Chapter 10
Four months before Integration…
The mixture of hay and potato slices sizzled in the pan. Caramel inhaled deeply and felt his stomach rumble in anticipation of dinner. He hadn’t felt this relaxed in a long time, enjoying the simple pleasure of cooking an evening meal.
Somepony knocked on his front door.
That was odd. He wasn’t expecting any visitors. Mom and Dad seldom showed up unannounced, and his friends were usually a lot more boisterous than the decidedly timid knock that he’d just only been able to make out over the sound of his sizzling meal. He took it off the fire and placed it in the oven instead, then trotted out into the living room.
Whoever it was knocked again, more urgently this time.
“Coming,” he called out. “Just hang on.”
After fumbling with the keys for a moment, he opened the door and said, “Hey there, good eveni—” The rest of his words died off when he recognised the pegasus standing outside.
“Hello, Caramel.” Sassaflash smiled meekly. “May I come in?”
Oh hayseed, she’s back? What do I do, what do I do, what do I do? He recoiled in a panic from the storm roiling up from within. It was about seven weeks since he last saw her in the attack on Canterlot, and about two since he’d finally come to accept that he was never going to see her again. He remembered curling up in his bed like a madmare with a mental breakdown, struggling to come to terms with the fact that their relationship had been nothing more than what Twilight Sparkle called ‘a changeling’s natural feeding routine’ in her seminars. He’d only recently been able to push her out of his mind; why come back now, of all times?
His hind legs met some resistance, and he yelped when he found himself tripping over the coffee table. He landed on his haunches and stared as Sash let herself in and discreetly shut the door.
Oh no. He knew that he should be calling for help. Guard patrols were now commonplace; a simple shout would bring a troop of them over in moments. She was definitely a changeling. They’d done a full census recently, and Sassaflash was amongst the group of ponies whose identities were totally made up. They were all either currently missing, or already captured by the royal guards. There was no record of a Sassaflash having lived anywhere; Shining Armour had made sure of that.
Come on, just shout and they’ll take it away. Do it!
But he couldn’t. Now that she was here, he couldn’t help but cling to the hope that maybe Sassaflash was real after all. That any second now, a couple of guards would trot in after her to announce that she’d been rescued from whatever place the doppelganger had hidden her in. That she really was the pony that he’d grown up with. That she’d only been captured sometime during the wedding and that he hadn’t spent most of his life with a fake.
Nothing of the sort happened. Instead, the turquoise pegasus that was supposed to be Sassaflash simply sighed and said, “I’m sorry.”
“What?”
“I’m sorry for not telling you the truth.”
“About what?” He wanted to hear it specifically. No more doubts or second guesses.
Sash swallowed. Green flames ignited at her hooves, then seared their way upwards. They left her legs black, hard and holey as they went up, and eventually left her eyes blue throughout, along with a curved horn, translucent wings and a fin-like crest in place of her mane. She shifted nervously in her new form. “I’m really not a pony. But I think you’ve figured that out already. I just want you to know that there isn’t anyone named Sassaflash locked away somewhere. I made the name up and pretended to be a pegasus sixteen years ago.”
Caramel slumped. Guess it was too much to hope for. Then, he stared at the changeling. “So why are you telling me this?”
“I felt that I owed it to you, after all we’ve been through. This is what I really look like.” Her voice had gone all raspy.
He frowned. “Is that supposed to make me feel better? Because I don’t think it’s working.”
The changeling sighed and took a step forward. Caramel tensed and took a deep breath, ready to shout if she decided to attack.
She froze and said, “Caramel, please don’t scream. I’m only going to sit on the floor in front of you, that’s all.” She took another step forward and made a vague gesture with her hoof. “If you’d give me permission, that is.”
He nodded slowly, then belatedly thought, Not a smart move. “And I don’t scream,” he added indignantly.
“You did when you got your hoof stuck under Big Mac’s plough,” she said as she casually sat on her haunches in front of him.
“That doesn’t count. It’s a freaking plough, and he was still pulling it!” he protested. “Wait—how did you know that?”
The changeling’s brows shifted, giving the impression that she was rolling her eyes. It was hard to tell when she had no pupils. “I was there, duh.”
“Fine.” Caramel crossed his forelegs and grumbled. “So, was there something else you wanted to tell me?”
She paused few moments, thinking. As the seconds ticked by, Caramel noticed that her posture was exactly the same as Sash’s right down to the way she tapped her hoof on the floor absentmindedly whenever she was thinking. Eventually, she sighed and tentatively placed a hoof on his, saying, “There’s no way for me to say this without sounding like a bad romance story, so I’ll just say it. Yes, I’m a changeling through and through. I picked you as my target when we were in school, and I pretended to want to be your friend. I planned—”
“Seriously, this really isn’t making me feel better,” he interjected with a shake of his head, sliding his hoof away.
“Wait, just hear me out,” she pleaded.
Caramel wanted to just get up and tell her to leave, but he couldn’t. Am I under a spell? He’d seen what the queen thing had done to Shining Armour. But Sash sounded really sorry. And she wasn’t using her disguise. It would’ve been so much easier for her to just pretend to be the ‘real’ Sassaflash after escaping from a bug nest or something. Revealing her true self seemed counterproductive, and if she meant to trick him into forgiving her and accepting her once more, she couldn’t possibly believe that he was that stupid, could she?
Wait, isn’t that exactly what she’s doing? If she’s lying, I should really be insulted. If she’s not, I’ve got a bigger problem. How can I tell? Argh!
He was starting to get a headache. But before he could think of an answer, Sash had apparently taken his silence for acquiescence.
“I started liking you. And when we got older, I started—” she paused, apparently searching for the right word, “—um… really liking you.” Her eyes widened, as if she’d realised she’d said something stupid, and she growled in exasperation. “Ugh, it sounded a lot better when I was thinking about it. I mean, I started needing you. I loved you. I wanted—no, needed you to love me. Not because I was hungry. It was… something else.” Her eyes suddenly brightened. “Remember that night when you asked me to be your special somepony?”
“Uh huh…” he said cautiously.
Sash was smiling. “It made me feel happy. You made me feel happy. I knew you already had feelings for me, but when you said it freely, I… I just felt like I wanted to make you happy and be with you for the rest of my life. I would fight to protect you, I would—” She suddenly stopped, drew in a deep breath and sighed. Her smile disappeared. “You know, for somepony who feeds on love, I don’t know very much about it. I can’t even describe it properly. I can only say that what I felt was real. And I wanted to know that you loved me for who I was—that you would love me even if you knew what I was.”
“So why didn’t you tell me?” He asked because he didn’t want the silence to grow awkward. He already knew the answer. I wouldn’t have told me, either.
“I wanted to. But I chickened out every time.” She chuckled. “I mean, I know you. You would’ve freaked out.”
“And you don’t think I’m going to freak out now? I mean, come on!” Caramel threw his hooves up into the air. “You don’t know what I went through after Shining’s wedding. I thought you’d been replaced like the others!” He continued to let his voice rise, even though Sash was cringing. “And when they told me that there was no such pony as Sassaflash, I, I—aargh!” He stopped when he realise that his eyes were wet. Darn it, not now!
“Caramel, I—”
He silenced her with a glare. “I thought you weren’t real. I thought that I’d been lied to for years.”
“They weren’t lies…” she whispered.
“Why should I believe you now?”
Sash’s ears drooped. Even her crest and wings seemed to wilt. She stared at the floor for several moments before finally saying, “You’re right, you shouldn’t.”
What? He stared at her.
“We can’t be a couple. It was stupid and selfish of me to come back.” She grimaced and made a frustrated noise. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have come here to stir up your feelings again. I told myself that I owed you the truth, but now I see that it was because I was just—” She suddenly got up and shuffled towards the door. “I’ll just be going now.”
In spite of himself, Caramel rose and said, “Where?”
“Home. Queen Chrysalis has gotten everyone organised again. Our orders are to go back to the hive.” She unlocked the door and pushed it open. A cold draft blew in, and she froze for a moment before shutting it. She then looked at him and gulped. “Caramel, I… I’m sorry.” He could see that her eyes were turning a darker shade of blue at the edges, almost the same way somepony’s eyes would turn red when they were crying, and her raspy voice sounded brittle, as if each word hurt. “I hope that you’ll find someone else who can be the special somepony that you deserve. It isn’t me, and I’m sorry for pretending that I was.”
He tried to say something, but the words stuck in his throat.
Sash turned away, and green flames engulfed her body. A few seconds later, an unfamiliar, grey-coated mare stood in her place, and she pushed the door open once more. But just before she darted out, she turned back to him. Her pony eyes were tearing, and she murmured in her original voice, “Goodbye, Caramel. You won’t ever have to see me again.”
Caramel didn’t know how long he’d been staring at the empty doorway for, but his house had already grown chilly by the time he realised it. He shivered and hurried to shut the door, then trudged back into the kitchen. His dinner had long since grown stale. He ate a few mouthfuls just to give himself something to do other than think.
It didn’t work very well.
Why did she have to come back? He wanted to just forget about her. Bury the memories deep and hope that he’d never have to dig them up again. But he couldn’t help listening to her voice in his mind; her last words left a terrible emptiness in his chest. A part of him was glad that she’d made it easy for him and just gone, but at the same time the rest of him couldn’t bear the thought that he was never going to see her again. It was like being tied to two trains going in opposite directions.
Was Sash telling the truth? Technically, their relationship could have been genuine on both sides; he just hadn’t been informed of her other ‘qualities’. If her feelings were false, then why had she sided with him during the Canterlot invasion? She had fought her own kind to keep him from getting caught. And she probably could’ve just taken the easy way and taken control of his mind just as the queen had done to Shining. Her actions currently leaned towards her telling the truth, and he was pretty sure that he was thinking rationally at the moment.
Caramel suddenly realised that he was sitting on his haunches, slowly rocking back and forth and fiddling with his tail. Is this how you become a crazy pony? He released his tail and snorted derisively, then got onto his hooves and headed towards his room without even bothering to tidy up the kitchen or get himself cleaned up. He simply flopped onto the bed and lay still, wishing that things could just go back to the way they were before the invasion. But deep down, he knew that that was just wishful thinking.
He was only dimly aware of the wetness on his pillow just before sleep took him.
* * * * *
Thirteen days before Integration…
Caramel could see Stickle at the far end of the cavern, desperately dashing towards him as fast as his little legs could go. His eyes were wide with fear as the ground trembled. There was a quarray not far behind him.
“Faster!” he shouted. He tried to gallop towards his little brother, but for some reason his legs felt like they were knee-deep in sticky mud. Each step was ponderously slow.
Stickle spared a glance back and let loose a short, sharp screech of fear when the monster snapped its massive jaws. Caramel’s heart nearly stopped when the quarray’s teeth came together at the spot where Stickle had been a second ago. He’d dodged the bite, but the quarray was relentless. No matter how much he wove between and around the stalagmites on the floor, the massive creature simply bulldozed through them as if they were little more than cardboard.
“Help me!” Stickle cried.
What’s wrong with me? Caramel snarled in frustration as he struggled to get his legs to move faster than a slow trot. There was no way he was going to reach Stickle in time. Desperately, he whipped his head around, scanning the darkness in the cavern for someone, anyone, who could help.
Meanwhile, the quarray was gaining on the nymph. A squeal of fright reminded him that time was running out. He had to—wait. Something on the edge of his vision caught his eye. He turned and saw a dark figure lurking in the shadows nearby. It was lankier than the typical pony, and its eyes seemed to have a soft, white glow.
He paused to wave at the stranger, then pointed his hoof at Stickle and shouted, “Please, help him! I can’t get to him in time!”
The shadowy pony didn’t comply. It – no, it was a she – merely turned her head and gazed on as Stickle dodged another lunge from the quarray.
Caramel felt a fire blaze to life in his chest at the pony’s nonchalant attitude. Somepony’s life was in danger, and she was simply going to watch? “What the hay is wrong with you? Do something!” he shouted half in desperation, half in anger.
The pony still didn’t move. But then, Caramel heard a buzzing sound coming from behind. He had barely turned his head around when something dark streaked past him like a giant dragonfly. It took him a moment to realise who it was.
Rax!
He tried to catch up, but was still hindered by some unseen force. He could only watch as his friend flew in close and snatched Stickle up with his forehooves and spiral upwards into the empty space of the massive cavern. The quarray reared up like an angry snake and snapped at them, but they were already far out of its reach. It let loose a roar that shook the cavern, sending clouds of dust raining down as Rax and Stickle disappeared up a shaft in the ceiling. After watching the shaft for a while in silence, the quarray curled and rammed its head into the ground, creating an explosion of rock and dirt as it burrowed straight down. A moment later, there was nothing but a gaping hole in the earth. The cavern was empty, dark and silent.
Caramel sat on his haunches and sighed. That was close.
A buzzing sound alerted him to the presence of another changeling, and he looked up just in time to see Rax land on all fours next to him. He was about to thank him for saving Stickle when his friend suddenly punched his shoulder. It wasn’t that hard, but it wasn’t a friendly one either.
“You were taking your sweet time back there,” Rax growled.
“Sorry. I…” Caramel looked down at his legs and shook his head. “I don’t know what’s wrong with me. I couldn’t move.”
Rax had a scornful grin on his face. “Scared of a little eel?”
Caramel felt the denial right on the tip of his tongue, but stopped short. He was scared. Those quarray eels were dangerous, with all those sharp fangs and a massive yet fast body that could easily crush a pony in its path.
“Yes. I am scared,” he admitted. “I remember…”
“Remember what?”
Caramel frowned and peered at Rax. His friend looked perfectly fine. “But, I thought you were…” An ill kind of coldness came over him, and he suddenly didn’t want to finish that sentence.
Rax raised a brow. “What?”
Caramel looked at the ground and rubbed the back of his head. All he remembered a sickening crunch, and…
Something plopped on the ground in front of him. It was a dark spatter of blue, and a pit opened up in his stomach. Slowly, he raised his eyes, and a shiver ran through him. Rax was bleeding from gashes and cracks in his carapace. A whimper escaped him when he tried to say something.
Rax raised a broken foreleg to look at it, and his quizzical expression disappeared. He then turned to Caramel, eyes wide with fear, and said, “What happened to me?”
Caramel shook his head. This isn’t happening.
His friend suddenly made a gurgling sound and clutched his fractured chest before toppling over. He lay on the ground, choking and gasping for air. A moment later, he started coughing up water.
No, no, no, no! Caramel knelt by his side, but was stumped as to what he was supposed to do. He didn’t know first aid, and nothing was making any sense! He remembered that—no. Rax was looking at him in bewilderment, as if Caramel was the one causing him pain.
Oh, sweet Celestia, somepony please help me, he pleaded silently. Now that he remembered, he didn’t want to say it. The thought of telling Rax the truth had a weight of finality to it, that he could never take it back if he did.
“Enough,” said a female voice.
Caramel felt something cold touch his shoulder. He yelped and whirled around, and saw the figure from earlier withdraw the hoof that she had placed on him. Normally, he would have liked to give her a piece of his mind for violating his personal space in such a startling manner, but Rax’s suffering took precedence. She might be able to help.
“My friend’s in bad shape,” he quickly said, beckoning her closer. “Can you—”
“Be still,” she simply replied. “None of this is what you think.”
“What are you talking about?” he cried, raising his voice and pointing a hoof where Rax lay. “He needs help, can’t you see—” he stopped short when he looked at the place where his friend had been. Rax was gone.
What in the world…
“But, where is…” Caramel found his words trailing off. He scanned his surroundings and saw that the cavern had been replaced by a seemingly limitless expanse of darkness, with only a room-sized circle of rocky ground that was lit by some unseen source of light. There were no other discernible features aside from the mare standing in front of him. She was enshrouded in what looked like a seething cloud of shadow, but as he stared, the dark wisps receded, revealing a tall, graceful body that was a dark blue in colour. Eventually, the shadows shrank and warped until they were a purplish blue, dotted with tiny specks of light, waving in the air where her mane and tail were supposed to be.
“It’s you. I’m dreaming again,” he murmured. Then, after a few seconds, he thought, Oh no, it’s Princess Luna. I fell asleep!
Panic rose in his chest as he remembered that he’d been avoiding her for days since leeching on his pony friends. A dozen scenarios played in his mind; each punishment was more terrifying than the last. He flicked his eyes about, searching for an escape route, but there was nothing but sheer darkness around them.
Maybe I could hide in that? It was worth a shot. He quickly twisted around and broke into a gallop, hearing the pounding of his hooves and his heart as he fled. After a moment, he risked a glance back, and yelped in fright when he saw the Princess of the Night barely a tail length behind him. She was standing completely still. He looked down and yelped again when he saw that although he was galloping like crazy, he somehow wasn’t moving an inch.
“Calm yourself and show some courage!” Princess Luna intoned. It wasn’t a shout, but it was far louder than any that he’d ever heard. He froze and toppled to the ground, and then tried to scoot away backwards on his haunches when she took a step towards him.
“I’m sorry—please don’t turn me into a two-headed owl!” he blurted in a voice that had gone a little high-pitched.
Princess Luna frowned and tilted her head slightly.
Her surprise was enough to shake him out of his panicked state. I have no idea where that came from… Blushing a little from the ridiculous remark, he tried to recover a little dignity by getting back onto all fours.
“You are Caramel, are you not?” she asked.
“Yeah, that’s me.”
Her frown only deepened. It didn’t take long for the silence to grow awkward. She was studying him as if he was a particularly interesting sculpture or something. Or bug. He didn’t like getting that sort of attention, but stood still and remained silent because she was a princess. The last thing he wanted was to make her mad when he suspected that she already had plenty of reason to be. Guilt and apprehension welled up when he realised that his feeding on the emotions of ponies wasn’t the only thing that could get him into trouble. It was also partly his fault that Rax had – he swallowed – been lost. Would she care about something like that? Or would she just shrug it off because his friend was a changeling? He suddenly didn’t want to keep silent any more. He had to know. He had to know if she thought so little of them. Maybe this was his chance to help smooth things over between ponies and changelings. Or at the very least – and he felt another pang of guilt for such a selfish thought – she might be able to help get him out of the hive. Everything had gone so wrong…
But before he could say anything, she pointed a hoof at him and said, “Speak again, please. It is difficult to understand you.”
“What… what do you want me to say?” he asked nervously. He did not like her stern expression.
“In Equestrian, Caramel. If it even is you.”
“But I am speaking—” he stopped as he listened to his own voice. He knew what he was saying, but the sounds were all wrong. There was too much clicking and chirping and rasping. “No, no, this isn’t right,” he muttered. His words were all messed up.
Without thinking, he’d scratched the back of his head in puzzlement, but the rough edge of his hoof startled him. That felt wrong. He brought it to the front and felt his heart rate climb when he saw that his foreleg was black and riddled with holes. He craned his neck around and found a pair of translucent, blue wings on his back. He bit his lip and felt his fangs. Everything’s wrong.
“No, no, no,” he muttered. “Not this much. It’s too far!”
Meanwhile, the Princess’ expression had softened, somewhat. She still seemed a little confused, but her sternness had been replaced by… concern? Pity?
There wasn’t a trace of coat left on his body, and he could feel the jagged horn poking out of his forehead as a sure sign of his guilt. His blood ran cold when he looked at his flanks and found them completely bare. He had no cutie mark; he had crossed a line that nopony was meant to cross. He took a step towards Princess Luna, averting his eyes and keeping his head low in what he hoped was a submissive manner.
“Please make it stop,” he pleaded. “I don’t want to be a changeling. I want to go home. I’m sorry I left!”
Princess Luna did not retreat or attack as he had feared, but she did not appear to have understood him either. She looked as if he had spoken Zebrican or some other obscure language. Or Vespid, his brain finally supplied. He groaned and hung his head, but looking at the ground suddenly gave him an idea.
“Hang on, give me a second,” he said, lifting a hoof to forestall any further suspicion. Hurriedly, he dug his hoof into the ground and found to his relief that it was soft enough to trace words on. His hopes lifted, only to come crashing back down after he’d drawn a curved line and two straight ones. He was stumped; he couldn’t remember the alphabet!
This time, his groan was more out of frustration than anything else. Oh, hayseed, what’s wrong with me? He tried writing again, but only came up with more gibberish. He turned to the Princess, raising a hoof in a silent plea for help.
She had grown wary. When she spoke, there was a hint of steel in her voice. “I will keep my questions simple. Just nod or shake your head.” She paused for a moment as if to gather her thoughts, then asked, “Are you Caramel?”
He shook his head.
Wait—no!
He tried to nod, but his body simply refused to perform the right action.
“I see…” Princess Luna’s voice was neutral, but her expression was clearly drifting to the suspicious side. “Are you deliberately lying to me?”
Caramel nodded vigorously. What? He grabbed his head with both hooves and groaned. If he had any hair left, he would’ve torn it out. He couldn’t believe it; his whole body was betraying him! “No, I’m not lying to you!” he cried out. “Oh, hayseed, I don’t know, I—” He knelt before her. “Please, help me. I don’t know what to do!”
For a while, the Princess was silent. His heavy breathing sounded awfully loud in the empty darkness. Her expression was guarded again, and it was hard to tell whether she believed him or not. If she’d even understood a word he’d said. Eventually, she placed a hoof gently on his shoulder and gently said, “Your words are foreign to me, but I believe that there is more to your predicament than I can see. Whatever your reasons for joining them, you should know that there are ponies who miss you, and are waiting to welcome you home. I know not what those creatures have done to you, but rest assured that I still consider you my subject, my little pony. I believe that your heart is still in the right place.”
“Thanks…” he whispered. It was as much as he could have hoped for, given the situation. She believes me!
“Now, in order to—” she stopped midway when a tremor ran through their surroundings.
Caramel tensed up when he heard the distant roar of a quarray eel and cast his eyes about, searching for any sign of its approach. The darkness beyond the patch of visible cave that they were in remained impenetrable, but as he looked on, he found that the details of the ground that they were standing on were growing indistinct and rippling, as if he was looking through cloudy water. He turned to the princess and realised that the same was happening to her.
Or is it just happening to me?
He glanced down and found that, aside from being a full changeling, his body wasn’t distorted like his surroundings. His relief was short-lived, as he suddenly recalled that he was supposed to be receiving instructions from Princess Luna.
“Hang on Your Highness, you were saying something?” he asked.
Princess Luna said nothing. Her eyes were glowing white, and she was floating up into the air even though her wings weren’t flapping. Gale winds swirled at the edge of darkness around them, causing her mane to billow out. She seemed to grow darker as she rose, until he realised that it was because the source of illumination was directly behind her, up in the sky. The moon was massive; it grew and grew until it nearly filled his entire field of vision, and he gaped as the princess ascended to it, shrinking into a black speck before a vast circle of brilliant white. Too late, he realised that she had been speaking to him, but the words had been lost in the roar of the wind. The black shape flashed, and suddenly the moon had a shadow in the shape of a mare’s head on its surface.
And that was when the ground which he was standing on exploded. He was thrown upwards in a shower of rocks, and when gravity took over, he found himself plummeting into the gaping maw of a quarray eel. It was a bottomless purple hole rimmed with teeth and coated with slime. He opened his mouth, but couldn’t scream.
* * * * *
Caramel grunted and jerked to wakefulness, tasting dirt. He was lying on his side, and half of his face was squashed up against the ground. He blinked, then sighed in relief. Just a dream. He wasn’t getting eaten after all.
As he waited for his thumping heart to calm down, he noted that his back was rather warm in contrast to the slight chill of the tunnel that he was in. He stiffened when something fell across the side of his belly, the memory of the quarray still fresh in his mind. Luckily, a quick and slightly panicked look told him that it was just a holey limb. Sash was sleeping behind his back, and she’d simply draped a leg over him. She was mumbling something in her sleep. Under normal circumstances, he would’ve liked to just cuddle up to her and leave it at that, but he was just too flustered and confused at the moment. Not to mention that he was sore all over from his recent exertions.
He must’ve cried himself to sleep after the quarray attack, and the vivid dream had brought forth a whole cartload of questions and concerns that he had no idea how to answer or deal with. It was a relief that he wasn’t eaten by the quarray eel, but it was also meant that meeting Rax again had been nothing more than a dream. His heart sank at the thought that he’d truly lost his friend.
Or have I?
He had to be sure. There was absolutely no evidence for the idea that he was still alive save for the dream, but it had been so vivid that he had to try. He knew that getting his hopes up was stupid and only going to hurt later on, but… he needed to be sure. It was better than nothing. Probably.
Slowly, he eased away from Sash to avoid waking her. Sharp pain made him pause for a moment, and he winced when he saw that it was because the tattered remains of his wings were stuck to the ground, glued in place by dried blood.
Are they supposed to grow back? He remembered something about moulting that Sash had mentioned once. He shook his head; it didn’t solve his problem anyway. He couldn’t reach with his hooves to help peel them off, he was fresh out of magic, and he wasn’t about to just pull away and hope for the best. But a light snore from Sash gave him an idea. He eased himself back to her, careful to avoid jostling his wings, then closed his eyes and reached out with his mind.
I’ll just pinch a bit, he thought. I’ll control myself this time.
He found her sleeping consciousness easily enough, just like when he’d leeched on Lucky in the pod. Sash’s mind felt different from a pony’s. It was like the difference between walking in a living room and in a cellar. But that wasn’t important right now. He felt like a trespasser, and trespassers don’t wait around to enjoy the scenery. He quickly located the ‘clouds’ of her emotions in the dreamy world and paused when he saw the roiling clusters of darkness mingling with the brighter shades of colours. It looked like she was having a good dream, but it was apparent that there was uneasiness mixed in there as well. There could be a whole list of reasons for that, and he wondered just how many of those were because of him. It made him feel guilty again, but the hunger that was unique to changelings gnawing at the edges of his mind distracted him just enough to latch on and feed.
Her love and happiness was sweet, and it made him realise just how hungry he was. But at least he was able to stop, and it was much easier when there was no Chrysalis egging him on like the last time.
When he was about to pull out, he paused to take one longing look at Sash’s emotions. Maybe taking just a little more wouldn’t hurt. After all, he was injured, and he needed to recover as quickly as possible. He sidled back…
Horse apples!
Caramel had to wrench himself away when he felt his cuts and bruises mending. He’d already taken more than he’d planned!
He opened his eyes and growled. So much for controlling yourself, idiot. He turned to look at Sash and was relieved to find that she was still sleeping. One wing was twitching a little, but she otherwise looked peaceful and was still caressing him with one leg. Phew. He was already feeling guilty enough without giving her bad dreams.
Come on, slowly… Ouch. Even though magic made it a tad easier to peel his wings off of the ground, it still wasn’t exactly pleasant. But at least the rest of him was feeling much better already; his cuts and grazed hide were scabbing over, his tongue was less swollen, and his muscles weren’t constantly aching anymore. His wings didn’t look much better off, but he guessed that maybe they were supposed to be replaced when he moulted. He wasn’t sure if he could, though, given that the top of his back was still mostly covered in his tan coat.
Sash didn’t wake and only mumbled something when he eased out of her gentle caress. After making sure that she was okay, he quietly trotted off, heading back down to the lower parts of the hive.
It was easy enough getting back down; he only needed to follow the trail left by the quarray eel. Changelings from Builder Caste were already busy repairing the damage. No one paid him much attention, and he only received a few cursory glances from those he happened to pass in the tunnels. A few of them seemed inclined to be on the grouchy side, and he wondered whether it was because they knew that he was the one who’d played the hero and created extra work for them.
Or maybe you need to get over it and stop thinking that everypony’s thinking about you, he scolded himself.
There were about ten changelings guarding the tunnel to the old city. He saw Mandible and Scritch when he passed them, but they gave no indication of any strong feelings towards him one way or another. They simply regarded him with passing interest and allowed him to get by without any comment. He wasn’t sure what to think about that.
A stream of runoff water ran through the middle of the sloping tunnel, giving the impression of a sewer. He shivered when he saw the spot where Rax had been smashed against the ceiling—there was a spatter of dark blue with fragments of carapace, and the rock looked like it had cracked, too.
Caramel tore his eyes away and continued down, until he reached the ledge where Rax had fallen off. He sat by the edge and peered down into the darkness of the abyss before him. It was too dark to make anything out, but he could hear the distant roar of the underground river below.
What am I waiting for?
For Rax to suddenly appear? It was just a dream. But it had felt so real that he simply couldn’t just discard the hope that maybe, just maybe, Rax was still alive out there. But as the minutes stretched on, the hope faded away. It was just a dream. Rax really was gone; he wasn’t coming back. And the final acknowledgement fell upon his heart like a millstone, dragging him into the depths. But he did not cry; he had no more tears to give.
Is this the part where I stop caring?
The thought made him shiver. He didn’t want that to happen. He couldn’t let that happen. He felt partially responsible for what had happened to Rax, and to just shrug off any feelings on the matter like changelings were able to made him feel like a traitor.
Chrysalis’ words came back to him, “Thorax paid for your conscience with his life. I’ll leave it to you to decide if it was worth it.”
And then he found himself frowning.
Rax. Changeling. Warrior. Friend. Friends do not forget, he mentally recited, glancing out into the abyss. He allowed his gaze to linger for a while, and felt hope kindling in his chest. It was a foalish hope, and though he desperately wanted to cling to it like a drowning pony to a reed in a raging river, he tore his gaze away and shook his head.
Rax isn’t coming back.
Wishful thinking was something that he could no longer afford. He still felt for the loss of his friend, and it still hurt to think about it. And he considered that a good thing. It meant that he wasn’t losing the connection that made friends and family special. He didn’t want it to become some business-like acquaintance that he only half-remembered with little to no feelings for one way or another, like what Tibia had described. At least, it appeared that he had been spared that for the time being.
But he had to act quickly, just in case something like that was in store for him down the road.
The queen’s words rang in his mind once more. “Thorax paid for your conscience with his life. I’ll leave it to you to decide if it was worth it.”
And this time, he felt anger smouldering deep inside. They’re not chess pieces! He thought about all the friends and family he had, and what he would have done to save them if they’d been taken by the quarray.
It wasn’t worth it; but I’d do it again.
If it had been Sassaflash or Lucky or any of the others, he would have risked his life to save them. If it had been Rax’s life in danger, or any of the nymphs, he would have done the same for them. And even though the two ponies he had saved were long past their time, they must have had friends and relatives who would’ve missed them too. He had no right to say that they were not worth saving just because they didn’t have as long to live as the others. Life was still precious, and he was sure that the Princesses would have agreed.
He was just sorry that Rax was the one who had to pay the price. Caramel mourned him, but at the same time believed that his decision had been the right one. He wouldn’t have been able to live with himself if he’d allowed the quarray to get away without trying anything. His fault wasn’t in choosing to save the ponies—it was in being careless to the point where Rax needed to jump in and rescue him. The fault was squarely on his shoulders and not on what he believed in. He did not save those ponies just so they could dream the rest of their lives away, unaware of what was going on in the real world.
Caramel turned to look at his flank and saw the trio of blue horseshoes on the receding remnants of his coat, and remembered Princess Luna’s words: “I know not what those creatures have done to you, but rest assured that I still consider you my subject, my little pony. I believe that your heart is still in the right place.”
He sighed, somehow feeling unworthy of the faith that the Princess of the Night had placed in him. But then he gritted his teeth, squared his shoulders and stomped a hoof on the ground.
It was time for change. If the changelings wanted to treat ponies as if they were little more than cookie jars, then it was no wonder ponies didn’t like them very much. Not to mention the fact that many of them had been kidnapped for the express purpose of being kept as food sources. And the same went for ponies being deeply mistrustful, even towards the changelings in Queen Gossamer’s time. He already knew enough about changeling history to realise that there was plenty of blame to go around. Change had to start somewhere, and since he was stuck in the Hive with nowhere else to go…
Some part of him wondered whether coming to this conclusion meant that he had finally turned into the pragmatic changeling that he’d tried so hard to avoid becoming. If so, he was aware of the irony. If Chrysalis wanted him to change so much, then she was going to get it, all right. But it was probably not going to be on the terms she was expecting.
“Chrysalis, it won’t matter how many holes I grow in my legs or how much magic I gain—you are not going to make me turn my back on what it means to be a pony,”he whispered.
“What was that?”
Yikes! He whirled around in a panic, overbalanced, and flailed as he felt himself going over the edge…
A dark shape rushed forward, wings buzzing, and then a pair of hooves grabbed his foreleg and pulled him back to safety.
“Sorry!” Sash yelped. “I thought I was far enough to not startle you!”
Caramel heaved a sigh of relief and leaned on her for support. “Forget it—it’s not your fault. I’m just, you know, off balance after all that’s happened.” He frowned slightly. “How long was I out for, anyway?”
“You slept for three cycles straight.” She winced when she glanced at his tattered wings. “Not long enough, if you ask me. You look like you need a vacation.”
Over twelve hours… It was ridiculously long by changeling standards. “And you were with me the whole time?”
“You were in bad shape. I couldn’t just leave you.”
His hoof instinctively went to his injuries. “Aren’t you going to get in trouble for skipping work on my account?”
Sash snorted. “Priorities, Caramel. Punctuality is pretty high on my list, but it’s not higher than you. And if my overseer has a problem with that, he can go stick his face into a dung heap.”
Caramel blinked. That sounded a little… rebellious. It wasn’t that he was ungrateful or anything, but it still seemed a little unusual for her to so openly defy authority, especially considering the way changelings did things. Maybe she shouldn’t have—
No, no, stop that, he mentally scolded himself. She loves you. Don’t insult her. Don’t insult your relationship. She deserves better from you.
“You’re spacing out again,” Sash commented. “What’s on your mind?”
There was a lot on his mind, but he decided that it probably wasn’t the best time to share everything with her, especially where Princess Luna was concerned. He wasn’t sure how she would react to that, or how the queen would if she found out from Sash. But there was something that was puzzling him, so he asked a question instead.
“Sash, I was wondering. If you knew that it was going to be pointless trying to save the two ponies, then why did you help me? Why did everyone try to help me?”
She blinked. “Well... I’m not sure. It just sort of happened. I mean...” her voice trailed off for a bit. “I don’t know. When you yelled at us, it just felt wrong to not do something.”
That sounds familiar…
She shook her head and regarded him with a frown. “You were right. Letting them go would’ve been better for the hive, but that doesn’t make it the right choice. And you sounded so... angry. You made me feel—”
“Guilty?” he finished for her.
“Huh. That’s one way of putting it. It was a little different, though. I don’t think I’ve really felt like that before.”
Because you’re good at sticking to the rules... Caramel thought absentmindedly. This was unexpected. He’d have to test it out, but that could wait. He thought about what Princess Luna had said. And about what he was willing to do for his friends and family.
There was something more important that he needed to tell Sash. And something that he needed to ask her, as well.
“We can’t go on like this,” he murmured.
Sash’s ears perked up, and she looked at him in puzzlement. “What do you mean?”
Caramel waved a hoof in the general direction of the hive above them. “All of us. Changelings. Ponies. We can’t stay enemies like this.”
Her expression grew pensive. “But what are we supposed to do? We’ve tried everything. Even diplomacy, and that didn’t work.”
“Once,” he replied. “And once isn’t enough. Queen Gossamer might have tried that before, but that was a long time ago. Maybe it’s time for us to try instead. Princess Luna’s okay, and with Shining Armour and Twilight Sparkle in their positions, maybe there’s a chance. I mean, we’re practically buddies with the Captain of the Royal Guard whose sister is the Princess’ student. That’s got to count for something.”
Sash shook her head. “I don’t know; I don’t think Chrysalis would be willing to give it a shot. We’re not in great shape, but we’re not so badly off that she would be desperate enough to try anything.” She then frowned and added, “And what do you know about Princess Luna, anyway?”
“Just a feeling.” Caramel grunted noncommittally. “Also, maybe I can change Chrysalis’ mind…”
“You’re not thinking of sabotage, are you?” Sash suddenly asked.
The thought had crossed his mind. If he could somehow free the captives and get them to the surface, or damage the next harvest of fungus, the lack of food might force the queen to consider other options. But he doubted he could do it with Chrysalis’ compulsion weighing so heavily on his mind. “Of course not.”
“Then…?” Her eyebrows were raised as she waited for his answer.
Caramel got onto his hooves and took a few steps back up the tunnel. “It’s about time I found a use for my big mouth. I’ll go talk to her.”
Sash blinked. Twice. “Seriously?”
He stopped short and snorted. Thanks for the vote of confidence. “Yeah, it’s not amazing, but I’ve got to start somewhere.”
“Sorry,” she soothed. “I mean, I’m sure she’ll hear you out, but I don’t think she’ll do anything. You’ve talked to her about this before. How will this time be any different?”
I’m going to have help.
He turned around and gazed into her pure blue eyes. Appearances aside, he knew that she had seen life through the eyes of a pony. He hated the thought of forcing her into such a position, but there was more at stake than both of them combined. “I can’t do this anymore. I can’t just sit by and leave everypony trapped in here.” He broke eye contact and sighed heavily to forestall Sash when she looked like she was about to interrupt, then continued, “I know you guys need em, but this whole mess isn’t fair to anyone!” He growled in frustration.
When he turned back to Sash, he saw that she was still concerned, but she was listening.
“Remember what you told me about pulling through this together?” he asked.
“Yes.”
“I can’t do this alone. We need to show everyone that there is a better way.”
“How?”
“Maybe it’s time to stop hiding. And all that kidnapping stuff, too. If we release the prisoners, the Princesses should be willing to help us out.”
Sash’s voice was growing incredulous. “How are we supposed to contact them? Even if we did, their guards would just throw us straight into the dungeon. What makes you so sure that the Princesses would just speak to us?”
I’ve already spoken to one of them. Sort of. “It’s still worth a shot.”
“And what if Chrysalis doesn’t listen to you? What if she forces you to do as she says like all the other times?” Sash pressed. “I don’t want to see you get hurt like that ever again.”
And she meant it. Caramel trembled as her love poured out to him. And he drank it in, love freely given. As he did so, he looked determinedly in the direction of the hive and flared his horn to life. It still hurt a little to use magic so soon after straining it to its limits, but the pain was easily bearable. Your love will give me strength.
“She can try,” he growled.
He felt a hoof on his shoulder. “Caramel, you’re scaring me. What’s gotten into you?”
He turned around and nuzzled her for a moment. Then, he broke contact and said, “I’m sorry for putting you into this position. But I can’t just leave things the way they are without trying.” He thought about Stickle and the other nymphs, and the world that they’d have to grow up in. “I’ve got to try to make things better for everyone. And that includes the hive as well; you guys are my family too.”
Sassaflash was watching him silently. She was guarding her emotions more carefully now, but he could still catch a little of the turmoil that she was going through. It would be unfair to make her decide there and then, and there would be no point in rushing her anyway. He needed to plan things out first, and he wanted her to be sure of whatever she decided. So he turned and started heading back to the hive.
She didn’t follow.
* * * * *
Chrysalis was busily poring over a dusty book, which shared a space on the stone worktable with several glass phials and jars filled with dark fluid, most of which were blemished, cracked or damaged in some way. The inner sanctum of her chamber smelled dank and volatile.
“What is it?” the queen snapped. She hadn’t bothered to stop her work when addressing him, but her irritable tone was enough to make him quit staring at the clutter of instruments.
“Err…” he said, and then shut his mouth. Nice going, genius. You don’t even have a plan. He’d been so full of conviction that he’d not even considered how he was supposed to convince her to seek a truce with ponykind. He’d thought that it would just come to him, but now that he’d gained an audience from the queen, he was completely stumped.
Is this a side effect of feeding on lots of love?
Maybe he was just being his careless self. Great, even with all the changes I’ve gone through, the one thing I get to keep is my stupid talent. He needed to think things through carefully.
“Do try to say something useful within the next century, please,” Chrysalis drawled. “You’re wasting all the good air in my home. Also, your next shift should be starting soon.”
He spotted a way out and took it. “I’d like to request a transfer.”
“What?” Chrysalis actually stopped reading and turned to look at him.
Caramel sighed. “I don’t think I’m cut out to be a soldier. I would like to work in with the keepers again, if that’s okay with you.”
She frowned at him. “I’ve spoken to your overseer. Skeehar’s not happy with the way you broke formation, but she thinks that you’re not hopeless, either. You’d still have a place in Warrior Caste.” She then looked him over and grinned. “And I can’t disagree with her. You’ve proven that you can fight when you’re properly motivated, and you look like you’ve just fed to heal some of your wounds. I’d say that you would make a good fighter once you learn to get rid of your… hindering sentiments.”
He ignored the compliment and pressed on. “Sorry. I’m not ready for that.” Come on, positive outlook. Don’t sound like a weakling. “I can do better in the hatchery. I know how to take care of the kids and feed them.”
“Hmm, very well.” Chrysalis turned back to her work. “You can tell Skeehar and Tibia yourself. Now get out.”
Caramel beat a hasty retreat. But just before he left her chamber, he heard her muttering something. Then, there was a sharp flash of light on her table, followed by a sharp crackle and a sputtering sound. He heard her snort angrily. Whatever was causing her so much frustration, he was glad that it wasn’t him.
* * * * *
Things went as expected. Overseer Skeehar dismissed him without much comment aside from the snide remark about him being a bit too soft in the heart, and Tibia was quite amenable – almost happy, even – to have him back in her caste. What he hadn’t expected, though, was to be bowled over by a dozen or so nymphs when he entered their chamber.
“Caramel, you’re back!” Stickle squealed.
He recognised Pith, Mite and all the others from Stickle’s brood as well, and laughed as they dog-piled him with squeaks and chirps of delight. There were also a couple of older ones whom he didn’t recognise, but they seemed keen on joining in the fun. Further back, he could see Overseer Tibia and several other keepers watching in amusement.
“Story time!” Pith cried.
“Hey, hang on a minute!” he protested. “I just got back here. Who said anything about stories?”
“Because we know your weakness, dragon.” Stickle brandished a hoof as if it was a deadly weapon and said, “I have Captain Blizzard’s magical lance!” He then poked Caramel just below the ribs, eliciting a yelp of surprise.
“Hey, wait—no fair! Ouch—careful with the bruises!” Caramel gasped between laughs as several others started tickling him as well. He turned to Tibia and half-shrieked, “A little help, please?”
The overseer smiled. “You’re on your own, hero. That’s what you get for joining Warrior and leaving me to take care of a bunch of nymphs clamouring for stories that almost no one else in the hive is able to tell.”
He was out of breath and his midriff was aching by the time the nymphs agreed to release him, and that was only after tedious negotiation on how many stories he owed them. And even though they’d caused him some pain when they’d tickled too close to his wounds and damaged wings, he was still grateful for the simple pleasure of spending time with kids, drowning out all thoughts of his problems. At least, for a little while.
Gosh, I never knew how much I missed this.
“Okay, that’s enough. It’s feeding time,” Tibia announced.
Uh oh, Caramel thought as nearly all of the nymphs turned their attention to him. It made sense that they would; he’d recently fed well on Sash’s love and therefore was the most nourishing target at the moment.
* * * * *
It was cold. Caramel shivered as he trotted over the sand dune, leaving a trail of hoof prints on the purplish sand. The night sky overhead was black and starless, but the silvery-grey moon was absolutely massive. It was easily a hundred times larger than normal.
I’m dreaming again.
He searched for Princess Luna, but scanning the desert from horizon to horizon proved fruitless. There was nothing but black shadows beyond the moonlit sand. He tried shouting out, wondering if he was violating some kind of ancient rule for making so much noise in such an eerily deserted landscape.
Dreamscape, he reminded himself.
Princess Luna did not answer. If she was even present, that is. There was just sand, darkness, and the moon. Just then, the lighting flickered, and he thought he heard a gust of wind. But when he looked around, nothing had changed.
And then he looked up, and saw the flicker of a shadow on the moon’s bright surface. And then it whispered to him. He pricked his ears, but it did not help him very much. The moon whispered forbidden things to him. It promised answers to all of his questions, questions that he did not even know he had. For some reason, he knew all of this from whispers that weren’t even real words. And yet, he did not question it; he wanted to know more. Somehow, he knew that he had to seek the moon. He knew that it was waiting for him.
“Caramel?” a reedy voice called out.
Deafening silence followed. A few seconds later, a gust of wind blew up swirls of dust and sand from the dune, and as he turned to shield his eyes, he saw a little dark figure following his trail, leaving its own set of prints in the sand.
“Stickle?” he asked, blinking in surprise.
“What are you doing up there?” his little brother called out.
I’m not sure. Instead of answering, he cantered back down until he was by his side. Stickle seemed a little unsettled by their surroundings, and the first thing he wanted to do was to make sure that he was okay.
The moon had stopped whispering. The wind had ceased as well.
“You all right?” he asked Stickle.
Stickle’s eyes suddenly grew wide and his whole body stiffened.
Frowning, Caramel followed his frightened gaze and nearly jumped out of his skin when he saw a dark figure standing only about twenty tail-lengths away. After the moment of panic passed, he sighed in relief.
“It’s just Princess Luna,” he told Stickle. “She won’t hurt you.”
His little brother gulped.
Caramel waved at the princess, but his hoof faltered. Something was off about her. After looking at her for a while, he realised that her eyes were glowing a pure white, and save for her mane and tail billowing in the still air, she was completely still. She didn’t even appear to be breathing. She was only staring at them.
“Caramel, let’s get out of here,” Stickle whispered. He was shaking.
“We’ll be fine,” he assured. But he wasn’t so convinced, now. The princess wasn’t doing anything.
Stickle was clinging to his leg, trembling like a frightened foal.
What’s going on? It was just Princess Luna, for crying out loud! And yet, the longer he stared, the more unnatural she seemed. She was unnaturally thin, almost skeletal. And the surface of her coat crawled, like there were worms beneath her skin. But the worst part was her expressionless, thousand-yard stare that was aimed directly at him.
Move. Do something. Stop staring! But he couldn’t look away, and slowly, he felt fear sinking its teeth into him. His muscles stiffened, and his heart rate shot up. He could hear Stickle breathing heavily as well.
Then, without warning, the light in her eyes went out, revealing two pure black orbs where her eyes were supposed to be. And Caramel huddled with Stickle in terror as an unearthly scream filled the world and the darkness swallowed them whole.
* * * * *
Caramel blinked at the sudden warmth. He was lying on the floor with a dozen or so sleeping nymphs snuggling up to him. After a moment of confusion, he remembered that he’d conked out after feeding them from his reserves. I’m out of practice. Shouldn’t have let them drain me...
He sighed in relief. Aside from his recovering wounds, rapidly thumping heart and a slight ache behind his eyes, he was relatively unharmed.
Except maybe in my head. He was still a little shaken from the terror he’d felt when facing the Princess of the Night. He couldn’t explain why she’d been so frightening; she’d simply stirred up a primal kind of fear in him. Just for once, can’t we meet someplace that isn’t a nightmare for me?
But at least it was over, and although he’d not gotten any real answers, the moon seemed to be a clue. He remembered its vague whispers. They had no meaning, yet they seemed important somehow.
“Are all alicorns like that?” someone whispered.
Caramel glanced around and found Stickle curled tightly into a ball a little ways off. The others were still asleep, so he got up slowly and gently nudged them aside until he was next to his little brother. He sat down and placed a hoof on his back, then asked, “Are you okay? You’re shivering.”
Stickle relaxed a little at his touch and said, “That’s why ponies call her Nightmare Moon, isn’t it? She’s scary.”
“Wait a minute. How did you—were you in my dream?”
Stickle nodded. “I was still a bit hungry, and you were sleeping, and I thought that maybe I could try that thing that grown-ups do to get love from ponies.”
“Uh, wow.” Caramel was momentarily stumped. Stickle was a little young to have picked up dreamstalking. He felt a little proud of him. And a little worried at the same time. He’d seen Princess Luna, and if he told anyone… Caramel wasn’t sure if that was a good thing. The princess was pretty much his only contact to the surface, and there was no telling what Chrysalis might do if she found out. At the very least, he suspected she might attempt to block the princess out, if that was even possible. He didn’t want—
“Caramel?”
His train of thought crashed, and he realised that Stickle was huddled against his side, still shivering. He patted him gently on the back. “Sorry, did you say something? I got a little distracted.”
“Is this why we attacked Canterlot? Their princess is not very nice.”
“No, it isn’t. She’s just… unusual. I don’t think she meant to scare us.”
“How do you know? Maybe we should tell Mother.”
Uh oh. He racked his brain for a moment. “Well, she and her sister once saved the Crystal Empire from the tyranny of King Sombra. She can’t be that bad if she fought him to protect her subjects.”
Stickle frowned. “You’ve never told us this one before. Who’s King Sombra, and what’s so bad about him?”
Caramel smiled conspiratorially. “Tell you what; let’s keep this bad dream between us for the time being, okay? Go back to sleep first, and once everyone’s up, I’ll tell you the whole story.”
“Hmm, fine. I hope it’s a good one.” He curled and snuggled up to Caramel’s side and added, “But what if she comes back? I don’t want to dream of her again.”
“I don’t think she will.”
“How do you know?”
You’re not the one she’s after. He smiled and patted him reassuringly. “Trust me. Princess Luna has better things to do.”
Stickle yawned and closed his eyes.
Relieved that he’d averted potential disaster for the time being, Caramel took the opportunity to simply enjoy the quiet and keep watch over his little brother. Save for the soft breathing of the nymphs, everything was silent as the minutes ticked by, and that was when the weight of the responsibility on his shoulders came crashing back down on him. So much had happened in the past two days. The quarrays, the nightmares, Princess Luna, his hope for a truce…
Why bother? It would be so much easier to just fall in line and leave things be. Someday, somepony better than him would settle everything. He was no Commander Hurricane or Twilight Sparkle; he was just a small town pony who had gotten himself tangled in a big, messy web of trouble.
But even as the doubts assailed him, he felt an uplifting surge of emotion as Stickle shared in his warmth. It was sweet—the little changeling actually loved him like a brother. Caramel felt it flowing in, pooling into his reserves of magic. And the doubts melted away.
No. This is worth fighting for. He had a family—on both sides of the divide. He would find a way. Even if he failed, he would at least start something for somepony else to finish. One way or another, he would do his best to see this through.
Even though he would have liked to snatch another hour or so of sleep, he kept himself awake. Just in case. The last thing he wanted was to risk Stickle or any of the other nymphs running into Princess Luna inside his dreams. Besides, she had already given him enough to think about. The moon was significant; he was sure of it. He could still remember its whispers, promising answers to his predicament.
Does she want me to just find it? Or is there some hidden meaning?
He’d have to figure it out soon.
By the end of the hour, just when the others were stirring, he spotted Sassaflash slowly making her way towards him. He remained silent as she gingerly navigated the piles of sleeping nymphs. She looked a little weary, liked she’d been losing sleep, but when she stopped in front of him and made eye contact, he saw intense determination in her narrowed eyes, and—
She slapped him in the face.
Caramel put a hoof to his smarting cheek and gawked at her.
“Don’t ever do that to me again,” she growled.
“Mm hmm,” he mumbled weakly.
Then, without warning, she drew him into a tight hug and, ignoring Stickle’s sleepy protest, said, “Maybe you’re right. Maybe it’s time for a change.”
He stared at her in surprise after she released him.
Sash gave him a predatory smile and prodded his chest with a hoof, saying, “I hope you’ve got a freaking amazing plan cooked up, mister, because if this doesn’t work out, we’re probably dead bugs.”
Rax. Changeling. Warrior. Friend. Friends do not forget. The recitation came unbidden to his mind.
Caramel felt his heart swell upon hearing her words. She was going to stand by his side, and the way she’d said those words reminded him of his moody friend. He glanced at the sleeping nymphs around them, then at Sash, who was looking at him expectantly, full of determination despite her outward weariness. For the first time in a long while, he no longer felt like he was adrift in a stormy river. He’d found solid ground, and by Celestia, he wasn’t going to waste it.
“Yeah. I’ve got some ideas,” he said.
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2895418 Nope, it's not done yet.
so caramel just took control of a bunch of changelings just like that, he´s also the only one getting to see all the castes, i get the Feeling chryssi has bigger plans for him.
2979924
For which we are all very glad.
Glad to see another chapter. I love the vaguely 'alien' mindset your changelings have, instead of being thinly-disguised ponies underneath the surface like in most fanfics.
Liked the flashback to when Sash came back after the invasion and I'm looking forward to seeing what's going on with Luna as well.
Things are shaping up nicely! Go Caramel!
And Sassaflash is at his side....yay!
I'm suddenly uncertain about exactly what the Integration we've been counting down to will actually consist of. Caramel fully integrating with the Hive was my original assumption, but now I'm wondering if we're talking about the Hive itself integrating with Equestria. The time-line may be a little fast for that, though.
Interesting chapter, things may start to move ahead now. Whether he succeeds or fails, it would be nice to see Caramel do something for a change
FINALLY YOU'RE BACK!!!
I'm not so sure of that, my little pony...
Man. This has gone from interesting to exciting. It's just getting better and better with each chapter!
man i read this months ago now i see it on the main page i thought this was a good story....GJ bro
It was really good, things are set up to take off from here. (things being his barely-formed plan, which I hope works)
Also,
either ->you've come back
or -> you're back
2980044
Or the hive integrates with Caramel.
Oh man, I really like this. The first bit with Luna was a bit uncanny-valley as we realize just how much Caramel's changed, while the second was just plain creepy. But Caramel's got a new resolve. Eager to see where it goes - hopefully not to his grave.
Do I see a possibility of King Caramel in the future? Very interesting!
OH MY GLOB IT UPDATED! I LOVE THIS STORY IT WAS ONE OF THE FIRST CHANGELING STORIES I FELL IN LOVE WITH AND SASSAFLASH IS SO SWEET TO CARAMEL!
You know, this is one of those stories where I could like it twice I would.
Splendid! Things are really starting to fall into place. A great chapter overall, with good character advancement in particular.
covard.
Lost interest, sorry.
2980335 Whoops.
Just fixed it. Thanks for catching that!
2981109 YAY You're alive!!! So...next one? XD
2981109
You're welcome.
He's taking care of the kids, the obvious plan would be to teach them about living with ponies instead of taking from them. That might be a bit too long-term for him, though.
Awesome chapter! I'd really like to have some Sassaflash centric scene eventually. We’re always in the mind of Caramel, which has been a great journey, but I'm really curious to leave that completely aside for a while and dive into her mind.
Regardless, this is really good. I was ecstatic to see a new chapter and I'm eager to see what comes next! Great job
I've suddenly got a vibe. A powerful feeling.
I'm not going to share it because I don't want to guess correctly and spoil the plot.
But I will say this: There be feelings that be felt, about Caramel and his part pony pelt.
And then the story name makes twice as much sense, if it's not only Caramel's integration with the Changelings, but also the Changelings and Ponies. Wow. Derp. Can't believe I didn't see that sooner!
Hahh, are you poking fun at yourself and saying that your writing is bad? That would be funny, but you'd be wrong.
Also,
Sasssaflash. She must have gotten really sassy to get another "s" in her name.
Oh my GOD.
You're doing things! WONDERFUL THINGS.
2980044
I've got the same vibes, actually, and while it's true that the timeline may be going VERY quickly, I think that, somewhat tired though it may be, the central theme of this story still is revolving around identity and empathy for others. I can forgive a somewhat accelerated timeline when the characterization is as solid as a rock and the setting is vibrant enough to actually be solid and tangible in my mind (however that works).
That was awesome!
Gosh dangit.
I need more.
I just jumped in on this story, and I'm loving everything so far! It seems like it's coming to a climax, and I can't wait to see how it ends. ^^
Great to see this update!
I'm eager to see what Caramel does next!
A much darker chapter, but enjoyable nonetheless. It appears things are going to escalate fairly quickly. This gonna be good.
stream1.gifsoup.com/view/531864/popcorn-o.gif
Keep up the great work!
I just thought, is it going to be Caramel's integration into the hive... or the hive's integration into pony society?
2987490
Mindfuck.jpg
2981601 I'm not sure if I'll be able to do that at this point. It might be a bit jarring to hop into Sash's point of view after sticking to Caramel's for so long. Thanks for the feedback!
2982852 Hehe,
thanks for catching that.
2989760 I suppose you're right. Maybe for the Blu-Ray version then?
2981088 Fair enough. Thanks for going through with it for this long, though.
2989764 Hmm. Maybe.
Everything about this story is amazing. I'm glad you're still working on it.
did she just shape shift into Derpy Hooves?!
BRILLIANT!!!
2979924 Great!
Still waiting on "Et tu, Tibia?" I mean, there's obviously gonna be a new leader. Caramel can't lead a horse to water, let alone make it drink. Baby changelings, on the other hand...
I can tell next chapter is gonna be awesome.I wonder if Caramel might become the leader of the changelings figuring how he convinced all the other changelings to attack the eels.
Most enjoyable!
I get the feeling Chrissy isn't as bad as she seems though. And she's most definitely up to something.
Throughout this story there has been a countdown to "Integration." I've been assuming that it has been leading to the point that Caramel fully becomes a changeling integrated into their society, as he is still not quite there physically or mentally. This has become more ominous as he has had to face, and to some degree accept, things that he would not stand for as a pony. If this is the true meaning of the "Integration" then it would be a countdown to the point when he fully accepts his new life, and completely suppresses or abandons his lingering pony morals. The story seemed to be heading in that direction as he has resisted certain aspects of changeling life only to have them forced upon him. Becoming integrated would mean that he would do things such as feed on his old friends and other things that bother him about his new life without feeling too bad about doing so. Not the most ideal outcome, but if he accepts his situation he can at least spend more time being happy with the one he loves rather than being miserable about what he has become.
After reading this chapter, though, I'm starting to think that it could mean something else. While it still seems highly likely that Chrysalis and the others may break Caramel's pony side after another two weeks in his situation, another possible meaning of the impending "Integration" is seeming more and more possible. He now feels that it is his mission to bring about peace between ponies and changelings, and with the support of Sassaflash and a connection to Luna he may be able to carry it out. It is a long shot, but perhaps he may succeed. If he does, then with peace a mutually beneficial integration of pony and changeling societies could begin. Such a happy outcome seems too good to be possible, but Caramel is determined and gaining allies.
This has been a very interesting ride so far, and I'm now wondering where it will go. When Caramel first entered the hive, he was willing to give up his life for a chance to be with the one he loved. Now he has realized that the decision to do so has doomed his best friends and that others out there still worry for him. His adherence to his morals have caused the death of a new friend and brother, though. Whether he finally gives in and accepts everything that comes with being a changeling, or he succeeds in bringing about peace between ponies and changelings, he will not be able to be truly happy with his life until some sort of "integration" occurs. As for what type, only time will tell.
My computer crashed after I got done typing this comment, but before I could post it. Luckily all the text was still here after I rebooted. Whatever browser or website feature is responsible for that, I am grateful.
Quite a lot of intense internal debate going on in this chapter. And Caramel has certainly been experiencing a lot of rough awakenings lately, hasn't he? I can't wait to see how Caramel carries out his plan. And it's good to see he's got Sash's support. I also am really beginning to wonder just exactly how the "integration" is going to happen. Perhaps, by the time Caramel has integrated, he'll no longer care... so perhaps he's racing his own permanent transformation.
Again, I can't seem to say it enough, I'm looking forward to seeing how the story continues, especially now that we seem to have entered the third act.
I seriously cannot get over how fantastic this is. I couldn't help but give you a shameless plug at my BronyCon panel. This story just continues to amaze. Can't wait to see how it all plays out!
3005464 Now that you've mentioned it, 'integration' may not be the closest word for the kind of interaction that I have planned. Amalgamation might be a more accurate term, but it doesn't quite have the same ring to it.
Thanks for reading and giving a really insightful comment!
3008409 Well, I do like characters who question their own actions. I find that such characters will force me to be a little more careful with how I see others and how I behave in the real world.
3009646 Glad to be of service!
I hope that I'll be able to maintain the quality till the end. And, wow, thanks so much for your support! 
MoaRRR~~
Hurry up and make part 11.