//------------------------------// // Consequences // Story: The Freeport Venture // by Chengar Qordath //------------------------------// The Venture returned to Freeport two days later, towing along the Granite Heart. By the time we docked, there was already a crowd of onlookers and gawkers waiting for us. Everyone wanted to see the captured pirates and get a good look at who had taken them down. Normally I would’ve been all for putting on a bit of a show for the crowd. I’m not saying I’m some kind of show-off or that I hunger for attention, but everypony likes to be recognized for their accomplishments. Besides, a bit of fame would help if I was going to keep working in Freeport. I couldn’t really take any pride in beating Metal Mome, though. Not with how I’d done it. I’d been sloppy and overconfident, and it had nearly gotten myself and a bunch of other innocent ponies killed in the process. Even if using dark magic to get out of that mess had been justified, I never would’ve been there in the first place if I hadn’t been so stupid. So instead of returning to Freeport in triumph, I just stared out at the city feeling empty. Like there was this big hollow place in the middle of my chest where my heart should’ve been. I didn’t know what to do next—the whole idea of a life as a Freeport Magus didn’t really appeal to me anymore. Nothing really sounded all that appealing. I was tempted to just hole myself up in a hotel somewhere with a couple books and projects, and just shut myself away from the rest of the world and its problems for a bit. That’s what I’d done with my tower back in Canterlot, whenever things started getting to me. It’d be nice if I could really do that. Sadly, it wasn’t an option. It all came down to bits—the money I made off of this job wouldn’t last forever, and hiding in a hotel room would only put me back in the same situation I’d been in before this whole mess started: poor and desperate enough to take a job that put me in danger. Whatever my next move was, it would have to be something that kept me moving forward. Running and hiding wouldn’t accomplish anything except making my situation even worse than it already was. Like it or not, I had to deal with the here and now. I just needed some time to think about what my next move would be. I was so caught up in brooding over what had happened that I didn’t hear Kukri walk up and take a place at my side. The little changeling cleared its throat to get my attention, then offered a concerned frown. “Are you well, Shimmer-mare?” I was very much not well, but most of the stuff bothering me wasn’t the kind of thing I could burden a kid with. So instead I forced a smile for her benefit. “Better now, yeah. A good night's sleep helped a lot.” It wasn’t a lie; my spirit might still feel terrible, but my body certainly appreciated the rest. “Good.” Kukri stepped a bit closer, leaning against one of my legs. “You looked tired after saving our lives. And your battle wounds seem to be healing well.” She looked over the bandage on my side to confirm that. “If the Shimmer-mare does not wish for the services of a doctor, this one would be more than happy to continue helping her tend to her wounds. The captain has granted the crew substantial shore leave, as both reward for our service and because the Venture will require more repairs while in dock.” While she had been helpful when it came to getting the injury on my side bandaged up, I suspected Kukri was mostly just looking for an excuse to spend more time with me. Not that I minded that in the least. She was a good kid. Plus, having her around reminded me why I’d gone as far as I had taking down Metal Mome. Seeing her free, alive, and happy made me feel a bit less terrible about what I’d done to him. “If you wanna spend your shore leave with me, I’d love to have you around.” Kukri’s grin practically reached her ears. “That is wonderful! This one will enjoy spending more time with the Shimmer-mare. It has never seen anything like the feats of magic she can perform! You stole the pirate’s golems with a single spell!” She continued on, oblivious to the guilty twinge her words sent through me. “A ship of pirates captured, everybody alive on the Venture—the Shimmer-mare did the impossible!” “Yeah, I guess.” Kukri noticed my utter lack of enthusiasm for her praise, and her smile slipped a bit. I put my hoof on her shoulder for a moment, so she wouldn’t think she was to blame for my mood. “I'm just glad you're all okay.” “This one is glad that it is safe as well. But never mind us, are you alright?” The child looked up at me with a concerned frown. “The captain allowed this one to occupy the quarters next to the Shimmer-mare so that it would be available to bring her a meal or extra pillow if she wanted it. This one could tell your rest was uneasy … it did not mean to pry, but the walls on a ship are not very thick.” Oh. Great. I scrambled to come up with a decent explanation for that. “Thanks for worrying, Kukri, but I'm fine. I just rolled onto my bad side while I was trying to sleep.” It wasn’t exactly a lie—the injury had woken me up a couple times. Nopony ever mentioned problems like that in the adventure stories. Kukri frowned skeptically, but instead of voicing her doubts, she just leaned against my leg. The two of us stood there silently, watching the crew go about their business. Right now it was all the normal docking procedure of getting the ship into its berth and tying it up. I probably could’ve hopped down to the dock already, but I wasn’t in that much of a hurry to get to dry land. It’s not like I had much that I was looking forward to back in Freeport. I could wait for them to set up a gangplank, so I could walk across instead. I did feel a bit better once I spotted a familiar face in the crowd. Puzzle Piece was in its pegasus form again—from what it had said, it tended to use that appearance for most of its ordinary day-to-day business. Sure, Puzzle had played a part in getting me into this mess, but it had also done a lot to help me out. It’s not like I could blame it for my own actions or decisions, anyway. I wouldn’t call it a friend, but I think it was at least on my side. Ugh, I still wasn’t used to thinking of changelings as ‘it.’ Yeah, that was probably the best pronoun to use with a genderless race, but it still felt weird. Not helped by the fact that Puzzle seemed vaguely stallion-y, and Kukri still struck me as more feminine. I hesitantly waved to the changeling, and it smiled and waved back. Once the gangplank was down, I wasted no time trotting across it, Kukri tagging along behind me. “So what will the Shimmer-mare do now that she has captured the infamous pirate and saved the Venture? This one is sure its clan would be more than happy to offer her hospitality as a reward for all that the Shimmer-mare has done.” That sounded nice, but I had a feeling the Doos’ hospitality wouldn’t be any more generous than the Council’s. The Doos would be grateful for a bit, but soon they would want me to start earning my keep too. There would be other ships that needed protection, and I’d already heard about the off-and-on skirmishes between all the various players in the outer islands of Freeport. Helping the Doos steal a sugar plantation from a rival merchant group didn’t appeal any more than running down the Council’s bounties, so I gave Kukri a carefully noncommittal answer. “Right now, all I plan to do is get paid for taking care of Mome.” “Obviously. But after that?” “I’ll figure out what comes after once I get there.” At the very least, having bits would give me more options than I had when I first arrived in Freeport. I guess I could just play things by ear for a bit. I didn’t want to play the waiting game indefinitely, but I could afford to spend a few days weighing my options once I got paid. I just needed to be careful not to drag that out too long. Captain Weyland called Kukri away to tend to some of her duties, so I was on my own as I made my way through the cluster of dockworkers and people who’d come to stare at the captured pirate ship, until I finally got to Puzzle Piece. The changeling smiled at me. “Sunset Shimmer, it seems you have succeeded in your mission. Judging by the fact that the Venture is towing in Mome’s ship, I can safely conclude that your performance was quite exemplary. I’m pleased.” Its eyes drifted to the bandage on my side. “I hope you weren’t hurt too badly.” For a moment I was surprised Puzzle wasn’t doing the whole ‘this one’ thing, but considering we were in the middle of a crowded dock, it wasn’t hard to guess why. There were probably plenty of ponies—and other creatures—who would recognize the rather distinctive changeling speech pattern. Puzzle probably wanted to keep a low profile. He was still waiting for an answer, so I gave him one. “Yeah, I’m not too hurt. One of the golems just got a lucky shot in.” Puzzle nodded, but shot a worried look at the bandage. “I’ll arrange a meeting with a doctor anyway, just to be safe.” Its eyes turned to the Granite Heart. “I see Mome’s ship, but what of Mome himself?” “We've got him and the rest of the pirates on the Venture.” Rope was a necessity on any ship, so we’d had plenty to spare for tying up a bunch of pirates. Though I think the fact that I had my golems sitting in the cargo hold with them was more than enough to stop any of them from getting ideas. “Mome’s still alive. He hasn’t said or done anything since I captured him, though. I think...” I hesitated, but forced myself to finish the report. “I think I might’ve broken him. Permanently.” Puzzle raised an eyebrow, but didn’t offer any objection. “Is that so? Well, the bounty was for capture or proof of death, so alive but broken should be no problem for the Council. It will make whatever fate they have planned for him that much easier. I think I would like to hear the full story, though. You look like you've gone through quite the rough little adventure.” Rough. Yeah, that was one word for it. “I broke into his mind. We've got his golems back in the ship. I can control them now.” I probably shouldn’t have said all that where dozens of ponies could overhear us, but I was too burned out and tired to care about the consequences. Puzzle answered with a simple nod, seeming not the least bit bothered by my confession that I’d used dark magic. It said something about where I’d ended up in life that one of the closest things I had to an ally in Freeport didn’t even blink when I told him I’d gone warlock. It probably would’ve been similarly unmoved if I’d brought back Mome’s severed head. Urgh. No point dwelling on it now. All the regrets in the world wouldn’t put Metal Mome back together again. “So, I guess that just leaves the Council to be dealt with. Do they want to see me right away, or will I have time to get a shower and some time in a bed that doesn't rock with the waves first?” Puzzle looked me over again and offered a sympathetic smile. “Your report isn’t especially urgent, and the Council is well aware of the unpleasantness that accompanies an extended trip at sea. Obviously it would be unwise to make them wait too long, but I suspect tomorrow morning will be soon enough for their purposes.” “They probably don’t want to see me with two weeks’ worth of grime, sea salt, and dirt in my coat anyway.” I certainly wouldn’t have wanted to go before Celestia in my current state. A shower and a good night’s rest would be just the thing to get me back to feeling like a civilized mare instead of a burnt-out husk. “So do you still have that hotel room you were putting me up in, or do we need to figure out something else?” Puzzle shrugged. “I saw little point in paying for an empty room while you were out at sea, but I can arrange a new one quickly enough. Perhaps with room service as well. I’m sure you’d like some fresh food after living off of hardtack.” I’m normally not big on fancy eating, but I have to admit that I liked the idea of getting a proper quality meal after weeks ship food. Not to say that the food on the Venture was bad, but there’s only so much one can do to make hardtack and kelp palatable, and it wasn’t helped by the fact that the Venture supplemented its diet with fresh fish. I guess it was no surprise that the remnants of the old clans stuck with the Pegasopolan tradition of omnivorism, but I don’t know how they managed it. Meat was just ... icky. Kukri trotted over to my side and cleared her throat, grinning up at me. “Is this one still to join the Shimmer-mare? And may it also receive room service alongside her?” Puzzle snorted and whispered to me, “That one is hoping to get in some luxury at the Shimmer-mare’s expense, it would seem.” I rolled my eyes. “Oh be nice. Besides, she’s earned it.” I rather liked the idea of spoiling Kukri a little. Her energetic enthusiasm was infectious. I was a little surprised she’d be interested in room service, given that changelings didn’t need to eat normal food. Then again, she was probably hoping to get a bunch of sugary snacks that didn’t have much nutritional value to begin with. Not to mention getting to sleep on a big feather bed instead of a hammock. I gave Kukri a quick pat on the head. “Sure, you can get room service too. Just don’t pig out so much you make yourself sick.” Kukri grinned and attached herself to my side. “This one thanks the Shimmer-mare for her generosity. It will aid her in whatever way she asks as repayment.” Puzzle stared down at its fellow changeling for a bit, then shrugged. “I suppose compared to everything else, paying for a child’s ice cream is a negligible expense.” Its meaning became apparent as soon as we entered the hotel it had picked out. Last time, it had chosen something modest and comfortable, but not especially fancy. This time, it brought me to a place that was clearly a bit more upscale. The reclining couches were made from hardwood that had to have come from the mainland, and the bathroom held a huge jacuzzi bathtub that I was just dying to spend a while in to get all the ship-grime off. The rooms here couldn’t have been cheap, but with the bounty for Mome plus however much I’d make from selling off the Granite Heart, I had bits to spare even after Puzzle took its cut. Kukri’s eyes widened as she took in the sights. A big fancy hotel like this was probably a lot nicer than what she was used to. Well, maybe. I didn’t really know much about Kukri’s family life. Did changelings even have family lives? Puzzle hadn’t mentioned anything about parents when it brought up changeling reproduction, but someone had to be responsible for raising and training the young. And if Kukri was part of the Doo clan, then presumably she had some sort of bloodline connection to them too. Oh well, there would be time enough to get answers for all that later. For right now I was fine with just watching Kukri stare at all the fancy furniture. The kid galloped over to one of the couches and pounced onto it, stretching out until it occupied the whole thing. Once she was comfortably established, she smiled at me contentedly. “This one thanks the Shimmer-mare for letting it accompany her and her acquaintance.” “No need to thank me, I’m just glad to have you here.” I probably would’ve joined her on the couch, but I really wanted to try out that fancy bathtub. I’m not normally into that kind of thing, but I’m also not normally covered in a pretty thick layer of ship grime, dried seawater, and everything from the battle with the pirates. I think the only part of me that was reasonably clean was the bandage on my side. Go figure, a nice fancy bath sounds a lot better when you’re feeling really dirty. I wondered if Kukri felt just as messy, or if changelings had an easier time keeping themselves clean. I suppose a carapace wouldn’t hold onto dirt the way a coat does. Screw playing the good host, I could do that after I had my bath. “Kukri, Puzzle, could one of you get something to eat while I wash up?” Kukri hopped off the couch, practically standing at attention. “Of course! It would be this one’s pleasure. What would the Shimmer-mare like?” “Pick whatever you want, as long as it’s not hardtack, fish, or anything else like that.” I could die a happy mare if I never ate shipboard food again. I normally wasn’t all that picky about my food, but ... yeah. Puzzle Piece grinned and produced a room service menu. “Arranging a meal shouldn’t be all that difficult. If the Shimmer-mare does not wish to order herself, this one is quite aware of her preferences.” It was oddly relieving to hear Puzzle going back to changeling speech, though less relieving to know it had my dietary profile. I suppose when information is your stock and trade, collecting random facts like that was just second nature. One never knows what random little facts could be worth something to somepony. Puzzle’s eyes shot down to Kukri. “While the hotel obviously does not put changeling food on the menu, this one can tend the other’s needs as well if it requires sustenance.” Puzzle paused, and a faint smirk crossed its face. “Well, perhaps that is not entirely accurate. Hotels which cater to such wealthy clientele have been known to provide discreet services to their guests. Still, this one thinks that simply consuming some thymoplasm would be far less troublesome, and better suited to one of the youngling’s age.” Kukri’s eyes dropped to the floor, and she mumbled. “Er, yes, this one has not yet fed from ... that is, it has only eaten the thymoplasm for its sustenance.” Her ears perked up hopefully “But it will be old enough to feed itself properly soon.” I have to say, listening to two changelings discussing their feeding habits was making things just a bit awkward for me. Especially since I still thought of Kukri as a cute little kid, not a love-eating bug. At least she was only eating the concentrated stuff absorbed by changeling cocoons instead of directly chomping on ponies. Although it sounded like she was almost looking forward to getting to that point—maybe it was some kind of changeling rite of passage? I guess Puzzle must have picked up on my mood, because it quickly jotted down a note and passed Kukri a hooffull of coins. “If the other would make our order and pay appropriately, this one would be most appreciative. The other may obtain whatever it wishes for itself, provided it does not exceed its budget. Kukri nodded dutifully. “This one will do so.” She turned back to me and trotted over to give my leg a quick hug. I hesitated for a moment before patting her on the back; I was just a little bit unsettled by the reminder that her species saw mine as a food source. Fortunately, she didn’t seem to notice my reaction. “This one will return shortly with food, Shimmer-mare!” With that said, she wasted no time practically galloping out the door. Seeing just how eager she was to win my approval just made me feel worse about how I’d found her eating habits off-putting. Once Kukri was safely out of earshot, Puzzle turned to me with a faint frown. “Kukri is a changeling, and like all changelings, she must feed in order to survive. It is our very nature; we gain no sustenance from any other form of food. Even thymoplasm is ultimately derived from the cocoons we place our food within in order to draw out its energies more effectively.” It sighed and shook its head. “Some Free Minds have tried to abandon our feeding habits, but they inevitably starved or gave in to base appetites and turned almost feral, mad with hunger.” Puzzle met my eyes. “Kukri clearly idolizes the Shimmer-mare. If she senses that the Shimmer-mare does not wish for her to feed...” Oh. Dammit. This is why I never wanted to be a role model or deal with kids in the first place. I never meant to try and turn Kukri into some sort of changeling vegetarian or whatever. I was just a bit weirded out by the idea that the cute little kid I had a soft spot for viewed ponies as a food source. I wasn’t trying to change her or anything, I just ... I guess I needed some time to adjust to the idea. Regardless, it certainly wasn’t something I wanted to discuss right then. I knew I would have to adjust to changeling feeding habits eventually if I wanted to keep working with Puzzle and being friends with Kukri, but right now I had enough on my plate. I could deal with changeling stuff later. “Yeah, no trying to make the kid starve herself. Got it. Anyway, I’m gonna go take a bath. No peeking while I’m in there.” Puzzle brought a hoof up to its cheek, its face a perfect picture of wounded innocence. “Now why would this one do something like that?” I couldn’t help smirking at that. “You know, it’s pretty hard to pull of the innocent act when I know you’re an experienced spy and assassin.” The changeling answered my smirk in kind. “Perhaps so, but this one has always enjoyed providing itself with fresh new challenges.” I answered him—it—with a playfully suspicious glare. “I think I’m gonna put an alarm spell on the bathroom door, just to be safe.” “Right, right.” I was halfway to the bathroom when Puzzle tossed out its parting shot. “This one presumes that should it violate the Shimmer-mare’s privacy, it would be lobotomized.” I nearly tripped over my own hooves when it said that, thinking back to Metal Mome’s blank, uncomprehending eyes after I’d finished with him. “No, I wouldn’t ... no.” The shiver that went down my spine didn’t have anything to do with the room’s temperature. “I—I’ve gotta ... y’know, the bath.” I went to the bathroom as fast as I could without completely jettisoning my dignity, using the door to cut myself off from Puzzle before it said anything else. I sank into the hot tub and tried to relax and just enjoy being clean and comfortable for the first time in weeks. Which would’ve worked a lot better if I could actually feel clean. I guess all the ship grime had really worked its way into my coat and mane, because even after I’d used up an entire bottle of shampoo (admittedly one of the small-sized hotel room ones), I still felt dirty. I could still smell the wet briney stink of the ocean, feel that rough salty stiffness in my coat. And I could still smell the coppery tang of Silverhorns’ blood, still see Metal Mome’s wide, uncomprehending eyes. Ugh. I didn’t want to think about that. It was over. They’d gotten what they deserved. End of story, no point dwelling on it. I also had to be careful while scrubbing off, on account of the injury to my side. The wound seemed to be healing well enough, but the last thing I wanted was to open it back up by washing it too vigorously. I’d have to see about getting a new bandage on it once I was done bathing. Ideally something a bit better than the one from the ship’s first aid kit. As the dirt came off, I also noticed several bruises that had escaped my attention earlier. I guess they hadn’t really registered with everything else I’d been through. Considering the jacuzzi’s water had taken on a distinct greyish tinge after all my scrubbing, perhaps it was no surprise I wasn’t feeling completely clean yet. I drained the tub and filled it back up with water that didn’t have two weeks of accumulated ship grime in it. That helped a little. I tried using a bit of light magic to make it easier to see what I was scrubbing underwater, but no matter how many times I cast the spell, it wouldn’t stop fizzling. I’m sure if Celestia were here she’d give me another one of her lectures about how I had to be ‘in harmony with myself’ if I wanted to use that kind of magic, which still seemed like a load of horseapples to me. If you cast the spell right, magic happens no matter what mood you’re in. I stepped out of the tub and used a quick drying spell. Which worked just fine, even though I wasn’t any more ‘in harmony with myself’ than I’d been when I tried the light spell a minute earlier. Maybe the trouble with light spells had to do with local conditions? The fact that I was down at sea level on an island instead of on top of a mountain and a thousand miles inland could be significant. I’m not sure how that would affect light spells, but it certainly made more sense than some stuff about harmony and rainbows. I stepped out of the bathroom and saw that Kukri was back with the food. I was a bit surprised by how much of it was Equestrian cuisine: hayburgers, hayfries, some cake, and a salad that had none of the usual Freeport ingredients. I guess it was no surprise that a hotel which frequently catered to travelers from Equestria had some Equestrian-style food close at hoof, and I certainly wasn’t going to complain about having a taste of home. Kukri looked up at me with a hopeful little smile. “This one hopes the food it obtained is satisfactory. It also attempted to procure a wider selection of beverages, but the hotel staff refused to provide some due to its age. Sorry, Shimmer-mare.” I gave the little changeling a pat on the head and settled down on the couch next to her. “That's fine, Kukri.” My magic was strong enough that back in Equestria I’d been effectively barred from drinking anyway. Alcohol and fire rarely make a good mix. Besides, the one time I’d gotten my hooves on a bottle of brandy from the castle’s wine cellar and tried it out I’d hated the way it tasted, and then I discovered hangovers. While I poured myself a glass of apple juice, Kukri was grinning down at a platter of kelp-wrapped shrimp, and Puzzle had a filet of some kind of fish. The changeling opened up a jar and started smearing some thick green jelly-like substance on the fish, then passed it to Kukri. I guessed the green stuff must be that thymoplasm it had mentioned earlier. Kukri filled a small bowl with the thymoplasm and used it as gelatinous dipping sauce for her shrimp. Being buddies with changelings was definitely going to take some time to get used to. Still, I was cautiously optimistic about pulling it off. After all, Kukri was still a nice kid, and Puzzle seemed to be doing a good job of helping me earn money and take care of myself. That seemed like a good foundation to build on. Puzzle swallowed a bit of its fish, then glanced up at me. “This one hopes the Shimmer-mare enjoyed her bath and feels much better now.” It smirked “In this one’s judgment, she is much more aesthetically pleasing now.” “It helped.” I might not feel one hundred percent clean, but at least my coat wasn’t sticky with a dozen layers of grime anymore. Maybe a couple days of staying in a nice hotel enjoying all the modern hygienic luxuries would be enough to get me back to feeling like a civilized mare. Though speaking of baths... “You wanna use the tub now that I’m done, Kukri? I bet you want a bath just as much as I did.” Kukri took a moment to finish swallowing her shrimp, then answered me. “This one does not require a bath.” She paused, and then hesitantly amended, “Unless the Shimmer-mare finds its odor objectionable, or believes its hygiene lacking.” “You’re fine, Kukri,” Puzzle quickly reassured her before turning to me. “Changelings don’t need to bathe in the same way that ponies do. Chitin handles dirt differently than fur and skin.” “Yeah, I figured as much.” I frowned and ran a hoof through Kukri’s mane, prompting the little changeling to lean against my side. “But right now Kukri has a coat and a mane, just like a pony. So how does that fit with how chitin handles dirt?” My frown deepened as more and more of the potential practical problems involved in shifting from skin to chitin sprang to mind. It was a pretty massive biological change, not to mention a changeling often shifted mass, body shape, and could even grow entire new limbs. Puzzle chuckled. “Perhaps it would be best if this one found some literature on the matter, which the Shimmer-mare could peruse at her leisure. The mechanics of changeling shapeshifting are complicated, and this one is not an expert in such matters.” “Sounds good.” I had a feeling that was going to be my next big research project. The more time I spent with Puzzle and Kukri, the more I realized how little I really knew about how changelings—not to mention what made the Free Minds different from Chrysalis’s brood. I knew there was more to it than just sentience versus being part of a hive mind. I hate not having all the answers, so the only thing to do was read enough books to cure my ignorance. “This one will find the books the Shimmer-mare desires, then.” I smiled and thanked Puzzle for that, while making a mental note to pick up a few books that weren’t on the list it recommended. Strumming might be annoying, but she’d had a point about Puzzle; if I let it pick all my reading material, I’d probably only get stuff biased towards whatever it wanted me to believe. One of the first rules of doing good research is to check multiple sources. Puzzle nibbled at its food a bit longer, then set the plate aside for the moment. “This one believes it has been quite patient, but now its curiosity has begun to overwhelm it. May it have an account of what transpired on your voyage?” A forkful of salad paused halfway to my mouth. “Can we just eat instead? I don’t really wanna talk about that.” “This one can tell the story of the Shimmer-mare’s heroics, if the Shimmer-mare is still too hungry to talk,” Kukri helpfully volunteered. Puzzle shot the little changeling an indulgent smile, but its eyes never left me. “While this one would enjoy hearing the other’s account, it would prefer to hear the story from the Shimmer-mare first.” “And the Shimmer-mare doesn’t wanna talk about it!” I snapped. Kukri flinched back at my tone, while Puzzle just stared at me calmly. I moderated my tone and gave Kukri an apologetic pat on the back. “Look, it’s been a long couple days, and right now the last thing I wanna do is talk about is everything I’ve been through. The job's done. That's all that matters, right?” “This one can tell the story as well as the Shimmer-mare,” Kukri offered once more, no doubt hoping to defuse the tension. Puzzle regarded me levelly, then slowly shook its head. “Very well, so long as there is nothing this one is unaware of that is likely to lead to complications for the next few days, this one can wait until the Shimmer-mare is ready to discuss the matter.” The changeling’s gaze turned piercing. “Though this one suspects the Shimmer-mare would benefit from discussing the matter. It is clear that the event is weighing on her mind.” I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, trying to compose myself, sit up straight, and just generally project an air of confident nonchalance. “Yeah, some stuff happened out there.” My eyes rested on Kukri, still sitting at my side. “I'll learn to live with it.” A confused frown appeared on Kukri’s face, and the little changeling scooted over to lean against me. “But why does the Shimmer-mare feel bad about what happened? She beat the pirates and saved all of us. She is a hero and should be proud of herself.” “It’s a bit more complicated than that, Kukri.” I was a bit torn on how to explain the problem, given that my audience was a rather mixed pair of an assassin and a kid. “I had to attack Mome’s mind to steal the golems from him.” Judging by the way her frown deepened, Kukri didn’t understand the full implications of that. Puzzle stepped in to explain things before I had to. “Attacking a pony’s mind is considered a form of dark magic. Some ponies might call Sunset a warlock now, and try to hunt her down.” Kukri’s frown turned into an outright scowl. “But that makes no sense! How can the Shimmer-mare saving us from an evil pirate be a bad thing? She is a hero who deserves to be honored, not a criminal. She stopped the criminal.” It was a relief to hear Kukri say that, even though it was no surprise. That was part of why I liked the idea of having her around in the first place: to remember why I’d used dark magic. “It kept Kukri and everypony else on the Venture in one piece. The only other alternative was letting the bad guy win. So yeah, I’ll learn to live with what I did.” Puzzle regarded me with its unreadably neutral expression. “Perhaps you will. But are you trying to convince this one or yourself?” Urgh. This was definitely one of those conversations I really didn’t want to continue. Especially not with Kukri right here. “I'll have it handled by the time our next job comes up, okay?” Puzzle was still staring at me, but it didn’t say anything. Probably because there wasn’t anything to say. Either I would make it through this or I wouldn’t. Puzzle was nice for a changeling, but it wasn’t going to hug me and tell me everything was gonna be okay. I wish Celestia was here. Though if she was, I’d probably get a big long lecture about how wrong I’d been to use dark magic, and how there’s always a better way to solve your problems. Even that didn’t sound so bad right now, though. I mean, yeah, she’d be really mad at me and disappointed, but ... I dunno. Getting a big lecture didn’t sound that bad, as long as she was the one giving it to me. I just missed her, I guess. Especially now that I didn’t know if I could ever go back to see her again. It seems weird that I almost wanted a lecture from her. Back when I’d been with her, I’d always been annoyed when Celestia chewed me out for doing something wrong. All this horseapples was just too much to deal with. I wanted to curl up in bed for a week and hope that it would somehow just go away on its own. Fat chance of that actually happening, but a mare can dream. Before I could worry about that any more, somepony knocked on the door. “Room service.” Kukri hopped up from the couch, an eager grin on her face. “That would be the ice cream. This one hopes it meets with the Shimmer-mare’s approval.” While Kukri went to get the door, Puzzle continued staring at me. It was starting get a bit unnerving. “The Shimmer-mare is certain she is well? This one’s research informed it that she had never been in a battle before, and it would be understandable if she were experiencing ... difficulties.” Whatever answer I might have given him died on my lips when Kukri opened up the door and Strumming Heartstrings stepped in. “Hey. And before anypony complains about me lying, I did actually bring you guys ice cream.” She showed me a bowl with maybe two spoonfuls of ice cream left in it. “It was really good, by the way. Thanks.” Great. Dealing with Strumming again was exactly what I needed right now. I groaned and ran a hoof over my face. “What do you want, and what do I have to do to make you go away?” Strumming crossed her forelegs over her chest and pouted. “Aww, is that any way to say hello to one of your old buddies from Equestria? And after I brought you ice cream and everything...” She grinned, but I noticed that the smile never reached her eyes. “What, should I add whipped cream and sprinkles to it? Or did you want a cherry on top?” Her fake smile disappeared, and she shifted topic fast enough to give me mental whiplash. “So, you used dark magic. That's gonna be a real mess to fix.” Puzzle groaned and pressed a hoof to its forehead. “Strumming. Good of you to drop in on us. Again.” “You might not think it’s so good once I’m done.” She trotted up to the table and cut herself a slice of cake. “I'm gonna have to take Sunset into custody. Y’know, for the whole dark magic thing.” She snatched up my fork and waved it in my general direction. “So, you’re under arrest. Right to remain silent, blah blah blah, you know the drill.” “What?” I’d been ready for Strumming to do something strange and annoying, but this was way more than I’d expected. Puzzle didn’t seem to have been caught by surprise, at least. “Are you now? Curious, to see an Equestrian spy trying to make an arrest within Freeport’s sovereign territory. Not to mention the fact that the Equestrian Intelligence Service is technically not a law enforcement organization.” “Well, maybe I’m technically taking her into custody rather than arresting her.” Strumming snorted, then paused to stuff some cake into her mouth. “But really, why quibble about semantics? The bottom line is, she’s coming with me to be punished for her crimes, and I’ll take her in by force if it comes down to that.” “You will not!” Kukri leapt protectively between myself and Strumming, her teeth bared. Or rather, her fangs. She hadn’t fully reverted to changeling form, but those fangs didn’t belong in a pony’s mouth. “You will not harm the Shimmer-mare! She saved the Venture and her crew!” “Whoa! Someone calm the little bug down before I have to break out the flyswatter.” Strumming tossed a bag of chips towards Kukri. “Eat those, the adults need to talk.” She turned back to Puzzle. “And don’t try to pretend I’m overstepping. You know Freeport’s a signatory to the Canterlot Accords, just like every other civilized nation. Warlocks are right up there with pirates and slavers as hostis equini generis. Jurisdiction doesn’t apply—anyone who can capture her can prosecute her.” “Nonetheless, you are still in Freeport’s sovereign territory,” Puzzle countered. “The Accords specify that you can levy charges, after which our condottieri will take her into custody for an extradition hearing. By all means, file the appropriate paperwork with the Council, and they will give Equestria’s request due consideration.” The faint smirk on Puzzle’s lips made it clear how that would end. “Normally that would be standard procedure,” Strumming shot right back, “but in this case it’s fairly obvious that the Council is harboring Sunset.” She directed a pointed look at Puzzle. “Filing a bunch of paperwork would get us nowhere, so we’re gonna take the more direct route.” She picked up an empty bowl, frowned down at it for a second, then chucked it right at the door, where it broke in a dozen shards of very expensive ceramic. That must have been some kind of signal, because a moment later the door opened again, and a dozen ponies in armor that marked them as guards from the Equestrian Embassy filed in. “So, if you like legal authority, I got that covered. You want something more, I’ve got a dozen armed and armored ponies backing me up.” Kukri fully reverted to changeling form and snarled, but I quickly wrapped a hoof around her chest and pulled her back. While I was busy restraining the angry young changeling, Puzzle kept Strumming talking. “So you intend on taking her one way or another, is that it? This one should mention that kidnapping is highly illegal.” Strumming shrugged nonchalantly. “Yeah, but that’s why I’ve got diplomatic immunity.” She smirked and casually nibbled at her stolen slice of cake. “I don’t want this getting any nastier than it has to, but I've got my orders. I’m sure our ambassador will issue a formal apology and send the Council a fruit basket or something once it’s all done.” I finally managed to get a good enough grip on Kukri that I could afford to take some of my attention off of her to answer Strumming. “You can’t arrest me, I haven’t broken any laws. Section three paragraph twelve of the Universal Code of the Magi states that—” “When faced with an immediate threat, an Equestrian Magus is authorized to preserve the lives of innocents by any justifiable means,” Strumming quoted. “You know your rules, but there’s two big problems with using that particular one. First off, it’s the magus code, and you're not a magus.” “I might as well be!” I snapped. “I trained for years under Celestia. I know more than any magus. I could probably beat half the Archmagi in a magic duel!” “Maybe, but the Magus Code doesn’t apply to ponies who believe they deserve to be members of the corps, only to ponies who are members.” Strumming let that hang in the air for a bit, then moved on. “And even if we overlooked that issue, it says any justifiable means. As in, someone in authority can call you in and demand that you justify your actions. Kind of like being put on trial for your crimes. In fact, exactly like it.” “The Heartstrings-mare has no right!” Kukri snarled, straining against my hooves. “She should be honoring the Shimmer-mare as a hero, not treating her as a criminal! This one and its clan will never allow her to be taken!” Strumming chuckled, but a moment later the laugh died on her lips, and she shot a concerned look at Kukri and Puzzle. “Y’know, the kid might have a point. Warlock or not, the Doos might decide that they owe Sunset a rescue. Not to mention all the trouble the self-proclaimed best fixer in Freeport could cause for us if we left him loose.” She nodded to her guards. “Take ‘em all with us, at least until we’re far enough away from Freeport to be safe.” “This one is curious to hear the Heartstrings-mare’s justification for such an act,” Puzzle sniped. “Pragmatism,” Strumming answered with a smile. “But yeah, it is kinda blatantly illegal. Might as well use that diplomatic immunity while I’ve got it, right?” I wasn’t interested in the legal questions. I quickly shoved Kukri behind me and ignited my horn as preparation for igniting something else—or somepony. “Leave Kukri out of this. If you lay one hoof on her...” Strumming flicked a wing and something buzzed past my face before embedding itself in the wall behind me. A throwing spike. Strumming grinned and spread one of her wings, revealing several more spikes holstered on it. “Ah ah ah, let’s not start threatening the trained EIS agent who knows just how nasty a pyromancer who isn’t holding back can be.” A rather important fact clicked into place for me, and I grinned. “You’re scared of me.” “Darn right I am,” Strumming answered without a moment’s hesitation. “I’m in a flammable building with a high-level pyromancer, I’d have to be an idiot not to be worried. But you shouldn’t be smiling about the fact that I’m nervous. See, when I get nervous, I start thinking that maybe I should remove the thing that’s scaring me before it can hurt me.” “You wouldn’t dare,” I growled. “I’ll bet every bit of my bounty that Celestia’s orders were to bring me back alive and unharmed.” “Alive, yes,” Strumming conceded. “Unharmed? Well, I figure as long as it all heals up before I drag you back into the throne room, we don’t really need to bother the Princess with every little detail of your capture. Though if you wanna make a fight of it, there’s two things I’d point out.” She sat down and snagged one of the shrimp off Kukri’s plate, sniffing it and trying a small bit, then quickly setting it aside. “First off, if you put up a fight, it adds more charges to the list and makes you look guilty. If you really believe your actions were justified, you’d have no issues with defending them at your trial. Secondly,” her eyes turned to my companions, “my orders are to take you alive and relatively unharmed. The Princess didn’t say one word about any changelings I happened to find tagging along with you. If it comes to a fight, we’ll handle them with a level of force appropriate to the threat.” “Is that how the EIS operates, then?” Puzzle challenged, drawing itself up to its full height and glowering at the spy. “Threatening a child?” “Who was threatening?” Strumming looked about the room with wide-eyed innocence. “I didn’t threaten anyone. I’m just stating the facts. Fights are dangerous. So think real hard whether mixing it up right now is worth it.” She turned to me, letting her eyes linger on mine for a long moment, then sighed. “Look, you go quietly and nothing’s gonna happen to your pet bugs except for being held onto for a bit. Minor inconvenience, then we let them go. No harm done. Plus it’d look real good at your trial. Honestly, from what I’ve heard so far I think you’d have a pretty good shot at acquittal if you don’t do anything stupid to feather it up.” Puzzle leaned over and whispered to me. “If the Shimmer-mare would face trial, then submission seems prudent. If she intends to make a fight of it, the Heartstrings-mare has the advantage on us. Better to offer temporary surrender, then escape custody at a time and place of our choosing. She must sleep eventually, and this one doubts there will be a dozen guards on us at all times.” As usual, Puzzle was right. Even if I could beat Strumming and her pet guards, where could I go from there? I would’ve added more crimes to my list and made myself look guilty of what I’d already been accused of. And Celestia would probably send some heavy hitters after me, or maybe even come herself. Though a part of me wanted to make her leave Canterlot; drag her halfway across the world, just to deal with me. It’d be nice to see her going to that much effort, instead of sending one of her errand-girls to pick me up. I guess I’d be facing her soon enough, then. I might as well do so with less blood on my hooves. “Fine. I surrender.”