My Little Pony: Side Stories, Arc 1: Those That Walk With Gods

by Kiheiji

Chapter Four: Grex

Breathing, sleeping, and Eating. Are they not the cornerstone of life? Can we not all agree that this is bullshit? Even I can see it's faults and problems. Even if you take it all, if you don't look for more in your life you will fall. Mother taught me that with her constant failure. Even she didn't win next to the ponies way of life. So many others didn't fare so well under her rule… When I still served her the colony had become unsustainable in its current population and she had to completely consume entire civilizations in her quest for power. I…. left. Left her, left my brothers, and left it all behind like some bad dream. Just as well; I hear that she was banished after she was defeated and she no longer has any hold over them. Afterwords my brothers took on a new life, and I remain the same as I am. Never changing; Always static. Always here, with my loss.

These thoughts invade my mind from time to time. Mostly they invade my head before a job. Like today. Today I'm to enter the Canterlot Castle and gain entry into the throne room. Getting entrance into the city is a minor task. All I need do is walk through the entrance. That is some bad security, but this city is clean. Too clean someone would have a hard time hiding here, so I need to be not so clean. The attention I will gather from the ponies will spotlight my presence but it will distract from my true purpose. ‘It’s darkest under the lighthouse’ or so they say.

The lower quarter of the city with its shops and municipal workers is far cleaner then my old home. The ponies here are mostly a mix of Earth and Pegasi, liveing in white stone houses. They go about their business without noticing me and I feel a pang of jealousy at how they live but that passes quickly as a Pegasus with a paw print made up of many colors makes eye contact with me. Her green eyes stare deep into mine and I feel weird. Something about her makes me feel uneasy but she just smiles and gives me a wink as she trots away down an alley. I don't know how to describe her she is a mystery to me. I feel drawn to her by some inexplicable force. So much so, that I give chase, but when I get to the alley she is gone. What a strange pony. But enough of that nonsense, I head to the upper quarter where many of the nobility live with their undeserving lives. The white stone changes to marble here. The sight of It makes me sick and I have to resist yelling at them at how useless their lives are. Especially that one with her overly complicated dress. She orders others away with the most stuck up voice I've ever heard. Then she spots me. “You there, how dare you walk the streets in that drab. Do you have so little self respect that you have to insult the very ground you walk on?”

This unicorn… she has guts, but… oh where do I start? We'll, her three toned mane, with light green as its main color with a highlights of heavier green and one strip of pink. Her black eyes bore the into mine and her white coat made them seem even more dark. But what struck me most, and was preventing me from seeing her cutiemark, is what she was wearing. It has fifteen frills on the backside ecenchuating the gold and silver lace depicting the rise of Equestria with a background of violet. The midriff held two green bows on each side. Her hat, if that is what you want to call it, was also purple and held ten long feathers that arced back to cover some the rear of the dress.

“Well, do you have nothing to say to me swine?” She looked down her nose at me as she spoke and her exquisite dress contrasted sharply with my apprentice. What could I say? All of it was too much. “I see.” Her eyes sprang open and venom dripped from her every word, “You truly are just a base mud pony; Swine need only to to concern themselves with the mud. Is that not correct swine? Mud should concern themselves with mud. Now leave me and go back to your mud pit with the other swine pigs.”

She truly hates me. Though I don't know why. I just respond the only way I can, “Now, missy. That ain't the way somepony of your obvious beauty talks at all. Ain't it?” I added in a whistle at the end to shake it up.

She spoke again. “And what is with that guttural accent of yours? Did some haff cow/pig have you?” Wow even I'm insulted.

I try a new tact, “I'm jus’ a simple adventurer on his way to see the Princesses.” Again I employ the whistle, but she rears back at the world 'princesses’.

“Princesses, 'princesses’ you say?!” Oh yeah, that caught her off guard. “What kind of mud-pig like yourself can see the royal sisters?!” She takes an angry step towards me. “How dare you?! Just who do you think you are?!” She puts her face so close to mine that she nearly stabs me with it. “Tell me!”

This unicorn is ready to either cast some spell on me or call the guards, both are bad options for me. I have to calm her, “I'm jus’ your average adventurer,” I bow to her dipping my hat as I do, “Cartwright Bilgsworth at your service.” When I looked back up, her face was frozen in abject horror, then began to screw itself into confusion as she inspected me further.

Having done her inspection of me she spoke again with less venom, “I-I am terribly sorry. I-I did not realize somepony of your breeding was in Canterlot.” She said backing up as she did, “Please forgive my crass words and harsh tone in this matter. Now, please excuse me I have some less pleasant business to attend to.” After that she quickly walked away.

As she hurriedly cantors off and I can't help but think what a strange encounter that was, never the less I make a mental mark in the win column. Is she representative off all unicorns or is she the exception? I make a mental note to find out later as I make my way up to the royal district. This is where the sisters live in their castle of elegance. With its tall spires of gold and topiaries in their garden. The front is just like the rest. Even the steps up to the main entrance of the castle are way too clean, the whole city is.

The white marble shines in the morning sun. It's as if they are expecting some kind of inspection crew to come through and… I don't know, inspect things. There are forty-seven of little shiny things that I have to climb slowly with my nobby, old, and frail legs right up to the entrance. The wooden giant doorway was, no doubt, made when the world was a more violent place. Now it serves no great purpose other than to look way too opulent. The guards that stand on either side with their golden armor are proof of that. Their expensive armor clinks as one of them greets me, “Cartwright, the princess awaits you in the throne room.”

Of course she is. She always knows when I arrive somewhere… somehow. Mother always made you wait. I lift my wrinkled and withering leg up to my old straw hat. The dust on it covers up its original color, but it does an okay job covering my puke green main which I couldn't be bothered to comb and it, in turn, does an okay job covering the wrinkles on my forehead. They rest just above my old faded blue eyes. The light yellow fur of my coat was only losing patches in some places on my body. My old wrinkled mouth that had, so long ago, lost most of its teeth… spoke, “Yes’m sir. I thank ya kindly sir.” The old rusty voice I spoke with didn't faze the guards at all. “Ya wouldn't have the knowing of whare yung Luna be, would ya?”

The guard shook his head, making more noise as the door opened for me with a low rumble. I could only inwardly scauf at the way they had, like the door, remained rigid in their beliefs regarding defense. Something could just trot in wearing a disguise. What need was there for this kind of crap to exist? I it takes all my self control to not yell at these pretenders and I only trot in. The main entrance had all the trappings of a pallice that a queen would live in, like the satin and silk window coverings that can be easily set aflame by an intruder. The lilac flowers that are placed at every colom did little to ebb my uncertainty in this museum. What had the princess called me here for? To see how well she lives? As if I care. As I pass under the grand chandler with all its weight that hung over my head, I could only guess what I would say to her. Someone that old, what can anyone say? What had happened for her not to send me to a dead drop? Even the emergency one. The guards to the left and right regard me with disinterest as I hobble on.

The stairs to the second floor forced me to wobble my knees on every step. After my long trek up the twenty-seven steps I reached the top, though the red carpet on them felt nice. Twenty more stairs to climb and another, smaller, double door. No guards here but the door is magically enchanted. I can smell it. When it opens at my approach there is no sound and that makes for a bad door. Very interesting. Almost as intriguing as the long hallway that now presented itself to me. As I walked down the red carpet that covered the center of the hallway the stained windows every few feet shone brightly. The whole affair reminded me of something. The high ceiling has this effect, making the windows stand tall and in their opulence impressed their waist of money onto me. How many had to go hungry to make these? How many more would die to their destruction?

As I passed each of them they told me the story of Equestria. Starting at the founding of the kingdom, showing Discord's defeat, and displaying Nightmare Moon’s banishment. Then the focus shifts from the two sisters to a new group of six with a purple unicorn as it's center. The re-defeat of Discord, the Changeling defeat, the birth of a new Alicorn, and it keeps going until… this last one. This last one… this one is not happy. I don't know what happened; the window isn't very clear about it.

“Cartwright Bilgsworth,” a guard bellows behind me as I nearly jump out from my body from the shock.

Turning around slowly, “Yes’m, that's me sonny.”

Without changing tone he continues, “The princesses have been waiting for you.”

I suppose that they have, and I have spent too long in this hallway of easily breakable windows. I only nod and hobble to the final door. You need not be me to tell that this door was magic, it gave off a powerful odor even a hatchling could detect. As the doors open, a thought worms into my head: Just how big is this room I'm stepping into? The vaulted ceiling rises overhead; so high that it makes me stagger on the way in. The three thrones on the raised dais gather my attention, because the one in the center is occupied. Occupied by the, rather large, white alicorn. Her rainbow flowing mane and tail wave in some invisible wind that only affect her, somehow. It looks the same now as it did back then. She has an air of calm, kind, and overpowering presence. The golden crown, horseshoes, and bridle marked her as a princess. I knew her as a queen, even though she had insisted that she was in no way a queen. Her lavinder eyes look at me on my in with the deepness of one who had lived a hundred lives, and yet I felt a certain sadness in them. Cartwright had to be taken aback, so then I too was taken aback.

“My, my what a beautiful palace you have here, hmm? Princess Celestia.” My jailer and my liberator. “I see that its beauty is only outmatched by the owner of the castle.” I say, bowing as I do.

She cocks her head to the side and a sad smile paints her face. “That is indeed a good impression if him,” she says chuckling as she does, “but you did miss his whistle. Cartwright always whistled when he spoke.” She closes her eyes. “Now please, take off that disguise, it hurts to look upon his vistage after what happened, Grex.”

Damn. Damn, damn, dammit! Anger plays across my face as I spit. But I do as I was told and dig within for the magic for the strength of my species. A sickly emerald light swirls around my hooves then rising up my four legs revealing the black chiten that is my skin and the holes that pockmark my legs. As the light passes over my midriff the black chiten gleams in the sun. The cutiemark disappears from my rump and my tail changes to light webbing sticking almost straight out. Insect-like wings also full of holes, yet able to let me fly, reforms on either side of my back. My mane disappears completely, sadly I am bald, but the black chitin is all I need. My eyes turn a solid sky blue and a little horn juts out from my forehead. My teeth turn sharp, including two fangs. I… am a Changeling. Finally the straw hat transforms into a helmet and chest piece.

As the green light fades the armor’s true colors come out and I stand proudly in it. The pearl white of the helmet and chest piece shine radiantly in the sun coming through the window. The colors play across the armor and the two markings on the shoulder pieces are clearly visible for all to see. A sun on the right shoulder matching Celestia's cutiemark, and a moon on left shoulder matching Luna’s. “I am at your service, Queen Celestia,” I bow on one front leg, “what would you ask of me?”

She sighs, “Grex, while I do appreciate that you have taken to your station so quickly. It is not necessary that you address me with any name other than Celestia. Especially 'Queen'. I abandoned that title a long time ago and Equestria is a lot better for it.” Her eyes run over my armor. “I do see that you have kept the armor we gave you”

A small smile slid slyly access my face, unable and unwilling to hide behind my hard outer shell. “Of course I did. I owe you a great deal and only wish to repay my debts.”

“Now, please stand, We have a very important mission for you.”

“Indeed we do.” A familiar voice ecos behind me as the princess of the night trots in to the throne room from behind me. Her familiar dark blue coat and star filled mane combed to perfection, even if the sleep in her eyes gives her away. Taking her place beside her sister I give a quick bow as Luna continues, “The important matter,” she yawns, “Pardon me. A possible attack on our borders has occurred.”

My eyes widen as the fear hits me. It could be her. I probe for the possibility, “Do we know the identity of the agresser?” I must know.

Celestia responds, “That is what we want you to investigate.” Oh “Luna and myself have been doing some searching in our realms, she in hers and me in mine.” Celestia shakes her head. “All we can see is an old religious symbol belonging to a tribe of forest dwellers, but we have already sent somepony to talk to them.” Good, it doesn't sound like her.

I impecuniously speak up, “Where did they attack?”

Luna speaks up now, “It’s a small hamlet on the coast a little south of Phillydalpha called Dockside. Can we trust you with this investigation?”

Dockside? I've never heard of it, but I can always find out. The specifics don't matter only the mission.
Point one: Find Dockside
Point two: Find out who attacked it.
Point three: Report back with information.
That is all that matters, nothing more. “Do I report back in the same manner as before?” I question.

“Not this time, we are scrambling to set up an information network,” Celestia replies with all the practice of a queen, “So my phoenix will be following you in the air. Call for her when you can and she will find you.”

I nod, “Am I to take the train, or do I need to secure my own transportation?”

Luna again, “We have one train ready as soon as you get to it, but you must hurry.”

Point five: Hurry

“We are also recalling all Wonderbolts home and, as soon as they return home, they will be searching the sky for any unusual activity. If you happen to get stopped by one show them this.” Celestia uses her magic to float a parchment to me and I take it with my own magic, with a nod of course. This sacred duty is mine… but I can't help but feel a lingering sense of doubt. A small seed of uncertainty that nags at my insides and refuses to relent its hold upon me.

“Pardon my frankness your magisties, but…” This is a difficult thing for me to ask, almost embarrassingly so.

“You know you can always be frank with us Grex. You need not speak in such formal tones.” Luna, with a nod of agreement, sat beside her sister.

“I can only stand in your service, that is my duty, but… I have my doubts as to whether I am the most qualified to be sent out on this mission.”

Only a chuckle came from them, not a laugh like I had thought. It was as beautiful as they themselves are, and I felt the carapace of my face turn purple, “Grex, you need not worry so. You are the best we have for information gathering.” She pauses in thought, “You have value.”

Comments

[Starlight Nova]

If the main OCs in this story were voiced, what would they sound like?