Chapter 1: The Sharp Knife
<āSomething is wrong here.ā>
The intensity, and certainty of the thoughtā¦ no; the conviction, rattled Pas. He did not think of himself as a wise, observant pony. He was a pony of action and order in his own mind, ready to jump and defend the shining, clear idea of āthis is rightā.
He did not like to dwell on shades of gray. He thought they were for wiser heads, but thisā¦ this crept up on him like a shadow. <Something is wrong here. Something is WRONG. Theyāre hiding things.>
And well, of course they were, right? They wereā¦ they were ROYALS. Sometimes you had to HIDE things to protect people. That was strategy. It was just a strategy.
It didnāt feel right.
<Something is wrong. SOMETHING IS REALLY WRONG.>
It kept sneaking into his head and heād catch himself pacing, or worrying a training bag until it started to bleed stuffing and heād stop to sew it together. Granted he could have left it for the Pages but he needed things to do, to try and keep the thoughts from racing round and around in his head seeking answers. Questioning things he wasnāt sure he had the right to be questioning.
He couldnāt not question it. Couldnāt stop prodding at word choices like a bad tooth.
āTop Priorityā āThings we faceā āNon negotiableā....
He chewed his lip until it was almost raw, then found something else to kick until his hooves ached.
That was maybe why it felt wrongā¦ no that he was sure was why it felt wrong. Those changelings that had been living here. They were citizens right? You didnāt sacrifice the innocent. It just wasnāt the way things were supposed to work.
Wait it wasnāt a sacrifice was it? They were justā¦ going to the Hive. Why did it FEEL like a sacrifice?
<Because sheās making them do it. Because sheās not asking if they want to.>
āWhat are we risking?ā He asked out loud, but not to anyone in particular. āWhat is she gaining? If she could go without them for so long, why now?ā
What out there could be so terrible that Dawn Bringer would surrender her own citizens to another queen? What was gained by returning them to the Hive? What was happening and why couldnāt he just stop chasing shadows about it?
He liked the world better when he didnāt have so many doubts. It was so much easier, but thenā¦ heād always been proud of not retreating from things that were hard. Even if it meant ā¦meant this. Feeling disloyal.
He felt a shudder run through him, fear and anger and doubtā¦and just a pinch of heartbreak. Kettle probably would have jokingly called it seasoning.
He wanted Kettle. He wanted to talk to Brave and the Commander and he even wanted to beg for an audience with Dawn Bringer.
None of those felt like anything other than comfortable blankets to hide under.
No, he needed to find some of the changelings and talk to them. He needed to find out real answers.
He needed to question orders.
Because something was WRONG here.
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