Imprisonment of a Changeling

by Southern Wing

Preparations

After a restless night full of tossing and turning, Wing felt his side being poked by a horn. He woke up to find Sev there, trying to wake up his friend. “Buddy…it’s time to wake up now...” said Sev.

“Mmmm...five more minutes, Mother…” Wing rolled over.

Sev rolled his eyes and used his magic to drop Wing off the bed. “Get up!”

“I’m up! I’m up! Geez!” Wing groaned, getting up on his four hooves.

“C’mon, we have places to go and things to do. We can’t do that with you in bed.”

“I know, I just wanted to get some more sleep first before we did. I barely got any sleep at all last night.”

“I understand, but we have to get going.”

“Hey, where are Shy and the others?”

“At the wedding rehearsal. I have no idea where Twi is, though.”

“Alright, let’s get going.” Wing got out of bed, brushing his hooves through his mane and putting his glasses on.

“We need to find a place to arm up. Chrysalis is probably doing the same with her troops.”

“Yeah, that’s probably a good idea. And I know just the place.”

“Where?”

“Follow me.” Wing walked out of the room and headed outside with Sev following. He spread his wings to fly away, before he noticed his stomach growling. “Might be a good idea to eat before we do something. What sounds good?"

“Hay burgers, fries and hay nuggets?” Sev suggested.

“That does sound good about now.”

The two headed for the closest fast food joint where they could get something to eat. They came across a place called McHays. After a brief stop, they had some food to go around and came out with full stomachs.

“Oh yes, that’s just what I needed,” Sev commented.

“Yep. Always nice to find a place like that around Canterlot.”

The two friends finished their meals on the way to the shop. As time went on, it became clear that they were both nervous.

“So…” Sev trailed off.

“Yes sev?”

“I was just wondering something. What do you think will happen?”

“I dunno. But things are going to change after today.”

“Yeah. They are, I just hope it’s for the best."

After they finished their meals and threw away the trash. They continued their way down the streets of Canterlot into the seedier side of the city. The kind where one could hide a secret of two without problem.

Sev and Wing came to an alleyway, with Wing motioning for Sev to follow him to a specific place. The pair walked to a store where all the blinds were closed. Wing walked over and opened the door, walking in with Sev following behind him. The storeroom smelt of a combination of cleaning oil, gunpowder and oak.

“What can I do for youse?” the owner asked in a manehatten accent walking out from the back. He was a silver unicorn stallion with bullets as his cutie mark. “Name’s Silver Bullet if you’re asking,” he said while looking at Sev.

“My friend and I require some...erm ‘equipment’,” said Wing.

“What kind? I have many types of equipment like that.”

“What do you got?”

“Try me. I got more types of equipment than you can name.”

“Got any AK’s, then?”

Silver Bullet went into the backroom and came back with a AK-47, placing it on the counter. “Now, I don’t know what you’d be doin’ with that beauty, but it’s none of this colt’s business.”

Wing picked it up and examined it. “I assume she’s capable of full auto?”

“Yes, she is. A good reason why I won’t part with my own AK.”

“Excellent.” Wing took a step back and transformed into his changeling form, right then and there.

“Um...buddy, what are you doing?” Sev panicked.

Silver Bullet, however, just smiled at that. “Heh, must feel good to find a place where you can let your true self out that’s not a hive, eh? And this here is your bondbrother?”

“Yep, he’s been my bondbrother for years.”

“He’s stupider than he looks.”

“Hey!” Sev grumbled.

Wing snickered at Sev’s retort, then brought his attention back to the shopkeeper. “Silver Bullet here is one of the trusted ones. He was one of the pony volunteers that fought in our civil war.”

“Really? He fought with other changelings?” marveled Sev.

“Yes, kid, I fought with the harmonists.” Silver looked off as he remembered those days. “They were the best fighters I’ve ever laid eyes on. And now with Chrysalis starting things again... I’ll probably see more of it again. There are going to be interesting times ahead of us.”

“Indeed,” Wing nodded. “Anyways, I’ll take an SVT-40, an AK-47,two Tokarevs, an RPD with bipod, a couple grenades, and an RPG with five reloads.”

“Sure thing, and you got great taste in equipment.” Silver then turned to Sev. “And how about youse?”

Sev approached the counter. “I’ll take an M4 with forward grip, Desert Eagle with extended barrel, a couple grenades, RPG with five reloads and a SAW.”

Silver Bullet went in the back of the store and came back with the entire counter full of the weapons they requested. “Here youse two goes, happy hunting those lovist bastards. Oh, by the way that reminds me.” Silver Bullet went in the back and came out with a sword, giving it to Wing with his magic. “Somepony came by and told me to give this to youse.”

Wing took the sword in his possession. “Thanks. I think I know just how to use it.”

He and Sev looked over their weapons, making sure everything was perfect, and that the sights were zeroed on the range in the back of the store. Wing attached the scabbard containing the sword to his saddle bag. He drew the sword out, looking at the fineness of the blade and examined the inscription on the scabbard. “To my dearest apprentice, may this blade serve you well,” it read. Wing put the sword back to its scabbard, taking those words well. Wing restored himself back to his pony transformation.

“Thanks, Silver. This is going to be a huge help. Time to get going, Sev.”

“Where we headed?”

“The chapel. That’s our assigned defensive area.”

The two headed off for the chapel. Along the way, Wing tried connecting to Twilight. He saw that she was in a cave, and while they were still in an alley he connected with Sev so he could also see what was going on. They didn’t know what this cave was, but it didn’t look too good from the looks of things.

-----

“Where am I?” Twilight asked aloud.

“The caves beneath Canterlot once home to greedy unicorns who sought to claim the treasure as their own. And now your prison,” a creepy, cold voice that resembled Cadence’s voice replied.

Twilight cried out for help, only for ‘Cadence’ to laugh.

“It’s no use. No one can hear you and no one knows where you are. Most ponies have forgotten that these caves even exist. Which is why they’re the perfect place to hold those who try to interfere with my plans,” ‘Cadence’ said with a cackle.

“Don’t you dare try to hurt my brother, y...you monster!” Twilight shouted.

“Only way to stop me is to catch me!” ‘Cadence’ taunted, disappearing from the crystal as Twilight blasted it. The cat and mouse game continued for a while before Twilight blasted yet another crystal, only to reveal another Cadence behind it. Already pumped up from the adrenaline and the endless taunting, Twilight leaped toward her. The figure to shield herself with her hooves.

“Please don’t hurt me,” she pleaded. She looked up to see Twilight glaring back at her. “Twilight, it’s me! The Cadence who brought you here is a fake! I’ve been imprisoned here like you have.”

“Likely story,” Twilight snorted.

“It’s true. She is the real Cadence,” a voice rang out in her head. “Trust her.”

Twilight looked around in confusion. It was almost as if her conscience was speaking to her at that moment. She then focused back on the Cadence figure. Whoever she was, she clapped hooves with Twilight and sang the rhyme the purple unicorn remembered from her fillyhood. “Sunshine, sunshine, ladybugs awake. Clap your hooves…”

“And do a little shake…” Twilight finished. She gasped when it hit her. “You remember me!” She hugged Cadence as tight as she could.

“Of course I do! How could I forget the filly I loved to sit for the most?" Cadence replied, hugging Twilight back.

Wing briefly cut the connection. “Thank Celestia that ended well. I hope they can get out.”

“Me too. At least it’s a start.”

Wing connected again as he began to hear singing.

“How are we able to hear this?”

“I’m connected with Twilight still, remember? Now where are they going?”

“Wait. There are caves beneath Canterlot?”

“Yep, we’ve known about them since the beginning. It’s been a good hiding spot for us sometimes.”

“So, any idea where Twi and Cadence are going?’

“Ummm...hang on.” Wing went silent for a few moments. “Got it! They’ll be exiting at the entrance just on the next block.”

“Let’s go!”

The two friends rushed over to the block. They found Cadence and Twilight coming out into the daylight, and helped them get out of the caves underneath.

“Wing? Sev? Why are you two so heavily armed?” Twilight asked, noting how they looked armed to the teeth for war.

“Whoever has replaced Cadence has no doubt brought friends to help her, and they’re probably on the way. Now don’t you two have a wedding to crash?” Wing pointed out.

“Right. Cadence, let’s go!” Cadence and Twilight ran off.

“You could have told them you know,” Sev commented. “I’m sure they would have loved to know that there’re changelings out there that want to help.”

“Do we really have the time with all that’s going on right now?”

“Fair point.”

“Now, our assigned defensive point is just ahead. Come on, we got to move.”

The two friends continued moving down the alleys toward the chapel, bracing themselves for the battle that was about to take place.

Author's Note:

apologizes for the slow updates. working on this fic has been very draining but I am going to finish this fic.