• Published 22nd Aug 2012
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II - adcoon



Can Rainbow Dash fight destiny, or will she and her friends have to give up the Magic of Friendship?

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II.8 - The Prisons We Build

A light like liquid flame spilled forth from the great eye and illuminated a face carved in basalt rock. Stone ground together, and thick black smoke oozed from red-hot cracks as the creature rose from its slumber. Rainbow's jaw dropped open as she gazed up at the squat, dragon-like figure of ancient carved stone. What in Tartarus is that thing? her mind wished her to scream, but she choked it back.

The giant lowered its head toward her. Rainbow instinctively backed away as its dragon-like face came near and its mouth of jagged, obsidian teeth opened a crack. A wave of heat billowed forth and hit her like a wall. “Hrm,” its voice rumbled. “I am not that unspeakable, am I, little pony? Hrm, If you will you may call me Kin.”

Rainbow backed away a little further. “Y-you can read my mind?”

“Hrm, not at all.” His face split in a grim smile as he lifted a heavy claw and tapped beneath his eye. “But your face speaks for you, little pony.”

“W-well, I ain't scared of you!” she said and held up her hooves in a fighting pose, trying not to let her face betray her again. He couldn't possibly be very fast anyway, someone as big and heavy as that. She would be a mile away before he could take one step. “Are you in league with Eden too?” She narrowed her eyes. “What are you guarding down here?” Something like this had to guard something important.

“What makes you think, hrm, that I guard anything?” he asked innocently. A little too innocently, in Rainbow's opinion.

“You are, aren't you?” She was getting her courage back now and leaned to one side to glance around the giant into the smoky darkness behind him. “I bet there's something behind you that Eden don't want anypony to see. Well, I'm gonna see it!” She set off and raced past him. He made no move as she soared past and spun around. “Hah! I'm behind you now, what are you gonna do?”

“Hrm, what's behind me then?” Kin rumbled, his back to her. She noticed he had a pair of great stone wings like a dragon's too. She couldn't imagine something as big and heavy as him possibly flying. Stone wasn't meant to fly.

Rainbow looked around. There were walls and ancient columns, all cracked or broken and blackened from ages of smoke. What remained of the floor was covered in thick layers of ash. There was a giant broken throne carved from granite and marble with faded gold decorations. It looked like it had been there for eons and been quite a grand sight once.

“Anything worth guarding?” the dragon-thing rumbled on.

Rainbow felt like a fool. There wasn't anything there but ash and ruins and the gold on the throne, but that was hardly worth it. She turned around and glared at him. “You're mocking me, aren't you?”

Kin turned his head a little to look at her out of the corner of his fiery eye. “Hrm, perhaps I just wanted to place myself between you and the exit. What now, little pony?”

“You can't stop me. I'm way too fast for you,” Rainbow said triumphantly, confident that she could easily slip past him again and escape if she wanted to.

“Hrm, then what is keeping you?”

Rainbow glared at him. “Nothing.” Deep down a voice of doubt whispered, but where will I go and what will I do? “You can't keep me here!”

The giant turned around to face her. “Must be, hrm, nice.” He glanced around.

Perhaps it was something in his molten eyes or the wistful glance he gave the room. Rainbow followed his eyes around the room and up at the ceiling. There really was nothing here but ash and ruins, and only one way out, conveniently situated behind him now. The creature, even crouching, towered over the doorway. There was no way he would be able to get out. “Oh …”

“Hrm, we all have our prisons,” Kin rumbled and sat down. “What is your name, little pony?”

“Rainbow Dash.” The fighting spirit had rather gone as she sat down at the base of the giant throne. “Are you one of Eden's prisoners too, then?”

“What, hrm, makes you believe that?”

“This is her place, isn't it? Why does she keep you here?”

Kin huddled up, his head tugged against his chest in a position of rest. “Hrm, this is my place, miss Rainbow Dash. Eden is my guest in these halls, and her guests are my guests as well. She does so liven up the old, hrm, stones.” He sighed, making the walls and columns shiver.

“But … why are you trapped here, then?” Rainbow tried to make sense of it and failed.

“My, hrm, creators never intended me to leave this room. I was to be their, hrm, king and sit on this throne,” he waved a claw at the throne behind Rainbow, “to dispense wisdom and judgment. Would you believe that I have never, hrm, seen anything beyond this room in my entire life?”

“That's horrible! Who would do something like that?”

“Hrm, I do not think cruelty was their intention, it simply never, hrm, occurred to them that a king could be anything but big. Or that he might, hrm, like to use the wings they gave him.”

“But who are they, and what is this place?”

“Ah, hrm, yes,” the giant rumbled. “Time does flow, hrm. I suppose you would not know of my people, the gargoyles. Once they lived in these parts and called me their king, but now they have gone to far away lands of sand and sun, or so I hear.”

“There has to be a way out of here,” Rainbow protested. It didn't seem fair. “Can't you dig your way out or something?”

“Hrm, I am confident that Eden will get me out of here some day.” Kin stared past Rainbow. “She says it's not a, hrm, problem at all. Any time I like.”

“She's lying to you,” Rainbow scowled. “I bet she is.”

Kin didn't seem greatly concerned. “Hrm, now, what makes you say that? It is a serious, hrm, accusation.”

“You're still here. If she can get you out, why hasn't she?”

The giant lowered its gaze. “Because, hrm, I have asked her to wait. Where, hrm, will I go? What, hrm, will I see? These four walls are all I have ever known. The thought of leaving them fills me with grave fear.”

Rainbow blinked. “But … you're huge! I bet you could take on a full-grown dragon! What's there to fear for someone like you?”

“Sometimes the worst prisons are the ones our minds create for ourselves, Rainbow Dash.” The new voice came from behind her. Rainbow jumped up and spun around, craning her neck to look up at Eden sitting on the throne. It wasn't the throne of a moment ago, or even the same room. It was as if Rainbow was staring back in time to a time when the room was not in ruins but full of life and light and majestic beauty. The walls behind the throne were white and golden, the floor a mosaic of silver, and in the middle sat the throne of marble and gold.

“I told you, she livens up the old place,” Kin rumbled behind her. Rainbow looked around at the giant, the ruins, and the ash. One half of the room looked like this, the other looked like it had just been pulled out of some distant past, and she hadn't even noticed a change.

Rainbow glared back up at Eden. “What's your deal?”

“My deal,” Eden began, “is to help foster harmony and balance in this world, between all its creatures, to give their lives meaning and help them realize their goals. I care for all creatures who try to live in harmony with themselves and others, whether they be ponies … or changelings.” She shifted a little and leaned forward. “Yes, I hear you stumbled upon our two guests, and that young Flix gave you a bad scare. She is quite upset that she didn't handle it better, and that she caused you to run away. I fear she felt she might have failed me. I do hope you will give her a chance.”

“But—” Rainbow began, feeling oddly guilty. She shouldn't feel guilty, they were the ones who had kept her in the dark and lied to her and who were spying on the princess … and who knew what other sinister things.

“I know it is hard for you after your recent experiences, but try to look past the cover. Flix and her brother are changelings, but they are also deserters and in a very difficult situation. It is the nature of all changelings to serve their queen and follow the hive. I could tell them that their queen is alive, and I could help them rejoin their hive, but I know they cling to the possibility that she is dead and their hive scattered. The uncertainty comforts them because if she's dead, then they're not really deserters. It takes a lot of guts for them to go against their nature, just like dear Kin here needs his time to leave this place. We all build prisons for ourselves. We fear change, and we fear letting go of what we have, but sometimes we have to break out and let loose. I am very proud of them for defying their queen and seeking a better life. I will help them find their own destiny.”

“But …” Rainbow was feeling awful. “Blaze …” Or whatever his name is. “He lied to me and used me!”

“I think you got a little carried away, both of you. I suggest you talk with him about it. Give him a chance, and work it out together, for your own as well as his sake.” Eden leaned back a little again. “I did not mean to mislead you or keep these things from you. I simply didn't want to overwhelm you last night. After everything that happened, I thought you might appreciate taking things a little at a time.” She sighed a bit as if what she was getting to was painful to deal with. “The fact is that my relationship with your rulers, the young princess Luna in particular, is very strained. Flix and her brother have been trying to help me bring a peaceful solution to a long and difficult conflict. They see themselves as diplomats more than spies, and we treat our two guests well even if we have to keep them from leaving here. They will return safe and sound once this is resolved.”

Rainbow looked down glumly. Eden dropped down from the throne and sat next to her. “Will you give us a chance? Will you hear our story?”

“Yeah, I … I suppose I shouldn't be so quick to judge,” Rainbow muttered.

Eden smiled. “I am pleased to hear that. Now, I suppose we had better start from the beginning, so that there are no more misunderstandings between us …”

***

Eden paused and looked up at the blackened ceiling. “This conflict with the princess has gone on for far too long. It must end now, and I only want it to end peacefully.” Eden looked back at Rainbow. “You saw what the future looks like. That is how things will end if we can not find a peaceful solution, and I can not do that without you. I need you on my side, Rainbow Dash, and I need you to do what is right and help me convince your friends to do the same.”

Rainbow was getting restless, trying to contain all this and make head and tail of the dilemmas facing her. “But isn't it better that we have the Elements? Isn't that what saved us all from Discord in the first place? What if he comes back?”

“Remember that it was because the mortal races were not vigilant that Discord gained his freedom in the first place. Imagine what will happen if Discord manages to corrupt the ponies like he did then, but now they possess the only power that could stop him? Who will then take up the Elements and defeat him? I would be powerless to do so. Last time he got free he very nearly managed this by corrupting the six of you. Had Celestia and Luna succumbed as well, who would have stopped him?”

“And,” she continued before Rainbow could think it through “, can you tell me why it should be the ponies holding this power and not the griffons? What about the dragons? Or the changelings? How about the buffalo, zebra, mules and donkeys?” She gestured at the silent Kin. “Gargoyles? Right now there are several nations who are asking that very question in earnest, and some of them are very close to reaching a decision that it's about bloody time they got to wield this precious power. The dragons are mobilizing in the south; the changelings have been working to regain what they lost, and their queen now has her eyes on a new and greater prize; even the griffons are uneasy, and they have long been on good terms with Equestria. There are only two ways this can end, in total war … or by no one getting to wield the Elements. You saw where this is going. It is going to end in nothing but death and despair. That is why I need you, and you me.”

Rainbow looked down at her hooves.

Eden reached out and placed a paw on her back. “Remember what I said about the prisons we build for ourselves.” She gestured up at Kin again. The giant had been listening in silent attention during their discussion. “Sometimes we cling to what we know, even if it hurts us.”

***

Rainbow counted the steps as she flew up the stairs. Two hundred and forty seven, she counted the last one and nearly bumped head first into Frostfell as she turned the corner. She was not sure how she had intended to go about this, but admittedly not like this. The other mare took a step back, and her wing twitched a bit nervously. Rainbow sighed. “Look, I'm not good at this, but … I'm sorry I kinda … hit you in the face and didn't, you know, give you a chance. You cool?”

The mare rubbed her eye a little and gave a small grin. “Yeah, thanks. I've had worse.” Her wing twitched again. She ruffled it a bit and sighed. “I should have handled that better, so uh, sorry. My real name is Flix, by the way.” She held out a hoof towards Rainbow, looking hopeful.

“Don't mention it.” Rainbow bumped the hoof lightly. It was almost surreal standing here, bumping hooves with a known changeling. She glanced at Flix' wing as it twitched again. “Uh … something wrong with your wing?”

Flix followed her eyes and shook her head. “Ah, no … it does that when I'm not flying. When I get a little restless or a little bit uneasy.” She gave the wing a good flutter and looked back up. “So … this is kinda strange, ain't it?”

“Uh, yeah,” Rainbow nodded and scratched her neck. “I should probably go see … your brother, huh?”

Flix nodded again, although she looked a bit disappointed. “Yeah. I hope we'll talk later, though, but I can understand if you wouldn't want me around. I bought you muffins from town, if you're hungry.”

“I found them. They were pretty good.”

Flix brightened up a little. “Oh, good. I had to ask the baker what kind he thought you might like. I think he wanted to sell me all of them just to be safe. It was kinda awkward.” She sighed and stepped aside. “We try our best, you know. I hope you'll give us a chance.”

Rainbow nodded and headed down the empty corridor. She only hoped she could handle this.

***

Rainbow stopped a little way from the door. Her body shook, and her mind felt numb. She wanted to take a deep breath more than anything, but all she could do was pretend. It didn't feel the same. She closed her eyes and hesitated a little longer before speaking up. “Who … what do you look like?”

There was a sudden shuffling from behind the door. “Rainbow? I—”

“Don't!” Rainbow cut him off. “Don't come out. How do you look? Who … do you look like?”

There was a pause before he spoke again. “Who would you like me to look like?” he said anxiously.

Rainbow closed her eyes tighter and bit her lip. “I … want to see the real you.”

“Are … you sure?” He sounded nervous.

“No, I damn well ain't!” Rainbow shouted, feeling herself losing it. She sat down heavily, back against the wall and eyes closed to keep the tears from pushing through. “You just used me! And you never meant to tell me, did you? Was I just food to you? Did you just want to feed on me?”

“Is it impossible to imagine that I could love you back?” Rainbow didn't reply. After a long silence he continued. “I know what you must think. I'm a changeling, a monster in your eyes, there's no way you could … no way you could love the real me, is there? But I can love you, can't I?”

Another long pause followed. Rainbow heard the door open and hooves against the floor. They stopped a little way from her. “This is what I look like on the outside, if you wish to see, but can you say if it's really me?” he said. Rainbow sniffed and turned her head away. She didn't want to look, or let him see her tears. “My name …” he continued, hesitating. “My name is Doodlebug. I hate it,” he said with a heavy sigh. “Flix loves to tease me with it. But it's just a name, and this is just a body. I can change both easily, and I always felt more comfortable as a pony among other ponies. I would rather you see me that way.”

Rainbow opened her eyes and wiped the tears away but kept her head turned, looking down the empty corridor. Could she really love a changeling? How would she ever trust him? If she looked now, what would she see? A … horrible insect, some kind of monster, or was it really possible that deep down he was just another pony like her? “I want … just be yourself. I want to see you as yourself.”

She turned her head slowly, bracing for what she might see. She couldn't hide from him forever. The pony standing a little way from her was not so different from the Blaze she had seen earlier. A gray coat and dark blue mane on a handsome pegasus stallion with bright gray eyes. He would look kinda cute with a pair of glasses, she found herself thinking. The white blaze on his face was gone, however, and his flank now showed a trio of black beetles instead of the white flame. He looked serious as he watched her, waiting for her reaction.

“What should I call you?” she said after a while.

He looked down for a moment before replying. “How about—”

“I'm going to call you Doodle,” Rainbow interrupted him, the thought striking her suddenly. “As punishment for what you did.”

Doodle winced. “I guess I can take that like a stallion, if it means you will give me a chance? I know we got a little … carried away, but you're a pretty special mare. I hope we can start over and maybe get to know each other better.”

Rainbow looked at him carefully. Could she really love a changeling? What was it Eden said about prisons?