//------------------------------// // Chapter VI - Collision // Story: Collateral // by Ogopogo //------------------------------// The sound of the papers tumbling off Celestia’s throne was deafening in the absolute silence. Everyone, save my friends, stared in absolute shock, their mouths hanging open in disbelief. The guards each looked as though he or she had been slapped across the face, unable to comprehend the fact that a changeling had made it so far into the sanctuary they protected. Beside me, Boulder and Flare shifted closer, watching the guards warily, preparing for their attack. Myself? I only had eyes for the two alicorns. Their move. Celestia finally found her voice, eyes glinting with sudden shock and anger that she quickly masked. “Changeling, what is your business here?” With a groan, I rubbed my brow in annoyance. “I’ve just told you.” “Forgive us for not believing the words of a creature, who changes its story as often as its skin,” Luna coldly replied. “You think I could just walk down the street as myself?” I sneered. "Ponies want me dead and gone for what I am.” Boulder coughed, obviously trying to ease the tension in the suddenly-freezing room. “Princesses, perhaps Amethyst can tell his story to show his point of view.” “How do you know that thing gave you its real name?” Luna spat, looking at me in disgust. “Look who’s talking, Nightmare Moon!” I snapped in reply, before Boulder could respond. I glared at her in righteous fury, the tyrant matching my gaze in magnitude. “Please stop!” Boulder begged, eyes wide. “Princess, Amethyst has shown us nothing but kindness and friendship since we first met. We were the ones who greeted him with violence and trickery.” “I don’t doubt your word,” Celestia cut in, “but you have to consider the possibility that he is using you.” “We have, but he isn’t,” Flare replied simply. “Furthermore, by the actions of his queen and hive, Equestria is in a state of war by default, until parliament rules otherwise. If he is loyal to the changeling queen, then we have no choice but to doubt his word and question his motives for the time being.” “Amethyst isn’t-” “I’ve never bowed my head to any queen or ruler who thinks themselves better than me,” I growled tersely. “I don’t belong to her, you or anyone who thinks they have that Masters-given right.” “Very well, let’s hear what he has to say,” Celestia decided. “Sister, you cannot be thinking his words bear truth?” Luna protested. “Even if he lies, there is nothing to be lost by hearing his story. Please begin, Amethyst.” With an ember of anger lit in my heart, I started my tale at the point when the news of the wedding first reached us. I spoke of my town’s quickly rising hatred. The two alicorns watched with a look that sang of satisfaction. Better all those who aided my kind be shunned, and rejected from society, than let the cancer grow. It hadn’t been easy the first time, and telling it once more to an unsympathetic audience wasn’t any better. Still, the two watched on with but a little inkling of resignation, caring little for what I said. That was probably the worst part. I knew my fate had already been decided. It wouldn’t matter if I told them the ponies had tortured my parents, skinning them alive, before burning them inside my home. They cared for me about as much as a wayward strand of hair that refused to obey their commands. Less, even. “I hid in that damned barrel, praying to the masters they wouldn’t find me,” I told them. A lump formed solidly in my throat as I approached the climax of the story, the memories choking my words. “There was nothing I could do but watch as they threw my parents inside my house, blocking any exit. The ponies set fire to the house, knowing full well what would happen to my parents. Yet, even as my mother and father screamed in agony, burning alive, the mob celebrated their deaths. If it wasn’t for your fucking order, they would still be alive right now!” “Amethyst,” Celestia began tentatively, “you have our deepest condolences,”- like hell I did - “But perhaps if you look at it from their perspective, you’ll understand the reasons for their actions. Many ponies are utterly terrified at the thought of what a changeling does, and with only tidbits of information available, they likely saw you and your parents as threats. Make no mistake, there is no excuse for what they did, and I’ll be ordering the Royal Guard to investigate and-” “There you go again,” I spat. “Making more assumptions. My parents were ponies, both of them: Clockwork and Summer Breeze.” My hoof found its way to my locket around its neck, as a fresh deluge of tears threatened to fall from my eyes at the sound of their names. “Wha-What?” Celestia managed, stammering the question. “Two ponies who were unable to bear foals found me alone in the cold of the forest, without a blanket, shivering. They took me in and raised me as their son. For all those years they watched me grow up, helping me when I stumbled, watching me grow into an adult.” I paused, taking a sobbing breath. Tears rolled down my cheeks, painting twin trails which met beneath my chin. “I’ve always been hated for being different, for looking as I do. I’ve had to fight for even the chance to live a normal life, an opportunity everyone else here is granted. And when I lost them, even that was taken from me.” “Princess Celestia, Princess Luna,” Flare spoke, addressing them both in turn, “that is why we want you to do away with the proclamation. I understand you can do little to change the fears of the people, but certainly the wording and offering a reward does not help to stem the violence.” “You are... correct,” Celestia admitted. “I shall immediately freeze all activity regarding the proclamation, and issue an immediate recall until the issue can be brought up with parliament.” “Thank you, Princess,” he said with a bow. “However, Amethyst will have to remain under our watch until we can verify his story and his other claims.” “What?” I shouted. “We believe you, Amethyst, but we cannot act on the word of a single individual. You have to understand; while we hold considerable power within the government, it is not absolute. If we let you free, they will not let us revoke the proclamation no matter what we do.” I should have known there would be a catch, some technicality they would hold me on. Once more, it proved their promises to be nothing more than noise. Somewhere along the line, I suspected, there would be “problems” in proving the validity of my statement. For the remainder of my life, I would be left to rot, technically a guest, but a prisoner in all other regards; something to be studied. “What if I refuse?” Her eyes sparked with anger. “Then I will arrest you for destruction of property, inciting social unrest and assault.” “So I take it you didn’t sleep too well last night?” I chuckled; it was pointless to deny. The small frown was all the answer I needed. “I’m still not going with you either way.” “Very well, then,” Celestia replied with a sigh. “Guards, arrest Amethyst and confiscate any personal possessions.” My hoof shot up to grasp at my locket, “Nobody is taking this from me.” “It shall be kept safe and secure, but we cannot take the chance that it has been enchanted,” she explained. “Please give it to one of the guards, Amethyst.” “I don’t think you understand,” I growled. “I will not let anyone take this for any reason.”  A green glow shone around the chain, trying to tug it free from my neck. I located the source of the magic as a unicorn guard now only a few paces away, bearing a set of hoof cuffs. Rearing up, I cocked a hoof, and a second later the unicorn lay on the floor, groaning as he clutched as his bleeding nose. Breathing heavily, I turned my glare back to Celestia. “This is never leaving my neck while I’m alive,” I swore. “Sister, perhaps we should leave it with him,” Luna said in a strangely calm tone. Just minutes before, she had been vehemently against me. Could my words have reached her? I doubted that.  Perhaps she was insane from all those years on the moon. “No, Luna,” Celestia said, shaking her head. “He has taken advantage of our hospitality, insulted us, goaded us into giving the response he wants, and now he has assaulted a guard. By definition, he is a criminal. Guards, arrest him!” This time, every guard in the room sprung forward as if their leashes had been cut. I lasted all of a moment before they grabbed me, locking me in place. Yet, I struggled on, fighting their magic with my own, refusing to yield the locket. “Hold him,” commanded the solar princess, stepping down from throne, striding towards me. Horn aglow, she brushed away my magic like a foal’s plaything. The buckle came undone, and it fell into her waiting hoof, before being teleported off to some unknown place. I fell limp in their grasp, my heartstrings cut. I had made an oath to myself, and to my parents, that I wouldn’t let them take it from me, and I had been unable to even uphold that. With my head bowed, Celestia spoke to me. “Amethyst, this is for your own good. I will pardon your crimes, but you need to calm down. I swear to you I will not let anything befall your locket and I will follow through with my pledges to you.” Lies, lies, lies! Anger and hate swelled up like an exploding column of lava. Did the death of my parents truly mean that little to her? She treated their murders with the same urgency of a mundane household chore, to be put off until she saw fit. My parents deserved better, but only I remained to avenge their memories. I had my voice, but she wouldn’t listen. I had my magic, but it was suppressed. I had my body, but it was restrained. The only thing I had left was my horn and murderous intent. “Whatever happens though, know this: I care deeply for ev-” I threw myself against my restraints. The point of my horn, wicked and sharp, darted towards the source of that noise. A scream of agony swallowed her voice, and I felt a brief moment of satisfaction, before a cascade of hooves and pain smote me into unconsciousness. ~~~~~~~~~~~~ You know, one of these days I was going to wake up in a padded cell, not the stone and iron one I currently inhabited, certifiably insane from brain damage. The iron collar around my neck was almost to be expected. It was attached to a heavy chain speared into the wall. Sighing, I set my head back down on the dank hay, fruitlessly searching for a comfortable position. My body was battered and bruised, but I suppose that was also to be expected. Caught between regret and remorse, I mused at what would happen to me. In hindsight, yes, I should have never laid a hoof on Celestia, but I had been so caught up in the thoughts of my parents, that I couldn’t bear to be separated from the last physical relic of a bygone time. What I should have accepted, I rejected, denying and delaying the inevitable, and lashing out when the inevitable happened. Now they had every legitimate right to hold me here until an eternity passed, or I rotted away. Whichever came first. As I began to close my eyes and drift off to sleep, I became acutely aware of another presence in the room. The emotions stemming from the being were fearful and wary; uneasiness mixed with self-confidence. Perhaps the latter was misguided. Propping myself up on one foreleg, I looked across my cell to see a tomato-coloured pegasus with a beige mane staring back at me. After a moment, I recognized him as the pegasus I tricked the crowd into believing was a changeling. “Fancy meeting you here again,” I commented, laying back down in resignation. “What do you want, changeling?” he growled. The bruises and scrapes across his body stood out painfully. Whether they were gained from his capture or his interrogation, I did not know. I almost felt sorry for the guy. Almost. “Oh, grow up,” I groaned, focusing my magic on the ring around my neck. Once again, they did not seem to realize our magic extended beyond mere disguise. “My name’s Amethyst.” With a small popping noise, I released the fire, turning the iron into hay and chucking it down onto the floor. Standing up, I crossed the distance between us, rolling my eyes as he instinctively recoiled. ‘Oh, relax,” I said. “If I wanted to hurt you I could have done it by now. Do you want the collar off or not?” Seeing no escape, the pegasus nodded timidly, stretching out his neck. A short jolt of fire later, his collar became straw, falling to the floor. I winced at the bruise it revealed. Someone must have deliberately tightened the screws too far. Taking a seat, I watched as the fear disappeared entirely from his eyes, to be replaced with curiosity. “If you’re curious, just ask,” I declared. My mind froze up as I remembered where that saying had come from: my father. “You’re... you’re not really what I expected,” he muttered. I couldn’t help but chuckle grimly at his comment. “Once ponies get over the whole black chitin and the fangs they tend to loosen up a bit.” The stallion fiddled with his hooves for a moment, his mind a whirlwind of conflicting emotions. “What did you mean earlier by ‘again’?” I winced. Next time, I really needed to be more careful with my choice of words. Perhaps I could put a positive spin on this, though. “Remember the stallion at the gate who claimed there was an issue with the detection spell?” “Yes...” he said, his eyes narrowing in suspicion. “Yeah. Well, that was me.” There was no warning. He leapt across the room, weakly striking the side of my head and knocking me to the dank floor. An instant later, he stood on top of me, pressing a hoof down on my throat. He was not pleased. Or, to be more precise, he was pissed off. “You’re the reason I’m in this place,” he snarled. “The reason they think I’m a changeling.” “Yes, I know, and I’m sorry,” I managed to croak out, barely managing to speak under the weight. “But what do you think it is like for me?” The pressure decreased slightly, allowing me a shaky breath. “I’ve never committed any crime, but at the end of the day it doesn’t matter.” Another wheeze of a breath. “I’m forced to hide my face just because ponies, including your princesses, believe I’m something I’m not: a monster.” I gasped as he lifted a hoof, taking a step back and allowing me to breath. I took a moment to compose myself, rubbing my throat before continuing. “Ponies treat each other with such suspicion and malice.” I held a hoof up to ward off the automatic retort. “Remember how you were attacked just for an illusion? It’s... unbelievable. After seeing what it’s like, can you say that this witch hunt is really worth it?” He sighed deeply, his eyes downcast. “No, no. I can’t.” “And that is exactly what I’m trying to do here: convince ponies it isn’t worth it. Look, next time they come around, I’ll get you out of here.” “Alright,” he said with a sigh. Offering me a hoof, he pulled me up, helping me right myself once again. He didn’t let go, instead continuing his grip. “I’m Gallant Warning, by the way.” “Amethyst,” I replied, giving his hoof a shake. ~~~~~~~~~~~~ You know the worst thing about being accused of being a changeling, when you were not? They didn’t feed you. While waiting for someone to come, Gallant and I chatted a bit, but by the masters did it feel forced. With good reason, he still didn’t trust me. Anyway, at one point his stomach rumbled hungrily, and after a little prodding, he confessed he hadn’t had anything to eat since breakfast on the morning I tricked them. When they had woke him with the obligatory bucket of water, he had managed to scrounge a few mouthfuls, but nothing since then. Each of us fell into an uncomfortable silence, our thoughts drawn to our eventual fates. Perhaps I had offered Gallant Warning a little too much hope. I meant what I said; I would help him, but the fact remained that there was little I could actually do. If they had it set in their minds that he was a changeling, I would be hard pressed to change that belief, especially after what I had done. I had begun to doze off when the clopping of hooves sounded. Grunting, I got Gallant’s attention and we stood up, awaiting their arrival. What sounded like one set from a distance broke up into the cacophony of multiple sets of hooves striking the floor. The last pony I expected to see walked around the corner, trailed by two guards. To be fair, though, if I had known it would be an alicorn, she would have been my first guess. Luna stopped in front of the cell, an angry scowl upon her face. “Be thankful my sister shall make a full recovery, Amethyst,” she informed me coldly. “I would not be so kind if the damage done was irreparable.” “I know, and I’m sorry.” “Excuse me?” she asked, arching an eyebrow, utterly confused and with some of her fury dissipating into the dank air. “I lost control of my temper,” I explained. “It’s just that that locket is the last thing I have left to remember my parents by. Everything else was lost in the fire. If I lost it, or could never see it again, I don’t know what I would do.” Luna was silent for a moment, examining me with close scrutiny, before she heaved a sigh. “Amethyst, I fear we may have gotten off to a poor start.” Now it was my turn to be perplexed. Judging by her emotions, she actually meant it. “Excuse me?” “When you spoke earlier, of what it was like growing up, it reminded me of... myself. Of the challenges I faced upon returning from my exile. Nopony should have to face that, every day of their life, and I was wrong to judge you, as I was judged myself.” “So...” “What we are trying to say is... I’m sorry,” she murmured, bowing her head slightly, almost imperceptibly.  Feelings of anger and shame welled up in her, bitter and viscous. “I’m not sure if can I accept your apology, after everything that’s happened,” I answered bitterly, after a moment’s thought. “But... I guess you’re right. Perhaps a fresh start would be better.” “Very well, Amethyst,” Luna sighed, a tired smile adorning her muzzle. “So why is there a pony in with me?” Luna nearly lost her footing in shock. “You mean to say that he’s not a changeling!” “No, he isn’t.” “Princess, the changeling is lying,” one of the two guards said coldly. “There were many witnesses who saw-” “How much do you know of changeling magic?” I interrupted. “Plenty,” he replied instantly. “Yeah, right,” I scoffed. Focusing my magic, I summoned forth a sphere, colours dancing across the surface.  The guards, thinking it to be some sort of hostile form of magic, leveled their horns. I rolled my eyes. “Oh, relax.” It passed through my chest, and hovered before me, and I waved a hoof through it to illustrate my point. “It’s just an illusion?” Luna’s eyes widened. “Yes,” I said, patiently. “And what happens if I place an illusion over a pony?” Hovering the ball above Gallant Warning, I let it drain, forming the shape of a changeling over him, just as before. For a brief moment, it perfectly covered him, but as he lifted a hoof, the protrusion became clear. I cut off the magic before it consumed my dwindling reserves. The illusion faded. “Truly, he’s not a changeling?” “Absolutely,” I confirmed. “And for future reference, changelings need actual food and water to live, just as ponies do.” Her face blanched as she grasp what I implied. “Lieutenant Crescendo, please bring Gallant Warning to the infirmary.” “Princess?” The guard raised his eyebrows in shock.. “Did I not make myself clear?” “Yes ma’am!” he said, snapping off a quick salute. The cell door swung open, and Gallant weakly limped out, treading tenderly on his left forehoof, accompanied by the guard. Instead of slamming shut, however, the door was left to stand open, whispering to me of  freedoms lost.  I suppressed the urge to dash out, and disappear into the winding corridors of the castle. Instead, I waited for it to close once more. Oddly, it did not. “Consider it an act of goodwill,” Luna said, inviting me out. “We have-” “I have,” I interrupted instinctively. It was a habit I’d picked up from my mother. She grumbled in annoyance before continuing. “I have arranged for quarters to be made up for you. You will remain under watch, but it shall allow you a degree of comfort and freedom while I speak to my sister.” “Is she alright?” I asked selfishly. If she was permanently scarred or maimed, then I doubted my future would be comfortable. “Let us say her disposition towards you has... changed.”