I sighed in mild boredom as I rested my right cheek on my hand. Glancing to the right, I saw a team of pirates, rags and polish equipped as they worked on cleaning up the many dusty, ancient bookcases. Many of the bookshelves were already regaining their brilliant luster.

I couldn't discern this before due to the thick layers of dust plaguing their surface, but now that they're cleaned up, I could see intricate patterns on the woody exterior of the bookcases.

Despite just being wooden crafts for someone to place their books in, they appear as if they'd cost more than diamonds due to the quality of its refinement.

They seem to depict licking flames that run from the bottom to the top of the shelves. An intriguing design, to say the least. I would've liked this design even more if it didn't just shout "This room belongs to Princess Celestia!".

Obviously enough, just making one of these would take a lifetime. There were several of them, however, which led me to the question: Why would anyone abandon this castle?

I began muttering to myself, "Alright, is Celestia and Luna that cruel to their subjects?" I paused to take a look around the room's pricey-looking furnishings. "Just by looking at these things, I'd say that these costed their quite the price. Sure, this castle must have taken a long time to complete, but that's nothing in comparison to the decor used for said castle."

I shrugged it off. "Nah. Can't be. They seemed to care deeply for their subjects back in Canterlot." My neutral expression grew grim as the scene of me accidentally discharging a ball of energy into that occupied building filled with innocents replayed in my mind.

I continued staring at nothingness, a face devoid of emotion apparent on me. Suddenly, a particularly loud sound caused me to snap out of it. Turning my head briefly to figure out what that sound was, I was relieved to see that it was just a wooden beam falling to the ground. Sighing in relief, I turned back to inspecting the bookcases.

Wavy, thin lines of wood acted as the flames. Neat--I like it. Though, does it really need to establish that this room belonged to Celestia? We already have enough things indicating that this chamber belonged to the Sun Princess. I pondered, but dismissed it as irrelevant mere seconds later.

To the left of me was a large balcony. A large, balcony adorned with a railing that boasted a similar design in comparison to the bookcases. Although, this time, it seemed to have been crafted out of gold. If this was on the terms of back in my world, the railing alone would outweigh the cost of everything else in this castle.

Nothing much else to say about the balcony, really. Disregarding the gold-crafted rails, it looked pretty normal to me.

My eyes wandered behind me. A sizable fireplace stood proudly in the middle corner of the room. Hanging just above the fireplace was a sword that was more decorated than a dress; the blade was curved slightly, and the handle featured a very prominent design.

I was told that it was crafted from eight different pieces of wood. If that wasn't needless enough, the hilt seemed to be crafted from some sort of shiny metal. The blade itself had indecipherable inscriptions running from bottom to the tip of it as well.

Curiously enough, despite the state of disrepair this castle is in, the saber shew no sign of rust. I rolled my eyes as I spoke to myself, "This is a place where magic exists. Why wouldn't there be a spell that prevents rust?"

Shifting my eyes to the ceiling, I marveled at the masterpiece suspended on the ceiling of the room. A massive ceiling, that once used the more primitive way of lighting. Now, instead of fire, it was modified by a few of my cunning pirates so that it used electricity instead.

To the right of me was, of course, the door. The door, much like the other objects scattered throughout the castle, showed no modesty. It had an insignia of a sun embedded on the center of it. A pattern of fiery streaks were shown on the door. Its wood seemed to have been cut from a tree of fantasy, seeing that it gives off a faint glow.

The sound of hammers impacting the surface of wood constantly resounded through the massive, dreary corridors of this huge castle as the jarring sound of rubble crumbling to the ground assaults my ear. Various tools ranging from screwdrivers to axes were scattered haphazardly throughout the floor.

Everywhere I looked, there were pirates installing several wires on the walls, setting new tables, heaving bookshelves, and placing a miscellany of other furniture, and this was just a single room!

I am somewhat ashamed that I am not contributing to the re-construction of this huge castle. My shame is further bolstered by the fact that I am lazily reclining on this expensive-looking, velvety, red couch.

I glanced at Min who was taking a sip from a cool glass of some unidentified liquor. "Are you certain that they don't mind us just lazing about here while they work as hard as they can?"

Min lets out a satisfied sigh as he gulped down the last remaining ounces in his glass. "Ah. These horses sure do know how to make their drinks." Filling his glass with a bottle of intoxicating liquid that was just standing still on the glossy, black glass table that was placed in front of us.

Min took notice of my glass just before he was about to take another sip from his drink. "Uh. Sorry, boss. Did you ask me for something? I wasn't paying attention."

I pointed my hand to a nearby stonewall that had half of its portion torn away being repaired just a few feet away from the couch that I sat on, gesturing towards the several pirates wielding hammers and carrying a myriad of materials in an attempt to renew the wall. "Them. Are you sure they're okay with us just relaxing here?"

Min chuckles as he takes a sip. Finishing gulping down the liquid, he opened his mouth, his mouth reeking of alcohol as he spoke ,"Ah. Mah boys. They're definitely okay." Min stood up, placing his hand on the armrest of his chair as he wobbled visibly.

I groaned in boredom, eyeing nothing in particular around the room. I turned to face Min once more, "I never thought these pirates would be this good at redecoration..."

Min groggily shifts his head towards me, his eyes droopy as the alcohol started to get to him. "Aye. We spend most of out time on a damned island!

"Now then, if you'll excuse me, I am feeling quite tipsy." Struggling to avoid face-planting to the floor, Min stood up from his chair.

Min began to walked towards to a nearby staircase. Descending to the lower floor, he vanished from sight. What worries me, though, is the fact that he brought an entire bottle of whiskey with him.

Sighing, I rose from my chair as well as I yawned. "Ugh. I might as well get some sleep." Turning towards the door, I take one final look at the room. I muttered to myself, "Not even a day passed, and this castle is starting to reclaim its former glory." Shrugging, I pushed the door open as I took a step into the hallway.

Walking casually through the several corridors of this colossal castle. The halls were bustling with activity. Pirates installing more modern lighting systems, the reconstruction of the walls, the polishing of furniture--and other varying jobs.

"Boss!" A pirate called out to me as he saluted me. I nodded my head in appreciation, not bothering to speak as I was already tired enough as it is. Acknowledging the return of his gesture, the pirate went off, vanishing into the crowd.

As I continued on walking, I saw several pirates blockading my path. They all seemed to be caught up on something as they murmured to each other, their words merging with each other, preventing me from deciphering even a single word coming from them.

A pirate departed from the crowd and approached me, "This didn't take a lot of effort, but you damn better thank us for this later."

Confused, I could only stare at him with uncertainty. The pirate withdrew a piece of clothing from his pants. Wiping off the sweat that plagued his face, he disappeared from my view as he walked away.

The remaining pirates began to disperse. Soon enough, this entire sector of the castle was now empty, with the exception of me.

Hesitant, I began walking towards the door, stopping just at grabbing distance away from it. A trickle of sweat dropped to the ground from my face. "I don't know if I should really be looking forwards for a surprise from a bunch of drug-dealing, gun-wielding madmen." I shook my head. "Then again, they are my friends," I said to myself as I reached out for the knob.

Twisting the doorknob, I pushed the door, revealing a grandiose room behind it. I gazed the room with a stupor that would probably be defined as speechless. The room had a personal fountain of water installed in the corner of it. To the right side, there were bookcases surrounding a sturdy-looking worktable.

The bed standing on the middle was velvety, and as if it was provoking me, its pillows and sheet was neatly arranged. "I guess Vaas did a good job raising them well." With a blissful smirk, I took of my shoes before shortly jumping onto the bed. The softness of the bed besieged my mind with what is probably the highest level of happiness.

I shifted to a more comfortable position before I closed my eyes, an unmistakable smirk of relief apparent on my face. Shortly enough, I drifted to a sound slumber as I plunged into unconsciousness.

Hours have already passed as I remained in stillness on this divine bed. Suddenly, I awoke the sound of a hoof striking the floor. "Eh? That sounded like one of those ponies..." I mumbled to myself, my eyes half-opened, not bothering to fully wake up.

"Wait! A pony in the castle?" I yelled out in alarm as I finally realized the potential danger, should a pony really have infiltrated this place. I rolled out of the bed by accident, causing me to slam into the floor. Dusting myself off as I rose up, I bolted towards the door, forgetting to switch on the lights.

Despite the darkness, I didn't manage to trip on something, allowing me to reach the door without much inconvenience. The door creaked as I slowly pushed it open. Warily, I peeked outside the door.

The darkened, long hallway was visibly empty. Only the sound of distant generators humming from a secluded room somewhere was audible. Not even a single sign of a wannabe assassin. Caution and awareness being top priority on my mind, I carefully opened the door further.

"Crap!" I cursed silently as I realized that I had no weapon within reach to defend myself with. Frantically looking around, I turned towards the switch that is probably linked to the lighting system in this room. I reached out for it, but I halted myself from enabling the lights.

"No. That'd be bad. Really bad. The cover of darkness is a vital asset right now, and turning on the lights would make my presence obvious," I scolded myself.

I took a deep breath before taking a single step forwards out the door. "Well, no use just waiting here. I have to find everybody else-" Suddenly, I felt as if an invisible force constrict my body. Looking at my own body, I was stunned to see that some sort of magical green flame coil around me from leg to chest. I gasped in surprise as I was pulled back into the room.

Suddenly, the whole room was illuminated by a fireball of green flame levitating on the middle, allowing me to see my assailant; a slender pony that had a similar physique to Celestia, but slightly shorter.

Unlike Celestia, however, she had a deep dark-gray coat. She featured a dark cerulean mane. The color of her eyes were similar to that of an emerald. Her wings were semi-transparent with a tint of green in them, resembling that of an insect's rather than a pegasus'. Her legs... had holes in them, much like what cheese would have?

She approached me slowly, a glare that inspired fear into me. An atmosphere of predatory nature emanated from her. Opening her mouth to speak, I saw her fangs glistening in the dim, green light.

"Don't even take another step closer!" I said as I stood up. Panting, I tried to regain my composure.

Unfortunately, she decided not to heed my warning, seeing that she took a single step forward, as if challenging me. "Don't make me call my guards!" I lashed out.

"What guards?" she asked with a hint of delinquency in her tone. "Do you mean the guards that I've all tied up and locked up in the dungeons of this castle?"

My shoulder drooped as a the weight of despair was suddenly placed on me upon hearing those dreaded words. "Wha- what? They were all captured?" I spoke out in disbelief.

"They were incompetent, really." She draws closer to me, coercing me into taking a few steps backwards. "They're really unperceptive. All it took was a few well-placed lures, and it didn't take long for them to get knocked out." She chuckles grimly before continuing, "Don't worry. They'll make excellent sources of food for my changelings."

My eyes widen as a feeling of anxiety and absolute fury caused me to shrug off the despair off me. Plunging towards her, I clenched my fist for a punch. "Do you think I'll let you just eat them?!" I yelled out.

She simply stares at me with amused eyes as my fist inched closer towards her face. Just when the punch was about to connect to her face, she sidestepped, easily dodging my blow.

Suddenly, her horn went aglow with a green aura. Seeing this I stepped backwards, raising my arms in a defensive stance. A flash of brilliant green flames caused me to stumble backwards while also making me close my eyes as I winced at the sudden brightness.

Recovering from that, I shot my eyes open. She seemed to have vanished. The spot that she was standing on was empty--not a single trace of her left.

Suddenly, I heard a whistle coming from behind me. Before I could even turn around, I felt myself being thrown to the ground as a powerful kick directed at my back impacted me with brute force.

I faced towards the direction that the attack came from, and shortly enough, I saw that insect-like creature igniting her horn once more for a spell.

I attempted to stand back up, but my face was forced to the ground as the familiar green light grasped me. Suddenly, I was lifted above the ground.

"Idiot," she interrupted herself as she suppressed a laugh with her hoof, "We don't eat our prey. We extract the emotion known as love from them. That's the changeling's source of magic and sustenance." I saw a mischievous smile creep up on her face as she walked towards me. "Though, these fangs aren't just for show. We can eat meat as well."

She chuckles at my helplessness. "Don't worry. I'm just implying that I'm going to eat you. Implying and actually intending on doing something are two very different things."

She reveals a knife that she had sheathed in a scabbard attached to the side of her body. The glowing light forced me into extending my left hand forward. Involuntarily stretching my hand open, I see the knife levitate itself just above my vulnerable hand. My face goes pale at the sight before me.

"You didn't really think that I'd let you go free without a bit of punishment after that attempt on attacking me, did you?" She chuckled as I stare at her in a paralyzed state of fear. "Which one? Which one? Which one?" she repeated in a singsong manner as she hovered her knife from finger to finger.

Without warning, the door slammed open. "My queen, Chrysalis! Reconnaissance have reported that the gryphons are incoming!" Warned a similar, but smaller bug-creature.

I saw this "Chrysalis" character recoil back in astonishment. Unfortunately, due to this, she pushed the knife downwards in instinct. The knife, honed to an extreme extent, cut through my left pinky finger with ease.

I screamed in agony as the finger plopped to the ground, making a small mess of blood around the floor. I also plummeted to the ground as the surprise negated the concentration required in order to maintain the spell.

"Bloody Tartarus!" Chrysalis cursed out rather audibly. "I thought I told you changelings to not surprise me when I am doing something important like this?" she scolded the changeling.

"Now go!" she commanded the changeling. "Please get me something to disinfect the wound, or something!" The changeling complied without any hesitation as he swiftly disappeared from sight.

Turning towards me, she spoke, "Look at me. Hey! Look at me. I am terribly sorry for all this." I stared at her, barely managing to shift my gaze towards her face as the pain basically numbed most of my left hand at this point. "As you can see," she gestures towards the severed finger on the ground, "I am not good at introductions. Just wanted to have some fun, really."

"Fun? Really?" I said in skepticism. "You did all this; captured my subordinates, cut of my finger-"

"To be fair, that was purely by accident. I was really just trying to intimidate you into become my ally, and in all honesty, I was trying to impress you," she swiftly interrupts. "Besides, it'll grow back, right?"

"Do I look like a lizard to you?" I questioned.

"No... but you definitely do not look like anything I've seen before." She bows her head. "Terribly sorry for that presumption."

The door opens once more, revealing a changeling with a bundle of bandages held firmly in his mouth. "My queen, I've retrieved clothing! This should suffice!" Flinging the fabrics towards what I presume to be is the Queen of the Changelings, Chrysalis caught it in her magical vice.

"Alright. I appreciate it. Now get out of here." Turning towards me, she spoke, "Now then, do you want me to bandage that wound, or will you do it personally?"

I shake my head. "No. That won't be necessary." I said as I withdrew the Summoning Grimoire from my black robe. The book sparked purplish fire in my hand.

Soon enough, the bleeding stopped as skin regenerated on the stump that was previously my left pinky. "Good. Like before, it's-" I stopped myself as I suddenly realized that the regeneration ended, but my missing finger was still non-existent. "Oh come on!" I yelled out in frustration and sorrow, "It won't regenerate lost body parts?!"