//------------------------------// // The Trek // Story: Trapped // by Gylden Glor //------------------------------// One week. That's how long we've been walking now. Trekking through the forest, and a small swamp, all while feeding off of the land. Now, we're in a small village, and after a quick explanation (lie) as to why we're walking all the way to Canterlot, we were able to stay the night. And I want to fly ahead. I want to fly ahead to Canterlot and get a chariot and save us from all the trouble we've been going through. And I know that Metamorpha is right. And under any other circumstances, I would be perfectly fine with leaving Peter here: he's safe. Hay, I would've left him at the crash site and gotten a chariot. The only thing is that I can't. Not yet... I raise my head to look over at "Moss Rain", and I see that she's sound asleep, which is a relief. She hasn't been sleeping so well recently, and it's obvious as to why. Then I look down at Peter. He's fast asleep, with his head resting on my shoulder, and one of his arms wrapped around the wing I have holding him in a tight grip. I smile to myself as he takes deep breaths, and kiss him on the crown of his head. He seems so...docile. So...peaceful. So...weak. And yet, I know what he's capable of. I've seen him turn a group of Diamond Dog raiders into nothing but ash and dust: I know full well what he's capable of... But when we're not in danger...When nothing is actually happening...He's the same Peter that stayed with me in the hospital. The same gentle, caring individual. The same Peter that I fell in love with - which is quite a relief. Because if he had actually changed into the Peter I saw when he killed those Diamond Dogs...The cold, calculating, ruthless, violent Peter...I think I would go crazy. My mind drifts to the unicorn sleeping in the other room, and I frown as I hope that she's okay. I close my eyes as I remember what happened, and for the first time since it happened, I feel at peace. Earlier that Day... "Alright," Peter sighs. "I think it's about time we scout out this area, before we end up getting even more hopelessly lost...Try to find a road of some sort, alright?" "Got it," I announce, waiting for further instruction. "And Metamorpha, see if you can find any traces of love - it might mark a village of some sort." "Good idea," the Changeling Princess responds. "If either of you find anything, just call my name. I'll be scouting for Virals. Be careful, you two." Metamorpha and I nod, and immediately set upon searching: Metamorpha with her horn, and me with my eyes. I decide to go West, to see if there's a road that we can follow, and Metamorpha goes North to search for any towns closer to our destination. "Rainbow Dash," Peter announces, bringing me to a pause. "Remember what I taught you." "Right," I respond, before continuing on my search. I keep going through the forest, keeping in mind what Peter taught me: that every single living being has a power that they can tap into. He taught me how to tap into my own power, but it's really hard to do: all I can do is slow down something that's chasing me. I'm nowhere near as powerful as Peter yet... About a half hour later, I stop as I come to a clearing, and decide to use it as a point of reference. I look to my left and right, and realize that it's actually a really big clearing: it stretches all the way to the Northern edge of the forest, and then a few meters south before turning. I look up, and find that the forest continued to grow unhindered a few yards above me: it's almost like a giant tunnel. Huh...Weird for nature to make a clearing like this. Normally they're not as narrow and long. Maybe an elephant stampeded through here, or a- Ohhhh.... "Peter!" I shout out, blushing a bit at my own idiocy. A few minutes later, he emerges from the underbrush: he would've flown to see if there were any Virals chasing us, but he wouldn't be able to see them past the canopy. "Alright, good," he mutters. "I'll get-" That's when Metamorpha comes onto the road, and nods to us. "I heard her shout for you. Obviously, you found a road..." Peter nods. "Did you find anything? Like, feel any love?" "I thought I felt something, but I couldn't be sure," she responds with a sigh. "I wasn't exactly willing to actively search for love, lest I accidentally absorb some of it and cause harm..." Peter nods, and points towards the North. "Well, let's get a move-on, guys." We both nod, and we continue walking. The thick of the forest is a few hours behind us, and now it's mostly underbrush and a few larger trees: any village nearby probably got their lumber from here. As we continue walking, the trees grow more sparse, and eventually, we find ourselves leaving it behind. Another two hours of walking, and all that's left to remind us that we left a forest are several tree stumps. The road we're walking ends up going straight through a hill: undoubtedly, this was made for caravans. We decide to go above it, lest the infrastructure be faulty: we're not prepared for a cave-in. A few moments later, we've reached the apex of the hill, and we can see a small town a few miles ahead. "That's not that far," Peter announces, cracking his neck as he takes a fruit out of the makeshift bag he has strapped to his back. "Either of you hungry?" Both Metamorpha and I are, so we take a break for some lunch. Once that's done, we continue on our way, and I sigh as I realize that this is probably going to be another three or four hours of walking until we get to the town... I'm about to insist that we try to make some sort of signal for the town when I hear a distant shout. Metamorpha and Peter hear it, as well, as all three of us turn to look at its source. Just inside the tunnel we have left behind, there's an overturned caravan with a few Diamond Dogs viciously attacking it. Peter immediately takes off after it, undoubtedly to help whoever it is that's being victimized. "Hey!" He barks. I follow behind, ready to fight by his side as he readies his hands. All I've seen of his power so far is of him killing that Viral back at the crash site: besides that, I don't know what he's capable of. All I know is that he's slightly more powerful than I am. Well, that, and I shouldn't be fighting right now, what with...well...you know... "Oh, look, the three that were smart enough to avoid us," one of the Diamond Dogs hiss. "How about we kill them, and take their valuables?" "One of 'em is a Changeling, boss," another one of the Diamond Dogs announces. "Yer' gonna want t' be careful." "Please, we can handle 'em," the "boss" responds. I do a quick head count: there are nine in total. "C'mon, Peter," I urge. "We can take 'em!" "Be right back," he announces. With that, he jumps forward, and disappears. And then reappears, an injured unicorn in his arms. "Watch after her," he announces. "I'll take care of them." I look down at the blue unicorn, and frown. I know her. I turn my attention back to the tunnel, and watch as Peter slowly walks towards it as if he has all the time in the world. "Good evening," I hear him announce. "Now, I don't like the way you were treating that pony. So, I'm going to have to kill you." "Boss, this thing's weird," one of the Diamond Dogs mutters in caution. I start to apply pressure to my...acquaintances' wounds. "Eh, fuck it," the boss snarls as he points. "Kill 'im, Rosco." "On it." One of the Diamond Dogs runs forward, and leaps at Peter. However, it doesn't make it far: Peter grabs it by the head, turns, and slams the bandit right into the ground. Then, holding out his hand, he sends out a beam of energy, and leaves nothing but a smoldering crater. "Now, you can run or attack, but either way, I'll kill you." "Peter, you can stop now!" I shout, frowning as I realize what he's planning. "You don't have to kill them!" "Get 'im!" The boss shouts. That's when I remember how stupid Diamond Dogs are... "Yeah, go ahead, kill them," I announce, rolling my eyes as I decide to take a load off. I've never seen Peter fight before, so this should be interesting... "Rainbow, d'you think I should overkill them or toy with them?" He shouts as he dodges each of the attacks the eight remaining Diamond Dogs go at him with. "Overkill!" I shout back, accepting the fact that he's going to kill them: I may have to kill a Viral one day, so I forced myself to get used to it. That, and it's not like I'm in any position to stop him... "Got it!" He shouts, taking a large leap backwards. "Think I should melee them or blast 'em?" "Both!" I respond, assuming that he needs work on both aspects. "'K!" He takes a stance, and shouts a word I've never heard before. "Kaioken!" "Kaiowhat?" Metamorpha mutters. A raging blast of red fire appears around Peter, and he grins as he launches himself forward at incredible speeds. And that's when he changes. By overkill, I thought he meant just being a bit stronger than the Diamond Dogs. But he completely annihilates them. He punches straight through the first Diamond Dog's chest, and lets it fall, lifeless. The second Diamond Dog, he skirts around and turns to dust with a single energy blast. The third is taken out by a kick to the head, and I almost lose my meager lunch as an eyeball flies out of the resulting mess. I have to steel myself for a few moments before looking back to the scene, and by the time that I do, he has the seventh Diamond Dog under his foot. He pushes down, and crushes the animals' spine, and its spinal chord. "Are you ready to die?" He asks the boss, his voice cold and cruel. It sends a chill down my spine to know that he could be this ruthless... "I'll never die!" The boss shouts before lunging. Wow. Any misgivings I had about killing these things are gone in an instant. And, like I said before, I may have to kill a Viral one day, so Peter said I should get used to watching him kill things. Which is why I'm starting to think this is more for my benefit than it is his. Peter punches the boss in the stomach, and throws it high into the air, still alive and with bile coming out of its mouth. He cups his hands by his side, and starts to shout. "Ka...Me..." He points his hands upwards. "Ha...Me..." A blue ball of light appears in his hands, and I perk up as I watch. I mean, I knew he was powerful, but judging by the size of that ball, he is incredibly powerful... "HA!!" He shouts, sending out a rather large beam of blue energy that immediately vaporizes the Diamond Dogs' body. Nothing is left: not even a speck of dust. "Well," Peter announces as he returns, "that was entertaining." I frown as I look at the mess, and that's when the hard truth hits me: he murdered these Diamond Dogs. I know that I said that I'm used to death, but...he just...he just took them out! No remorse! "Peter," I mutter, my eyes widening as I take in the destruction and blood, "you murdered all of them..." 'It's called justice," he immediately responds. "I know you didn't notice amidst all the action, but I managed to get this belt from the boss." He shows the belt to me, and I almost barf right there. It's a ring of pony skulls. "I'm going to bring them into that town to see if they belong to anypony's loved one. That way, they can at least bury something." "How will they be able to tell?" I ask, forcing myself not to look as he examines the belt. "Don't worry," he responds. "I've got it covered." He stuffs the belt into his backpack, and turns to the blue unicorn. "She's not badly hurt," he announces, running his hand over her body in search of broken bones. "And I don't want to waste any more energy on healing her...I used quite a lot in that fight, even though I shouldn't have..." He sighs as he shakes his head. "I think I went a bit too overboard with that..." I grunt in response, and he looks up at me with a frown. "I didn't...Scare you, did I? With everything I did?" I frown as the gentle Peter responds. One second, he's ruthlessly murdering those Diamond Dogs - he may call it justice, but I still call it murder - and now, he's making sure that he didn't alienate me... "A bit," I admit. "You didn't have to kill all of them, you know...You could've just knocked them out..." "But then, they would be able to kill more ponies," her reminds me. "If I wanted to stop them from killing, I had to kill all of them. I know, it sucks, but...It's the same thing you may have to do one day." I nod, and he looks down before picking up the unicorn. "Now, come on. We'll stay the night in that town, and then see her off..." I nod, and we make our way to the town in silence. I keep a bit of distance from Peter, but inside I know that what he said is true...And besides, it was totally awesome how he did it... But that's what's sort of worrying me. I mean, I'm okay with killing those who kill, but the way he slaughtered them like that...I know I should probably be disgusted. Besides, I've always told Peter not to kill the innocent animals that he now hunts! It's one of my more set-in-stone principles that you shouldn't kill anypony, or anything! I mean, I'm in awe of his power, but...shouldn't I be afraid of how he killed them? If I'm so against killing innocent animals, then why did I have no problem watching him kill those Diamond Dogs? Yeah, it was brutal, but that made it really cool... Maybe it's because they weren't innocent... Whatever. Right now, even if I'm sort of confused and angry at Peter, I've got to keep walking with him: we've all got to get back to Canterlot. If anything, I can just confront him about it later... About a mile before the town, Peter tells Metamorpha to change. He lets her feed off of the love between the two of us for the transformation, and she only takes a very small amount, claiming it's all she needs to hold a disguise for twenty four hours. She immediately changes into a green Pegasus mare with blue hair and a raindrop Cutie Mark named Moss Rain. When we reach the town, the sun is starting to set. Peter and "Moss Rain" immediately set out to find an inn, and I go about finding out about the Diamond Dog bandits. When I find that there was a bounty on their heads - dead or alive - I feel a bit better about Peter calling it "justice." The next time I see Peter and "Moss Rain," Peter informs me that he managed to get one two-bed room, and one single bed room at the inn - the first for the three of us, the second for the injured unicorn. He says that the mare will be served food there. When I asked how he paid for this, he starts to laugh: it turns out he had his wallet in his pocket when he was kidnapped by the Changelings. While he left his messenger bag back in Canterlot with Scootaloo before he left, he had forgotten to take his wallet out of his pocket (and the Changelings had overlooked it upon searching him). It has his Equestrian ID and over ten thousand bits, in paper bills, in it. Looks like the Diamond Dogs knew what they were risking their hides for... He brings us to a humble diner, and all three of us eat some dinner before returning to the inn. Once we do, I tell "Moss Rain" to go inside and wait for us: I've got to talk to Peter... "I want to talk to you about the Diamond Dogs you killed," I announce. "Did I scare you?" He immediately asks, bringing me to a nearby bench. He sits down, and I sigh as I join him. "Sweetheart, did I scare you?" "No," I respond. "And that's what's worrying me...I mean, I'm against killing innocent animals, so why wasn't I against you killing those Diamond Dogs? And...I thought it was awesome how you did it!" I sigh as I look down at the ground. "Peter, shouldn't I hate the fact that you killed them? It's freaking me out..." Peter rests his hand on my shoulder, and I look up with a frown. "Rainbow Dash, it's because they weren't innocent," he whispers. "They weren't innocent whatsoever, alright? They had killed several ponies - it was justice. And by the way, I managed to find the loved ones of the deceased - I used the skulls to find memories of who they once were due to interactions with other ponies. They're going to be buried tomorrow, and no more ponies will die." He smiles at me. "See? Good came out of it." "And there were bounties on their heads," I mutter. "That as well," he responds. "Rainbow Dash, it's okay to not feel terrible that I killed them, they were-" "But I'm okay with that," I interrupt with a sigh. "What I'm not okay with is the fact that I was fine with you being so...brutal..." Peter takes a deep breath, and rests his hand on my shoulder. "I'm sorry. I promise, I'll never do that again, okay?" I look to him, and nod. After a few moments of idle conversation, I'm feeling much better about the whole thing, and I think it's fair to say that I admire Peter just a little more now. We return to the inn, and immediately get into our bed. We don't have sex due to present company, but we do snuggle into each other. After a few minutes, my mind begins to wander, and I reflect upon the time that has passed... One week. That's how long we've been walking now. Trekking through the forest, and a small swamp, all while feeding off of the land. Now, we're in a small village, and after a quick explanation (lie) as to why we're walking all the way to Canterlot, we were able to stay the night. And I want to fly ahead. I want to fly ahead to Canterlot and get a chariot and save us from all the trouble we've been going through. And I know that Metamorpha is right. And under any other circumstances, I would be perfectly fine with leaving Peter here: he's safe. Hay, I would've left him at the crash site and gotten a chariot. The only thing is that I can't. Not yet... I raise my head to look over at "Moss Rain", and I see that she's sound asleep, which is a relief. She hasn't been sleeping so well recently, and it's obvious as to why. Then I look down at Peter. He's fast asleep, with his head resting on my shoulder, and one of his arms wrapped around the wing I have holding him in a tight grip. I smile to myself as he takes deep breaths, and kiss him on the crown of his head. He seems so...docile. So...peaceful. So...weak. And yet, I know what he's capable of. I've seen him turn a group of Diamond Dog raiders into nothing but ash and dust: I know full well what he's capable of... But when we're not in danger...When nothing is actually happening...He's the same Peter that stayed with me in the hospital. The same gentle, caring individual. The same Peter that I fell in love with - which is quite a relief. Because if he had actually changed into the Peter I saw when he killed those Diamond Dogs...The cold, calculating, ruthless, violent Peter...I think I would go crazy. My mind drifts to the unicorn sleeping in the other room, and I frown as I hope that she's okay. I close my eyes as I remember what happened, and for the first time since it happened, I feel at peace. I sigh as I curl around Peter, and press my muzzle down between my chest and his forehead. I close my eyes, and within a few moments, his warmth - and very presence - have seduced me into sleep. Peter I stretch as all three of us leave the inn. There was no time to say goodbye to Trixie. (Rainbow Dash told me that the mare I rescued was Trixie, even though I already knew: I sorta had to feign ignorance with that one.) Mostly because we decided to leave first thing in the morning: the sun is just starting to peak over the horizon. However, I did manage to put a small amount of money on her table: enough to pay for the damages. Also, much earlier than it is right now, I went back to her carriage and cleaned up the wreckage for the sake of traffic. I also discarded of the Diamond Dog bodies via incineration. I got everything I could from the vehicle, and left the more personal belongings in a bundle by her bed. The hat and cape that I found, I left on the coat rack. Our stomachs full from the breakfast we had enjoyed, the three of us set off, the food we had purchased for the remainder of our journey rustling in their wrappings as my backpack is jostled by the rugged terrain. As we walk, we go over our plan: we're going to walk northeast, and circumvent the small ridge of mountains that constitute the valley in which a bustling city rests. The walk to get there may take a day or so, and then to get around the mountains will take at least another half a day...But it will pay off, seeing as how the city has a train that stops in both Ponyville and Canterlot. Which means that once we reach that city, our journey is over. Of course, that doesn't mean that we can do it easily. With Rainbow Dash as she is, she can't exactly take to the skies...To think, that it came as a result of me healing her... "Rainbow Dash, why don't you fly ahead to get a carriage?" "Moss Rain" suggests. "I can't," Rainbow Dash responds, rather impatiently. "Let me guess, you can't leave Peter behind? You're afraid he'll get hurt?" Metamorpha scoffs at her. "He'll be fine!" I grit my teeth in irritation. Neither Rainbow or I are sure if we should tell Metamorpha about what happened as a result of my healing Rainbow Dash. I was right when I felt a bit of separating from myself: it had manifested into a physical form of ambiguity within her. "I just can't, alright!" Rainbow Dash shouts. "I can't fly fast because something will happen if I do!" I cringe as she gets dangerously close to revealing our, ah...secret. Understandably, she's pissed, as Metamorpha has been accusing her every other day, but...that's not the point. The point is that we don't trust Metamorpha. "Oh, what will happen? You'll feel heartbreak for a half a second?" She mocks, scowling at Rainbow Dash. "Please, I just lost near the entirety of my race - the least you can do is leave Peter behind for five secon-" "I'm pregnant!" Rainbow Dash exclaims, breaking our secret. I sigh, but I can't help but feel a small bit of pride. "What?" Metamorpha asks, apparently stunned. "But...how?" "Well, you should probably sit down," I suggest. Metamorpha does so, and I quickly explain. "When I healed Rainbow Dash, a bit of myself broke off of myself. And when that happened, that small part of me had to find a way out into the world. And it's doing that right now: it's become a fertilized egg within Rainbow Dash, and it's being developed into a baby pony right now." Metamorpha stares at me as I speak. "And it's going to occur as a normal birth, but there's going to be something different about it: it won't be as if we got a sperm donation, it will actually have a small part of me within it. Another small part of me will always rest within Rainbow Dash, which means that all three of us - that is, the three of us and our child - will always be tied together." Metamorpha stands, and looks down at the ground with a sigh. "That doesn't make much sense," she announces. "But at the same time, I understand, and I apologize for my behavior. Is this why you've been getting, ah...intimate so often recently?" "Yeah," I respond, resting a hand on Rainbow Dash's shoulder. "We've told you it's just about the fact that I saved her life, but it was more about the fact that she's pregnant, and, well..." I smile to myself. "We couldn't be happier. We love each other so much, and while we've been afraid to admit that we both sort of wanted to make it permanent, this fixed that for us." I can't help but grin despite everything that's going on. "Which is why we're getting married." Metamorpha nods, and smiles warmly at us. "In that case, congratulations. I hope you have a good life together." Rainbow and I both nod, and after an hour or so, we've all continued on our way, and for some odd reason, Metamorpha's spirits seem to be slightly lifted. Metamorpha After two days of walking, we finally reach the city's outer mountain. Rainbow Dash sighs in relief at the prospect. "It's weird - the thing I'm most relieved about is the fact that I won't have to walk to Canterlot with a belly bulge," she announces. "Not even that I might hurt the baby..." I chuckle lightly, and Peter smiles to himself. Well, come on - let's go while we still have a bit of light." I nod, as we begin to circumvent the mountains. As we do, it becomes evident that we're not going to get what we expect. At least, it's clear to me, as I start to realize something: despite this being such a "big" city, I can't feel any love beyond this mountain range. "Be careful," I announce, my senses becoming me accute. "I don't feel any love beyond these mountains..." Peter halts, and starts to act more cautiously. "What? Then maybe we should just pass up this city altogether..." "They may be asleep," I suggest, hopefully. "Or worse," Peter mutters. "Keep your guard up, guys." We both nod, and continue to attempt to circumvent the mountain. Night falls after about an hour, so we end up making camp in an abandoned factory just by the base of the mountain ridge. It seems to have once been a lumber factory, but they've undoubtedly made new ways to use the resources here that don't involve external factories. We find a few beds, and Peter uses a bit of magic to clean them. We quickly eat dinner from the food we bought from the village before setting down for the night. As Peter and Rainbow Dash lie down, I see what they're doing in a new light: Peter tenderly lays her down, and kisses her on the back of the neck. With a bit of guilty remorse, I struggle to hear what they're saying. "...Peter, you don't have to be so gentle with me yet. Yeah, I shouldn't fly, but it's just a week in: I can lay down on my own..." "But I want to pamper you. You deserve it...and, besides, we're engaged now, so we should get used to being incredibly tender." "Yeah, engaged," Rainbow Dash snickers. "You proposed to me after using magic to check my body and finding that I was pregnant, Peter. You didn't even give me a ring - I'm sorry, but if you want me to marry you, you're gonna have to do better than that." Peter chuckles lightly. "Yeah, well, it was the best I could do at the time. And I was going to propose, anyway. I'll just have to put that off until a later date..." Peter and Rainbow Dash's conversation descends into much more personal things, and I force myself to stop listening: no matter how...intriguing the subject is, what they're talking about now is definitely private. I sigh a bit as I close my eyes, and force myself into sleep. Morning comes with a good amount of chilly air. I yawn as we trudge through the dew-coated grass, and an autumn breeze chills my faux body due to the lack of a warming carapace. I rub a bit of sleep out of my eye, and cringe as I see a split second vision of my mother: another flash of memory, reminding me of the pain I've gone through... It's mid-afternoon when we finally reach the lip of the valley. As we do round it, and finally catch a view of the city within the mountainous walls, we freeze. "What the fuck," Peter hisses. I simply nod in agreement as a gust of wind brings the scent of decay to my sensitive nose. I should have known... Ours was not the first city targeted by the Virals. Peter "Stay here, and keep in cover!" I command, before taking off towards the city. I've been practicing my flying for the past week and a half, so I'm able to get to the city within a few seconds. When I finally reach the source of the scent of the decay, I find that it's far from what I expected. "It wasn't Virals," I announce as I return to my two companions. "Far from it, actually..." Rainbow Dash frowns. "Then wh-what was it?" "I don't know," I respond. "Whatever did it, did it fast and laid waste to the city. There's a pile of dead bodies right in the center of town, so it might've been an army of...something..." I sigh as I turn back to the city. "I don't want to stay here. Whatever did this could still be here, y'know?" "Yeah," Rainbow Dash mutters, her face turning green as another wave of decay comes over our shoulders. "We should get outta here...damn, now we have to walk the rest of the way..." "We can follow the tracks to the next stop," I announce. "That way, we can eventually find a train..." As if on cue, a train horn sounds a few yards away, and a few moments later, it whizzes by us, and stops in the train station in the decimated city. We simply stare at it for a few moments, unable to believe that a train would still come to this place... I quickly recover from my stupor. "Come on!" I urge, waving for the two to follow me as I run towards the city. "We could catch a ride back to Canterlot!" By the time we arrive at the train station, it's already half-empty. I blink in surprise as I realize that it's packed with soldiers. Soldiers from the Equestrian Army. Metamorpha quickly reverts to her own form, explaining that she should be honored as a "guest" due to the army having full knowledge of what occurred in the Changeling Hive. I nod, and we proceed towards the train in search of the pony in charge. And we get one. Spitfire walks out of the train, her head held high and her sunglasses pressed close to her face. She has a blade strapped to her side, and all of her bars are neatly aligned on her uniform. "Spitfire!" Rainbow Dash immediately shouts. "Uh, I mean - ma'am! Rainbow Dash, reporting for duty!" Spitfire looks to us in evident surprise. "Holy hell, I was told that you two were dead!" She exclaims, pointing to Metamorpha and I. "And Rainbow Dash, you've been gone for over a weeks now - we'd assumed you were dead, too!" "Well, we're quite alive and healthy," I respond, interrupting Rainbow before she has a chance to speak. "Now, would you mind explaining what in the hell is going on here?" "Yeah, sure. Rainbow, go ahead and get debriefed by the Lieutenant - he'll give you a flight assignment." "Uh, negative, ma'am," Rainbow Dash responds. "I'm pregnant." Spitfire lowers her sunglasses in surprise. "Well, well! Congratulations!" Rainbow blushes as she thanks her. "Well, come on, then - they should be done setting up the camp. We'll talk in my tent." I nod, and Rainbow, Metamorpha, and I follow Spitfire through the town. As we do, I catch sight of the pile of limbs that was stacked up in the center of the square, all of which are now being burned with kerosene. I set my jaw as I struggle to imagine what happened to the bodies that once owned those limbs... After a short while, we arrive at a second city square, which is much larger than the one littered with limbs. This one, unfortunately, also has a fair amount of blood spattered across it - undoubtedly a sight of heated conflict. Rainbow Dash scrunches her snout in disgust as we continue through the camp, eyeing the magically-installed tents as the canvas flaps in the wind. A few soldiers give Metamorpha rather disparaging glances, but they don't move to interfere: if Sptifire hasn't clapped her into cuffs yet, then she's no enemy. We eventually reach a tent larger than the other's, and Spitfire invites us into the tent. We nod as we enter, and I marvel at how empty it is, with the exception of a rudimentary computer monitor, a radio, and a telegram. That, and a desk, a cot, and a few chairs. She motions for us to take our seats, and we do just that. "Well, d'you know what city this is?" "Las Pegasus, ma'am," Rainbow Dash responds. "Affirmative. And do you know what happened here?" We all shake our heads "no." Well, except for Rainbow Dash, who replies with "negative, ma'am." "Well, as you can tell, it was attacked," Spitfire announces. "We received a distress signal from the town hall four days ago. We still don't know what did this, or even when. We have soldiers entering the town hall right now, to see if the signal was sent by survivors. All in all, we're just as blind as you three are..." I sigh as I lean back in my chair. "Well, it wasn't the Virals," I announce. "The what?" "The Virals," I respond. "The things that overtook the Changeling capital. They, uh...they turn ponies that they don't kill, but the ponies that they do kill, they devour. There wouldn't be anything left." I sigh as I remember the pile of limbs. "Also, there were just limbs in that square - I think it's safe to assume that anypony that died was tortured first." Spitfire nods. "Yeah, that's pretty much what we've got so far. We sent a scout in before anything else, and she got back a few moments before you arrived. It's strange, really - no bodies..." "They could either be buried, hidden, or alive," I respond. "But I doubt that they're alive." Spitfire sighs. "Unfortunately, I've got to agree..." She shakes her head as she picks up one of the pieces of paper on her desk. And that's when the screaming starts. I rush out of the tent before any of the inhabitants can say anything. As I do, a foreleg falls right in front of me, with blood and bone glistening in the sunlight. I cringe as I look to where it had come from, and my jaw drops as I espy a black tentacle tearing the limbs off of a soldier as it screams, and another soldier hacks at the appendage before being devoured by yet another tentacle. I take off in flight, gritting my teeth as I prepare to take on the thing that stands before me. And that's when I see its source. It's there. And It smiles at me. I gulp, and begin to float in the opposite direction as It comes towards me, an unparalleled and inexplicable fear rising in my chest. "Hello," It announces. "It's been a while since our last encounter." My hands begin to shake, and I begin to sweat profusely as I feel it drawing closer. "Wh-what are you?" I ask, my voice trembling as I feel my strength fading. "What do you want?" "I want pain," It responds. "I want all the pain in the world." "Who are you?" I spit, starting to panic. "What are you!?" "You may call me Vanquel," "Vanquel" responds. "A name I gave myself - it sounds beautiful, does it not? Iconsider myself quire the poet, you see..." "A poet that feeds on pain," I remark, gulping in regret as Vanquel smirks at me. "Why, of course. What else do poets feed upon?" Vanquel chuckles lightly as it leans towards me, and I find that I'm pressed up against a wall. "Now, I may be a monster to you, but I will let you live." I frown, and I have half a mind to say that it's not letting me live: it's afraid. But I'm determined to find out what's going on. "Why?" "Because I need you," Vanquel responds, drawing closer to me. I begin to smell the rot on its breath, and I resist the urge to regurgitate. "For what?" I breathe, the air around me becoming stale with the disgusting scent. "Why, to deal with what you call Virals, of course," Vanquel responds in a lilting tone of voice. "If all dies, how would I feed upon pain? All because of the one you called Grendel...tsk, tsk, I say: he was weak, and allowed himself to be destroyed..." "What...what do you mean?" I ask, coughing as my stomach starts to quiver and shake. Vanquel smirks at me, and comes within a centimeter of my face. My pupils contract in fear, and I feel my feet go numb. "I mean what I said. Now, I have matters to attend to - and please, make sure to replenish the livestock here, would you?" It chuckles lightly before slithering away from me, and I feel the air around me clear. I sigh in relief, and when I look back, Vanquel is gone. I descend to the ground, and collapse in exhaustion within a split second of making contact with the marble rubble. I hear someone call my name before I go unconscious. Rainbow Dash I smile down at Peter in pride. He scared that thing. He scared It. He chased it away, and I couldn't ever be prouder of my loved one and husband-to-be... "He's going to be okay," Spitfire says, softly. "I know, ma'am," I respond. "He's strong. I know it. I feel it." Spitfire smiles at me, and sighs as she sits down next to me. "You know...the way you left that last show, it was..." I cringe as I remember that. I had heard that Peter was in a coma, and I had left rather unceremoniously... "If was respectable," Spitfire says, taking me by surprise. "To leave your life's dream on a moment's notice for another...you're exactly the sort of mare I would look for in the army, y'know? Strong, loyal, willing to give up something for others..." Spitfire smiles as she rests a hoof on my shoulder. "And one hell of a flyer." I feel a surge of pride well up from within me. I don't think I've ever received a compliment directly from a Wonderbolt... "You know, for each letter he sent you, he sent me a letter, too," Spitfire announces with a small smile. "He was asking me how you were doing. Said he didn't trust you to be honest 'bout your performance - said you'd be too humble." She chuckles lightly, and I can't help but join along. "But he was also planning something. He was planning to propose to you." I look to Spitfire with an expression of shock. "What!?" "Yeah," she laughs. "He was planning to be at the show in Cloudsdale, obviously. And he said that when the show was over, he was going to get a mic from Celestia, and propose in front of the entire audience. He had an engagement band and everything..." I stare down at Peter's unconscious body. That means that...he wanted to marry me long before I became pregnant...it means that my pregnancy must've been, well...it must've seemed like a miracle to him, because it gave him an excuse to propose... "I remember when Soarin' proposed to me, you know. It was at the end of the show. He purposefully crashed into me, you have no idea how pissed I was...that's when I noticed that everypony else had stopped flying, and was watching us. Soarin' had planned it with them, as the final act of the show - I didn't realize what was going on until he slipped the engagement band over my hoof..." She laughs a bit as she remembers the fond memory. "You know what the best bit was, though? When he kissed me, and we did a trick we'd only spoken about. He did it perfectly..." Spitfire sighs, and I smile in slight confusion. "That's sweet," I announce. "But...why are you..." "Because it's not often that you find true love," she announces. "It only happens once in a lifetime. And you managed to find it, just like I did. And I told you because I want you to hold onto it, you know?" She smiles at me, and stands to leave. "Now, then...we'll be reporting back to Celestia, seeing as how there's nothing we could actually do about that thing...will you be coming with us?" I nod, and she nods as well. "In that case, bring him on the train whenever you're ready - we'll just get going after I wire a telegram to Celestia..." I nod again, and immediately load Peter onto my back, grunting a bit under his weight. "I'm ready," I announce. "Let's get going..." Spitfire nods with a small smile, and we both exit the medical tent. As I set Peter down on the train seat, Metamorpha smiles across at me. "Looks like we get that ride home after all," she remarks. "Yep," I chuckle. "Looks like we do..." I sigh as I sit next to Peter, and then pull his head onto my lap so he doesn't go flying when the train starts up. I close my eyes as I rest against the back of the rather comfortable seat, the fatigue of our...adventure...wearing me down. After a few deep breaths of relaxation and relief, I finally fall asleep, unconsciously running a hoof through Peter's hair... Peter I open my eyes to find that my head is resting on Rainbow Dash's belly as she slumps in her chair. I lift my head, and feel her hoof slide down onto my neck. I smile as I adjust my position so that I'm sitting up next to her, avoiding the trail of drool that I just narrowly avoided. I sigh to myself as I lean back in the chair. I cast my eyes ahead, and find that Metamorpha is a sleep with her entire body spread out along a bench. I smile as I relax, and look out the window: we're on a train. So...I guess we got that ride after all. I look over at Rainbow, and I find that she's still sound asleep. I smirk to myself as I stand and stretch, slightly relieved that I know what Vanquel wants now. This means two things: one, it means that I don't have to take care of it right now. Two, it means that I have ample time to deal with the Virals... I try to shoot my mind out to Celestia, as I've tried every day since the blimp crashed. But, as I have every day since the crash, all I find is a barrier. Celestia has been blocking me out because she thinks I'm dead. That much is all I've assumed. And if I'm dead, then the only way I would be able to contact her would be if Vanquel made me into a slave, or if I had become an intelligent Viral... I sigh as I retract my mind, and sit on the cushioned bench. I think it's about time I speak to one of them... I sigh as I stretch my mind past the barriers of this realm. My body takes a meditation position as I find the barrier between this world and the other world. I breach the barrier, and find myself in a world of darkness. I keep myself as hidden as possible as I speed towards the two dark deities atop the castle of dark pillars, the same that had torn Grendel from me so long ago... "Hello," I announce in their strange language as I arrive. I feel my soul vibrate the sounds into their reality. "I assume you still haven't been able to reach Celestia?" One of the two orbs of darkness turns her attention to me. "No," she responds, her voice coming to me like a dagger in the moon. "She's blocked out all telepathic transmissions. I believe she is convinced that you are dead." My finely tuned soul manages to translate the soft and sharp vibrations into syllables and words. "I agree," I respond. "I hope that she has, at least, killed Spike. If she has, then that means that we can stall Vanquel by a bit..." "Vanquel?" "That's It's name. It told me, and It said It wants me alive - so I can deal with the Virals that Grendel left behind...at least, I think Grendel left them behind - he wasn't very clear on that..." A soft vibration tells me that she is rather intrigued by the development. I remain silent for a few moments as I mull over what I should say next. "I believe it's more important that you be in your body," she vibrates. "Perhaps seeing you will force Princess Celestia to uplift the barrier around our minds..." I nod, but remember that the only thing nodding is my actual body. "Farewell, Peter," she announces. "Goodbye, Nightmare Moon," I respond. With that, I release my grip in this world, and I am pulled back to my body with incredibly speed. I open my eyes with a deep breath, and nod to myself a bit. "Please let Spike be dead," I mutter to myself as the train continues to rattle on. I look over at the still-sleeping Rainbow Dash, and decide to lean my head on her shoulder. I think it's about time I rest. Rainbow Dash A slight nudge wakes me up, and I grumble a bit to myself as I force my eyes open. "Hey," I hear somepony say. "I'm glad to see that you're awake...I got this while we were still in the city. I thought it looked nice, so I decided you could give it to Peter, y'know?" I look to the source of the voice, and I see that it's none other than Spitfire. She's holding an extraordinary flower in her hoof: it's orange, with small hints of yellow and red. I'm about to accept it and give it to Peter, when I remember something. "Uh, he's sort of afraid of flowers," I mutter, blushing as I admit that the big, bad, tough individual that I'm in love with is afraid of...well...flowers. "What." I chuckle lightly, and cast a glance towards Metamorpha to make sure that she's still asleep. "Yeah, he, uh...he feels like they're watching him. He said that it started when he played a video game where the flowers would, like, chase him and try to eat him..." I shrug. "I don't know, he's weird..." "Clearly," Spitfire grumbles. "Well, in that case, I'll just get rid of the thing..." She opens a window on the train, and is about to throw it out when she pauses. "Y'know what...maybe I'll give it to Soarin'." She closes the window with a small smile. "He's always loved the taste of Fire Flowers..." I nod, and she smiles to herself as she moves to leave the compartment. "Anyway, I'll let you get back to sleeping. You've had a hard time on th - what the hell is that sticking out of his back pocket?" I frown as I look towards his posterior, and see something small and blue protruding from the pocket. I gently pull it out, and I find that it's the feather I gave him when I was on my "death bed". I gulp as I notice that it's still in pristine condition: he must've kept it in his pocket to keep it safe... "You gave him a feather?" Spitfire demands. "I know you're getting married, but giving him a feather is just...just..." "I was about to die," I announce, looking to Spitfire with a straight face. "And I wanted him to have something to remember me by." Spitfire's jaw hangs open for a few moments, but then she snaps it shut, and nods. "You may want to consider taking it back. Just saying." I smile at her. "I'll think about it," I inform her. She nods, and leaves the compartment, a contemplative frown on her muzzle. I guess she's probably thinking about Soarin'... Once she's totally gone, I gently lift one of Peters' hands, and slide my feather underneath his palm. I close my eyes as I let my head rest on his, and slowly trace circles on the back of his hand. Within a few moments, I know that I'm about to fall asleep, and I smile as I feel the unconscious human snuggling into me a bit more. Trixie I sigh as I finish organizing the last of my things. Whoever saved me brought everything they could from my caravan: they got my bed sheets, my pillows, my utilities...I don't know why they went to the lengths of retrieving my camoflouged undergarments, but I'm grateful for that, nonetheless... Speaking of which, I pull off my current pair of undergarments, and pull on a new one: the magical panties immediately become invisible, but block the view of my rather...private parts. I sigh as I prepare a bottomless suitcase using a spell that Twilight Sparkle was nice enough to teach me before I left Ponyville. I pack my things into it, and tenderly pack my hat and cape, which my savior retrieved for me, as well... I sigh as I think of the struggle of scrounging up enough money for a replacement caravan... And that's when I notice a small glint of light from the night table. I look, and I see that there's a clip holding a large bundle of paper money. I immediately flip through it with levitation magic, and my jaw hangs open as I realize the total: enough to buy a new caravan, and then some. Including a backup caravan. I marvel at the money, and feel a stab of regret: I should really return this...whoever gave this to me is overly generous... A small slip of paper falls out of the money, and I pick it up. I quickly unfold it, and read the rather interesting message: "Trixie, you don't know me, and I don't know you. However, my fiancée does: Rainbow Dash told me your name. My name is Peter. "I left you enough money to buy a new caravan. You can buy it in this town, but you'll have to wait in the inn for a while before it's done. When it is, I think you should come to Canterlot, and find me: I'm the Royal Head Technician. If anything, you could probably find me in Ponyville. "In any case, you have a hidden potential that I could feel the moment I met you, and I can help you tap into it. "And I believe that you can help me to save the entirety of Equestria. "Sincerely, Peter." I gulp as I read over the letter again, again, and again. Save Equestria...? What in the world...? I sigh as I pick up the money, and take out enough for the down payment on a caravan. I steel my nerves, and decide that this would be for the best: to tap into my hidden potential... I smile to myself as I turn to exit my room. Hopefully, I can finally become the powerful unicorn I was always meant to be... I depart, my head held high and the money clamped firmly in my hoof. Celestia I sigh to myself as my telegram taps out morse code. I use magic to immediately translate it into visible text that floats before me. "Princess Celestia, this is General Spitfire reporting. There were no survivors of the attack upon Las Pegasus. Visual of hostile confirmed. Four soldiers lost in combatative attempt." I frown. Was this It...? "Recovery of crucial personnel performed. Peter, Rainbow Dash, and Princess Metamorpha all arrived at base camp at ten hundred. Peter drove away hostile via unknown means, and is now unconscious. He may try to contact you, as we discussed: still unclear as to whether hostile or ally. Keep cautionary measures enacted." I nod to myself. Seems reasonable. We still don't know whether he's alive or evil. "By the way, Rainbow Dash is pregnant." My eyes widen and my jaw drops at that last sentence, and I swear I hear a duck quack somewhere. "Discord!" I shout, my patience worn thin. He appears in a flash of purple smoke, and he's wearing a banana suit. "You called, Princess?" He jests. "Rainbow Dash is pregnant," I inform him, ignoring his...interesting choice of attire. "Would you have anything to do with that?" "No," he responds immediately. "No, I didn't - I don't tend to make mares go through the agony of childbirth as a mere joke. Plus, if I really wanted to get under her fur, I'd just paint her mane and tail black." I sigh, and wave a hoof. "Alright, I believe you. Now, I've got to be alone - I have some thinking to do..." "Alright. But one last thing..." He clicks his fingers, and a bag appears next to him. "Do you like...bananas?"