Consequences
The Venture returned to Freeport two days later, towing along the Granite Heart. By the time we docked, there was already a crowd of onlookers and gawkers waiting for us. Everyone wanted to see the captured pirates and get a good look at who had taken them down.
Normally I would’ve been all for putting on a bit of a show for the crowd. I’m not saying I’m some kind of show-off or that I hunger for attention, but everypony likes to be recognized for their accomplishments. Besides, a bit of fame would help if I was going to keep working in Freeport.
I couldn’t really take any pride in beating Metal Mome, though. Not with how I’d done it. I’d been sloppy and overconfident, and it had nearly gotten myself and a bunch of other innocent ponies killed in the process. Even if using dark magic to get out of that mess had been justified, I never would’ve been there in the first place if I hadn’t been so stupid.
So instead of returning to Freeport in triumph, I just stared out at the city feeling empty. Like there was this big hollow place in the middle of my chest where my heart should’ve been. I didn’t know what to do next—the whole idea of a life as a Freeport Magus didn’t really appeal to me anymore. Nothing really sounded all that appealing. I was tempted to just hole myself up in a hotel somewhere with a couple books and projects, and just shut myself away from the rest of the world and its problems for a bit. That’s what I’d done with my tower back in Canterlot, whenever things started getting to me.
It’d be nice if I could really do that. Sadly, it wasn’t an option. It all came down to bits—the money I made off of this job wouldn’t last forever, and hiding in a hotel room would only put me back in the same situation I’d been in before this whole mess started: poor and desperate enough to take a job that put me in danger. Whatever my next move was, it would have to be something that kept me moving forward. Running and hiding wouldn’t accomplish anything except making my situation even worse than it already was. Like it or not, I had to deal with the here and now. I just needed some time to think about what my next move would be.
I was so caught up in brooding over what had happened that I didn’t hear Kukri walk up and take a place at my side. The little changeling cleared its throat to get my attention, then offered a concerned frown. “Are you well, Shimmer-mare?”
I was very much not well, but most of the stuff bothering me wasn’t the kind of thing I could burden a kid with. So instead I forced a smile for her benefit. “Better now, yeah. A good night's sleep helped a lot.” It wasn’t a lie; my spirit might still feel terrible, but my body certainly appreciated the rest.
“Good.” Kukri stepped a bit closer, leaning against one of my legs. “You looked tired after saving our lives. And your battle wounds seem to be healing well.” She looked over the bandage on my side to confirm that. “If the Shimmer-mare does not wish for the services of a doctor, this one would be more than happy to continue helping her tend to her wounds. The captain has granted the crew substantial shore leave, as both reward for our service and because the Venture will require more repairs while in dock.”
While she had been helpful when it came to getting the injury on my side bandaged up, I suspected Kukri was mostly just looking for an excuse to spend more time with me. Not that I minded that in the least. She was a good kid. Plus, having her around reminded me why I’d gone as far as I had taking down Metal Mome. Seeing her free, alive, and happy made me feel a bit less terrible about what I’d done to him. “If you wanna spend your shore leave with me, I’d love to have you around.”
Kukri’s grin practically reached her ears. “That is wonderful! This one will enjoy spending more time with the Shimmer-mare. It has never seen anything like the feats of magic she can perform! You stole the pirate’s golems with a single spell!” She continued on, oblivious to the guilty twinge her words sent through me. “A ship of pirates captured, everybody alive on the Venture—the Shimmer-mare did the impossible!”
“Yeah, I guess.” Kukri noticed my utter lack of enthusiasm for her praise, and her smile slipped a bit. I put my hoof on her shoulder for a moment, so she wouldn’t think she was to blame for my mood. “I'm just glad you're all okay.”
“This one is glad that it is safe as well. But never mind us, are you alright?” The child looked up at me with a concerned frown. “The captain allowed this one to occupy the quarters next to the Shimmer-mare so that it would be available to bring her a meal or extra pillow if she wanted it. This one could tell your rest was uneasy … it did not mean to pry, but the walls on a ship are not very thick.”
Oh. Great. I scrambled to come up with a decent explanation for that. “Thanks for worrying, Kukri, but I'm fine. I just rolled onto my bad side while I was trying to sleep.” It wasn’t exactly a lie—the injury had woken me up a couple times. Nopony ever mentioned problems like that in the adventure stories.
Kukri frowned skeptically, but instead of voicing her doubts, she just leaned against my leg. The two of us stood there silently, watching the crew go about their business. Right now it was all the normal docking procedure of getting the ship into its berth and tying it up. I probably could’ve hopped down to the dock already, but I wasn’t in that much of a hurry to get to dry land. It’s not like I had much that I was looking forward to back in Freeport. I could wait for them to set up a gangplank, so I could walk across instead.
I did feel a bit better once I spotted a familiar face in the crowd. Puzzle Piece was in its pegasus form again—from what it had said, it tended to use that appearance for most of its ordinary day-to-day business. Sure, Puzzle had played a part in getting me into this mess, but it had also done a lot to help me out. It’s not like I could blame it for my own actions or decisions, anyway. I wouldn’t call it a friend, but I think it was at least on my side.
Ugh, I still wasn’t used to thinking of changelings as ‘it.’ Yeah, that was probably the best pronoun to use with a genderless race, but it still felt weird. Not helped by the fact that Puzzle seemed vaguely stallion-y, and Kukri still struck me as more feminine.
I hesitantly waved to the changeling, and it smiled and waved back. Once the gangplank was down, I wasted no time trotting across it, Kukri tagging along behind me. “So what will the Shimmer-mare do now that she has captured the infamous pirate and saved the Venture? This one is sure its clan would be more than happy to offer her hospitality as a reward for all that the Shimmer-mare has done.”
That sounded nice, but I had a feeling the Doos’ hospitality wouldn’t be any more generous than the Council’s. The Doos would be grateful for a bit, but soon they would want me to start earning my keep too. There would be other ships that needed protection, and I’d already heard about the off-and-on skirmishes between all the various players in the outer islands of Freeport. Helping the Doos steal a sugar plantation from a rival merchant group didn’t appeal any more than running down the Council’s bounties, so I gave Kukri a carefully noncommittal answer. “Right now, all I plan to do is get paid for taking care of Mome.”
“Obviously. But after that?”
“I’ll figure out what comes after once I get there.” At the very least, having bits would give me more options than I had when I first arrived in Freeport. I guess I could just play things by ear for a bit. I didn’t want to play the waiting game indefinitely, but I could afford to spend a few days weighing my options once I got paid. I just needed to be careful not to drag that out too long.
Captain Weyland called Kukri away to tend to some of her duties, so I was on my own as I made my way through the cluster of dockworkers and people who’d come to stare at the captured pirate ship, until I finally got to Puzzle Piece. The changeling smiled at me. “Sunset Shimmer, it seems you have succeeded in your mission. Judging by the fact that the Venture is towing in Mome’s ship, I can safely conclude that your performance was quite exemplary. I’m pleased.” Its eyes drifted to the bandage on my side. “I hope you weren’t hurt too badly.”
For a moment I was surprised Puzzle wasn’t doing the whole ‘this one’ thing, but considering we were in the middle of a crowded dock, it wasn’t hard to guess why. There were probably plenty of ponies—and other creatures—who would recognize the rather distinctive changeling speech pattern. Puzzle probably wanted to keep a low profile.
He was still waiting for an answer, so I gave him one. “Yeah, I’m not too hurt. One of the golems just got a lucky shot in.”
Puzzle nodded, but shot a worried look at the bandage. “I’ll arrange a meeting with a doctor anyway, just to be safe.” Its eyes turned to the Granite Heart. “I see Mome’s ship, but what of Mome himself?”
“We've got him and the rest of the pirates on the Venture.” Rope was a necessity on any ship, so we’d had plenty to spare for tying up a bunch of pirates. Though I think the fact that I had my golems sitting in the cargo hold with them was more than enough to stop any of them from getting ideas. “Mome’s still alive. He hasn’t said or done anything since I captured him, though. I think...” I hesitated, but forced myself to finish the report. “I think I might’ve broken him. Permanently.”
Puzzle raised an eyebrow, but didn’t offer any objection. “Is that so? Well, the bounty was for capture or proof of death, so alive but broken should be no problem for the Council. It will make whatever fate they have planned for him that much easier. I think I would like to hear the full story, though. You look like you've gone through quite the rough little adventure.”
Rough. Yeah, that was one word for it. “I broke into his mind. We've got his golems back in the ship. I can control them now.” I probably shouldn’t have said all that where dozens of ponies could overhear us, but I was too burned out and tired to care about the consequences.
Puzzle answered with a simple nod, seeming not the least bit bothered by my confession that I’d used dark magic. It said something about where I’d ended up in life that one of the closest things I had to an ally in Freeport didn’t even blink when I told him I’d gone warlock. It probably would’ve been similarly unmoved if I’d brought back Mome’s severed head.
Urgh. No point dwelling on it now. All the regrets in the world wouldn’t put Metal Mome back together again. “So, I guess that just leaves the Council to be dealt with. Do they want to see me right away, or will I have time to get a shower and some time in a bed that doesn't rock with the waves first?”
Puzzle looked me over again and offered a sympathetic smile. “Your report isn’t especially urgent, and the Council is well aware of the unpleasantness that accompanies an extended trip at sea. Obviously it would be unwise to make them wait too long, but I suspect tomorrow morning will be soon enough for their purposes.”
“They probably don’t want to see me with two weeks’ worth of grime, sea salt, and dirt in my coat anyway.” I certainly wouldn’t have wanted to go before Celestia in my current state. A shower and a good night’s rest would be just the thing to get me back to feeling like a civilized mare instead of a burnt-out husk. “So do you still have that hotel room you were putting me up in, or do we need to figure out something else?”
Puzzle shrugged. “I saw little point in paying for an empty room while you were out at sea, but I can arrange a new one quickly enough. Perhaps with room service as well. I’m sure you’d like some fresh food after living off of hardtack.”
I’m normally not big on fancy eating, but I have to admit that I liked the idea of getting a proper quality meal after weeks ship food. Not to say that the food on the Venture was bad, but there’s only so much one can do to make hardtack and kelp palatable, and it wasn’t helped by the fact that the Venture supplemented its diet with fresh fish. I guess it was no surprise that the remnants of the old clans stuck with the Pegasopolan tradition of omnivorism, but I don’t know how they managed it. Meat was just ... icky.
Kukri trotted over to my side and cleared her throat, grinning up at me. “Is this one still to join the Shimmer-mare? And may it also receive room service alongside her?”
Puzzle snorted and whispered to me, “That one is hoping to get in some luxury at the Shimmer-mare’s expense, it would seem.”
I rolled my eyes. “Oh be nice. Besides, she’s earned it.” I rather liked the idea of spoiling Kukri a little. Her energetic enthusiasm was infectious. I was a little surprised she’d be interested in room service, given that changelings didn’t need to eat normal food. Then again, she was probably hoping to get a bunch of sugary snacks that didn’t have much nutritional value to begin with. Not to mention getting to sleep on a big feather bed instead of a hammock. I gave Kukri a quick pat on the head. “Sure, you can get room service too. Just don’t pig out so much you make yourself sick.”
Kukri grinned and attached herself to my side. “This one thanks the Shimmer-mare for her generosity. It will aid her in whatever way she asks as repayment.”
Puzzle stared down at its fellow changeling for a bit, then shrugged. “I suppose compared to everything else, paying for a child’s ice cream is a negligible expense.”
Its meaning became apparent as soon as we entered the hotel it had picked out. Last time, it had chosen something modest and comfortable, but not especially fancy. This time, it brought me to a place that was clearly a bit more upscale. The reclining couches were made from hardwood that had to have come from the mainland, and the bathroom held a huge jacuzzi bathtub that I was just dying to spend a while in to get all the ship-grime off. The rooms here couldn’t have been cheap, but with the bounty for Mome plus however much I’d make from selling off the Granite Heart, I had bits to spare even after Puzzle took its cut.
Kukri’s eyes widened as she took in the sights. A big fancy hotel like this was probably a lot nicer than what she was used to. Well, maybe. I didn’t really know much about Kukri’s family life. Did changelings even have family lives? Puzzle hadn’t mentioned anything about parents when it brought up changeling reproduction, but someone had to be responsible for raising and training the young. And if Kukri was part of the Doo clan, then presumably she had some sort of bloodline connection to them too.
Oh well, there would be time enough to get answers for all that later. For right now I was fine with just watching Kukri stare at all the fancy furniture. The kid galloped over to one of the couches and pounced onto it, stretching out until it occupied the whole thing. Once she was comfortably established, she smiled at me contentedly. “This one thanks the Shimmer-mare for letting it accompany her and her acquaintance.”
“No need to thank me, I’m just glad to have you here.” I probably would’ve joined her on the couch, but I really wanted to try out that fancy bathtub. I’m not normally into that kind of thing, but I’m also not normally covered in a pretty thick layer of ship grime, dried seawater, and everything from the battle with the pirates. I think the only part of me that was reasonably clean was the bandage on my side. Go figure, a nice fancy bath sounds a lot better when you’re feeling really dirty. I wondered if Kukri felt just as messy, or if changelings had an easier time keeping themselves clean. I suppose a carapace wouldn’t hold onto dirt the way a coat does.
Screw playing the good host, I could do that after I had my bath. “Kukri, Puzzle, could one of you get something to eat while I wash up?”
Kukri hopped off the couch, practically standing at attention. “Of course! It would be this one’s pleasure. What would the Shimmer-mare like?”
“Pick whatever you want, as long as it’s not hardtack, fish, or anything else like that.” I could die a happy mare if I never ate shipboard food again. I normally wasn’t all that picky about my food, but ... yeah.
Puzzle Piece grinned and produced a room service menu. “Arranging a meal shouldn’t be all that difficult. If the Shimmer-mare does not wish to order herself, this one is quite aware of her preferences.” It was oddly relieving to hear Puzzle going back to changeling speech, though less relieving to know it had my dietary profile. I suppose when information is your stock and trade, collecting random facts like that was just second nature. One never knows what random little facts could be worth something to somepony.
Puzzle’s eyes shot down to Kukri. “While the hotel obviously does not put changeling food on the menu, this one can tend the other’s needs as well if it requires sustenance.” Puzzle paused, and a faint smirk crossed its face. “Well, perhaps that is not entirely accurate. Hotels which cater to such wealthy clientele have been known to provide discreet services to their guests. Still, this one thinks that simply consuming some thymoplasm would be far less troublesome, and better suited to one of the youngling’s age.”
Kukri’s eyes dropped to the floor, and she mumbled. “Er, yes, this one has not yet fed from ... that is, it has only eaten the thymoplasm for its sustenance.” Her ears perked up hopefully “But it will be old enough to feed itself properly soon.”
I have to say, listening to two changelings discussing their feeding habits was making things just a bit awkward for me. Especially since I still thought of Kukri as a cute little kid, not a love-eating bug. At least she was only eating the concentrated stuff absorbed by changeling cocoons instead of directly chomping on ponies. Although it sounded like she was almost looking forward to getting to that point—maybe it was some kind of changeling rite of passage?
I guess Puzzle must have picked up on my mood, because it quickly jotted down a note and passed Kukri a hooffull of coins. “If the other would make our order and pay appropriately, this one would be most appreciative. The other may obtain whatever it wishes for itself, provided it does not exceed its budget.
Kukri nodded dutifully. “This one will do so.” She turned back to me and trotted over to give my leg a quick hug. I hesitated for a moment before patting her on the back; I was just a little bit unsettled by the reminder that her species saw mine as a food source. Fortunately, she didn’t seem to notice my reaction. “This one will return shortly with food, Shimmer-mare!” With that said, she wasted no time practically galloping out the door. Seeing just how eager she was to win my approval just made me feel worse about how I’d found her eating habits off-putting.
Once Kukri was safely out of earshot, Puzzle turned to me with a faint frown. “Kukri is a changeling, and like all changelings, she must feed in order to survive. It is our very nature; we gain no sustenance from any other form of food. Even thymoplasm is ultimately derived from the cocoons we place our food within in order to draw out its energies more effectively.” It sighed and shook its head. “Some Free Minds have tried to abandon our feeding habits, but they inevitably starved or gave in to base appetites and turned almost feral, mad with hunger.” Puzzle met my eyes. “Kukri clearly idolizes the Shimmer-mare. If she senses that the Shimmer-mare does not wish for her to feed...”
Oh. Dammit. This is why I never wanted to be a role model or deal with kids in the first place. I never meant to try and turn Kukri into some sort of changeling vegetarian or whatever. I was just a bit weirded out by the idea that the cute little kid I had a soft spot for viewed ponies as a food source. I wasn’t trying to change her or anything, I just ... I guess I needed some time to adjust to the idea.
Regardless, it certainly wasn’t something I wanted to discuss right then. I knew I would have to adjust to changeling feeding habits eventually if I wanted to keep working with Puzzle and being friends with Kukri, but right now I had enough on my plate. I could deal with changeling stuff later. “Yeah, no trying to make the kid starve herself. Got it. Anyway, I’m gonna go take a bath. No peeking while I’m in there.”
Puzzle brought a hoof up to its cheek, its face a perfect picture of wounded innocence. “Now why would this one do something like that?”
I couldn’t help smirking at that. “You know, it’s pretty hard to pull of the innocent act when I know you’re an experienced spy and assassin.”
The changeling answered my smirk in kind. “Perhaps so, but this one has always enjoyed providing itself with fresh new challenges.”
I answered him—it—with a playfully suspicious glare. “I think I’m gonna put an alarm spell on the bathroom door, just to be safe.”
“Right, right.” I was halfway to the bathroom when Puzzle tossed out its parting shot. “This one presumes that should it violate the Shimmer-mare’s privacy, it would be lobotomized.”
I nearly tripped over my own hooves when it said that, thinking back to Metal Mome’s blank, uncomprehending eyes after I’d finished with him. “No, I wouldn’t ... no.” The shiver that went down my spine didn’t have anything to do with the room’s temperature. “I—I’ve gotta ... y’know, the bath.” I went to the bathroom as fast as I could without completely jettisoning my dignity, using the door to cut myself off from Puzzle before it said anything else.
I sank into the hot tub and tried to relax and just enjoy being clean and comfortable for the first time in weeks. Which would’ve worked a lot better if I could actually feel clean. I guess all the ship grime had really worked its way into my coat and mane, because even after I’d used up an entire bottle of shampoo (admittedly one of the small-sized hotel room ones), I still felt dirty. I could still smell the wet briney stink of the ocean, feel that rough salty stiffness in my coat. And I could still smell the coppery tang of Silverhorns’ blood, still see Metal Mome’s wide, uncomprehending eyes.
Ugh. I didn’t want to think about that. It was over. They’d gotten what they deserved. End of story, no point dwelling on it.
I also had to be careful while scrubbing off, on account of the injury to my side. The wound seemed to be healing well enough, but the last thing I wanted was to open it back up by washing it too vigorously. I’d have to see about getting a new bandage on it once I was done bathing. Ideally something a bit better than the one from the ship’s first aid kit. As the dirt came off, I also noticed several bruises that had escaped my attention earlier. I guess they hadn’t really registered with everything else I’d been through.
Considering the jacuzzi’s water had taken on a distinct greyish tinge after all my scrubbing, perhaps it was no surprise I wasn’t feeling completely clean yet. I drained the tub and filled it back up with water that didn’t have two weeks of accumulated ship grime in it. That helped a little. I tried using a bit of light magic to make it easier to see what I was scrubbing underwater, but no matter how many times I cast the spell, it wouldn’t stop fizzling. I’m sure if Celestia were here she’d give me another one of her lectures about how I had to be ‘in harmony with myself’ if I wanted to use that kind of magic, which still seemed like a load of horseapples to me. If you cast the spell right, magic happens no matter what mood you’re in.
I stepped out of the tub and used a quick drying spell. Which worked just fine, even though I wasn’t any more ‘in harmony with myself’ than I’d been when I tried the light spell a minute earlier. Maybe the trouble with light spells had to do with local conditions? The fact that I was down at sea level on an island instead of on top of a mountain and a thousand miles inland could be significant. I’m not sure how that would affect light spells, but it certainly made more sense than some stuff about harmony and rainbows.
I stepped out of the bathroom and saw that Kukri was back with the food. I was a bit surprised by how much of it was Equestrian cuisine: hayburgers, hayfries, some cake, and a salad that had none of the usual Freeport ingredients. I guess it was no surprise that a hotel which frequently catered to travelers from Equestria had some Equestrian-style food close at hoof, and I certainly wasn’t going to complain about having a taste of home.
Kukri looked up at me with a hopeful little smile. “This one hopes the food it obtained is satisfactory. It also attempted to procure a wider selection of beverages, but the hotel staff refused to provide some due to its age. Sorry, Shimmer-mare.”
I gave the little changeling a pat on the head and settled down on the couch next to her. “That's fine, Kukri.” My magic was strong enough that back in Equestria I’d been effectively barred from drinking anyway. Alcohol and fire rarely make a good mix. Besides, the one time I’d gotten my hooves on a bottle of brandy from the castle’s wine cellar and tried it out I’d hated the way it tasted, and then I discovered hangovers.
While I poured myself a glass of apple juice, Kukri was grinning down at a platter of kelp-wrapped shrimp, and Puzzle had a filet of some kind of fish. The changeling opened up a jar and started smearing some thick green jelly-like substance on the fish, then passed it to Kukri. I guessed the green stuff must be that thymoplasm it had mentioned earlier. Kukri filled a small bowl with the thymoplasm and used it as gelatinous dipping sauce for her shrimp.
Being buddies with changelings was definitely going to take some time to get used to. Still, I was cautiously optimistic about pulling it off. After all, Kukri was still a nice kid, and Puzzle seemed to be doing a good job of helping me earn money and take care of myself. That seemed like a good foundation to build on.
Puzzle swallowed a bit of its fish, then glanced up at me. “This one hopes the Shimmer-mare enjoyed her bath and feels much better now.” It smirked “In this one’s judgment, she is much more aesthetically pleasing now.”
“It helped.” I might not feel one hundred percent clean, but at least my coat wasn’t sticky with a dozen layers of grime anymore. Maybe a couple days of staying in a nice hotel enjoying all the modern hygienic luxuries would be enough to get me back to feeling like a civilized mare.
Though speaking of baths... “You wanna use the tub now that I’m done, Kukri? I bet you want a bath just as much as I did.”
Kukri took a moment to finish swallowing her shrimp, then answered me. “This one does not require a bath.” She paused, and then hesitantly amended, “Unless the Shimmer-mare finds its odor objectionable, or believes its hygiene lacking.”
“You’re fine, Kukri,” Puzzle quickly reassured her before turning to me. “Changelings don’t need to bathe in the same way that ponies do. Chitin handles dirt differently than fur and skin.”
“Yeah, I figured as much.” I frowned and ran a hoof through Kukri’s mane, prompting the little changeling to lean against my side. “But right now Kukri has a coat and a mane, just like a pony. So how does that fit with how chitin handles dirt?” My frown deepened as more and more of the potential practical problems involved in shifting from skin to chitin sprang to mind. It was a pretty massive biological change, not to mention a changeling often shifted mass, body shape, and could even grow entire new limbs.
Puzzle chuckled. “Perhaps it would be best if this one found some literature on the matter, which the Shimmer-mare could peruse at her leisure. The mechanics of changeling shapeshifting are complicated, and this one is not an expert in such matters.”
“Sounds good.” I had a feeling that was going to be my next big research project. The more time I spent with Puzzle and Kukri, the more I realized how little I really knew about how changelings—not to mention what made the Free Minds different from Chrysalis’s brood. I knew there was more to it than just sentience versus being part of a hive mind. I hate not having all the answers, so the only thing to do was read enough books to cure my ignorance.
“This one will find the books the Shimmer-mare desires, then.” I smiled and thanked Puzzle for that, while making a mental note to pick up a few books that weren’t on the list it recommended. Strumming might be annoying, but she’d had a point about Puzzle; if I let it pick all my reading material, I’d probably only get stuff biased towards whatever it wanted me to believe. One of the first rules of doing good research is to check multiple sources.
Puzzle nibbled at its food a bit longer, then set the plate aside for the moment. “This one believes it has been quite patient, but now its curiosity has begun to overwhelm it. May it have an account of what transpired on your voyage?”
A forkful of salad paused halfway to my mouth. “Can we just eat instead? I don’t really wanna talk about that.”
“This one can tell the story of the Shimmer-mare’s heroics, if the Shimmer-mare is still too hungry to talk,” Kukri helpfully volunteered.
Puzzle shot the little changeling an indulgent smile, but its eyes never left me. “While this one would enjoy hearing the other’s account, it would prefer to hear the story from the Shimmer-mare first.”
“And the Shimmer-mare doesn’t wanna talk about it!” I snapped. Kukri flinched back at my tone, while Puzzle just stared at me calmly. I moderated my tone and gave Kukri an apologetic pat on the back. “Look, it’s been a long couple days, and right now the last thing I wanna do is talk about is everything I’ve been through. The job's done. That's all that matters, right?”
“This one can tell the story as well as the Shimmer-mare,” Kukri offered once more, no doubt hoping to defuse the tension.
Puzzle regarded me levelly, then slowly shook its head. “Very well, so long as there is nothing this one is unaware of that is likely to lead to complications for the next few days, this one can wait until the Shimmer-mare is ready to discuss the matter.” The changeling’s gaze turned piercing. “Though this one suspects the Shimmer-mare would benefit from discussing the matter. It is clear that the event is weighing on her mind.”
I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, trying to compose myself, sit up straight, and just generally project an air of confident nonchalance. “Yeah, some stuff happened out there.” My eyes rested on Kukri, still sitting at my side. “I'll learn to live with it.”
A confused frown appeared on Kukri’s face, and the little changeling scooted over to lean against me. “But why does the Shimmer-mare feel bad about what happened? She beat the pirates and saved all of us. She is a hero and should be proud of herself.”
“It’s a bit more complicated than that, Kukri.” I was a bit torn on how to explain the problem, given that my audience was a rather mixed pair of an assassin and a kid. “I had to attack Mome’s mind to steal the golems from him.”
Judging by the way her frown deepened, Kukri didn’t understand the full implications of that. Puzzle stepped in to explain things before I had to. “Attacking a pony’s mind is considered a form of dark magic. Some ponies might call Sunset a warlock now, and try to hunt her down.”
Kukri’s frown turned into an outright scowl. “But that makes no sense! How can the Shimmer-mare saving us from an evil pirate be a bad thing? She is a hero who deserves to be honored, not a criminal. She stopped the criminal.”
It was a relief to hear Kukri say that, even though it was no surprise. That was part of why I liked the idea of having her around in the first place: to remember why I’d used dark magic. “It kept Kukri and everypony else on the Venture in one piece. The only other alternative was letting the bad guy win. So yeah, I’ll learn to live with what I did.”
Puzzle regarded me with its unreadably neutral expression. “Perhaps you will. But are you trying to convince this one or yourself?”
Urgh. This was definitely one of those conversations I really didn’t want to continue. Especially not with Kukri right here. “I'll have it handled by the time our next job comes up, okay?”
Puzzle was still staring at me, but it didn’t say anything. Probably because there wasn’t anything to say. Either I would make it through this or I wouldn’t. Puzzle was nice for a changeling, but it wasn’t going to hug me and tell me everything was gonna be okay.
I wish Celestia was here. Though if she was, I’d probably get a big long lecture about how wrong I’d been to use dark magic, and how there’s always a better way to solve your problems. Even that didn’t sound so bad right now, though. I mean, yeah, she’d be really mad at me and disappointed, but ... I dunno. Getting a big lecture didn’t sound that bad, as long as she was the one giving it to me. I just missed her, I guess. Especially now that I didn’t know if I could ever go back to see her again.
It seems weird that I almost wanted a lecture from her. Back when I’d been with her, I’d always been annoyed when Celestia chewed me out for doing something wrong.
All this horseapples was just too much to deal with. I wanted to curl up in bed for a week and hope that it would somehow just go away on its own. Fat chance of that actually happening, but a mare can dream.
Before I could worry about that any more, somepony knocked on the door. “Room service.”
Kukri hopped up from the couch, an eager grin on her face. “That would be the ice cream. This one hopes it meets with the Shimmer-mare’s approval.”
While Kukri went to get the door, Puzzle continued staring at me. It was starting get a bit unnerving. “The Shimmer-mare is certain she is well? This one’s research informed it that she had never been in a battle before, and it would be understandable if she were experiencing ... difficulties.”
Whatever answer I might have given him died on my lips when Kukri opened up the door and Strumming Heartstrings stepped in. “Hey. And before anypony complains about me lying, I did actually bring you guys ice cream.” She showed me a bowl with maybe two spoonfuls of ice cream left in it. “It was really good, by the way. Thanks.”
Great. Dealing with Strumming again was exactly what I needed right now. I groaned and ran a hoof over my face. “What do you want, and what do I have to do to make you go away?”
Strumming crossed her forelegs over her chest and pouted. “Aww, is that any way to say hello to one of your old buddies from Equestria? And after I brought you ice cream and everything...” She grinned, but I noticed that the smile never reached her eyes. “What, should I add whipped cream and sprinkles to it? Or did you want a cherry on top?” Her fake smile disappeared, and she shifted topic fast enough to give me mental whiplash. “So, you used dark magic. That's gonna be a real mess to fix.”
Puzzle groaned and pressed a hoof to its forehead. “Strumming. Good of you to drop in on us. Again.”
“You might not think it’s so good once I’m done.” She trotted up to the table and cut herself a slice of cake. “I'm gonna have to take Sunset into custody. Y’know, for the whole dark magic thing.” She snatched up my fork and waved it in my general direction. “So, you’re under arrest. Right to remain silent, blah blah blah, you know the drill.”
“What?” I’d been ready for Strumming to do something strange and annoying, but this was way more than I’d expected.
Puzzle didn’t seem to have been caught by surprise, at least. “Are you now? Curious, to see an Equestrian spy trying to make an arrest within Freeport’s sovereign territory. Not to mention the fact that the Equestrian Intelligence Service is technically not a law enforcement organization.”
“Well, maybe I’m technically taking her into custody rather than arresting her.” Strumming snorted, then paused to stuff some cake into her mouth. “But really, why quibble about semantics? The bottom line is, she’s coming with me to be punished for her crimes, and I’ll take her in by force if it comes down to that.”
“You will not!” Kukri leapt protectively between myself and Strumming, her teeth bared. Or rather, her fangs. She hadn’t fully reverted to changeling form, but those fangs didn’t belong in a pony’s mouth. “You will not harm the Shimmer-mare! She saved the Venture and her crew!”
“Whoa! Someone calm the little bug down before I have to break out the flyswatter.” Strumming tossed a bag of chips towards Kukri. “Eat those, the adults need to talk.” She turned back to Puzzle. “And don’t try to pretend I’m overstepping. You know Freeport’s a signatory to the Canterlot Accords, just like every other civilized nation. Warlocks are right up there with pirates and slavers as hostis equini generis. Jurisdiction doesn’t apply—anyone who can capture her can prosecute her.”
“Nonetheless, you are still in Freeport’s sovereign territory,” Puzzle countered. “The Accords specify that you can levy charges, after which our condottieri will take her into custody for an extradition hearing. By all means, file the appropriate paperwork with the Council, and they will give Equestria’s request due consideration.” The faint smirk on Puzzle’s lips made it clear how that would end.
“Normally that would be standard procedure,” Strumming shot right back, “but in this case it’s fairly obvious that the Council is harboring Sunset.” She directed a pointed look at Puzzle. “Filing a bunch of paperwork would get us nowhere, so we’re gonna take the more direct route.” She picked up an empty bowl, frowned down at it for a second, then chucked it right at the door, where it broke in a dozen shards of very expensive ceramic.
That must have been some kind of signal, because a moment later the door opened again, and a dozen ponies in armor that marked them as guards from the Equestrian Embassy filed in. “So, if you like legal authority, I got that covered. You want something more, I’ve got a dozen armed and armored ponies backing me up.”
Kukri fully reverted to changeling form and snarled, but I quickly wrapped a hoof around her chest and pulled her back. While I was busy restraining the angry young changeling, Puzzle kept Strumming talking. “So you intend on taking her one way or another, is that it? This one should mention that kidnapping is highly illegal.”
Strumming shrugged nonchalantly. “Yeah, but that’s why I’ve got diplomatic immunity.” She smirked and casually nibbled at her stolen slice of cake. “I don’t want this getting any nastier than it has to, but I've got my orders. I’m sure our ambassador will issue a formal apology and send the Council a fruit basket or something once it’s all done.”
I finally managed to get a good enough grip on Kukri that I could afford to take some of my attention off of her to answer Strumming. “You can’t arrest me, I haven’t broken any laws. Section three paragraph twelve of the Universal Code of the Magi states that—”
“When faced with an immediate threat, an Equestrian Magus is authorized to preserve the lives of innocents by any justifiable means,” Strumming quoted. “You know your rules, but there’s two big problems with using that particular one. First off, it’s the magus code, and you're not a magus.”
“I might as well be!” I snapped. “I trained for years under Celestia. I know more than any magus. I could probably beat half the Archmagi in a magic duel!”
“Maybe, but the Magus Code doesn’t apply to ponies who believe they deserve to be members of the corps, only to ponies who are members.” Strumming let that hang in the air for a bit, then moved on. “And even if we overlooked that issue, it says any justifiable means. As in, someone in authority can call you in and demand that you justify your actions. Kind of like being put on trial for your crimes. In fact, exactly like it.”
“The Heartstrings-mare has no right!” Kukri snarled, straining against my hooves. “She should be honoring the Shimmer-mare as a hero, not treating her as a criminal! This one and its clan will never allow her to be taken!”
Strumming chuckled, but a moment later the laugh died on her lips, and she shot a concerned look at Kukri and Puzzle. “Y’know, the kid might have a point. Warlock or not, the Doos might decide that they owe Sunset a rescue. Not to mention all the trouble the self-proclaimed best fixer in Freeport could cause for us if we left him loose.” She nodded to her guards. “Take ‘em all with us, at least until we’re far enough away from Freeport to be safe.”
“This one is curious to hear the Heartstrings-mare’s justification for such an act,” Puzzle sniped.
“Pragmatism,” Strumming answered with a smile. “But yeah, it is kinda blatantly illegal. Might as well use that diplomatic immunity while I’ve got it, right?”
I wasn’t interested in the legal questions. I quickly shoved Kukri behind me and ignited my horn as preparation for igniting something else—or somepony. “Leave Kukri out of this. If you lay one hoof on her...”
Strumming flicked a wing and something buzzed past my face before embedding itself in the wall behind me. A throwing spike. Strumming grinned and spread one of her wings, revealing several more spikes holstered on it. “Ah ah ah, let’s not start threatening the trained EIS agent who knows just how nasty a pyromancer who isn’t holding back can be.”
A rather important fact clicked into place for me, and I grinned. “You’re scared of me.”
“Darn right I am,” Strumming answered without a moment’s hesitation. “I’m in a flammable building with a high-level pyromancer, I’d have to be an idiot not to be worried. But you shouldn’t be smiling about the fact that I’m nervous. See, when I get nervous, I start thinking that maybe I should remove the thing that’s scaring me before it can hurt me.”
“You wouldn’t dare,” I growled. “I’ll bet every bit of my bounty that Celestia’s orders were to bring me back alive and unharmed.”
“Alive, yes,” Strumming conceded. “Unharmed? Well, I figure as long as it all heals up before I drag you back into the throne room, we don’t really need to bother the Princess with every little detail of your capture. Though if you wanna make a fight of it, there’s two things I’d point out.” She sat down and snagged one of the shrimp off Kukri’s plate, sniffing it and trying a small bit, then quickly setting it aside. “First off, if you put up a fight, it adds more charges to the list and makes you look guilty. If you really believe your actions were justified, you’d have no issues with defending them at your trial. Secondly,” her eyes turned to my companions, “my orders are to take you alive and relatively unharmed. The Princess didn’t say one word about any changelings I happened to find tagging along with you. If it comes to a fight, we’ll handle them with a level of force appropriate to the threat.”
“Is that how the EIS operates, then?” Puzzle challenged, drawing itself up to its full height and glowering at the spy. “Threatening a child?”
“Who was threatening?” Strumming looked about the room with wide-eyed innocence. “I didn’t threaten anyone. I’m just stating the facts. Fights are dangerous. So think real hard whether mixing it up right now is worth it.” She turned to me, letting her eyes linger on mine for a long moment, then sighed. “Look, you go quietly and nothing’s gonna happen to your pet bugs except for being held onto for a bit. Minor inconvenience, then we let them go. No harm done. Plus it’d look real good at your trial. Honestly, from what I’ve heard so far I think you’d have a pretty good shot at acquittal if you don’t do anything stupid to feather it up.”
Puzzle leaned over and whispered to me. “If the Shimmer-mare would face trial, then submission seems prudent. If she intends to make a fight of it, the Heartstrings-mare has the advantage on us. Better to offer temporary surrender, then escape custody at a time and place of our choosing. She must sleep eventually, and this one doubts there will be a dozen guards on us at all times.”
As usual, Puzzle was right. Even if I could beat Strumming and her pet guards, where could I go from there? I would’ve added more crimes to my list and made myself look guilty of what I’d already been accused of. And Celestia would probably send some heavy hitters after me, or maybe even come herself. Though a part of me wanted to make her leave Canterlot; drag her halfway across the world, just to deal with me. It’d be nice to see her going to that much effort, instead of sending one of her errand-girls to pick me up.
I guess I’d be facing her soon enough, then. I might as well do so with less blood on my hooves. “Fine. I surrender.”
Stats
Page generated in 0.026 seconds
Total duration
857 users online
915,032 hits today, 1,223,141 yesterday
FIMFiction
My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Fanfiction
Designed and coded by knighty & Xaquseg - © 2011-2024
Follow & Support Us
Support us
SubStar
Chat!
Discord
Follow us
Twitter
MLP: Friendship is Magic® - © 2024 Hasbro Inc.®
Fimfiction is in no way affiliated with or endorsed by Hasbro Inc.®
Welp. Kind of saw that coming, but hoped I was wrong. Really hoping that Sunset doesn't have to burn bridges (see what I did there?) any faster than she already had.
Oh damn, she didn't even get time to really relax O_o
I have to admit I saw the magus angle coming, though was unsure what kind of authority they had in Freeport.
Am I the only one rather fond of Puzzle, Kukri, and Sunset's interactions? It's just a great mix of cuteness, assertiveness, naivety, friendship and tension that make each conversation interesting to read, if only to see the other players reactions.
Another great chapter! Thanks for writing it!
Hmph. I do hope they manage to give Heartstrings the slip. And possibly burn her wings off. I really hate her.
I wonder what distance she can control those golems over?
Dear me. Things do seem to be escalating...
Yea like Celestia would believe them over Sunset? GTFO.
Wow. Strumming is kind of an idiot, considering the whole elite spy thing. At the risk of sounding like I'm trying to sound all clever and sagacious, I'm going to quote Sun Tzu here: "Do not press a desperate foe too hard."
You've already seen that Sunset will do whatever it takes to survive, and now you're going to invade her space and threaten her? Even more so, you're going to threaten her with odds she can't possibly beat without racking up a body count? After seeing that, yes, she is totally willing to resort to those kind of methods?
People you negotiate with don't have to like you, but they always have to believe they have something to gain by working with you. Put others into no-win scenarios and they will be willing to lash out just to spite you - after all, why not? Strumming is either mildly sadistic, kind of bad at her job, or not quite what she appears to be.
Well, Strumming is really a bitch. Or at least she's giving me that vibe.
Sunset could have negotiated to at least collect her bounty first though
Considering what happened with Metal Mome, I'm not sure saying that was a smart move.
Also, dang it Strumming!
Hm, that didn't go as I expected it to. Strumming seemed to learn about Sunset's transgressions pretty quickly. I wonder if this is a case of sailors talk or Celestia has some means of monitoring what magic her pupil is using? I'm leaning towards the latter. I don't think her foresight applies here, as she said in Rising Shadows "I only see the best in my little ponies." Mind rape is definitely not "the best."
5471079 If your first response to a character you don't like is "cripple her for life," you need therapy.
5471228 Your trusted agent or your wayward pupil? Honestly, when you consider Sunset's personality it seems totally in-character for her to resist arrest. Just look what happened with that caribou bounty hunter her parents hired. I think Celestia would forgive a few scrapes and bruises. She'd definitely give a lecture, though.
5471341 It actually makes sense from Strumming's viewpoint. Sunset was already a fugitive for attacking Cadence. The only reason she wasn't classified as such is because of Celestia's good will. Now she's proven herself a very dangerous fugitive by using black magic in a situation she deliberately engineered to be as desperate as possible. Before you go off on that, remember she was trying to impress the Council and deliberately decided against hiring mercenaries (cost was also a factor) or requesting backup. She went up alone against the most notorious pirate alive on purpose and used black magic to subdue him. That looks pretty bad on paper without the full details.
Anyway, Strumming's thought was likely "I'm going up against a very dangerous mare who can kill me with a thought." With that in mind, her plan was to use an overwhelming show of force to nip any resistance in the bud. We know Sunset's a confused, shaken, but ultimately good pony. Strumming doesn't have that kind of insight. She might well have been afraid now that Sunset's had experience with dark magic she's gotten a taste for it. No guarantee what happened to Mome wouldn't happen to her, too.
At this point, the only way Sunset can get Celestia to leave her alone as initially desired is to truly burn away her bridge to alicornhood. Celestia is desperate to preserve whatever good remains in Sunset, without realising she is or will ultimately push her over the edge. Is it any wonder she doesn't dare be more directly involved whenever Twilight is doing something?
5471433 Yea fucking right Celestia would want Sunset unharmed. Celestia no fool either I pretty sure there a memory spell out there. I don't buy that threat for a minute and for her to suggest it is even pushing the line. It already proven that Celestia will protect her. Really I don't buy the whole second part of the chapter.
5471341
Strumming did point out the advantages of compliance... Sunset surrenders, nobody gets hurt, the changelings are released once they're all safely away, and Sunset has an easier time pleading innocent of the charges. That's a far distance from the "win the fight or everyone on the ship is murdered, raped and/or sold into slavery" option she was given at sea, and why Sunset ultimately took that option (for now.)
Not that I think Strumming isn't making a mistake... There was a real opportunity there, in the wake of Sunset's first real taste of life outside of Equestria. Hell, Sunset was craving a chewing out from Celestia. This was likely, by far, the best opportunity Strumming was going to get to convince Sunset that she belonged back in Equestria, and instead she pushed Sunset onto the defensive and is forcing her to think of Equestria as an enemy, and herself as a fugitive criminal from it (should she escape.) Its a bad move, and if (when) things go pear shaped it may very well removed the option of Sunset coming home at all off the table.
5471532 It's definitely starting to look a bit more reasonable why Sunset would flee to another world (assuming we go that route). Celestia's got a definite vibe of "there's nowhere in the world you can run when it's my world."
Interestingly, I recently read a theory that actually explains Sunset's whole "enslave teenage army" plan from the movie. Basically, it focuses on how painful the transformation into a raging she-demon seemed and how she only started ranting about conquering Equestria after the transformation. The idea is that the corrupted crown drove her (temporarily) insane and that plan was never her original to begin with. Assuming Chengar decides to go the Equestria Girls' route this would make a likely explanation for why Sunset went from "escape Celestia and find my own destiny" to "conquer everything with brainwashed teenagers."
Kukri's really cute for a love bug. I really wanted to kick Strumming when she threatened her. That EIS jerk is gonna overstep soon, I think.
Strumming cracks me up
! And Kukri is the cutest little bug ever 
!! Great story by the way. I am enjoying every bit of it. What happened to the goloms (or however you spell them)?
~Estrella Scrolls
When does Strumming die?
That was a great couple of chapters I just read
I think Stumming made a mistake but she did have a point. 
Even a few chapters back Strumming already stated she would do this if she felt Sunset was a danger to herself and others around her a.k.a using dark magic 
I do hope Sunset gets through this and I wouldnt mind if she didn't go to equestria girls in this universe 
I also love the two Changelings I think they really help Sunset keep things in perspective, they have a good vibe while they are all together 
I WANT MOAR SOON! 
If that is alright with you 
I didn't actually foresee Strumming getting involved. In retrospect I really should have, and now I want to see where this whole thing is going even more than I did before.
Also Kukri is just the most adorable little changeling ever.
Ugh. As reprehensible as Sunset's actions regarding Mome may have been, Strumming deserves at least a light toasting for being so obnoxious.
Also, I suspect that Celestia may be able to determine past injuries even after healing. If Strumming causes any more harm than strictly necessary she's going to be in for some trouble.
Haha another great story to add to the mix, bravo Im looking forward to an update. :-)
Nice work with leveraging Sunset, Puzzle. Act nonchalant at first ( joking to really dig in the knife) then offer respite. One already has her fairly materially dependent and getting her to cut off ties with her previous support net now just get her emotionally dependent and she's its. ( Changeling pronouns are hard in the second person)
I can't be the only one who thinks Puzzle is trying to make Sunset ITS ( not the council's ) pony.
Kukri is adorable, Chen as always your children with the right amount of optimism, naivety, and energy to melt hearts. So far I see her as the one good influence on Sunset in Freeport. Also the world building with Changelings diet and development was awesome.
Honestly, given what Strumming knows, there's only so much I can object to her actions. I mean 1 quest in and Sunset's using dark magic. She is getting into bed with (from Strumming's POV) corrupting forces and had already shown signs of going warlock. And she's just supposed to leave her there? I see Strumming as and extension of Celestia, overbearing, patronising, but well intentioned. Differences being Strummimgs an ass, and doesn't assume the best in ponies. I think she acted as if Sunset had gone warlock not being privy to Sunsets internal debate. And now that I think about it, probably calculated to drive in the 'you done goofed' as much as for her safety if Sunset had fallen. Now that Sunset's in custody they need to lay off of else they'll drive Sunset even further towards Puzzle.
Can't wait for the next chapter.
(Why do all my comments always become walls of text...)
5472150
Oh, I agree... Strumming is the only party at play whose intentions I trust when it comes to Sunset.. We know what her end goal is, and it probably would be the best thing for Sunset after all. As cute as the young Changeling is, she's still both a Changeling and someone at home in such untrustworthy environments... Even if her goals are entirely what she offers at face value, I have no idea how far she might go to keep the Shimmer mare around. And Puzzle is just as manipulative as Strummings, but I really don't know what he might ultimately want or who he serves.
I'd like to think that Strummings is smart enough that there is more to her thinking than "arrest Sunset now that there is an excuse, drag her back to Equestria, let Celestia sort it all out and be done with this assignment already." Because it seems like she has raised the stakes by going all in before she had to, and should something go wrong during an escape attempt...
So...
What about her payment? If she does not get paid, she is gonna be FURIOUS.
Love how everyone's criticizing Strumming's decision to take in Sunset, despite the likely fact she's just operating on orders from her superiors (she even mentions following orders at one point). I'm still greatly enjoying Strumming as a character, though I do love characters who are just unapologetic assholes, so there's that. Not sure whether she's doing the right thing in taking Sunset in (though, indirectly threatening a kid may have been taking it too far), but the reasoning behind her (or whoever gave her the order's) decision to do so makes sense.
Also, somehow I knew there would be a scene where Sunset tries to take a bath but still feels dirty
I wonder what Celestia will do with her.
5471433
If you're that uptight about a fictional character, you really need some therapy before you shoot up a theater. Or a library.
5472661 Zero points for reusing the same line as your opponent. Minus one point for mocking real world tragedies on a fictitious website. If you wish to play this game, please be more imaginative with your responses. Thank you, the Internet.
5473112
Given that you seem unable to differentiate between a character and a person, using real life tragedies seemed necessary in order to drive the point home: You need some therapy, Sparky.
It's funny because chances seem high that this will just force Sunset to do something worse than dark magic on a pirate to escape. On a side note the more I see of the EIS the more I want something painful and lingering to happen to them, mainly Heartstrings. Whether dark magic is used or not I sincerely hope Sunset mares up and starts breaking bones. heartstrings is pretty proud of her throwing wings knifes...how about Sunset or even better, Puzzle feeds her wings to her.
You know, I'll go ahead and throw my lot in with the "Strumming really isn't that bad" crowd. She's doing her job, at the end of the day, especially when her intel doesn't seem to be much more extensive than "Sunset used dark magic" (and even knowing that much so soon is impressive).
I mean, Puzzle Piece certainly didn't start helping Sunset just because it's really nice. Freeport is founded on capitalism and monopolies at their most cutthroat. It's not like Sunset is being torn away from a truly loving place to call home.
And Strumming being a jerk towards Sunset? Um...maybe I'm not sympathetic because for most of the fic so far Sunset has been a fairly selfish, manipulative jerk of a pony herself? Not truly sociopathic I wouldn't say, but she's not exactly best-friend material yet IMO. And if the justification for her actions is that she wants to be out on her own, yeah sure. She wants to be on her own to become an alicorn because she's got Special Snowflake Syndrome out the wazoo. She wants to be put on an even taller pedestal than what she had already and Celestia, quite rightly imo, replied with "no you aren't ready".
I don't hate Sunset, far from it, but imo what I see in the story is her having to learn and grow a whole lot, even if that growing doesn't bear fruit until EqG.
5473471 I get what what your saying. For me it's partly that I like Sunset, she's the protagonist, therefore I don't like people who are antagonists to her.
On a less meta level I would say Hearstrings 'doing her job' involves violating our Shimmer's privacy, harassing her at every turn and now kidnapping and threatening to murder a child and harm Shimmer to get her way. Everything she does is justifiable on her end as part of being a worthless underhanded should be strung up...i mean a spy. But well, I'm sure Metal M felt justified in the things he did and I'm not about to shed tears over him.
When you get down to it any time a protagonist is beaten and made a fool of by someone you should want to see bad things happen to the antagonist, otherwise the story hasn't done it's job of making you care about the protagonist. There were signs during the first Indiana Jones movie that Belloq had good points and even understandable reasons for what he does at times...that didn't make it any less satisfying to see his head explode at the end. Hearstrings may not be as bad as Belloq, but the more I see her get in Shimmer's way the more I want to see her head explode.
Not saying you or anyone else has to feel the same way or is wrong for even liking her, just trying to put the feeling of hate for Heartstrings into perspective.
5472320
Hahaha, I write a whole post about people being manipulative, but then completely trust the cute little changeling
. I'm not certain how I should feel about that oversight.
I think Kukri is getting set up to be a moral tether for Sunset later on, I know that odd considering it's the most vocal defender of Sunset's lobotomy, but I can also see it keeping Sunset on the perspective of helping people, which while not the straight and narrow, should, hopefully keep her from straying too far. So, while qualified, I still think that Kukri's a good influence on Sunset while she blazes her trail to her goals, and hopefully grow up and not be such a spoiled brat. (I like Sunset, but she is a spoiled brat)
While her intentions are known and well meaning, I don't think that Strumming (and Celestia) is helping with the growing up part, Her job is to keep Sunset out of (too much) trouble. But ponies helicoptering over her, I think, is one of the things that caused this whole situation (well in addition to mommy issues of course). Because it stifled her really becoming an adult. For this reason I, while trusting Strumming, am hesitant to call her a good influence, she's a bit to forceful of a moral compass, and an unpleasant reminder of the worst of home.
And yeah, Strumming's move to arrest Sunset as if she were a warlock, while understandable is very, very, risky and could easily push Sunset further down the dark path.
5473276 Strumming's "when all you have is a hammer" speech summed it up pretty nicely. Celestia's main concern is ponies using extreme solutions to deal with mundane situations. It's a pretty fair concern, especially when you take into account how easy it would be to just start mind raping every stubborn crook. How long before you end up seriously damaging someone who didn't deserve it? It's nearly impossible to come back from destroying an innocent person.
Raping a pony's soul and utterly destroying their mind was undeniably useful but let's not forget that the situation in which it was used was entirely Sunset's fault to begin with. She went in with no experience, little planning, and zero back-up against a foe she knew was heavily armed with a large force of experienced killers. Her arrogance and lack of foresight pretty much guaranteed she'd be put in a hopeless situation. I really can't emphasize how much Sunset screwed up on this one.
So, while you're correct that dark magic is quite useful, it's also an incredibly dangerous resource that should only be used in the most dire of situations. That's why the clause exists, to allow a licensed magus to use whatever means necessary to preserve their own and others' lives. Strumming's handling it in the worst possible way, but I fully agree with the idea of putting the magus in question in front of a review board to determine if the situation warranted the act. Whatever Sunset's feelings on the matter, she's still a citizen of Equestria and answers to Equestrian law.
It's a bit of a red flag for me that Puzzle is so determined to keep Sunset away from Celestia and out of her government's hooves. Makes me wonder just what he's planning to do with the mare. I like Puzzle, but I can't say I trust him. At all.
5471714 You know I was thinking the same question are they still on the ship?
5473881 I know right! And wasn't it that now only Sunset could control them? So confusing
.
~Estrella
So... I'm really hating Strumming. Basically everything about her offends me. Which makes perfect sense for the villain of the piece.
Gonna have to chime in on Strumming's side, from her standpoint and mission to retrieve Sunset, getting her now makes the best available sense. Wait a day and she'll have reported to the council who will immediately cover her actions (unless they decide to just kick her out of the city as a loose canon that is better off in Celestia's clutches). And as someone else commented, one mission in and Sunset already appears to be hurtling straight down the "warlock" slippery slope.
Strumming must be wondering how long before Sunset is completely irretrievable, and has decided to move before they collectively arrive at that point.
Man, I really really really really really really really really really really dislike Strumming. I hope this story ends well for Sunset.
5472552
5473471
5474438
I don't think the commenters' issues with Strumming stem from the face that she's following orders so much as how; when she has the resources of the Equestrian embassy at her disposal, but her 'Come quietly' contains an implied threat against Kukri. It's practical, sure, but it flirts the line between amoral and immoral.
That's my read on it, anyway. No pun intended.
5474773
Hey, there's no tragedy tag, so at least there's that.
5476344 Point taken, and the threat against Kukri is the main thing Strumming has done so far that gives me pause.
5473526 Okay, your second paragraph I think gets pretty close to what the point of contention actually is here. What I'm hearing is that you (and from the responses I am seeing, many others) view Sunset as being both "hero" and "protagonist". Your post here says in short that as the protagonist Sunset should be the pony we're all rooting for, and someone else has even straight up called Strumming the villain.
Thing is, I disagree. I disagree at the level of "protagonist == hero". They're not the same thing imo, or even necessarily linked. There are plenty of stories in which the protagonist is very much nonheroic, or even outright villainous. Now, I don't think things here are as clear as "Sunset == villain, Strumming == hero", don't get me wrong. But I do indeed think that Sunset is not a heroic pony yet, not by far, and she has yet to earn any great degree of my sympathy.
I hope that makes some amount of sense.
5476892 True, but still.
5473663 I think Kukri is being set up to die or otherwise be forced to not come near Sunset in a tear jerking manner, whether because Kukri believes Sunset has become evil or another reason, because we know Sunset Shimmer will become evil from EQG. And I cannot believe Sunset would decide to go out and perform a serious act of dark magic(turning into a demon-thing) while knowing she could just live out her days as a Freeport Magus with Kukri as a sort of adopted sister.
5477780
Our theories aren't necessarily mutually exclusive, it could also go down like 5472320 (Harwick) suggests. But I am uncertain if this is actually leading to EQG, For some reason I think I remember reading that this continuity may not recognize EQG somewhere during in the comments of A Moment in the Sun. I want to reiterate that this is a "I think I heard" level of certainty and could be completely wrong and I don't really feel like going back to double check at the moment (due to a combination of wishful thinking, wanting keeping suspense, and bone idleness).
But, sadly, I think we can all agree that Sunsets going to get worse before she gets better (if at all).
Well this is one way of getting Sunset out of the islands and closer to the mirror. But I doubt it will be that easy. A lot of Ponys and others now have an iknterest in a Mare that brought down a notorious pirate. Some for her power, a few for friendship, and others for other reasons like returning her to her parents.
Well Sunset can teleport so if you don't have any anti magic she could just teleport the three away. Also when you are being threatened NEVER show attachment to anyone, they will just use them to get to you. Rookie mistake Sunset.
5477042 Just to clarify, when i say protagonist I in no way mean 'hero'. I mean it by the definition of protagonist as i know it in literature.
"the leading character or one of the major characters in a drama, movie, novel, or other fictional text." I may like Sunset, but I dont see her as 'heroic' is a general sense. I just see her as literally the main character.
Ugh. I hate Strumming. To quote Jerry Peet's meme, you know what we should do? Go find Strumming and shoot her!
(This video is where the meme's from, BTW)
5479424 In that case I'd say we agree that Sunset is the hero, but differ on the issue of whether she deserves much sympathy or not.
5481001 There ya go, we're already starting to agree on shit. I can feel the friendship overtaking me, it is a good pain!