Bring the Thunder

by Ze Guest

14: The Summons

It was really dark now. Pinkie Pie went to bed early. Her cotton candy-like mane looked a little straighter then it usually was. It was fuzzy, but not fluffy. Twilight looked concerned for her. She mentioned how Pinkie Pie didn't use her usual humor after the guy punched her, and that's when she sweet talked her way to the end. The guy seemed nice, I'll admit... well, after Pinkie got his spirits up. The name reminded me of my childhood friend, Lightweight. Wind Rush sounded like the name of a racing pony. Once Lightweight left, I expected him to become the best, but I never heard about him since.

"Well, ya know what they say: It's better to have loved and lost then never to have loved at all." I pointed out. Boom! Wisdom.

But all I got was a couple of looks and a "The heck?" from a Rainbow Dash.

"Well- this got awkward." I stated.

I got up and walked into the tent. Pinkie was fast asleep which was good. He had the rock in her hoof. I laid down in my usual spot that was deprived of Fluttershy's presence. It didn't matter, though, because I went right to sleep.

We had gotten the full up-grade. Two months and two thousand bits got us into a decent hotel and laying back by an outdoor pool, sipping down Bourbon, Scotch and beer.

"This ain't bad." Icarus said.

Icarus's disguise was a stallion with rust colored fur. He was slim and slick, like from the 70s or 80s with the a cigarette hanging out his mouth, sunglasses and combed back, black hair. He tried to fit in the cocky, laid back accent that best fit it.

"Certainly not." I replied.

"I figured we wouldn't be goin' anywhere for a while so I decided to use some of my prize money to get us in a nice place. How'd I do?" the rust colored, cocky Icarus said.

'Hmm..." I pondered the question, might as well give honest statistics. "9 out of 10." I admitted.

Icarus's smile shrunk. "9 outta 10?" he asked.

"Come on, let's be honest, this Scotch tastes like it was made yesterday! These guys don't know how to age anything!" I told him.

Icarus rubbed his chin in thought. "You make a fair point my friend. Hay! Waiter!"

A young mare came up, she had white fur and was wearing the red velvet outfit everybody who worked here required to wear, or at least the ones who had to make a good impression. Housekeeping just wore the generic black and white blouse.

"Oh, I'm sorry... Waitress! Where are my manners? Could you be a dear and get me something that's a little older, sweet cheeks? This Scotch tastes too new."

The waitress could tell that Icarus's character was hitting on her, I don't blame him. "Right away sir." she said with fake enthusiasm.

"I'm gonna see if I can bump up that 9 to a 10." Icarus said smiling.

A mail stallion came through the double doors leading to the outdoor pool and rushed up to us, his face looking urgent.

"Icarus, sir, I have a message for you!" he said, raising his hoof to his forehead in a salute.

Icarus flicked down his glasses so you could barely see his eyes looking up, he still didn't move from his seat."Icarus? I'm sorry, you must be talkin' 'bout some-pony else. I don't know no Icarus."

The mail stallion lowered his head and whispered into Icarus's ear. He sat up, put his cigarette in an ashtray. "So you are, huh?" he asked.

The stallion nodded his, looking wary. "You are requested by her." he said.

Icarus stood up. "Come on, Volt. This seems important." Icarus said, losing his character.

"Uh- him?" the stallion asked. "Is he-?"

"No, he's not. But he deserves to know everything I do. In my books, he's qualified." Icarus winked at me.

"Are you sure?"

"Of course! He is a good friend."

The mail stallion rubbed the back of his neck. "If you say so." and started to escort us to our room.

The waitress was coming back with Icarus's drink. "Here you go, sir. The oldest I could find."

Icarus plucked it off the tray. "How old?" he asked.

"Twenty-five years!" she said with that fake enthusiasm.

"Alright!" he said and took a sip.

We got back to Icarus's room and I shut the door. Instantly, Icarus and the mail stallion changed to their original forms. Icarus was looking serious which seemed like a huge change at the moment. "What does she want?" he asked, putting down his half empty glass of twenty-five year old Scotch.

"The queen requests that every possible changeling answers this summons, even rouges. It's big news."

"What is it about?"

"I don't know, she wouldn't say."

"What if I don't go?"

"Rouges are not required to go. But she would be pleased if you came."

"I don't aim to please."

"She can promise you big things."

Icarus stopped and looked over his shoulder at me. "What kind of things?"

"Depends on the outcome."

Icarus was silent for a little while, he was thinking hard about this. He looked curious about this random request of his presence. And by something he abandoned long ago. "I'll think about it." It wasn't an absolute yes, but he gave the possibility he might be there.

"That's all I need to hear." the other changeling said.

He turned back into his mail stallion form and walked out the door. Icarus sat down on the bed, looked down and put a hood on his forehead. "Damn it..." was all he said.

I stood in the middle of the room, speechless. I didn't have a good idea of what to say. I just looked at Icarus who was sitting in complete silence. All I could hear was our breathing, which was very faint. For what felt like hours, we stood there, frozen in time thinking to ourselves. Icarus finally got up.

"If they want me so badly, I might as well see why." he said.

"Wait- you're going!?" I said, exchanging into the real world once again.

"You bet! I know the place."

"I should come then?" I said, running up to him as he turned into his character again and about to walk out the door.

"You kidding me? They'd gut you like the fattest pig in the slaughterhouse. I can't let you in there. And you can't argue with me because I know them more then you do."

I couldn't argue. Even if I tried, I would mess up somewhere. "Go." I told him.

He smiled. "I'll be back by the night." Icarus said. And he walked out the door.

The rest of the day I was on my own not knowing what to do. I went to the bar, took a dip in the pool, went back to the bar, took a walk, played some pool, went to the bar again and had dinner. I wondered what Icarus was doing around this time, and I sure hoped he didn't mind if I used his money.

Back in my room, I lay there on my bed doing... well, nothing when the door swung open and Icarus ran in. He was changing into himself and slammed the door behind him. He threw off the sunglasses and spat out the cigarette in his mouth, right into an ashtray.

"What's going on?" I asked.

Icarus didn't answer me right away, he just laughed to himself and shut the window and closed the blinds. Then, he threw a sheet of paper at me.

"I need you to sign that paper and I'll tell you what!" Icarus said.

"What is it for?" I asked.

Icarus looked up at me as if I were stupid. "Well- read it!"

I looked at the sheet of paper:

Writ of Acceptance

By signing the document, you are admitting that you are not a member of the Changeling race but have been seen as a figure of friendship or importance to some or all of us. When the Changeling race takes advantage of Equestria, the following races shall not be accepted and executed immediately: Pony, Griffon, Mule, Donkey, Minotaur, Manticore, Liger, Zonkey, Zebra, Ducks and all other non-changeling beings.

I looked at the bottom to see why ducks were in red ink.

Any race in red text will not be accepted, no matter the reason.[/i
I read on.

If you belong to any of the races mentioned you must leave the county immediately to avoid further harm. If a Changeling has given you this contract, and you have signed, it means you, the non-Changeling reader, Will be seen as an ally and therefore, treated with respect among the Changeling empire. However, if you do not follow Changeling laws, you will be breaking the contract, be seen as an enemy and furthermore, executed. When or if the Changeling race is put into full power, you must learn and carry out the laws in which will be presented to you and all others wielding an identical contract with their signature.

I looked up at Icarus who was writing something in a notepad. "What's this about? Are you saying that the Changelings are taking over Equestria?" I asked him.

"Well- I personally think they'll fail, but we can take advantage of this."

I walked up to Icarus and tried to look at what he was writing but he wouldn't show it to me and threw it behind the TV. The look on his face after he did that indicated he didn't mean to actually throw it behind the TV. "We are going to do- are you ready?" Icarus said, the words speeding out of his mouth.

"Okay, what is it?"

Icarus was smiling mischievously. "We're going on a heist! In Canterlot! You and me alone while the entire place is under siege!"

I raised an eyebrow and looked at him. "Are you kidding me?"

Icarus's smile slowly went away. "You don't like the idea? How could you not like the idea. The money that was stolen from you! You can get it back and more! The vault in the castle! Millions of bits! We'll split it 50/50 right down the middle."

I don't know why, but I was starting to like this idea, I started to really like this idea. "So that's what's got you all excited huh?" I asked.

"That's right! Are you in?"

"Well, hold on. What if the changelings do take over Equestria? The money would be rendered useless."

"We'll just melt it all and turn that in! This can't go wrong!"

"Then that's all I needed to hear. I'm in."

Icarus's smile grew wider. "Then, we're off to Canterlot!"

I signed the paper Icarus gave me because let's be honest, we don't know how the whole thing is going to turn out. I looked at the contract I had signed. "Why are ducks in red ink?" I asked Icarus.

"Ducks can't be trusted." Icarus said with a stern face.

"They're just ducks, What harm could they bring?"

"A duck once killed the king and queen before Chrysalis, and a wolf."

I stood there shocked. I didn't think ducks had such destructive capacity.

"We leave in the morning." Icarus said as he left the room.

I looked at the TV where Icarus threw the notepad. I flipped it open. Icarus had been doing math, and not just any math. If this heist works out, I'm going to get 22.7 Million bits. Not bad Icarus, not bad at all.

"Ah!" Pinkie Pie was standing on my chest and smiling right in my face. Pinkie wasn't as light as one might expect.

"Wake up sleepy-head! We have another big day ahead of us!" she said, happy and completely oblivious about my rib cage.

"Well, this may come as a shock to you but I need you to get off of me so I can do that."

Pinkie hopped off and I got up. "Who pushed the reset button on you?" I asked.

"Oh, no pony, I just realized what the internet was for!" She whipped out an ancient computer and held it in front of me. It had stickers covering it and the wire looked like it had been chewed on slightly. It looked heavy. "Maybe one day, I'll get a laptop of my own and find some-pony on that!"

Her own laptop? "Isn't that your laptop?" I asked.

"Oh, no. This is Gummy's laptop. He let me borrow it. Isn't that so nice of him?"

"Who is Gummy?"

"My pet alligator!" Pinkie said, joyfully.

"You have a pet alligator?"

Pinkie defied the laws of gravity and suspended herself in the air, completely shocked. "How did you know?! Wait- are you stalking me?!" She gasped." You creeper!"

Pinkie Pie- from what I've collected, is known to take things a little too far, even when the circumstances are so insignificant and mostly, for things that don't matter or things that hasn't nor will ever occur.

"That is not even remotely the truth. I would never do such a thing. I'm not good but I'm better then...that."

Pinkie landed on the ground and smiled. "I know! I was joking with you, silly."

Pinkie Pie and I trotted out of the tent to everybody talking and eating together. I had a little less than I normally would. I didn't want to run out of food too quickly. After our little social hour, we got up and headed down the road.

Author's Note:

Ducks are the Devil!