Onward to 7 Years

Chapter 10: Sacrifice

Jessica continued, her wide eyes filling with tears. "Not that long ago, I was traveling nearby here, and the Centaur found me and said that if I helped him find something, he'd make me rich in return. I was so dumb, and I-I believed him. I followed him down here, and then he told me his real plan. He showed me your b-brother, and-"

"Wait, so Barley's here?!" Ian blurted out. 

"As a matter of fact, he is,"  The mysterious voice said. There were footsteps- well, hoof steps- and the Hidden Centaur came into view, through the fog. He was very large and intimidating. He looked exactly like-

"O-Officer Bronco?" Ian stammered. "You're  the Hidden Centaur?!" Ian almost collapsed from shock. "B-but...you...my mom..."

"Oh, relax." Colt Bronco sneered. "See, I was a police officer, and I still go to New Mushroomton to pretend to be one sometimes- and to see your mom, who I still actually love- but 7 years ago I found out about the Power Gem. And the second I read about it, I wanted it!  I mean, it gives me the power to brainwash everyone and change the world to how I want it. So I became the Hidden Centaur, a legend I heard about when I was a kid. But your mom doesn't have a clue."

"Yeah, because if she did, she'd break up with you in a heartbeat!" Ian snapped. "Where's Barley?!" he demanded. 

Colt raised an eyebrow, amused.

Ian took a step forward, no longer feeling fear. "Where...is...my...brother?"

The Centaur gave an evil chuckle and took out a black object that looked like a remote. He pressed a button, and then there was a whoosh!  sound. A chair accelerated forward. And there was Barley, still tied up.

"Barley!" Ian screamed. He lurched forward, but Colt pressed one of the other buttons on his remote. Then the thick fog seemed like it came to life and grabbed onto his hands and ankles. And he couldn't move.

Just like the dream.

"Ian!" Jessica yelled. Barley had not responded. He was looking at his feet.

The Centaur turned to Ian, giving a menacing smile. "He can't hear you- he's hypnotized. Right now, he has no clue who you are."

Ian felt his stomach drop. And then Jessica spoke up. "But he remembers you, Ian!" 

Ian tried to turn his head her way, but it was hard with the fog holding him back. Jessica continued, talking really fast so the Centaur wouldn't be able to interrupt her. "Right after he captured m-me, he showed me Barley, and he wasn't brainwashed then. He asked me if I knew where he was, and I said no. And then the Centaur said that if I found you, he'd let me go."

This wasn't making sense. Ian turned his head back to the Centaur. "W-why do you need me if you've had Barley captured?" he gasped as the fog tightened its grip.

Colt started pacing back in forth, in the middle of Ian and Barley. He gave another evil chuckle. "I captured Barley 5 years ago- I found him nearby here, too. I was able to brainwash him with my tech that I've been working on, and I could get him to do whatever I wanted. So, I'd make him travel to find the Power Gem. And each time, he'd return with nothing. So I brainwashed him again, and again, and again-"

"Why can't you find the gem yourself?" Ian demanded.

"I'm a centaur, in case you haven't noticed," Colt yelled sarcastically. "I can't climb Raven's Point to the very top, where the gem's at!"

"Wait, and Barley has climbed the mountain over and over?"

"Yeah, but sometimes the wind and snow would knock him down, and I'd have to bring him all the way back here and brainwash him again before it wore off." Colt rolled his eyes. "I figured this wasn't working, and then I found your little friend-" he nodded toward Jessica. "And I gave her a choice. I said that either I'd brainwash her and Barley to find the gem together, or she could go find you  and I'd brainwash you instead. And then I'd set her free. And you were stupid enough to follow her!" Colt gave a roaring, evil laugh.

"I'm so sorry, Ian," Jessica said again. But Ian could barely hear her. He was trying to escape the fog's grip, but it was no use. 

"Let me go!  I can't climb a whole mountain if Barley can't!" Ian shouted.

Colt stopped laughing, considering what Ian just said. Jessica's eyes lit up as she got an idea. "Yeah!" she said as she ran closer to Colt. "Brainwash me instead! Please!" she pleaded. "Let Ian go."

"Jessica, what are you doing?!" Ian yelled.

Jessica turned her head over her shoulder. "I deserve it," she whispered sadly. 

The Centaur smirked. "Fine, I'll let you go, Ian. Say goodbye to your brother and your little girlfriend.  Because you're not seeing them ever again!" he started laughing as he pressed a button, and the fog gripping Ian started rising him up, toward the entrance.

"No!" Ian screamed. He looked at Jessica with desperate eyes. What are you doing?!  he mouthed to Jessica. Colt was too busy giving an evil laugh to notice.

Jessica looked at him with sad eyes. You can save your brother, she mouthed. I can't.

Ian had no clue what she meant. But his time was up. He was at the top, and the fog tossed him onto the concrete. The hole started to close up, and Ian could do absolutely nothing about it. But before it completely closed, he could've sworn he heard Barley's voice scream, "Ian!!"

The hole then closed, and Ian pounded on the concrete. He hit it and smacked it and stomped on it. "No, no, no! No! Let me in, let me back in, please!" He screamed, tears falling down his face. He ran back to the tree where the carving was at that let him enter the hole in the first place, a circle of fog still a enclosing the area. But the carving wasn't there again. He ran back to the circle platform. There was no carving area even there anymore- just brown concrete.

He had no way back to his brother and his friend.

Ian sunk to his knees, his blue, curly hair falling over his eyes. Mom,  he thought. I have to tell her everything! He suddenly started digging in his backpack for his phone, which was still on his back! He found his phone, pressed the button to turn it on, and-

Nothing.

"No!" Ian shouted. "It's dead because I haven't used it for a few days! Argh!"  He threw his phone into the circle of fog, raging.

He sunk back down to the ground, crying again. Why would Jess sacrifice herself? he thought. What does she mean that I can save Barley but she can't?!

But then the answer hit Ian like a truck. 

I have to find the Power Gem before brainwashed Barley and Jessica do, and use it for myself to break Colt's power over them. And Jessica thinks that I somehow have the strength to climb a whole mountain and she doesn't.

Ian stood up. I have to climb to the very top of Raven's Point.