//------------------------------// // Ch. 6-1: In The Hospital And Pleading // Story: Changing Odds // by Melody Brush //------------------------------// Part Six Trials Chapter One Healing And Interrogations Zuro was laid on a stretcher that was being carried up the mountain side toward Canterlot Castle. His limbs sore. His wings weak. His eyes threatening to seal shut for the last time. But he could not let them close. Not now. Not yet. "W... where..." He started. "Quiet!" one of the guards barked. Zuro tried to lift his head only to have it fall back from the pain through his body that added extra weight to his limbs. It seamed to go on for hours before he looked up to see buildings towering overhead, many of which were in pieces and threatening to collapse were it not for the able bodied unicorns joining in to keep them standing. "W-w-what... happened...?" Zuro began only to be silenced by the guards again. Soon after he heard whispers that steadily grew into shouts from the ponies around them. He turned his head to see most of the guards keeping the angry looking citizens at a safe distance to make sure none could get to the two changelings. "Let's destroy them!" A pony cried. "Send them away!" Another screamed. "Le'me at 'em!" A stallion struggled to get to the changelings with no success against the guards. "Get back!" The guards barked as they shoved the angry ponies away. Zuro looked away from the commotion to his own wounds and stared at his black body bruised and scarred from the battle. After a minute he blinked and flinched in pain as he took another look at his body. Black, scaly, and bug like. He was not a pony anymore, he was his own natural, changeling form. The battle had drained his energy so much he did not even realize his body had reverted back to normal. He looked up to see the castle ahead. A large number of guards posted at every corner with spears and fierce looks of anger, determination, and ready to take a life. Several statues were in pieces and scattered across the area and most every window was shattered. The two pegasi guarding the main gate stood tall and stern. Zuro groaned as he let his head drop as they approached the castle. The two guards spread their wings to stop the patrol bringing the two injured changelings in. "Halt!" One guard barked. "What business do you have with these changelings?" "This two were reported destroying the small town at the base of the mountain." A guard answered. "We're taking them to be locked in the dungeon to await punishment." "You could be changelings trying to infiltrate the capital!" The second guard barked. "Why would changelings make an attempt to infiltrate the castle when that shield spell took so much out of them?!" The shoulder countered. "Stand down!" A unicorn barked as he marched up to them. The two pegasi folded their wings as the head patrolman stepped back. "Let's see." The unicorn said as he studied the guards carrying the two changelings. After a minute he turned to face the pegasi. "Stand aside. They're clean." The pegasi saluted the commander then stood aside to allow the patrol passage into the castle. The patrol proceeded into the castle with their prisoners while ignoring the furious crowd of ponies shouting for the changelings to be taken away. Zero looked up to the familiar ceiling of Canterlot Castle as the guards carried him through the halls, yet he was not going the same direction he had gone before. He was being taken to a different area in the castle he had not been before. He could only assume that he was being sent to their dungeons with his true identity discovered. The end was getting closer. Soon he heard his brother being carried away down another hall while the guards carrying him continued on. After several minutes they entered a room decorated with white curtains with beds lined at the side walls, half of the beds filled with sick and sleeping ponies and some even had the curtains closed. A hospital? He asked himself. Why bring me here? A guard called for a nurse and a white made with pink mane came running up until she saw Zero and gasped. "What is that thing doing here?" She asked. "For medical attention." The guard answered. "We don't know anything about these monsters." She stated. "What is it?" Another mare came up and looked at Zero. "Oh my..." "The guards want us to help this..." The first mare started. "Changeling." The second finished, earning a gasp from the others. Zuro looks up at her curiously and tiredly. She looks up at the guards. "I'll take care of him, sirs." "I'll post a guard at your station to keep an eye on it." The captain said. "Officer, we have plenty of eyes in this room watching every patient. If you must post guards, I insist you station them outside." The nurse said. "Joy, I don't think" The first nurse began. "Red Heart, I'm well aware of your concerns, but my decision is final." Joy Heart said. Red started to open her mouth to speak again, but quickly bit her lip. She had spent many long years working with Joy Heart and knew better than to counter her judgment. Joy heart had far more years of experience at her side and she also had a good amount of knowledge that others did not understand. Anypony who had experience working with her knew better than to question her. "Miss Heart, I urge you to reconsider your decision about guard post." The captain said. "No, captain. Either post your security outside the hospital doors or not at all, but I've plenty of eyes and spells in this room alone to ensure the protection of my nurses and our patients." Joy Heart stated perfectly without hesitation or fear in her tone. She was sure of this decision. Perhaps she was getting too over confident in her career to be making rational decisions, but at the same time she knew a lot more about what when on in this hospital, second only to Princes Celestia herself. The captain let his head drop with a sigh of defeat. "Bolt." I white pegasus steps forward. "Yes sir?!" "You get first shift." The captain ordered. "Station yourself and Fleet outside the hospital entry and I'll send replacements before next shift." "Yes sir!" Bolt saluted. The captain nodded, still unsettled, but satisfied with the outcome. A guard would be posted at all times and eyes would be on the changeling throughout the day and night. Not the ideal choice he would have made, but it was good enough for now. He saluted to Bolt and had the ponies carry Zuro to a bed the nurses pointed out then left with his squad out of the hospital. Zuro tried to stay awake but it grew impossible to keep that feet. His eyes threatened to close without mercy inch by inch. He felt a gentle hoof on his own that gave him new strength. He opened his eyes and looked down to see the nurse smiling at him. Assuring him it was all going to be okay. He looked into her gentle eyes and saw something familiar. Something he had not seen in years except Angel. This pony was close to him somehow, but he could not figure out where. "It's okay." She said. "I'll help you." Her words were honest and true and he felt as though he could trust her with his soul. He used most of his strength to nod his head before he let his eyes close and drift into a deep sleep. ~~)oOo(~~ "Please. I have to get in to see the princess." Angel pleaded to the guards posted outside the castle gates. "Sorry, miss," one of the guards said "but we cannot allow anypony to enter the castle without invitation, nor announcement at this time." "Please. It's an urgent matter regarding my fiancée." She continued. He shook his head. "I am sorry, miss." He said. "We cannot allow it." Dili started to cry. "Please, mister." She said. The guard looked up to the little filly perched on Angel's back. "My big brother is in there and we need to see if he's okay." Tears welled in her eyes. The guard gave a sorrowful look with an added sigh. "I'm sorry, little one." He said. "But I can't." "What's this about?" A third guard came up. A unicorn with a firm stance and look. The first two bowed in respect. "This mare and filly want to enter the castle to seek out a stallion, sir." The first confirmed. "And because of all that has been going on we can't allow them entrance, sir." The second added. The unicorn turned his gaze to Angel and Dili and examined them closely. "He lit his horn over them and eyed Dili very closely. Angel bit her lip as Dili looked back into his eyes with tears in her own. "Please, mister." She began. "I want to see my big brother." The unicorn turned to Angel. "Who is your fiancée, miss?" He asked her. "Zuro, the guardian of Ponyville." She answered. "I've heard of him." He said. "The princess has let it been heard that there was a blue pagasus who was protecting Ponyville for the last four years." "That's him!" Angel stated. The guard leaned closer and whispered. "He wouldn't happen to be a changeling, would he?" He asked. She blinked and bit her bottom lip. "Miss, I have two changelings in my custody. One of which is in the hospital wing." Her ears fell back. "He's not..." She started. "One of our finest nurses is tending to him." He answered. "I don't know if he will survive, but if he does a trial is being prepared for him." "A trial?" She asked. He shushed her and guided her away from the others. "He's a changeling that may very well have played a part in the invasion on the castle." He answered. "He didn't!" She stated in hushed tones. "He tried to stop the invasion. He knew it was coming and tried to stop it." "I am sorry, but I can't stop what has been decided." He said. "When he's well enough he will be put on trial for this invasion. he may have very well been using you in order to keep Ponyville under observation." "Bubba wouldn't do that!" Dili cried. "He loves Ponyville and all the ponies.' The unicorn looked up to her. he turned back to Angel. "I believe he is a good stallion because I don't see a hint of lie or dark intent in her eye." He said. Angel smiled. "But I still can't do anything about it." Her smile died instantly. "I am sorry, miss, but my word against the whole castle won't work. I can talk to the princess and see what she can do, but that's all I can do." "That is better than just letting him go without a chance." Angel said. After a few minutes she looked up at Dili. "Let's go, sweetie. We'll go find a hotel." Dili looked up to the unicorn and pointed her hoof at him. "Make sure my big brother is safe." She ordered. He saluted to her. "Will do, captain." He said. She nodded once then hugged Angel's neck before they walked off.