Chapter IV
The Cage

Thomas

It was dark when Thomas awoke. There wasn’t any light, no matter where he looked. In an attempt to wipe the sleep from his eyes, Thomas tried to lift his arm, only to find that it was secured in place. He had been restrained... but why? When did it happen? He sat there for a while, thinking about how he got into this mess, but all he could remember was the need to go into town to get food. That’s right, he went into town...but what happened there?

He slumped back against the wall and sighed. Since he had woken up, the aching had gradually grown worse the more he gained consciousness. Pain scorched up his back and front as he tried to adjust himself in his restraints. When he looked around, there was still nothing but the blanket of darkness. Water dripped in a continuous stream somewhere in the corner. With nothing else to do, he hung his head and reminisced of the past.

Celestia

It wasn’t the most gentle form of persuasion, but the job was done. The Recovery Team could have been a tad less aggressive, but then again, it really didn't matter any more. All she had to do was bring him back to Canterlot…nay, his home, and then they would be together again. Celestia, the ruler of the Sun and Co-Ruler of Equestria finally had what she wanted. Yet, inside, she felt her stomach knot; was it right of her to do that? Did it really even matter if it was right? Shaking her head, Celestia turned to the door, and grabbed the golden doorknob with her own magic. The day was slowly beginning to sink into the night, as the sky turned to a stunning display of rose and amber hues splashed across the sky. Ambient lights from the windows illuminated the hallway. Things had certainly changed since the last time she had been here. Celestia smiled as she remembered the last time she had ventured this far North; it had been a ‘break’ for her with her love. Of course, it was a business trip, yet it was comforting to have him with her. Thomas would always take the time to sit down and listen to her troubles, and ease any impending fears or troubles she had. He was such a good listener...

But now, he would not willingly listen to her for obvious reasons. Life was never easy, not for a Princess of the Sun. All she wanted was to be with him, caress him just once more, to hold him and cherish each moment she had with him again. As much as she longed for those times again, she would have to wait. She had other matters to deal with; one does not commit a genocide and have it go unnoticed.

As Celestia slunk down the halls of the Royal Equestrian Embassy, she glanced at the numerous paintings that had adorned the walls. There were many that depicted some grandiose battle from years long past. The Battle of the Scepter, The War of the Witches… victory had never come at an easy price. It never really did. Even now, with the Changeling rage exterminated like the vermin they were, political tensions had grown tenfold. While the Griffins and Minotaurs were thankful to not have to put up with anymore kidnappings, the display of power Equestria had shown had proven that Equestria was no longer fearful, or soft, and would not hesitate to display that power again at a moments notice. Thoughts of trade promises and negotiations flew through her head as she continued to tread down the hallway.

Thomas

It was a sharp clang on the metal bars of his cell that awoke him from his slumber. An urgent voice called at him.

“Hey, you!”

Thomas’s head was still pounding, and he could tell that he was severely dehydrated. Turning to the noise, he flinched as his eyes adjusted to see a bright light in from of his cell. It was a guard holding a torch surrounded in a rich green glow.

“Water,” he managed to rasp out of his parched lips, “Please. Water.”

The guard looked at him impassively, and then frowned. “Do you want to get out of here?”

And with a flash of green magic, a scarred changeling stood in front of him. It looked to be an average drone, not much more taller than the average pony. As it began to move closer to the bars, he could make out many scars from the past that had obviously not healed well. The changeling's characteristically jagged horn had a large portion missing near the tip. It fixated Thomas with its dull blue eyes.

“I said, do you want to get out of here?” he asked again, this time with less patience then before.

One thing that Thomas had learned was that skepticism was definitely a good thing. “How can I trust you won’t try kill me,” he whispered, “because that’s exactly what happened I let my guard down around one of you freaks.” Thomas was scowling now, a look of pure hatred evident on his face.

“I don’t have time for this shit. You remember when you were stabbed? Well, the Queen left some of her magic within you. I came looking for her by following her magical signature, but it seems I’ve been disappointed.” the changeling scoffed at him.

Thomas snarled at him, “and how is that supposed to help me? I’ve been here for god knows how long.”

“What is the one thing Changelings are known for? Hint: it’s in our name. You have just this one chance to get out of here before you won’t be able to step a foot away from her without her knowing.” The stranger looked to his left and to his right, making sure that no one had overheard him. “I can get you out. Do you want to sit here and rot, or have the ability to make your own decisions for yourself?”

He thought for a period of time. After considering having to back to her again...

“Fine,” Thomas answered, feeling like he would regret his decision. “Do what you need to.”

The stranger quickly set to work, selecting a large grey key from the keying and navigated it into the lock. Within seconds, the great iron cell door swung open, and the stranger entered the cell. He set to work on the restraints, and one by one, they all came off. Soon enough, Thomas was standing and rubbing his aching wrists.

"Come now, we don't have much time here. We must be quick before we are noticed by the patrol." the stranger gestured towards the dungeon entry way that was illuminated by a set of torches. "You're too weak right now to be able to Shift, so I'll have to disguise you with a spell. Thankfully, doing so should not be too difficult." the stranger explained quietly, as he peeked around the corner. "This way."

They snuck through the thankfully empty halls, checking around each and every corner they passed. It was a slow process, but it was better to be safe than sorry. Thomas couldn't help but feel like he was doing something wrong, like he was committing some crime. To be fair, he thought, he was, yet it was for his own personal safety. And his own sanity.

The pair navigated their way towards the barracks. Oddly enough, Thomas heard no voices. "Hey," Thomas hissed, "aren't we trying to, you know, get away from them? It seems pretty suicidal if we go to the place where they're most likely to be!"

"Quiet!" the Changeling hissed back, "they're probably all passed out drunk already. I've been watching their rotations for some time now. As soon as their shift is over, they drink themselves into a coma. It's a Friday night, so what else are they going to do?"

Griffins were notorious drunks, from what Thomas had heard.

There were no voices to be heard in the barracks. It was entirely barren, thankfully. Each of them grabbed a weapon in case things went sour. There were plenty of options available; unfortunately, Thomas was definitely not a fighter. He settled with a regular sword that wasn't too fancy. He just wanted something that could do what he needed it to. The stranger grabbed a set of knives and a Minotaur-made crossbow that was able to work for equine races.

"While we're here and have the time, we might as well disguise ourselves now." The stranger's outer chitin faintly shined green for a minute before he turned into an average griffin scout. "Your turn."

There was an odd sensation for a moment, as if he were submerged in a pool of water for a second, and then it was over. Glancing down, he was surprised to see that nothing had changed. Upon seeing the questioning look on his partner's face, the stranger simply said, "Illusion Magic. You can see yourself for what you are, but a field of magic distorts what others see. Shall we go?"

Thomas fixed his sword belt to his waist and nodded.

Author's Note

I am so sorry it has taken this long,. I went through a bit of a rough spot but now I'm back.
As always, I appreciate any feedback or criticism you have. Please make sure to comment on what I can improve on!
Thanks for taking the time to read this. It means a lot to me :)