//------------------------------//
// Locked up, ideas, and plans. 
// Story: The Triumvirate 
// by Fedora71 
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Chapter 17


It had been a rough night sleep for Stigandr. Partly from being tied down, partly because he knew he was being watched and partly because Scott kept whining. He had to agree that what Twilight did was a bit extreme, but funny regardless.
Stigandr felt everything in his body shift as a purple light momentarily blinded his eyes. The magic completely overwhelmed his blocks and he was immediately in a different room. A large and well-furnished room that was decorated in a similar manner to the room Rarity had when she visited Canterlot. Except one major drawback, no windows. Obviously, they had planned ahead. The bed he was strapped down on had not been teleported with him, so he was free to move about.
There were three doors. He took his time walking around the room. He tried to open it with his magic, then remembered there was a ring around his horn to prevent that. He leaned down and carefully tried to open it with his mouth. Nope, it was locked. He tried another door, and found it to lead to the bathroom. The last door led to another room, where Scott was still upside down and tied to a hospital bed.
“Watch your talons,” Stigandr said as he kicked the bed onto its side and clumsily tried to undo the restraints with his hooves, then his mouth. The latter earning a disgusted groan from Scott. Finally, it was off. Scott quickly waved him away and rubbed his arm all over the sheets.
“I got this,” he said, cutting through the rest of the restraints. Finally, when he was free, the bed vanished. “That was just a dick move.”
Stigandr chuckled and had moved on to trying out the other doors. There were four in the room Scott had been teleported into, counting the one he had just gone through. Scott walked next to him as he opened the door to bathroom…and wiped what was left of his spit covered foreleg on Stigandr’s mane. The pony kneed him in the ribs.
“You know…I just realized something. I can do something… and you can’t really prevent now that you don’t have your magic,” the griffin said wryly, realizing he may never get this chance again. His friend was looking at one of the doors, only paying half attention.
“Scott I really want you to-“ He was cut off by the feeling of one of the griffin’s talons working its way inside his ear, and it was wet. “You ass!” The pony jumped, and preceded to wrestle the griffin into submission. 
“It was worth it.” The griffin chuckled, rubbing the fresh bruise that was on his foreleg. Finally, they opened the last door. They saw Ancro looking towards the door, a soft smile on his face. At least, that’s what it looked like with the wires and the two fangs popping out of his mouth. It made the smile look extremely disturbing from their perspective.
“So...how did you piss of Twilight?” Scott asked, trying to lighten the mood. Ancro raised an eyebrow and the griffin began to explain. Ancro had to laugh at hearing how his friend did something stupid, and he wasn’t even there to watch.
Ancro felt himself get better and better while in close proximity to his friends. Still not anywhere close to 100%. If anything, his legs had only just mended. The worst part was he was coming up with well-timed and perfect puns to go with the conversation between Scott and Stigs, but since his mouth was wired shut he couldn’t use them.
“Ahem.” Twilight said, standing in the room, shutting the door behind her. Ancro noted that she was acting as a buzzkill, cutting off and lessening the love he was getting from his friends. Another thing he had just noticed, apparently he got the most when they were paying attention to him. “I hope you all like your accommodations,” she said, somewhat uncertain of herself. She was wearing saddlebags for whatever reason. Ancro noticed they were full of, what else, books. He skimmed the title, it was something about criminology. He had to attempt to smile at the prospect of being interrogated by these ponies. Maybe Pinkie Pie will be the bad cop, or Rainbow Dash. He hadn’t met her yet.
“They’re nice, thank you,” Stigandr said, giving Scott a cautionary look. The griffin looked genuinely shocked.
Twilight’s mood immediately relaxed. “I’m glad.” It changed to one of mild regret soon after. “Honestly, I was kind of hoping that you were under a changeling spell.”
“Why was that?” Stigandr asked. Scott went into the next room to dig around the cabinets, seeing if he could find anything of interest.
“Well, it would’ve meant you all would have been innocent of helping him.” She said, “now, seeing as how it is, both of you are locked up with him.”
“Well, misery loves company, and if there’s any company I’d like to be miserable with it’s these two,” Stigandr said, looking calmly into Twilight’s eyes. She gazed back and pulled out a note pad and started to write. Ancro could tell that piqued her curiosity, with her being a student of friendship and all.
“So how long have you three known each other?” She asked, pulling one of the cushions Ancro was lying on out from under him, making his entire upper back feel sore. Hide it as she may, on the outside Ancro could tell that she still didn’t like him.
“The three of us, we’ve been friends for years.”
“And you’ve experienced no harmful side effects from that changeling?” Twilight asked, partly curious and partly in surprise.
“None that I’ve been able to tell,” Stigandr joked. Ancro felt some energy going into him from the tease. “Well, there is how he’s the reason why we’re locked up, but it could be worse.”
“You’re not locked up,” Twilight said, looking hurt.
“So, if the three of us just wanted to stroll out of the palace and head on our way, you wouldn’t stop us?” Stigandr replied with a sly grin. Twilight’s ears went flat against her head, she was actually hoping to have just gotten away with imprisoning Ancro. But reality set in, and she didn’t know how much trouble those two would cause if they were let out. When Ancro was kept locked up, there was also the necessity of feeding him. She didn’t want put Cadence through that. 
“No, I’m sorry, I’m just not sure if that’s a good idea,” She finally said. “I can see if I can get something for you and Scott, maybe some time in the garden, but Ancro isn’t allowed to leave.” There was a long pause as Twilight worked up the courage to get the rest of her preplanned statement out of her mouth. This conversation wasn’t going anywhere near as she planned. “Starting tomorrow, you and your friends will be interviewed individually. We have a bit of a problem with…security in the palace.”
“That sounds like your problem,” Scott called from the next room.
Twilight’s eyebrow twitched and she took a deep breath before continuing. “I’m not going to force any of you to help, but it would be appreciated by the princesses.” She turned and trotted out of the room. Ancro and Stigandr took note that the door showed nothing beyond the room, all there was instead was a white aura permeating from the door.
The guards quickly jumped to their positions as the door opened, pointing their spears, ready to storm in. They immediately stood at attention when Twilight walked out. She wished that all this wasn’t necessary. The magically locked doors, the aura that prevented them from seeing beyond the door way, and the four dozen guards, but Ancro had a record and she still wasn’t sure what his friends would do.
She hadn’t talked to her brother since she heard about what he had done. She didn’t know what to say, to be angry, or disappointed or what. He hadn’t tried to talk to her either, or anypony for that matter, all he had done was request an indefinite leave of absence. Even Pinkie Pie was at a loss for a way to cheer him up.
Then there was Cadence. She hadn’t come out of her room since it had happened. She wouldn’t talk to anypony, not Celestia, Luna, or even Twilight. This just compounded the lavender unicorn’s stress as she thought of ways to detect changelings. So far, she knew she couldn’t count on Ancro’s help, seeing as how changelings even have some difficulty spotting their own kind. She also couldn’t count on him not to do anything brash to help his own kind like she had witnessed in the prison. She still didn’t know what had happened to the other changelings. They vanished in the sewers, so she had to assume that they had been separated.
Another thing that was bothering her, was how adamant Ancro had been and even went out of his way to save Cadence, according to Pinkie Pie. That had been the only thing keeping him and his friends out of the prison that they were still sweeping for parasprites! Yet, a minute after saving Cadence and surrendering, he helps the changeling that she had captured. He must’ve known that going peacefully would’ve given him an easier time, possibly even parole! Yet his actions show no long term thought and seemed based entirely on impulse. No wonder he was able to get along with Pinkie Pie.
This was all compounded by the fact that he was the only changeling that may help. The changelings her brother had captured with the exception of the commander had all referred to him as a traitor. The commander was currently in an isolated intensive care unit to deal with his severe burns. Part of her was thinking it could all be a smoke screen that the changelings created to give them an agent in the palace. Something they already had. Were they wanting a changeling that would act as a double agent? That still didn’t explain his friends. They were the only factor that made it seem against the odds that he wasn’t siding with Chrysalis. Those three had a genuine friendship amongst them, not some spell that was allowing him to feed off them while using them as puppets.

Ancro opened his mouth and felt the satisfying pop of his jaw. It felt wonderful. The wire that had been keeping his mouth shut had vanished after his jaw had healed. With his healed forelegs, he braced himself and proceeded to pop every vertebrae in his spine. Stigandr looked over upon hearing the noise.
“Feeling better?” The brown unicorn asked as his friend struggled to stand on the ground, somewhat wobbily.
“Much better, so how do you know Twilight?”
“Met her at the hospital in Ponyville.” Stigandr smiled wickedly, “Along with the rest of the mane 6.”
“Normally, I’d be a bit jealous, but not this time.” Ancro replied, “I got to meet all three princesses, and even got a history lesson from Celestia.”
“What did you learn?” Stigandr asked. Ancro took a moment to peg the emotions. It was curiosity mixed with a hint of jealousy.
“All I got was a lesson about Starswirl.” Ancro chuckled. “Apparently  he was the only pony wh-“
“Guys, we’re trapped in a pony prison!” Scott said irately, “I think we have bigger problems to worry about than who’s met which pony and what princess!”
“Some griffin’s in a bad mood,” Discord said, as his shadow slithered out from under the bed.
“So Discord, you finish that project I have you working on?” Stigandr said, narrowing his eyes. “It’d be a shame if Twilight discovered the state of the spell that contains you.”
“Wow, immediately pulling out the big guns?” Discord smiled, “Don’t worry, I outsourced it, I assure you that no matter who does it, the spell will take the same amount of time. By the way, your charming friend’s threat reminded me to ask you something, Ancro.”
“Shoot,” The changeling replied, looking at the shadow with intrigue as it slithered along the walls.
“Why didn’t you threaten me in much the same manner as Stigandr did?”
“I assumed it was understood,” Ancro replied, half-way shocked, “Kind of a you scratch my back, I don’t tell them I’ve been getting visits from a certain draconequus.”
“Clever.” He replied.
“Pretty obvious, I thought.” Ancro answered.
“Amazing how often those go claw and paw.” Discord’s smile seemed fairly evil as he faded out from the wall. Which was difficult to tell, considering he was in fact a shadow. His voice was the last thing to vanish, “I’m going to take a peek at your world, it may take a while so you three stay out of trouble alright?”
“…Yeah, he’s definitely going stab us in the back,” Ancro said with a nod.
“Anyway,” Scott said after Discord was gone, “What’s the plan to break out of here?”
“I don’t know,” Stigandr said, while Ancro shrugged.
“Can’t you magic your way out of this? I mean your talent is adapt and ov-“ Scott’s words were silenced by Stigandr shoving his hoof in the griffon’s beak.
“Relax Stigs,” Ancro said, “Discord wouldn’t have shown up if we were being watched.”
“Awwwderp,” he said, pulling his hoof off Scott’s beak and wiping the spit on the griffon’s neck feathers. “Sorry about that.”
“It’s alright,” Scott said, after pulling some fur off his tongue.
“Yeah, answered a question I was going to ask,” Ancro chuckled.
“Which was?” Scott asked in reply.
“That I’m keeping my talent a secret,” Stigandr answered, looking hard at Scott. “It also means that we should give away as little about us as possible.”
“Oh, another question,” Ancro said, waving his hoof like an elementary school kid. “Whatever happened to Specs and Shift?”
“Those jack-asses ran off as soon as Shining Armor showed up,” Scott growled. Ancro was glad he wouldn’t be in their hooves when his friend got a hold of them. If there’s one thing Scott could do, it was hold a grudge.

Meanwhile in the heart of Canterlot, two ponies, a pegasus and a unicorn busily bussed tables in the afternoon rush. The restaurant had switched owners a few months ago, when the previous owner had decided to leave the hustle of Canterlot after the changeling attack. He didn’t have the faintest idea who had bought it.
“So…what’s the plan, sis?” Shift asked his sister as they sat down for their break at the restaurant. The other deserters were glad to have the help back.
“The plan?” She asked, wondering if her brother was actually serious. “It’s the same as usual, we lay low and fee-“
She cut herself off when she realized her brother was paying absolutely no attention to her. He was more or less fixated on the orange pegasus walking by. She was a new customer, but that wasn’t what got her brother’s attention. It was just how familiar she had looked… She looked just like the pony who was the centerpiece of the Wonderbolts poster outside. Yet, there were some subtle differences to her, differences only a trained eye could tell.
Specs had to admit it was kind of funny watching her try to act cool around ponies that thought she was the famous Wonderbolt captain. On the outside, you’d think that the confusion didn’t bother her. Inside though, it was bringing her to a boil. Her brother just sat there and stared at her in the discrete way a changeling could.
“You are aware you’ll never get a good meal by sitting around with me all day, right?” Specs asked rhetorically. She knew it was about more than food, her baby brother had his first crush, and the opportunity to go after it. She couldn’t help but find it adorable.
Although his body didn’t show it, he was nervous. This was his first time actively going after food. He was used to feeding off the emotions that he’d get from providing good and enjoyable service at the restaurant. Granted, often times it was borderline starvation, but they still endured.
Firecracker was flipping through the menu, still feeling sore. Hoplon had recommended the restaurant to her before. He said the food was great and the service was better. She’d have to remember to bring him back one of their desserts when she stopped by the hospital. She still wasn’t cleared to fly, her friend was confined to a hospital bed with a case of the broken… everything. He was supposed to be out within a week, and cleared for duty within a month. She was going to be cleared for duty after a psych examination.
She had been having nightmares about the changelings that had attacked her. They were faster, stronger, and more powerful than her. They also had every chance to kill her, but instead they stuffed her and Hoplon in a broom closet. It was a miracle the guards sweeping the prison had found her, and that they had exercised such great spear discipline.
“Excuse me,” A green pegasus said, notepad in hoof and pencil in mouth, “are you ready to order ma’am?”
She had been so lost in thought that she had completely forgotten what she wanted to eat. “Umm, what’s good?”
“Well, the soupe de legoumes is always a good choice, since it’s your first time here,” the waiter said patiently, “You know I can’t help but thi-“
“No, I’m not Spitfire, or her twin sister, or cousin, and no, I’m not a changeling pretending to be her,” Firecracker said plainly, like she had already given that speech a thousand times today.
The waiter chuckled a bit, “No, I was going to say the most beautiful mare I’ve ever seen.”
“Nice save,” She said while flipping through the menu.
“Wasn’t a save at all,” he replied with a calm smile.
“Okay,” She said with a laugh, “You’ve guaranteed yourself a tip. I’ll have what you said was good.”
“It will be right out,” he said, taking her menu and tucking it under his wing.

Rainbow Dash and Applejack walked through the sculpture garden trying to relax and come up with ways to identify changelings. Twilight was busy with her own idea, involving those three they had captured in the sewers.
“Maybe we could pick up the ponies that can’t fly and drop them from a high place?” Rainbow Dash said, scratching her mane.
“Uh, Rainbow Dash,” Apple Jack said, searching for the right words to tell her this plan, like the rest, wouldn’t work. “Some ponies might take affense to bein’ dropped from a very high spot.”
“Don’t worry, I could totally catch them,” she said, waving a hoof. Rainbow Dash then caught Apple Jack’s gaze. “On second thought, it’s not such a good idea. I don’t see you coming up with anything though.”
“Well, outside the obvious,” Apple Jack said, bucking an apple tree and catching the apple in her mouth. “Ah can’t come up with nuthin’. Ah don’t think Twilight is gonna get anything from that Ancro either. Still can’t believe that those two were in cahoots with him.”
“Yeah, well she thinks it worth a shot.”
“And it mahght be,” Apple Jack continued, “but ah don’t think we can trust him. Or his friends, fer that matter.”
“Yeah,” Rainbow Dash sighed, “So how about you help me come with some ideas for catching changelings?”

*knock**knock**knock* “Hey,” *knock**knock**knock* “Hey,” *knock**knock**knock* “H-“ The door flung open and a guard walked through. Instead of the calm demeanor that most the guards kept at all times, his teeth were clenched, eyes bloodshot, and he had blood vessel standing out of his forehead. Scott stood there silently for a second as the guard glared up at him.
“What do you want?” Ancro sensed it was taking every bit of his restraint not to beat the griffin. Ancro understood where the guard was coming from, had someone done the ‘Sheldon-from Big-Bang-Theory- Knocking’ routine to him and kept it up for three hours straight, he’d be irate too.
“Can we get some more toilet paper?” Scott said, sheepishly.
“And a punching bag!” Ancro shouted from the bed.
“Yeah, and some books.” Scott said, remembering Stigs mentioning them before he found out that they didn’t have toilet paper. 
“Anything else?” He said, grinding his teeth.
“A fez!” Ancro asked, resulting in the door slamming in Scott’s face. “…do you think we made him mad?”

“Hi, Rarity,” Twilight said, upon seeing her friend. She almost jumped out of her coat when her friend unzipped herself, and Pinkie Pie emerged.
“Twilight!” Pinkie Pie said, “You blew my cover, I was trying to disguise myself. I was trying to make them think I was Applejack!”
“B-Th-Ho-Wh-“ Twilight stammered, trying desperately to come up with the words to explain to her friend why that didn’t make any sense, before resigning herself to accepting that it’s Pinkie Pie. “Make who think you were Applejack?”
“The changeling’s of course, silly,” Pinkie Pie said as she started to bounce. “That’s why we stayed in Canterlot, Twilight, remember we were outside the prison after Ancro had hit you and Cadence on the horn to escape. Celestia said she was worried about changelings in Canterlot, and you volunteered to help her and Rarity and Applejack and Flutt-“
“Yes, Pinkie Pie, I remember,” Twilight said rolling her eyes. “I was jus-Don’t worry about it.”
“Don’t worry Twilight, let your dear old auntie Pinkie Pie handle this.”

“Rarity, shouldn’t we… umm… be helping Twilight?” Fluttershy murmured as they walked into the spa.
“We will, Fluttershy,” Rarity said with a smile as she paid the spa ponies. “But this is the finest spa in Canterlot and they are having a special, besides we did miss our spa day. The- ahem –problems… will still be there after we get done, I assure you.”
“I know,” Fluttershy said, “I’m just a little confused, that’s all.”
“Whatever for, my dear?” Rarity asked as one of the ponies began to work vigorously at massaging her back.
“Stigandr and Scott,” She said, as she flinched a bit from the pony gently poking her.
“They were a pair of poor ponies, whom that Ancro fellow most likely deceived in some way,” Rarity said, her voice laced with spite and aggravation. “Even if he didn’t use a spell to control their minds, he still tricked them into endangering themselves, despite the fact that his own rescue was coming.”
“Maybe,” Fluttershy said, then decided to change the subject. “So, do you have any plans for solving the ‘ahem’ problem?”
“A few, Fluttershy,” Rarity said. “Do you think you could talk any of your animal friends into helping us out?”
“I tried, but they all said they couldn’t help,” She continued as they walked into the sauna. “The only reason Bruce could tell the difference was because the one in the prison was scared. When they are scared, they smell different, apparently.”
“Well, we can’t just wait for nightmare night to roll around to find them,” Rarity said in thought, before whining, “Why does finding changelings have to be so haaard?”
“Don’t worry Rarity,” Fluttershy said with an encouraging smile, “I’m sure you’ll think of something.”

Chrysalis stood in her throne room, half paying attention to the contest between two changelings, both vying for a post in her Praetorians. From what little attention she had paid, she could tell both changelings knew each other fairly well, perhaps even brothers. She’d have to remember to find out after the fight. The rest of the court and the captain of the Praetorians watched patiently as both changelings fought using the best of their skills. Nothing else would do, since it was a fight to the death.
The queen’s eyes appeared transfixed upon the fight, her emotions fluctuating as the changelings fought each other with the passion only found between close friends. In her mind, however, she was staring at a map of the target of her people. Equestria itself had proven a far tougher meal than she had hoped. So, taking it was far from her mind for now. Instead, she stared at the map of the Crystal Empire. An empire fueled and powered by love. It was a smaller, if far more delectable, meal than Equestria. The Crystal Ponies’ terror would provide such a wonderful dessert to a filling meal.
The only obstacle was the accursed Crystal Heart. It thwarted every attempt by her changelings to enter the city. It was even powerful enough to stop her, making what was originally a nuisance now a major problem, and an insult towards her. To think that she, the queen of the changelings, would be overpowered by a mere artifact! She had respect for the makers of the crystal heart, but it was greatly overshadowed by her frustration. Her first action would be destroying the artifact. Sombra may have failed to destroy it, but it wouldn’t stop her from trying.
Duo ducked under his friend’s claw swipe. The same swipe they had practiced together. His friend, still in mid-air, rolled away from Duo’s counter attack. They had both lost their wings early on in the fight. They stood on equal ground, and they both wanted it badly. Duo, however, had more on the line. His family had a long history within Chrysalis’s Praetorian guard. His sister was currently on assignment in Canterlot. His friend had only joined when Duo decided to go. Trhey were certain that they wouldn’t end up having to kill each other. Yet, here they were. It was fate that they shared the same bracket.
Duo’s friend’s latest swiped nicked the end of his muzzle, and he countered by immediately lunging under his friend’s torso while he was still off balance. Since neither could fly anymore, knocking him into the air would give Duo a slight advantage. He had forgotten who had taught him that move, though. His friend had managed to skillfully land on his feet. They were both approaching their limits to sustain apex. The friends circled each other like hungry timber wolves, preparing to fight for the title of alpha. Duo feigned a rush, causing his friend to lurch back in preparation to counter. He barely noticed the fireball that knocked him back.
Duo took his chance and grabbed him with his magic, just before he left the circle that signified the arena. His sister warned him what happens to the Praetorians that win by a technicality. The usual hazing is far more severe. In his magical grasp, he held his best friend’s life, and he acted without hesitation. His action was sudden and deliberate. He crushed every bone in his former friend’s body. There was a solitary scream as his the last of the air left his friend’s lungs, and the body went limp and fell to the ground. It reverted back to its base form, but even that was unrecognizable. Duo was forced back into his base form as the last of his reserves went dry.
“Congratulations, Duo,” Chrysalis said, waking out of her deep thoughts enough to congratulate the winner and remember his name. She continued her speech whilst stepping down from her throne. “You have proven yourself a valuable warrior to our people, and you have passed the tests that had been set before you. Kneel.”
The changeling kneeled as his queen towered over him. Her crooked horn bent down to touch the changeling’s forehead. Immediately, the changeling felt his magic replenish.
“Now, rise as one of my Praetorians, sworn to follow my orders. Even if they call for your death.”
“Understood, your majesty.” The changeling rose.
“Your majesty,” a changeling burst into the throne room panting heavily, a scroll floating beside him. “Message from our spy in Canterlot.” Chrysalis took the message, and the changeling left in much the same fashion he had entered. She would need to remember to have him reprimanded for not showing proper protocol. 
The green ink that sealed the scroll melted away in her magic, and she unfurled it and read the report. For the most part, it was bad news. The decana of praetorians she had sent had been taken alive. The changeling they had been hoping to recruit turned out to be a traitor, whose powers were greatly lacking in expectations. Another changeling she would have to reprimand came to mind. Then she read something towards the bottom of the scroll. A statement that brought her mouth to a dark grin, something she had been waiting for. An opening into the Crystal Empire, while none of her kind could enter thanks to that accursed Heart, she had to wonder if the distraught captain of the guard could enter.
“Commander.” The commander who had been standing silently in the shadow beside the thrown immediately kneeled for his queen, “Send three decana of Praetorians to Canterlot. One to kill the traitor who now resides imprisoned within the palace, the second to abduct Shining Armor, the third to kill the Praetorians that had allowed themselves to be taken captive.”
“Yes, your majesty,” he said, before flying out of the room. Duo followed the commander. They were heading to the same place, the praetorian barracks where he would get his position and assignment. He hoped for a specific one, knowing that the decana his sister was in was the only one in Canterlot.

(Thanks for reading! Big thanks to my editor/artist Sara (shaya.laperro@gmail.com) I’d like to thank my friends who haven’t complained about me writing about them in this context. Worst apocalypse ever by the way not a single zombie or meteor or Great Old One I was hoping that R’lyeh rise. My prayers go to the families of the people who were killed in the shooting in Connecticut.)