Changeling Trust

by Nightmare Rift

Day 55 & 56: Kidnapped

Styx’s POV:
I told Sombra that I was going to collect wild zap apples for dessert tonight, as a special treat for the girls. He told me not to be home too late so I could make the dessert and so he didn’t have to come find me. Typical of him, always worried about my welfare, even though I can look after myself. ZAP! One bunch of spooked Timberwolves has been served to the forest. I decide it isn’t worth it to chase them. I wander over to the zap apple trees and don't understand why the Apple Family doesn't just harvest these from the forest every year, just bring along a unicorn to scare the Timberwolves. Oh well, more for the two girls, Sombra, and I. I pick approximately three dozen zap apples, a dozen for each of the three desserts I am making tonight. Well, that Orla and I are making. Mystel wanted to spend some time with Sombra to get to know him better. Since him and I are practically their parents now. Hence why Orla wanted to learn to cook some stuff with me. I start my walk back and notice some good trees to use for firewood. I guess I could come back tonight and chop them down. I make it home and Mystel and Orla come running out, plowing into me. Taking me to the ground and hugging me tight. I carry them both inside somehow, plopping both of them onto the couch, leaving them at the mercy of Sombra the Ticklemonster. I head into the kitchen and set the apples down, soon Orla has escaped and has come into the kitchen. She asks if she can help cook, I nod my head in acknowledgement, directing her to cook and stir the apples.

"Mom?"

"Orla, you have never called me mom before. Why the sudden change?"

"You are becoming more like a mommy everyday to me and Mystel. I don't know if Mystel can quite accept that yet, but I can. I always wanted a mommy like you." She says, snuggling up next to me for a brief second before going to stir the zap apple mixture in the pot.

I wish I could give her the love she deserves, I shake and partially black out. As that thought passes I return to normal and continue mixing up the final pot of dessert tonight, Zap Apple Jello. I think Orla is going to like it the most as she loves the Purple Jello from Sugarcube Corner. These three desserts are essentially dinner and dessert tonight, so we basically let the girls cheat tonight, although they are still getting their fruit in. The three dishes are Zap Apple Jello, Zap Apple Pie, and Zap Apple Jam (something the Apple Family thought only they knew how to make) with normal biscuits. All of us eat until our stomachs are full. The girls proceed to go to bed shortly after they finish, so I decide that now would be the best time to go out to cut firewood.

Sombra insists that I wear a small black crystal necklace so that he can track me in case I don't come back before 2am. I humor him and wear it, but I tell him not to worry. I'll be fine, I am very aware of my surroundings and am difficult to see in the pitch black of the forest. Besides, no normal pony would even want to go near the Everfree Forest. I meander my way back to the trees I found earlier and begin my chopping of wood. I get the first one done and teleport the bundles into the back room of my house. WHACK!

I wake up to feel something on my horn. I try to take it off with my magic only to find I can't use magic at all. I look around to see I now reside in a damp, gray concrete cell with nothing but a small bed. I reach up to my neck to feel for the necklace, but it's gone. I hear something scrape against the metal door. I look up to see Starswirl dragging the key across the bars. I am too weak to move, so I don't try to lunge for it. "Good evening my dear Changeling. Hope you are finding your accommodations suitable for your needs." I hiss in response. "Now none of that my dear, after all, you will have to learn to get along with me eventually."

"Let me go Starswirl!"

"Why would I do that? After all, you are the reason my life is so difficult. It took me a while to find out how to inhibit your magic."

"Why are you pretending to be nice? I know you have nothing but hatred for me."

"Because I can, because you're my prisoner. Also, here is your trinket back. I left the tracking spell on it since I have warded the entire place from being tracked. Here is your only meal for the day. You'll get a meal each midday, should be enough," he says, wandering off, not looking back at me. I put the necklace on and crawl into bed, willing Sombra to find me. I put my hoof over the crystal and fall to sleep.