Parallel

Duena was startled by the sound of metal clattering to the stone floor of her cell. She quickly jumped up to her hooves and faced the bars of her cell to see an unfamiliar stallion eyeing her. Her breath was heavy, she did her best to breathe in the stale air around them, this guard seeming to have a similarly difficult time breathing this far down. She watched as he shook his head and then stomped his hoof on the stone three times before he walked off to deliver meals to some of the other 'lings in the cell block. Duena didn't hesitate to lunge for the fresh food the instant he walked off, soon devoured what was given to her. Granted, it wasn't much, but it would have to make due.

The meals were much more infrequent than they were when she was out in the field with the so-called rescue team, and the portions were significantly smaller as well. She was sure it had only been day since she was brought down into the cell and she was already feeling exhausted, and time seemed to drag on to make things even worse. The only consistent way to tell the hours were passing were the rotation of guards. Even then she spent as much of her time possible sleeping, and when she wasn't, a rather unsettling 'ling was her company in the cell over.

The wall between them had a small peephole that allowed either to see one another and made for quiet conversation so not to disturb the guards. Duena had caught a couple glimpses of the stallion next door to her. She had nicknamed him Star because of the many scars that dotted his black carapace, it reminded her of the night sky on a moonless night. He had never said anything against it if anything seemed slightly amused by the name. Despite his dark humor, she found him more or less a pleasure to speak to.

"Got anything left over?"

Duena froze and didn't move for a second. She had completely forgotten that they were splitting meals. "I uh..." she cleared her throat and moved back toward the peephole. He was there as he looked back at her with curiosity. "I ate it all... I'm sorry."

Star grunted as he shook his head. "No matter. Honestly can't blame you."

Duena could sense the shift in emotion from Star. Deep frustration filled them both as her companion moved to the back of his cell. Duena followed his example and settled in on the makeshift bed in the far back corner. Things between them went quiet for some hours, the rest of the cellmates made a racket to make up for them. Guards paced up and down the halls, occasionally they pounded on the bars and yelled at 'lings to quiet down. Sleep quickly took over.

"Wake up. Come on, get up!" Duena was jabbed awake by the back end of a spear, being rudely awakened.

Duena groaned and rolled onto her side, she looked up to see the stallion. "What?"

The guard jabbed at her side again. "I said up! On your hooves, let's go. I haven't got all day you know."

Duena let out a long sigh as she slowly stood up and tried to shake the sleepiness away. The guard stepped back to let her out of her cell, another waited for her as well. She was given a nudge forward and she began to walk and headed toward the only door in the whole block. She was led out to the long tiered stairwell. She was taken three tiers up before being herded off toward the right hallway, she followed the long corridor all the way down before she was taken into a room that had a single table, in the middle with pillows for seats on either side of it.

Duena was made to sit on the side furthest from the door, the guards then left the room. Time passed, it seemed to drag on longer and longer the more she waited, but eventually, the door opened up again. Another stallion entered the room followed by two more guards, this new stallion took the seat across from her. One thing about him caught her attention almost immediately. Claws instead of hooves.

"Good afternoon," he greeted Duena cheerfully as he sat down and offered her a toothy smile.

Duena shook her head and sighed. "I wouldn't know."

The stallion's grin disappeared in a heartbeat and his tone took a darker tone. "Yes, I would imagine that would be the case, being locked up like many believe that you should be. I like to think I'm a nice guy, however, that's up to you really." He paused and almost seemed to study Duena for several quiet moments before he turned to one of the guards. "You, get us some tea. Poor girl looks exhausted."

Duena watched as another of the guards hurried out of the room. "You're not a pony?" the question slipped from her lips without a second thought and almost expected to be yelled at. However, the response was a chuckle.

"Not quite. Part gryphon actually," he answered as he showed off one of his claws. "Beautiful little tools aren't they? I can certainly say it makes things far easier in pretty much every way. Especially in dealing with misbehaving 'lings. That's why they like me so much," he stated in a low voice, grinning to himself. Duena shifted nervously in her spot when he stood up and began to circle around the table. "I hear you're fairly mild, though. Skittish at worst."

"Is that so?" Duena answered after she collected herself, she sat up straighter as he moved closer and closer to her.

"My clients like 'lings who behave, and so do I. Now tell me, you behave, don't you?"

Duena kept her gaze forward, her ears rotated around to follow the sounds of his steps around the room. "Depends what you consider behaving." A claw was placed under her chin and made her turn to come face-to-face with him, their muzzles a mere inch away from each other. Her breath caught in her throat as their gazes locked for several seconds before he pulled away and returned to his spot on the other side of the table.

The stallion grinned wickedly at her. "Don't worry, we will find out shortly." Almost as if on queue the guard that was sent out came back with a tray, two cups and a fresh pot of tea. The tray was set in the middle of the table and the now all too eager pony-gryphon hybrid waved the two guards out of the room. "Be gone you two. This is between us. Just you and I, Miss Duena."

Duena became increasingly nervous as the guards left the room. She knew they weren't likely to help her, but, for a brief moment, they made her feel safer. Almost. The aroma of the tea began to assault her nose, it enticed her to simply go for it and quench her thirst with the hot beverage. However, the other half of her instincts told her otherwise, but her gaze didn't move from that central pot.

"Go ahead, Duena. Have a drink," he whispered from across the table as he watched her closely. When Duena didn't move, he stood up, walked around the table once more, and moved in behind her. "I said," he paused to lean in close to her ear, "Have. A. Drink." Duena swallowed but refused to move at all, unsure what he was trying to get at. "Let me try something else then, shall I?" he growled with mild frustration, once more, he returned to his spot. Once there, he reached over and grabbed the pot, he poured each of them a cup before he reached over to place one in front of Duena. "Now, have a drink."

Duena's gaze rested on the cup in front of her but waited a moment to reach out and grab it. She could hear the sound of him writing something down on parchment while she took a sip of the tea. It burned her tongue, but she didn't care, she tilted her head back further and further as she began to chug down the drink without a second thought, she almost forgot that she was being watched. She pulled the cup away from her lips once she was sure she had gotten every last drop and tenderly set the cup back down in front of herself. "Thank you." He scribbled more.

Duena's eyes drifted upward while the stallion continued to write, she took the time to make out his features. He was well groomed, his smokey-white mane thoroughly brushed off to the side to give his piercing purple eyes a clear line of view. His coat was a similar color to that of sand dunes during the high point of the day and it almost seemed to have shimmered in the lighting of the room. Two large wings accompanied his form as well, it seemed almost far too big to be in proportion with the rest of his body. The plumage on each wing was just as groomed as his mane, each feather rested perfectly over the other, from the coverts, all the way down to the primaries and secondary feathers, not a single one out of place.

The stallion's eyes moved up to meet Duena's and her breath caught in her throat once more. "Perhaps you would like some more?" Duena nodded quickly and he reached across to fill her cup again.

"What's the point of all of this? None of it makes any sense," Duena said after she found her voice again.

"The point of this, or all of it?" he retorted as he pulled away, however, he leaned forward with interest.

Duena's eyes went back to the teacup as she took it in her hooves again and pulled it toward her lips. "Both."

He shifted back and let out a long sigh, tapping his claws on the table. "Part of it is for your safety. Not every 'ling is the same and because of that, we lock every 'ling in a cell to ensure that the good ones stay untouched." There was a pause as he leaned over the table more. "Part of it is to determine where you should be sent, where you will be the most useful to the rest of pony kind. Temperament and obedience are two of the biggest factors. My job is to prod and decide whether you get to continue on in the system or..." he trailed off quickly.

Duena's posture shrunk and moved back away from the table. "Or I will end up like Star?"

The stallion's head canted off to the side, a curious expression on his face at the mention of another changeling he seemed to be unfamiliar with. "Who exactly would that be?"

"The stallion in the cell next to me, the one with all of the scars on his face," Duena replied under her voice, almost uncertain that she should have said who she was speaking about.

"Ah, yes," he began with a distasteful tone, "he's been... a mixed bag if you will. Unfortunately for him, his fate is already decided. Perhaps if he had been more like you he wouldn't have gotten stuck in his position," the last sentence left his mouth with something that sounded like a low growl.

Duena looked down past the table at what that meant for her only companion. However, another thought crept into her mind. "Do you have a name?" The question had bugged her since she had arrived.

"Ah, yes, well unfortunately for you I can't tell you that. For my own safety, of course," he stated matter of fact before he sipped from his own cup. "Who knows, perhaps we will end up meeting each other again sometime down in the near future? You seemed well behaved and well mannered. That's rare for captures like yourself to be so docile, so consider yourself lucky."

Duena let what little information he gave her sink in, she thought about the horrors they put Star through. She couldn't imagine him being aggressive with how calm he was with her and even the guards who brought him food, always muttered a thank you even if it couldn't be heard well. She considered the possibility that even the smallest threat or slightly aggressive posture would get one punished. But one word stuck with her, one that was a million times more important to her than anything else. "You say 'captures', not 'rescues'. Why?"

The unnamed stallion leaned forward, his eyes narrowed as a long devilish grin crossed his muzzle once more. "Because in my line of work there is no rescue for you, my dear. You belong to me now... that is until I sell you off elsewhere. And let me tell you, you're worth a lot of coin." He almost seemed to relax as he rested his head in his claws. "I have a lot of clients who would want a mare like you. Fortunately for you, I don't really want to lay a claw on you. Damaging the product and all. I'm sure you understand, don't you?"

Anger began to boil inside of Duena with each word the stallion spoke, she gripped the teacup tighter and tighter until she screamed out and threw the cup at him. He dodged it and the china smashed into the wall behind him. She watched as he shook his head with disappointment, he tisked at her. "Shouldn't have done that, my dear."

"I am not your 'dear', and I'm not some toy you get to pass around to your friends," Duena snapped back as she smacked her hooves down onto the table, it made the tray and teapot rattle for a brief moment.

The stallion's grin disappeared in a heartbeat and Duena suddenly found herself to have reared back as he climbed over the table, he advanced slowly toward her with his wings extended outward aggressively. "I think you want to have a change of heart here in the next few seconds before something happens to you."

Duena continued to back up until she bumped into the wall, nervously, she looked at either side of herself as if an exit would magically appear. No such luck for her. She whipped her head back around to face him, her heart pounded hard as she felt a surge of adrenaline pump through her veins as their eyes met. A claw grabbed her by the throat before she even had the chance to react, and she was pulled in to come face-to-face with him once more. "Let go..." her voice came out in a desperate whisper just as she brought a hoof up to try and pull him away.

His grip on her throat tightened as a laugh escaped from him. "Then submit. Submit like the worthless bug that you are."

Duena's fear quickly turned into anger. She spat in his face before she muttered under her breath, "Fuck you." A second later, she was pushed up against the wall, her back hooves dangled in the air while her forehooves held onto the stallion's legs. He now had both claws around her neck, pressed in deeply to cut off her air completely. All of that anger vanished and panic began to set in, Duena now kicked her back legs helplessly to try and free herself.

The stallion almost enjoyed this, he watched her struggle in his grasp while he choked her while he kept her pinned against the wall. "There you go, get all of that fight out of you now while it's good for you. Learn to fear those who are above you," he stated with pleasure as Duena's movements became more and more desperate with each passing second. He opened his mouth to speak another word before he was interrupted.

The door swung open, two guards stood in the doorway. "Sir, we have a small problem."

There was a frustrated sigh. "I'm busy."

"It requires your attention, sir," the guard replied apologetically.

Duena was suddenly dropped to the ground and she quickly fell into a coughing fit as she tried to gasp for breath. "Grab her and take her back to the cells. I'll deal with her later."

The two guards moved in as the stallion left, they helped her to her hooves before they led her back down into the cells. She was quickly ushered into her designated cell, the door locked behind her as she collapsed in the corner and tried not to cry. She heard a tap on the wall next to her followed by the sound of Star as he tried to get her attention. Duena wouldn't have any of it though, she kept herself quiet in hopes that sleep would quickly take over. It didn't. Hours began to pass by, guards were rotated and out and each group seemed progressively more nervous than the last. The other changelings seemed to notice as well as many of them began to yell and intimidate the guards in hopes that they would get replies, but none of them did.

Another few hours passed and Duena could hear the guards talk amongst themselves in quiet whispers. She got closer to the bars of her cells to try and listen in, but most of what she got was about their relief from their post. The sense of nervousness continued to grow more pronounced as the time between reliefs became longer and longer, and soon the guards began to pace down the whole length of the block. Something was wrong, Duena was almost sure if it.

She watched as one of the guards passed by her cell while she rested uncomfortably against the metal bars. Every little sound almost seemed to make him jump, even the sound of the door near the end of the block opened. He jumped around only to let out a sigh of relief and stepped forward. "Oh, thank Celest- Ach!" his sentence was cut off as a blur of motion charged him, the sound of heavy hooves bashed into the stone before a large beast of bronze smashed the guard up against the wall with a resounding crack. Duena instinctively ran to the back of her cell on what she witnessed. On the opposite side of the block, she could hear a familiar voice.

"Keys! Where are the fucking keys?!" Jolt's voice echoed through while he harassed the second guard.

"I don't know-"

"Bullshit you don't! Tell me now or you're going to end up like your fucking friend over there!" Duena stopped listening when the large pony-like figure passed in front of her cell again, an armored giant almost. Once it had passed, she noticed Jolt still argued with the other guard, he became more frustrated the longer it went on until he had enough. "Grey, just fuck him up, will ya? I'm gonna check the other guard." Jolt's hoof steps got closer to Duena's cell and Duena rushed forward.

"Jolt? Jolt what the hell?"

Jolt didn't answer her and instead patted down the now dead guard. When Duena took a closer look she noticed that most of the Guard's chest plate was completely crushed in. That crack she had heard was most likely the sound of the stallion's rib cage being crushed inward. "Got it!" she heard Jolt almost sing as he procured a keyring from the guard's limp body. "Hey, Grey! Numbers. I need the fucking numbers... oh what the hell? I said 'fuck him up', not stand there and intimidate him for Celestia's sake." Jolt stormed down the hallway only to come back with a note between his teeth. He set it up on the bars before flipping through the keys. "Got it." Duena watched as Jolt forced the lock open and swung the door out for her and gave her a big heroic grin. "No need to thank me!"

"Thank you?" Duena replied, unsure of herself.

"No, I was being serious. Don't fucking thank me," Jolt stated and looked at her as if she was stupid. "Grey. Guard. Here. Now." Duena and Jolt both stood back as the pony covered in head-to-hoof in armor dragged the second guard over and tossed him into the cell, Jolt swiftly closed the door and locked it. "Piece of shit," he snorted before he spat in the guard's direction. Jolt picked up the note after it fell to the ground, he read off the other numbers before going to specific cells and unlocked each of them, letting most of the changelings out and into the block, Grey blocked the exit. Once Jolt had gotten all of the 'lings listed down out of their cells, he spoke up again. "Alright, listen up bugs. Follow big armored guy out to the upper staging area. We have food and water being prepared so just gather up someplace within the walls or something. Honestly, I don't give a fuck."

The large group of freed changelings murmured in confusion but followed Grey out the door either way. Many of them looked as if they had been down in the cells for quite some time, others only a few weeks. Duena followed the pack out into the long stairwell, they took each step one at a time. As they got further up the stairs, she began to notice more and more bodies piling up along the sides of the walking space. She counted two, five, twelve... past that she lost track of how many dead guards there were. Each death looked just as violent as the last, however, there weren't any that she recognized, so she could only assume that the other four she had met outside the fort had made it through these turn of events.

Eventually, Duena and the group of 'lings made it out to the outside area. The smell of fresh air was a big welcome, not to mention the sight of purples and oranges painting the sky as the sun began to set below the horizon. She looked around and could see even more changelings than the ones she was herded with. Several ponies grouped up the changelings into packs, while others handed out food and cups of water and tea, the general mood much lighter than it had been. Duena moved around the walled in area, she escaped the herds to find herself a more open spot and sat down. A guard came by and passed off a cup of warm tea to her and another brought her a couple pieces of fruit. She began to munch down, happy to have a somewhat proper meal for once only to see a familiar mare stood up on the wall. June.

"If I may have all of your attention please, while you settle down. I'm sure many of you are confused about what is happening. My name is June, and I'm here to explain..."