Forgotten Children

Kishi held Mara in her arms, and cried softly. “Mara, why did you do this? Father said he saved you once, why would you risk it over something so small?”

Mara struggled to a sitting position, leaning back against the wall to help support her. “I don’t know...I have, these thoughts. Visions? I don’t know what they are. I see...things. And they interest me. I want to see them for real.”

Kishi cocked her head to the side. “What kind of things to you see?”

Mara shifted suddenly to the side, and put out her injured arm to catch herself. Falling out it, she let out a small scream of pain and would have continued to the floor had Kishi not grabbed her and pulled her back upright. “Thank you, sister,” Mara said. “The things I see...they are hard to explain. Its usually dark…I don’t know what to make of them.”

Kishi gave her a confused look. “Then..I guess I don’t understand how that has any bearing on why you act the way you do.”

Mara looked at the floor. “I told you its hard to explain. Sorry If I kinda go blank on you sometimes. I don’t know what’s wrong with me.”

Kishi reached out a hoof and lifted Mara’s chin to look her in the eyes. “Like father said, there’s nothing wrong with you. You’re just different. But I think we all have something that makes us that way. I think...I think father really does care for us. And I believe he can help us. Help us get out of here, anyway. Once we have that, then we can decide if we want to leave from there, okay?”

Mara smiled slightly. “You said we. Will you stay with me?”

Kishi kissed Mara’s cheek. “You’re my sister. I’ll stay with you as long as I can. But we have to agree to help each other, okay? We can’t be flying off the handle at anyone, especially mother or father.”

“Father, peh!” Mara spit the words. “There are whispers in the dark. They say he is not to be trusted. You’ve heard that too, haven’t you?”

Kishi sighed. “It seems I remember that from somewhere, but I do not recall from where exactly. Regardless, He seems the better ally than our mother. I do not wish to die, and I will take the steps to stay alive. Why won’t you?”

Mara shook her head. “Kishi, you are my sister and I love you like the others. But I cannot wrap my head around the forced servitude that we are currently facing. We do what he says, when he says.”

“But it’s to get us out alive,” Kishi interrupted, “And probably to keep us alive for a while. If father really means to get us out of here, then I would have to think he means to keep us alive for a while. Can we not at least see what his plan is? Learn a bit, see where it goes?” Kishi walked around in a circle, looking over the bare walls and out the haze covering the door before turning back to Mara. “This place, up until your little tantrum, seemed very safe. Now I feel like we have to be careful.”

Mara rotated her injured shoulder a bit and winced. “I have not yet felt safe. Lamia, Fext, and Acheri sit in the other room like we don’t even exist. And what is the other? what is her name?”

Kishi shrugged, and said, “I didn’t talk to them on the way over here. Our last sister brought in did not appear to be doing well. I hope she’s okay.”

Mara inhaled deeply, then exhaled. “Maybe he does want to help us. I don’t know why he would take the weak one.”

Kishi shook her head. “You’re thinking about it like mother. Strength is not in what you look like.”

“And what about you, huh?” Mara stared at Kishi, suddenly angry. “Why did he take you? You look normal enough to me.”

Kishi craned her neck downwards so Mara could see the thorns going down her spine. Kishi reached a hoof back and ran down the length of them, which extended all the way to the small of her back. “I think this is why. You don’t have them. I suspect I’m the only one. I don’t know why I do or what they’re for, but I’d still like to live long enough to find out.”

Mara grunted. Kishi had brought the conversation back around to something she didn’t want to talk about. “Kishi, look…” Mara trailed off. “Do I have any choice in this?”

Kishi shook her head. “I don’t think you do. I don’t think I do. But do you think those guards out there did? Do you think any of the changelings here had any choice about what brought them to their current circumstances?”

Mara shook her head no, so Kishi continued in a serious tone, “What I think we have that they don’t is a way out. We have to show that we’re capable enough to live on our own. Then we’ll have a choice. probably more than one. So I’ll ask you again, can you do this?”

Mara nodded.

“Good!” Kishi stood up, suddenly cheerful. “Let me try to tell mother that we’ve reached an agreement and that you’re not dead yet.” She walked to the wall and timidly waved at it. “Hello? can you hear me?” The guards made no response so she tried again.

Kishi waved out the door more urgently and Chrysalis stepped forward, her emerald eyes locking with her daughter’s. Chrysalis’ voice came through the haze, blurred and distorted; “What...have you decided?”

Kishi stood tall, or at least as tall as she was able to. Chrysalis stood far taller than she, and even taller than her father. Drawing in a short breath, Kishi said, “We have worked it out. We wish to live. We will obey.”

Chrysalis’ voice again came through the haze, “Let me hear her say it.”

Kishi turned back and walked quickly to Mara. Kishi leaned down and whispered, “Say it.”

Mara also drew in a breath and said in the most confident tone she could muster, “I will obey.”

Chrysalis looked at Mara closely, and waved her guards back, who backed out of the hall, two abreast. Chrysalis addressed them through narrowed eyes, “You will need to feed. But you two will have to wait. The barrier will drop in an hour. I’ll come back later to feed you.”

As Chrysalis backed away, Kishi turned her head to face Mara. “Wow,” she said, “That was tense. You gonna be okay?”

Mara brought her right hoof up to her injured shoulder. She touched it gingerly. “I think so,”she said, carefully prodding the area. “I’m not bleeding anymore. I don’t know how long its going to be until I can walk, though.”

Kishi smiled and kissed Mara’s cheek. “I’ll help you around until then. You you want to lay down?”

Mara thought about it for a second. “That might be good,” she said. “Will you help me over there?”

Kishi walked beside Mara’s injured shoulder and pulled Mara halfway onto her back. “Can you hold on there?”

Mara gripped as much as she could and the two of them slowly hobbled over to the other side of the room. Once there, Kishi gently helped Mara down onto the pile of hay on the floor.

Mara suddenly found herself very tired. “I’m...going to take a nap…”

Kishi smiled. “That’s okay sister, I’ll stay up and wait for father to come by. You sleep.” Kishi kissed Mara’s head as Mara quickly drifted off.

…

Unknown to either Mara or Kishi, Chrysalis had already stopped by and informed him of the proceedings. He had sat in the shared room with Roddi and his daughters for some time, without speaking.

Roddi stayed curled up with him, and seeing him lost in thought, chose not to interrupt. After much time had passed, Roddi felt him stir and move to get up. “Is it time?” she asked, unsure of what to do.

Standing and stretching, he replied, “It’s time for a few things. The barrier ought to be coming down shortly. I’ll need to go speak with those two. We need to figure out more permanent sleeping arrangements, and we need to set up a schedule.”

Still sitting on the floor, Roddi cocked her head to the side. “A schedule for what?”

“For our training, Roddi.” He motioned to her to get up, and continued, “We need to get this shit done and just as quick as possible. I’ll talk to the girls and work some things out. I need you to go back to the archives and get a number of reference materials for us.”

Roddi bounced at the request. “I’d love to! I haven’t seen Fici or Thrax in a while!” She paused. “And, uh, what do you need me to get?”

“We’re going to condense a lot of learning into a very short time frame. At least, short considering our life span. What do we already have?”

Roddi thought for a moment. “Forging iron, I know for sure. We read that a little while ago. I believe also some rudimentary history books about the changeling race? What do you want? I guarantee you we have it, but the further back we go, the less likely it will be that you can read it without me to translate.”

“Then let’s try and keep it easy. Do you want to make a list?” When Roddi shook her head no, he continued, “Then we need the most recent books on history you got. I want anything and everything that can give them an idea what they’re going to encounter up there. They don’t even know what the sun looks like!”

“Uh,” Roddi interrupted meekly, “I don’t know what it looks like, either.”

“Well then,” he replied, “I suppose you kind of know, since you’ve read all the books, what ponies look like, how they act? Lore, history, society, whatever you got. Reports from scouts, maybe? And the failed invasion of Canterlot, I bet you got a lot about that.”

“Yeah...about that…” Roddi looked conflicted. “Mother didn’t really want that to go in there but we did it anyway. We felt, or rather, I felt, that it was an important event in our ongoing history. So I can get that but we hid the book so I’ll have to be real careful when bringing it back.”

He nodded. “Understood. Can we maybe steal a shelf too so the books aren’t laying about the floor?”

Roddi winked at him. “I’ll see what I can do.”

He turned to Fext, Acheri, and Lamia where they sat on their straw bed. “Come girls, we’re going to have a chat as a family.” He walked out of their room and into the center of the hall with the four of them following behind. He told Roddi, “Go get Chakora, please. You can stay for a minute too, before you head off.”

Roddi bowed. “As you command.” She trotted off to retrieve Chakora from their bed.

He didn’t respond, instead walking over to the magical barrier that Chrysalis had put up. It was already beginning to weaken, so he concentrated his own magic and in a flash the wall fell like a curtain, disappearing as soon as it hit.

Kishi looked out the entry in surprise. “Could you have done that any time you wanted to?”

“Dispelling magic is in fact very easy. I doubt Chrysalis would teach it to you, though.” He walked inside the opening, and saw Mara sleeping. To Kishi he said, “Get your sister up and around and both of you come out here. We’re going to lay down some rules and get this training room up and running. I want out of here more so now than ever.”

Kishi nudged Mara who rolled over, away from her injured side, snoring loudly. Kishi pushed her more firmly, and Mara rolled back the other way, starting to wake. “Mara, get up,” Kishi said to her in a hushed tone. “Father is asking for us.”

Mara blinked her eyes wearily and smacked her lips. “I’m hungry,” she said, only half-awake.

“I’m hungry too, sister, but remember what we said? We’re going to do what we’re told. Chrysalis will be back later to feed us.” Kishi pushed at Mara further, trying to rouse her fully.

He had not moved from the doorway and Kishi was obviously nervous at how long it was taking Mara to wake, so she stooped low and scooted Mara onto her back. “Come on dear sister,” Kishi said, “We need to go, like now.”

Kishi half carried, half dragged Mara out of bed. Her father backed up out of the room a few steps. “Bring her over here, Kishi,” he commanded. They walked together out to the center of the room, watched by their sisters and Roddi.

Reaching the center, he waited for Kishi and Mara to sit before starting. Drawing in a breath, he said to the assembled group: “Now that that mess is over with, we need to have a very serious talk. You all need to grow up fast. I’m going to give you more training than I ever got, but you need to take everything seriously. When I tell you its time to learn, I expect you all out here. Free time you can do what you like.

“We’ll be getting some books for both instruction and voluntary reading. I suggest you do both.” He scanned the assembled group and was pleased to see that all were quite attentive. “I’ll be teaching you a bit about us, and about the other races of the world. We’ll learn how to change, and what you can and cannot do.”

He started to pace back and forth. “I’ll tell you about the societies and the attitudes up there, above ground. I’ll tell you about my life and my opinions, but I expect you to form your own opinions. Do not be hesitant to ask questions.”

He stopped and ruffled Fext on the head. “You are all sisters.” He turned and went to each in turn, telling them, ”I am your father. Chrysalis is your mother. I want to see every one of you live long and happy. But first we have to get out of here. You are all special. You will be a force to be reckoned with. Get to know one another. Having someone to watch your back when things get rough is something I have not often had but wished I did.”

Roddi, already knowing where the speech was going, slowly and quietly back out of the circle and out of the room to get what was requested from the archives.

Not stopping as Roddi left, he continued, “Roddi is a fantastic source on changelings. I am a fantastic source on the above world. When Chrysalis comes by, you be on your best behavior.” He glowered at Mara who promptly looked away. “You say ‘thank you’ and leave it at that.”

He paused. His daughters were all listening, but he didn’t want them to be afraid. He dropped his stance a bit. “Look...just...just remember what happened today, okay? We need to stay together and work together, and we’ll all get out of here together. Everyone agree?”

Everyone in the room nodded their heads, including Mara and Kishi. He sighed, and said, “Also, we need to get some arrangements together. Chakora needs to be out of my room and with some of you. You can better look over her than just me.”

A low, faint voice turned their attention to Chakora. “I don’t need any help, father.”

He smiled and walked over to her. “Aww, that’s sweet dear, but you do. I’ll do whatever I can to help you get around but your sisters should help, too.” He kissed Chakora on the head.

Lamia walked up beside them. “Put her in with us, father. Acheri, Fext and I can look after her.”

He checked with the others. Fext and Lamia nodded, but Acheri looked down. “Acheri,” he said, “Why don’t you move next door with Mara and Kishi and give them some company? Mara will be walking on her own in a few days and you can help out until then.”

Mara started to frown but Kishi smiled and bumped against Mara. “That’s fine with us. Come, Acheri, lets get your bed set up.”

He waved them away. “Go ahead, you girls work out your arrangements while I wait for Roddi to come back. When she does, we’ll get started.”