The Council was keeping me waiting. I hate waiting.
At least they were letting me wait in style and comfort. The Council’s Palace didn’t have the massive, soaring spires of the one in Canterlot—building something utterly massive would be insanely expensive when Freeport already needed to import timber and stone, and from what little I knew of architecture massive towers were not the best choice for an island that had to deal with rough ocean weather.
The other thing that struck me about the Council’s headquarters was that it wasn’t the largest and fanciest building in the city. Maybe it’s my Canterlot bias talking, but I’m used to the idea that the ruler’s palace should utterly dominate the city. Back in the old days there used to be building codes that stopped anyone from making something half as large or tall as the palace, and nopony was allowed to build something that obstructed the view of the palace.
The Council, by contrast, was in a relatively unassuming four-story brick of a building. However, the shining black stone they’d built it out of still lent it a rather unique appearance. Once I got a bit closer, I realized it wasn’t proper stone, but obsidian. They must’ve clad the entire building in it. There had to have been magic involved somewhere in the construction, because I couldn’t see any seams or joining points, just a single continuous sheet of it. Still an impressive feat, even if it didn’t have the same scale as the palace in Canterlot.
Once we got inside, things moved back to familiar territory for me. The room Puzzle Piece and I were waiting in probably could’ve fit a hundred ponies quite comfortably. Every inch of wall space was devoted to an elaborate mural of some sort, most of which existed to boast the wealth and magnificence of Freeport itself, and just to emphasize that point, all the little details on the murals were ornamented with actual gold and gemstones. If I could get Puzzle to leave me in here unsupervised for a minute, I could probably permanently solve my money problems without doing any noticeable damage to the display.
It came as no surprise that the rulers of a trading nation wanted to let everyone know just how well the trade was flowing. I wasn’t sure what I’d been expecting out of this meeting with the Council of Thirteen. It’s hard to know much about a secretive ruling council that goes to rather extreme lengths to suppress any information about itself. I’d gotten the sense that Celestia knew a bit more about them than most, but I’d never really pried into it. Beyond the sort of basic education anypony should have, I’d never really cared about Freeport’s internal politics. At least, not until I’d hopped onto a ship heading there, and by then it was a little bit late to get a cram session in.
I really should’ve done a bit more research before leaving Canterlot. In hindsight, maybe Celestia hadn’t been trying to trick me into staying when she’d asked me to at least prepare a bit better before I left. At the time, I’d been sure it was just one of those ‘stay a few more days ... then a couple more, then a bit longer...’ ploys to keep me from ever leaving. Celestia can be sneaky that way. However, I was starting to realize that she’d been right about one thing: I had a lot to learn about surviving. I’d learned a whole lot about how to be a good student. How to survive on the run from the Equestrian authorities had never come up.
Right now, though, I had a bigger problem on my hooves. I had no idea what was going to happen in my meeting with the Council. Mostly because it hadn’t started yet. Apparently, they were so eager to meet me that they would set up a complicated bit of cloak-and-dagger to get me away from the EIS, but they still felt the need to do the whole thing where they made me wait for an hour or two to remind me of the pecking order.
At least I wasn’t alone for this. Puzzle Piece was still sticking with me, presumably to make sure the EIS didn’t grab me again. Or to make sure I didn’t get cold hooves and go running back to them. It would be a lie to say I wasn’t a little tempted by the idea. In the heat of the moment I picked freedom, but an hour of waiting for the Council had given me plenty of time to start having second thoughts. I’m not saying I liked having the EIS micro-manage my life while giving me the illusion of freedom, but they were the devil I knew.
Puzzle Piece had dropped the rich fop disguise while we waited, which, among other things, meant I finally got a look at his cutie mark. To my utter lack of surprise, it was, in fact, a puzzle piece. Some ponies have incredibly uncreative names. Though that just brought up the question of why his cutie mark was so suspiciously apropos for his name. Celestia had told me once that a lot of parents had some kind of sense of their children’s destinies when it came to picking their names. I wasn’t sure if I bought that. After all, it was supposed to be my destiny to stay in Canterlot, and look how that worked out.
Ugh, the longer I was stuck with nothing to do, the more I would start brooding and doubting myself. I needed something else to keep myself occupied, and as long as Puzzle Piece was keeping an eye on me for the Council, I might as well see if I could pump him for any useful information. “So what’s your deal, Puzzle?”
Puzzle had been flipping through one of the local newspapers while we waited on the Council, but upon hearing my question, he set it aside. “This one’s deal? What do you mean?”
I flicked my tail irritably. The question was obvious, and I didn’t buy that he needed me to elaborate on it. Still, it’s not like there was anypony else to talk to. “Like, what do you do? Are you some kind of dirty deeds specialist for the Council?"
Puzzle smirked in response. “You do realize, Miss Shimmer, that most ponies in that line of work wouldn’t advertise it.” He rolled up the newspaper, and a faint grin quirked at his lips. “Though to answer your question, this one would prefer to be called a problem solver. Not everything that this one does is ‘dirty.’ Sometimes this one helps promising young mares get away from Equestria’s doers of dirty deeds instead.”
“Problem solver,” I repeated flatly. I might be just a bit inexperienced with some aspects of the world outside of Canterlot, but I wasn’t totally naïve. “I’ve heard that one before. So if I don’t do whatever it is the Council wants out of me, do I become a problem you have to solve?”
Puzzle answered me with an amused smile. “If you mean will this one kill you, cut you into pieces, and then dump your body quietly into the harbor, then no.”
Whoa. I’m a pretty tough mare, but I admit I was a bit shaken by just how easily he’d discussed killing me. It had just been so ... matter-of-fact. Normally when a pony says something like that, they would sound a bit silly to make it clear they were just messing with me. Puzzle said that the same way a pony would talk about doing laundry or picking something up for a dinner. I had a rather terrible suspicion that he might have actually done something like that at some point. Freeport was a rough place, after all.
Still, there was no way I could let him see I was intimidated. Especially if Puzzle was the sort of pony who could kill another pony and dispose of the body without so much as batting an eyelash. “Right. Well then ... um ... yeah. I suppose you could do that. If you wanted to. But if you tried I would stop you by ... er ... magic.”
Okay, that could’ve worked out a bit better.
Puzzle looked me over, then let out a faint snort. “My, you are new to this type of thing, aren't you?”
For a moment I was tempted to snap at him, but the ugly truth was he was right. Yelling at him for insulting me wouldn’t do any good. It would probably just cost me the only potential ally I had in Freeport who wasn’t working for Celestia. So I swallowed my pride, at least for the moment. “Am I that obvious?”
“Just a bit.” Puzzle kept his voice gentle, which took some of the sting out of his words. Some of it. “If you analyzed the situation, you would realize that it would be ill-advised for the Council to deal with you in a permanent fashion.”
I did exactly that, and once I thought it over, it wasn’t hard to figure out what he was getting at. “If I die or mysteriously disappear while I’m here, the EIS would find out. And then Celestia would find out.”
“Precisely,” Puzzle agreed with a satisfied nod. “This one imagines she would want a very thorough investigation if anything should happen to you. Even if the Council could hide its own direct involvement, that would still be very, very bad for Freeport and the Council. Even if she believed us innocent, she would likely blame the Council for allowing Freeport to be so dangerous that something could happen to you. She might well cut off or restrict trade for a time to express her royal displeasure.” He paused, and let out a slight tremble. “If she discovers the Council’s involvement? Well, this one recalls several warnings about what happens to the kindest of ponies when they are sufficiently provoked, and this one can think of few things that would be a greater provocation than murdering her student in cold blood.”
Is it wrong that I found the idea of Celestia burning Freeport to the ground to avenge me just a little satisfying? Not that I was planning on dying anytime soon, but her going on a massive revenge quest would show how much she cared.
Puzzle continued on, quite oblivious to my brief flight of fancy. “No, if the Council wanted to get rid of you, this one would advise them to shove you into a crate and ship you back to Canterlot to Celestia or your parents.” He tapped a hoof ponderingly on his chin. “Preferably your parents; this one has heard they are offering a significant reward for your safe return. Though being in the good graces of Her Highness has its own advantages, this one will admit. Money is nice, but one cannot put a price on being owed a favor by Princess Celestia.”
“Yeah, I suppose...” I wasn’t too wild about either of those ideas, though Celestia at least understood. My parents ... well, I hadn’t seen them for months before I left, and we hadn’t exactly been all that close. I still didn’t know what to make of them offering a big bounty in exchange for my safe return. It’s not like they’d been all that eager to spend time with me before I’d left; they’d always blown me off because of work or something. It was why I’d been so close to Celestia in the first place. Maybe the bounty was just a matter of keeping up appearances? They had to at least pretend to care I was gone. Whatever the case, it wasn’t something I especially wanted to dwell on. “So, any idea what the Council wants with me?”
Puzzle went quiet at that question, tapping his rolled-up newspaper on the floor next to his cushion while he thought. I suspect it wasn’t so much a matter of him trying to figure out the answer as it was him trying to figure out which answer to give me. Whichever it was, he settled on something pretty quickly. “Likely they want to make use of you. Even in Equestria proper, your level of raw magical talent only shows up a few times a century, not to mention your education was second to none. This one imagines you could be quite an asset to the Council if you were willing to work for them.”
Well, that made sense. They wanted me working for them, rather than running around potentially stirring up trouble, or getting myself in trouble. After all, the fact that Celestia still sent spies after me proved she still cared. Speaking of which, Strumming had been bugging me to get a job...
Puzzle trotted over to one of the cabinets, and pulled out a nice crystal bottle filled with some presumably very expensive liquor, then poured himself a glass. “If there is one thing the Council despises, it is letting a useful resource go untapped. Letting a mare of your talents slum around trying to establish herself in the seedier parts of the city would be a terrible waste. This one thinks that we can agree that there are better and much more mutually profitable arrangements to be made. A mare of your abilities shouldn’t be producing cheap trinkets to scrape out a living wage.”
He was right about that. I might’ve adjusted to having a slightly lower standard of living than I’d been used to while I was at the palace, but that didn’t mean I liked it. And judging by the decor here, the Council could definitely put me up in style. Going back to having silk bedsheets and servants would be nice—it was nothing less than I deserved, really. “I certainly won't complain about working for somepony who can properly appreciate my talents.”
Puzzle smiled, then briefly raised his glass to me before taking a sip. “Oh, this one is quite certain the Council understands how best to use your abilities. As this one said, the Council despises wasting any resources.”
“Nice to know.” From the way Puzzle was setting it up, I would definitely have to work hard to earn my stay in Freeport. Not that I would’ve expected anything different; the days when I could earn my keep just by studying on my own ended when I left Celestia. Knowing their reputation, the Council probably wasn’t going to put me in charge of spreading sunshine and happy feelings; it would be nasty, morally dubious work. Still, when my alternatives were to go crawling back to the EIS, or try to make it on my own and end up working in some sweatshop cranking out cheap magic items for twelve hours a day to make enough bits to afford a one-room rat-infested hovel...
Besides, it’s not like the Council would be doing anything too terrible. After all, it was a government run by businessponies. Corrupt and amoral businessponies, but businessponies nonetheless. Most of the classic evil behavior is pointless at best, and at worst would actually hurt their profit margins. That was why Discord, Nightmare Moon, and Sombra had all lost in the end. Everypony knew they were better off with Celestia in charge. If the Council wanted me to be a problem solver like Puzzle Piece, the problems they would want me to solve probably all would’ve done something to deserve being ... well, problem solved.
That might not even be what the Council wanted out of me, though. They had plenty of other problem solvers, after all. Hay, for all I knew they wanted me to be some kind of trainer to start up their own school. I was by far the smartest, best-educated unicorn in the islands. Give me funding and enough time, and I could start up a proper Freeport Mage Corps on the Equestrian model.
Ugh, no point in speculating. They would tell me what they wanted soon enough. Until then, I might as well pump Puzzle for whatever information I could get out of him about other things. “Hey, got another question for you.”
Puzzle turned to me and lifted a single eyebrow. “Go ahead, then. This one will not promise to answer, but it will at least hear your question.”
His answer rather perfectly reminded me what question I wanted to ask. “What’s the deal with calling yourself ‘this one?’ Kukri did it too, so it can’t just be some random personality quirk. It must mean something.”
The question got a smile out of him. “This one supposes it would seem unusual to a native of Canterlot.” He winked at me when he emphasized the ‘this one.’ “It's a bit of a tradition amongst certain parts of the population in Freeport.”
Well, that was spectacularly uninformative. “Okay, so it’s a tradition. What kind of tradition? Which segments of the population practice it? Why do they do it? Is it some philosophical or religious thing?”
Puzzle shook his head in bemusement at my barrage of questions. “This one sees that Kukri was quite correct when it said that you didn't know much about Freeport.” Puzzle stretched out and took a seat. “To answer your question, there are certainly philosophical elements behind the title, but mainly it applies to those of my species. Or rather, sub-species.”
“Your species?” That didn’t make any sense, Puzzle was just an earth pony.
Or at least, that’s what he looked like. I thought back to how they’d pulled off the switch with me in the marketplace, and all the pieces fell into place. “You’re not a pony, you’re a changeling. One of the Infiltrators who rebelled against Chrysalis.”
“So this one is.” There was a flash of green, and the earth pony I’d been talking to was replaced by a vaguely equine-shaped creature with a chitinous black carapace, diaphanous insect-like wings, and empty blue compound eyes. To my surprise, the voice was the only part of him—it, that didn’t change. “Though this one’s kind prefers the term Free Mind. ‘Infiltrator’ is what the Old Mind called us, before we broke free of her. We are no longer what she made us to be, we have become more.”
“Huh.” I suppose I should’ve been more freaked out by the fact that Puzzle, and by extension Kukri, were love-eating bug-monsters. As it was, the last couple days—no, everything since I’d left the palace, had all been so crazy that I just didn’t have the energy to be shocked and horrified. Instead, I just pulled back to something I could easily handle. “No surprise the Council uses you, then. A shapeshifter would be handy for spy work.”
That got a fang-filled smile out of Puzzle, before it reverted back to pony form, albeit as a pegasus instead of an earth pony. “It takes more than merely being a shapeshifter to be a good spook, but yes, it does give advantages. There have been many times when this one’s ability to alter its appearance with a single thought was the difference between success and failure.” It offered me an amused grin. “And espionage is this one’s special talent.”
That remark caught me by surprise. “Your special talent? Changelings have those?”
Puzzle shrugged and waved a hoof. “In a manner of speaking, yes. While we do not have some talent that comes to light in a moment of revelation, leading to having a symbol permanently emblazoned on our hindquarters, some of us are bred to be better at certain tasks. We have more control over our reproductive abilities than ponies do. It can be arranged to have some of our children to have better physical attributes, possess specific mental aptitudes, or be particularly gifted at a given skill.” Puzzle paused, and flicked his new wings. “Though we use such modification sparingly. We do not want to repeat the Old Mind’s mistake of thinking ourselves so wise that we can create a superior being. Most Free Minds are born naturally. Those bred for a purpose are a small minority of our numbers. It has led our species in a better direction than imitating the Old Mind’s manipulation ever could have.”
“Huh.” Well, that was certainly something. Made me glad I was born a pony instead of a changeling. For all Celestia’s talk about destiny, I’d never really liked the idea that I only accomplished things because of some cosmic force guiding me. I was one of the best spellcasters in the world because I had busted my plot to earn that, not because of some arbitrary destiny thing. Being bred for that would be even worse; knowing that the only reason I was stronger than everypony else was because my parents arranged my DNA that way would remove any sense of accomplishment. There’s no point in being the best if you only pull it off because somepony else gave it to you.
Now wasn’t the time to start bringing up my issues with the Free Minds’ lifestyle, though. “So, I assume Kukri is a Free Mind too? Is she even a real filly, or...?”
“That one is a Free Mind,” Puzzle confirmed. “And her seeming age matches the reality. Free Minds grow and develop at much the same rate as ponies, which includes having a childhood. Many within the Doo Clan are aware of her nature, though most of us prefer to use pony forms in public. Many find our appearance unsettling, so we avoid disturbing them. Especially when visiting lands outside of Freeport.”
Well that put a couple recent events in an interesting new light. Maybe the EIS weren’t the only ones who’d been keeping an eye on me while I was on the run. It was a pretty big coincidence that I’d just happened to get on a ship with a changeling on it, who just happened to have the contacts needed to get me a meeting with the Council. Considering how long the EIS had managed to manipulate me without getting noticed, I bet a bunch of shapeshifters could’ve pulled it off even better. Maybe the whole idea that I had my freedom once I’d run away from Canterlot was just one elaborate lie.
While I’d been having my existential crisis, Puzzle had kept on talking about the Free Minds. “And even though it has been centuries since we rebelled against her, it is wise to hide ourselves from the Old Mind. She has a long memory, and she is not forgiving. Some day, there will be a reckoning between us and her. But not until we are ready to face her.”
So the Free Minds were planning a re-match with Chrysalis? That would be interesting. Not sure if that was something I wanted to be mixed up in or not. On one hoof, Chrysalis was seriously bad news. On the other, taking her down would be a great way to prove to everypony that I deserved to be a princess. She was one of those monsters Celestia had always wanted to deal with, but there were always too many other responsibilities closer to home. One thing she’d always hammered into me during our lessons: a princess’ first duty is to the welfare of her subjects. Running off chasing after every single monster in the world would leave Equestria leaderless and vulnerable.
Maybe running off from Canterlot would be a good thing. I could take care of some of those problems Celestia had never been able to handle on her own. Well, as long as I could survive long enough to do so.
Puzzle was staring at me, a faintly amused smile on its face. “The Shimmer-mare seems much occupied by her own thoughts. May this one ask a question?”
Considering everything Puzzle had shared, I saw no reason not to allow it. “Sure, same conditions as when I asked you.” I didn’t mind making small talk, but some topics were definitely off-limits. I didn’t want any questions about Celestia and me, for example.
“This one could hardly object to those terms.” Puzzle paused for a moment to formulate its question. “This one is curious why the Shimmer-mare chose to come to Freeport. This one is unaware of any contacts she has within the islands, and this one is quite well informed about such things. What were your plans, before your involvement with EIS? Were you simply wandering aimlessly?”
Ugh, Puzzle was starting to sound like Strumming. I guess that shouldn’t have been a surprise; spies probably think the same way regardless of what species they are. I groaned and rubbed my face, then trotted over to the liquor cabinet to check it out. Not that I would actually drink anything out of it when I was meeting up with the Council later. Besides, the first time I’d tried experimenting with alcohol had been ... memorable. At least Celestia had been nice enough to pretend to believe that my hangover was actually a case of the flu. I almost thought I’d fooled her, until somepony slipped a pamphlet about how to drink responsibly into the next set of books I got from the royal library.
Dammit, I was getting all misty-eyed about Celestia again. That was all in the past, and I needed to focus on the future if I wanted to survive. “Yeah, I didn't exactly have a firm game plan. Just kind of going wherever my problems weren’t. Why do you ask?”
“While the Council is interested in you for the magical skills you represent, this one is curious as to the mare herself.” Puzzle looked me over, and I felt myself suddenly reminded of the fact that changelings consider ponies a food source. Not to mention that, as far as I could tell, Puzzle seemed to be male. A faint grin crossed his lips. “This one suspected that you were rather lacking in certain necessary resources. It would prefer if nothing happened to you, and wants to help.”
That caught me by surprise, and instantly set off alarm bells in my head. I might not be an expert on how Freeport worked, but I knew enough to be wary of anypony—or changeling—who was acting just a bit too nice. “Why do you care?”
Puzzle answered my suspicion with an unconcerned smile. “For one, the Council cares about you. This one would know more of you because magic is like any other tool—it’s only as good as the pony wielding it.” It paused for a moment, then continued, “Secondly, because this one is not some monster like the Old Mind's swarm. This one can care about others and want the best for them. You are a young mare in a city where bad things can happen to the unwary. This one would prefer to see you succeed and avoid the major pitfalls that come with a city like Freeport.” Puzzle sighed and ran a hoof over his face. “It is ... difficult to explain to one who is not a Free Mind, but this one believes that basic compassion is of the utmost importance to our kind. It is what makes us better than the Old Mind. This one’s duties often require it to be cold and analytical, so when it can show such compassion for another being...”
“So it’s more about showing you’re not like Chrysalis than me specifically?” It did seem a bit odd to be getting a speech on the importance of compassion from a changeling who’d been talking about how it could kill and dismember me a short while ago. “How does that even work for a changeling? Free Minds do still eat love, right?”
“Our dietary requirements are unchanged,” Puzzle confirmed. “Though we prefer more humane methods of fulfilling them. There are many in Freeport who would gladly allow limited feedings in exchange for appropriate compensation. It is a better arrangement than cocooning a dozen victims to feed upon, or relying on deception and mind control.” Puzzle scowled and shook its head. “Many of the Old Mind’s brood do not even have the decency to tend the wounds their fangs leave on their prey. Leaving such feeding marks is unsanitary and foolishly short-sighted, but the Old Mind cares little for such things. They are like locusts, content to drain their prey into empty husks, then move on. The Free Minds have the capacity to be better than that, and so we should do so.”
I frowned at him. “You make it sound awfully noble, considering you’re still using ponies as a food source. I’m gonna guess a lot of the ponies who ‘voluntarily’ let you feed on them are poor enough that they don’t really have much choice in the matter.” A shudder of revulsion shot down my spine as I realized that I’d been dangerously close to ending up poor in Freeport. If the Council hadn't dropped a high-paying job right into my lap, I might have been on the menu too.
Puzzle answered me with a shrug. “It is as you say. And yet this one must feed. If that need could be satisfied in gentler ways, this one would do so. Despite what the occasional ignorant fool might say, feeding is not so simple as finding somepony willing to give this one a hug, or even share this one’s bed. As it stands, this one does not starve, nor do those it feeds upon.”
I was tempted to snap at him, but for once my good sense got the better of my temper. I really didn’t need to alienate one of the only creatures in Freeport who might be on my side. Well, not exactly on my side, but I think I believed Puzzle when it said it wanted me to do well. Even if it was just because my success would reflect well on him, since he was the one delivering me to the Council, I would take it. From what he and Strumming had both said, there were plenty of beings in Freeport who would take advantage of me without a moment’s hesitation. Compared to that, I’ll take some mutual self-interest.
Still, the conversation had pretty much died after that brief bit of tension over feeding. I wasn’t going to apologize for not liking the idea of being food, and he wasn’t going to apologize for needing to eat. Things stayed awkwardly silent until a messenger wearing a uniform fancy enough to put Celestia’s regalia to shame trotted in. “Miss Shimmer? The Council is ready for you.”
Puzzle rose to his hooves. “We had best hurry. The Council does not like to be kept waiting.”
I let out a snort at that. “Oh they don’t like to be kept waiting? That’s rich. They leave us here for an hour after we show up, but we can't make them wait a couple minutes before we bother to go see them?”
Puzzle offered me a sardonic grin. “Welcome to the halls of power, Miss Shimmer.”
The Council’s chamber was, unsurprisingly, done in much the same style as the room they’d left me and Puzzle waiting in. About the only notable difference was that this time the murals on the walls weren’t showing off Freeport’s wealth and prosperity; they were showing the Taming of Freeport, where the Council took control of the city.
The actual origin of the Council was a bit vague, which wasn’t a surprise for an organization that hid the identities of all its members, past and present. The Council’s history started with the Taming, when they cut a deal with the self-exiled members of the old Pegasopolan clans to take over the city. The clans provided the military muscle, and the Council used their connections to make everypony fall in line.
After the Taming came a couple scenes from Zebrica’s failed attempt to take over the islands. The zebras had succeeded in taking the city, but quickly found holding down all the outlying islands and maintaining a garrison at the end of a long, vulnerable supply chain to be a huge drain on their resources. The occupation ended in two years, with the mighty Zebrican Empire sent running home with their tails tucked between their legs.
Like the mural outside, this one sent a pretty clear message. If the waiting room reminded ponies why having the Council around was a good idea, the art in this room was a reminder of what happened to anypony who stood against them. Classic carrot and stick diplomacy. Hardly subtle, but it worked.
In the center of the room was a huge, crescent-shaped raised table, with thirteen figures seated around it. I call them figures because I couldn’t even be sure what species they were. The bulky black robes and face-concealing silver masks could’ve hidden just about any kind of quadruped. I suppose that did rule out minotaurs, unless they were hunched over on all fours. Given the sheer paranoia and secrecy the Council was famous for, I couldn’t completely rule that out.
Puzzle stopped in the doorway, letting me go up to the Council itself on my own. I stepped into the middle of the crescent where all the councilmembers could get a good look at me. It was hard not to be a little intimidated by having thirteen anonymous figures looming over me, but I held my head high and met their eyes as best I could. There was no way I would let them think all this pageantry impressed me. If I let them set the tone and dominate all the discussion, I would just be swapping the EIS controlling me for the Council. “So, the Council of Thirteen wants to talk to me? Well, here I am. What do you want?”
There was a brief pause, and despite the fact that their blank silver masks hid any facial features from me, I got a definite sense of surprise and amusement out of them. At least I’d made a good first impression. After a couple seconds, one of them spoke. “You are correct, Sunset Shimmer.” The voice had an odd flanged quality to it, which I guessed was probably intended to make it impossible to recognize. I didn’t want to risk spellcasting to confirm it, but I would bet it was a spell worked into the mask itself. Probably one of several; no way the Council would just rely on purely mundane masks and robes when they could have magical ones.
Another one of the council-members spoke. Or at least, I think it was a new one. With the robes, masks, and voice distortion it was just about impossible to tell who was actually speaking at any given time. “It has come to the Council’s attention that you require a patron. Should you prove yourself capable, the Council would be willing to offer you its resources and protection, in exchange for your service.”
“My service, huh?” I frowned at the second one from the left, who was my best guess at who’d been talking to me. “Exactly what kind of service did you have in mind?”
One of the ones behind me spoke. “Whatever service we require of you. Your reputation indicates that you are a mare of many talents. The Council sees no reason to limit the scope of your activities when there are so many possibilities. Rest assured, we will not ask anything unreasonable or beneath your dignity or abilities.”
Well, that was wonderfully open-ended. I might not be an expert on surviving in Freeport, but I hadn’t been born yesterday. “I think I’d rather decide when a job is unreasonable or beneath me, thank you very much. And I’d like to have fixed hours, too. Otherwise you could stick me working sixteen-hour days every day of the week.”
The Council went quiet again, and this time I was sure they were laughing at me behind those masks of theirs. “So you’re not a complete fool then. Good, the Council has no use for fools.”
Another one of them spoke up. “However, we expect you understand that this would hardly be a traditional job with fixed hours and duties. You would serve this Council in a capacity similar to that of your own Equestrian Magi. Monsters, and warlocks are as much a problem for Freeport as any other major city. While the condottieri have proven quite capable of addressing such problems to date, a spellcaster of your ability would be a better choice for some of these threats.”
One of the others cut in. “Of course, the comparison to an Equestrian Magus is an imperfect one. Freeport is not Equestria. We have our own needs. Some of the services we would require of you would not be things Celestia would ask of her own magi.”
“What, like assassinations and dark magic?” I met that one’s eyes as best I could and crossed my forelegs over my chest. “I don’t know what you’ve heard, but I’m no warlock. And I’m certainly not a murderer for hire. If that’s what you want out of me, I’ll just show myself out and save us all a lot of trouble.”
Before I could even start to carry out my bluff and start dramatically making my way towards the exit, one of the council members stopped me. “The Council has asked no such thing of you, Sunset Shimmer. Dark magic may have its uses, but in the Council’s experience those are few and far between. As for your other objection, we already possess resources for ... problem-solving.”
“And ones far more suited to the purpose,” the one on the far left cut in. “We have heard many things about your magical abilities, Sunset Shimmer. However, words like ‘subtle’ and ‘discreet’ were notable only by their absence. I suspect sending you on those sorts of missions would end with burning buildings and uneconomical levels of property damage.”
I didn’t care for the implication that I had no control over my own magic, but under the circumstances I didn’t see much reason to argue the point. After all, it’s not like I wanted to serve as a glorified mob enforcer for the Council. Sticking to respectable magus work suited me just fine. I’d always figured I would end up being a magus once I hit adulthood. At least, that had been the plan until I realized what Celestia had planned for me.
“So, I’d be effectively serving as the first Magus of Freeport?” None of the Council objected to that, so I continued. “In that case, I would propose that my service to the Council proceed as outlined in the official charter for the Equestrian Royal Magi. Or at least, that we use it as a starting point for negotiations.” I know there were probably a couple things I would like to change in the charter, given the chance. I’m not saying I wanted to throw out all the rules, but some of the stuff about maintaining harmony and always trying to use the minimum necessary force to resolve all conflicts went a bit overboard.
The council-member in the center, who I guessed was probably the closest thing they had to a leader, nodded. “That seems a reasonable place to begin. Though the Council will need time to familiarize itself with the relevant legal codes, and present a modified version which suits the Council’s needs and desires.”
No surprise there. The Council wasn’t going to hire me on the basis of any Equestrian laws they didn’t have memorized. I’m no expert at business, and even I know you don’t sign a contract until you’ve read every single word of it. Considering Equestria’s laws and regulations for the Mage Corps filled up five very thick tomes, it would take them a while to go through all of it. Well, more likely have a bunch of secretaries go through it, then give them a summary.
The third one from the right turned to face me. “That does raise the question of what should be done with Miss Shimmer until then. We could certainly offer her our hospitality while she awaits our response, but it seems to me like we could do something more efficient. We did intend to put her talents to the test before hiring her, now seems as good a time as any.”
“A test?” I frowned at the last member of the Council to speak. “What kind of test?” I was pretty sure this wouldn’t be like one of the ones I got from Celestia. I was pretty sure the Council didn’t care if I could read a book, and then explain all the relevant magical theorems to them. They would want something more practical.
“A demonstration of your skills, Miss Shimmer,” the central Council-member explained. “As well as your willingness to perform in the capacity the Council will require. It will be something well within your capabilities, and we have selected a challenge which you should not find morally offensive. We wish for you to bring the notorious pirate, Metal Mome, to justice.”
A pirate? Well, they were right about me being okay with that. After all, pirates were right up there with warlocks and slavers as hostis equini generis—an Old Unicornian term that meant ‘enemies of ponykind.’ Basically, outlaws in the most literal sense of the term; they were completely outside the protection of the law.
What was surprising was that the Council wanted to go after a pirate. Freeport had a long-standing reputation as a haven for criminals of all sorts. This Metal Mome must have done something beyond the pale if the Council wanted him taken out. Given how Freeport operated, that meant he was hurting the Council’s bottom line. The city might be a haven for pirates, but even they drew the line at sheltering pirates who preyed on their own ships.
“So you want me to go pirate-hunting? Fine.” It shouldn’t be too hard for me to handle a bunch of low-grade thugs. If nothing else, there was always the fact that pirates sailed around on flimsy ships made of flammable wood and cloth. Still, just because I could handle it didn’t mean I would do it for free. “One question. What happens if I complete the test and deal with this pirate who’s giving you trouble, and then we can’t work out a deal where I work for you long-term? I don’t work for free.”
The Council didn’t say anything for a while, but there was a strange buzz in the air. I didn’t want to cast an analysis spell and risk causing an incident, but I was pretty sure they were somehow communicating with each other privately. I could think of a couple ways to pull that off, like having some sort of mental link or they were using communication crystals. It would certainly be useful for them to have any mid-meeting discussions amongst themselves in private, so they could uphold the appearance of unity.
After they’d hashed out their discussion, the leader spoke once more. “The Council is prepared to offer a bounty of twenty thousand Equestrian bits for the pirate captain Metal Mome upon his capture or proof of his demise. Is that acceptable?”
Whoa. Twenty thousand bits would be enough to take care of my money problems for a long time. And if that was what I could get for one job, then working for the Council on a regular basis would let me live in style. I’m not a materialistic mare, but I would like a nice house, a warm bed, and three good meals a day. Not to mention that I’d lost access to the Royal Library after I’d left Canterlot. Getting a decent-sized private library would be nice, especially if I wanted to start making any progress on finding my own path to ascension. I’d been so busy just surviving that I hadn’t made much progress towards finding out how to become an alicorn.
Still, I didn’t want to sound too eager. “Make it thirty thousand, and you have a deal.”
Once more, I picked up a sense of amusement from the Council’s seeming leader. “This is not the marketplace, Miss Shimmer, and we are not ordinary merchants to be bargained with. Your services would be of value, but Freeport has endured for nine hundred years without you, and will last nine hundred more if we turn you away. Twenty-five, and let that be the end of it.”
Despite his/her/its rather firm words, I decided to push my luck just a little bit further. “There was bookseller in the market who had a first edition of Maximum Dissertatium Rexum. Throw that in on top of my pay, and we’ll have a deal.”
“Insolent,” one of the other councilors grumbled.
“But amusing,” the leader countered. “A single book is but a pittance. I see no harm in it. We have a bargain, then.” The leader waved a hoof towards Puzzle Piece, who was still waiting for me in the doorway. “Puzzle will brief you on the relevant details, as well as help you with obtaining any necessary materials. The costs will be deducted from your bounty, should you succeed. In the future, Miss Shimmer, I would advise you to ask for additional pay to cover your expenses, rather than a book you could easily have obtained yourself.”
Dammit. I hate being outmaneuvered. After all, I was supposed to be the smartest mare in the room. Celestia picked me as her personal student because I was the best in all of Equestria, but I hadn’t even thought about expenses. It’s not like the pirates would be hanging out in the city; they’d probably be out on the ocean somewhere. At the very least, I would need my own ship to go and find them. Knowing where the hay I should go looking would help too.
“Good day, esteemed members of the Council of Thirteen.” I tried not to let my irritation show and turned around headed for the door. Puzzle opened it for me, wearing an amused smirk of his own, and fell into step beside me. Once I’d stalked out of the palace itself and out into the city proper, I’d cooled down enough to get to business. “So how much are you going to take out of my pay?”
Puzzle turned to me with an entirely too friendly smile. “Normally for a venture of this sort, this one would demand an equal share of the pay. However, this one will confess a budding companionship with the Shimmer mare, and so is willing to work at a reduced fee. Forty percent of the pay will suffice.”
Forty percent? My twenty-five thousand bits just went down to fifteen. “Ten thousand bits, just for a little information gathering and hiring a ship?”
Puzzle answered me with a casual shrug. “If you find this one’s rates unsatisfactory, you are welcome to attempt the task on your own. This one wishes you luck in managing the feat with no contacts or other resources to call upon.”
Dammit dammit dammit! He was right, I didn’t have a prayer of pulling this off without him. I wouldn’t even know where to start with looking for a pirate, and if I tried to figure it all out on my own I’d be lucky not to end up falling into some kind of trap. Getting paid fifteen thousand was still a lot better than not getting paid at all. “Fine, you’ve got a deal. If that finder’s fee includes getting me somewhere nice to stay while you do all your research, room and board, and there are no extra expenses or hidden fees. Ten thousand flat, no nasty surprises later.”
“This one is shocked and offended at the implication that it is untrustworthy.” A second later Puzzle grinned and gave me a gentle slap on the back with one of its fake pegasus wings. “Though it would congratulate the Shimmer mare on having learned her lesson well. There may be hope for you yet.”
I love this story and the portray of Sunset Shimmer's character. It's amazing.
This is getting even more interesting.
"OMG! humans actually exist? I guess I owe those fifty bits to Lyra"
In other words, Sunset doesn't want to work in Film/Television.
Nothing at all to do with this chapter but I wonder what Sunset's relationship to Shining (if any) was, she's presumably his age give or take, and given his parents jobs he might have spent quite some time around the castle.
I wonder how Sunset going to react when she finds out about Twilight? I doubt she'll be to happy about being replaced by a younger more obedient model.
Sunset "Sharp-ish" Shimmer.
5123181
'Humane' is an ancient word from some long-extinct race of furless monkeys. Monkeys that thought very highly of themselves, yes, but the term suffices anyways.
Oh, Sunset. This is a terrible idea. Can we even be certain the pirate did something worth being taken out over?
Stupid Sunset.
Seems blue and orange morality is firmly at work here. The Free Minds aren't evil, but they're definitely not good. Puzzle seems somewhat sociopathic, having little conventional compassion and extremely arrogant (his disdain for the Old Mind seems more rooted in his contempt for their inefficient methods than any true moral objection).
Sunset's revelation of the presence of changelings went better than expected. I see she still hasn't lost her sense of superiority (note how she says she deserves to live in luxury). It's not like a sense of entitlement and overestimation of one's abilities is going to bite her firmly in the ass. Sunset might be powerful but she's way out of her league with the Council of Thirteen, let alone Chrysalis.
This one suspects that the council consists of Free Minds. Who else could so effectively disguise themselves and communicate without voices?
5123345 So long as Sunset can live, what does it matter? In a situation of survival you must always look out for number one.
5123448 It's stupid of her because this path will lead her to eventually run off to a world of technicolor humans, take over a high school, and turn into a demon to try and conquer Equestria with an army of brainwashed teenagers. Which is just proof of her stupidity because honestly that's one of the dumbest evil plans ever.
And then she'll become a pariah save for five insane friends who can't help constantly reminding her of her past sins, prove instrumental in defeating some wicked sirens, and remain stranded in that other world while Twilight gets the destiny that was supposed to be hers and she must live with the knowledge that because of her selfishness and pride, she'll never ever ever EVER become an Alicorn or Celestia's daughter and she's completely wasted her life.
5123494 We don't know that, this story could lead anywhere. Cordath hasn't specifically stated that this cannon runs in concert with the Equestria Girls cannon and quite frankly I'd be willing to assume it doesn't. Cordath has already expressed his dislike of the official handling of Sunset Shimmer's character in FIM, which leads me to believe he will deviate from cannon.
5123781 I don't see any 'Alternate Universe' tags on the heading. Until I see otherwise, I have no choice but to assume this is indeed the canon world, much as I wish otherwise.
Also, I thought they handled Sunset really well in Rainbow Rocks. Really came to love and sympathize with her.
5123908
They're cousins.
Some interesting information about the Free Minds, I think, among other things.
5124044 Haven't seen Rainbow Rocks myself, so I can't vouch for it. I just really hope she doesn't end up in the mirror world because I just don't like the concept of it.
Sweet Celestia, you can write very well. Maybe it is a bit too late for suggesting this, but I always felt Celestia should bear the title of an Empress and thus ruling over the glorious Equestrian Empire.
This is getting good!
So, Freeport is run by the Guild of Calamitous Intent?
5124204 Until I see an AU tag I have to assume that's her fate.
5125020 True enough, I just really hate EG.
5125297 That's reasonable.
Is it bad that I want something horrible to happen to Sunset? A little of the dark end of things can really make a story interesting...
I do have to say that I was expecting the council to take advantage of her presence and I wouldn't be too surprised or concerned if they didn't care if she died in the process. After all, she accepted their offer and willingly put herself in danger, so technically they are off the hook. Princess Celestia will probably be at least a little disappointed if she finds her student killing ponies with magic, even if they are pirates.
5125020
A lot of people around here seem very indecisive about using the AU tag and they don't all agree what is and isn't AU. You also have to keep in mind that EQG isn't strictly canon even as far as the show itself goes.
5124875 Oh my God, yes! Now, all we need are a bunch of hilarious codenames for the members.
I suspect this pirate will be truly bad news... One sufficiently evil enough that Sunset won't have any second thoughts about the potential job because of sympathy for who she would be set against, but twisted and dangerous enough that she'll have to morally compromise herself to take him down... Otherwise it's not truly a test of what they can expect from her.
Regardless, this is turning into a fun tale of rogues of all sorts! Looking forward to more.
5123494
Sunset Shimmer's "Equestria Girls" plan could have easily worked. Come back through the mirror having a significant power boost from the Element of Magic with an innocent force of hostages and children willing to do your bidding, including the alternate versions of Celestia and Luna. All of your biggest threats are waiting there, expecting Twilight's return. Catch them by surprise. Force the remaining Equestrian Princesses through the mirror, place your alternate versions on the throne, have them make you royal Vizier for a while before they step down and make you their successor. You've conquered Equestria and hardly anyone would even realize it had happened.
That's not a bad hand to play, and that's assuming she can't just mind-blast and take over every pony on the Equestrian side of the mirror as easily as she could the human side.
5126309 Those are some good points I had not considered, but...well, here's how her plan was picked apart in one of my stories:
“Wait…so…your plan was to mind-control all the teenagers in your high school and march them through the portal to Equestria,” Lightning Dust said in confusion.
“Precisely,” Sunset Shimmer said.
Blueblood scratched his head. “…Was it a large portal, then?”
Sunset Shimmer paused. “Ah, well…no…it was the base of a statue… and the other end was a mirror…”
“And are these ‘human’ teenagers powerful creatures?” Flim asked.
Sunset Shimmer fidgeted. “Well, uh…not as such…but, but when they went through the portal they’d have turned into ponies!”
“Would they have known how to use magic in their new forms?” Flam asked.
“…Er…maybe…” Sunset Shimmer said uncertainly.
“And wouldn’t the Princesses and a bunch of guards and whatnot be waiting on the other side of the portal, so they could easily incapacitate every minion you sent through the bottleneck or just destroy it altogether to trap you in that other world-“ Blueblood pointed out.
“Sh-shut up! I wouldn’t expect a simpleton like you to understand the true brilliance of my stratagems!” Sunset shouted.
“My plan for revenge against Rarity was to throw a pie in her face,” Blueblood said. “Lightning Dust was right, that was a much better plan than yours.”
You know, as entertaining of an idea that it, given what we've seen of Celestia's hesitancy to use violence even to combat a civil war with enemy troops at the gates of Canterlot, Sunset is a little bit lucky that nobody is likely to volunteer to test Celestia on the "will she burn our city to the ground" front. I rather suspect she simply wouldn't. That's not to say that I would expect no response at all, just not one consisting of personally administered violence.
Give it a decade or so for Luna to be back, though, and who knows how miss "cuts off Chrysalis's head" would react. I wonder if managing the moon and stars and whatnot means she could do kinetic strikes with meteorites? That meteor shower back in season one could have been a not-so-subtle statement from her to the rest of the world.
Anyway, vengeful alicorn princess daydreams aside, it's interesting to see it suggested that in spite of any historical feelings towards Celestia on the part of the exiled clans, the powers that be in Freeport recognize that Equestria is a world power that they need to not get on the bad side of.
Ahh yeah, so these guys are the renegade changeling infiltrators, and it's been long enough that there have been multiple generations of them. Fun implications regarding how well the race overall could survive should Chrysalis be permanently dealt with somehow.
Ooooo, so Sunset is potentially landing the job of the first Magus of Freeport? That's an excellent use of her by the Thirteen. Assuming she doesn't screw it up and that she lasts in the position (and that she doesn't end up extra-dimensionally bipedal), that's a job that could lead to Sunset developing quite a bit of personal and political power over the course of her employment, and possibly even to her setting up the Freeport Mage Corp that Sunset was thinking about earlier in the chapter. I could also see it leading to closer ties between Freeport and Equestria given the lasting friendly relationship between their new Magus and Celestia.
I just spent the last few days reading this series and I have to say very enjoyable. Cannot wait to see Sunsets adventures in Freeport and the issue she will have with the council, bounty hunters from her parents, and the EIS. And I honestly bet thats not all the players that will be in the room.
I can't help but wonder why she didn't ask "why"? I'd have asked for the changes levies against the accused as well as any other significant details.
...is it wrong if i already ship PuzzleShimmer?
Now this is interesting I can't wait to see what is going to happen And I don't think you need the AU because this is already the winningverse which is already an alternate universe with
parallel things happing that was also in the show. So I do hope that Sunset Shimmer does stay pony here cause I am liking this side of her Also I think Freeport is ran by the regade Changelings It the only way I could see it stay "free" and work with everbody And yes I do mean everbody, like Griffons, minotaurs, dragons, and the like I WANT MOAR SOON! f that is alright with you
And the winner of the significantly more interesting a character than Twilight Sparkle award goes to...
Sunset Shimmer
In all seriousness though, this is great, keep up the good work.
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I don´t think Sunset had inicially any plan beyong stealing the Element of Magic and claiming its power just to rub it in Celestia´s face. The whole "teen army" was probably consequence of the induced madness of "Sunset Satan" (note how hammy she acted in that form, plus Shimmer´s expression after being cleaned by the Rainbow ("what the fuck I was doing")?
Well well well, Sunny's in a tough spot. Had she said no, she would've been dealt with efficiently. By saying yes, she has to get her hooves dirty and risk crossing them, by which she would, again, be dealt with efficiently.
The illusion of free choice, as the G-Man once put it.
5355436
Time, Sunset... is it really that time again?
Really minor complaint, but the title of the first edition book Sunset wants has changed between chapters ('Maxima Dictionis Regum' in Chapter Two, 'Maximum Dissertatium Rexum' in Chapter Three); if you're concerned about a tiny consistency issue, you might want to edit that quickly.
Sorry to be a pendant, loving the story so far!
Does there happen to be any illustrations of the Council of Thirteen? I'd be interested in their masks most of all.
I hope we eventually learn who each of them are. Maybe even during this part of the story. I can tell that the Freeport Venture series will be entertaining!
Edit: Also, shame on you, Sunset. You're not officially hired yet! You should have made sure if expenses were covered or not! Though when she gets the job, it's going to be interesting to see the prospect of a bounty hunter in My Little Pony. Maybe we'll even get to see something similar on the main show someday. At the very least, I'd love to see a play on the Texas Rangers, especially the Lone Ranger.
5963231 pedant, not pendant.
Maybe I've been playing Skyrim too much, but does anyone else get a distinct Khajiit vibe from how the changelings talk?
They could give her their word as Spaniards?
Darn that Celestia for not including that in the lesson plan.
"That would still leave entirely too much evidence. This one would stun you, put you under an alchemical sleep spell, and have you dumped just outside a dragon den, covered in powdered gems and barbeque sauce.."
Erp.
Damn, Sunny, you've been in Freeport for two hours and you're already trying to talk yourself into BlackAndGrayMorality.
Sunset as Harry Dresden?
Sunset needs to brush up on her Old Unicornian; 'hostis' means 'enemy', not 'enemies'.
something about this chapter made me think of the "forgotten realms" books, and a city called "Skullport".
7975071
Considering that the Council sounds like 13 friends of Gentleman Johnny? Yeah, I think it fits.
7975071
Should this one be expecting her to become a Winter Knight, then?
Did not expect Puzzle to be a Changeling.
8962018
It's a fun thing to see, but makes a sort of sense given the environment here. I'm more surprised that they were revealed this early on, but it's still fun to see.
I love how the council reminds me of the hidden lords of Waterdeep from the Forgotten Realms.
Let me guess, ship the puzzle with the sunset
Unfortunately, having seen the cover images and read the summaries of other stories, I was already spoiled on the twist of Puzzle and Kukri being Changelings.
Not that it would have been too hard to figure out anyway, their speech pattern is a dead giveaway (which you would think they'd try to rid themselves of but let's face it, Changelings have been nonsensically abysmal at espionage since their introduction).
Especially considering the only other character I've seen who talks like that is D'vorah from Mortal Kombat, who is herself an insect of a hive. Like I said it'd be a dead giveaway to any Pony who knows about Changelings.
9725385
Well, Kukri's a ten-year-old who's spent her life surrounded by beings who know she's a changeling and don't mind. Puzzle wants Sunset to ask about it - he already hopes for further encounters with her and this is a much smoother way to get that fact out of the way that to flash green fire, screech and bare fangs, or wait until a dramatically appropriate moment to reveal something that all of Freeport already knows about Puzzle Piece. It's better everyone knows Puzzle Piece - as opposed to any of his disguises - is a changeling that to worry about who might have figured it out, and it likely helps business.