Wildcard dropped the letter on the desk, a strange feeling had come over him- it was as if his sinuses itched on the inside. Involuntarily he gasped, and gasped again, and then released a stream of sinus fluid from his nose.
"Gesundheit!" Flash Sentry, whom had just happened to be passing by, said.
Wildcard was struck still by the surprising effect, he hadn't experienced anything like this before. Shaking his head to clear the residue off his face he decided to leave it for later, surely the palace had a doctor somewhere. Regardless, he had a job to do. Getting to it he levitated the letter once more and opened it. He noticed it was stamped with what had apparently been chosen as the hives standard. It was a stylized grey representation of the crooked pseudo-alicorn the changelings had, with two holed wings mirrored at it's side on a background of dim green. He hadn't known that this 'flag' had been created, but it was fair enough. Without any further ado he opened the letter.
"From the Desk of Commander Medulla." (Wildcard smiled at how well his superior was taking to his new nickname, and apparently had taken a proper title now.)
"It has come to our attention that the rail extension is going to require considerable engineering expertise to find a suitable path through the badlands and the forest surrounding the valley; we also require steel. Your first mission will be to find us potential solutions to these logistical problems. Note that we can provide labour on our end, use this in negotiating if you wish. I have attached an order for a hundred more bits, I have assumed you have already spent the first batch- but be warned that this will be the last bit of funding until we see progress on your end. I have spoken with the Queen, and although the Equestrian government could probably service our needs fairly well, we both think it would be wise to try and engage the civilian population first, as a show of goodwill. See Princess Celestia for a list of candidates.
In addition, we have begun spawning new drones, and expect to have a surplus population in a month or two. Your secondary task will be to find candidates for work. Worker drones could work for far less then the ponies, and could be a significant source of income for the hive.
I also assume you are already engaging the population of Canterlot, and I hear Celestia has given you an office. Don't let us down. Good luck."
Wildcard sniffled (Which was odd, he hadn't done that before.), and turned the letter over. Sure enough there was a money order: a small piece of paper with the smiling face of Celestia and the words "Equestrian Central Reserve: Pay the Bearer on Demand 100 bits." and her signature. This he pocketed, while he put the letter in the top right drawer of his desk. Spinning his new chair to the side with naught but a creak, he got out of his chair just in time to see a pony knock on the open door. The door creaked in response
Then it fell off with a slam that made Wildcard almost jump out of his hide as the hair stood up on his mane and he inadvertently disguised himself- as a sheep.
The pony at the door coughed and cleared the dust with a hoof. "Sorry about the d- Ambassador?" The pony looked on, confused, at the sheep standing in the middle of the dusty room beside a very nice desk.
Wildcard collected himself and dropped his disguise, his heart still racing. "You startled me, it's an instinct. Can I help you?" As he said that he sneezed for the second time, managing to block it with a hoof.
"I see I came just in time." The pony said. Wildcard looked at him more closely, and found him to be a unicorn stallion of middle age with a white coat- with matching mane- and a cutie mark of a red cross. He wore a small hat with that same symbol on it. A small saddlebag with the same symbol hung over his back. "My names Doctor Flankenstein, I normally spend my time in Baltimare; but I came here just to speak to you, and the Princess, about an important oversight you've made." He trotted over to Wildcard and squinted at his eyes.
"You're going to die if you don't immunize." The Doctor said. With a flash he removed something from his pack and jabbed Wildcard in the arm.
"Hey!" Wildcard exclaimed as he drew his arm away. "What are you doing?"
The Doctor continued watching him, as if expecting him to explode at any moment. "I've given you a powerful anti-bacterial, since as I expected you managed to catch the cold going around." He paused for a moment, and removed a notepad from his bag.
"Do you have any travel plans?" He asked.
"I was just going to speak to the Princess concerning tracking down some logistics, I don't know if I'll be travelling. Why?" Wildcard asked in turn.
"I have absolutely no idea what that anti-biotic will do to a changeling, so I'm going to tag along. For medical science, of course. I have to speak to the Princess too, so lead on." The doctor stepped to the side and gestured to the door. Wildcard cocked an eyebrow at him and trotted to the door. His arm was sore, but changelings healed quickly.
"Hold on a second." Wildcard stopped at the doorway and turned to the doctor, pointing a hoof at him. "If you don't know what this injection will do, why did you do it?!" he demanded.
"Would you rather die of the cold? Your immune system has no defense against our diseases. We all get immunized at birth, but you? We could be carrying dozens of things, that antibiotic will keep you safe until I can get you up to date on immunizations. I hope you like needles, there's quite a few in your future." The Doctor explained. "Now get a move on."
Wildcard sighed, and trotted out the hallway. These ponies were going to drive him to drink.
Arriving at the throne room, with the good doctor in tow, Wildcard entered to find Celestia as she was perpetually- signing documents on the throne.
"Your highness" Wildcard bowed. "I'm h-"
Doctor Flankenstein brushed past him, and was met with a bemused look from the Princess.
"Princess, I must speak to you about a matter of much importance," he said.
Celestia sighed. "Far be it for me to stand in the way of your important discovery Doctor, let us have it."
The Doctor removed the notepad from his saddlebag and presented it to the princess. She continued to look at him, unimpressed.
"The changelings have no natural immunity to the microbes and viri of Equestria. Your highness if they're allowed to immigrate without immunization..." He trailed off as Celestia levitated the notebook from his hands and stared behind at Wildcard, wide eyed.
"They'll all die, every single one of them. How could we have been so short sighted?" Celestia lamented, flipping through the notebook.
"It's a list of potential pathogens that could effect the changelings, along with their common cures and immunizations. If we start on this now, especially with our friend here, we can avoid a disaster."
"Well" Celestia said, returning the notebook to the doctors saddlebag. "As loathe as I am to admit it, you've done a noble deed today doctor." She sighed again. "I suppose you're going to want something in return?" She asked.
"Only one thing."
"Yes?" Celestia asked, hesitant to know the answer.
"I want my lab back." He said.
Celestia rubbed her forehead, and the pony beside her, whom now sat on the stack of papers, grimaced.
"Can you promise, Promise me, that there will not be a repeat of the parasprite incident?"
The unicorn doctor thought for a second before replying. "Yes, I promise."
Celestia levitated a paper from behind the throne and quickly jotted something on it, signed it, and it vanished.
"It's done, I'll hold you to this promise- doctor"
Doctor Flankenstein nodded, and they both turned to Wildcard as he sneezed.
"What about the Ambassador, will be okay?" Celestia asked, looking worriedly down at the changeling.
"He'll probably be fine, I gave him a powerful antibiotic."
"Probably?" Celestia and Wildcard both asked in unison.
"Well, frankly I don't know enough about changeling physiology to know if it will kill him just as much as whatever he caught, but the chances are better."
"The chances are better?!" Wildcard exclaimed as a shiver of fear ran down his spine. He galloped towards the doctor and put his muzzle against his. "Doctor what did you do to me?!"
"I saved you!" The doctor argued. A golden field separated the two.
"The Doctor is right, Ambassador, we'll just have to wait and see."
"Wait and see?!" He turned towards the Princess and looked at her with a look of horror on his face. "How am I going to fulfill my orders if I'm dead?!" he exclaimed.
"About as well as you are right now." Celestia replied, stone faced.
Wildcard was about to explode with fury, but he released it. She was right, he wasn't exactly being professional at the moment. He backed off and cleared his throat.
"Right, well. I had some business with you Princess, as representative of the Hive," He said
"And that would be?" Celestia asked.
"I'm tasked with tracking down an engineering firm that can provide expertise with the rail line extension, and some way of providing steel," Wildcard explained.
"There's a fairly good company in Baltimare- in fact they're the company that helped repair Canterlot after your last... visit" Celestia gestured to the roof, where Wildcard could see a faint scorch mark.
"As for steel, the Crystal Empire has been found to have fairly good foundries, and has taken up providing steel for most of Equestria," Celestia suggested. "It's too bad you'll miss the Summer Sun Celebration tomorrow, but I suppose there will be others," she noted.
"Thank you, Princess. I'll get right on this," Wildcard said, bowing. "I'll not miss the next."
"Happy to help, Ambassador." Celestia nodded at him, and he turned to depart. Dr. Flankenstein turned to follow.
"Doctor." Celestia said, he glanced back at her. "If he dies, you're going to find out how my sister spent the last thousand years." she threatened. The doctor grew wide eyed at the threat, and wordlessly took off after the Ambassador.
Wildcard walked down the hallway, lost in a dozen different thoughts. Chief amongst them was the fact that he could apparently drop dead at any instant, and beyond that he realized that by travelling to the Crystal Empire he would probably have to meet Princess Cadence and Prince Shining Amour.
He did not look forward to it. The Prince was liable to just end him on sight, and the Princess would surely see to it he would end up a block of ice decorating the rail station.
Rail station. The Equestrians had build quite a respectable public transportation network, and soon the hive would be connected to this. It was said that Celestia always kept the trains running on time, and that one could get from end to the other in less then an hour. The network was almost magic- except that it ran on coal.
Leaving the palace Dr. Flankenstein caught up with him, gasping for air. Apparently Wildcard was a fast trotter.
"Doctor." Wildcard said, noticing him. "You look worse then me."
The Doctor took a deep breath, and calmed his breathing. "I feel like it too, now where are we off to?"
Wildcard looked down the street, past the hundreds of ponies that lined it, at the rail station. Beyond it he could see to the far mountain range, capped with snow. He sighed, and started trotting down the street.
"The Crystal Empire," he said.
Soon enough the pair was seated on the train, after a few strange looks from the conductor- whom hadn't even bothered to check for boarding passes from the two. They found themselves alone in a car as the train departed the station into the tunnel that would lead them down the mountain. Dr. Flankenstein had picked up a copy of Equestria Daily, which he read by the light created by his alicorn.
Wildcard sneezed, and the doctor produced a tissue from his saddlebag without looking up from the paper.
"Thank you." Wildcard said, using it to clean his face. Once he was done it levitated from his hands and burst into flame.
"Biohazard." Flankenstein mumbled, flipping the page.
"Well take a look at this, you made the news two days running." Flankenstein said, moving the paper so Wildcard could see.
"Changeling Ambassador seen stumbling through Canterlot after a night of drinking." Wildcard rubbed his forehead. "It was nothing like that!" he exclaimed.
"Oh it gets better." Flankenstein said, and pointed out a section with his hoof.
"Pub patrons report the strange foreigner paid for a round, using money provided by the Crown. Your tax money at work every pony."
Wildcard gave a deep, deep, sigh. "That money was... ugh." He shook his head and turned to stare out the window at the darkness of the tunnel. He continued to stare out as Flankenstein flipped through the rest of the paper. He was then blinded by the light as the train exited the tunnel into the unicorn range. There was a load clank as the train switched tracks for the northern line, which had recently been renamed the Crystal Line, according to the billboard outside.
"Next stop, Crystal Empire." Wildcard mumbled. This was going to be fun.
Soon enough they were there, the train stopped and the whistle blared. Dr. Flankenstein got up, followed shortly by Wildcard and they made for the exit. The rest of the passengers tactically moved to the other exits.
"Well doctor, I haven't sneezed in a few hours." Wildcard noted as the walked.
"That's either good, and means the antibiotics worked, or your sinuses have dried up and you're going to bleed to death."
Wildcard gave him a horrified look, and he shrugged. "Medical scientist, I suppose we can be a bit grim. Don't worry about it too much- it's better for your health." He grinned back and they left the train.
"Ever been to the Crystal Empire?" Dr. Flankenstein asked as they stood on the station platform, Wildcard taking a look around to get his bearings.
"We felt it would be... unwise... to send anyone here," he said, pulling a map from a nearby stand.
Dr. Flankenstein gave a hearty laugh. "Oh, I can't imagine why!" he stuck out his chest. "We failed to take over Canterlot, so we'll just go try and take on the only two people in the world able to make out a changeling on sight." He made a strange impression of what he apparently imagined the Queen to sound like.
"Very funny doctor, so funny I might bury myself so you can spend some quality time on the moon." Wildcard pushed him aside and trotted down the platform. Dr. Flankenstein frowned and followed as the train blared it's whistle and departed.
A short while later the pair had found there way to the inner city, towards the palace which seemed to touch the very sky in it's towering height above the rest. As could be expected the pair received plenty of strange looks. The people gave them a wide berth- It would be nice except for the feeling of unease it imparted as conversations silences and all eyes turned towards the pair as they walked. One would almost think the changeling was an alien, and that was somewhat true.
Finally they arrived at the courtyard under the palace, and were stopped by a guard clad in the regular Equestrian Royal Guard ensemble.
"Halt." the guard ordered. "What's your business here with this... thing." He asked Dr. Flankenstein, glancing at the changeling at his side.
"This thing?!" Dr. Flankenstein exclaimed, incredulously. "Do you not read the news, stallion? This 'thing' is the Changeling Ambassador, and we demand and audience with Her Highness Princess Cadence at once!"
The guard bolted upright to attention, and saluted the doctor.
"Right away sir!" He said, and gestured to another guard. He then led the pair forward towards the palace doors while the other guard took up the rear. Dr. Flankenstein winked at Wildcard.
"It's all in the presentation."
Soon enough they were ushered into a markedly smaller throne room then Canterlot where a pink alicorn sat on a throne made of crystal, surrounded by crystal, in a palace of crystal, on a floor of crystal. At her side was a pony Wildcard recognized quite well, his image was burned into his mind as he was briefed repeatedly on one specific detail.
"Avoid at all costs."
The two noticed the changeling and his medical escort enter the room. Wildcard was sure to act before they could, and bowed as low as possible. "Your Highness's" he said.
Shining Armour glared down at him, while Cadence looked at him with a smile. "Ambassador Wildcard, I had heard you might drop by, what business do you have with the Empire?" she asked.
"The Hive requests... if at all possible... and if of no inconvenience.." He paused for a second thinking of what else he might add to his pillowy sentence. "...if you would be most gracious..."
"Get to the point!" Shining Armour demanded.
"The Hive requests access to steel, for construction of the new rail network." Wildcard said hastily.
"I see, we can provide this. What do you offer in trade?" Cadence asked.
"Many things." Wildcard lied, he had absolutely no idea what they could offer specifically but felt it was best to work out the deal now, and deal with that later. "Worker drones can perform labour that you may rather not, we have a great deal of surplus wood, and there's always common currency," he suggested.
"I see," Cadence said. "I suppose the exact amounts you require have yet to be determined?" She asked.
"That is correct," Wildcard said. He noticed the sound of writing behind him. Dr. Flankenstein was feverishing jotting something in his notebook.
"Well, we could use some spare labourers around here, working in the foundries isn't too fun. It's also difficult getting wood in what used to be tundra and is now a series of bare rolling hills." She stepped down from her throne and looked out the window, Shining Armour still glaring at the changeling.
"I suppose..." She stared outside, something out there was fascinating.
"Shining, take a look at this." She said. Shining broke his concentration and did a double take as he saw what was going on outside. Wildcard wanted more then anything to approach the window, but feared getting any closer to Cadence as necessary.
"What in Celestia's name, the moon and the sun?" He wondered, and trotted to behind his wife. Wildcard couldn't hold it anymore and trotted over too.
Or he would if he could move his legs. He looked down and noticed they had bloated up and seemed immobile, the many holes that make up his limbs filled in. Notably except for the one in his right ear, created by a lucky miss from a crossbow bolt.
"Doctor?!" Wildcard asked worriedly.
"I don't know?!" he prodded at Wildcards leg with a pencil. "Can you feel that?"
"No I can't!" Wildcard exclaimed. The Princess and the Prince turned to watch the new bizarre sight in the room.
"Doctor!?" Wildcard asked again.
"You must be having a response to the antibiotics, I have a an anti-inflammation agent- but I have no idea what it will do," The doctor said, removing said agent from his saddlebag while levitating his notepad.
At this Wildcards wings too bloated up, falling on his back like a soggy cloak.
"Just do it doctor!" Wildcard demanded. Dr. Flankenstein nodded and jabbed Wildcard in the flank.
For a second nothing happened, and then Wildcard deflated like a balloon and his wings shot straight into the air. Wildcard and Dr. Flankenstein were left agape at the result.
"I'm solid?!" Wildcard exclaimed, spinning around to get a look at himself. The many holes that made up his insectoid body no longer existed, he was a solid mass of dark flesh. Even his wings were solid, no longer looking like a fine cheese.
The doctor jotted something in his notepad and then put it back in his saddlebag, along with the empty syringe.
"Apparently." He said, poking at at Wildcards leg with the same pencil.
"I can feel that, doctor." Wildcard said. The doctor shrugged and put the pencil back. They then turned to the two royalty whom had watched the scene unfold. However, before anybody could say anything, a guard burst in and shoved the pair of travellers aside.
"Princess!" He exclaimed breathlessly. "The rails are overtaken by a strange plant, we can't run the trains!"
Cadence and Shining Armour looked at one another, and then Shining pointed a hoof at the changeling. "You, out. We'll talk to you when this crisis is over." Without even waiting for a reply he backed his order by pushing the two out with a magic field, and slamming the doors shut with the same.
"I guess we find an inn." Dr. Flankenstein said, and trotted down the hall. Wildcard went after him, constantly glancing back at his suddenly hole-free body.
Outside, Wildcard followed Flankenstein- barely paying any attention to where he was leading. Taking a quick glance upwards, he noticed that both the sun and the moon were visible, with an eerie area of twilight in the middle. Whatever was happening, there was no getting back to Canterlot any time soon. The pair continued down the streets as, for the first time, the eyes of the citizens were on something else. It was a refreshing change of affairs. Dr. Flankenstein stopped at the end of the street, Wildcard walked into his flank as he continued to stare aloft.
"It's a little basic for somebody as important as an ambassador, but it'll do," Dr. Flankenstein said. He trotted ahead and entered the establishment.
"The Crystal Stable, very true to the gimmick." Wildcard mumbled, and followed him inside where he was negotiating with a distracted looking inn keep, whom kept glancing beyond him outside from behind a desk.
"Four-" The inn keep noticed the changeling enter. "Fifty bits."
Dr. Flankenstien gave a mock gasp. "Fifty bits? That's highway robbery!" He exclaimed.
"Good luck finding any pony else willing to rent a room to the 'ambassador' and whoever you are."
"I'm a doctor!" Dr. Flankenstein slammed a hoof against he desk.
Wildcard trotted to his side. "It's fine doctor, I'll pay," he said, producing the 100 bit note from his saddlebag.
"The other fifty will cover your dinner and breakfast." The inn keep said, placing the note under the counter, and turned away.
Dr. Flankenstien was about to protest, but he was silenced by Wildcards hoof on his mouth. He looked at the Doctor and shook his head, conflict was to be avoided. The inn keep turned back and keep placed a key on the desk. "24-C." She said. Wildcard noticed the mares cutie mark was a pile of bits.
"Thank you." Wildcard said, receiving a fake smile in response. He dragged his comrade away before he could start a fight into a hallway. They trotted down it looking for their room.
"You're just gonna let them rob you like that?" Dr. Flankenstein questioned.
"If it means getting us a room, yes, I am. I've got bigger things to worry about." While this was true, one of the those bigger things was his lack of income, which was now more important then ever.
"You're in charge, I guess," Flankenstein said.
Shortly they came to their room, and Wildcard stuck the key in to open the door. Pushing it open he was surprised to find a nice looking room with two beds, a bookshelf full of assorted volumes, and a view outside. The sun could be seen just over the horizon, and for the first time in a while Wildcard relaxed.
He then trotted in through the poster and into the room.
"For Chrysalis' sake." He groaned, and looked upon the real room. A single bed, pealing wallpaper, and a stack of old Equestria Dailys. On the wall he noticed a piece of paper.
"We apologize for the inconvenience, but this room is in renovation."
"Well." Dr. Flankenstein pushed past him inside. "It has a shower."
"That's fantastic." Wildcard said, trotting in and trying to open the window. Outside the sun and the moon still hung strangely in the sky. The window however wouldn't budge.
"Fantastic." Wildcard mumbled.
The bathroom door closed behind him as Dr. Flankenstein took the opportunity to shower. Wildcard sat on the bed and picked up one of the old papers. It was dated the day before. The cover was a shaky photo of Queen Chrysalis standing before a green cocoon; snarling at the photographer, and above it was in great bold letters.
"A DEAL WITH THE DEVIL?"
Wildcard sighed and opened the paper, he certainly had nothing better to do. There was a story inside about how the Changelings were sending an ambassador, and how Celestia in the kindness of her heart had offered him one of the "Finest offices in the castle." At this he laughed.
A short while later the inn keep arrived and delivered a meal as Wildcard emerged from the shower after a lukewarm rinsing. It was strange to not feel the water flow through his holes, and he felt oddly dirty. It was common practice for a changeling to keep their holes clean, and his brain screamed at him for not having done so. He found Dr. Flankenstein at the bed with a plate before him, passing the inn keep wordlessly as she left.
"Potatoes, carrots, and I think that's a mushroom," He said as he began to eat.
"It looks like a rock." Wildcard said, taking a carrot for himself.
"It might be." Dr. Flankenstein said through a mouthful of potato. He prodded it with a free hoof.
"Nah," He said. "Mushroom."
Wildcard picked it up, sighed, and put it in his mouth. It was bitter, dry, but it was food. He'd had worse in the Hive.
When they had finished the inn keep returned and collected the plate wordlessly. When she departed Dr. Flankenstein laid his head back on the puffy pillows of the bed, and Wildcard lay beside him. At the very least the bed was big enough for both comfortably.
"Long day." the doctor said. "Didn't expect to come to the Empire."
"Last week I didn't even know what it looked like, wish I could enjoy it more." Wildcard lamented.
"I'm sure you could get some vacation time or something if you wanted," Dr. Flankenstein suggested.
"Even if I could, you saw how every'pony' watched me, I've got a long road ahead of me if I'm to earn their trust."
"Well," Dr Flankenstein looked out the window. "The general population seems to have a memory of the last crisis, but not the one before that. Assuming you didn't cause this, they'll move on eventually."
"I lay my hopes in the lack of attention span of ponies. Chrysalis help me," Wildcard said, reaching up his hooves.
"Right now I would say you're laying your hopes in those antibiotics," Dr. Flankenstein said, and shifted to look out the window.
"And so am I," he mumbled.
For the next few hours the two slept restlessly, fidgeting as their occupied minds jostled with the many problems and complications awaiting them. When they awoke, to a knock at the door, Wildcard was thankful at least he didn't receive a second visit from the Princess of the Night.
"Who is it?" Wildcard asked, and noticed the room was bathed in the proper moonlight that it should have been hours ago.
"Her Highness Princess Cadence requests your audience." A voice outside said, and then was heard to trot off.
Dr. Flankenstein took a deep breath and then hoped up from his side of the bed.
"Duty calls," He looked out the window. "We don't even get breakfast." He shook his head.
"A hundred bits." Wildcard mumbled, and led the doctor outside.
Soon enough they had arrived at the palace, and it seemed that the doctor might be right. On their way the ponies barely noticed the pair, talking about the mysterious pairing of the sun and moon early that 'day'. It was impossible to tell exactly what time it was now, since the strange phenomenon had extended well into what should have been the night. The same guard as before noticed them, and led them to the throne room.
"Your Highness." Wildcard said, bowing once again before Princess Cadence on the throne, Shining Armour at her side.
"The railway has been restored, and I suppose you are eager to leave. I have decided to accept your offer, and as soon as you have more specifics on the amount of steel you require we will meet again and discuss the details. Inform your Queen that I also have an additional offer- I wish to meet."
Both Shining Armour and Wildcard, as well as the doctor, were taken aback at this suggestion.
"You want to meet.. the Queen?" Wildcard asked. Shining Armour stared at his wife.
"I do. If we're to be allies then we need to put our past behind us." She glanced at her husband. "All of us."
He sighed. "I guess, Celestia's always known best before." He turned his gaze to the changeling and the doctor. "Next train leaves in a half hour, get going you two," he ordered.
Feeling it unwise to stay the bare minimum of a welcome he had, Wildcard bowed and left wordlessly, the doctor on his heels.
"You should probably get a bonus for that," He said.
Wildcard smiled, perhaps he could do it after all. He wouldn't mind less adventure however.
He also wouldn't mind having his holes back, but that was beyond him. Wildcard supposed he was lucky to be alive. If the Doctor was right about his lack of immunity, he had saved Wildcards life.
Without pausing they quickly went to the train station and boarded, once again finding a car to themselves- although that was less to do with how strange the pair was and more to do with how late it was. Wildcard was amazed that Equestria ran trains so late into the night. As he looked out the window at the moonlit Unicorn Range he figured that, in the end, the day had gone quite well.
"So what's it like," Dr. Flankenstein asked beside him. "Being part of a 'hive'?"
Wildcard took a moment to consider his answer. "Ordered," he replied.
"Ordered?" Flankenstein questioned.
"The Queen decides what we're going to do, and we do it. That's it. We all have a place in the machine, and she drives it."
"I see, she seems a lot like Celestia, just more... direct." Flankenstein noted.
Wildcard nodded. "It's close, I suppose my superior would be akin to her assistant," he noted.
For a while there was silence, but there was a question on Wildcards mind that had been nagging him on and off, but never when he was in a position to ask it.
"Flankenstein, do you know how the 'raising of the sun and moon' thing works?" he asked.
"With the Princess's?" Flankenstein said. "Well, think of it like breathing. You don't think about it, right?"
Wildcard nodded.
"But if you want to, you can. You can take a deep breath and hold it. The sun works the same way- normally."
"I think I get it, is it only the Princess's that can do it?" Wildcard asked.
"Probably, but I have no idea. You probably have to be a gifted Alicorn, and I have no idea how that works."
Wildcard nodded again. Fascinating how the ponies had seemingly used magic to take control of every aspect of the world. They were as obsessed with order as the changelings were, just in a different way. They ordered the world, the changelings ordered themselves.
A few hours of dozing later the train arrived at Canterlot Station. They disembarked just in time to be blinded by the raising of the sun, and were awed by the sight of an explosion the shape of a purple star hovering over the city.
"That's new." Dr. Flankenstein commented.
Finding their way to the castle, once again noting that the crowds seemed to pay them no mind (except for a pony outside of Applebucks that raised a mug as they passed.), Wildcard felt he was starting to make a difference, if slight. Coming to the entrance to the palace Wildcard looked at his new friend.
"I think I can handle it from here doctor, thanks for the assistance," He said, extending a hoof.
Dr. Flankenstein took and shook it. "Don't think you're free of me yet, I'll be back to check on you later. You're heading to Baltimare next, right?"
Wildcard released his hoof. "Probably, I need some money first."
Dr. Flankenstein smiled. "Good, we'll head back together. I'll work my magic and get a room in the castle, don't leave without me."
Wildcard laughed. "I wouldn't dream of it doctor."
With that, the pair separated and Wildcard entered the castle. Trotting down the hallways he had a great smile on his face, after a job well done. It had been quite an adventure, and probably one of many to come, but he had made it in the end. He found his way to his office and stepped over the door still on the floor. Looking over to his desk he noticed a letter lying on it, it wasn't in an envelope and appeared to have been stained by a mug. Trotting around the desk and putting his flank squarely in his chair he picked it up.
"Applebucks: Always one for the road!"