The Light of a Candle

by Scarheart

Five.

Breakfast

June awoke in a cocoon of pink fur and feathers. Her arms were wrapped around something big, warm, and fuzzy. It felt nice, she decided, letting sleep and awake have a sluggish tug-of-war with each other. Snuggling into the fuzzy goodness, the girl was content to stay where she was, in perfect comfort. A gap in the curtains at the window snuck in shafts of morning light.

An urgency she was too sleepy to identify was telling her to get up.

She could hear voices in the house. June became more aware of them as sleep fell away. Opening her eyes, she found she had a full view of Cadence’s face. The princess was fast asleep, her chest slowly rising and falling with every breath. A wing had been draped over June sometime while they slept, her powerful wing muscles manipulating the girl into her hooves. A content smile adorned her muzzle. An eye fluttered open, focused, and found June.

“Good morning,” the alicorn yawned. “I think I am in your bed.”

“This is my bed,” confirmed the girl. “You feel nice.”

“Kind of you to say,” smiled Cadence, “but I’m sure I’ve got bed mane, bad breath, and misaligned primaries. Still, you do have a comfortable bed and you are nice to snuggle with. Reminds me of when Flurry would climb into bed in the middle of the night. I’ll wake up and she’d be in my hooves, like you are right now.” She nuzzled June, “Makes my mommy hormones kick in.”

“Can I get up, please?” June asked, squirming. She knew what the urgency was now.

Cadence became self-conscious of where her wings and limbs were. “Oh, I’m sorry, am I smothering you?”

“I have to pee!”

The princess became aware of her own biology. “Me too,” she grumbled, kicking out her legs and giving a mighty yawn. Sliding to her hooves, Cadence glanced around the room. The bed was pushed up to one corner. It was large enough for three ponies. Pillows were piled up against the wall on the mattress. The pair had made a nest of others. A vague memory of rooting around the bed and gathering nesting materials while hovering over the sleeping girl made the mare nicker.

There was a bookshelf built into the wall. It was crammed with toys and books. There was a tall wicker basket near the door. In another corner was a desk and chair. A candle sat in a lantern, one not unfamiliar with the princess. It was the common tool of students who lived too far from a school. Schooling Through Correspondence had recently gone through several revisions starting half a decade ago, spearheaded by, of course, Princess Twilight Sparkle. The lantern bore her mark. There were signs of homework arranged neatly on the desk. Not wanting to be too nosy, Cadence gave them a pass.

She would ask the girl how her schooling was doing.

It was a godmother’s privilege, after all.

Her curiosity grew beyond the walls of June’s room after noting the dresser. The room itself seemed larger than the cottage. She could sense the magic in this home and though she was a far cry from an expert in magic infused architectural design, expansion magic had been used. Enchanting a home to appear larger on the inside than it was physically on the outside was expensive, even prohibitively so for most. It involved not only opening dimensional portals between physical space, but stabilizing them as a permanent part of the house.

Poking her head out of the girl’s room, the alicorn knew she was not wrong in her deduction. The hallway before her stretched for several pony lengths. There were five other doors sharing the corridor. The wood floor was polished and dark. The walls were painted an off-white. No, it was not a mansion, but this home was large enough for a family of four or five.

Her nostrils caught the scent of food and...coffee! Her stomach rumbled. Ears perked up. She still had to relieve herself.

“Where’s the bathroom?” she asked herself. Trotting in place, she stared at each door and wondered which one sweet relief lay behind.

One of the doors opened on her left. June stepped out. A flushing toilet could be heard.

Cadence was dancing the ‘Distract the Bladder’ dance in the hallway. “Saved!” she sang.

---

The interior design was a custom job. The living room was large and sunken into the floor. There was a fireplace dominating one wall. Two large and plush couches commanded the floor with a coffee table between them. The ceiling raised up to the roof, the support beams visible. At each of the couches were end tables. There was also a dining room and a kitchen, both sharing the same space and divided by a breakfast counter.

Fizzlepop was sitting at the table, nursing a cup of coffee, a bored expression on her muzzle. June was busy drawing something at the table, glancing at the mare with the look of a master artist in the throes of her magnum opus.

It was a beautiful, expensive home, but nothing as opulent as some other dimensional expansion homes Cadence had seen. She felt the design was practical, the open ceiling and rafters set up to accommodate guests with wings. The alicorn wondered if this was the final design Kaga had chosen to raise her family in. The woman had wanted any and all welcome in her home, within reason.

Jakob was in the kitchen, working with a sizzling skillet over the stove. He appeared to have already showered and was dressed in a clean pair of pants and a sleeveless shirt. There were scars crisscrossing his arms. Seeing the man in such a domestic state made Cadence do a double take. She covered her smile with a hoof.

“Good morning,” she announced as she entered the dining room. Seating herself, Cadence took a moment to stare at Jakob, squinting as her nostrils caught enticing scents from his cooking.

Fizzlepop looked up and raised her mug, “Princess. I hope you slept well.”

“You brushed your mane!” June pouted as she stared at the alicorn. “I liked it the other way.”

Cadence made a face. “Ha-ha, not funny. I have horrid bed mane and no thank you, June, I like to have my mane in a more manageable state, thank you very much.” Thinking of who was not here, she regarded the unicorn, “I slept very well, thank you. Ah, has Sergeant Sentry reported back yet? It shouldn’t take long to find a pair of reporters.”

“Nothing yet,” answered Fizzlepop. She sipped her cup, “He did report in just after sunup. He took two of ours from Berryville to help him follow some leads.” A note floated up from the table and over to the princess.

Cadence scanned over the hurried script on the paper. “I wonder why he’s having difficulty finding them, unless they know they made a mistake and are in the process of making things worse instead of owning up to it.”

Jakob was doling out food from his skillet to plates. An intense look of concentration contorted his features. “I can ask Cassandra to help,” he offered in his rumbling voice. “June, come grab these plates and the silverware.”

“Who is Cassandra?” Fizzlepop asked.

June slid from her chair and went around the counter. “Aunt Cassy is a changeling queen,” she said.

The unicorn raised her brows. “Changeling queen? I thought Chrysalis was the only queen. And why do you have connections to a changeling queen, Baron Gray?”

Cadence winced. “I had forgotten about her,” she said, knitting her brows together. “Queen Cassandra represents— correct me if I’m wrong, Jakob —the peacekeeping force employed by the barony in place of the contingent of guards the Crown can offer.”

June began serving the mares.

“She keeps to herself,” Jakob said, leaning on the counter. “There was an arrangement made without my knowledge. I know nothing about other changelings, but Cassandra lives with the belief of owing a life debt that transitions from generation to generation. She and her lineage are sworn to June” —he pointed at his daughter— “because at some point, Kaga saved her life and offered Cassandra a chance for a fresh start. I do not know when or how this happened. The bug horse has been evasive, she does not like me, but I am certain she would happily give her life to protect my daughter.”

“Father, Aunt Cassy likes you. She just doesn’t think much of males.”

“I need not explain further,” deadpanned the big man.

Fizzlepop eyed her food, her nostrils inhaling the aroma. “Any changeling queen is a dangerous wildcard. Can she be trusted? That’s what I want to know.”

“You could ask her,” suggested Jakob. “She is right behind you.”

The unicorn spun in her seat, the base of her shattered horn crackling with wild magic.

In the corner sat the imposing figure of what was unmistakably a changeling. “Good morning,” she greeted them with a predatory smile. “Breakfast smells wonderful. Nothing for me, of course. Solid foods aren’t my thing. A girl’s got to watch her figure, after all.”

Cadence froze in her chair, her eyes wide. “Jakob!” she squeaked.

The queen focused her attention on the Alicorn of Love and gave a polite bob of her head, “Princess Mi Amore Cadenza, it is a pleasure to meet you at last. The love you give is an inspiration for me and my children to do better. I am Queen Cassandra, formerly Queen Avarice, renamed and repurposed by Lady Kaga Gray, so I might provide protection in the name of House Gray and its bloodline, so invoked by the Diarchs, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna.”

“Hi Aunt Cassy!” June ran over and hugged the changeling.

“Good morning, my little dear,” gushed the queen, returning the affection. Her wings buzzed off and on. “Oh, that is delicious. Always a treat! Thank you, June. This is so much more productive than invading a city and trying to force love from sapients that in the end, will end up just hating you.”

“Is she supposed to be in here?” Fizzlepop asked, eyeing Cassandra warily.

“Yes.” Jakob was pouring two cups of coffee.

By now, Cadence had recovered from her shock. She assumed a diplomatic role, an apology already streaming smoothly from her lips, “Forgive me for not being prepared to receive you, Queen Cassandra.”

The changeling was nuzzling June. She lifted her head, shaking it with a smile, “Think nothing of it, princess.” She assumed a thoughtful and exaggerated expression, “Now why had I come here? Ah, yes, I do have information on your two little ponies, if you are interested.”

“Speak,” commanded Jakob as he nudged Cadence, offering her a steaming cup.

The queen stared at him for a moment, then rolled her eyes. “Bandits, in the northern part of the foothills,” she said, sweeping her gaze back and forth between Cadence and Fizzlepop. “Four leagues from here by foot. They’re holed up in an old, abandoned keep. I think your two reporters were taken by them. From the looks of what they have, they’ve been going after griffons and are using your land as a staging ground.”

“How long have you known?” Jakob asked. He sipped his coffee.

Cassandra tilted her head to one side, one mulish ear twitching, “One of my children spotted them and followed early last evening. As per procedure, I asked for some intelligence to be gathered before committing to submitting the report I am giving you right this very moment.”

The man nodded, mulling over the information as he scratched his chin, “Fair enough. I need to change. Then we can get going. You can fill me in on the way.”

“Wait,” Cadence perked her ears, her eyes wide with alarm, “what are you talking about?”

Jakob scowled, “Unwelcome guests are on my property. They must be dealt with now, before they grow in numbers.”

“Alone?” the alicorn’s voice rose an octave or two.

Cassandra gave her a fanged smile, “Relax, Princess Cadenza. He’s got me and I’ve got children who need their exercise.”

“I’m going,” Fizzlepop told Cadence. Her ears were perked and her tail was wagging with excitement. “With your permission, I will represent the Crystal Empire on your behalf, your Highness.” She eyed her plate, then added, “After I eat.”

“Wait, what?”

Holding her fork aloft with her aura, the unicorn reasoned, “It’s not a good idea to go into a fight with no energy.” A forkful of food went into her mouth. After a few moments of chewing, her eyes went wide and stared at the plate. “Oh, that’s good!”

“Father?” June was confused and looked to Jakob. The attitude in the house had changed. The adults had become serious. There was fear in her voice, “What’s going on?”

“You stay here with Cadence,” he told her in a quiet voice. “There is something I must do. I will be back as soon as the task is done. Do not worry,” Jakob knelt. He gave his daughter a hug with a reassuring squeeze, “you will be safe.”

Cassandra lowered her neck to the girl. “Don’t worry. I’ll keep your daddy in one piece. I promise,” she told June, giving her a kiss on the forehead.

Jakob went through the living room and down the hall. A door opened and closed. Fizzlepop ate quickly and quaffed her coffee. “I have to admit,” she said, smacking her lips, “he does a nice job making those potatoes nice and crispy. June, don’t you worry about your father. He’s going to have plenty of help. I’m sure the information is accurate, right, Queen Cassandra?” her gaze shifted and bore holes into the changeling, even as her voice remained pleasant.

“I am magically bound by choice, pony,” sniffed Cassandra. “I am interested in keeping my hive intact and thriving by any means necessary. A thriving population of happy ponies means full bellies for my children and security for their future. Doing anything to endanger that would be pretty stupid of me, don’t you think?”

The unicorn and the alicorn exchanged glances. “Princess, will you be all right here? I would recommend teleporting yourself and June to Berryville.”

“I am not trained as a warrior,” Cadence huffed, “but I am an alicorn and I do have access to certain magics I can use to protect myself and others.” She then sighed, “I will go to the hamlet and put the guard on alert.”

Fizzlepop smirked, her eyes softening, “No, you are not a warrior, but you’ve gotten a lot better at the whole alicorn princess thing since we first met.”

Cadence rolled her eyes at the mare. “Gee, thanks. June, I’m going to take you with me. We’ll be somewhere safe and we can wait for your father there.”

Jakob emerged, his attire changed. He was wearing olive drab pants and a padded black shirt. In his right hand was a massive two handed sword in a leather sheath with straps wrapped around it. A battered pair of boots carried him back to the kitchen. He went to his daughter, leaning his sword into his shoulder. Without a word, he knelt and gathered the frightened girl to him with his right arm and clutched her tightly to his chest.

June clutched at him, refusing to cry. She wanted to be brave, because Father was being brave. “Cadence says we’re going to town,” her voice managed as she hiccuped.

“I can teleport with her to Berryville. We’ll wait for your return there,” the princess announced.

The man inclined his head. “Thank you.”

---

Due to Fizzlepop’s broken horn, teleportation was impossible. Cassandra could not do it as she had never studied the same sort of magic Equestrian unicorns were taught. Hers was of a wilder school of magic, more inclined to be inherited and natural. Instead, she carried the human in her forelegs while it took a pair of her children to carry a wide-eyed unicorn mare who was certain she was going to be dropped at any given moment. It would not have done any of the magic users any good, as the act of teleportation required the user to be able to visualize where they needed to go.

The early history regarding the development of the teleportation spell was a gruesome horror story.

Cassandra did know where she was going as she was in constant contact with her children. All she had to do was home in on the ones who were watching the bandit hideout. She was helpful in reporting the movements of their intended targets, announcing patrols and lookouts as she flew. The queen was enjoying herself, if the grin on her muzzle was any indication. The land passed by beneath them. It was a different perspective to say the least.

Jakob hated flying. It was an alien thing to him, as he of course, had no wings. As the queen carried his bulk, he refused to look down. A grim visage was plastered across his face as he kept his gaze on the horizon. He had no fear of heights; climbing mountains or buildings were things he had done in the past. Jakob had even been on an airship a few times because necessity had required it. It did bother the human as he could feel nothing beneath his feet. It was not natural!

Cassandra sensed this, and as with her kind, could feel all sorts of emotions, especially when they were strong. Fear could be suppressed in so many ways, but Jakob might as well have been an open book to the changeling. As a result, her grin became wicked. Her grip loosened just a touch.

“Do not even think about it,” he warned her with a glare.

It only made her belly laugh. “I would love to indulge in curing you of this unnatural fear you have,” she told him, rolling her head to one side and regarding him. The grin was still there, feral and mischievous. She held him close to her barrel, “I don’t mind holding you a little tighter, a little closer. I might dream of dropping you, but that is all it will be: a dream. I also have to keep in mind the sad face of your little girl if something were to happen to you. Such a tragic thing is the last thing I want.”

Fizzlepop Berrytwist was too involved in her own problems of having a pair of changeling drones carry her to say or do anything. They were half the size of their mother and only slightly smaller than the average pony. Their monochromatic eyes glowed like little green suns. They lacked the mane and tail of their queen, and their horns were much shorter. The pair chittered at each other in a manner suggesting an ongoing argument, with their passenger no doubt the focus of that argument. Fizzlepop was being held by the forelegs, a changeling on each one. It was uncomfortable to say the least and neither of her carriers seemed capable of speaking beyond their own insectoid language.

“If you two could just concentrate on flying straight,” she shouted through gritted teeth, “that would be great.”

They ignored her and continued their argument.

It took a little over an hour to make the journey. At a distance considered beyond the view of the ruins and any possible lookouts, they landed behind a hill at the edge of a conifer forest. The pony and the human took a few minutes to regain their walking legs.

Cassandra was apologetic about her two children who had carried the mare. Their argument had stemmed from which looked cooler on the unicorn; the scar or the broken horn?

The sparks that erupted from Fizzlepop’s shattered horn stump nearly started a forest fire, along with the barely restrained comment, “I’ll show them which is more dangerous, instead!”

The queen was enjoying herself too much at the expense of her allies. Her grin seemed to have become a permanent fixture on her muzzle, even as she began to relay what her children reported to Jakob and Fizzlepop. A plan needed to be made. Even as a pair of accusatory glares were tearing into her, Cassandra paid them no mind. There was soon to be fun, and she was certain it would take care of any ill will that had built up during the time it took to ferry the two here.

There was only one thing Jakob was interested in first and foremost.

The grinning changeling found the information he wanted. “My children have found them,” she said to the human, “two pegasus ponies. Both appear to have been asking for a story from the bandit leader.” Her eyes flickered for a moment, her smile faltering for a moment. “Oh, this is interesting,” she hummed. “Jakob?”

“What is it now?”

“One of my children has identified the bandit leader. Very interesting!” Cassandra flicked her tail and buzzed her wings with excitement, “Have you ever fought a minotaur?”

Author's Note:

Things are going to pick up a little bit. Anxiety and worry abound while a man gets squatters off his lawn.

I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Until next time!

Comments

[bronyclone1497]

Nice chapter! Keep up the good work!

[Zugthule]

I am really enjoying this story

[Skyblazer9]

Awesome story, keep up the fantastic work!

[nioniosbbbb]

GET OFF MY LAWN!

Oh man. Now let's see what made Jakob what he is.