Occultus Canonicus- Book One: Honesty

by Blackbriar

Hospitals, Orphans, and Guilt

“While little has been documented about the personal lives of Changelings we can confirm that they operate with a hive mind mentality, like bees, ants, and other insectoids they have a central intelligence that handles their upper brain functions. The basic needs of eating, sleeping, and shelter are still handled by the individual. But the over arcing goals and desires are handled by their Queen. It is unknown whether or not Queens have Kings like we do in Equestrian society or if they simply breed with drones specialized for the task. But considering that we have yet to see a King like we have with Sombra of the Crystal Empire, King Platinum of the Three Tribes Unicorn History, or Lord Typhon of the Griffins the former would seem to be the case. This would be keeping in line with their already well established bug like nature.”
-Excerpt from Filling Phylum’s Graduating Dissertation on the Changeling Invasion.

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The miles passed quickly beneath the Friendship Express as it made its way back towards Ponyville. Despite being a Princess, the Element of Magic, and a gifted unicorn the dangers of cross country teleportation were not lost on Twilight. “One wrong calculation and you could end up off the curvature of the planet, and while I MIGHT be able to survive in the upper atmosphere like Luna it’s not something I want to test out.”

“Very wise of you Mum,” a small filly’s voice piped up from the books she was holding up and open for Twilight.

“And the travel time gives me a moment two actually do a bit of study on these Four Stars. There’s so little in the Canterlot Library about them. I know a lot was lost in the faction infighting, and more redacted by royal decree so ponies would be less likely to follow in Nightmare Moon’s steps but still, at least some legends or old mare’s tales should have been passed down through out that ages!” Growling in frustration Twilight paced back and forth in her personal car, occasionally going over some notes and dictating more to the filly acting as study aid in Spike’s absence.

“I can’t believe there isn’t even a legend of them?! I know Nightmare Moon was just a subject of folk lore before she did in fact come back but these sound like they should stick out about as much in the collective memory.”

“They were a right powerful bunch, that’s for sure, Mum.” The little filly squeaked from the notations she’d finished making for the Princess of Friendship. It was then that Twilight realized that she was speaking to another living breathing individual and no herself.

“Omigosh! Where did you come from?!”

“I’m Zoisite Quill Mum,” smudging a bit of ink on her muzzle and giving a deep curtsy, “though the others at the Orphanage just call me Zoey for short. I was carrying some books for you from the Library and you started dictating notation to me. And well, you’re a Princess, so I just figured I’d follow your orders. Didn’t want to get into trouble.”

“Oh dear, what have I done?!”

“You were looking at who the Four Stars were and what they meant to Equestrian History, Mum.”

“No that! I’ve just kidnapped a little filly! How old are you?! I would imagine ponies are looking all over for you!”

“10, Mum, and I very much doubt it. Like I said, orphanage.”

“Oh, I’m so sorry! I know a trio of fillies that age, one of them is an orphan as well; they all go on adventures for their Cutie Marks.”

“Not a problem Mum, based on what I’ve been told my parents were outside the Empire when the King sealed us away. They lived out the rest of their lives grieving for me, and I will miss them. There was a lot of fighting and older ponies disappearing because of the King so I’m hardly now alone in losing my parents. At least mine had happy lives and didn’t end up as an experiment, Mum.”

Twilight was taken aback by the little fillies seeming nonchalance when talking about the loss of her parents. Then again, she came from a time that was at the height of war less than a year ago in her memory. Still, the nagging need of obligation was tearing at Twilight, “All the same, I’ll notify the conductor to find a switching station to get your taken back as quickly as I can. I’m so sorry I didn’t even notice right away, I’m just so used to working with my assistant I fell into old habits. We’ll have you back home soon!”

Turning to leave Twilight felt a tugging on her dresses train and a faint sniffling.

“Please Mum; I know you don’t owe me anything. You’ve already done so much for the Crystal Empire I can’t ask you for anything but please, please! Let me come with you. While they care for us very much at the orphanage there’s little I can do, and I feel the need to DO something with my life. I haven’t figured out my destiny or achieved my Cutie Mark. You and your friends have already taken care of the King I wanted to punish for robbing me of my parents and I’m actually really good at research. It’s why I was in the Library when you were leaving. If you’re missing an assistant the least I could do would be fill in for them, I owe you my freedom and my life Princess. I wish to repay you the favor!”

Twilight released the brake cord for the train and turned to the teary eyed filly. Zoey could give Sweetie Belle a run for her money in the sad filly eyes department. Gears turning Twilight brought her hoof to her chest and then flexed it out while slowly exhaling, just as Cadence had taught her. Looking down at the filly she was conflicted, “I’m not sure, somepony is bound to be looking for you, and things around me are rarely safe, doubly so in Ponyville. . .”

“I. . I. . I understand, Mum,” the despondent filly replied, “I’ll just write down what I know about the Four Stars and back my things for the return trip, Mum.

A light purple aura of magic surrounded the crystal pony filly as she twirled slowly in the air as the magic coalesced into an article of clothing. A bright flash of light later, Zoey blinked the glare out of her eyes away and suddenly found she was wearing the tabard of a court page complete with saddle bags and an emblem of Twilight’s Cutie Mark done in an amethyst symbol. Clapping her hooves in filly like glee Zoey turned around a few times looking at her new clothes then wheeling around to joyously gaze at Twilight.

“Well, every Princess should have some subjects. I don’t even have a court, or a kingdom. I don’t think my Sister-In-Law will begrudge me dragooning one of her subjects. Now, Zoey, take a letter. I need to send word to Crystal Empire Officials that you are with me on a Royal Mission.”

Jittery with rapture the crystal filly got her recording gear and took the notation. Happy at last to finally be doing something I the world.

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Applejack’s day was getting markedly worse.

The wreckage she found once making her way to Ponyville Hospital was not encouraging to say the least. The lack of a receptionist and the disarray of the hallway leading toward the patient rooms was her first clue that things had not gone well. Distant shouting gave her an indication that the trouble had moved it’s self to the central courtyard were patients were brought to relax outside while still safely confined on hospital grounds.

Passing room after room most of them still held ponies in various stages of healing. They appeared fine if some what confused. Save for one patient that was just barking at her in a playful manner, the straight jacket binding the mare was loose and she was wagging her tail like Winona would. Carefully closing the door with the name plate “Screw Loose” in spite of the whimpering AJ made her way to where the commotion was coming from. The scene that greeted her was strange to say the least.

Five orderlies, all a size big enough to give Big Mac pause, armed with rope and nets were trying to get a delirious hospital gown glad Blackbriar down from a fountain where he had just bucked a doctor into Nurse Redheart. The doctor taking the majority of the damage had passed out while the nurse was only dazed. Helping her up, AJ asked what was going on.

“No one told us we had a case of Nosocomephobia! This is the last place on Equestria he should have come with out serious sedation!” Nurse Redheart cried, readying a syringe with a viscous green fluid. “I need him held still long enough for me to administer this paralytic before he hurts somepony!”

Gritting her teeth in determination and readying her rope from beneath her hat the farm mare began to swing it around and around while hollering her trademark charge. “HEEEEYAAAAAWWW!”

Having just knocked out two more orderlies, a third lying dazed the pudgy mystery stallion whipped a befuddled looking expression in Applejack’s direction, “Sis, is that you?”

The distraction lasted just long enough for the experienced mare to hog tie him and bind his legs tight while the Nurse administered the drug. When the needle pulled out Blackbriar saw what was happening in his addled state and proceeded to tear the ropes off with brute strength. Shocked that a so out of shape stallion managed to break her binds he was bucking wildly in every direction. Fully consumed by what ever fear induced freak out he was having.

Her rope in tatters, and having just dodged a barrage of hooves that very well could have knocked her out Applejack hunching down the farm mare sprang into the air, turning around twice before landing a solid kicking hoof across the jaw of the bucking Blackbriar. Knocked silly the stallion sat on his haunches as the four AJ’s resolved themselves into just one blurry one.

“Ah learned that trick from Rainbow Dash while she was fighting those gol’dang Changelings during the Canterlot Invasion. Ah’m glad it worked, though ah’m bet’n y’all be feel’n that one in the morn’n.”

“Wow, you must be related to me. Only Sis ever hit that hard,” eyes twirling round in his skull Nurse Redheart stuck him with another syringe. “Oh look, its mah friend the ground again, how ya doin’ buddy!” A moment later he was drooling into the dirt.

“Was that really necessary Nurse?”

“ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!? He knocked out five orderlies, a doctor, almost took my head off, just about took yours too, took a full shot of paralytic which would normally drop a MANTICORE given the same dose, all followed up with a flying drop hoof from the strongest mare in town and kept going. YES, it was NECESSARY!” Shouting done, and more than a little embarrassed that she’d been shrieking at the Element of Honesty the nurse straightened her hat and brushed the loose bits of main that had come out of her bun. Brushing some of the dirty out of her now stained white fur she apologized to AJ and then moved to aid the now steadily reviving staff.

After everypony was patched up and Blackbriar restrained thoroughly in Screw Loose’s room, those not nursing headaches to rival a post Summer Sun celebration morning convened in the staff lounge to discuss matters.

“Ah’m sorry Nurse Redheart. Despite his claims to be family ah’ve no idea who he is, where abouts he’s from, or what his deal is. And what’s Naws-comb-fobya?”

“Well, no lasting harm done, it’s an intense irrational fear of hospitals dearie. He was doing fine during admittance but the moment they got him in the operating room to check his vitals and give him a magic scan to check for internal injuries he went berserk! Now I’m still training to be a doctor so I can’t confirm officially but he showed symptoms of a sever phobia to something, and as he was just becoming violent to staff after regaining consciousness in the room it seems to be the cause of the mental break.”

“Well, that’s a might peculiar of’m. Though, seems like the more we learn bout this feller the less and less we reckon. Anything else but our mystery chef?”

“Based on what little we were able to check on him, combined with what he was able to do when provoked he’s definitely got that Earth Pony strength and stamina, no broken bones, not even his jaw after you popped him one, which is strange because I could’ve sworn I heard you at least dislocate his shoulder and fracture his mandible bones with that strike. We weren’t able to take any blood samples as he became untamable around the equipment so we can’t tell if he’s got poison joke or some other toxin affecting his mental state. For all we know his mental state is all in his head, a fabrication made up by stress, some traumatic event, or some other unknown solely mental affliction.”

“Ah think I got most of that, so yer basically saying he just might be bonkers.”

“Erm, yes, that would be a laymans analysis. Now, normally I’d keep him for observation as he’d be out cold for the next week or so but as we’ve seen he processes sedatives differently than any other pony I’ve treated before. So, my advice is to take him back to the farm, make him comfortable and call in a professional psychiatrist. Physically he’s fit as a fiddle, despite all that extra weight he’s more than fine in the body department, so there’s nothing more we can do.”

Applejack nodded, and signed the release papers. Construction ponies were already on the scene setting things right, they moved out of the way for the orderly bringing a still bound Blackbriar in a wheelchair to the front to Applejacks wagon. In all the hullabaloo she’d completely forgotten her cart, and as luck would have it the honest ponies of Ponyville had sympathized with her plight and bought all her apples leaving the cart mercifully empty to know drag her hypothetical relative home to the farm. The money box jangled heavily as they set off the paved road to Sweet Apple Acres. “Well wallop my withers, I never thought ah’d wish for a quiet sales day till now!”

Author's Note:

Another chapter, I find I have problems describing the battle scenes properly. I know how they go in my head but every time I reread them it's missing details that I thought about but didn't include. I think I need to space out the time that I spent between writing and editing or get a prereader. Though I think I'm quite a bit off popularity wise to warrant one of those quite yet.