//------------------------------// // Trust // Story: Changeling Doll: White Lie // by PiercingSight //------------------------------// The floor was cold. And hard. It was also rough, like stone. It wasn't very comfortable, so White Lie adjusted himself a bit. The scraping of metal as he moved was surprising. "Wait..." he thought, "What-... what is-" White Lie's head shot up, his eye wide open. He was in a small room. Stone floors, crystal walls. His legs were chained to one of them. "Cl-GAH!" A small electric shock had shot through his horn as he tried to reach out to Cloak. "Unnggh!" He moaned rubbing his horn in pain. "I don't recommend using magic in here." White jolted, turning to see that across the room were bars. On the other side of those bars stood Shining Armor. "Sorry about the blast earlier. Cadence is still quite a bit jumpy about changelings since our wedding," he said, apparently sincere, but remaining completely stoic. White Lie grunted as we shifted his weight to sit up. "It's okay your maj-... your majesty. It's not the first time it's happened to me." White knew he needed to stay on good terms with Shining, if he ever wanted even a chance of getting the support of the princess. Though the chains and cell - and that whole being knocked out thing - weren't very hopeful signs, he would still try. Shining Armor squinted his eyes into a suspicious glare. He opened his mouth to speak, but hesitated before taking a slow, tense breath. "Where is Stately Writ?" he asked. "I am Stately Writ, or at least I was." The captain's glare intensified. "The real Stately Writ." White Lie began to slowly nod his head. "I am the real Stately Writ." Shining's horn activated, a pinkish glow adding light to the room. "You are, or rather were, Stately Writ?" "Yes sir." A nod. Shining's horn glowed green for a second before returning to it original pink hue. Shining didn't react. "After what happened in Canterlot, you should understand that we are hesitant to trust a changeling that we find suddenly taking the place of our assistant. If there is any way you can prove that you are who you say you are, now would be the time to do it." "I'm-... not sure if I can do that. I have only been here a few weeks. I can simply say that I have been here as your assistant since your old assistant passed away." Green. "So it was you who caused our assistant's passing?" "No sir." Green. "You don't think it a coincidence that you happened to show up at our gate claiming to be his replacement not a day after he died? That is very suspicious." White tilted his head, confused, but he answered anyway. "It was not a coincidence. I had been looking for any opening that would allow me to safely get close to you and the princess, though not with ill will. His unfortunate passing presented a much easier opening at the right time. While I am sorry for your loss, it was then or never for me." Green. Shining Armor didn't move, still glaring through the steel bars. White Lie didn't look away. "You don't believe me, do you?" "No." "Even though your lie detection spell is telling you otherwise." Shining's glare intensified. "Yes." "Why?" "Why are you here?" Shining didn't answer the question. "To gain your trust." Green. "Obviously, as that is the goal of deception, but why do you need our trust?" "Not to betray or harm you or any pony in any way." Green. "Why then?" "We need your help." Green. "We?" White Lie stifled a wince. It was too late to back pedal. "Yes." Blue. "Who all is we, and where are they now?" "Changelings among ponies." Blue. Shining's glare weakened. White felt the faintest scent of fear through the bars. Fear would not help their cause. "We mean no pony any harm." Green. Shining was still tense. "And we are not friends or allies of Chrysalis." Green. Shining's expression became one of confusion. "And you need help for... what?" "We believe something is coming." Blue. "Like an invasion." "We don't know yet." Green. "Are you and your friends the cause of whatever may be coming?" "We do not believe so." Green. "And why not?" Silence. White Lie was already giving away more than he should, or safely could, at this point. "I... cannot tell you." Blue. "If you want our trust, you’re going to have to be more open than that." White Lie hesitated to respond. "I am still... uncertain. Uncertain if I can trust you with certain things. I want to be able to trust you with that knowledge, but at this point I cannot be sure that you won’t abuse it." Green. Shining gave a dry chuckle at that. "So I cannot trust you and you cannot trust me, then?" White Lie decided to ask a question in return. "Can I trust you?" "You can trust me to protect the ponies of Equestria with my life, and if there is a changeling threat, then you can be certain I will do everything in my power to stop it." "Can I trust you to also protect changelings who seek to help ponies and hope to be helped by ponies?" "That depends." "On what?" Shining Armor hesitated to respond. “Whether or not I can trust them.” That answer would have to do. At this point, there weren't many other options. "Then I will trust you, but not with everything, yet." Green. Shining nods. "Then my question still stands. Why do you think whatever may be coming is not because of you and your friends?" White Lie took a deep breath before responding. "Because Chrysalis still seeks to take the love of ponies." Blue. "And how do you know this if you are not her friend or ally?" "Because we were part of her hive, but are no longer." Blue. Shining Armor was silent for a few moments, apparently deep in thought. Eventually, he stood. "I still do not know if I can trust you. And who is to say that even if you are telling the truth, you won't later betray us? So for now, I will think about what you have said, but I cannot guarantee anything. This discussion will continue later." He paused, then asked, "What is your real name?" "I am White Lie." Blue. Shining's lips pursed. "Thank you for cooperating. Goodnight, White Lie." The door out of the room opened, then soon after shut behind him, a large metallic clang sealing it. White Lie bowed his head. Inspecting the chains locked onto his legs, it was clear he wasn't getting out of them. Slowly he lowered himself onto the ground. It wasn't comfortable, but that was the least of his worries at this point. There wasn't much he could do now beside wait for the decision of the captain and the princess. The ball was rolling, and it could not be stopped. Either things would go well and they would gain an ally, or he would remain trapped down here, or worse, tortured or killed. Not that that worried him most. What worried him most was what was going to happen to his friends. Cloak, Poker, Quick... A shiver ran over him. He quickly shook the dark thoughts out of his head. No. He could not think about that. White Lie looked up at the torch light flickering through the bars, watching it dance across the floor. Closing his eyes, he focused on his breathing. Slow, calm, collected. Sleep soon overcame him. White was awoken to the slam of the dungeon door. Snapping his eyes open he saw Cadence on the other side of the bars. Her hair was frayed, her jaw was tense, and her eyes burned right through him. White Lie pulled instinctively back into the wall. Cadence stepped up to the bars, her expression unchanging. "Thanks to you, I can't sleep. So we're going to have a little talk." A small spark connected from her horn to the bars. Suddenly, a painful shock ripped through his entire body. "GAAHH!" White collapsed onto the ground. "Now," Cadence sat down in front of the cell, "you're going to tell me where your friends are." A cyan glow gently lit the room.