Cure for Pain

Part 21: Feel the Pain

“Dear Walker and Coleton,

It is our displeasure to inform you that the Changelings are reappearing in Equestria at an alarming rate. It is a greater displeasure, however, to inform you that we require your assistance with the matter. Unfortunately, your help will require you to be away from home for an extended period of time. You will be… “bounty hunters” of sorts. You will go around to different Equestrian cities and locations in order to capture, living or dead, the changelings. It is an extremely primitive solution, but there is no other. We are extremely sorry to ask this of you, but your help would be most appreciated.

Warmest regards,

Princess Celestia and Princess Luna

I stood there for the longest time, not quite sure what to say. We would have to leave Ponyville for an unspecified, but long, time, leaving our friends behind? Not only that, but this job would obviously be dangerous; we were gonna have to capture Changelings? It reminded me of military jobs on Earth that would require you to move so frequently.

“Well…” Twilight started, fumbling to form a coherent sentence. “I guess this means that we won’t see you for a while.” She tore the tickets off the back to inspect them. “They appear to be sincere. These are real tickets. And the train is departing day after tomorrow, presumably to send you guys away.”

Wasn’t this all so sudden? I mean, we JUST got done running from my psycho Changeling girlfriend, and we’re going away day after tomorrow, presumably for a long time. I mean, couldn’t she give us a BIT more time?

“Well…” Coleton started, but sighed and sat down, trying to absorb the information. I took over the conversation. “What about you guys? I mean… we’ve known you since we came here, are you gonna be alright?

“And what about Dash?” I said, directing my words to Coleton. “And Octavia for myself? What’s gonna happen with our relationships?” I sighed and sat down opposite Coleton. “This is messed up on so many levels.”

Twilight walked over to console us. “I’m sorry about this. I really am. But it’s necessary.” I looked up to her, fire in my eyes. “Is it? I mean, why didn’t they ask you six to do it? I mean, the Elements of Harmony may be able to deal with this a tiny bit better than two average people from Earth who don’t even know the land! It’s an ignorant thing to recruit people as unknowledgeable as us!”

“I don’t know, Walker.” Twilight said, her voiced tinged with anger as a result of my insulting the princesses. “But you’re gonna have to figure something out.” With that, she walked upstairs to sleep. I was just sitting there speechless. “Okay…” I said, standing up and stretching. “I’m gonna go back to my apartment. Assuming that Changeling isn’t there. I’m gonna start packing.”

With that, I exited the library, the darkness of the 4:30 morningtime enveloping my body as I navigated the streets, the streetlights being the only illuminators of the otherwise ominous environment.

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“I’m so sorry.” I said the next night at Octavia’s house. I didn’t want to tell her the news. I mean, your significant other being drafted to fight something he didn’t even participate in was bad news. I didn’t feel supportive knowing the only thing I could do is provide emotional support. This was hard. I could only imagine how hard it must be for Coleton, who has lived with his girlfriend for the past couple of weeks. It was gonna be hell until we got back. Assuming we got back.

The next morning wasn’t much better. It was seven in the morning, and the train for Canterlot was amiss with sorrow. Pinkie Pie, who I knew to make the best of the situation, wasn’t smiling, or laughing, or any of the things that make her the Pinkie we know and love.

As I got onto the train, ready to drown my sorrows in the warm sounds of music, I looked back on my time here. Everything was fun and great in Ponyville until now. It was like life was a comedy until now, and the ominous feeling that it would soon turn into a tragedy was a feeling I couldn’t force off of me.

“So…” Coleton said, trying to talk to the ponies nearest him. “What are you going to Canterlot for?” One looked at him with a dead look in his eyes. “Probably the same reason you’re here. The Changelings.” A look of confusion swept over Coleton. “Wait… so we’re all here to fight them?” The pony nodded solemnly. “The name’s Helix. Nice to meet you.”

“Dude…” Coleton said to me, waking me up from my slumber. “What?” I said, annoyed that I had to face real life again. “We’re not the only ones sent to fight them. Everyone on this train is.” I gave him a skeptical look. “Are you sure?”

Coleton nodded. “Yeah. This is Helix.” He introduced me to a green pegasus pony with the cutie mark of a double-helix DNA. “Pleasure to meet you.” I said, holding my hoof out awkwardly for him to tap it. Awkward that a “brohoof” was such a former way of introduction in the Pony world. “Same here.” He said. We sat in awkward silence for a bit. “What did you guys do? Before being forced here, I mean?”

“Where to start?” I said, figuring what I said may be a bit more entertaining than small talk. So we told him everything. From the start.  I think he believed us, but I’m not sure.

“We’re here!” Came a gruff voice from the conductor’s train cart. We shuffled out of the train cars, and it occurred to us that we had no idea what to do. She said to get to Canterlot, and not anything else. Thanks a lot, Celestia.

“Hey, Helix!” I yelled. “Where do we go?” It was embarrassing, but Helix was very helpful. As we headed to the castle, we talked about our lives back before everything occurred. Turns out, Helix was a Geneticist (hence his cutie mark), and had a family back home. I couldn’t relate. He had a wife and kids, and all Coleton and I had were girlfriends. We loved them, don’t get me wrong, but kids… and he was being sent off to who knows where to die for his country.

“Greetings, everypony!” Celestia said once all of the recruits were gathered in the main ballroom. I made sure to keep my distance from any alcohol and the stage to avoid any association. “And welcome to the Canterlot Royal Ballroom! I assume you all know why you are here?”

Every nodded, murmurs popping up throughout the crowded room. “Good. I just want to let you know how much your service is appreciated. It really means a lo-“

“CUT THE BULLSHIT!” I heard a pony say in the middle of the room. “I DON’T CARE WHETHER YOU’RE HAPPY WE’RE THE MILITARY’S PERSONAL SLAVES, BUT AT LEAST HAVE THE COMMON DAMN DECENCY TO RESPECT OUR INTELLIGENCE AND GET US HOME AS QUICK AS POSSIBLE BY NOT WASTING TIME!”

“How dare you speak to my sister like that!” Luna said, ready to pounce. Celestia held up a hoof, stopping her. “It’s understandable to be agitated at this sudden series of events. But please hold your tongue and let me finish.” The pony, still seething with anger, went silent at Celestia’s words.

“Now…” Celestia said, keeping a calm, soothing voice. “As I was saying. You have been chosen for your exceptional skill in a certain field. Some of you may have been chosen for your strength, while some of you may have been chosen for mental ability. Because you are the elite of the elite, we expect assignments to be done with respect and carried out in a timely manner.

“Your assignments are being delivered to your rooms as we speak. We have arranged for three ponies to one hotel room, and we are sorry for that inconvenience. But seeing as you will be leaving Canterlot tomorrow, I don’t imagine it will be much of one.” With that, she called her guards to pass out manila envelopes containing information like our rooms, our roommates, and the like. Coleton and I were fortunate to be assigned to the same room, so I guess we would have a friend to help.

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As we arrived to our room, fishing the key out of the manila envelope given to us by the guards, we noticed that whoever the third person in the room was wasn't there. Given the opportunity, both Coleton and I just sat down and cried. It wasn’t manly, it wasn’t worth our time, and it wasn't fitting of our skill exhibited by being chosen by the princess herself, but we finally had a chance to let out all emotion out of biased eyes, and dammit, we were going to.