//------------------------------// // King Takes Rook // Story: The Day of Discord // by GJT_Productions //------------------------------// "But Daddy, how did you get here from that terrible place they locked you up?" "I'll explain in a little bit, Glowworm. But for right now, it's just so good to see you again." ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The filly Cozy Glow - or "Glowworm", as she had been nicknamed by her parents - embraced her father, or at least a pony that looked like her father. The older pony, who had once been known as Agent Deceit, had been held in Canterlot Supermax ever since being delivered to Canterlot. Cozy's tight, almost cylindrical curls of mane and tail were inherited from her father, who had them in a deep red color. This also made him fairly distinctive in a crowd, which helped explain his haste after the prison escape to get to the house where his mate and filly were living. "Where's your mom?" the father asks when Cozy finally pulls out of her embrace. "Mom is taking a nap right now. Did you escape with the help of that 'chaotic one' you kept talking about?" Cozy Glow replies, her eyes still moist from the happy tears from the unexpected reunion. "Yes, but I don't have time to explain more right now. Go grab your emergency bag in your room while I talk to your mother." "But why?" "I can't stay in Canterlot too long, or somepony working for the princesses will put me back in that terrible place again. And you're going to have to come with me." "What about Mommy?" "Mommy will have to come along later, just get your bag and meet me at the front door." "...Okay." Cozy Glow replies with a sigh that accompanies a droop in both her ears and mane. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ As soon as Cozy Glow is out of earshot, the stallion moves deeper into the house, entering the room where he saw his mate, a pegasus mare with a pink coat and a shock of light blue hair, was currently sleeping. Carefully he pushes the door closed, then in a glow of green colored magic a Changeling drone seems to replace the stallion - the mate still sleeping unaware of what was going on. The drone lets out a long, relieved sigh and gives a broad fanged smile, as if happy for the change to have occurred. The constant need for maintaining his cover was taxing on the drone, so temporarily letting down the cover was a joyous thing. He couldn't stay this way for long though. Instead the drone shifts in a burst of green magic into a viper-like snake that quickly slithers across the floor and applies a bite on the sleeping mare's neck. The mother of Cozy Glow was in such a deep sleep that the bite and fatal injection of poison were never felt - she was long dead by the time a "parole officer" member of the E.U.P. Guard arrived at the house to check on her. With Cozy Glow's mother now silenced, the Changeling drone now impersonating her father was free to mold her to whatever means he wanted, more-or-less ensuring her future villainous career. The worshipping of both Discord and Queen Chrysalis was about to be mixed in a dangerously corruptive cocktail... -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The drone impostor quickly changes back into the disguise of Cozy Glow's father and exits the room, being careful to leave everything as he had found it. The only visible difference would've been the subtle dribble of blood from the bite punctures, and that would've taken a number of minutes to manifest anyways. By that point, the disguised drone was waiting for Cozy Glow, who he could hear saying goodbye to what toys she had. As the filly of a pony that had been a fairly important member of the Agent of Chaos, she was used to saying goodbye in a hurry in order to elude loyalist attempts to arrest her family. Nevertheless, the reluctance in her hoofsteps was all too obvious to the drone as Cozy Glow came into view, a small bag slung on her back. "Ready to go, Glowworm?" the disguised drone asks with an affectionate smile. "Yes. You sure Mommy can't come with us right now?" Cozy Glow asks after a nodding response. "I'm afraid so, honey." "Alright... where are we going?" "Cloudsdale. Your uncle has taken refuge there, away from the lackeys of the princesses. We will be safe there, and you will get to see the work of the 'chaotic one' while on the way." "Really?" Cozy Glow asks as her face lights up with excitement. "You betcha. But nothing's going to happen unless we make tracks outta here." the fake father replies. And without another word, the stallion starts off, Cozy Glow trotting to catch up behind him. The abandonment of the house had sealed Cozy Glow's future fate, as there would be no further chance for friendship to work its magic before the corruptive influences around her completely sealed off her mind... ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The pegasus filly and her disguised father moved slowly through the streets of Canterlot, aiming for a cloud transport up to the pegasi section of Canterlot, whereupon escape would be much easier than trying to finesse a way past a locked-down gate or over a watched wall. Along the way, the disguised drone would point out where the "strangely colored clouds" were raining various different fluids and in general making a mess of the city. Any decent pony should've been concerned about the wide-eyed wonder on Cozy Glow's face as the drone was doing his job to get the filly more willing to accept Discord as her king instead of Celestia and Luna as the ruling princesses. Deceit was being built upon deceit, a stack of lies that would convince the filly that being a deceiver was the only way to future success, regardless of whoever she had to ally with to accomplish it...