Chapter XXIV - Training
“Again, Amethyst,” Mirra ordered.
Sweat dripped down my face as I drew the magic to my horn. I held the magic there for a moment, letting me concentrate on the shape once more, then I released the power.
This morning had started out pleasantly as I could have hoped: meeting the floor face first. True to her word, Teacher had come for me precisely at four o’clock. I hadn’t been awake, so naturally she thought it would be appropriate to pull me off the bed. She didn’t bother to catch me. Thankfully Marmalade didn’t wake up in time to hear my indignant squawk.
Still, I could hardly complain; it was far from the worst way Mirra had ever woken me. One time she thought it was appropriate to carry me all the way out to my town’s lake before throwing me in. If I hadn’t known better, I would have sworn she had been trying to make her life a little easier and off her apprentice.
Anyhow, I had been practicing my magic for a couple of hours now. Mirra would tell me to do something, then I had to try my damndest to follow her instructions. The only problem was with how picky she was. If so much as a strand of hair, or a line of colour was out of place in my illusions, she would call me out on it.
“Well, that’s something I’ve never seen before,” Teacher commented. I would have had to been deaf to miss the sarcasm in her voice.
I sighed, examining the image of Luna for any flaws. “What is it this time?”
“Why, I never realized it is possible for someone to completely forgot what they already learned and practiced over and over. Scale, Amethyst; most everything is fine save the scale.”
This would be a whole whack less awkward if the real Luna wasn’t sitting about twenty paces away, watching this whole affair. Mirra called it “creating illusions from direct visual cues”. More likely, she just wanted to watch me squirm. And if there is one thing which should make any stallion squirm is when “scale” or any similar word, is used in relation to a mare.
I almost didn’t want to ask. “What’s the problem?”
“Really, Amethyst? You’re standing there and you can’t even tell you made her ass too small.”
I believe my brain shut down for a moment. There it is, mares and gentlecolts: Mirra! Blunter than a sledgehammer, with all the tact of a hungry parasprite. Groaning, I snuck a glance a Luna. Her neutral expression had just taken on the slightest hint of a frown, as if the smell of sour milk had wafted past. I sparred an apologetic smile before bringing my attention back to my illusion.
“Well, Amethyst? I’m waiting,” Mirra said.
I thought about fixing it, but I really couldn’t put up with this. I sighed and let the magic dissipate. “What is the point of all of this?” I asked.
“I don’t recall asking you to stop.”
“Mirra, really. Why can’t you ease up just a little?”
For a moment, she looked ready to bite my head off, but her expression eased. “I guess we have been at this long enough. You did a good job today.”
After all that, she tells me I did a good job? “Hang on a moment,” I protested, “what’s with you? Is there something you want me to do?”
Mirra sighed, and turned back to me. “The whole point of this exercise was to make you uncomfortable. When you get tired, you make mistakes. That’s why we have been going for so long. Same sort of things happen when you get angry, or when you get uncomfortable. If you don’t want to cast an illusion, it’s easy to make a mistake. I kept pressing you because I wanted to see if you could keep your composure.”
“And did I?”
“You did, though you could have been a little faster with forming the spells. Time isn’t a luxury you will always have.” She paused for a moment and glanced over her shoulder at Luna. “Your ass was fine by the way, Princess.”
To her credit, Luna managed to ignore the comment. “Yes, well, if you have finished, I would like to extend you an invitation to eat breakfast with myself, Celestia and Cadance.”
“I take it Amethyst is coming too?” she asked.
Luna nodded. “That is, unless he has other plans.”
“Eh, why not. Could use a nice breakfast for a change. Can I ask you for a bucket of water first?”
“Bucket of wat…” she trailed off as her eyes came to rest on me.
I sighed. “Just get it over with.” The deluge of water was at the very least warm and a gust of hot air followed right on the heels of the first spell. I blinked away a few drops of water. “I could have just had a shower… but thanks, I guess.”
“You’re welcome, Amethyst. Now come, they are waiting for us.”
“What time is it anyway?”
“A little past seven if I am correct,” she answered.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Fragrances of freshly cut fruit and warm bread saturated my smell as we entered the dining room. Celestia and Cadance were sipping at cups of tea, but it was the butler who noticed us first. A few empty chairs were pulled back slightly from the table, then placements and cutlery were laid out for the three of us. The two alicorns sitting greeted us with smiles as we approached the table. Celestia was looking much better; she had traded out the pad of bandages for a pure white eyepatch.
Still, I couldn’t stop the joke from forming on my tongue, but to my surprise, Mirra beat me to it. “If you’re going for the pirate look, a black eyepatch might work a little better.”
Rather than scowling at the jibe, Celestia gave a light titter. “I was prepared to use a black one before Cadance pointed out the image it leant me. It should only be a few more days before my eye is healed. Thank you for coming, by the way.”
“I’m guessing you wanted to speak with me.” Mirra leaned back to let a maid place a dish in front of her.”
She nodded. “There is. I hate to spoil breakfast with talk of politics, but I am afraid I must. We wish to establish communications with the changeling nation.”
Mirra raised an eyebrow. “Nation isn’t the word I would use, but regardless, do you remember the last time you made this request?”
“I do. However, I am hoping cooler heads will prevail this time. I do not believe that was the time or place for such in-depth discussion.”
I half raised my hoof. “Can I cut in for a moment?” I went ignored.
Teacher signed, and set down the fork she had just picked up. “For the moment, the council has made it quite clear they have no intention of doing so until they are ready. That is, if they even decide to speak with you. Still, I will pass along your request.”
Luna frowned. “Could you elaborate as to your duties for the council? You have been present, but we have seen naught of any others such as you, or your…” She struggled to find the right word. “Companion.”
“Let’s make one thing clear first: I despise his beliefs. There are far too many ponies I call friends for me to believe that.”
“I said nothing of the sort.”
Mirra met Luna’s gaze for a few seconds before looking away. “Right, anyway, I was assigned to handle the situation primarily here in the castle, but to an extent Canterlot. Others were assigned various areas of Equestria to collect information for the council. When I found out Amethyst was here, I took advantage of his presence to make sure I was assigned here by the council. After all, it was only logical that a teacher be placed with their student when I am just as capable as any other.”
“You what?” I exclaimed.
Again, I was ignored. “Had I not manipulated their selection, the position would have likely been given to another who may have been closed minded, like Mrtic”
“And we thank you for that,” Luna answered. “But why tell us all of this? What changed your earlier stance?”
“We are a race that thrives upon emotions, whether they belong to changelings or otherwise. An illusionist is generally allowed to act as their discretion prescribes, because, traditionally, the power held by an illusionist came from other changelings. The more power that an illusionist has, the more leeway they were allowed, so long as it related to matters only of their hive. Of these illusionists, and other areas of our society, the council appoints a number to act on their behalf.”
“You were appointed, correct?”
Mirra nodded. “So long as my actions do not intrude upon the orders of a senior member, or the council, I am permitted to act as I wish so long as it ensures the safety of changelings.”
“And you told us because…”
“Partly it is my discretion, but the council has finally realized that our race’s presence will no longer remain a secret without using ridiculous methods. Knowing how we operate might help quell some of the incorrect assumptions you’ve made. ”
“What kind of methods are we talking about?”
Mirra grimaced. “The expulsion of ponies from changeling inhabited areas, or extermination within a localized area. Trust me, the idea—and the council member—was nearly tossed out for suggesting it and he was forced to take a leave of absence when he showed the plans.”
My mouth fell open. I could understand if they were seeking reparations, and, to a degree, I could understand wanting to kick ponies out of a few areas, but extermination? Holy hell that wasn’t something that should even be joked about.
Evidently the princesses felt the same way, if their expressions were anything to go by. “Who would even wish that upon another?” Cadance whispered.
“My backers thought very much the same thing.”
Celestia gave a soft sigh. “Mirra, I don’t make this request lightly, knowing that you’re expected to remain loyal to your council. But, if—”
“Oh trust me,” Mirra interrupted. “If something like that ever happens, I would vacate my position in a heartbeat. There are lines that should never be crossed, but unfortunately, I know there are some in your government who have said similar things about us.”
The conversation sort of died after that. With such a weighty subject on everyone’s minds, it didn’t really inspire much enthusiasm. Still, I had to say something, but nothing came to mind.
The clock at the signI looked back down at my food, before pushing it away my plate and rose from my seat. “I think I’m going to go for a walk.”
“Sit back down, Amethyst,” Mirra ordered. “There’s something else we have to talk about.” I did not like the tone of her voice, but abided. “Princesses, I believe I owe you an apology.”
“Whatever for?” Luna asked.
“Yesterday, Amethyst snuck out of the castle for several hours.”
In an instant, you could hear a pin drop as they looked to me. Luna half looked like she wanted to leap across the table and wring my neck. I shrunk in my chair, half considering using a spell to try and run away.
“And did Amethyst inform anypony before he did so?” Luna said, gritting her teeth.
“I think that would defeat the purpose of sneaking.” I was damn close to hyperventilating now. “The point of the exercise was for him to leave, move around city undetected, and return. I’m proud to say that he succeeded.”
It took me a moment to get what she was doing, far longer than it took Celestia. “Are you saying that you asked him to?” she asked.
“Yes I am.” Mirra hadn’t ratted me out; she was covering for me.
“Then who did I speak to yesterday?”
“That was me. I realized after the fact I should have told you.”
I licked my lips. “Teacher, what—”
“<Quiet, Amethyst>” she chittered harshly. “However, I will be repeating the exercise.”
Luna shook her head. “It is not safe.”
“And? Amethyst is not a colt. He can take care of himself, and last time I checked, as his teacher, his safety was my concern, not yours.”
“Mirra, please,” Celestia cut in. “It may not be our obligation to guarantee his safety, but don’t believe for a second we don’t care for his wellbeing.”
“Well we can discuss your thoughts on it, if you would like.”
I was bound to give myself away if I didn’t busy myself with something. I lifted the fork, and lifted a bit of the pasta to my mouth. Really, who serves pasta in the morning? Despite what it looked like, it smelled bloody amazing.
Wish I could same for the taste. I spat it out after a single bite, struggling not to retch. “What the hell?” I asked, reaching for my glass of water to try and wash down the taste.
Celestia appeared confused. “It’s just pasta garnished with a sweet sauce made from pickled beets. You told me as… much…” she trailed off as she put the pieces together. “The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, Mirra, does it?”
The corner of Mirra’s mouth quirked upwards. “Depends on your way of looking at things.”
“My apologies, Amethyst. I’ll have something else made up.”
I shrugged. “It’s fine.” Truth be told, however, I was sort of disappointed. I thought it was going to be great.
Across from me Cadance rose from her seat. “Celestia, may Amethyst and I be excused?”
“Of course you may,” she answered. “Mirra, I am hoping you are willing to stay a little longer.”
“I can for a bit,” Teacher answered.
I started to follow Cadance, but I glanced back over my shoulder at Mirra. There were so many questions I wanted to ask her, but in private. Wait, there was one way…
“<Mirra,>” I said in the changeling language, “<Why did you do that for me?>”
“<I may have my responsibilities to the council, but I was your teacher first. If I carry on, it is only because there are others watching.>” When I realized what she meant by that, I had to stop myself from rushing over to give her a hug. Teacher wasn’t going to let her duties stop her from helping me, though I am sure she had her limits.
“<Thank you so much.>”
“<Anytime.>”
Seeing me finished, Cadance ushered me into the hall and away from the dining room. Their voices faded as we walked away.
“What was that?” I heard Celestia ask.
“Oh, nothing much,” Mirra lied. “He was just asking me how to pronounce something. Amethyst has never… that…”
As her words faded off into the background I turned to Cadance. “So: good or bad?”
Cadance glanced over in puzzlement. ‘Pardon?”
I stepped to the side for a moment to let a servant wheeling a cart pass. “How did the press conference go? Good or bad?”
Her sigh caused my heart to plummet. “As far as I can tell, it went well, but until all the papers and magazines are published, it’s hard to say.” Cadance directed me down another hallway, pausing in front of a massive glass window. Her eyes seemed to be locked on something, but I couldn’t seem to make out what. All I saw depicted in the glass was a fair of some sorts. She shook her head and gestured for me to follow. “The entire time I was speaking, it wasn’t like they had trouble accepting what I said, but rather that they didn’t want to. A few ponies even wanted me to bring out Chrysalis, on the idea that my word wasn’t enough.”
“That wouldn’t have done any good.”
She nodded wearily. “If they would just give us some more time, everything would be sorted out so much faster.” She shrugged. “I suppose that is just common nature, however.”
“Was there something else you wanted to show me?”
Cadance’s ears perked right up as a smile sprung to her face. “Yes, in fact.”
I waited for her to tell me.
A moment passed.
“Well?” I asked.
She grinned. “You’ll just have to wait and see.” We continued for a few more steps, before she suddenly skipped ahead. But more than that, I could feel the happiness pouring off her. Seriously, did someone put something in her cereal?
The source of Cadance’s good mood became apparent when we came across somepony else wandering the halls: her husband. She rushed forward to give Shining Armor a hug, forcing him back onto his haunches. It was good to see him up; even though he was an ass, he didn’t deserve any lasting damage.
“Was this it?” I asked.
Shining Armor titled his head. “It?”
Cadance waved hoof dismissively. “I told Amethyst there was something he should see. And no, Amethyst, Shining isn’t the surprise. Though, he is not unrelated.”
His brow furrowed for a moment. “Oh, you mean—” A zipper over his mouth cut off his next words.
The glow around Cadance’s horn faded. “Hush you.”
He dispelled the spell a moment later, rolling his eyes. “Regardless, Amethyst, could I speak with you in private for a moment?”
“I’ll just wait a little bit ahead,” Cadance offered. She strolled down the hall, taking in the pictures and art lining the walls.
“What is it?” I asked, once she was out of earshot.
“You heard what happened to me the other day, right?” He didn’t let me answer. “It wasn’t just some random pony who attacked me, it was a guard.”
I managed to looked reasonably surprised. “What, but I thought…”
He nodded his head in agreement, buying the act. “I thought they would all be loyal too, but somepony in the guard has disobeyed the princesses orders, assisted in the escape suspects and attacked an officer. I never thought I would say this, but there is a traitor in the guard.”
It wasn’t hard to tell that he didn’t like admitting it. “Gee, you mean like those guys from the shower the other day?”
The scowl was instant. “That is not the same. Granted, they disobeyed orders, but they were acting in the moment, and not thinking ahead. Much of the guard, especially the city guard, are still angry about the invasion, maybe rightfully so. The guard who attacked me was different. He planned it out in advance.”
Ah, if only he knew how little of a plan I actually had had at the time. “So what are you telling me this for?”
“If you see anything out of the ordinary, tell me. Understood?”
I rolled my eyes and started to follow Cadance. “Right, sure thing.”
Shining muttered something under his breath, but came after me. Though the temptation was there for me to have a little fun at Shining’s expense, I knew I probably shouldn’t.
Probably.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
If I hadn’t known better, I would have sworn that Cadance was just walking us around in circles. Thankfully, we weren’t, but the route could not have been more convoluted. Cadance simply explained it away as more recent additions to the castle not matching perfectly with the new ones. But really, did they serious spend however many millions of bits building this place and not take the time to notice what should have been obvious? A pre-schooler could have done a better job integrating the additions with the existing building.
Anyhow, according to Cadance, we were in the second most recent addition to the castle. She went into the great long explanation about the styles of architecture at the time, and how it differed from other parts of the castle. Obviously, Shining hadn’t heard it before, judging by the way he was actually listening (unlike me), or it could be he just wanted to listen to his wife. That, I could understand a whole lot more.
“Amethyst…” Cadance called.
“Huh, what?” I asked, twisting around to find her. She was back about twenty steps with Shining Armor in front of another door.
She sighed. “Not that much into history I gather?”
“… Pretty obvious, isn’t it,” I admitted.
Shining snorted. “You could say that.”
“If you had been listening, you would have found out that this part of the castle was an extension onto the medical wing to allow patients to recover in a peaceful environment.”
I stared at her blankly. “And?”
To my credit, with how much had been going on lately, I think I could be forgiven for not piecing it together sooner. Cadance knocked on the door gently. “Just try and not be too noisy. He still needs his rest.”
I finally got it, just about the same time as the door opened, revealing a familiar stallion lying on the bed: Flare. He was propped up with a mountain of pillows, and his eyes were opened, if barely. Boulder and Marmalade were there as well, as was a pale green mare, probably a nurse, standing off to the side of the room. Her sky blue mane, streaking with strands of pink, was pulled back into as tight a bun as I ever have seen.
Flare lifted his head slightly. “Hey, Amethyst,” he murmured weakly.
I wandered to the edge of the bed, distinctly aware of the eyes following me. “How are you doing, Flare?” My mouth was instantly dry.
It’s been a long time since I have seen such a tired smile. “Getting better… As well as can be expected, anyway.”
Though I knew I shouldn’t, I wound up looking at where his legs would be. The weight of the covers pulled the fabric tightly over the two stumps. I realized I was staring when Marmalade coughed lightly. “Sorry, I—”
“It’s all right,” he hesitated, his eyelids drooping. “Better than the other way.”
Any reply I had just withered on my lips. By the time I knew what to say, Flare’s eyes had closed and he was fast asleep. The nurse who had been standing at the side of the room pulled loose a number of pillows, and carefully guided his head down to a more comfortable sleeping position. “Is he all right?” I asked.
The nurse shushed me and pointed to the door. The meaning was clear. Everyone filed outside, the nurse following and shutting the door behind her slowly, with the latch turned, as not to make a noise.
“He is recovering well from the operation, but he needs lots of rest and liquids. The pain is dulled by the medication but he will still feel a fair portion of it.”
“And long term?” Boulder asked.
“If there are no further complications, then he may be up on his hooves in two weeks, with the assistance of a wheelchair cart. Perhaps after a month, then, we could see about fitting him a set of prosthetics.” She sighed and shook her head. “But that’s the perfect situation. Chances are, there will be follow up operations and examinations, to make sure the bones and muscles are healing correctly. Physical therapy is not included in that estimation, or if his injuries fester. It would be unlikely, but a possibility nonetheless, that it might take several years before he is free of medical care.”
The answer clearly shook Boulder, and not without reason. He and his brother didn’t run some convenience store for a living, they ran a farm, which required hard physical work. Once his legs healed, Flare could probably do some of the lighter chores, but the problem was once they healed. If it took years, then Boulder would be running the farm by himself, and no doubt having to look after his brother. If such a thing happened, it would ruin them.
Cadance cut off my train of thought. “If there is anything I can do to help, please let me know.”
The nurse chuckled. “Would it surprise you to know that you are the third princess I have heard say that?”
“Thank you, princess,” Boulder said.
Perhaps it had something to do with the way Boulder couldn’t help his brother, but his words reminded me of a nagging feeling at the back of my mind which had been making me agitated all morning: the sense of uselessness while I was at the castle. With Ocean Wind and Starlight, or whoever else they’ve picked up, I could do something. Breakfast this morning, listening to Mirra talk to the council, and, as much as it pains me to admit it, coming and seeing Flare, all left me feeling a sort of helplessness.
Here, bound by all the restrictions, meetings, conversation and questions, I couldn’t do anything meaningful. Granted, it wasn’t entirely worthless, but beyond acting as an in-between for Chrysalis and Celestia and helping Cadance, what could I do? If they just stopped bickering, I’m sure Chrysalis could get along with others, and any changeling could help Cadance and Marmalade with their thing. It took only a few more moments to understand what I was going to do.
“Cadance,” I began, “the surprise was nice, but I need to get going.”
She looked surprised. “Where?”
“I just remembered Mirra wanted me to do something later today,” I fibbed. In truth, I just wanted to get back into the city.
“Where, and what?” Shining Armor asked, but his tone made it sound like a demand.
I shrugged. “Just training stuff. I’ll probably be back later tonight.”
Marmalade looked put off. “I wanted you to help us with another talk today. “
“I’m sorry, but you’re going to have to try another changeling. This thing with Mirra is really important.”
“And where are we going to find another changeling? You’ve told me that most of them aren’t quite fluent in Equestrian. Plus after what happened to them, would they even want to help?”
I racked my mind for a moment before I came up with someone. “Cytri might help you if you ask.”
“What?” she exclaimed. “It’s just for a couple of hours.”
She was pushing me when I really didn’t want her pushing me. “Marmalade, I just really need the time. I swear I’m not ditching you for something trivial. Mirra really needs my help with this.”
“And again, I’ll ask, what and where?” Shining said.
It became obvious I wasn’t getting anywhere without an excuse, or something more. However, given the situation, there were only a few things they might possibly believe. “Well, the council asked her to investigate a couple of things. Mirra wanted my help doing it.”
His nostrils flared at my lie. “So you are going to be working for the changelings, the same changelings who attacked the princesses? Are you insane?”
Ah, now I remember why I don’t like him. So blindly loyal it hurts. “Oh, just give it a rest It’s not like I’m going to be kidnapping ponies.” In hindsight, that probably wasn’t the best joke to make.
“Amethyst, there are quite a few ponies still missing after the invasion, and there is a good chance that the council had a part in it. Don’t trust them.”
“Gee, thanks mister obvious,” I snarked. “I sure as hell don’t trust them, but I trust Mirra.”
“And she is working for them,” he shot back. “Is it really that hard to believe she might be taking advantage of you? For all we know, she could have been told to find a way to abduct ponies discretely.”
“And it really that hard to believe you’re a colossal idiot? I trust her. I’ve known her for half my life.”
“So, how long was it, that she didn’t come see you at all? What was it… five years or something?”
Cadance interrupted before things could escalate any further. “Dear, Mirra actually spoke with us this morning. She told us about the position she holds in regards to the changeling council. If it is just an investigation, and Amethyst insists we can trust her… Well, given what we know, I’d allow Mirra the benefit of the doubt. All right?”
He scowled, but relented. Though, his emotions hardly told the same story. Surely he should have been at least a bit more resentful. No, ten to one odds he would have a guard, or even a few try and follow us undercover. Bet we could lose them after two blocks.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“<And that’s what you told them?>” Mirra chittered quietly in Changic.
“<I needed a way to get out into the city. It wasn’t like there were many good reasons to skip out on Cadance,>” I replied quietly.
After I had finished my conversation, I had gone to get Mirra. Thankfully, she picked up on my lie pretty quickly, and fleshed out some of the details to Celestia and Luna. From there, it was just a short walk out of the castle. I wore my usual disguise: a black unicorn, while Mirra took the one she used to wear around my town. A goldenrod coloured coat, and a topaz mane made her look enough like my mother to be her sister, and my aunt. That was the story we had gone with, and it looked like we needed it again.
If only it didn’t bother me so much.
“<Actually,>” she replied, “<it would have been better had you just gone with her. That way, I could have made the switch with you, and have chosen your words more diplomatically.>”
I blinked; that actually was a pretty good idea. “<Sorry, Teacher, I didn’t know you’d be up for it.>”
“<And that’s the only reason I’m not going to tan your hide for using me like this.>”
Those were the last private words we could share before we entered the city.
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I understand it's a character flaw of his, but at some point Amethyst will just have to get a damn handle on his own impulsiveness and antisocial tendencies.
Nitpicks:
Cadance pointed out the image it leant me.
lent
“I’m guessing you wanted to speak with me.” Mirra leaned back to let a maid place a dish in front of her.”
There should be no quotation marks after "her".
Teacher signed, and set down the fork she had just picked up.
I suspect you mean "sighed".
4656825
Whoops, thanks. I just redid the formatting of the story with those (before I was using italics for the changeling language) and it seems I made a few mistakes in places.
morning.
First or second of Mirra's line during breakfast has a random quotation. Mentioned a maid.
Random bit there? Maybe something was cut off, like an unnecessary chime.
more new than New? Blasphemy.
Didn't notice any others. Except for leant. Not sure if that is a word or an error.
4652428
4660244
*reads above comments*
)
...I need to be a better editor.
(I blame it on the stupidly tiny font Ogopogo uses for his documents.
The first part isn't supposed to be there at all. Just "I looked back down at my food". I have no idea how it got there.
Chapter 1:
Hmm...
Chapter 24:
I'll admit I skipped to the last chapter and a lot can happen in 22 chapters but... sigh. I'm not mad, just disappointed.