//------------------------------// // Chapter 27: Games // Story: Discovering the Past // by Astral Star and Company //------------------------------// It had been no longer than four hours since Honour Bound’s Induction into the makeshift facility. In four hours, he’s given second-degree burns to every pony (totalling at eight) who wished to speak with him, friendly or not. The final speaker would be Princess Luna, the only pony with the most contact with him available. If her terrifying dream experience could be counted as ‘contact’. Honour Bound had to be moved to a fire proofed, magically enhanced steel room with a double coating of every dampening sigil available. The chains were replaced with magical hard-light tethers and a muzzle of a solid titanium-cobalt alloy. This was the only substance they had at the time that could withstand his flame breath, an attack he could utilise even if magically bound. Additionally, a tranquilising gas permeated the room at a lethal concentration level. Something that did not affect the giant changeling in the slightest. Scientists and technicians milled around the outside, constantly monitoring and correcting the cell’s functions. “Are you ready?” a lab assistant asked to the blue alicorn “Ready,” Luna confirmed Two more ponies, these ones donning yellow bio-hazard suits marched up, holding a black case between them. Setting it down before the Lunar princess, they opened it clasp by clasp, revealing a small amulet, a silver phoenix with wings wrapped protectively around a flawless blue sapphire, hung on a golden chain. “This will ward off the gas,” the assistant explained “It’ll keep you breathing normally for the next 15 minutes of exposure. When the gem turns red, leave the cell immediately,” Luna nodded, as the three ponies made way. The door was a solid slab of volcanic steel, with no hinges or locks what-so-ever. The amulet around her neck did two things, it acted as a key to pass through the door, and it also absorbed impurities in the air. There was a huge lack of breathable air in the cell, and the amulet could only absorb so much. Mustering courage, she stepped through the steel slab as if it wasn’t there. Inside, was nothing but the thick, green haze of gas, with the only break in colour, being the ominous black silhouette of Honour Bound. Her entrance was greeted by the metallic shrieks and klinks of the chains and plates that bound the giant changeling, as well as a deep, mocking chuckle. “We meet again, Princess Luna,” Honour hissed, his voice vibrating like the wings of a thousand bugs. “I would say it’s a pleasure to see you again, but I see no benefit to lying in my current position, wouldn’t you agree?” “Enough of the idle banter!” Luna demanded “I came here with questions and I expect some answers,” “Seeing as how you are the guest here in this room, how about we play a little game?” “No games changeling, you are the prisoner here, not I,” “Is that so?” His tone worried the princess. It was just too much like Discord’s back in the day. Mocking, always one step ahead. “Have a look down at that little medallion of yours, and you’ll get my meaning,” Honour explained, with no subtlety in his satisfaction. To Luna’s utter dismay, it was already red. “Listen carefully princess, my magic is the only thing keeping either of us alive. This gas you have here is enough to put both of us to sleep forever,” He paused, relishing Luna’s horrified face “Rethinking my offer of a game?” Luna heaved a sigh, there was nothing to lose in here. “What do you have in mind?” she asked suspiciously “A game of knowledge,” he said simply “We ask each other one question at a time. The other must answer the question truthfully. Any false answers, and I will relinquish the hold I have over the gas,” “How will I know you will keep your word, changeling?” “You won’t. However, I will know if you lie. You’ll find my answers to be satisfactory, if shocking,” He paused again “Do we have a deal?” “Fine,” Luna nodded grudgingly “Perfect. As my guest, you will have the first question,” Regarding the things she expected to happen, playing a quiz with a gaint changeling wasn’t one of them. Having the opportunity to ask questions without being burned alive though, was a first for everyone since Honour’s confinement. She began the game with a question that has been bugging every pony, especially the guard. “How are you able to fight and live for so long?” “Putting two questions together are we? Sneaky, but I will indulge you with an answer, as requested,” Despite the vast amount of dampening sigils, Honour’s crooked horn lit up, creating a pocket of breathable air in the lethal gas. He then began conjuring an image, a three-dimensional rendering of a royal guard. “As you might have already deduced, changeling’s feed on certain emotions. Love is everyling’s favourite, and the much preferred choice, but any kind of emotion should suffice. Love wasn’t the first emotion I was exposed to when I was born. I had not experienced its warmth until the age of six. As such, I have adapted myself to draw from negative emotions, fear, hatred and rage for instance. These things were plentiful back then. In the siege, the guard’s hostility and fear fuelled me onward. With each passing minute, the anger that each guard possessed grew, as did the amount of effort required to subdue them. The two balanced each other out. Fighting your sister though…” Again, he let out a deep, throaty chuckle that set Luna’s nerves on edge. Anyway, my longevity was a gift from an old friend of ours. It was never really his intention to give it to me specifically, but I obtained it none the less. !” Honour ended his explanation by shuffling awkwardly towards the night princess. The heavy plates and chains hung awkwardly off his jagged frame. When he stopped, he bent low, now eye level with the princess, letting her see what has become of him. The binding plates looked corroded, as if acid has been eating away at them, little by little. The hard-light tethers flickered every so often, the nodes binding point A to B having been uprooted from their place on the ground. All tethers dragged behind Honour like an abandoned cloak. The helmet and muzzle were the most broken pieces on him. The right side had completely melted off, presenting a glowing, emerald green eye. The muzzle hung from his left cheek, now a discarded piece of metal. Luna always wondered how the previous ponies were burned, and how Honour could speak so clearly. “My turn,” he rasped “Why is Celestia moving against us?” “What?” Honour’s eyes flashed red at her response. “You know something. Don’t hide it from me, little Luna,” he hissed “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she said more surely Again, the eyes flashed red. “Do not lie to me, princess,” his hiss growing into a snarl as he crawled closer to the blue alicorn “This gas that surrounds us is not only lethal, but highly flammable. Consider your next words carefully,” Luna took a gulp, taking a quick glance at the changeling before her, and the door behind her. Summing up her chances of escape, she caved in. She had already witnessed the changeling’s prowess in battle, and had no intention of receiving it first hoof. “My sister theorised that you and your two companions hold a secret to infinite knowledge,” “Oh, far from infinite,” Honour chuckled, taking a comfortable position on his haunches. Even at this position, he was more than eye level with the princess. “Please, continue,” Luna sighed “Legend has it that you possess an artefact that is the key to all knowledge of the multiverse. Something you call, the ‘Spire of Knowledge’,” “The Spire has been destroyed many millennia ago. The one we possess is not the Spire, but the eldest of seven sister crystals, scattered across Equestria by ancient spirits. The other that you may know of is the Tree of Harmony, the second eldest of these crystals,” “If the spire is destroyed, then my sister’s cause is lost?” “Ah, your next question. Together the seven sisters collectively restrict all of Equestria’s known magical threats. The Tree holds back the Everfree, while our Spire protects you from…” “You?” Honour’s eyes narrowed “Yes, us,” he growled “Our collective magic is enough to influence nature and reality itself. The Spire keeps us in check. My turn again. Have you heard of the Darklings?” Luna took a nervous gulp “I am familiar with such creatures,” she stammered Honour’s grin was enough to unnerve her “A pity. It would make the look on your face much more satisfying,” With that, Honour Bound stood up, drawing himself to his full height. “If I were you, I would tell your little toy soldiers to guard the walls,” Turning around, he marched back into the gloom, the creaking and screeching of metal accompanying his departure. Taking the cue, Luna left the room, passing through that same volcanic steel door. Waiting on the other side was Princess Celestia, a tired look on her face. “Well, how’d it go?” the solar princess asked “An improvement from previous tries, sister,” Luna haughtily replied “How’s Frolicsome’s going?” This drew an amused giggle from the white alicorn “Very well, enough,” While Luna was interrogating the changeling, Captain Frolicsome Meadowlark of the Night Guard was making his own preparations. He was being screened for anything that can be used against him during his interrogation, a process that lasted a full twenty minutes now. “Hurry up already,” the impatient bat pony growled “Patience is a virtue, Mr Meadowlark,” a lab mare admonished, looking him over one final time “There, you’re ready to go,” Huffing to himself, Frolic stepped up to the cell door. “Oh, and remember Mr Meadowlark, peaceful thoughts,” Peaceful thoughts? Just what did they think he was going in for? Before he could find an answer, the doors of the sealing compartment closed behind him, and the door to the cell lay wide open. Inside the well-furnished hotel room of a cell, a creamy yellow Pegasus with a long mane of gold sat by the vanity. She was doing her into two curly pig tails, happily humming the ’Funeral March’ to herself. “Um, Miss Honora?” Frolicsome said, unsure of what to do “That’s me!” the mare replied cheerily, still doing her mane in the mirror “I’m Captain Frolicsome Meadowlark, and…” Before he could make it any further, a blur of yellow rand toward him and began assaulting his hoof. “Pleased to meet’cha!” Honora grinned, giving Frolic’s hoof a vigorous shake “Name’s Laetitias, but you can call me Lily. I used to let ponies call me ‘Titty’ but in the past couple decades, people…” “You mean ponies?” “…have been thinking about something completely different when they hear that word. I mean seriously, what is wrong with ponies these days?” “Um,” “Ooh! Let’s not forget r34. If you don’t know what that is, don’t worry you don’t need to know. Seriously, do not look it up. I REPEAT! DO NOT LOOK FOR R34!” “Okay, okay!” Frolic exclaimed hastily, taking a number of steps backward “I won’t look for r34,” “Great!” “So, I’ve got a couple questions for you…” “Ooh, let me pull up a seat…” “Really, there’s no need to…” Before he knew it, he was swept off his feet by a floating chair and deposited roughly at a small wooden table-for-two. Laetitias was at the kitchenette, firing up the oven and slicing up fruit and battering a mixture. “Banana, chocolate or mango?” she called “Um, mango?” he said, unsure of what’s going on “Sweet!’ And she was gone again. With a happy look on her face, she strode over to the cell door exit, wearing an apron and carrying a woven picnic basket in her mouth. “Won’t be for long!” she smiled, mumbling through the basket, right before slamming the door “Wait, you can’t go out there!” Frolic shouted after her She wasn’t gone for two seconds before a golden blur burst back in, and attended the kitchenette. Golden hard-light pony structures appeared out of thin air, readying the table before him fir for a high class restaurant. A large plate, four different spoons and forks, two bowls and three different glasses were set in front of him. Another set was placed on the opposite side. A musical string quartet appeared on the other side of the room, contributing a light-hearted atmosphere. Laetitias reappeared by the oven, withdrawing a tray of freshly baked mango muffins. Giving the tray a nice long blow to cool it down, she set down the muffins in a neat pile on the table, before throwing the tray over her shoulder, where it vanished into thin air. “So, fire away, Mr Lark!” she said, examining a muffin in her hooves It took a couple seconds for Frolic to mentally process what exactly was going on right about now. This crazy mare had not only defied so many laws of reality, but she was treating this like some kind of dinner-for-two. "Ready!" she said, sporting that childish grin “Um, okay then,” he started “First question, who are you?” “Oh you know who I am, silly!” the mare replied taking a bite of savoury baking “Wow, these are good…” “Ahem?” “Sorry,” “Anyway, the papers say that Verity Honora’s done some things…” “Oh, the truth’s gone out has it?” Lily giggled “What’s good old Verity gotten herself into now? Robbery? Contemporary art? Social Justice Vlogging? Or, Gods forbid…” She paused for effect, looking Frolic straight in the eye “Stallions?” “I don’t think so,” Frolic muttered unsurely “Oh, that’s a relief,” Lily sighed, collapsing into her chair “So what’s she really done?” “Murder,” This took the yellow mare by surprise. Frolicsome looked more sure of himself now than before. There was a serious look in his eyes that would unnerve any other pony. The happy yellow Pegasus on the other hoof, adopted an air of young obiviousness. “I’m sorry, but you’ve got to be a teensy-weensy little bit more specific,” “Her creatures have killed my brother,” he whispered intensely “Oh! Sunshine Smiles right? You know, tall, dark a little handsome, looks just like you too!” “Yes, him,” “Why in Equestria do you think we killed her? I mean sure, she’s killed her fair share of ponies, but, haven’t we all?” “No,” Laetitias thought about that for a moment. “Wait ‘till nine o’clock tonight, sharp. You’ll see him again. I’m willing to put a wager on it,” “Really?” Lily reached under the table and produced a large bag of bits from nowhere. A large burlap sack overstuffed with the golden coins. “How’s 420 bits sound?” “420 bits? You serious?” “Yep! How about this, if you see your brother again, have the bits. If you don’t see him, then don’t have the bits. Deal?” Frolic sighed. This was going to be a long afternoon. “Deal,” “Nice!” she grinned, hefting the bag to Frolic under the table. “Okay, I’m ready for question number two!” A very, long afternoon.