//------------------------------//
// 45 - Wrapt 
// Story: Gladiator 
// by Not_A_Hat 
//------------------------------//

"No, it has to be a Pinkie promise, Cherry."
 
Twilight was staring the little pink pegasus down.
 
"Um." I raised a hand. "Why is this going to work?"
 
They both gave me a derisive glance.
 
"No-one breaks a Pinkie promise," Cherry said, matter-of-fact.
 
"No-one?"
 
"Nope." Twilight shook her head. "Can't be done."
 
"What happens if you do?"
 
"You just can't. I know it doesn't make sense. It's Pinkie, remember?"
 
"O-kay." I rubbed my jaw. That was confusing, but Pinkie, so…"Listen, Cherry-"
 
"Sakura!"
 
"Sorry, Sakura. We really shouldn't have been doing this in a public area, but this is actually a secret project. If you don't promise, we'll have to.. I dunno, never talk to you again or something." Twilight gave me an aggrieved look, but held her peace. I shrugged; it was ridiculous, but all we needed was a promise.
 
"Fine." The filly huffed a sigh, rolling her eyes. "Crossmyheartandhopetoflystickacupcakeinmyeye I-promise-to-keep-your-secrets. Now, who are you?" She turned to the changeling, who had revived enough to stand, and was leaning on a bookshelf.
 
"I am Wesley's pet changeling." Fluttershy 'eeped' and stepped into the kitchen.
 
Smack.
 
"Doesn't hitting yourself in the face hurt?" Twilight gave me a concerned glance.
 
"Some. It helps me think." I turned to Sakura, who was starting to turn incandescent. "Um, I promise there's a huge misunderstanding here. But for now, both of you need to not talk while I try and sort some of this out."
 



 
"I am not a pet?"
 
"You are not a pet. You own yourself. You are my aide. That means you can do whatever you please, but if you want to get paid, there are certain things you need to do."
 
"Helpful things?"
 
"Yes, you get to help me." I rubbed my eyes. This was exhausting. How did you convince someone that you wanted to be their friend, when they had no concept of friendship? It wasn’t like facing someone malicious, who could be ignored. I wanted to help Bitterbloom, but I had no idea how to go about it, because it didn't understand the idea of me helping it. Help flowed one direction in its limited mind. It was like explaining rotary-dial telephones to Twilight. Something very basic was lacking before connections could be made; I just had no idea how to fill in the blanks. Simply wiggling my fingers wouldn't cut it here.
 
"Sooo…." Sakura sidled up to Bit, and draped a wing over the confused bug. Once I made with the explaining, she didn't stay mad long, possibly since she found Bitterbloom extremely distracting. "You're working with Wes?"
 
"I am his aide. I get to help."
 
"We should be friends!"
 
Bit looked to me. I nodded.
 
"We are friends." Bit nodded to Sakura.
 
"Squeeee!" Sakura hugged Bit. "You can join the club! We'll hang out! You can tell me about being a changeling, and what sort of things you help Wes with! It'll be fun!"
 
"Will it?"
 
"Yeah!"
 
"Oh."
 
I mentally groaned, but forced myself to re-evaluate the situation. Now the worst had come to pass, that actually sounded like it might not be completely bad. If Bit was ever going to grow up, it needed to have friends. And Sakura was enthusiastic, at least. Maybe it would learn to laugh.
 
"Um, Bit…are you OK?" Twilight was studying the hatchling.
 
"I believe so."
 
"Why did you collapse, earlier?"
 
"My head felt heavy, and my legs could not support me. I heard a rushing sound, and I couldn't tell which way was up."
 
"Magic deprivation?" Twilight gave Bit a surprised look. "Onyx, what's going on here?"
 
"Hmm." The older changeling rubbed his head. "Bit…do you know about siphoning?"
 
"No."
 
"Is that…" I paused.
 
"Yes, emotions. Changelings use emotions to power our magic, and transformations take some. Once it's set, it doesn't draw much, but changing it again and again…that builds up. Bitterbloom is probably starved." I grimaced at that, but forced my squeamishness down. I was doing better. I would keep doing better. I would not hurt Bit.
 
"Oh." Twilight grimaced. "Sorry, Bit. I didn't realize."
 
"Neither did I," the changeling responded. It seemed to be making more complex sentences after only a few hours of actual interaction. Maybe my goals weren't impossible. "What is magic?" Or, maybe not. I gave it a searching glance; Bit seemed to have some very odd gaps in its knowledge. Maybe some of them were intentional? Perhaps certain things were better learnt in person? How did it even learn to speak? I rubbed my chin, trying to think that over.
 
"Magic is the energy you need to transform," Twilight said gently. "When you were practicing earlier, you were using it to change how you looked."
 
"Um, before that, maybe we should-" I cut off, and we all froze as the door opened. "-move to the basement," I finished lamely, as Spike entered.
 



 
"Emotional energy surrounds us," Onyx said, pacing small circles in front of Bit. "As a changeling, you have a natural degenerelemental ability to concentrate emotional energy into yourself. This is siphoning." He paused. Twilight was busily transcribing. Fluttershy and Sakura were whispering together. Spike had made us tea. We were in the lab, under the gentle white glow of magic lamps. I was haphazardly organizing the place; Twilight had left it a mess, and in order to understand the organizational system, you practically had to be a mind-reader.
 
"We can only use emotions from creatures who understand names." Onyx waved to Fluttershy. "She can talk to many animals, but most aren't linguistic enough. If the subject can't conceptualize a person enough to label them, the emotions are too vague."
 
"Wait!" Twilight stopped writing. "Do you see emotions? Smell them? Hear them?"
 
"Um." Onyx's face twisted into a confused frown. "Not really…any one. It might be like seeing…if you could see sounds? There's more depth than color, but color is a huge part…"
 
"Can you tell what emotions we feel now?"
 
"Mostly curiosity, with a good dose of tension." He glanced at me. "And bits of excitement. But I can't say what's from who. I'd be guessing at best." His ears twitched. "It swirls together in a small room."
 
"So, can Bit siphon that?"
 
"Not easily." He waved a hoof. "These emotions aren't directed at her. And they're too yellow."
 
"Yellow," I said flatly.
 
"Yeah. Um, I know I said we don't see them, but…"
 
<"Synesthesia,"> I said. Twilight squealed, and her pen started flying.
 
"What?"
 
"Sorry; humans have a word for a mental condition where signals from one sense are perceived as coming from another. So reading something might create a taste impression. Your description reminded me of that. Anyways, the colors of curiosity. It's yellow?"
 
"Ish. Yellowish."
 
"And you use which emotions?"
 
"Blue."
 
"Oh, come on!"
 
"Sorry." He shrugged uncomfortably. "Emotions  aren't easily categorized. They're called feelings for a reason; you feel them. Often, not even ponies know what they feel at first. You learn what anger is as you get older, but who's to say everyone feels the same things? It's that release of physical energy that creates these emotions we gather. We find blue best. Mostly, that corresponds to a positive emotion, somewhere between admiration and loyalty."
 
"Like that feathery flight hazard." I pictured Dash. Blue and loyalty. Coincidence? Perhaps.
 
"Well, maybe not exactly loyalty. I only know my customers direct it towards me, as long as I inspire them somewhat."
 
"The 'directing'…" Twilight paused, to make a note. "Is that important?"
 
"Quite. It's like…emotion meant for you is activated." He shook his head. "I don't know how else to describe it, but it makes elemental conversion much easier." Onyx turned to Bit. "Can you see that?" He waved to something in the air.
 
"Yes."
 
"Can you see the way it twists? Hear the gentle shades?"
 
"Yes."
 
"Can you tell who it's for?"
 
"M-me?"
 
"Mmmhmm. It won't be much, since it's mostly yellow, but maybe you can siphon a little."
 
"I want that one." Bit pointed in the air.
 
"No." He firmly grounded its hoof. "That's not a good idea."
 
"But it's from-"
 
"I know. Don't do it."
 
"I'll just-"
 
The beaker I was moving slipped out of my hand, crashing shockingly loud on the stone floor. For a second, my whole body went numb, a grey lethargy spreading through my limbs. This loathsome feeling was shockingly familiar. My training broke with a snap, and I gave a choked gasp. Then the feeling was gone. Emotion came rushing back in a flood. A torrent, a deluge, an icy, buffeting storm of feelings.
 
For a second, I stood on bloody sand. For a second, throngs of bugs cheered while I writhed in agony, filled with hate and loathing. For a second, a pitiless sun scorched me, beating down hope of escape or oblivion.
 
For a second, I relived the arena.
 
When I came to my senses,  I was curled up on the floor. Sakura was leaning over me, soft nose nearly touching mine. I slowly uncurled, feeling a dozen small stings as broken glass scraped my skin bloody. I relished the pain; I was gone. Those cuts would heal normally, and until they did, they'd be a reminder I was alive and free. I drew in a few deep breaths, trying to gather my broken peace of mind. I tried to sit up.
 
"A-are you OK?" Sakura quavered uncertainly. "What happened?"
 
"I will be, I think. It's complicated, and not a story for fillies." I drew a ragged breath and carefully picked glass off my skin. "Can you bring me a trash can?" I glanced around.
 
Bit was curled just as tightly in the center of the room. Onyx watched with palpable apprehension, and Twilight stood nearby. Spike was headed my way with a broom and dustpan.
 
"Gah, that was unpleasant." I tried to keep from shaking as I sat cross-legged and dropped my chin into my hands "Did Bit just…" Onyx nodded.
 
"She siphoned emotion from you." He paused. "Considering your feelings…it was probably about as nasty as what you went through. But a hatchling has no idea how to deal with that." His voice dropped. "Please, please don't hurt her. She didn't know better."
 
"Hurt Bit?" I spat. "No, Bit's not the one responsible." I groaned. "Why, oh why did I let myself in for this? I've half a mind to punch your Queen next time I see her. Honor indeed."
 
"It is, though. You have no idea-" He cut off, staring at me.
 
"What?"
 
"Nevermind."
 
"Fine." I crawled over to Bit and shook it gently. "Hey, Bitterbloom, you OK?" Fluttershy was almost literally hovering over the hatchling.
 
"Uncertain. Is there a word for this feeling?" The little bug's voice was soft and quavering.
 
"Hmm?"
 
"I feel…like I want that to have not happened. That I want to have not hurt you."
 
"Oh. Apologetic. Sorry. Full of regret. Or…well, lots, actually. Unfortunately, that's a pretty common feeling."
 
"I'm sorry."
 
"I forgive you."
 
"What?"
 
"That means…" I sat down by Bit, and put a gentle hand on the tough carapace. "That means I'm saying it's okay, you don't have to feel that way anymore, because I won't hold it against you. It won't change how I think about you. We can pretend it never happened, if you want."
 
"Oh." We sat in silence for a minute. "I feel better."
 
"Good." I leaned against a nearby counter. "Hey, Onyx."
 
"Yes?"
 
"What did Bit do wrong?"
 
"Well." The agent straightened up, and resumed his pacing. "Two things, besides her target. Firstly, that emotion was not blue. That's a sure sign of trouble for a hatchling. An experienced agent might have been able to convert some, although it would have tasted awful, but Bit didn't stand a chance. Secondly, she drew much too much. If an agent is subtle, they can draw only the free emotions, the energy that's already released. In her case…she drew everything you felt. And since you were feeling some pretty strong things, that contributed to the backlash." He gave Bit a soft look. "She will recover, I think."
 
"Good." I took a few deep breaths, trying to calm myself as I skirted around my next thought. Finally, I hardened my will and spit it out. "Because we have to try again."
 
"What?" Twilight's gave a shocked gasp and set her jaw. I felt something like a tap on my temple, and let the link start with a wince. She wanted to yell at me. Quietly.
 
"How could you even consider that? Look what it did to you!" I could clearly feel the outrage in her thoughts.
 
"But…" I paused, pleading, mulling over my reactions. "It won't kill me. And, well, I am responsible for Bit."
 
"That's no reason to put yourself through that! Look, we'll figure something else out! Do you want to hurt yourself?"
 
"No, but…that scared me, and I need to face it. I can't live in fear. Not anymore!" But that wasn't all of it, either.  "I…well, I don't want to be afraid of Bit. I think I should do this. Waiting is asking for trouble."
 
"Maybe, or maybe more of that right now will make things horrible for both of you." Twilight chewed her lip. "Look, that wasn't just hard on you. I'm putting my hoof down for Bit's sake. Don't do this yet. If you're serious, wait until Bit's practiced a little more. There's no reason to rush."
 
"Um." I rubbed my jaw. Onyx and Sakura were glancing back and forth curiously. Although I didn't want to back down through cowardice, I couldn't let my willfulness hurt Bit, either. "Ok, Twilight. You win. I'll wait."
 
"Good." She gave a final stomp of her hoof. "But we  should have Bit practice, if she  needs to learn this."
 
"Is this his only option, though?" I rolled my eyes, when saying 'his' drew stares. "Look,  maybe calling Bit an 'it' is a little weird. But hearing all of you call it a 'her' is making me feel contrary. What if he turns out to be a guy? Wouldn't you all feel bad, then, for confusing him?"
 
"I'm…not sure that's how it works," Fluttershy mumbled.
 
"Whatever. Is that his only option?"
 
"It's hard to say." Onyx grimaced. "It's possible to store emotion. I normally condense mine for transport. Unfortunately, I have none on hoof, what with just leaving the hive. We normally don't take it away from there. And she'll need to learn this eventually. I can transfer a little, to maintain her disguise for a day or so, at least."
 
"Fair enough." I glanced at Bit, who still hadn't uncurled. Leaning closer, I heard what might have been gentle snores. "But maybe we should continue this later."
 
"We will." Twilight gave me a fierce look. "Maybe you shouldn't come. It will make things simpler."
 
"Fair enough." I sighed, and sagged against the counter. I could do with a little rest.