The Betting Game.

Prologue

The night it changed was a dark one, the scheduled rainstorm keeping all but the most prepared ponies inside. A dark figure went between the shadows of Ponyville, the shift of metal or the brush of cloth against the ground was the only noise coming from the figure. He ducked under a porch as a few guards walked past, the nighttime emblem on their cloaks as he hid, waiting for them to get out of his sight before he moved further through the streets.

He dodged past sofas and quills, his target not too far away as he saw it. Outside of the Sugar Cube Corner, another seven barrel shipment from Sweet Apple Acres sat outside, the inhabitants inside either fast asleep or watching over little ones as he sneaked up closer. He did his best to avoid the light, getting ever so closer to his target. The mud and grime starting to build up near the store should have gave it away, but he could only see those apples, ripe for the taking.

His ears twitched, hearing a small snap before a shot of confetti hit his side, knocking him over with an oof. "What in the-" he said, before hearing the whistle blows of guards, along with the lights flicking on in the store. He knew his prize was out of his hooves now, stumbling to get on all fours as he bolted. He didn't dare look back, but the pounding hoof beats told him what he was afraid of. Another sharp snap warned him this time as he dodged to the right, a net springing up from his left as he charged down the alley. Sharp thinking got him over an apple cart, though it did not protect him from a magical blast to his side.

He hit the side of a building, landing on all fours as the blast stunned him for a little bit, leaving his ears ringing. This time a sickly blue aura surrounded him, barely deflecting another purple blast as he charged further through the now awaking town. Nighttime and Daytime guards, a mix of silver and gold, tried stopping him; magic nets, wings, and bucking hooves barely missed, though still slowed him down by quite a bit as he avoided the bigger stallions. Shouts could be heard, though the ringing still effected his hearing, leaving them nothing but mumbles as the guards coordinated their attacks. This time he didn't hear the rope go taunt as he tripped, kicking up mud as he tried to stand again to run further. He felt a net fall over his body, heavy with the thick iron near the ends and the rain water, as he growled. He knew he was caught, but he also knew he would make it hell for them to take him as he could tell the guards were circling around.

He panted slightly, a blue aura trying to pull off the net as a purple one only made it heavier, pushing him back into the mud. As he struggled, it only got heavier, smothering him, making it harder and harder to breathe till he simply couldn't move anymore. The ringing he was hearing eventually died down, after the net was used to bind him up.

"-was rather smart setting up traps for this thief, Thanks again Miss Sparkle for your help." a gruff voice said, the rain soon stopping as a hooded figure came around in front of him.

"Don't mention it," Said a more feminine voice behind him, "Though to be honest, Pinkie and Dash helped out too, and Applejack will be more than pleased to hear that we took care of him." A second figure came up to his left, a slight glow coming from under its hood to show a lavender pony as the net moved from around his face. "Now then," she said with a grin, "Lets find out just who he is."

It took a short blast to remove the hood, a gasp coming from the figure in front of him as he hissed, baring his fangs before a set of ropes bound his muzzle. Again, he saw the purple unicorn charge up another blast, then felt nothing after the the contact.

Chapter 1

When he came to, he was dry, somewhat warm, and resting on a hay mat. He thought for a moment he was at his small home before he noticed the stone walls. A small ring around his gnarled horn tightened when he tried to summon a ball of light as he simply sighed, then decided to look over himself as best he could. He looked over his feathery wings, one of the reasons why he was never accepted in a hive, as he experimentally lifted them. "No broken bones," he said to himself, standing up as he checked over his legs, "And neither are these hurt, holes and all..." He shifted from hoof to hoof, testing each leg for soreness or fatigue.

His ears twitched again, taking his sight to a mare walking in before a purple tinted light filled the room, causing him to hiss in pain. "Least you could do is warn a Stallion, Twilight Sparkle!"

She simply huffed, "Like I need to be nice to a thief, let alone a creature like you." then she turned "and its Miss Sparkle to you, Changeling."

"Alright then Miss Sparkle" He hissed, waiting for her to move before he followed, "Might I ask why I haven't been killed yet? Given the fact I am a creature as you put it, I find that this is highly unnecessary for your kind, given the fact that your kind seems to revel in killing my kind like its some kind of holiday!"

Twilight winced at this slightly, letting out a growl of her own "Oh? So we are just supposed to let your kind drain our emotions?" She then turned, staring down the Changeling "Like we're some kind of all-you-can-eat buffet?" Twilight stepped forward, pushing the Changeling back "Let me get one thing strait with you; your kind doesn't deserve to live, your kind is a blight on our world, and if it wasn't for Princess Celestia, you would be nothing more than a green bloodstain on a wall!"

This time, he growled slightly, "Oh? Is that it?" He said, stepping forward, "I would be nothing more than a bloodstain?" He nudged her back, snout to snout as his growls increased, "I would like to see you try to make me a bloodstain, Miss Sparkle! Oh, and its Amadeus to you, Miss Sparkle!"

Twilight pushed back, her horn glowing before a third voice stopped her "Enough," the voice said calmly as both turned to the new voice, Princess Celestia standing at the doorway, "both of you are acting like a colt and filly," She then smiled "and with how you two were going at it, I truly wasn't sure if you two were going to just kill each-other or do a certain something..."

Amadeus and Twilight both blushed deeply, then quietly went along, avoiding eye contact. Celestia merely chuckled, then went along as the two followed behind. They were soon inside the throne room, Amadeus soon stopped near the center as Twilight took her place to the right side of Celestia, Luna on Celestia's left as the element bearers sat in front of the two.

"Now then," Celestia said softly "I, along with my sister Princess Luna, call this meeting to order." She then cleared her throat as she righted herself, her sister doing the same as the full group, including the guards, sat up strait. "We are here to discuss the fate of 'Amadeus', caught and charged with seven counts of robbery from Sweet Apple Acres and Sugar-Cube Corner. How do you plea Amadeus?"

"Guilty as charged, your highness," Amadeus said, shifting himself as his wings slightly trembled at his sides, "Though I would like to state that I only stole when needed and always returned the barrels, for as much as that counts as a half-changeling."

"That is true," Celestia said, before bringing forth a rusted suit of armor. Amadeus shifted slightly as he tried standing up, only to have a spear tell him otherwise before sitting back down, "What I would like to know is just what you were doing wearing a suit of royal guard armor, let alone one of a guard captain, when we caught you that night."

Amadeus growled softly "Its my father's suit of armor," He shifted again, feeling a little restless now that the armor wasn't in his possession, "and I would very much like it back, if you would be as so kind."

Celestia smiled a bit, before handing the suit off to a guard, "The son of the old guard captain turned thief?" She then smiled a bit "Well, I knew your father, Knight was quite the guard...till he vanished, and if you are his son, he would be very ashamed of you for being the very thing he despised the most."

Amadeus shifted again as he watched the armor leave the room, wanting to follow it as he felt a strand of magic tug on his muzzle "Do not fret, little one," Celestia said, "The armor is being refurbished and placed in a spot of honor. Silver Knight was one of the most loyal guards I had, even if he was...strange." Celestia then smiled "But this is neither the time nor place to talk about your father, this is about your fate."

It was Luna's turn to speak up, with Celestia nodding to her sister. "We would like to state that there is two options for you," Luna then shifted, lifting a wing, "One is for you to rot in that cell, the other-" She lifted the other wing "-is that you shall do community service, to work off the debt of your theft and better your family name." After she put down her wings, folding them against herself. "Now then, we have brought these six, The element bearers, for the vote." Luna then smiled a bit as she looked at Amadeus, "this is only due to the fact you are a rather special case."

It was now Celestia's turn again to speak, speaking loud enough for her voice to be heard, "Now then, those of you who say that Amadeus should be locked away, stand at my side," She then put a wing around Luna's shoulders "Those of you who think he deserves a second chance in the royal employ, please stand next to my sister."

It didn't take long before the votes were cast, Twilight standing next to Celestia, while Pinkie Pie, Rarity, Rainbow Dash, Applejack, and Fluttershy stood next to Luna. "Very well," Celestia said softly, "It is decided then. Under the watchful eye of Twilight Sparkle, Amadeus is to work for Sweet Apple Acres till the debt is settled for the lost product, then for Sugar-cube Corner till the debt is paid for the theft. During which" Celestia said with a coy smile, "Amadeus will be studied by Twilight Sparkle, and will be excused from work only if Twilight allows it." Twilight couldn't understand why the princess was saying such things, but didn't have the chance either to ask, "If at any point Amadeus tries to get out of his duties to either the Apple family, represented by Applejack, or the Cakes, represented by Pinkie Pie, before the Debt to both parties is paid, either he will be forced to work longer or thrown into the dungeon without hope to ever see the light of day again."

"Now then," Celestia said softly to Amadeus, "You will start working tomorrow, and after your debts are paid you will be put in the employ of my student, Twilight. For now, you are to follow any commands that these six give you, to a degree." Celestia then stood up strait, taking out a small collar and latching it around Amadeus' neck, "This collar will track you wherever you go, if you try to run, and can only be removed by the royal family. Case dismissed."

As the seven ponies left, a disgruntled Changeling being bothered once again by the purple mare, Celestia couldn't help but suppress a giggle, Luna looking at her sister slightly.

"You didn't warn them," Luna said, a smile forming on her lips, "Did you?"

Celestia merely smiled at the younger Alicorn "I may have forgotten something, though it will make a rather...interesting friendship report..."

At this point, the two did their best to suppress foalish giggles, Luna chiding the older Alicorn slightly before the both of them went back to their duties as rulers of the kingdom.