Imbalanced

by Nameless Narrator

The Shadow King: Slave

Blazing Light woke up.

"We'll be arriving in Canterlot shortly. Passengers get ready to get off in five minutes," came from the train intercom.

The sky was grey, just like the bronze-coated unicorn's mood, and the light drizzle outside of the window promised a day suited for a failure like him. He shook his head to clear away the drowsiness following him sleeping most of the way from Manehattan and looked into his saddlebag for something to eat. No matter how hungry he was from an entire day's worth of a train ride he had to sate himself just with a honeyed hay bar. If he wanted to last in Canterlot for more than few days, which was a big if in his current state of mind, then he had to ration his food carefully.

Blazing wrote a short note into a small book he had purchased after leaving home resolved never to return again and left the train when it stopped in the white fortress built into the side of a mountain. He hadn't anticipated the cold air this high up biting into him through his coat and the hoodie which was a present from his mother for his last birthday.

As much as he was currently inclined to find the shortest route towards the city walls, eat all his supplies and then leave a messy outline somewhere in the forest below the city his survival instinct kicked in and persuaded him that doing that was possible at any point in time and right now he should at least try make something of his life.

Alone and with nowhere to return the bronze unicorn stood on the train platform for a while, thoughts racing through his head. He had spent most of his life with thoughts pointlessly racing through his head so the feeling was not unusual but this time he was thinking about what to do right now and he came to the conclusion that getting a job away from other ponies would be a good idea. It didn't matter what he'd be doing as long as somepony would find a use for him.

Taking a deep breath, he tapped a shoulder of somepony who looked like he knew his way around.

"Go bother somepony else!" was the answer he recieved.

Partially happy at least for the sense of familiarity he pondered that things here were the same as home in Manehattan. Better in fact, he wasn't threatened to get sued for an assault or a mugging attempt and he still had his saddlebag. He tried few more times and recieved the same answer, not that it mattered. There was nothing anypony could have said to him which would have been worse than what he had said to himself after recieving the letter ending his student life.

With no direction he decided to roam the city and just look around. If he got lucky he might find some place hiring and if he didn't then he was fine with it. Blazing had no idea about vagrancy laws in a city presenting itself as a bastion of royalty but getting locked up would at least mean having a roof over his head. Perhaps he could just throw a brick through a window somewhere so he wouldn't be freezing tonight? He decided against it. Causing trouble for some honest shopkeeper just because his future was gone didn't pass his mental filter and he didn't have a brick at hoof anyway.

Aimlessly walking proved useful in killing time, something he wasn't really hoping for, and darkness was already blanketing the city. He had enough money to last few days in some cheap hotel but the white fortress looked classy in every street he'd passed through today. This wasn't a fairy tale though and there had to be a cheap part of Canterlot somewhere where the airship loading bay workers and other low-income citizens slept.

The first clue he got about his intended direction was a bar with ponies smelling of alcohol. The second clue was one of them beginning to walk to Blazing with cheap brainmelter crystalizing on his breath with a glint in his eye.

"Whass a nice lady like ye doing in a place like this?"

Blazing tried to ignore him but the pony's body blocking pushed him into a small shadowed alley.

"Get your filthy hooves off me!" growled Blazing.

The earthpony smiled happily.

"Aww a lil' prissy unicorn thinks he's royalty. Methinks yer face needs a close rel- rely- relationship wit' my filthy hooves."

The bronze unicorn dodged the wide swing easily and returned the favor, sending the earhtpony to the ground. What he didn't count on were two other earthponies tackling him from behind. After the first blow to his face he wasn't able to hear much anymore and so the earthpony's words were completely lost on him, the following blows, on the other hoof, he felt quite clearly, at least the first few before a hit to his stomach made him throw up. Eventually the earthponies got bored of kicking him and left.

When Blazing noticed the name of the bar the earthponies had come out of he sneered to the darkness - Lucky Horseshoe. He wasn't bothered they took all his stuff, he wasn't bothered he was sticky with vomit and dirt, he wasn't bothered by anything because right at that point a black pony with red mane and bat wings came out of the bar and stole all the attention Blazing still had.

"Eeew! Good thing I'm not on duty or I'd have to touch that and waste time dragging another drunk colt to jail," she told her pony partner who nuzzled her, making her coo and giggle happily.

Blazing bitterly smiled to himself, at least she noticed he was male. Dragging himself deeper into the dark alley he curled under an overreaching roof of one of the houses and tried to fall unconscious while sheltered from the wind.

To his surprise he didn't freeze to death that night despite coming close. The hoodie helped against the cold and the lack of wind was enough to keep him alive. His only article of clothing was now useless though and he used it to clean himself off and then threw it in the dumpster. His last physical memory of home was gone.

Fighting hunger, Blazing kept walking through Canterlot for most of the second day and finally found what looked to be a town hall. The acidic smell of vomit mixing with trash was enough for the guard on door duty to notice him and lead him outside, gently but firmly. With that his main hope was gone. He had noticed the 'Employment Office' sign inside but that chance was taken away from him.

Right now, with the way he looked and smelled, nopony would listen to him anyway even if he tried asking shopkeepers door to door whether they needed help. He knew all that and told himself it was his fault for not being careful. With no food, no money, nowhere to return and no chance of anypony bothering to talk to him he decided he had only two options. One of them was the past idea of breaking a window somewhere and getting arrested but the same argument as last time rose up against it.

The other option led him up the stone stairs to Canterlot fortifications. The view was breathtaking, the air was fresh and sweet enough to overpower the smell lingering around Blazing and there was nopony around. All in all, even he had to admit today was a beautiful day filled with the promise of hope and success. He wished luck to everypony, even the guys who robbed him, because that was the only thing he could do. He had no power to actually do anything so he just wished.

He wished his brother would come home from the army and find a guard job in Manehattan so his family would finally be happy and get together from time to time. He wished the drunk guys from last night would find a satisfying job so they wouldn't have to vent on random strangers in the street. He wished the beautiful batpony he caught a glimpse of would live happily ever after with her partner. He wished everypony in the world would find happiness even when he knew how foalish it was. Most of all, however, he wished the drop wouldn't take long.

He hated flying.

Are you sure his magic resistance won't get in the way, Fluttershy?

My stare isn't magic and my Element's power is unbreakable.

I don't want him to ruin everything like last time.

The only one who has ever resisted the Stare was Pinkie with her being an Element bearer herself and her split Pinkamena personality. This pony-changeling thing will be your loyal servant forever.

If you fail I'll have your head.

I know, my king.

Good. Is Twilight ready?

She can open the portal at any time but the army isn't even close to being prepared. With me and Twilight being the only Elements on your side our armies are defending our territory from all sides. I hate to bring bad news but we don't have the power to invade.

Don't worry, young pegasus. Conventional forces are nothing but a meat shield to me. With Pinkamena's sacrifice, Celestia is out of the question and as soon as we enter their world Twilight will use the Element of Magic to gather enough power to break any defense they might mount. You will stay here and try to capture the rest of the Element bearers and show them the error of their ways.

Do you want me to persuade them again?

No. Just wipe them like this one. I don't care about their willing cooperation anymore. They will serve me and when I get to the Crystal Heart in the mirror world we'll have all the time in the world to play with the mirror Element bearers as replacements.

As you wish.

Wake this guy up now. Did you bring the bat?

Yes. She was living in the mansion of Blazing Light from our side.

Fading Light woke up.

"Good morning, my new bodyguard," said king Sombra calmly, looking at the changeling.

"My head..."

"You got hurt when the enemy attacked and lost your horn so we had to replace it with a crystal."

"Thank you..."

"I care about my subjects, Fading. Now you need to recover but your being a changeling saves us a lot of time," Sombra smiles and points his hoof towards a yellow, pink-maned pegasus holding a chain leading to a choker worn by a black batpony.

For some reason Fading Light felt an unknown desire the second he saw her.

"Feed!" commanded Sombra.

The batpony didn't even manage to sqeak before Fading's fangs released their venom into her neck.

Comments

[Anonymous Critic]

The only one who has ever resisted the Stare was Pinkie with her being an Element bearer herself and her split Pinkamena personality. This pony-changeling thing will be your loyal servant forever.

...well, if the main requirements to resist are being an element bearer, and having a split personality... I wouldn't be so sure...

[JazzyWaffles]

The batpony didn't even manage to sqeak before Fading's fangs released their venom into her neck.

Well fuck. ;_;