Chapter 17: Precious Corners
Consciously using the Passive and Activated abilities of the Elements is a difficult task that requires many hours of practice and the distinct possibility of catastrophic failure. Subconscious use of an Element's abilities, on the other hoof, seems to be natural or even instinctive. Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy have all displayed use of their Element's abilities practically at will. Pinkie Pie in particular seems to use hers nigh-constantly. Conversely, Rarity has only occasionally called upon her Element's powers without directly intending to, and to my knowledge Applejack has never done so. Furthermore, this subconscious activation does not seem to carry the same risks of unintended consequences that intentional activation does.
It is interesting to note that the Proxies who bore the Elements for us seemed to have a much easier time calling upon the powers of the Elements intentionally, but were practically incapable of doing so subconsciously. The reason for this is unclear. Activated and Passive abilities are the same strength and complexity for both true bearers and Proxies, so there is no material difference in the abilities themselves.
While determining the cause for certain is beyond my capabilities, I believe that the difference has its roots in the Harmony Event. The circumstances of a Harmony Event being such that true bearers emerge with a much more intimate understanding of their Elements than a Proxy does. Thus using a power can be likened to an adult walking. It's such a natural process, ingrained and refined over years and decades of repetition, that having to think through each individual part of the motion only leads to stumbling and difficulty. Whereas just walking without thinking about it accomplishes much with little danger of a misstep. Proxies can then be likened to a pony who must learn to walk from scratch, perhaps after an injury, where working through each individual motion produces better results.
In brief: Proxies are like novice walkers, moving only with intention, while the true bearers are master athletes who can run instinctively, but cannot explain how.
-From the fourth section of Harmony Theory by Twilight Sparkle
Chapter Seventeen: Precious Corners
The morning air was crisp and the dew wet under their hooves as Calumn and Blaze walked in the pre-dawn light to the open farmer's market. Calumn felt like he was seeing the world with new eyes. All the color that had exploded in his vision when he'd connected himself to Rainbow Dash had sunk into the world and saturated it with a vibrancy that he'd never thought possible.
His vision wasn't the only thing that felt heightened. He lifted his muzzle and drew in deep the scents of the morning. He could practically taste the coffee as they passed a cafe that was just opening its doors. The wind shifted and he could smell the fields surrounding the town, and all the things growing in them.
Even the regular clip-clop of their hooves was like a natural music to his ears. He found himself regretfully wishing that he had chosen a pegasus form so that he could feel the wind through feathers. It had never struck him before how beautiful the world was. He couldn't help but wonder if it had always been this way, if he had just failed to see it. One thing was for sure: he loved it. He loved it all.
Blaze yawned loudly, but gave Calumn a lazy smile. "I'm excited," he said, nudging the changeling. "I haven't done work like this since I was a teenager. I wonder if it'll be like before, with the shouting and the running around and the heavy things falling and it really wasn't my fault. I liked those jobs, but they really weren't 'me', you know? All the lifting and hauling?"
"You don't seem the type for it, no," Calumn replied.
"I liked the other work ponies, though," Blaze mused, letting out a nostalgic sigh. "They always had the best stories. Did you ever have to do the manual labor stuff?"
"I spent three months as a dockworker once," Calumn said. "And part of my training was on a farm outside of Aquila City. We had to grow our own food, take care of livestock. Basically keep up all the appearances of being an actual farm."
"Was that hard?"
Calumn nodded. "Yes. It was only others like me there. To the outside world it looked like a normal farm, with the same ponies doing their jobs day in and day out, living their lives like you would expect. Underneath that surface there was... us. Secretly, we'd get assigned a new identity every day and we'd have to take over the role as smoothly as we could. Like playing musical chairs, but with everyone in different rooms so they don't know where anyone else is sitting. We had to do the work, make conversation, everything our given identity would do, the whole time without ever breaking character. At the end of the day we'd try to figure out who had gotten which identity. We were graded on how well we kept our character and how well we spotted everyone else's. Do too badly on either side and, well..." Calumn trailed off, shaking his head. "It's not important."
"How did you do?" Blaze asked, pausing. His tone was light but the look in his yellow eyes was focused and serious.
"Better than most," Calumn admitted. "I'd rather not talk about it."
"Okay, buddy," Blaze said, throwing a leg over Calumn's shoulders. "But if you ever want to, you know I'll listen."
Calumn nodded, and the two continued to the farmer's market. There were ponies already gathering, waiting to hear what work they could do for the day. The two of them got a few sidelong glances, but no outwardly hostile looks. They were more of a curiosity than a threat to the work ponies, which was good. That meant there was enough work to go around and they wouldn't have to compete for the positions.
A few inquiries pointed them to a pair of tables that had been pushed together as a makeshift stage. Sitting beside it was the unicorn they had been told about: Bigwig.
Bigwig was a rotund stallion with a knobby horn and squinting gray eyes. His yellow coat was darkened, likely from years of working in the sun, and the shadows of the wide-brimmed straw hat he wore only cast the lines on his face into deep relief. His clothes were clean and well-fitted to his wide frame, but basically the same worker's outfit that many of the other gathered ponies wore. He watched Calumn and Blaze approach with an appraising stare. "You two fellas looking for work?" he asked in a rough voice that displayed a distinct lack of the high-class pretensions many unicorns in the Kingdom took to.
"Yes, sir," Calumn said.
"What's your names?"
"Strongheart, and this is Trail Blazer."
"You can call me Blaze," the green pony chimed in.
"Bigwig. I usually don't take on ponies I don't know. What's your business in Precious Corners?"
"We're just passing through," Calumn replied. "We'll be in town for just a few days as we figure where we go next, but we'll work for our supper while we're here."
"Hah! A pair of good, hardworking earth ponies, huh?" Bigwig chuckled. "Alright, I've got spots for you today. Stand with the others and we'll get this show on the road."
Calumn and Blaze did as instructed, waiting as the last few ponies trickled into the small crowd. When Bigwig was satisfied with the numbers he saw he rose from his seat and ponderously climbed on top of the tables-turned-stage. He surveyed the workers gathered in front of him, nodding to himself in approval.
"Alright, a few new faces this morning," he said, pitching his voice to be heard easily in the crowd. "You all know the drill, I won't be taking it easy on them, so help them out where you can and make sure they know the ropes. You all good with that?" There were nods and a few murmured agreements. Bigwig proceeded to pass out the work assignments, sending Blaze to a warehouse and deciding that Calumn would be working for him there in the market, hauling produce to the stalls from deliveries. "Any questions?" the unicorn finished. Calumn bumped Blaze to stop him from raising his hoof. "Good. Get your groups together and get going."
The heavy unicorn puffed a bit as he dropped off of the table. Calumn watched him for a moment before turning to Blaze. "Are you going to be alright?"
Blaze smiled and nodded. "I told you, it's not the first heavy lifting job I've had. And, hey! I'll get to make new friends!"
"I hope so," Calumn sighed. "Too bad we don't get to work together. I'm not shy about hauling, but we don't really have a cover story ready. If we answer too many questions people are going to start figuring out that something is wrong."
"Nah, they'll never suspect a thing!" Blaze said, waving Calumn's worry off. "Don't worry about it, buddy."
Calumn shrugged. "I guess we won't be here long enough for it to matter. Just don't do anything that gets the attention of the law. We need to keep as low a profile as we can for as long as we're in Precious Corners."
"You got it!" Blaze said with a salute. His name was called and he trotted away to join the other workers heading to the warehouse.
Bigwig stepped up to Calumn after the others were gone. "You look like you got a sober mind, boy. More than your friend there, at least. He won't cause trouble, will he?"
"No he won't, sir," Calumn assured the unicorn. "Blaze might be a little funny to talk to, but he's as dependable as anyone."
"Here's hoping you're not shining me on. He looks like he's been through a fight, and I don't want him starting one here."
"Not a problem," Calumn said. "What do you want me to do first, sir?" Bigwig nodded and directed Calumn towards a laden cart that was trundling up even as they spoke. Calumn nodded and got to work.
***
In her dream it was raining. A downpour that fell from the sky in ribbons, leaving her wings and mane heavy with water. Lightning flashed in time with mocking thunder, each burst of light revealing the silent horde that surrounded her. Ponies. A sea of them, dark and waiting. Forever patient, but eternally demanding. She backed away from them, but there were more behind her, and even more to each side. Her soaked wings spread wide but for all her flapping refused to lift her towards the flashing sky. She couldn't get away.
The ponies had faces, a blur in the darkness that was thrown into sharp clarity with every strike of lightning through the boiling clouds. She knew those faces, those eyes. They looked at her with a dead neutrality, not happy, not sad, not angry, not anything. They were the living, watching her with the eyes of the dead. With each passing second they advanced, but somehow still kept their distance. They wouldn't touch her. They needed her to come to them.
She looked around wildly, seeking any avenue of escape. In a blast of thunderous light she saw a new figure standing tall upon a high rock: a pegasus mare. The mare stared up at the sky, her wings spread and her face set in determination. Pink coat, blue mane, strength and speed in every line and curve of her body, nobility in her bearing. A hero.
"Help me!" she screamed at the pony on high. The pegasus deigned to look down from the storm. Her eyes weren't dead, not like the others. Instead they burned with an inner light, crimson in the darkness. She looked down in anger.
"Save me!" But the pony looked away again, flapping her wings and rising into the swirling clouds, a pink-blue trail hanging in the air behind her. That trail changed as it lingered, bleeding into a rainbow that illuminated the storm-tossed landscape of the dream brighter than any lightning bolt. Yet the light was not comforting, and all it revealed were the ponies that surrounded her, always edging closer, always waiting for her to make the first move.
There were so many of them, stretching to the horizon in every direction. All looking at her, all moving to her, all demanding that she come to them and serve her blood-soaked purpose.
With a cry of despair, she lunged.
***
Charisma was off the bed and across the room before the door was fully open. She slammed one hoof into it, reaching out the other to shove the pony coming through it off balance enough that she could slam the door on them and knock them to the floor.
"Oh! Excuse me!" Melody Drop said, staggering back. "I thought you were still asleep." Awareness came back to the pink pegasus as the last vestiges of the nightmare fled.
"I was," Charisma said, looking around. The sun was coming brightly through the curtained windows for the small, sparse room she had been given to sleep in. "What time is it?"
When she and Cash had arrived at High Fashion's estate it had been well into the small hours of the morning, but the unicorn noble himself had still appeared. He was obviously ecstatic about hosting a Magic Talent, as any rural noble would be. Get in good with a Magic Talent and you could have an in with the capital, perhaps even all the way up to the Crown. It was an avenue to escape the quiet stasis of the countryside, and no noble was going to turn that down.
So it was that their reception had been warm and lavish. There had been a meal and some servants roused to prepare a room for Cash's use. The two unicorns had chatted a while before Cash made his excuses and went to bed. Charisma found it tiresome. The same politicking and brown-nosing that had been rampant in the Capital, but directed at her certainly-not-noble boss. Worse yet, with her cover as Cash's 'retainer' she had to stay up with him until he went to bed, regardless of how tired she was. At least there had been food.
"Just after noon," Melody replied.
Charisma snorted. "I suppose Max is up already?"
"Yes, he requested that we let you sleep. I was just coming to see if you were up, and since you are, to inform you that lunch is being served."
Charisma's stomach growled. She let a smirk slip onto her lips. "Food sounds good. Lead the way."
"Of course," Melody said, stepping aside so that Charisma could leave the room and then walking beside her down the hallway. It was a calculated gesture, of that Charisma was certain. She was probably indicating that she wasn't Charisma's servant or lesser, which meant she was a free citizen working for pay, and not an indentured servant. That was rare enough outside the cities that she supposed Melody had a right to be proud of it.
Her Talent whispered murder into her thoughts, but she ignored it. "How long have you worked here?" she asked in lieu of breaking Melody's neck.
"Since I was sixteen," Melody answered. "Lord Fashion's family has employed mine since Precious Corners was founded."
"Ah, one of those." Charisma nodded to herself. It was an uncommon arrangement in the cities, but there were always a few pegasus and earth pony families that kept close ties with a particular line of unicorn nobles. The nobles provided employment and low-interest loans and the commoners tacitly served them in return. All the benefits of serfdom with none of the drawbacks.
"I'm not 'one of those'," Melody protested. "Whatever 'one of those' happens to be."
"It wasn't an insult," Charisma said before the other pegasus could go into detail about what she thought she actually was. "I've just seen a lot of different servants over the years, and I figured you for a type."
"Well, you were dead wrong," Melody said, then her lips turned up in a small smile. "I'm not even a servant. I'm a bodyguard."
Charisma couldn't hold back a laugh at that. "A bodyguard? Really?"
"Yes, absolutely," Melody said, giving Charisma a haughty look. "My family has served as guardsponies for nobility since the Kingdom was founded."
"What are you guarding him from?" Charisma had to ask, laughing at the absurdity of it. "Do they grow the grass vicious out here or something?"
Melody chuckled, taking the mocking far better than Charisma would have in a similar position. "You'd be surprised. I guess I don't have a lot of call to use my skills, but that doesn't mean I don't ever. Lord High Fashion owns most of the land in and around Precious Corners. That can get ponies upset sometimes, especially when taxes come due. I've had to break up more than a few nasty situations, and I've gotten my hooves bloodied before. I guess for someone travelling with a Magic Talent that might seem a little tame, but I do a lot more than you might think."
"Do you?" Charisma re-appraised the mare, looking for the signs of a skilled combatant. Sadly, she only saw the same thing she had the night before. This girl might have been able to defend herself ably from a few drunken commoners, but she was no warrior. She walked with a decent sense of self, no clumsy swaying or misplaced hooves, but she didn't have the dancer's poise that Charisma possessed, or the coiled tension that Rainbow Dash had displayed. If she had been a potential recruit for the army Charisma would have let her try out, just to see how far she would push herself, but she wasn't elite material.
"I do," Melody replied with a curt nod. Charisma didn't take the banter further, just inclined her head in acceptance. Soon they came to the dining hall where Cash was already in deep conversation with their host. They were both seated at the long table, half-eaten meals sitting forgotten in front of them.
High Fashion was the perfect image of the country noble. He was well-dressed in an immaculately white suit that had just the right accents to set off his blue coat instead of clashing with it. His mane was long and hung down the left side of his neck in a curtain of shining curls, topped with a stiff felt hat that sat right behind his horn. Charisma stifled a snicker at his appearance. All he'd need was a monocle and he could pass for a cheap television show's idea of a noble.
"Charisma!" Cash called out, getting to his hooves. "You're up! How'd you sleep?"
"Perfectly," Charisma lied, baring her teeth at him in what might be considered a smile.
"My dear, you look lovely this morning," High Fashion put in as his own greeting. He gave her a small bow and even doffed his hat. Use his horn as a handle to smash his face into the table, then take a table knife and slash his throat while he's disoriented. Charisma folded into a bow of her own, sinking lower than he did to show her relative position. It wasn't something that many country unicorns would notice, but she had a feeling he would.
"Why thank you, my lord. I'm afraid I have overslept, and haven't had time to see to my appearance yet. I know I do not look my best. Your politeness is appreciated, however."
Cash giggled to himself as High Fashion gave her an understanding smile. "Well, why don't you and Melody come and join us?" The two pegasi obliged him, taking seats at the table. In moments new trays of food were brought out by silent servants. Charisma resisted the urge to just devour what was set before her. If she was going to be playing the role of a noble's retainer, she was going to do it right. "Max has told me that you used to be in the marines," High Fashion continued as they settled in. "Would you care to share a few stories with us?"
Charisma shot her employer an annoyed look. "I'm sorry, my lord, but my time with the marines is something I prefer not to talk about."
The damage had already been done, though, and Melody was looking at her with awestruck eyes. "You're a marine?"
"I was a marine," Charisma stressed.
"Come now, you never got a dismissal," Cash said, goading the situation on.
"Is that true?" Melody asked.
"Yes," she hissed, trying her best to smile while also resisting the urge to put her fork through Cash's eye. Of course she'd never got her dismissal, there was an entire court martial and public execution she had to go through before they'd give her that.
"Did you ever meet a Griffin?" Melody pressed.
Charisma sighed and gave in. Cash wasn't going to let her drop this, and little miss thinks-she's-a-guard wouldn't either. "Yes. I even fought alongside them a couple times. And trained with them. There isn't much interesting to say, though, and some of the most interesting bits are classified so I couldn't tell you anything in any case." She smiled at her cleverness, let them try to get past that little evasion.
Melody's jaw dropped open in amazement. High Fashion's eyes widened at that, and he gave her an admiring nod. "You must have a most accomplished career, my dear," he said, raising his glass to her. "I would surely love to hear more, but I understand if you can't freely speak about it. Perhaps I could persuade you to tell some of those 'not very interesting' stories, I'm sure they'd sound a lot more exciting to these peaceful country ears than they do to you."
"Another time, please," Charisma insisted.
"Another time," High Fashion allowed. Melody looked disappointed, but she composed herself well and began eating. Charisma didn't take any longer herself, digging in with abandon. If they wanted to think of her as a marine, she might as well eat like one. High Fashion turned back to Cash. "I'm sorry, you were asking about something, but with the arrival of your lovely and fascinating companion, I've completely forgotten what it is."
"Communication crystals," Cash said, slipping into that slick salespony tone that he used so often. It always set her feathers on edge to hear it, but it was still better than the alternative. "I'm looking to contact a few people, and I need an open crystal to do it. I realize this isn't exactly a major trade center, but I hope you've got at least one of those available somewhere around here."
"We do," the other unicorn replied. "At the town hall. A fine young stallion named Bright Lantern works them. He's the only Communication Talent in a hundred miles or more and quite a boon to my little town. I'm fairly certain he has an unbound crystal available. There's a fee for his services, of course, but that shouldn't be an issue for you." He leaned in. "I've got a lot of respect for Magic Talents, you know. It's in my blood, you see. My great-grandmother was a Magic Talent. It's how my family gained these lands. I had hoped when I was younger that I might carry on her legacy. But alas, my talents are more suited to managing my businesses than in using my horn."
"A Magic Talent gets a lot of undeserved glory," Cash said with a sly smile. "Like everything else, it's what you do with it that really counts."
"Hear, hear!" High Fashion crowed. "Spoken like a true gentlepony. Are you sure you weren't born a noble?"
"Absolutely," Cash replied.
The conversation wandered after that. Charisma kept up her end when she was required to, but otherwise focused on eating as much as she could and ignoring the looks Melody gave her. The country pegasus was going to push to find out more about her; Charisma could see it in her eager eyes. She was going to get herself hurt, and Charisma refused to feel responsible for that.
Finally the meal was over and she and Cash took their leave to seek out the communication crystal in the town hall. "You told them about me?" she snapped at him as soon as they were out of sight of the estate.
"Oh yes," he said, chuckling at her anger. "I'm a big, important Magic Talent unicorn, right? I've got to look impressive. I can't really tell him about myself, so I told him about you instead. What better way to make me look special than having an extra-special retainer?"
"You couldn't have just made something up?" she snarled, looking away from him. "Don't you have a 'trick' you should be practicing?"
He laughed. "Who says I'm not?" She snorted in disbelief at that. "There are rules to these things, Charisma. Rules that honestly don't make a whole lot of sense. I've got the rulebook, but it was written a thousand years ago in a language almost no one still speaks. Until I'm absolutely sure about how to use that 'trick', I'm not risking a nice, comfy bed and three square meals a day on it."
She stopped dead in the street, turning to give him an incredulous look. "Really."
He held a straight face for a mere second before breaking out into a smile. "Nah, I just wanted to see you squirm. Lighten up, you're making friends."
She snorted again and started walking. As they passed a busy farmer's market it was Cash's turn to freeze. She turned to him, curious as he stared into the market. "What is it?"
"One of these things is not like the others," he sing-songed, letting out a high-pitched giggle that sent a shiver down her spine. "One of these things does not belong."
"What are you talking about?"
He turned to her, a wild grin stretching his features. "Just an unexpected friend."
Her eyes narrowed at that. "Should we go and... say hello?"
"Oh no," he chuckled. "No, no, no. Well, not yet, and not you. If my guess is right, you'll be too busy with your own friend anyways."
"What?"
"You'll see," he said, striding off with an excited skip to his step.
"Damn it, Max! What do you mean?" she demanded as she followed him. He didn't say a word.
***
The afternoon was hot and dry, Celestia's sun burning high in the sky and baking the open-air market below. Calumn's sweat stained his coat a darker grey and dripped from the tips of his mane. Despite the body he was wearing he wasn't as durable as a true earth pony, and he was feeling the long day's work in his bones. His head sagged, his legs wobbled and his back ached. Yet Calumn gloried in the exhaustion. It felt right. Fatigue earned through hard work. And it had been hard, Bigwig hadn't been joking about that part.
The unicorn had also proven himself to be fair, which was something that came as a small surprise to Calumn, even though it shouldn't have. He knew that much of the propaganda in the Republics about how sunlander unicorns treated the other pony races was false, but it was still so pervasive that he'd ended up believing some of it anyway.
Bigwig didn't put the lie to all of the stereotypes. He was condescending, arrogant, and bossy. He had money and he was in charge, and he didn't shy from reminding everyone around him about either. Yet he had a simple charm that meant he never seemed vicious when he was giving orders, or snobbish when he talked about his fortune. It was a good trait to have when most of his employees were earth ponies or pegasi. By the end of the day Calumn wasn't even resentful of the hard work he'd done while the unicorn had sat on his rotund behind and gave orders.
Even better, everyone who worked for Bigwig seemed to share his friendly demeanor. There wasn't much politics or drama to go around. They were all working together, and it seemed they all felt their wages fair for what they were asked to do. The fact that Bigwig himself handled most of the selling upfront helped. He was seen among them, doing his part. Even if his part didn't require him to lift anything his telekinesis couldn't handle, which actually turned out to be a surprisingly large amount of weight.
By the time the market was starting to close, Calumn was nearing collapse. Blaze and the other day workers showed up shortly afterward, looking just as tired. Blaze met up with Calumn, and the two of them began the walk back to the hotel.
"Like I said, it's not really my line of work," Blaze was saying. "Lifting and hauling. I'm more about the guiding and running. Totally different skillset. How did your day go?" Calumn wobbled and tripped over his own hooves as he tried to reply. "Oh, well, that good, huh?" Blaze steadied his friend and directed their walk towards a nearby park.
They sat down on a bench, resting. Calumn sighed in joy as his weight left his throbbing hooves. The park was filling up as ponies ended their day's activities and decided to relax. There were already a dozen colts and fillies rampaging through the park's playground. The sounds they made were like music to the Changeling, soothing and invigorating.
"I'm a little out of shape," Calumn admitted.
"I thought you got all the earth pony stuff in that body," Blaze commented.
"I get stronger, yes, but that's because of muscle size and bone density," Calumn explained. "Earth ponies have magic to bolster all that, even if it's not their Talent. I don't get that when I take this shape."
"Nifty, didn't think about that. So can you fly in pegasus form and magic in unicorn form?"
"Both, but limited. I'm a weak flyer by pegasus standards, and my telekinesis is barely a quarter of a kilogram. I'm better at both in my natural form, but not by much. It really depends on how much energy I've got coming in. A strong source of love that I've been feeding from for a while can make me as strong as a Strength Talent and as fast as a Flight Talent, temporarily."
"But you don't have that right now."
Calumn shook his head. "No. Friendship is good, but love is best."
"How about food?" Blaze asked.
"Food is always good," Calunm replied, chuckling.
"Want me to go get us something to eat?"
"I would be eternally grateful," Calumn said, lying down on the bench.
"You got it, buddy," Blaze said with a grin, then trotted off to find some food.
Calumn's gaze and mind wandered as Blaze left. The vibrant feelings and colors hadn't left him as the day progressed, and he indulged in them now, filling up his senses with everything he could take in. He watched a young couple nuzzling under a shady tree, tracked the flight of a hummingbird as it darted around the flowers that grew in carefully cultivated beds. A delighted laugh caught his attention and he looked over to see the children at play. He smiled as he watched them. They had a carefree innocence that he had never known. Young Changelings didn't get to play, they had to learn. He'd never had to mimic a child long-term, and had thus never got the chance to even pretend at it. He wondered what it would be like.
Then he noticed that not all the children were playing. One colt was sitting by himself, away from the others, poking at the dirt with a hoof. Calumn watched, curious, and saw the colt look up from time to time and stare forlornly at the other foals. At one point he almost got up to join them, but sank back down, looking ashamed and sad.
Calumn's heart went out to the young pony, and he resolved in that moment to do something about it. When Blaze came back with food, Calumn pointed out the lonely colt to his friend. "I'm going to help that kid."
Blaze laughed. It wasn't a laugh of surprise or disbelief, but the laugh of a pony who had just discovered some delightful secret. "I am completely behind that. How are you going to do it?”
"I'll be Holly for a while," Calumn said. A plan was crystallizing in his thoughts, though it was a gamble.
"You want me to turn on the juice while you're at it?" Blaze asked.
Calumn shook his head. "Not this time. Thanks, though."
"No problem."
Calumn ate quickly, then found a secluded alley and changed to the form of Blaze's sister. He immediately felt the wave of love energy flow into him and flashed Blaze an annoyed look.
"What?" the green stallion asked, eyes wide and innocent. "You've earned it, buddy."
Calumn shook his head and gave Blaze a thankful smile before taking a deep breath and heading back to the park. The moment her hooves touched the grass she had immersed herself in the character she had created. A bright smile curved at her lips and she darted off to look wide-eyed at the playground. "Awesome," she crowed, then launched herself with fervor into the laughing fray. She angled for a group of five ponies playing with a ball.
"Hey, who are you?" one filly asked as she came up to the group at play.
"My name's Holly," she replied. "Can I play with you?" She sent a hint of Changeling magic through her voice, just enough to provoke easier acceptance.
The other children shared a look, but grins broke out before doubts could be shared, and they quickly opened a spot in their circle for her to join in. She set to playing with a vigor that was surprising after a long day's work. A full stomach and a loving pseudo-brother provided all the youthful strength she needed.
Soon enough she had learned all their names, and showed them she was a good player at their game. Taking a pause from bouncing the ball around she frowned and gestured towards the lone colt. "Why don't we ask him to join in, I think it'll be even funner with seven of us!"
This time the look shared by the other children lasted longer. "We don't want him playing with us," an earth pony filly named Chelsea said.
"Why not?"
"He sucks," a fluttery pegasus colt named Dive replied. He and Chelsea seemed to be the leaders of this group, the other children would go along with them.
"Sucks?" she repeated. "How does he suck?"
"He just does," Dive said. "He just sucks."
"Come on, he can't be that bad," Calumn cajoled. "I picked this game up pretty quick, he can too."
"Teacher says he's got an attitude problem," Chelsea said.
"What do his friends think?" she asked, knowing what the answer would be.
"He doesn't got any friends," Dive replied.
"No friends!" Calumn gasped, putting a lot of shock into her voice. "What did he do to get no friends?"
There were confused looks all around. They didn't know. Calumn was glad for that. If this lone colt had been a bully or some other real troublemaker then they wouldn't have hesitated to tell her. His ostracism could be the result of any number of factors, but this reaction showed Calumn that it was through no fault of his own. That made everything easier.
"Nobody knows? Well no wonder he's got an attitude problem! Anybody would if they had no friends for no good reason. I'm gonna go be his friend."
"Don't," Dive said, reaching out to stop her. "He sucks. If you hang out with him, you'll suck too."
She grinned at him. "I'm fun, right?" There were nods all around. "I'm not going to stop being fun, right?" The nods came again, though more uncertain this time. "Well, I think he can be fun too. All you got to do is get to know him."
Without waiting for the group consensus she hopped out of the circle and ambled up to the lone colt. He looked up as she approached. His expression was guarded, but she could see the hurt and loneliness plain behind it.
"What do you want?" the colt snapped at her.
"I'm Holly," she said, plopping herself down next him in a sprawl. "What's your name?"
"Andy," he said, confused by her forwardness into forgetting that he was supposed to be a loner. "Andy Quick."
"Hi Andy," she said, sticking out her hoof for him to shake. He did so, reluctantly. She rolled until she was in front of him, enjoying the feel of the grass against her coat. "Wanna come play with us?"
He frowned, then looked back towards the playground where the circle of ponies was watching them intently. He turned back to her with anger kindling in his eyes. "They don't want to play with me."
"Why not?" she asked, touching him with a sliver of Changeling magic. It was only enough to get him talking and not shutting down or running away yet, not even enough to tinge her eyes green.
"They don't like me," Andy replied. "Nobody likes me."
"Pfft, that's not true," she said, smiling up at him but carefully refraining from laughter. "I like you, and I just met you."
He paused, contemplating that. She didn't push him, didn't use her magic to make his decision for him. She let him think it through himself. "You're just saying that."
"Well, yeah," she replied. "I'm saying it because it's true!"
"Why do you even want to play with me?" he demanded, but she could see the wheels turning, crushing his anger with hope.
"'Cause you look fun and cool," she said, making a fairly poor attempt to stand on her head. "And playing is always more fun with more people."
He paused again. Her explanation was child's logic, but it was still logic, and she wasn't hiding any traps that would trip his defenses. He could see her sincerity, and understand her reasoning. He wanted to believe her. "They'll make fun of me," he said, the light of hope in him finally bright enough to reveal the insecurities that would try to snuff it out again.
She replaced her smile with a serious expression. "Do you think so?"
"I know they will," he said, his voice hitching. "They always do."
"What do you do when they make fun of you?" she asked, using a gentle prod of magic to let him respond freely.
"I get mad," he admitted. "I can't ever think of a good comeback. I just yell at them, then I run away. I'm just so stupid!"
Calumn was surprised at that last comment, but saw how she could use it. "That's not stupid," she said. "I can't ever think of a good comeback either."
"Really?" He didn't believe her. She could tell he'd had adults belittling his insecurities before, the usual 'you're not stupid, don't think that way' and 'I've been there, I got over it' stuff. She was fairly certain, however, that he'd never been told this by another child his age.
"Really," she said. "I got mad, too. But you know what I didn't do?"
"You didn't run away?"
"Yup. I didn't run away. And they stopped making fun of me, you want to know why?"
"Why?"
"Because I had a friend there, and he made up comebacks for me." She smiled again. "They sucked. Like, totally, absolutely, mega-sucked." Andy laughed. "I was all like: 'Hey, stop it! Stop defending me!' But he kept going, and everyone just started laughing. You know what I learned?" He shook his head. "Everyone gets made fun of." She let that sink in for a moment before reaching out to poke him in the flank. "You, me, my friends, your friends, your enemies. Everyone."
"Is it 'cause ponies are cruel?" he asked.
She shrugged. "Nah, it's 'cause ponies are ponies. We're all kinda dumb, you know? We all do dumb things and we get made fun of. We're not stupid, though. You're not stupid. You just need a friend to make some sucky comebacks for you. Wanna be my friend?"
He contemplated her offer. She hadn't won him over, not completely, but she'd gotten him thinking about it. "What if I do something stupid?"
"I'll do something stupider," she promised him. "Just come play with us. It'll be fun."
She could see the decision written plainly in his features as he nodded, a smile transforming his lonely face. "Okay."
"Yay!" She leapt up, crowing at her victory. She did a victory lap around him, turning somersaults and jumping as she went. He laughed at her antics, as did the circle of children that she led him to. Soon they were all playing together. Calumn worked hard to keep the games fun, and made a point of inviting the other children in the playground to join them as well.
They played with the ball, they pushed each other on the swings, they ran all about the play structure pretending to be pirates or Griffins. Calumn vetoed a game of Changeling Hunt, but taught them one of the games she'd seen Republican children play instead. Children made friends easily, and in the few short hours of play she connected with each of them. She could feel their friendship flowing through her, and with only a few nudges to the more obstinate kids she made sure Andy was included in that web of friendship. It wouldn't be a permanent solution, children lost friends as easily as they made them, but it would give him a foundation to build something more solid on.
At the very least she had given him an afternoon of fun and friendship. She counted that as a victory.
The park filled up with ponies as the afternoon went on, and soon enough parents came to retrieve children for supper. They parted ways, promising to play again the next day. It was a promise Calumn intended to keep, even if it would only be for that one more day. When he left the park he found Blaze waiting for him, a huge smile on the green pony's face.
"Good imitation," he said as Calumn fell into step beside him and they headed towards the alley he'd changed in earlier. "But try to tell more jokes. Oh! And props! You need props! Do you think they sell rubber chickens around here?"
Calumn laughed. "I'm not trying to perfectly imitate your sister, Blaze."
He pouted. "But I was looking forward to the apple-and-chicken routine."
"Apple and...?" Calumn shook his head. "Nope. Not going to ask. Thanks, Blaze. I helped a kid today, and it feels better than I ever imagined. Thanks for letting me do this."
"Anytime, buddy," Blaze said, laughing. "Any time."
***
"Trail Blazer," Charisma breathed, watching the stallion walk the familiar-looking filly away from the park. Her heart thudded in her chest and her wings twitched restlessly on her back.
"Yup," Cash said, his own eyes locked on the smaller of the pair. "Well, I know what I'm doing tomorrow. How about you?"
Charisma could barely keep herself from rushing after Blaze immediately, but Cash insisted she hold back. "Tomorrow," he told her, smiling in that way he did when something awful was about to happen. "You can have all the fun your little black heart can stand, but tomorrow."
She could do nothing but grit her teeth and accept it. They made their way back to High Fashion's estate with Cash scheming and her smouldering. A bad combination for anyone who got in their way. Which made Melody coming out to meet them unfortunate.
"What do you want?" Charisma snapped at the other pegasus as she approached.
She flinched back. "I, uh, I just wanted to see if you could, um..."
Cash laughed. "Of course she wants to, well, whatever it is you were about to say," he assured her, giving Charisma wink as he did. "I've got to work out a few things in private, so why don't the two of you swap bodyguard stories until dinner?"
Charisma itched to twist his head off right there, but forced her hooves to stillness. "Alright, Max. Why don't you go and leave us alone for a while?"
"Play nice," Cash said, his voice pitched low and hard. It was a command, and from the look in his eyes, one he wouldn't brook her transgressing. Then, with a jaunty wave to them both he trotted into the estate.
Charisma watched him go, pawing slowly at the dirt. Only after he was gone did she switch her attention to Melody. "Sorry about that. I got some news recently, and it's been causing me some stress."
"Were you able to use the communication crystal?"
Charisma nodded. "Yes, we got in touch with our people. They'll be here to pick us up in two days."
"Oh, I was hoping you'd stay longer," Melody said, frowning in disappointment. She perked up quickly enough, though. "I'd like you to help me with something."
Charisma sighed. "What do you need my help with?"
"I want... I want you to show me how you fight."
Charisma couldn't help but laugh. "Melody, listen. You do not want that. I'm sure you're a good enough bodyguard for Precious Corners."
"No, I do," she insisted. "I see the way you move, the way you hold yourself. You've come at me a couple times now and I was sure you were going to attack me. I was so scared I almost peed myself. I've never, and I mean never seen anyone move like you do. If I could learn even a bit of that, I could, I don't know, I could be a better guard, I guess."
Charisma saw where this was going. "High Fashion's talking about moving to the city, isn't he?"
Melody blinked at her, taken aback by her insight. "I, um, well, yes."
"Figured. You're afraid your skills at busting bumpkin heads won't work well there, right?" Melody nodded. "Yeah, well, they won't. You're right about that."
"Teach me," Melody said, staring intently into Charisma's eyes in a way that she probably thought conveyed sincerity and determination. "Please."
"Melody, what the hell do you think I can teach you in two days?" Charisma asked, rubbing at her temple.
"Something, anything!"
"Nothing! At all!" Charisma snapped. "I can show you some stuff, sure, but only enough that if you try to use it without the years of training that come before it you'll get yourself killed."
"Just give me a place to start! Something to build on."
Charisma snorted and stepped away, shaking her head. Melody didn't know, couldn't know. Her entire body yearned to crush the other pegasus, to utterly dismantle her. She stilled the impulse and took a deep breath. "Fine," she said. "I'll see what you can do and give you some pointers." She rounded on Melody before the inevitable thanks began pouring out. "That is all it is, do you understand? This will not be training, this will not be a lesson, this might be educational, but that depends on how much you take out of it. This is advice about areas you should focus on when getting real training. Do you understand me?"
Melody swallowed hard and nodded. "I understand."
Charisma backed off. "Good. Because that's my first piece of advice: find real training. Before you move to the city. Get Lord Fashion to sponsor you. Any of the military academies are good, but the Stavishorn school has the best bodyguard program. It's expensive, it's tougher than anything you've ever done in your life, but it's worth it if you want to be halfway decent at your job. Whatever you do, do not mention that I recommended it to you. Hell, don't even mention you've ever met me."
"Why not?"
"I've got a reputation," Charisma said, taking another half-step back and looking away. "Let's just say there's a reason I'm working for Max right now instead of on operations with the marines."
Melody nodded as she absorbed the unspoken implications of what she'd been told. "Okay. It might be a hard sell to Lord High Fashion, but I can try."
"Do," Charisma snapped. "You're his bodyguard, it's your duty to do anything and everything it takes to keep him safe. This is what it will take. Don't let him screw with your duty just because it pinches his purse. Don't try, do." Melody took this in with the wide-eyed solemnity of a novitiate priest receiving the secrets of Celestia. Charisma shook her head, trying to keep the derision from showing. "Do you have some place to practice? A sparring ground or something?"
Melody did, and twenty minutes later Charisma found herself in a small field surrounded by forest. Various training dummies had been set up, most looking like they were mannequins raided from a department store dumpster. A shed stood nearby, housing weapons and water.
"I set most of this up myself," Melody was telling her as she pulled out some of the weapons she'd practiced with. They were a sorry lot. Mostly clubs, a few makeshift spears and, surprisingly, a decently maintained mace. There were no modern weapons, no guns or tasers or extendable batons. There was a good selection of knives, though, and Charisma spent a few minutes looking them over.
"You're a hereditary bodyguard to a noble unicorn, and this is all you've got?" Charisma had to ask once she was done with her inspection.
Melody looked at the ground, her expression pained. "My family hasn't exactly taken its duty seriously."
Charisma rolled her eyes. "Right, country living and a town called 'Precious Corners'. Should have seen that one coming. Look, just show me what you already know."
Melody did her best to do just that. She showed off all the techniques for disabling or overpowering a pony she had learned from years of experience and what little training she got from her family. Charisma watched it all impassively. Finally, when Melody had finished and stood sweaty and panting before her, Charisma spoke.
"What you did right: You engage your targets with confidence, you know how to set your shoulders, you know which end of a weapon to hit with and which end to hold. What you did wrong: Everything else. Every-damn-thing." Melody cringed back from that appraisal. "You've done most of your fighting against earth ponies, haven't you?" She nodded. "Yeah, figures. You're not an earth pony, you're a pegasus. Those wings on your back? Use them! You keep planting your feet to land a blow, that's an earth pony tactic. You should be attacking from above, diving down on your target, not standing in front of him and punching up. Earth ponies need to be grounded, solidly set, but you need the opposite. You've got the reflexes and weight to move quicker than they can. Use it! Instability is your friend: use your wings to hold yourself up, touch down to stabilize or add momentum. Roll with blows, don't weather them. If they push you, let yourself be pushed and fly. I could go on all night for this one thing alone."
"I didn't–"
"No, you didn't," Charisma cut her off. "Let me show you how it's done." She launched herself at Melody without warning. The brown pegasus squeaked and flinched back, spreading her wings in a futile attempt to take off and escape. Charisma dropped on her with the inevitability of the sunset. Her leading hoof hit Melody in the left shoulder, collapsing that leg under her. Charisma's wings snapped down and caught hers, bending them painfully. With a deft twist Charisma flipped around so that she could land on Melody while facing the same way. She rode the other pegasus to the ground, wrapping her foreleg around Melody's neck and hauling back.
Melody's breath cut off with a squeak. Charisma held her there for a long moment. End her, her Talent demanded. She let go and Melody sagged underneath her, gasping for breath. Charisma leaned down until her mouth was next to Melody's ear. "You are a pegasus," she growled softly. "You have six limbs, all of which are weapons. You are faster than other ponies, both in terms of reaction time and flat-out speed. Most importantly, most importantly, you can fly. That is the greatest weapon of our kind, and if we forget about it all we are is weaker, more fragile earth ponies. All the others think in two dimensions by nature, we think in three. Remember that."
"I will," Melody gasped out. "I'll remember."
Charisma rolled off the other pony, coming to her hooves and stalking a few paces away to calm herself down. She shouldn't have jumped Melody like that. Shouldn't have agreed to this in the first place. It was seeing Blaze again. She'd barely gotten to spend any time with him back at the dig, just enough to whet her appetite for him again. It distracted her, made her control slip. He always had.
She looked back at Melody, who was on her knees, coughing. "Sorry," she said.
"It's okay," Melody assured her once she got her breath back. "I needed to see that. To know what I have to live up to."
"You don't have to live up to me," Charisma said. "Just get some real training."
"I will," Melody promised. "I will."
They held their places for a long minute, each contemplating their own failings. "Hey," Charisma said, breaking the silence. "There's a guy in town that I know. He's not local either, but I think he might be doing some piece-work at the farmer's market or something. You think you could help me find him tomorrow?"
"I can," Melody said. She sounded small and tired, but there was a new conviction in her voice. Charisma recognized that sound. She'd seen the extent of her inadequacy and was determined to overcome it. It was an attitude that could take her far, or it could kill her.
Either way, it wouldn't be her problem. She could, however, help tip the scales a bit. "Come on, get up. We've only got so much time before we'll be missed, and I want to show you a few things."
***
The new day was as beautiful as the last. Calumn couldn't help but smile as he and Blaze once more made their way to the farmer's market. He laughed at Blaze's rambling jokes and gloried in the early sun’s rays. He still worshipped Luna first and foremost, but he had to admit that Celestia, too, knew something about beautiful skies.
When they reached the table where Bigwig sat, the fat unicorn gave them a wrinkled smile. "You two again. You did good work yesterday, both of you." He nodded his horn at Blaze. "The boys say you talk up a storm, but know your way around the equipment. Said you even found a few things that were mislabelled or buried and almost lost. Good work."
"I'm good at stuff like that," Blaze said. "You hire some really interesting people, Mr. Bigwig."
"I hire who I'm given," Bigwig said. He turned his attention to Calumn. "You were good around here. I was right about you, boy. You've got a good head. I've got a late shipment coming in today for the warehouse. Why don't you two switch up and I can get to know Blaze here better today and you can get some extra pay for late hours. I'll put you in a supervisory position, earn you some extra pay without as much heavy lifting."
Calumn hesitated. It was the best way to maintain their cover. Rocking the boat and protesting work assignments wouldn't look good. But he had promised those kids that Holly would be there to play again today. The two options hung before him, but in the end he found the choice was easy. "I'm sorry, sir. I've got plans this afternoon, I can't stay late."
Bigwig looked at him with an appraising eye. "You sure about that?"
Calumn nodded. "I am, sir."
The unicorn stared hard at him for long enough that Calumn worried that he was angry, but instead he just snorted. "Have it your way. Same assignments as yesterday for you two then. Blaze, you'll get the overtime, but I'm not gonna make you a supervisor."
"Works for me," Blaze said, and Calumn nodded as well. They parted for their separate assignments shortly after, and Calumn set to work. The day would be long and hard, but he looked forward to that afternoon, and the young ponies waiting for their new friend, and knew that it was all worth it.
***
"There he is," Melody said, pointing towards the yard adjacent to the warehouse where they could see the green stallion with the yellow-striped mane carrying a heavy load from a truck to the inside. The afternoon sun was high overhead and the ponies working were practically dripping with sweat. Melody was obviously appreciative of some of the stallions, but Charisma had eyes for only one.
She still had no idea what Cash was up to, but he'd given her free reign to track down Blaze today, so she really didn't care. It hadn't been too hard, a good description allowed Melody to easily locate anyone in a town this small. Now that he was in front of her, Charisma felt the old urge bubbling up again, her wings twitching with it.
"Thanks, Melody," she said. "I'm going to go have a reunion."
"Do you want me to stay here? In case, uh, he doesn't want to talk to you?" Melody offered.
Charisma chuckled at that. "No. Go talk to Lord Fashion about getting you some training. I'll be fine."
"Are you sure?" Charisma tore her eyes away from Blaze to give the other pegasus a very strongly worded look. "Okay," she squeaked backing off. "I'll see you tonight?"
"Maybe," Charisma allowed, then turned back to her quarry and dismissed Melody from her thoughts.
She watched him at work, noting the little tells that spoke of injuries not completely healed. She had hurt him back at the dig. Not enough, though. Not nearly enough. He still smiled and laughed and talked the ear off of any pony that would listen. Her hooves trembled in the dirt as his laughter drifted across the distance to her ears, she could wait no longer.
She timed her attack so that he was alone in a stretch of the warehouse yard that had several tall stacks of material, likely waiting to be loaded onto some truck and sent elsewhere. For her purposes they provided good cover from any of the other work ponies or passers-by. It was the next best thing to privacy. She dove on him from above, swooping down like an owl on a mouse. Silent and deadly. She caught him mid-step, lifting him from his hooves and carrying him behind one of those tall stacks.
She dropped him to the ground with a grunt, landing in front of him as he got up. He stared at her, eyes wide, smile missing for once. "Charisma," he said, surprise and disbelief in his tone.
She rushed into him, ramming his back up against the stack hard enough to make it shudder. She held him there, upright and pinned, then slammed a hoof into his side. Skin tore and a rib snapped from her jab. She set her hoof in place and pushed, grinding the jagged edge of the broken rib against his lung. Blood seeped from his chest, coating her pressing foreleg.
He smiled. She twisted her hoof and he shuddered with the agony of it, then let out a gasping laugh. "I guess somebody missed me," he choked out.
She sagged against him, shuddering. "Yes," she replied, rubbing her muzzle over the side of his face. "I missed you."
"What's wrong?" he asked, frowning in concern.
"No!" She snarled, pressing into his broken rib again, and also biting at the nerve cluster in his shoulder. He stiffened, hissing in pain before turning it into a chuckle. She released his shoulder, but kept up the pressure on his rib. "Better," she growled. "Keep laughing, Blaze. Keep smiling."
"Okay," he wheezed, giving her his best goofy smile. "But, hey, why don't we, and hear me out here, why don't we not try to kill me this time, huh? 'Cause I've been meaning to get around to that death speech thing, but, you know, one thing leads to another and suddenly you're no longer dating the girl who tries to snap your neck every morning. So you kinda get bummed about that and before you know it the whole thing's been shelved and you can't really remember it off the top of your head because it's gotta be cool, right? I mean, who would want their last words to suck. Or be 'suck'. Hey, how many people have last words that are 'this sucks'? I bet it's a lot. Maybe we should take a census or something. Oh! I bet we could get all the psychics together and get them to do the census, and then we can know how many people said 'suck' as their last word and how many dead people we should be taxing, 'cause I'll be damned if one quarter moon of my money is going to support those lazy, non-taxpaying dead people!"
It broke her. Only he could talk so much with someone actively trying to destroy one of his lungs. She collapsed against him, tears filling her eyes, but never falling. "You," she whispered against him. The smell of blood and sweat permeated the air in a heady mixture. "You, you, you. Always you."
"Well, I've tried to be other people, but it never works out," Blaze said, wrapping his forelegs around her in a tight hug. "I've got a friend who can probably teach me how, though."
She kissed him, feeding every passion that flared in her into their touching lips. His eyes went wide, and she could see the concern flare up in them again. She grabbed his head in her hooves and slammed it against the stack, dazing him. With a twist she flipped him into the ground. She straddled him, setting her hooves onto his forelegs to pin them to the ground. The blood from his chest wound was seeping onto her thighs now and she trembled at the feel of it, closing her eyes and taking a quivering breath.
"Hey, Charisma?" he said. She opened her eyes and looked down at him, her mane draping down to tickle at his nose. She leaned just enough so that it was falling in his eyes instead. He winced at the sting, but didn't blink. "I know we've got sexy reunion time going on and all, but, uh, you aren't really fooling me." She pulled back. "Yeah. So, why don't you break my nose and tell me about it?"
She smacked him across the muzzle hard enough to open the half-healed cut already there and draw fresh blood. "Why should I tell you anything?" she snapped. "You left, remember? Didn't want any part of it."
"I didn't want any part of him," Blaze panted. "Still don't. He's creepy. Also? Evil."
Charisma regarded the stallion coldly for a long moment before rolling off him. He didn't get up, and she snuggled up to his injured side, casually playing with the wound she had dealt him. "He's gotten worse," she said, leaning over to lick at the bleeding cut on his muzzle.
"Really?" Blaze asked, incredulous. "I've got a really good imagination, I mean, like, world-champion stuff, and even I can't see how that's possible."
"Ever since James died," she continued. "He's been... I don't even know how to say it. Worse. Making less sense than usual."
"Big Jim's dead?"
"And not paying taxes," she confirmed, laying gentle kisses along his neck.
"When? How?"
"A few weeks ago. Went into one of Max's digs, didn't come out again."
"Did you kill him?
"Only in my dreams."
"Did Max kill him?"
"I don't know, and he's not saying," she sighed. "I think so, though. Maybe that's why he's worse. James was his best friend."
Blaze laughed at that. She jabbed him in the stomach hard enough that his legs involuntarily curled up, but he kept laughing. "Really?" he wheezed out. "You think Max Cash would lose even one wink of sleep over killing his own best friend? Max Cash? The Max Cash? Are we even thinking about the same guy here?"
She snorted, swatting him in the ribs again, but not hard enough to break anything this time. "No, he wouldn't. But he did change, Blaze. He's more driven than ever now, and more powerful."
"What does that mean?"
She didn't answer him, instead laying her head against his bleeding chest and taking in the scent of him. His breathing was harsh, but even. She hadn't punctured his lung this time. "Stay with me," she said, barely more than a whisper.
"I kinda have this work thing I was doing–" She silenced him with a hoof grinding his lips against his teeth.
"You leave, and I kill every single pony here," she told him.
"Yay!" he mumbled around her hoof. "How could I say no to some afternoon delight?"
She climbed on top of him again, licking her bloodied lips as she stared down at him. "Keep laughing, Blaze," she told him, pawing at his shoulder joint until she found the exact right spot. "Keep laughing and keep smiling. No matter what."
She pressed down.
***
Calumn's day was perfect. If Bigwig had been disappointed he'd turned down the supervisor job, he didn't take it out on the Changeling. The work was just as long and just as hard as it had been the first day, but somehow the burdens seemed lighter and the hours shorter. Before he knew it the market was closing up and Bigwig was divvying out the pay. Calumn told him that Blaze would pick his up when he got back from the warehouse, then took off at a gallop. He thought that the unicorn called after him, but he didn't slow down. They were probably going to be leaving in the next day or so, but he would still have time to talk to Bigwig again before they left, and he could say whatever he wanted then. Right now there were children to meet.
Calumn snuck into the alley he'd used the day before and changed to Holly. She couldn't feel Blaze's love empowering her, but she figured the stallion had just done that 'turn it off' trick and hadn't flipped it back on yet. It didn't matter, she could already feel the power of friendship flowing to her. The day's exertion washed away and she laughed for joy as she ran to the park.
They were waiting for her, Chelsea, Dive, all the others, and Andy. He stood with them, smiling, happy. Calumn's heart surged with joy and pride. She'd done that. She'd gotten that lonely colt to smile and have friends. A little kindness that would go a long way.
She joined them, and they played. So many games, so much joy. It was beautiful. She lost herself in the play until the world spun with heady children's happiness. A taste so sweet and pure it brought tears to her eyes. Even if it wasn't as nourishing as love, she could feast on friendship like this forever and never tire of it.
She was so caught up in the fun that she didn't notice the stallion watching her at first. She just kept playing and laughing, but soon enough the icy feeling of unfriendly eyes on her cut through the distracting games and sent a chill down her spine. She spun, looking for the source of the feeling, and locked eyes with Max Cash. He smiled as she saw him, and beckoned to her.
"Hey, Holly, what's wrong?" Andy asked, seeing her freeze.
She shook herself out of her paralysis. "I, uh, I gotta go talk to my, um, uncle," she said.
"You'll be back, right?"
"Yeah," she replied, but she couldn't put much conviction into it. "You have fun, okay?"
"Yeah, okay," he dashed off, playing at some imagination game with the others.
Calumn walked over to Cash, knowing he might have no other choice. His legs trembled and threatened to collapse with every step, but somehow he managed to make it the whole way. He stood before the unicorn, a filly’s body seeming too small and too weak a form to face him with.
"Let's talk," Cash said, eyes twinkling in the sunlight.
"I don't have anything to talk about with you," Calumn replied. He looked around the park. He might be able to escape into the growing crowds, run down the street. If Cash was here, then Charisma would probably be close by. If he could change shape before she spotted him from above, he had a better chance of evading them.
Cash shrugged, unconcerned. "Okay, I can live with that, but I really want to talk to someone. Hey! What about those kids? You think they'll want to talk to me?" He gestured at the children playing on the swings.
Calumn froze, his heart thudding in his chest and his limbs feeling like they were wrapped in ice. He looked over at the children he'd been playing with only moments before. How happy they were, how innocent. He swallowed hard. "Fine. Let's talk." He surrendered, turning back to Cash.
"Excellent!" Cash said, tilting his head towards a close park bench. Calumn silently followed him, every step accompanied by an increase in his thundering pulse and ragged, gnawing fear. They settled in, Cash sighing happily as he took his weight off his hooves. "This is a lovely day," he began, smiling up at the sunlight. "I'm really surprised with this town. You'd think I'd be getting small-town-life flashbacks, but this place doesn't remind me of my old hometown at all. Too many open fields and not enough mountains, I guess. Plus the buildings are completely different. You'd think that wouldn't be a big factor, but really it is. Architecture is bit of a hobby of mine. Nothing serious, you understand, just something I've taken a look at. Modern construction, mostly. It’s really fascinating how much effort goes into just keeping buildings up."
"What do you want?" Calumn demanded, keeping his voice steady and soft.
"To finish our conversation, of course," Cash said. "We got interrupted last time, and that's kind of off-putting. I was all set to make a new friend. You like making friends, right?"
Calumn shuddered again. "What do you really want?"
"More than friends? An audience," Cash said. "Someone to look at what I'm going to do and understand why. Because otherwise what's the point? I could turn the world upside down, but if there's no one who knows it, did it really happen?"
"Stop this," Calumn hissed. "Stop playing affable. Just tell me what you want!"
Cash paused for a moment, giving Calumn an unreadable look that made a small voice in the back of his brain start screaming. "Let me tell you something, Calumn. I'm not the most sociable of ponies. Oh, I know I've got a bit of charm, a bit of flair. I can smile my way past most encounters and keep up my side of a conversation. But you see, I'm not really good at dealing with people. Do you know why?"
"Enlighten me."
"Because I know them. I understand them. I get them. You know how it is, right? You get them too. You understand how they'll react to things so it becomes really, really easy to get them to do whatever it is you want them to. I know people. I know them from the high to the low, from the noble to the degenerate. It's all pretty much the same, you understand. Top to bottom, no one's really different from anyone else in the most important ways."
"Except you, right?"
"Nope. Me too. Which is why I'm not good with them. Just like them I have my faults. Just like them I lose sight of things. Just like them I have a big, gaping blind spot in my understanding. For most people it's themselves. They really don't get the whole 'know yourself' side of things. They prefer 'know everybody else's business'. I think it's cute, but that's me."
"So what's yours?" Calumn asked, knowing it was expected of him.
"Friendship," Cash sighed. Calumn blinked at that, he hadn't expected a straight answer. "I really don't get it. I've had friends. A few, at least. But I never understood friendship for other people. It makes them act in weird ways. Ways that don't make sense even if you know them from nose to tail. Love's the same way, but at least it's focused. At least you can count on it. You can never count on friendship. Sometimes it’s there, sometimes it's not, and always it can make the difference between a pony doing exactly what you want and haring off in the wrong direction. That's what I don't get, Calumn. That's my blind spot. Friendship."
"Why are you telling me this at all?" Calumn asked, confused again by Cash's strange behaviour.
"Well, maybe because I like to talk," Cash mused. "I'm a lot like Trail Blazer in that way. We're two stallions cut from the same cloth, except he does it because he's got no filter and I do it because it suits my purposes."
"And telling me that you don't understand friendship suits your purposes?"
"Eh," Cash shrugged. "It kills time, at least. That's all I'm really doing right now." He flashed Calumn a vicious, conspiratorial grin. "Wanna know why?"
Calumn shook his head, but sighed. "Go ahead."
"Well, I'm in a bit of a pickle here," Cash said setting his face into a pensive expression. "I've still got stuff to do on this side of the Storm, but the Kingdom's finally decided to go after me outright."
"Shouldn't you be running for the Verge then?"
Cash chuckled, winking at Calumn. "That's exactly what they expect! But, no. That's the dilemma. I can't leave yet, but with the Kingdom actively looking for me I can't stick around either. What to do? What to do?"
"Turn yourself in and face your hanging like a stallion?" Calumn offered.
"Honestly? Tempting idea," Cash said, sounding like he meant it. "But not in character for me. No, what I need to do is shift the situation. I can't leave, so I've got to do something about the Kingdom looking for me. I need them distracted, focusing all their attention on something else while go and do my thing. In short: I need a war."
Calumn laughed at that. "You want the Kingdom to go to war? I'll admit they're ready for it, but nobody's going to make the first move. Even you don't have the kind of pull it would take to make the Republic attack, and now that the Kingdom's on to you, they won't be doing anything you want them to do."
The unicorn hummed at that, tilting his head from side to side in a show of consideration. "Well, it's true that I don't have the influence. I can't just order up a war like I would a sandwich," he said. Then he stopped, looking sidelong at Calumn and letting a small, cruel smile begin to form. "But thankfully, I don't have to worry about it. You see, an opportunity has come up, and I intend to take full advantage of it. Which brings me to why I'm killing time. You want to know why, right? Go on, ask me."
Calumn sighed. "Sure. Fine. Why?"
"Because the park is filling up," Cash pointed out.
Calumn looked around, and sure enough the park was getting a little crowded from all the ponies relaxing after the day's work. "What's your point?"
"My point is that I want to start a war, or at least make it a greater priority than me. I need a flash point, a spark to ignite the whole powder keg," Cash said, his lips splitting in a manic grin. "How about news of a Changeling wrecking up a town and murdering a bunch of citizens? Sounds nice and spark-like to me. What do you think?"
Calumn's eyes went wide. The park was full of people. He leapt from the bench and started running. He wasn't fast enough. Cash's magic caught him mid stride, the tearing, peeling sensation making him stumble and fall to his knees. When he rose again it was on hole-filled hooves. There was a long moment of silence as the ponies around stared at him, uncomprehending. He looked back at Cash, who was smiling at him and slowly waving his hoof in farewell. Then the first scream sounded, and the running began.
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I want to hate Cash, I really do. Sometimes I even succeed but today isn't one of those days.
Also dayum Charisma, you're one kinky filly.
Oh my god...
I'm completely out of words, honestly. Jeez, the ending--how horrible. Though, I guess that's what makes it so good.
Once again, you blow way past my expectations, just like every other time you updated.
My goodness, Charisma is so crazy, but so AWESOME! I don't know what to think! AARRGGHGH!!! Please have her go sane and become a protagonist at some point so I don't feel guilty fawning over her, I beg you
Well, shit. Why is Charisma so screwed up, man? I find her horrifyingly fascinating, like something slimy, dead and repulsively evil that crawled out of a drain and is dragging itself towards me with burned and horribly mutilated limbs. Is she turned on by breaking bones and beating the living hell out of other ponies? I can honestly say she is one of the most disturbed and disturbing characters I've ever read about.
On another note, I'm glad that Calumn is discovering who he wants to be. I've read very few stories where a Changeling tries to better itself of its own volition, and I'd like to think he will keep doing so.
Keep on keepin' on.
I've been wondering this for a while: Is Blaze related to Pinkie? Their mannerisms are nearly identical...
Anyway! Awesome chapter. Cash is so evil, but extremely likable. I just can't hate him or Charisma.
Looking forward to the next installment!
Well, whatcha know, just when I thought my hatred for the douchebag was high enough as it was, Cash went to a whole new level of evil and made me hate him more. Probably that why everyone seems to like him: he is the perfect villain, a villain who you would love to hate to the extreme! This guy has no shame, no moral, no soul...yep, definitely a perfect villain. Poor Calumn, he was having a wonder day too. And, Blaze is sharing his fate as well.
The first thought was YES! on an update, and urgh, though max is a capital sleaze ball, he still has the hallmarks of a pawn in this, something puppeting the strings to make things work. But i'm so glad that this updated, sad that its going to be so long till a new update.
Yeeees update <3
Great stuff here. Particularly loving seeing Calumn and Charisma's characters.
I do wonder what kind of literal benefits a connection with an Element Bearer might provide. Calumn's enhanced senses seem to be scratching the surface of what might be a deeper change than he realizes. Then again, it might be nothing at all.
Dear lord... Charisma... I really feel for her. I feel like her Talent has driven her crazy to a point. She's curst by her own mark, and I really want to find a way out for her. My theory on why she loves Blaze is because even when she's beating him up and tearing into him he can still smile at her... he can almost make her feel like she's "normal" again... at least those are my thoughts on why she's so interested in him.
Aaand Cash ascends to new levels of "Evil jerkwad who must die"
Can't help but obsess over Charisma with all the others though.
Yep it's official, Cash is definitely evil
And that creepy Charisma 
There's only one problem I can see with this chapter, and I'm fairly certain that others will agree with me on this: it's lacking the next chapter.
You really have a talent for making us care about characters. In this case, you displayed it with Melody.
Calumn playing with the foals was sweet.
And of course, then Max and Charsma mess everything up.
Charisma keeps reminding me more and more of Tsukuyomi from Mahou Sensei Negima. I wonder if that's coincidence or not.
For some reason, your Max Cash reminds me of MacH8le's Max Rose, from The Never War.
Why do these silly ponies allow themselves to talk to Cash? Especially a changeling that desires to hide in plain sight? You silly, silly bug.
Calumn's encounter with RD has sparked that magic of friendship inside of her. That's the power of the EofH.
Ffffuuck... You really have made Max into a frightening character. Any chance he was inspired by Azula?
2550802
Tsukuyomi was way, way more awful. Charisma at least has the ability to hold back.
yay!
Charisma is a wreck, Blaze is still smiling, and Cash is still a douche. Please, continue.
-Mis
My only gripe with this chapter is the lack of RD and AJ sharing their future experience with each other. Aside from that, great job.
And PLEASE for the love of all that is holy and sacred, update quickly!!!
Max Cash is one of the greatest villains ever. Nicely done, sir.
2553816 Fair enough.
Max and Azula ... yeah, I can see some similarity there.
Some really interesting character development here. I'm not quite sure what Charisma's deal is (or Blaze's, for that matter) but it must be really difficult to be a non-homicidal maniac when your whole existence is based around that premise. Its like she's schizophrenic, except her inner voice originates from her butt tattoo. Were certain Cutie Marks tainted or something after the big split, maybe? And Cash is such a twat, honestly. I love to hate him.
2553816 He does give off a somewhat Azula-ish vibe, doesn't he? Both are charismatic and manipulative, and neither truly understand firendship even though they have experienced parts of it. A team up between them is a pretty scary thought, actually
So yeah. I was so interested in everything that was happening that I didn't even have time to bemoan the fact that there was no Dash/AJ/Star/Astrid this chapter. Meaning you made me care and avidly read about a bunch of OCs - I think there's a prize available for something like that. Hopefully this suave Spike suffices
As always, thanks for a great chapter, and I can't wait until the next one
Welp Calumn is in deep shit.
Onward good sir,
I require...
MOAR!!!
2554607 Don't you mean Cash is still insane?
2564379
I like to think that the two are interchangeable.
-Mis
2564499 Well don't you agree that he is the biggest asshole in this?
Started reading this on Friday, and I just now finished. Definitely one of the more epic fics I've read, MLP fandom or not. It's very dark and twisted at times, particularly the ending of this chapter but it's not oozing with excessive gore either, so it's top marks in my book! Hope to see more soon.
Yeah, I bet you could...
Discord!
1) That scene with Holly/Callum and the foals just slapped a big ol' grin on my face.
2) God damn you, Cash, you soulless, evil, twisted, low-life scum...
Charisma and Blaze have one screwed up relationship.
Updated Character Bios:
Name: Andy Quick
Sex: Male
Other Attributes: Colt
Name: Bigwig
Species: Unicorn
Sex: Male
Coat: Darkened yellow coat
Eyes: Gray, squinting
Other Attributes: Knobby horn, lined face, rotund, wide-brimmed straw hat, clean; well-fitted worker's outfit
Name: Chelsea
Species: Earth Pony
Sex: Female
Other Attributes: Filly
Name: Dive
Species: Pegasus
Sex: Male
Other Attributes: Colt
Name: High Fashion
Species: Unicorn
Sex: Male
Coat: Blue
Mane/Tail: Long curled mane that hangs down left side of neck
Other Attributes: White suit with accents that complement blue coat, stiff felt hat behind horn
New Questions:
Why do Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, and Fluttershy use their Elements' power naturally and frequently, while Rarity and Applejack do not? Is this an attribute of the ponies, or the Elements? What about Twilight? To what extent does she use her Elements?
I'm starting to feel incredibly sorry for Charisma. It's one thing to be a bad guy from having chosen it, it's entirely another to have to constantly struggle against the influence of your own cutie mark in order to avoid killing everyone around you. If she ends up dead in order to wake up Fluttershy (as I'm fairly convinced will happen), it'll probably make me straight up cry.
I'm going to be very surprised if that guy makes it out of this part of the story still alive, a single choke point for getting information in and out of town is incredibly valuable/vulnerable. Same for Melody, she looks like she's going to try to spend way too much time with Charisma.
Andy Quick, huh. Suspicious child is suspicious.
Charisma and Blaze may be the most disturbingly adorable couple ever. Okay, mostly just disturbing.
Poor Calumn, I suspect that being the flash point used to start a war 800 years in the making was not his plan for the day.
dam charisma need that d bad. Maybe itll shut up her glyph for a while. Cash is such a great villain, that man knows how to get what he wants. Poor blaze can't cuddle without getting cut.
2568598 HOLY GUACAMOLE! No wait...Discord's not THAT evil...Right? Right?
I suppose he could have changed in a thousand years.
Blaze and Charisma have one bucked up realationship...I feel sad for Charisma her talent is almost as bad as Twinkle's nightmare.
Oh and Max Cash putting Calum out in the open like that? Saw it comming from a mile away.
Charisma really is one hateful, homicidal bitch, and likely will be until her dying minute... but you can't help but feel sympathy with her. Max Cash, on the other hand, is not sympathetic. He's unsettling, unpredictable, cruel and pretty terrifying. All in all, an excellent villain!
I want to continue, but sometimes I just want to strangle everyone.
Oh well.
2588267 A perfect example of Troll Kismessitude. Love-hate relationship. Potent arch-nemeses that love each other.
Oh, buck you, Max. Buck you so bucking hard...
It was this---> || close to becoming a clopfic.
2568598 SOMEONE FINALLY GETS IT! MAX IS DISCORD
i.imgur.com//5OTAPbL.gif
Charisma tickles (tackles?) my brain in ways I'm not sure I want to explore. Like, holy jeeze. Have you ever considered putting out a higher-rated spinoff?
Oh, come on, man! Bug! Whatever! That was so obvious, even I knew this was coming! And you're supposed to be the secret agent here!
Oh yes, definitely. Maybe a pink one, too.
I think Charisma could be a good pony, or even once was.
You don't get such a top notch position without carrying some equally heavy morals and values on your shoulders, so she clearly had a lot going for her once upon a time.
She seems to identify with those striving to become better than themselves, fighting back a homocidal urge with force of will alone.
The fact it's there at all can very well be attributed to trauma; that being Max, but her will to fight it down says she has a strong sense of self, and dicipline.
She could become a good character later on, especially if RD helps her get over "those dead eyes" she is so haunted by.
I think it's a wonderfully awful idea.
I like how open Cash was with his blindspot being Friendship.
It goes well with him being a Magic Talent, Magic being the Inverse of Magic (according to the opening bits from Twilight), him focusing on using the Elements in their Inverse manner, and that Friendship is Magic.