Chapter 3: Wheeeeeee Up We Go
"The State Bank, huh? That wouldn't be my first choice, but you do you, pony."
You appreciatively nod back at the changeling at the desk. Despite his dismissive attitude, he's actually been quite helpful so far.
"I'm hoping to get a good deal from them before they have the experience to scam-"
"Yeah, whatever, your card's been printed." An attendant from the backroom has handed the changeling your entry card. He places it in a slot in a large camera, then heaves the camera onto a tripod. "Say- oh, hey, Queen Chrysalis!"
"Wh-"
Click!
You blink out the flash of the camera, looking around wildly for sneaky egomaniacal dictators. The office is still deserted though, and all you hear is the chirping giggle of the desk changeling as he pulls your card out of the camera.
"Ah, that never gets old. Check that your details are correct, then get out of my office. If you're not satisfied I can get it reprinted."
Fuming slightly, you snatch the card from his hoof with your magic and look over it. On the surface it's a relatively basic card by government standards- a slab of plastic ink-printed with your essential details, along with a tag that simply reads 'Businessmare'. However, looking more closely, you see that the card has a multitude of difficult to replicate security features: a subtle colour shift when you tilt it, tiny ridges along the edge of the card, and other such details.
The photo on the card slowly develops to reveal your surprised face in the process of turning away.
"...I'd like a reprint."
Smirking, the changeling responds, "Reprints are two hundred marks. Each."
Tricky bastard! He wasn't just pranking you, he was trying to get some easy cash. And not a small amount, either... you could easily afford it, but you won't give him the satisfaction of swindling you.
"In that case, thank you for your help. Goodbye."
"Bye, pony. Pop in when your card expires, yeah? And make sure you come during rush hour like now, it's actually a lot less busy somehow. Traffic dynamics or something."
"Uhuh."
The noises of the crowds become more apparent as you exit the office. It's gotten even busier while you were getting the card; there's even some changelings flying abovehead to get past the crowds, despite the danger of collisions.
You can't help but feel some slight elation despite everything. With barely a hiccup, you've gotten a one-month ticket in and out of the Queen's Tower! You've completed half the mission already. In a worst case scenario, you can simply leave and be rewarded for confirming the feasibility of the infiltration plan.
You hum to yourself as you approach a row of large doors to the right of the huge posters at the back of the lobby. A simple sign reads in several languages, 'Elevating Machines.
A strange changeling contraption. You watch as the waiting changelings all bundle through one of the doors into an elevating machine. The door is slid shut by an attendant.
Looking around uneasily, you spot an empty staircase to use. However, before you can make your way there, a voice calls out.
"Hey, you! Fine young pony! This elevator's free. Come along now, it won't bite."
An attendant is waving at you from inside one of the elevators. You reluctantly join him, gasping as the room shakes ever so slightly when you enter.
"Never seen an elevator, missus? Don't worry, it's just a box on a rope. Where are ya headed? You don't look dressed like them- those higher-ups, no you don't."
You awkwardly settle yourself into a corner of the elevator. It seems too huge and heavy to be carried by a mere rope. The fact that this changeling is at ease does nothing to comfort you. Changelings are ridiculously suicidal as a species. You've read enough horror stories in the papers of fanatical changeling tank crews casually exiting bogged down tanks to charge at the pony lines with nothing but a grenade and a spanner.
"Missus? You alright there?" The changeling has crossed a remarkable distance in a short amount of time and is looking you over concernedly. You shrink away from him slightly.
"Hm-? I'm fine. I was just thinking."
The attendant backs up. "Well, I don't mean to pressure ya, but I can't get this thing moving if you don't tell me where yer headed. And you'd better make it quick 'less you want half the morning commute piled in here."
"I'm trying to find the State Bank. Do you know where that is?"
Stroking his chin thoughtfully, the changeling nods. "Thems ju- they've just moved into the forty-third floor. Now, don't be alarmed, but we'll start moving up now. Don't worry, she's seen much heavier cargo than you and your weird pony saddlebags. She'll hold."
You're not concerned about the elevator. You're concerned about being alone with a changeling for several minutes. This would be the perfect time for changeling intelligence to FINALLY make their move on you. You should have taken the stairs.
"Up we go!" The changeling's horn glows. He slides the door shut before an unseen mechanism suddenly shoots the elevator upwards, rattling and shaking as you move at vertical speeds no pony should have to experience.
You REALLY should have taken the stairs.
Mercifully, the force pulls you downwards and keeps your hooves glued to the floor. You just stand in place and let your legs do the balancing.
The changeling smiles warmly at you. "You took that in stride, missus. Many a changeling have deposited their former meals on this fine carpeted floor. The name's Adelheid, by the way."
The 'deposition' comment is starting to make you feel queasy, too.
"I'm Cold Heart," you reply, still staring straight at the floor.
Adelheid hums thoughtfully. "Cold Heart? I'll never get pony names. Half of 'em sound like action heroes, the other half like villains."
You raise an eyebrow. "Oh? Am I a hero, or a villain?"
"No offense, missus, but that's definitely a villain name right there. Where are ya from?"
Starting to get tired of repeating this story, you reply, "I just have some business with the State Bank."
"You already told me that, but I won't probe into yer affairs."
Your body is starting to get used to the feeling of continously flying upwards. You finally tear your gaze from the floor and look around the elevator. The walls and floor are fashioned like the interior of a lounge, providing a soothing atmosphere to offset the unnerving rumbling and shaking.
"How does this thing work, uh, Adelheid?" The only mechanism you can see is a bright yellow alarm button next to the door. You'd be lying if you said you didn't feel a bit curious about the whole contraption.
"I'm no engineer, but I believe there's some sort of motor strapped to the roof of the building, wayyy up high. It just tugs a rope along a pulley, and up and down she goes."
"No, I meant... how did you make it go up."
Adelheid chuckles at that. "In most buildings there's a set of buttons along the wall. The attendant just has to push a button, and the elevator moves on its own. Easy as pie. Here, though, it's a bit different. There's a hidden- I say hidden but everyone knows they're there, it's kind of an open secret- set of buttons just above the elevator. It'd be nigh impossible for anyone but an alicorn to push them telekinetically without knowing where they are. Got all that, missus?"
"Wait, then how do you know where the buttons are?"
"They show them to us on our first day. It takes a while, but you get used to it. I've been here for, uh, five months now?"
Interesting. You could ask a bit more about the... oh, the elevator's slowing down. It slows down to a halt and Adelheid slides open the door for you. He tips his hat as you pass.
"'Pleasure serving you, missus Cold Heart. When you need to go back down, use Elevator 4- it stops at every forty-something floor."
"I will, yeah."
You step out onto a small waiting area with a couple of sofas and soft, pleasant lighting. Interestingly, only four of the elevators connect here. A changeling couple are sitting on a sofa, making love-y eyes at each other as they wait for an elevator. Upon your arrival they hastily get up and enter the elevator you just stepped out of.
You vaguely recall a lesson from secondary school that taught that dating practices originated from primitive changelings hunting ponies in pairs. The changelings would prove their worth to each other by capturing a pony and efficiently extracting Love using magic, blahblahblah something about natural selection. You're more concerned with modern changelings than the primitive ones Equestrian education taught you about.
Back then, you barely knew what a changeling was. Popular media portrayed them as primitive bugs hiding out in caves in the north, if they were portrayed at all. Then Princess Cadence's wedding was infiltrated and suddenly they were brought back into the spotlight, only to fade from public memory until changeling Panzers rolled into Equestria.
Wait, what are you doing? This isn't the time for overly direct exposition, go in there and do your mission!
Looking around the room, you find it hard to believe this is the entrance to an office. A pair of open wooden doors leads into a windowless corridor with a red carpeted floor and similar soft lighting. And, sure enough, it's lined with elegantly carved wooden doors and signs with apartment numbers on it. Adelheid must have left you on the wrong floor.
A nearby door opens and out stumbles a changeling. He's clearly drunk, swaying unsteadily and blinking slowly at you. Another changeling exits behind him.
"Slow down, boss. Let's get you home."
"Head hurts..."
"Yeah, boss, nine o'clock isn't the best time to get wasted. I'm happy the bastard is dead, too, but- oh, uh, hey there, unicorn. Don't mind us..."
These changelings are wearing business attire- dark black suits, ties, white shirts, and fedoras... indoors. They look more like they're leaving an office than arriving to one.
"Hey, by any chance do you know where the State Bank is?"
"State Bank of Pax Chrysalia? It's just in here. But, uh, I don't recommend going in there right now."
That's strange. You shrug and try the apartment the changelings just exited.
"That's it! I'm done!"
"Dude, chill. Just-"
"No! Nonononononono! I've given you my reasons. I am DONE. Now where's that damn bastard? If I'm going to the Royal Dungeons I want it to be on murder charges, not because I left Chryssie's fun little project."
You step aside as an angry grey changeling thunders out the door, followed closely by an armed security guard and another changeling. You're currently in the saddest office you've ever seen. A single receptionist desk and a sofa separate you from a cramped space stuffed with desks, filing cabinets, and, most of all, changelings- no, wait, nevermind, there's a deer too. A single floor-to-roof window is present at the opposite wall of the apartment.
All of you stare awkwardly at the door as the sounds of a scuffle leak in, along with enough curse words to turn a sailor red.
Eventually, the door bursts open and the grey changeling is dragged in by the security guard and the other changeling. They unceremoniously dump him on the sofa.
The second changeling addresses the room. "Get back to work. We still need the Duke's loan processed," he growls. "Our good friend Captain Konrad will NOT be going to the Royal Dungeons."
Hmm, what do we have here? A Captain who doesn't want to work here, a room of abused paperpushers, and a toxic manager.
The office workers gradually resume their paperwork. The changeling finally notices you. He frowns at you.
"We didn't ask for a janitor."
"I'm not a-" you start to reply furiously before realizing how you must look. You're still wearing your travelling clothes- not exactly the standard outfit of a wealthy businessmare.
Oh, and you're a pony.
"I'm here to get a loan, or see what other benefits you offer to business owners," you reply more calmly.
The manager's frown deepens. "You picked the wrong time. And we can't you serve in that peasant garb."
PEASANT GARB? Who does this changeling think he is? These are perfectly normal clothes to be wearing when travelling long distances!
Ahem, anyways, outrageous outburst outside, you need to make a decision. You can either come back at later, when the chaos dies down and you've had to chance to book a room and change your clothing, or forge ahead. You would like to talk to Captain Konrad, who's virtually smoking with rage as he pokes a wobbly fang. You could exploit the situation to talk to the other changelings and deer, too, but with the manager closely watching you you doubt you can get much done without arousing suspicion.
It's time to choose...
What will you do now?
A - Leave and return later, after you've booked a room and perhaps explored the Tower a bit more.
B - Absolutely INSIST you get served now.
Option A wins the vote with 60% of 5 total votes.
Also LikedSimilarAuthor
- Mouse-Deer · 104k words · 125 5 · 2.8k views
- Sollys · 8.5k words · 148 8 · 4.7k views
- DanishDash · 7.2k words · 94 7 · 2.4k views
- CoffeeMinion · 101k words · 261 20 · 5.4k views
- Anonomis · 34k words · 117 27 · 9.4k views
- CommanderApplejack · 89k words · 402 12 · 7.3k views
- Catpaw616 · 57k words · 131 9 · 2.3k views
- Elkia Deerling · 146k words · 10 0 · 853 views
Stats
Page generated in 0.088 seconds
Total duration
995 users online
1,482,872 hits today, 1,695,604 yesterday
FIMFiction
My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Fanfiction
Designed and coded by knighty & Xaquseg - © 2011-2024
Follow & Support Us
Support us
SubStar
Chat!
Discord
Follow us
Twitter
MLP: Friendship is Magic® - © 2024 Hasbro Inc.®
Fimfiction is in no way affiliated with or endorsed by Hasbro Inc.®
A.
It would certainly be interesting to see what happens with option B, and the erratic situation may be used to our advantage.
But it would also create a high risk for our protagonist.
Better be a careful for now.
Additionally she may use the gained time to look around a bit more.
How evil!
Not related:
derpicdn.net/img/view/2018/3/27/1692052.jpg
Source.
...That changeling has a point.
Pony names are a weird thing.
Maybe.
But are they perfectly normal clothes to be wearing when asking for a loan in a high-society bank?
Good chapter!
I enjoyed reading it.
Edit: fixed.
11934277
Stairs jumpscare!
Thanks for pointing out the error.
If we push forward with option B, we would first need apologies for our outfit and not go off the rails insane pushie for, but making a small requests for swifter service and giving a couple nudges to try and get swifter service or what we want. Being a Karen about it can only lead to trouble, though if we're a doormat we won't get the information we want.
In short, I want to kindly push for service now (or at least as soon as possible), though if we are met with a wall and anger, I say we come back at a later time to appear more presentable.
Simplified, Really Toned Down B, but if it goes nowhere or to worse state we go with A
I’m gonna agree with the previous person on this one: B but toned down, if possible.
A
Oh man, never ready for the consequences of my own actions...
A