Chapters The last time I used this spell was only a few days after Luna’s banishment. I could feel the bonds between me and the elements of harmony slipping away after the banishment and so I used the strength that I could get through the remaining bonds to strengthen the spell to reach all across Equestria. I needed...no I wanted nothing of the dark magic that possessed and twisted my sister so much to remain in our lands. I haven’t needed it since. When I casted the spell so long ago I wasn’t focusing one any one pony. I never knew just how deep the spell searched... or what it would show me.
I wasn’t in the throne room anymore. I wasn’t anywhere. No matter where I looked it was nothing but grey floors and purple skys. It was so empty... so quiet... but I felt no darkness here despite how it looked.
“...this one is strange...”
“...She does not belong...”
A voice? no...voices. All of them talking at once. They were whispers like from behind a door, barely heard but still there. Those voices were young and old, male and female, strong and weak, but they all held an undercurrent of ancient power. A power I could only compare to the oldest of dragons or even to myself and my sister.
“...She holds light within her though...”
Were they talking about me? I alone hold the power to raise the sun... Not even my sister can raise it despite me being able to raise her moon...
“...Could she be used?...”
“...Time is needed...”
What were they talking about? what needed time?
“...Leave now young one..."
“...The boy holds not what you seek...”
“...nor will we ever allow it to take root...”
“...You will be called again though...”
“...when the time is right...”
What? Wait something is pulling at my magic! It is ripping part of it off! NO! RETURN IT! RETURN THE MAGIC YOU STOLE FROM ME!
“...No damage is done...”
“...It will repair itself...”
“...not that you will remember it being gone...”
WHAT!? NO I WILL REMEMBER! I WILL NOT FORGET! I WILL NEVER FORGET!
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“SISTER! AWAKEN PLEASE!”
Slowly Celestia’s eyes blinked open as she found her self being hugged by a distressed Luna on the ground. Why was she on the ground? What had happened?
When Celestia cast her spell on Leon they both began to glow a mixture of Celestia’s golden magic and Leon dark grey and purple streaked Syn. It formed a dome around the two pushing all round them away and obscured them from view. Although it had only last for thirty seconds, its sudden appearance combined with the situation painted a grim picture. If not for the fact that Leon was on the ground unconscious as well he would have be executed on the spot by Luna.
Celestia was not entirely sure as to what had happened but she did know one thing for a fact. Leon held no dark magic within him. No something told her that dark magic would never be found within him. Where she got that feeling she had no idea.
“This creature has not been corrupted by dark magic, nor has he ever been touched by it... Take Him and his...changeling to a guest room. The charges against him are to be dropped as well. When they wake they are to be treated as guests.”
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Before I even fully woke up I could feel a delicate mixture of love and care directed to me. It wasn’t diluted like it normally is either. Normally we changelings get a diluted love from those we feed off of because of it not being towards us but rather to the form that we were using. That was the reason that my qu- my old queen attacked the above-ground hive in the first place. From love we gain food and power, we can live but, there wasn’t enough love for all of us... many were starving... But that is the past and now I am new.
“Hey Vita you awake yet? I want to go check some things out.”
Vita? Is Leon talking to me?, “Vita?”
“Hey you are awake. Awesome! I decided to call you Vita. I got tired of calling you changeling all the time. It means life by the way.”
Vita...it...its nice. I have a name now. I have an identity besides being just another drone among hundreds of thousands...
It was a lovely day! The birds singing, the sky clear, the market cheap, and the requests easy. So why am I in a strange dungeon? Hell, the last thing i remember was me buying a little trinket for one of the little ones at the guild after finishing a request to get a block of iron from the blacksmith. The trinket was a little strange what with it looking like a mirror with a backdrop of a unicorn with wings... And the merchant was new, a little shifty too... was I kidnapped? that would kinda explain why i don’t really have any memory of getting here. The last thing i DO remember is turning to walk away from that merchant then tripping, a flash of black light, and this black and green blob with a smaller black and blue blob...
This dungeon isn’t exactly common either, I mean a crystal dungeon? very poor lighting with no windows. The air was stale and slightly moldy smell to it so i was probably a ways underground . I couldn’t move my arms either...well I couldn’t move them far. The chains on these shackles were short probably about a third of what they should be meaning the creature that normal wear them had shorter arms. The shackles barely fit though so I could probably just slide my hands free, but that also tells me that their wrists are bigger than my hand. The only door that I could see was short too, about mid-chest height.
So the creatures that live wherever I am are shorter than average, their arms are shorter than mine, and their wrist is about the size of my fist?
...What am I dealing with?
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This one was surprised when that creature appeared, surprised and hurt considering it fell on this one. Surprise and hurt are not strange but, they are unwelcome. This one is not supposed to feel such things. Nor should this one be able to think alone. This one is special, this one must hide this one’s specialness. This one’s queen would kill this one if her highness found out. The queen ordered this one to watch the creature after this one had removed its strange exoskeleton that the queen called “armor” and if it awoke before her highness came back this one has orders to..eliminate it.
This one placed the creature in one of the unused dungeon of the queen’s temporary hive. The temporary hive was strange to this one too. It was like the shiny hard stones that are found at times in the old hive. This one liked those shiny hard stones. So this temporary hive is not...bad? but it is only temporary and soon our new hive will be ready. The queen will kill the current queen of this above ground hive and will take the old queen’s place.
Strange though that this old queen can not tell that my queen has mimicked one of her personal brood. The old queen’s drone were strange too, very few looking similar to the old queen...Why? This one felt...saddened that this one must look like all the other drones in this one’s hive. This one is...glad that this one is able to hide this one’s thoughts from the hive-mind. If this one could not then this one would have died many cycles ago...
The creature is awake. This creature is much like those of the horned ones that walk on two hind legs. It too walks on two legs but, its arms are much thinner than the horned ones. The creature does not have hair everywhere but rather only lightly on it’s arms and thickly on top of it’s head reaching down to the upper part of its legs. It’s hair was like the old queen’s soft exoskeleton. Its eyes were like the old queen’s and her strange drones, round and many shades of the same color, a color similar to this one’s queen. It had worn a thin... thing under it’s armor but this one was only told to remove the armor, nothing else, so this one left the thin exoskeleton colored thing alone. It’s feet were much like it’s hands unlike the horned ones’ only it’s fingers were much shorter on its feet than on it’s hands. It’s feet were covered by the thin thing too.
It was smart though. It noticed the shackles on its arms were too large to really stop it from pulling them out. It also seemed to act like the old queen and her drones too, with its face changing shape to express its emotions.
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Opening the door to the dungeon that held the strange creature, the changeling quickly walked in before closing it just as quickly. After all it wouldn’t do to let this creature loose should it somehow defeat the changeling. Immediately the creature noticed its arrival but otherwise did nothing but watch. The changeling did the same looking for an easy way to follow the orders given to it by it’s queen, Chrysalis.
Slowly the creature stood up and faced the changeling. It raised its arm and moved its hand back and forth. And it spoke and the changeling was slightly surprised at it speaking the same language as the ponies that were hundreds of feet above them going about their day.
“Uhm hi...strange...horse...insect...thing. I really hope you understand me and didn’t just wander into this place somehow” -the creature stopped moving its hand and placed its arm down- “if you can talk can you tell me where I am and why I’m here?
“This one is capable of speech. This one also know where you are and why. This one will tell you before this one follows this one’s queen’s orders and eliminates you. This one placed you here after you appeared above this one and fell on this one. This one’s queen ordered you to be eliminated if you awoke before this one’s queen came back. this one moved you to an unused dungeon of this one’s queen’s temporary hive as to prevent you and this one to be in other drone’s paths.”
The creature blinked and opened its mouth before closing it. it did so several times before regaining its abilities to speak. “Wait queen? hive? ELIMINATE? PLEASE tell me that eliminate does not mean kill, ‘cause I would rather not have to fight right now. if I have to I’ll just use one of my...contracts..." -the creature’s eyes widened- “Why cant i feel my contracts? That’s impossible. NOTHING can completely block out a contract let alone multiple ones, muffle? yes. But...they aren’t being blocked... I don’t even fee- MY CONTRACTS ARE GONE? THAT ONLY HAPPENS WHEN I CHANGE CLASSES! AND I'M STILL AN INVOKER DAMN IT! OH AND ITS NOT LIKE THEY WERE FORCIBLY REMOVED EITHER CAUSE THAT WOULD HAVE KILLED ME! OH NO THEY WERE REMOVED WITHOUT MY CONSENT, LEFT NO HOLES IN MY SOUL TO CAUSE MY DEATH, AND I DON’T EVEN REMEMBER IT HAPPENING, CAUSE I KNOW THAT ANYTHING REMOVING PARTS OF MY SOUL I WOULD FEEL EVEN IF I WAS UNCONSCIOUS!”
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This one is...surprised. This one could feel the rage, the sorrow, and the fear rolling off of the creature. And what it spoke of...contracts? parts of its soul? classes? Invoker? The things it spoke of were strange, this one knew of souls yes, but nothing that like what this creature was speaking of. It spoke as if a part or parts of its very soul were gone... Even this one knew that nothing can live with a partial soul. What are these “contracts” the creature spoke of? This one could feel a great love for what ever they are. So much love and care...This one is...hungry...
“Creature-” the changeling paused so it had the creatures full attention “- What are these “contracts” you speak of? The lose of them has caused you great emotion unrest, so they must be important to you, yes?”
The creature, still a veritable volcano of emotions, took a deep breath before speaking in a slightly monotone voice not unlike the changeling’s.
“A Contract is a bond that is only capable of forming for those that are of the Contractor Job. It is a swear between the Contractor and the creature or being that is forming the contract. For most it is a swear for protection and care, for others it is a way to gain strength. But a contract can only for between two WILLING participants. The Contractor Job has only three classes unlike the other two jobs, Defender and Magician, which both have six classes. This is due to the Contractor Job being the most specialized.”
“I, my name is Leon by the way, am of the second class of Contractor, an Invoker. Invokers are those that invoke the contracts they have formed to preform various spells and skills. Using the Contracts cause them to become stronger and in-turn causing those named in the contract to grow stronger as well. The Contracts formed by the Contractor are stored in the both Contractor’s soul and the creature or being’s soul. This is so that those named in the Contract are soul bound to uphold the swear the contract was made upon.”
This one has never heard of such a thing... If this creature, this “Leon” was speaking the truth then would that mean that this one could be fed until “Leon” was dead? That this one would no longer have to worry about being discovered by the hive-mind and being eliminated? But these Contracts sound like magic... How could this “Leon” preform magic? It had no horns to channel it like this one’s queen, or like the old queen, or like the old queen’s drone that were called “unicorns”...
“This one wonders how “Leon” preforms magic? These Contracts are magic, they can be nothing else... correct?”
“Leon” blinked and spoke in the same monotone as before, though this one held a taste of respect and confusion. “Contracts are formed by Syn. Syn, as many know, is the the power of the soul manifested as mystical energy, otherwise called magic. There are seven types or elements of Syn; Fire, Air, Earth, Water, Light, Dark, and Shadow. Each user of Syn is only capable of using the Syn they are aligned with, in my case Shadow. So yes Contracts are magic. I channel my Syn using mental and vocal commands, others have channeled it through weapons or staffs. Each Syn has a strength and weakness with one exception. Shadow Syn is neutral, it isn’t strong nor weak to any element of Syn. The cycle of strength and weakness goes as such; Fire consumes Air. Air scatters Earth. Earth Absorbs Water. Water drenches Fire. Light and Dark Syn are only strong and weak against each other. Light pushes Dark. Dark covers Light.”
This one was interested. These “Contracts” and “Syn”... They give this one hope, such a strange feeling to have hope. “This one wishes to enter into a contract with “Leon”. That is if “Leon” is willing to provide care and protection to this one.”
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This being wants a contract with me? It’s requests shouldn’t be that hard and well seeing as how MY CONTRACTS ARE GONE,deep breath, I should make some new ones soon in case I need to defend myself.
“Alright if you want then we can form a contract” -the creature nodded its head- “ok here goes.”
“Thou wishes to form a binding with this Contractor. In return for care and protection form all that wish harm to thou dost thou agree to aid and guide this Contractor in all that he does? ” -the being nodded and said yes- “Then by the mixing of our essences we shall be bond by contract till the end of one, till the completion of our contract, by Syn it shall be !”
I quickly bit my thumb hard enough to draw blood before presenting it to the creature in front of me, hoping that it understood what to do. Thankfully it did after a small glance between me and my bleeding thumb. It raised its front left leg to its mouth before I heard a crunch and cracks appeared along its leg as well as a dark black ichor. Stretching my hand out again, thumb first, the being mimicked me and held its hoof up to my hand. Mere centimeters away I felt a shock and could only think one thing as our essences, our blood came into contact and I blacked out.
“Oh shit, this is gonna hurt.”
This one has known pain before. This one was one of many trapped under a large stone that fell during an earth shivering, thankfully I was considered useful still...unlike others of this ones hive. It was then that this one started to feel things, emotions. It was then that I started to be an individual... This one hasn’t felt pain like it since, but this one is feeling pain now. Still not like the stone but its more deep... its more but less?
I am so very confused... I? This one has never referred to this one as “I”. The only one in my hive that does so is the queen. This one’s head hurts, but this one’s mind feel empty, alone. Did the contract from “Leon” separate me from the hive-mind? Why would it do so? Could it even do so or was it “Leon” that did it? This one is so very confused. And hungry as well.
“Leon” is starting to awaken so I can ask him then. But where did that object on his chest come from? Its rectangular and brown with several strange markings on a stone-like plate.
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Ok mental check, all my limbs are here and I can move them, and that's about it actually. I can feel the changeling’s contract so thats good. Oh hey, I got a name for what my new friend is, so that's good. But that seems to be about it, that’s not so good. Usually I get about every thing I need to know in order to fulfill my side of the contract, especially for contracts that call for providing care to the other. I mean I should have thought this through a little more, but hey its understandable with how freaked I was.
Opening my eyes and sitting up I felt something hard hit my leg and slide off. It was a book. How or why was there a book here? And why exactly do I feel it connected to the contract? Wait...don’t tell me that THAT is where the rest of the information I was supposed to get went to. A quick peek and yup it is... lovely. I hate reading.
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Leon and the still unnamed changeling stood up and shook themselves free of the loose dirt and crystal fragments that clung to them from their trip to unconsciousness before looking at each other. Leon spoke softly as he checked around him. “So...changeling...can you show the way out of here? And where the rest of my clothes are? Preferably the clothes first.”
“Though this one is no longer connected to the hive-mind I do remember most of the way. “Leon”s armor is located outside this dungeon’s door on the ground. This one must ask though, why is this one no longer connected to my hive’s hive-mind? And what is that object?”
Leon gave a quiet sigh of joy as he looked outside the door and there as the changeling said was his armor. That is if he could even call it armor. The ”armor” consisted of a pair of black bulky shoes, a pair of black pants that was modified to have angular armor at the knees and a black long sleeve shirt with a pair of angular shoulder pauldrons, a small chest plate that rested just above his abdomen and came up to an inch or so below his collar bone and stretched out to rest an inch from the inside of his shoulder joints. as well as a strange little piece that rested at the base of his neck seeming only for appearance. All of it was done in a matte black with grey and red highlights. Quickly Leon got dressed in his armor and nodded to the changeling that he was ready.
“Well first this is called a book-" he held up said book "- and second I've never made a contract with a being that has a hive-mind, I never really had a chance to actually, so all my knowledge on the subject is only second hand. From what I’ve heard and what you’ve said though, I can hopefully guess what happened. Generally when a contractor makes a contract with a with a hive the contract views the entire hive as a single entity, as one soul. So making one contract connects them all.”
Looking around the violet crystal cavern they were in Leon motioned for a small rest as he continued where he left off. “There were a few cases like ours from what I heard back home but those were due to the contract being made with a member of the royal line of the hive, like a future queen or a possible queen.I don’t know if that really applies here though right?”
“Indeed I am not of this one’s queen’s personal brood. I was a worker drone, the lowest of the drones... Could it perhaps be due to my being able to hide this one’s thoughts and feelings from the hive-mind? Would that cause “Leon” to see this one as a separate entity? Why does “”Leon” speak of the contract like it is a living thing?”
Leon paused with the changeling outside one of the numerous tunnels giving what it said some thought. “...Its not that the contract is living, but it is aware. I mean it is formed from two souls after all. Not really true sentience but it can think somewhat in order to determine the best way to help those in the the contract. Its because of that the contract can grow stronger. And what you said isn’t impossible I guess but the contract wouldn’t have cut your connect it would have formed only for you...unless...unless it saw the hive-mind as a threat to one or both of us. If it did then that would explain the pain that I felt, it forced more of my Syn than I was giving it to go through it into you so it could safely separate you from the hive-mind. But that still doesn’t explain why we blacked out though. Wait... did you have that on your head before?”
There, in front of the changeling’s horn, was a something that wasn’t there before the contract formed. It was a small growth that even as Leon looked at it grew. Taking a closer look at the changeling, which startled the changeling, he could see other changes on it. The blue of its exoskeleton seemed to shift ever so slightly to a more vibrant color. It’s wings grew larger and it looked like the changeling was starting to grow hair along its head and neck as well.
“I think that you’re changing into a queen... You know I’ve been meaning to ask but do you have a name? Calling you changeling all the time is gonna get old real quick.”
The changeling tilted its head to the side causing the still growing mane to sway slightly as it closed its eyes. “This one does not have a name for if I spoke of it on accident then this one would have been eliminated. And it is impossible for this one to change into a queen. I am only a drone... A drone that is no longer apart of a hive. Even if this one could become a queen it would have only been possible by mixing the ichor of my queen and my own. As I am not apart of this one’s old hive then I can never become a queen. I can never form a hive...”
The pure emotion in the changeling’s voice, so full of sorrow, tore at Leon’s heart. He could only stare at the changeling as it looked down still unaware of the changes happening to it. As he looked away unable to take the site of the depressing changeling any longer he saw a glint farther along the tunnel they were in. True there were glints all around them from the crystals but this one bright, brighter than all of the reflections from the crystals. And just like that he was struck by an idea. If the changeling could see what was happening to it them maybe it would believe Leon. But just where would he get something that could give a nice clear reflection of it. And with that he hit his forehead. Its was a long shot but he might still be able to access his D.D.I. or Dimensionally Displaced Inventory. It was expensive and it hurt but if he could get to it...
Leon reached over his shoulder to get at the strange armor piece that was at the base of his neck before pulling it off revealing the underneath held nothing but a small series of strange markings was somehow holding it onto the shirt. Placing the piece of armor in front of him, Leon took a breath and exhaled before the armor piece was covered in a dark rolling shadow. Leon stared at the shadow covered piece as slowly the shadow covering it seemed to be absorbed into it.
When that last bit of shadow was absorbed Leon slowly moved the armor piece in a small circle almost the same size as his upper body. In its wake there was a small line of shadow hanging in the air following the exact path of Leon’s armor piece. The changeling watched wide-eyed as steadily the circle was completed and Leon, moving the armor piece in the same slow and steady motion pulled the piece from where it connected the shadow circle together to the middle of it still leaving a line of shadow. When he did reach the middle he stopped and watched with baited breath as the the outer line of shadow seemed to quiver and start to fill the circle, slowly at first but quickly gain speed before the entire circle was filled.
Completely filled, the circle looked like a shadowy portal. Leon pulled the armor piece away from the portal and it almost looked like it was pulled along before it was too much and snapped off from the piece. Leon took a loud gulp as he put the armor back on the base of his neck somehow defying gravity to stay there. The changeling watched as he reached towards the portal with his hand and hesitate just centimeters from touching it. Leon seemed to waiver slightly, his hand shaking slightly before it steadied and he shoved his hand into the portal, eyes closed tightly.
Nothing happened. Or at least nothing visible happened. Leon, when he reached his hand through felt an ice cold shiver work its way from the hand that was in the portal up his arm across his shoulder and down his spine. When this actually registered to Leon he yelped from the sudden ice cold feeling.
The changeling, wide-eyed and unconsciously leaning forward, yelled out in fright before falling back hitting an oddly stacked pile of crystals. This knocked them over falling down a hill the knocked others loose. This continued as more and more loose or fragile crystals were hit and fell each one becoming bigger and bigger as it happened. What started as a small pile the size of golf balls quickly grew to the size of boulders causing a large amount of loud sound. This all ended in a resounding crash and bang at the bottom that echoed through out the caverns and tunnels.
Leon and the changeling looked at each other, both wide-eyed, before Leon summed up both their thoughts.
“Oops...”
“Stupid commander...I swear to Celestia that she hates me. All I did was stop a few guests before the wedding, they were suspicious! Who cares that they were nobles...that were personally invited by the Princess Cadence... GAH! I was just doing my duty! He didn’t have to make me patrol the halls alone...during the after party with my favorite DJ too!”
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Wanderin- excuse me “patrolling” the halls of the Canterlot Palace was a single Pegasus guard. Like many of the Pegasus guards of the Solar Court he had a white coat and light blue eyes with golden armor form fitted to his body. His name was Light Sentinel. Light, as he preferred to be called, was serving his punishment out in the western halls of the palace. Although the normal punishment for accosting guest of a royal member were much more severe, the situation allowed for cutting back on it.
The situation? The attempt by Queen Chrysalis, queen of her changeling hive, to overthrow the royal sisters, Celestia and Luna. The sisters somehow came to know of this plot before their adopted niece’s, Princess Mi Amore Cadenza or Princess Cadance’s wedding. What they didn’t know was that sometime before the wedding Chrysalis kidnapped, imprisoned, and took Candace’s place using her changeling magic to appear as Cadance. Feeding off of Shining Armor’s love for his fiancee, Cadance, Chrysalis soon became strong enough to challenge and defeat Celestia, arguably stronger of the two sisters.
Chrysalis would have succeeded in ruling over Equestria and all the races that lived in its peaceful borders if it not for Shining Armor’s younger sister and barer of the Element of Magic, Twilight Sparkle. Indeed Queen Chrysalis ruler of Equestria would have become reality if not for the jealousy of a little sister. Twilight having not seen her older brother in several years was shocked to hear that he was getting married seeming out of no where. Part of her jealousy turned into shock when she learned that her brother, Shining Armor was marrying her old filly-sitter and now princess Cadance. This gave her mixed feelings about the wedding, on one hoof she was happy that her brother was going to be happy but on the other... on the other her brother who was once so very close to her didn’t even tell her that he was dating somepony. It truly vexed her.
Twilight’s jealousy of Candace reached its boiling point causing her to spy on Cadance in the hopes that she would find something to separate Shining Armor and Princess Cadance and call off the wedding. What she found was something else entirely. Twilight managed to stumble upon Queen Chrysalis as she used a spell to control her brother’s mind.
When She confronted Cadance the next day Queen Chrysalis defected the accusations and turned twilight’s friends and mentor against her. However that was not enough for Chrysalis, somepony knew her secret and that somepony needed to be taken care off if only temporarily until a more permanent solution presented its self to her. So when Twilight came back to apologize to Cadance when she was alone, Queen Chrysalis grabbed the opportunity with both hoofs and sent Twilight deep under the palace into the crystal mazes below.
That was Queen Chrysalis’s undoing though. She, knowing or not, sent twilight to the same cavern as the real Princess Cadance. Although suspicious at first, and for good reason, Twilight soon realized that it was the real princess and helped her escape the underground maze and return to the wedding.
They were too late. Queen Chrysalis having absorbed enough love from Shining Armor to surpass even Celestia’s magical strength ordered her hive to attack. Hundreds upon thousands of changeling drones attacked breaking the shield put in place earlier by Shining Armor himself. It was only by luck and love that Shining Armor managed to break the spell controlling him and cast a new shield spell powered by both himself and his fiancee princess Cadance. This spell sent all the changelings in Canterlot rocketing out and towards their natural home, the Badlands. And thus the day was saved by the love between two ponies.
Light, however, was unable to enjoy the festivities as so many of his fellow guards were for reasons already stated. This left him wandering the halls, alone, grumbling to himself and barely paying attention to where he was. That quickly ended when there was a large crash.
Entirely alert and ready for anything, his mind raced through possible causes of the noise, where it came from, and if he would be able to handle it by himself. His mind went even faster when he heard distant voices, one of which sounded much to like the changeling queen that was recently removed from Canterlot for comfort.
“I’m so sorry! I wasn’t expecting it to be so cold okay. It's not even supposed to feel like anything. I'm just glad that it worked to be honest. Is there anything I can do to make it up to you?”
“I wish for Leon to explain what that portal was. It...frightened this one.”
“Alright, the Portal i opened was connected to my D.D.I. or the proper name Dimensionally Displaced Inventory. It’s basically like a giant bag that can hold a lot of stuff and is impossible to steal from. It was made with the theory that our souls have the potential to be infinite, to have no ending. This theory allows for us to create a pocket dimension in our own souls. And because it is housed in my soul, which really really hurt by the way, it has the potential to grow as well, getting bigger and allowing for more items to be placed in it. the whole portal thing was because I wasn’t even sure if I could open it anymore since when I woke up my soul was basically wiped clear of anything that was foreign to it like my contracts. The portal is the the most stable way to open the D.D.I. If I couldn’t open it that way then that would have meant that it was gone along with everything that was in it.”
“...I see... I believe that I understand. This one thanks you for explaining it.”
The entire time the two voices spoke they grew closer to where Light stood. It only then that Light remembered that the west wing of the palace was where the majority of the changeling forces from earlier that day came from.
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Leon and the changeling stared at each other for a moment longer before they ran away from the landslide. This happened only for short time due to Leon running face-first into a solid white wall. The force of Leon’s face hitting it caused it to open slightly and showed that it was a secret passage into the palace. Entering though the passage way Leon started to apologize to the changeling. Absently He took note of the way the walls and ceiling looked and compared it to the ones that he saw often. He looked at the tapestries and the paintings and saw that the majority of the tapestries were of two ponies, one with a white coat and a rainbow colored mane and the other a dark blue coat and a nearly-black blue mane. The rainbow mane one had a stylized sun on its flank and the blue one had a crescent moon in the same place. Mentally he dubbed the rainbow maned one “Sun-butt” and the blue one “Luna”.
His wandering eyes came to halt on the spear point that was being held in between his eyes. Following the spear point down the shaft of the spear he saw the one holding it. It was a Pegasus with a white coat and icy blue eyes wearing golden armor. He, it looked like a he, was somehow holding the spear with his front right hoof. They stared into each others eyes, human to pegasus before a slightly gruff voice came from the stone still pegasus.
“Halt! You are intruding in her highness’s palace. State your name and your intentions as well as why you are walking with that Changeling.”
Leon gulped, “My name is Leon and I’m attempting to find out where I am. This changeling helped guide me here. Could you tell me where we are?”
Light stared at Leon, keeping the changeling in the the corner of his eye, his mind translating what Leon said into such, “My name is Leon and lie lie lie lie lie. This changeling is my ally and I am helping it. Who is in charge now?” Light’s eyes narrowed and grew even colder before he spoke. “We are in the peaceful nation of Equestria and you are under arrest for attempting to disturb this peace!”
Stunned at the sudden arrest, Leon was barely able to lean back avoiding the sweep of the spear point before Light charged at him head down hoping to body-check him. The spear, tossed aside by Light, landed in between the changeling’s legs, tripping it.
Leon watching Light charge him moved to the side and stuck out his foot. Light with his head down didn’t see it until it was too late but luckily managing to avoid it with his front hooves but not with his back hooves. The second Leon felt Light hit his foot he kicked up putting as much strength into it as he could. This made Light fall flank over head and hit the wall that was behind them head first as he attempted to correct his position by flipping in the air. The force of the hit predictably knocked Light unconscious. As Light slide down to the floor and the changeling finally kicked away the spear and got up Leon let out a sigh filled with utter frustration.
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Celestia stared hard at the report given to her by the guard commander, hoping that she finally got a sense of humor and the report was her way of showing it. From the look on her face, it wasn’t. Apparently, despite her orders on the matter, the guard commander punished a new recruit by giving him patrol duty. That, Celestia had no problem with. Her problem was that he was made to do it alone. And apparently sometime during his solo patrol he came across a changeling and some sort of creature named Leon. They had fought and knocked out the recruit, a Light Sentinel. This could be proven from the bruise on the recruit’s head and the fact that the changeling was found carrying his unconscious body with its magic. Why the pair didn’t just leave him there was unknown according to the report. Likely the patrol the pair stumbled across didn’t ask. Ah yes the patrol they knocked out the pair fairly quickly but somehow caused a small fire. The newest and youngest member of that patrol claims that it was the changeling that did it despite the fact that the changeling was knocked out fairly early in the fight.
Well the pair was then place into the nearest dungeon, was left with two guards and the remaining members of the patrol split up, one group to report to the guard commander and the other to continue the patrol. Thus leading to the report being held in front of Celestia’s face by her golden yellow magic.
“Retrieve the duo from the dungeon they are located in and bring them here. I shall return momentarily, I must go wake my sister. I fear that she will be needed for this. If we have not returned before you return then wait here for us.”
With her order out into action by the guard commander, Celestia rose from her throne and exited the throne room from a side passage that lead almost directly to her and her sister’s bedrooms. Nodding to the guards she pasted absent-mindly, Celestia thought of the possible reasons a changeling might still be with in the boundaries of Canterlot. In truth she couldn’t think a reason. The spell that expelled the changelings earlier was still active feeding off of the residual magic and love that was in the air around Canterlot.
Putting the changeling issue aside for a moment, Celestia thought of the strange creature that was with the changeling. From the report it is similar to minotaurs in shape with a short mane on its head of the same color as he coat, it wore lightly armored clothing and it could speak. From the voice its possible that it is a he. It could use magic without a horn too.
The report made out the magic to look... dark. If that is the case then regardless of the reason for it being here it would executed... privately of course as to not upset the general population. That kind of magic could not be allowed to spread. Celestia dread to think of what must happen if it did. She shook her head, enough of those dark thoughts it was time to wake up her sister.
Opening the door to her sister’s bedroom a small smile grew on her face as she looked around the dark room. Painted dark blue on the walls and a night-time shade of violet on the ceiling made for a pleasantly cool room, on the walls hung posters of various things that Luna grew to like, and in some cases love, most of them being movie posters. Celestia chuckled quietly when she realized that, despite her thousand year long banishment, Luna has embraced modern culture even better than Celestia herself. Looking over at the slightly snoring bundle of blankets, Celestia remembered the reason for coming here and frowned.
“Sister wake up. I fear that you’re presence is need for an urgent matter.”
All that got was a small grunt and a mumbled “Moon-brand cheesecake...” before the snores began again. Sighing Celestia walked over to the light blue window curtain before pulling it open letting in rays of sun that Celestia directed directly towards Luna’s closed eyes. It wasn’t long after that that Luna woke up with a sleepily spoken, “go away.”
“Luna I need you to come with me. There was a... situation earlier and I need your help I’m afraid.”
“...wha’as ‘append?...”
Celestia rolled her eyes and spoke of the earlier invasion and the pair being escorted to the throne room. Luna woke completely up when her sister spoke of the invasion before calming down and listening to the rest of what Celestia was saying.
“Sister... I do hope that this is not another dark magic situation, but if it is... then i wish to be the one that does the deed. I...even if it is not what once possessed me it would still give me some...feeling of closure.”
Celestia was worried for Luna. Yes it would be some form of closure, but she was asking to execute a creature that she has no knowledge before. Her little sister, who has not once spilt the blood of another, executing somepony... However all it took for Celestia to agree was the lost and pain-filled on Luna’s face.
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“...ow...”
“Changeling and the creature known as Leon, you have been charged with intruding into the royal palace, resisting the guards attempts to capture you, starting a fire within the royal palace and finally the most heinous crime, possessing and using dark magic. How do you plead?”
Rubbing his head, Leon looked up and saw several things; One: a large room full of those golden armored pegasi and unicorns, Two: two large thrones, and finally Three: The same ponies from the tapestries sitting in said thrones.
“ I plead not guilty on all cases except for resisting...ow...and having dark magic”
The pain had faded awhile ago but Leon continued to act as if he was in pain so he could hopefully find out a way get out of what ever was happening to him and his changeling friend.
“According to reports and eyewitnesses you, creature were about to preform an assumed hostile spell. The magic used was a dark black and did not act as magic normally does, matching the similarities of all dark magic. Do you still deny the accusation?”
“I do. I can not nor can I ever use dark syn.”
Celestia was silent as she stared at Leon but Luna glared at him. It was she that spoke next and though she tried to keep it level the pure rage she was feeling still leaked through drawing a small glance from Celestia.
“Sin? We speak of dark magic. Do you dare make a mockery of us?”
Leon sighted at what she said. He shook his head and closed his eyes before looking in Luna’s eyes. What he saw was rage, fear, sorrow... all the emotions of someone that had been hurt badly. When the changeling spoke of magic earlier and asked how he could do it with out a horn, Leon knew that there was something off. The entire world knew of Syn, several races could use it after all. They all knew of the seven types of Syn as well. When ever someone spoke of magic they meant Syn. They didn’t actually mean magic. Leon could recognize all of the equine species that were in the room around him too. None of them could talk. And yet here they were talking and, from what he could see, even have a monarchy.
“...It would appear that we three are speaking of two different things. I speak of Syn, the mystical power formed and shaped by the soul. There are seven elements or types of Syn; Fire, Air, Water, Earth, Shadow, Light, and... Dark. Not a single one of them can be called good or evil. The user of Syn, yes but not the Syn itself.”
Silence. The eyes of every equine in the room were wide with something akin to shock. Luna and Celestia shared a look before both looked back at Leon. Celestia walked down the step to stand in front of Leon.
“If what you say is true then I shall not find a trace of dark magic with in you correct? If I do will you accept any and all punishment?”
Looking straight into her eyes, Leon pulled himself to his full height and spoke with confidence.
“Yes.”