Without Question

Without Question

Chapter Fifteen – Sophistication…

Click.

Silus popped open his golden pocket watch.  Thirty minutes until the festivities would begin.  A second messenger had arrived moments after the initial one.  Silus was told that the Queen wanted him to enter the grand atrium at exactly eight o’ clock.  The messenger also mentioned that Chrysalis wanted him to be surprised.  To pass the time, he had taken a back door out of the castle and went to the plaza at the front.  Though the Marvelous Mimicking Masquerade was to officially begin at eight, the commoners of the capital had already begun minor celebrations.

Countless thousands danced to the tunes of local musicians playing nearby, vendors were selling refreshments at incredibly low prices, and Silus strolled about and mingled with the Changelings.  While he listened to the stories of their lives, his eyes wandered to the new, joyous look of the city.  Colorful banners were draped over the black, wrought-iron fences.  Equally colorful streamers in the trees of the gardens blew gently in the breeze, though that particular sight vaguely reminded Silus of his mischievous childhood.  Confetti and glitter covered the smooth bricks of the plaza ground.  It was a beautiful thing.

“And so I said, ‘Cast iron?  I thought you said blast iron!’”

Silus and the group of Changelings he was with all laughed heartily.  Apparently, one of the Changelings was a smith who misunderstood a customer and accidentally crafted exploding kitchenware for her.  The human had to wipe a tear from his eye after such a tale.  Out of curiosity, he asked where the smith and his family were from.

“Ah…well, Lord Silus…you see, we are from a huge city far from here.  It marked the farthest eastern edge of the Empire.  We had our own celebrations, sorta like this one, but smaller and with a lot of rectangular paper lanterns!  Oh, how I do miss Fanghai…”

At this, the Changeling smith’s head drooped a bit, as did each family member’s.  Silus patted him on the shoulder and gave a comforting smile when he looked up.

“This is a time of celebration, friend.  Do not feel so glum; it will be ours again!”

The smith and his family returned the smile.

“Thank you, Lord Silus.  I needed to hear that.  Maybe I can show you around Fanghai once it’s back in Changeling hooves.”

“I would like that,” Silus smiled wider and nodded.

The human bid them farewell as he went on to meet others.  Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a familiar Changeling.  Silus approached to get a better look.  It was Molten!  The hunched little fellow that had crafted Silus’ equipment was now dancing with a young Changeling female.  He seemed nervous, but the female was nothing if not patient in teaching Molten a dance.  Silus grinned and let him be.

Behind the dancing citizens was a small band that caught Silus’ attention.  Curious about Changeling music, he walked over to them to see what he could learn.  It was a trio of Changelings; all three of them tapped their hooves before lightly rotating in place as they played their instruments.  One of them was playing what appeared to be a fiddle.  Another played a banjo, and the last one was playing a harmonica.  The Changelings around Silus were dancing faster now and rotated along with the band.  It reminded Silus of his old nation, or at least the southern part of it.  He smiled and tried to copy the dance to the best of his abilities.  As sloppy as it looked, many nearby Changelings applauded him for trying.  With a sheepish bow, he tossed a few coins in the hat near the fiddle player’s hooves and wandered off.

Silus checked his pocket watch again.  Three minutes now.  He headed to the base of the stairs that led up to the massive doors of the castle.  Just as he reached the stairs, a loud groaning echoed through the air as the doors slowly opened.  Silus couldn’t see the inside of the castle from where he was, but bright lights shone out of the entrance.  Sixteen Imperial Guards formed a line across the top of the stairs, leaving a gap in the middle.  None other than Queen Chrysalis herself filled the gap with her presence.  She proudly raised her head and cleared her throat.  Silus and the vast crowd of Changelings shifted their attention to their leader.  All sound ceased as her words were awaited.

“We all know why we have gathered here, tonight!  I needn’t remind you all of how incredibly proud I am!  So, without further ado, let the Marvelous Mimicking Masquerade…BEGIN!”

The Queen raised a hoof into the air with unlimited enthusiasm.  The crowd roared with cheer; music and dance erupted in the plaza yet again.  The Queen and her Guards moved down the stairs towards Silus in unison.  Upon reaching him, he immediately took his signature stance and kneeled.

“Rise, Lord Silus.”

Immediately, Silus rose to his feet and gazed at his Queen.  Oh, how he could lose himself in those eyes forever and not have a care in the world...but what was this she was wearing?  Silus froze in awe at how utterly gorgeous Chrysalis looked.  She wore a beautiful blue and green dress with a flowing skirt that hid her hind legs.  The silver trim and accents shimmered in the moonlight.  The Queen’s hair had been braided into a single, deep blue lock that hung elegantly over her shoulder.

“Lord Silus, would you…I mean, it would be lovely if…er…” Chrysalis fumbled for the words she was trying to get out.  This was very strange to both Silus and the Imperial Guards around her.  They had never seen her at such a loss for words and were having difficulty understanding what she was trying to say.  Silus found it cute.  He felt as though he knew what she wanted, but he disliked assumption.  Still…he didn’t want her to feel embarrassed.

“My Queen, it would be an honor to be your escort,” he stated with a smile.

“E-Excellent!  I was just trying to…clear my throat!  Yes, that’s it.  I am glad you are able to read me so well, Lord Silus,” she responded with a flushed face.  Chrysalis held out a hoof, which Silus affectionately held as they ascended the stairs.

Silus couldn’t believe his eyes when he reached the top and saw the grand atrium.  It was a glorious sight to behold.  The foreboding darkness that was once characteristic of the atrium was now gone.  Enormous crystal chandeliers hung from the rafters.  The crystals magnified the light of the chandeliers’ candles, illuminating the entire room with brilliant colors.  Gold and green banners hung from every wall and it was clear that the floor tiles had been polished recently.  A large, marble fountain sat in the middle of the room.  Some kind of blue punch cascaded down from the top of the fountain, and several aristocratic Changelings dipped their glasses in as they passed by.

There was far less darkness in general, now that Silus thought about it.  Even without the brilliant light of the crystal chandeliers, it appeared as though several columns and other parts of the architecture had been refurbished with gold and silver.  Green velvet couches and cushions sat in designated sitting areas.  Silus took a moment to look at the Changeling aristocrats themselves.  Nearly every one of them wore elaborate, shiny or feathered masks that only hid the upper halves of their faces.  On their bodies, the males wore exquisite suits with long coattails while the females wore flowing dresses like those of New Victoria, a refined nation of Silus’ old world.  In the middle of the atrium was a large open area where Changelings slow-danced in pairs.

Another thing that caught Silus’ eye and deeply impressed him was the large band to the side of the room.  There were a few small rows of musicians atop a slightly raised platform with a few stairs.  Silus noticed again that the majority of Changeling instruments strongly resembled those of his old world.  The top row of Changelings was playing what appeared to be corked trumpets while the middle row played trombones.  On the bottom row, the Changeling musicians were playing saxophones of varying sizes.  To the side of the platform were three Changelings:  one with a drum kit, another with a standup bass, and the third with cymbals.

The Changeling maestro gently swayed his hooves about as the band let loose a flood of smooth jazz.  It was simply delightful, as made clear by the dancing of the Changeling upper class.  As a young man, Silus wasn’t the most talented when it came to playing an instrument, but he did know how to write music and lyrics.  Still holding Chrysalis’ hoof, he turned his attention to her for a moment.

“Would you excuse me for a moment, my Queen?” he asked politely.

“Of course, Lord Silus,” she smiled at him.

“Please, you of all Changelings may refer to me without my title,” he replied and kissed her hoof before walking over to a nearby table.  As he left her presence, Chrysalis slightly blushed for a moment, hoping he would be back soon.

Silus found what he was looking for.  He took a seat at the table, which was near one of the sitting areas.  On the table were a quill, an inkwell, and several blank parchments.  He dipped the quill into the black liquid and quickly began writing on one of the papers.  Occasionally, he would glance up and gaze at the unaware Chrysalis for a moment before returning to his writing.  Just a few more minutes and it would be ready…

Bon-Bon and her militia were on the verge of passing out; it was likely that it would be a sleep they’d never awaken from.  Starving, thirsty, and sore both mentally and physically, the ponies of Widow Battalion stopped for a moment.  An aggravated unicorn shouted at the leader.

“This is HOPELESS!  We have no idea where we’re going and we’re practically at Death’s door!  We might as well give up; at least we’ll die with the satisfaction of killing those Changelings at the beach!”

Bon-Bon shakily turned around.  Her joints ached and felt as though they were about to give.  But she couldn’t die like this, even with the satisfaction that the unicorn had pointed out.

“I know this looks hopeless.  I honestly don’t know what to do anymore.  And even knowing that we managed to wipe out that camp, I don’t feel like we made a difference.  I don’t know what to do…”

It grew deathly silent for a few seconds as Bon-Bon paused.  Just as she was about to continue, or possibly even concede, she thought she heard something.  Her ear twitched, straining to hear.  She heard it again.  A very low humming and rumbling sound.  Without a word, she sprinted as fast as her weakened body would allow her towards the end of the corridor, which had seemed to be gently sloping upward.  Just another stone wall, just another floor of bones.

Behind her, the other ponies caught up.  The sight of the dead end caused a wave of disbelief, sorrow, and anger to sweep over the WB.  Many started yelling at each other while some simply sat and cried.  Bon-Bon, too, was in disbelief.  She knew she heard something.  Then she heard it again, ever so slightly more audibly this time.

“EVERYPONY!  BE QUIET!”

Bon-Bon’s commanding scream instantly hushed the surprised ponies.  The leader delicately placed her ear against the wall.  Now she was certain of it.  There seemed to be vibrations and sounds coming from the ceiling.

“We’re close to something!  I don’t know what, but I think it might be a way out!” Bon-Bon shouted, “I know you’re all exhausted, and I wouldn’t think of asking any more of you than I already have.  But this is the final stretch!  If none of you desire to leave, do as you please.  As for me, I’m getting out of here, one rock at a time if I have to.  Join me if you ever want to see the light of day again!”

Nothing more was said.  Bon-Bon grabbed a large bone and ground it against the wall until it was sharp.  Next, she pushed a pile of other bones together and climbed on top of them.

Clink.  Clink.

The leader of Widow Battalion wouldn’t give up when she was so close to freedom.  She chipped away at the ceiling with her makeshift-pickaxe, desperate to escape.  Between strikes, she could hear dozens of other ponies sharpening bones of their own.

“So close…” Bon-Bon whispered to herself.

Silus grinned to himself.  It was finished.  He rose from his chair and approached the Changeling maestro just as a song was concluded.  Silus whispered into the maestro’s ear and handed him the paper.  The maestro nodded and waved at a young Changeling female nearby.  The female came over and took a moment to look at the paper as well.  She nodded at Silus and took her place on another raised platform near the band’s.  From there, she faced the huge crowd that danced in the center of the atrium.  Most of the crowd had formed a large circle around a few dozen pairs of dancing Changeling aristocrats.

The human found his way back to his Queen, who watched the dancing pairs with the rest of the crowd.  Sneaking up behind her, he blew her ear lightly.  She softly gasped and jumped in surprise.  She turned around to see Silus holding out his hand.

“May I have this dance?” he requested simply, but with a relaxing smile that the Queen couldn’t resist even if she wanted to.

“Indeed you may,” she returned the smile and placed her hoof in his hand, staring at him with half-lidded eyes.

Silus was nearly overwhelmed.  It actually worked!  And goodness, he could barely think when she looked at him like that.  He gently led the Changeling Queen to the center of the circle.  But why did she look so nervous now?  Chrysalis motioned for him to lean down a bit so he could hear her.

“Um…Silus, I…don’t know how to…to dance…” she whispered.

The human was taken aback by this.  Certainly she had been asked to dance before.  As much as this befuddled him, Silus acted quickly.

“Do you trust me?”

“Of course I do, Silus…”

“Stand as we did before.”

“Wha…what?”

Silus carefully nudged the Queen until she stood on her hind legs, the same way she had done when the two embraced before.  This time, however, they held each other a bit differently.  Silus placed one of Chrysalis’ fore hooves on his shoulder while placing his own hand on her side, just under the base of her now-raised foreleg.  With his other hand, he held her free fore hoof up in the air slightly.

“Follow my lead.”

Chrysalis was unsure for a moment, but she trusted him far more than he knew.  The band began playing Silus’ song.  It started off rather upbeat, yet still calm.  The female Changeling stood patiently, awaiting her cue.  Silus and Chrysalis could feel the wall of eyes staring at them.  It was indeed an odd sight to see the Queen standing as the human did.  None of the other dancing pairs knew this unique song or even how to dance to it.  Intrigued, they removed themselves from the circle and joined the crowd.  Only Silus and Chrysalis and remained.  Silus gently swayed his hips left and right as Chrysalis did her best to copy him.  They were both surprised at how well they were doing.  The Changeling female near the band finally began singing.

Oh, what a lovely night to be

With you, right next to me

Of all the sights to see

My eyes rest on you

The singer’s voice was as beautiful as Silus had hoped.  The band was performing just as well.  Silus couldn’t believe how perfectly this was turning out to be.  He and Chrysalis took small steps, still gently swaying but now rotating slowly in place as well.

Your heart is all I wish to win

Just the thought of you makes me spin

Dizzy in love, I can’t help but grin

That you might feel this, too

Hand in hoof, arm to leg, eye to eye, they were in complete harmony.  Silus had never felt so deeply connected to someone.  Chrysalis felt the same way, and it was becoming more apparent as they danced.  They could both tell how the other felt.  No words needed to be said.  Lost in each other’s eyes, they showed how they felt through synchronization.  The music slowed down significantly, and the singing female’s voice almost sounded like she was personally speaking to each and every Changeling in the room.

Here’s to the future, my dear

Let me just make one thing clear

By me, you’ll never shed a tear

Put together, there’s something new

Silus and Chrysalis shifted their positions without breaking eye contact.  Both of Chrysalis’ forelegs were now draped over Silus’ shoulders, her hooves wrapped around the back of his neck.  Silus placed his arms around Chrysalis, one hand on her upper back and the other hand on her lower back.  Their faces leaned closer to each other’s, pressing chest to chest.

Maybe one day there will be an “us”

Bound by love, I’m yours and thus

Let’s not delay nor make a fuss

Without question, I love you.

It felt as though time had stopped.  Everything had led up to this night, this moment.  The human and Changeling Queen still gazed into each other’s eyes.  They knew now that this was destiny.  All of the suffering, all of the chaos and sadness…it was worth it.  The Changelings were better now, united and full of hope.  No more hate and anger, madness or greed.  As for Silus and Chrysalis, this was an unbreakable new love.  Neither of them could imagine life without the other.  The entire universe seemed to be revolving around them at this exact moment.  The two of them closed their eyes for the first time in what felt like ages.

And they kissed…

A kiss that felt as though it would last an eternity…

And they would give anything for it to be so…

The clock tower of the city struck twelve.  Time returned to its normal state.  Silus and Chrysalis slowly broke the kiss and looked back into each other’s eyes.

“Silus…I…” Chrysalis whispered almost silently.

The human delicately placed a hand on her cheek and smiled.

“Shhh…” he sweetly shushed her, “I love you, too…”

A quivering smile spread across Chrysalis’ face as her eyes blurred with tears.

In his peripheral, Silus noticed that the crowd of Changelings was still staring at Chrysalis and himself, but two new guests were as well.

Two divine and royal guests…