//------------------------------// // Prisoner // Story: Harmonics // by ezra09 //------------------------------// “Ah’m comin’, Ah’m comin’!” Apple Bloom shouted at the incessant knocking. She reached the front door and threw it open to find Scootaloo. Scootaloo’s mane was in disarray. A white cloth, specked with red, was tied around her right foreleg, and she stood in the doorway with an angry glare. “Scootaloo? What happened to ya?” Apple Bloom moved forward, but Scootaloo pushed her with a hoof and knocked her to her haunches. “Don’t move just yet,” Scootaloo said. “Uh, that song. The one we did for the talent show as kids. What was the first verse?” Apple Bloom’s eyes narrowed in annoyance. “Really? That was more than ten years ago. How the hay should I know?” “Oh yeah,” Scootaloo said, glancing away for a moment. “Uh, how did you get your cutie mark?” “Scootaloo, what’s this all about?” “Just answer the question first.” Apple Bloom glanced down at the mark. It was an apple being cut in half with a saw. “Ah was in Manehatten, staying with Babs for a week. Her dresser broke and her mom said they’d have to buy a new one, but Ah fixed it for them.” Scootaloo nodded and visibly relaxed. Apple Bloom stood back up and moved forward. “Now, ya want to tell me what this was all about?” With a hiss, the changeling rocked forward, biting at her. Apple Bloom gasped, falling back again as she pulled her hooves out of its reach. It took her a moment to realize the changeling couldn’t hurt her. It was on its side, legs and wings bound with tape. It had been lying off to the right, just out of view. The changeling looked even worse than Scootaloo. It had bruises along its head and shoulders, an eye swollen shut, a wing bent at an odd angle, and its horn was snapped off at the base. “Help me move this thing inside before somepony comes along,” Scootaloo said. After catching her breath, they rolled, shoved, and dragged the changeling out of view. “What they hay happened?” Apple Bloom asked. “They took Thistleroot,” Scootaloo answered, glaring down at the changeling. “And then tried to kill me.” “Oh,” Apple Bloom said, color fading from her face. “Well, how did you get away?” Scootaloo reached under her wing, pulled out a short, thick piece of wood, and dropped it onto the floor. “When he jumped at me, I ducked and he crashed into the table. I picked up the table leg and beat him with it until I got a lucky shot and broke his horn.” “And for several minutes after that,” the changeling grumbled in a sibilant voice from the floor. Scootaloo gave him a quick smack. “I told you to be quiet.” “Okay, but why’d you bring him with you? And why here?” “It was the next closest place I could think of. I can’t fly with him all the way to the castle. I was probably seen a dozen times just getting here. I need to think of some other way to get him to the princess.” She cast another glare down at the changeling. “And then he’s going to tell us where Thistleroot is and why the changelings messed with my head.” She sighed, looking up at Apple Bloom. “I’m tired of worrying about these things, and I want to know what they want with me. I could really use some help with this, but with Thistleroot missing, I could understand if you want to...” She trailed off. Apple Bloom stepped closer, carelessly kicking the changeling out of the way. She put a comforting hoof on her friend’s shoulder. “We promised we’d always be the crusaders, and us crusaders have to stick together.” Scootaloo smiled. “Thanks.” The moment would have lasted longer, if not for the exaggerated retching noises coming from the angry changeling. ***** “You asked to see me, Mister Star Shine?” Pal asked, standing nervously in Shine’s personal study. The light green unicorn brushed his untidy mane back from his eyes. “Yes, welcome Palette Swap,” Star Shine said, greeting him with a warm smile. “Just Pal, please,” he said. “Of course, Pal. Please, feel free to sit. You’re probably wondering why I asked you up here.” “Uh, yes sir,” Pal said, taking a seat across the desk. “No need to call me sir,” Star Shine said. “You’re among friends. The reason I called you up here is because I need your help. You see, Pal, the Cutie Mark Crusaders are growing every day. And as we do, we gain more visibility. Do you remember Scootaloo? I heard you’re the one who showed her and her friend around.” Pal nodded and Star Shine continued, “She’s actually personal friends with Princess Celestia." “You’re kidding!” “No, I’m not. The eyes of Canterlot royalty are upon us, my friend. This is our chance to do something great. My associates have plans, and we need the right ponies in the right places to make those plans work. For that, we need you.” “I don’t get it. Why me?” “Because you’re Pal,” Star Shine said, bringing his hoof up in a sweeping gesture. “Everypony loves you. I bet you could tell me something about anypony who’s set foot in one of our gatherings.” Pal thought about it before nodding in confirmation. “See, that’s exactly what we need if we’re going to make this chance count. We need to know our members, know what they do, what they’re good at, what they think they can contribute. We need to know what and who we have on hoof.” “And you think I can help you with that?” Star Shine leaned forward. “What’s Starlight’s favorite food?” “Huh? Oh, uh, apple strudel, if I remember correctly.” “Yes, Pal, I think you’re just the stallion we’re looking for.” Star Shine raised his voice, “Crystal!” Pal turned as the door creaked and a white unicorn filly walked in. She was just over half his height, with a blue mane, freckles, and a blank flank. “This is Crystal Ball, my daughter,” Star Shine explained. “Pleased to make your acquaintance,” Crystal Ball said with a curtsy. “Yeah, nice to meet you too,” Pal said with a smile before casting a questioning glance at Star Shine. “I’d like her to help out. I think the work would be good for her, and she’s got a sharp eye for detail. If you’d introduce her around at our gathers, help her get to know everypony, it’d really be a great help and a huge personal favor.” “I can do that,” Pal agreed. “Tonight’s meeting is still going on, we could go down now.” “Oh, can I daddy?” Crystal Ball said, eye’s growing wide. “Sure, honey,” Star Shine said, “go for it. Have fun.” Together she and Pal left the office and made their way down the hall. “What a creepy kid,” Star Shine muttered to himself, smile falling from his face. He silently mouthed the word daddy, rolling it along his tongue before shuddering. Pal and Crystal climbed down to the first floor, where the gathering was. As the reached the bottom, the noise from down the hall lulled, and Pal thought he could hear singing coming from the stairs leading down to the basement. It was a low, morose note that was gone in a moment. ***** “Nopony knows, the trouble I’ve seen!” Thistleroot sung. “Nopony knows my sorrow!” In the hall outside, the guard clenched his newspaper, teeth grinding in anger. ***** Celestia approached her personal quarters as the sun began to sink towards the horizon. Business was concluded for the day and the sun’s motion would continue without her constant supervision. She thought longingly of curling up with a good book and an early night. She was surprised however, to find her quarters weren’t empty. A cloaked figure sat at her desk, back turned to her. She brought a slight glow to her horn, preparing several possible defenses. If this pony had gotten past her guards and personal wards undetected, he could prove to be a threat. “Evenin’, Princess,” the figure said in a dry, gravelly voice. He turned toward her, casting a critical eye up and down. His wrinkled face set in a stony look of disappointment. “You got fat.” The glow from her horn faded as the corners of her mouth twitched up. “And you’re looking as decrepit as ever.” “Nonsense, we both know I don’t look a day over four hundred,” the old stallion said. “I lost at least fifty years when I shaved.” “One might argue that point, at least the beard hid your wrinkles. I thought you’d retired. Didn’t you want to live out the rest of your days on a beach down in Mexicolt?” “Retiring’s for geezers.” The stallion shook his head. “I’ve got some bad news though. Something big’s coming. Big enough to get my wrinkled rump out of a hammock.” He sighed before smiling again. “Don’t get me wrong, it’s good to see you again.” Celestia smiled. “It’s good to see you again too, Starswirl.”