//------------------------------// // Concerns // Story: Alteration // by AimBot //------------------------------// I kept my head on the cold stone table, not bothering to open my eyes. I was too tired. Too agitated... Too sick of these damned ponies. My head was throbbing as I waited. For what? I had no clue. There was no point to it anymore. I was silenced. I could no longer feel the hum of the rest of them inside my head. The silence left a hollow feeling in my head, like a part of me was missing. I was no longer a part of the Hive. But I didn't let go, I clung to a small, and obviously false idea that they might take me back if I stayed strong. Celestia was sitting three seats away, at the head of this... conference table. Two of her guards stood next to her, and two more stood by the massive metal door at the other end of the room. Different tapestries hung about the room, some depicting the sun or moon, and others depicting what seemed to be ancient battles. I did my best to pass time, which crawled by painfully slow, by running multiple scenarios through my head. If the two guards by Celestia attacked, I would trip one, and throw the other into the wall. I'd climb up onto the table, and run towards the door. The two guards there would try to intercept me. I'd deliver a shot to the first one's throat while the other clambered up onto the table. I would hiss at him, he would take a step back out of shock, and I would shove him out of my way. Then, I'd bolt for the door. I was pulled out of my little fantasy when I heard a sharp and exasperated sigh. I rolled my head over, and opened one eye at Celestia. She was speaking to one of her guards. "Please, go seek Luna, and see what is taking her so long." Celestia instructed in a low voice, "And do make sure that Cadence and Shining Armor are busy, I doubt they would take kindly to our... guest." Her eyes shifted to me. The guard gave a salute, and trotted towards the door. He disappeared a moment later, and the room fell silent yet again. The stillness in the room was an uneasy one, the kind that makes it seem as though something unfortunate was going to happen. Instead, however, the room simply remained silent and relatively empty. Time continued to crawl by. I closed my eyes again, doing the best I could to push my troubles out of mind. I seemed to do well, as more time had passed than I would've figured. It was a few moments later I realized that my appendages were beginning to go numb. Luckily, I was granted reprieve. The heavy doors swung open once again, and Luna stepped into the room, accompanied by one of Celestia's guard, and two more of her own. She strode over to the end of the table, and sat beside Celestia. She didn't take her eyes off me, with a look of distrust and agitation. Her scent was an aggressive one, and her posture came off as defensive. As she sat, she kept her legs above the table, a sign of readiness to react. She kept her chest and stomach covered, for lack of trust. She thought I was going to spring up and slit her throat, or rip out her heart. Toying with an enemies' emotions can have multiple effects. Doing such is a high-risk, high-reward gamble. I didn't take the risk. Instead, I kept my body low and slouched, remaining passive. I kept my eyes locked on the two princesses, however. The same could not be said of Celestia. She seemed oddly calm with a creature such as myself sitting before her. She kept up the facade surprisingly well, almost to the point that I believed it. But even the dullest changeling could tell you that looks always deceive. Time dragged on for ten, or perhaps fifteen, minutes. During that time, I was tempted to cast Charm, or maybe even Domination. I decided against it, thinking that would only give them more reason to despise me. Instead, I kept myself occupied by tracing various shapes and patterns on the stone table, eventually I simply dragged my hoof across the chips and cuts in the stone. The door opened again, and this time, at least five guards marched through the arch. Followed by a lavender mare, donning a horn, and a... juvenile dragon? It was unexpected, to say the least. "I came as quickly as I could!" The mare shouted, trotting up the length of the table. "Is this it?" I felt my eyelid twitch, ever-so-slightly. I found the term "it" highly derogatory, and it left another bruise on my fractured ego. "This is him," Celestia gently corrected, "I trust you already have everything needed?" "Of course princess," The mare gave a confident nod, "Everything is set up and ready." "Good, good..." Celestia opened her mouth again to speak, but she was cut off. "I must protest again," Luna interrupted, "Thy choice is a daft one, sister." Celestia produced an exaggerated sigh, "I understand, Luna. You have voiced your concerns, and they have been taken into consideration." I could practically feel the tensions boil over. Luna marched out of the room a moment later, followed by her guards. Celestia sighed again, this time raising a hoof to her forehead. "Go and tell my dearest sister I wish to speak to her in my chambers." Celestia instructed, pointing to one of her guards. "The rest of you - please accompany Twilight Sparkle back to Ponyville when she wishes to depart. Make special accommodations for her guest." Celestia disappeared a moment later, with two guards materializing from seemingly nowhere to accompany her. Miss Twilight Sparkle stood for a moment, just staring at me from three or four feet away. She approached, slowly and cautiously. I could sense her curiosity, it was getting the better of her. She examined me, absorbing each and every detail. She seemed particularly interested in the collar around my neck, it seemed for a moment that she was more interested in my binds than she was in me. "A tracking rune..." she whispered, "Containment wards..." She spent at least five more minutes examining me. She prodded at the collar, lightly poked at my wings; the list of various actions goes on. The juvenile dragon, apparently named Spike, seemed to scribble down whatever Miss Sparkle told him. A few moments later, Miss Sparkle turned to one of the guards. "I think we're about ready to go. Please prep the -" She paused, as if correcting herself, "Him for travel." I sat in a large metal box, contemplating how I had gotten into this mess in the first place. A slot, maybe a foot across, and a few inches tall, with bars in the gap, let in filtered sunlight. The box was covered with a cloth, a dirtied white cloth specifically. The dirty blanket they provided me did almost nothing - I wasn't cold. I would've been better off with a pillow. So instead of wrapping myself, I wadded the blanket up to provide just a little cushioning from the harsh blows of the cold metal. The cart came to a sudden halt, and the heavy metal box lurched forward. As it came back down, my head bounced off the side. The impact left a faint ringing in my ears. The cloth that covered the box was torn away, and the sunlight intensified, no longer being filtered. Metal ground against metal as the latches were undone, and the entire right panel fell from the rest of the construct. Two guards were visible. I tucked the balled up blanket under my leg. They weren't taking it from me - I would have at least one damned victory on that day. No matter how small. The two guards flanked me, and at least three more guards followed behind. Another guard was waiting ahead, standing in front of a large door, angled and leading into the ground below a... Giant tree. A giant tree decorated with windows, as if... I could barely comprehend it. They had turned an ancient tree into a building. The guards marched forward with determination on their faces. They stopped just a few feet short of the doors, and I continued without them, going to where they obviously wanted me to go. The guard who stood in front of the doors motioned down, towards a flight of stairs. I cautiously moved down the stairs, and the guard followed. There was a landing, and then another flight of stairs branching off to the right. I stood at the base of the stairs, and scanned the sub-level. The area was dimly lit. A single light, in the middle of the room, provided mediocre amounts of light, though I saw the outlines of other lamps in various places in the room. I could make out the shapes of tables and various crates. But what caught my attention most, was the shape in the middle of the room, against the wall. It seemed to be a large, glass box. It was topped by a bronze shape, like the cover of a modern fish-tank the ponies would keep their pets in. The top of the bronze was rounded on the front face, while the sides were flat. Each flat side of the bronze piece held a vent. On the far side of the box was a heavy metal door, with a small circular window. The guard led me to the box, and he opened the door. When I hesitated, he gave a rough shove and slammed the door behind me. I heard the clack of a lock. On the far left corner of the box was a bed, low to the ground and lacking a blanket. I gave myself a small chuckle of success. I said I would have a victory, and I meant it. The far right corner was obscured by a plastic curtain. I paced over, and swept the curtain to the side. There was a lavatory, a shower, and a washbasin, all hidden by the curtain when it was drawn. The space in the box was claustrophobic, but it reminded me of the Nest, and gave me an odd sense of comfort. The only factor I couldn't deal with properly was the lighting - it was bright and irritating, the opposite of the Nest. I made myself comfortable by staying in the.... Bathroom, they called it. The curtain kept out most of the light, and it was far more humid in that section of the box than anywhere else. It mimicked the Nest as closely as possible, without the actual formation of membranes and nesting materials. The hard floor in the shower wasn't exactly comfortable, but I'd prefer a sore leg or two to stinging eyes. Minutes seemed to take two eternities to pass, as I sat alone. Well, I wasn't truly alone, Miss Sparkle and her pet - No, he didn't like being called a pet - her assistant Spike, were outside the glass box. I could hear her voice, which echoed in the box, and the sound of a quill on paper. "He shows distinctive predatory signs, such as enhanced hearing and vision, sensitivity to light, and enlarged fangs. This will require further study. I plan on delving deeper into the psyche of the species as a whole, and this is as good a place to start as any other." Miss Sparkle's voice rang, accompanied by the rather irritating scribble of a quill. "Oh," Her voice came again, this time with more urgency, "Spike! Make sure you send that letter to Nurse Redheart. Things could go very badly if she doesn't get that letter." "Yes mother," Spike replied, sarcasm hanging heavy in his voice. They went on for ten or so minutes after that, speaking in a low voice - no doubt hoping I couldn't hear them. They spoke of the town we were in - more accurately, the ponies who lived in it. They spoke of the fear and commotion that I would cause. I had only one thought on the matter; It was you who brought me here, on your own accord. I was in no mood to trifle with the concerns of a pony, and so, I laid down and closed my eyes. For a few moments, I almost felt comfortable.