The Betrayed

by Thadius0

Chapter the Twenty-Eighth - Slow day

Balanced Books looked out his front door at the pony standing there.
Lyra Heartstrings, local harp player, was on his lawn, with a pamphlet.
Said pamphlet had an image of a pony and a changeling silhouette bumping hooves, with the letters PETC above it.
Books looked from the pamphlet to the unicorn, and back again.
"Seriously."
Lyra nodded. "We at PETC, or Ponies for the Ethical Treatment of Changelings, strive to promote understanding between pony and changeling-kind. We believe that with enough compassion on both sides, ponies and changelings can come toget-"
Books held up a hoof to cut her off. "Did you...forget who I am?"
Lyra blinked a few times and chuckled before glancing aside. "Heh...whoops. I was just going door-to-door, you know. Forgot this was your place...or who you were, for a moment there. Mainly because I've been doing this all day."
Books nodded. "Believe me, I've been there. And my Hive was founded on the very principles of Friendship and Harmony. So...really, it's not mine you have to worry about."
Lyra nodded and made to leave. "Yeah, in retrospect, not the brightest idea, trying to recruit the changeling king..."
"Who said anything about that?"
Lyra paused and looked back over her shoulder. "What are you talking about?"
Books grinned. "I'm quite aware that me and mine are not looked upon favorably by all ponies. If you could keep me in the loop, I could make it worth your while."
Lyra turned around and the glance on her face changed from puzzled to interested. "Really? Would you consent to answering questions and dispelling or confirming some of the rumors and myths we have?"
Books sighed and rolled his eyes. "I thought I already did...but I can do it again, if I must."
Lyra pumped a hoof. "Yes! Okay, I'll come back with some questions day after tomorrow, it'll let us meet and come up with some! Oh, just thought of something. They may want me to make sure your answers are honest, and I know a truth spell. Is that okay with you?"
Books sighed again. "Yes, it'll be fine. Now if you'll pardon me."
Books walked out his house towards the library.
-----
Upon arriving, Books was met with nobody.
Not even Spike.
Twi's pet owl was asleep at this time, meaning nobody was around to help him find the book he wanted.
"Twilight, y'here?"
Books looked around on the ground floor before going upstairs, noticing Twilight reading intently, a stack of books next to her.
"Oh. Okay. Hey, Twi, you know where Spike is? I'm looking for a book..."
Twilight's noncommittal grunt was the only answer he got.
"M'kay. You're lost to the outside world, and Spike's not here. Plus your owl isn't up..."
Books sighed.
"Dammit, I'm never learning how to teleport."
Books trudged outside, head hung low. He perked up considerably when he noticed Spike coming by in the distance.
"Oh hey Sp-"
Who brushed right past him, muttering something about a dragon code. A few moments later, he came back out.
"Hey Spi-"
And was gone again, leaving Books standing next to the door, utterly perplexed.
"Well. That happened."
Books sighed for what felt like one too many times and walked back home, before he perked up considerably.
Tonight, he and Swiftwind were going to hunt.
-----
"Shh, that's a cockatrice."
"I'm unfamiliar with that species..."
"Just don't look it in the eyes, it turns anything that does to stone. Watch what I do."
Abel slowly inched himself forward with his eyes closed. Reaching out with his senses, he 'felt' when the cockatrice turned towards him and the malice spike. Must be trying to gaze at me...
Abel pointed a hoof at the cockatrice and smiled. "Doesn't work when I don't look at you, does it?"
The cockatrice had the good grace to look surprised before it fell to the ground, exhausted from the magical drain suddenly exerted on it.
Swiftwind slowly came forward and stared at the crumpled cockatrice. "Such an amazing weapon. So powerful. And yet, so useless when you know how it works and can defend against it."
Abel chuckled. "That's the definition of progress, y'know. Some poor shmuck finds a way to make arrows and spears stop hurting him, so the other shmucks try to copy him, while he comes up with a hammer that smashes through armor. Vicious circle, ponies don't have much inclination to practice it."
Swiftwind smiled a wicked smile. "But then again, we're not ponies."
Abel chuckled. "Indeed not."
Turning his head and casting out metaphorical fishing lines, Abel ended up pointing in one direction. "C'mon, I think there's a manticore or two that way. If we get lucky, we might find some timberwolves."
-----
They had, in fact, gotten lucky.
An entire pack of timberwolves had shown up.
I don't know what had them riled up, but note to self, Swiftwind is damn good at draining!
Seeing half the pack fall had given Abel a healthy amount of respect for her.
And really, they weren't actually alive. They were just bits of magic that had bonded with some wood and thought it was a wolf.
'Killing' them was perfectly alright in his book.
Very few had survived.
He'd hoped nopony ran into them.
They were awfully close to the Acres when that happened...
Books was wandering through town, wondering if Twilight was responsive now, when he'd been unceremoniously yanked through a door.
Looking around, Books found himself in the one place he'd not expected to see, especially considering his recent transgressions.
The inside of the TARDIS.
Standing next to him was The Doctor, looking a bit worse for wear, but mostly on his hooves again.
The glare was unmistakeable though.
"Drop the disguise."
Books sighed and did so, and The Doctor nodded.
"You're yourself again?"
Abel waved a hoof. "More or less. I mean, don't get me wrong, the possessing spirit, Cain, he's exorcized. Sealed in a crystal, given to the city that runs on and the princess that symbolizes love. He's never getting out in this eternity."
The Doctor nodded, and Abel continued. "However, everything he said to me? All those little doubts and fears? Yeah, he had to have something to latch on to, something to grow off of. Celestia and I are working on my issues, to make sure nothing like this ever happens again."
The Doctor nodded once more and went up to a terminal. Looking back, he grinned slightly. "Go on, say it. Everyone does."
Abel blinked, then put a hoof to his chin as though thinking for a moment. Walking to the back and looking down one hallway, he smiled and glanced at the pony behind the metaphorical wheel.
"I can see forever! Hey, is that my own behind?"
The Doctor blinked a few times before grinning, catching on to Abel's joke. "Well, that's certainly new. And what insights does looking at your own behind give you?"
Abel looked down the hallway and made a grimace. "That I should really lay off the sweets, especially those cake recipes I'm slipping Pinkie."
Abel looked back at The Doctor and walked a bit closer, noticing the unconscious flinch the pony made as he approached. Abel sighed and sat on his haunches, catching the attention of The Doctor. "Look, I don't know how much you heard while you were out..."
The Doctor merely held up his screwdriver, and Abel nodded. "Right, actions, words, one's louder, got it. But seriously, I want us to be good again. I want to at least have a working relationship with you, Doctor."
The Doctor glanced at Abel and went back to the console. "Why? Why should I bother? First you toss me to the horror known as Twilight Sparkle trying to get information from your brain, and then you become Cain. I'm afraid next time you'll merge with the Nightmare and try to take over, just to seize my TARDIS under some obscure law."
Abel raised a hoof to his chin. "Not a BAD plan...except I'm putting her through rehab, it'd kinda be counter-productive for her to fall into old haunts."
The Doctor blinked a few times. "Wait, really? YOU'RE the reason I can't find her essence throughout Equestria after that night? And what's this about rehab?"
Abel waved his hoof about. "Not important. Listen, I've been going at this from the magical angle, and it should work, but I wanted your opinion on this project of mine."
The Doctor raised an eyebrow, and Abel grinned. "What would you say are the major obstacles to creating a stable tunnel across the Multiverse?"
The Doctor actually dropped his screwdriver in shock as he realized the full extent of what Abel would be planning.
-----
Trixie came to, and for a moment, had trouble realizing she had.
It was just as dark, after all. It didn't seem to matter if her eyes were open or closed.
And then she heard a voice and realized she was in fact awake.
"Trixie, comma, The Great And Powerful. Actual name, Beatrix Lulamoon. Pony subtype, unicorn. Gender, female. Age, twenty-five. Coat, blue. Mane, two-tone, first tone, sky blue, second tone, even lighter blue. Eyes, violet. Cutie mark, wand and moon, represents talent for stage magic. Went to Celestia's school for gifted unicorns. Was forced out when instructors realized Trixie was all play and little work, instead attended Canterlot's Unicorn Academy, that school the noble's started just to spite Celestia."
The was the sound of parchment hitting something, and then Trixie saw the eyes.
Those red, slitted eyes.
She'd heard stories, naturally, of what went on in Ponyville.
And while she was one of those things, she wasn't the worst thing.
She was looking at one of them right now.
"I'm gonna be honest with you now, Trixie. I don't blame you for your last episode."
Trixie was stunned for a moment.
"I recently had an...episode, where I was corrupted by dark magic. It made me realize something."
Trixie finally managed to work her jaw and vocal cords enough to choke out a single word.
"What?"
"That we all, every single one, have a seed of darkness in our hearts, buried deep down. Most of us would never act on it. But when something keeps pushing it forward. Keeps reminding us of it. And then offers to take away the pain. We'd be willing to pay any price."
Trixie looked away for a moment and sighed, while the voice continued.
"We both overcame our darkness. But mine was forced on me. You CHOSE to put the amulet on."
Trixie looked back into the eyes and gulped.
"Normally, this would be where I threaten you, but I have an alternative planned."
Again, that single word was all she could manage to get out. "What?"
She could hear the smile. "Simple enough. Two of mine have volunteered to be your new 'assistants.' And we have quite the repertoire of tricks you could use. So long as you spin it right, there's no end to the amount of shows you could put on, each one more amusing than the last. The only catch, if you can call it that, is that mine will be monitoring you and soaking in the adoration the crowds will be giving you."
Trixie finally managed to get her mouth to work with more complex questions. "Why would you bother?"
There was silence for a moment. And then the answer came.
"Because every pony deserves a chance to be happy again."

Author's Note:

Meh.
Couldn't come up with much for 'Spike, at your service.'
But this NEXT chapter.
I am looking FORWARD to this NEXT chapter!

Comments

[Tensemasterhalo]

Ah, Spike the doormat (I myself have upgraded him to throw pillow, suits him better ), left to dry with only a line or two to show for it. Never really did like that episode, an assistant that messed up chores after years of experience? Feh!

Ah well, this new development can't possibly screw Abel over. A truth spell with Lyra at the wheel? This can only end well.
troll.me/images/futurama-fry/not-sure-if-captain-obvious-or-sergeant-sarcasm-thumb.jpg

[Tome Turner]

After all these seasons I'm still not sure what Spike's purpose is apart from a punch line.

[Thadius0]

3884940
I think he's supposed to be something akin to one of the few things that can keep Sparkle on-track.
They both have their moments, though. Like in Spike, at your service.
Or Lesson Zero.
When they just stop listening to one another.

[LostArchivist]

Awww. I was hoping for this.