9. Badlands' Rumble
Admittedly, Chrys didn't think that flying through the rain at a brisk pace would be an annoying affair. Her face being peppered by the water proved otherwise, prompting her to use Aegis like a shield as she looked down to the surrounding land.
The Badlands region was a large valley walled off by a ring of tall mountains, with the hive being nestled in the southern part of that ring. From the hive, the northern mountains were too distant to be seen, even if conditions were clear, and the mountains to the east and west were quickly lost in the thickening rain as they continued north.
The interior of the valley was rocky with almost little vegetation; the terrain being dotted with gorges and ravines of varying size, born from countless years of the earth being soaked and dried out. She kept a watchful eye out as they flew past those gorges, seeing small rivulets of water pouring into them. Mantis, and whatever he'd brought with him, was likely hiding in one of those holes.
“Highness,” Aegis began, “May I ask what you meant by being ambushed?”
“I meant that since I'm out of the hive, Mantis is going to get rid of me now that I'm out of sight of moth- of Amber,” Chrys replied bluntly, making Aegis frown slightly.
“He's not getting rid of anyone, Highness. He just doesn't want you, or the hive, at risk,” he assured, his tone troubling Chrys, making her eye him for a moment, before looking towards the direction they were heading.
“Take us to the right. Keep near the mountains, and low to the ground,” she said, eager to see how he reacted.
“But, Highness, that would add more time to our-”
“Aegis, it wasn't a suggestion,” she replied sternly, looking him in the eyes as he glanced towards her. They held the gaze for several moments, before his ears fell. Looking away from her, he kept his eyes forward as he continued north, getting closer to the ground as he did.
“...Aegis?” she asked in a worried tone.
“I'm sorry, Your Highness. I cannot do that. I do want to take you to Equestria, I really do. But, your safety comes first,” he said as he gave her a reassuring, and determined look.
Chrys's brow furrowed as she glanced to the side. She then took a deep breath, before looking to the clouds. He horn flashed brightly, twice in quick succession, a signal to the one flying above; a signal for help, assuming Dud wasn't out to betray her as well.
“Princess, was that a signal?” Aegis asked in a concerned tone, “You didn't have Darrin follow you, did you?” he asked, getting silence in response as she avoided even looking at him. She then noticed the barrels of nectar strapped to his shoulders, and gave them a suspicious glare.
Aegis was compromised, so what need would there be in carrying nectar to a destination he had no intention of taking her?
With a quick flip of her magic, she popped both open, seeing one half filled with nectar, and to her dismay, a soldier inside the other. The drone blinked at her in surprise, before it started to move. Chrysalis went into action, grabbing the barrel's side and giving it a hard twist, making it tilt over and drop the changeling within.
The sudden loss in weight made Aegis tilt unexpectedly, making her slide off as she saw the other barrel follow suit. What became of said barrel was lost to her. Mostly because she was now plummeting towards the ground.
Her heart threatened to leap from her chest as she frantically flapped her wings. They ached from the panicked effort, but managed to slowed her descent. Her efforts made her crash into the ground at an angle, making her slide across it, getting washed in mud, before coming to a ragged stop.
"...Off to a great start," Chrys mumbled as she rose to her hooves, her eyes falling to Aegis as he approached her, a concerned look on his face. She couldn't make out where the soldier was, or where the nectar had landed, but she did make out a yellow blotch in the sky that was quickly approaching them.
“Highness, are you alright?” Aegis asked in authentic worry as he looked over her, making Chrys avoid his gaze as she glanced north. Her eyes widened as she spotted the soldier that had secretly accompanied them, flying in that direction. She had little doubt that he was off to fetch Mantis and his cronies. This in mind, she turned to her former guardian, giving him a determined glare.
“Aegis. I'm going to Equestria,” she said sternly, taking up a defensive posture. “If you want to protect me, then keep me away from Mantis.”
“Highness, I can't do that,” he said with a focused, yet regretful look in his eyes, “The journey is far too dangerous. You're likely to fall to the cold long before reaching Equestria. It's my duty to protect you, and that's what I intend to do.”
“Said the guard who dropped her~” a certain yellow pegasus replied, making Aegis turn around in time to have an empty, cracked barrel placed atop his head. Distracted by his new headwear, Aegis was unable to stop Dud from effortlessly passing him. The pony then landed next to Chrys, “Not part of the plan I take it?” he asked as he nodded to Aegis, prompting her to glance to the side.
“You're not gonna turn on me too, are you?” she asked, making him raise an eyebrow at her.
“I don't really take myself as that kind of pony,” he stated, as if that alone was reason enough to trust him, “So, we staying?” he asked as he looked to Aegis, who was now managing to free himself from the barrel. Chrys shook her head, hopping on Dud's back.
“Let's go. Mantis has a royal guard backing him, we need to run,” she said, giving a glare to no one in particular.
“What about food?” Dud asked as he started to move around Aegis, who was now free of the barrel. “Didn't you want to talk to, uh, Mantis?” he asked as he started to gallop, making Chrys hold onto the pegasus.
“Too risky now,” she mumbled, getting a nod from him as Aegis gave them a surprised look.
“That's ... not Darrin! That's a pony!?” he let out, before shaking his head, “Let go of Her Highness!” he demanded as he charged after them, getting a small smile from Dud as he continued to gallop.
“Dud, why aren't we flying?” Chrys asked worriedly, making Dud hop in the air, spreading his wings out to glide as he indicated towards his destination; a barrel half-filled with nectar.
“You're going to need that, princess. I recommend grabbing it,” he said as he turned, curving around it as Chrys nodded. Her horn glowed, trying to wring the barrel out of the mud. It took longer than she liked, as Aegis had caught up to them when the barrel became free with a pop.
“Highness, get away from him, he's dangerous!”
“Highness?” Dud mirrored as he gave Aegis a funny look, getting an confused look in turn. “Princess, he's not on our side, right?” he asked as he looked to Chrys, seeing her shake her head.
“Your Highness, it's for your—”
“There it is again,” Dud said as he scrutinized Aegis. “Highness. Why do you call her that, when you're not on her side?” he asked, his question seeming to physically hurt Aegis, making the guard glance to the side for a moment, before his brow furrowed.
“Ponies are the enemy. You will release her!” he said, his horn glowing as his body was washed in amber flame. As his form began to change, an excited gleam appeared in Dud's eyes.
“Princess, you should hide. The one that left will bring back others,” Dud said as he stretched out a wing for Chrys to disembark. She rested on his back for a moment, barely hearing his words as she watched Aegis change.
Aegis's form became a head shorter, but his forelegs became bulkier. His body's color shifting to brown, his mane becoming bushy and encompassing his head and neck as his features became more feline; the body of a lion. His wings stretched out, becoming bat-like, and his tail grew more defined as it turned into a scorpion's tail.
“A Manticore!? It's been years since I've last seen one!” Dud let out excitedly, popping Chrys from her awe, making her shake her head as she quickly hopped off his back. The second she did, Dud jumped up, taking flight. Aegis watched him for a moment, before following after him.
She watched the pursuit, quickly understanding why Aegis changed. Manticores were fast; so fast that Dud wasn't even trying to outrun Aegis, but outmaneuver him. She saw him get dangerously close to the barbed tail several times, and wanted to feel worried for the pegasus. The fact that Dud seemed to be thoroughly enjoying himself didn't really help with that endeavor.
In fact, from how their fight was playing out, Chrys was under the impression that Dud was more aware of what Aegis was capable of as a manticore then he did. Dud's efforts to dodge the barb left him exposed to Aegis' claws several times, which the royal guard never took opportunity of.
“Hey Mr. Royal Guard. Did you know a single drop of the poison in your tail is enough to paralyze five adult ponies for days!? Isn't that incredible?” Dud asked excitedly as he narrowly dodged said tail, making Chrys adopt an unamused look.
"Really?" Aegis asked in a confused tone, "Wait. You- S-Stop talking!" he added, seeming to blush as he tried to strike Dud again. Chrys simply shook her head, before taking her eyes from the aerial bout to look north.
With Dud and Aegis preoccupied, there was nothing standing between her and Mantis, who would likely be here shortly. The smart thing to do would be to hide. However, she still had her trump card, and Dud was still close by. So, instead of hiding, she stood out in the open, placing the barrel of nectar to the side as she kept an eye out for Mantis.
She didn't have to wait long. As the rain grew heavier, she spotted several dark figures in the sky. Her focus was drawn to one in particular, that was larger than the rest, and as they got closer, her eyes widened. She gritted her teeth as she glared at the figure, cursing Mantis's name as she did.
Leading the group of soldiers was Mantis, riding on Sledge's back.
“Of course Mantis would have found a way to save that brute!” she let out in frustration, her words drowned out by the pattering rain. “He probably convinced mother it wasn't worth her time to witness the event! Great. Just. Great!” she finished as she slammed a hoof down, splashing mud on her face in the process. Now, instead of having to get away from Aegis, she had two royal guards to contend with. Honestly, the dozen soldiers flying with Mantis were nothing but an afterthought compared to that.
Still, she stood waiting, albeit less composed.
Three drones separated from the group, joining Aegis in his attempt to catch Dud. Her eyes followed them, noticing the yellow pegasus taking note of the additional pursuers. He responded by getting closer to Aegis, grabbing some of his feline whiskers with his teeth and pulling down, forcing Aegis to reel from the unexpected assault, being turned on his back mid-air in the process.
Suddenly falling from the unfavorable turn, Aegis worked to right himself as the drones behind him scattered to avoid colliding. Dud had bought himself several seconds, which he used to quickly ascend towards the clouds. It didn't take long for the pursuit to continue, and Aegis was quickly catching up. It was difficult to tell in the rain, but Chrys felt as though Dud was giving her an assuring look as he disappeared into the gray ceiling.
She then looked back to the source of her strife, who landed before her, hopping off Sledge as the rest of the drones surrounded her. Besides Sledge, they were all in the form of pegasi, to keep warm. Mantis, however, shifted back to his natural form as he approached her, a matter of pride, she assumed.
“Ah, Princess,” he began as he gave her an empty bow, “Good thing we were close by. Who knows what that pony would have done otherwise?” he said with a small smile, making Chrys take a step forward.
Several things came to mind that she wanted to reply with: 'Thank you for being close by'. The pony's with me. He's tame. Shut your stupid face. I'm not letting you catch me, or whatever it is you want to do with me!
“Where's Momo?” she simply asked, making him raise an eyebrow at her.
“You didn't hear? I suppose not,” he said dismissively, “She was found last night, and was returned to the hive. I guess the soldier who was supposed to inform you, forgot to.”
She really hoped that was the truth, but she knew better than to trust him. Still, that was all she needed to hear. She didn't want to waste any time talking to him. His words had no value to her. So, she glanced to the clouds, seeing Dud weaving in and out of them at regular intervals. It was time to use her trump card.
Mantis noticed her diverted attention, his smile widening as he eyed Dud.
“Don't worry about the pony, Your Highness, there are plenty of places to bury him,” he said snidely as he motioned behind him, indicating a gorge a short gallop away. Chrys simply ignored him as she channeled her magic, her heartbeat climbing in preperation, horn glowing brightly as she generated four quick pulses of light. “...What was that?” he asked suspiciously, getting a snide smile in turn as her posture shifted. Her heart was now racing as she patted the ground with her hoof, ready to charge at Mantis, her peripheral vision catching a yellow blur diving out of the clouds towards them.
She continued gathering her magic, storing it, letting it accumulate, and as she did, she began to charge Mantis. He had a cautious look about him, his eyes on her horn, wondering what she had in mind; wondering what trick she had to power the confident smile she wore.
Dud's dive continued, his pursuers hot on his tail as he came closer, earning a side glance from Mantis, who motioned to Sledge.
“Keep your eyes on the obstacle in front of you!” Chrys shouted, keeping their attention as she raised her head. Mantis' eyes then widened in realization, bringing a hoof over his face right as her spell went off.
The land and skies for miles around were soaked teal, her natural color. Her light pierced through the rain, reflecting off the clouds back towards the ground, making her horn a source of light whose intensity rivaled the sun. Her eyes were shut, yet the strength of that light still made them water. Still she smiled; the drones around her were crying out, their sight being stolen from them.
As her magic gave away, the teal landscape returned to its gray complexion, and she staggered on her hooves for a moment. She'd never placed that much power into a spell before, and it drained her more than she expected.
Her heart then nearly leapt out of her chest when she felt herself being scooped up, and carried into the air.
“Gotcha! Princess! … I think,” Dud let out, getting a small sigh of relief from her, “That sounded like the princess sighing. Excellent!” he added as he spun around in mid-air, making her eyes widen when she didn't feel him carrying her anymore. Before she could make sense to why, she felt herself land on something soft.
She blinked as she realized she was now on Dud's back.
“Let me know if I'm about to fly us into anything, as I forgot to close my eyes,” he said sheepishly, flying in an upward direction as he started to lead them from the others. “And princess, if you end up in a falling situation again, I suggest turning into a bird, or something.”
Even though she felt a little lightheaded, that didn't stop her from frowning at him.
“I'll save you, Highness!” Aegis called out, making Chrys look behind her, seeing that they were being followed by Aegis, with Sledge a little behind them, unaffected by her spell. Her eyes then widened when she saw Aegis' stinger closing in on Dud.
“Dud, dive!” Chrys shouted, feeling her heart cry out as they immediately went into a dive, the poisonous barb narrowly missing the pegasus as they did.
“What's wrong? Was that Mr. Royal Guard?” Dud asked as they plummeted, her eyes widening at the terrifying pace the ground was approaching.
“Stop diving!!” What was the expression? Oh! “Level out, now!” she added, which he hastily did, narrowly avoiding the ground in the process. “The guards can see-”
The world flickered orange, the water in the air around them turning into mist as something big, heavy, and burning crashed into the ground behind them, creating an amber explosion. The blast washed past them, knocking them apart from each other, sending them rolling through the mud.
Chrys let out a groan as she got on her hooves, seeing Sledge standing in the center of a steaming crater, traces of amber flame sputtering out in the rain as he looked back. Her eyes then widened when she realized she was alone. Looking over her shoulder, she saw the lines Dud's body made in the mud lead over the gorge, now several paces behind her. Quickly hopping to her hooves, she ran to the edge, the slippery ground almost making her slide over into the dark crevice.
The depression stretched to both sides of her, barring her way a decent gallop's length in both directions. Far wider than she could hope to jump, she noticed a number of outcroppings littering the sides of the gorge's walls. Her ears fell as she looked as best she could; Dud was nowhere to be seen.
“Looks like the little princess has lost her pet,” Sledge said with a sneer, making her turn towards him with a hateful glare. His glare matched hers as he approached, his intent clear before he even reached her. He stopped however, when Aegis landed in between them, his scorpion tail stopping right in front of Sledge's chest.
“What are you doing here?" Aegis asked, before shaking his head, "You will keep your distance, traitor,” he said threateningly, prompting a sigh from Sledge.
“Calling me a traitor,” he mumbled, “Right, right,” he added dismissively as he casually pushed the barb away. He then eyed Chrys for a moment, before turning around, “Master, are you alright?” he asked as he looked back to where they came from, his eyes on Mantis, who was walking to meet them.
Seeing Mantis walking confirmed a small suspicion Chrys had when she saw him riding on Sledge's earlier. His wings were still recovering from their fight two days prior.
“Don't turn your back on me!” Aegis shouted at Sledge, “You're supposed to be dead!” he added, getting a bored look from Sledge.
“Aegis, it's alright,” Mantis assured, getting a confused look from the guard.
“How!?” Aegis asked as he took a heavy step towards Mantis, making the general take a cautious step back, “He nearly killed her! He's a threat to Her Highness, and he's an insult to what royal guards stand for!” he added heatedly.
While Mantis and the others were occupied, Chrys was busy plotting her next move. She had no food. No guard. Was completely outnumbered. And her only means of getting away was likely injured at the bottom of the gorge.
Her spell couldn't blind the guards, but it worked fine on drones. Thinking this, she eyed Mantis, then the gorge. She then blinked, and looked back to Mantis.
It looked like Sledge being alive had crossed some line for Aegis. He had a heated look about him, and wasn't buying into Mantis' assurances, which was making the general give short glances towards her, and Sledge. Sledge nodded in understanding, approaching Aegis cautiously from behind while the heated guard was focused on the general. Chrys felt a chill run down her spine when she realized what would come next, and shouted out for Aegis. All three of them paused, looking at her in unison, earning a glare from her.
Her eyes then shifted to confusion when she noticed strange movement happening off to the side of them. The ground itself seemed to be moving. As if a long tube of earth and rock was slithering over the mud, moving towards Mantis and the guards at a brisk pace. As she noticed it, she caught a sweet smell in the air, which made her sway slightly, making her shake her head. Mantis and the guards also seemed to falter for a moment, as if some unseen force had nearly knocked each of them off balance. They all shared a confused look, and before any of them could react to it, the tube of earth reached them.
Chrys took a panicked step back as it attacked, immediately reminding her of the gorge behind her. It reached Mantis first. The coil of earth hitting him like a whip, sending him flying flying through the air, a look of pain and shock on his face as he crashed into the mud with a wet thud.
Caught off guard, Aegis turned around in time for it to start coiling around him, making Chrys' eyes widen as the earth tightening around his fur started to change. Its texture and color shifted to better match Aegis' manticore coat. However, the parts of the coil touching the ground kept its earthly appearance.
With a majority of the tube anchored to the ground, Aegis let out a cry, before the coil rose up, carrying him with it, hurling him to the side. Aegis flew for a second, wings moving frantically to level out, for naught. He crashed face-first into the earth, sending rocks and mud flying. He lay there, unmoving, leaving only Sledge standing before the monster, who took a step back as the mass paused a moment, as if considering him.
Then, there was a flash of light that startled all of them. A trident of white that arced across the sky, touching the ground in the distance, its abstract fork-like pattern burning its silhouette on her eyes. A second afterwards, a deafening boom followed that skyward fracture, thundering for several seconds; a noise that made her jump in fright, making her hind legs slip into the gorge.
Her heart was racing as she flapped her wings frantically, aiding her as she pulled herself out of the gorge. As she tried to compose herself, her eyes fell to Sledge and the monster, her vision slightly out of focus, as the sweet smell seemed to get thicker with the 'thing' having gotten closer.
Another flash of light split the sky, this one to the south. Its light illuminated Sledge's and the monster's silhouette, making Chrys' eyes widen in understanding as she took in the creature before them. She had hoped her teal light she would summon unwanted attention. And now, it was here.
The coiled mass rested on the ground, gathering up like a bundled rope as it wound up for the next attack; the tube of earth was a snake. One whose body length was longer than seven or eight drones standing in a line, and being as thick as a drone's waist.
It struck out with terrifying speed, its scales shifting and changing as it did, working to blend itself in with its surroundings. Sledge managed to avoid the brunt of the blow as he jumped to the side, making the snake slide slightly in the mud as it poised its upper body to strike.
In another flash of light, Chrys was able to make out the rest of the creature's body. It had the upper torso of a pony, matching in size; it's mouth was open, revealing two large fangs, readying it to latch onto Sledge.
It was what the changelings referred to as a snake, but to a pony, it went by a different name. Lamia, a blood drinking monster.
There were many dangerous creatures in The Badlands, with Antlions and Lamia being among the most so. Chrys never considered her light drawing such a monster to them, as Lamia were supposed to sleep through the monsoon, just like changelings. Clearly, the one attacking right now didn't care about that.
The flash of light illuminating them ended in an instant, making Chrys lose sight of the upper body, its coat blending in perfectly with the heavy rain. One thought came to her, which was punctuated by the thunder that followed. She was standing on the wrong side of the gorge.
As Sledge tried to take flight, it pounced on him, coiling and wrapping its body around him like a vice. Sledge let out a cry of pain, bringing Chrys's awareness back to her as she turned around, eyeing the gap before her. She then stumbled slightly, the act of turning around being too much for her spinning head.
There were a number of things lamias were capable of, so she could only assume the sweet smell that was making her dizzy was its doing. Still, the notion of falling down, or becoming the snake's forth target, gave her enough drive to focus through the haze.
Looking into the gorge again, she took note of the outcroppings resting on the opposite side, her eyes wandering from left to right, till she spotted something she could use. Her horn then glowed, before she was wrapped in teal fire, her wings growing out and becoming feathery, her body turning white as she took the form of a pegasus filly she'd once seen in somepony's dream.
She then blinked as the change affected her eyes, making the world seem clearer, as if the rain wasn't even there. It seems the eyes of a pegasus were suited for heavy weather, a fortunate surprise on her part.
As the change ended, she felt her heat enchantment die off. Oddly, she didn't feel any colder than before, a fact she didn't take the time to appreciate as she could hear the struggle behind her getting closer. Giving her feathery wings an experimental flap, she took several steps back, before taking a deep breath and running towards the edge.
She closed her eyes as she jumped, picturing how Dud glided as she spread her wings out. To her relief, she didn't fall; not quickly anyway.
Her eyes opened, surprise evident when she saw the opposite wall quickly approaching. Her first 'flight' was rigged; she wasn't even daring to shift her wings, lest she send herself falling. Her heart then cried out when a breeze shifted her path, making her wings adjust involuntarily. She then blinked, as her shift had kept her on course, leading her to stumbling over as she landed on the outcropping.
Having landed safely, she let out a long sigh of relief, which shifted to a light fit of giggles brought on by that sweet, enticing smell. She then shook her head again, almost falling over in the process.
Something crashed into the top edge of the gorge, where she had been a moment prior, making her eyes widen as she looked for a place to hide. Spotting a large piece of rock, she rushed behind it, daring a glance around the corner to the source of her panic.
Sledge stood there, looking weak as he climbed to his hooves. He then hopped back, over the gorge, taking flight. Just in time to avoid the snake as it tried to reach for him. It glared at the flier, and with its shifting tail, picked up a rock as large as the one Chrys was hiding behind, hurling it towards the fleeing changeling.
Sledge managed to dodge it, flying back as he put distance between them. The snake looked to him for a moment longer, before it began to turn around. Chrys let out a sigh, but her lungs seized up as the snake paused, eyeing the ground before the gorge; eyeing the tracks. It then peered down into the hole, making Chrys pull her eyes from it as she waited. She was on the ‘safe’ side, but she still didn't want it to notice her.
Over the booming rain, the rivulets of water pouring into the gorge, she could swear she could hear the snake hissing as it looked down. There was a crash as rock shattered, making Chrys flinch as the hissing got louder. She sat there for a moment, listening with all her heart, waiting as the moments paused by at a painfully slow pace. As she heard the hissing get weaker, she finally let out the breath she'd been holding. After several seconds, she’d dared to glance around the rock, seeing a portion of the snake's tail driven into the opposite side's wall as an anchor.
It was climbing down into the gorge. She felt this was important, and terrible, but the sweet, sweet smell kept her from realizing why. However, she did find herself oddly curious to where Dud was.
~~~~~~~~~~
Said pegasus was washed up on a ledge deep in the gorge.
At the bottom was a growing stream of torrential water, running down towards an unseen destination, and it had dragged him along when he splashed into it. Getting out of the water proved to be a struggle, taking longer than he liked. Pulling himself out from the ledge he grabbed onto, he took a moment to catch his breath, before taking in his surroundings.
It was dark. Water was pouring in from the rain, as well as countless small waterfalls that were illuminated by the gray sky far far above him. Unable to glean anything more useful, he let out a small sigh as he recalled how he ended up down here.
“So, royal guards can do a dive-bombing explosion. Neat. Wish Lores had told me about that one,” he mumbled as he got to his hooves, involuntarily wincing as he moved his hind legs. “Looks like galloping is out for a bit...” he added as he let out a small sigh.
Everything had been going so well, so he guessed it was inevitable for something like this to happen. Granted, only he saw it as 'going well', a fact that he suspected bothered the princess. Still, before being hit by that explosion, today had been the best day Dud had had since the first time Lores woke him up to ask questions.
He was let out of his cage, permanently, to help the princess reach Equestria. Now he was flying freely again. He even got to tangle with a manticore and a royal guard at the same moment. And very very recently, got his first bath in what felt like years. Today was proving to be a great day. Sort of.
He then stretched out his wings, a smile coming to him when the only protest they made was an ache born of fatigue. Living in a cage for several months didn't do his endurance any favors. His eyes then widened, brow furrowing as he glanced around again, wondering where his passenger was, not seeing her anywhere nearby. Okay, maybe today wasn't that great. Not right now anyway.
“Princess, you down here!?” he yelled out, his voice drowned out by the storm, making him aware that the water level was rising. His ears then fell as he tried to peer through the darkness, worry starting to settle in. “Okay. As I recall, the big guy exploded, and sent me flying over. The princess was pretty light...” he said as he looked back up, giving his wings a solid flap as he started to rise, “So, maybe she didn't fall in!” he assured himself as he increased his pace.
He flew up and up, making his way out of the gorge in a short span, returning to the now lightning ridden Badlands, pausing just beneath the clouds. He then followed the gorge the opposite way the water had dragged him, and it wasn't long before he spotted several dark figures gathering near the edge. The guard, the manticore, and their leader.
They looked injured, making Dud wonder if that was the princess's doing. Circling around them, he saw no sign of her, making him frown in thought. He suggested she hide, so maybe that's what she was doing. Nodding to himself, he eyed the changelings for a moment longer, before looking south.
He didn't know where the princess would hide. The gorge? That outcropping of rocks to the left? That antlion pit far to the right? He could guess all day, but instead, he flew higher, keeping himself distant from the changelings as he flew south, back where the nectar had been left.
Sooner or later, the princess would either light a beacon for him, or return to get the food. That's what he thought as he passed over three drones that were heading towards the guards and general. “Were those the ones that chased me?” he wondered out loud, getting a rumble of thunder in reply as he found the area all this had started in.
There, he spotted the other nine drones, standing close together as they tried fruitlessly to look around, their sight still lost to them. Dud's smile widened at seeing this, casually gliding towards the barrel.
He noticed the contents inside were getting rained on, with a small layer of water already resting over the nectar. Circling around, he spotted one of the lids the princess had thrown off resting a little bit back, and after pulling it out of the mud, returned to the barrel. He then noticed a extra drone, disguised as a pegasus, eyeing the barrel in surprise. As if she hadn't been expecting a feast to be lying in wait under the rain.
Dud didn't know where this newcomer came from, but he wasn't letting her take what was left of the princess' food. And, he was under the impression talking with a bunch of blind drones around wasn’t the best idea in this situation. So, he dove into her, sending them both rolling through the mud. She surprised him by how quickly she reacted to the attack. Getting out of his hooves in short order, she jumped back and adopted a defensive pose. She then blinked when her eyes met his, and Dud himself paused when he took note of her appearance.
She had a short, light red mane and matching tail, while her coat was a very light shade of purple. In fact, if it wasn't for the constant lightning sharpening her features every few seconds, he'd have confused her coat for gray. His eyes were drawn to her mane, the color and the way it curled around her ear reminding him of a certain 'missing' changeling.
“Dud?” she asked, making him blink, before his smile widened. Today really was turning out to be the best.
~~~~~~~~~~
Chrys waited several minutes, thankful for the reprieve her hiding spot gave her as she let the sweet smell weaken, along with its effects. Light and thunder constantly lit up the sky as she collected herself, wondering how long it was safe to stay hidden.
She then noticed movement at the top of the gorge, the side she had abandoned. Mantis was peering down into it, with Sledge and Aegis at his side. All three of them were battered, and Sledge himself looked particularly weak, as if he could topple over at any moment.
Mantis was talking, but she couldn't make out the words through all the noise. Sledge and Aegis looked to each other, and after a moment, they nodded. Aegis went down into the gorge, and after a second, Sledge followed after him. Both were descending after the snake, and more likely, after her. The guards quickly passed by her hiding spot, Mantis's eyes on them as they delved deeper into the gorge. When she was certain they were out of sight, she peered around the rock, looking to Mantis, seeing a focused look in his eyes.
He was battered, and couldn't fly. He was still in his natural form, meaning he was tolerating the cold as he looked on, a fire in his eyes that made Chrys realize something about him. Once he set his sights on something, he didn't stop until he got what he wanted. He could have left her, taking the guards with him, leaving her fate up to the snake and the drowning rain. Instead, he waited. He wanted confirmation.
Chrys glared at him, her form shifting as she was wreathed in teal fire, which quickly sputtered out as she returned to her true form. The chill of the rain hit her unexpectedly hard, making her curse his name as she already felt her body's heat begin to leach away into the cold. She then stepped out of her hiding spot, eyes still locked on his. He looked on, his eyes not focused on her, making her realize he couldn't see her dark form through all the rain, while she could easily make him out with the cloudy backdrop behind him.
Her horn then glowed as she picked up a rock. Once again, a certain statue came to mind as she cast the stone, putting as much of her strength in it as she could. Mantis noticed the glow of her horn, his eyes falling towards hers in surprise, right as her attack connected.
The rock hit him squarely in the head. It let out a metallic clang that was clearly heard over the storm. The impact knocked the helm free from his head, Mantis himself toppling out of sight.
Chrys wore a proud, snide grin at the sight, which she carried with her as she appraised her side of the gorge. She had picked this particular ledge when she jumped in, because it had a path that led back to the top, it just required some jumping. With great haste and purpose, she got out of the gorge, looking back to Mantis, where he lay, in the mud.
She watched in satisfaction as he staggered to his hooves, rubbing his head as he noticed the dent made in his decorated helm. He then noticed her, and gave her a cold look, before picking it up. Chrys then took in a deep breath, really hoping he could hear her words.
“Good luck explaining that to Amber!” she let out snidely, seeing him tremble in fury.
Her smile then faded when she noticed that there, standing behind Mantis, were three soldiers. He made a small motion with his hoof, sending the drones after her. Her eyes widened as she turned around and started running.
The act of running reminded her of how cold she was. She wanted to blind them too, but she doubted she could dodge them in her compromised state. She wasn't running nearly as fast as she could. Stuck between casting a spell, and shapeshifting, she found the choice made for her when the first drone to reach her got a hold of her hindlegs.
She summoned her magic as quickly as she could, panic guiding her actions more than reason as she let out a bright flash that was only a third as powerful as earlier. Still, it was enough to disorient them for a moment, freeing her from the one that grabbed her. She then shifted back into a pegasus, the cold fading away as she started running again, surprised by the speed she was putting out in this form.
However, she still couldn't fly. After a few seconds, the drones were able to make out where she ran, and quickly caught up to her. They came close, ready to grab her, ready to give her to their general. Instead, they were sent sprawling when a pair of pegasi plowed into them.
She blinked as Dud and the mysterious newcomer planted the drones in the mud. It quickly became clear that the drones wouldn’t be getting up anytime soon from that. Chrys looked to Dud, then to the other pony with a curious, and confused look on her face.
The light-purple mare turned from her victims, striding up to Chrys. Their eyes met as the mare gave the heartiest of grins. Looking into her eyes, Chrys saw through the disguise as her mind's eye showed her the changeling hidden beneath the fur and feathers. Her eyes began to water, her chest aching from unexpected joy as she stepped towards the mare.
"Momo?"
“The one and only!” Momo said with a warm smile, making Chrys leap towards her.
“Momo!” she let out as she gave her clutchling a fierce hug, one so tight and full of emotion that she didn't want to ever let go. Momo embraced her in kind, a serene look on her face as she did.
A small voice in Chrys' head was spinning with questions. How'd she get away? What was she doing out here? How'd she find her? That small voice that was pushed to the side, the princess simply happy in knowing that her clutchling was safe, and out of Mantis' hooves. Dud then cleared his throat as he eyed the onlooking general, making Chrys and Momo follow his gaze, before letting go of each other.
“We should go, before the rest come,” Dud pointed out, making Chrys adopt an annoyed look, before nodding in agreement.
“Chrys, hop on!” Momo said, getting no complaints as Chrys nodded.
“Let's go topside!” Dud shouted as he pointed up, getting a nod from the others, before they took flight. Chrys’s eyes then widened.
“Wait! We need to get the nectar!” she pointed out, making Dud look to her.
“Got it right here,” he said with a happy nod, pointing to a barrel sitting close to where he had flown in from. “So, let's shoot for the clouds!” he added as he scooped up the nectar, before ascending. Momo followed suit, making Chrys cling to her tightly as they climbed up.
As the ground became distant, Chrys looked back, seeing Mantis standing on the opposite side of the gorge, his eyes watching her as she escaped his grasp. He then vanished as they broke into the clouds, making Chrys tighten her hold even more as they did.
The rain in the cloud was so thick, that any trace of mud from their encounters was washed off them. Chrys' eyes clung shut as she felt small pellets of something hard bounce off her. For what seemed like an eternity, they ascended, the rumble of thunder, the crashing, the chaos born from the clouds over The Badlands washing over them as they did.
Then, unexpectedly, it all stopped.
She felt the sun on her fur, its light so dominant that she felt compelled to open her eyes, letting out a gasp at the scene before them.
As far as her eyes could see, in every direction, was a sea of rolling white clouds. The breeze blew through her mane as she looked to Momo and Dud. Both were soaked, just as she was, but they also looked incredibly clean. With the storm now beneath them, she took in the shifting cloudscape before her, looking to the sun with a growing grin. Despite the odds being stacked against her, she’d gotten away, with her clutchling at her side.
Now she could continue forward, without worry, to Equestria...
Stats
Page generated in 0.051 seconds
Total duration
923 users online
402,762 hits today, 2,782,760 yesterday
FIMFiction
My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Fanfiction
Designed and coded by knighty & Xaquseg - © 2011-2024
Follow & Support Us
Support us
SubStar
Chat!
Discord
Follow us
Twitter
MLP: Friendship is Magic® - © 2024 Hasbro Inc.®
Fimfiction is in no way affiliated with or endorsed by Hasbro Inc.®
Word repetition here. Maybe change to "Still, she remained planted where she was, albeit less composed."
This sentence feels awkward, I think changing the latter part to "were soaked teal, her natural color." would make it read easier. Or maybe explain that it is a light earlier.
Capitalize
Ever the optimist.
"He"
I felt there was a slight quality drop when the lamia arrived till when Dud's PoV started. Though that is a combat piece and combat can be hard to write. Felt like there was a lot of word repetition.
Hmmmm... I feel something...
derpicdn.net/img/view/2014/5/20/631719__safe_solo_shipping_meme_upvotes+galore_image+macro_princess+cadance_reaction+image_frown_wide+eyes.png
Momo and Dud act as Chryssi's parents and then maybe become something more?
6431614
Same. Many of my favorite authors on this site are good at righting almost everything except action scenes.
Ok i like it but i know slege will be back
Chrys is making a mistake here. If Aegis really was fully compromised, he would probably be trying to kill her ala Sledge, or at the very least I don't think he wouldn't be bothering to keep up the pretense like this.
Uh oh, speak of the devil. I was wondering last chapter, we kind of just skipped over the time period in which Sledge would have been executed, that should have been a flag that something had gone awry.
Oh, so it was a super-sized flash-bang spell? Interesting, though to be honest I was hoping it would be something a little more directly lethal to Mantis.
Ooops.
See, more of what I was talking about above. If Chrys had been thinking quickly enough she should have seized upon this to pull Aegis' loyalty back from Mantis and gained another minion. There is really no excuse for Mantis to still have Sledge as his immediate, still living side-kick at this point.
A Lamia? Well, that's not good. Unless it eats Mantis or Sledge, that would be fine.
Momo!
Nice.
Success!
I'm a little worried about Aegis now. He was pretty clearly not fully on Mantis' side, he knows Sledge is alive, and he was supposed to have accompanied Chrys to Equestria; if he shows up at the hive Amber is going to be asking a lot of questions with uncomfortable answers. There are a lot of reasons for Mantis to just disappear him now that Chrys is out of the picture and out of reach. I doubt he could take on Mantis + Sledge + all those drones. I suppose the best non-lethal bet would be for Mantis to send him off to Equestria after Chrys.
I hope you did that on purpose.
6498138 But of course.
For a moment I was worried Aegis got seriously hurt.
I was a bit worried how being cold blooded made these changelings weak, but, now that I think about it, it might be useful, seeing as they become warm blooded when changing into warm blooded creatures. Best of both worlds, much lower energy requirements in real form, high performance when shifted.