Chapter 37 - Found you
Shackles and Friendship
Chapter 37 - Found you
Guest Editor and Prereader DustTraveller
Edited by: Your favorite neighborhood spider-pony!
“Uuuuuuuuuuhh...”
“Oooh, I get it. A ‘timber’wolf.” I couldn’t help but chuckle at the depiction of the creature. It was supposedly a animal-plant hybrid made up of various pieces of wood that mimicked the physical characteristics of a wolf. “This can’t be real,” I spoke to myself unable to believe such a creature could exist. “Is this real?”
“Uuuuuhh....”
“Seriously, it says here they can actually gather up their bodies and reconstruct themselves or even merge together.” I flipped the page hoping to find a detailed explanation of how it all worked only to find the next entry.
“Uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuhhhh.....”
“How long are you gonna keep that up?” I pried my eyes away from the book and looked at the pegasus. He lay restlessly on his bed across the room moaning like a spoiled brat.
“Two days,” Bronze moaned miserably. “Two days with nothing to do or drink!”
“There’s a jug of water on the table next to you,” I replied flatly.
“Don’t start with me monkey, you know exactly what I mean!” he yelled threateningly.
“You sound like an addict.”
“I can’t deny that, but my…inclination towards the drink isn’t a problem. By Luna’s moon I’m better with it!”
“How so?” I asked with a chuckle.
“Well, if I hadn’t been drinking that night I would never have been crazy enough to take on a dragon on my own now would I? With that in mind, the drink saved your plot just as much as my shield did!” A loud metallic clang reverberated across the room as Bronze struck his massive shield with a hoof. Even then with the threat of the dragon far and gone, Bronze still refused to part ways with his shield, it leaned against the wall next to his bed within easy reach. That was not to say Redheart didn’t try, but neither her threats nor a bribe of liquor could make him yield his precious metal. Which made me even more curious to know the story behind it.
“Well trust me on this; the more you think about it the worse the urges get.”
“And how would you know that?”
A thick juicy cut of prime beef flashed in my mind. “Believe me, I know.” I turned my attention back to the book on my lap. “Grab one of the books and read, it’ll help pass the time,” I gestured my head to point at the stack of books next to my bed.
“What, those? Pfft, no way,” I could feel a light breeze as Bronze flapped that notion away with his good wing. “How you’re able to read those kinds of books all day, that’s what I can’t figure out. What, did that dragon sit on your head or something?”
“It’s interesting,” I answered pragmatically flipping to another page.
“It’s an encyclopedia!” he shouted. “Who reads an encyclopedia!?”
‘It is rather awkward.’
‘Yeah well, that was before I had to fight for my life against a dragon. Had I actually known about them before, things might have gone differently. Would’ve been nice to know they can breathe homing fireballs and heal themselves.’
“Books,” Bronze mumbled again. “Out of all the things you could have asked for; you wanted books. You could have at least gotten one of those those saucy novels but no~o, you wanted textbooks and encyclopedias.”
Looking at the pile of books nearby I could understand why Bronze reacted like he did. Half of them were part of a world encyclopedia, while the others consisted of textbooks, and even a few guidebooks for children. I didn’t specifically chose any of them. During one of Twilight’s visits I simply asked for something that could help me learn more about this world, which she was more than happy to bring. Looking at it now, I should’ve expected her to go overboard like she did, but at least that left me with something to do to ward off the boredom.
There was one problem with Twilight’s visits however; every time she came Shine accompanied her. That was not to say that I had a problem with her or anything, and Twilight told me she’d been nothing but helpful around the library, but ever since Celestia’s visit I couldn't help but keep my guard up against her, always fearing she’d suddenly pull a prank when I least expected it. But from what I gathered it didn’t look like Shine had any specific orders to carry out. It seemed she was here to just keep an eye on me like Celestia said. Worse still; memory of that kiss she gave me before my departure to Ponyville kept coming back whenever I saw her.
Which made every meeting slightly awkward.
“You think they’re still out there?” Bronze asked after a moment of silence.
“Let’s find out.” With a levitation spell I lifted a medium sized mirror, something Rarity left behind for my use after her visit. I made it hover at an angle right against the window. “Yup, they’re still there.” From the mirror I could see the group of ponies lazing around in front of the hospital. “A few left, but they're all mostly still there.”
I couldn’t stand the idea of being in a closed room throughout my entire stay in the hospital. So the day after the media arrived I decided to give up and just let them take as many photos as they wanted. Occasionally one or two would take a picture. That I could tolerate, but after a while all they were really after was actual information and an interview. At least Bronze seemed to enjoy ruining their shots, he kept photo bombing and blocking shot after shot just to irritate them.
Somewhere out there, one poor unfortunate soul had a photo of Bronze’s rear end in all its glory.
“Well you gotta give them some credit, they’re a stubborn bunch,” Bronze commented.
“Yeah well, I doubt Celestia and Luna’s press conference answered everyone’s questions.” I pulled the mirror and placed it back on the table next to a newspaper from the day before.
As expected the front page was all about the dragon attack with a picture of Ponyville from high above, clearly showing the amount of destruction the dragon had done. Celestia and Luna’s press conference was mostly about assuring the population that the attack was an isolated incident and not a breach the treaty. However there was another section on the third page which included a photo of me on the hospital bed next to Celestia. Probably from one of the many photos the media took when they first arrived at the hospital.
Near the end of the press conference, I became the only topic when events of the attacks were being questioned. Every one of them seemed to be aware that it was ultimately Luna who had subdued Falnor, yet they had greater interest in the unknown animal; namely me. The tone of the article was to be expected, there was much suspicion and questions about what I was exactly, where I came from, and why my existence had never been publicly announced. Most were given the “no comment” response, raising even more questions.
Luna went on to reveal my battle with Falnor, nothing specific but enough for everyone to know that I helped defend the town. Unfortunately they’d assumed that I was actually as dangerous as a dragon, which made them wonder about the wisdom of letting “something” like me live freely amongst them. The chains around my wrists only pushed that notion further; it made it look like I was a dangerous animal that needed to be leashed. Fortunately, Celestia and Luna were adamant in their trust and support for me. Considering who they were, that should have been enough to ward off a great deal of trouble.
All in all, the whole article could have gone better, but it certainly wasn’t the worst that it could.
“You read the newspaper, they only gave out the most basic information about me. They got more out of the ponies in town than what Celestia and Luna offered.” I made a mental note to thank those that I knew, overall the townsfolk seem to like me well enough, and my image hadn’t gone any worse. Once news of my part in saving the town had spread, my image should only have improved, but you can’t please everyone. Apparently, someone still saw me as, and I quote, “a fire hazard”.
“How much do you think they’ll pay me for an exclusive interview?” Bronze suddenly asked.
“You? Why would they want to interview you?”
“Well I was there fighting the dragon with you.” Bronze stood on his bed and took an exaggerated heroic pose; one fore hoof pointing upwards while his wings were spread to the side.“The lone pegasi that battled against a fearsome and powerful dragon! Accompanied by nopony else but his trusted monkey companion.”
I just rolled my eyes and let that jest slide. “Well count me out. I ain’t ready to go public just yet.”
“Oh I wouldn’t be so sure about that. I’ve been known to be quite persuasive.” Both Bronze and I turned our heads towards the door. A nurse with a pink mane and tail, and a deep orange coat trotted in carrying a trolley laden with various bottles and medical tools.
Before either of us could say anything, she gave a quick glance towards the door and closed it behind her. With a gentle push that sent the trolley off to the side, the mare nonchalantly tossed her nurse cap away revealing a small notepad and pencil perfectly balanced atop her head.
“Quillstride, at your service,” she greeted with a friendly smile.
“Oh…..kay,” I turned to Bronze with a confused expression.
“She’s a reporter,” he explained. “Snuck in by pretending to be one of the staff.” He turned to look at the mare. “That was a smart move, the regular staff would just assume you were one of the nurses sent from Canterlot to help.”
“Well you know what they say; you need to take risks to get what you want. And I’m willing to go all the way for my story,” she responded cheerfully before her full attention shifted to me. Her eyes scanned me from top to bottom only to linger for a moment on my shackles. “So you’re the mon-”
“Say monkey and I’ll call the head nurse,” I warned with a stern tone.
“Only those close to him get that privilege,” Bronze joked which I responded by magically throwing a pillow right at his face, making him laugh heartily.
“Hmm, shackled and creates blue fire.” I saw Quillstride pull the pencil out of her notepad and made a quick note with her mouth. “So they were telling the truth.”
While shopping around town for Rarity, either to resupply her boutique or during some other errand, I had seen non unicorns write with their mouths. From what I could gather, it seemed they just held by lightly biting down while using their lips for finer control. It was still quite amusing to watch.
“Which means the explosion everypony saw was your doing,” Quillstride concluded as she trotted closer.
“Out!” I interrupted. “Before I call-”
“Hold on there Rodney, I think you should reconsider this.” I looked at Bronze with a raised brow. “It’s better if you do this now and get it over with before things gallop out of control.”
“Meaning?”
“He’s right you know,” the mare added. “How long do you think it will be before another newspony breaks the law to get to you, hmm? Even if you somehow avoid their pursuits completely, some will eventually make things up. The longer you avoid it, the crazier these rumors will become.”
“And everyone will just believe it?” I asked. “I’m pretty sure it’s a crime to make up information like that.”
“It is, but what do you expect? That they’ll leave if you ignore them long enough? You’re likely the hottest topic in Equestria right now, spurred even further by the first dragon attack. Whether you like it or not, every newspaper has their eyes set on you. More than a few ponies will take advantage of that and make up rumors based on nothing more than wild guesswork. Most of those will no doubt do more harm than anything else.”
So far her reasoning seemed to make sense, it had happened plenty of times before back in my world so I guessed I shouldn’t be surprised if the same happened here. Plus Celestia not only gave permission, she actually urged me to do so, suggesting only that I should take great care to choose the appropriate media outlet.
“Alright, an interview it is then.” Quillstride’s eyes lit up as she beamed with joy at her success.
“Excellent!” She trotted even closer while flipping her notepad to a brand new page. “Let’s begin with-”
“Hold on there,” I cut in with a raised a hand. “I said I’d do an interview but I never said I’d do it with you.”
“My my, aren’t you’re a careful one.”
“I’ll take that as a compliment.”
Quillstride laughed at that. “It is a compliment. Well then, I’m proud to say that I have quite the reputation as a journalist.”
“One that breaks the law?”
“Amongst other things; now let me finish. Unlike most newsponies I work for myself and offer the stories I uncover only to who I choose.”
“You’re a freelancer,” I commented.
“I’m….not familiar with that term. But I like it. Freelancer,” she repeated.
“I’m still waiting for the part where you’re supposed to convince me.”
Quillstride merely rolled her eyes. “I’m getting to that. Now, other newsponies would offer payment for something like this; I on the other hoof will add you to my very special list.” I waited for the mare to elaborate but she just stood there with a confident smile as if I understood the significance of it.
“Hmm, getting paid, or being in list of favors for a pony I’ve only just met,” I pondered sarcastically. It seems that was exactly what she wanted to hear because as soon as I spoke her smile grew wider.
“What I’m offering is indeed favor Mr. Rodney,” she explained.
‘Mr.?’
“Favor as in debt?”
“Something like that,” she cleared her throat and her demeanor shifted to something that looked more professional. “Since I’ve offered my services to various papers, I've managed to befriend a few of their employees. In other words I have my own personal network in all the major papers, all vying to stay friendly, hoping I’ll let them publish my next big scoop. Being in my ‘special’ list means I’ll keep my ears out for anything that could be of interest to you.”
‘Oh, I like where this is going.’
“And you’re willing to put me in this list for an exclusive?”
“Oh please, a single exclusive is hardly enough to pay for the services I offer. No, I’m not asking for just an interview, I want to be your one and only connection to the media.”
“You want to monopolize me?” I asked slightly surprised by the proposition.
“Precisely.”
‘I say take the offer, there’s no telling how much we can get from her.’
‘Slow down, we still need to be careful. For all we know this could all be bullshit.’
“That’s….an interesting proposal, but how do I know this offer is real? Far as I know you could be lying about everything just to so that I’ll agree to an interview. Heck I still don’t know if you’ll write the article fairly or not.”
“Well for one thing, nopony can maintain or even create a network like mine without being reputable. Which means I only have to prove that my network exists. So how’s about I give you an example of my services?” I looked at her with confusion as she flipped through her notepad. “One employee based in Canterlot informed me that the newspaper she’s working for has a special piece about you for their next edition.”
“I suppose this one’s different from the ones before?”
“Oh it will be. Unlike other news outlets, it seems the Canterlot Post was offered an interview from somepony who knows all about you.”
For a split second I thought of Twilight, I had shared more with her than anyone else so far, but she wasn't the type to do that. Especially knowing how disappointed Celestia would get once she heard of it. Then I thought of Rarity, but even though she greatly enjoyed attention, it was not like her to do something like that either. At least not without my permission.
“Who?” I asked, unable to identify the mysterious pony.
Quillstride leaned in close before mentioning the name in a hushed tone. “Prince Blueblood.”
My eyes immediately widened with surprise and fear.
‘Ah shit.’
‘Blueblood.’ It had been a long time since I had last thought about him, but just remembering that self-worshiping sack of shit worsened my mood. It looked like after all that time he still held a grudge with me for burning his tail, something I should’ve expected from his personality. If what Quillstride said was true, then it would be his revenge. He’d ruin my reputation in every way he knew how, and he was royalty; that alone made his word carry greater weight. Whether it was true or not.
“Honestly I’m impressed, I knew the Princesses trusted you but I didn’t expect you to be so close with a member of the royal family. With Prince Blueblood no less." From how she spoke it seems Blueblood managed to keep his rotten personality hidden while keeping a sterling reputation. Nothing but a miracle in my opinion.
“What was that now?” Bronze asked overhearing the name.
“Prince Blueblood is giving a special interview on Mr. Rodney,” the mare answered.
“That can’t be good,” Bronze spoke in a worried tone. “I spent my early years in service stationed at Canterlot and trust me on this: Anything that comes out that rotten waste of space they call a Prince will be bound to cause nothing but problems for you monkey.”
‘Well, at least he knows the truth.’
“I take it this article doesn’t bode well for you?” Quill said catching up. “Are you acquainted with him?”
“Unfortunately,” I woefully spat. “Is there a way to pull that article from being published?”
“Not unless you can get a royal order signed by both Princesses. Or…”
“Or?” I repeated expectantly.
She smiled at me. “Or if they have something a lot more interesting to publish, say an exclusive interview with the mysterious creature?” Her smile grew wider, she might not know the whole story but she could tell I didn't want Blueblood’s article to ever see the light of day.
“Alright, alright, you win,” I sighed. “I’ll do the damn interview.”
Her smile grew to a wide grin that showed her pearly white teeth. “And?”
I sighed again. “Yes, I’ll let you monopolize me.” To my amusement she actually spun around in a small victory dance. “But swear to me that article gets buried.”
“What’s more interesting to read? Somepony talking about a mysterious creature never before seen in the world; or an interview with the actual creature itself?” I gave her a peeved look. “I meant himself’,” she quickly corrected.
“What about time? You said tomorrow’s edition was being-”
“Never underestimate the media,” Quillstride interrupted. “Trust me, once I give them this interview they’ll forget all about that article. That is if I can get it to them in time.” Quillstride glanced towards the clock on the wall showing it was near two in the afternoon. “Not a lot of time left,” she spoke in fake worry. “Shall we begin?”
I looked towards Bronze for his approval, which he gave with a slight nod. “Alright, let’s do this. But understand that there are questions I cannot answer.”
“Perfect! That’ll make the readers even more interested. Everypony loves secrets!” I merely shook my head at that.
=========[Canterlot Research Tower]=========
“So,” the gryphon spoke in a tone full of boredom. “Are you just going to tinker around with your contraptions all day again?” As expected the question completely flew past the unicorn unnoticed while he trotted between his many contraptions.
After their return from the Everfree, Inquest had invested all his time in testing and experimentation in order to track down this elusive ‘visitor’ from another world. Unfortunately for Crea, her skills and expertise as a hunter workerd exclusively on the field. Were it any other jungle or prey the gryphon would have no trouble putting her them to work. However this was the Everfree, wild and untamed in both nature and magic. Furthermore she lacked the necessary information on her quarry; to charge headlong against a hostile unprepared was the easiest way to forfeit one’s life.
Which meant they needed a different, long range method of tracking and detection. That’s where Inquest’s vast expertise of the world and magic came in. His initial and only idea so far was to monitor changes in every measurable element near and around the Everfree forest.
For that reason Inquest had, to the ire of the many Arcanists employed, completely refurbished the castle’s main laboratory for his own use, effectively suspending or even terminating various on-going research and experiments. Some were even his own which he discarded without any regard. A testament to how dangerous Inquest perceived this other ‘visitor’.
Unfortunately, despite all the work, effort, and sacrifice, despite all the many machines and specialized equipment he requisitioned, Inquest had made no progress in locating the target. Half of the inventions and prototypes were built by the unicorn himself, and none of them had even been seen in public or passed basic safety regulations. In addition these instruments required a vast amount of magic to function, meaning nothing less than rare arcane gems were needed, which made the entire setup expensive beyond reason. To make matters more complicated, the forest itself was an anomaly of the world, one of three known locations where nature was unbound by magic. Making it extremely difficult, perhaps even impossible, to differentiate between a fluctuation due to the forest itself, or caused by the ‘visitor’.
“Gah!” Several vials and tools around the unicorn glowed ghostly white before suddenly shooting up to the air and flying towards the walls, causing a loud clamour as they broke to pieces.
“I take it things didn’t go well?” Crea teased, pulling her head back after dodging one of the projectiles. She knew pushing Inquest’s buttons wouldn’t help, but she simply loved to see the often composed pony stirred up with frustration.
“This is impossible!!” he shouted, ignoring the gryphon. “If it had just left something behind for me to work with!! To leave no trace of its presence like that is inconceivable!”
“You’re so cute when you get all flustered and confused.”
“This is not a matter to make light of!” Inquest moved past a row of machines, pausing in front of each to read the measurements for the upteenth time. “Am I the only one that realizes the severity and danger this creature represents?” Out of pure frustration Inquest lifted one of the contraptions, twice the width of a pony and as tall, crushing it to a cube with sheer magic before it fell to the ground with a loud heavy clang.
Crea merely sighed and made her way towards the pony, letting her wing drop over him in order to calm his emotions. This side of Inquest was rarely seen, and even then, only by her. This was not an equation or problem that could be solved with leisure, this was something that involved the lives of others with time working against him. During their many adventures Crea had seen Inquest lose his cool, especially when the mission played on his emotions. This seldom happened but when it did; the results were always disastrous.
That reminded Crea of one particular mission from long ago.
“Inquest, do you remember Rot Wrike?”
“Crea I don’t have time to reminis-”
“Do you remember?” Crea repeated.
Inquest let out a tired sigh and searched through his vast memory for the name. “The diamond dog burglar. We were told to capture him and retrieve...what was it?”
“A statue. Something called a totem that belonged to the Buffalo Tribes.” Crea chuckled as more of the memory poured forth. “We spent three days playing chase with that one.”
“Rot Wrike. I’ve never seen a diamond dog dig so fast.” Inquest shook his head in disbelief. “He dug faster than we could chase.”
“Teleporting didn’t help either, soon as you appeared he’d dig in a different direction.” Crea’s chuckle grew to laughter. “It took three days for the best hunter and Equestria’s Professor to catch him.”
Crea’s mirth eventually overcame the pony as he too started to chuckle. “The whole thing was ridiculous. Seeing that dog dig…he must have had mole mixed in his blood.” Inquest let out a deep breath as his emotions settled down. “So what about him?”
“Well, don’t you think this is similar?”
Inquest gave her a puzzled look. “How exactly is this similar? You easily tracked him down and I managed to mark him with a spell. From that point on we knew exactly where he was at all times.”
“True, but we still couldn’t catch him. Not until-”
“We predicted where he’d be,” Inquest finished as his eyes sharpened. It was simple; they had anticipated where he’d be and laid an ambush to which he had no escape.
Crea could tell how his mind was racing, fresh ideas starting to stack one atop the other. She loved the way he looked at times like this. It was extremely tempting for her to lunge at the old unicorn, but knowing how important this was she held herself in check.
“If we can’t find this creature,” Inquest continued thinking out loud, “then we’ll simply have to predict where it’ll be. In order to do that however, we need to know it’s motive.” Inquest was suddenly engulfed in ghost white aura as he teleported to face a large table on the other side of the room.
“The motive….the motive….the motive….” Inquest mumbled over and over again as various documents floated from the table to hover in front of him. His eyes darted madly side to side while his head turned occasionally from one document to the next. It was his own detailed report of their encounter with Falnor and the creature, now with a different angle in mind, he analyzed the report thoroughly.
Crea settled back to a comfortable position as she watched the pony work with renewed fervor. The way his chest grew and shrunk as he breathed in control, the way sucked his lips tight, how his tail swung ever so slightly like a metronome. It was all so nostalgic for her, she could easily remember a far younger Inquest doing the exact same thing back before he was appointed Professor.
It was during one such occasion that she finally realized her love for the pony.
“The dragon….”
Hearing Inquest’s hushed voice snapped Crea out of her reverie. “What was that?”
“The dragon,” Inquest repeated. “Why send the dragon away?”
“What do you mean?”
There was a moment of silence as Inquest dove back into deep thought. “What would you do if you found yourself lost and alone in an alien world?” Inquest continued. “What would be your first emotion?”
“Uhm….fear I guess.”
“Exactly! Fear; this creature would have been frightened. You’d go and find some shelter. What if you stumbled into a cave? I believe that’s how the dragon first got involved in this.”
“Ok,” Crea responded to show she was following along.
“I’m not sure how it managed to control the dragon, but clearly it did. So at this point it found security with Falnor acting as a guardian.”
‘That made sense,’ Crea thought. ‘The mere presence of a dragon would hold any predator at bay.’ Then a thought struck her mind in a moment of realization.
“So why send the dragon away?” Crea asked finally understanding the question from before.
“Exactly!” Inquest shouted excitedly. “Why send Falnor away!? Especially if you thought danger was close. All the more the reason to keep him nearby.”
“Maybe it didn’t need Falnor anymore.”
“That’s possible. A dragon can be a wealth of knowledge to learn about this world. Perhaps it has learned enough and became confident it could survive on its own. It could be that the attack was merely a distraction for it to slip away, it’s the simplest explanation. But that doesn’t make any sense.”
“Why not? Clearly it worked.”
“Yes, it did. But a dragon for a distraction?” Inquest shook his head. “No that doesn’t make any sense. A dragon is such a useful tool and a powerful asset, to sacrifice that just for mere distraction? I don’t think so. It’s illogical.”
“Well maybe it didn’t think things through. We don’t know how smart this thing is.”
“I certainly hope you’re right, that makes it far less dangerous than I believed it to be.” He paused, continuing to pace distractedly as he gathered his thoughts. “Though I doubt that’s true. The way it covered its tracks so perfectly requires strategizing, forethought and calculation. Besides, it’s best if we err on the side of caution.”
“So, not a distraction then?” Crea’s eagle eyes followed Inquest as he moved about in his pacing.
“It’s not definite but highly improbable. I’d say it had a different motive.” Inquest came to a sudden stop as a thought sprung up in his mind. “We might be asking the wrong question.”
“And the right question would be?”
“Why Ponyville?”
“It’s the closest settlement to the Everfree,” the gryphon answered. It was the simplest and first explanation that came to her mind.
“Why not Canterlot? It is further away but nothing considered too far, it would probably take less than two hours for Falnor to fly here. As the seat of power in Equestria, Canterlot is the better target to cause the greatest amount of damage and disturbance.” Again Inquest shook his head as the puzzle refuse to fit. “I believe it’s safe to assume that Ponyville became a target for a specific reason.”
“I don’t know much about the neighboring area. Usually I just drop by for a mission and leave soon after. Far as I can tell it’s just a small town like any other.”
“That might be true at a glance, but there’s actually a number of reasons that would make Ponyville a target.” Inquest’s horn glowed as he pulled a large wheeled blackboard from the other side of the room and started to make a list.
1. Closest settlement.
“We can’t ignore the fact that it’s in close proximity to the Everfree and thus to the ‘visitor’. Perhaps it really is that simple.”
2. The protege.
“I’m not sure if you’re aware but Celestia’s prized student currently resides in Ponyville.”
“I think I remember her,” Crea replied thinking back. “Purple unicorn right? I saw her a couple of times when I was here. And every time she had her muzzle buried in a book.”
“That's the one, her name is Twilight Sparkle. Over the years Celestia has grown attached to her and she’s also a sibling to Shining Armor. So if one were to have her as hostage it would give enormous leverage over the Princess and the Captain. Those are two critical assets that control and protect Equestria. Moving on...”
3. The Elements.
“Wait a sec, the Elements?” Crea asked surprised.
“Yes, the Elements of Harmony. Equestria’s last line of defense, they’re what have always saved us when all else failed. All the current bearers also reside in Ponyville, including the protege.”
“Huh,” Crea spoke slightly dumbfounded. “I heard the Elements took down Chaosfather in a small town, I’m guessing that’s Ponyville. Didn’t expect them to live in a place like that.”
“Chaosfather?”
“It’s what us gryphons call him.” Crea suddenly let out a chuckle. “Always thought he was just a story you ponies made up to scare the kids.”
Inquest took a step back, “I see. In any case, it’s a short list but each of them are vital to Equestria. There’s no way to precisely determine what its real motivation is, or if it’s even one of these three. But it’s clear that Ponyville requires protection.” Inquest levitated the chalk once more to underline the last two reasons on the list. “We must not allow the ‘visitor’ to take control of Twilight or any of the Element bearers like it did to Falnor. Their safety is paramount.”
“Then let’s just get them out of there. Bring them here for protection.” Instead of agreeing to the logical choice, Inquest merely stared at the blackboard in deep thought. “Inquest?”
“No. We can’t.”
“And why not?” Crea asked growing suspicious.
“Because we need them to lure the ‘visitor’ out in the open. If we take them here-”
“You just said their safety was paramount,” Crea interrupted. “Now you’re going to use them as bait!?”
“I know, it’s risky,” Inquest calmly replied.
“That’s an understatement!”
“But it’s the only chance we have of capturing this creature. With the way it covers its tracks we might never get another shot.”
“Look at me.” Inquest turned and stared deep into the gryphon’s eyes. Silence fell as Crea searched for any sign of hesitation but she found none, the unicorn’s large eyes didn’t waver one bit and held strong. Obviously he wasn’t certain the plan would work, but he was deadset on this plan.
Crea let out a resigned sigh. “So, to Ponyville?”
“To Ponyville.”
=========[Nightfall]=========
It scurried through the tall grass causing only the faintest disturbance. Quick and nearly impossible to see, a rat made its way through the field, approaching the large structure far ahead. It paused periodically and sniffed the night air, head swerving left and right as it searched around for any danger.
Once at a reasonable distance from the structure it approached a nearby tree. As soon as it reached the base the rodent disappeared as if the earth had suddenly swallowed it up. Within a few seconds shadows began to rise from the ground like smoke, they twirled and molded themselves as if alive growing larger and thicker with every passing moment. Soon a purely black cat stood where the rodent had disappeared, perfectly melding with the darkness around it.
With grace and speed it climbed the old tree. Only the faintest scratching sounded as its claws dug into bark, trailing wispy darkness behind. Silently maneuvering past sticks and leaves, the cat finally found the perfect branch both high and strong enough to hold its weight. The cat’s slitted yellow eyes glowed reflecting the light from the structure while examining its surrounding from its perch.
A group of ponies were gathered outside the structure, some asleep while others talked amongst each other. Through the windows, the feline saw more of them inside the building. Most that moved about wore a white outfit while others lay in beds. Suddenly the cat’s ears perked up and its hairs stood on ends as it focused on one particular window to the side.
There, on a bed lay the impossible and dangerous creature.
“Found you,” it spoke in a childish singsong manner before climbing down and disappearing into the night.
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Inquest is right on where the 'visitor' is targeting... but for the wrong reason, and it seems like it's two late. Also... would anypony actually believe anything Bluedick said? In 2/3 of my stories, I've had him shot at! Never quite killed, but close enough.
Well.... you're fucked now Zai!!!
I bet monkey man reigns it in with a simple program spell
3165747
Does Inquest know Rodney is potentially the most powerful spellcaster in Equestria, surpasing the princesses and Discord?
3165893 That is... a very good point actually. He seems to have discounted Rodney all together, which in of itself is a massive mistake.
I forgot what happened in this story.
huzzaahhh!
update :D
3165893 Heh. It's funny, because Zai and I discussed this during the editing process, and it was actually MY advice that led to Inquest missing Rodney as a potential target. The in character reasoning behind this mistake was that while Inquest is aware of Rodney and has some information where his abilities are concerned, until the Dragon Attack incident Rodney has been keeping a pretty low profile, and one can assume as I believe that Inquest was involved in the process which resulted in Rodney's shackling that, since not much has been made of the human living in Ponyville, that situation has resolved itself.
When prioritizing possible targets, a pony is going to prioritize what make immediate sense to him, in other words, important factors to his government, and the big Deus Ex Machinae that regularly gets brought to bear on the baddies that pop up from time to time, namely, the Elements of Harmony. Yes, Rodney is a potential target, yes, this is a mistake, but remember, as the reader you don't have to deal with the Fog of War effect that the characters do. Sometimes they make mistakes, sometimes very bad ones.
No one wants to read a story where everyone is perfect.
The story reasoning behind it was pretty simple... Zai and I discussed it, and the last little bit after the brainstorming scene clearly paints Rodney as the target in a rather chilling fashion, and we felt the scene had more impact if it was clear that Inquest and Crea had made a mistake. It foreshadows things to come, yeah?
I just wanted to point out that we DID discuss it, it was something Zai was aware of, and if he decided to leave it off the list, it was because I suggested it. So the blame rests on my shoulders, if it breaks your suspension of disbelief.
Hey guys, things have been pretty hectic and I have not checked my e-mail or fimfic in a loooong time, but, I just did (duh) and I'm back. I gave ZA my phone number so this never happens again. Also, I am sorry to say, I may not be able to do any illustrations for a while. I just got a new PC, precisely for graphic design and I was planing on getting and Adobe Creative Cloud account because I don't want to F up my new baby with pirated software.... However I had to disg out 1.3K for the sucker and am having a real hard time getting money. I tried inkscape and paint tool sai but YUK! I can't deal.... BUT THERE IS HOPE! Animate Miami is coming up in january and if I can make a good number of plushies I might be able to buy illustrator and photoshop at least....
CHapter update! Yay!
Curse you Prince Dingleberry! A perfect opportunity for him. Hopefully Rodney gets ahead of him. Even better, I hope Rodney can figure out how to prank him even worse than he did before. Something to really put him in his place. I am kind of interested in the interview itself. I want to know what kind of weird questions the ponies would ask the 'alien' and what his response would be. Like "Do you have herds in your world or singular bi-units?" To which Rodney replies "Lol wut?"
3165747
In more than one episode from the show it was clear that Rarity knew about a prince named Blueblood and that he was an eligible bachelor. She, however, didn't know how much of a piece of rotted pile of fail he was until she actually met him during the gala. This can be said about all ponies who don't directly deal with him in the palace. Since most don't truly know him, if he makes a public announcement through an interview about the 'alien' then the ponies will take it seriously. In this chapter Rodney shows that he understands this VERY well and knows that Prince Sausage-rot will definitely paint him in a very vile manner if he doesn't stop it with his own interview.
We got that in real life. We know about a lot of members of many royal/imperial families but few outside their personal staff truly know what they're like. I'm sure that we have a few of our own real life Prince Blueblood's out there.
3166638
Depends if you can fight like a Krogan and run like a leopard.
3166638
Depends if you can fight like a Krogan and run like a leopard.
3167541i dont know why but you two made me think of this x)
Sooo... Inquest forgot about Rodney, who most certainly has some form of link with the creature? Dumbass.
3165893 I don't think so. Remember how Celestia and Luna lied to Twilight about the restraining powers of the manacles? They said they were letting him use some magic, but in reality it does not function that way, and is in fact operating at maximum power which is enough to stop even Discord. I think that even though their relationship to Inquest is completely different and probably more honest about things of national-bloody hell, worldwide security, that they haven't told him about Rodney's literally limitless capabilities. Even though that's fucking retarded.
Or I might be wrong and in his geniusness he forgot about "the un-important-thing-that-turns-out-to-be-incredibly-important-later-on" as geniuses are wont to do.
Or is it "are want to do"?
Hmmm......
Forget to mention, I like Quillstride. She shares Rodney´s disregard for rules. I hope she becomes an interesting character in this story.
Hey... I think I just realised something... Rodney's magic manifests itself as a blue flame, right?
static.tumblr.com/d7b2a4b700e1414fc5c01578f4ff3de9/ayvss5j/FSxmo5cb5/tumblr_static_tumblr_inline_mfyum08pzc1rq4xsa.gif
Is he related to this crazy bitch?
Oh my god! IT LIVES!!!
mtfca.com/discus/messages/331880/359582.jpg
IM actually curious as to what would happen if discord met Rodney.
I mean.. With all this chaos happening shouldn't he be freed already?
3165747 I guess Zanthimos explained it to well enough. Anyone who spent a great deal of time in the castle would more than likely realize Blueblood's true character. Those that he likes, holds a respectable position, or the general public might not know; especially to the general public. They just see him as a Prince and that's likely it.
3165856 Hardly, things are going to get shaken real good.
3165900 I know it's still a transition chapter but I try to make it as enjoyable and interesting as possible.
3165908 Ah the infamy of long ass writing. People forget what happened in the last chapter and so forth. Sorry it took so long, I hope re-reading it was enjoyable.
3166056 Huzzah!!
3166246 Everybody hear that!? It's all his fault!!
3166446 Plushies for everyone!!
3166631 Hmm, I'm still considering if I should go through Rodney's interview in the newspaper in detail or just skim it so I can get the story moving faster. Which do you prefer?
3166638 After that song you showed me, I concede defeat.
3168116 Why stop there? Intensify it and turn it into a spotlight.
3168217 Actually I was considering that at one point, but the particular vid I found was more simple and I liked it better that way.
3168226 Everytime I read your "positive", I hear a small rewarding sound effect in my brain.
3168265 I'm pretty sure they made a lot of people think of random stuff, so don't worry it's normal.
3168408 I am aware that it feels slightly off character for Inquest to forget, but it made the scene after have more of a 'twist'.
3168510 Why not?
3168514 I may have to repeat that info on the shackles again. It was only mentioned in the earlier chapter and that was a freaking long time ago. Thx for bringing this up.
3168548 As of right now she's more of a side character. I'm more focused in Shine Bright at the moment. But who knows right?
3168788 Well crap
. It looks like the cat's out of the bag. I'll admit, Azula was a really strong inspiration behind some ideas I had for Rodney.
3169037 This update certainly took a while eh?
I'll try not to make you wait another month for the next chapter.
3169383 Hush now, all in due time my friend.
3169457 I only thought of it because I've just rewatched Avatar on Netflix, and you happened to update at her final fight with Zuko!
2987073
Homeworld was such a good game.
3169457Haven't re-read yet. Usually if I say forgot what happened, I wait to see what the author says. Though it's gonna be a while before I can re-read this. I have to edit a couple stories for some friends of mine.
3169457 If you decide to make the newspaper article a little on the longer side, you could put it as a standalone intermission chapter.
3166446
Creative Cloud? Why on earth would you want to fork over a load of cash to rent software that you'll lose access to the instant you stop the subscription? Not to mention access to your work if you made the mistake of saving in a proprietary format.
3169949 Between actually writing new chapters or rewriting old ones, for me the choice is obvious with what little time I have.
3168510 Absolutely.
I would have thought that Inquest would have known about Rodney and thought of him for a motive. He seems to have left a serious gaping hole in his info-gather for the motive. How could he have not inquired about all details involved in the dragon attack or not gathered all facts about odd occourences near Ponyville around this incident? Come on another visitor in the area and Inquest ignores that fact?
Man, it's been a while since the last Shackles and Friendship update
So long I forgot about it. When it showed up in my favorites as an updated story, I thought it was a kinky clopfic.
3171800 *thumbs up*
Zai, maybe you should just ask Pinkie on a date already?
3172914 Wow.
3173490 Indeed they should. Pinkie is best afterall
I'll be honest, the beginning of this was absolutely horrible. It pressed a holy fuckton of my buttons (there's a list on my profile if you're really that curious as to what I mean) constantly.
When I was about to abandon the sinking ship, I sneaked a peak into a later chapter. I discovered that as soon as you got an editor, like magic your story suddenly was no longer shit.
My advice; get your editor to go back and fix your beginning. Seriously, the overall quality of this story would improve exponentially if you made that happen.
3183831 Yeah someone already brought that up a few days ago and I already know my earlier work is horrendous, even to me now. But with life being the way it is I want to spend what little free time I have to writing more chapter and pushing it through. Rewriting past chapter will definitely help like you pointed out but most readers would lose interest or forget what this story was all about.
I can certainly ask my editor to rework past chapters but.....I think he might go mental.
Interesting bit about the investigators missing the true plot because they are lacking all the clues, or dont know VIP X is coming to town on that day.. It feels like how it happens IRL all the time in detective and spy cases.
A lot of writers forget everything blindingly obvious to them is not so to their characters, who arent getting a bird's eye view of all the facts.
Great job!
By the way, always remember to indent the first line of the paragraph.
Yay, it updated! Sadly, this story updates infrequently enough for me to forget previous chapters, so I had to reread some chapters to remember events that are talked about. Anyway, thanks for the new chapter.
But I have a suggestion of sorts. Don't take it as an offense, Zaibatsu, but could you consider making all the parts with Inquest and Crea into a spin-off, some kind of auxiliary story? Those who want will still be able to read them. Of course, that's your story and you can do whatever you want, but, honestly, I can't bring myself to read about them. Inquest's character just puts me off, and Crea isn't much better. Also they are stealing the spotlight - only half of this chapter is about Rodney.
Chocolate rain?
Some stay dry while others feel the pain.
Well, after ignoring lunch and writing mahself, I have finally caught up! And I must say I'm quite enjoying this story, it has all the bits I find entertaining in a story and I'm quite curious as to who this other mystery "visitor" is.
Alas, I must wait now, having caught up but I eagerly await seeing the update notification when it does!
3170773
Cause I need to get this software now and I don't have thousands of dollars to spend ATM
3178875
Damn right.
IF Z is cool with it, I would like to have another editor working with me so we can get the chapters out faster and catch more errors. So depending on what he says, if you're interested drop me a PM, I will give you a piece of an old chapter to edit, and whoever does best gets the job.
stream1.gifsoup.com/view1/3700616/tryouts-o.gif
"Tryouts"
3163080
What you painted it?
You do realize there is a site that lets you make CUSTOMIZED templates?
Just type in the word and walla!
Althought I'm to lazy to add the link
3286050 I know, but you're limited to that template once it's done. I suppose you can still change the color and all but...eh.
found you, mr bubbles
, sooo... a mind leech is after the human,this WON'T end well 
3314839 in all Honesty
i think it was just a mistake
Shucks. I've only got one chapter left to read. It's taken me almost a week, but now my reserves are plum-empty. *Sigh*