//------------------------------//
// Captured again 
// Story: The Triumvirate 
// by Fedora71 
//------------------------------//

Chapter 16

“What do you mean, this isn’t a dream?!” Scott yelled, directly into his friend’s ear. The griffin was still baffled as to how one of his best friends of eight years had been turned into a weird looking bug-horse thing. He refused to say ‘pony’.
“Scott,” Ancro said, putting one of his holed hooves over his ear…thing, “All the evidence adds up to us being in Equestria.”
“Or, a dream,” Scott countered.
“Scott, we covered that last night.” Ancro replied, “You remember that note?”
“Yes, and I remember you can’t read in dreams, but maybe that was what I remember from a dream, and I can read in dreams,” Scott said, before going into some long, drawn out and pointless explanation about how it was impossible to be in the world from a little girls’ show. Ancro just laid back and watched the scenery, while waiting patiently for Stigandr to get back. Occasionally, he’d duck into the taller grass, if a pegasus got too close for comfort, but aside from that he was content to relax and nearly fall asleep.
“So, what was that you were talking about? If we meet some of the ponies from the show?” Scott said, after finishing his explanation and coming to some realization, that yes, he was trapped in Equestria. “Something about wibbly-wobbly, timey wimey stuff?”
Ancro groaned, he didn’t want to have to explain this again. “In theory, several things may happen if we meet up with them… Our outsider knowledge of their universe could cause it to collapse in upon itself,” he replied, “we could rip open a fabric in the reality of this universe, we could detonate like anti-matter. Or we could uncreate this entire reality, and all the beings within it. Including us.”
Scott stared at his friend. Ancro stared back with warning glance. Scott scoffed, like he was so anti-brony that he would try to unmake a universe. Okay, so maybe the thought would cross his mind. He pushed those thoughts out of his mind, in favor of ones he may get a bit more of an explanation of. “How do you know this stuff?”
“I have a doctorate in quantum physics, Scott,” the changeling replied, proudly.
“Ancro…that doctorate is from eBay.” 
“Still, I get to put ‘Doctor’ on my business cards.” 
“You don’t have business cards...”
“…Well, drat,” Ancro replied, in the freaky, layered voice that just creeped Scott out. “I guess I’m going to have to go get some business cards when we get back.”
“You would get business cards with ‘Doctor’ on them, because you bought a degree on eBay?” Scott replied, in mild annoyance. His friend’s behavior wasn’t what was bothering him…Okay, it was, but what was bothering him was that his two best friends were just so damn chill about the whole situation. He also wished he could address them in their real names, which would make him so happy. He opened his beak and tried once again, just to be sure. Nope, nothing.
Ancro had dozed off to sleep. Scott was pinching himself, trying desperately to wake himself up. “Scott, you’re anxious,” Ancro said, sounding like he was half asleep. “Go spread your wings and fly.”
Scott looked at his wings. He knew they were too small for true sustained flight, but still, he had always wanted to fly. Even as a kid he wanted to be a fighter pilot. Then the Marines had to go and tell him he had low light red-yellow colorblindness. What the hell was that about? Yeah, that was two years ago, but Scott knew how to hold a grudge like no one else. Grumbling slightly, he spread his wings and flapped them. Immediately, he felt himself lifted off the ground.
Shocked, he stopped flapping and looked back at his wings. He flapped them again, and soon found himself to be flying. Unsteadily, but still, he was flying. To him it felt similar like the first time on a bicycle, except if he fell, he would land on the ground ten feet beneath him. He kept flying fairly low to the ground, until he gathered the courage to go upwards. Closing his eyes, he flew straight upwards. He felt his head hit a…pillow, he was touching a cloud. What amounted to icy water vapor was hindering his flight, like it was a solid object. The griffin understandably screamed.
Unfortunately, having a freak out in the middle of the sky is a fairly bad idea. Scott quickly lost control, and started tumbling downwards. He had forgotten how high he had gone up, was able to get a good look as the ground rushed forward to meet him. His body started to feel lighter, and his falling decreased slightly, he assumed it had something to do with the aura around his body.
“Scott, flap!” Ancro yelled, and the griffin barely managed to regain control in time to land safely.
“What was that about?” Ancro asked, as his friend tried to regain his composure. He was sweating profusely, but looked relieved to see his friend not dead.
“I touched a cloud!” He shouted, “It wasn’t a cloud, it was like a cold pillow or cotton or something like that! What the hell kind of world is that? It doesn’t make sense!”
“Yeah it does,” Ancro said with a chuckle.
“Okay, how explain to me the physics of how I can touch a bunch of water vapor!”
“Magic?” Ancro replied.
“Is that going to be how you explain everything while we’re here?!” Scott shouted, looking at the clouds.
“Why yes, yes it is.” 
“Any other physics defying things I should be warned about?” He asked, still trying to shake off the whole touching clouds thing.
“None that come to mind,” the changeling answered, before lying back down. He looked back at the griffin and teased, “Probably going to have to make San checks while you’re here, aren’t you, Scott?” 
“Ancro,” Scott started, the changeling raised an eyebrow. “Shut up.”

Scott woke up in a bed, in a white room. He tried to stand up, but his legs and wings were strapped down. His entire body was sore as well. He looked around, and curtains were on both sides of him, with hospital equipment beeping silently in the background.
“Great, another hospital,” he groaned.
“Well, we could still be in the sewers,” Stigandr replied from behind the curtain on his left. “Granted, we may have been able to avoid capture, but still.”
“Stigs, where are we?”
“In the Canterlot palace, we got captured after Shining Armor jumped us.” He took a deep breath, and wondered if he should let Scott know. “You were taken out of the fight pretty quick, a paralysis spell. What’s the last thing you remember?”
“Well, you were getting tired of being followed…

“Wait for my signal,” Stigandr whispered, as he ducked down a maintenance tunnel while Scott and Ancro continued on. While Ancro wasn’t minding being followed, as long as they stayed at a good distance, the other two started to get irritated.
“What’s the signal?” Scott asked, as he looked back at Ancro who was trailing a bit further back than he had been before. He was the only one who could sense them.
“Most likely going to be the sounds of a struggle,” Ancro said in Stigandr’s voice.
“Your voice doesn’t sound right,” Scott replied.
“Yeah, it’s the tone,” Ancro replied in his layered changeling voice, “I’m lazy, so I’m not going to put forth the effort into making the voice accurate.”
“But won’t that blow the cover?”
“Not really, no,” Ancro replied in the typical, layered changeling voice. “They’re out of ear shot.”
“How can you tell?” Scott replied, “You don’t have depth perception.”
“Completely different senses, Derpy.” Ancro retorted, “They’re out of my earshot, and barely on my emotional radar thing.”
“Umm Ancro, they can make their ears better,” Scott added.
“…Well damn, guess we’ll have to stop talking. What do you think, Stigs?” Ancro changed his voice to answer his own question, “It sounds like a good idea to me.”
Scott wanted to pull his feathers out of his head. It was insanity-inducing. “How do you not know this stuff?”
“…Scott, I’ve said this to you several times,” he said, feeling slightly exasperated. “There’s a bit of a learning curb to magic.”
“Well, you need to practice more,” Scott said in a mocking tone. Ancro jabbed him in the shoulder, then cringed a bit when his ribs protested the action. “Dude, you okay?”
“Of course I’m okay,” Ancro said with a smile. He was about to continue with a statement regarding his own flawlessness, but sounds of a struggle interrupted him. 

Specs and Shift thought the reason for the brief pause at the fork was so Ancro could catch his breath, and deciding which way to go. They hadn’t thought that they would use that opportunity to outflank them. With what little energy they had left, the unicorn would’ve been problem enough, and he was. Stigandr was deflecting their low-powered attacks with ease. He had pushed them back and cut off every escape until his two friends came rushing down the hall.
“Where do you think you’re going?”  Scott asked, as he pinned Shift to the ground. Desperately, the changing was trying to get away from the trio after he and his sister had been encircled.
“Somewhere else?” The changeling said, performing a move that would make a contortionist make a double take. Scott was left reeling, and wondering how he had taken a hit to the back of the head from a limb that was supposed to be under him.
“Nope,” Stigandr said. Shift tried to light his horn, and found himself thrown into a wall violently. That left only the sister. 
Ancro had done a flying tackle, and took Specs to the ground, then apologized for hurting her. Ancro did not believe in unnecessary violence towards women. Even if they could switch gender at will. He had to ask someone (someling?) about that. Not right now though, he was too busy putting a double chicken wing on the changeling, and using his own body as a weight to prevent her from doing any double-jointed stuff.
Her horn lit up, and Ancro felt his body start to pop. Though slightly curious as to see where that spell was heading, he decided to find out later. He head butted her into submission, an action that nearly gave Ancro a concussion as well. He got up and proceeded to dry heave, having hit his horn more times than he cared to count. His torso was also screaming from the broken ribs.
“You okay, bud?” Scott asked rushing over to his friend’s aid.
“Of course I’m okay,” Ancro replied, shaking his head and trying to will the nausea away. “As I was saying before, I’m perfect.”
Scott face-taloned at his friend’s typical remark.
“So, do you know how to make that green goop?” Scott asked, pinning down the other changeling.
“No, Scott. I don’t know how to make the green goop.”
“Then what are you good for?” He asked, and Ancro shot him a dirty look before picking up on the joke.
“Making sure you don’t get us all killed, of course.” Ancro retorted, “A difficult task even for one as perfect as me.”
“Well, Ancro, if you are so perfect, why did we have to rescue you?” Scott asked across his beak.
“Being perfect is extremely tiring,” Ancro defended with mock offense, “I can’t be perfect all the time.”
“Mentlegen,” Stigandr chimed in, still holding Shift in his magical grasp, “what are we going to do with these two?”
“We could keep them as pets?” Ancro suggested, getting a look of chagrin from both changelings. Their confusion was only increased when he pointed to shift. “I’d name him Jimmy.”
“What in the name of Tartarus is wrong with you?!” Shift shouted, “My name is Shift! I already told you that, and I’m no one’s pet!”
“Chill, I’m being sarcastic,” Ancro said as Shift continued to flail about helplessly in the air. Meanwhile, Specs was trying to think of a way out of the situation, then the idea struck her. From what she had seen, he had no idea what he was doing or how to use any spell that didn’t involve blowing something up.
“I can teach you,” Specs said towards Ancro. “I’m not gonna lie, from what I’ve seen, your spell repertoire is…”
“Pathetic?” Ancro said, while Specs searched for the word to describe the two three spells he had. Technically four, but the other one was just a modification of the kamikaze thing they had.
“Lacking, was the word I was looking for,” Specs said.
“Okay,” he said, accepting her offer. “How do I make that goop?”
“You mean the wax?” Specs asked in disbelief. “Why do you keep calling it goop?”
“Can’t say,” Ancro said, telling the truth and earning a baffled look from the changeling. “Just tell me how to make the wax.”
“So you can trap us in a cocoon?”
“Maaaybe,” Ancro replied, not bothering to hide his intent.
“No, you follow us,” Specs said. “We go back to our hide-out, and when we are safe, then I’ll teach you.”
“Huddle,” Scott called Stigandr and Ancro over.  Ancro used what little magic he had left to keep Specs pinned. He wasn’t sure if she was staying still out of courtesy, or him overpowering her.

“What are they talking about?” Shift whispered to his sister.
“I don’t know, and I don’t care.” Specs replied, “As long as they hurry.” 
“Why?” He asked. Specs tasted the worry in his voice.
“How many princesses rule Equestria?” She added, letting her own façade slide and show her brother she was worried as well. 
“Two,” His voice shrunk, and if he had pupils they would dilate. “Y-you can sense her?”
“Barely, but she’s getting closer,” she said, her emotional tone going from worry to scared. In a desperate attempt to make light of the bad situation, she made a joke, something she had learned from the ponies. “Who thought that recon training would come in handy?”

“So it’s settled, then?” Ancro asked, after some short debating and bickering within the huddle.
“I guess,” Scott said, “But if they-“
“Yes, Scott, we get it,” Ancro said, wishing he could pull out his mane; the griffin had tried to drive that point home several times. “You’ll try to do something, but get beaten.” The griffin grumbled at the jab, but he had to admit it to be true.
The trio turned to face their changeling captives. 
“Here’s the deal,” Scott said to the changelings. “You guys are going to be on point, and I guess you’ll lead us to your hideout and teach our buddy Ancro some new tricks, but we’re leaving as soon as we are ready.”
Ancro and Stigandr lowered the telekinetic field that held them in place. There was a tense moment.
“…Well, are we leaving?” Specs said, leading them down the tunnel, her brother right beside her. There was still tension in the air as they followed. Ancro made it a point to try to alleviate it.
“Anyling know any good songs?” Ancro said through the silence. He was answered with silence. “Why did the chicken cross the road?” Again silence. “Tough hall.”
Shift chuckled at the pun. Specs face-hooved, Ancro obviously had spent way too much time with ponies and griffins. 
“Oh Ancro, as always, you so punny,” Stigandr groaned.
“Well, I am perfect after all.” That broke the ice as Specs had to laugh at the insane proclamation. She could feel that Ancro knew he wasn’t, but even she had to laugh.

Ancro had achieved his goal of a less tension-filled walk down the hallway. He was smiling as his ribs were healing and he was being fed from his two best friends. He would’ve preferred to be sitting down and getting the emotion out of them, since that method had proven to be more affective in his routine trials since he got to Equestria.
“Umm Ancro,” Specs said, breaking the calm silence, “You know you’d heal better if you replaced your ribs with an exoskeleton, right?”
“No, I didn’t know that,” Ancro replied then added, “Nor do I know how to do that.” He tasted the shock he was getting from both Specs and Shift, and it was priceless. ‘It’s going to be so much fun to troll these two,’ Ancro thought gleefully. The brother and sister responded to his unexpected joy with confusion.
“You have a lot to teach.”
Heavy galloping hoofsteps came down the hall. Ancro felt the presence, and honestly wasn’t sure what to make of it. It tasted bitter, like anger, but with more…iron? Specs and Shift darted to the ceiling, having only felt this once before, and both times directed at them. Pure rage and hatred was coming down the hall, as well as power… Terrifying amounts of power, to combine with those emotions. Ancro saw no place for his friends to hide, and stayed on the ground. He signaled for them to be ready.

“…Then a bright flash, and a bam,” Scott finished.
“Yeah, that was the paralysis spell,” Stigandr replied from behind the curtain. “He knocked you out first, then Ancro and I teamed up on him. It didn’t go to well.”
“We’re in chains, I can tell.”
“It went even worse for Ancro,” Stigandr replied, “After he overpowered our magic and trapped me in a bubble, Ancro rushed him.”
“How’d that go for the little bug?” Scott replied, imagining his friend comically charging a unicorn, screaming some insane battle cry.
“He’s in critical condition,” Stigandr replied, his voice changing to something more serious. “Shining Armor went berserk. He even hit Princess Cadence when she tried to pull him off Ancro!”

They sat and made idle small talk until the door to their room opened. Both curtains were pulled back, and Twilight Sparkle was standing there, flanked by two guards brandishing spears. She had a clipboard in her magical grasp. Scott glanced at his friend, and noticed a ring on his horn.
“Good, both of you are awake,” she said, forcing herself to be cheery. “Now, I have some questions for you, and I want answers.”
“Blow it out your ass,” Scott said, to Stigandr’s, Twilight’s and even the guards’ shock. He retained a high and mighty, defiant look upon his face. Twilight’s, on the other hand, flashed with the rage of stress and frustration. She lifted the griffin, bed and all, and brought him towards her face. She made that she was about to say something, then decided to lay the bed back down, With Scott on the bottom. It wouldn’t be dangerous; the head rest would stop the weight of the bed from crushing him, however, it would be very uncomfortable.
“Sleep like that for the night,” Twilight growled, before stepping out of the room and stomping off. Yes, the griffin had been a bit of jerk in Ponyville, but that was just uncalled for. He should be glad that none of her friend’s heard his comment. She smiled at each of her friend’s reactions, ranging from Rainbow Dash throwing him out the window, to Rarity insulting him in such a way that he couldn’t understand it.
She flipped a page on her clipboard and sighed, it was the list of ponies that had gone missing from the prison. Several of the most dangerous ponies in Equestria were on the loose, changelings were hiding in the palace, and her brother’s marriage was falling apart. All because of their “friend”, she had checked up on him several times and was astounded at the changeling’s natural healing prowess. This didn’t make her less angry, but only more curious. Perhaps he may yield the secrets to catch the changelings that had infiltrated the palace.

Ancro was aware that every part of his body hurt. One of his eyes was swollen shut, his forelegs were broken, and his wings had been blown off. He had forgotten that Shining Armor was captain of the royal guard, and as such he most likely exceeded him when it came to hoof to hoof combat as well as magic. Breathing was difficult as well, which was evident by the tube that had been pushed down his throat. He glanced around, and saw three guards with their backs to him. He tried to say something, but then realized his jaw was wired shut as well. A part of him laughed, wondering if it was the captain’s idea, or if Shining Armor had just broken his jaw as well while he was beating him up.
“Good, you’re awake,” came a familiar voice. It took Ancro a moment to place it. In that moment, he realized that Shiny also most likely gave him a concussion with the last buck to the head. Twilight Sparkle moved into view. She didn’t look happy.
“I’m aware you are not able to talk right now, but rest assured you will be taken care of and put in rooms with your two…friends.” Ancro took a note that she said the last part with particular hesitation, “which I believe will aid your healing faculties.”
Ancro blinked at her slowly, taking his time to understand the words. “I have been given permission to repurpose several of the rooms in the palace to accommodate you. Understandably, you will be under watch and magically restrained at all times. I’ve modified one of the magical rings we are using for your unicorn friend on you, it will syphon off all but the most necessary energy you…absorb from them.” Ancro could taste some anger directed at him, despite her calm exterior. He could also taste something else…pity? He wasn’t sure. Either way, he was stuck with Twilight as his caretaker for the time being.

Cadence was sobbing, with a sizable bruise on her eye. Shining Armor had accused her of being a changeling. She had arrived just in time to witness Shining Armor nearly kill Ancro. She thought he was dead at first.He had gone limp and wasn’t moving. She ran over to try to pull Shining Armor away, and she could tell he wasn’t well. The look in his eyes... Then he called her a changeling, and…and hit her! He had finally snapped out, once he realized what he had done. Luna had shown up and had witnessed it as well.
Discord smiled, he remembered the recipe quite well after seeing it only once in a thousand years.  The seed was planted. In time, that seed of loneliness and despair can turn a creature like an Alicorn into a monster. All she needed now, was a little alone time. Those humans had proven exceptionally useful, which reminded him he needed to check on the human who got the most of Shining Armor’s wrath. He needed to cover his tracks, and make himself useful to them or they would crush his hopes of freedom.

Shining Armor looked in the mirror and sulked. He hated himself. He let his anger get the best of him. He had hit Cadence, thinking she was changeling. Had Luna not shown up, who knows what he could’ve done? He didn’t deserve his rank, or his title, and had immediately requested to take a leave of absence. Celestia said he would have all the time he needed. He crumpled up a piece of paper and threw it on the floor. It landed in the pile, like the rest. He kept trying to write an apology to her, but it didn’t work, nothing would. He had hit her, after swearing to protect her he had actually struck the mare he loved. He couldn’t even look at himself, much less her.
There was a knock on the door. It couldn’t be one of the guards, seeing as how he given them strict orders not to bother him. He opened the door, and in walked a pegasus maid, with a feather duster cutie mark.
“Housekeeping,” she said in a cheery tone. Shining Armor nodded and stepped out of the room so she could get to work. A walk might help him out. He hoped.
Once the door was closed, the maid’s changeling magic lifted up the crumpled paper. She read it and smiled. The news of Shining Armor’s indefinite leave of absence had brought about some confusion within the guards and the changelings that had infiltrated the palace. This cleared things up greatly, and would make wonderful news to the queen. She felt some presences approach the room, and stashed the paper in her outfit, while continuing her cleaning.

(Sorry about the wait like I said in the last credits I was spending a lot of time with my grandparents. Also had this chapter was a real pain, literally had to rewrite it three times. On the plus side got some good fishing in! Anyways big thanks to my friend Sara for editing and the cover art. For commissions contact her at shaya.laperro@gmail.com. Thanks to my friends who I’ve based two-thirds of the Triumvirate on. Feedback as always is appreciated in anyway shape or form. Let me know any way I can make this a better story for your enjoyment!)