//------------------------------//
// Distrust 
// Story: Changeling Doll: White Lie 
// by PiercingSight 
//------------------------------//

	White didn't get up, trying to buy himself time to think. In sudden and unexpected situations, he liked to pause before taking action. Reacting instinctively here could be very detrimental. 

Feeling for the emotions of the princess, he felt a combination of bitter hatred and confusion. He noted that he had never felt these emotions from the princess before. Had the wedding incident been that traumatic to her? She was abandoned in the caverns and nearly lost everything to Chrysalis. But in the end their love won. White didn't know exactly what happened after that because he was flushed away as the other changelings were, but he had heard that the wedding continued anyway and that the princess was fine.

"I know you're conscious," the princess said. "Are you going to answer me?"

White Lie wanted more time to think, but didn't want to let the princess get any more frustrated than she already was. "I'm thinking," he stated simply.

"You don't have much to think about," she pressured. "Either you're going to tell me where your friends are, or I'm going to shock you again."

"It's not that simple, your majesty." White kept his head facing away and his eyes closed. He wasn't going to face her until he was ready, or at least until he absolutely needed to.

"And why not?" she demanded.

Time to roll the dice. "Because princess, at the risk of making you even more angry, I don't think that either of us is in the state of mind to reason properly. I am taking a moment to collect my thoughts so that I can propose, perhaps, a more reasonable discussion."

Silence. But only just enough to think a simple thought.

"Whatever reason the princess is angry doesn't matter. She's angry, and she wants information. Delay her."

"And just what would that reasonable discussion be about?" The princess' voice, though still tense, was slightly less tense than it was earlier.

White Lie slowly lifted himself off of the ground. Soon he was facing the princess. Then he opened his eyes.

"Princess... What do you want to do to my friends?"

Her expression became even more aggressive. "I am the one asking questions here. Not you."

"Princess, I'm going to be frank with you. If I feel there is any risk at all that you are going to hurt any of my friends, I will take the knowledge of their whereabouts to the grave. My cause is worth far more than just my life, so I'm going to be clear about this. If you want to know where my friends are, I will need to trust you. In order for me to trust you, we'll need to talk about a deal, and until that point, you will get nothing out of me."

White Lie watched as the princess chewed over his words. For a moment, he thought he could feel fear coming through the bars. It was quickly replaced with smugness.

"You're the leader, aren't you?" Cadence smirked.

White Lie raised an eyebrow, keeping a poker face. "What makes you say that?"

She gestured with her hoof towards him. "You hold yourself like one. You speak like one." Her smirk left. "Tell me, what would happen if your friends' leader were to disappear?"

Now the final test. 

White Lie smirked in return. "Well, Chrysalis wouldn't be very happy."

Intense confusion slipped through the bars.

Gotcha.

"Hello, Chrysalis."

Shock. Anger. A green flash.

"I will find your friends, and I will kill every last one of them." Chrysalis spat, her fangs visible with every word.

"They'll kill you first."

Her horn glowed. "And what if I kill you now?"

White Lie's smirk only grew. "As I said, Chrysalis won't be very happy with what happens next."

He felt anger flood the room as Chrysalis' glare burned.

Suddenly, a spark connected her horn to the bars. 

"GAAAAAHH!!" 

Pain ripped through White Lie's every limb, causing him to collapse on the floor. 

Chrysalis leaned forward with a murderous glare. "I call your bluff." Her horn lit more intensely, charging for the killing blow.

A click. The door to the hall opened, and there stood Damascus.

Chrysalis couldn't turn around fast enough before Damascus got off a shot. It hit her squarely in the face, knocking her against the bars. But she recovered quickly. "You little wretch!"

Her horn was still charged, so she used it on Damascus.

A blinding flash filled the room. 

Damascus slammed into the wall behind him.

Chrysalis was gone before he hit the floor.

"No!" White pulled against the chains."No! Damascus!"

Damascus' helmet clanked on the floor next to his body, bouncing down the hall. Damascus however, didn't move.

"Damascus!" 

The shackles held strong against the tugs. White looked over the locks, desperately looking for any way to release them. 

There wasn't any.

"No no no no no..." White pulled futilely. He looked back at Damascus' body.

No breathing.

No motion.

Nothing.

"Come on, buddy. Please get up. Please get up."

But there was no response.










No...





















...please no...