Pascalo Beach [SIGN-UP]

[PlatinumJoystick]

"On top of all of that, they took you and just experimented on you? That's low, even by standards I've seen. Not to derail your tale, but am I safe in assuming that you've retired from the service?" Joy was actually a little surprised at that fact. He had assumed things like that would be very, very illegal. He had heard of things like this happening in Filly, but he'd always imagined and heard that the crime families were behind it, not the government. Who's to say it wasn't both?

[Maplewood]

"couldn't retire, I was put back into the service  with a shiny new rank and told that I had to stay for research reasons" he chuckled at the thought that he was a colt came back to him "joy I'll protect this country till the last guard , even tho I was made into this it saved me from a life of a vegetable "

[PlatinumJoystick]

"I can respect that," Joy said. He couldn't say he agreed with the sentiment, especially if he had gone through what Maple had.

The same sentiment made Joy tell himself to take more caution when telling his stories. He wasn't so sure if a patriotic guard member would take his career choices lightly. He'd been lucky with that before, though before he had already gotten to know the ponies, so he felt that that had softened that blow. Either way, he didn't really want to risk prison.

"Let's really hope we fix the issue at hand before you're called back, then.

Speaking of, how did you get permission to come all the way over here? Surely they would've liked to keep you close, right?'

[Maplewood]

"well that's the thing because  of my rank, I'm aloud to take time off whenever I can"

[PlatinumJoystick]

"That's real interesting. They don't monitor you or anything? Seems like they have a bit of stock in you, to put it kinda bluntly." Joy hoped he didn't make a poor choice of words, but he was actually kind of curious.

[Maplewood]

"this wasn't recent joy it happend a year ago they grew to trust me"

[PlatinumJoystick]

"If you say so, but maybe it's just me being influenced by-" he barely refrained from saying something about a 'history of shady dealings'. "-a Fillydelphia upbringing when I say that I'd keep on with my surveillance, even if they didn't know. Would provide more accurate results, I'm sure."

Joy wasn't sure if it was him, or if there really were still ponies keeping watch on Maple. He thought both were possible.

[Maplewood]

"you think they lied  about not watching me" maple asked looking at joys expression"well they didn't  and not because they gave me there word but due to the contract that they sighed with the princess's"

he finished off his glass of water"It was called "Flaming Epsilon" it was a idea that was pitched to the princesses some 30 years ago" he got up and got more water. as he poured it he continued "you see joy the princess's are very aware when it comes to things that involves the lives of there subjects, and so the group of engineers and scientists had too agree to three terms before they could get founding from the crown "  he sat down "number one: this program will only be used to help the citizens of equestria. number two: that the program will not lead to the overpowering of the sisters, and number three: this program will not be used on any pony who is not injured and only on ponies who lives will be lost unless augmented"

[PlatinumJoystick]

"I just find it kinda hard to believe that they'd just let you go off to a completely different town, and to here, of all places, unaccompanied. I mean, I don't doubt that they'd honor the agreement, but like I said, they've got stock in you, and I don't see any reasonable buck letting someone like you just waltz off by himself, near one of the most dangerous places in the country. I just think there's something strange about the whole deal, is all.

How many other ponies have been augmented, anyway? You the only one?" Joy attempted to increase his knowledge of the whole situation.

[Grizzly]

In the dinner, in her room, the little blue filly still played with her set-up western town. Recreating and playing out a story her uncle once told her. She had no perception of time so she really could not tell how long it took her to finally have the sheriff capture the bad guy and send him to the prison made out of her toy box, to her it could have been 10 minutes or 10 hours and it would not make a difference, she was just that lost in her own imagination.

She would have continued playing for who know how long, but her attention to her game got interrupted by a low keyed laugh. The filly's ears perked up and she swiftly stood up, yelping out "WHATWASTHAT!!!?". She looked around her room, looking to every corner but not moving an inch, her fur slowly grew puffed, she was scared even if she didn't know for sure what she heard, nor if what she heard was real or just a construction of her vivid imagination.

[Maplewood]

"first one as far as I'm heard mostly because they want to be able to use military ponies "

[PlatinumJoystick]

"Why would they let their only subject just waltz off, then? Seems pretty sketchy to me, at least. You sure you're not being watched, or there aren't any more cybersoldiers out there?

Well, I'd just watch out, either way. Valuable as you surely are? Bound to be turning some heads back on the homestead. I don't doubt that more than just the government want their hands on you." Joy hoped Maple wouldn't take that as a threat, but as advice. There was no doubt in Joy's mind that at least a couple families had their eyes on Maple. Which ones? He had ideas, but he had no way of knowing if any of them were correct for sure.

[Maplewood]

"I'll keep my eyes open incase, now I feel like there's something on your mind that you wanted to tell me"

[PlatinumJoystick]

"I guess it can't wait any longer, can it?

Maple... while me and Rush were in the Everfree we came across Rand again. He took us to one of his little playgrounds. In order to flaunt his 'power', he turned one of Rush's ears into a rabbit's. He threw me through a ring of fire! Then... well, he took time to monologue.

Explained a bit of how his curses work. He said that minor ones like Rush's ear, and my voice didn't take much, but bigger ones took more. Ones, uh, like you. I'm sorry Maple, but there's no easy way to put this. The fiend said that in order to do things like an age swap, he needed something big. Their... their soul. He has...he has yours, Maple.

I'm sorry Maple, I wish that I didn't have to tell you that, but it would be terrible not to. I'm sorry."

Throughout his entire retelling, there was sorrow in Joy's voice. This buck was his friend - he guessed,  at least - and he was telling him that he had had his soul stealen. He regretted the words as soon as they were out of his mouth, wishing that he had kept it to himself already.

It was for the best, though, he told himself, and that Maple needed to hear that, and that it would have been the wrong thing to do, not to tell.

[Maplewood]

maples smile dropped as joy told him what happened "b....bu..but you and rush said you fixed everything like your voice how come you couldn't fix me" he began to cry a and got up walking over to the door "if you guys cant fix this then i will" he yelled storming out of the place and running towards the everfree

[PlatinumJoystick]

"Maple? Maple, wait!" Joy chased after the colt, following him. He really felt that he had made the wrong decision, though he felt like the alternative would've ended up with a worse result, somehow.

"Maple!" Joy shouted, chasing after. "Stop! Wait!" Needing to focus most of his breathing power on the run, Joy used short sentences, taking breaths and leaving gaps between each word. "Stop!'

[Maplewood]

"oh no you don't im going to go fix this myself" he speed up getting into the forest and disapperd

[PlatinumJoystick]

"Maple! Maple! No!" Joy continued to give chase, though now that Maple was out of sight, it was much harder. "Please!"

Joy began to cough and pant, chest hurting from the exertion. Eventually, he was forced to slow to a trot, though trot he would do. Continuing to press on, Joystick followed what sounds of hoofsteps he could hear.

"Maple, please! Just stop!" He didn't think Maple would hear him, but on the off chance he did, Joy continued to call out to Maple.

[Maplewood]

"never going to stop" he burst in into a clearing

[PlatinumJoystick]

Joy faintly heard Maple, and used one last jolt of energy to run towards his voice. At least, where he felt like Maple's voice was coming from.

Now staying quiet, in order to conserve energy, Joy continued to run, hoping that he could find and bring back Maple without either of them getting hurt. Long shot, he knew.