Chapter XIV: "I Hope you Find..."
(Conclusion time. For the love of the Creator, though, don't skip to the end. Don't spoil it for yourself. Read the whole thing, and enjoy it.)
//\\//\\//\\ Two Weeks After the Wedding Day //\\//\\//\\
Your eyes slowly opened, adjusting to the piercing light with agonizing slowness. Several voices were talking in your vicinity, and it took you quite a bit of time to come to understand even a few of the words being spoken. You heard your name, or what you thought was your name, a few times as the voices spoke. One was distinctly female, while the other was a male. You couldn’t determine much else about the voices, and so you resolved to wait until things became a bit more clear. When they did, though, you sincerely wish they hadn’t. Three spear points hovered mere inches from your face, and as you looked to your side you saw half a dozen more, each one hefted by an angry looking royal guardspony. Thankfully, you had become fairly well rested through the night, and so you weren’t in as pathetic a state as you had been yesterday. Still, it was better not to mess with these ponies, since you were on the wrong end of the spears.
When they noticed you were moving, one of the guards looked over his shoulder, an unintelligible shout escaping his lips. Moments later, and a lightly armored unicorn entered, a poker face on her visage. With the guards you were able to read their dispositions without even needing to use your magic. This new mare, though, was something else entirely. Short of casting a spell you doubted that you’d be able to discern her emotions. She walked past the ponies wielding the spears to come face to face with you. “Can you understand me?” You just nodded, and a small flicker of her eyes was all you had to know that she heard you. “By order of Princess Celestia all captured Changelings are to be brought to Canterlot to answer for their crimes against the ponies of Canterlot. We have the authority to attack, and kill, if needed. Will you come quietly, or do we need to use the spears we’ve been given?”
When you first made to answer, nothing but a strangled choking noise escaped from your throat. After coughing for a moment, you looked back up at the mare, the inner drive you once had that would normally make you defy her was long gone. In its place was a whimpering, scared soul. “I’ll go peacefully.” You wanted so dearly to fight back, if only to end it all, but a tiny voice told you not to. It took mere moments for the guards to clap you in irons, and then they put a burlap sack over your head. With rough motions the guards dragged you out of the barn, and into a carriage.
Time lost all meaning inside the cart. Short of the times when they would give you some barely edible sustenance, that you didn’t need, you were alone in the darkness of the cart. It didn’t really bother you for the first few feedings, but by the fifth you were beginning to wonder how long it would be. On the seventh feeding you almost asked to be killed, if only to end the torment. The ninth feeding never came. Instead, you were roughly forced out of the carriage, and then you began walking. The sound of many hooves echoed back at you from the walls of wherever you were. You were just a bit surprised at the number of guards you suspected were guarding you, but, at the same time, you couldn’t help but think that maybe they knew who you were.
After walking for quite some time you were abruptly stopped, and a sharp knocking came from somewhere in front of you. Silence answered the knock, until you heard the sound of a door being opened. A brief gasp followed the door opening, and then you felt a spear butt jammed into your back, forcing you to lurch forward abruptly. This walk was much shorter, and just minutes after you started you were forced to stop once again. Then, as you stood, an all too familiar voice sounded out.
“Remove his hood. I would speak with him face to face, not with a cloth between us.” The hood was removed from your head without hesitation, the sudden change in lighting blinding you for a moment. As your eyes adjusted you saw that there were the two expected ponies before you, each one seated in their throne, looking down on you with imperious looks, not even a trace of emotion showing through their expressionless faces. “Wait without. I wish to speak with him with none save my sister present.”
“But, Princess… What if he-”
“I am fully confident that Luna and I can deal with a single Changeling, should he be foolish enough to try anything.” The emphasis placed on the wording wasn’t lost on you, and so you just remained silent, only observing the events as they took place. The guards all bowed to the Princesses before they turned and made for the door, the same mare from the barn being the last to leave.
When the door finally closed, you looked back at the Princesses, your mind and body arguing about what was the proper course of action. This was such a new situation to you that you couldn’t honestly think of anything appropriate to do. There had never been any diplomatic contact between the Changelings and any other race, so this was new territory for you. There was no steward to announce who you were, so you decided that it would be a good place to start, if only to make it clear just who you were.
“Princess Celestia, Princess Luna.” You looked to each of them in turn, performing a tiny bow to each of them. “I am Catalyst, last of the Changelings, and the first King of the Changelings in centuries, son of Chrysalis, terror of Griffons.” They didn’t need to know that last title was made up. If you were going to die this day, you’d die with all the honors you could heap upon yourself. “I come before you under the white flag. I mean no further damage to the ponies of Equestria.” Neither of the Princesses made a move after you finished and so you simply waited for them to make the first move.
Thankfully, you didn’t have to wait long, since Celestia was the first to do something. Her reaction wasn’t what you were expecting, though. You didn’t think Luna expected it either, since she looked at her sister with a curious expression written plainly on her face. Celestia rose from her throne, and she walked over to you, no trace of emotion visible on her face. When she was just a step away from you, she let her façade crack, and she began to cry. Without a word, she threw a wing around you, pulling you close. Her embrace wasn’t overly constricting, and she held you that way for several minutes before she released you.
“Catalyst, I need you to listen to me. I have, in my life, made so many mistakes, and yet I am accountable to nopony, and so my mistakes go by without any pony any wiser. My biggest mistake was, until just a few days ago, the banishment of my sister for a thousand years. Not a day passed that I didn’t regret sending her away. When I made the choice, though, I was certain that it was the right one. Now, as I look at you, I see that my latest mistake is far greater.” She lowered herself to your level before she continued, her tears running down her cheeks. “I killed your mother, and all but one of your kind. Never again will the Changelings harass my ponies, but, at the same time, never again will your kind be able to contribute to the betterment of Equestria. I am not so shortsighted as to think that your kind was inherently evil. I know, from experience, that much of a hive is rooted in the whims of the king or queen.”
“And now I am the king.”
“The last king of the last of a race, yes.”
“You know, Celestia, my whole life I knew that I’d eventually inherit my mother’s throne. I never wanted that responsibility, though. To rule is to become a servant to your subjects. I could never envision myself as being subservient to the whims of my kind. It was such a foul prospect that I rebelled against it, often attributing my fear to my dislike of killing my mother to gain the throne. But, now, with all of my kind dead, I feel like I can face the facts.”
You looked at the Princess, tears in her eyes, and you realized that she already knew all of this. She had been ruling Equestria for millennia before you were born, and she’d continue to rule it long after you were gone. Despite the perks associated with being the ruling monarch, there was so much against being the ruler. “On behalf of ponykind, I wish to extend a formal apology for my actions. I was wrong, once again, and it cost you more than I ever wished it to. I was upset with what your kind had done, but it shouldn’t have cost you everything.”
Luna rose from her throne at this point, and she moved next to her sister, looking down at you with fire in her eyes. “Sister, it is not right for you to prostrate yourself like this before this monster. His kind attacked Canterlot, and claimed the lives of dozens. Surely we should be meting out justice, not seeking his forgiveness.”
“Luna, you are still so young, and full of the youthful righteousness that comes with that age. In time you will see that at times it is better to swallow your pride, and ask forgiveness, even if you know that it won’t be given.” Her last words were directed at you, and you balked a bit.
“Princess Celestia…” She continued to look at you, and then Princess Luna looked at you as well. “Princess Luna. On behalf of the Changelings, I accept your apology. I do, however, have a few requirements for my full acceptance.” A small smile flashed across the lips of the Princess before she nodded. “I want a home. I won’t live amongst the hollow halls of the hive any longer. That place is no home. It is an empty and dead place, not fit to live in any longer. Second, I wish to be left to my own devices, free from the political maneuvering you ponies are so fond of.” The princess nodded twice, each time coinciding with your requirements. “On my third, and final, note; I wish to be kept up to date on the major events that shape the land. While I am no longer a political figure, I want to know what is going on within the borders of your lands.”
“It will be arranged, Catalyst. However, my little ponies are easily frightened in some cases, often taking quite a bit of time to grow used to new ideals. For that reason, I ask of you to assume some disguise to hide your true nature from my little ponies.”
“I can do that, Princess. Perhaps… Perhaps in time I will be able to identify with your subjects a bit better if I look like them. But… what if the truth should get out?”
“Should the truth be discovered you will have to solve that problem on your own. I have no advice to give you, in this regard.”
“Thank you, Princess.” You looked towards the walls of the room, and you saw that the sun was nearing the horizon. “Perhaps we might retire for the day. I am weary from my travels, and we would all be better prepared for this in the morning.” After exchanging a few final pleasantries, you were escorted to a suite within the palace by Celestia herself. As she departed, you looked about the room, taking in the lavish accoutrements decorating the room. You were drawn to the mirror that stretched from floor to ceiling, and as you stepped in front of it you were met with your reflection staring back at you.
“I am Catalyst. The last of my kind. On this day, I shall disappear from the world, becoming another. But, one day, I will return. I will return with the degree of fanfare and ceremony befitting a king.”
//\\//\\//\\ One Month Later //\\//\\//\\
It’s been a month since Celestia’s apology, and now you’re finally moving into your new home, just outside a small town near Canterlot. It’s a nice little place, large enough for you to be comfortable, but not so small as to be cramped. Then again, you don’t have many possessions, so it’s not much of a threat that you’ll run out of room. Still, it’s nice to know that you can get some things to decorate without having to worry about where to put them.
The town is a nice little hamlet, filled with sufficient shops to get you anything you’ll need, and beyond that it has a bar that claims to serve some of the best beer West of Canterlot. You had your doubts about that, but you’d reserve judgment until you tried some. You had only a minimum of furnishings for your home, and as you stood and proudly observed what little you could call your own, a knock came at the door. Surprised at the guest, you made your way to the door, making sure, first, that your disguise was proper.
As you opened the door, you were surprised to see a massive stallion at the door, behind him was a large carriage filled with what little you hadn’t been able to carry here on your own. It was, mostly, your few pieces of large furniture. A couch, and two large chairs to decorate the living room. “Um, hello there. M’name’s Tumble. I was told to bring this to you. Here. At your home.” His speech patterns were moderately amusing, and so you just stepped aside, letting him enter your home.
“Good morning, Tumble. My name’s Ca- Quill. Who sent you to bring me this?”
“It was the weirdest thing! It was a letter from Princess Celestia herself! To think, the Princess asking me to do something for her… Wait, are you royalty or something? Some kind of prince?”
“Not quite a prince.”
“Well, you’ve got to be something if Princess Celestia is taking an interest in you.” You were something, alright. And so was Tumble. He quickly became your first friend in this new place, and you set up a rhythm, you came to town each week, once a week, and he’d be there waiting for you. Occasionally you’d meet up to get something to drink, or something, but more often than not it was just a brief exchange that you’d share with him.
//\\//\\//\\ Thirteen Months Later //\\//\\//\\
You let out all your frustrations on the pillow. Each blow you landed let you feel just a bit better about yourself, but there was still a massive weight on your shoulders. “Creator damn it all! Why did I send that letter? Why, in the name of Tartarus, did I think that was a good idea? She’s going to hunt me down, and finish what she started. I know it. It’ll be painless, I hope. Fast, just like mother… Unless I run! I could flee to the hive, and spend the rest of my life leeching love out of the entire Everfree! Just spread my awareness until the whole forest was under my influence…” Panic is a scary thing. Especially when you are panicking over the response of a Princess in regards to a very sensitive topic. Thankfully, a knock at the door signaled the arrival, so you hoped and feared, of a letter from the Princess.
As you opened the door, a grey pegasus stood before you, a letter clasped in her mouth. “You’ve got mail!” Without a word to the mare, you snatched away the letter, slamming the door in her face. You didn’t have time to contemplate the rudeness of what you’d done a the time. There were more pressing matters. You quickly opened the letter, and read the first line. That was all it took for you to be filled with joy.
Quill,
You have my permission to write to Rarity, not that you really needed to ask. You are free to do what you wish so long as you don’t break any of my laws. But, know that if you do, I have more than a few ways to make you know that I am displeased. In fact, here, have a short summary of just a few ways I can make you miserable…
//\\//\\//\\ Present //\\//\\//\\
The light in the room shifted once again, a faint light coming through the curtains, signaling the rising sun. The last sun rise you expected to see. With agonizing slowness you moved to the curtains, pulling them aside without any extraneous flourish. It was hard enough to move them already. The magnificent hues of the sky brought a smile to your face, and it was with a massive sigh that you turned to look back into the room. You moved back to the couch you’d been on for the past day, and then you retook your seat.
“And… Well, you know what happened next.” You sigh as you finally let your head fall to the couch, the strength needed to hold your cranium up finally deserting your emotionally emaciated form. “For so long I did what I was told to do, only to try and make others happy. Now, though, I do something for myself, and it ends up costing me my life.” As you felt your eyelids grow heavier, you struggled to your hooves, bringing your head up one more time. “I did what I did for the Hive, then for myself, and finally for you. I’m sorry I wasn’t what you wanted, Rarity. But…”
“Catalyst…” You looked at the mare, surprised that she chose now to speak. She was looking at you, tears in her eyes. Nothing more came from her, so you just sighed again, falling to a prone position once again, allowing your eyes to close.
“I’m sorry I wasn’t what you wanted, Rarity. But I’m not sorry I’m a Changeling. I…” You felt a sob almost force itself past your lips, but you managed to stop it. You refused to cry. No matter what, you refused to let yourself cry. Not now, at least. “I hope you find your Prince Charming, Rarity. You deserve it. Beauty, elegance, generosity… A mare like you deserves the best Equestria has to offer. Far more than I can give, at least.” Silence answered you for several long minutes. When her voice finally came back at you, it was hard for you to pin down the emotion.
“I don’t need to find my Prince Charming.” A subtle noise sounded from where the mare was seated, but you found yourself unable to open your eyes to see what she was doing. The sound of hooves on the floor was audible, if only barely, and the steps were growing closer. “No matter how hard a mare looks, there’s no such thing as a Prince Charming. Every stallion has their flaws, and so many of them are unable to see what they’re doing wrong. Whether it’s something minor, or something major, so many choose simply to ignore what they’re doing wrong.” The steps slowed, but they still grew closer. “Your mistake was such a typical one, but given who you are, it became something so much more. I, like so many others, was blinded by my fear. I ignored who I thought you were, who you really are, for what I saw you as.” A soft touch pressed into your cheek, and the warmth of the contact was lost to the growing coldness you felt. “I ignored my heart, instead listening to the cold voice of fear I my head. Such a small mistake, a faux pas of the heart, if you will, nearly cost me everything. You wished me luck in finding my Prince Charming? I don’t need to find my Prince Charming, Catalyst, because I’ve already got my king. I’ve already got you.”
A gentle brush against your lips was all you felt as you slipped into unconsciousness.
(Ooh, look at that. I used the title at the last possible moment. Talk about a close call. Anyway, there'll be an epilogue or two after this. Be on the lookout, since I don't know quite how long those will take. And, if anyone is interested, I'd love to see some art for Quill, since he is my current favorite OC of mine.)
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>don't skip to the end
now all i want to do is skip to the end
oh shocking, it turned out alright
keep it up, i spose
Neat ending, I love it when Rarity remembers to not be stupid and judgmental.
I was half wondering if the story would end with Rarity rejecting him and having him die.
Tragedy indeed.
But I like this ending too.
This was the best so far, keep it up dude.
Can you give me a quick description on what Quill looks like? (coat color, mane style/color, eyes, cutie mark) I know I could just reread the first few chapters but don't want to go with all that reading. Also this question is always on my mind whenever someone makes a OC
ship, What's gonna happen to Spike when he finds out that Rarity has a coltfriend?
Not going to lie, I visibly winced when you title-dropped. But hey, I guess it's tradition at this point.
Also, great story! You're becoming a noticibly more skilled writer as the chapters flow. I look forward to the next installment.
Wow I had my reservations about reading this, I'm sorry
, but reading this small insignificant little section of a grander tale has me hooked!! I'm going to read all the chapters!!
Sees the name of the chapter......
First thought: That's what Rarity says as Catalyst leaves. But wait.....
Second thought: That's not how Jet operates. That's what Catalyst says to Rarity as he prepares to leave.
Reads chapter.......and again: Mr Howitzer
deviantart.com/download/323664118/cards__you_magnificent_bastard_by_calligraphuck-d5cp8ty.jpg
And that's got to be one of the most unique shippings ever. Of all time. So after the epilogue, who's next??
1761204 Hey, you got your hat for your fireworks!!! I did try, but for some reason, I couldn't get another one with a transparent background!!!
1761532 quoted for the truth im afraid
I see what you did there.
Also, a fine ending.
1761532 Yep, someone in TD's thread fixed it up for me.
1762265
TWO TITLE DROPS FOR THE PRICE OF ONE GRANDMA!!
1761089 To be fair, he might still be dead. Perhaps it's too late for Rarity's love to have an affect on the poor neglected Changeling. Perhaps the Epilogues take a different perspective, sharing the events that follow Catalyst's death.
1761254 Yeah, I'm not too happy with the title drop on this one. Then again, it's not exactly a common phrase, so I, more or less, had to force it in there.
1762759
HOW DID YOU KNOW IT WAS MY BIRTHDAY?!?
REPEAT FORMER ORDER!
1766928 wat?
1767011 the order on the last chapter, you know,
1767044 Oh. Well, to be fair, there's not really much left to this story. I just need to think up something suitable for the Epilogue, and then I get to decide the sequel's events.
1767057 *royal british voice*THEN SHIP THE NEXT PONY!
Or...
media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m7iiezqYoa1r13yt6.gif
1767088 Soon. I need to take some time to myself before I start the next one. I mean, christ, I do other things besides write ponies, ya know.
1767101 I will wait (looking at you intently using an animatronic clone)
1767111 I... Fine. But it'll be a while till I start Regretted Words, so you know.
1767130 *singsong voice* the longer you wait the longer i see your every mooove!
I almost want epilogues from both ends - where Catalyst both dies and doesn't. I'm curious.
Glorious.
176787
I'd love to see that!
Celestia's Horseshoes! (My new favorite Brony curse) Why are you so AMAZING?!!?
This ending . . .
I approve of it.
thus, the creation of molestia
1767130
so, is this it? a bad ending and a good ending in which he dies? I think not. Please take the time to write an epilogue in which Catalyst wakes up please!
Celstia's Flank! Brilliant! *Clap, Clap Clap*
Keep at it!