//------------------------------// // The Servant Tells, The Princess Listens // Story: Cronus is King // by fanficlover 1 //------------------------------// Ch 13 (Ed POV) “Danggint, where is he?” I was currently standing in the middle of town, at the base of all the column-like towers, panting as I had been running around at a non-stop pace ever since I had been released. It was nighttime, which both hindered and helped my searching but nowhere I looked could I find Cronus. Slumping, I slowly sat on the polished ground to catch my breath. “I checked the with the guards but none of them knew anything, I tried that Aires guy but he just flew off in a huff, and I can’t find that stinking Feathers whatever and see if he knows. The Princesses said I had two days before I have to update them on my progress, but IF I tell them that I had the guy but he knocked me out, they’ll never send me home.” I sighed in frustration before reaching into my pocket to remove the old tapestry I had stolen. The only reason I had even been able to keep it after getting captured is thanks to the king apparently being secretive to even his guards and none of them recognised it from the Archives. Looking over it, my eyes lingered on the the transmutation seal. After being transformed into Edward Elric so many years ago, my mind had been filled with all the knowledge of Alchemy that Edward had used in the series which let me do all the transmutations I could do. Just at a glance, I could easily recognise the majority of the equations and runes used to make it but the rest were unknown to me. After checking over it, I could see a pattern of energy being syphoned from some unspecified source but that was it. Putting the Tapestry back in my pocket, I sighed again before pulling my collar down to show my slave collar. Whether or not that was the real name, I didn’t know, but what little I had heard when I had been a statue lead to the idea that was all it was. Putting a finger to the obsidian stone at the base of my throat, I felt a small drain on some kind of source in my body causing the stone to heat up. When the stone finally reached its hottest, I removed my hand to let a beam of light fly from my throat and show an image of the one controlling me. She gave a relieved smile but I could easily tell it was for her sake and not mine. “Ed, I was worried that you weren’t going to contact me like you promised.” “Yeah well, when you have the threat of never going home looming over you, it kind of makes you keep a promise.” She nodded in agreement. “That’s good. What is your status on the capture of Cronus?” The part I was dreading. “Good, and bad.” She became confused at my response. “Explain.” “Well I did what you said and went to the griffin capital to find him, and I did, but after meeting a friend of his I blacked out before waking up in a cell next to him. Apparently a monster had attacked the city when I was out and he saved the day and he was let out a few hours before I was by entering the city without a permit. Now I have no idea where he is.” Celestia didn’t shout at me for losing him, instead she put a hoof to her chin in thought. “What was his friend’s condition?” “What?” she became somewhat annoyed. “I asked what was his friend’s condition.” “Oh, well he seemed pretty sick and Cronus wanted to stay and try to help him. I tried to get him to leave but his friend tried to keep him.” “I see, that complicates matters.” “What why?” “Your collar was designed with the purpose to keep you in line while you carried out your mission. Due to the nature of your being, much of the original formula that made it had to be either erased or rewritten to compensate for the different mana displaced exuded as well as making sure you aren’t just a mindless drone doing what I say. Apparently either Luna or I missed something and a small portion of the mind control was still present. That was what caused your blackout.” “Wait, you mean I lost my mind? I knew this thing was a slave collar, Why I did even think you would let me have a chance! You’re just a-” “Silence!” Her yell was deafening through the projection. “I will not deny that the collar is based on the original design of slave collars used in the past. Nor will I deny the fact that at one point I would have used it exactly as such. But I will not be called a slaver, not after all i’ve done to make my kingdom happy and kind, and especially not by a displaced. That is why you will come right back to Canterlot so that I may rework the formula to make sure that a blackout does not happen again. I can’t have you mindless for a job this important.” I was stunned, After my first meeting with her so long ago saying I was nothing but a scourge that needed to be captured, she was now saying I needed my free will (even if it was being controlled somewhat). “Okay… Is there anything else?” “Yes. While you were there, Twilight and her group of friends had apparently found Cronus as well but they did not specify that if they had him or not. On your way back, try and catch up to them and see if they have or not. Their last message to me was vague.” The last part didn’t seem to be directed to me as she looked away thinking. “Alright I take the next train I can back in the morning. Thankfully the first stop starts here and I should be able to reach they while they’re on their way back” With that, I pressed my finger to the stone again, cutting off the the connection. Due to not hearing any indication the deal was off or changed, I had a slight pep in my step and a smile on my face before looking up at the moon. ‘If I didn’t know any better I would almost think she cares.’ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (Celestia POV) I sighed to myself tiredly before leaning back to sit on my large princess sized bed. ‘Being called a slaver. The last time anyone tried to call me that was during the war against him. So many displaced that stared at me with contempt and I had no reason why. Now though, I know why. That man convinced every single one of them that both Luna and I were the reasons for their displacement to our world but that was further from the truth. Displaced had been arriving years before Luna and I had been born and only the oldest still surviving displaced knew that all the rest were just to young and foolish to believe me when I said so. I even tried to help them but my efforts were fruitless as I could never seem to find their true home for them to return. Thinking of my efforts reminded me of my deal with the displaced. It was dirty, but his hope of returning to where he came from was all that kept him going to help me. Hopefully he wouldn’t find out the truth that neither I nor Luna could do what he wished for. Letting my weight carry me backwards, I now layed on my bed ready to fall asleep as my sister Luna dealt with the Night Court. Unfortunately sleep came much later than I wished.