//------------------------------// // Flame shield UP! Also yeah, great escape. // Story: Shift // by Silver Sea //------------------------------// So, to recap: I now had a squad of changelings probably looking for the K.O.'d guard about to find me, a mare who, despite having the authority to scream and call the guards, etc., does not because she is in love with me, and a body to hide. "Wait, that's a stupid plan. Do you know of any ways to get out and a few blocks away unnoticed?" Thinking about it, it's probably not too smart to take on a highly elite group of ruthless killing soldiers. "Yeah, there's a back door." Pinkie Pie looked at me with a smile of understanding. "Makes sense. Get your personal items and hide them on your person. We're going on a walk." ------------------- "Just act cool. I've cloaked our scent, so I'll go unnoticed, and if they do see us then they'll just see two ponies taking a walk. Do not look around or at them. Look forward on the street or at me. Now, we have to act as if we're a couple. But without drawing too much attention. Understand?" We were hiding behind a hay bale, and I was explaining the escape plan. "Okie-dokie-lokie!" I couldn't just leave her with an unconscious body where a group of soldiers would meet and investigate the house. They would kill her. And she was sort of madly in love with me. I cannot exactly let her die. We stepped out onto the street. "Okay, we have to act obnoxiously couple-y. Look into my eyes and do something cheesy." She looked into my eyes did the first thing that came to her mind. She kissed me. It's like giving a pyromaniac a lighter and a tank of gas. I went along with it. "Okay, now do something else, less kissing. We're trying to get out of town, not make a foal." She did the second thing that came to her mind. She kissed me. And I went along. "Please stop doing that, it's very akwar-" Kiss. Playing along. "Okay, are yo-" Kiss. Playing along. Kiss. Playing along. Kiss. "Stop it." "But wouldn't we draw attention to ourselves?" Kiss. I kissed back, in a playful way. Dammit. Kiss. Kiss back. Kiss. Kiss. We sort of made it out of town just... Kissing. Not really doing anything else besides trotting down the street. The kissing didn't stop. "Okay, we're out of town, you can hold off-" Kiss. "Really, I don't think tha-" Kiss. "Okay, just stop." I put my hoof in front of my mouth. "That was acting, we had to leave, and we're safe now." "That wasn't acting." Pinkie looked at me. Bedroom eyes. "CHRYSALISDAMMIT, MARE! I am a changeling, a war criminal, an enemy of Equestria, a fugitive from basically every country in the world, a murderer, and most likely the death of you. So, in The Hive's name, STOP KISSING ME!" A barrage of words shot from my mouth like gunfire. "Mmm... Nah." She stole another peck on my lips. "Okay... Okay... Okay... I don't know how to say this... I do not like you how you like me. Because I am a changeling, and you are essentially a minor deity of laughter." I decided to take a slower approach. "So what?" I froze for a second. "Wait... what?" "Well, what does it matter that you nearly killed me? I forgive you! What does it matter that you're a changeling?" "...What?" "It doesn't matter who you were, but who you are. And you," she poked me on the heart, "are Stellar Shift, a pretty good baker and my neighbor. I can tell it's not just another identity. It's you." "...You... I don't understand you. You love the enemy." "Wrong. I love you." Kiss.