When Worlds Collide

[Azure Dawn 224]

While she avoided the gazes of the other two ponies, lilely looking a little cold, Sapphire's gaze didn't seem to bother her. That said, she produced a warm smile upon hearing the response, confirming she was right. That was a little less awkward...

"Alright, In that case... The way to the throne room isn't much of a secret, even though the main gates are locked. I think you can catch a few seconds with the princess at least. Just follow me."

Thus she walked past the little group, making sure they followed before continuing into the crowd. Eventually, they left the packed lobby behind, seemingly getting lost in the hallways... Until they found themselves in front of an inconspicuous door in a completely deserted area, almost merged with the wall. It'd be hard to find if you had no idea where to look...

"Alright, this leads directly to the throne rooms. Do you have your speech ready?"

[Saphire Systrine 209]

Saphire followed along, her eyes flashing periodically as they turned each corner. As they approached the door, Saphire stopped.

1 hour ago, Azure Dawn said:

"Alright, this leads directly to the throne rooms. Do you have your speech ready?"

"Thank you for the directions, as... un-ordinary as they were," she stated politely, "I do not have a 'speech', just some data. If you would like to tag along you may."

Before they went on, Saphire pulled out a gem from her saddlebag and tossed it towards Azure Dawn.

"For your efforts," she winked.

Going through the door, they found themselves directly in front of the throne room doors, the security gates to their sides down the hallway. The passageway must have been some sort of guard passage for certain circumstances. The Throne Room doors towered before them, etched with various solar and lunar symbols, fantastically large gems adorning the face. The center showed the emblem of the two sisters, night and day, dark and light, in perfect harmony.

With only the slightest of umphs did Saphire unceremoniously push open the doors... maybe with too much force as they swung full and hit the walls, making the room practically shake with the loud reverberation.

"I thought I said no visitors!" came the harsh tone of Celestia, not on her throne, but in the office behind the throne room. She emerged with frustrated clip clops.

"Solara..." Saphire greeted, addressing Celestia with a stern face. There was that weird intonation again. Why did she do that with that word alone? And why did she call Celestia "Solara"? Those questions had to be put aside as the two continued conversing.

"Ah, Saphire Systrine... what a delight to meet you again. It's been quite a while," Celestia greeted, her attitude immediately changing to the diplomatic mask she always wore "How long has it been? Two hundred, three hundred years maybe?" she reckonded as she tapped her hoof on her chin. She scanned the others with Saphire, but otherwise paid them no attention.

"A year. Only a year," Saphire responded, unamused, "What, are you finally getting dementia?"

"Am I?" Celestia chucked, "I can't tell anymore. With the gala happening right before important diplomatic proceedings, I've been quite busy." The ponies tagging along with Saphire were confused at what their princess was talking about. Usually those kinds of things were major news. Maybe there was some reason to keep it secret? Maybe it was related to the magic issue?

"Yeah well so have I, monitoring your planet," responded the pink and blue pony with seriousness, "Ley levels have significantly decreased within the boarders of Equestria. If you wish to see the data I'll give it to you. But this is important, as you and I both know equestrian infrastructure relies on ley energy to maintain it..."

Saphire stopped and glanced at the wall behind Celestia. Without any regard, she pushed past her and examined what looked to be quite the large crack shoddily plastered over. Celestia looked at her with just the slightest hint of nervousness.

"Looks like you already know... why haven't you done anything about it," Saphire criticized, turning back to the princess. Now that the two were standing next to each other, it was apparent to the others that Saphire was considerably taller than your average pony, though she still was not as tall as the Princess of the Day. Straightening up, Celestia answered her accusatory tone.

"I appreciate your concern but our scientists are still working on a solution. We don't wish to cause a panic, hence our silence on the manner. You know your way around leytech, why don't I take you and your posse for a small tour of the research sector where we're working this out? Maybe you can provide us with useful insight, as you always do."

The offer took Saphire by surprise. "Sure."
She motioned to the ponies behind her to follow, slowing down to put some distance between Celestia and their group so they could converse.

[Tinker Twinkle]

Much of the conversation between Celestia and Saphire went over Tinker's head. It seemed that the two were more familiar with each other than Tinker was aware of. Saphire continued to do and say things that puzzled Tinker, but he could understand why the general public was not aware of the situation involving the ley levels. 

On 2024-12-14 at 12:16 AM, Saphire Systrine said:

The offer took Saphire by surprise. "Sure."
She motioned to the ponies behind her to follow, slowing down to put some distance between Celestia and their group so they could converse.

"So uh, what happens now?" Tinker asked.

[Silly Druid 7,400]

Stardust gathered some interesting nuggets of information from the conversation between Saphire and Celestia:

1. The name "Solara" seems appropriate for Celestia, as the Princess of the Sun, although, as far as he knew, it was never used to address the Princess.
2. Saphire is probably very old, and has a lifespan similar to Celestia and Luna.
3. She used the term "your planet", which means she probably lied to them earlier about being from the same planet.
4. Saphire was treating Celestia as her equal at most. Which means she is probably a very important figure, and coming from another planet, no less! So once more Stardust got the feeling that maybe himself and Tinker were meddling with issues that are too big for simple ponies like the two of them. However, with their scientific and engineering backgrounds, perhaps they could provide some insights about these problems...

He didn't say anything though, and followed the others to the research sector.

Edited December 16, 2024 by Silly Druid

[Saphire Systrine 209]

On 2024-12-15 at 11:12 PM, Tinker Twinkle said:

"So uh, what happens now?" Tinker asked.

  "Now we follow," she said out loud. But then she turned, her expression conveying another attitude entirely, "Stay on guard," she whispered, just barely audible over the reverberating clip-clops of their hooves. Why Saphire would say that was a mystery, as was much about the mare, but her face wasn't concerned, more... suspicious of something. But of what? It wouldnt be Celestia, so maybe she's suspicious about the magitech? That is the crux of the issue, after all.

@Silly Druid, @Skylight Scintillate, @Azure Dawn, and @Saphire Systrine followed the Princess of the Day as she led them out of the throne room and through the quiet winding halls of Canterlot Castle. With each turn, the sounds of the Gala grew more and more distant until they were silenced completely as they descended a flight of stairs into the lower regions of the castle. After a few turns was another small flight of stairs. The ponies trotted down the stone steps into a wider room, but their vision was impaired by the fact the only source of light was the dim stairway lamps. Saphire stepped forward and was suddenly met by the razor-sharp spears of the Royal Guard. The guards immediately flanked the group on all sides, blocking the stairway with similarly armed pegasi. The room fell eerily still until Celestia's voice rang ahead of them.

"Please, dont mind the company," she said, her voice sweet and gentle, "they are but a precaution. Please, step forward and we will begin the decontamination. All clothing and accessories will be confiscated for the duration of the visit to ensure no foreign material enters the science sector," she explained curtly, particularly eyeing Saphire when she said 'foreign material'.

With that, a door opened before them, the room beyond a bright white that was difficult to make out due to the contrast with the dark room.

Edited January 9 by Saphire Systrine

[Tinker Twinkle]

On 2025-01-09 at 6:08 AM, Saphire Systrine said:

  "Now we follow," she said out loud. But then she turned, her expression conveying another attitude entirely, "Stay on guard," she whispered, just barely audible over the reverberating clip-clops of their hooves. Why Saphire would say that was a mystery, as was much about the mare, but her face wasn't concerned, more... suspicious of something. But of what? It wouldnt be Celestia, so maybe she's suspicious about the magitech? That is the crux of the issue, after all.

Tinker would momentarily flinch in confusion over what Saphire whispered. However, with the group quickly moving on, he would follow the others. 

On 2025-01-09 at 6:08 AM, Saphire Systrine said:

 

"Please, dont mind the company," she said, her voice sweet and gentle, "they are but a precaution. Please, step forward and we will begin the decontamination. All clothing and accessories will be confiscated for the duration of the visit to ensure no foreign material enters the science sector," she explained curtly, particularly eyeing Saphire when she said 'foreign material'.

With that, a door opened before them, the room beyond a bright white that was difficult to make out due to the contrast with the dark room.

"Oh, yeah, that, that makes sense..." Tinker replied as he entered the room with the rest of the group. He wondered what could be going on that needed such secrecy. 

[Silly Druid 7,400]

Stardust parted with his suit without much regret. He realized some time ago that this Gala would be unlike any other, with life-changing mysteries revealed to them instead of a dance party, so that attire wouldn't be appropriate for the occasion anyway.

[Saphire Systrine 209]

Saphire began to disrobe along with the others, placing the crown and head ornaments in a basket the guards provided and moving to unlatch her saddlebags. The moment she undid the strap on her back, it was as if the bags simply vanished, sending some gems and the device she had previously used clattering to the floor unceremoniously. In the place of the saddle bags were two very real wings, speckled with what appeared to be faint blue freckles. She finished removing the dress and waited for the others. No longer covered in cloak or dress, her flanks finally revealed a large crescent-shaped cutie mark that seemed to have an almost metallic sheen to it. Though one would have usually been able to observe gender-revealing anatomy adjacent to that area, absolutely none was present, just the same fur as any other part of her body. Was she even a her?

She picked up the items with her mouth and placed them into the basket, and only then did she turn to look at the others.

[Azure Dawn 224]

lagging slightly behind, Azure had safely stored the gem into her dress's single hidden pocket, seeming content with the unusual gift. She does appreciate a little treasure from time to time. Normally she would have excused herself after this, but She found herself caught in the conversation between Sapphire and Celestia, Trying to draft the situation in her mind. Unlike the other two she hadn't heard of Ley levels or anything of the sort. Thus she quietly tagged along, being last in line down the stairs.

Once they met the guards, she simply smiled at them, despite being obviously threatened by their spears. There were no complaints about having to undress either, revealing her cutie mark... Depicting a single pillow in the night sky. She mentally prepared herself for more incomprehensible technology...

[Tinker Twinkle]

When Tinker finished undressing himself, he glanced over at the others. He was quite surprised to see what was going on with Saphire. It seemed like the more Saphire revealed about herself (themself?), the more questions Tinker had. Saphire's biology didn't seem to match any species in Equestria that Tinker knew of. Tinker was 95% sure that Saphire wasn't from Equestria. However, now wasn't the time to be asking questions about Saphire. 

"So what's going on? How could we fix this?" Tinker asked once the group was finished undressing and ready to proceed.

Edited February 9 by Skylight Scintillate

[Silly Druid 7,400]

Stardust was in shock after seeing Saphire's true (?) form. He didn't say anything. He didn't even know what to think about it. He just waited in silence for the decontamination procedures to take place.

[Saphire Systrine 209]

On 2025-02-08 at 10:08 PM, Tinker Twinkle said:

"So what's going on? How could we fix this?"

"Whatever do you mean, my little pony?" the sun ruler asked. Unlike the others, she merely stood there. Her regalia remained on. Pressing her hoof to a button next to the door, she waited as the external air was replaced with the cleaned internal air. Next, she reached for a lever adjacent to the button but stopped.

"This may hurt a bit. We need to disable all of your magic, as it can interfere with our equipment," she explained. With a thunk she pulled the lever down. For everyone but Twinkle a searing pain shot through their bodies. When the headache-inducing feeling subsided, the ponies gathered their bearings.

"You're not a pony, aren't you?" Celestia asked as she turned to face Tinker Twinkle. @Skylight Scintillate

[Tinker Twinkle]

20 hours ago, Saphire Systrine said:

"You're not a pony, aren't you?" Celestia asked as she turned to face Tinker Twinkle.

"Not really," Tinker shrugged nonchalantly. The magic blocking had a different effect on Tinker compared to the others. In place of the bright yellow unicorn now stood a lime-colored buggo. While spotting a changeling might have been cause for concern way back when, Tinker didn't seem particularly fazed. Thorax had made significant inroads in establishing cordial relationships between changelings and ponies, and Tinker was a citizen of Equestria like the others. He didn't exactly hide the fact that he was a changeling, either. Those who knew him decently well (like Stardust) would have known. He just preferred presenting as a unicorn. 

[Saphire Systrine 209]

6 hours ago, Skylight Scintillate said:

"Not really," Tinker shrugged nonchalantly. The magic blocking had a different effect on Tinker compared to the others. In place of the bright yellow unicorn now stood a lime-colored buggo. While spotting a changeling might have been cause for concern way back when, Tinker didn't seem particularly fazed. Thorax had made significant inroads in establishing cordial relationships between changelings and ponies, and Tinker was a citizen of Equestria like the others. He didn't exactly hide the fact that he was a changeling, either. Those who knew him decently well (like Stardust) would have known. He just preferred presenting as a unicorn. 

"Well if you wouldn't mind, I need you to go with my guards to another area. Your magical signature remains as a latent part of your biology, we wouldn't want that to damage the sensitive equipment, would we?" Celestia said in a motherly tone. Nodding to her guards, the choice was made and Tinker was led through the door down the hallway. Turning to Azure, Stardust, and Saphire, she motioned for them to follow her down a different path.

"Don't worry, your friend will be safe. Maybe he can help us with some... other things," she posited as she led the group. Saphire remained silent, her eyes locked onto Celestia.

[Silly Druid 7,400]

The painful removal of his magic wasn't a pleasant experience for Stardust, but he managed to keep a straight face through the entire process. He knew Tinker was a changeling, but didn't expect it would cause this kind of problems. "Don't worry, I'll tell you everything later!", he said, parting with his friend. Then he followed with the others, curious what revelations await him...

Edited March 9 by Silly Druid

[Tinker Twinkle]

On 2025-03-08 at 9:11 PM, Saphire Systrine said:

"Well if you wouldn't mind, I need you to go with my guards to another area. Your magical signature remains as a latent part of your biology, we wouldn't want that to damage the sensitive equipment, would we?"

"Well um, ok then..." Tinker shrugged. He wasn't really sure where this was going, but there wasn't exactly much he could do except trust Celestia, so he would follow along. 

On 2025-03-09 at 6:01 PM, Silly Druid said:

"Don't worry, I'll tell you everything later!"

"Yeah, I'll let you know anything I find out as well," Tinker replied.

[Saphire Systrine 209]

The large metal door shut with a loud reverberation, and just as it did @Skylight Scintillate Tinker felt the poke of a spear behind his head.

"Move, bug," the guard demanded rudely. The guard led Tinker further into the facility, and eventually to what looked like a set of holding cells. Each cell contained some kind of magical creature, everything ranging from cockatrice to manticore, all locked behind thick steel doors with thick viewing windows. Deeper into the hall of cells, though, he noticed other fellow races. Dragons, hippogriffs, griffons, and even a set of the three pony races. The ponies in particular looked like they were in horrible shape, but Tinker didn't get enough time to fully inspect them before he was shoved into the cell next to them.

This development didn't bode well at all. Was the two-faced treatment going to reveal itself upon his friends?

"The Princess will see you soon, keep your mouth shut and you may get a meal tonight," the lead guard gruffly said as the door was slammed shut.

Four cinder block walls and a steel door encased Tinker. Attached to one of the walls was a steel sink with a floor toilet below, the rest of the floor was solid dark concrete. Above was a bright light made of a technology he had not seen before, and next to it was an intake vent and output vent, fastened securely. It had pea-sized holes to pass air rather than the slats usually used on such vents.

His friends could be in danger.

Edited March 22 by Saphire Systrine

[Tinker Twinkle]

18 hours ago, Saphire Systrine said:

"Move, bug," the guard demanded rudely.

"H-hey! What gives?" Tinker stammered. "I didn't do anything wrong!"

However, he would comply with the guard's orders to avoid being poked by their spears again.

18 hours ago, Saphire Systrine said:

Deeper into the hall of cells, though, he noticed other fellow races. Dragons, hippogriffs, griffons, and even a set of the three pony races. The ponies in particular looked like they were in horrible shape, but Tinker didn't get enough time to fully inspect them before he was shoved into the cell next to them.

Tinker didn't need to examine them closely realize something was off here. He could tell from their emotions. However, he didn't have much time to think about what was going on here, as he was shoved in a cell soon afterwards.

18 hours ago, Saphire Systrine said:

Tinker didn't get enough time to fully inspect them before he was shoved into the cell next to them.

"The Princess will see you soon, keep your mouth shut and you may get a meal tonight," the lead guard gruffly said as the door was slammed shut.

"What's going on here? I want to speak to an attorney about this!" Tinker protested.

18 hours ago, Saphire Systrine said:

Four cinder block walls and a steel door encased Tinker. Attached to one of the walls was a steel sink with a floor toilet below, the rest of the floor was solid dark concrete. Above was a bright light made of a technology he had not seen before, and next to it was an intake vent and output vent, fastened securely. It had pea-sized holes to pass air rather than the slats usually used on such vents.

Tinker would try to assess the situation that he was in. He would glance around the cell that he was in, making note of anything he could potentially take apart or use to escape. As a tinkerer and engineer, he was used to taking apart things and putting them back together. 

Then, he would move on to evaluating potential escape options. He would examine the door, trying to figure out how it opened, whether there were any openings in it, and if there were any potential weaknesses in its design. 

He would also examine the vents and the sink, trying to figure out how they worked and whether they could potentially be used to his advantage. 

Finally, if he it was likely that he could talk to the other cellmates without the guards overhearing, he would try to ask them about what is going on.

"Hey uh, what's going on here?" Tinker would ask if he was confident the guards wouldn't overhear. 

[Saphire Systrine 209]

"Come to the door crack, we can talk better through there," came a voice from outside his cell. Across the hall was a hippogriff. He pointed down towards the air flow space under the door, then squatted down, vanishing from the window, "You'll need to hurry, the guards to rounds every 3 minutes, which is overkill if you ask me."

[Skylight Scintillate 2,110]

2 hours ago, Saphire Systrine said:

"Come to the door crack, we can talk better through there," came a voice from outside his cell. Across the hall was a hippogriff. He pointed down towards the air flow space under the door, then squatted down, vanishing from the window, "You'll need to hurry, the guards to rounds every 3 minutes, which is overkill if you ask me."

Wow, every three minutes? That's not a lot of time to work with. Just what is going on here?

Tinker quietly shuffled up to the door. "Uum, hello. So um, what do you know?" Tinker asked, making sure to be just loud enough for the hippogriff to hear and nobody else.

[Saphire Systrine 209]

1 hour ago, Skylight Scintillate said:

Wow, every three minutes? That's not a lot of time to work with. Just what is going on here?

Tinker quietly shuffled up to the door. "Uum, hello. So um, what do you know?" Tinker asked, making sure to be just loud enough for the hippogriff to hear and nobody else.

"Honestly not much. Kidnapped, taken here. For the first day I was passed out and woke up with all these wounds all over my body, but then they never came back," The hippogriff started to explain in a low voice, "They do for the others though. Those three ponies have had it rough, they get taken almost every day. I try to talk to them but they're just too weak, only get a word or so out of them. Something about copying magic or something..."

Aside from their voices, the only other sounds were the whimpering ponies in the cell next to Tinker.

[Skylight Scintillate 2,110]

1 hour ago, Saphire Systrine said:

"Honestly not much. Kidnapped, taken here. For the first day I was passed out and woke up with all these wounds all over my body, but then they never came back," The hippogriff started to explain in a low voice, "They do for the others though. Those three ponies have had it rough, they get taken almost every day. I try to talk to them but they're just too weak, only get a word or so out of them. Something about copying magic or something..."

Aside from their voices, the only other sounds were the whimpering ponies in the cell next to Tinker.

"...copying magic..." Tinker thought out loud. "Hey uum, sorry, what's your name? If we're going to be talking, we might as well know each other's names, I suppose. I'm Tinker by the way. However, to the point I wanted to ask: am I the only changeling in here?" Tinker asked quietly. He tried to recall if he saw multiple individuals of the same species on the way over. 

Tinker couldn't help but wonder if this copying magic was that this hippogriff mentioned was related to the problem with the magic taxes and the ley lines that he was investigating in Ponyville earlier today. 

The more Tinker stayed around in this prison, the less he liked it. He didn't exactly like the idea of being poked and prodded by guards to examine his magic.

Given there wasn't much Tinker could do here, he decided he might as well think out loud with the hippogriff and see if they could learn anything new. However, he would pause after every sentence to ensure that no guards could eavesdrop on their conversation. 

"Hmm, I think I know some stuff, but first, who do you trust here? Do you trust the guards here? What about Princess Celestia? Do you think they are hiding something? You didn't do anything that could have caused you to end up in this situation? Because one minute, I was at the Grand Galloping Gala, and the next minute, I'm here."

"Have you seen a species here that looks like an alicorn, but like they have eyes with no pupils? But they have canines? And also, umm, how do I put it, like, they have no gender?"

"So I think I might know some stuff here. Earlier today, I was investigating a problem with the magic taxes and the ley lines in Ponyville. Do you think that this copying of magic could be related to this?"

"What kinds of tests are the guards doing that they have to put intelligent species in cells like this? What do you think they are trying to do here?"

"The guards claim to give meals and that Princess Celestia would be visiting soon. Have those things happened to you, or are the guards lying? What are the guards like?"

"What do you think of Princess Twilight? What about Shining Armor or Princess Cadence?"

"What do you think they know about hippogriffs and hippogriff magic?"

"How long have you been here? Have you observed any notable developments or changes that have happened here since that time?"

"Why do you think they are keeping you here?"

"Is communicating with anybody outside of here other than the guards possible? Have you been able to contact your attorney?"

"Have you been to Canterlot before? Where are you from? What's it like where you're from?"

"I don't see any windows here, so how do you keep track of time? Do the guards use clocks?"

[Saphire Systrine 209]

"Names Ramfin, though I used to just be called Fin before I got my title," he said, introducing himself, "Nice to meet you Tinker, wish it was in better circumstances."

15 hours ago, Skylight Scintillate said:

However, to the point I wanted to ask: am I the only changeling in here?

"I believe so, you're the first I ever saw brought in. Maybe its because those changelings really know how to defend their hive. You didnt come straight from the hive did you?"

The mention of the hive being defensive brought some interesting yet startling implications. It was already established that the creatures here had been kidnapped, but to try and make blatant moves like attacking the hive? That doesn't sound very Equestrian. Tinker never heard any news about this, then again, news from the hive doesnt exactly travel to the small town of Ponyville very fast.

16 hours ago, Skylight Scintillate said:

"Hmm, I think I know some stuff, but first, who do you trust here? Do you trust the guards here? What about Princess Celestia? Do you think they are hiding something? You didn't do anything that could have caused you to end up in this situation? Because one minute, I was at the Grand Galloping Gala, and the next minute, I'm here."

"If you ask me I don't trust a single one of these thugs, not even the Princesses. Not after how I saw them treat the others, treating their own ponies like prey."

Ramfin tried to keep up with Tinker's bombardment of questions the best he could.

16 hours ago, Skylight Scintillate said:

"Have you seen a species here that looks like an alicorn, but like they have eyes with no pupils? But they have canines? And also, umm, how do I put it, like, they have no gender?"

"I got not idea what you're talkin about bud."

16 hours ago, Skylight Scintillate said:

"So I think I might know some stuff here. Earlier today, I was investigating a problem with the magic taxes and the ley lines in Ponyville. Do you think that this copying of magic could be related to this?"

"I dont know, they dont say anything."

16 hours ago, Skylight Scintillate said:

"The guards claim to give meals and that Princess Celestia would be visiting soon. Have those things happened to you, or are the guards lying? What are the guards like?"

"If by meals you mean some weird synthesized snot then sure. Keeps us alive but thats about it. And no, I've not seen Celestia much, mostly Luna. When did you see Celestia?"

 

16 hours ago, Skylight Scintillate said:

"What do you think of Princess Twilight? What about Shining Armor or Princess Cadence?"

"Uhh..." Ramfin didnt know what he was talking about. Seems he was not familiar with Equestria's leaders, so he may have been taken straight from his homeland. If so, does that confirm they were trying to capture changelings from the hive as well?

Soon the torrent of questions had become overwhelming for Ramfin, so he shushed Tinker. Right as Tinker stopped a door could be heard opening, and the sound of metallic hooves reverberated through the hallway. Within a minute or so, a guard was looking into Tinker's cell.

"Get up and get out here," the guard barked as the door opened. The guard prodded Tinker with his spear down the hall. Beyond a door with absolutely no window was another maze of hallways, just like the ones Tinker had seen when he was with his group.

Just as with the cell, he was unceremoniously shoved into a surprisingly empty, dark room. Suddenly the room was blindingly bright before Tinker's eyes could adjust. In the center of the room was just a drain, the concrete around it stained a slightly red hue.

"So tell me," came the low voice of a dark-blue alicorn he hadn't noticed standing in the corner, "What do you know about Saphire Systrine?"

The alicorn, who must have been Luna, slowly walked forward. Her gaze was unrecognizable. Cold maybe? Either way, it was unsettling, utterly lacking the warmth Celestia had.

[Tinker Twinkle]

Even though Ramfin wasn't able to answer all of Tinker's questions, Tinker still gained a better idea of what was going on here. He did not like it.

1 hour ago, Saphire Systrine said:

"So tell me," came the low voice of a dark-blue alicorn he hadn't noticed standing in the corner, "What do you know about Saphire Systrine?"

"Oh, um, Saphire Systrine? I only met her earlier today. I don't know that much about her. She didn't tell me much about herself," Tinker replied. He shivered nervously under Luna's gaze.

[Saphire Systrine 209]

2 hours ago, Skylight Scintillate said:

"Oh, um, Saphire Systrine? I only met her earlier today. I don't know that much about her. She didn't tell me much about herself," Tinker replied. He shivered nervously under Luna's gaze.

"Really now," said the princess in a cold tone, her eyes still unsettlingly emotionless, "You have thirty seconds to begin talking, or I will… encourage you to talk."

Tinker didnt have many options here. He could say what he knows, which wasnt much, something she probably wouldnt like, or say nothing. As his instincts begin to kick in, he can feel that he has the ability to transform. Maybe that is an option as well.