Ch. 1-20: A Royal Pain
"Young? Young, are you there?"
"I am, Mender. Is something wrong?"
"Oh, nothing. Just probably floating to my imminent death, is all."
"Ah, okay...wait, WHAT?"
"Maybe you should get a little background info first. I was over at Rarity's Boutique earlier, but she was nowhere to be found. So, I went over to Twilight's Library to find out where she was. I knocked on the door and asked where Rarity was, and now I'm being held in a yellow cloud and being pulled inside the library."
"A yellow cloud? Telekinesis?"
"Not just any yellow cloud. This one is strong. Alicorn strong. Princess strong."
"...Princess Celestia?"
"Yep."
"Oh, you're so screwed."
"Again, thanks for the vote of confidence, Young."
Mender closed his eyes as he heard the door open. He felt himself floating inside, and knew that a lot of eyes were looking at him right now.
"Twilight, are you there?" Mender asked.
"I am, Mender," she responded.
"Are there any ponies staring daggers at me?"
Twilight looked at the other Princesses, both of them boring holes into him with their eyes, Celestia's twice as hard as Luna's.
"There are. The other Princesses are here."
"Ah. Can I keep my eyes closed then? I'm afraid if I open them I'll die from having my eyes gouged out from the Princesses looking at me like I'm a timberwolf that just killed a filly."
"MENDER!"
"Are you trying to go for famous last words? Cause that was a crappy and long-winded effort."
Mender sighed. "Princesses, before I die, could I at least know why you're holding me like this? I'm pretty sure this isn't the way I wanted to deal with the assassin."
"This isn't about the assassin, Mender. You're harboring a changeling in your home!" Celestia snapped.
Mender chuckled, eyes still closed. "Oh, so that's what this is about, huh? Well then, I can explain that...but, uh, Princess Celestia, could you please put me down first?"
Celestia was still fuming, but set him down. Mender opened his eyes and saw Twilight and the Elements in seats opposite the entrance, while Luna and Celestia were near the door he had come through. He was set down next to Pinkie near the door side of the table.
Celestia's glare bore down upon him like an entire ocean was going to capsize him. Luna's glare was the equivalent of a large lake in comparison. He wondered how in the world he was going to explain this to the co-rulers of Canterlot.
Mender took a deep breath and tried to relax. If he could convince Twilight, he had a shot at convincing the other Princesses.
"Okay. Firstly, Princesses Celestia and Luna, so nice to see you this afternoon. Same to you too, Twilight, Elements." Mender nodded to each as he spoke. "Now that greetings are out of the way, time to talk about my changeling."
"First off, his name is Crunch. He enjoys apples, especially the ones from miss Applejack's farm. He likes me, and I like him. The other ponies here are aware of him as well, and have learned to tolerate and/or accept him. So have their pets...for the most part."
He felt a small glare from Rarity, but shook it off. He took another deep breath. "Any questions?"
"...that was without a doubt the stupidest question you could have asked."
As soon as he asked, Celestia spoke up immediately, her tone furious. "Why do you have a pet changeling?!"
"Princess, I didn't even know Crunch was a changeling until a little less than two weeks ago, when Fluttershy told me about what he was. And before that, the little guy was guarded around me when we first met. Hay, I was guarded too, the damn thing scared me a little as well, but ever since I fed him that first day I moved into Ponyville, Crunch has been nothing short of happy to see me whenever I come home. I don't understand what the big deal is, he's harmless to me."
Luna piped up, speaking in the Royal Tone, "Mender, they feed off of thy love! Fluttershy should have told thou this! How doth this information not bother thee?!"
Mender was unfazed by the loud, booming voice. "Crunch hasn't fed off of my love. I'm not even sure if he knows how...but it's not like that matters. I've been giving him love and apples for the few moments I've shared with him at my home, and I'll be damned if that's going to be taken away from me."
Celestia's eyes narrowed at those last words. "Mender, are you suggesting that you will protect this changeling?"
"With my life, Princess." Mender's tone was firm, shocking everypony but the Princesses. "Crunch was the first creature to accept me here in Ponyville. He is NOT as evil as you suppose him to be. He is young, and certainly not like the changelings you had to deal with at wedding."
Neither Princess changed their threatening expression, while the other ponies continued to eye Mender, curious as to what his next words would be.
Mender's voice calmed down, and he spoke rationally. "Listen, Princesses, Elements. I understand that you all had a terrible experience with changelings back at the wedding, which I'm still a little fuzzy on knowing all the details. However, I know enough about my pet to say with complete confidence that he is nothing like those changelings. From what I gathered, all the changelings there were probably full grown and probably under the control of the changeling queen. This changeling is not. I have no explanation for why Crunch was residing in my home, but I don't care. He is young, and he is learning how to be comfortable around other ponies and animals besides me. These six can attest to this."
He gestured over to the other six ponies at the table before continuing. "Princesses, I implore you to give me a chance to monitor and watch over this changeling. I believe he will turn out to be much different from what you know, and I want the opportunity to prove this. However, if at this time you deem him to be a threat...I will not stand for it. Crunch is and will be the first friend I have made in Ponyville, and a bond of friendship is something both of you surely agree is something not easily broken. This bond is no different, and I will personally see to it that he will not turn evil...but if he does, I have no qualms in putting him down myself."
Everypony gasped at that statement, including Luna. Celestia's eyes even blinked in surprise, her anger finally fading.
The table was silent as everypony began processing his words, every minute detail carefully taken in and analyzed.
A full minute passed before Celestia spoke, her voice firm, but not angry. "Mender, how can I be certain that you are not under that changeling's spell, trying to make a convincing case for you to keep them here in Ponyville?"
A valid question, Mender thought. "I just stated that I will have no problems killing him. If I were truly under the thrall of his spell, surely Applejack would have spoken up and called me out on my lie."
At that moment, all the eyes focused on Applejack. "He's...telling the truth. He wasn't lying," Applejack responded.
At this, Celestia and Luna visibly calmed down, confident in the Element of Honesty's words.
"Very well, Mender. Understand that I still have my reservations about your pet, but since you are telling the truth, I only have one request of you regarding the changeling," Celestia said.
"Lemme guess, you want to see him yourself, don't you?"
Both Princesses nodded. At this, Mender rose and opened the door to the library. "Alright. I understand you two want to see him immediately, but I need to visit the market first. I'm clearly going to be having royalty entering my home, and I don't have any food in there to feed even a mouse." Mender chuckled.
"Right, I'm not even going to ask how you survived this."
"A silver tongue helps. I learned it from one of the best in my unit in the army."
"The Shroud pony?"
"Indeed."
His lighthearted mood at last eased the tension within the tree's hollow interior at last. Mender remembered he had one last thing to say before leaving.
"Oh, and Rarity? I left my medic uniform in your Boutique. I hope you didn't mind my intrusion."
"That's no problem at all, Mender. My doors are always open to my friends," Rarity responded.
Mender smiled, and began walking out the door. The Princesses decided to follow him out, leaving Twilight and the Elements to sort out what in the world just happened. Both of them were shocked at his strong stance, but Celestia was more surprised than Luna. Nopony outside of Discord, Nightmare Moon, and Chrysalis had stood up to her so...defiantly. She then remembered he was in her army, and decided to ask.
"Mender, I'm surprised you would stand up to your former Commander-in-Chief like that."
"Princess, I've been out of your service for five years now, so forgive me if I was not as formal as I should have been. Also, one year before I came to Ponyville, I lived in Fillydelphia. I'll just say that spending that length of time in a city that doesn't give a damn about anypony living in it has toughened me more than your army ever could."
Celestia was baffled at that statement. "Is Fillydelphia really as bad as you claim it to be, Mender?"
Mender smirked. "You want me to confirm this with Applejack again? We're still near the library."
Celestia shook her head. She didn't like the idea that Mender was using Applejack as a lie detector to back his claims...though she had to admit it was an effective fallback. Still, she didn't appreciate how Mender had used her like that.
"Mender, do not use the Element of Honesty like a tool," Celestia spoke.
Mender chuckled. "A tool? She's not a tool, Princess Luna. She's a friend, and a friend that will back me up when she chooses to. Now, this knife I have here?" Mender pointed to his holster. "This is a tool. This can cut open whatever I choose to cut. Apples, oranges, or a pony attacking me as I use it in self-defense. This requires restraint to know when and how to use it."
Celestia was quiet, but understanding. Luna had paused for a moment herself, then spoke up. "Mender, why are you carrying a knife around?"
That was a silly question, Mender thought.
"Personal protection. I'm sure the both of you know why."
They both recalled the assassin, and visibly tensed slightly as they reached the marketplace.
Mender approached an apple stand, tended to by a rather large red pony with a green cut-open apple on his flank.
"Afternoon, Big Mac."
"Afternoon, Mender. Come ta buy some apples?" Mac asked.
"Mmhmm. I'll take six, if you don't mind. That's six bits, right?" Mender began to pull out his satchel.
At this point Big Macintosh noticed the Princesses behind him, and bowed on reflex. The Princesses looked around and noticed they were making a scene being here.
Mender had noticed this too, and had a small idea form in his head.
"Actually, Big Mac, I'm treating these Princesses to a meal in my home. We've had a nice conversation back in Twilight's Library and they're interested in seeing my house." Mender leaned in closer to him and whispered, "Maybe if I got a few apples for free, they might praise your acres, hm?"
Mender heard young laugh, and smiled a wicked grin. Having a silver tongue was very useful indeed.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Mender was wheeling a cart full of food back to his home. He was surprised how well that strategy worked, for as soon as Big Mac announced he was giving free apples to Mender, the other vendors followed suit. His shelves would be stocked for months.
The Princesses however were displeased, and kindly reminded Mender that he should pay them something for their troubles. He didn't want to argue again, not after the Library meeting, so he used all his bits to pay everypony something. Mender grumbled, he was used to having SOME spending money, but he wouldn't have to worry about starving, so it all panned out.
The Princesses used their magic to lighten Mender's load, and he was thankful for that as they climbed the hill to his home.
Celestia spoke up first upon seeing the place in its woeful, old state. "Well...this is a...home."
"Well, that was rude. I took great care of the place before I went into my space!"
"Yep, it's a real fixer-upper. I've grown accustomed to it, though." Mender set the cart down near the front porch and climbed the steps to open the front door.
Celestia looked at the rocking chair to the left of the door. She couldn't explain it, but something felt...off about that chair.
Mender continued inside. "Crunch! I'm ho-"
Celestia and Luna were stunned as a black blur tackled Mender to the ground. They both tensed as they recognized the telltale features the changelings had on the creature...licking Mender's face? Their minds blanked, temporarily failing to process the scene before them.
"Okay, okay, settle down. We've got two very important guests with us today. Say hello to Princesses Celestia and Luna."
Crunch stopped licking Mender's face and hopped off of him to look at the new guests. He looked at both Princesses with inquisitive eyes. He felt a tug within him deep down within his heart, telling him he should hate the Princesses with every fiber of his being. Despite now natural it felt, it seemed so foreign to him, so Crunch ignored it, and smiled at them instead.
At his smile, Luna calmed down first and smiled back. Celestia was uncertain of the young changeling before them, but forced a smile back.
Mender rose from the floor and shut the basement door near the stairs. He remembered that there was a special door down there that would only serve to tick off the Princesses even further. He had enough Princess rage for a lifetime, and didn't want any further ire against him.
"Alright, Princesses. Feel free to look around the place...but, uh, basement's off limits."
Celestia glared at him. "Mender, is there anything else we should know that you're not telling us?"
"...I'll just say that I have a few closet skeletons down there. Surely you have your own skeletons tucked away in the castle somewhere, Princess Celestia?" At this, Celestia bit her lip. "However, I will freely admit that there is nothing down there that is as mind-blowing as me owning a changeling, don't you think?"
"Wow, you really know how to compliment somepony."
"Oh, so you'd rather I not save both our necks?"
"...good point. I'll be quiet, then."
"I suppose that is true. It's...still difficult for me to accept, you know."
"In time, Princess, all things change," Mender remarked.
Mender had no idea how true those words rang for Celestia and Luna. He seemed unfazed by their stunned looks as he went outside and began fetching the goods from the market.
The Princesses began to observe the small house and started taking in all the necessary details they needed to cast the illusion spell. They memorized the placement of the cabinets, the sink, the bathroom, and even the attic above. They both then went outside and started memorizing the exterior details on and around the house. If the fight somehow went outside, Mender would need that advantage.
Mender, meanwhile, was quickly throwing together two bowls of salad, one of fruit and one with assorted greens and other fruit he didn't use for the fruit salad. He thought it wasn't exactly to the standards that were whatever they had up in Canterlot, and hoped it would be enough.
Crunch was following the Princesses around, bounding around with energy rivaling Pinkie's. For some reason, he felt energetic being around Celestia, and Celestia noticed this. She tried not to be bothered by him, but the wedding events kept flashing back to her mind, preventing her from really accepting Crunch as a safe creature. She tried to shake it off as she continued to survey the exterior for the illusion spell.
The plan was now in action, and tomorrow, Mender would be thankful for it, she thought. He's got a lot to live for now...more than he's aware of.
------------------------------------------------------------
Twilight and her friends recovered their senses by the time Mender had reached the market. They had no idea Mender could be that strong in the face of a pony who had banished Luna to the moon for a thousand years.
That was even after consideration of him owning a changeling, they all thought...and a magic door, Twilight thought to herself. She really wondered if he'd be able to show them his home without that door coming up...because if it did, Celestia would be even more furious than learning about the changeling. She shuddered at the thought, but gathered herself. They had a task to do.
Mender must have escorted them to his home already, since they didn't run into him as they passed through the market on the way to Fluttershy's cottage. Curiously, most of the vendors had little left in their stalls, and Twilight briefly wondered what happened here. Applejack went up to Big Mac at the apple stand and asked what happened. When he told her what happened, she mumbled angrily about Mender wheeling a cart of food out from the market.
The other ponies giggled at her frustration, Pinkie giggling louder than the others, which earned her a hard glare from Applejack. Pinkie continued to giggle anyway.
After they had all calmed down enough, they finally found their way to Fluttershy's cottage.
"Alright, Fluttershy, where's Discord?" Twilight asked.
Fluttershy took to the air and went to a spot in the sky above her cottage. Inexplicably, she made a knocking motion in the air, hitting what sounded like a wooden door.
"Discord, are you in there? I need to speak with you," she said.
A door opened up to a room that none of the ponies below could get a good view of. Discord flew out of the doorway, stopped, and went back in, shutting the door. Suddenly he materialized with the other ponies below near the cottage, Fluttershy eeping softly as she was somehow being held by him. He set her down next to her friends before addressing the group.
"Well hello, my little ponies!" Discord extended his arms outward in a showy fashion. "What do I owe the honor of your visit today?"
Twilight grumbled before responding. "Discord, we need to speak with you about the time you took over Equestria recently, when we sealed you away using the Elements of Harmony."
Discord poked his head out of her horn, earning a gasp from everypony but Twilight, who was visibly annoyed. "Aw, I thought that was in the past. Why can't you ponies seem to let go that? I apologized for that, you know."
"It's not about us, it's about another pony you caused trouble for. A new pony that moved into town about a month ago."
"Oh?" Discord had appeared in his full form in front of the ponies again. "Well, I did mess with many ponies across Equestria in that time, and it was so much fun! Oh, but I'm terrible with names. What did you say his name was?"
"Able Mender," Twilight said.
"One moment, please. We appreciate your patience as we process your request." Discord reached into the back of his head, and made a sound like opening a file cabinet to sift through its contents. A look of disappointment came on his face.
"Hmm...I'm seem to have run into trouble again. Do you know where he was living at the time I messed with all of you?"
"Fillydelphia," Twilight responded.
"Oh, goodness me, I'm in the wrong cabinet then!" He snapped his fingers, and a gigantic file cabinet showed up out of nowhere near the ponies.
"You ruined Fillydelphia that badly?!" Rarity exclaimed.
"On the contrary, my Rarity," Discord spoke as his head stuck out of her tail, "Fillydelphia was already a chaotic mess when I went there! Instead of doing anything, I just kept a record of how much chaos was there! Ha HA!"
Everypony blinked in shock. Mender was living in a chaotic down so crazy that Discord didn't bother with it? That thought sent shockwaves of concern through all of them. Applejack was so stunned by his answer she didn't know it was a lie.
Still, Twilight wasn't convinced. "Discord, are you sure you didn't meddle with anypony from Fillydelphia named Able Mender?"
Discord stroked his goatee, then began sifting through the giant file cabinet. "Well, I may have messed with a few ponies there that had a level head, more level than everypony there at least...aha!" He pulled out a file from the cabinet, and summoned a pair of oddly shaped reading glasses to his eyes.
"Here we are. Able Mender. Retired medic, last I checked. Served for thirty years in Celestia's Army. Parents had died shortly after he entered service. Blames himself for being one of two survivors of his squadron in the Bleeding Hooves War that took place over the last five years of his service. Stricken by guilt due to the loss of his family in a house fire two years ago in Trotsdale. Spent a year living as a drunken transient before stopping at Fillydelphia. Lived there for a year before coming here. Tragic story, really." Discord had read all of this off like a doctor reading a patient's psychological profile.
It was unsettling to everypony. Rainbow Dash was on the verge of flying off, not intent on hearing any other details Discord wanted to share. Fluttershy was sitting down, a small tear sneaking out of her one visible eye. Pinkie's mane had gone straight and she had stopped bouncing, her colors darkening slightly. Applejack stood up firm, but couldn't hide that she was bothered by the description Discord gave. Rarity seemed the most composed, but she had flicked her mane over her eyes to hide them from the other ponies. Twilight's wings were tucked in tighter than usual, and bit her lip as she fumbled with her front hooves slightly.
Twilight was stunned he had such information on him, but her next question was blunt as she regained her composure. "Did you do anything to harm him?"
"Harm him? What more harm could I do when he was already punishing himself, Princess Sparkle?" Discord lowered his reading glasses as he spoke.
Applejack nodded when Twilight looked to her. Discord was telling the truth? Mender really had that bad of a life?
"What's the matter, Princess Sparkle? Did Mender not tell you about his sad little past?" Discord sneered.
Twilight's response was almost a mumble. "I...had planned on asking him, and he seemed fine with telling me about his past in the army...but this..."
"This is terrible," Fluttershy spoke up. "I...none of us had any idea about this."
At the sight of Fluttershy's tear rolling down her cheek, Discord softened and picked up Fluttershy, cradling her. "There there, my little pony. Not all lives are as happy and carefree as yours. Some lives are darker than others...some like Princess Celestia's. She puts on a brave face in front of everypony herself, and she can do so easily. Mender is much the same as her, in that regard."
All the ponies were still recovering from their sadness to catch the comment Discord made about Celestia. Twilight barely acknowledged it herself, but this was not the time to ask...and especially not to Discord. She made a mental note to ask Celestia herself later.
Breaking the moment, Discord dropped Fluttershy, who caught herself in the air before landing. He snapped his fingers and the file cabinet and reading glasses vanished. "Well, that's all for now, my ponies. I do believe your questions have all been answered, hm? After all, there is only so much truth you can learn before it hurts...isn't that right, Applejack?"
The question struck at Applejack's heart, and she looked down at her hooves, understanding the implications immediately. He had not meant it as a jab for what he did to twist her Element of Honesty, and she knew that. The other ponies took offense thinking otherwise, however.
"Hay, that wasn't fair!" Rainbow Dash yelled, getting into Discord's face. She was about to hit him-
"It's fine, y'all. He...he didn't mean it like that," Applejack interjected.
Discord wore a cocky grin as Dash retracted her extended hoof, huffing at him in frustration.
"Is that all, Princess Sparkle?"
Twilight thought for a moment, then spoke. "Yes, Discord. Thank you for your assistance."
Discord bowed, then vanished in an instant. Twilight felt a chill rush down her spine at that very moment he left, for when he did, his eyes opened and glinted slightly as he stared at her.
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My previous comment on it being a great story remains intact, but if I may ask, how many subchapters do you intend to place within one chapter? Because right now it feel redundant to have 1-20 as opposed to just 20. At any rate you've got me interested. Although I wonder if crunch might end up involved in the duel, and how illusion magic could help in the fight without just being direct interference.
Also, another question that I have been wondering since the introduction of young, are these authors notes from the perspective of young? I ask because although you plenty of evidence supporting it you keep the name of old man, and know more about the story than young could possibly have heard via the band. In conclusion is this you commenting on your own story or the perspective of young?
3661612
Oh boy, good questions. Time fer good answers, then.
Firstly, the first number I have set up is referring to the story arc I am pursuing, the second to the chapter in said arc. As this arc is an introductory arc in addition to presenting initial threats to Mender, I expect this to be long. Other arcs will either be at most the same length or shorter than the introductory arc.
Now the second question I will have to be ambiguous on for an answer, but I'll just say that there is much that is happening beyond the door Young resides in. Much more than Young is even aware of.
3662738 alright, that cleared up a lot of information for me, and now knowing that you plan multiple arcs gives me a nice long story to look forward to. Great job with the story so far and I look forward to continuing reading.