Torchwood ESOV
Chapter 2: From Out of the Rain
"Will she be okay?" Meadow Song asked.
Jack laid a reassuring hoof on his shoulder. The two stallions were in one of the many rooms of Canterlot's Medical Center. The walls and floor tiles were a stark white, unlike the calming greens and browns of Ponyville Hospital. On the plus side, it was more accommodating, the room being somewhat larger than said hospital.
If one entered the room, they would see a window that spanned the majority of the wall before him. To the left would be a secluded room that housed a toilet. Around the wall that separated the bathroom and the main room were twin chairs, both made of light-colored cedar. Next to them was the main attraction: the large bed where the patient would remain in until able and healed. Surrounding it were monitoring equipment and their counterparts, the typical setup of a hospital room.
Occupying the bed was Apple Fritter, who was asleep for the time being. Her husband, Meadow, leaned on the gray plastic rail that prevented a patient from rolling of the bed. He stroked her green mane as he gave Jack a concerned look. The brown stallion's eyes were noticeably red and tear-stained. Jack and Pierce attributed it to Meadow's emotional breakdown.
"Don't worry," Jack replied, "your wife will be back on her hooves before you know it." He added a small smile for effect. "Just give her a few days." It seemed to work as Meadow returned an equally minute smile and turned to gaze at Apple Fritter affectionately.
"That's good to hear," commented the prospector as he gently gripped Apple Fritter's hoof in his. She stirred a little in response and a small smile graced her muzzle. "Ah doubt Ah could handle letting her go. Other than her family, Frits is all Ah have."
Jack's breath hitched slightly.
"Out of curiosity, how long have you two been married?" Pierce had looked up from reading over the clipboard containing Apple Fritter's medical records. The blue-gray unicorn was seated in one of the chairs, a cup of coffee steaming on the adjacent table.
Meadow grinned. "Tied the knot last summer in Appleloosa."
"Congratulations," said the unicorn with genuine praise.
"Hoo boy, that was one hay of a wedding, havin' all the Apples, Oranges, Cherries in the same room. You probably know about the rivalry between us three, yeah?"
Pierce took a sip of his coffee. "All too well, Meadow." The unicorn placed the clipboard down and turned to Meadow. "As a matter of fact, I had a one night stand with Berry Punch some time ago. You'll be amazed at what she says in a drunken stupor."
The prospector removed his hoof from his counterpart and ran it through his mane, curious. "Ya don't say?" Meadow walked over and occupied the vacant chair next to Pierce. He leaned back, one foreleg over the back of the chair, the other dangling at his side. He seemed comfortable sitting in a position more suitable to bipeds. Maybe he was one of the few ponies, like Lyra, who found it natural and not a burden on the spine. "What'd she go on about?" the stallion asked with a sly smile.
"Well, being a close relative of the Cherry Clan…"
While the two were gossiping on the matter of family affairs, Jack was immersed within a world of his own. A world of memories buried deep within the recesses of his subconscious, memories of a past plagued by darkness and destruction best to be forgotten with the passage of time.
He stood on a beach of white sand that spanned as far as he could see. Behind him was a thicket of dried shrubbery that bordered the forest beyond. Ahead of Jack was the ocean, crisp and blue. Waves spewed foam upon the shoreline as if attempting, and failing, to drag the dry land into the ocean depths.
In the distance there were dwellings, small houses crafted from glass and stone scattered amongst a series of squat spires made of marble. It was a village situated on the edge of the spit of land jutting out into the sea.
Jack felt the wind tickle his face and blow through his mane. He inhaled the scents it carried in its ethereal caress. It was crisp, with a hint of salt from the seas sprinkled throughout. The pegasus could smell the pheromones, too, the scents that drew beings together and instilled feelings of need and desire within them.
He smiled. It was the Boeshmane Peninsula.
It was home.
Screaming shattered the serenity of the scene.
"Jack!" somepony cried. "Jack!"
"Jack!"
The pegasus in question whipped his head towards the caller of his name. Pierce was giving him a concerned look while Meadow eyed him suspiciously. For a few brief moments, Jack felt his mouth open and quietly draw in steady breaths. He could feel his rapidly-beating heart slowly pacify itself to a normal level. A few beads of sweat ran down his temples and forehead, aiding in the cooling of his heated form.
"Yeah?" Jack replied, his voice slightly shaky.
Pierce held the silence for a few seconds. "Are you alright?"
No, I'm not, thought Jack. But his audible response said otherwise. "Yeah. I was just thinking over the compilation I need to work on later. Specifics and relevance and all." He added his trademark grin for emphasis.
Inside, the captain hoped his subordinate would get the message. If working with Pokey Pierce for several years had anything to teach Captain Jack, it was the vitality of hidden signals. To anypony outside the loop, they would most likely assume everything was fine or the subject was to be avoided; rather, between Jack and Pierce, it meant that it was a matter they needed to talk about sometime soon.
The leader of Torchwood watched expectantly as both stallions in the room gave him a hard look. Pierce then gave a subtle nod and an equally subtle smile. "If you say so."
Jack breathed a silent sigh of relief.
"And since you say so, you ought to leave now." Pierce added, "Can't really put something together just by standing in place, can you?"
He was right. Better now than later or else Administrator Sparkle would have his hide. "Good idea. I'd better get on it," Jack agreed. "Good night, Pierce." He gave a polite nod to Meadow Song before trotting out the door, coat fluttering behind him.
Jack had barely gone a dozen steps before a voice called out to him. He stopped and turned to find Pierce following. The unicorn halted his progress and gave his superior that same concerned look from earlier.
"Jack. What's wrong? It's more than just the case, isn't it?"
The pegasus sighed. "It's happening again."
Silence lingered as Pierce took the time to process Jack's implication. "The memory flashes?"
"Yeah."
"I thought we took care of that. Princess Luna walked through your nightmares and Candy Mane-"
Jack gave the unicorn a hard stare. "I know, Pokey, but not everything stays gone forever." He then lowered his head and closed his eyes. He sighed. "Nothing ever does." Even though he couldn't see him, Jack could sense the minute flinch emanating from Pierce. Rarely had he ever used his associate's first name before and most of those times involved a moment of irritation and weakness that tore the captain apart. He hated raising his voice at a good friend like Pokey Pierce.
"I'm sorry," apologized Jack, his voice quivering.
"Don't worry." He felt a hoof on his shoulder. A reassuring hoof. He liked reassuring hooves. "I understand. It's not an easy subject to discuss."
Relief once again consumed Jack in the form of a sigh. He looked up and locked eyes with his friend. "Thanks." Then a thought ran through Jack's mind. He spoke again, this time uttering Pierce's name. It was one of those other times when he would say his name, this time when it was a moment of importance, be it a simple word of caution or a moment of ecstasy during a good shag. "Pokey …"
"Hmm?"
"There's something I need to tell you. It's related to the incident from earlier."
The peaceful ambience of the hospital was broken with Meadow's ecstatic voice from inside the room. A gentler, female voice followed and intermingled with his into a conversation that was audible enough to be heard from the hallway.
Pierce removed his hoof. He took a quick peek behind him before returning his attention to Jack. "What about it?"
Jack wanted to at least give his colleague an inkling of what he believed to be imminent in the Canterlot's future. But for all he knew, the pegasus could be wrong about it. The invasion could easily not occur at all, and this was simply an isolated incident. That could be the case.
But he knew how these creatures acted as Jack had faced them in the distant past. He learned that they were deceptive by nature and were relentless when conquering territory. As commander of Equestrian Special Operations and Vanguard, it was the duty of Captain Jack Harness to ensure the safety of all pony-kind.
This meant he couldn't risk deluding himself into believing this was nothing more than a random theft and attempted murder. He had to let the others know. In hindsight, Jack should have let the others be aware of his presumptions. That would have been the rational choice.
But he ignored it and chose to keep quiet.
Once again, Administrator Sparkle was going to have his hide.
Jack might as well right his wrongs now. With that in mind, the captain motioned for Pierce to follow him. They walked down the hallway until they found the closest restroom. The entered the stallion's room. Pierce waited in the center of the checker-tiled floor and stark white walls while Jack quickly made sure the door was locked tight.
Satisfied, the pegasus adjusted his coat and walked over to Pierce.
"Very cramped in here," the unicorn said in an amused voice, inquisitive eyes scanning the bathroom. "Are you sure you didn't bring me here just to shag?" A sly smile formed on his lips.
Jack couldn't help but grin at the lewdness of his subordinate's suggestion. Pierce was usually professional and a no-nonsense worker. He spoke when spoken to and did his job well like a good working pony should, albeit the involvement of aliens and the supernatural.
Other times, often in private, but occasionally in the presence of the others, the unicorn could jest with anything sexual at the drop of a hat. Jack liked that about him. That and the hot coffee he brewed practically every morning for the team.
Jack hastily pushed away those thoughts and returned his attention to Pierce. "Now that we're somewhere private …" His grin faded. "We may be at risk of a Changeling invasion."
Pierce raised an eyebrow. "Changelings? Never heard of them."
"I figured," Jack commented. "Not many ponies these days are aware of what a Changeling is, let alone hearing the name of the species. Last they had general contact with the population was at the signing of the Canterlot-Chrysalis Treaty."
"The Canterlot-Chrysalis treaty?"
"It's a treaty that was signed by the leaders of the world around five hundred years ago. Signers include Princess Celestia, the King of Griffon Kingdom, and Queen Chrysalis of the Changeling Empire. It was a decree that relocated the Changeling species to isolated territory up north and prevented any contact between them and us. Very few sightings have been reported since then."
"What are they, exactly?"
"One of the worst creatures you can imagine," the pegasus said grimly, "They have the ability to shapeshift into the form of anypony—to be specific, a lover. They do this in order to blend in with whatever society they are in to be the leading edge of an invasion force. Once they arrive, Changelings are near damn impossible to push out."
Pierce stood there, simply dumbfounded. He rubbed a hoof to his temple. "How are they so dangerous? What do they look like?"
"A Changeling's true form is an insect with a black carapace, wings like a fly, and a horn like beetle. They look like insects … parasites," he spat out the word like poison, "and that's just what they are. They feed off of love, be it the love shared between mother and foal or the intimate romance between mare and stallion.
"They feed through many ways. The most common approach is to disguise itself as one of the two individuals bound together. There, it can gradually drain the life and love out of either victim without them becoming aware of its presence. This is done with magic"
"W-wait. If that is how they feed, then why did Apple Fritter have bite marks on her neck?"
"The other, most direct method is by biting into the victim's neck with its fangs and absorbing minute amounts of positive emotion. This is taxing on the life force as negative emotions acts like a cancer once all the happiness is drained away. The inexperienced or the hasty of the species resort to this."
Pierce fell back on his rump. Jack could tell this was an overwhelming amount of information to receive in a short period of time. On top of that, this was about a powerful parasitic species that had not been seen for several centuries, give or take a century.
I wonder how the others will react to this. Probably just as surprised.
"So far, we've seen a possible sighting of one Changeling." Jack continued, "For all we know, it could be rogue and working for independent parties. It could be working with others and be the preliminary strike force for an invasion. Hay, it could be alone and have nothing to do with military operations.
"But I'm not turning a blind eye to this and risking the safety of Canterlot." He could feel the anger rising in his voice. He could feel more of the buried memories pushing to the surface, waiting to be exploited. Rather than submit to his inner fury; Jack calmed himself with a long, drawn out breath.
"We'd better alert the Royal Guard then," suggested Pierce, slowly regaining his footing. "If we are at risk for an attack—."
Jack cut him off. "No, we are not informing the Guard." He turned to leave. "I'm going to investigate this on my own." The pegasus then walked to the door and began to unlock it. He barely laid a hoof on the lock when he felt a pair of hooves on his shoulders gently turn him around.
"Jack …"
Jack's ice blue eyes met Pierce's amber orbs. The pegasus felt his heart beginning to race a bit faster, as well as his body heating up noticeably. He watched as Pierce—no, Pokey—slowly leaned his muzzle in, lips slightly parted and eyes gradually closing. The pegasus followed suite and their slightly flushed faces met in a chaste kiss.
The mutual exchange lasted for a few seconds before the two stallions parted.
Pokey tenderly rubbed Jack's shoulder as their eyes met once again. "Be careful," he said.
Jack grinned at his counterpart; it was that charming grin that identified with him. "Don't worry. I'll be fine," said the pegasus reassuringly. He went to unlock the door to the bathroom. "Just remember to stay here until you get Apple Fritter's account of the attack." The locked clicked.
"Got it," Pierce replied.
The pair then left the bathroom and parted ways with a last look and a wave.
He wasn't sure how long had been in Canterlot Medical Center. However long, it was enough to for the rain to subside to a light drizzle. That was a relief, Jack would rather fly back to the Hub than walk now that the storm was pretty much over and done with. He didn't mind walking from time to time, but nothing compared to the feeling of denying the ground his hooves with every beat of his wings.
Jack felt his hooves leave the cobblestone as the beating of his wings took him to the air. He flew forward through the night, weaving in between the street lamps to amuse him on his journey back.
Idle thoughts ran through his mind. Should he really deal with chasing down this Changeling on his own? Should he alert the Royal Guard of this? To be frank, Jack wasn't sure. Initially, he was eager to find the culprit once he saw the evidence at the antiquity shop scream "Changeling". He had a history with them. They had done things that scarred him for life, and vowed to have his revenge on them. It was a lust for blood that quickly overtook him.
That was about a couple of hours ago.
Now that he had calmed down and had time to think through the matter, Jack felt as if he was making a mistake. Having firsthoof experience with these parasites, the pegasus was aware of the risks of taking on a Changeling one on one, let alone army on army. And he had seen the results of overestimating the abilities of one.
Jack quickly shifted mental gears to avoid recalling the gruesome images. He should really focus on gathering the necessary data on the Changeling species for his colleagues. It didn't take a genius to figure out none of the others were aware of what Changelings were.
The Captain came in for a landing on the sidewalk. This isn't right, he thought. He should disregard this obsession for the time being until this matter was sorted out properly. Better not to fly in blindly and make this any worse than it is, be it due to an unhealthy grudge or a lack of preparation. Jack lifted his forehoof and pulled back the sleeve of his coat to reveal a strap of brown leather wrapped around his leg.
His vortex manipulator.
Jack never went anywhere without it. It was a device that served many functions, mainly for sending commands to the Hub's wireless interface, scanning for life forms, and teleporting the wearer and anyone else making physical contact with said wearer. Again, those were a few of the many uses the piece of technology possessed.
It was made of a fine, durable leather that made it comfortable to wear for extended periods of time. The inner workings of the manipulator were designed with a combination of thunderforged steel to render it cloud-friendly and quantum energy provided within a miniscule crystal infused with complex magicks that reacted with rift energy to enable teleportation.
Jack activated a command after punching in a few codes. In the span of a moment, he had relayed a command to the Hub's digital database to locate, copy, and extract any information regarding the changeling species, from biology and preferred living conditions to history and culture. Once all of it was gathered, the system would then compile the data into a folder and have it ready for manual manipulation.
Thank Celestia he managed to get it operating correctly on the way to the medical center.
Satisfied once the phrase DOWNLOAD IN PROGRESS appeared on his manipulator's display, Jack lowered his hoof and continued at a trot down the street. The Hub's entrance was only a few blocks away, so he didn't mind taking his time walking. It would probably be a while as the information downloaded, so Jack decided to make use of that ample time to properly construct a course of action for this mystery.
A bolt of lightning arced across the night sky. Jack didn't overreact like a startled filly, only just gave a brief glance at the sky. Being a pegasus, Jack had previous experience in weather management. It was a fairly decent job: the pay was satisfactory, the co-workers were friendly most of the time, and the work was difficult, but rewarding.
To be honest, he wouldn't mind going back to cloud pushing if the opportunity arose. Sure the thrill of encountering alien life and scavenging the technology it left behind always made every day exciting, but sometimes taking it slow and just enjoying life rather than protecting it every hour of the day was equally fulfilling.
A low rumble of thunder followed.
One day … thought Jack, but not now. As long as Torchwood existed, he was needed. It was as simple as that. Well, not really that simple. Unlike most residents of Canterlot, Cloudsdale, and Ponyville, Captain Jack had run-ins with all sorts of alien life on a daily basis, and he had been in that position for years. He knew of what mysterious creatures lay beyond or within the borders of Equestria.
Some would say he was special like that.
There were other potential leaders of the Torchwood team that had been considered. The Doctor was one, but he was always travelling throughout time and space in his TARDIS. He had his own way of dealing with the extraterrestrial and the temporal. It was surprising even to Jack that the Doctor managed to raise a family in the midst of his dangerous exploits, and it was a wonderful family at that.
I ought to visit them sometime. It had been a while since he had last seen the Hooves. The last time Jack had interacted with them was Hearts and Hooves Day. The Doctor and Derpy had gone off to do what heart-bound couples do (like having a nice dinner and a shag) while Dinky and Sparkler got to enjoy spending the day with 'Uncle Jack'.
Yeah, he definitely needed to plan a get-together with them once he had a chance. Maybe at the wedding of Princess Mi Amore Cadenza and Captain Shining Armor? It was in a few days and from what Jack heard, practically everypony will be watching or attending the "biggest event of the year".
Doctor and Depry never turn down weddings, so they and the kids will definitely be in Canterlot for this. Dinky and Sparkler were fans of weddings, too, but Jack was sure they had their own reasons.
Another bolt of lightning illuminated the street tenfold for the briefest moment, jarring Jack out of his lengthy mental tangent. The captain shook away the clutter in his head and focused on returning to the Hub. He gave the sky a brief look before facing forward again.
That was when Jack's heart skipped a couple of beats.
A figure stood under a streetlamp ahead of him, bathed in the dim light. It was a young colt, a pegasus to be precise. His fur was tan, possessing a slight red tinge if Jack wasn't fooled by the gloomy atmosphere. The colt's mane was somewhat frizzy and auburn. He wore a dark shirt and wraps appearing to be made of white linen.
The young pegasus was staring at Jack with cold eyes. The latter could only stare back in disbelief. He hadn't seen this colt for a very long time. The last time Jack had ever seen him, it was back on the Boeshmane Peninsula … back home.
"Gray?" Jack uttered.
Memories of times past blazed through Jack's mind.
"Jack!" screamed somepony, "Jack!"
Jack turned to see his father running towards him. In tow was his younger brother, Gray, as were several other ponies. They were galloping as fast as they could on the Boeshmane Peninsula's sandy beaches. The young pegasus decided to close the distance and glided over to his clanmates. "What's up, Dad?" he asked as he landed softly on the sand.
"Follow the others," his father said. The middle-aged pegasus nudged Gray towards Jack as he continued, "And keep Gray close to you."
"What's going on, Dad?" Jack asked.
"Just take Gray and run, Jack!" his father commanded as he turned to the others. "All of you run or fly as fast as you can! I'm going back for anypony left behind!"
Jack moved to stop his dad, to get answers, to know what the hay was going on. Rather, he felt his younger brother's hoof tug at him by a small chunk of his clothing. "Listen to Papa, big brother," Gray said. He pulled at his elder brother's limb as the two watched their father fly back to the city.
One of the ponies in the congregation spoke up. "Well, come on! Bang out!" The rest of the ponies followed direction without a nod or an audible tell-tale of confirmation. They ran. They ran as fast as their hooves could carry them. The group ran alongside the shore and made a left into a clearing surrounded by several palms and tropical shrubbery. The sand became firmer and less of a trial to move through the deeper inland they progressed.
Jack turned his head to where he could see where he was going and look at his younger brother. "Gray, what happened?"
"The bad things are coming, big brother."
They leapt over a protruding root. "How can they? They'd always pass over us."
Jack and Gray slowed to duck under several low-hanging branches."Papa said they would come soon." Beyond the series of branches was a narrow trail that dipped down a steep decline. Long, dried grass lined either side of the path. Ahead of it led into the dense forest, where the Boeshmane ponies could hide from … them. The older of the pair pulled his younger counterpart along, carefully treading the steep descent and using their wings for stability and balance.
They barely went a few meters when shrill calls and clicks pierced the air. They were followed by the emergence of black, winged creatures from the long grass. They leapt out at the pair and made more of the disgusting, insect-like noises.
With that, the memory ended. Jack felt himself sitting in the middle of the cobblestone street, coat gradually dampening under the light drizzle. His breath was labored and he felt light-headed. He gingerly brought a hoof to his temple as looked back at the street lamp.
The colt was gone.
Gray …
How long has it been since he last saw his little brother? Years definitely, but how many? Right now, Jack couldn't focus on how many nor did he care. He had just relieved some of the worst moments of his life. He felt weak, defeated, lost …
Incapable.
Irresponsible.
Pathetic.
How could he have let this happen? Jack sighed. He desperately needed to forget this. He needed to get through the night without any more nightmares of the past plaguing him like an illness. There had to be something, anything to get away from reality. There was the possibility of shagging … yeah, he could link up with an old friend for a good old-fashioned evening of fooling around.
Who did he currently stand well with at a level where he could randomly do such a thing? Pokey's out of the question; I left him on duty at the med center. Cloud Kicker? No, she's back in Ponyville. Maybe Berry Punch is available …
Another thought crossed Jack's frazzled mind. He could also drink. He had a stash of alcoholic beverages in his office, including some of Berry Punch's wine, Apple Family cider and Stalliongrad vodka. That sounded better. Drown himself with every shot he took and slowly but surely Jack would forget the painful memories, if only for a while.
Having made up his mind, Jack rushed forward into the night. He would drink. He would get wasted beyond belief. He would be passed out on the floor with a bottle in his hoof, dreaming pleasant, liquor-induced dreams. And then Jack would be happy, having left behind the burdens of reality with his stockpile of booze
It was just what the doctor ordered.