“But his name really means blockhead!” Is that guy serious? Does he truly wants me to break his face?
The field suddenly grew tighter, can't even wiggle free anymore, guess the captain was true to his words about using lethal force.
“Twinkle Toes, another outburst like that and you’ll be scrubbing the toilets for an year, is that understood?”
“But…” but before Twinkle Toes could defend himself a glare from the captain sent him shuddering.
“Is that understood?” Shining Armor repeated with all the authority that entails his position… I like.
“Understood, captain,” Twinkle Toes said with a salute.
“I’m impressed,” Shining Armor glares at me, “I am giving you a lot of leniency there Support Pillar, I truly hope you live up to them.”
Really? Does he take me for an idiot or something? “And pray tell, how exactly is any part of my treatment do you consider as lenient?”
“For starters, I allowed your healing, haven’t I?” Oh right, there is that. “I think you and I need to talk, is it alright for me to take him back to the dungeon doctor Loveheart?”
“Of course, as long as you keep him away from any medication I think he’ll be fine,” Now that I think about it, the doctor have the most suspicious behavior between all of them, “I’ll see you at the trial mister Pillar, please don’t disappoint,” See? That screams suspicion.
I simply nod, I most definitely need to keep an eye out on him now. But the sudden flying toward the door kept me from actually replying.
The captain of the guards walked through the stony hallway, trailing me behind, well above him, while being shadowed by the two guards that accompanied him.
Every guard, maid or normal horse that passed him saluted him, then eyed me with either suspicion, fear, or disgust. Whispers of hate filled the halls over my presence, I wonder why I can taste it?
“You seem to be gaining popularity already,” Shining Armor jested.
I scoffed, “More like gaining a witnesses over my execution.”
“You are too pessimistic about things Support Pillar, you are in a far better position than a lot of your brethren, if you can call them that.”
“What do you mean by that?”
Shining Armor turned toward one of the wooden doors, he opened the uncharacteristically large gate not by using his hoof, or his mouth, he simply swung his head and the door opened.
“Nice trick,” I called, “Hidden wires or magnetic traps?”
“You still don’t believe that I’m using magic?” He looked at me with disbelief.
“You will have to understand my skepticism toward the unknown… umpf,” okay being dropped on the ground like that hurts a ton.
“You do realize that you can cast the same if your horn wasn’t broken, right?”
Oh please, I am a man, well black war horse changeling thing, of Science; magic mumbo jumbo are wasted upon me.
Shining Armor then turned toward one of the winged guards that are flanking me from both sides, “Rotten Breath, if our guest tries to do anything funny, you know what to do.”
I look at the horse Shining was addressing and he smiled at me displaying his… Oh God, are those his teeth? Why are they purple? And is that a centipede running in there?
I am most definitely going to be an angel today, “So, would you be as kind as to explain what exactly I am doing here?”
“I’m afraid to say this Support, can I call you Support?” I shrugged, “But, your race invaded Canterlot during my wedding , Kidnapped my princess, and my baby sister, threw them both in the caves beneath the city then took over the entire city. They even brainwashed me into thinking that I loved your queen. Do you know how disgusting that is?”
“I can only imagine,” From the look on his face, I most definitely want to be the supportive type, unless I get the teeth, I mean whatever Rotten Breath knows what to do.
“So you can imagine my surprise when the moment an officer in your changeling army saw you, he immediately called you 'Nirvana’s spawn' and wanted to kill you.”
Oh great, so it’s not just the ponies who wanted to kill me, it’s my own race as well.
The captain continued, “That made us somewhat curious, so we started investigating your whereabouts during the invasion, and something truly surprising came up: no one ever remembered seeing you until the last moment when the spell struck you and planted you on the wall.”
Okay, that was a bust. It really looks like I came out of nowhere.
“So what are you saying? You aren’t going to trial me?” Happy day!
“Tartaros no, whatever made you think that?” Why did you have to bring my hopes up? “But it does mean that you are most likely to be the only one to walk out alive.”
I don’t buy that.
“Pardon my skepticism again, but I doubt if the court would let me free, the rest of the populace would be as forgiving.”
“Don’t worry, if the princesses find you not guilty, the rest of ponykind will be just as forgiving.”
“So you’re saying that as long as the monarchy says it’s okay the people will blindly follow without a single thought over the subject at hoof?”
“… When you put it like this, you make ponykind look like idiots. Which isn’t something that helps your overall survival tomorrow.”
…
The trial is tomorrow? But I am not prepared! Who will be my lawyer? Will I even have a lawyer? What will my opening statement be? Am I going to be executed in a public square or in a gas chamber?
What is that putrid smell?
“Okay Rotten Breath,” Okay, I’m going to gag now, “I’m… calm now. Please move away.”
With a single shoo from Shining Armor, Rotten Breath backed off.
“Should you need it, I will provide you with the Equestrian constitution for you to prepare for tomorrow.”
“Forget it!” I snapped, “Those trials are fixed, there is no way you can condemn an entire army to death otherwise.”
“I can assure you, those trials are not fixed,” Shining remained surprisingly calm, “There are an adequate number of witnesses who testified of the atrocities your race committed during the invasion. It was based on those trials that we based our verdicts, and you lack both witnesses and a reasonable cause for such harsh punishment,” is that suppose to put me at ease? "Besides, I am not about to kill an innocent creature if I can help it, regardless of which race he is from."
Okay, now that’s just not right, “I’m not buying it,” The captain is too nice to me, “Why do you, of all the horses in Canterlot, want to keep me alive.”
Shining looked at me a bit miffed for some reason, “First of all, call me a horse one more time and I’ll pluck your broken wings off your back and feed them to you on a silver platter,” Note to self: never call ponies horses. Ever, “And yes, I do have a reason why I want you alive Support. Of all the creatures alive, you are the first one to ever break my telekinetic field.”
Shining Armor stood up then closed in on me. “My field,” he affirmed, “The one hailed as the strongest of all the unicorns.”
“In my defense, I don’t think I can replicate that.”
“Do I look like I care?” Shining Armor then slumped back to his seat, “You are unique Support, and not just as a changeling; from the first day I laid my eyes on you and you are an enigma wrapped in mystery, and you need to understand, I really hate mysteries.”
I gulped, I don't know why but that sounded a lot more ominous than it out to be.
"You'll have to excuse us, but we are putting you with another changeling tonight," Shining Armor then suddenly announced while opening one of the cell doors, "We need to fix the bed in your original cell so... you know where I'm going with this right?"
"Is that a challenge for me to survive till tomorrow?" I simply voiced my inner dialogue.
"Absolutely!" Shining beamed at me as I was shoved into the cell, "Good night and good luck."
The cell door closed. I sat there, in the dark, trying to digest what just happened.
Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted movement. Must be the changeling Shining talked about, "If you want to kill me, skipper, you would loose your only chance of getting out of here alive."
The changeling walked into my line of sight, and like the doctor described; she was of black and blue color, she has Diptera type wings. Why did I thought of her as a she though?
"What's a skipper?" definitely a she then.
"Your nickname?" okay, what's with her?
"My name?" Now she's messing with me.
"If you want it to be?" Okay, this is officially the weirdest conversation I have had, ever.
"Skipper," she repeated almost mindlessly then smiled the most sincerer smile I have seen since I woke up in this place, before suddenly turning towards me, "You said that you are my chance of getting me out of here alive?"
Finally, some coherency, "Yes, I think I can."
With a single nod she returned to her corner of the cell, repeating her new name over and over again; okay what's with that?
I simply shake my head then walk toward the bed, another memory resurfacing.
"You know," I address the bully, "I was okay if you kept annoying me in school, but following me home is crossing the line," He gulp audibly, "Would you please never do that again?"
"Okay, okay, I'll never follow you home," He pleaded, "Now would you please put down the axe?"
Looks like, I'll be alright after all.
6252600
Yeah, that's probably due to lack of foreshadowing, a mistake on my part. I explained things with more details in the next chapter, though I should add something in the third chapter as well.
6254426
Actually the way I'm portraying him is that he does hold a grudge, but doesn't allow it to affect his job.
Hopefully I conveyed it better in the fourth chapter?
This story seems like it'll either:
-Be a great story that everyone will love
-Go on hiatus and never return
-Get cancelled
6254873
Okay so, in your opinion, there is no way the narration of this story will go south? That's kind of encouraging, thank you
Usually I don't cancel a story, but a mini hiatus should be expected between different arcs as I need time to actually write the story and to proof read it and such. (I think it's 30 something chapters in which I am only three chapters ahead from the current one)
It's the same with two other stories of mine, (I'll be returning to the Disciple after I finish the first arc here)
6254471 okay, Shining Armor, being the Captain of the Royal Guard is supposed to be the personification/ ponyfication of professionalism, impartiality, justice and civility, so he must adhere to that image in public and in front of his guardsponies. He will act the part even in front of a perceive enemy by everypony and will follow the rules of respect of their basic rights as P.O.W.s , will show some clemency to them if there is a shadow of a doubt in there guiltiness of the accusation of the prisoners. We see that as has not forgone what append to him and the rest of Cantherlot just a few days ago, but he has not really shone that he does not holds a strong grudge against the Changelings. Even after Support attack the doctor, Shining is never lost his cool. And he is willing to confide his personal thoughts and filling in the matter to one of them, showing that his judgment is not clouded with prejudice against Pillar even trying to reassure him in a small manner. He is truly a paragon of his position.
Despite all the praises that I have given to Shining, Pillar should not count as a friend as he is still doing his work and his duty does not allow him to help him in any legal way. Or worst, his kindness could also be just a means for him to try and satisfy his curiosity surrounding the peculiarity of Support Pillar and will leave him hanging the moment he gets what he want, or get some sort of confection from him, or even try to manipulate him into becoming an agent to work for him by giving him a way out of the tribunal and be grateful to him in the same time. These are what interrogators often do try to do most of the time.
Also, I don't think that that you could have given any foreshadowing about Shining’s , given that the shortness of the chapters so far. the only moment that I can think is if the doctor drop a word about the Captain’s orders of insuring the prisoners good health, but I think that it would have been too forceful given the situation and I like it when the characters are uncertain or unaware of all the facts of surrounding his situation; it keep the suspense.
I like Twinkle Toes and Rotten Breath, they are hilarious, and I hope that we will see more of them in the future.
Ummm wow.
Execute everyone!?
Put him in a cell hoping he gets killed before the trial... because he might not be beheaded?
I think you need the Dark tag for this for how bloodthirsty the ponies are.
More plz
This is... actually pretty interesting.
I'd like some more, if that suits you.
I forgot that this wasn't the end yet, but now I really did. I'm really liking things are handled here and I'm now wondering about this other Changeling and see if she's a former human too.
That story is something special! It gives you a point of wiew that is unique, yet not obsessively obsure! (Aside the fact I like most kinds of obscure) IT'S MAGIC!!!
Ok so this is my first comment on this story as I just started reading and got to this point (incomplete). My thoughts:
I always enjoy this part of a HIE type story, even if the human has a new form. Its the wonder and discovery of it all. So by default this is going to be the most fun for me. Oddly though, this story has the human taking a lot for granted (other than magic) and skips straight to the protagonist *thinking* about the situation and figuring it out based on what info he's got. Thats unusual and refreshing.
On the other hand, he's a bit of a Spock, isnt he? Are we going to find out that he's a Vulcan with no emotions at all? Or being a changeling means he has no emotion of his own? Somehow I doubt that you could wake up in that situation and not feel some panic or fear or whatnot.
Ok, executing the changelings is not very FIM, but I'm good with that. Honestly the show itself isn't that great compared with what the fans make it into. Thats why I like FIMFiction so much. So go nuts and darken the feel with executions, I wont complain. Nor will I complain at slightly different takes on the characters in your story vs the show.
I will say that I *think* I know how the next few chapters would tend to go, so I'm hoping to be surprised with some twists. So far the unexpected events have been "different type of changeling" and "executing prisoners". The other surprise was the detached personality of the changeling. I don't yet know what the human scientist in Canterlot is planning on doing so of course I cant guess at the long term story arc. Looking forward to discovering it in future chapters though.
6317415
When the cover art is ready, I'll be updating the story then.
A thumbs up as promised.
Great story by the way.
6396602
Thank you :)
How does the dates of the chapters jump back from 2015 to 2014 again??
6410616
2014 chapters were written in 2014, 2015 chapters were added because the 2014 chapters were too fast paced coupled with worse English and mary sueish properties.
I waited six month before submitting this story because every time I wanted to submit it, I felt it lacking. That is why the story have so many date discrepancies.
I like this!
Very different, and followed from the art in question. So here's to hoping this does well, despite reservations.
Shiny comes off rather as a creeper here. He also seems a little bit unprofessional, given the whole comments earlier about how other Changelings tried to kill him, and then just putting him in a cell with another Changeling without even checking to make sure it won't kill him beforehand (though she doesn't, but Shining Armor shouldn't have known that).
try me
I think I have whiplash... But I'm okay with that.
6453519
Bwahahahaha...
I respect this person.
extremely awkward wording there.
Mass slaughtering a foreign army is seriously OOC for Celestia. And yes I'm going to keep right on repeating it.
Noone was even permanently harmed in the invasion! On what grounds is she killing them?
6771064 paranoia!
6410822 not to criticize, but the way these guy are treating the changelings
SERIOUSLY, BEHEADING THEM JUST BECAUSE OF THE ATTACK, THE HORSES DONT EVEN KNOW WHY THEY WERE ATTACKING, XENOCIDAL FUCKERS
The Light family seems to have a hatred of the inexplicable. I like this. Though considering magic is roughly presented as a science in MLP, it should be interesting to watch the protag approach it in time. And goddamnit I should have followed the first wing link.
edit: doubled versus fused. okay cool.
Put down the axe, my god that is the best way to stop a bully.
They don't even get the other side of the story. Fucking hell. Also, the k in kidnapped shouldn't be capitalized, and the comma before it should be moved back one space.
I see what you did there.
Like kidnapping and impersonation.
Okay. I really like this guy. His response is PERFECT.
6254873
Prophetic.