//------------------------------// // Hiding Out // Story: Harmonics // by ezra09 //------------------------------// Thistleroot’s apartment building was closer than any other place Scootaloo could think of. She tilted her wings and adjusted her balance to compensate, turning toward his street. He’d shown her where he kept the spare key after she’d kicked down his door, so getting in wouldn't be a problem. She could stay there for a few minutes, just until she’d collected her thoughts and was sure she wouldn’t panic mid-flight. With luck, he’d never know she’d been there. Within minutes she was in the hallway, shaking the plate that displayed the apartment number. The key fell loose and she caught it against the wall. With a bit of maneuvering and cursing her lack of unicorn magic, she managed to slide it into the door and open the apartment. Thistleroot looked up from his kitchen table. “Scootaloo?” “Uh, hi,” she said, ears drooping. Thistleroot sighed. “What are you doing here? I told you I didn’t want to see you anymore.” Scootaloo struggled to keep her voice even. “I know, I didn’t think you’d be home.” Thistleroot arched an eyebrow. “So you were breaking in?” “No! I mean, I just needed someplace safe for a few minutes. This was the only place close.” “Safe? Safe from what?” Thistleroot asked, pushing away from the table with a hint of concern on his face. “I don’t know who they are,” Scootaloo said, voice threatening to crack as the panic finally set in. “Two ponies, a unicorn and a pegasus. I think they were trying to mess with my memories again.” She shuddered at the idea of somepony invading her mind. Tears started to well up in her eyes. Thistleroot’s face softened. “What were you going to do next?” “Get to the princess, let her know what happened. She’ll know what to do.” Thistleroot nodded. “I can send a message if you want. Not directly to her, but I could send one through the school to Miss Sparkle. Then you could stay here until somepony picks you up.” Scootaloo nodded, smiling in relief. Thistleroot hesitated. “I’m only doing this once. After that...” he trailed off, struggling to find the right words. “This is exactly the kind of thing I want to avoid. If those ponies followed you, they know where I live now, right?” “I- I didn’t think about that,” Scootaloo admitted, lowering her head. “I know, and that’s why I don’t want you around. You don’t think about stuff like that.” Thistleroot shook his head and turned to the bedroom door. “I’ll send that message.” Scootaloo stood in the living room in awkward silence as she waited. Thistleroot was right, she hadn’t thought things through. If he got hurt, it would be entirely her fault. He’d already been attacked by changelings once, and barely managed to escape. That had been the last straw, of course. That and realizing why the changelings were after her. She knew it was only a matter of time before somepony connected her to Discord’s return ten years earlier, and anypony who knew about Chrysalis’s imprisonment... Scootaloo blinked. After a moment she cautiously approached the table. Thistleroot had been studying. Several books on unicorn magic lay open, along with a cup of water and an apple. Thistleroot opened the bedroom door. “Done, they should have the message to Miss Sparkle in a few minutes.” “Thanks,” Scootaloo said. With a casual motion she unfurled a wing, scooped up the apple, and launched it at his head. Thistleroot flinched and caught the apple with a simple levitation spell. “Really, Scootaloo?” he asked with a flat look. “I know you’re still mad at me, but that was just...” he trailed off, taking in her glare and aggressive posture. “Where is Thistleroot?” she asked in a low growl, rigid anger clear in every line of her body. “What are you talking about now?” he asked, arching an eyebrow again. He shook his head dismissively, but stopped when he saw the apple in the corner of his eye. It still hovered at eye level, wrapped in a sickly green aura. “What gave it away?” “Thistleroot talked about the Mare in the Moon once. He didn’t know why it reappeared. Not many ponies know that Chrysalis is trapped there now, and I doubt the changelings would tell him while trying to capture him.” The fake Thistleroot sighed. “Here I thought that was such a nice touch, letting you know he was attacked by changelings. Obviously if I was a changeling, I’d never tell you about the encounter, right? And I was just beginning to think acting could be my special talent.” “You don’t seem too worried that I figured out your secret,” Scootaloo said. “Oh, I’m not. You’ve probably guessed by now that I didn’t send a message to your friends. I was communicating with the other changelings. They’ll be here soon, but at this point I can’t exactly wait on them.” The fake Thistleroot stepped closer, a smile stretching across his face. “Orders just came in from Queen Lirean. I have to kill you now.” Scootaloo stumbled back as he approached. “I don’t really like violence, but what the queen says goes. Don’t worry though, your friends won’t miss you. Their love for you is going to keep me full for a long, long time.” ***** The little room wasn’t designed as a cell. A walk-in closet or pantry, probably. There was barely enough room for a small cot and a bucket. The door was heavy and gray, contrasting sharply with the warm brown of the walls. It had a slot for food at the bottom and a small, barred window at eye level. “All the comforts of home,” Thistleroot said to himself, “and three square meals a day. Ah, what a life.” He raised his voice to add, “Wouldn’t you agree?” The guard sat silently in the hall, reading the local paper. “Strong, silent, reading the paper. Grab a donut. Fall asleep just as the heroes bust in and be done with it already.” The guard answered with more silence. “Speaking of donuts, could I get one? You fly, I buy? Not that the food here is terrible. Actually, it should be about lunchtime, shouldn’t it?” Yet more silence answered and Thistleroot gave up. He was halfway through counting the ceiling tiles for the third time when he heard somepony trotting down the hall. Probably more than one. “Finally, I’m starving.” He rolled off the cot and stood by the door, staring intently at the slot. “A trained hunter, the wild pony watches it’s prey.” More silence. “I tell you, I get no respect. That one was funny.” The hoofsteps drew closer and paused in front of the door. It swung outward to reveal two ponies. The first was an earth pony with a steely blue coat. He was a full head taller than Thistleroot. The earth pony set a tray of food down on Thistleroot’s cot and stepped back out. After he was out of the way, the unicorn came in. She was dark red with a flowing pink mane. Thistleroot could barely make out a flower on her flank. A rose, deep red with a lively green stalk. The thorns stood out the most, going from bright green to a dangerous red near the tips. “Welcome to my humble abode. If I’d known to expect guests, I would have cleaned up a little,” Thistleroot said with a low bow. “Please sit down, Mr. Thistleroot,” the mare said without even the hint of a smile. “As you’ve no doubt found, this cell is covered by a dampening effect, much like the anti-changeling field over Canterlot. You won’t be able to use your magic, and you certainly won’t be able to force your way past both of us and the guard outside. If you try to escape, we’ll be happy to break your legs and horn to keep it from happening again.” “Wow, aren’t you a pocketful of sunshine,” Thistleroot said, a hitch to his voice. He silently cursed his tendency to joke when nervous as his mouth went on autopilot. “I swear, one of these days I’m going to find a villain with a sense of humor. Then we’ll see who’s laughing.” “Still the villain, I would imagine,” the mare said. “Huh? Good point. So, what can I do for you? I’m assuming there is some reason you’re keeping me alive, and it’s either personal favor or tax deductions.” Thistleroot sat down and pulled the tray of food toward him. A few slices of bread and a cup of watery soup. “If it’s the tax deductions, I hope you get audited.” “I want you to tell me everything you know about Scootaloo,” she said. Thistleroot gasped. “You fiend! What a cunning plan, asking a straightforward question that will clearly help you get to one of my friends. Your wit and charm have subdued me, I’ll tell you everything I know.” He punctuated the statement by taking a large bite from a slice of bread and chewing loudly. “I don’t think you understand the position you’re in.” “Oh, oh, is this the part where you threaten to kill me if I don’t help you?” Thistleroot asked. “And the part where you valiantly play the hero and resist us?” she replied. “I always liked adventure stories. So, how did you fall in with the changelings?” The mare raised an eyebrow. “C’mon, it’s not like it’s a giant secret. I got captured by changelings and woke up being held by ponies. You obviously want as much information about Scootaloo as possible because you’re going to replace her with a changeling to get close to the princess. Ten bits says you’re responsible for Scootaloo’s kidnapping too. I mean, you were...” Thistleroot blinked slowly, mouth moving silently. “Figured something out, have you?” she asked. “Yeah, I think so. Look, we both know killing me would cause more problems than it solves. Wipe my mind, drop me off in Appleoosa or Dodge Junction, and be done with it.” “Manehatten would be better. Small towns are more likely to notice a new pony. But I don’t think we’re done here. You’ll tell us eventually.” “You sound pretty certain.” “Oh, I am. You see, killing you would be more trouble than it’s worth. If anypony found the body...” the mare shook her head. “There hasn’t been a murder in Equestria in years. I doubt we could hold up to an investigation.” “Yeah, I figured as much,” Thistleroot said, sounding bored. “But if the changelings killed somepony? Especially somepony they hate and have attacked before?” Thistleroot blinked again. “Help me, and at least she’ll live.” “I’ll think about it,” Thistleroot said. “Very well,” she said, turning. “Until you make up your mind then, Thistleroot.” “Yeah, catch ya later, Rose.” She hesitated for just a moment and Thistleroot allowed himself a victorious smile. “Take his food.” The earth pony stepped back into the cramped cell, picking the tray up in his mouth. He reached for the piece of bread in Thistleroot’s hooves, but Thistleroot pulled it away, slapping at the guard’s hoof. “Aw, come on. Threatening my life is one thing, but that’s just cruel.” The mare left without another word, and the earth pony followed behind her. The cell door swung shut again, leaving him alone. “Come on, Thistleroot,” he said to himself. “You’ve prepared for this your entire life. You’ve read Starswirl’s works on magical frequencies, Sparkle’s theories on mitigation and disruption, and most importantly, the entire Daring Do series. Think, what would she do at a time like this?” Thistleroot glanced at the bread crust and then at the door. He leapt up, reached between the bars, and chucked the bread. It hit the guard on the side of the head and bounced off. The guard turned to Thistelroot with an annoyed glare. “Well, that was anticlimactic.”