In the library Eric was looking through the books, mostly to entertain himself, while keeping a eye on 'Sarah' but partly to see if he can learn more about this Sombra and Chrysalis and if there's a way to stop them just in case they can't find Sarah in the Caves.
Eric took a seat that had the perfect view of the door, overlooking Jack, and an open space so there was nowhere for the bug to hide for a sneak attack, who at the moment was upstairs probably trying to work out to get to his love.
Suddenly the winds started to pick up and a spark flashed and laughter could be heard.
As quick as he could Eric drew his sword and formed it into a bow and arrow ready to fire at whatever it was. Pulling the string back to his cheek keeping both eyes open, Eric held the position, until he saw the obvious shape of Discord.
"Dude!" Eric cried releasing the string but keeping the bow. "Don't scare me like that! I thought you were coming to attack me."
"How should I scare you then?" Discord said a grin on his face "Oh by the way, I've just been visiting the girls, and we have some babysitting to do."
"Wait... What?" Eric asked looking around Discord spotting the two filly's. "I don't do babysitting." he said looking up to where the Changeling was suppose to be. "And are you sure it's safer here than out there?" he asked trying not to let anything slip.
"Well put it this way boy," Discord said coming over after poofing up some safe toys for Ruby and Jade to play with. "Out there, they're all alone, there's only a small number of places where they can hide, no one to protect them, and a gazillion Changelings." Discord said bringing up a black board and tallying the things he just said.
"In here, they have us to look after them, if they need to there's lots of places to hide, they have us, and Jack when he wakes up to protect them, and hopefully there's only one bug in here. Besides it's on Princess Twili's orders."
"Ok ok I see the positives of them being here." Eric said rubbing the bridge of his nose to calm himself down. "But I don't do well with kids."
"These aren't kids," Discord said happily "They're foals."
"Whatever!" Eric said raising his voice a bit, "The point is I don't get on well with them. Especially when I'm stressed and have my mind and worries elsewhere."
"Oh come on," Discord said loving the pain he was causing for Eric. "I promise I'll take full responsibility for anything they do while in here."
"While who's in here?" Sarah's voice called out from upstairs as she came down to see what the noise was about.
"Ok now that we're all here," Discord said calling over the girls. "Eric, Sarah, these are Ruby and Jade, and vise-versa." he said petting the foals heads.
At first they didn't say anything then Ruby asked Discord to come closer so she can whisper into his ear.
"I don't like the girl Messter Discord," she said "There's... There's something that feels off about her." she said tapping her horn while shifting her eyes to Sarah.
"I can feel it too Messter Discord," Jade said in his other ear, tapping her horn too.
'Well this just got a whole lot more exciting.' Discord thought.
"Say girls, why don't you go hunting for some books for us to read to you?" he said trying to get them to leave so he could get back to Eric.
"But..." they said.
"I'll zap up a whole round of chocolate milk to read the story with." he said pushing them to the shelves sighing in relief when they were gone.
"Er.. what was that about Discord?" Eric asked though having a good idea.
But before anything else was said Discord just snapped his talons and ropes appeared around Sarah.
"Hey what gives?" she said struggling to get out.
"Cut the act bug," Discord said standing tall walking over to her. "And tell us where the real Sarah is."
"This is a joke right?" she said "Come on Discord. I am the real Sarah. Eric back me up here, can't you at least tell I'm your girl?"
"Maybe, if you did a better act on playing her," Eric said changing the bow back to his sword gripping it tightly. "Just so you know parasite, a Knight always knows which Princess is his. So since you're not her, tell us where she is." he said holding the tip to her neck, making her eyes flash green, and a smirk that did not belong on Sarah's face ran across it.
"Where all the other prisoners are duh," she said keeping the form but cutting the act. "You know for a pretty boy who can use that dumb sword, like yourself, and a master of chaos, you two are not really all that smart."
Suddenly green flames wrapped themselves around her burning through the ropes a Changeling standing in her place when the flames died down her horn sparking.
Two gasps came from the left as Ruby and Jade were coming back and saw the whole thing.
As fast as he could Eric ran over to them forming his shield as he did, jumping in front of them to block the Changeling's blast.
"Hey watch where you fire that, Bug," Eric said once she cut the spell off. "You nearly hit these foals."
"I know what I'm doing boy!" she hissed fangs lengthening and wings buzzing. "Now get out of the way so I can capture them for my queen."
"You think I'll let that happen?" Eric asked keeping his eyes on the Changeling. "You need to know who you're fighting. If there's someone in trouble or danger, I'll always get in the way of the bully and tell them to 'Leave them alone'!" Eric said a blast of light shooting out of his shield towards the Changeling.
Just as the Changeling was about to attack again the sound of snapping fingers (or rather talons) reached everyone's ears.
"MY HORN" she screamed looking to her forehead, then spinning to the Draconequus fire burning in her eyes. "Give me back my horn you mixed up ...." she said being cutoff by a big sticker now over her mouth, and new flame-proof ropes tied themselves around her.
"I don't do well with orders Suzy." Discord said more serious than Eric had ever seen him before.
"Wait, what did you just call her?" he asked still over by the foals who had wrapped themselves around his legs.
"Oh please boy," Discord said looking over to him. "I'm nearly as old as Chryssy herself. "I may not know all her 'subjects' but I can tell some of them apart. Like this lovely lady here."
That getting a death glare from the Changeling in question.
"And you're sure we're safe now?" Eric said turning his shield back to his sword and sheathing it.
"More or less." Discord said stroking his beard. "They can't do anything with out their horns. Except scream and wail about not having them."
"Can they use their magic while in the forms of someone else?" Eric asked crouching down to comfort the foals a bit.
"Beats me? But just in case, or she called her friends while she was off on her own" Discord said thinking snapping his talons. "Now the library has a protective bubble that only I, and Jack when he comes to, can break, and no Changelings can get in."
"That was really scary," Ruby said still holding onto Eric face buried into him so she can't see the Changeling.
"I want to go home Messter Eric," Jade added looking up to him tears in her eyes.
"You heard Discord girls," Eric said couching down hugging them both "We're save now, the Changeling's been caught, and the library's protected. And I promise we'll keep you safe in here until you're parents come find you.
Cross my heart hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye."
This made the girls a bit happier, but they still buried their faces into Eric's chest crying for a while meaning Eric had to change his position to make it work.
After five minutes they had fallen asleep, but every time Eric tried to get up, they started to steer meaning he was stuck there, carefully he reached out to the book they brought back.
"Well look who's doing a grand job at babysitting here then." Discord said coming back from checking up on the Changeling they both agreed to keep upstairs so it wont upset the foals.
"I'm not doing anything, they fell asleep like this and I can't get out from under them." Eric said reading the blurb of 'Dareing Do and the Quest for the Sapphire Stone'.
"How much longer until Jack wakes up? I think he'll be better at this." Eric asked carefully opening the book to the first chapter
"Just coming to twenty hours." Discord answered looking at the hourglass by the boy's head.
"Anything from the girls?"
"Not yet. Mind if I ask a question Eric?" Discord asked.
"Sure," he answered turning the page.
"What made you think you're no good with children?"
"It's not just children ok? It's everyone." Eric said pausing "When I was a kid I was on my own a lot because I was the shy quiet little boy in the back of the class, meaning no one noticed me except the bullies who always repeated the same lame lines about how I don't have any friends.
Finally one day after their scheduled taunting, something just snapped. I'll spear the details just saying there were a few broken bones, bite and scratch marks and phone calls home.
The next day I was alone again... but this time apparently it was because they were all scared I'd turn on them or something.
Sarah was the first one to reach out to me, since that day. 'New place, new life' even if your history is still with you and will eventually come back."
As he finished Eric could have sworn he heard snoring and looked up to see Discord on one of his clouds. Fuming a bit he formed a pea shooter, took aim and fired it at the Draconequus waking him up.
"Huh? What?" he asked looking down to Eric.
"Oh don't mind me Discord. I was just telling you my life story answering your question for you. Go back to sleep don't worry." Eric said sarcasm in his voice finally getting up from the foals "I'm going to go scouting about outside, and I can't believe I'm saying this, 'You're in charge of looking after them'," he said nodding to the girls as he opened the door and left.
Outside, Eric just started walking down the street muttering to himself what just happened in there. Not knowing the streets of Canterlot that well he stayed near the library always checking around him for signs of Changelings.
Suddenly, there was a noise of something falling over down one of the ally-ways and a cry for help.
Debating on what he should do, 'Someone needs help' 'But it could be a trap' 'The six found the girls there might be more' 'They might of just gotton lucky'
Eventually Eric pulled out his sword and ran down the ally confused that he didn't meet anyone when the dead end came up.
"Oh I'm such an idiot." Eric said knowing what will come when he turned around so stayed facing the fence.
"Yes you are." a nails-on-a-chalkboard voice said and some buzzing wings confirmed Eric how much trouble he was in.
Seeing no 'You can get out of this' path, Eric just sheathed his sword and turned around to see Chrysalis and her best soldiers behind her.
"Nice to finally meet you Eric." she said smirking slightly.
"Likewise Your Highness." Eric said bowing slightly. "So what do I owe the pleasure for the Queen of the Changelings herself to come looking for little old me for?" he said looking her in the eye not all that comfy about the other Changelings starting to surround him.
"I was just wondering how would you like to be the one to find Sarah? You know I can send you right to her, so you can be together again." she said.
After some minutes of Eric going over her offer in his head he said "No thank you Your Highness."
"I had a feeling you would say that. Too bad you didn't have a choice." she replied then faster that he could react she shot Eric with her magic stunning him and making a ring of fire around him.
Unable to do anything but stare, Eric suddenly felt the ground escape from under his feet and fell onto the cold hard ground of the caves.