Antecedent (R)

Chapters

New Beginnings
Pisa
Introducing Wisp!
Torment

New Beginnings

Raindrop, fresh from her duties as a cloudchaser, took a deep steadying breath, pushing open the door to the private practise. A bell jingled softly to announce her entry.

Raindrop was a pegasus. At complete odds with her fiery personality, she was shorter and a little smaller than other pegasi, with a deep blue body and a two-tone cyan mane. Her eyes were a vibrant pink, and the image of a thundercloud on her rump betrayed her job as a cloudchaser.

The receptionist straightened up as Raindrop entered, and Raindrop cast a glance towards the waiting room, her face brightening as she spied the green-coated unicorn slumped in one of the comfy couches.

“Shine!” Raindrop said with a grin, bounding over to him, her wing fluttering happily.

Shine looked up from his magazine, blinking once and closing it on his hoof to keep the page.

“Raindrop,” Shine said with a faint smile, stretching slightly. “The doctor is late. That nice old pony says it’s a normal occurrence.”

Shine pointed a hoof across the room, to where an older mare waved a hoof with an irritated growl, turning the page on her magazine so hard it ripped.

Shine was a unicorn of less-than-average stature. He was strong in magic, but not particularly ‘gifted’ in the physical department. He was a sea-green from nose to hoof, with brilliant blue eyes, a blue mane, and a shining light bulb on his flank. Raindrop was rather fond of stuffing her cheek against his hindleg and claiming she just had an epiphany.

“Well good! I’m late too!” Raindrop said with a soft whine, bouncing slightly in place before hugging her fiance, wrapping her hooves around his neck and laying several firm kisses against his cheek and throat.

“You’re smothering me!” Shine complained with a faint smile, kissing her nose in response and then shaking his head. “I am the last appointment of the day.”

“You don’t want me to get you a sandwich or anything? It’s getting late,” Raindrop soothed, stroking a hoof through Shine’s mane affectionately.

Shine shook his head with a wrinkled nose. “Just feel kinda nauseous.”

Raindrop’s face fell, and she gently pulled herself onto the couch beside the stallion. “Is it bad again?”

Shine had been suffering for several months with a persistent sickness. It made him tired, nauseous, queasy and weak. It gave him headaches, and it even affected his magic to the point that he was afraid to levitate heavy or sharp objects.

Shine nodded glumly. “Can’t concentrate again and I feel all queasy. I’ve been reading the same page of this home-improvement magazine the entire time I’ve been waiting, and I’m sure there’s a very good reason we don’t want these drapes but I just can’t remember.”

Raindrop peered down at the page, and the pink drapes there, with frilly white lace on the bottom.

“Because I’d be on the front-page of the Ponyville Enquirer tomorrow if you dared to bring them into our house?” Raindrop asked flatly.

Shine gave an ‘ahhhh’ of understanding. “My imminent murder. I knew there was a good reason.”

Raindrop shook her head and giggled, leaning forwards to kiss his nose again. Shine sighed, leaning against her and wrapping a hoof around her shoulders, nosing slowly against her neck.

“We’ll figure out what’s wrong with you,” Raindrop said with a soft nudge of his cheek. “Or rather, Doctor Heilende Klinge will. And I’ll take credit.”

Shine smiled at that, resting his cheek against her own. “He must be good. He’s from Germaneigh.”

“Those doctors always are the craziest, and best,” Raindrop said with a smile, bopping his nose with a hoof. “Sure you don’t need anything to eat, baby?”

A sly smile flitted across Shine’s muzzle, and he leaned against her slightly, leaning in to whisper gently into one of her ears, “You look good enough to eat. I love it when you get all active and sweaty.”

“Just because you know I’m tougher than you,” Raindrop said with a giggle, nudging him with her nose. “Don’t make a promise you can’t keep, Shine.”

Shine opened his mouth to respond, but was interrupted by the sound of the front door bell opening interrupted him. A Royal Guard stepped into the room, looking around carefully, before making a beeline for the couple.

Raindrop clung closer against her fiance, her eyes wide.

“Miss Raindrop?” asked the guard.

Raindrop nodded quietly.

Shine looked back and forth between them with a dubious blink.

“Miss Raindrop, of the Ponyville Weather Patrol. Princess Celestia seeks an audience with you post-haste. Present yourself to the Canterlot Palace at your earliest convenience.” Without another word, the guard turned on his hooves and left as suddenly as he’d arrived.

Raindrop blinked slowly, before turning to look at her fiance, brow raised quizzically. “I... don’t even... what?”

“What would the princess want to see you for?” Shine asked dubiously. “Maybe it’s a joke.”

“That guard looked pretty serious...” Raindrop said quietly, shaking her head. “And... he found me here, of all places. Maybe... they’re following us?”

“That’s kinda paranoid, Raindrop,” Shine said with a shake of his head a silly smile, nudging her once. “Run along and see if it was a joke of some kind. I’m a big enough stallion to handle the doctors visit all on my lonesome.”

“But what if you get scared?”

“I’ll be brave, I promise.”

Raindrop huffed, nudging him firmly. “If I hear you even cried a little bit, I’m spanking you.”

“I’ll be sure to think of something sad then!” Shine said with a bright smile.

Raindrop shook her head, kissing his nose. “I’ll be back soon, promise. Try to survive the doctor’s visit until I return.”

Shine nodded once, waving a hoof. “Get me some donuts or something on the way back.”

“Frosted?”

“Frosted.” Shine nodded firmly.

Raindrop landed in front of the large arched gates to the Canterlot Palace with a dubious expression on her face, mincing her way towards the two guards flanking the entrance.

“I... I’m Raindrop. I have a request from Celestia to... go and see her?” Raindrop offered lamely.

The guards exchanged a glance. One of them nodded, and then they both stepped aside. One of their horns glowed, and the gates began to swing open.

Carefully, Raindrop stepped between them, staring up at the imposing castle. Uncertainly, she stepped down the long pathway, through the gardens, and up to the large front doors of the palace. A pair of guards admitted her through into the large entrance hall, and a guard inside the hall itself led her deeper inside. After barely a minute of walking, Raindrop was lost, and before she knew it, she was in the throne room.

Large stained-glass windows depicted events from the past, and a set of four thrones stood in a neat row. In the centre, the largest throne, was Celestia. To her left was Princess Luna. To her right was first Princess Cadance, and then Princess Twilight Sparkle, or as she was more commonly known: Princess Aurora.

Raindrop felt the weight of the gaze of four different princesses on her, and she cowered under it.

“Raindrop?” Celestia asked warmly.

Raindrop nodded mutely.

“We have called you here today to... give you information.” Celestia paused, as though organising her thoughts, and Raindrop felt herself grow slightly nauseous.

“A-am I in trouble?” Raindrop asked quietly.

Celestia paused for far too long a time, before saying, “Not... directly. Certain... precautions may need to be enacted.”

“What Celestia is trying to say: You are now a threat to the security of Equestria, and you will be detained until your loyalties are ascertained,” Princess Luna cut across them.

“Come on, give her a break,” Twilight Sparkle said with a slight frown.

“Her knowledge is not the problem,” Luna stated with an imperious wave of a hoof.

“Shush,” Celestia said. The single syllable reverberated with a power that made the other three princesses fall silent immediately, bowing to their leader.

Raindrop stared up at Celestia with wide eyes, her bottom lip quivering slightly. “Y-you’re going to throw me in jail? I didn’t do anything wrong!”

“Please, Raindrop, calm yourself. We are divided as to how to deal with the situation. Let me... explain it to you.” Celestia lifted a hoof, pink eyes narrowing down at Raindrop.

Raindrop swallowed audibly and then tentatively sat down, legs splayed helplessly, rubbing a hoof against her forehead slowly. “O-okay...”

Celestia paused, collecting her thoughts. “You know of the tale of Chrysalis?”

Rubbing her hoof against her forehead, Raindrop nodded and then said uncertainly, “The Queen of the Changelings. She was defeated by the Elements of Harmony.”

“That was the widely-held belief, yes,” Celestia said with a gentle nod.

“I take it that that is not the case?” Raindrop asked, lost.

Celestia nodded once. “We received word that Chrysalis was not defeated by the Element of Harmony, but rather, she was healed by them.”

“...Healed?” Raindrop asked blankly.

“Healed,” Celestia stated in response. “A changeling feeds upon love, you understand this, yes?”

Raindrop nodded cautiously.

“Well, it appeared that Chrysalis had found a partner and wished to settle down with them.”

“And... how does this all factor in with the Elements of Harmony, and more importantly, me going to jail?!” Raindrop asked, her voice rising at the end.

Luna waved a hoof. “Changeling magic has been shown to have great ill-effect upon a partner. It reduces energy levels, and wreaks havoc with the pony’s immune system and their emotions. Were a relationship to continue normally, Chrysalis would have killed her partner.”

Celestia nodded gently. “Indeed. We believe that Chrysalis used the magic of the Elements of Harmony to revert herself to a more... palatable state. She turned herself into a normal pony.”

“What does this all have to do with me?” Raindrop asked weakly, her ears pinned back.

Celestia looked uncertainly back and forth between the other three princesses. “Well...”

“Chrysalis became ‘Cee’,” Luna finished for Celestia, her tone blunt.

Raindrop blinked slowly, before shaking her head. “N-no, that’s impos-”

“I’m afraid not,” Cadance cut across Raindrop, shaking her head as well. “Celestia confirmed it at Cee’s funeral.”

“C-Cee didn’t have a funeral... she had a... a... well...” Raindrop spluttered, shaking her head.

“I was the one that prepared her cottage,” Celestia stated bluntly.

Raindrop’s ears pinned back. “B-but...”

“Something happened to the Elements of Harmony,” Twilight Sparkle said softly, motioning towards the star-shaped jewel in her crown. “A few months ago, something magical changed about the elements... we believe that it has to do with... with...” The princess trailed off, biting her bottom lip and looking away.

Cadance picked up where Twilight left off. “We believe it has to do with the death of the last of the bearers excluding Twilight. It was barely a day after Rainbow Dash passed on that it happened. It was as though the magic in them had been undone. Or rather, the magic they were maintaining was undone.”

“I still don’t... understand...” Raindrop said, whining faintly and rubbing a hoof against her ears helplessly.

“You are a direct descendant of Queen Chrysalis, Raindrop. You are part changeling,” Celestia said gently.

Raindrop shook her head. “N-no. I’m a normal pony! I’d know if I was a changeling!”

Luna’s eyes narrowed slowly. “Has your partner not been growing sick in recent weeks?”

Raindrop’s ears splayed back. “A-a few months now, actually...”

“And none of the doctors can ascertain what plagues him?” Luna pressed.

Raindrop nodded quietly.

Luna lifted a hoof, pointing imperiously. “You are damaging him.”

“B-but I...” Raindrop lowered her head helplessly, feeling small under the gaze of all four princesses.

“It is the truth, Raindrop,” Celestia explained gently.

“We have watched you since birth,” Cadance added, “To ensure that your latent... ‘abilities’ didn’t harm anypony.”

“I am so very touched,” Raindrop murmured, staring down at her hooves. “I... I just... what happens now?”

“We know this is a lot to take in right now,” Celestia said helplessly, shaking her head once in sympathy. “But... we cannot allow you to return to your partner. Each moment you spend with him, you grow stronger, and he grows weaker. For his safety, and the security of our nation, you will be detained.”

“D-detained?” Raindrop asked, her ears pinning back.

“You will be well-accommodated,” Cadance soothed, “But you understand that we can’t allow you to return to him, yes?”

“B-but... What do I tell Shine? How do I tell him what’s going on?!” Raindrop almost screeched, rising to her hooves in anger.

Twilight Sparkle raised a brow slowly. “Are you threatening the princesses?”

Raindrop immediately lowered her head, her ears pinning back. “N-no... I just... you’re throwing this all at me... and you’re telling me I can’t see Shine...”

Celestia nodded gently. “I know that it’s a lot to take in, but it is necessary. We will arrange a visit with Shine in the near future. But until then... until we are assured of your loyalties, we need to keep you contained.”

“W-what about my family?” Raindrop asked helplessly, pinning her ears back again. “They might be affected by the same thing!”

Celestia went quiet, and looked away.

Raindrop stiffened at that, sitting up. “W-what’s wrong? What do you know?!”

Celestia bit her bottom lip. “Raindrop...”

Twilight Sparkle cut across Celestia, “Your brother was found in his home in Dappleshore yesterday. His wife committed suicide and he followed suit. It is what alerted us to this issue.”

Raindrop felt like she’d be kicked in the chest. All the air disappeared from her lungs, and she found it hard to breath. “H-he’s d-dead?”

“I’m sorry Raindrop,” Celestia said gently, her gaze sympathetic. “We’re tracking down the rest of your family now.”

“S-so you can incarcerate them t-too?” Raindrop accused, biting her bottom lip hard, tears spilling down her cheeks.

Celestia looked away, and Luna spoke for her, “It will be necessary, given your familial ties.”

Raindrop hung her head, staring down at her forehooves sadly. “I don’t even know where my mother is... last I heard, she was in Asgard.”

“Our last intelligence placed her in Gryphus,” Cadance cut in.

Raindrop hung her head, pursing her lips.

“So we should continue the search within Gryphus?” Celestia asked soothingly.

“You shouldn’t search for her at all,” Raindrop mumbled.

Luna raised a hoof angrily, “Do you not understand that you, and all of your family, are part-changeling? And seeing as Chrysalis did not deign to inform you all of your heritage, you are unknowingly harming your loved ones.”

Raindrop nodded gently, sniffling and wiping at her cheek with a hoof. “Last I heard... she lived on the outskirts of Gryphus with a griffon named Garous.”

“Thank you for your cooperation, Raindrop,” Celestia said with a gentle incline of her head, motioning for one of her guards. A guard stepped over closer to the princess, and Celestia whispered something to him. The guard then turned and left swiftly.

“You will be detained here in the castle, and subjected to... interrogation,” Princess Luna decreed calmly. “Upon committee decision of the princesses that you are no longer a threat to the security of Equestria, you will be set free.”

Raindrop’s ears pinned back. “B-but... that’s so vague...”

Celestia nodded gently. “I’m afraid that it is a necessary precaution. The guards will show you to your room.”

“You mean my cell,” Raindrop challenged, lifting her gaze to the princess, eyes narrowing. Tears had lain a streak down her cheeks, but her gaze was set.

“You are not a prisoner, Raindrop, but you are not permitted to leave, either,” Celestia said helplessly, shaking her head. “It is for the best.”

“For the best of you, not for the best of me,” Raindrop retorted, looking away and clenching her teeth.

“I say that we throw her in the dungeon,” Luna said with a wave of a hoof. “Perhaps she will be more civil were she to experience our less... hospitable facilities.”

“I must say I approve,” Cadance said with narrowed eyes.

“I disagree,” Twilight Sparkle said with pursed lips.

“Silence!” The single word reverberated on the air, and the three princesses fell silent under the hard gaze of Celestia. “I am the leader of this party. Make no mistake, I value your opinions, but I will not allow you to desecrate Equestria’s system of fair and impartial judgement by throwing an innocent party into the dungeon.”

“And if it were Chrys-” Cadance began.

“It is not Chrysalis!” Celestia spat, stamping her hoof on the ground. A peal of thunder rent the air, and Cadance quietly stepped down from her throne. “Do as you see fit,” Cadance said in her sweetest tone as she walked away, head held high.

Celestia took a deep, steadying breath. “Cadance is... perhaps impartial. Do not let her actions reflect upon the comittee.”

Raindrop’s eyes narrowed slowly, and she wiped her nose with the back of a hoof. “I think the committee’s actions speak for themselves.”

Celestia’s expression hardened. “You have every right to be unhappy, Raindrop. But this is for the safety and wellbeing of Equestria. I do not ask you to forgive us, but I do ask that you understand.” Celestia waved a hoof, “Sentinel, Arrowhead, take her to her new quarters.”

A pair of guards stepped up behind Raindrop, holding a spear each. Raindrop shot the three princesses one last, contemptuous stare, before she turned and allowed herself to be led away.

Raindrop sighed faintly, sitting at the doorway leading to the balcony, staring through the glass panes and towards the view of Canterlot below. The doors were locked. Magically. No amount of physical force would open the doors. The windows were all double-lined magical ‘glass’ that existed in front and behind the real glass. It was spear, explosion, and even cannon-proof.

Other than the almost ridiculously-secured windows and doors, the rest of the room was actually rather nice. A large four-poster bed sat in the middle of the room, with purple felt curtains, pink covers, and azure satin pillows. The bed itself was ‘cloudmix’, a special blend of cloud and cotton that was almost impossibly soft, and expensive. There was a desk with a never-ending candle: a special type of candle that lasted twenty four hours, despite its misleading name. A pile of papers littered the desk and surrounding area, most of them crumpled and half-finished. Raindrop had been trying to find the words to write in a letter to Shine, and had failed, repeatedly.

The two guards, Sentinel and Arrowhead, if Raindrop remembered correctly, were still stationed outside. One of them was there at all times, and it took a special spell from Arrowhead, the unicorn, to even unlock her door. Sentinel was a pegasus, and was insurance that Raindrop wouldn’t be able to fly away.

Raindrop hadn’t received a single word from the princesses, and any question she asked the guards went unanswered.

There was the muffled sound of voices, and then the door clicked and unlocked. Raindrop looked back over her shoulder glumly.

Shine tentatively pushed his way into the room, his ears pinned back and brows furrowed. “Raindrop?”

“Shine!” Raindrop declared, immediately turning and bounding around the bed, tackling him to the ground in a firm, eager hug.

In an instant, one of the guards had tugged Raindrop off Shine and pressed her up against the wall firmly, holding her in place with the haft of a spear crossed across her throat.

Shine rose to his hooves, frowning deeply. “Let her go! She was hugging me, not attacking me!”

The pegasus peered at him and snorted once. “She is part-changeling, sir. They are one and the same.”

Shine blinked slowly, looking back and forth between the guard and Raindrop. “I-is that true?”

Raindrop squirmed slightly in place, and the unicorn released his grip slightly, allowing her to drop back down onto all fours. She rubbed a hoof against her forehead. “They... didn’t tell you?”

Shine stared at her, his eyes wide. “You’re... a... a changeling?”

“Apparently,” Raindrop admitted with a helpless, unsure giggle. “My grandmother was... Chrysalis. From what Celestia told me.”

“And... why are you... in here?” Shine asked, bewildered, confused. “They just said they were detaning you.”

“Because I could be killing you,” Raindrop said, looking away and rubbing a hoof nervously against the opposite. “I... I guess that maybe that’s why... you’ve been sick?”

Shine just stared.

The two guards looked back and forth between them. Raindrop noticed that they were both placing themselves carefully in between herself and Shine.

Raindrop’s ears pinned back, and she lowered her head, staring at the ground in front of her forehooves. “A-and they told me... t-that it’s happened to my brother as well... his wife committed suicide a-and he followed after her... and now they’re telling me I’m a threat to Equestria and I...” Raindrop trailed off, biting her bottom lip and looking away, tears brimming in her eyes. “I-I just really want a hug...”

Shine stepped forwards, and the pegasus guard raised his spear side-hand, blocking him. Shine’s eyes narrowed, and a low growl bubbled out of his throat. “I might not be much of a fighter, soldier. But if you don’t let me comfort my fiancee then so help me goddess, I will walk through you.”

The guard looked him up and down, before giving a snort and stepping aside.

Shine stepped past him, sidestepping the second guard and then gathering his fiancee into a firm hug, squeezing her with his forehooves.

“M-my brother is d-dead and they don’t know where m-mom is and I’m some kind of monster and I didn’t even know it!” Raindrop wailed into Shine’s shoulder, squeezing him with her forehooves tightly and sobbing against his shoulder. “A-and this is going to mess with the wedding a-and I’m not even sure how you feel about it...”

Shine stared down at her, frowning deeply and stroking a hoof soothingly across her wing. “Hey, I’m right here, Raindrop. It’ll be okay.”

“B-but I’m making you sick...” Raindrop whispered, her ears pinned back flat against her skull.

Nuzzling against her, Shine nodded. “There must be... a cure. Something that can be done.”

“They don’t want to help,” Raindrop said with a shake of her head. “Luna and Cadance wanted to throw me in the dungeon...”

Shine frowned deeply. “That’s... an overreaction. Why is it all happening now?”

“S-something happened to the Elements of Harmony or something and my grandmother was affected by them and it stopped working and now I’m making you sick,” Raindrop said in an incoherent rush, pushing her nose into his shoulder all the more firmly. “I-I don’t even know if I’m going to wake up tomorrow as a... a-a bug.”

Shine soothed her gently, rubbing his hoof through her mane softly.

“A-and I don’t even know how you’re going to take all this...” Raindrop whispered, pulling back to stare up at him with moist, reddened eyes.

“Well... I’d prefer not to die,” Shine admitted helplessly, rubbing a hoof against his neck uncertainly. “But... we’ll work through this. They tell me I can visit you once a week.”

“Once a w-week?” Raindrop asked, her ears pinning back flat and her expression falling.

Shine nodded gently, rubbing his hoof through her mane. “But we’ll figure something. It all worked out for Chrysalis, right? She found a way. Otherwise you wouldn’t exist.”

Raindrop nodded, rubbing her nose with a hoof and sniffling faintly. “I-I guess... b-but I don’t know i-if I can do it without you...”

Shine nudged her with his nose softly. “You’re stronger than you know, Raindrop.”

Raindrop gave a giggle interspersed with sniffles, shaking her head. “You’re only saying that to get in my pants.”

Shine raised a brow, peering back at the guards for a long moment. “They’d probably think you were trying to suck out my soul.”

“I already own it,” Raindrop said with another sniffle, straightening and then nudging him with her nose gently. “You shouldn’t stay here too long... you’ll feel better when you’re away from me for a while...”

Shine frowned at that, shaking his head and squeezing her gently. “But I’ll be lonely.”

“You’re a big boy now,” Raindrop said with a weak smile. “You even went to the doctor all on your own. Did he give you a needle?”

Shine nodded, his bottom lip quivering. “And you weren’t there with donuts and a toy cart for me afterwards.”

Raindrop leaned against her fiance with a soft sigh. “I’m sorry I wasn’t there... but at least we know what’s wrong with you.”

“I’m allergic to you,” Shine pointed out with a brave attempt at a smile.

Raindrop nodded. “We need to find some allergy medicine...”

“If I come back with a prescription for some Raindrop, will you give it to me?” Shine asked hopefully.

One of the guards cleared their throat firmly.

Raindrop pursed her lips, shaking her head. “Get going, Shine. I’ll see you in a week... just, make sure you’re here, yeah?”

Shine nodded, kissing her cheek gently. “I’ll be here. Promise.”

Raindrop’s next visit was from Princess Celestia and Princess Aurora. Both of them showed up at Raindrop’s room in the early hours, waking her up.

Raindrop tried to rub the sleep from her eyes as she listened to Celestia and Twilight Sparkle explaining things to her about changelings. Most of it went right over her head.

“Aren’t you supposed to be interrogating me?” Raindrop asked, bewildered.

“We understand your situation, Raindrop. We can speak frankly here,” Celestia said with a deep frown. “Were we to allow you free reign, then the Canterlot Council would try to step in.”

Raindrop paused at that, her eyes narrowed slowly. “...politics?”

“Politics,” Twilight Sparkle affirmed with a single nod.

“Why... Why do Luna and Cadance hate me?” Raindrop asked timidly.

“Princess Cadance and Princess Luna,” Twilight Sparkle corrected, frowning deeply.

Celestia cut across her student, “Luna is... She has a unique... ‘perspective’ on the corruption of evil, and how insidious it is. She is very strict against those with the taint of evil. As for Cadance...” Celestia trailed off, biting her bottom lip uncertainly, trying to find the right words.

Twilight spoke up then, “Changelings caused the death of Shining Armor, my brother and her wife. She never forgave changelings for that.”

Raindrop just stared, before pursing her lips and sighing, hanging her head. “Great. So I’m hated for this thing I don’t have any control over. What about the Canterlot Council? Can you convince them to let me free?”

“Not if you’d go straight back to Shine,” Celestia admitted with a deep frown. “They put considerable pressure on us to detain you and your family members. The changelings are still a very public hate figure. If the press got hold of the information that we allowed a changeling to remain amongst the general populace...”

Raindrop just shook her head slowly, feeling her anger rising. “I am not a changeling!”

Celestia pursed her lips. “Raindrop, you are a changeling. Perhaps not a true changeling. But you are enough of one for nopony to bother making a distinction. They don’t care what your circumstances are, all they’ll see is a changeling. Especially seeing as you are harming your significant other.”

Raindrop hung her head again, sighing and shaking her head hopelessly. “What am I supposed to do? Can’t you just... do whatever it was Chrysalis did?”

“That would require the Elements of Harmony,” Celestia admitted, looking away helplessly.

“And... where are they?” Raindrop asked hopefully.

Twilight Sparkle spoke up again, “They were buried with each of their previous bearers. Or at least, their physical manifestations. They were stolen, however. We have no new leads as to their whereabouts.”

Raindrop’s ears splayed back.

“That is not entirely correct,” Celestia said carefully.

Both Twilight and Raindrop looked up at that.

“One of our intelligence-gatherers sent information that he was close to a lead, and then dropped off the radar,” Celestia explained.

“And then we all went after him and explosions and mayhem. This is the plot to every second-rate ‘spy’ story ever written,” Raindrop said, deadpan.

Celestia pursed her lips. “I cannot control the events. He had a lead, and then he never got back to us.”

“So you’ve known about the Elements of Harmony being missing for... how long?” Raindrop asked flatly.

“Several months,” Celestia admitted. “It is not common knowledge. I hope you will take it as a sign of trust that I am divulging this to you.”

“A sign of trust or ineptitude,” Raindrop stated flatly.

Celestia’s eyes flashed with anger.

“What?” Raindrop challenged, rising to her hooves brazenly. “I am sick, and the only way to fix me, from what I understand, are objects that you lost!”

Celestia’s eyes narrowed slowly. “Be that as it may, I have been pondering on the likelihood of sending a team after the agent.”

“And how long will this take and why are you bothering to tell me?” Raindrop asked flatly.

Pausing, Celestia looked the pegasus up and down. “Because I want you to go. Accompanied by a single one of my Seekers. You would travel under the guise of a couple. And you could even seek out your mother while you’re there.”

“You want me to go to Gryphus?” Raindrop asked, staring.

Celestia nodded once. “Indeed. It would solve a lot of loose ends.”

“Explain, please,” Raindrop said, lowering her head.

“The council wants to detain you and interrogate you. If I get you out of Equestria, then you will be safe from their intervention until I can convince the council you are not a threat. You will be able to search for your mother, appeasing the council members who view your family as a threat, while keeping you away from Shine. This satisfies many of the prime directives of the council.”

“You were all talking about locking me up back there!” Raindrop stated, pointing a hoof accusingly in the general direction of where Raindrop had faced the four princesses.

“That was a show, a facade,” Celestia said with a shake of her head. “The council observes all official meetings. This meeting is unofficial, and we can speak our mind.”

“So basically, you want to get me out of the country, and feel that sending me on some wild quest to find this ‘secret agent’ will be the best way to do it?” Raindrop asked flatly.

“I would be able to tell the council that you are on a ‘special mission’ on my behalf and they would just have to deal with it,” Celestia stated with a wave of a hoof.

“And if I never returned?” Raindrop asked carefully.

“Then you would be a rogue agent. I would send guards to search for you... but you would likely evade them,” the princess said tactfully.

Raindrop pursed her lips. “And Shine?”

“Shine would have his whereabouts monitored,” Celestia said immediately, shaking her head gently.

Raindrop frowned deeply at that. “And... if I chose not to undertake this ‘mission’?”

“The council will push for harsher interrogation. They’d likely leak the fact that you are part-changeling to the general public, and use public pressure to try and influence our actions towards detaining you more thoroughly,” Celestia said simply.

Raindrop sighed faintly, hanging her head. “So... I basically have to do this?”

Celestia nodded sadly. “I’m afraid so.”

“Very well... I’ll do it. But I’m not promising that I’m coming back,” Raindrop stated with a shake of her head.

“I will make sure that I am quite horrible with my paperwork. It might delay a search party for days,” Celestia said gently.

Raindrop waved a hoof. “Don’t bother trying to help me. Just tell me who I’m going with.”

Celestia frowned deeply, and then turned to peer at the two guards who had been assigned to raindrop. “Do either of you volunteer?”

“I’ve always wanted to see Gryphus,” the pegasus guard said, saluting lazily. “And I can fly. Definite bonus.”

“Very well, Sentinel will be your partner,” Celestia stated. “To Equestrian officials, you will be on a mission, but due to... pony and griffon friction, while in Gryphus you will be an engaged couple.”

Raindrop gave a long-suffering sigh, peering up at Sentinel with pursed lips. “So, you’re my victim, huh?”

“Fraid so,” Sentinel said with a flat expression.

Raindrop looked up at the two princesses, and then sighed softly. “Well... tell me what I need to do, then.”

Pisa

Raindrop stared into the mirror with a sad expression, her ears splayed and wings drooping. Vibrant pink eyes watched her from her reflection, tracing each contour of her form.

Arrowhead stood behind her, one hoof idly holding his spear against his side. Sentinel was being briefed by the princesses, and Arrowhead was the only guard watching her.

Idly, Raindrop thought about overpowering him. But she was too depressed to even bother.

“Ma’am... You’ve been staring at the mirror for the last hour. What are you hoping to find?” Arrowhead asked uncertainly.

“You speak.” Raindrop didn’t even look at the guard, pursing her lips slightly.

“Speaking is discouraged in my line of work. But still.”

Raindrop gave a low sigh, shaking her head sadly. “I was just told that I have changeling blood in me... and that I’m killing my fiance. Not to mention that they provided me no evidence of said lineage. They just... told me I’m a changeling and upended my life.”

“Well... your fiance was sick, yes?” Arrowhead asked, raising a brow.

Raindrop nodded. “Yes... and the doctors can’t figure it out. But that’s the only evidence. I guess... I was hoping to see changeling in my eyes, or something. How can I grow up all my life and not know that I’m part monster?”

“I can’t answer that for you, ma’am,” Arrowhead admitted.

Sighing, Raindrop gave another nod. “That’s the problem. No one can. Not even me.”

Sentinel was a very brusque pegasus. He was a little taller than Arrowhead, but less broad in the chest. His expression was unreadable under his liquid-black helm, though his blue eyes were always bright and alert. A blonde mane poked out of his helm, and his cutie mark was obscured by the armor he wore. He followed her everywhere, even going so far as to sit outside her door when she went to the toilet.

“You know I’m not going to try leap out the window, right?” Raindrop asked flatly, as she emerged from the bathroom to find Sentinel sitting by the door, spear leaning against his shoulder with a hoof hooked around the middle of it.

“That would be wise. They’re magic-reinforced. You’d only give yourself a concussion,” Sentinel stated.

“Why do I get the feeling you don’t like me?” Raindrop asked suddenly.

Sentinel lifted his head, giving a thin-lipped smile devoid of warmth. “I didn’t realise it was obvious.”

“Well you’re going to have to get used to me if you’re going to be traipsing after me into Gryphus,” Raindrop pointed out with a lazy wave of her hoof.

“I disagree,” Sentinel said with a shrug.

“Celestia said we were supposed to be posing as a couple while we travel,” Raindrop pointed out, starting to grow exasperated.

“Aye?” Sentinel asked, head tilting slightly to one side. “And?”

“And?” Raindrop said, her eyes narrowing. “And I wouldn’t associate with someone who obviously loathes me, let alone go on a date or get romantically involved with one.”

A slow smile stretched across Sentinel’s muzzle. “What can I say? Maybe I’ll grow on you.”

“Like mold. Or a poisonous mushroom. Or moss.” Raindrop tossed her mane, snorting once.

“You remind me of my ex,” Sentinel said with a shake of his head.

“Strong, intelligent, doesn’t put up with bullshit?” Raindrop asked sweetly.

“Fire-breathing whore with an overinflated sense of self-importance that feels like the world owes her everything,” Sentinel corrected with a smile.

Raindrop gave a slow laugh. “Ohhh... I am going to torture you for the entire trip.”

Raindrop stared glumly out the window of the train, watching the scenery rush past close by the window. They had just passed Cloudsdale, and it was only the first hour of a very long trip. First, they would take the train north, to Pisa. From Pisa they would catch a ride on an airship to the gryphon city of Gryphus.

The train ride alone was a full day, and even though they were in a sleeping compartment, Raindrop didn’t feel comfortable in the least.

Sentinel was sitting opposite her, on his own little bed. The guard had been forced to remove his armor for the trip, and was completely naked now. His mane and tail were the same blonde that Raindrop remembered, and his hide was a pure, snowy white. A single scar wended along his flesh, from his neck, across his shoulder, and to the mid-point of his chest. It had to have been a horrifically deep wound to cause such a visible scar. Raindrop was almost curious enough to ask him about it. Almost. His cutie mark was a golden shield and crossed swords.

The curtains on the door were drawn, the door was locked, and a ‘do not disturb’ sign was hung from the door lever. With no chance of being seen, Sentinel was sharpening his dagger. It was the single weapon he had been allowed to bring with him. To Raindrop’s admittedly inexperienced eye, it was a woodpony's dagger, not a combat knife. It had a single blade, and seemed to be made of a crude iron with rust marks all through it. Instead of shiny and reflective, it was dull and brown. It looked old and crudely made.

The repeated, rhythmic scrape of the blade on stone was grating on Raindrop’s ears, but she was determined not to be the first to break the silence.

Raindrop’s departure from Canterlot had been distressing. She didn’t know how long she was leaving for, and she was given barely five minutes to say farewell to Shine. Five minutes she had spent sobbing into his shoulder and holding tight to his side as though she could wish away the events of the day.

But then Sentinel was ushering her, stony-faced, towards the train station, and Shine was left sitting in the middle of the street looking lost and alone.

Celestia, Luna, Cadance, and Aurora had all tried their best to explain everything to her. But it was so much information at once that Raindrop had only retained the footnotes. The elements of Harmony had been discovered missing several months previously. Scouts had been dispatched to try and recover them or find information about them. One of the scouts had reported back that he had a strong lead, and then had gone silent. He was a pony by the name of Glass Bubble, and he was a glass-blower in between being a guard. His cutie mark was a glass sculpture, and everything else was subject to change. His last known location was Gryphus. The gryphon nation was a suspect in the disappearance of the Elements of Harmony as they still had strong animosity towards ponies after their defeat in the griffonic wars.

And that was just what Raindrop remembered. They had said things about changelings, explained the life cycle of a changeling to her, their methods of feeding. Everything they knew. And if she had any questions, all she had to do was ask Sentinel. After all, he was trained to hunt them.

Raindrop stared at Sentinel in the reflection from the tinted train window, her expression glum. He was a surly bastard, and nothing more, as far as she could see. He was obsessed with his job, obsessed with his hunt with changelings, and obsessed with perfection, just like he was obsessed with getting the dagger to just the perfect level of sharpness.

“It’s sharp already,” Raindrop snapped, finally breaking the silence.

Sentinel looked up, raising a brow. “I know.”

Raindrop’s eyes narrowed slowly. “Then why do you keep sharpening it?”

“I find it relaxing,” Sentinel said with a calm shrug of his shoulders. “Plus, I have an inkling that it’s driving you crazy.”

Raindrop scowled, turning back to the window. Sentinel just smiled, resheathing the dagger and sliding it back into its sheath, placing it and the sharpening stone into his travel bag before sitting back and smiling smugly at her.

“So this is how it’s going to be for the entire trip?” Raindrop asked flatly.

Sentinel pondered on that for a moment before nodding with a bright smile. “I think so.”

“Why did you even bother coming along if you hate me so much?” Raindrop asked, exasperated.

Sentinel sobered at that, his expression turning serious. “Because I’m the best at my job. I’m the best at keeping track of changelings. I’m not going to give you a chance to get away.”

“Celestia made it quite clear that she didn’t expect me to come back,” Raindrop stated with an airy wave of her hoof and a slight smile.

A soft laugh left Sentinel, and he shrugged his shoulders. “If you can give me the slip, sure.”

Raindrop’s smile faltered and she turned back towards the window. “Why do you hate me so much? You don’t even know me.”

“I know as much as need to know,” Sentinel replied with a slight shrug of his shoulder. “You’re part-changeling. And forgive me for assuming that you’re not going to be a saint.”

“You’re already assuming that I’ll be a demon,” Raindrop stated flatly, her ears splaying back.

“What can I say? In my line of work, the glass is always half empty,” Sentinel responded with a smile devoid of any warmth.

Raindrop stretched slowly, groaning and arching. Her legs and wings hurt from being cooped up in the train car for all that time. “Why can’t we fly to Gryphus?”

Sentinel scowled, looking around to make sure that no one was nearby and could eavesdrop. “Because couples on holiday don’t fly for an entire day at a time.”

Raindrop huffed, tossing her mane. “Well it’s not much of a vacation that I’d like to go on. Being cooped up is boring.”

“Your objection is noted,” Sentinel stated with a wave of a hoof, picking up his single small bag and then marching off the train platform and towards the city.

The trade city of Pisa was laid out before them, linking Equestria to Gryphus. It was a desert town, and saw a roaring trade in the heavy metals and spices that were common in the desert regions of the griffon homeland, and in food and fine wares being exported from Equestria.

The population of Pisa consisted of mixed griffons and ponies, mainly pegasi and earth ponies on the pony side. But the most amazing thing about Pisa was the technology.

With no magic to help them along, the griffons had developed a ‘steam’ technology. They used magical crystals created by unicorns, to create steam by evaporating water in sealed containers, using the resultant pressure in a myriad of incomprehensibly ingenious ways.

Raindrop had been taught about the griffon steam machines, had heard tales of them. But nothing prepared her for the first one she saw.

It had been out the window of the train early that morning, a large brass machine with a gryphon at the helm pulling levers, controlling it. It was a ploughing machine, with giant rotating blades on the front carving the ground. Raindrop was accustomed to seeing earth ponies do this, but a metal thing? It was mind-boggling.

And even more impressive were the airships.

The airdock, a large complex built out of the desert sands of a dark limestone, was a huge, sprawling thing that currently docked three airships. The huge ships were built around a bulbous metal containment vessel that used magical methods of gas containment to compress and expand a collection of gases to cause the very ship itself to rise or sink. Raindrop had never seen, and certainly never been on an airship.

“You want to get on one of those things?” Raindrop asked, staring across the city and to the hulking form of the three docked airships.

Sentinel nodded once. “That would be the general gist of the plan, yes.”

“They look... unsafe,” Raindrop said uncertainly, pursing her lips.

“Oh c’mon,” Sentinel said with a long-suffering sigh. “They got the annual death rate down to like, three a day. That’s half of what it was last year!”

Raindrop’s eyes widened, and she paled slightly. “Y-you’re joking...”

“Of course I’m joking,” Sentinel said with a roll of his eyes. “The last time someone died on an airship was last year. Stupid earth pony threw himself off the ship after his wife left him.”

“Drastic,” Raindrop responded, starting down the road towards the dock after the guard.

“He was probably just so overjoyed that he wanted to die on the happiest point in his life,” Sentinel stated flatly.

“You’re not a very cheery person, are you?” Raindrop asked calmly.

“I was married once,” Sentinel said with a slight shrug. “It’s overrated.”

“I cannot picture you walking down an aisle,” Raindrop said with a slow shake of her head.

“I looked very dashing in my armor,” Sentinel stated with a frown.

“They let you wear that over the dress?” Raindrop asked blankly.

Sentinel paused at that, staring at Raindrop for a long moment. “I’m not even going to dignify that with a response.”

“You just did,” Raindrop said smugly, brushing past him.

Raindrop sat in the waiting area for the large airship, an roofless room with benches, awnings for shade, and a fountain in the centre. The silhouette of the airship cast a shadow over the entire room, blocking out the sun. The bronze coloured sides gleamed dully, and there were small shapes visible across it: griffons servicing the airship in preparation for it to be flown to Gryphus.

“Why couldn’t the griffons name their city something other than the name of their country?” Raindrop asked, frowning down at her map.

Sentinel shook his head slightly, peering at a brochure for Eagleland. “It’s the other way around, actually. Gryphus was founded by some of the first griffons. They were drawing up a treaty with the ponies after border disputes, and had no idea what to call their country. They called it ‘Gryphus’ as a placeholder, and it just... stuck. So now it’s Gryphus the country and Gryphus the city. I supposed it rolls off the tongue easier than ‘The United Griffin Kingdoms’.”

“United?” Raindrop asked blankly.

Sentinel sighed. “Did you pay attention in school at all?”

“Attention? I was so poor I couldn’t pay attention."

“Ha. Ha.” Sentinel shook his head. “What archeological dig did you find that joke in?”

“The one that went looking for your intelligence,” Raindrop responded smartly.

“Ohhh, that’s such a clever joke that... I...” Sentinel trailed off, pursing his lips.

Raindrop raised a brow, making a circular motion with a hoof. “Well, c’mon then? What’s the big comeback?”

Sentinel frowned deeply, his eyes narrowing, before he lifted his nose and snorted once. “I refuse to devolve to your childish level of arguments.”

“In which case, I win,” Raindrop said smugly.

Sentinel shook his head slowly. “Either way, the griffon kingdom was made up of warring tribes before it became a true nation. The strongest tribe dominated the others and absorbed them into its folds with the intent of forming a nation to challenge the pony claim to land. They saw ponies forming Equestria to be an encroachment on their land. Probably one of the major catalysts for the war.”

“And now: politics,” Raindrop said, stifling a huge fake yawn.

“A mare of learned intelligence, I see,” Sentinel said with a slow shake of his head.

“Hey, ask me about weather patterns and I’ll talk your ears off. Ask me about politics and I’ll tear your head off,” Raindrop stated with a wrinkled nose.

Sentinel stared at her for a long moment, his eyes narrowing and form tensing slightly.

Raindrop’s ears pinned back, and she shifted uncomfortably. “I meant that as a joke, you terrifying bastard.”

Sentinel relaxed visibly, returning to reading his brochure.

“You realise that I’m not going to suddenly turn into a bug and try to eat you, right?” Raindrop asked flatly.

“Except anything,” Sentinel stated, without lowering the brochure.

“Thank you so much for the vote of confidence,” Raindrop said, lowering her head.

“I’m not here to give you confidence. I’m here to protect.” Sentinel lowered his brochure slightly, staring at her.

“Well I feel so much safer already,” Raindrop murmured, looking away.

Sentinel raised a brow, sniffing once, before returning to his brochure. “I don’t know why. I’m not here to protect you. I’m here to protect others from you.”

Raindrop’s ears splayed at that, and she lowered her head to her hooves, feeling her bottom lip quivering slightly. Suddenly, somehow, she felt even more alone.

Introducing Wisp!

Raindrop found it impossible to be alone. Sentinel hounded her like a lost puppy, but in an unobtrusive way. He really was quite good at seeming ‘in place’ no matter which room he was in. Every time she looked over her shoulder, she would find him standing somewhere nearby, nonchalantly inspecting something or other, preening his wings, or ordering his saddlepack.

Raindrop wanted to be alone with her thoughts, but that was proving to be impossible. Most of all, she wanted to be away from Sentinel. He was a sombre reminder that she was not welcome in Equestria any more. Even though the princesses acted sympathetic, they had sent her off on this ‘mission’ fully expecting her not to return. She felt that if Sentinel didn’t think she would be a threat to anyone she came into contact with, then he would have already just abandoned her..

A soft chime echoed throughout the air, and then a gong was struck, three times, reverberating around the facility. That was the ‘first call’ for boarding, indicating that anyone who was getting on the 3PM airship to Gryphus should get aboard at their earliest convenience. In ten minutes time, the ‘final boarding call’ would be struck, two chimes followed by two gongs, audible throughout the entire dock.

Raindrop retrieved her bags, and then set off for the boarding ramp, getting in line behind the other ponies waiting there.

Gryphus wasn’t exactly a ‘tourist destination’, but it was the most popular destination in the entire gryphon homelands for ponies wanting to see what the griffon culture was like.

“C’mon hun, slow down,” Sentinel said, his tone warm, smiling and shaking his head, heaving his bag into line behind her, giving a good-natured laugh, “People will think you’re trying to get away from me.”

Raindrop grit her teeth and growled internally, before smiling over her shoulder at him. “c’mon sweetcheeks, you know I was just saving you a spot in line.”

They were interrupted by the fact that they reached the head of the line. The two large griffon guards gave their bags only a cursory glance before allowing them up the ramp. Obviously, they didn’t consider a simple pony a threat to the security of the airship.

Raindrop and Sentinel clambered up the ramp and onto the deck of the airship itself.

The airship was a ‘suspended’ airship, a large bronze, elongated ‘balloon’ with a giant ‘basket’ hanging underneath, suspended by thick cables and ropes. A pair of large propellers sat on the back of the airship, ready to spin to life and power the ship across the sky.

Raindrop looked about uncertainly, staring down at her ticket. ‘Room 24’ was written on it, and there was a small metallic tag of some kind embedded in the paper; thin, like silk.

“This way,” Sentinel said with a long-suffering sigh, pointing towards a staircase leading to the lower decks.

Raindrop scowled inwardly and then followed him down the stairs. They went down two more flights of stairs and came out into a cramped hallway, lines with doorways and lit by dim magical lights. Steam pipes ran along the walls and bended over the top of doorways, misting faintly with either extreme heat or extreme cold, with a metal cage encasing them so that it was hard to accidentally touch the pipes themselves.

Sentinel gestured towards a doorway ahead with a large ‘24’ emblazoned on it.

Raindrop glowered at him at that. “Why thank you for pointing out the obvious, hun.”

Sentinel just smiled blithely at her.

Upon reaching the door, Raindrop stood in confusion for several long moments, before Sentinel sighed and took the ticket from her, holding it up against a gem inset into the door itself. There was a click, and the door slipped open in inch. Sentinel pushed it open and entered silently.

Raindrop scowled again, stepping into the room and kicking the door shut behind her with a hoof, staring around the room inside. It was all bronzed. Everything. From the tiny window, the desk with the gem-lamp, the walls, the floor, the gem-sconce hanging on a chain from the ceiling lighting the small room. And most importantly: the single large bed.

“No double bed?” Raindrop asked quietly.

Sentinel shrugged slightly, dumping his bag in a corner of the room. “It’s not like a newlywed couple would get separate beds.”

“Looks like you’re sleeping on the floor,” Raindrop stated immediately.

Sentinel gave a long-suffering sigh, stretching out slowly. “Damn gravity. I always want to sleep on the wall and it makes me sleep on the floor.”

Raindrop scowled at him, pulling herself onto the bed and splaying across it fully. “Well, it’s only for a night, right? I’m sure you’ll survive.”

Sentinel peered up at her, pulling his bag over and then dropping onto his stomach, resting his chin on the bag. “Try three days.”

Raindrop blanched at that, her ears splaying back. “But... it’s not even that far away!”

Sentinel shrugged again. “Airship travel is slow. That’s how it works. Requires less work and maintenance than a train and railway lines, can get anywhere, carries large cargo loads, but is slow.”

Raindrop gave a snort, huffing, pulling a pillow underneath her chin and resting her head on it, frowning. “I should have brought a book.”

“There’s a perfectly good window there,” Sentinel said, motioning towards the window with a shrug, flipping open his backpack and rummaging around in it.

Raindrop just huffed, hugging the pillow a little bit tighter.

Sentinel hummed, pulling out his old dagger and starting to work at it again, scraping it across a stone.

With a growl, Raindrop picked up her pillow, stuffed it over her head to block out the noise, and tried to sleep.

Thud-scritch.

Raindrop jerked awake at the odd sound, head coming up off the pillow as she blinked blearily. She had been dozing. Judging by the quality of light coming from outside, it was very late dusk, with the fading golden rays of the sun beginning to dip below the horizon.

Cautiously, Raindrop pulled herself over to the door and then pulled it open slightly, peering out into the corridor.

Thud-scritch.

The strange noise came again, and Raindrop caught sight of a rather strange griffon. Decidedly feminine, the griffon was smaller than any that Raindrop had ever seen or heard of. She was maybe two-third Raindrop’s size, with a black and white colouration. Her beak was black, her fur and feathers were white, and there were mottled patterns of grey and black all across her feathers and sides. Her underbelly and chest appeared to be purest white, and her tail was different to a normal griffons. Instead of being thin and ending in a tuft, it seemed to be thick, fluffy, and ended with a fluffy flare of a sorts.

Even stranger were the accessories this weird griffon wore.

She had an eyepatch over her left eye, and some kind of mechanic system attached to her entire right side. Her right wing was slightly stretched at all times, with a spindly system of hooks and struts holding the joints in place, keeping it from moving. Flying was obviously not an option for her. Attached to this wing brace was a kind of ‘sheath’ that her entire right front paw was encased within. It was this that made the peculiar ‘thud-scritch’ sound as the griffon walked. Solid bronze, it looked heavy and unwieldy, but the small griffon seemed to handle the weight just fine. Its smooth surface was pitted and scarred from repeated scuffing and friction, and the three large claws on the front of it, most likely meant to aid in traction, looked dangerously sharp. The ‘elbow joint’ of the strange exoskeletal limb was glowing a ghostly blue, powered by some kind of magical gem embedded within it. A single release valve sprayed a small mist of steam away from the griffon’s body with every step, timed with the griffon releasing weight from the limb.

As she passed, the griffon locked her piercing amber eye with Raindrop’s own for a second, making the pegasus recoil slightly.

Sentinel pushed the door open and sent Raindrop tumbling back inside the room with a squeak, her limbs flailing.

“Hey, watch what you’re doing!” Raindrop scolded.

Sentinel blinked, frowning deeply. “I didn’t know you’d be spying at the door.”

“What was that?!” Raindrop asked, motioning towards the strange griffon she’d seen.

“The pygmy griffon?” Sentinel asked matter-of-factly.

“Yes, that, whatever it was!” Raindrop said, waving a hoof.

“She’s a pygmy griffon,” Sentinel responded, shrugging slightly and then laying himself back on his saddlepack, trying to get comfortable.

“She was wearing... like... things!” Raindrop protested.

“Aye, and?” Sentinel asked, raising a brow. “She was probably born lame or requires extra strength. The griffons are surprisingly good with steam-tech.”

“But... what was she? Looks like a snow leopard had sex with a hawk,” Raindrop said, bewildered.

“Pygmy griffons come from the far frozen north. They’re fluffier than normal desert-dwelling griffons, aren’t as big, tend to be a little smarter, and are generally mistreated and mistrusted by desert griffons,” Sentinel explained, yawning faintly as he pulled his backpack closer to get more comfortable.

Raindrop went quiet then, thinking for several moments. “How many pygmy griffons are around, anyway?”

“In Gryphus?” Sentinel asked, an ear perking lazily. “Only a few hundred. I’m actually surprised to see one at all.”

Pursing her lips, Raindrop laid her chin back on her pillow, frowning. “Well what’s she doing on the airship wearing that getup?”

Sentinel gave her a long, blank stare. “You could try asking her? You know I’ve been here on the ship as long as you have, why would I have any clue?”

Raindrop snorted once, turning away from the guard and closing her eyes. “Where do we even go for food?”

“Gryphus airdock terminal,” Sentinel said without missing a beat, producing a sandwich and taking a bite out of it.

Raindrop turned back to face him, her eyes narrowing. “You’re kidding.”

“Sure am,” Sentinel said with a shrug and a snicker, “There’s a restaurant on deck five. Bottom floor,” he pointed at the floor with a lazy hoof, “Expensive, but there’s no other way to get a meal.”

Raindrop snorted once, digging around in her own bag and producing a coin pouch. “Are you going to hound my steps the entire way?”

Sentinel looked up, raising a brow, before he shrugged. “I think I’ll keep you in suspense,” he said between bites of his sandwich.

Raindrop scowled, picking up the ticket and pushing the door open, kicking it closed after her, turning to stalk down the hallway. Immediately, she stumbled directly into the young griffon she had seen earlier, sending them both sprawling untidily in the hallway.

Raindrop rolled to her hooves, shaking her head slightly, blinking down at the diminutive griffon and then offering a hoof to help her up.

“Thanks!” the griffon squeaked, reaching out with her mechanical clawed forepaw.

Raindrop recoiled, taking a step away.

The griffon blinked once, and then gave a nervous giggle, her cheeks flushing faintly. “Oh right... this thing. It’s just prosthesis,” the griffon said, extending her forepaw to show Raindrop.

Raindrop cautiously took a step closer, squinting down at the strange contraption.

The young griffon wiggled it on her paw, showing how it rotated counter to the fur. “It’s like a sock! Only metal!”

“I... see. Why’re you wearing it?” Raindrop raised a brow down at the griffon, sidestepping around her slightly.

“I uh... broke my paw on the airship,” the griffon said, averting her eyes. “I’m kinda clumsy.”

“And now you’re wearing a giant brass sock?” Raindrop stated, staring.

The griffon nodded happily. “But it’s more an alloy of copper and tempered steel... It was the best I could get!”

Raindrop blinked slowly. “You... built that thing?”

The griffon chirped and nodded proudly.

Raindrop continued to stare, her eyes wide. “How?!”

“I used my noodle!” the griffon said, lifting her good paw to point at her temple. “Well... really, I used my paws a whole lot more than my brain. They’re better for heavy lifting, see?” the griffon waved a paw in example, “But my brain helped a whole heap!”

Tilting her head slightly to the side, Raindrop gave a single blink. “What’s your name, little griffon?”

“I’m Wisp!” she said, saluting with her good paw and grinning.

“Well I’m Raindrop, it’s very nice to meet you and your scary sock. Can you point me in the direction of the dining area?”

Wisp nodded happily, turning around and pointed with her metal-encased paw. A hiss of steam escaped the elbow joint as she lifted it. “Right over there, just go down the stairs to the bottom.”

Raindrop nodded once. “Thank you. I wish you luck with your erm... claw.”

Wisp grinned at that, starting back down the hallway again. “Luck is for people without skill and mechanical limbs!”

Raindrop watched the young griffon go, every second step accompanied by a soft hiss of steam and the thud of the mechanical limb on the deck.

Raindrop paused in the hallway, peering out of one of the small, circular windows lining the hallways. The ground was far below, moving by at a languid pace. Sparse trees were still visible, dotting the landscape, though they were gradually petering out. They were getting into Gryphus proper now, and it was visibly becoming more arid.

Looking up, Raindrop cast a glance around for Sentinel, half expecting him to be nearby; she wanted to ask him why the griffons named their country ‘Gryphus’, and their capital city ‘Gryphus’ as well. It was just confusing!

But Sentinel wasn’t following her now.

Raindrop pursed her lips at that, not quite sure how to feel. He had dogged her steps while they were back in Equestria, but now they were crossing into Gryphus, he didn’t even care about detaining her?

Raindrop snorted to herself and turned on her hooves, striding down the hallway to the staircase, climbing down the stairs to the dining area.

The entire second-to-last floor by the looks of it, had been converted into a dining hall. There was no centre divider, and the walls sloped heavily inwards at the base, denoting that they were quite close to the base of the airship. Large, thick beams stretched from ground to roof, presumably for structural support. One or two griffon waiters wandered about the sparsely populated tables, while a small group were visible through a doorway in what was presumably the kitchen.

Raindrop headed for one of the benches on the side of the room, where seats had been built rather cleverly over the sloped bottom halves of the wall, giving roomy seating in what would otherwise have been empty, unusable space. She seated herself on one of the seats, and picked up a menu, looking over it carefully.

A large male griffon made his way over to her after a few minutes, tapping a claw against the ground impatiently.

“Uhm... I’ll have a salad burger and ‘Gryphus fries’, please?” Raindrop asked hopefully, looking up at the griffon.

The griffon nodded once, and then swept away, writing her order on a menu that was tied around his neck.

Raindrop put her forehooves up on the edge of the table and stretched out languidly, idly brushing her mane back out of her face.

A steady thud-scritch announced that Wisp was coming down the stairs, and Raindrop automatically looked up.

Wisp came down the stairs, looked around for a moment, spotted Raindrop, and then made a bee-line for her. She was bouncing slightly, with a ‘spring’ in her step, something that Raindrop found to be quite at odd with the large, heavy contraption that she had over her wing and forepaw.

“You dropped this!” Wisp squeaked, sliding in besides Raindrop and offering Raindrop her ticket with her good paw.

Raindrop gasped faintly and took the ticket, slipping it into her coinpurse with pursed lips. “Geeze, thanks. I would have been locked out of the room if I lost that, and I feel like Sentinel wouldn’t let me back in until we got to Gryphus.”

“What are you two doing together if you don’t like eachother so much?” Wisp asked curiously.

Raindrop paled at that, her eyes widening and pupils dilating slightly in terror. It was her first conversation with someone else and she was already screwing up the cover story!

“Oh... aha...” Raindrop trailed off breathlessly, her ears splaying backwards, cheeks flushing faintly under the suddenly scrutinising gaze of the young griffon. “W-we’re quite close. But he’s a real prankster,” she said with an earnest nod.

“You’re a terrible liar,” Wisp said conversationally, reaching for the menu and looking at it. “I know what’s going on. I might be young, but I’m not stupid.”

Raindrop’s ears pinned back, and she gave a nervous laugh, before she leaned in and whispered urgently. “Y-you can’t tell anyone.”

Wisp smiled, closing the menu and rising to three hooves and a mechanical limb. Her good paw lifted, and she patted Raindrop gently on the shoulder, smiling reassuringly. “Don’t worry, I know what arranged marriages are like. I won’t say a word.”

Raindrop could only stare dumbly at the griffon as she headed for the kitchen, disappearing around the doorway with a flick of her fluffy tail.

Raindrop pushed her ticket up against the little scanner, and then pushed the door open, chewing on the last of her Gryphus fries. They were actually quite tasty; a thick wrapping of potato around a kind of seaweed and salad centre with dry spices.

“So, I have a brilliant new idea,” Raindrop stated, closing the door behind her, munching on a Gryphus Fry happily.

Sentinel looked up from his book, an ear raising. “Aye?”

“We’re in an arranged marriage,” Raindrop stated, smiling smugly.

“...Okay?” Sentinel asked blankly.

“This gives me an excuse to be a couple with you and loathe you at the same time. An elegant solution. I love it!” Raindrop said with a happy nod.

Sentinel rolled his eyes slightly at that, returning to his book.

Raindrop hummed faintly, pulling herself up onto the bed, and then bodily pushing Sentinel off it and onto the floor, splaying out across it.

Sentinel huffed, picking the book up off his face and glowering at her. “What the buck was that for?”

Raindrop peered over the edge of the bed at him, shrugging faintly. “I hate you and you’re sleeping on the floor, remember?”

Sentinel just glared.

Torment

The soft, throbbing hum of the magical steam-engines reverberated throughout the entire airship. Raindrop hadn’t really noticed it when she first entered the airship, but now, when all was quiet, it was almost deafening.

Several long, boring hours had passed, and it was night time. Sentinel was snoring faintly on the floor, a blanket pulled up over his wings. Raindrop was on the bed, uncomfortable on the strange, very flat mattress, and wishing that she had Shine to snuggle up with. It had only been a matter of days, and already she was missing him.

Raindrop cast her thoughts back to Ponyville, trying to imagine what Shine would be doing right now. Sleeping, probably. Or sitting up late and drinking coffee to stay alert enough to work on his lights. Shine specialised in lighting, and more specifically, tailor-made light bulbs of different shapes and sizes designed for specific rooms to give them the perfect lighting.

Raindrop heaved a soft sigh, staring out the tiny window at the stars, idly tracing a pattern into her pillow with the tip of a hoof. She wondered if Shine was looking at the same stars, and then shook the thought from her mind, biting her bottom lip. Dwelling was going to do nothing but make her pine for her husband-to-be.

Raindrop rolled off the bed quietly, and then straightened up, stretching slowly. She peered back at Sentinel, making sure he was asleep, before walking calmly towards the door, keeping her steps steady. She knew from Shine that trying to sneak away in the middle of the night only served to awaken someone. If you really wanted them not to wake up, you just walked normally.

Slipping out the door, Raindrop turned down the hallway and headed for the stairs leading upwards. The soft hiss of steam working in the walls of the airship muffled the sounds of workmen toiling to keep the airship afloat. She could barely hear it beneath her, the clunk of tools working and the scrape of a shovel scooping up coal to power the giant propeller to the rear of the craft.

Several flights of stairs later, and Raindrop emerged onto the deck of the large airship. The giant balloon hovered above them, connected by chains and sturdy ropes. Reaching out with a hoof, Raindrop idly pushed on one of the chains. It was solid, stiff, and immovable, holding up the immense weight of the airship below the balloon.

Raindrop headed for the rear of the deck, throwing her forehooves over the railing and resting her chin between them, staring out over the sparse shrubbery far below.

The full moon illuminated the desert nicely, casting soft quicksilver glows. There was even a shadow from the airship, casting the desert into inky blackness wherever it went.

Surprisingly, it was cold. Hot during the day, but near freezing at night, as all deserts were. Shivering faintly, Raindrop looked left and right furtively, observing the different workers on the deck.

A pair of griffons were scrubbing at the deck of the large airship, washing it down to keep it rough and ensure there would be no slips. A third griffon was checking the lines connecting the ship to the balloon, one-by-one, and a fifth was steering the ship at the wheel. He was wearing a strange glowing green eyepiece, that looked like a telescope and an eyepatch put together.

Raindrop cast one furtive glance about, and then threw herself bodily over the side of the ship, wings spreading to catch the air. Immediately, the ship started to pass her, and she made no effort to catch up. Relatively, the airship was traveling very, very slowly. Estimating, Raindrop figured it was going only a third of her normal flight speed.

Giving a happy sigh, Raindrop settled into a gliding pattern behind the large airship, having to weave left and right as though drunk to keep from catching up. Occasional wingbeats lifted her to higher altitude, as it was the middle of the night and she couldn’t rely on thermals to help keep her aloft.

An hour of languid gliding later, and Raindrop caught back up with the airship, scrabbling back onto the deck, panting just faintly, her cheeks pink with exertion. Immediately, she caught sight of a griffon-shaped bundle of what appeared to be rags and newspaper, curled up against one edge of a structure holding spare ropes.

Raindrop could see the bundle rising and falling slowly. Frowning, she stepped forwards and lightly nudged the bundle.

Immediately, the bundle uncurled, and Wisp tumbled out clumsily, her right paw, encased in the heavy metal limb, thunking down on the deck. “Wha?! I’m up!”

Raindrop blinked once, head tilting to the left. “Wisp?”

“Whu?” Wisp asked uncertainly, rubbing her eyes with her good paw, her good wing giving a little uncertain flutter. “Raindrop?”

Raindrop stared down at the diminutive griffon, her head tilting slowly. “Why are you… sleeping up here on the deck?”

“What are you doing up here?” Wisp asked defensively, pulling her blanket tight around her shoulders, the brace on her wings clicking faintly.

“I needed to err… clear my head a little bit,” Raindrop explained, kicking a hoof nervously. “But why are you sleeping up on the deck?”

Wisp looked away, her nares flushing faintly. “I… I errr don’t really have a room belowdecks. Not enough room,” she said with an earnest nod.

Raindrop’s eyes narrowed slowly. “I passed several vacant rooms.”

“W-well we could pick up more passengers and they would need the rooms, and wouldn’t want the smell of griffon all through the room,” Wisp explained further.

“And the rest of the crew? Do they sleep on the deck?” Raindrop asked suspiciously.

Wisp paused, opening her beak, before closing it and frowning deeply, shaking her head. “No. No they don’t.”

“So why are you sleeping up here in the open?” Raindrop asked, giving a faint shiver and flexing her wings as a cool breeze ruffled her feathers.

“Because I’m a pygmy griffon and no one likes me,” Wisp admitted with a long sigh, before shrugged her shoulders, producing a clicking sound from the wing covered in the spindly struts.

Wisp’s ears perked up, and then laid flat. “Are you… are you making a pass at me?”

Raindrop jerked backwards, eyes widening. “I have a fiance!”

“But it’s an arranged marriage,” Wisp said with an earnest nod.

Raindrop nodded jerkily. “Well… yeah. But my other fiance is a guy, too!”

“So… you were going to be married to this other stallion and then got stuck in an arranged marriage?” Wisp asked, her tone disgusted.

Raindrop nodded, ignoring the twinge of guilt she felt at lying to the griffon.

“That’s disgusting!” Wisp said, brow furrowing deeply.

“So… you gonna come sleep where it’s nice and warm?” Raindrop queried, an ear perking.

Wisp gave a slightly strained smile. “It… it really won’t be any trouble?”

Raindrop shook her head, offering her hoof to the diminutive griffon. “And hey, if you’re there, Sentinel won’t dare make a pass at me.”

Raindrop pushed open the door to the room, stepping inside and making room for Wisp to shuffle in. The small griffon immediately sidestepped to one side of the room, and laid down in a corner, grasping her blanket tight about herself.

Frowning, Raindrop shook her head, motioning towards the bed. “Come on, you can sleep up here with me, provided you don’t take up all the bed.”

Wisp lifted her head at that, her ears splaying back flat and a faint flare of pink tingeing her cheeks. “B-but… N-no I’m fine down here!”

Raindrop blinked once, confused, before slowly cottoning on. She snorted once, and then waved a hoof firmly. “I had a fiance back home!” she rebuked, “I’m not making a pass at you.”

The young griffon frowned slightly at that, uncurling a little, before rising to her paws and tentatively stepping closer to the bed. “No funny business?”

“I won’t even tell any jokes,” Raindrop said, patting the bed lightly with a hoof.

Wisp nodded to herself, and then leapt up onto the bed ungainly, heavy metal forepaw thudding down on it. Raindrop automatically recoiled, rather bothered by the thought of the claws coming down with such weight behind them.

Spinning in a circle in a very feline fashion, Wisp kneaded at the bed with her good paw, and then flopped down on her right side, resting her encased forelimb on the bed and crossing her other paw over it, and then resting her chin upon both.

Raindrop smiled faintly, lifting the edge of a blanket and then throwing it over the young griffon, before she rolled away from the other female and stretched out lazily, pulling her own blanket up around her shoulders.

Frowning slightly, Raindrop cast her gaze towards the floor. Sentinel wasn’t there.

The door opened, and Raindrop tilted to peer back over her shoulder, before giving a long-suffering sigh as Sentinel entered.

Sentinel stretched languidly, giving a faint yawn. “Nothing like a good drink… uhm, Raindrop? Are you aware that there is a griffon on the end of your bed?”

“My name is Wisp,” the griffon corrected, lifting her head to scowl at him. “I don’t like you.”

Sentinel looked thoughtful for a moment, before he shrugged. “Yeah, I’m cool with that.” Without another word, he ambled over to the wall and then settled himself up under a thin blanket, resting his chin on a bag and closing his eyes.

“You followed me, didn’t you?” Raindrop asked bluntly.

“Indeed?” Sentinel asked, perking an ear upwards. “Is that a problem?”

“Hoping I’d fly away?” Raindrop accused.

“I could do with the exercise, and there’s nothing quite like chasing live prey, you know,” Sentinel responded dryly.

Raindrop snorted once, scowling and then curling up, chewing on one of her hooves angrily.

Wisp frowned, lifting a hoof to reach out and comfort the pegasus, before thinking better of it. “Why do you have to be so mean to her?” Wisp asked, her eyes narrowing at the stallion. “Isn’t it bad enough that she’s stuck with you?”

“If I was pleasant and nice, then it wouldn’t be such a chore, would it?” Sentinel asked with an eerie smile.

Wisp scowled and clicked her beak. “You treat her nice or I’m going to clip your wings,” she threatened, lifting her metal-encased paw tellingly.

Sentinel arched an eyebrow at that, and then gave a faint smirk. “I welcome the challenge, little one.”

The morning light disturbed Raindrop, and she jerked awake, squinting heavily and clumsily lifting her hooves to block out the light streaming across the bed. She gave an exasperated sigh, laying her hoof over her face.

“Wakey wakey!” Sentinel said cheerily, stepping back from the curtain he had just opened. “It’s nearly Six AM, and as your friendly neighborhood half-hybrid, half-junkyard roommate decided that my face roughly resembled something that should be stepped on as part of her pre-work ritual, I’m going to be spending the new few hours torturing you! Now rise and shine, Raindrop, you’ve got a long, painful morning ahead of you.”

“This rant brought to you by the ‘see if I even give a damn foundation’,” Raindrop stated flatly, making a dismissive motion with her hoof. “I’m not a morning pony.”

Sentinel pondered on that for a long moment, frowning to himself. “Well… that is a very reasonable argument. I mean, what kind of pony would ruin another pony’s rest just to be vindictive?”

Raindrop’s ears perked slowly, and she shifted her hoof off her face to glare at him suspiciously.

With a shrug, Sentinel released the rope he was holding, sending the bucket suspended over the bed tilting over and a wave of water splashing over the prone pegasus.

Raindrop gasped in shock and outrage, immediately completely soaked to the core, sitting up and flailing a hoof to send the soggy blanket spilling onto the floor. “HOW DARE YOU!”

Sentinel shrugged nonchalantly. “Well, you see, it’s a simple pulley system, you get the pivot-point at the base of the buck-”

“-I’ll kill you!” Raindrop screeched, leaping off the bed and aiming a hard blow at the side of the stallion’s face.

Sentinel neatly sidestepped the blow, and just barely nudged Raindrop’s side with his hoof as she passed, sending the female off-balance just enough that she ran head-long into the wall.

Raindrop recoiled, stunned, seeing stars, before sitting down heavily on her rump and then crashing flat to the floor, giving a soft groan.

Sentinel winced. “My… that did look painful. You really should look where you’re going,” he remarked demurely. “Breakfast downstairs. You might wanna towel off though. You’re looking kind of wet.”

Without another word, Sentinel turned and headed for the door, smirking to himself as he stepped out into the hallway.

Raindrop scowled as she paced back and forth across the deck of the airship, squinting at the bright sunlight washing the deck in golden hues.

It had been a painfully long day, and the sun was setting on the horizon, slowly dipping down behind the ever-increasing amount of dunes. Raindrop was on the deck because she most definitely did not want to be anywhere that Sentinel was.

Her food had been salty, sugary, and watery. The bed was still wet. There was paint in her mane. Her face had been steam-blown. And each and every incident could be traced right back to Sentinel.

Raindrop would have thrown herself over the railing and flown into the desert if she wasn’t sure that Sentinel would already be waiting there with a picnic blanket all set up, holding a candle and a match wearing his best innocent smile.

Scowling, Raindrop kicked an errant cog overboard, watching it until it faded out of sight, presumably falling into the sands of the desert. Her gaze was drawn north, to where a misshapen huddle of buildings stood out against the rolling desert dunes. Palm trees sprung up from the centre of the group of buildings. An oasis in the desert.

The large turbine at the rear of the airship began to slow, and eventually came to a ponderous halt, leaving the airship to coast slowly towards the small town, losing altitude as it gracefully glided. In the distance to the north, Raindrop could see the jutting towers of mountains, sillhouetted against the pink of the sunset. Gryphus lay somewhere beyond them, in the arid wasteland of the desert mountains.

“Pretty, isn’t it?” Sentinel asked idly.

Raindrop almost leapt out of her skin, baring her teeth and grimacing deeply. “You enjoy sneaking up on people, don’t you?”

“Do I?” Sentinel asked, arching a brow. “I think I just like making you jump. Oh, and knowing that you’re damn-near deaf and stupid when it comes to simple awareness makes my job a whole lot easier.”

“You’re not worried that some griffon will overhear us?” Raindrop asked flatly, peering at him over her shoulder.

“They’re all belowdecks getting ready to do cargo transfers. We’ll be staying in Featherfall tonight, while they service the airship,” Sentinel explained airily. “I suggest you go and pack your stuff. You know, if you can find it.”

Raindrop’s eyes narrowed slowly, and she scowled. “If you touched my luggage, I’m going to remove your wings.”

“Already did, and you’re welcome to try,” Sentinel said with a dismissive flick of a hoof, turning away from her and lifting his forehooves to rest on the railing, peering out at the buildings they were approaching.

“If you didn’t have wings…” Raindrop growled, hooves tensing and relaxing on the deck slowly.

“And if you weren’t part-changeling. And if you weren’t a weakling. And if you weren’t this and that and the other thing. They’re just excuses. If Princess Celestia wasn’t an alicorn I would fly up and move the sun across the sky with my bare hooves,” Sentinel stated bluntly. “Except she is and I can’t. So kindly go blow it out your ass.”

Raindrop’s eyes narrowed, and she bit her tongue until she tasted blood, contemplating charging the stallion and throwing him bodily over the side of the airship.

“You don’t have the balls,” Sentinel said idly, flicking some dust off the railing with a hoof, carefree.

Raindrop gave a cry of muted rage, turning in place and then stalking down towards the stairs.

The airship slid into dock smoothly, only the softest of whispers sounding out from the hull as it came to a halt in the soft, loose sand. Immediately, tow ropes were thrown over the edge of the airship, where various griffon workers were waiting to catch them, tying them down to keep the ship immobile.

A long wooden gangplank was extended from the deck of the airship, slanted sharply down to the ground, and within minutes, passengers were ambling down the sloped walkway and into the small stopover city.

Raindrop slowly walked down the plank, head lowered, subdued, biting her bottom lip, eyes slightly red, conspicuously not carrying any luggage.

Sentinel gave a faint yawn, laying at the bottom of the ramp with his chin resting on his bag, with Raindrop’s own bag sitting next to his.

Raindrop looked up, her expression darkening, cheeks tightening. She stalked towards him, whispering, “I hate you, I hate you… I really, really hate you,” under her breath.

“I didn’t tell you that I picked up your bag? Sorry!” Sentinel chirped, giving her a winning smile. “I hope you didn’t obsess about it too much.”

Scowling deeply, Raindrop snatched her bag up, and then stalked past the stallion, refusing to look at him, joining with the crowd heading down towards the hotel, literally the largest building in the entire area.

The giant, four-tier building stood on the main street, a short distance from the airship dock, with banners hung from every one of its balconies, and torches burning merrily in sconces in the fading light of the sunset.

Raindrop didn’t even bother waiting for Sentinel, pushing her way through the crowd and forging ahead, heading straight for the front desk. She walked briskly through the reception, and then slapped her back down on the counter, causing the griffon receptionist to look up in surprise.

“A room for one, please.”