“Focuth, young Kolvin.” slurred the old Court Alchemist.
Kolvins horn was sparking green energy, extreme concentration on his face. “I-I’m trying! This is really difficult…”
“You mutht try. Alchemy ith linked to magic, tho you mutht learn it.” the Alchemist insisted.
“Ugh…” Kolvin groaned. He was currently trying to heat up a beaker with his magic. Changeling magic is nowhere near as strong as unicorn magic, but it was there. And with the proper practice, it could be turned into something powerful. “Isn’t there an easier way, Alchemist?”
“Young man, I am quite dithappointed in you!” the Alchemist scolded, trotting around the table, his royal blue robes swishing around his hooves with each step. The Alchemy Lab was a large room, but was filled with a lot of tables and clutter stacked on top. Only the table in the middle of the room was used and cleaned off daily, while the other tables had been pushed against the walls. “A good alchemitht does not find wayth around thingth! He followth a thingle protheedure!”
Kolvin frowned. “Isn’t that the opposite of what you told me earlier this morning?”
The Alchemist stared at him blankly.
Kolvin sighed and continued to focus his powers on the beaker, which was starting to get moist on the outside. “A good alchemitht findth better tholutionth and thimplifieth hith rethearch!” the changeling boy said, mocking his superiors speech slur.
“Never mind what I thaid!” the Alchemist grumbled. “Jutht heat up the beaker!”
Kolvin squared his scrawny shoulders and stared intensely at the beaker, sweat dripping down the glass and his forehead too. Finally, to his relief, the liquid inside began to boil. “Yes!” he cried, throwing is hoof in the air in accomplishment. To his surprise, the movement caused the beaker to go rocketing up into the ceiling, crashing and shattering into pieces. The Alchemist and his apprentice both ducked to keep from the falling glass from getting in their eyes.
The Alchemist slowly lifted his head and glared down at Kolvin, who flattened his rounder than average ears against his skull. “Class. Dismissed.” the Alchemist hissed, flinging open the door with his own magic.
Kolvin looked down at his smooth hooves and quickly scurried out of the lab, the door slamming behind him. His wings buzzed in surprise at the slam, and his trot hurried to a gallop. Why was I even chosen as his apprentice? I can’t do anything right! I’m no Alchemist… he thought to himself sadly.
He then heard a cry of surprise, and a split second later he had crashed into someone. He rolled into the wall, then searched with his mind for a changeling link, wanting to apologize telepathically. To his surprise, he found no such link, and looked up. Laying against the opposite wall with her eyes gone silly was Twilight Sparkle the unicorn.
Kolvins eyes widened and he jumped up. “Twilight! Oh my Imago, I’m so sorry!” he cried, crossing the hall to help his friend up. I’ve really screwed up this time!
Twilight smiled and rubbed her head. “It’s quite alright, Kolvin.” she said. As she rose, it was revealed that Spike had been wedged between her and the wall. “Oops! You okay, Spike?”
Spike groaned and inspected his tail, which had taken on a crooked curve from crashing into the wall. “Ugh, yeah, I’m okay.” he said, climbing to his feet.
“Ah, geez.” Kolvin said, brushing at his mane sheepishly. “Sorry you guys, I wasn’t exactly watching where I was going.”
“It’s okay, Kolvin!” Twilight assured yet again. “We were actually on our way to come find you, so you actually made it easier for us!”
“You were looking for me?” Kolvin asked, his ears flicking.
“Yeah!” Spike said with a hop. “We were hoping we’d get to see you mix up some rad potions!”
Kolvins ears and wings drooped simultaneously. “Oh…right. Um, well sorry to disappoint you lil guy, but I think I’m kind of done for the day.”
“Done?” Twilight echoed, her ears pricked in curiosity. “How come? It’s still pretty early in the morning.”
Kolvins unnaturally green eyes were suddenly very interested in the floor. “Uh, I’d rather not talk about it…”
Twilight Sparkle opened her mouth to further press the matter, but then she slowly closed it again. Her expression softened as she realized that Kolvin had probably had another accident and the Alchemist wasn’t too happy.
“Hey, Kolvin?” Twilight asked in a gentle voice. “Would you like to come for a walk with me and Spike around the palace?”
Kolvin looked up, his wings straightening out and folding to his back. “I’d like that a lot, Twilight.” he said with a grateful smile.
Spike hopped up on Twilights back, and the changeling and unicorn fell into step, trotting down the hall. The dragon began to ask the changeling all sorts of questions, anything from how many potions he’s made to what his favorite gemstone is. Kolvin was happy to answer all of his questions, and with each answer he slowly felt better and better. Twilight smiled; glad that her dragon’s curiosity could be a good thing sometimes.
Soon enough, the three were outside and walking about in the courtyard. A silence befell them as they wandered about. Many years ago, the crumbling stone walls were strong and firm around the courtyard. However, after homelessness statistics in the city rose, Chrysalis had the walls tore down and moved back the property line of the courtyard so that new homes could be built. Now a small wrought iron fence surrounded the new courtyard borders, and the guard had been increased since then.
Twilight had never really felt safe around the guards; it seemed to her like they were always watching her for some reason or another. She assured herself that they were probably just being cautious since she was a unicorn and all. That, and she had a young dragon constantly by her side. Coincidentally, a guard just happened to be staring intensely at Twilight as they rounded a corner of the palace.
Twilight lowered her head, ears flattening as she looked down. Kolvin took note of this, and lowered his own head to look Twilight in the eyes. “What’s wrong, Twilight?”
The purple unicorn shook her head slightly. “You wouldn’t understand…” she said quietly, not to get Spikes attention.
Kolvin tilted his head. “Try me.”
“It’s just, I feel like I don’t belong here.” Twilight said sadly. “What am I saying? I don’t belong here.”
Kolvin cut in. “Twilight, don’t say that…”
Twilights eyes solemnly met Kolvins. “I’m a unicorn, the very creature that’s been oppressing your people for centuries. Sure, they’ve been doing it unknowingly, but still. Chrysalis could have destroyed me and taken Spike.” Her voice dropped. “I’m starting to think she’d be better off if she’d done that.”
“Twilight Sparkle, don’t you dare say that about yourself.” Kolvin said, stopping his trot to stare seriously at the unicorn. “The Queen loves you as if you were family; the entire city does, even if there are some who don’t want to admit it. Do you keep forgetting that one of our past Queens was a unicorn?”
Twilight sighed. “It’s different, Kolvin. You don’t get it because you’re a changeling.”
Kolvin shook his head. “No, Twi. I’m an outsider too. I’m the tail end of everyone’s joke, everyone thinks I’m a loser because of how bad I am as an apprentice alchemist.” he said. “King Imago hoof picked me to be the next alchemist, and all I’ve done so far is fail one of his last wishes before being captured.”
Twilight took this opportunity to get the attention off of her, and began to take up step again. “Kolvin, you just need to practice more with your magic skills, all the rest of alchemy you’ve done fine at. How about I give you some lessons on what I know?”
The young changelings eyes glimmered. “I…I would really appreciate that.” he replied softly.
“Hey, guys!” Spike yelled. Twilight and Kolvin jumped slightly, realizing that Spike had been babbling away to himself the whole time they were walking. “Lookit the cool hedges!”
The three looked up as they walked through the garden. Large hedges towered above them that had been cut into various shapes. One particularly large one depicted Chrysalis towering over the fallen shape of an alicorn. Twilight couldn’t help but shudder at such a dark depiction of one who she thought of as family. While she herself hated Celestia, she couldn’t imagine striking her down.
“Huh, that one looks new.” Kolvin murmured, gazing up at the hedge sculpture. “It’s pretty well done though, you can really tell what it is. I wonder why the Queen had this commissioned?”
Twilight spun to face Kolvin. “Why do you think Lis would have this made?”
He offered a crooked smile in response. “The Queen is the only one who orders hedges for the garden. Perhaps maybe it’s a symbol of her getting close to finding a way to get back at the alicorn.”
Twilights mind reeled back to earlier when Chrysalis had asked her to consider going back to Equestria. Perhaps she’s got a few other things for me to do there other than just learning some new magic…
Just then, distant shouting could be heard from the other side of the city. The shouting got louder and closer, and this time was followed by a fierce roar. Spike clung to Twilights neck in fear, and buried his face in her mane. Guards went flying from the border of the palace into the city at full throttle.
“T-Twilight, what’s going on over there?” Spike asked, his voice muffled.
“I’m not sure, Spike, but we should let Lis know!” Twilight cried.
Kolvin took flight. “No, you go into town and see if you can help. I’ll go tell the Queen!”
“Me? Why?” Twilight asked in confusion.
“Because, Twi.” Kolvin said firmly. “Other than the Queen herself, you’re one of the most powerful beings in the city. They might need your help!”
Twilight took a deep breath. “Okay,” she said, pawing at the ground with a hoof and standing up straight. “But you need to take Spike, it’s too dangerous for him.”
“WHAT?!” Spike cried, pulling his head out of Twilights mane.
Kolvin quickly scooped Spike up off of Twilights back and buzzed toward the castle. Spike protested the best he could, but it was to no avail. Twilight galloped at full tilt out of the garden and into the city streets, heading straight for the commotion, more afraid than she’d ever been before.