was in iron restraints now. It was, at least, a small improvement over where he had been a few seconds ago.

For the first time, he was able to clearly see his captors. In front of him, a white pony, winged like the first yellow one he had seen, but of a more stocky and muscular build. He wore golden armor like the ones he had seen flying, including armor plating around his hooves, golden greaves around both forelegs and hind legs. A golden curiass, inlaid with silver trimmings, protected his chest, connected to gold back plates that ran down most of the length of his back and sides. In the center, a five pointed crimson star—the crimson a symbol of his Captain's rank, James assumed—the other winged ponies next to him wore a similar curiass, but their stars were light blue in color. Gold pauldrons covered his withers, and a polished golden Roman like helm with a blue crest protected his head.

James turned his head to the left. His jaw dropped for a moment. Three unicorns stood there, similar in size and wearing similar armor to the winged ponies. They were gray in color, and had white crests on their helms, highlighted with light blue. This has to be dream, he thought to himself, quickly picking up his jaw again.

The Captain spoke again in a firm but gentler tone of voice, grabbing James' attention back. "James, sir, you are now a prisoner of Her Majesty, Princess Celestia. You will be treated fairly and with respect if you cooperate. You are to be taken to the capital city of Canterlot for an audience with Her Majesty, at which point, she will decide what happens next. You will be taken care of there. Given food, water, shelter, and medical attention if you need it. Do you understand what I have said so far?"

James only nodded in response, keeping his mouth closed. The Captain continued.

"You look a little scraped up. There is a town nearby with a clinic we can take you to if we must. If it's not serious, we can wait until we get to Canterlot."

James considered that for a moment. It was tempting to delay going to Canterlot and facing this Princess Celestia, whoever she was. But then again, delaying would only put off something that seemed inevitable. Better to get it out of the way as soon as possible. The suspense of not knowing seemed worse than whatever the ultimate outcome might be. He made up his mind. "My ankle is sore from falling earlier, but it's not serious. And the cuts and bruises are minor. I'll be fine."

The Captain nodded and smiled at him slightly … a smile that James thought meant he had in some way earned a modicum of respect from him. Perhaps the Captain admired his willingness to endure his injuries without holding them up by making them stop to get him tended to? He wasn't sure.

Captain Swordstorm turned his attention to the two winged ponies flanking James on either side. "Get him in the chariot."

It was now that James realized there were chains attached to the collar and to the manacles restraining his hands behind his back. The other end of the chains were attached to a golden ring around the right fetlock of each of the two guards standing next to him.

"Let's move," the one on his left said firmly, but without shouting. A gentle but firm tug on the chain connected to his collar provided extra motivation.

Now that he had been still for awhile, the injury to his ankle had had time to stiffen and swell. He walked with a limp, the soreness slowing his progress some, as did the manacles locked around his ankles that prevented him from taking full length steps. His guards seemed sympathetic, and did not try to push him to move faster.

Emerging from the thicket, into the clearing and debris left by his arrival, his eyes widened. In front of him, were three open chariots, white as freshly fallen snow. On their doors, the emblem of a sun, blazing like a golden flame. The inside of the chariots were covered in plush crimson upholstery that looked fit for royalty. In front of each chariot, stood two winged ponies, armored like the others and connected by sturdy harnesses.

Approaching one of the chariots, a third guard put his forehoof on the door latch, then pulled the door outwards. The two guards flanking James stood on their hind legs, helping him into the chariot, their forehooves lifting under his shoulders, the chain connecting his ankles together preventing him from lifting his leg far enough to step up onto the chariot's platform. Once inside, the two guards, along with Captain Swordstorm himself, climbed into the chariot with him, and the guard outside closed the door, making sure it was secure.

Looking to his right, James noticed that the unicorns had climbed into another chariot. They can't walk like the ones pulling the chariots will have to? he thought to himself.

"We're ready, sir," one of the winged ponies outside of the chariot called out.

"Good. Let's move out," the Captain responded.

The two winged ponies pulling the chariot James was riding in started walking. Suddenly, with a small jolt, the ground begin to fall away underneath them. He scrambled in panic, instinctively trying to jump out of the chariot while it was still low enough for him to fall to the ground safely.

"Stop him!" Captain Swordstorm shouted, all three ponies instantly scrambling to grab him. He hadn't even gotten half way over the side of the chariot before he was grabbed and yanked to the floor, two forehooves pressed to his back pinning him down firmly. He squirmed violently, kicking his legs as he tried to escape. His ankles were pulled back down, then held to the floor by the manacles—one of the ponies standing on the chain connecting them, he assumed. For a few more seconds he tried to struggle, but then, recognizing the futility of it, he gave up. Now, he just laid still, breathing rapidly from exertion mixed with anxiety. The Captain and the two guards continued to hold him on the floor for several more seconds, making certain he had given up the struggle before lifting him back up.

"Certainly, you didn't believe you could escape," Captain Swordstorm scolded him, his eyes narrowed in anger. "Are you afraid of flying?"

James glanced over the side of the chariot. The ground was passing by far below them now, clearly way too far to jump safely. He shuddered slightly, looking back at the Captain. "In an airliner? No. But this way?"

Captain Swordstorm gave him a confused look, then shook his head. "I will have you know my Pegasus Guards have an extremely safe flying record. I assure you, you are in good hooves, and very safe in this chariot."

James gave no response, instead, simply leaning back and trying hard to keep himself calm. He stared across the isle of the chariot, blank expression falling on the two guards across from him. From time to time, he moved his eyes from one to the other, but said nothing. He continued this behavior for a good ten minutes. The guards across from him became shifty, fidgeting slightly and moving their eyes nervously when he would shift his gaze to them. Finally one of them spoke.

"I don't like the look on his face, sir. He's planning something. I can see it in his eyes."

"Well, then keep an eye on him. So you can stop him before he has a chance to do whatever it is he's planning," the Captain responded simply.

The guard was right. James was, in fact, planning something. Flying chariots, winged ponies, unicorns. This had a to be a dream. it had to be. Since it had to be a dream, there was no real danger in anything he decided to do. It was a long fall to the ground, at least a few thousand feet. If he jumped from this height, it would be nearly impossible to tell exactly where he came down. The ground below them was covered in solid green forest. Once he was in there, he would be nearly impossible to find. Like searching for a single drop of blue in a sea of green. The guards would never expect him to jump from a flying chariot. If he were quick about it …

In a flash, he lunged for the side of the chariot, attempting to scramble over the side.

"Grab him!" the Captain shouted, the two Pegasus Guards across from him lunging across the center isle. One of them gave a rough yank on the chain attached to his wrist cuffs, pulling him backwards. In desperation, he tried to scramble forward again. But this time, his legs were yanked out from under him by a rough jerk on the chain connecting his ankle manacles. Quickly, one of the guards stepped over him sitting on the small of his back again, holding him firmly to the floor. His head was roughly slammed to the floor and pinned there with a forehoof. He struggled only for a moment before holding still again. It was useless to struggle in this position, he knew. If he couldn't get out from under the pony before his arms had been bound behind his back, there was certainly no way he was going to be able to do it now.

"So help me, I'm tempted to keep you pinned down here for the rest of the flight to Canterlot!" the guard on top of him, who he now recognized was the Captain himself, shouted down at him. Despite his words though, he stood up and stepped off. Then, James was roughly yanked back to a sitting position by the other two guards, facing Captain Swordstorm's glaring eyes.

"What in Celestia's name were you trying to do?" the Captain shouted in his face, close enough that he could feel the warm breath hitting him. "Are you suicidal? Do you think you are a bird or something? Or that you were suddenly going to sprout wings?" the Captain continued lecturing him loudly.

James said nothing in response, simply glaring back at the Captain now, who shook his head and threw a foreleg up in frustration before continuing in a slightly quieter, but no less stern voice. "You've used up your last drop of good will, prisoner. As soon as we land in Ponyville, I'm having you sedated for the rest of the trip. I'm a tail's hair breadth from not waiting until we get to Ponyville and sedating you myself with a hoof to your head."

Sedated … He tried not to show any reaction. But inside, his mind was terrified at the thought. In retrospect, maybe trying to jump from the chariot had been a bad idea. Once he was sedated, he would be completely at their mercy. Who knows where he would wake up? Or what they would do to him while he was unconscious?

For the next few minutes, James sat motionless and silent. Now, he tried to be a model prisoner, hoping that if he remained on his best behavior, Captain Swordstorm might change his mind about the sedation before they arrived wherever it was they were stopping; although it would have been difficult for him to try anything now even if he had wanted to. The guards weren't about to give him another chance it seemed, keeping the chains connected his neck and wrists short, giving him virtually no room to move at all. His heart started to race as the chariot began to descend.

He tried to lean to the side slightly, to see what they were descending towards, but he quickly ran out of slack in the chain attached to the collar around his neck. Turning his head, he looked back at the pony holding it, who only shook his head slightly in a 'no' motion. James did nothing in response, just looking forward again, and waiting.

A small bump, as the chariot touched down a couple of minutes later, a smooth landing any airline pilot would be proud of. James looked around, taking in the scenery. They were just on the edge of the forest now. A single multilevel cottage of natural construction stood near the edge of the forest. The roof, he noticed, was covered with growing grass or plants of some type, following the recent trend of green eco-friendly roofing construction he had seen on some buildings in Chicago. Multiple birdhouses hung from trees surrounding the cottage and a small river ran lazily in front of it, an arched stone bridge providing a crossing. Several small gardens surrounded the cottage that appeared to contain various types of vegetables and herbs. He recognized some of them, including a row of lettuce, and another row of carrots. Other than the cottage, there seemed to be nothing else resembling civilization nearby.

The chariot came to a stop in front of the cottage. Captain Swordstorm opened the door and stepped out, turning to look back at the guards holding his chains. "Make sure he stays put. Don't let him out of the chariot," he commanded.

The captain trotted over to the chariot the unicorns were riding in. "Can one of you sedate him?"

"Sedation is a specialized field of medical magic, sir. Battle mages are not trained in—"

"I'll take that as a no," the Captain responded, turning and trotting towards the cottage. "Maybe Miss Sparkle can do it."

The Captain knocked on the door of the cottage with a forehoof. James blinked as a lavender colored unicorn emerged, the door quickly closing behind her, practically before she had even gotten all the way through it. It looked to him as if it must have been slammed from the inside, if the way the unicorn turned her head back over her withers and glared sharply at whoever was on the other side of the door was any indication. She resembled the yellow pegasus he had seen earlier more than she resembled the unicorn guards. He surmised she was female, based on the similarities to the female pegasus, and differences from the male guards.

Captain Swordstorm spoke with the unicorn in quiet tones, occasionally looking back at the chariot as if to make sure his prisoner were still there, and still behaving. James could hear nothing of what was said. The unicorn's eyes moved back and forth between the Captain, and the chariot he was sitting in. She looked excited, like a child turned loose in a candy shop and told to pick anything they wanted might look. After a few minutes of talking, the Captain turned, and the two of them began trotting towards him and the chariot.

The unicorn stopped not far from the chariot, simply looking at him now. He looked back at her. Her eyes seemed to scan every part of him, taking in all of him. In her eyes, he recognized the same twinkle of wonder and curiosity he often felt when encountering something new. The desire to learn, the need to discover. The insatiable thirst and yearning for knowledge. Had he met her in other circumstances, he probably would have had the same expression in his own eyes. But right now, he was too frightened to be concerned with wonder over what she was, or to want to strike up a conversation with her.

She continued to look at him for a bit longer, her large violet eyes penetrating his soul. Yet, in their wide gaze of excitement, of wonder and yearning, he could detect something else. Compassion, he thought it was. Compassion for him, seeing him chained up and collared. In some small way, it comforted him. Even though she had not spoken a single word to him yet, he felt she were someone he might be able to trust. Someone who might be on his side and would speak on his behalf. Finally, she did speak.

"My name is Twilight. Twilight Sparkle. I'm Princess Celestia's student and I will be accompanying you to Canterlot." She stopped and looked at the ground. A look of sadness, or regret in her eyes for a moment. Then she looked back at him and frowned slightly. "I'm sorry to have to do this, but Captain Swordstorm has insisted that I sedate you for the remainder of the flight."

He opened his mouth to protest, but immediately closed it again, staring at the unicorn now. Her horn had started to glow with a purple aura and he could feel that strange tingling sensation in his head. Fatigue and sleepiness instantly started to overwhelm him. Desperately, he fought to stay awake. Instinctively trying to jerk backwards and away from the unicorn, as if putting greater distance between the two of them would some how stop what was happening. The two guards controlling his chains held him fast. His eyes widened with fear, still looking at her. Fight it! Fight it! he told himself in his mind. But as his vision faded, he knew it was a losing battle. Still, he could see her horn glowing, the look of regret on her face as she gazed at him with compassion. But as sleep closed in around him, the vision of her began to fade as well. You have to fight it! he tried to tell himself again … No you don't … His eyes closed, thought left him, darkness overcame him.