Dusk looked around to make sure he was at his intended destination. But, the two unicorns staring at him in utter shock was evidence enough.
"Dusk, please for the love of Celestia tell me that's not who I think they are!" Rarity pleaded.
"He took off right after stabbing this one. There's no way I was going to catch him and this one is about to prove his usefulness."
"I-I will do w-whatever you say! Just please don't let me die!" He pleaded, doing his best to keep from moving.
"My, my, how the mighty have fallen. Taken down by the one you had sought to collect on, that must hurt your pride as much as the knife in your back hurts your body," Rarity stated coldly.
"Okay, let's stop with the taunts. Twilight, get the first aid kit for me, will you?"
"Yes, of course," she rushed up the stairs.
Dusk placed a hoof on the knife, causing the changling to wince in pain. "What guarantee do I have that you won't turn and run once you've been patched up?"
"Oh, well other than the deep, stab wound between my shoulder blades, absolutely nothing." The sarcasm was very unsubtle.
"Fine. But note that the minute she gets back, I am going to have to remove the knife."
"Gee, are you a doctor or something?" Sarcasm was simply oozing from his words.
"I can rip it out now if you like," Rarity said, darkly.
"No, no, no! Terribly sorry, I didn't mean to be so crass!"
"Don't try my patience, you took someone I care deeply about away from me. If I need to get my hooves dirty to keep you cooperating, believe me I won't think twice." Wow, she really cares about him... all the more reason to get him back.
"It might be wise for you to stay silent, until we start with the questions," Dusk suggested. The changling's reply was a frightened nod.
"Okay, I got it!" Twilight shouted, carrying a white box with a red cross behind her.
"Good, now I don't suppose you know any kind of spell that can stop him from using magic?"
"Spell? No, but I do have a helmet in the lab."
"Okay get it, until then we need to wrap this wound before it gets infected. Rarity, I know that this is going to be tough to ask. But can you hold his mouth shut without hurting him?"
"Please, I might have some ill-will toward him, but I wish to keep my hearing and allow him to speak when the interrogations begin."
"Okay, ready?" He lifted the changling two feet off the ground and Rarity gave a nod.
The knife was pulled from his back causing the patient to cry out. Of course, with his mouth forced shut it was very muffled. The kit was open and a rag was floated up along with a bottle of peroxide. The rag was dabbed with the peroxide and cleaned the wound, the poor soul continuing to attempt crying out in pain. A roll of bandages was pulled out and wrapped around the torso several times until the wound was covered.
Twilight came up from the basement with a bronze helmet and placed it on the changling's head. "This should keep him from trying anything."
"Should?"
"Celestia said she tested it on the first one and it was successful. He shouldn't be able to do anything, not with that wound so close to his shoulders and wings"
"T-thank you..." he managed to say.
"Oh don't thank us yet, we still have a lot of questions for you. First, you name?" Dusk asked
"E-enok, Enok Tehran."
"Well Mr. Tehran, you have caused quite a mess here you realize? So you are going to help clean it up. Where's the capitol city from here?"
"Ha! Why should I tell you?"
"Have you ever heard the term 'pay through the nose' Enok?" Rarity asked.
"No Miss, I haven't."
The blade floated up and rested just beneath his nostril. "Well, I assure you it is a quite literal phrase. So please, just answer our questions before I have to resort to such an act."
"O-okay, it's a trip to the Southwest. It will take a few days to make it there. Why do you want to know? Are you planning to attack the city?"
"No, Turrok is on his way there to turn himself in," Dusk answered.
"If that's your reason then there is no way for you to catch him with the head start he has. The desert will also be very treacherous so if you plan on going to make the trip you need to be prepared."
"Oh no, you are coming with us," Rarity corrected, pulling the blade away.
"What!? No, no no I never agreed to guide you there!"
"Oh... yes you did. You did the second you said you would do anything if we saved you," he quoted.
"I am going to regret ever coming here, aren't I?"
"Nope, you're going to regret ever hearing about our little town," Twilight answered.
"Wonderful," Enok deadpanned.
"Now we need to know everything about the capitol city. Alley ways, main streets, guard positions, everything."
"Do you have any blank paper? It would be a lot easier to just draw it out instead of giving haphazard instruction." Twilight gave a quick nod and gathered the materials.
"I'm going to go inform the Princess about what's going on," Twilight explained before heading up the stairs
"Proceed."
"Okay, we need to enter under the dark of night..."
***
"Councilors, we must get the situation under control!" The High Councilor Korran bellowed, his voice echoing throughout the chamber.
When Korran was given the position of High Councilor, he was pleased. Of course, being the head adviser for the late queen made him the obvious choice. A choice that he now regretted with the state of their country. All of his problems managed to stem from a single changling. Turrok Galvann, that worthless deserter that normally wouldn't have been bothered with. Of course, with his father being the most respected noble Giovanni Galvann, he was a special case. His name brought up the incident of many years ago in which the queen ordered his death and covered it up in a fire. Same with the funeral of his young brother Yanu after the failed attack. All of these decisions were coming back to haunt the leaders of the country. The queen wasn't there to take the blame and the people were growing restless and impatient with the council.
"How do you propose we do that!? We've done everything we can! We've raised the price and provided all of the information we had on him!" A lesser councilor shouted.
"Something! Anything! The people are growing restless and divided on the issue! If we don't get things under control soon things will continue to spiral downward until it's too late!"
"We can't appease everyone! There are those who have succumb to paranoia and there are those who sympathize with him as well. We could create more propaganda but that would fuel the paranoia. We could downplay his crimes but that would create more reason to sympathize with him!"
Before further discussion could commence, the doors to the chamber creaked open and silence consumed the chamber. A single guard entered.
"What reason could you have for interrupting the High Council!?"
"Sir, word comes from a scout on the border," a piece of parchment was carried up to the High Councilor.
"Is this report correct? Are you sure it's him?" This is too convenient.
"Positive, he's on his way here."
"What does the note say!?" a councilor shouted.
"Is he alone?" the High Councilor ignored him.
"Affirmative, sir. He has made camp at the forest on the border. No one was with him so he wasn't captured."
"It appears that he is coming here of his own free will. Escort him here when he reaches the gates, we will publicly announce his capture and decide whether he is to be executed or incarcerated."
"By your command."
"Thank you, return to your post."
"Of course, sir," the guard took his leave
"I have excellent news! Our problems will soon be ended!" He announced.
The room went deathly silent for a moment.
"How!? Was he captured!?"
"No, he chose to come to us! He will be here on the morrow, to answer for his crimes!"
The room erupted with cheers for a few minutes before the High Councilor raised a hoof for silence. "Since our biggest concern has been dealt with, this meeting shall be adjourned. Go home and rest, tomorrow we shall have our traitor."
With that, the councilors filed out of the room quickly, eager to return to their loved ones. Korran left after everyone else and was approached by another member.
"You still believe this will solve our problems?"she asked.
"Councilor Kara, how are you this fine evening?"
"Just answer the question, I've no time for pleasantries."
"Very well, yes I think it will. We will make an example of him and restore order to the country."
"Are you sure it won't do the opposite?"
"What are you talking about?"
"If you go through with this, how do you know that this won't completely turn on us?"
"Please Kara, just know that this will be taken care of tomorrow."
"You don't, you have no idea what's going to happen tomorrow! Korran, I have been telling you that going after this changling is a fool's errand, and whatever happens tomorrow will be on your head! And if the people cry for blood, they will want yours the most!" She left as quickly as she appeared, leaving Korran standing there.
Tomorrow will be an important day... I need some sleep. He quickly slipped through the streets with the hood of his cloak pulled up, making sure he wouldn't be recognized. Everything will be fine, Kara is just being her paranoid self... right?
***
Scouts on the border? Either they're paranoid or they've been expecting me. Either way that makes getting into the city much easier. These fools will just march me right through the city to the council chamber. Then, I can implement step three, hopefully it works. Otherwise, there really will be no seeing her again.
He laid on his back to stare at the setting sun, I just hope she can forgive me if that's the case. As the sun dipped below the horizon, stars began to dot the night sky. His fire being the only other source of light and heat for the night. It would have been calming, if not for the turmoil that was taking place inside his head.
The uncertainty of the next day was enough to keep his mind from gaining peace, but the addition of leaving Ponyville like he did nothing to help. Worst of all, his thoughts always found their way back to the mare that gave him the chance. He couldn't help but feel ashamed for just leaving like he did, whether or not he could was irrelevant. So many things left undone, so many words unsaid, his regret weighed heavily.
Briefly, he considered turning back, even if it was for just a day, an hour, even a minute to go back and see her again. But he knew it would solve nothing and cause greater problems. He couldn't run any longer from his fate and he wasn't going to try to. Running away back in Canterlot put him on this path, now he was going to walk it.
The only way I could see her again is if she came... here... and that's something she and Dusk would do. They are going to completely throw my plan out of the window if they come here! I need to stop them! I'll... I'll leave a message! That's what I will do, just... carve it into this tree. Hopefully, that will get there attention and better yet, convince them to turn around and give up on me.
After ten minutes of scorching the bark of the tree, he had a well thought out and meaningful message carved out in such away that a blind pony could stumble upon it. Deciding that would be enough, he curled up next to the fire and did his best to sleep...