//------------------------------// // 4 Deceptive Cadence // Story: The Prelude, Illuminate the Shadows Book 1 // by SaphireTsuki //------------------------------// I would love to tell you, my daughter, that the world was safe for you. Alas, I cannot. There are many dangers which lay in wait, not only for changelings, but for you as a changeling Royal. I assume that, with the overwhelming amount of thestrals around you, it is likely that you have taken the form of a thestral as your standard disguise. While, of course, we are free to take any form we like, the ease of maintaining it and strength of the illusion will change with practice, so those forms you are most practiced with will withstand more powerful magics. That is why I ask you to practice with other forms. Changelings are unlike the other races of the world. We don't live solely on food, but on love as well. This makes us a frightening existence to the other races. Alone, that would be nothing to worry about. However, everycreature has its limit, and if enough fear is aimed towards something, they will try to destroy it. So it is that the among the ponies, the Hunters were created. The exact history of how they were created is less important than this fact: You, as a young changeling Royal, lack the ability to defend yourself from them. The oldest, strongest, and most effective defense of the changelings is our ability to disguise ourselves. The more forms we are able to freely use, the easier it will be for you to hide from them. SE 1014 The village of Hollow Shades was, as one might expect, more busy than most of the thestral lands. As all there was a great deal of night work, but it didn't only come from thestrals. There were the hoofsteps of earth ponies and unicorns, the wing-beats of the pegasi, and the subtle tingling of unicorn magic. The town itself was made mostly of wooden buildings, many of whom were either on stilts or used the tree trunks as a wall or support, there were no complex weavings found in other towns. Additionally, torches and the warm lights preferred by day ponies were everywhere, bathing the whole town in a warm golden color. The combination of shadow and light would make it appear as though the town was in a constant state of celebrating Nightmare Night, especially with vine-inspired signs on most of the shops, which were seeing much business as ponies who were here merely for tourism went in and out to buy souvenirs. The father and daughter pair, ears pinned down, made their way through the streets heading towards the center. "I... get why we never went here before." Moonlight winced as someone tripped, all of their things crashing down onto the street with a cacophony not dissimilar to that of a branch-fall, albeit much harsher as some of the items were made of metal. The flashes of annoyance, worry, laughter, and who knows what else made her a little dizzy, one hoof paced to her head as she tried to shake it off. A few short steps and she was pressed up against Silent, as close as she could get without tripping him up. He placed one wing over her, "It will be ok." She nodded, letting him guide her through the town, until they reached an unassuming building in the center of town. Inside was a desk with one thestral present, it was far quieter inside when compared to on the roads. In addition, the room itself, while lacking the distinct weaving as all within this town, did have the same carvings and night motif of most thestral homes and buildings. Above the counter at the far end was a symbol of a crescent moon with a plant, a glowing purple flower known for it's potent magical properties, though neither of the two knew what those properties were. Behind the counter stood a unicorn, on his dark blue vest the same symbol as above, marking him as a member of the Enchanter's Guild. "Why did we-?" Moonlight looked him over, noting that his bright green coat and orange mane did not match with the vest at all, and resolved not to copy his form for herself at any point. The two of them usually avoided the Guilds, trying not to catch the eye of the government proper. Silent, instead of answering, just squeezed her lightly with his wing before stepping up to the counter. She watched him with confusion obviously on her face, before hurrying after him. "Are you here to order, or to sell?" The stallion sighed, using magic to open the book meant to record the transactions, magic the color of his eyes, a dirt brown, lighting up the page and a quill and ink as he prepared to record it. The whole action had an air of a summer intern, which his emotional aura matched, causing Moonlight to scrunch her nose at the wet cardboard feeling of his emotions. Of all of them, apathy was a close second to the feeling of hatred on her radar of 'emotions-to-avoid-at-all-costs." She was, of course, rather young to be so upset at such. "Selling today..." He paused, looking the vest over, spotting what he needed to finish his statement, "Journeyman." That was a high rank for merely handling the counter, but then again this was Hollow Shades, where they needed to put their best hoof forward, lest the Princess be shamed. Or, so was how the government likely saw it, Silent supposed. He took out a sample of what they had, various herbs and crystals, though no monster parts today. "We have two saddlebags worth in total, an amalgamation of all of these. Each in comparable level." The stallion's eyes opened a bit wider as he prodded them each with his hoof, lifting only specific ones in his magic, lest it taint the Wild Magic within. As he studied, his expression shifted to show more and more interest, before he set them down. "Let me get the Artisan... we do not usually get things from Crystalla in here, you understand." He did indeed, and nodded before the stallion turned to go through a door to the right. The two of them were left alone for a few minutes, so he finally had a chance to answer his daughter. "We're here, Moonlight, because this trip is going to be much farther than any before." He nuzzled her, considering what supplies they would need. "We need to have more bits than any other time, the best way to get that is to sell to the Guild directly." She could feel the prickles that usually followed his worry, but before she could speak the stallion from before returned, followed by another much older stallion whose name was going grey. "Show me the materials." Silent glanced at the vest, the supervisor? He had not expected to draw him out. Obediently Silent Gaze gestured to the counter, "All of them." One eyebrow rose, but he gestured to Moonlight and the two of them began the half-hour long process of placing each one down in its category safely. Once everything was in place, the artisan looked each product over with his critical eye, before magicing over a bag full of bits. "This is our offer," It opened slightly, revealing an amount of bits on the lower end of middling pricing for everything. It was, frankly, lowballing the prices. Silent, and Moonlight, knew as such, so her father began to count it out to find out exactly how much they were behind. It irked him, they were being deprived of about half of what they should get for these herbs, however he just nodded. Moonlight, about to say something, was stopped with him scooping up the herbs, "Then we will be on our way." He didn't let her get a word in edgewise, starting the process of using his wing to drag her out of the building, at which point he finally answered the sputtering changeling's question. "It's enough, we just have to get on the train ride." Much of the things he wanted to buy would have to be forgone, but they had the bits for the three leg train ride at least. "Father, they cheated us. Right?" He nodded, "Then why didn't we negoiate?" She frowned, her muzzle scrunching, "Negomiate. Negoshiate." "Negotiate," Silent Gaze corrected, chuckling slightly as she just continued on. It wasn't exactly unusual for her to get irritated, but this was the first time he'd seen this strong of a reaction in public. Usually she waited until they were behind doors, and she could wield her magic freely. The way she frustratedly tried to make her point clear without it reminded him of his younger sister, before she had left for Equestria at large. "Right, that!" She stomped one hoof, "It wouldn't have hurt, right? They cheated us!" "This is not like other towns." He gestured one hoof towards a mother and daughter earth pony pair, "We can't afford to make a scene here." He glanced down the road, and saw somepony out of the corner of his eye. Suspicion, normally enough to get his daughter to quiet down, colored his thoughts. She, however, was far too busy being angry at the unicorns from the Guildhall to listen. "Why not?" She flapped her wings, hovering in front of Silent and gesturing wildly. "It's just a town, they're just ponies, and those unicorns were wrong!" The two of them turned around the corner, the train station was now directly in front of them, not that she saw it. "We earned those bits!" "Moonlight." "It was so hard picking them, and then we had to carry them, and not to mention that if we hadn't been in the town we would have had to avoid all sorts of monsters to get-" There was that person again, as they were about to enter the train station. He had to get her attention. "Moonlight!" She stopped at his sudden shout, landing on all fours. "Yes?" Her eyes were wide, and she looked around. That was his 'duck, now!' voice, he only used it when there was something dangerous around. Seeing nothing herself that would set him off, she tilted her head. "We're here." They were in fact, directly in front of the door. "We should get something to eat before we go, though. How about a Hayburger?" And like that her attention was diverted. The two of them had a wonderful meal in the mid-station cafeteria, during which he kept an eye on the pegasus colt who was following the two of them. Once said colt walked off, probably to report to whomever he was working for, the two of them got their tickets and entered the train. Moonlight, still carrying her fries, was too busy enjoying the novel experience of being on the train to question it when Silent left the room, telling her to keep the door locked unless she felt his aura behind the door. Leaving her to enjoy herself, he found the nearest guardspony, "Guardspony," He began, "I need you to remove a pony with this cutie mark," A piece of paper he'd doodled the mark in question on was hoofed over, "And a black coat with dark blue and silver mane and tail. He's been following us, and I worry that he's trying to kidnap my daughter..." "Why would he do that, sir?" The white-coated guard's eyebrow rose, clearly conveying his lack of interest. "I used to be a thestral guard, sir, and I'm worried he works for one of the criminals I captured..." For good measure, he tilted his ears, lowered his gaze, and scuffed the floor. The picture of worry, he hoped, was projected. He kept up the act for a good while, before looking back at him, "Please? Even if you just keep an eye on him..." The guardspony looked to the side, but his partner just shrugged. Now, the coup de grace, Silent wobbled his lower lip and teared his eyes... "Alright, fine! I got it, we'll find him and set some guards near his compartment, OK?" "Thank you so much...!" And when the first guardspony left to do so, his partner sighed and placed one hoof to his forehead. Silent walked off, while the guardspony who remained at the station just groaned. "I can't believe that Stalwart was so easily played..." Silent Gaze returned to their compartment, Moonlight obediently opening the door so he could come in. The blinds on the window were down, and she was in her natural form. The train cabin itself was cheap, just a few cots, a window with a seat in it, and a table for their meals. Sitting on the table was her Crystia, now glowing a deep blue-silver, bright in the dark room. Moonlights horn was alight, her focus on the crystal as she attempted to fill it, as much as possible. Around it lay the cloth she usually wrapped it in, so she could lift it in her magic when not charging it. It was two hours before dawn by this point, so he closed and locked the door. She turned, the glow on her horn fading after she wrapped the crystal once more, revealing the painted pastel colors of the train car, without the fading the Crystia's light seemed to cause. "You're back!" He moved over to her, setting his saddle bags under the cot across from hers, "Lock the door." She did, "Now then Moonlight... I know it's a bit early, but we do have a few hours until the train leaves." Her ears drooped, "We should get a few hours of sleep. The train ride to Canterlot is two days, so if we sleep a little early we should be awake when we arrive. We can explore the town for a bit before meeting with the Sovereign?" There they went rising, her eyes dilating to the size of dinner plates on her head. "Really?" He smiled, noting how she adjusted her posture to look as cute as possible. "Really. But you have to sleep early both days, ok? We need daylight to look at the various things they have in town." She nodded her head vigorously, curling up on her cot immediately. This was the best. Trip. Ever! She had to hurry to sleep, or the two of them would never have fun on the town! She needed to have fun with her father, who knows what's going to happen... after all, ponies don't like changelings. Silent chuckled before pulling the blanket up over her, tucking his daughter in for the night, placing a kiss on her forehead. I won't leave you alone, little one. With the love only a parent can give, he made his way to his own cot, "Sweet dreams, little one." His eyes closed, and the two of them passed the next several hours in silence, without change. At approximately noon Silent woke, seeing that Moonlight was still asleep he only took out the map of Equestria to look over and plan their route. He knew generally where the changeling lands were, but there was no rail line to them, so he spent the next two hours planning the trip. He didn't want to take it, but if the Sovereign said they would, he would most certainly ensure that they were prepared for it. There wasn't any money for supplies, at least not after the day of fun he promised, so he had to pick a road through plains or forests, where there would be enough plant matter for the two of them. The next two hours passed in silence, him writing notes on a spare piece of paper, until Moonlight woke. "M'rnin..." She muttered, rubbing her eyes with one hoof, before flying over to him. He nuzzled her, but didn't break his hold on quill or paper, turning back to it as she began the process of feeding on his love. "Good morning sweetie." A few more scribbles, notes on this or that, and he draped his wing over her. That was good. He folded it up, placing it on the table and gave her a full hug. "Now, I know you like looking like me, honey, but could you try looking like a unicorn?" "Why?" A yawn, she was feeling much more awake after that hug, indeed. "Thestrals aren't that rare, right?" "Canterlot, from what I've heard, is the home of unicorns." He squeezed her withers, before setting his hooves down. "It'll attract less attention if it looks like a pegasus and his unicorn daughter are going around town." "You're a thestral though, daddy." "Ah, but day ponies only see the bat-winged of us as thestrals. To them, I just look like an extra fluffy pegasus." Her ears drooped and she frowned. "That's stupid." Even so, she obediently lit her horn, and changed first her coat to a lighter shade of blue than her disguise, then her mane to look roughly the same as before, holes no more. Her Legs were next, holes disappeared, replaced with whole counterparts, and then her tail. The hardest part was not making wings, as it was habit, and straightening her horn before adding the telltale spiral of all unicorns. This was done with flame coating each part as they changed. Once that was done, she lifted the window, watching her reflection as she removed the glow and rounded her pupils, until at last she looked the same as the unicorns from the store, albeit much smaller. She turned around, checking each part, before sitting down just as they left the shadow of the forest, stepping into wide open plains and harsh sunlight. Queen Chrysalis, unknown to young Moonlight, had once called Equestria the land with the most love she had ever seen. It was, indeed, such. Upon leaving the forest floor, Moonlight's attention was caught by two things: First, the beauty of the plains before her. Yes, they were covered in the snow of winter, but the gently rolling hills, the shapes of trees in the distance, and the railroad proper heading between two massive mountains, was enough to surprise her. More so, however, was the tiny mountain that they appeared to be heading towards. She couldn't see it clearly, but she could feel it, the second thing that caught her attention. Emanating from that direction was a gigantic aura of positivity. Love, friendship, hope, care... as though there was some sort of embodiment of it present. She knew, of course, of the Crystal Empire, and while she might have thought it was such, it was not so. For it also came from the ground, in a lesser amount. She didn't even need to feed from her father, at this point. She was being fed simply by being within this space. If it was such, why would any changeling ever endanger it? Even she could tell that it was emanating from some living being, though she knew not who. "Equestria is amazing." Silent looked at her in surprise, she'd never shown any interest in the world outside of Starsea Forest before. "I'll get us some breakfast. Don't let anyone in." She nodded, still staring at the world beyond the window, as he stepped out to get them something to eat, which would turn out to be a platter of various flower sandwiches. Two days passed and the train circled around the mountain, allowing for an overview of much of the country. To the south, forests that transform into jungle, to the west, ocean and beaches beyond the forest proper, to the west, land that is difficult to properly describe in it's variance, and to the north... wastelands and mountains. The train slowed as it began to circle the top, until it stopped in Canterlot station. The spires, painted in spirals, and almost victorian buildings framed either side of the road outside, bricked streets adding a fair bit of sound as each step echoed. The two of them, in the midst of noon, stood under the bright sun, entirely unprepared for the cold of winter. Snow capped roof, terrace, and road, disguising some of the color and bleaching the whole area, and cold caused mist to form from their breaths. "This is Canterlot?" Wreaths on storefronts, Hearthswarming lights, and carols painted the whole town in holiday cheer, but there was still an air of dignity to the town. It was much like Starhaven, Silent Gaze mused. Just as self-important, just as elaborate, and just as well defended. There was a Royal Guard on each corner, some pegasi, some earth ponies, and some unicorns. "A fitting town for the Sovereign." To have been cared for by the Sun Alicorn for the past thousand years, it had to be. Our Sovereign must feel safe here. Taking note of the cold, and Moonlight's lack of focus on it as she stared about with eyes wide in wonder, he began to steer her towards the nearest clothing store. Maybe a matching set of scarves and boots would do? She was young enough, it should keep her attention for a bit, until he could figure out where children would like to go. Deceptive cadence -A chord progression that seems to lead to resolving itself on the final chord; but does not.