Imprisonment and Memories
A/N: I was abducted.
By Slenderman.
Really.
And on a side note, the new author's notes box can kiss my ass.
Enjoy!
Pain.
All over.
It dominated his senses, flowing over his entire body like acid. His face hurt, his chest hurt, his legs hurt... pretty much every body part that he had ever possessed in his life hurt at that moment. If he had been able to think straight, and if he hadn't known any better, he would've guessed that nothing less than a mountain had been dropped on him and then left there.
But of course, he knew that wasn't what happened.
Groaning, he tried to push past the majority of the pain and determine which part of his body hurt the most. This turned out to be his wing, which he was surprised to find still attached to his body. Apparently he had been lucky enough not to have any of the stunning spells hit it.
For once, he didn't attempt to get up. Why should he? It didn't take a genius to figure out where he was. He had been captured. He had been knocked unconscious. In all likelihood he was probably lying on some dry, hard, rough stone floor somewhere in the Canterlot dungeons. And if he wasn't, even better. That meant he was dead and didn't need to worry about anything.
However, just lying there and groaning didn't really appeal to him either. So instead he closed his mouth and devoted most of his remaining energy to one of his favorite pastimes: Thinking.
Because really, what else could he do?
Everything! His instincts screamed at him. Find a way out! Explore your surroundings! Figure out how much trouble you’re in and try to prepare yourself as much as possible!
He snorted, which hurt. None of those things were practical. He could barely twitch his nose without experiencing a fresh surge of pain, and, if his guess was correct, he was in a jail cell. There was nothing TO explore. He also knew exactly how much trouble he was in. The only thing that could be counted as 'preparing' was the thing he was currently doing: Not wasting energy and assessing the situation.
No, in this case instincts would only serve to hinder him. The best plan of action was simply to stay put and recharge. He could think about escaping when he was at full magical capacity.
With that settled, his mind drifted back to what had brought about his capture. This proved to be a bad idea, as thinking about it made him wince, and wincing hurt. He'd had a good plan. He'd managed to avoid most of the guards. He had sensed the ambush and managed to avoid it, plus he ended up being faster than any of the soldiers chasing him. He had salvaged what most would call an un-salvageable situation.
So why had he ended up here?
Because he'd been stupid, that's why. He'd been careless, allowing an entire squad to sneak up on him while he mindlessly punched away at the shield. This entire situation was basically his fault.
And now he had ponies to contend with.
Honestly? Not that big of a deal. At least, it wouldn't have been if he had access to his normal abilities, which he didn't.
Letting lose another groan, he began to force his eyes open. An incredibly tedious task when one is being fraught with pain, he hadn't enjoyed it the first time and liked it even less now. It was positively and utterly the single most frustrating thing he had ever had to do, and resolved never to let this happen to him again. He was a damn super-soldier; he should at least be able to open his eyes!
For such a difficult task, the reward was most unsatisfying: A dark gray ceiling, pure stone with absolutely no decoration to speak of. He felt kind of miffed. They could at least have put him in a cell with an interesting ceiling. After all, he was going to be staying here for at least a week.
He shifted his head, letting it roll to the side without moving too many muscles. It helped a little. The spike of pain was now bearable, at least.
Gazing forward, he found himself staring at a set of bars jutting out from the floor and expanding to the edge of his vision. His suspicions of being in a cell confirmed, he took a moment to expand his eyesight beyond the bars and take in the rest of the hallway:
Stone floor. There was also a duplicate cell directly across from him that was currently being occupied by a singular dust ball. There, that was enough taking in.
His eyes disagreed however, and soon he found himself ideally scrutinizing the bars that separated him from the outside. They were fairly normal, made of wrought iron and seamlessly connected to the ceiling and floor. Standard prison bars that pretty much any kingdom that wasn't dirt-poor used: Firm, sturdy, cheap, and reliable.
Mentally, he snorted. Yeah, nice try you bunch of pricks. He could bend through those if he had too. Or melt them. Or break them, or smash them, or vaporize them, or...
No. No, he was getting ahead of himself. Whatever he did, it would be quick and silent. This wasn't some Diamond Dog raider camp, this was Canterlot. Stealth was key.
Yeah, because stealth served you so well getting out of here, didn't it?
He ignored his inner feelings. What happened hadn't been stealth's fault; it had been stupidity's fault. There was a difference.
Sighing, he closed his eyes. None of that mattered now. Right now, he had much more pressing matters to attend to:
Rest. He needed to rest if he wanted any chance of getting out of here.
Not that he was complaining.
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Princess Celestia felt like complaining.
It was absurd, really. Complaining was a childish thing to do. It was what fillies did when they didn't get their way. It was what young couples did when their relationships weren't working out. It was what workers did when they didn't get a pay raise, what guards did when it was raining while on-duty, and what CEO's did when their janitors ended up throwing better Hearth's Warming Eve parties than they did.
And it was what she felt like doing right this very moment.
She couldn't, though. She was a princess, a ruler, a well-respected leader of an ancient and powerful kingdom, and she had long ago learned that people in that kind of position had to act a certain way. Being born an alicorn had its perks, but freedom of speech was not one of them. People expected her to be calm, wise, kind, and understanding, so that's what she gave them.
And of course, the first rule to all of that was no complaining.
So she didn't. She withheld her anger and frustration, pasted a smile on her face, and told her subjects that it was fine, everything would be okay and she would take care of it. They didn't need to worry.
“SHINING ARMOR!!!”
Well, at least.... she used to.
The Captain in question would've cringed if he wasn't too busy trying to keep his footing. As it was, the force of the Royal Canterlot Voice pushed him back about five feet and blew his mane into a straight cone. He shook his head quickly to restore it and straightened up, trying to appear dignified while looking anywhere other than at the princess sitting in front of him.
You see, while it was true that Celestia felt like complaining, she had actually surpassed that state earlier this morning.
For the first time in about 4 centuries, The Princess of the Sun... was pissed.
“Yes, your majesty?”
Very... … very... … pissed.
“FOUR AM!!! I WAS WOKEN UP AT FOUR AM BY ABOUT HALF THE ROYAL GUARD TO BE TOLD THAT OUR CITY WAS UNDER ATTACK!!! I GATHERED EVERY GUARD I COULD AND RUSHED DOWN TO REPEL IT, BUT GUESS WHAT I FOUND!?! NOTHING!!! MY SQUAD AND I ENDED UP SEARCHING ABOUT HALF THE CITY OVER THE COURSE OF THREE HOURS!!! EVERY DAMN CITIZEN WE QUESTIONED SAID THAT THEY HAD HEARD NOISES AND SEVERAL OF THEM COMPLAINED ABOUT RANDOM SPELLS THAT HAD FLOWN OUT OF NOWHERE!!! DO YOU KNOW HOW MANY LETTERS I GOT THIS MORNING DEMANDING PAYMENT FOR PROPERTY DAMAGE!?!?! THE WORST WAS FROM BLUEBLOOD!!!! APPARENTLY, ONE THE SPELLS MANAGED TO MAKE IT ALL THE WAY TO HIS BEDROOM!!! FINALLY, WE FOUND SOME KNOTHEAD WHO POSSESSED HALF A BRAIN AND HE TOLD US HE HAD STUCK HIS HEAD OUT A WINDOW AND WITNESSED THE WHOLE THING!!! GUESS WHAT HE SAW!?! YOU AND SOME RANDOM TEAM OF HALF-CRAZED IDIOTS RUNNING AROUND, FIRING BLINDLY AT SOMETHING THAT NOPONY ELSE COULD SEE!!!!”
Silence.
Breathing heavily, Celestia composed herself, straightening her tiara and correcting her posture. Her glare remained however. After fluffing out her hair a little bit, she looked up and surveyed the results of her little... outburst.
The Royal Canterlot Voice had wreaked havoc on the throne room. Several of the stained-glass windows had been cracked, and more than one was completely broken. The rug had been blasted against the far wall, and she could make out the shape of Shining Armor behind it. He probably looked worse than the room did.
Mentally, she calmed herself. She really shouldn't just let lose like that.
To be fair though, it wasn't just this morning that had caused her to explode. This whole past month had been a series of one problem after another, and all of them could be traced back to the invasion of Canterlot by the changelings. There were the usual things- property damage, traumatized civilians, injured guards – and then there were the things that just got in the way. About 98% of all the nobles in the castle wanted to know how Chrysalis had evaded security and kidnapped Princess Cadence all by herself (something that Celestia honestly had no trouble believing), and that translated into a thorough explanation of how powerful the enemy was. This, in turn, caused about 98.5% of them to panic, and the resulting riot was only contained when Shining Armor shouted at the top of his lungs and then proceeded to scold each of the nobles for having no courage whatsoever. Which they didn't, really, but it made them shut up about the whole thing.
Pushing these unpleasant thoughts out of her mind, she eyed the state of the room. No. No, this simply wouldn't do at all.
Her horn flashed, enveloping the whole room in a golden glow. When it faded, everything was back to normal, except, of course, for the Captain.
Poor Shining Armor had taken the brunt of the Royal Canterlot Voice head on, and it showed. He was pressed up against the wall, mane spread out like a sideways Mohawk, and his once-pristine armor was now all out of place. It was a good thing he hadn't been wearing a helmet, otherwise it would've most likely been torn off.
As he quickly regained his sense of balance and straightened his mane and armor, Celestia continued to glare at him. She could apologize for blasting him across the room later. Right now she wanted to know just what in all of Equestria he'd been doing.
When she spook again, it was normal, if not strict. “I trust you have an explanation?”
Shining, for the most part, hadn't been prepared for any of this and was now frantically going through Her Majesty's rant, trying to pick out the parts that made sense. Under attack? He hadn't been making that much noise had he? Then again, his focus hadn't been on noise. And he was the Captain of the Guard! Wouldn't he have been the first pony to be notified if the city was thought to be under attack? He could've explained the whole thing! Also, what the hay did she mean, something that nopony else could see?! Changelings weren't-
“Well?”
He shook himself. “Yes, Your majesty.”
She raised her eyebrows, indicating him to go on.
“That pony you questioned was wrong. We were chasing something.”
“And that would be...?”
“A changeling.”
She furrowed her brow. “A changeling? Impossible. The shield is up; a single changeling could never-”
He held up a hoof. “If I may, Your Majesty?”
Hesitantly, she nodded.
“It wasn't a changeling that had gotten in. It was a changeling that was trying to get out.”
She stared at him for a few seconds, and then waved her hoof. “Again, impossible. The shield is much too strong for a single changeling to break. How would he have gotten in in the first place?”
Shining blinked. He hadn't thought of that. In fact, he hadn't given a single thought to how the changeling had gotten in. He'd just been concerned with the fact that it was in. “I... don't know, teleportation?”
She frowned. “You are destroying your own claims, Captain. If you'd done your research, you'd know that changelings don't have enough magical energy to ever hope of attempting a teleportation spell. Their bodies simply cannot handle it.”
She decided not to mention that this only applied to normal changelings. Queen Chrysalis was more than capable of performing a teleportation spell, but in the end it didn't matter. Even Chrysalis wasn't stupid enough to attack a city twice in one month.
Leaning back, she shook her head. “You're a good captain Shining, but you have to work a little bit more on your excuses. A changeling in the city is, to be put simply, impossible. Now do tell me what really happened so we can get on with-”
“We captured it.”
This stalled Celestia's mind for about five seconds. Then her eyes snapped back to Shining. “I beg your pardon?”
For his part, Shining was just trying regain control of the situation. He had to make his majesty realize the seriousness of the situation.
“We captured it. A bit difficult, but we captured it.”
Celestia's mind began to race, contemplating the possibilities. Changelings were hard to see during the night, so it was entirely possible that a half-awake pony may not have seen it.
“And the chase?”
“We attempted to take it down silently, but it spotted us and made a run for it.” He decided not to mention how it had used of his troops as a living shield. “We couldn't outrun it, so I took half my squad and circled around to ambush it.”
She glanced at him for a moment upon hearing this. She would've thought that a whole squad would've been able to outrun a single changeling. “I see... and how did you find out about this?”
“The changeling tried to break through the shield. I felt it and triggered a silent alarm.”
She almost snorted. A changeling, breaking through the shield by itself. Apparently, it knew even less the Captain did. “And what happened after you captured it?”
“I had my troops lock it up, then told them all to get some sleep. I had intended to tell you about this in the morning, but...” He looked sheepish.
Celestia thought about this. In theory, it all made sense, except for that annoying little fact that a changeling inside the city was unlikely, if not impossible. However, this was Shining Armor, a decorated captain and one of her most trusted advisers. He would be the last pony she would expect to joke about something like this.
“Okay then.” She looked at him.
“Show me.”
122 Years Ago:
Gryphondale.
Capital of the griffons, located roughly 600 miles west of the hive and currently one of the largest cities you could find. Home of both the Halian Arena and the Great Market, this was the place you came too if you wanted to buy, sell, or fight. Usually all three.
Currently under the rule of Lord Aquila, the city was beautiful and prosperous. Populated mostly by its namesake, Gryphondale nonetheless possessed a wide variety of inhabitants and frequenters. Diamond Dogs, while not being allowed to dig, still enjoyed the city for its opportunities and barter. Changelings, preferring the atmosphere of their hive, visited the city less, but enough that their presence was never thought of as unusual. Zebras could always be found in shops, browsing through shelves or questioning the owner about some mystical object they had found. Dragons, usually not full grown, frequented the Halian Arena and libraries in a never-ending quest to increase their strength and knowledge. If you were lucky, you might spot a Sea Pony rise from the nearby river, gills fluttering and back aglow as the spell that changed its tail into a back pair of legs took effect. Ponies themselves almost never visited the city, but when they did they spent the whole entire time with their mouths open, gaping in awe at the huge variety of... well... everything!
Yes, 'everything' was a good word to describe this place. Everything for everyone from everyplace. That was the city's motto, actually. Not officially of course, but it's what any life-long resident would tell you. No matter where you were from or what you were, there would always be something you could enjoy here.
However, not a single resident will tell you that that something will be easy to find.
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Mid-day at the Great Market is never a good place to be if you're in a hurry. The crowds make it impossible to move quickly, and there will always be at least two things nearby that make you stop and take interest. Jewels, armor, books, weapons, clothing, sculptures, and pretty much anything under the sun was sold at the stands that surrounded the main building, which itself was simply called 'The Tradepost'. Here, you could again find almost anything you wanted, except this time you got to trade for it. Weapons were exchanged, clothing was compared, and not a single coin was spent while doing it. It was here that you could find the warriors, boasting about each one's particular set of weapons, and critically analyzing the weapons of others. Frequently, fights would break out over whose weapons were better, and that was the moment when the guards would swoop in and stop it simply by threatening to confiscate the weapons of anyone who was caught fighting. No combat in the market. That was the rule. It was also a rule that extended to the rest of the city, so if the warriors wanted to duel they would have to make it official and do it in the Halian Arena. Which, surprisingly, they almost always did.
Outside The Tradepost and beyond the ring of stands, performers of all kinds gathered to show off their skills. Jugglers, tumblers, acrobats, magicians, anyone who had a skill that wanted to be noticed were there. Each of them would have a basket set out in front of them, and if you listened closely you could hear the almost nonstop clink of coins being tossed in. Griffons loved art of any kind, and paid handsomely for good performances.
After that came the streets. Long winding pathways lined with buildings on either side. It was here that you could find shops selling rarer, less common items. There was also a lot less activity, and you could actually take a walk without bumping into anyone. It was a quieter, more relaxing part of the city, and it was here that most of the residents spent their time.
A hooded figure was discovering this as he slowly made his way down a street, heading in no particular direction. The hood, while warm, didn't do a whole to mask one's face, and you could clearly see two pale blue orbs darting about under it, taking in everything they saw.
The figure shivered. It was late October, and while not freezing it was certainly below anything he was used to. He really should have listened to his Queen when she suggested that he take something warmer.
Cursing, Corlo tightened his cloak. He probably looked like an idiot, fretting over what others would call a nice breeze, but he couldn’t help it. The hive was warm all-year round, and he'd had no inclination to leave it until now. This whole concept of 'dressing for the weather' was new to him.
Straightening up as he passed by a guard, he recalled why he was even here in the first place. It had been out of the blue, really. He'd been doing his drills, training with Draco as he always did (at 99 years of age, the old bat still wasn't showing any signs of slowing down), when his friend Greta had stuck her head through the door and said that Chrysalis had wanted to see him. When he'd arrived at the throne room, he had found his queen staring through the newly-installed window that offered a great view of the surrounding landscape. Taking a few moments to notice his presence, she had made a rather unusual request of him.
“I want you to leave.” she had said. Seeing his confused face, she reiterated. “Not permanently. Just so that you have some experience of the outside world. You are 35 years old, Corlo. And yet you have never left the hive.” She turned away from the window and faced him. “There is a very big world out there, and I feel now is the time that you got at least a taste of it. Have you not wondered what's beyond the hive?”
He had puzzled over this question. He knew what was beyond the hive. He had read books. He knew about the griffons, and the diamond dogs, and the dragons, and all the other civilizations. He had seen pictures of the desert and the sea, and he lived right next one of the biggest forests in the world. So he was uncertain what his queen was asking.
“I... guess?” he had said hesitantly.
“Exactly what I was afraid of.” She turned back to the window. “Yes, it is most certainly time for you to leave. Calsor will see you properly equipped. Go see him after you've said goodbye to all of your friends.”
The sentence was abrupt, and it had troubled him. Say goodbye? Leave? That sounded so... sudden. “Where will I go?”
Looking at her reflection in the glass, he had seen her grin. “Gryphondale. It is the perfect starting point.” Glancing at his downcast face, she retorted. “Oh, don't look so depressed. I honestly don't expect you stay for more than a couple of days, but in that time I expect you get a good idea of what the real world is like.”
That had made him feel better. A few days? Okay, he could do that. “What will I do there?”
Turning around, she had winked at him. “Explore. And be sure to enjoy the city to its fullest extent.”
She had refused to give him any other information.
After that, things had moved quickly. He informed all his friends that he was going on a short trip, then had reported to Calsor. It was then that he made the mistake of choosing the light cloak over the thick robe. He had been given a small kit filled with the basics for spending the night outdoors, and before leaving, he had asked Calsor if he had ever left the hive.
“Oh yes.” Calsor adjusted his glasses, looking thoughtful as he always did. “Many times.”
“What's it like?” he had wondered.
Calsor had made a face. “Illogical.” And that was it.
Returning to the present, Corlo snorted. Something both his Queen and Calsor had failed to mention was that it was a week-and-a-half journey by wing from the hive to Gryphondale. That had been the most miserable week-and-a-half of his life. He had made all the mistakes that were possible to make: sleeping in a cave belonging to a bear, lighting a fire right next a bunch of dead branches (at least it'd been warm), and attempting to set up a campsite in the dark. And when he'd finally arrived, he'd only had one word to go on.
'Explore'.
And so he did. After filling up on love from a nearby tavern (he wasn't sure if it had actually been love, but there was enough positive emotions flying around that he had at least felt satisfied), he had set about exploring.
And now here he was.
Continuing his pace, Corlo felt frustrated. Explore. Great, okay, let's do it. Oh, and uh... explore what? He had set about one hoof in the Great Market before deciding that he would avoid that place at all costs: Much too loud and noisy. So he had settled on the streets. The only problem?
He wasn't enjoying himself.
Now, most people would just chalk this frustration up to a changeling that was over-devoted to his Queen's orders, but Corlo knew Chrysalis. She was both a great judge of character and, being a changeling, very sensitive to people's emotions. Chrysalis had told him to enjoy the city, which meant that there was something in this city that he would enjoy. And he was determined to find it.
So far, he hadn't had much luck. He'd been awed by the architecture. He'd been amazed by the inhabitants. He'd paid attention to all the tourist attractions and performers. It was all amazing, and he'd certainly learned a lot in the two hours he'd been here, but nothing was really catching his eye.
Well, it's not like I've explored the whole city. He shook his head. More like an eighth, actually. Maybe I just need to keep on going.
And so he did. He read every sign. He glanced in every window. He followed the groups of people to see where they were going. And the whole time, the only thing he was feeling was bored.
It was weird. He'd spent the better part of his life just training, determining the extent of his abilities, and now that he was actually doing something different and new... he was bored.
Was this was his queen had meant? Did he need to expand his horizons a bit?
Glancing up, he read the latest sign as his passed it. 'Trinkle's Trinkets'. A sign on the side of the shop read 'Only For The Most Daring!'.
Slowing down, he glanced through the window. Trinkets was right. The shop seemed to selling only the things that nobody else would want. Battered old books, lamps, a weird orange circle of rubber with white stripes on it that served no purpose he could think of, who would want anything like this? A ball, a top hat, a whole bed that looked like it would make a great rest home for moths, more books, a bottle...
He blinked. He had passed the window and was now looking at the door. It was plain, made of wood, nothing special about it. Glancing behind him back through the window he let his eyes roam around the stacks of items that were mostly useless, and in his opinion, junk. There was no way he could want whatever this shop was selling.
So why did he want to go in?
Sighing, he turned away from the door... and didn't move. He just stood there, thinking. The shop was selling junk, that much was certain. And yet he wanted to go in. He wanted to go in, scan the shelves, search for something interesting, which, his rational mind was telling him, there wasn't.
Turning his head, he looked at the door. What was it about this shop that made him want to enter it?
“Be sure to enjoy the city to its fullest extent.”
Was this what his queen had been talking about? Was there something in this shop he would enjoy? His mind was saying 'no' and his instincts were telling him 'yes'.
“Ugh... fine.” he muttered. Turning the rest of his body, he strode towards the door. He had a few days, might as well use them.
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A bell rang as he opened the door.
Well, not 'rang' exactly. More like 'pinged'. It was rather pathetic, but it wasn't what got his attention.
What did get his attention were simply the sheer loads of stuff the shop seemed to hold. It was like taking the stuff he had seen through the window and multiplying by a thousand. The place was packed, with stacks of books rising all the way to the ceiling. There was an entire stage coach pushed up against one corner, and a shelf devoted to bottles filled with different-colored liquids that toke up a whole wall.
He was so busy looking around that he didn't notice the figure standing behind the desk directly in front of him. That is, until the figure spook.
“May I help you, traveler?”
The voice actually managed to make him jump a little, but as soon as he saw the speaker he relaxed. He was surprised, however. The owner of the shop was a gray Earth Pony, wearing a red scarf and a light green jacket draped across his back. He wore glasses, and had some kind of red and yellow hat that Corlo didn't know the correct term for. His cutie mark was hidden under his coat.
“... I don't think so.” Corlo approached the counter. “I just came in to... browse. I assume you're Trinkle?”
“Precisely.” He gave Corlo a quick once over, then looked him straight in the eyes. He held the gaze for about 30 seconds, during which Corlo stared back confused, before grinning and nodding.
“Yes... yes, that will work.” Turning away, he retreated into the back of the shop. “Call for me when you want to buy something!”
And then he was gone.
Corlo realized his mouth was open and closed it. “Uh...” Turning his head, he tried to catch a glimpse of Trinkle in the back of the shop, but couldn't. “Okay then.” he muttered.
Turning away from where the crazy shop owner had disappeared, he began to search the shop, looking for anything that could possibly be of interest. He'd come in here purely out of intuition, and he had no idea what Trinkle had meant by 'that will work'. He considered just leaving, but that seemed rude. He should at least have a look around before he bailed out.
Picking up what appeared of be some sort of skull with his magic, he examined it before putting it back. Glancing around, he sighed. But really, what was the point? The owner was obviously crazy, and there was nothing of worth in here. Better he just leave and try another shop, one that had more promising aspects.
Turning, he approached the door. He got within five feet of it before the voice sounded again. “Leaving so soon?”
Looking behind him, he saw Trinkle standing behind the counter, completely at ease as if he had been there the whole time. Corlo frowned slightly. Was his hearing going bad? He should have heard Trinkle's footsteps a mile away. “Yes.”
This, in turn, caused the shop owner to frown. “Well, did you find what you were looking for?”
What an odd question. “No. I wasn't looking for anything.”
Trinkle waved a hoof. “Come come, of course you were. Something drew you to my shop, did it not?”
Slowly, Corlo turned to face him. What did this pony know? Did he have something to do with why he'd been drawn here? “I'm not sure what you mean.”
“Of course you do.” Trinkle gave him an 'are you stupid?' look. “Otherwise you wouldn't have come in here. Normally, folks see all the trash I put out and pass this place by. But sometimes, people like you come in, despite the fact that there is positively nothing of value here.” He lowered his hoof, as if he'd finished giving an explanation. “People like that come in here for something specific.”
Corlo was by now thoroughly confused. That made no sense. People being drawn in for some unknown reason? Mentally, he snorted. It had been instinct, nothing else. The pony was clearly insane, but... “...How do you know I was drawn here?”
Trinkle face-hoofed. “Laddie, it's my shop. I own it. I would be ashamed of myself if I didn't know the way it worked by now.” Removing his hoof from his face, he glanced behind Corlo at the door, then back at him. “Leave if you must, but do try and find what it is you're looking for. Leaving these kinds of things alone almost never ends well.” Turning, he called over his shoulder. “And check the left bookcase! Third shelf!”
Corlo looked to where he was talking to. There stood a bookcase, filled with almost everything except books. Turning back, he was about to ask the pony what he meant, but found that he had disappeared again.
“Ugh... place is giving me the creeps.” he muttered. Shivering slightly, he turned towards the bookcase, trotting up to it. He began to search the third shelf, picking up items with his magic and setting them down. He had no idea why he was doing this. He should be leaving. He had no idea how the old pony had known about his attraction to this place, nor did he really care at the moment. This place was bordering on the edge of being haunted in his mind, and he shouldn't-
Wait.
What was this?
Sitting behind a stack of multicolored hats was something that had caught his eye. It was, to be put simply, a sword handle. Just the handle. No blade. It was black, made of stone, and had a little green jewel cut in the shape of a dragon in its hilt. The pommel was also green jewel, a small ball that was roughly cut, unlike the dragon. He wondered why somebody would make a handle like this and then forget to put a blade on it.
Tentatively, he picked it up with his magic. “What could this-”
~SHING~
In an instant, the dragon jewel glowed and a short, curved blade materialized at the end, cutting a hole in the back of the bookcase and embedding itself there.
“YAH!” Corlo jumped back and let go, making the blade wobble. He backtracked quickly, trying to distance himself from the offending object. “For the love of Chrysalis!”
“Ah, I see you've found it.” Suddenly Trinkle was beside him, approaching the blade and grabbing the handle, giving it a good yank to dislodge it.
“I didn't... I didn't mean to...” Corlo tried to explain himself.
“No worries. I've done that myself plenty of times.” Smiling, Trinkle held it out to him. “Why don't you see if you can figure out how it works?”
Corlo's first instinct was not to touch it, but after an encouraging nod from Trinkle, he slowly reached for it. Careful not to use magic, he grabbed the thing by the pommel with his hoof and held it up. He noticed the dragon jewel seemed a bit brighter than before. Glancing at Trinkle, he flapped his wings to balance himself and slowly raised his other hoof. He tapped the dragon jewel lightly.
With a responsive glow from the jewel, the blade dematerialized.
Corlo stared in awe at the handle. He couldn't imagine how much knowledge in both spells and crafting would've been required to make something like this. Quickly, he tapped the jewel again. It glowed, and the blade re-materialized in front of him.
In the background, Trinkle chuckled. “See? Nothing to be afraid off, just a little complex magic. The reason you set it off in the first place was because the basic levitation spell you were using put pressure on all sides of the object, but you should be able to break that habit pretty quickly.”
This last part caused Corlo to turn and give him a strange look. “What do you mean?”
Trinkle blinked. “Well it's obvious, isn't it? This is the object you came in here to buy!”
Corlo looked back the blade. He came in here to buy this? But... how did the pony know he would want something like this? “How did you know I would want this?”
“I didn't.” Trinkle winked at him. “But the shop did.”
This single phrase caused all of Corlo's confusion and disbelief to come crashing down into one huge god-awful mess. He closed his eyes and toke a deep breath. “But how did the shop know?”
Trinkle scratched his head then shrugged. “Heh, beats me. I just run the place laddie, I don't tell it how to work.”
Corlo looked at him incredulously. “But you said-”
“Laddie?” Trinkle put a hoof on Corlo's shoulder. “You really need to stop questioning things so much. You're making things more complicated than they need to be. Just accept it.” Removing the hoof, He poked Corlo in the ribs. “Now... are you going to buy the thing that you spent so much trouble looking for?”
Corlo glanced down at the handle. Using his magic, he applied a little pressure to the dragon jewel. The blade dematerialized.
He thought about it. Did he even have any money?
Quickly, he drew open his cloak to reveal the bag that Calsor had given him. Rummaging through it, he found a small bag at the very bottom that jingled when he grabbed it. Looking up at Trinkle, he asked “How much?”
“Hmm?” The pony looked surprised at the question, as if he hadn't expected it. Suddenly his ears perked up, as if he was listening to something. “Yes...” His smile faded a bit, but then it returned. “20 bits!”
Corlo almost dropped the bag. Only 20 bits?! For something as complex as this?! He eyed the shop owner. “Are you sure?”
His smile didn't waver. “Of course I'm sure! I'm the money keeper, aren't I?”
“Well... okay, if that's all you want.” he counted out twenty bits and handed them to Trinkle. “Seems like it'd be worth more than that though.”
“Not to me. I don't prefer fighting myself. Though if you want...” His face brightened, as if he'd just gotten an idea. “... I could throw in something extra.”
wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww
As Corlo exited the shop, he released a huge breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding.
That... had been weird.
After demanding only twenty bits for the special sword, Trinkle had offered to make him a sheath for it. He'd been confused at first, asking how Trinkle could do that when the thing didn't even have a blade half the time, but Trinkle had just chuckled and disappeared into the back. Five minutes later he had returned, bearing this weird harness-like thing that was, in Corlo's opinion, certainly not a sheath. Once again he'd been proved wrong though, as after he managed to put it on, Trinkle had shown him the small holster located near his chest. He assured Corlo that neither clothing nor the holster would set it off.
Corlo glanced down. There it was, nestled just under his cloak. The harness itself was actually not as complicated as it had first appeared, with only two straps: One for his middle body to keep it from slipping and one for his chest, on which the holster was found. The whole thing felt snug, and yet it didn't seem it restrict his movement at all. Trinkle had only charged five bits for the whole thing.
Glancing left and right, he made sure nobody was on the small street before drawing using his magic to remove the sword from its holster. He was careful not to apply pressure on the dragon jewel before it was out in front of him. He didn't like the prospects of gutting himself in the first five minutes of owning it.
Activating the blade, he studied it carefully. It was rather short at two-and-a-half feet long, but that didn't concern him. The face of the blade was plain, undecorated, and near the end it curved back a little, forming sort of a faint, “S” shape. He gave it a few experimental swipes in the air with it, and was surprised to find that it felt fine, even in his magical grip. Switching to his hoof, he did that same thing. The blade had a perfect weight to it. He would have no trouble using this in a fight.
He put away the blade and then turned, facing the shop. The sign 'Trinkle's Trinkets' stirred a little in the breeze.
He thought about his experience in the shop. Had he learned anything? No. Had he felt in control of the situation? No. Did he feel like he'd accomplished anything? Not really.
Had he enjoyed himself?
Looking down the holstered weapon, he thought about that. He'd been confused. Nothing had made sense. All the logic he had learned in his life had been thrown out the window and mercilessly crushed into dust.
So had he enjoyed himself?
For the first since this trip began, Corlo grinned. Yes... yes, he had.
Glancing back up at the shop, he took it all in. Was he ever coming back here? Probably not. Why should he? He had already bought his item; it wasn't as if he would need to buy it again. And honestly, he doubted whether his sanity could survive another round.
Without really thinking about it, he bowed slightly. Then, realizing what he was doing, he quickly straightened and turned, trotting down the street, following the path he'd been following before. His smile didn't diminish though.
No, he was most likely never coming back here, but that didn't mean he would ever forget it.
wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww
Trinkle watched the changeling fondly from his window. As he disappeared from sight, he smiled.
“Yes, he was a good lad, wasn't he? I'm thinking that weapon will serve him well.”
As he turned away from the window and trotted towards the back, his ears perked up. Glancing towards the interior of the shop, he nodded. “Yes. I agree.” He resumed his pace. “I do wish you'd stop selling items at such low prices though.”
As he reached the desk, he sighed. “Yes, I know he wouldn't have been able to afford it, but what about other people? You made me sell a solid-gold caldron to a zebra for only fifty bits, when the zebra in question was offering over two hundred.”
He tapped the desk dejectedly. “It's not like I'm not getting by, but it would help to have some extra bits on the side, you know?”
Perking his ears up again, he glanced towards a fake zebra skull. His face brightened a little. “Yes. Of course, you're right. It was silly of me.” His eyes scanned the shelf and landed on something that made his expression turn thoughtful. “Although...”
Walking over to a small glass dome, he tapped it lightly. Inside lay a red and black amulet, the top half fashioned to look like an alicorn and the bottom half devoted to a large red jewel. “I'm sure people would be willing to pay a large sum for this one. I mean its-”
Cringing slightly, his eyes shot towards the back of the shop. “Yes. Yes of course, sorry. May I ask as to why we're even keeping it though? If we don't plan to sell it, what will we do with it?”
He stood there, as if waiting for an answer for a minute or so. Then a look of understand graced his features. “Ah... yes, that makes sense.” He glanced back at it. “That lad didn't even notice it, did he? And it was right under his nose.”
Turning away from the object, he disappeared into the back, his voice fading away as he did so. “Oh! Yes! I can't believe I forgot about that! Two cups of storm cloud plus three...”
As his voice faded away, the shop grew quiet. Each item stayed where it was, unmoving. To normal passersby, the shop would seem like a junk heap, filled with items that absolutely no one would want. They would walk past, thinking how such a place had stayed open when there were so many other places that offered much better services.
But then again, this shop wasn't really intended for normal people. It just stood there, ignoring everyone who passed by, awaiting the time when another visitor would come.
It wouldn't have to wait long.
Present:
Of all the things that pissed him off, getting his sleep interrupted had to be number one.
Mostly, this was true because it happened many more times to him than it did to everyone else. He had sensitive hearing. It was incredibly useful, and had saved his life on more than one occasion, but it also made him a very light sleeper. The slightest noise could wake him up. And if that noise belonged to a living creature, said creature better be prepared for quite a lot of shouting to be directed towards them.
So it was that when his slumber was shattered by the sound of hoofs approaching, he had to suppress his 'kill everything' instinct and instead focus on the noise. He didn't move, preferring to breathe slowly and more or less attempt to look as though he was still asleep. The hooves, he discerned, belonged to two ponies, one wearing some kind of metal slippers. From what he knew, only royalty wore any kind of slipper, usually gold or some other precious metal. As they grew closer, he could also hear the *chink-chink* of armor grinding against itself. So a noble and a soldier.
They were also speaking. He didn't recognize either of the voices, but all the same he focused on them. After all, eavesdropping was one of his favorite things to do inside enemy territory.
wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww
As Shining led his Princess down to the cells, she had told him more about the incident he had caused. After learning that the city was under attack, the first pony she had ordered to be woken up had been him. Only problem was he hadn't been in his bed.
“Well... I did oversee the changeling being locked up...” Shining tried to remember. He'd been very tired after all the chasing. “... but I think I would've noticed if there were guards streaming everywhere.”
“In truth, there wasn't really.” Princess Celestia looked thoughtful. “I tried to make it as silent as possible, just like you did.” She glanced at him sideways. “Apparently it was a little too silent.”
Shining grimaced. He didn't like to think that he might've slept through a whole attack, even if it had turned out to be a false alarm.
As they trotted down the line of cells, Celestia couldn't help but cringe a little. She had never been
comfortable with locking somepony up, no matter what they had done. Hopefully, they could just solve this whole mess quickly and then send the changeling back to wherever it had come from.
Shining, who was walking ahead of her, stopped in front of a cell. Beckoning her over, he pointed inside. “There it is.”
As Celestia trotted up beside him, she got her first good look at the changeling. It was sleeping, lying and it's back and breathing softly. She was almost certain it was a male, judging by the shape of its natural armor and horn. Something she found disturbing was the fact that one of its wings looked injured, possibly broken. She wondered how long he'd had that.
Pointing toward the wing, she asked “Has he seen a healer?”
Shining looked at her as though she were crazy. “A healer? Of course not.”
She gave him a hard look. “Well make sure he does. I will want to speak with him as soon as that wing is mended.”
“But it is the enemy! We shouldn't just-”
“My dear Shining Armor, he is an injured sapient creature that probably has no hope of escaping. I expect the wing to be healed.”
Shining stuttered, trying to think of an argument that his Majesty would listen to. “But-”
“But nothing.” Celestia turned and headed back towards the stairs at the end of the hallway. “I want it done by the end of today.”
Shining stared, open-mouthed at the back of his Majesty's head. She wanted to heal this... thing?! This thing that had attacked her city and almost destroyed his wedding?!
Turning back, he glared at the sleeping changeling. Sometimes, being the Princess's best adviser really sucked.
Growling, he swept back down the hallway, following the path Celestia had just taken.
If he'd stayed a moment longer, he would've seen a small smile appear on the changeling's face.
wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww
He couldn't believe it.
He couldn't, damn, believe it.
Had he heard right? The Princess had just ordered that his wing be healed?!
Even though it hurt, he let lose a laugh. This was incredible! Now, not only would he not have to waste magic healing his wing, but he could also spend this week in relative comfort!
Grinning, he settled back into a comfortable position. That had just solved about fifty percent of his problem. Thanks Princess, he owed you one. Getting out of here would be a breeze now.
Of course, he still had to wait for his magic to recharge, but not having his wing to worry about would make that a piece of cake.
After all, it was only a week.
wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww
“Come ON, Charmer!”
“Just give me a sec! I feel it down this way!”
The alleyway's silence was broken by a unicorn wearing golden armor trotting into it. He looked interested, eyes scanning the small path. It ended in a dead end, and had a few random crates and trash bags lying on the side. It was an average alleyway that nobody would really have any reason to enter.
Behind the unicorn, an exhausted earth pony stumbled after, also wearing golden armor. This pony appeared tired, and for the most part, annoyed. Adjusting his helmet, he sighed.
“What is so damn important that you had to drag us out of our regular patrol?! Captain Shining will have our tails if he finds us outside our route, especially after all that ruckus last night!”
“Just hold on! I'm sensing something!” The unicorn narrowed his eyes. “And it's coming from this alleyway.”
“So you sense something. What, did you smell hay fries being cooked or something?”
“No! It's... magic. Complex magic.” The unicorn took a step forward. “Trouble is, I can't really pinpoint it other than in here.”
“So come back later! It's not like you never have free time!” The earth pony put a hoof on his soldier. “Come on. Whatever it is, it's not going anywhere. We have a break tomorrow, remember? You can come check it out then.”
“I... I guess.” The unicorn looked disappointed. “But it's just-”
“Okay, I'm done being nice.” Seizing one of the unicorn’s hooves, the earth pony began to drag him out. “Come back tomorrow if it's that damn interesting! For now, let's get back before we get that break taken away for being off-duty!”
The unicorn allowed himself to be dragged away, still looking at the alleyway. His friend was right, they should get back, but he was definitely coming back tomorrow!
Back in the alleyway, deep in one of the crates, something glowed slightly.
It was a sword handle. Made of black stone, with a pommel made of roughly cut green jewel.
The more noticeably characteristic of it though, was the same kind of jewel finely cut in the shape of a dragon, resting in its perch near the hilt.
-End of Chapter 3-
A/N: Anyway, just wanted to apologize for being absent. To my loyal fans, yes, I'm still out there, and I'm still writing. I'm amazed you stuck with me this far, but if you have, more power to you. And thanks, you guys are the best readers an author could ask for.
Proofread by the Great and Powerful munomana. Respect him. Now.
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Great chapter!
I wonder what's gonna happen with that blade...
the best thing about be nocturnal is that i get to be one of the first ones to read these kind of stories
seriously most of the best stories in my favourtes update around midnight.
Great bit of mystery going on here. Looking forward to the next chapter.
Sentience vs Sapience
I would expect Celly of all ponies to know the difference.
1920119 Huh, the more you know.
1921222 WOOHOO! ANOTHA ONE HAZ BEAN CONVURTED!
YOU'RE ALIVE!
Great chapter, can't wait for the next one
Glad to see this back!
And a quick question: Celestia mentions "sending the Changeling back where it came from"... does she plan to release Corlo?
Wouldn't it make more sense to keep him locked up, or at least under watch? Technically, he's a POW, methinks.
I have commented.
You are a refreshing reprieve from the constant shower of dark and foreboding fics. It's interesting to see this blend of seriousness and shallow humor. My favorite smoothie.
The shop part reminded me of XXXholic
I'm not really a fan of flashbacks... my brain gives the "go to sleep" command whenever I read one.
So I had to skip it. I know it's about the Elite's upbringing, but...y'know.
So...yeah. Do continue.
This is a great story bro, but I haven't seen any activity in you at all. I do know that school work and video games can be quite a booger to overcome so I'm not complaining much, but can you show us some sign that you're alive? I'd hate to see you die. Good day ye chap.
It's summer now my friend. And not even Slendy will stop me from finding you...
I miss you, I always got in a better mood when I discovered you you updated a story or created another thingy'o awesomeness. I mean really summer HAS been out and nothing, nothing has come out of you in a long time and like psycho said... we... will... find you. And hug you all over again. I hope this comment gave you some more power. WE hope it gave you more power...
exelent
This is an excellent fan-fic! I normally don't like Changeling storys
moar?
more?
mrwgifs.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/I-Like-It-Another-Thor-Reaction-Gif.gif
I know that I started reading his story like, yesterday, and I shouldn't really complain, but it seems that you haven't posted anything in his story in 2 FUCKING YEARS. I'm interested in reading this story, so could you kindly continue this before I end up using the Royal Canterlot Voice on you and this comment section?
I only recently found this story and I like it. I sincerely hope you plan on updating next year if not this year. Please. Please please please.
1813322 when will the series continue? #Malcolm129