Chapter 1: Ready, steady, go!

Knock! Knock! Knock!

My eyes bolted open, shadows swimming across my ceiling as I sat up.

Knock! Knock! Knock!

Heavy covers fell from me as I pulled myself from blissful sleep, my hooves stretching towards the door as if they could reach it from across the room. Then, shaking my head, I stepped wearily off the bed, making my way towards the offending sound.

“Huh? Wha? What’s going-shit!”

Or at least, I would have if my legs didn’t end up getting tangled in bed sheets

Stars exploded in my eyes as I face-planted into the crystalline floor. Legs and wings sprawled in every direction, my rear hooves still hanging off my mattress. My head throbbed from the impact as I picked myself off the floor and sat with my back against the bed frame, forehooves clutching my muzzle.

Damn, that bucking hurt. Welp, at least I’m wide awake now.

“That sounded like it hurt. Are you okay, Flash?”

“Yeah, just peachy. I’ve always wanted to embed my profile into the floor,” I hissed. “Sunburst, unless somepony’s on fire, you better have a damn good reason for waking up me up at midnight.”

“Don’t worry, nopony is hurt, but this is important. And it’s actually two in the morning, Flash.”

I rolled my eyes. Typical Sunburst.

“Not in the mood. What is it this time?” I growled.

“Can’t talk about it out here. May I come in?”

I paused, silently fuming as I facehoofed.

“Sunburst, Bro, don’t get me wrong, I appreciate spending time with you. You’ve done a lot for Shining Armor and been there for me as long as I could remember. But you are seriously lucky I still can’t feel my face, or you would be getting flight lessons through my balcony window. I get that you don’t go out a lot, but you have to remember that some of us actually need sleep!”

“I don’t do this every time.”

I quirked my eyebrow at the door. “This literally happened yesterday.”

“T-that’s beside the point! I really do have something important to discuss with you.”

“Okay, fine. I’m not the kind of stallion to turn down an old friend, so I’ll do you a solid this time. Just let me do the talking, or else we’ll be here ‘til’ the sun comes up.”

“Wait, what? What are you--”

“Just ask her out, Sunburst.” Silence was the only response I received. “Look, I know your past together still bothers you, but you need to just ask her. Ten bits say she feels the same.”

“W-what?” Sunburst stuttered. Bet his face was lighting up like a furnace right about now. “That’s… no, that’s not what I...”

“Don’t worry, I get it. I’ve been there with the guilt trips and ‘what if’s’ too.” I closed my eyes and sighed wistfully. “You know my story, which is why I’m telling you to just… go for it. Say hello. Tell her you want to start over as friends. I’m sure she's long stopped being salty over that whole cutie mark crap.”

“But--”

“Seriously, you’re a fantastic guy. You just gotta be confident about yourself and recognize your strengths. When dealing with mares, the key is to just be honest. Both with her and yourself. Of course, you gotta throw in some sweet-talk to soften her up. We can talk more about it when we hit the bar this weekend. Maybe even find a special somepony for you to spend an evening with. Think of it as the warmup round before the big playoff. You two might even--”

“T-t-that’s not what I came here to talk about!” Sunburst blurted out, his tone jumping an octave.

My eyes snapped open. “Huh?”

“I didn’t come here to talk about Starlight at all.”

“...Oh. My bad.” An awkward silence fell between us. “Well, hurry the hay up so I can sleep!”

“Look, I, er, appreciate what you said, but I really can’t talk about this outside. Could you let me in, please?”

“Alright, alright, give me a sec.”

I moved from the side of my bed, my hoof tracing the imprint of my face on the crystal floor as I stood. With practiced ease, my wings felt across the tall dresser and mirror until it landed on the doorknob.

“Thanks. Sorry again for waking you up so early.” the gamboge unicorn nodded gratefully as I let him inside.

“Take a seat. I’ll hear you out.” I closed the door behind him and turned on the lights. “Want something to drink? I have some Sweet Acres Apple Cider available.”

Sunburst shook his head. “No, thank you, this won’t take long. First thing’s first.”

He lit his horn, a brilliant light flowing from it before taking the shape of a rapidly expanding, transparent sphere. Noting the disconcerting void of soundlessness that hit my ears as the wave washed over me and enveloped the room, I realized Sunburst was casting a sound containment spell. For a moment I thought he was being a little too paranoid about whatever he was going to tell me.

That is, until his expression turned serious and pulled out a sealed, tan envelope with the words ‘Confidential’ printed on it in bold red letters.

“I’m not going to like this, am I?”

“I have special orders for you from Shining Armor. As you can surmise, he wishes to keep this just between us until further notice.” Even while under the effects of the spell, Sunburst still spoke as if he was at risk of being heard. He passed the letter over to me, urging me to open and read it.

As I broke the seal and opened the letter, I was greeted with several pages of text. The bottom right and left of the first sheet of paper had a magical imprint of Princess Cadance and Captain Shining Armor’s cutie marks respectively, signifying officially sanctioned orders. I gulped, curiosity and dread filling me as I started reading, briefly skimming through the legal and military jargon until I got to the meat of the message addressed to me.

To: Lt. Flash Sentry
From: Cpt. Shining Armor

I need you to compile a list of the best soldiers in the empire and assemble a team for a high-risk mission. The criteria required for this is in the following documents. Until further notice, this information can only be discussed with those you officially enlist into the squad. More details will be disclosed when the timing is appropriate. When you are finished memorizing all the details, please give this letter back to the courier to destroy it.

Good hunting,
Shining Armor.

Flipping the pages, my eyes widened as I read the laundry list of criteria for the team. My team. Top grade physical performance. Pristine record. Strong independence and adaptability. Majority of the specifications spoke to soldiers who not only worked well in a group, but could also hold their own independently, blend in easily in crowds, and had strong combat excellence. Knowing my personal taste, I would need soldiers whose discipline, loyalty, and flexibility were on par with my own. As Shining Armor put it: No exceptions.

I’ve got my work cut out for me. Honestly, with complacency infesting the crystal empire like a rampant disease, I’ll be lucky to find more than one competent soldier.

After rereading the letter once more for good measure, I gave the letter back to Sunburst. With another surge of magic, tiny flames appeared on the letter, devouring it until not even ash remained. Good thing those papers were made to burn and dissolve easily.

“I take it you know about this assignment?” I asked.

“Yeah. The, err, let’s call it development, is still kind of fresh, so there’s a lot of data we don’t know yet. All we know is that you will likely be part of an infiltration mission, so it would be best to keep the numbers low and manageable. Wish I could tell you more to help.”

I shook my head. “Don’t sweat it. I’ll get this taken care of. Just haven’t quite put together how I’m going to go through so many guards and figure out the best ones. Sure, I can knock out a few just by checking their records, but there are some things that can’t be judged by history alone.”

“Agreed. Too bad you can’t just investigate each pony individually without rousing too much suspicion.”

A lightbulb went off in my head.

“Or… could I?” I grinned.

“Pardon?”

“I’m pretty sure I could get away with it. No harm in doing some surprise evaluations on my fellow squadmates after all.”

Sunburst’s eyes lit up. “I see! Hosting several squad inspections should give you a solid idea on some good candidates. That’s an idea I can get behind.”

There’s no better way to weed out the non-hackers. It’s always a chance for me to have a little fun as well.

“Alright, I got a solid plan going for me,” I placed a hoof on Sunburst’s shoulder, brandishing a friendly grin. “Thanks for delivering this letter. I’m going to be pretty busy for awhile, so I will have to skip out on our weekends at the bar.”

“I understand. This is far more important. I’ll be pretty occupied myself. Shining has been keeping me rather busy ever since this debacle began. I will be providing some extra consultation and support, so we may very well be working together in the future.”

Sunburst smiled, before holding his hoof out. I met it with my own before letting out a long yawn.

“I look forward to it. I just need one last thing from you.”

“What’s that?”

“Go to bed!”

“Celestia damnit!”

My hoof plowed into a huge stack of papers, all whom had failed to even pass the basic inspection requirements, let alone the high standards for my team.

“Three weeks and not a single pony in this Celestia-forsaken army has what it takes. Shining is going to skin me alive!”

I took in a deep breath, releasing through my nose. “Damn it, calm down. I can’t work like this. Have to get this stress out of my system before I summon the wrath of Celestia on the next soldier I have to fail. Nothing a good helping of exercise couldn’t take care of. I got this.”

I started with warm up and body conditioning drills involving a variety of exercises like wing-ups and jumping applejacks. Fifty repetitions each.

“Heh, too easy.” I’ll motivate these ponies yet, even if I have to do a thousand reps to get fired up.

Half an hour later and all I had achieved was a sweaty mane.

Another deep breath. “Okay, so workouts aren’t cutting it. Let’s get cleaned up.”

I followed up with a good shower, making sure my yellow-orange coat and lightning blue mane were well groomed and brushed. Lastly, grabbing the polishing gear kept in my dresser, I went to work on my armor, then spear, keeping them in good order.

“Don’t they understand that we always have to be ready?”

Normally, performing this sort of maintenance was calming work that allowed my mind to roam freely and peacefully. Yet, I still struggled to shake myself out of the angry cloud I found myself wrapped in.

“Always vigilant. Always watchful. Show no weakness.”

A particularly stubborn piece of grime on my spear simply wouldn’t come off no matter how much polish I used or how hard I rubbed at it with my cloth.

“This is no big deal.” I scrubbed harder. “This won’t bother me.” My hooves began to ache. “It’s just a blemish. An imperfection. Weakness.”

“They don’t understand. Brown-muzzle, Colt Scout. They say it like it’s a bad thing to be squared away.” My hooves started to burn as I worked them against the cloth. “They enjoy their comfy lives and easy paycheck, while I’m stuck pulling their asses out of the fire if the shit ever hits the fan.”

Snap!

I froze, the spear head broken off in my hooves. My reflection gleamed off the blemished steel point, a fiery blue gaze glaring back at me with disappointment.

Cool it, Flash. Breathe in deeply. Release peacefully. Just like Cadance taught you.

After taking a few deep breaths, I reminded myself that I still had a job to do. As much as I could get angry at my soldiers, it was just as much my fault for lacking the ability to inspire and effectively discipline them as it was theirs for letting their discipline slip. A real soldier did not make excuses or try to put the blame on others when they shared responsibility. I was a long way from being anything like Shining Armor, and I wasn’t going to get any closer by sulking and letting my anger get to me.

Time to get productive.

Once I was fully groomed and cleaned up, I went back to the desk, using the sunlight filtering through the pearly white blinds to view my schedule for today. Morning drills to take care of. Two squads to inspect for Shining’s orders. Check on Flurry Heart to make sure she didn’t break anything today as a favor for Cadance. I decided to add ‘requisition a new spear and apologize to quartermaster’ to the list on my calendar.

As I finished penciling in my appointment, my eyes caught onto a reminder scheduled today I had completely forgotten about: ‘Meet and greet.’

Today was a batch of fresh arrivals who transferred from Canterlot, escorted by some of our sergeants. I made a habit of checking in on new recruits whenever I could to both to assess their growth and provide a helping hoof to their drill sergeants to promote said growth. What made today special was the return of one of my best pals: Shine Spark.

“Has it already been a month since she left for Canterlot? Heh, bet she gave all of those posh recruits a run for their bits.”

Outside Shining Armor and myself, she was probably the only other soldier I felt deserved every ounce of respect as both a fellow soldier and friend. Fierce. Loyal. Insightful. “If only I could find another soldier like her for my–” My eyes lit up.

A soldier like her? She’s here right now! What am I still doing here?

My grin practically exploded on my muzzle as I bounced out of my chair with renewed vigor and dashed out of my room, only ingrained protocol reminded me to shut and lock the door on my way out.

The Crystal Empire was largely made of spiraling towers and structures that lived up to its name, as most of the buildings were made out of a variety of crystals that shimmered in the light, much like the city’s inhabitants. Like most pegasi officers, my private quarters was towards the top of the officer’s tower.

Crossing the hallway brought me to the landing pad that pegasi could fly in from rather than take the spiral staircase. With a deep breath, taking in the crisp morning air, I took in the grand view of the base.

Beyond the series of magenta towers and crystalline annex that connected to the main city and palace was a train station reserved for royalty and military officials. Patches of pavement used as training grounds and testing zones for magic or weapons that required field testing took up large portions of the base. My eyes fell on the series of oval-shaped barracks where we trained our recruits. That was my destination.

After a quick stretch, I made a running jump off ledge to freefall. With practiced ease, I snapped my wings open and curved my body enough to make a daring swoop, my stomach barely a yard above the pavement. I ate up meters as I tore through the empty crossroads and patrolling ponies who gave me a brief wave as I zoomed straight for the barracks.

Once there, I slowed my pace and landed on my hooves so I didn’t risk passing her. “Now,” I mused, “I know she’s gonna be up and about. Just need a sign.”

“Get moving, you lazy asswipes!! Go, go, go!”

I grinned. “Yep, that’s Shine Spark, all right.”

Slowing my gait to a trot, I moved towards the booming voice. It didn’t take long to seek her out thanks to the two dozen scrambling ponies getting verbally barraged by the ruby red crystal mare sporting the standard golden Royal Guard armor. The rest of the ponies wore lacquered armor that perfectly mimicked official Royal Guard wear outside the dark wooden exterior. It was a dead giveaway for new recruits, though the way they haphazardly scrambled to get lined up for morning training was proof enough of that.

Once I recognized the drill sergeant, I smiled brightly at her as I approached. “Giving our rookies the royal treatment, Shine Spark?”

The aggravated scowl on her face melted in an instant as she turned to me, brandishing a cheeky grin while saluting. “Damn right I am, L.T!”

I returned her salute before motioning her to be at ease. Shine Spark was easily one of the best soldiers in the Empire. It took everything in me to stay professional in front of the troops and not give this mare a big ‘welcome back’ hug. “How are these poor souls treating you?”

Irritation returned on her features as she groaned. “‘Poor souls’ is right. I got stuck with these spineless bastards who just bleat like foals with stubbed hooves. I swear these recruits just get worse every year-hey, you!”

With a reaction time I swore must give her whiplash, Shine glared at one of the recruits, who nearly jumped out of his skin. “I swear to the Heart, if you don’t hurry up and get prepped, I’ll tan your frail ass and hang it on my wall as a trophy! Now move it!” The stallion nearly tripped over himself as he hurried to the equipment stand.

“Surely they can’t all be that bad.”

“Not all of them, sure, but most of them are freeloaders thinking they’ll get an easy pass just because it's peace time. Sometimes they’re right.” She tried to hide it, but I could sense the frustration in her tone. The feeling was mutual.

“Anyway,” Shine waved off the moody subject matter, “what brings you to this neck of the woods, sweating like you got a purpose?”

“You, actually. There’s something I need to talk to you about once you finish up with these recruits for the day.” I stole a glance at said recruits, who were lined up a fair distance away. Their eyes were all bleary and tired, not a single spark of fire in their hollow gazes.

“What have you been doing to these recruits to make them look so dead?” I asked.

Shine sighed, keeping her voice low enough so they couldn’t hear. If I didn’t know any better, the way she avoided my eyes would have suggested she was embarrassed. “After the morning warm-up, I told them they were going on a two mile run.”

I waited for her to say more, only to get ncreased tension and silence. “...And?”

“That’s it. That’s what it took to break their spirit.”

I blinked. More silence. Slowly, I chuckled awkwardly. “You almost had me there. Pull the other one.”

Another pause.

My smile faded, eyes shifting between the recruits and the facehooving sergeant in absolute disbelief. I was barely able to keep my voice down to a whisper. “Are you bucking with me?”

“I asked the recruiters that same question after day one. Wish I could be that good with jokes, L.T.”

I didn’t know whether to groan, cry, or laugh. That was without a doubt one of the most pathetic thing I’d ever heard. Were we pulling recruits out of cereal boxes now? “How in the world did these rookies pass screening?”

“It’s more of a revolving door nowadays. The mere thought of physical activity makes them whine like spoiled brats. I swear, if the Princess didn’t make that stupid protection rule, I would have clobbered these fools long ago.”

“Those rules were created because you did clobber some recruits.”

“And they damn well deserved it, but that’s not the problem here. What the hay am I supposed to do with these wet noodle excuses for ponies?”

Considering these recruits were ‘the future of the Empire’, this was a serious problem. Knowing Shine Spark, she had probably tried several threatening and punishing tactics to get them going. What these recruits likely needed was a reason to push, and fight, and scrape for every inch of ground. Something to spark their fire. Everypony had it in them, and I was convinced they were not as hopeless as Shine was making them out to be. There had to be a way to breathe some life into this squad.

I glanced back at the assembled line, and lifted one hoof to tap at my chin. My thoughts turned back to my own days in Basic. And just for a moment, I felt that I could see a young, but familiar, haggard-looking orange-coated stallion staring back at me.

That was when I knew what to do.

“Sergeant, permission to join these soldiers for the run and make some changes to the menu?”

Shine quirked her eyebrow at me. “You’re getting that scheming look in your eye again. I don’t mind, but what are you up to?”

I smiled. “Just follow my lead.”

With that, I hurried over to the training armor rack and began throwing on the rookie gear, ignoring the questioning glances being sent my way.

“Alright, recruits, listen up!” I channeled my authoritative tone, rattling the nerves of the recruits at attention. Once the equipment was fastened, I walked towards the front of the rookies and started pacing down the line. “I am First Lieutenant Flash Sentry, and I will be doing this run with you today.”

My eyes never stayed on one pony too long, bouncing between each gaze and showing no recognizable pattern to whom I watched. At times I would suddenly shift my hardened stare to a pony and make them freeze up or flinch. I had to stop myself from grinning from the rising tension.

“You may not know me, but I know all about you. Sergeant Shine Spark told me all about your ‘struggles’.” I didn’t hide the disdain in my voice. Uncertainty and fear streaked across their glances as they went rigid.

“The sergeant told me you can’t do a two mile run. That you’re afraid of doing the run.” My voice rose, almost yelling. “One day, you will be honorable Royal Guards who will be tasked with protecting the Empire. Protecting Princess Mi Amore Cadenza. Hay, you may be tasked with protecting Princess Luna, Princess Twilight, or even Princess Celestia at some point. Maybe all at once! And you’re afraid of running?!”

I saw exactly what I was hoping to see in their gazes; shame. Despair. In some instances, indignation.

“The Royal Guard knows no fear, but fear knows the Royal Guard! And when fear sees us coming, it gets the hay out of Dodge! You know why?! Because the Royal Guard does not run from fear; the fear runs from the Royal Guard! We are fear incarnate! We are the best of the best!” Recruits began darting their eyes at each other, uncertainty and doubt in their eyes. Except one.

At the end of the line was a unicorn mare a head shorter than the rest with a blonde mane and white coat. Our eyes locked for only a second, but I know what I saw. A spark in what had once been a dead soul. There was hope yet for these soldiers!

“The sergeant here doesn’t think you have what it takes to make it. She thinks you’re too posh. Too slow. Too weak.” I continued pacing down the line, watching their reactions. I allowed the silence to settle before continuing. “But I know you have it in you. I know you can prove her wrong. I know you can prove it to yourselves that you have what it takes to be the best damn Royal Guards the world has ever seen!” Gradually, one by one, a light began to shine in their eyes. They looked ready for a fight. A certain mare in the line was even smiling. Shame that I had to fix that.

“She may say you cannot do two miles, but I say you can do better. That’s why we’re all going to go on an eight mile run together.”

And there went the happy faces. I glanced to see that Shine Spark nearly lost her composure, coughing to cover up her shock.

“A-are you crazy?!”

My head whipped towards the voice like a striking snake, shocking the silver-maned pegasus who yelled it. Before I could blink, Shine Spark was in the dark stallion’s face. The pegasus’s pupils shrunk into pinpricks as he froze in place. I might have been bothered by that outburst had Shine’s wrathful aura not outshined my anger.

“Are you out of your bucking mind!?” she roared, nearly deafening even my ears. The poor pegasus looked ready to wet himself. “I’m gonna—”

“Hold on, Sergeant!” My voice whipped across the training grounds, cutting off the sergeant’s tirade. Shine’s expression tightened as she went quiet, but I knew she was burning up inside. That stallion was definitely out of line and, under normal circumstances, would have gotten reprimanded viciously. But as Shining Armor had taught me, there was more than one way to get your point across.

“May I?” I asked calmly. She complied, her glare fixated on the recruit. Stepping in front of the offending recruit, I fixed him a stony stare. He couldn’t keep his eyes on me.

“State your name.”

He swallowed, his legs shaking like a leaf. His mouth opened, but no words escaped.

“While we’re young, soldier!” I snapped.

“S-S-Silent Night, sir…”

“Don’t get shy on me now. Speak up!”

“Silent Night, sir,” he repeated a little louder, but not as loud as I needed him to be.

“I can’t hear you! Speak louder!”

“Silent Night, sir.”

“I know of trees that have better vocal chords than that. Louder!”

“Silent Night…!”

“Louder!”

“Silent Night!”

“Louder!”

“Silent Night, Sir!”

“Much better!” I patted him on the shoulder. He flinched, likely just as scared of his own voice as he was of me. “Now, Silent Night, repeat your question.”

He balked in horror. I’m sure he would’ve made that same terrified expression if I had told him to fight the entire changeling army by himself or go on a date with Shine Spark. “I-I didn’t mean to speak out of line, sir! I—”

“That is a statement, recruit, not a question,” I cut him off, glaring. “Don’t make me repeat myself. Every time you make me repeat myself, you all will run an extra mile for every sentence.”

Tension grew deliciously thick as all eyes were suddenly directed toward Silent. I waited, motioning him to continue.

“I...I asked if you were...um...c-crazy, sir.”

“That's a very good question, Silent Night!” I began pacing about again, going up and down the line. The confusion was strong in the recruits. Even Shine Spark looked baffled. “And to answer your question, yes. I am crazy. You have to be crazy to be a Royal Guard! All Royal Guards are crazy. I’m crazy. Sergeant Shine Spark is crazy. Even Captain Shining Armor is crazy. After all, what sort of sane pony willingly puts themselves in danger?

“Every day, there's a Royal Guard out there somewhere fighting for their lives against terrifying beasts, struggling in a hopeless battle they know they can’t win. Everyday, there's a Royal Guard who is squeezing out every ounce of willpower they’ve got to push that extra inch, lift that extra weight, throw that extra punch when they don’t have any strength left. Every day, we're putting our lives on the line to protect somepony else, probably somepony we don’t know or even like. What sane pony does any of that?” I paused. They were probably wondering what in the blazes they signed up for.

To my surprise, I noticed both the mare from earlier and Silent Night had strengthened their stances and were regarding me seriously. I smiled at them internally. They got it.

“If you’re a sane pony, a sensible pony, don’t do this to yourselves. Just quit and go home. Don’t be a Royal Guard. Why not be…” I tapped my chin, pretending to think. “A baker. Or a farmer. A caretaker. Hay, be a librarian or something. Those are safe. Those make sense. Why put yourself through these crazy trials, fighting impossible enemies for ponies you don’t even know? Isn’t that insane? Who would want to do that? Who would want to be crazy?”

“I do, sir!”

All of our heads turned to the mare I had seen earlier. This time Shine didn’t interject, but looked legitimately surprised. Almost immediately I stormed up to the mare. “State your name!”

“Blade Dancer, sir!”

I could tell Blade Dancer was going to make a great Royal Guard. There was still a hint of discomfort and tension in her twitchy muscles, but her eyes sold me on her courage in the face of an overwhelming presence. “Why are you here, Blade Dancer? Why go through all of this hard work and sacrifice?”

“I want to prove to everypony I can be the best in the Royal Guard and protect Equestria!”

For the first time since I started this little charade, I allowed a genuine smile to shine through. “That’s pretty crazy, Blade Dancer. But you know what? I believe you. After all, only a crazy pony would go through all of this backbreaking work just to better themselves. Only Royal Guard ponies talk like that.”

The way her eyes lit up and her lips went wide filled me with inspiration and revived my pride in the future of the guard. This was what I was fighting for.

Stepping back, I took a final look at all the recruits. Compared to earlier, they were far more awake and ready to burn some miles, especially Blade Dancer and Silent Night. “Alright, recruits, time to show the sergeant what we’re made of! No pony gets left behind! If we’re going to do this, we’re doing this together! Come on, let’s go!” I started jogging in place, waiting until the others started doing the same before starting on the main running path encircling the base.

Still, something felt missing as we cantered at a brisk pace. Blade Dancer took the lead and I ran along their right side while Shine Spark took their left. I stole a quick look at the recruit’s eyes, noting that some of them still carried a sense of despair at what they likely considered to be an insane task. They were still worried about failing. That’s when I realized what was missing.

“No fear! Yes I can!” I shouted at the top of my lungs. The recruits gave me blank, confused glances. I resisted the reflex to frown. Did they seriously not know a motivational chant when they heard one?

“No fear! Yes I can!” I shouted again. Shine Spark had done this with me before, and I knew she was waiting until a recruit spoke up first to see if they would catch on. I opened my mouth to shout again—

“No fear! Yes I can!”

My eyes went to Silent Night, flashing him the brightest grin I could muster. Noting my approval, his grin grew wider.

“No fear! Yes I can!” Blade Dancer joined in, the strength of her voice nearly matching that of Shine Spark. Judging from Shine’s grin, she realized it as well.

Gradually, each recruit began chanting along until our voices echoed across the base into one continuous, unified whole. When Shine Spark added her voice into the deafening chant, I knew there was no stopping us.

“No fear! Yes I can! No fear! Yes I can! No fear! Yes I can!”

I couldn’t contain my excitement as we all broke into a inspired gallop.

Now this was a squad to get behind.

After the sixth mile, I realized I may have spoken too soon.

The pace took a huge drop as fatigue started overcoming the squad. Shine and I continued shouting words of encouragement to push them, but even Shine began hesitating as some of the recruits began straying from the line, dizzy from exhaustion. Blade and Silent had barely taken the lead, drenched with sweat and releasing raspy pants. The rest were in much worse shape, hanging on by a thread.

“Just two more miles, recruits! You can do it!” I shouted from the back of the line. I couldn’t let them give up. Just needed to push them a little more. Just get them over this hump.

At the corner of my eye, I locked eyes with the sergeant, who nodded at me—a silent signal for a private chat. I maneuvered by her side, taking careful breaths with each stride to keep my stamina up.

“We can’t keep this up, L.T,” Shine spoke through controlled pants.

“You can’t be serious.” I was barely able to keep my voice hushed enough so the other recruits couldn’t hear us talk. “We’ve already come this far. We can’t give up on them.”

“This is different. We’re not giving up on them, but they won’t last like this. We need to push them, not break them. Let them ride this out as a victory, and we can build them from there.”

My attention drifted towards the struggling squad. I couldn’t let them give up, not here. An hour ago they were terrified of running two miles, yet there they were six miles in and still fighting.

“L.T, reel them in.”

I tried to ignore her. Because I was the one to set the challenge, I had to make the call. I had to be the one to tell them they couldn’t make it when I knew damn well they could. Our victory was so close I could just taste it. To give up on them now would only make them soft. Weak. Vulnerable.

“L.T. Make the call!”

“I heard you the first time, Sergeant!” I snapped. Putting extra effort to ignore the sharp stab of guilt at what I was about to do, I refocused my attention on the squad.

And then it hit me.

There was no longer any spirit in their movements. No cheers or passion burning in their eyes. Their energy was all but spent, hooves wavering and wobbling with every step.

Looking at them now, I was again reminded that my position had not been any different from theirs not that long ago. I knew defeat. I knew failure. If they collapsed now, all they would know was defeat.

I believed in them. I knew they had it in them to push just a little more to make that finish line. But they didn’t. I was the one hurting them.

I knew what I had to do. I hated it with every fiber in my being, but there was no other choice.

“Halt!”

Dust flew in plumes from the well-worn path as the squad skidded to a dead stop, some of the recruits falling flat on their faces from the sudden command. They tossed confused, yet relieved stares in my direction, hungrily gasping for air. I waited until they collected themselves and had their attention focused on me.

“You should all be proud of yourselves,” I lied, putting on the best fake smile I could muster. “Before this run, the mere idea of running eight miles seemed impossible. It must have seemed like such a crazy thing to do. Yet here you are, having surpassed your limitations and done six of the eight miles.” My wings rustled as the tension in them grew. The smile I put on for them started to waver.

“When I challenged you to do this run, I held no expectation that you would make it. That wasn’t what I was looking for. I needed to see for myself if you all were crazy enough to tackle such a task that went far beyond your limits. You all did that today. Regardless if you made the full eight miles, what’s important is that you pushed for it, and broke your limitations.”

Well, that was half true, at least, but still, I couldn’t help the intensity that began slipping into my speech. “Being a Royal Guard is about overcoming your fears and pushing through them. To be daring in what you do, fight whatever challenge is thrown at you, and brave the harsh dangers the world will throw at you. The enemy wants you to give up! To lie down and tell yourself you can’t do this! They want you to think that you can’t make it and that you should just give up! But we won’t. We can’t! We will never quit! You know why?! Because the Royal guard does! Not! Quit!”

My wings ached as I kept them tightened, preventing them from flaring out. My fake smile was too difficult to hold, and I resorted to keeping my face as expressive as stone.

Raising a hoof, I brought it to my chest as I took a deep breath, then pushed it forward as I breathed out.

My mouth opened, then promptly snapped shut. I was sure there was more I should say, but I couldn’t bring myself to go further. Shine could deal with the rest.

“Sergeant, I’ll leave them to you.”

I turned around, quickly taking flight to distance myself from the squad.

“We need to talk, L.T.”

“I know.” I didn’t bother look up from my hooves at Shine, who sat across from me on the the long wooden table. Thankfully, the mess was quiet around this time in the late morning, as almost every officer and recruit was doing their drills or wrapping up their morning obligations.

“How are they?” I asked quietly.

“Wiped out, but they’ll be fine.” Shine paused for a beat. “L.T…”

“I know, Shine. I just...I’m sorry. I was out of line back there.”

“No harm done. Just talk to me, L.T.” Her tone softened. “You wouldn’t have flipped out like that if something wasn’t eating you.”

“It’s...no, don’t worry about it. I’ve troubled you enough today.”

“Flash.”

I tensed at the use of my name. Like a rattlesnake shaking its tail, I knew she was about to hit me hard. “Considering you nearly broke my troops after pushing them way too hard, I think I deserve to hear what’s got you so bothered. Talk to me. What’s going on?”

I winced. I deserved that, and I knew she was right. Sucking in a breath, I looked directly at Shine, ignoring the mounting guilt I felt. “Shining gave me a special assignment. I need to build a team of the best ponies in the guard. I need you on my team.”

Shine’s ears pinned back as she sat up, alert. “Of course I’ll join your team. What’s the mission about?”

“I don’t know.”

She blinked at me. “You don’t know?”

“He’s being really vague about it, but I know it’s gotta be something big. Wish he would just tell me already instead of keeping me in suspense. Seems almost paranoid nowadays.”

“Must be contagious from hanging around a certain somepony...” I heard her mutter under her breath.

“What was that?”

“Nothing,” she answered quickly. “So what kind of soldiers do you need? Did he mention any specifics?”

“Apparently, I need to find ponies who can blend into public places, and play support whenever needed. He’s really counting on me to get this squad set up as soon as I can, but I can't seem to find the right ponies for the job. Too many are either undertrained or have gotten so relaxed they need serious retraining. I have an idea to solve this problem, but I want to run it by Shining first and I wanted to make sure you were on board.”

Shine nodded. “That’s fair. Answers the first half of my question. Now give me the other half.”

I tapped my forehooves together anxiously, my eyes focused on the rhythmic clopping rather than Shine’s concerned stare.

“I really wanted to see them make that finish line, Shine. They were amazing out there, pushing as hard as they could to make it. When I watched them pushing that hard and getting that fired up, I felt like this was the perfect squad to build up and work with. I wanted to make a difference for once in my life.

“But when they started giving up and slowing down, I couldn’t take it. I couldn’t take failing them.” My forehooves pressed hard against each other, mirroring my rising frustration. “They deserve better. The best we can give them, so they too can be the best, and pay it forward to the future recruits. Just this once, I want to be that best for them. I’m tired of the Royal Guard being little more than wallpaper for ponies to look at. I want us to be strong. I want us to be ready.”

“You and me both, L.T.” Shine’s heavy hoof patted my shoulder as she flashed a wide grin. “But you gotta stop beating yourself up over every little thing. Your heart’s in the right place, but you can’t just bash your head against a wall hoping it’ll fall. Things like this take time and opportunity. Sometimes, all we can do is work with what we’ve got and pray everything falls into place.”

“I know. Shining’s been telling me that since day one.” I sighed. “Sorry again. I’ll make it up to you and your recruits. Whatever it is, I’ll do it.”

Shine raised an eyebrow. “Even if I asked you to host karaoke night?”

I flinched.

“Just kidding. Lighten up!” Shine laughed as she slapped my shoulder hard. I resisted the urge to rub the sore spot. “And stop doing that thing.”

I blinked at her. “What thing?”

“You’re doing that ‘I’m-stressed-out-and-or-beating-myself-up’ thing with your wings.”

“I’m doing no such thing,” I said as I tightened the tension of said wings. They might as well have been a pair of signal flares on my back. Her giggling only made me feel worse, earning a half-hearted scowl from me.

“Cut yourself some slack once in awhile. You’re an awesome soldier. One of the best. Learn to unwind once in awhile and just cut loose. Don’t be so intense all the time.” Suddenly, she grinned mischievously at me and gave me a shove on the shoulder. “Stop being a little bitch.”

Now that I couldn’t let slide.

I returned her shove with my own, and forced down the grin threatening to break my aggressive glare. “You better calm down, Shine. Don’t make me put you in your place.”

“You put ME in my place? Apparently, somepony already forgot the ass kicking they got last time.” She shoved again, harder than before.

I shoved back. We stood out of our seats and garnered some attention from the few soldiers who happened to be lingering around. “I had to give you a freebie after the thrashing I gave you before that.”

“You talk a pretty big game. Maybe I should remind you who the top pony is up in this bitch?”

“Last I checked, that was me. But I’m game to show you who’s boss.” On instinct we extended our forehoof and slammed our fetlocks into each other in a single synchronized movement, starting an impromptu hoof-wrestling contest on the table between us.

“Time out, you two.”

We froze.

Slowly, I followed Shine’s eyes to find Shining Armor standing behind me. What caught me off guard was his grim expression and slightly frayed blue mane. From my proximity, I could see the bags forming under his eyes. It only took a second for me and Shine to get out of our seats and salute the captain. He gave us a brief salute and nod before having us be at ease.

“What brings you here, Captain?” I asked.

“You, actually. I’ve been looking for you all morning.”

I gulped nervously. “Me, sir?”

A small, tiny smile appeared on his muzzle. “I was looking around trying to find you when I caught wind of a few officers complaining about a certain nostalgic chant being shouted all over the base. Apparently, some upstart colt scout thought it was a good idea to make an entire squad scream like lunatics so early in the morning. Figured I would check out the mess and see what it was all about. You weren’t exactly hard to find.”

“O-oh. Um, sorry?”

“You have nothing to be sorry about. That’s exactly the kind of thing I want to hear from the recruits.” His eyes drifted to Shine for a moment, and he gave her a small smile. “Doing well, Sergeant?”

“Yes, sir!” Shine smiled widely.

“Good to hear.” The moment Shining’s eyes fell on me, my wings twitched out of nervousness. “When you’re done here, I need you to meet me in the war room alone as soon as possible. Priority one alert.”

In that precise moment, I realized I was not going to have a good day.

Author's Notes:

Let the awesomeness commence!

So, right off the bat, huge props to Midnight Quill for helping to make this chapter even exist, and to my proofreaders for making it extra spicy. I swear, first chapters are always a pain to work with, and this one had me fighting the good fight for weeks to get this going.

So, a bit on this particular story. My aim isn't to create a great Flash fanfic, but the best Flash fanfic. I know there are people out there who hate him (and by association everything involving him and the human counterpart) with a burning passion. To them I say, that's fair. Other might see him as the great Waifu Stealer, or corporate self-sabotage, or a tool solely made to date Twilight and create a pointless romance plot. I like to see him as an opportunity. To turn what was thought to be a mistake into a well of endless possibilities and awesome.

And, well, here we are now!

So regardless if you are yay or nay on Flash, I hope you enjoy this story and all of the awesome it has to offer. Feel free to drop a comment and let me know your thoughts and/or critiques.

And be sure to buckle up tight; it's gonna be hell of a ride.

EDIT [7-31-16]: Updated this chapter to be stronger and show more of Flash's character and develop some scenes a bit more.

Chapter 2: Special Assignment

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After returning the equipment I borrowed for the run, I hurried for the war room inside the Crystal Palace. I swallowed the anxious lump rising in my chest as I approached the tall, crystallized double doors. In my years of service to the Crystal Empire, we’d never had to use such a high-priority alert. There was only one instance where I had to answer an emergency call, and that was when changelings had invaded Canterlot back when I was stationed there as a recruit. As I knocked, I silently prayed this was not a repeat performance of that nightmarish event.

“Come in,” Shining’s voice echoed from inside.

I pushed open the doors, and entered the spacious war room. It was a rare occurrence to hold any meetings within these polished walls. Celestia’s late morning sun filtered through the windows and fell on the crescent crystal table where my Captain waited patiently.

“First Lieutenant Flash Sentry, reporting for duty, sir!” I saluted, standing ramrod straight at attention.

Shining Armor produced a welcoming smile as he returned the gesture. “At ease, Flash. Close the door and take a seat.”

“Yes, sir.” I closed the door as instructed, and made my way into one of the two seats in front of the encircling table.

Shining eyed me curiously for a moment, which made me even more nervous. Was he going to ask me about my progress? Surely I couldn’t tell him I only found Shine Spark after a month of searching, could I?

“If this is about the team setup I asked you for earlier, don’t worry about it for the moment,” he said as if reading my mind. “And I made sure we were alone here, so speak freely.”

I released a breath I hadn’t realized I’d been holding. “My bad, boss. You mentioned this meeting was about the project you had me running?”

"Yes," he nodded. Then he paused, closing his eyes, and took a deep breath before speaking again. "It's time I finally briefed you on what's going on. I was hoping you'd have more time to prepare, but the situation has... escalated."

My features tightened slightly. "What do you mean?"

Shining seemed to study me for a long moment. "What I say here concerns the security of the Royal Family, and cannot leave this room, under any circumstances. Is that clear, Flash?"

"Yes, sir," I responded automatically, focusing all my attention on Shining, rather than the icy nugget of tension settling in my gut. His eyes reflected a restrained fury I'd only seen glimpses of before.

“We received word that Queen Chrysalis has returned, and she is planning an assassination attempt. The target is my sister.”

The temperature in the room dropped several degrees. I gaped at my captain, shock and anger burning at my veins. It took a moment to find my voice. “Princess Twilight? Why would she be targeting her?”

“Revenge.” Shining leaned back, his clasped hooves coming to rest on the crystalline crescent table that encircled me. “Since Twilight was the one who ruined her plans in Canterlot, their botched scheme and subsequent setback seems to have driven the queen over the edge. As of this moment we have no idea of when or how, but there is little doubt she's going after Twilight.”

“Then let’s rally the guard and warn Princess Twilight! I’m sure we can—”

“Flash. Calm down.” Shining Armor’s tone held no room for argument. I forced myself to comply and listen. “I’ve talked to some of the strategists and my wife regarding the matter. Sending in an army will only make things worse. Chrysalis and her army of changelings will likely use those numbers to blend in and get closer to Twilight. Previous means of detection no longer seem to work, so until we find a weakness in their disguises, coming in with a large force will only work against us.”

“Then what about warning Twilight?” I pressed. “That way she could prepare accordingly. From what you’ve told me, she’s more than resourceful enough to handle those changelings.”

“That was my initial plan, too. That is, until my wife brought up an important point. My sister has a tendency to over-complicate things, and her paranoia gets the better of her at times. If we tell her that the queen of deception and trickery is planning to kill her without any means of knowing when and how she will strike, we risk throwing Twilight’s paranoia into overdrive. In her panic, she might think her closest friends are changelings at the slightest hint of suspicious activity and lock herself away to keep everypony around her safe. Chrysalis would use that against her and catch her when she’s alone and vulnerable. I want to have faith that my sister is smarter than that, but telling her without confirming the threat or having a solid plan is too risky.”

I recalled the rumors of times Twilight had lost herself to paranoia. Something about the parasprites, an enchanted doll, and at one point even a time traveler. I didn’t know how many of those were true, but it did add up to what Shining Armor was telling me. “If we can’t tell Twilight or rally the soldiers to aid her, how about taking out Chrysalis herself?”

“We don’t know where she is. Trust me, I wish it was that simple. Unfortunately, we don’t have anything to go on at the moment, and we can’t round up all of Ponyville’s citizens to check them without arousing suspicion. Doing that would definitely tip her off, and we would lose our chance of catching her unaware.”

It took some effort to keep myself from groaning with frustration. Just then, something occurred to me. “How do we know all of this if we can’t even find her?”

A small grin made its way onto Shining’s muzzle—the face of a stallion who had an ace tucked away in his hooves. “It’s all thanks to a very special informant who came to us in good faith to put an end to Chrysalis’s plans. She—”

A knock interrupted Shining, leaving me in a state of suspense. What pony managed to gather that much information and escape Chrysalis unscathed? “Ah, right on time. I believe that's our informant at the door. Would you mind letting her in?”

There was something cryptic about his suddenly wide grin, but I dismissed the feeling. I pulled open the door—and was greeted by none other than Princess Twilight Sparkle.

“Good afternoon, Princess!” With practiced professionalism, I quickly recovered, and stood at attention.

Twilight’s eyes swiveled towards me as she entered the room. My mind whirled with questions and concerns as she drew uncomfortably close, to the point I could feel her breath beating against my snout. Her hoof moved to caress my cheek, lighting up my muzzle like a match. I might have enjoyed this moment, had her own brother not been in the same room. “Why so tense, handsome?”

My eyes nearly bugged out of my head. I shot a quick glance at Shining, who merely raised an inquisitive eyebrow at us. Twilight’s sultry gaze and persuasive tone was not doing my blood pressure any favors. It took all of my discipline to keep my twitching wings under control. “I-I’m just fine, Princess. Thank you for your compliment.”

“You should relax.” Twilight learned into my ear and whispered, “I’ll help you release that tension right now if you want. My brother can watch.”

Before I could stop myself, my defiant wings flared out. Had my blood rushed any faster I was sure I would have died, though whether it was due to embarrassment or cardiac arrest was anypony’s guess. I tried to voice an objection, or at the very least question my sense of reality, only to release a strangled gasp.

“That’s enough. The poor stallion’s gonna die on us if you keep teasing him like that.” Shining looked just as uncomfortable and surprised as I was, though likely for different and equally mortifying reasons.

Then suddenly, before my eyes, ‘Princess Twilight’ became engulfed in a blaze of green flames.

I flinched back, though my instincts translated it into a half-combat crouch before I even properly registered the sight. I knew this. This was the same kind of spell Chrysalis and her minions had used before.

Mere seconds later, the petite unicorn was replaced by a black, insectoid creature with a hard carapace in place of fur, and hollow holes running clean through its legs. The spiral horn twisted and elongated into an upward-turned spike, sitting just below a curtain of translucent green hair I didn’t remember on any normal Changeling.

Then the deep violet eyes I remembered shifted to a pale blue—and most disturbing of all, took on normal irises akin to the Queen herself.

The changeling began clopping a black hoof on the crystal floor, in what I quickly realized was a slow mockery of applause. "That was priceless, Buttermilk. Five stars!"

Her voice reverberated similarly to how Chrysalis spoke, yet with a brighter and more chipper tone.

I wasn’t thinking too hard about that, however. I was too busy shoulder-checking her into the wall.

Or, at least, trying to. The creature nimbly sidestepped me, then hopped over the sweeping kick I followed up with in an attempt to trip her. But my wings were already working, and I used my low position and a powerful flap to launch after her like a coiled spring, teeth bared in fury.

My opponent seemed to take all this in stride. Her wings flared out and buzzed rapidly as she folded herself into a ball to—

Move!

I mirrored the motion, twisting sideways to avoid what would have been a vicious clip to my back legs when she swooped underneath me.

Damn. She knew how to fight airborne, and she’d avoided my attempt to disable her quickly. This wouldn’t be easy.

Still, I was no slouch. Launching into a tight midair flip, I pulled an about-face to orient towards her again. And then I caught a glimpse of the changeling’s leering face as she perched on top of a small crystal table.

“Spicy,” she purred. Clak. Clak. Clak. Her hoof tapped mockingly on the surface.

The sound of her voice triggered memories of the changeling invasion— of all of those soldiers who had turned on each other, unable to tell friend from foe. The devastation in Canterlot and the lives lost due to their assault.

“Shut up and die!” I roared back, darting across the distance straight towards that smirk. The changeling narrowly dodged, and my flying drop-kick instead smashed into and left a spiderweb of cracks in the middle of the table, just behind where she was a second ago.

“Not bad!”

I whipped my head to the side, and found—a white pegasus pony staring back at me, a mocking grin on her face. She was right at the double doors leading out of the War Room, which in all the confusion were still left wide open.

“Let’s see how many guards I can take out before you catch me! Better hurry!” With a wink, she half-dashed, half-flew out, already flapping her new mockeries of pegasus wings.

I bolted out of the door after her moments later. I refused to let the Canterlot invasion repeat itself.

I hadn’t noticed during my first pass, but the main hall of the crystal palace was oddly quiet. Normally, there were a few patrols and servant ponies who would roam the epicenter of the towering building where the enormous spiral staircase resided. Still, I was grateful for their absence, as the changeling had nopony to hide behind. My eyes swept around the empty hall, trying to guess which door she could have flown through.

“Look alive, Buttermilk!”

I looked up to see the grinning, disguised changeling waving at me from the fourth flight of stairs. Wasting no time, I took up after her. Before I could catch her, she took into the air as well, quickly climbing in height as I chased her along the stairwell.

She was annoyingly agile, slowing down just to narrowly slip out of my reach. My teeth gnashed together with effort and fury as I tore after her. But swift as she was, I was still able to keep up with her, catching onto her quick maneuvers and dips that were meant to throw me off or have me crash into a wall.

Halfway up the stairs, she dove into one of the corridors. The sudden change of direction threw me off for only an instant, but I followed through the opened doorway, wiping off the torrent of sweat that threatened to blind me. I didn’t know what her game was, but I knew this was a trap. Regardless, I could not let her get away. I had to kill this changeling before she could attempt to destabilize the empire.

My pursuit eventually led me to a series of empty bedchambers. I’d only lost sight of her for a few seconds, but it was enough for her to hide away. Dropping to the ground, I carefully moved down the carpeted hallway, listening for any signs of movement.

“I’m glad you were fast enough to chase me all the way here. Gives us a chance to get to know one another. Have a little one-on-one.” Her voice echoed down the hall. I tried to grasp the direction or source, but I couldn’t make heads or tails where she was. I had no choice but to keep her talking.

“If you want to hear more, you should step out and talk.”

“I would, but I just love having stallions chasing me around.”

It was getting louder, but I still couldn’t pinpoint her location. I walked forward still, bracing myself for any signs of an ambush. “You have a lot of nerve showing your face here. I’ll make you regret it.”

“You’re still sore about that whole Twilight thing, aren’t you? To be fair, I had no idea you would react like that. At least it was easy to tell how strong your wings are.”

“Buck you!”

“Ladies first.” I felt a tap on my flank, followed by a rush of wind. I spun an about face, catching nothing but a flurry of dust spinning in the air.

I vaguely remembered this tactic being used against my squad during the Canterlot invasion. I can’t lose myself like I did back then. I needed to stay calm, and—

"Stop hiding!" I barked. Damn it, I’m better than this. Why can’t I stay calm?

“Not bad. Good reflexes. Strong legs. You put most of the other rent-a-guard colts here to shame. Buuuut I’m not quite satisfied with you, yet. Still have one last thing I want to see, but first: Wanna play a game?”

My eyes darted around my surroundings. She was close. I could feel it. “And what game would that be?”

“Two truths and a lie. Find the lie, you’ll find me.”

“Bring it,” I growled, tensing my muscles.

“I’m your best friend.” A rush of wind brushed by me. I whipped my head around, but saw nothing.

“I’m your worst enemy.” Another gust of wind. Still no sign of the changeling.

“And I’m right behind you.”

Shock rushed through my veins as I flinched and jumped to hover mid-air. No sight of her on my flank, or even anywhere on the ground. Just how fast was this changeling?

“Well, you’re definitely not behind me, and you’re sure as buck not my best friend. That’s two lies.”

“All of them were lies.”

I froze.

Slowly, I looked up to see the changeling in her natural form hanging from the ceiling and barely an inch away from my face. And then she closed the distance in one move—and gave me a peck on the lips.

“What the—”

The very next second, the changeling pushed off her legs and crashed into my back, slamming me down to the ground. The blow winded me, giving her enough time to bounce away before I could retaliate.

Using my wings as props, I quickly sprung back onto my hooves and dashed at my opponent. The first few punches I threw were baiting attacks, quick and light. After the third strike, I mixed in swift stabs with my wing tips, aiming for soft points such as her eyes or throat to stun her. To my surprise, she was able to parry some of those attacks with her horn as well as her hooves, placing us in a constant influx of clashing hooves, wings and horn. In terms of skill, we were mostly even.

While our forehooves locked against each other in an attempt to throw the other off balance, I caught the changeling’s grin fade into a scowl. “So, ready to talk about saving Twilight, or do you want to just fight me all day? Chrysalis doesn’t plan on waiting, and the sooner we find her, the sooner you can save your princess.”

I refused to break the lock and give her the upper hoof, but a small shred of logic slipped through the seething rage boiling inside me. “Go on…”

“Did Shiny get to the part where he mentions the special informant?”

“And?” I did not like where this was going.

“Did you think it was weird how somepony could know so much about Chrysalis’s plans and live long enough to tell Shiny?”

Definitely did not like where this was going. “So?”

“So… you’ve got a brain somewhere in there. Do I need to spell out everything for you?”

My eyes narrowed. I couldn’t believe it. I wouldn’t believe it. “What are you up to? Why help us? We’re enemies.”

“I’m gonna level with you; I absolutely loathe the idea of working with ponies. If this was another time and place, you’d probably be in a cocoon right now and I’d be schmoozing with your chain of command. But even you have to agree saving Twilight is more important than a coltscout and a lowly changeling, wouldn’t you agree?”

Well, at least she was aware the feeling was mutual.

“You still didn’t answer me. What do you get out of this?”

“Would you believe me if I told you love and friendship?”

“Don’t buck with me!” I pressed hard against her. “Give me one good reason why I should trust anything you say!”

“Because Shining Armor does, and you don’t have a choice. Let’s say you somehow do get lucky and kill me. You’ll only have yourself to blame as you watch your captain hold Twilight’s lifeless corpse in his hooves. He’s not willing to take that chance.” The changeling sneered as her eyes narrowed. “Are you?”

Seconds rolled by as everything she said sank in.I had to admit that there was some truth in what she said. To think: A changeling would help save Twilight, a pony who was key in the fight against Chrysalis? It was a painful irony to face.

I felt the informant relax and lower her guard once she saw I was no longer hostile against her.

A critical mistake on her part.

I grabbed her hoof, then flung her as hard as I could against the adjacent wall. She gasped, but all her air rushed back out when she crashed into the cracked surface. In an instant, I charged towards her, hoof raised for a coup-de-grace strike.

At the last possible second, I adjusted my aim and drove my hoof into the wall next to her head, leaving a deep indentation mere inches away. My face hovered right before hers, eyes burning with restrained fury.

“If you try to betray us, I will kill you.”

Despite being smashed into the wall and nearly having her skull split in two, she grinned. “Oh, believe me. If I wanted you dead...”

I flinched as I felt something sharp pressed against my neck. I looked down to see a serrated dagger tucked in her hooves and held against my collarbone. “You would’ve been dead when you were too busy getting hot over Twilight.”

She took a deep breath, then released a relieved sigh. “And with that, you pass with flying colors. Did you catch all of that, Shiny?”

“Most of it. The repair crew is going to have a field day, though.”

I snapped my eyes over to see Shining Armor standing at the end of the corridor we had flown from.

Shooting away from the pinned changeling, I landed smoothly before him and stood at attention. I was about to question how he had gotten here so quickly when I remembered that he’d learned how to teleport a couple years back.

Right then, it occurred to me that I had almost killed the informant who was supplying us information about Twilight’s peril.

“I’m sorry for my reckless actions, sir!”

My captain just shook his head. “Don’t worry about it. I deserve a bit of the blame for this one. She wanted to test you, and I went along with it. It was a risk, but she refused to work with anypony who couldn’t keep up with her or hold their own. She’s a demanding one.”

I might have imagined it, but Shining seemed more satisfied than angry that I tried to kill the changeling helping us.

“Why don’t we head to my office? We still have a lot to discuss, and I’d rather have a room that doesn’t have a broken table in it.” He flashed a smile at me, his way of silently telling me not to feel bad about it. It did little to curb the stab of guilt I felt regardless.

“Yes, sir.” I fell into step behind Shining Armor, fighting every instinct I had to ignore the short buzzing of wings followed by a third set of hoofsteps coming from directly behind me.

Well, at least she had enough sense to keep her distance. A little vindictive part of me liked to think it was because I’d just thrown her full force into the wall.

The walk to Shining’s office was awkward and quiet. I took slow, deliberate breaths through my nose as we made our way to the office. My heart was still hammering in my chest, though not as fiercely as when I had been trying to kill her. I was constantly shooting her glances over my shoulder to make certain she wasn’t trying anything suspicious.

That’s when I noticed a metal choker on her neck, with a green gem embedded in the center. She noticed where my eyes landed then, and winked back at me. I glared, but stayed silent. Thankfully the awkward walk was a short one, as Shining’s office was only a few flights of stairs higher.

Captain Armor’s office was an excellent example of his character. Hanging on the walls and resting neatly on his file cabinets were several plaques and medals which defined his accomplishments and prestige. I recognized the story that went behind some of these medals. From the crystal badge of honor given when he personally rescued the group of trapped crystal miners from a massive cave-in, to the golden plaque marking his achievement when he led small team of guards to rout a menacing group of raiding trolls who had been terrorizing our trade routes for months. I’d gotten a medal myself for taking part in that harrowing mission.

The office was impressively clean and orderly: nothing too flashy or out of place. On his desk were his most important valuables: pictures of his lovely wife Princess Cadance, along with his adorable and growing daughter Flurry Heart, and another with him and his sister Princess Twilight Sparkle smiling together, and—the one that embarrassed me the most—an older picture with me, Shine Spark and him slinging our forelegs around each other's shoulders, wearing silly, drunken grins. I recalled that being the day I was promoted to first lieutenant, one of the happiest moments of my life.

Shining took his seat at his mahogany desk, while the changeling and myself took the two seats across from him. “Alright, Flash. As she mentioned earlier, she’s the informant who told us about Chrysalis. Her codename for the mission is Trojan. I’ve already explained everything to her, but now that you’re both here, we can start the mission briefing.”

Suspicion itched at my instincts. I had a bad feeling about this. “What do you have in mind?”

“I’m assigning you two on a covert mission together. Both of you are going to save my sister and stop Chrysalis’ plans. As this is an undercover mission, we will have extremely limited backup for you. Any and all mission details are completely confidential and on a need-to-know basis, so it’s imperative that you keep this under wraps and gather as much information as possible. I know I’m asking for a lot, but you two are my best hopes in getting this resolved quickly and quietly.”

I carefully processed the captain’s words. This changeling and I were going to save Princess Twilight Sparkle and stop the Queen of the Changelings, somepony who was able to overpower Princess Celestia in one-on-one combat and almost took down Canterlot. There was a swell of pride in my chest at the thought of how capable Shining Armor felt I was. However, that pride was overshadowed by the crushing weight of responsibility on my shoulders. Paralyzing terror held me at the idea of facing this monumental task with little to no backup.

“Isn’t that great, Buttermilk?” Trojan chirped. “You and I are going to be together, saving the Princess and stopping my crazy queen. Isn’t that romantic?”

That last comment broke me out of my daze. I glared incredulously at the loony changeling. “Romantic?!” I couldn’t stop the rising panic in my voice. “How am I supposed to stop somepony who was able to overpower Celestia herself?”

“Flash, hear me out.” Shining Armor’s serious tone captured my attention, giving me a focus other than the internal freak-out I was suffering. He walked around his desk and placed a comforting and firm hoof on my shoulder. “I would do this myself if I could, but I need to stay here and watch over the Crystal Empire. If I leave, there’s a good chance she may attempt to take the kingdom in my absence. I thought it over and over, but of all the royal guards at my command, there is nopony I trust more than you to spearhead this operation.”

I should have felt some sort of inspiration, and on some level I did. Yet I was only one pegasus, and there was so much riding on this mission. If I failed, his sister would be killed, and I could not bear the thought of looking him in the eye if that happened. In combat with my bare hooves, I could throw down with the best of the them.

Magic, on the other hoof, was something I could never compete against. I stole a glance at… ‘Trojan’, suddenly realizing that she’d forbore using magic in our fight—at least, not that I knew of. But they had it. Chrysalis had it. Every single Changeling had it too. How was I supposed to...

“I need you at your best, buddy,” Shining continued. “We only got one shot at this. My sister needs you, Flash. I need you.”

I shook the doubts out of my head. When the Royal Guard are called, we answer. Especially when our loved ones are being threatened. Failure was not an option.

I slammed my hooves together, throwing Shining a smile. “Count me in, boss. I swear on my life no harm will come to the Princess.”

The captain steadied his eyes on me for a moment. Then he smiled broadly. “I knew I could count on you, Flash.” He looked at Trojan, who gave me an approving nod. “Mind getting everything set up, Trojan? I just want to go over some quick details in private.”

“Don’t mind if I do. I’ll let you colts get some alone time.” With a wink, she assumed the form of a royal guard earth pony and left the office.

“…With all due respect, sir, she weirds me the hay out,” I admitted.

“You, err, will get used to it.” The hesitation in Shining’s voice promised otherwise. “And sorry about earlier. I considered warning you, but she insisted to keep you out of the loop until she’d assessed your readiness.”

“Don’t worry about it; water under the bridge.” I had a sneaking suspicion this was not going to be the last time I had to deal with her ‘testing’ me. I paused. “How the hay did we get a changeling for an informant?”

“Oddly enough, she came to us. She caused quite a stir when she snuck up on me and some of the guards. It took some time and a few...compromises, but she agreed to help us save Twilight from Chrysalis.”

“Compromises?”

“Nothing to be concerned about. So,” Shining cleared his throat, “Trojan will give you further details about the mission when you meet up with her later. But before you go, there’s something a little more personal I wished to discuss with you.”

He leaned closer to me, lowering his voice. “My sister is a great and brilliant leader. She’s very strong, and with such wonderful friends by her side to provide backup I believe there is no challenge she cannot overcome if she puts her mind to it. Yet, I want her to have something a little closer. Something special her friends may not be able to give her. I’d sent a transfer request letter to Twilight ahead of time to give you a cover to conceal your real objective and keep her from asking too many questions. She was reluctant until I mentioned your name. I was amazed at how quickly she changed her mind.”

I blinked. I could vaguely recall meeting her once or twice, but mostly just in passing. “Why did saying my name make a difference?”

“My wife and I have a theory... but never mind that. Now, Flash, speaking not as a Captain of the Royal Guard, but as your friend and her brother, there’s something I need to get off my chest.”

Shining Armor leaned even closer and slung a foreleg around my shoulders, causing me to shift back out of nervousness. The last time I had seen him this serious was when he had confided in me about Cadance’s pregnancy. “Flash, should you and Twilight decide to become a couple, I want first dibs on pictures of you two being cute. Do that, and you will have my blessing.”

An obscuring fog overcame my mind, blanking my thought processes. I’m sure in some strange alternate universe, Shining Armor had just suggested he was okay with me dating his sister. But not this reality. Maybe Trojan had done some sort of mind warping spell to mess with my hearing, or I had hit my head harder than I thought. I shook my head, hoping what I had heard was just some messed-up illusion. “I’m sorry, boss, but I didn’t get that. Could you repeat what you said?”

“I said I want adorable pictures of you two if you guys decide to get close. Super cute ones. One of them’s got to have a cute kiss in it.”

Knowing what was coming, I practiced Cadance’s breathing technique. Deep breath in. Deep breath out. Then I freaked out.

“W-W-W-WHAT?!” I exclaimed. Thankfully I was able to keep my wings down, though with excruciating effort.

“I’m just messing with you about that last part.” He chuckled lightly for a moment before giving me a serious look. “But seriously, I’m trusting you to take care of my sister. No matter what happens, do your best by her and always keep her best interests in mind, alright?”

“O-of course!” I answered instantly, cursing the heightened octave in my voice.

“Glad to hear it!” Shining Armor retracted his hoof, standing straight on all fours again.

“As far as the mission goes, obviously you will act as leader for this shadow team. You have my full authority to handle this mission however you need to. Just remember not to tell anypony about this mission or the fact that your partner is a changeling. Any finer details of the mission will be left up to your discretion. If we come up with anything on our side, we will keep you informed, but as it stands your primary mission is keeping Twilight safe. Catching Chrysalis and gaining any intel you can is a close second. If you get a shot at Chrysalis, take no chances. Is that clear?”

I nodded. “Crystal.”

“Good. There’s one thing I need to give you before you set off.” Shining dug into one of his drawers and handed me an… oddly familiar metal choker?

“You saw this before, I’m sure,” he noted. “This is a shielding device. It’s made to nullify the Changelings’ particular brand of mind-altering magic, and it camouflages with your coat so nopony can see it. We don’t have too many of these, so don’t break it.”

I hesitantly lifted a hoof up to the accessory. “How did we…”

“Trojan,” Shining confirmed. “One of her first bits of good faith, in fact. It was helpful to be able to analyze the Changelings’ unique magical aura so we could attune an enchantment to it.”

Accepting the choker, I immediately equipped it. As soon as the locking chambers connected, I felt a shock ripple through my body, startling me. “What did that choker do to me?”

“Ah, the shock? That’s the device connecting with your magic. If somepony’s trying to alter your mind, you’ll be able to tell. Trojan will fill you in on the shield’s other capabilities once you meet up with her.”

“Thanks, boss.” That certainly addressed my concern regarding Chrysalis trying to control me. Being able to beat her, however, was a different story altogether.

“I’ve already arranged transport for you by train. It will leave Sunday morning. That gives you all day tomorrow to assemble your team.”

“My team?” I asked. “You mean it won’t be just me and the changeling?”

“That ‘changeling’ has a name, Flash.” Shining’s eyes narrowed. “Changeling or otherwise, she is helping us save Twilight, so please show her some respect.”

I glanced down at the choker again, chagrined. I took a deep breath. "I... sorry."

He was right. If I was going to be working alongside her—Celestia, I was still reeling at that idea—getting hung up on her race wasn't going to help.

Didn't mean I was looking forward to it, though.

“I know how you feel, buddy.” Shining gave me a hefty pat on the shoulder. I looked up to see his bright smile. “You should’ve seen Cadance’s face when she first saw Trojan. I thought she was going to have a heart attack.”

I’ll bet. My lips turned up in a brief smirk.

“Back to what I was saying earlier: that assignment I gave you some time ago was for this very operation. Whoever you pick will be your only field support for the mission, so you need to pick carefully. For the duration of your mission and stay at Ponyville, you will be a royal guard captain serving under Twily— er, Twilight.”

I blinked. That was certainly news. “...Sir?”

“You heard me, soldier.” My Captain smiled wanly. “Congratulations.”

My own squad. Captain status. It was a major promotion from being a first lieutenant serving proudly under Shining Armor. Most ponies would be overjoyed to have the authority of a captain, even if it was only for the sake of cover. I was just glad it was temporary so I could come back to the Empire once everything was over.

There was still the concern with the team assembly, though. With a mission this big, only the best could be involved, and even then a small number so they can move quickly. If I had a hard time finding ponies in a month, there was no way I could do it in a day.

Thankfully, I had a solution that could fix that problem.

“With the team, I would like to entrust its assembly to Sergeant Shine Spark, and have her take part in this mission.”

Shining tossed me a curious glance. “That’s... highly irregular. Granted, Shine Spark is a very capable pony, no argument there. But this is your team, and you should be the one to pick out the members.”

“I know, and that’s why I want to have Shine Spark handle the recruitment side. Of course, I will discuss every angle with her to make sure this team is perfect. I’ve worked with Shine Spark long enough to know that when it comes to picking out talent, she’s unrivaled, and she knows me as well as you do. I have complete trust she will only pick and train the best.”

“Interesting.” Shining paused as he digested my reasoning.

This would also let me focus on protecting Twilight and keeping the cha- Trojan in check. But I kept my mouth shut about that for now.

“Alright, Flash. I’ll allow it. Trojan will meet you at the train station early Sunday morning and have all of your mission details.”

“Thank you, boss.”

“Of course,” Shining nodded. “And I know I threw a lot at you today, so I want you to focus on resting up and getting everything sorted out with Shine. You know where to find me once it all clicks.”

Perfect. “Alright. I’ll touch bases with you by the end of tomorrow to finalize the team formation.”

“Sounds good. I’m counting on you, buddy. And when you see Chrysalis, show her what happens when you mess with the Royal Guard.”

“You got it!” On reflex, we both gave each other a strong hoofbump. This was it. After tomorrow, I knew there was no going back. Either I saved the Princess and defeated Chrysalis, or died trying.

“Alright, Captain Flash Sentry,” Shining emphasized with a hearty grin, “that concludes the meeting. You’re dismissed. Good hunting.”

Author's Notes:

Trojan is an absolute joy to write.

I really love the changelings. It's one of the few villains of MLP I've truly been invested in other than Discord. They have an absurd amount of potential and Chrysalis is a treat to watch in action. With Trojan, I particularly enjoy the air of mystery, cleverness, and especially dat sass.

With this chapter, originally this was going to be my first chapter, but after some suggestions I opted for the previous one. I know its a popular thing with some stories, but I really do adore the idea of Flash and Shining being buddy-buddy with each other. Not to the point of being unprofessional, of course, but I can imagine them being a sort of dynamic duo in a crisis. I could easily write a fic solely on Shining, Shine and Flash as an epic trio.

As usually, leave a comment/critique and a like if you enjoyed it. Look forward to see you next chapter!

Chapter 3: Complications

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Mission day was finally here.

After whipping myself into a frenzy to get ready and double-checking my equipment, I rushed out of the barracks with my two duffel bags slung over the carrier grooves on the sides of my armor. The train station was only a few minutes away by flight, the crystalline courtyard connecting between the compound and the station. Crossing the glistening crystal archway, I saw a pony wearing a large backpack waiting for me in front of the steam-powered locomotive. I landed several meters away and trotted the rest of the distance to meet the pony waiting for me. Right away, I knew this had to be Trojan.

I knew she was not going to come along disguised as Twilight, but her current form was almost worse. The tangerine coat and long, curly blue mane were a little too awkward for my taste. Outside the hairstyle and stature, she looked like a carbon copy of me. “Ready to go, my lovely twin brother?”

I tripped, nearly falling flat on my face. This was not okay. “Where in Tartarus did you get that idea?”

Trojan grinned. “What, did you think I was gonna walk around naked?” I opened my mouth, but the changeling cut me off. “By ‘naked’ I meant without a disguise.” I closed my mouth promptly and groaned. Leave it to Trojan to find ways to make my life even more difficult. Ringing bells from the train alerted us to the imminent departure, so we both climbed aboard to get ourselves settled before it took off.

We took a seat in the middle car, sitting across from each other on the suede seats. “So, you’re posing as my twin sister? Don’t I get a say in this?”

Trojan shifted towards me, stroking my chin with her hoof. “So you want me to be your marefriend instead? Alright, but I call top.”

“That’s not what I’m saying!” I slapped her hoof away. I take back my previous thought; Trojan being my twin sister was definitely the lesser evil. “I'm an only child. If the Princess does a background check and finds out we're not related—"

"Don't worry, Shiny took care of all that." Digging into her backpack, Trojan produced a thick folder and passed it to me. I leafed through it to get an idea of what I was looking at. Profiles of important ponies who had affiliations with the princess and her closest friends, a separate, more detailed profile list code-named “Mane Six,” funding, housing and tons of other important details. Just about every angle I could consider or question was probably covered in this folder. "Make sure to take a good look at it. Once you're done, I'm going to destroy it before we get to Ponyville. We can't exactly leave that kind of info lying around for someone to find it.”

"This… is a lot to read in one sitting,” I commented. I was not sure how much of this information I would be able to keep in my head before we arrived at our stop. I could only pray it was enough as I immediately set to reading through it. The first section I stopped at was Trojan's background profile, and I raised an eyebrow at the alias. "Sassy Love?"

"Because I’m all about the love and I’m not afraid to show it.”

I rolled my eyes at her. I was willing to bet her middle name was Modest. "And it says here you're a..." I did a double take on the 'occupation'. "Love guru?"

"My business deals with all things love-related. Everything from providing expert advice to dealing with, ah, 'specialty goods and services'. I had some great success in Manehatten in the past, so it made sense to bring some of the business with me to Ponyville."

A changeling love doctor. I couldn't tell if it was the craziest thing I’ve ever heard or pure brilliance. At the mention of love, there was a vital issue I needed to address with her.

"How will you keep yourself fed? I won't stand for you draining the citizens, or me, of our love."

"As long as I don’t have to use my magic liberally, I only need a small portion to get through the day. It doesn’t have to be romantic love, either. Any kind would do. Like your love for your boss and your job—it's a very strong flavor and should keep me going for at least eight hours. If a changeling is infiltrating, we can feed just by being next to somepony and they won't notice a thing. I'll be careful, but if I don't feed, I will starve and you would have no way of exposing other changelings. Neither of us have a choice here."

This conversation was heading into uncomfortable places, but this seemed like crucial information. "So you’re able to sense love and drain different kinds of love without the host realizing it?” That’s when I fully realized what she said, and glared. “Did you feed on me earlier?!"

Trojan winked. "I couldn't resist. You taste like a warm stack of pancakes, Buttermilk."

Never before had I felt so violated.

"Please don't taste my love without my permission."

"Oh, relax. Your love was strong enough for it to barely faze you, and I'm going to need that kind of strong, hot stallion love to get me going through the cold and lonely nights."

I facehoofed. "Must you say it like that?!"

"Why so hot and bothered, Buttermilk?" She teased.

There was no point in answering her and falling the bait. I needed to change the subject before this changeling made me have a stroke. "Anyway, if we're going to take down Chrysalis—"

"Stop Chrysalis," Trojan corrected. For the first time, her expression was serious and stern. The instantaneous shift from her upbeat personality was jarring, but then I had to remember: she was a changeling. There was no telling which was their true face and which was false. Something told me this was tapping into the former.

"She's trying to kill Princess Twilight. If I see her, I'm taking her down for good," I replied, glaring back at her.

"This isn't her fault. She's not being herself. We're stopping her." Briefly the color of her irises faded before returning to normal. Perhaps I was seeing things.

"Isn't her fault?" I asked. I shouldn't care about Chrysalis's state of being, but I learned a long time ago that all details are crucial. What in the world happened to Chrysalis? "Now that I think about it, shouldn’t she be more upset at Shining Armor and Princess Cadance? They’re the ones who blasted you guys to who-knows-where.”

"That-” Whatever she was about to say caused her to pause. “It’s... nevermind. We're stopping her, and that's the end of it, Flash."

As much as I wanted to probe further, Trojan showed no signs of budging. I was not looking forward to working with her, but she was going to be my only hope of finding Chrysalis or any of her agents who might be hiding among the ponies in Ponyville. For now I kept quiet and returned to the mission notes while Trojan glanced out the window.

During the few hours of silence that passed between us I focused my thoughts on trying to retain as much information from the mission profile as I could. Most of the information was fairly straightforward and easy to grasp. What truly caught my attention were the operation protocols and the shielding choker Shining had given us. They allowed us to do far more than stop mental augmenting spells.

With it, our movements could be tracked in the event either of us were captured or separated. There was also a unique teleportation feature to bring incapacitated targets directly to the empire’s containment zone. For safety reasons, that particular feature is inaccessible to Trojan when she is alone. That, as well as one critical difference, separated my shield from Trojan’s. She couldn’t remove hers, and if she attempted to force it off...

Suddenly, I found her sour mood to be more pitiful than irritating.

“Hey, Trojan.” No answer. I looked up to find her staring out the window with a frown on her face. I sighed. “Look, about earlier—”

“Forget it. What do you want?” she asked, not looking away from the window.

“About our shields. Shining mentioned they had some special properties. But yours, I didn’t—”

“You mean my slave collar?” Her tone was ice. “What, did you think after what happened all those years ago they would just let me go do what I want without some sort of damage control?”

“I wouldn’t go as far as saying that. Really, protocol would have you captured and interrogated as an enemy combatant—or more likely a spy—and placed at the mercy of the Crown. The fact you’re able to go along this mission at all is honestly surprising.”

“Guess when your own flesh and blood is targeted for assassination, protocol goes out the window. Granted, I’ll take slave collar over imprisonment any day of the week.”

An unspoken question hung in the air—what would happen to her after the mission? Would she be a prisoner of war? Would Shining lock her up in prison or maybe use her as a mole to track down the main hive of the changelings? Those were all possibilities, and I couldn't say she didn’t have it coming.

The moment the thought entered my mind, I slammed the brakes on that mental process. That was incredibly unfair of me to think of her like that. How much had this changeling sacrificed to bring us this information? Betraying her own race while helping the very ponies who had driven her queen mad with vengeance and being forced to face Chrysalis couldn’t have been easy. No matter what I thought of changelings, her actions so far showed an honest effort at making things right and told me she deserved a fair shot.

“If we stop Chrysalis and save Twilight, I’ll vouch for your freedom after all of this is over. Assuming you stay on good behavior, of course.”

Trojan gave me a look. Despite her having a pony's face, I couldn't tell whether the glimmer of surprise—or was it shock?—I saw there was genuine, or sarcastic, as though she'd heard it all before. Whatever the case, her eyes hardened quickly, settling on me with firm intensity. "I don't need your pity."

“I’m not giving you pity. I’m giving you a chance.”

Silence, followed by an indignant grunt. Her gaze drifted back to the passing trees and windswept plains outside. I sighed. I tried to spend some of the remaining time on the train going through my notes, but my thoughts drifted back to Trojan and her shield. She was one strong bug to have come this far to stop her queen and help us save Twilight despite the odds greatly stacked against her. Still didn’t know if I could trust her, though. Even if it was only a small bit, she was starting to gain my respect. She would’ve been perfect as a royal guard pony.

“So, Buttermilk, tell me about yourself.”

“Huh?” I blinked as I tore my eyes from the documents and to the now amused changeling.

“If you’re gonna be my favorite twin brother in all of Equestria, I gotta know why.”

That was a fair point. We would need to ‘know’ each other on a sibling level to truly make the illusion work. "Well, my family has served Equestria’s military force for several generations. I didn't have many friends when I was younger, so I spent my time helping my folks out when I could or doing volunteer work for—"

"Bor~ing!" Trojan yawned obnoxiously loud.

I frowned. Everypony’s a critic.

"You have to have juicier stories than that! You couldn't possibly have that boring of a life!" Ouch.

"Well, I'm sorry we can't all be love gurus or whatever!" I threw my hooves up in frustration. The sting was extra sharp thanks to the constant “coltscout” jokes I'd gotten from other ponies my entire life. Not everypony got to lead great and exciting lives, but I would be lying if I said I wasn't slightly envious of those who did.

"Come on, you've gotta have something more interesting. What about hobbies?"

There were several hobbies I had. Most of them would probably be considered uncool or boring to her. I imagined Trojan was looking for something a little spicier. Something she could brag about. “Well, I like training, whether for combat or sports. I’m top of my class in pegasus melee combat.” Trojan’s impatient stare was adding an unnecessary amount of pressure. “Um, I guess I also like to sing when I’m—”

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Again I was interrupted, but this time it wasn't nearly as downputting. "You can sing?"

I smiled modestly. "I've always had a thing for music. I’m also a guitarist."

"Well, hot damn, I landed me a musician!” Trojan scooted to the edge of her seat, staring at me with heightened anticipation. “Let’s throw down some tunes! Sing me a song!"

"Sorry, I don't really like to sing in front of other ponies. And before you ask, I don’t want to talk about it."

"Boo!" Trojan pouted childishly as she folded her forelegs on her chest, "You should be able to sing for your darling and beautiful sister." A knowing grin appeared on her face as she gave me a suspicious look. "What if your special somepony asked you? Would you sing for them?"

"...I need to finish reading this report before we arrive." My mood sufficiently killed, I returned my attention to the stack of documents on my lap, keeping my expression passive. Thankfully, Trojan was able to take a hint and shift her attention to the window. This was no time to to let myself get distracted. If I was going to save the princess, I needed to focus on the present and figure out how to deal with Chrysalis. I could deal with my own issues later.

By the time we neared the Ponyville station, I was intimately familiar with Twilight and the history of the ‘mane six’. I made one last run-through of the documents before closing the folder. “Alright, I’m done reading through this. Do you need to look at it before we destroy it?”

Trojan quirked her eyebrow at me. “Do you take me for a slacker? I’ve had plenty of time to look through that.” Her sapphire irises emitted a green hue. Suddenly, the folder I was holding lifted off my hooves and hovered between us; after a few seconds, it was engulfed in green flames. Only ashes were left of it.

Hopefully when we faced Chrysalis, I wouldn’t end up like that document.

“We’re making the final approach to the Ponyville station. Please gather your belongings and prepare for arrival.” A mare’s voice chimed through the speaker system.

This was it; there was no going back.

“Alright, Tro-er, Sassy,” I corrected myself. This was going to be strange to get used to. “As soon as we land, I want you to make your way to our home base and start investigating as soon as you’re able. I’ll meet up with the princess and see what intel I can get.”

“Uh huh.” Trojan gave me a deadpan gaze. “You just want some alone time so you can interrogate that flank.”

“Sassy!”

“Fine, fine, I’ll handle groundside and see what I can dig up. Just keep in mind that ponies, more often than not, are wary of new residents. I probably won’t learn anything too valuable until they get used to me, though I might flip disguises if the situation suits me right. Before I forget; keep in mind that I can’t act against other changelings openly or else Chrysalis will catch on to me, so be ready if I need you.”

“I’m always ready.” The train car lurched as we slowed to a stop. Just as I got up to leave, Trojan stopped me.

“It just occured to me; you really shouldn’t be going out there with your armor on. You’ll definitely draw attention, and ponies will likely be expecting trouble.”

“Maybe, but I’ll be walking around in my armor when I’m escorting Twilight anyway, so that’s kind of a moot point.” I shrugged. “It’ll be fine, Sassy. If anything, I’ll be drawing attention away from you and giving you better cover. That said, you might want to change your disguise into somepony else until you can become Sassy again. That way they won’t immediately pair us together in case somepony is watching.”

“Way ahead of ya, Buttermilk.” Trojan’s visage transformed into a brown earth stallion with shaggy black hair. “Shall we?” It took me a second to acknowledge the deep voice came from the same bug who had sounded upbeat and perky half a second ago. The speed she could adapt to new demeanors was frightening.

Stepping out of the car, I stopped to acknowledge the sheer number of ponies around me. The report mentioned Ponyville had expanded over the years since Twilight’s coronation, but the dense population of residents almost reminded me of Manehattan. Several eyes stared in my direction with a mix between curiosity, awe, and worry. It was a good call to have Trojan change looks so they would not associate us together immediately.

“Hey, buddy. Before you head out lemme give ya something useful.” Trojan dug into her backpack passed me several pieces of square plastic. Curious, I read the logo emblazoned on the surface.

“Cherry flavored, extra-large Trojan Mare con—wait, WHAT!?”

“If you need more, you know where to find me. See ya!” With a wink, Trojan trotted off, dodging the offending items I threw at her. My embarrassment multiplied as I caught onlookers whispering and giggling with each other and pointing at me. Aggravated, I took into the air, muttering a string of quiet curses at Trojan who was probably laughing herself silly right now.

Now that I was able to get a bird’s-eye view of Ponyville, I could appreciate the quiet beauty of the landscape. Dozens of homes and small buildings littered the plains. While the buildings were neither tall nor elaborately built, the simple wood and clay structures painted a warm atmosphere. It was a strange change of pace from the pristine and busy kingdom that was the Crystal Empire. This was going to take some getting used to.

My relaxed flight eventually brought me to my destination and new home: The Castle of Friendship.

The castle was far grander than I expected. I couldn’t tell if this was an elaborate treehouse or a natural fortress. The lavender building was held up by a large crystal tree, yellow peaks and roofs offsetting the darker colors. A giant crystal star stood at the top, glistening in the late morning sun. While not as visually impressive as the Crystal Empire’s palace, there was something beautifully organic about this castle that was amazing in its own right.

Reaching the castle, I dropped down to the entrance at the base of the tree and knocked on the golden double doors. "First lieu-er, Captain Flash Sentry of the royal guard, requesting entry."

No response. I knocked several more times, each harder than the next, but to no avail.

Curious, I tested the door handle. It opened easily. I raised an eyebrow. The transfer documents I received when preparing for my trip said Twilight already granted me entry upon arrival. But it never stated if I was supposed to be greeted at the door or if I could simply enter. Considering the entrance was unlocked, I imagined it was the latter. I climbed the spiraling staircase to the main level and took a quick look around. Just like the outside, the interior was brimming with life and color. Perhaps it was just me, but the atmosphere was rather isolated and empty. Probably due to the lack of guards, I reasoned.

"Princess Twilight? Anypony home?" My voice echoed through the empty halls. While I was used to working alone, the lack of ambiance I’d grown accustomed to from working among other ponies made this castle feel desolate. Since everypony was either busy or elsewhere, I took it upon myself to scout the premises. After all, I would be stationed in Ponyville from now until the mission was complete, so it was only natural I would have to know my way around the castle. At worst, I imagined I would bump into Twilight earlier than scheduled, so it seemed safe to satisfy my curiosity.

I decided to only do a cursory look for anything out of place or anything that might be a security risk. In this situation, it was better to think like a murderous opportunist rather than a frontline soldier, a thought that chilled me and probably better suited Trojan. A cunning assassin would have to strike from a position of advantage. The pillars that acted as corners were problematic, making it difficult to see who was around the corner. There were gaps at the corners of the roof where a flexible assassin could drop down on an unsuspecting pony below.

Magic was also a factor; ponies didn’t normally hear about ‘snipers’ because the spells needed for long-range precision engagement were well outside the concerns of anypony just interested in self-defense, but they certainly did exist. The long, clear lines of sight offered by the castle’s enormous hallways were of serious concern. Thankfully, sound echoed easily through these halls, from the clopping of my steps to the soft rhythms of singing.

I froze mid-step. At first I thought I was just hearing things. When I closed my eyes to focus on the sound, I was able to pick up the faint sound of somepony singing. Without a second thought I followed the voice deeper into the castle.

Whoever owned those passionate vocal chords knew how to carry a tune. My head bobbed as my steps absentmindedly moved to the rhythm of the melody trail. The music grew louder and clearer and I thought less about my vulnerability check and more about how beautiful and familiar this voice was. I tried to remember, but found myself too distracted to think about it. I was bound to find the mare that voice belonged to.

Close to one of the main chambers was a beam of light pouring out of a cracked door. My instincts told me to just listen to the voice from a distance, but my curiosity got the better of me. I just had to find out who had such a talented voice. I leaned my face into the small space to take a quick peek.

I got far more than I bargained for.

Amethyst tiles were lined throughout the floor, reflecting the sunlight that filtered through the closed silk blinds of the tall windows. The first thing to grab my senses was the smell of something light and flowery. I was no good with flower names, but it was an alluring scent that made me want to find those flowers and learn more about them. The symphonic voice was in full volume as the mare was singing her heart out, twirling and swaying to the music she was singing. Soap-filled water sloshed wildly from the shower as she moved, her eyes closed and smile bright and cheerful. I couldn't recall how long I was watching or even what I was doing before I saw her, but the moment was burned inside my memory like a hot brand.

Shock ripped through me as I caught myself staring—more like gawking—at Princess Twilight. I managed to tear my eyes away before Twilight noticed me.

The hushed gasp I heard from around the corner in the hall nearly caused my heart to leap out my chest.

My eyes snapped to the purple reptile staring at me with wide eyes. No, dragon was more accurate. I knew this dragon had to be Spike, but he looked a far cry different from the statue created in his honor all those years ago. He no longer had the potbelly baby dragon look, having grown leaner and more muscular. His legs were filled out like tree trunks as he stood roughly at my eye level. His eyes, while having a hint of maturity and sharpness to them, still held true to the youthful innocence he was known for.

The world around me slowed to a crawl as I watched the dragon's lung swell, preparing to alert the princess of my stupid mistake. My blood froze, shock shooting through my body like lightning. I had no time to think and only one option to salvage the mission. I sprang at the dragon, flying towards him at full speed.

Spike must be silenced.

Chapter 4: Exposed

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“TWI-ACK!”

I wrapped my foreleg around Spike’s throat, cutting off any further outbursts. I had already primed my wings in the same moment, and so I jetted down the hall and drifted around corners with speed that would make the Wonderbolts jealous.

Thinking quickly, I flew into the nearest open room I could find that was a reasonable distance from Twilight, and dragged the flailing dragon inside.

In that instant, I was extremely grateful the castle was as empty as it was. I was already making a bad enough first impression.

The room was dark, the only light coming from the doorway I’d flown through. I picked a corner wall on a whim and carefully pressed Spike against it to make sure he could not squirm and run away, while being very mindful of those claws and teeth I knew very well could chew diamonds like breakfast cereal.

“Spike,” I started cautiously.

“Mrrrrngh!” he growled around my leg. Fear and outrage flared in his eyes.

“Please listen! I’m not here to hurt Princess Twilight! Please calm down!” I pleaded desperately.

Spike glared fiercely at my face. I stared back, not breaking eye contact, until finally I felt him stop jerking and struggling, though his muscles were still tense as a coiled spring.

“Here’s what we’re going to do,” I said slowly. “I’m going to let you go. And then I’m going to explain myself about why I’m here, but I need you to hear me out before you say anything to Twilight. Are we clear?”

Spike held his vicious gaze on me. I tensed when I noticed his head moving, then realized it was just him nodding as much as he could around my grip.

I took a deep breath. Stepping back, I withdrew my leg, simultaneously preparing my wings and hind legs for takeoff just in case he tried something drastic.

Spike coughed, breathing heavily. He quickly shot upright, standing scant inches away from my face. I could have sworn I saw tendrils of steam blowing from his nostrils.

“Who are you, and why were you spying on Twilight?”

He was not exactly talking quietly, but at least he wasn’t yelling at the top of his lungs. His voice was oddly deep but still held a childlike tone at its core, like a colt treading on the edge of puberty. I quickly glanced at the door to make sure nopony was looking in on us.

“I’m Flash Sentry, a royal guard Captain from the Crystal Empire. I transferred here under the orders of Captain Shining Armor.”

“Uh-huh.” Spike shot me a suspicious gaze. “And why was the royal guard of the Crystal Empire spying on Twilight taking a bath?”

“I…” I faltered. He had me there. I was a member of the royal guard, and I’d just spent who knows how long spying on a wet, gorgeous, wonderfully talented princess.

“Uh, dude? Your wings are showing.”

My face burned as I shut my wings in. I swear those things needed duct tape to stay down. “Okay, okay, I screwed up!” I hissed. “I knocked on the door and called out, but nopony answered. I went inside looking for the princess when, erm, that happened.”

“So when you’re visiting another pony’s home, do you always randomly snoop around checking bathrooms?”

“That wasn’t my intention. I admit I should’ve waited first since I’m a little early, but I felt I could pay my respects to the Princess ahead of our scheduled meeting time.” At least, that sounded far better than checking out the castle for security vulnerabilities and falling victim to my foolish curiosity. “The fact I stumbled upon the Princess was purely by accident.”

Right then, the true danger of Spike’s involvement hit me.

As Twilight’s assistant, earning his favor would be vital to maintain my cover. Twilight would certainly lend an ear to Spike if he spoke ill of me, which risked blowing my cover early. Without the cover it would be significantly harder to protect Twilight since I would likely not be allowed to stay at the castle. Considering the terrible first impression I made with Spike, the chance of getting kicked out of the castle just went up drastically.

As much as I wanted to dodge blame, it would likely do little to improve his mood. Perhaps a more honest approach would help smooth things over. “You’re right. Accident or not, what I did was awful, and I’m sorry. I swear on my honor this won’t repeat itself.”

“And why should I give a pervert like you a chance? Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t just tell Twilight what a scummy pony you are!” His eyes were narrowed, and his lips formed a thin line.

It was likely he wouldn’t believe anything I said. Even if I came up with something clever to buy time, there was still the risk he would tell her in secret or sabotage my mission. There was, however, one other option. Quite possibly the toughest judgement call I ever had to make. The final option was the truth.

If I made up an unconvincing lie, I would lose any chance I had at repairing this crisis. But if I told the truth, all the risks Shining warned me about would come to fruition. Having idiotically cornered myself, I was forced to pick my poison and hope it didn’t kill me.

Taking my contemplative silence as an answer, Spike scoffed. “Hmph. Just like I thought. You’re nothing but a pervert who just wants to get close to Twilight.” Shrugging me off, he began walking out the door. It was now or never. “I’m telling her what happened, and there’s nothing you can say to—”

“Twilight’s life is in danger, Spike.”

Spike stopped stone cold. “…What?” Turning around Spike slowly walked towards me, regarding me carefully. “What did you say?”

“Shining Armor recently learned that Queen Chrysalis of the Changelings is planning a revenge scheme to assassinate Twilight. I was sent here to make sure that did not happen. Covertly.”

For almost a minute, Spike’s eyes searched mine. I simply looked back, unblinking.

Finally, Spike glanced away, shaking his head slowly. When he looked back at me, his face looked almost desperate.

“You’re… not kidding, are you. No, you’re… not.” he muttered. His head dipped, and he reached a claw up to partly cover his mouth.

“Twilight… O-Oh, no. Buck.”

I nodded gravely. “I know.”

His chin snapped up. “O-Okay, if you know,” he said with a quiver of barely-held anger, “then what do we do? There’s a plan, right? You’re gonna bring Royal Guards in to save her and stop this, right?”

“Yeah,” I affirmed, giving another nod. “But we also don’t want to tip off the Queen, so that’s why I’m here, okay? We’re gonna make sure that Twilight’s safe, and here’s how…”

Over the course of a few minutes, I explained the mission details to Spike. I found it rather amusing that his reactions and questions were akin to my own when Shining told me about the assassination attempt. His irritation at my early mistake seemed to be a thing of the past. Not wanting to risk breaking his trust again, I answered his questions as honestly as possible. I had to be transparent with him, or else I chanced going back to square one.

“We should wait until we’ve met up with my—” I paused, realizing I needed to amend the statement “—our partner to discuss things further. Just keep in mind that this has to be absolutely secret, Spike. Nopony, and I mean nopony, can know what we’ve discussed. Not even Twilight. At least until the time is right. Understood?”

“I know. I don’t like it, but I get it.” Spike nodded.

Feeling relieved, I released a sigh of relief. “I appreciate that, Spike. Welcome to the team.” I extended my hoof to what would be our newest team member.

“Hey, hey, hey!” Spike swatted my hand away, glaring suspiciously at me. “This doesn’t mean I’m going to let you off the hook, buddy. I’ll be watching you.”

“Who will you be watching, Spike?”

Both of us sharply turn our hands to see none other than Princess Twilight Sparkle standing at the doorway, peering into the darkness. It was not until she opened the door all the way that the light flooded the room and fell on me. Twilight gasped. “F-Flash Sentry? What are you doing in this room? What are you BOTH doing in this room?”

Crap.

“I, uh, well…ahem!” I cleared my throat and straightened myself, standing at attention. “I apologize for my sudden appearance, Princess.” I bowed towards her to show my respect.

“Help me out here, Spike…!” I whispered towards the dragon. Spike perked up, realizing I needed an out.

“Oh, uh, yeah! He got lost trying to find you and… I happened to bump into him. Seriously, I don’t think this guy could’ve found his way out of a garbage bag with a flashlight and a map.”

I was starting to wish I had Shine Spark here to rip into Spike for that comment. Then again, she would have buried me alive for getting stuck in this situation in the first place.

“Spike! Don’t be rude to our guest!” Maybe it was just me, but she seemed to have trouble giving me direct eye contact as she walked over to address me. “I wasn’t expecting to see you so early.”

“The train arrived early, so I felt a need to come and pay my respects as soon as I could.” As per protocol, I gave her a salute and began to introduce myself. That is, until her eyes finally made contact with mine. The memory of that unforgettable sight assaulted my consciousness, and my nerves began to unravel. “Captain Slash Fentry, at your service…I-I mean Sentry Flash…no, uh, I meant Flash Sentry! It’s Flash Sentry, Princess!”

Somepony kill me.

The princess giggled. “There’s no need to be so nervous! I may be a Princess, but I’m a pony just like everypony else. And you don’t have to call me Princess. Just Twilight will do.”

“With all due respect, Prin-um, Twilight, you're more than just a pony. You have saved so many lives and changed even more for the better. There’s not many who can do what you’ve done, and it is an honor to be in your service.”

Twilight looked caught off guard, a hint of crimson flushing her cheeks. “Oh, uh, t-thank you. All I did was lend a hoof to ponies in need. Nothing special.” Her voice seemed to quiver for a moment, but I did not show any sign of noticing it.

“Suck-up…” Spike muttered quietly to himself. I resisted the urge to glare at him.

“Since you’re here early, why don’t we get started with a tour of the castle so you can know your way around?”

"I would be delighted, Miss Twilight."

"Just Twilight. I don't know what the rules for you are like at the Crystal Empire, but I'm not big on fancy formalities. Just relax, you're among friends."

Considering the judgmental stare I was getting from Spike, “friend” was not a word I would've used.

Her sincerity was definitely a sight for sore eyes, as well as—no, I was not going to think about what happened. I needed to move on and pretend that little moment did not exist.

"I appreciate your kindness, Twilight. Please lead the way." As I followed Twilight into the hallway, Spike tagged along by my side wearing a scowl. Something told me his current thoughts involved me.

The tour through the castle was a pleasant stroll, giving me a thorough understanding of the major rooms in the castle. There was the main council room where the element bearers would gather for discussion, Twilight's study that doubled as a library, and several other rooms including the bathing chambers, to which Spike chose this moment to give me a dark glare. I smiled nervously in return, thankful Twilight did not catch that exchange.

The tour ended at the bed chambers, several rooms with tall double doors. Some were private rooms for the other ponies, primarily Twilight’s friends and her pupil Starlight, who, according to Twilight left not too long ago to embark on a ‘friendship mission’. As she was explaining the rooms, she stopped at the bed chamber next to her own and faced me, wearing a large grin. "This will be your room from now on. Go on and tell me what you think."

As I opened the doors, what greeted me was not a ‘room’. This was bigger than most houses I’d visited. The massive chamber stretched for several dozen meters and was taller than most houses I’ve seen. The dressers, closet door, and impressively-sized bed all lined with crystals cascading the edges. At the corner of the room was a chest to hold my equipment and an armor rack for my royal guard gear. My attention turned to the windows, the middle one leading to a balcony that oversaw Ponyville.

"So...do you like it?" Twilight asked as she slipped into the room with Spike, the former excited and anxious and the latter scowling.

"This is..." I struggled to find the words, but I'm sure the look I had on my face said it better. "This room is outstanding!" I had to struggle to not do a backflip out of joy. It was a dream to have a sleeping quarters this lavish rather than the cramped space back in the Crystal Empire.

"Twilight worked hard to set up this room for you, so you better take care of it," Spike said with a little heat.

I was so wrapped up in awe, I nearly forgot my etiquette. I gave Twilight and Spike a bow of gratitude. "Of course. I appreciate everything you've both done for me today, and I will maintain this room with the utmost care."

“I still have a few things to take care of before the others get here, so make yourself at home. If you need anything, just ask,” Twilight said.

“I appreciate the thought, but you've done plenty for me. I couldn’t be more grateful.”

“Alright then. I’ll come back for you when the others arrive. Come on, Spike.” As Twilight and Spike exited the room, I immediately went to work.

First order of business was to buff my armor and give it a nice shine. I shelved my armor on the stand, a rather thoughtful gift from Twilight, and began cleaning it up with my shine kit. Since I had given it an enthusiastic shine prior to meeting the princess, I settled for a cursory double-check. Once that task was completed, I unloaded my gear and supplies in the closet space and the drawer in the dresser. The one major concern, though more personal than anything else, was the maintenance of my most private possession: My guitar.

I did not plan on using it much, but I wanted to make sure it was properly strung before storing it. Settling myself on the bed, I began stringing it up, testing each taut string with a pluck. Working on my guitar was a relaxing affair, my moment to meditate and collect myself.

I’d barely met Twilight, and already I felt like I was losing my grip on the mission. I’d confessed confidential information to Spike and spied on a bathing Princess. I could not bring myself to tell Shining Armor how I had almost screwed up the mission. Hopefully Trojan’s investigation was far less harrowing than my meeting with the Princess.

Once the guitar was fully set up, I decided to humor myself with a single solo session. After all, Twilight would more than likely announce when her friends arrived. I chose a soft, calming tune to play and closed my eyes to soak in the song and get rid of some stress.

The soothing melody brought me back to better days. Days where I didn’t have to worry about Changeling assassins or botching confidentiality. Days where I worried more about not destroying Shining Armor and Shine Spark’s eardrums with my terrible learning curve and celebrating with them whenever I learned a new song.

Gradually I began to feel my confidence and resolve building back. There was a world of problems which needed to be addressed and time was limited, but that small reprieve was exactly what I needed. Releasing a breath, I opened my eyes, ready to face the world.

But not Twilight Sparkle.

At the door I caught Twilight staring at me with her mouth ajar. I froze, anxiety shackling my senses. Quickly I shelved the guitar behind me, my face resembling a foal whose hoof was caught in the cookie jar. It was a useless gesture, as I knew she had caught me playing music. “W-what can I do for you, Twilight?”

“That was beautiful!”

My heart skipped a beat. “It…was?”

Twilight nodded as she walked towards me. “I didn’t mean to surprise you; I just wanted to listen without interrupting. I really liked your song.”

“I-I’m glad you liked it.” When she moved to sit next to me, my heart rate spiked.

“How long have you been playing?”

Looking down on my trusty instrument, I smiled fondly. “As long as I can remember.” Thinking about my practice sessions all those years ago when Shining and Shine helped me get better did wonders to lessen my anxiety. It was still there, but at the very least it was bearable. Remembering she was expecting company, I perked up and shot the Princess an apologetic look. “I’m sorry, Twilight. I got sidetracked while getting ready for your friends. Have they arrived?”

“They’re a little late, but I know they will be here soon. But while we have time, I was wondering…” Twilight paused for a beat, bearing a timid grin. “C-could you play a song for me?”

My chest tightened painfully. The last thing I needed was to fail and flounder in front of the Princess. I took one look at her earnest, smiling face and opened my mouth to decline.

“S-sure thing. Any requests?”

Seriously, somepony please kill me.

“Play whatever you feel like!” she encouraged.

Sweat started to roll down my cheek. I gave a quick test play to the strings to buy myself time.

Seconds crawled by. I closed my eyes, waiting for the hammering in my chest to die down. This was usually the point I would have been freaking out or freezing up. Yet as I took deep breaths through my nose, a sense of calm fell over me as I began playing. All of my fears, concerns, and thoughts emptied from my mind. There was only me, Twilight, and the soothing lullaby I played. I couldn't remember the last time I got this absorbed in my music, or when I had felt this content.

When my eyes opened, I found Twilight smiling at me. "Thank you, Flash. That was lovely."

"R-really?" Some unknown force from within made me smile involuntarily. Despite the nervous tension, I felt I knew it had little to do with playing for her. I haven't enjoyed playing music for somepony since—

“TWILIGHT! WE’VE GOT NEW RESIDENTS IN PONYVILLE!”

A sound I could only describe as excitable shrieking rattled me to my bones as the door to the room flung open. Even before the bright pink pony revealed herself, I’m positive there was no pony in Equestria who couldn’t recognize Pinkie’s Pie’s ear-splitting squeals of joy. Behind her were other ponies I recognized as the other heroines of Ponyville: Applejack, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, and Rarity. Each of them, including Pinkie when she stopped to look, froze with shocked expressions. Spike happened to be with them; while equally surprised, he also showed great distaste for the scene before him. Worse of all, and this was when I knew something was up, my darling ‘sister’ Trojan was with them, grinning ear to ear.

This was going to be a long day, wasn’t it?

I expected a multitude of reactions from the others, primarily disapproval or shock. The stunned silence learned towards the latter, but after a moment, they recovered with what seemed to be understanding dawning on their expressions. All except Spike, who at least satisfied the disapproval side of my expectations. Perhaps they understood I was not attempting anything untoward the Princess. At least, I thought so until Rarity and Trojan gave each other a nod and started pushing everypony out of the room.

"Looks like it's adult time, kiddies. Give the Princess an hour or two to break in the new guy." Trojan winked at me.

"H-hold it!" Struggling to keep the panic out of my tone, I carefully placed my guitar to the side before rushing after the scheming changeling. Having had my share of misunderstandings in the past, I knew better than to shout phrases such as—

"It's not what it looks like!" Twilight protested.

It took some effort to keep myself from facehoofing at the panicked princess.

Before I could try to save face, Trojan seized the moment. "So my brother was totally not trying to seduce you with music while you were sitting on the bed with him?"

"Not at all! He was only… uh..." I didn’t think Twilight's face could have gotten any redder. Judging by the look of Trojan's expression, I bet she was going to attempt that challenge.

"Invited you to his chambers to show off his special equipment?" Trojan 'offered'. "I'm sure he could show you how well he could work his trusty instrument if you asked nicely."

"I was doing no such thing with the Princess!" I interjected quickly, gritting back the inflammation of my muzzle. I needed to change the subject before Trojan could make things even more complicated with her suggestive wording. Turning to Twilight, I gave her an apologetic bow. "I'm sorry, Princess. My sister here is a bit of a troublemaker."

At the word ‘sister’, Twilight's eyes went wide. "Oh! I'm sorry. In all the, er, excitement, I forgot to welcome you to Ponyville. I'm Princess Twilight Sparkle. What's your name?"

"Sassy Love, professional love guru and a hot piece of mess. It's about time I got to meet ya!"

I facehoofed. "That is not how you greet a Princess!"

Trojan flipped her curly hair back, quirking her eyebrow suggestively at me. "You're one to talk, Mr. I-wanna-drop-dat-bass.” This elicited a giggle from the others and a growl from me and Spike.

"Dearest sister," I spoke through gritted teeth, "I swear to the Crystal Heart I will throw you off the nearest—”

"Alright you two, calm down.” Twilight stepped between us, making a small, nervous laugh. “Sassy is fine, Flash. I prefer other ponies feeling comfortable to be themselves around me.” Trojan tossed me a smug look, forcing me to stifle the glare I was tempted to give her.

"And family shouldn't be bickerin' over somethin’ as silly as formality." The orange earth pony wearing a stetson stepped forward to scoop me and Trojan closer under her forelegs. "We're all friends here. We should be celebratin' y’all’s movin' into Ponyville rather than yappin’ about bein’ fancy!"

The report had mentioned that this pony was particularly strong in the family dynamic. It was a strength I respected, as I was close to my family as well. "You're Applejack, right?"

"Darn tootin'! Pleased to meet ya, Flash Sentry!” When she moved the hoof that was on Trojan to shake mine, I marveled at the strength of her grip.

"Sounds like somepony did their homework." The blue pegasus came forward next, wearing a wide smirk. "Do you know who I am, hotshot?"

The mane and tail was a dead giveaway, but the profile information helped fill in the blanks. Another pony I respected for her incredible athletic ability and bearing the Element of Loyalty, two traits that were the cornerstone of any respectable royal guard. I extended my hoof to meet hers. "How does anypony not recognize Rainbow Dash, Equestria's greatest athlete?" Couldn't say that was a stretch of truth. Very few ponies were able to excel at what Rainbow Dash could pull off.

Rainbow accepted my hoof, her immeasurable confidence showing through her smile and grip. While not as strong as Applejack’s, her fetlocks were also quite powerful. "Couldn't have said it better myself! You're a smart pegasus, I'll give you that." I could practically taste the ego emanating off her, but I didn't mind it. That kind of confidence was inspiring in its own right.

"And don't forget about me, you charming stallion." The white unicorn's voice carried gracefully through the hall as she moved to meet me, extending her hoof daintily. Rarity was an interesting case, as her profile described her as a mare of elegance and high standards. In a way, I had expected such a nature from the Princess, and felt this was a good opportunity to show off my regal etiquette.

Tenderly I held her hoof and gave her a polite bow. "It is an honor to meet you, Miss Rarity."

Judging from her smile, I had passed her etiquette test. "Oh my, such a gentlestallion! It's no wonder Twilight had such a huge cr—"

Rarity squealed in surprise as Twilight quickly nudged her with her hoof, blushing fiercely. After a moment of confusion, her eyes lit up, comprehending. "W-what I meant to say was that I could see why Twilight accepted you as her royal guard. They were right to pick you."

"Could've fooled me..." Spike muttered quietly.

"And I'm Pinkie Pie! Party thrower extraordinaire!" Now Pinkie chimed in, excitedly bouncing in place.

Oddly enough, Pinkie Pie had the most unusual personality profile. She was just... Pinkie Pie.

"Not only do we get two new residents, but one of them is Twilight's personal royal guard captain! We should totally throw a super special awesome celebration! Maybe two parties at once since we got two ponies to celebrate! We can even—"

"Whoa, slow down Pinkie!" Twilight said, smiling at Pinkie's antics. I did as well. "Let's take it one step at a time. We don't want to overwhelm them."

"Oh, you don't have to worry about that with me. I'm quite the party animal!" Trojan said.

Pinkie gasped with delight. "You too?!"

"Girl, if you want a hot and wild party, I'm the mare to call!"

"We can be the best party buddies ever!" As the two high-hoofed each other, something told me these two were not talking about the same kind of parties.

Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed somepony behind Applejack peeking in my direction. A yellow pegasus with a long pink mane whom I recognized instantly. I could tell she was trying to say something but could not get in a word edgewise, and her presence was so small I almost missed her. She was an important friend to Twilight, just as much as the others, and deserved to also be greeted. I walked towards her, which caught her by surprise.

"Fluttershy, if I'm not mistaken?"

She nodded, and said something, but her voice was so gentle it was swallowed by the craziness that was Trojan and Pinkie. Applejack, Rarity and Rainbow Dash joined in the conversation, talking about something involving plans and supplies.

“I’m sorry, what was that?” I tried again.

“...I-It’s nice to meet you, sir...” Fluttershy said meekly. It took all of my focus to barely make out her words, but I smiled as warmly as I could.

"Likewise, and feel free to call me Flash. A friend of Twilight’s is a friend of mine." Something told me I would have to really look out for Fluttershy, who could easily get lost among a crowd. Even if it wasn’t strictly mentioned, protecting them was just as crucial as protecting Twilight; if I was going to be able to seek out any hidden changelings, I needed to get close and know more about Twilight’s friends than what was on paper. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Twilight give me a nod of approval at my handling of Fluttershy.

"Hey, Flash," Spike interjected, gesturing me to lean closer. I did so, straining my ears to listen. His expression was serious. "Is Sassy the you-know-what?"

"Yeah. I'll formally introduce you two later." I whispered back and he nodded.

I jumped in surprise when Trojan's hoof suddenly slung around my shoulder and pulled me close. "You girls are the best! We'll meet you guys there for the surprise!"

My ears perked. "What did I miss?"

"Pinkie is gonna throw us a surprise party at our place! That way they get to check out the new digs and we'll have a night to remember."

This day was already a 'night to remember'. Unfortunately it involved plenty of things I wish I could forget.

"We get the town to ourselves, so we can take a look around,” she finished.

This gave me an idea to knock out two birds with one stone. I pulled the unsuspecting Spike next to me. "Hey Spike, why don't you come along with us while we wait for the party?"

“Wha-huh? Why do I gotta be stuck with you?” Spike eyed me suspiciously, as did Trojan.

"What he said. Not that I got anything against the guy," Trojan added quickly.

"We could use a tour guide to help us get around and make sure we don't get lost. Besides, as the Princess’s number one assistant, who better to keep us in the know?"

Understanding dawned in Spike’s eyes. He nodded. “Yeah, Flash’s right. You guys probably don’t know the ins and outs of this town like we do, and this gives us a chance to get to know one another.”

“Eh, I suppose that’s fine. The more the merrier.” Trojan shrugged.

"Well, I guess that settles it," Twilight said, turning to Pinkie. " Do you know where Sassy lives?"

"Of course I do! I know where everypony lives in Ponyville!" Pinkie piped cheerfully. "Well, what are we waiting for, let's go!" As the other ponies left, excited about their party plans, I was not nearly as joyful for what I was going to have to do. But knowing Trojan’s easygoing nature, perhaps she would be fine with the unexpected new arrangement. Couldn’t hurt to try.

Chapter 5: Hatred

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I waited until we reached the quieter side of the Ponyville park before telling Trojan about Spike joining the team.

“You incompetent idiot!”

She did not take the news well.

“Trojan, you need to calm down,” I ordered icily. My hardened gaze met her piercing glare. We stood face to face, our muzzles a breath away from each other and our nerves hanging on by a thread. Despite keeping my composure visibly calm, there was no way in Tartarus I was going to let myself be disrespected by a changeling, ally or otherwise.

"Says the pegasus who couldn’t keep his wingboner in check! What part of ‘don’t tell anypony about the mission’ did you fail to comprehend?" Trojan bit back venomously.

“A wing-what?” Spike, who chose wisely to give us space and not directly intervene, asked.

“Now’s not the time, Spike,” That, and it was a topic I did not wish to revisit anytime soon.

Trojan broke her gaze as she scoffed. "You see Spike, when a male pegasus sees an attractive female, sometimes their wings will—"

"Moving on!" I interjected quickly. I was not in the mood for Trojan’s pegasus anatomy lessons. "Listen Trojan, this can still work to our advantage. Spike’s lived in Ponyville for a long time. If there’s anypony—sorry, anydrake—we could count on to help us with extra intel, it's him. It's a blessing in disguise, and one more teammate isn't going to hurt our odds." I knew it was a rather weak argument, but I had no doubt in my mind this was an advantage for us.

“The idea of stealth is that nopony’s supposed to know,” Trojan hissed. “You can’t go around praying every little goof up will eventually turn out good. Even if he isn’t a changeling—which, by the way, you lucked out on—there’s the risk a changeling might’ve been listening in or even manipulating him. I knew I should’ve tried harder to convince Shining to let me solo this mission.”

“Hold on, Trojan.” Spike stepped in front of Trojan and separated us. "I know he screwed up and all, but he has a good point. If Twilight's in danger, I want to do everything I can to keep her safe. Yeah, I hate the fact he spied on Twilight like a creep, but I'm glad I know what's going on."

“Give me a break already…” I muttered.

"Still can't believe you're a changeling, though. You fooled everypony."

"We have no choice but to be good at it, Shortcake," Trojan said with some indignation. I couldn’t help but grin at Spike’s dismayed face at his nickname. "We can’t exactly walk up to a pony with no disguise asking nicely to feed on their love. Not to mention we don't have the best track record when it comes to diplomacy. Changelings don’t tend to openly make friends, if you catch my drift."

Now that we were on the subject, there was a plaguing thought that kept bothering me since I’ve met Trojan. "No matter how I look at it, Chrysalis’s plans should be something you would be all for."

"Explain yourself." Her deadpan gaze was somehow more troubling than her glares, as if she was casually deciding how she should end my life.

I thought about my choice of words before continuing. "Twilight is a major threat to Chrysalis. With her out of the way and Chrysalis taking over as Twilight, she could infiltrate virtually anywhere unimpeded and wreck havoc. It's a horrible thought, but I can't imagine why you would want to stop that, not to mention betraying your entire race to help the very enemies who caused you so much grief."

"My reasons don’t matter. I swore to help you stop Chrysalis, and that's what I'm going to do. You can work with me or not, I don’t care, as long as you don’t get in my way." Trojan’s cold tone surprised me. I didn’t know whether to be bothered more by her evasion of the question or the anger it brought out of her.

Just as Trojan started walking away from us, Spike slipped in front of her. “Trojan, If you want me to help, I need to know I can trust you two. Flash is a weirdo, but at least he seems honest enough when he’s not peeking on Twilight.”

“I get it already. Sheesh…”

Trojan rolled her eyes. “We don’t need your help. We never needed your help. You’re along for the ride because Flash screwed up. I don’t plan on making that same mistake.” The tension between us could be cut with a knife. I wanted to say something to defuse the argument, but I couldn’t blame either of them for their stances, and all because of a mistake I made.

Now seemed like the best time to change the subject and focus our attention on the mission itself. Regardless on how we felt about each other we still had a job to do. "Spike, I've been meaning to ask: Has anything strange been happening in Ponyville recently? Anything that stands out?"

The question broke them out of their glaring contest. Spike tapped his claw against his chin thoughtfully. "Strange? Hard to say. Feels like something is going on every week."

"How about new residents? Anypony strange or oddly aggressive?" Trojan pitched in. Dead silence rolled by as Spike raised an eyebrow and gave her a coy grin. “...Smart ass.” She grunted irritably.

Takes one to know one, Trojan.

"Well, I don't know if it has anything to do with the mission, but there is a pony I’ve noticed who has seemed really off lately."

"Off?" both Trojan and I asked.

"Yeah, with Mr. Carrot Cake and Mrs. Cup Cake. They're our resident bakers and Pinkie's bosses. They're always so nice and pleasant, but lately Mr. Cake has…” Something dark passed behind Spike’s eyes as his lips curled into a snarl. “Well, maybe it's better if you see for yourself."

"Lead the way, Spike." I nodded. Trojan and I followed Spike closely as he led us to the bakery.

Once we arrived at the Cake’s shop in Sugarcube Corner, I couldn’t help but stare in awe. Never in my life had I seen a building I could call delicious until today.

The brown roof was decorated to look like chocolate frosting, and the hinges and awnings resembled pink cream. This entire house reminded me of a delicious chocolate sponge cake. "Let's hurry up and check this place out. It's making me hungry just looking at it." My stomach growled in agreement.

"Wait. I think I see Pinkie. Let’s hide here and watch." Spike pointed to the dark space between the Cake’s shop and another building, and we made a break for it. Just as we made it into the shadows of the building, Pinkie Pie appeared as she bounced along the road and entered the shop. The nearby window was opened marginally, allowing us to hear them without risk of discovery and, to my dismay, smell the tantalizing scent of frosting and pastry dough. This was going to be absolute torture.

"Good afternoon, everypony!" Pinkie called out as she walked inside. A blue, well-rounded pony with towering pink hair emerged from one of the back rooms to meet Pinkie. This had to be Cup Cake.

"Good afternoon, Pinkie. Are you here for your cake order?" Cup’s eyes were weary and exhausted. She flashed a smile as she trotted to the counter to greet Pinkie..

For half a second, I noticed a look of concern cross Pinkie's features before she went back to her peppy self. "Yep! Is it ready?"

"Almost. Carrot is still not feeling well, so it’s taken longer than expected. Sorry to make you wait."

"I can help if you want," Pinkie said. Cup shook her head.

"Don't worry, Pinkie. It's almost done, so feel free to relax. You've been working so hard lately; I can't thank you enough."

"It's all in a day's work!" Still smiling, Pinkie Pie took a seat while Cup returned to the backroom.

As soon as she was out of sight, Pinkie's features literally deflated. Her hair went from frizzy to flat. I could swear even her colors faded as her gaze fell to the ground. It was almost unbearable to watch.

I turned to Spike, whispering, “Is Carrot Cake sick or something?”

“I kinda wish he was.” Spike’s fierce gaze was making me worried. What in the world happened? Then I heard it, and so did Pinkie as her eyes were wide with alarm.

A young foal's cry, followed by yelling.

Pinkie's eyes darted to the stairs as she jumped from the shock. I couldn't make out the words, but I knew it was no way to regard a foal. From the stairs emerged a tall, lanky yellow pony who, despite his brightly dressed clothing, wore a dark expression. Even though it was clear this was Carrot Cake, Spike’s earlier description of nice and pleasant couldn’t have been further from what this pony was.

I could not even qualify Carrot’s face as angry or irritated. It was the face of somepony who absolutely despised their life and everything about it. As soon as his hoof hit the stairs, Pinkie perked up and smiled, just as she had with Cup Cake. Although she almost looked like her normal self, there was noticeable strain in her cheeks.

"What do you want, Pinkie?" Even his words were filled with venom.

"I'm just here for my cake, Mr. Cake!" I heard the quiver in Pinkie's voice as she struggled to be positive. "H-how are you feeling?"

"None of your business!" The very air in the home froze solid. The clang of falling metal from the back area Mrs. Cake had wandered to earlier echoed into the tensed quiet that followed. Spike growled under his breath, his claws curled into a shaking fist. I imagined he was almost as furious as I was. I glanced at Trojan, whose expression was completely passive, shooting a clinically look at Carrot Cake. Somehow, that was more disturbing than Carrot’s attitude.

Pinkie showed no reaction to Carrot’'s harsh words and remained stock still, smiling. As he walked around the corner, Cup emerged at the same time with a towering chocolate cake on her back. Once her eyes fell on Carrot, she was visibly nervous. "H-how are you doing today, honey?" Her only answer was a cold stare as Carrot walked past her as if she didn’t exist.

Cup’s lips formed a thin line. Pinkie's smile diminished slightly, fighting a losing battle. Cup Cake and Pinkie exchanged no words but held strained smiles. With a nod, Pinkie took the cake, left some bits on the table, and made a brief exit. Out of curiosity, I curved my head around the corner to see Pinkie's expression.

Pure rage.

If looks could kill, the Cake’s shop would have been burned into the ground. For a solid minute, she didn’t move from the entrance, her face contorted into a feral snarl. “Pull yourself together, Pinkie. You Pinkie Promised...!” Facing the Cake’s home, her eyes were dead set on the door. I thought for a minute she was going to change her mind and strangle Carrot Cake. Eventually she sighed and trotted away, wiping her eyes. We quietly slipped away from the Cake’s shop and headed back to the Ponyville park area to speak privately and gather our thoughts. We’d all seen enough.

"It's been like this for a week," Spike said as we soon as nopony was in earshot. "Mr. Cake has always been a wonderful and fun pony to be around, but this seemed to come out of nowhere. Pinkie made me promise not to say anything yet, and said she would handle it if things got too out of control." From the look in Pinkie’s eyes, I feared that risked a possible murder charge. “I know she promised Mrs. Cake not to interfere, but even Pinkie has limits. If this continues, I don’t think Pinkie’s heart could take it.”

As much as the situation broke my heart, I knew I had to stay focused on the matter at hoof. I needed to confirm my suspicions. "Spike, are you absolutely certain that was not Mr. Cake's normal demeanor at all?"

"No way! He would never say such awful things like that!"

"Don't be so sure," Trojan's words caused me and Spike's heads to whip in her direction, “from what I’ve just seen, you know this Mr. Cake far less than you think.”

"Take that back!" Spike stepped up to glare at Trojan, “You’re out of your mind if you think that pony is anything like the real Mr. Cake! If what you said is true, then it has to be a changeling that’s trying to break them apart or something!”

Trojan showed no reaction to Spike’s outburst, an almost disturbing level of calm and certainty in her gaze. "I can tell you without a shadow of doubt that was not a changeling, nor was he being mind-controlled. That is the real Mr. Cake."

Spike’s eyes narrowed as his talons clenched together in fury. “It can’t be true! I’ve known him for years, and I’ve never seen him like that! You don’t know what you’re talking about!”

“I know all too well what I’m talking about. I don’t care if you believe me or not, but what you saw there was the hard truth your pony friends are oblivious to.”

Spike looked ready to pounce at Trojan, but something she had said caught my attention. I decided to put a gentle hoof on Spike’s shoulder to hold him back in case he decided to attack out of anger. Couldn’t help but sense a bit of irony in that. “What do you mean by that, Trojan?” I asked.

Trojan’s expression turned grave as she sat down to regard us seriously. "Ponies have been surrounded by nothing but positive energy like love, happiness, and fun for a very long time. Sure, once in a blue moon, something happens and they struggle a bit, but overall ponies have good lives. But underneath all those smiles and lovey-dovey affections is something ugly, powerful, and all too real. Something that will come out when that happy bubble of yours pops. It’s a force of nature that is inside every single living thing in Equestria: hatred.”

While I wouldn’t say pony lives were as peaceful and happy as she put it, it did make me think about the Crystal Empire. An empire maintaining a long period of peace and prosperity. As soldiers, we were trained to face the ugly truth reality was more than happy to throw at us, so I could understand her words better than most civilian ponies probably could. Assumptions were dangerous and appearances could be deceiving, something I had learned from personal experience.

Speaking of assumptions, she had mentioned Carrot was not being controlled or was a hidden changeling. What if... “Maybe you are right, Trojan.”

“WHAT!?” Spike’s shocked and angry gaze switched to face me, “Even you—”

“However,” I continued, keeping my tone calm, “you never said nothing happened to him. You just said he was not a changeling or being mentally controlled. I trust Spike’s knowledge of him, but I cannot dismiss your claim either. If he isn't being mind-controlled or is a changeling in disguise, what exactly happened to him? You know that answer, don't you?”

Slowly a pleased grin appeared on Trojan’s face. “Glad to see one of you is using your brain today--” she pointedly ignore Spike’s aggravated growl “--but yes, something did happen to Mr. Cake. However…” She stopped, a troubled look crossing her features.

“However…?” I echoed as I gestured her to continue.

“Forget it.” She waved off after a minute of thought. "The point is he was definitely affected by a changeling. This confirms that changelings are definitely hiding within Ponyville.”

“So what you said is true. Chrysalis really is targeting Twilight.” It bothered me they were targeting the Cakes rather than Twilight’s friends or the princess herself, but we needed to focus on one problem at a time. This was a crucial discovery, but also a foreboding one. “This means we don’t have any time to waste. We can’t let this drag on.”

“But we’ve got a party to attend, and as new residents we can’t just openly deal with Carrot Cake,” Trojan said.

“I know that. Which is why we’re going to deal with it after the party. For now, let’s go to home base. I think we’ve spent more than enough time ‘touring’ Ponyville.”

Trojan shrugged. “Sounds good to me.” With that, we left for what would be Trojan’s new home for the part.

As we started making our way to the party location, I caught Spike’s frown as he walked between us. I gave him a light prod on the shoulder to get his attention. “Don’t worry, Spike, we’ll figure this out and protect everypony. I swear it.”

Spike regarded me for a moment before he gave a small smile. “I know. Thanks.”

Despite what I said, there was a nagging doubt in the back of my mind that things were only going to get worse.

I was astonished with how many hours passed as the party raged on. Then again, this was one of Pinkie’s legendary “Welcome to Ponyville” parties.

What was once a two-bedroom home with only simple furnishings had transformed into a colorful and booming party zone. Confetti, balloons and streamers streaked across the living room space. A series of tables filled with a variety of drinks, food and treats lined the walls, the center table bearing a cake that had the words ‘Welcome to Ponyville, Flash and Sassy’ scrawled in pink frosting. Hoof-tapping music blasted from the speakers, and strobe lights flashed colors bright enough to give me a headache.

As the guests of honor, Trojan and I were the primary focus of attention. We were often involved in games like Pin-the-Tail-on-the-Pony or bobbing for apples. I indulged them a little, but for the most part let Trojan take my place for the majority of the games. To everypony’s amusement, Trojan was just as hyped for the party as Pinkie and was partying her heart out. Everypony got swept up in the whirlwind of excitement that was Pinkie and Trojan. All except Twilight and myself.

Taking a break from the festivities, we watched the shenanigans of Trojan trying to smack down a confetti-made doll with a stick while blindfolded. We enjoyed a companionable silence, occasionally laughing at the hilarious antics of the partying ponies. I preferred relaxing moments like this.

As we watched on, I thought about Twilight. Her friends seemed to be having fun, and part of me wondered why she didn’t join in. Was it preference? Maybe she was just being polite and keeping me company? It might have been a party for Trojan and me, but I didn’t want the princess to be bored standing around with me.

“Are you enjoying yourself, Twilight?” It felt awkward addressing her without the title, but I respected and admired her choice of wanting to be more personable to her subjects.

“Yeah. It’s relaxing watching my friends have a good time. How about you?”

“Of course. Any chance I get to see ponies having a fun time is a good day.” I caught Twilight giving me a slightly confused glance. “S-sorry, I know that was a rather boring answer to your question…”

“No, no, your answer is fine. It’s just, well...” Twilight hesitated, avoiding eye contact with me. “You’re not quite what I expected. N-not to say I had a negative impression of you to start with,” she added quickly. I quirked an eyebrow at her. If I didn’t know any better, I would have suspected she had already painted a specific image of me in her head. It was then I remembered something Shining Armor had said before I left for Ponyville.

“That reminds me. Shining Armor said something interesting before I left for your castle. At the mention of my name, you accepted my transfer.” As I spoke, I realized I was not sure exactly what I was trying to ask. I couldn’t remember any significant exchanges with the princess, but something told me my acceptance was more than coincidence. “Is there something about me that caught your attention, Princess?”

The princess seemed really caught off-guard, looking down on her hooves which she was rubbing together. “U-um, sort of. You remind me a lot of a human whom I met during my first trip to the mirror world.”

“Really?” I recalled reading some mention of her venturing into the mirror world. Oddly, it did not detail much of what had transpired, only that Twilight and Spike had ventured into the world chasing after a criminal. My curiosity was piqued, especially at the idea there was someone similar to me in that world. I would say “small world,” but that would be pushing it. “What was it like over there?”

“It was a very... unique experience, to say the least. Humans are very fascinating creatures, sort of like a very intelligent ape but lacking a lot of hair. When I was there, there was this human stallion who I became good friends with. He was very nice to me and, just like you, played the guitar and loved music. His hair style was even similar.”

“Seriously? That’s... a major coincidence.” “Insanely eerie” would have been a more accurate choice of words, but I would rather not come off rude.

“I know it sounds crazy, but it’s true. Flash was—” She stopped, flushing. I blinked. “Um, err, ‘Brad’ was a very close friend.” Not sure why, but something about that name felt underwhelming and disappointing to me. But if he treated Twilight well, then he must have been a respectable human.

“This Brad sounds like a really neat guy,” I remarked diplomatically. “Wish I could’ve met him.”

Twilight coughed, looking noticeably uncomfortable for a moment. “It would certainly make for a rather unique conversation.” I thought to ask what she meant by that but shrugged it off.

“What were you doing in the human world, anyway?”

“I was chasing somepony who had stolen my Element of Magic. She was a pony who used to be Celestia’s student before me: Sunset Shimmer.”

For a moment, my heart stopped.

“What… did you just say?” I must have misheard that. She couldn’t have just said—

“Sunset Shimmer. It was a big mess trying to follow her into that world. She fled there to escape, and I followed her inside along with Spike. She ended up causing a lot of trouble and tried to take over the human school. Brad actually helped out when it came to trying to catch her, which was kind of ironic since the two had actually dated at one point in time. Talk about crazy coincidences, right?” I didn’t answer, as I was too busy reeling with shock and feeling cripplingly ill. “Flash? Are you okay?”

“S-sorry. I was just, uh, surprised! Took your Element of Magic, huh?” I tried to force myself to put on a strong face, but what Twilight had told me had left me shaken.

“You don’t look so good. Do you want to—”

“Hey, hotshot!” Rainbow Dash called out over the noise. We directed our attention to the mare hovering over a makeshift microphone stand, several party lights focused on that zone. The look on Twilight’s face filled me with a sense of dread. At this point I was willing to take any distraction.

“I challenge you to a karaoke match!”

Except that. Anything but that.

“I-I really shouldn’t. I’m not all that good…”

Twilight hesitated a moment before smiling at me encouragingly. “Don’t be modest. Your singing is wonderful, and I would love to have my friends hear it, too. Could you do it for me? Just this once?” My heart couldn’t take getting on that mic to sing. I opened my mouth to decline, only for it to run dry and breathless as I looked into her eyes. It was an earnest gaze that held a strong hint of concern. It stirred something inside me that pushed through the dark feelings and thoughts that threatened to surface.

“S-Sure.” The words came out of my mouth before I could stop them, effectively dooming me.

“Alright! Get on that stand and let's hear those vocal cords!” Rainbow said as she landed into the audience side. Everyone parted as I slowly walked to the figurative guillotine. The music was turned down, and everyone was looking at me. I prayed they could not tell I was shaking like a leaf and sweating bullets. I was so caught up in my turmoil, I didn’t recognize the grins exchanged between Rainbow, Rarity and Trojan until it was too late. The music was turned up to the song I was meant to sing. I paled when I recognized the first few notes of the song: “Love is in Bloom.”

Of course they would pick the absolute worst song for me to sing in front of everypony. I would have been more upset if I weren’t terrified out of my mind. My muscles burned with tension, pupils shrinking as I stared at all the expectant faces.

This was my fault, I realized. If I hadn’t been such a fool and sung for Twilight earlier, they probably wouldn’t have considered getting me to do this. I could have refused, but the other option of Twilight inquiring into my reaction to Sunset’s name was possibly worse.

I released a shaky breath and gripped the mic stand as if my life depended on it. I could do this. If I could do it in front of Twilight, surely I could do it in front of her friends. I hoped. Sucking in a breath, I braced myself, pooling every ounce of will I had to sing for them.

Nothing.

I performed Cadance’s breathing technique to calm down. It didn’t work. Panic swelled, and I felt myself breaking apart.

I tried again, but only strangled gasps of desperation escaped my lungs. What struck home and destroyed whatever resolve I had left was the blank stares from my audience.

Most of Twilight’s friends gave each other confused sideways glances, murmuring to each other. Twilight and Trojan stared with a mix of curiosity and pity, likely debating whether to come pull me out of the fire or wait for me to make my move. Fluttershy stood out among the sea of curious expressions, her concerned gaze directed at me. Not quite out of pity, but almost a sense of recognition. My throat dry, limbs frozen with stage fright, and sweat pouring off me in rivers, I thought things could not get any worse.

That is, until I started having flashbacks.

The world spun around me as I returned to an all-too-familiar place. A stage. Hundreds of faceless ponies. The whispers grew louder, condescending, pitying, laughing. My heartbeat quickened as terror seized me. Darkness edged at my vision, as I had long since stopped breathing.

Every cell in my body screamed at me to run. I needed to get away. Now.

“S-sorry, gotta go to the little colt’s room.” I quickly fled to the bathroom down the hall, ignoring the stares I got along the way.

I rushed to the bathroom and closed the door, holding onto the sink for support. Taking slow, deep and deliberate breaths, I tried to regain control of my raging nerves. Why did this have to happen now? Why, when I had what was possibly the most important mission in my life?

“Pull yourself together, you weak fool…!” I snarled quietly as I shook my head. An old hatred rose within me, my expression turning feral. I hated this sense of weakness with a passion. I was a royal guard, damn it. A stallion who had been entrusted the title of captain and given a mission to protect a princess. No soldier worth their salt allowed themselves to be this pathetic and vulnerable, but here I was, hiding away and drowning in my own self-loathing like a miserable piece of—

The knock on the door snapped me back to my senses and out of that dark line of thought. “Hey Flash, it's Sassy. You all right in there?”

There are other ponies here, I reminded myself. I can’t let them catch me like this. Suck it up, soldier! “Y-yeah. I think I ate something weird earlier. Stomach’s not acting right.”

“Weird. I didn’t spike the drink THAT much...”

I blinked, staring at the door with a quirked eyebrow. I was going to pretend I didn’t hear that. “Hey, mind if I talk with you and Spike about something in the other room?” The timing was not what I wanted, but it was better to focus my frustrations on something productive than to let my negativity settle.

Trojan said nothing for a little while, but I knew she was likely contemplating my decision. “Fine. We’ll see you in a bit.”

After washing my face and clearing away any signs of distress, I quietly exited the bathroom and made sure the other mares were not looking in my direction before slipping into the adjacent room.

Trojan’s room was virtually bare other than the several stacked boxes strewn about. The report mentioned her belongings had been trickling in little by little from Manehatten for the last four weeks to avoid drawing too much suspicion. Spike and Trojan sat on the boxes, tossing me worried glances.

“I want to step outside for a bit. Get some fresh air and maybe stop by the pharmacy to get some medicine. I want you two to come with me.”

Recognition gleamed in Trojan’s eyes as she caught on to my coded request. I couldn’t risk speaking openly in case Twilight and the others happened to be eavesdropping. “You want to go now? Don’t you think they will be worried?”

I couldn’t deny the timing was off. Leaving our own party early would definitely make Twilight and the others a bit suspicious. “Hard to enjoy our own party if I’m feeling under the weather. It’s just for a little while. Shouldn’t take too long, and then we’ll be back for the rest of the party. Sounds good?”

Spike looked back and forth between Trojan and myself, confused. Suddenly, his eyes lit up. “Oooh, we’re going to—OOF!” He winced as Trojan gave him a harsh prod with her hoof. Just as he was about to snap at her, he hesitated, then slowly nodded. “O-okay. I know the way to the pharmacy. I’m sure the others won’t argue if you decided to keep it to just the three of us for, you know, personal reasons.”

I smiled. There was far more truth to that than I was willing to admit. “Exactly. Let’s hurry so we can make it back for the rest of the party.” The two nodded and followed me out the door.

A trip to the “pharmacy”. Surely nothing could go wrong.

...Right?

Chapter 6: Berserk

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Slipping away from the party took little effort. As long as Twilight and her friends were assured the trip wouldn’t take long and I wasn’t suffering some sort of severe sickness, they were willing to keep the party going while Trojan and Spike stepped out with me. I’d put on my best smile to convince them everything would be fine, doing my best to ignore the concerned stares tossed my way.

Definitely not my best start in showing the mares the strength of a royal guard pony, especially one recently ‘promoted’ to captain.

As we stepped out, I was about to ask Trojan a few questions about what she saw when I noticed a small commotion going on in the distance. Home base was positioned close to Sugarcube Corner since it also acted as Trojan’s love guru business, so under normal circumstances I imagine that seeing a crowd of ponies in the area would not have been a major deal. But considering the focus was at the Cake’s bakery shop, I began to fear the worse.

We rushed over to the scene to investigate, and were a few houses away when we heard it: violent arguing emanating from the Cake’s shop. Several ponies had wandered close by, watching the scene unfold before them with horrified stares. By the time we could make out what they were saying, it was the end of the conversation.

“I don’t know what’s gotten into you, but I want you out of this house until you’ve come back to your senses!” Cup Cake’s voice was strangled and sharp.

“I’m done with you! You can take your stinkin’ hide and those foals back to whatever dirty stallion you got them from!” Carrot Cake’s vicious tone was unmistakable. We watched from the sidelines as Carrot stomped away in a huff, ignoring the concerned Ponyville citizens’ calls that were mixed between protective fury and concern. Several of the ponies flocked to Cup, who was wracked with grief, sobbing uncontrollably.

“Let’s hurry and follow Mr. Cake before we lose him. Stay close to me,” Trojan said. I nodded, but Spike’s focus was on the sobbing Mrs. Cake. Trojan frowned. “Shortcake. If you really want to help, you need to handle one problem at a time. We can check on her later.” Her words brought Spike back to the matter at hand, and he nodded, resolute to solve this family crisis. We slipped through the crowds and pursued Carrot Cake.

As we stalked from shadow to shadow while maintaining a safe distance, Spike prodded at my foreleg to get my attention. “Hey Flash, are you okay?” he whispered.

“I’m fine,” I whispered back, my eyes focused ahead. I knew what he was really asking, and this was not the time or place for it.

“Are you sure? Because on that stage you—”

“Drop it,” I hissed curtly, only to instantly regret it. Spike’s expression deflated into a combination of irritation and dejection. “Sorry. I just... I really don’t want to talk about it, okay?” I said a little more gently.

He nodded, his expression a little brighter.

“Shut it!” Trojan glared at us. Nodding apologetically, we spoke no further as we chased down the aggravated baker.

Carrot Cake had reached the outer limits of the town when he stopped. Fearing he noticed us following him, we curved around one of the vacant buildings to stay out of sight. He sat on his haunches, shook his head and began rubbing his temples like he was suffering a major migraine. This bizarre behavior seemed to intensify as he dropped to the ground, writhing in pain. At the corner of my eye, I saw Trojan’s ears perk up as her eyes widened, alarmed and searching.

“What’s happening?” I whispered.

“Mr. Cake’s starting to recover. Stay quiet, I’ll explain later.” I was about to move forward when Trojan extended her hoof to block me. “Wait and look.” As she spoke, a grey unicorn stallion emerged from around the corner of an adjacent building and approached him. Carrot looked up at the mysterious stallion weakly and said something, likely asking for help.

The other pony struck Carrot’s temple, knocking him out cold.

I had no doubt that was a changeling about to enact some terrible plan with Carrot.

Instantly, Trojan’s hoof went to clamp Spike’s and my mouths, her eyes narrowed into slits. Had she not done so, I would have immediately gone after them. Judging from Spike’s fierce glare and growl, I knew he would have done the same.

“I know what you two are thinking, but we need to wait and be quiet,” Trojan instructed in a stern whisper as she slowly withdrew her hooves. “Eventually, that changeling will report back to whoever is leading this operation, maybe even Chrysalis. If we take out the leader and their hideout, we’ll solve this problem in one fell swoop.” As she said this, the now-confirmed disguised changeling opened his mouth and leeched green magical essence from Carrot, his face stricken with pain. I’d seen this; the changeling was feeding off of Carrot’s love. Or rather, considering what we’d witnessed earlier, whatever was left.

What I hadn’t seen before was white magical essence being transferred from the changeling into Carrot.

What in Tartarus was happening here?

“Later,” Trojan denied my unasked question. Whatever was going on caused Trojan considerable stress, her teeth bared in a snarl.

The exchange of magic energy lasted about a minute before the grey pony was done. Despite having fed off of Carrot, the changeling looked even hungrier than before. Ravenous even. A spark of ice-blue magic flashed in the changeling’s eyes as he pulled the unconscious baker close, muttering something rapidly. Just when I thought things could not be any stranger, the changeling began draining the white energy it had just finished transferring.

Trojan’s eyes widened.

“Has he lost his mind? That could kill him and...!” Trojan’s words were barely audible. I’m sure she hadn’t meant for me to hear it, but I did. That tore it.

I dashed out of the hidden corner flew at the disguised changeling, delivering a flying drop kick to his face.

The changeling was knocked a good meter away, crashing hard into the earth. I grimaced as the changeling stirred dizzily to his hooves. I’d hoped that attack would have been a surefire knockout.

"Get Mr. Cake out of the way!" I barked the orders and stood protectively between the recovering changeling and Carrot Cake. Trojan knew to change her disguise as she stepped out and assisted with recovering him, now donning the disguise of a brown stallion pegasus with a black mane. I also knew she had to be furious with me. I’d deal with it later, as I had a murderous changeling to take down in front of me.

The changeling hissed viciously as he dropped his disguise and launched green magic bolts from his horn towards me. I deflected the bolts with my hooves, ignoring the burning sensation on my keratin. Knowing Spike or Trojan was still trying to move Carrot Cake, I couldn’t risk dodging the bolts.

Its ranged assault having failed, the changeling resorted to a swift horn rush to stab me. He was quick, and had I been any other pony, it might have been dangerous. But I had an advantage the changeling was not prepared for: my cutie mark talent.

As the lethal horn attack neared, my muscles and senses pulsed and intensified, adrenaline flooding my veins. My heightened focus made what was once an alarmingly quick attack a painfully slow tackle.

I pivoted to dodge the deadly lunge and grabbed his horn. My hoof smashed into his face repeatedly, denting and cracking the chitin with every hit. He struggled to break free, weathering my blows. Heat flowed into its horn, warning me of an imminent magic attack. I wrapped my other hoof around its horn and lifted him into the air like an oversized bat, then threw him at a nearby wall with all my might.

The changeling gasped from the impact and fell to the ground, wheezing and coughing up a glowing green substance I assumed was blood. This changeling was tougher than I expected, rising to his hooves after getting throttled by my barrage. The tenacious bastard rushed at me again, this time going for a more coordinated melee assault. I met at the middle for the hoof-to-hoof combat.

This changeling was admittedly better trained at hoof-to-hoof combat than most of the ones I’d fought during the Canterlot invasion, capable of throwing swift punches and kicks while watching my body movements to anticipate my attacks. Unfortunately for him, he didn’t hold a candle to Trojan, who stood on equal ground with me.

I quickly outclassed the changeling’s attacks and parries with my lightning-quick attacks and expert blocks and grapples. Despite earning a few bruises in our exchanges, those were small sacrifices to the mounting bruises and cracked carapace of the changeling who was running out of steam. I could see the fear in his eyes as he finally realized I was far beyond his capabilities.

After narrowly dodging my hook punch to the jaw, he tried to fly away.

Turning his back to me in order to run would be his final mistake.

Grabbing his hind leg, I spun rapidly before slamming him into the ground. I jumped on the prone changeling, straddling his torso as I rained blows. Every punch I landed on the changeling’s face sparked something inside me, and I continued my relentless assault. It wasn’t until something rushed at me from the side and shoulder-checked me that I realized the changeling had long since stopped blocking my blows.

Battle adrenaline was still flooding my system when I bounced back, expecting one of the changeling’s buddies to have shoved me to the side. I was surprised to find the assailant to be an incredibly furious Trojan.

Trojan stomped towards me, closing the distance until her face was almost touching mine. I couldn’t help but notice how her anger flared as she quickly glanced at the changeling I’d just finished beating into a pulp. "You idiot! Do you realize what you’ve done!?"

"I saved a life, that's what I did."

"No, you doomed us all! The queen is going to know we’re interfering! You blew our cover!"

Seeing that the danger was over for the moment, I closed my eyes and took a practiced breath to climb down from my battle high. Opening my eyes again, I returned her glare with my own. "Maybe, but we also know she’s working in this area, and I’m sure she’s not going to stop trying. We’ll get more opportunities to stop her when she starts sending recovery parties to find out what happened."

"This is screw up after screw up with you!” Trojan’s voice rose in heat and volume. A tiny spark of bright blue appeared in her irises. “At this rate, I doubt you could stop being a moron, much less stop a mastermind like Chrysalis!"

"Uh...guys?"

"I'm not going to sit by and watch somepony die.” My voice rose, to the point where I was almost shouting. “We're going to stop Chrysalis, but not at the expense of Equestrian citizens!"

"Newsflash: we can't stop Chrysalis if we keep tipping her off like this! You're screwing us over with your shortsightedness!"

"Um, guys? Could you stop for a second and—"

"We’re not going to sacrifice Equestrian citizens to stop her, and that’s final!"

"You could've fooled me! You're doing a good job of that already! In fact, why don't you take your self-righteous hero crap and shove it right up your—"

"HEY!" Spike yelled out from the corner of the building while standing next to Carrot Cake who was thankfully taken out of harm’s way. We both whipped our heads towards them, anger burning in our eyes.

"WHAT!?" The anger died on our lips as Spike pointed to the changeling I had just knocked down seconds ago, its body glowing an ominous white aura.

"Oh no..." Trojan paled as she stepped back, staring wide-eyed at the fallen changeling. "Scatter!" She flew back as fast as possible, terror in her eyes. Acting on discipline, I responded to the warning immediately and leapt towards Trojan’s position before an explosion of violent energy ripped from the changeling.

He rose to his hooves, his cracked and unconscious body moving like a possessed marionette. Before my eyes, the changeling’s body began to morph and mutate.

Sharp, rigid spines burst out of the changeling's back and legs, large fangs protruding from his mouth. Most telling were the black vein lines glowing through the cracks of his now-white chitin armor and his brightly-glowing blue eyes shrinking into a small sphere in the sea of endless black. This creature—no way I could call this a changeling anymore—quadrupled in size, towering over me.

"Spike." I spoke calmly, doing my best to keep the fear out of my voice. "Get Mr. Cake home as fast as possible. Sassy, go with Spike and—"

"You're not tackling this thing alone." Trojan stood beside me, snarling at the beast.

I gave her a quick glance of surprise. "Won’t fighting him risk blowing your cover?"

"He’s lost himself to bloodlust and hate. Right now, he doesn’t know or care who is friend or foe. He’ll just kill and kill until he can’t no more."

My muscles tensed as this ‘thing’ pawed at the ground, ready to charge at us. "What is this thing?"

"A slave of hatred. A hateling."

Unleashing a bone-chilling roar, the hateling charged.

Trojan and I took to the skies. His attention directed solely on me, the hateling’s now-enlarged gossamer wings extended, and it took flight after us.

"We'll make it follow us away from town! We can't let anypony else get involved!" I called out to Trojan. She nodded agreement, and we both fled from town, followed by the terrifyingly fast hateling who was hot on our hooves.

The enraged changeling released a hail of black magic bolts that were bigger and stronger than the green iterations. I grimaced as a few bolts grazed my legs, burning like acid. These bolts were definitely not normal magic. Nothing about this was normal magic.

"What the hay is going on with you changelings? They never did this when they attacked Canterlot!" I asked, yelling into the rushing wind.

“Not the best time to explain! But what I can tell you right now is you cannot beat this thing by yourself. You will need my help!"

I dropped myself a few meters to avoid a flurry of bolts before rising back up to Trojan's level. "How can we take this thing out?"

Trojan hesitated, uncertainty in her gaze. "Hatred is its driving force right now. By taking away its hatred, you take its power source. I can drain it."

Hatred? Drain it? Since when could changelings…

Wait. Wait a minute.

Since when could changelings feed on hatred?

I forced back the flood of questions that invaded my mind, sticking to only the critical ones that needed to be addressed. "What’s going to happen to you if you absorb all of that hatred? Are you going to turn into that?"

"Let's take the fight into the forest.” Trojan ignored my question as she pointed to the massive and ominous Everfree forest below us. Of all the questions to dodge, that was definitely one of her worst choices. “Don't fight it directly. Distract it as long as possible." She dove into forest, and I followed suit.

The Everfree Forest was blindingly dark. Our only source of light was Luna’s moon hanging in the clear night sky. It was a blessing and a curse for all three of us. Unless, of course, this hateling had night-vision, then we were all kinds of bucked.

The moment we entered the forest, we hid behind the thickest cover we could find, a large tree being my cover. Moments later, the hateling landed in the forest, though it was more like crashing gracefully. The furious monster jerked his sights left and right, trying to see into thick darkness while swatting down trees like matchsticks.

If those claws struck home, I knew I was dead.

Carefully, I crouched low and crawled through the underbrush, keeping a careful eye on the mammoth of a beast. Suddenly, he froze in his tracks, growling in frustration. It was difficult to see, but I was able to catch a glimpse of the white magic essence that leaked off the monster like steam. Where the magic drifted, I noticed Trojan's brown coat hiding behind a boulder, mouth open but face strained with effort. I hoped she knew what she was doing. I would rather not have to fight her as a hateling.

The hateling's sights turned to Trojan's direction and began its rampaging rush. Like when the pre-monster changeling tried to stab me, my body reacted to Trojan’s peril. I rushed at the hateling from hiding. The hateling jumped in the air, attempting to crush Trojan. My leaping kick smashed into his face, redirecting his flying charge and knocking him off course. He crashed on his side, barely a short distance from where Trojan stood. Trojan stared at me wide-eyed for a second before moving away to another hiding spot and continuing her efforts to drain the hateling.

He quickly stood up and roared into the night sky in rage, surprisingly unfazed by the kick I had poured all of my strength into. If anything, my kick seemed to only make him angrier. His roar was not as piercing as it was earlier, a good sign that Trojan's strategy was working. My troubles began when the creature set its angry sights on me and once more tore after me.

Using the environment, I danced around the hateling’s attacks and bites, taking the creature into tighter quarters to limit its range of movement. Thankfully, the hateling’s strategy boiled down to ‘smash or bite pesky thing until it stops moving’, which made predicting his attacks reasonable to manage.

Occasionally I would throw several quick punches and kicks on its face when its attention started drifting towards Trojan, but none of my attacks did more than redirect its attention. It was painfully obvious I would not be able to fight this thing without Trojan. I did not enjoy the idea of my life being in the hooves of a changeling, who clearly knew how I felt about her and changelings in general.

For the most part it was working: the creature seemed more distracted and dazed as he thrashed and raged and clawed after me. It was working until I found myself cornered.

My hoof and wing got tangled in the vines as I rolled to dodge a bite, trapping my movements. I paled, terrified, as I struggled to free myself before I was killed. The monster drew closer, raising its hoof to deal the killing blow.

That was when I heard a loud, almost alien cry emanate from the side.

Trojan appeared from the bushes, tackling the hateling's foreleg at breakneck speed while covered in a veil of white energy. A sickening crack followed; the hateling’s leg snapped into an unnatural position. Agonizing screams left his lungs as he fell over. It barely gave me enough time to unbind myself and get out of harm's way before the monster started flinging raging magic bolts in our general direction. We hid behind a heavy tree as Trojan continued draining him.

I glanced at Trojan to see her face contorted in excruciating pain, hanging onto the tree for support. Looking at this changeling take down her own mutated kind and absorb its hatred was admittedly difficult to watch.

As I thought back to my initial reactions to and thoughts of Trojan, I felt disgusted with myself.

I draped a foreleg around her shoulders and pulled her close, keeping her covered from the barrage of wild magic bolts thrown in our direction. The tree gradually chipped away from the powerful blasts. There was too much stray fire to look for another safe position to hide. Either this worked, or we were going to take a few dozen angry bolts to the face.

"I...I can't drain all of it...it's too much...!" Trojan choked, gasping as she leaned weakly into me. Her body felt ice cold.

Despite our conflicting difference and my personal prejudice, I had to acknowledge that Trojan was doing everything in her power to stop this hateling. But what could I possibly do in this situation to help her?

That was when I remembered something vital, a crazy idea coming to mind.

"Would draining me help?"

"W-what?" Trojan gasped, horrified. Never thought I would see a changeling react to such an offer that way. Then again, I never thought I would be offering love energy to a changeling. Amazing how quickly things could change when your life was in danger. "If I do that, the hatred might—"

"Would it work?" I repeated sternly. For a moment, I saw clear confusion and uncertainty in her eyes. Eventually she nodded, confirming my suspicions. After all, if the theory of love being the opposite of hate applied to magic as well, it made since using my love energy could help her balance whatever the hate energy was doing to her.

Never thought I would say what I said next to a changeling, especially to Trojan. “Drain me.” Trojan said nothing as she nuzzled into me, her breathing turned ragged.

I closed my eyes and tried to focus on things I’ve loved. As I did, I felt my strength and warmth wane rapidly, a twisted mix of agony and strain wracking my senses.

I imagined the citizens of the Crystal Empire. My friend and hero Shining Armor. Princess Cadence, whom I looked up to like a mother. Little foals whom I had helped and who looked up to me as an example. My parents, who inspired me to be the best I could be and fight for what was right. I tried to ignore the feeling of my very soul being pulled at in favor of supplying Trojan with however much love she needed to counter the hate she was absorbing. I poured all of my focus into channeling my feelings and making sure Trojan had what she needed to get the job done.

"We...we did it."

I opened my eyes, noting the lack of deadly bolts flying by. Glancing around the corner, I saw a drastically weakened and now normal changeling stumbling about with a limping leg. His eyes were its normal pale blue color, startled and frightened.

"Should I worry about any more surprises?" I whispered.

"No, but you can let go at anytime." I turned to see I was still holding onto Trojan, a sleepy grin on her face. I immediately released her and grunted in annoyance. We’d just barely survived a berserking monster and Trojan still had the energy to joke around?

For some reason, that pulled a smirk out of me.

"Don’t get used to it," I mumbled quickly as I emerged from my hiding spot. The changeling caught me advancing and scuttled back, too injured to fly or run. One good punch to the jaw would likely knock it out for good. "It's over, changeling. Come quietly and—"

"Hello? Is anypony there?"

Oh no. Not now.

Both the changeling and I froze as we directed our attention to the sound. I recognized that voice anywhere: Pinkie Pie.

I snapped my attention to the changeling who was now smiling sneakily. Quicker than I could blink, the changeling disguised himself as Cup Cake and hobbled towards Pinkie Pie's direction.

"PINKIE, COME HELP! THIS CRAZY PONY IS TRYING TO KILL—!" I dashed forward in a panic and delivered a crushing blow to the changeling's skull.

As my peripheral vision caught Pinkie Pie and Spike in view, I realized I was too late. The changeling was sent flying into the bush, with me stuck in a striking position.

There was no denying how bad this looked.

Pinkie Pie stood stock still like she was frozen in time, eyes wide. Spike looked between me and the bush I had sent the changeling flying into, speechless. I felt the proverbial storm coming, and I was without an umbrella or shelter to take cover in.

As calm as I could manage, I faced Pinkie and Spike, carefully wording the explanation in my head. Maybe, just maybe, I could get myself out of this mess before it escalated.

I took a deep breath.

"Pinkie—"

I didn't get any further, as Pinkie Pie punched me in the face.

Chapter 7: Hot-blooded Pinkie

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I hated leaving Flash and Trojan to fight that scary-looking changeling, but I knew he was right: I had to get Mr. Cake to safety and away from the fight. It wasn't until I tried to drag him away that I realized he was awkward to carry, and it would be awful to drag him across the dirt all the way to his house. It didn’t feel right to treat him like a sack of potatoes.

Once Flash and Trojan were gone, I decided to stay with Mr. Cake and wake him up. Before that changeling came out of nowhere, I recalled him starting to sound like his normal self. Maybe I could figure out what had happened once he was awake and find a clue to help us put an end to Chrysalis’s plans. It was the least I could do.

Thankfully I only had to wait a few minutes until his eyes fluttered open. “Mr. Cake?” I braced myself for the evil Mr. Cake to say something angry. There was no way to tell if he was finally back to his old self or not.

His eyes turned to me, blinking owlishly. “S-Spike? Is that you?” His voice was strained, but I couldn’t hear the venom that used to be in his tone. It was gentle and light, just like it was before the mess with the changeling. He looked worn out, but I knew this was the real Mr. Cake.

“How are you feeling?” I asked.

“Awful. Like I was in a nightmare. At least, I wish I could say it was just that.”

“What do you mean, Mr. Cake?”

“Spike, I...” His eyes started welling up, his lips trembling. I’ve never seen him look so defeated. “I’ve been really terrible this past week, and I said such terrible things to everypony. Pinkie, my wife, even my own foals. I-I don’t know what got into me, but I have to go back and make this right!” As he stood up his legs wobbled, I managed to catch him just as he tripped and fell.

“Hey, hey, take it easy. That wasn’t really you this past week. It couldn’t be. You’re one of the sweetest ponies I know!”

“Heh, that was pretty clever. I appreciate that, and I want to believe that wasn’t me. But after this week, I just don’t know anymore.”

I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. “So all those awful things you said… you really meant them?”

“Goodness, no! It’s not that simple, Spike.” He paused to sigh, his brows furrowing with effort. “Sometimes in life, you’ll go through things that will make you stressed out or upset. Running a bakery, being a father, handling responsibilities—it can be tough on a pony. I’ll admit there were one or two times I had those kinds of thoughts when I was upset, but I always knew that was just the frustrations of life messing with my head. Whenever that happened, I always just tucked it away and tried to forget about it. Not sure what happened that caused all of it to just come out like that.”

I tried to think back to the first time Twilight and the others fought changelings. Whenever they drained a pony of their love, they usually collapsed out of exhaustion. But none of this sounded normal. And then there was that white stuff that the changeling had fed into Mr. Cake. Scary as this situation was, the idea all of this was going on when nopony knew any better was scarier.

“I don’t know what changed in me, but I did realize something important,” Mr. Cake continued. “If you’ve ever had a dark thought or negative feeling, it goes somewhere, Spike. Not sure what started it, but it felt like every little bad thought I had ever had just took over, and I couldn’t stop it. I love my wife. I love my foals. I love Pinkie Pie and everypony in Ponyville. I really do, no matter what I said or did.” Mr. Cake sighed, tears streaming down his face. “But now, I probably lost them all. During that week, it was as if I’d forgotten what it meant to love and only knew how to hate.”

Trojan’s words echoed in the back of my mind right then, how hatred was in everypony's heart. If somepony as nice as Mr. Cake had something like this in him, then who knew how many ponies had this going on in their hearts? What if this happened to Twilight?

That’s when it hit me: more than Twilight was at stake.

Everypony in Ponyville could be forced to go through what had happened with Mr. Cake if we didn’t do something about it. Any doubts I had about Flash and Trojan’s mission were gone. No matter what, I had to do everything I could to stop this. But first, I had to take care of Mr. Cake. I couldn't take watching him look so depressed when it was not really his fault.

“I don’t know if everypony has such hateful things in their hearts, but I know how it feels to have something terrible inside you." I almost destroyed Ponyville and hurt my friends because of my nature as a dragon. If it weren't for Rarity and the others, who knows what I would have done. "The things you said were horrible, I’m not going to ignore that. But I do understand that just because it's inside of us doesn’t mean it defines us. Maybe you do have some bad thoughts once in awhile, but so what? You’ve got good things too. And I’m sure if you explain things to Mrs. Cake and Pinkie Pie, they will forgive you. I know I forgive you, and I’ll help explain things to Mrs. Cake and Pinkie, so don’t worry.”

Mr. Cake stared at me with his teary eyes. Slowly he smiled and gave me a hug. “You’re going to grow up to be a fine dragon someday. Thank you, Spike. From the bottom of my heart, thank you.” I hugged him back, grateful to have good ol’ Mr. Cake back.

“I FORGIVE YOU TOO, MR. CAKE!”

We jumped up startled, staring at a wailing Pinkie Pie running towards us from the main road. Shocked, but grateful, we gave her room to join the heartfelt group hug.

“Pinkie Pie,” Mr. Cake started, “I’ve been so terrible to you. I don’t know what came over me, but I’m going to make it up to you however I can.”

“I’m just glad you’re okay again.” Pinkie said, teary-eyed. Finally everything was getting back to normal.

That is, until the heartwarming moment was interrupted by a distant roar from Everfree Forest.

“W-what was that?” Mr. Cake perked up, looking in the direction of the sound with Pinkie Pie. That did not sound good, and I already knew what that sound was.

“Oh no, Flash!” I gasped, remembering he and Trojan’s lives were in danger. “Pinkie, can you take Mr. Cake home for me? I have to be somewhere!”

Mr. Cake noticed my urgency and shook his head. “Don’t worry about me. I’ll be fine. You two go find your friends. Find me if you two need any help, okay?”

“Are you sure, Mr. Cake? I don’t mind helping you home. You look so tired,” Pinkie said.

“I’m sure. I’ve caused you two enough trouble already. Besides, I need some time alone to fix things. Don't worry, though, I won't let this happen again.” It was a rare sight, but I had never seen such resolve in Mr. Cake’s eyes. I wanted to tell him it was the changeling’s fault he was acting that way, but I made a promise not to tell, especially since Twilight’s life was at risk. Pinkie and I watched as Mr. Cake slowly trotted off.

“Hey Spike, where are Flash and Sassy? Didn’t you two go to get medicine?” Pinkie Pie asked.

“Um…yeah, we did! But then, uh, this big monster came out of nowhere and attacked us and Mr. Cake! They went to chase it away into Everfree and had me take care of Mr. Cake.” It was as close to the truth as I could get. “Go ahead back to Sassy’s place, Pinkie. I’ll go and take care of them.”

“Nope! Not gonna happen! Come on, Spike, you and I are gonna save our pals!” Before I could stop her, Pinkie rushed ahead, forcing me to follow after her.

I had a bad feeling about this.

Entering the Everfree, I felt a chill go through me like the temperature had dropped to freezing point. I always hated entering this creepy forest. Sometimes I wished I could be as calm and happy as Pinkie. Outside the situation with Mr. Cake, I didn’t think there was much else that could rattle her, especially now that she was in high spirits.

As we delved further and tried calling out to them, we saw bright flashes of light and heard howling that shook me to my core. “Pinkie Pie, let’s go!”

“Right!” Pinkie Pie pressed forward, careful to not get caught up in the bushes and vines.

As we got closer, the lights and sounds died out, and everything went quiet. Too quiet. It was beginning to freak me out. “I wonder if they’re alright…”

“I’m sure they are fine. Let’s try calling them again.” Pinkie reassured me as she sucked in a deep breath. “Hello? Is anypony there?”

Just as we entered the clearing, we both froze as we saw a terror-stricken Mrs. Cake hobbling towards us.

“PINKIE, COME HELP! THIS CRAZY PONY IS TRYING TO KILL—” And then out of nowhere, Flash delivered a flying punch to Mrs. Cake’s face and sent her soaring into the bushes. My jaw dropped as I looked between the bushes where Mrs. Cake had been thrown and the frozen stiff Flash who stared at us like a deer caught in train lights. I knew Flash would never do such a terrible thing and had to assume it was that changeling from earlier. That did not make what we had just seen look any better, though. Even worse, Pinkie had no idea that was a changeling.

Dude, just run, was what I wanted to tell him, but I was too shocked to speak. Flash faced us and took a deep breath. I knew no matter what he said, this was going to get ugly.

“Pinkie—”

The poor guy didn’t get to finish whatever he was about to say before Pinkie flew at him and delivered a haymaker sucker punch to his face. Everything happened so fast I didn’t even catch the fact Pinkie had left my side until I saw her pummeling the world out of Flash.

“YOU DIRTY, ROTTEN JERK!” Pinkie roared.

After the first few lightning-fast punches, Flash recovered and started dodging and blocking her attacks as fast as they were coming. As awesome as Flash was at fighting, Pinkie tuned out to be far scarier of a fighter than I'd thought, her heavy punches cracking rocks and trees that happened to get in her way. I was thankful Flash did not try to fight back and hurt her, but disheartened as I realized he was forced to fight against one of the very ponies he was trying to protect. Even if he had his weird moments, deep down I knew he was a good pony trying to do what he could to save everypony. He proved that the moment he risked everything to save Mr. Cake.

“Pinkie, stop!” I yelled out as I ran to Pinkie. She completely ignored me, too busy chasing Flash around the clearing, punching through and obliterating any tree or rock in her way. Flash did the smart thing and took off into the air. For a moment, Pinkie’s only answer to that was a sling of curses I don’t think I could ever unhear.

Pinkie Pie was an incredible pony, but even she could not handle a flying pega—was that her party cannon?

“GET BACK HERE, YOU COWARD!” Large fireworks shot out of the cannon and towards Flash. Poor guy had to dodge for his life, avoiding explosions I had no doubt would give him some serious burns.

"That was not the real Mrs. Cake! It was an imposter— whoa!" Flash tried to explain himself but it was cut short by the storm of explosions coming from the cannon.

"YOU LIAR!" Pinkie amped up the firing speed, throwing everything she had into knocking Flash out of the sky.

I rushed to Pinkie Pie, trying to pull her off the cannon. “Flash is innocent! He is telling the truth!”

“Don’t fall for his tricks, Spike! I know what I saw, and I saw him hurt poor Mrs. Cake. HASN’T SHE BEEN THROUGH ENOUGH!?” I had never seen Pinkie this mad before.

I was glad to not be Flash Sentry right now.

A muffled groan caught my attention from behind a tree that was riddled with burns. I quickly made my way to it, catching Trojan doubled over with pain. Just like with that other changeling, that white magic stuff was coming off of her body. “Trojan, are you okay? What happened?”

Her eyes cracked open as she looked at me. “W-what are you doing here, Spike? You have to get out of here.”

“I’m here to help you guys!” The energy leaking off her was going towards Pinkie Pie much like how that other changeling did. I couldn’t help but stare as I tried to help Trojan stand. “Why is that white stuff going to Pinkie Pie? What IS that white stuff?”

Trojan hesitated, then sighed with surrender. “It will take too long to explain, but the long and short of it is that it's magic that is fueled by hatred and aggression. I'm trying to contain it, but Pinkie's rage is too strong. I can't stop it from coming out.”

A terrifying thought occurred to me. I couldn't bear to picture Pinkie Pie turning into one of those things. “Is she going to turn into…”

“No. Changeling biology is different, which is why it happens to us. However, the effects are similar in how they empower whoever is infected. It will feed off their hatred and, in turn, make them more powerful.” Trojan slumped wearily, looking at me with a grim expression.

I glanced at Pinkie, noting that her cannon was no longer shooting fireworks. All kinds of sharp kitchen utensils were being launched out of it: cleavers, knives, forks, just about everything that would make somepony bleed. Flash was getting badly cut up, forced to go down into the forest. Pinkie Pie galloped into the thicket after him.

“How do we stop it?” I asked, doing my best to to force down the panic in my voice.

Trojan sucked in a breath as she stood up, the hate magic no longer coming out of her. All of it must have gone after Pinkie. On the bright side, she looked a lot healthier. “I have a way to stop it, but I need your help.”

“What can I do? Whatever it is, I’ll do it!”

Trojan placed her hooves on my shoulders and smirked. “Give me love, and lots of it.”

I’ve faced many dangers in my time: changeling swarms, timberwolves, chimeras, stalker griffons, and just recently a mutated, hate-powered changeling. None of them terrified me like Pinkie Pie.

My rigorous royal guard training was saving my life. Pinkie was clearly not a trained fighter—her attacks were wild and uncoordinated—but she easily made up for that with unpredictability and absurd strength. The cleavers in her fetlocks did not help, as I was weaponless and forced to run for my life while dodging her blade strokes. Once I was able to slip out of her view, I hid behind one of the thicker trees to buy time until I can figure out what to do. Unable to see her immediately, I strained my ears to listen for any movements or sounds.

"Come out, come out, wherever you are~" Thankfully Pinkie wasn't hard to listen for.

I didn't want to hurt Pinkie, but I had to do something to stop her. A pacifying attack like a sleeper hold was tempting, but her strength was far too overwhelming to risk getting close. Besides, I would rather not get near those cleavers she was holding. I'd earned enough gashes, bruises and burns for the night.

"Don't be shy, Flashy! I just want to...bake some cupcakes with you!"

I don't know what kind of cupcakes she was talking about, but it didn't take a genius to know that cupcake was a lie.

Keeping my wings folded tight, I slid up against the tree and peeked around the corner. I perplexed to find nothing where I knew I heard Pinkie. Where did she—

"HERE'S PINKIE!" A large cleaver embedded itself into the tree, half an inch away from severing my face. Terror and reflex galvanized me to shove her back, separating her from that blade. Catching a glimpse of moonlight in a nearby opening, I hurried towards it. I swear, her unpredictable nature was going to kill me long before her attacks did.

Once I reached the opening I skidded to a halt and turned about face towards Pinkie. "Pinkie, for the last time, that was not..." The words died on my lips when Pinkie stepped into the opening, the moonlight casting her in an eerie glow.

Her coat and deflated mane were drained of color and grayed out. The sight for nightmares was her eyes: her sclera turned black, similar to the hateling's eyes. A thick white aura leaked off her body, shifting around her like a ghostly veil. It was one nightmare after another with this crazy magic.

"Pinkie," I took on a fighting stance. Despite my unwillingness to hurt one of Twilight's closest friends, I could not afford to die here. I couldn't beat Pinkie’s strength, but her speed could not match mine. My only hope was to buy more time and see if I could shake her out of her berserk mode. "You need to stop and listen to me. I don't want to hurt you."

"But you can hurt nice ladies who would never hurt a fly?" Pinkie's vicious aura flared as she snarled.

"I already told you, that was not the real Mrs. Cake. I swear on my sacred oath to the Royal Guard that what you saw was not real. Until the day I die, protecting Equestrian citizens will always be my number one priority. Please Pinkie, allow a moment to clear up this misunderstanding." For a moment, her eyes shone with life before clouding over with anger.

"Y-you can't fool me! I will never forgive you, Flash!" The aura heightened in density, every synapse in my brain telling me to get the hay out of dodge. "I WILL KILL YOU!" Pinkie released an ear-splitting battle cry, the pressure from the raging magic pushing me back. Pinkie placed her hooves close together, a ball of black energy forming between them.

My senses pulsed.

...Oh shit.

"DIE!" A rushing wave of lethal magic force rushed towards me. Had I moved a second later, I would've been vaporized like the trees behind me. I had no time to pause, as Pinkie was upon me by the time I landed, unleashing a hurricane of strikes that were faster and stronger than ever.

The heat from the raging aura was like dueling in a sauna. Our exchanges moved like a karate film in fast forward; deflecting her blows and countering with hoof locks and stumbling tactics while she drove through my defenses with brute force and feral ferocity. Every blow that landed on me felt like a train crashing into me at full speed, forcing me to put space between us whenever I got hit.

Resolving to my previous tactic, I flew high above Everfree, hoping she might exhaust herself by throwing those energy beams at me. At first that was her plan, rapidly throwing energy beams at me. Other than a few close calls, I was able to avoid them.

But then that unpredictability kicked in, and Pinkie began flying up towards me at high speed.

I was so stunned with surprise, I couldn't dodge in time as she delivered a crushing punch to my gut, completely winding me. Pinkie followed up by grabbing my foreleg and spinning me around, going faster and faster until I could not tell what was up or down. After building enough momentum, I was thrown back down onto the earth at frightening velocity. If I didn’t break my fall, it would more than likely break my neck at the very least.

Forcing my wings to beat as hard as possible, I managed to glide at just the right angle for me to not shatter every bone in my body. Even still, this fall was not going to be a light landing. I crashed and bounced along the ground hard, gasping for air as the world spun around me and my body was wracked with agony. Looking blearily into the sky, I watched Pinkie charging up another massive energy blast.

I was too dazed to fly or move quickly. Standing was about all I could muster the strength to do. I knew this was it. There was no way I was going to dodge this attack. I would have to push through it and survive somehow. I refused to die here.

As I braced myself for the attack, I caught a glimpse of a small shadow in the middle of the moon, slowly growing larger as it got closer. I narrowed my eyes to focus.

Flying in at ludicrous speed was Trojan in her Sassy disguise, Spike riding along in her hooves. As Pinkie Pie prepared to let loose her destructive energy beam, Trojan spun around in the air and hurled Spike at Pinkie Pie like a missile. Half a second before Pinkie fired off the attack, Spike crashed into her back and wrapped his hands around her neck and eyes. The force of the landing startled Pinkie and caused her to prematurely fire off her attack. I hobbled as fast as I could to dodge it. Thankfully, I avoided the brunt of the attack, but the explosive magical shockwave sent me flying.

I slammed hard into one of the trees that was somehow still standing, sliding down in a slump. Another explosion followed after that, this time with dirt and dust from Pinkie who fell, Spike still holding on for dear life.

"LET ME GO!" There was a warped echo in Pinkie's voice as she yelled. She bucked, jumped and spun wildly, unable to shake off the dragon.

"I'm not letting go until you calm down!" Spike cried out as he held on for dear life.

"FLASH MUST DIE!" Pinkie raged on, and with a major buck hurled Spike off her back and flying towards me. I manage to catch him in time, my body screaming at me to lie down and make the pain stop. Pinkie charged up another energy attack to throw at me, similar to the one that almost killed me a moment ago.

"Spike, you have to run." I placed him on his feet, using all of my willpower to remain conscious. I couldn’t help but make a small, fatalistic smile. No way I was going to survive this one, but he and Trojan could get away. Somepony had to save Twilight. “I need you to survive with Trojan to protect Twilight.”

Spike tossed me a shocked stare. "Are you crazy? You'll die!"

"Maybe. Maybe not." More like like no way in Tartarus I would survive, but I imagined he worked out that math pretty easily. "But as long as I have a heartbeat left in me and there's a life I can save, I will keep fighting. And if I die, I'm gonna die swinging and making sure you have the best damn chance possible at saving Twilight. We need you to live Spike. Twilight, hay, Equestria needs you."

An expression I couldn't define crossed his features as he stared at me. Then his jaw tighted as he turned to face Pinkie, spreading his arms defiantly. "I'm not going to let you die here, Flash. We still have to fight Chrysalis, and I don't believe Pinkie will hurt me to get to you."

That...was NOT the reaction I was hoping for.

"I won't take that risk." I struggled to move around Spike, but he continued playing interception between me and Pinkie. If I died, so be it, but I couldn’t let Spike die because I was too weak to stop Pinkie. "Spike! Get out the way! I won’t let you die!"

"Well I won't let you die, either! Pinkie can be crazy at times, but she values our friendship! I believe in her, and I know she believes in me! And I want you to believe in me like I believe in you!" I couldn't help but gawk at the little dragon. His heart and courage was outstanding and inspirational. Misguided as it was, seeing as Pinkie seemed to struggle with indecision between killing just me or both of us, it spurred me on to hang in there just a little longer. Seeing that I was not going to have my way, all I could do was rest my hopes in Spike.

"Alright, Spike. You're the dragon with the plan." If we got out of this alive, I was treating him out to whatever he wanted.

Pinkie Pie hesitated. Tears fell down her cheeks as she trembled, frozen in place. The tension was a hairline away from snapping. Either we survived this or would get erased by deadly laser beams. Trojan chose this time to fly from behind Pinkie and tap her on the shoulder.

"Hey Pinkie, wanna see a magic trick?"

"WHA—" Pinkie was about to snap at Trojan until she found her cheeks squished between two hooves, her face turned to meet Trojan's. "Sassy? What are you—" Without the slightest warning, Trojan brought their muzzles together, deeply kissing Pinkie.

....Luna, take the wheel.

The raging essence emanating from Pinkie blew off of her like mist buffeted by a strong wind. From the contact of the lips, a swirl of green energy swathed over Pinkie Pie, all remaining traces of the hate magic getting pushed out. Pinkie Pie’s legs buckled and her eyes rolled back, sinking into the ground while Trojan pressed on. When Trojan finally broke the kiss, Pinkie Pie collapsed, unconscious.
.

I was almost too distracted by the scene when I noticed a ghostly visage of something in the white magic that was pushed out of Pinkie. I could feel a sense of sentience of life in the magic. I knew this, because the way the magic shifted as almost as if the essence itself was glaring at me. As quickly as it formed it faded out of sight, leaving us with an unconscious Pinkie Pie who, for reasons I dared not imagine, had a goofy grin plastered on her sleeping face.

"Well, that went better than I expected." Trojan swayed drunkenly as she licked her lips. Her gaze fell on Spike and I, who were still frozen in disbelief. "What?"

It took a few moments for words to enter my lungs, still overcome at figuring out what happened. I had to remind myself to ask one question at a time, starting with the obvious absurdity that just happened. "What the hay was that!?"

"Oh, that?" Trojan's speech slurred as she pointed to the sleeping Pinkie Pie. "It's a changeling secret technique: the love love amnesia kiss."

Also known as the stupidest-sounding spell I’ve ever heard in my life.

Spike seemed equally caught off guard by the surprise kiss, as he was blushing up a storm. "W-wow. So when you said you could get the hate magic out of her..." He faltered as Trojan walked up to him and tilted up his chin with her hoof, shooting him bedroom eyes.

"I can teach you if you want. Among other things," Trojan teased as she planted a kiss on his lips.

I...I can't even...

Spike gulped. "I-I need an adult."

"I am an adult," Trojan whispered huskily.

"Trojan, please stop molesting the princess' assistant!" Yelling was a big mistake on my part. I felt my consciousness sway as my adrenaline from the fight started coming down.

Trojan backed away for a moment, blinking as she shook her head. For the first time since I've seen her, she looked embarrassed and unguarded. "Right, right. Sorry. The spell has certain...side effects."

“Side effects?” I asked.

“Ever heard the phrase drunk on love? That's an actual thing with changelings. Anyway—” Trojan waved off, changing the subject “—we need to clean up before some other pony decides to investigate.”

It was a good point. I was not going to ignore the fact we had quite the deadly light show going on with the deadly magic being thrown at me. “Right. We need to start capture protocols.” The moment I stepped forward, my head lulled, and I staggered. I would have slammed my face into the ground had Trojan not caught me.

“One step at a time, Buttermilk. I gotcha,” Trojan said as she kept me stabilized. “Hey, Spike, mind watching over Pinkie until we get back?”

“S-sure!” Still flustered from Trojan’s actions, Spike hurried over to Pinkie Pie while Trojan and I headed towards the changeling I'd knocked out. Hopefully for good this time.

The changeling was not too hard to find, sprawled just behind a bush with a badly twisted foreleg. Even if he was an enemy, I had to acknowledge that Trojan had stood against her own kind and helped me to take him down. I couldn’t bring myself to hurt Pinkie, yet Trojan had the fortitude to do what I couldn’t. “Thanks,” I said, almost more to myself than her.

“Thanks for what?”

“For saving my life.” We suddenly stopped, Trojan giving me a skeptical glance. "What?"

“Oh nothing," she grinned cheekily, "and don’t worry about it. Let’s just get this guy to Shiny.” I sat against a tree while Trojan did her part. Channeling her magic, the shield choker gained visibility and changed from green to pink as she initiated her spell, as did with mine. A pink aura enveloped the unconscious changeling and, after a few seconds, vanished. Our gems switched back to green and disappeared once the transportation spell finished.

Trojan helped me stand up as we began our walk to meet up with Spike. Most of the trek back was in companionable silence. That is, until I noticed a contemplative look on Trojan’s face as she looked in my direction. “What’s the matter?” My question seemed to catch her off guard at first, but then a shy smirk grew on her muzzle.

“Nothing. I just happened to notice something on your cheek.”

“My cheek? What do you—” To answer my question, Trojan moved forward and quickly kissed my cheek, wearing a goofy, lopsided grin.

“My gratitude.”

Was this the same changeling who had nearly strangled me only a few hours ago?

It was a sweet gesture, but I had no idea what to make of it. Was she still ‘drunk’? “Was that from the side effect as well?”

“Yeah. The side effect of dealing with a well-intentioned and heroic idiot.”

I couldn’t help but laugh at that one. “That was surprisingly sweet of you.”

“I’m full of surprises, Buttermilk.” You didn’t have to tell me twice. “But anyway, thanks.” For the first time since we’d met, I felt like I’d seen a good bit of the true Trojan lurking underneath. I felt conflicted by this, but decided to keep the thought in the back of my mind for now. I was in too much pain to think much on it.

After recovering Spike and Pinkie Pie, we made the slow, agonizing return to Ponyville. We emerged from the forest only to cross paths with Twilight and her friends, who froze at seeing our disheveled forms, especially mine. Now that I thought about it, between Pinkie’s fireworks and the changeling’s loud roars and attacks, I’m surprised the entire town didn’t run over to see the commotion.

“What in blazes happened?!” Twilight nearly shrieked with worry.

Trojan, Spike and I exchanged worried glances. How were we going to explain how a trip to the pharmacy had ended with me getting injured severely, Trojan looking completely exhausted, and all of us carrying a sleepy Pinkie Pie out of Everfree? I tried to think of an explanation, but I was having difficulty figuring out which of the three Twilight Sparkles I was seeing was real.

“There’s actually a rather good explanation for all of this.” As I tried to talk, I suddenly realized the world was spinning faster than I was growing accustomed to. The last thing I remembered was Twilight’s shouts getting drowned out by loud ringing and the earth rushing up to meet me.

Chapter 8: Compromise

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The moment I woke up, I knew it was going to be a long day.

Pain from every bruise, cut, and burn I'd suffered from the fight wracked my body the moment I regained consciousness. As if that wasn’t enough, the late morning sun fell on me from the balcony, adding to the migraine that greeted me. Bandages were wrapped all over my body, particularly the legs, wings, and a portion of my skull. Once my senses caught up, my nostrils were overwhelmed by the scent of peppermint emanating from my body, likely an herbal salve to clean my wounds and reduce the swelling. Thank the Heart for the pony who had patched me up.

I made small movements with my hooves to test my wounds. Nothing seemed broken or fractured thankfully, but I was far from being able to move freely. I was surprised to find I had been placed on my bed at the castle rather than the infirmary. Why wouldn’t Twilight drop me off in the infirmary first? Or had she already gone there, and they patched me up before returning me to her place?

That’s when I remembered what had led up to this point and how Twilight had found me. What a mess.

Considering the flimsy excuse I had used to leave the party early, Twilight must have had a barrage of questions ready to figure out why I was being carried out of the Everfree half-dead. There was also the discovery of that terrifying magic the changelings had gotten a hold of.

I grimaced. That was… vexing. Why would Trojan hide such critical information like that from us? From me?

A cool calm seeped into my veins, yet I didn't shiver. I had to remind myself that Trojan didn’t come off malicious in her attempts to conceal the information, and there were too many unknowns I didn’t have answers for. I didn't know a lot of things. But that was fine. I could deal with a surprise or two.

Besides, she did save my life.

At any rate, I'd have to wait until I saw her again to figure it out rather than risk jumping to the wrong conclusion. More importantly, I needed to find Twilight, and…

Right. And do a lot of explaining, I guess.

I breathed in deep, and let it out slowly. Just like catching KP back as a private. I could do this.

Once I was acclimatized to the aches, I started my morning routines. Getting cleaned up, doing careful calisthenics to limber up and throwing on my armor and helmet after giving it a decent polish using oil and rough cloth stored in my personal armor kit. Regardless of the wounds and circumstances, I had a duty as captain of Twilight’s guard to be ready and assist her in whatever she needed… even if I was the only actual guard.

As I traversed the castle to find Twilight, the sound of chatter echoed down one of the halls. I followed the path to find Twilight and her friends sitting in the council room speaking animatedly with each other, sans Pinkie Pie but including Trojan and Spike. They seemed so caught up in the conversation they hadn’t noticed me approaching them.

“Good morning, every…” The words died on my lips as everypony’s eyes whipped towards me. Judging from the awkwardness that hung silently in the air, I entered the conversation at a bad time.

“Good morning, Mr. Hero!” Trojan smiled a little too widely. In fact, Applejack, Rainbow, and Rarity’s smiles were way too wide for my liking. Meanwhile, Fluttershy twiddled her hooves together nervously, Spike seemed anxious, and Twilight gaped at me like she saw a ghost. Why Twilight’s muzzle lit up like a furnace was beyond me.

“Hero? What?” Right then, it clicked that she was referring to whatever she told them happened last night. I had no idea how to respond other than smile out of blissful ignorance, as I didn’t want to say anything that contradicted what Trojan and Spike might have told them.

“Sassy just finished telling us about that awesome fight you had last night! Didn’t realize you royal guards had it in ya!” Rainbow said.

If I wasn’t so confused, I would have been annoyed by that comment.

“Sorry, my memory is a little foggy about last night. Could one of you fill me in?” I asked. For now, it seemed better to play dumb and let them fill in the answers for me.

Applejack was the first to speak up. “Sassy was tellin’ us how a timberwolf dun pounced you all while you were chattin’ with Mr. Cake, and you were brave enough to tackle it head on and let it chase you into Everfree to keep everypony safe.”

“O-oh. Right. Timberwolves. Now it’s coming back to me.” It seemed like a safe enough story to tell them. That still didn’t explain the mixed expressions. When I stole a glance at Twilight, she seemed completely locked into her thoughts. How strange.

Fluttershy opted to put in her two bits next. “A-although I was surprised you were able to take on five of them at the same time. Especially when they could shoot magical eye lasers.”

...What?

“I never knew Timberwolves were capable of such magic, but it would explain the burn marks we found you with,” Rarity quipped.

What?!

“And to think, that’s not even the craziest part, according to Sassy!” Rainbow beamed.

WHAT?!

I shot a confused glance at the pony in question. Spike shrunk in his seat and turned red as Trojan bared an all-too-innocent grin. Was it crazier that Sassy and Spike came up with such an absurd story, or that the other mares and Twilight, an inquisitive genius, bought it?

I gulped as I dared myself to ask Rainbow to elaborate. What could possibly be crazier than a Timberwolf that shot magical laser beams from its eyes? “W-what did Sassy tell you I said?”

“Oh nothing~” Rainbow sang. I knew that tune anywhere, and instinctively knew I was not ready for whatever Rainbow was about to say. “Only that Sassy caught you saying that you—”

“RAINBOW!”

All of us turned to Twilight, who slammed her hooves on the table. The room instantly grew quiet. Forget confused. I was downright frightened to know what Sassy said that inspired such a reaction from Twilight.

“I...w-what I mean is, Flash just woke up, so let’s not bother him with silly recollections. The trouble is in the past, so there’s no need to discuss it any further.” Twilight awkwardly shifted out of her seat and started pushing me out of the council room. I didn’t bother resisting as I let her shove me out.

Confused as I was, I had to admit Twilight looked cute when flustered.

“You got this, Twilight! Don’t break him now!” Rainbow shouted at us, eliciting a burst of giggles from everypony.

“Hush!” Twilight barked.

At this point, I decided I was not going to bother asking what was going on and just wait until there was a good opportunity to ask.

Once we were out of earshot of the others, Twilight shot me an apologetic look. “S-sorry about shoving you out like that.”

“It’s okay, Twilight. I’m sure you had your reasons.” Reasons I was dying to figure out.

“Anyway, how are you feeling?”

“Certainly had better days, but nothing I’m not used to.”

“Really?” Twilight tossed me a surprised glance. “I thought the Crystal Empire was very peaceful.”

I grinned. “Who do you think keeps the empire at peace?”

“Is it really that dangerous?”

“To be fair, it’s not the citizens that makes it dangerous. Well, not all the time. In fact, there are indeed long periods of peace where nothing really happens. That’s what makes the Crystal Empire dangerous.”

Twilight quirked an eyebrow. “I don’t get it. How can something be dangerous when it’s mostly peaceful?”

“In a word, complacency. If you encounter danger all the time, you’re always ready because you’re expecting it. It’s when you have those long periods of peace and silence that will test your discipline and readiness. Sometimes you will go weeks, or even months with no dangerous activity. Then just when you start to relax and think everything will be fine, suddenly you have a gang of Diamond Dogs wreaking havoc or have to tango with a wandering Dragon.” Or in this case, hate-powered changelings hiding in plain sight.

“Interesting, but it does make sense. A long period of laxity can lead to depreciative brain activity that invites such security vulnerabilities.”

“Exactly. Though most of the time, if I’m being perfectly honest, most of our troubles usually comes from Flurry Heart when she wants to show us ‘something really cool’ she learned. On a good day, you’ll just be next to a thorny rose bush when she tests a plant growth spell, or get your tail set on fire.” I smiled wryly.

“Pfft,” Twilight snerked, bursting into a fit of giggles. I couldn’t help but laugh with her. “I recalled hearing Flurry Heart had grown into a very active filly in recent years, but I didn’t realize things were that exciting with her.”

“‘Exciting’ is definitely understatement of the year. But we enjoy having her around. She really knows how to brighten up the day and make us smile. Gives us something to look forward to as we take bets on what sort of shenanigans she will cause next… oh, um, please don’t tell Princess Cadance or Shining Armor that we take bets on their daughter.”

“Hmm…” Twilight paused to think to herself. As we entered my room and closed the door behind us, a grin broke out on her muzzle. “Only if you tell me more stories. Also, you have to give me all the dirt on Cadance and Shining.”

I froze, staring at Twilight in shock. That was the last thing I ever expected to hear from the princess. “W-what?”

Twilight’s playful grin dropped as she frowned worriedly. “S-sorry. I was just joking around.”

“No, no, no, you didn’t say anything wrong. I was just surprised. I mean, I know Princess Cadance can be playful at times, but I just didn’t expect...well...you know...”

Understanding dawned on Twilight as her eyes lit up. “Because I am a princess?”

“Er, yeah.”

“I may be a princess, but I’m still a pony like everypony else and enjoy a little bit of harmless fun from time to time. Sorry if I weirded you out.”

It was odd having this kind of conversation with Twilight. Never thought I would be bartering embarrassing secrets with Shining’s sister. “Not at all. If we’re being transparent here, I like it.”

“R-really?” I really wish Twilight wouldn’t look so damn cute smiling. It’s contagious.

“Yeah, and I’ll be more than happy to share some stories and fun stuff about the princess and captain. Just as long as we’re clear that you didn’t hear it from me.”

“Sounds like a deal!”

“Let’s see…” I knew I should have been asking about the conversation she had with Trojan, but I’m sure that was something I could talk to my… partner about later. Besides, knowing the stressful series of events I would be dealing with and how flustered Twilight was earlier, I was looking forward to a calm and entertaining conversation with Twilight. “Well, I suppose I could start by telling you that—”

“—when I get this feeling, I need sexual healing~” The door to my room suddenly flew open with Spike standing next to Trojan, whose hooves were spread while singing a very familiar and inappropriate song. “Hey Twilight. Did you two already talking about how Flash was saying how much he—”

“Oh! Well l-look at the time! Gotta go take care of that one thing! Get some rest Flash!” In a flustered panic, Twilight used her teleport to exit the room.

“Oh, come on!” I bellowed as I threw my hooves in the air out of frustration. Of all the times for Trojan to interrupt me with her obstructive humor. So much for a stress-free moment.

The moment Twilight left, Spike sighed. “Did you REALLY have to chase her out like that? Sounded like Twilight was enjoying herself.”

“Normally I wouldn’t care, but we have more important stuff to talk about.” Trojan tossed me a deadpan stare. “Speaking of which, you’ve caused me quite a bit of trouble, Buttermilk.”

I bristled as I stormed up to Trojan’s face. “I caused YOU trouble?! What in the world was all that about Timberwolves shooting lasers out of their eyes?”

Trojan rolled her eyes. “First off, morning breath. Get a mint. Second, that bit was Spike’s idea. I wanted to wring his neck when he dropped that on them.”

“Well, I had to say something!” Spike protested hotly. “Twilight was going to continue poking holes in your story unless we came up with an explanation for that weird magic signature that was on his burns. It was the best thing I could come up with.”

It took a moment to remember the training I had for tracking magic users. Every living being that used magic left a trace that was the equivalent of a magical hoof print. It was invisible to the naked eye, but the right spell could reveal traces of it on the affected environment, object, or individual. Though difficult, it was possible for somepony sensitive to magic to be able to sense hints of the magic signature. Considering I’ve never heard even a hint about hate magic before, I couldn’t imagine it was a very common occurrence.

Thankfully for Spike, I remembered a perfect topic-switcher just then. “Trojan, why didn’t you mention anything about that magic we faced earlier? What was that?”

"It's… complicated." She met my eyes, though I caught the hesitation in her tone, “and you know as well as I do Shining would’ve never let me on the mission if he knew what you know now.”

I simply stared back, unblinking. To be fair, she was right. Shining would likely have cut his losses and sent the information about Chrysalis up the chain before letting a changeling with that kind of magic near his sister.

Which brought up another point. "Trojan," I began, keeping my voice as neutral as possible. "I have to ask. Are you a danger to us, to Twilight? Are you going to—"

"No." Her reply was clipped, her expression static. "I don't use the same... I don't have that pathos ruling me like that changeling you fought before."

"Pathos?" Spike cut in.

"It's what we call it," Trojan shrugged, glancing to the side. "It just means 'suffering'. Some of us... revel in it, unfortunately, and look, can we move on, please?" Her ears folded back in discomfort.

Fair enough. "If I'm going to keep you on this mission, you need to tell us everything," I stated plainly. "About this magic. Why you had to hide it from us. What's really going on here, Trojan?"

She blinked, meeting my gaze again, though with a strange sense of impassivity. "You can't get rid of me. You can only do this mission because I'm here, so don't think for a second you can bully me like your fellow toy soldiers."

"Not yet, anyway," I half-snarled.

This time, Trojan flinched. "What did you just say?"

"I said, 'not yet'. As in, your future is becoming increasingly murky, Trojan." I pointed a hoof towards her in punctuation, sighting down the leg as though with a crossbow.

Spike slipped between us, extending his arms to keep us separate. “Hey, hey, let’s calm down you two. We're on the same team here.”

I gently nudged Spike’s hand down with my hoof. “Not now, Spike. She hid critical information from us that placed everypony at risk. There’s no telling what else she could be hiding, and if I’m going to trust her, I need to know everything.”

“Correction: if you’re going to trust a changeling, you need to know everything.” Trojan quipped.

“Huh? What do you mean?” Spike asked.

I growled under my breath. “That’s not what I meant, you manipulative little—”

I stopped to take a breath. I couldn’t let myself play into her game. I needed to make my point and retain control of the situation. “Look, you being a changeling has nothing to do with it. Point is, if you can’t be upfront with us, I can’t let you be part of this operation.”

“Alright, I’ll entertain this farce of yours.” Trojan smiled coyly. “Tell me then; why do you think you can do this mission without me? Shiny tried just about everything to see what made me tick. Why do you think you can solve something where your boss, who is far more capable and intelligent, couldn’t? Huh?”

“It was likely Shining didn’t know about this hate magic… or 'pathos', which you’ve kept concealed until now. Now that we have a better understanding of what’s going on, not to mention a helpful volunteer locked away in the empire, we can work to uncover this crazy magic and find Chrysalis without you.”

“Interesting. If you caught me when I was still a hatchling, you might’ve pulled that fast one over my eyes. But I know you’re bluffing just to try and pry more information out of me. You can’t lie to a changeling. Our ability to sense emotions as well as our intimate understanding of your physiology makes that impossible.”

I couldn’t deny that I was actually bluffing. I didn't need to test that to believe she could detect lies. Considering how she managed to hide this much information until this point, I’m inclined to trust that. Unfortunately for her, I’d had to deal with my fair share of liars in my time and knew how to beat her at her own game. “I’ll concede that you caught me bluffing, as I have no idea how much information we could actually pull out of that changeling. However, that doesn’t matter since I know how to pry the information out of you.”

“How so? Gonna tickle me into submission? Threaten me?” Trojan sneered. I couldn’t detect a hint of nervousness or change of expression. Time to fix that.

“I’m going to tell Twilight everything.”

Trojan’s face morphed into a furious expression. That hit home.

Spike gaped at me. “W-what? Already? But weren’t you saying that you couldn’t tell her because of how she would react?”

“You’re right, Spike. Normally, I would stay true to Shining’s orders and stay silent. But I’ve just confirmed the threat of the changelings in Ponyville, not to mention this bizarre magic that’s been affecting the populace. Once I fully explain the situation and give Twilight the assurance of our shield chokers, we can put our heads together and come up with a plan. With or without Trojan’s help,” I emphasized while directing my attention to said changeling.

“I don’t know what game you’re playing, but telling Twilight would cause more problems than you think. You will get her killed and ruin what chance we have at getting to Chrysalis.” I saw the tiniest twitch in her features. Her facade was cracking.

“I’m not going to let that happen, and it’s a risk I will have to take if I’m forced to do so. That is, if you don’t have another reason for me not telling her the truth.”

Trojan's voice turned low, and dangerous. “You can’t tell her. Not yet.”

“And why not?”

“If Twilight knows what’s going on, there’s no way she’s going to sit still and just let it happen. She’s going to investigate. She’s going to be suspicious. Habits will change. Questions will be asked. And believe me, they will know she’s onto them, and that will put the nail in our coffin. And if you don’t believe how deep our information network is, just ask Shining where he got most of that data in the mission file from.”

Well, now. That was some important intel she dropped. If most changelings were privy to such intimate levels of information about Twilight and her friends, that would make my life far more difficult than I thought. It was a surprising amount of information for Trojan to let slip like that. Perhaps she had more difficulty controlling herself under duress than I thought.

The fact that she was a carrier for that pathos only amplified my worries dealing with her on this high-risk mission.

“While I’m willing to believe they might be able to figure out we’re onto them from Twilight’s possible change in behavior, we can use that against them as well,” I said. “After all, they don’t know you’re with us, nor that we’re aware of the knowledge they possess. Something would change in their tactics, and that’s when we would catch them. You’re running out of excuses as to why not to tell her now, Trojan.”

Surprisingly, she didn’t say anything.

I expected some sort of comeback or even something to slip around my reasoning. Instead, she seemed constipated like she was getting sick. Spike shifted nervously as the tension between us thickened. “Trojan? Are you alright?” Spike asked.

I couldn’t tell if she was scared or struggling with whatever she was trying to keep secret. Maybe both. But there was only one way to find out. “I’m going to assume you don’t have any other excuses to hide behind, so I’m going now—”

“Wait!” Trojan called out just as my hoof touched the door handle. I turned to face her, keeping my face passive and patient. “Just… before I mention anything, there’s something I need to know about you.”

“Me?” I had no idea where she was going with this, but I’m hoping this meant she was willing to give me something to assure me I could trust her on some level.

“What made you help me last night?”

It took a moment for me to recall what she was referring to. With all of those magic bolts flying at us during the fight, it was indeed a grim situation. The look on Spike’s face told me he wanted to be in the loop. “She’s referring to when the hateling was raining magic bolts on us, and all we had to keep us alive was a tree. I volunteered love energy to help her drain the monster.”

At the word 'monster', Trojan’s gaze lowered to the floor. Right. I had to remember the hateling we took down was also her comrade at some point.

“Yikes,” Spike breathed. “But wait, that doesn’t seem like a mystery. You guys were in danger, and Flash probably had the idea of giving you energy to beat it. Just like when I gave you my energy to help you wipe Pinkie Pie’s memory.”

“If it were anypony else, I would buy that.” Trojan’s suspicious gaze fell on me. “But I felt something else in him at the time, and it doesn’t make sense, especially considering it was only a few days ago when he tried to kill me during our first meeting.”

“W-w-what?!” Spike paled as he slowly turned to look at me. “Is she telling the truth? Did you really try to kill her?”

Well, buck. We’re going this direction.

I was uncomfortable talking about this in front of Spike. Or anypony, for that matter. But if talking about it meant Trojan would come clean, then I had to stallion up and deal with it...one on one with Trojan. “It’s… not one of my proudest moments, I admit. It’s complicated. Say, could you step out for a bit, Spike? I need to discuss something privately with Trojan.”

“Oh no, you don’t.” Trojan said as she slung her leg around Spike’s shoulders. “It’s like you said earlier; Spike’s part of our little team. And it’s going to be important, now more than ever, that he knows what’s going on in your head.”

What did she mean by that? Was I missing something here? Regardless, I needed to put my hoof down rather than let Trojan continue manipulating the situation. Spike didn’t need to hear this. Especially not after how badly I embarrassed myself in front of him yesterday. “I’m not disregarding him as a team member, but this matter is private.”

Spike wore a thoughtful look for a moment as his eyes darted between us. His face then twisted into a determined frown as he carefully removed Trojan’s leg and gave me a hard look. “I’ll stay here with you, Flash.”

“Please, Spike. I’m only asking—”

“I know what you’re asking, Flash, but I’m telling you that I promise not to judge you, no matter what it is. I think you’re a good guy, no matter how bad the stuff you got going on is.”

I couldn’t help but smile at the dragon. While it didn’t make what I was going to talk about any easier, it was reassuring to know my respect for the drake wasn’t misplaced. I took a deep breath or two to brace myself.

“To answer your question, Trojan, it was pure luck and instinct I even thought to give you my energy. When I witnessed how hard you were fighting to both keep me alive and deal with the hateling, I thought to myself that maybe, just maybe, I could give you a real chance to earn my trust.”

“That’s the part I don’t get,” Trojan said. “From what Shining warned me about and your reaction to our first meeting, I was pretty sure you hated me.”

And now for the difficult part. “I don’t hate you. I hate what you are.”

The atmosphere immediately turned awkward.

Spike looked decidedly uncomfortable while Trojan looked both irritated and confused. It was a fair response. “That doesn’t make sense. How could you hate changelings and not hate me?” Trojan asked.

“Like I said before, it’s complicated. Point is, I can kind of tolerate you as a personality. At least, what you show yourself to be so far. But the less I have to deal with your kind, the better. If I never saw a changeling again in my life, I would not shed a tear.”

I would be lying if I said I was not venting my frustrations a little, but there was no point in beating around the bush. Just thinking about it made my blood pressure rise, and it was evident in my tone towards Trojan. “There. Are you ready to talk now?”

Trojan closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and let it out in a long, cleansing sigh.

“When my brethren and I were banished from Canterlot, we were sent flying further than we expected. All the way to the frozen north.”

“That far?” I blinked, genuinely surprised. I knew they were pushed outside Equestrian bounds, but there’s very little, if any, life that far out that’s known. Combined with the size of the invasion force… “How in the world did you all survive?”

“A lot of us didn’t. The tundras of the north is practically a loveless zone. Were it not for Mother... that is, Chrysalis, we would have died long ago. We were forced to survive and scrape for every ounce of food and emotion we could get for about a year, our numbers dropping every single day. If you think you have a shitty life, try waking up every night to see one of your family members starve to death.”

That was… damn, I couldn’t find the heart to stay mad at her. On a certain level, I could relate to that pain.

Trojan walked towards the balcony, staring out into space. “One day, we took shelter in some weird-looking structure. Looked abandoned and ancient. It was there we met… someone. Thanks to my mother, he was able to integrate with our hive mind link and infused us with the dark magic you two saw earlier. He also helped us survive and adapt to the harsh tundras while we grew in strength and numbers. Rather than rely solely on devouring positive emotions like love, we could also feed off of negative emotions, such as hatred.

"But nothing is without a price. In return for survivability and new abilities, we were tasked to spread hatred, conflict and corruption as far as we could.”

This explained quite a few things. While I’m not sure what this had to do with her keeping it a secret, I at least knew the origins of where this power came from. “Who is this creature you met, exactly? What is he?”

“Wish I knew. Mother refused to tell us anything about him, but we could always feel his chilling presence in the hive mind network. He learned quickly how much we valued information and worked hard to deny us that, likely ensuring we didn’t find a way to deal with him. The important thing here is the last order I was able to catch wind of before I severed my connection of the hive. He’s after something big, and it involves Twilight. That’s the only reason she hasn’t been killed sooner, where we had plenty of opportunity.

“I don’t know why or what’s going on, but if they find out Twilight’s friends are onto their plan, they will most certainly accelerate their plans and be impossible to stop. I need to figure out what this creature Mother met is really planning before they wise up and cover up any chances I have of figuring it out or he decides we’re enough of a threat to be killed outright. Once we figure that out, I will personally reveal everything to Twilight.”

For once, I felt Trojan was actually being straight with me, but this made the situation far worse than I could’ve expected. Not only did we have to deal with the changelings, but had to deal with an unknown quantity who was influencing the changelings. I was reminded of that unsettling feeling I got when I saw that mist of pathos energy coming off Pinkie Pie.

“Trojan, why couldn’t you have told us this from the beginning?” I asked. “Had you just told us all this from the start, we could’ve come up with better countermeasures to deal with this unknown quantity and stop Chrysalis.”

“I have my reasons. Let’s leave it at that and move on to something actually important, like our next move. Luckily, I don’t think that hateling managed to alert our presence, but they’re going to be investigating the loss of their infiltrator. Probably think he’s dead since we’ve severed him from the hive link.”

“Speaking of which, can’t we interrogate him for information about their plans?” I inquired.

Trojan shook her head. “Once I got a good look at him, I knew he was a lower ranked changeling. We would have to find a changeling of a higher rank among them to get the information we need. Because of stifling presence in the hive mind network thanks to Mother’s bastard of a partner, there should be a very limited number of changelings who are able to communicate to the rest of the hive. Those are the ones I need to find.”

“Can’t forget about Twilight,” Spike said. “I get the whole secretive thing, but there’s no way she’s going to sit still when she believes there are magical Timberwolves hurting the citizens. We’ll need to keep her busy with something until we figure out Chrysalis’s plans.”

As much as I don’t like the idea, if telling Twilight too early posed that much of a risk, then holding off a little longer was the lesser of the two evils. Between keeping Twilight occupied long enough for us to find out the information first and staying one step ahead of our enemies to get their intel, I was going to have my hooves full. Me being injured wasn't helping matters either, and they were likely to look for ponies who looked injured.

I paced back and forth, considering what I'd learned. This mysterious creature gave dark magic to the changelings and were making them spread hatred. However, he was after Twilight for some specific purpose he didn’t reveal. There was something wrong with this picture from what I was told initially.

“Trojan, didn’t you say Chrysalis was trying to assassinate Twilight?”

There was a brief pause. “Chrysalis is still after Twilight, make no mistake. Twilight is at risk of being killed at anytime, which is why it’s imperative to not give my brethren a reason to kill Twilight sooner.”

Something didn’t feel right about that answer, but I had a more important task to deal with. We needed to find a changeling who would have knowledge of what Chrysalis and her partner’s plans were, but keep a low profile and keep them from harming or corrupting Twilight and her friends at the same time. We needed a solid plan, but there wasn't enough information to go on.

Wait, that was it!

“Until I'm fully recovered, I need eyes on the ground and intel on the changelings. Trojan, I need you to get your consultation office up and running as fast as possible. Spike, you will be playing a critical role in being a liaison between Trojan and I. Just be careful and keep a low profile while moving between us.”

“I got Spike covered. After all, he’s a nice little drake who is humoring the overprotective sister who wants to keep her brother out of trouble. Or whatever we come up with if somepony starts asking too many questions.” Though Trojan was looking at Spike as she spoke, I caught a smirk and sideways wink aimed at me.

“That sounds fine. Just be careful and get whatever information you can. Numbers. Bases of operation. Anything. Knowledge is power, and we can’t stay outpaced like this. Any questions?”

Trojan turned to face me, a wary look in her features. “As for keeping this operation confidential?”

“I’ll do so in one condition: You cannot let anypony—or drake—die or get seriously hurt.”

“You can’t seriously expect me to keep a promise like that,” Trojan argued. “What if an accident happens that I can’t control, or saving them puts us all at risk?”

I smiled. “Then you better get creative.”

Trojan frowned. “That is pure foolishness and unrealistic! Sometimes, a situation calls for a sacrifice for the greater good.”

“And I’ll make that call when it comes time for it. Until then, I am not budging on the issue.”

Thinking back to last night, Trojan had shown she was capable of compassion and teamwork. Rather than continue my harsh streak, I opted for a more reasonable route. “Despite my personal feelings and our differences, I want to trust you, Trojan. I know it's a selfish request, and I may seem heartless after you saved my life last night, but I need you to show me that you can be trusted. If you could show me that the lives of Equestrian citizens are safe in your hooves, I’m willing to meet you halfway. In a world of compromise, we can’t always get what we want, but we can at least work together to find a middle ground that works out for both of us.”

“Trust goes both ways…” Trojan muttered.

“What was that?”

Trojan perked up, almost as if I’d caught her off guard. “I said fine. But you better make damn sure she doesn’t find out changelings are in the area.”

“On my honor as a royal guard, I will uphold that promise as long as you uphold yours.” As long as I could, anyway. Realizing Spike had not said anything, I noticed him thinking deeply to himself, brow furrowed and arms crossed.

Suddenly, he perked up. “I have an idea that can really help us out!”

We both turned to Spike, who brandished a huge grin. “Got something in mind there, Spike?” I inquired.

“Yep! I’ve been working on it for awhile. Normally, I'm able to send dragon mail to other ponies using my magic. But last year I came up with a really awesome way to use it to send secret messages that only dragons are able to detect. All I have to do is cast an enchantment on you two, and you two can communicate with me anywhere, anytime! I call it the Dragon Whisper!”

“That’s a brilliant idea, Spike!” I praised. The ability to stay in contact with these two at long distances would be absolutely critical in maintaining stable communications.

“Eh, I guess it’s better than nothing, Shortcake. Certainly no hive link.” Trojan shrugged.

“Anyway,” Spike glared at Trojan, “it’s really simple. I just need you two to stand still and relax while I prepare the spell.”

As we did as instructed, Spike took in a deep breath and breathed greenish flames over his palms. Once the flames dissipated, a glow emanated over his palms which he pressed against our chests. His hands were hot to the touch, but not painfully so. For a few seconds I felt a warmth wash over me that made my skin tingle. It only lasted for a few seconds, but then I felt normal as he retracted his palms and stepped back.

“That’s it?” I asked.

“Yep. Now to test it. Just keep in mind that whenever you want to talk to me, place your hoof where I touched you and picture me in your mind. You should feel a warm sensation that lets you know you've got a link with me. Here, let’s try it!” Spike practically skipped out the room as he disappeared around the corner.

“I’ll bet bits he’s just excited he gets to use this for a military purpose,” I mused.

Trojan quirked an eyebrow. “Oh really? And what makes you think that?”

“Because I’m stoked about this too!”

Trojan smirked as she rolled her eyes. “Leave it to you boys to get excited over the silliest things.”

“Hey, not all of us had the opportunity to have crazy communication powers from birth. Can’t be helped if we know how to appreciate talents like Spike.”

“I guess so. Too bad you can’t--wait, hold on.” Trojan placed her hoof on her chest. Her eyes slowly widened. “Holy crap, this actually works!”

“Really? But I don’t hear any--”

“Dragonfly calling T-Bolt, can you hear me? Over.”

I nearly jumped out of my skin. It was as if Spike was whispering directly in my ear. Hoof to chest, I mentally pictured Spike standing in front of me. I grinned at the use of the made-up callsigns. He really was excited to use this for the military operation. “Copy that, Dragonfly. This is T-Bolt, reading you loud and clear. Over.”

“Perfect. Hey, I’m going to run by the kitchen and get us something to eat. Do you want anything?” Rather than responding, I said nothing, waiting for him to catch on. “Uh, hello? Flash?”

“Forgot your communication protocols already, Dragonfly? When you’re done, you’re supposed to say over. That’s how that somepony knows you finished talking. Over.” I snickered, catching Trojan shaking her head while barely holding back a grin.

“Ehehe, sorry about that T-Bolt. Do you have any request for the fridge? Over.”

“Anything’s fine. Grab what isn’t nailed to the ground and bring it home. Over.”

“Aye aye, T-Bolt. Over.”

“Such a silly pony you are.” Trojan chuckled as she walked past me and towards the door. “I’ll keep contact if I notice anything. Stay low and try not to leave the castle if you can help it. Keep me posted on Twilight’s movements and if anything seems off, even if you think it might be nothing.”

With that, Trojan left, leaving me to saunter over to my bed and collapse on it. I felt like I was forgetting something, but there were far more important things to deal with. Since I was going to be stuck in the castle for a while, that would give me an opportunity to see what defenses I could get set up just in case things went south. There was also the matter of dealing with Twilight and making sure she didn't find out changelings were in the area.

An interesting thought came to mind as I laid on my bed. After all, I was going to have quite a bit of down time, and I needed to make sure my team was in top form when danger came to us. Can’t succumb to complacency, after all.

Placing a hoof on my chest, I reached out to Spike.

“Hey Spike, how would you like to get some official royal guard training?”

Author's Notes:

Happy holidays!

First off, I want to apologize for the major delay I had with this chapter. On top of things going on that were both out of my control and required my attention, I had run into a few issues with this story the forced me to re-evaluate a ton of decisions. Case in point, this chapter is likely the 5th or 6th version. And that's not talking about revision of the same content, but versions that branched off different directions. So yeah, wanted to make sure I had it right this time.

As I am currently having problems with my graphics card, the next chapter won't be out for a good while until I get this resolved, so that is a friendly heads up for all of you dear readers.

For the chapter itself, it is here we really get to see a lot of things both with the character mindsets and the plot itself. We get to know our heroes a bit more, some mysteries about Chrysalis's big bad boyfriend, and Spike becoming even more badass. Lemme tell yeah, craziness is gonna ensue.

As usual, if you like what you see, leave a like if you haven't already, and I am dying to know what you guys are thinking and/or predicting. Thank you guys so much for being so patient with me and I hope you guys enjoy the holidays and have a bountiful next year.

Until next time, stay classy my paladins.

Chapter 9: Progression

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“You got this, Spike! Just one last lap!” Flash cheered me on as we both ran laps around the ground level of the Castle of Friendship’s exterior.

The sun hadn’t even risen this morning, and I already lost count of how many jumping jacks, push ups, sit-ups, laps, and a bunch of other drills I did. My lungs burned, my entire body felt like lead, and everything else either hurt or lost feeling about an hour ago.

I squeezed out every ounce of strength I had in me as I trudged my way towards the final lap that ended at the castle door. It felt so impossibly far away as exhaustion threatened to overtake me with every step. How Flash was able to do these exercises with me while still recovering from that battle with the changeling and Pinkie Pie several days ago was both impressive and worrying.

Flash never openly said it, but just from the amount of sweat that poured off him and the tension on his face whenever he did something strenuous, I guessed that his wounds wore him down far more than he was willing to admit. Ironically, seeing him fight through his wounds just to train with me made me want to try that much harder. Couldn’t bring myself to let him down.

I’d barely made a few meters more before my legs betrayed me and I collapsed on my side. I could barely move, breathe, or keep my eyes open as the world spun around me.

“Spike!” Flash dropped next to me almost instantly. His worried face was just visible through my bleary vision. “Deep breaths. In. Out. In. Out.”

I gasped greedily for air. My chest felt like it was going to burst any second. “I can’t do it.”

“Yes you can.” Flash’s voice was calm as he crawled on his belly next to me. “You’re almost there, Spike. Just a little further.”

“I can’t move." I murmured between pants. "I’m… I’m just not... cut out for this.”

I hated to admit it, but I couldn’t see myself making it through this sort of training regimen every day. Let alone today. I wasn’t like Flash, Applejack, or Rainbow, who could pull off these crazy stressful workout routines or awesome feats. Hay, I wasn’t even like most dragons who grew up to be strong and hungry for new challenges. I was just... well, Spike. Twilight’s number one assistant and backstage support for everypony else.

I noticed a hint of something pass behind Flash’s eyes. He frowned, looking like he'd swallowed something awful. He probably just realized that he picked the wrong dragon for this kind of training.

After a moment, his eyes brightened.

“Spike,” Flash crept closer until we were in whispering distance, “I know everything hurts right now. Things look bleak and out of reach. Right now, you’re probably telling yourself this is impossible for you and you want to stop. But look at how far you made it. Look at how close you are to the finish line.”

I blearily followed Flash’s gaze to the doorstep. He continued. “Every Royal Guard goes through what you’re feeling right now. I couldn’t tell you how many times I wanted to just give up and be done with the Guard during my months in basic. But this is no different than saving somepony’s life from an impossible situation. Only the stakes are higher. Every inch you make is one that could save a life. Every inch you refuse to take could end a life. At this very moment, you have the choice to take that inch.

“That doorstep could be somepony in trouble. It could be a safe haven that keeps you alive. All you have to do is get there, one step at a time. Like this.”

Flash pulled himself forward, inching closer to the goal. “Don’t think too much about how far the goal is. Just think about getting there. Follow my lead. Breathe in. Move. Breathe out. Breathe in. Move. Breathe out.”

I watched Flash do just that; take in a breath, pull forward, release breath, rinse and repeat. The sound of his belly brushing against the earth as he crawled distracted me from the weary aching I felt.

He was about halfway towards the goal when he looked back at me. “Now your turn,” he called.

With a grunt, I rolled over onto my stomach, ignoring my protesting muscles. “Breathe in…” I sucked in a breath. “Move…” I slowly pulled my heavy body forward, wincing at the aches in my joints. “Breathe out…” And I released the breath I held.

“Focus on your breathing. Take it one move at a time, but don’t let yourself stop. Once you give in to the temptation, it’s all over.”

“Breathe in. Move. Breathe out. Breathe in. Move. Breathe out.” I repeated it over and over like a mantra, focusing on Flash who was chanting it while crawling.

“Good. You got it. Now, move like I do and say what I say.” Flash took in a breath and reached forward. “No fear!” And pulled himself up.

I breathed in and reached out. “No fear!” I said as I pulled forward.

With his other forehoof, he repeated the movement. “Yes I can!”

I mimicked his movements. “Yes I can!”

“No fear!”

“Yes I can!”

It was an oddly mesmerizing chant. Flash waited for me to reach him until we were moving in sync with each, repeating that chant over and over. Everything still hurt, but I poured my focus on movements and breathing, using the chant as both something to concentrate on and control my breathing.

“No fear! Yes I can! No fear! Yes I— OW!”

I winced as my face slammed into something cold and hard. What in the world did I run into?

“Spike. Open your eyes.”

“Huh...?”

Slowly I cracked an eye open, only to catch Flash standing up and beaming at me. Confused, I looked around around to see what he was smiling about.

My hands were resting on the doorstep.

“You did it! You freaking did it!” Flash whooped.

Right then it hit me. I made it. I didn’t think I would make it, but I did.

“I really did do it…!” If I could feel my cheek, I would have smiled.

“I got ya, champ. Up and at ‘em.” Flash carefully scooped me up and let me rest on his back. I didn’t even care that his fur was sticky with sweat and dirt. It was warm and somewhat comfortable.

“Can I go back to bed now?” I asked drowsily. Flash tossed me a weird look.

“Are you serious? The day barely started, and I need your help to continue surveillance with—” Flash stopped himself, looked around us, then started again, “Trojan. I would go myself if I could, but I still have a few days of healing left before I can finally help with some surveillance runs.”

“Can’t I get a break?” I grumbled.

Flash glanced off to the side. A wan smile flickered on his face. “Been asking myself that ever since this mission started…”

“What was that?”

“I said I’ll give you a few hours of rest before you get started.”

Flash shifted his wings to keep me snug on his back before entering the castle. “I know it doesn’t feel like it now, but one day you’re gonna look back on this and be glad you got this kind of training.”

“You’re right. It doesn’t feel like it.” I yawned, eyes drooping.

Flash laughed. “You know, I said the same exact thing to Shining Armor when he was training me. If you think my training is tough, you do not want to be training under him.”

At the mention of Shining Armor, there was a noticeable rise in Flash’s pitch and broad smile on his muzzle. “If you try to slack around him he will rip you a new one faster than you can blink. I don’t know how he does it, but he always finds a way to shake up a drill or routine to keep us thinking on our hooves to help prevent things getting too comfortable. But the best way to get on his good side is to just give it your all, even if you fail horribly or can’t finish. After all, if you can’t give your best in a controlled environment, then you can forget being able to survive in a hostile environment.”

I knew Shining Armor almost as long as I knew Twilight. While I had a feeling Shining Armor would be a tough leader on his troops, the way Flash talked about him sounded almost nothing like the dorky and cool big brother pony I thought I knew. Military life really does change a pony.

“You really look up to him, huh?” I asked.

“Better believe it. He’s really come through for me in the years that I’ve known him. I also appreciate how he never treated me differently in training just because we knew each other. I learned a lot about the guard and what it means to be a stallion thanks to him.” Flash turned his head and tossed me a small smile. “Hey, just so you know. If you ever need somepony to talk to. You know, male-to-male or any of that, you can talk to me anytime.”

Maybe I was just too exhausted, but while that was a nice gesture, that seemed just a little random. “I appreciate it, Flash. Although I gotta ask; what made you say that?”

“Heh, I suppose that did kind of come out of nowhere, huh?” Flash chuckled to himself as he rubbed at the back of his neck. There was subtle tension in his wing muscles. “It’s just, well, training with you reminded me of something important I’d almost forgotten about. Thought you should know that I’m here for you anytime you need it. Even if it’s not about the mission. Even if it’s guy stuff, you know? Anyway, the point I’m trying to make is you can trust me.”

It took a second, but I managed to get the gist of what he was driving at. Though we were both focused on the mission and doing what he could, he wanted to form a genuine friendship with me.

While I appreciated how forthcoming Flash was about it, he clearly didn’t know me well enough if he left himself open so wide.

Between Big Mac and sometimes Discord, I had my fair share of having the ‘guy talk’ with them. But the question remained if Flash knew what I knew about that sort of topic.

Time to have a little fun with the captain.

“What do you mean by 'guy stuff'?” I asked, restraining my grin.

Instantly Flash’s face grew uncomfortable. “How do you not… er… I mean, it’s guy stuff. Topics we don’t usually talk about around the ladies, or just personal stuff. Have you ever had that kind of talk with anypony?”

Oh, this was just too easy.

“Considering I hang around Twilight and the others all the time, not really,” I lied. Forget sleeping. I just had to mess with Flash a bit more. Especially since we were well into the castle by now, Twilight should already be up and about to get ready for the day. “So talking about ladies is part of this ‘guy stuff’, huh? What about ladies would we talk about?”

Flash stopped cold and gaped at me as if I told him I didn’t know who Celestia was. “Are you being serious right now? You never talked to anypony about mares?”

It took almost all of my will to keep from smirking when I caught Twilight about to turn the corner and greet us, only to freeze. Flash’s focus was on me so he didn’t notice a thing. Perfect.

I climbed off of Flash and made sure he kept his eyes on me so he wouldn’t notice Twilight. It took a moment for my legs to stay stable and a helping wing from Flash to make sure I didn’t immediately fall over. “Who would I really talk to about mares? Twilight?”

“Hm, good point. Okay, so be real with me,” Flash cleared his throat as he regarded me with the most serious expression I’ve ever seen, “are you into ponies? Mares in particular?”

“I, uh…” Now I was the one who was caught off guard. With Twilight standing behind him and staring at us, this was awkward even for me. “Y-yeah, I like mares and stuff.”

“Don’t get me wrong, I’m not judging you one way or another. Who you’re attracted to is your business. Though considering the kind of company you keep, can’t say I blame you.” Flash stroked his chin thoughtfully as he nodded to himself. “Very pretty company if I’m being honest.”

“Like Twilight?”

Flash flushed as he scratched at his chin nervously. “T-that is, uh… well… that’s different.”

“Come on, it’s like you said, I can talk to you about this stuff. Knowing your thoughts about Twilight will help me understand how to think about mares.”

“You don’t find that weird? I mean, I get that you two aren't related, but it feels like you’re asking me to talk about your hot mom and why I think she’s hot.”

At the corner of my eye, I caught Twilight hiding her red face in her hooves. Were it not for her hilarious reaction, this conversation would be downright disturbing. “No, it’s not like that with us. We’re family, but friends as well. Somewhere in between. So you thinking that Twilight’s hot is okay. Weirds me out a bit, but it’s okay.”

Never thought I would be the one making Flash sweat like he was in court.

“I-I see. Well, if you’re asking for my thoughts on Twilight as a mare, I think she’s great. Courageous. Friendly. Brilliant. Has an amazing voice. Has great, er, assets any stallion could respect. Really nails that ‘cute mare next door’ vibe. I like Twilight… i-in the most respectful way possible, of course.

“But something that’s important for you to know is that you can’t hedge all of your bets just because somepony is pretty or they make you feel warm and fuzzy. You have to really get to know somepony. Learn who they truly are at their core and never settle only for what you see on the surface.” Flash’s gaze fell as he frowned deeply. “Or else you will regret it.”

Oh. That got heavy in a hurry.

I’m not sure what caused such a shift in Flash, but whatever he was thinking about really made him upset. Before I could think to ask what he was talking about, he fixed his expression and smiled at me. “Anyway, just take your time getting to know somepony and don’t rush for the, ahem, prize. Did that help?”

“Yeah, it did.” I stole a subtle glance where Twilight was, only to find her gone. This was supposed to be a bit of fun with Flash, but I ended up learning a little bit more about Flash than I thought. I wonder what warped his mood so badly. “Thanks for the talk, but I think I’m gonna catch some sleep while I can.”

“Of course. I’ll wake you up about noon so you can relax and go out for the day.” Which was code for changeling-hunting with Trojan. Trojan told use to speak openly about the mission strictly when we were alone and away from the castle or town, otherwise speaking in code.

“Alright. I’ll see you later then.” I hurried off to my room to get some much needed shut-eye. For now, I decided to put that little awkward moment with Flash in the backburner and focus on spending time with Trojan later.

If this morning was any indication, this was likely to be a long day.

I was quite the busy changeling for the last several days.

With Flash staying low to avoid drawing too much attention to himself, I had the responsibility of getting my love consultation office set up, restoring the damaged status quo left in Carrot Cake’s wake, seeking out my brethren hiding throughout Ponyville and watching out for Twilight and her snooping friends, who had been investigating the incident that injured Flash when we first started. With only Spike for assistance, who was forced to divide his time between aiding me with the search, keeping an eye on Twilight, and combat training with Flash, I barely had any time to settle down or establish my usual infiltration strategies.

Under normal circumstances, this would not have been a problem. Simply business as usual for someling such as myself. But to go against my own brethren and have my magic and senses crippled thanks to this detestable slave collar was a situation changelings had never encountered before. I wasn’t used to feeling so isolated, as I always had a connection with my hive. I always felt their reassuring presence even in the back of my mind. Until now.

Today was the first day I actually had time to allow myself to meditate in the safety of my room. Surrounded by bright pink colors, stuffed plushies and pillows that crowded the corners of my room, I nestled in the center with my holed legs crossed and forelegs rested on my knees. Eyes closed and taking deep, controlled breaths I emptied my mind and focused only on my breathing.

Mother always made us practice meditation everyday to both strengthen our mental fortitude and release pent-up stress and tension. This was especially important ever since we inherited that vile pathos. With everything that happened, I was going to need all the mental stability I could get to stay in control.

I felt the chilling pulse of pathos surging through me everyday, crawling through my veins and attempting to worm its way into my emotional center. There was a disturbing number of Ponyville citizens who had small fragments of pathos energy in them and I had to drain them of it. Thankfully I found nopony who had a dangerous amount in them like Carrot Cake did, which would warrant warning Flash or Spike about it. The last thing I need was for them to do something stupid again and botch it up.

As my mind drifted to the topic of pathos, I realized how odd it was that the ponies had so little pathos energy in them. Not enough to truly utilize for a strong influence like with Carrot Cake. It was barely enough to detect. Even more interesting was the lack of any pathos whatsoever on Twilight’s closest friends.

This was not a tactic I was used to seeing, as the bastard who gave us this magic never explained the rhyme or reason behind our instructs. These ponies were merely ‘seeded’ with pathos. Whatever was going on, I needed to figure it out before something terrible went into effect.

Unfortunately, my meditation was interrupted by the warm sensation emanating from my slave collar.

I grumbled as I touched the collar’s gemstone. After a moment of magic channeling to activate it, a swirl of pink magic flowed from the stone and formed into a ghostly pink image of an all-too familiar unicorn prince.

“Trojan. What’s your status?” Shining asked.

“What, no flowers or chocolates? Not even a ‘hey, glad you’re not dead or captured’? Where are your manners?” I snarked.

Shining groaned, using a surprising amount of restraint to not glare at me. “If you would actually answer when I call you, I might be more inclined to provide a warm greeting.”

“I’m a changeling, Shiny. Not a puppy who’s at your every beck and call. That’s Flash.” In truth, I was simply too busy until now to bother talking to him. I suppose now is as good time as any.

“Your status, if you would.”

I shrugged. “Outside your boy-toy nearly blowing our cover and getting us killed, a whole bunch of nothing.”

Shining’s eyebrow rose. “Nothing? Not even a hint of that ‘pathos’ energy that was mentioned in Flash’s report?” The extra emphasis on the word 'pathos' clearly conveyed Shining’s annoyance of learning of its existence so late. Speaking of which, I knew anything I told him would reach Flash, so I needed to continue feigning ignorance until I was ready to reveal my findings.

“That’s been bothering me as well. Your stupid slave collar makes it difficult to get a clear reading on who is a changeling, something I warned would happen if you installed that inhibitor—”

“First off,” Shining cut me off, “it will be a cold day in tartarus before I allow you to access your mind control abilities while on such a critical mission. Second, you are by no means a slave, but I can’t take such a risk by taking it off. As promised, I will remove it once the changelings are no longer a threat to us.”

I scoffed. “Whatever. Anyway, I’ve been scouring this boring town almost non-stop, and I haven’t caught a trace of one or the other. More importantly, how is your new house guest?”

Shining shook his head. “It’s like you said. Once they’re captured, they enter that weird zen state and don’t react to anything. I haven’t used any drastic means of interrogation, mind you, but we can’t get anything out of this changeling.”

“Glad you believe me now. Interrogating changelings your usual way simply doesn’t work, and using any mind reading magic will only backfire thanks to my mother’s safeguard enchantments and teachings. Don’t want your precious unicorns getting brain dead or mind controlled from feedback backlash, do we? Now, if you remember my instructions, follow it to the letter and you should be able to get him to actually talk. Once you get him talking, I need his name, directive, and who he is serving in the Ponyville region. Don’t forget the passphrase I gave you, otherwise you won’t get anything useful or honest out of him.”

“You changelings certainly like to make things complicated.”

“It’s called 'survival tactics', sweetie. Try to keep up.”

Shining grumbled, muttering something under his breath, before speaking again. “Regardless, I’ll handle the changeling guest on our end as you instructed. Just make sure you’re upholding your end of the bargain in earnest, and I shall do the same. Is that clear?”

“As transparent as your security, your highness.”

With a final sigh, Shining severed the connection, causing his visage to dissipate.

Thankful as I was for him finally leaving me alone, I couldn’t blame him for being worried. I suspected I would have certainly caught onto a few changelings by now, or significant levels of pathos infecting other civilians. Either my senses were terribly diminished, or I was missing something vital.

Infiltration protocols for my Ponyville brethren dictated that possible exposure and loss of an changeling during a high-priority mission must be immediately investigated while entering deep-cover status. Non-critical operations would cease until the situation was investigated and dealt with. While it bought us some time, it also meant Flash, Spike and I needed to avoid suspicion at all cost. The last thing we needed to deal with were assassination attempts and sabotages to create “accidents”.

“Lovebug, this is Dragonfly. Over.”

...Speaking of things I wanted to avoid at all cost...

With an exasperated sigh, I connected with Spike. “Shortcake, I swear on my mother that if you continue to call me Lovebug, I will whip you with your own spinal cord.”

“H-hey now, that’s no way to talk to a fellow teammate.”

I rolled my eyes. “My sincerest apologies, best buddy! To what do I owe this call from the venerable member of our prestigious team?”

If my voice dripped with anymore sarcasm, we would be swimming in it.

“Much better!” If he caught on that I was mocking him, he showed no sign of it. “Anyway, I wanted to stop by and talk to you before we start on our surveillance run. Are you free?”

I glanced at my wind-up clock. Twelve-thirty. It was a little early, but luckily I had no love consultation appointments to worry about so I was able to spare the time.

“Sure, I’m free for a quick chat. How far are you?”

The soft jingle of my alert bell that hung on my room’s ceiling chimed. My ears twitched towards the creaks in the wood flooring in the foyer.

“I’m already here.”

He was punctual, I will give him that.

Once I conjured up my Sassy Love disguise, I exited the room and moved towards the open space that acted as both my living room and office space for my consultation meetings. The design was rather reminiscent of my original Love Consultation office in Manehatten back in my earlier infiltration days. The atmosphere and lighting was bright and inviting with carefully adjusted magic crystal lights ‘borrowed’ from the Crystal Empire. The muted brown furnishings, tables, and bookshelves were spaced out and organized to allow somepony to avoid feeling closed in and trapped. It was a pain to organize, but important to effectively maintain my career guise as a successful Love Counselor who ponies would be compelled to confide in.

Spike was quick to make use of the burgundy satin divan I ‘persuaded’ a rather stuffy furniture shop owner to donate to me in the name of love and friendship. “Whoa, this couch is awesome! It feels like the one Rarity has at her place!”

“Really? I wonder if she got them from the same pony. Might be problematic if they haven’t found him yet…”

“What?”

“Nothing.” I took a seat next to Spike on my counselor’s recliner. Watching Spike lay back and relax on the patient’s divan gave me the strangest urge to give him a session. I restrained the temptation for now in order to hear him out.

“What did you want to talk about?” I asked.

“For the past few days, I’ve been doing some thinking about, well, you.”

“Is that right? Didn’t realize you were into changelings.” I quirked a suggestive eyebrow at him. Spike flushed.

“C-cut it out! That’s not what I meant. I was talking about changeling culture and stuff. Now that we have a moment to settle down a bit, I thought it would be a great time to know more about you and your hive.”

Fascinating. Now that I thought about it, Spike and I spent very little time quality together outside having him run errands while I continued surveillance for any disturbances. I didn’t see any harm on educating him a bit about changelings.

The curiosity was not completely one-sided. Him being the only known dragon to grow up exclusively with ponies fascinated me on quite a few levels. Especially that magic fire of his that could send messages instantly. Combined with Spike being such a central member of Twilight’s band of merry mares, this was the perfect opportunity to do my own bit of intel sleuthing.

Most important rule of being a changeling: Information is power. Information is life.

“You make an interesting point. In fact…” Moving to the front door, I slipped a ‘Busy’ sign on the door and locked it. I released my disguise, letting my natural form meld and shift into being. I grinned at Spike, who stiffened on reflex.

“W-warn me before you do that!” As his initial shock wore off, Spike gave me a curious look. “Hey, where’s the fire?”

“Fire?” It took me a few seconds to register what he was referring to. “Ah, right. When you were involved in the Canterlot operation, we transformed in front of you by bursting into flames, right? That’s just terror tactics we use to frighten our prey, though some of us do it for the sake of dramatics. After all, we wouldn’t make good infiltrators if we lit up like a furnace every time we flipped guises.”

“That makes sense, though it’s also really creepy thinking about it that way.”

“Mind games are one of our many trade skills. Always have to be one step ahead of your target and keep them controlled.” I moved back to my seat, crossing my legs while propping my chin up with a hoof. “Stealth. Deception. Manipulation. All to make sure we get to live for another day. We don’t do it just because we’re jerks. It’s all about survival of the fittest.”

It didn’t help that despite us being capable of flight and magic, we were also much weaker than ponies by comparison. Pegasi were faster, earth ponies were stronger, and don’t even me started on unicorns and their magic.

Some of us were an exception, but that’s a thought for another time and place.

Spike’s features deflated, his ear-fins drooping. “That’s sounds like a terrible way to live.”

“It’s not so bad. There’s no family dynamic stronger than ours. We have no choice but to stick together, for we only have each other.”

For reasons I couldn’t explain, only now did it hit me that it was a high possibility I would be completely cut off from the hive forever, even after this mission was completed.

The one strength changelings shared that kept us going through even the toughest struggles was our link with each other. With the damn slave collar on my neck, and the predicament we were in, this was my first instance of being alone and away from the hive.

I truly was alone.

“Trojan?”

I blinked, catching Spike looking at me worriedly. “What?”

“Is your neck alright?”

“My neck? What are you—”

It was then I found my hoof scratching at the slave collar like a bad itch. I quickly restrained my hoof and flashed a small grin at Spike. “Sorry. This collar is just a bit troublesome to deal with.”

“Yeah, Flash told me a little bit about those shield chokers. Especially yours.” Spike tossed me a pitying stare. “I know I don’t know you that well, but that seems messed up.”

“Save your pity. Our first meeting wasn’t exactly a jovial song and dance by the campfire. If anything, I’m surprised I wasn’t immediately locked in a dungeon or executed… though Flash was quick to try and accomplish the latter when we first met.”

I would have continued talking had I not caught Spike’s expression. His mood downright plummeted as he gave me puppy dog eyes. Perhaps I got a little too ‘real’ for an innocent mind like his. It was rather surreal for me to be talking about these things, though a bit cathartic. Something I would have to keep in check so I don’t get carried away and say something I would regret.

I owed the ponies my service, not my heart.

“Forget about that nonsense, Shortcake. I want your honest opinion on something. How do you really feel about living with ponies?”

Spike didn’t answer immediately, looking at me like I spoke another language. “What do you mean?”

“There’s gotta be something that bothers you about them. You’re probably the only dragon in recorded history who is chummy with most ponies. When they look at you, they don’t think there’s a big scary monster who’s gonna eat them. In fact, there’s some that think you’re the unsung hero among Twilight’s friends. I know it can’t all be rainbows and cupcakes with them. What’s it really like?”

I waited patiently to hear Spike’s answer. It was difficult to imagine the life of a pony-predator growing up among prey. True, he was well liked now. But there had to be some ponies who gave him a hard time for being a dragon. If my experience taught me anything, ponies are far more judgmental and controlling than they like to admit.

Flash Sentry was living proof of that.

“I like it. I don’t think I would trade it for anything else.”

I narrowed my eyes. “So, you’ve never had to deal with ponies who hated you because you’re a dragon? Never had a pony try to kill you or blame you for something that you didn’t do?”

“Well, some of that happened, but definitely never had a pony hate me or try to kill me. Not that I could remember.”

I sighed. So, the only living thing I thought I could somehow relate to turned out to be ‘living the dream’. I suppose it simply worked out for him. Speaking objectively, he was rather cute for a growing dragon, so I imagined that contributed to not draw so much hate in his direction.

“What about you?”

“What about me?” I muttered.

“The only time I’ve ever seen changelings was during the Canterlot invasion. I didn’t think about it till now, but what’s it like hiding among ponies all the time?”

“Like you can die at any moment.”

Judging from the aghast look on Spike’s face, I thought that perhaps I should elaborate.

“We have a few important rules we live by. We call it the Shadow’s Code. One of the most important rules taught to a changeling since hatching is that stealth is the necessary way of life. Ponies are the most potent food source, therefore we are forced to blend in and maintain secrecy. If we are discovered, complications start to arise, and the ponies in that area are now aware of changelings. That makes life harder for everyling in that area as well as neighboring areas.”

Spike swallowed nervously. “And...what happens if you are caught?”

“Depends on the situation. More often than not, we're able to use an amnesia spell to blank the ponies' memory and slip away. Sometimes we don’t have the chance and need to…” I stopped to consider my wording. Best not scare the dragon too badly. “Well, we have ways of dealing with that. Sometimes we just have to skip town and get away until things cool down and try again. If we’re desperate, we’ll clean the town.”

“Clean?”

“Raid it. Drain the inhabitants and overrun it. More often than not, we’re able to wipe out the town quickly before any neighboring towns can catch on. That won’t happen to Ponyville, though,” I added once I caught Spike’s body tensing, “it’s too risky for us to simply raid it and expose ourselves before our objective is complete.

“They can’t outright kill the residing princess either. We have a big enough target on our backs without sparking a changeling-hunting spree. Changelings are masters of playing the waiting game, biding our time and setting up the right circumstances before setting off the trap. I’m still trying to figure out what they want to do with Twilight, but one thing is certain:

“When the trap is sprung, it will already be too late.”

“Then what can we do? It’s been a week, and I know you said we need to lay low, but won’t they speed things up if they know something’s up?”

“Yes and no. We have protocols we follow in the event one of us is ‘missing’. The good news is that you and I are fine. I’m positive Flash bashed that changeling’s face in hard enough to where we won’t be recognized. What I’m worried about is if he was able to give Flash’s description before going berserk. That’s why I had to convince Twilight to take him home rather than to the infirmary; they would check there for anypony who went there that night. If they catch onto Flash, they will kill him.”

“Too bad for them, they'll have to get through me first. If they think I’ll just sit in the back and let you two have all the fun, they've got another thing coming.” Just like with Flash, there was a passionate fire that burned in his eyes.

Despite having witnessed pathos in full possession mode and nearly getting himself killed, I had to admit I was impressed with how determined Spike was. Likely a bit overzealous and naive, but no living creature ever started out perfect. With the threats we would be dealing with, I needed to ensure all of us were prepared to deal with the pathos and my brethren.

Suddenly, a most wonderful idea hit me.

Among my brethren, Twilight was one of the most high profile threats due to her inquisitive nature and brilliant intelligence. It was so easy to ignore the fact Spike was her assistant and likely held wit similar to hers. Combined with some physical conditioning and combat training with Flash, Spike would easily become a formidable force to deal with.

More importantly, a force that I could fine-tune and ‘guide’. The blessing in disguise that nopony, not even my fellow changelings, would ever think to suspect.

“You know, Shortcake. I could help you with that.”

“Huh?” Spike blinked owlishly. I had his attention. “What do you mean?”

“Let’s not forget we’re dealing with changelings here. My brethren. Flash may be able to help you win a fight, but with my help, you could help end a war. After all, who better to teach you how to outmaneuver and beat changelings than another changeling?”

I could see the gears in his head turning as he nodded. Good.

With every sentence I laced my tone with honey; seductive and inviting. “However, the things I will teach you are very effective and dangerous. Somepony like Twilight would never want you to learn this. Flash wouldn’t be able to comprehend it. But you, Spike. A strapping dragon like yourself who is willing to brave Tartarus itself to protect those important to you? I think you deserve the lessons I can teach you. The methods to win a war with talent that surpasses mere physical and magical limitations.

“R-really?” A twinge of worry made Spike’s voice waver. He was worried. Even a bit scared. Yet, I could sense the rising determination and excitement in him.

“If you swear total secrecy, that includes not telling Flash or Twilight, I can teach you the ways of my brethren. Skills and techniques we’ve mastered over countless years to fool our enemies and overcome the greatest of trials where even the mightiest creature would have long fallen.”

“Is it really that dangerous to tell Flash and Twilight about this? I mean, I don’t want to lie to them about what I’m learning. Especially Twilight.”

“You wouldn’t be doing anything to hurt them, that I can swear to you. However, these are techniques that must absolutely stay secret and can only be communicated between us. This may seem strange, but it will come with understanding in time. If you can trust me on this, even a little, then I will prove to you that these techniques will help you save Twilight better than any weapon or spell could.”

I offered my hoof to Spike. “Do you trust me, Spike?”

For a few seconds he stared at my hoof, his eyes full of questions and intrigue. Then, his eyes set on mine. “Why are you telling me all of this? Why me specifically? You say Flash wouldn’t understand, but it wouldn’t hurt for him to learn these techniques too.”

In truth, Flash not being able to comprehend was a lie. What I would teach Spike would likely be something useful for Flash to know. But the idea of Flash knowing techniques that not only mirrored changeling techniques but could also counter them, rattled me. It was… too close to home. Too close after he'd already matched me blow for blow in the Crystal Empire.

I still couldn’t get the sight of him bashing my brethren’s face in. Had I not stopped him then, there was no doubt he would’ve killed him. Somepony like that I could never bring myself to trust. The only thing outside changelings that's worth trusting are those you can control. Flash was too stubborn and volatile to trust completely.

Spike, on the other hoof, could be the answer I was looking for.

“It’s because I trust you, Spike.”

A hint of surprise and understanding reached his eyes. With his jaw set, he grasped my hoof. “I trust you, too, Trojan.”

For anypony else, trusting a changeling would be the worst possible decision. But I’ll make an exception for Spike: this was a blessing for both of us.

Welcome to the world of changelings, Spike.

“Do you have a moment to talk, Flash?”

I couldn’t recall such a question being followed by something good or not horrifically awkward.

My hay sandwich dinner was stuck halfway into my mouth when Twilight entered the dining room. I made sure to swallow the part of the sandwich I bit into before answering. “Of course. Please, have a seat.” As a proper gentlestallion, I made sure to pull out a chair for Twilight.

“Thank you, Flash.” I tried to pretend I didn’t notice her smile widening as she accepted the seat.

Retreating back to my own seat, I mentally steeled myself for the proverbial bomb Twilight might drop on me. “What did you want to talk about?”

Twilight’s shoulders tightened as she took a breath. Great sign that I’m in for quite the ride.

“So Flash, how are your wounds?”

Small talk. Prep time before the ax drop. Got it. “After a few more days I should be at one-hundred percent. Those ointments you used worked out really well.”

“I can’t take full credit for that. Sassy was the one who provided that salve. She’s surprisingly well versed in pony biology.”

Clearly she would know pony biology. Know thy enemy, as they say.

“That’s my sister, alright. When she’s not being a pest, she’s actually really helpful.” I laughed to show it was a lighthearted jab.

“Oh come on, that’s a little mean. Sure, she can be straightforward and teasing, but I like that about her. I’m glad she’s been getting along with everypony, especially Pinkie after that mess she went through when you first arrived.”

“Too true.” I don’t think I could ever forget that night.

I admit, Trojan really came through for me by helping to quell the distress surrounding the Cakes while assisting in helping the family repair the damage done by the pathos. It still bothered me that she found no hints of the pathos or other changelings, but for now I was willing to give her some benefit of the doubt and assume they decided to lay low until they felt the heat was off.

Hopefully that’s all that it was.

Twilight and I fell silent for a beat. The wait to figure out what she wanted to talk about was killing me. As much as I wanted to get it over with, the last thing I wanted to do was pressure her into talking. No need to rush to my own noose.

“So, um, there’s actually something that’s been on my mind lately that I’ve been meaning to discuss with you.”

Here we go.

“I wasn’t sure how to approach it at first, or if I should at all,” Twilight said, “but after some thinking, talking to my friends, and a few, er, let’s call them discoveries, I’ve realized that it’s better to approach you directly about it. D-don’t worry, it’s nothing bad or anything. It just kind of hit me that I haven’t really made the effort to get to know you. So… well… here I am!” Twilight chuckled nervously.

I released the breath I had been holding. Not sure what I was expecting, but openings like that always made me paranoid. “That’s pretty fair, and I appreciate your directness, Twilight. What did you want to discuss?”

“U-um, may I ask a personal question? You don’t have to answer if you do.

I inclined my head and smiled. “Fire away.”

It took a few attempts and false starts before Twilight managed to get the words out. “Do you have stage fright?”

Shock ripped through me as I stiffened and stared like a deer caught in the spotlight.

Welp, that’s what I get for getting my hopes up.

It was a fair question considering how badly I embarrassed myself when I first arrived. Unfortunately, it was also an incredibly sore point for me that was difficult to discuss. Talk about a strong start.

I thought back to the moment where I stupidly embarrassed myself when attempting to sing for everypony at my welcome party. I distinctly remembered Twilight and Fluttershy’s expressions were different from everypony else. That certainly explained why Twilight had been visiting Fluttershy a lot for the last few days.

“I, um, n-no, I don’t,” I lied. “If you were referring to what happened last week when I was asked to do karaoke, I wasn’t feeling well. I think it was something that was in the drink, so…”

Twilight frowned. Not a good sign.

“Are you okay, Flash? You seem a little pale.”

“Who, me? Never better. I’m perfectly fine.” It took some effort to keep the anxiety out of my voice.

“So...if I asked you to play for my friends again, would that be okay?”

My throat went dry. “I, uh, w-why do you ask? Is there a birthday party coming up? A celebration, maybe?”

Twilight’s frown deepened. Her expression was somewhere between troubled and disappointed. Perhaps even guilty for some reason? It was hard to say which fate would be worse, especially with the now awkward atmosphere that fell between us.

I knew I could solve all of this by simply admitting that I did have stage fright, but I couldn’t bring myself to say it. A Royal Guard captain with stage fright? That was downright pathetic and weak. What kind of stallion would I be to show weakness like that?

But was this any better?

All this was doing was making me look like a liar. Was there really no safe middle ground for me to take? Either I look like a liar, or I tell Twilight, the princess I’m supposed to be protecting, that I’m afraid to perform in front of ponies.

“Flash,” Twilight’s serious tone caught me off guard, “I want you to know that you can trust me. I don’t want to make you feel like I’m trying to corner you, but I’ve dealt with Spike telling me about his ‘stomachaches’ too many times to buy that. You don’t have to lie to me.”

I really shouldn’t have been surprised.

That excuse was meant to be my cover for checking on the Cakes. Yet, deep down, I knew that in itself was an excuse to distance myself from the situation. I don’t know what it is with Spike and Twilight, but they seem to have a penchant for placing me in uncomfortable positions.

Come on, Flash, the jig is up. Be a stallion and tell the pretty mare that the captain of her guard can’t handle a mic.

“I…” I swallowed hard, cursing the quiver in my tone. My gaze fell to my forehooves as they tapped together in a rhythmic pattern. Just rip off the bandaid and get it over with, soldier! “I… may or may not… have stage fright.”

“I’m sorry, what was that? I couldn’t hear you.”

Deep breaths, Flash.

“I was saying that I kinda… sorta… have, um…” This was pathetic. Why couldn’t I just spit it out?

“What?”

For the love of…

“I said I have stage fright!” I shouted. Twilight pulled back and blinked, staring at me wide-eyed.

Oh crap. I just yelled at Twilight.

Any attempt to look marginally composed cracked as I panicked. I knew I was starting to grow comfortable around Twilight with our friendly interactions lately, but this was a red flag that I grew way too complacent for my own good.

“I’m so sorry, Twilight! I didn’t mean to yell like that! Please don’t take any offense. It’s just a really touchy subject, and I usually try to avoid talking about it, and when I do it really gets to me, so it’s just something of a self-defense—”

“Flash, it’s okay. I’m not mad at you. I’m the one who should be sorry for bringing it out of you like that.”

I sighed. Twilight was far too kind. “No, you don’t have to be sorry about anything. I was out of line and shouldn't have yelled at you. But yeah, you got me. I get the worse kind of anxiety when I’m on a stage and just can’t bring myself to follow through. As you saw when I was on that stage, it can get pretty bad.”

“There’s nothing wrong with having stage fright, though I have to admit it’s rather surprising. You deal with high profile officials all the time and personally guarded Cadance. You’re telling me this entire time you’ve always had stage fright?”

“Yep! Kind of backwards, right?” I could feel my heart hammering against my chest, screaming at me to shut up. But it was better to just get this done and out of the way now that it was laid bare. “That I can handle just fine. It’s a little tough to explain without sounding crazy.”

“Try me.” I could see the spark of intrigue in her eyes as she leaned forward to listen.

Taking in a deep breath I took the plunge. Go hard or go home.

“When I’m addressing royalty or acting as their speaker and representative, I just focus on doing my job. What you see when I’m introducing royal dignitaries and diplomats is not really me. It’s the royal guard me. A front, basically.

“But then you got the other me when I’m not doing my guard duties or speaking for others. The me that shuts down when the only thing standing between me and a few hundred spectators is a microphone and guitar. It’s a long story that I would rather not get into, but there you have it. Flash Sentry, Royal Guard for the most prominent figures in Equestria, can’t handle a microphone in front of civilians. Crazy, right?”

I didn’t dare look at Twilight. I was feeling vulnerable enough as it is and the last thing I needed was for her to look in my eyes and see just how weak I really was.

I nearly jumped when I felt Twilight’s hoof touch mine. I looked up at her and felt my breath catch as I stared into those big, compassionate eyes.

“Thank you for telling me that, Flash. I know it must have been hard for you, but I’m glad you trust me enough to open up to me.”

For a few seconds I was stuck in a mesmerized state, my eyes locked onto hers. She didn’t laugh, pity me or even looked down on me. If anything, she seemed happy to listen to me without openly judging me for my weakness.

My heart raced even faster and my throat ran dry. That knowledge of Twilight being so understanding was more unnerving than anything else.

“S-sure.” I panicked when I caught my voice sounding breathless and at a higher pitch than I would’ve liked. It didn’t help that Twilight was giggling. “I mean, ahem, I really appreciate that, Twilight.”

“Flash, just so you know, if you want to try and overcome that fear, I’m more than willing to help.”

My heart leapt to my throat. “I-I-I appreciate the thought, but there’s no need for that. I can still handle my tasks as a guard perfectly fine. There’s no need to bother yourself with something as silly as stage fright.”

“This isn’t about your duties as a guard and it’s no trouble!” There was a frightening amount of fire burning in her eyes as she leaned uncomfortably close. “You are my friend, and if I can help you overcome that fear so you can share your beautiful music with everypony, I will do whatever it takes.”

I don’t think I’ve ever seen a pony so eager to help another pony overcome their fear. As much as I wanted to avoid dealing with this ‘issue’ I had and forget this conversation happened, it was clear Twilight was not going to take no for an answer.

That’s when my mouth decided to betray my self-preservation instincts because of that smile of hers, something that seemed to be occurring more frequently as of late.

“Uh, s-sure thing. Thank you, Twilight.”

The moment I uttered those words her eyes lit up like fireworks.

Right then, I knew I'd just set something terrible in motion.

“Great! We can get started right now!”

“Wait, what are you—whoa!” Before I knew it, she was dragging me out of the dining room by the hoof with strength that would put Shine Spark to shame.

“If we hurry, we should be able to find some great reference material for overcoming phobias in my library. Oh! I should call Fluttershy over to help as well! She would make a perfect study buddy to help you learn how to overcome it! I think I remember reading up on a twenty-step program that...”

I tried several attempts to slow her down, but quickly learned it was futile to continue resisting as Twilight tuned me out and started rambling on about research material and experiments. Whatever sort of whirlwind craziness I let myself get caught up in, there was no escaping it now. I was trapped.

Then again, seeing Twilight get so passionate over trying to help me brought a wide smile to my muzzle, and warmth in my chest.

Perhaps this was something worth looking forward to after all.

Author's Notes:

Admittedly, this was one of the harder chapters to write for a couple of different reasons. This chapter is a cornerstone as to the paths of growth, and really peering into the mindset and struggles of each character outside of the mission that's going down. Of all the chapters, this required the more careful and precise execution. Hopefully this makes up a bit for the long wait.

Speaking of wait, I apologize for keeping you all waiting so long for this piece. January turned out to be quite a rough month between moving, martial arts, work, technical difficulties with my graphics card, and just a constant slew of stuff that required my attention. Granted, that's not an excuse for my delay, but I wanted to give you wonderfully patient readers some insight and a proper explanation for the delay.

I will be doing my best to stay on top of the schedule should everything go smoothly. Should there be anymore delays, I will make a blog of it, so that's a good way to keep track of things as well.

Until next time, stay classy my paladins.

Chapter 10: The game is ahoof

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I lost track of how long I had been sitting on my bed doing nothing but glaring holes at the crudely drawn picture of the hateling.

The picture itself was marked with dozens of carefully coded notes, each one depicting known strengths and abilities. Tough-as-nails chitin. Abnormal strength. Strong magic. Fueled by pathos. Feral mentality. When it came to weaknesses, I could only find two: straightforward mindset, and Trojan.

I flipped the paper over, reviewing my list of possible tactics to use against hatelings. Traps. Anti-armor weaponry. Magic nullifiers. Good ideas in theory, but outside my lack of understanding of changeling instincts and strategies, there was no way to predict when it would happen. Trojan’s guess was that their next attempt might be within this week, depending on what they were doing, but even she seemed to be having difficulty figuring out their true objective. No doubt this was going to be a test of patience for all of us.

I sent the information to Shining Armor, along with a detailed equipment requisition for Spike and myself to prepare for the inevitable fact that we would more than likely be fighting more hate-fueled Changelings in the future. One of these days, Trojan may not be around to drain the pathos out of them. That, I needed to be prepared for.

Over time, I had started to get used to the idea of working with Trojan, but a grounded, hateful part of me refused to let me forget that Changelings were deceptive creatures who cared little for the lives of ponies. Everyday was a fight to think of Trojan as an asset to the team, rather than a weak link.

With a sigh, I filed the sheet into the growing messy pile of plans at the edge of my bed. Despite our only encounter being well over two weeks ago, the reality I faced was just as harrowing and real now as it was back then. There was no clear answer to how I could take one down on my own. This frustrated me almost as much as the lack of Changeling or pathos activity.

Picking up my map of Ponyville, I scanned it thoroughly. Virtually every nook and cranny that could be conceivably surveilled was scouted, especially areas close to the living quarters of the bearers of the Elements of Harmony. No signs of pathos or strange activity. Absolutely nothing to go on. I understood how important it was to stay calm and keep a careful eye out for clues and opportunities. Trojan and Spike constantly reminded me of this fact every time I inquired about the status quo of Ponyville or their findings, but Chrysalis and her ally’s plans were progressing every day we couldn’t find any traces of them, and it was driving me through the clouds! We had to be missing something critical, but what?

I released a load groan and flopped backward onto my mattress, massaging my temples in a vain attempt to suppress the forming headache. Why did everything have to be so damn complicated? I’d had my fair share of skirmishes when I ran with Shining and Shine Spark, but this was in a league of it’s own. Was it too much to ask for a simple crack-a-skull-and-save-the-damsel-in-distress mission? These espionage missions could all go straight to Tartarus for all I care. In the end, this is part of the job description, and failing here more than likely meant ponies would die. Pain in the flank or not, I was going to get through this mission no matter how many grey hairs and sleepless nights I got by the end of it.

On the bright side, at least I wasn’t alone. Even though I couldn’t tell Twilight what was going on, her proven magical talents and intelligence were great assets in the event things went sour. Spike was quickly growing into a very capable dragon. He’s quick on his feet, and this training had been showing great results with him. I definitely had some noteworthy allies to back me up… I suppose I could throw Trojan somewhere in that list too. After all, as much as I hate to admit it, this mission would not be possible without her.

Knock-knock-knock.

“Flash? Are you ready for today?” Twilight called out from behind the nearly closed door.

It took a moment to recall what she meant. I was suddenly reminded of something even more stressful than impending doom from a conniving bug queen: Twilight’s “confidence sessions”.

“Sorry, just one moment!” I called out as I jumped out of bed and organized my notes into my drawers as quickly as I could to keep Twilight from waiting. Once everything was in place, I put on the strongest smile I could muster and opened the door for Twilight. “Didn’t mean to keep you waiting. I'm ready.”

Twilight flashed me an eager grin. Glad one of us was excited for this. “Great! No time like the present. Let’s go!” Wasting no time, we took off for the room we hosted our sessions in.

“So,” Twilight began as we walked, “were you still working on those combat strategies?”

“Yep. You can never be too careful, especially when Ponyville is so close to Everfree.” The story with the Timberwolf battle turned out to be a blessing in disguise, as any battle research Twilight stumbled upon could be explained away as me refreshing my memory on monster strategies. It also gave me an excuse to convince Twilight to set up some invisible alarm enchantments throughout key points in the castle. Better safe than sorry.

“I agree. I looked into the forest several times, but never saw that same magic signature that’s on you. There’s definitely something going on. Feels like whatever it is, it’s just out of my reach.”

I tossed a sympathetic look at Twilight. If only she knew how much I could relate to that pain. “I’m sure it was just a one time incident. Best not to lose any sleep over it.”

Twilight’s brow creased with worry. “I know. Everypony else said the same thing. Hopefully whatever happened before really was the end of that.” If her tone was indication, it was far from over for her. But before I could think to say anything to help her feel better, her features brightened. “How have you been feeling?”

“Never better. Those last few kinks in my muscles are finally gone.”

“That’s good news.” Twilight smiled with relief. I needed to remind myself to ask Trojan about those healing salves she provided me. Those healed me far better than any medicine I’ve used.

Our walk eventually took us to the recently converted room. Twilight had gone through the trouble of converting one of the unused rooms into a music room, despite my insistence that it wasn’t necessary. One side of the spacious room was a dedicated study section. The wall lined with bookshelves that had everything from music theory and song sheets to psychology and self-help books. This was Twilight’s favorite side of the room, so she filled it with enough comfortable loveseats and couches for all of her friends to occupy. The other side of the room was primarily for equipment, such as my guitar and its associated repair, tuning, and cleaning kits just in case it was ever needed. The center was a stage with a circular, wooden platform where I was meant to play, a line of chairs placed before it where the audience would be seated.

I caught the scent of jasmine tea drifting from the study section. There, filling cups for us was Twilight’s “confidence expert,” who smiled warmly at us as we entered the room.

“Good afternoon, everypony. The tea is ready.” Fluttershy greeted.

When Twilight originally told me she was bringing in Fluttershy for our lessons, I didn’t know what to think. “Confidence expert” was a title I never would have expected to describe Fluttershy, who sat patiently while sipping on the tea she brought for today’s session. I still couldn’t wrap my head around the idea that Fluttershy was assisting in helping me overcome stage fright.

You know you have a problem when Fluttershy is called upon as an expert in building confidence.

While it still made me uneasy, she was a surprisingly subtle and relaxing presence. Fluttershy was a difficult pony to feel upset around, and with Twilight in the mix, it was rather effective. Couldn’t help but wonder if the two planned this set up together knowing that fact. Regardless, help was help and I was going to give it my best shot, even if every attempt so far ended up in embarrassingly frustrating failure.

“Good afternoon, Fluttershy. Thank you for coming to help with today’s session.” I said.

“Oh, I’m glad to help in any way I can.”

“Shall we get started? The quicker we get through it, the sooner we can have some of Fluttershy’s tea.” Twilight suggested. Her eyes gleamed with excitement at what hopefully was a successful session.

“Alright.” I agreed. Resisting the urge to sigh, I went to grab my guitar from the equipment side and took my seat center stage. Twilight and Fluttershy took their positions in the seats in front of me. Already I could feel my nerves tension with anticipation. I had to remind myself it was just like a bandaid. Rip it off and the pain will be quick. Hopefully.

Twilight sat with a clipboard in her hooves and a pencil hovering in her magical grip. Her gaze held a surprising amount of intensity and focus as she glossed over her notes, likely from previous attempts.

“Alright, Flash,” Twilight finally said, “are you ready to give it a shot?”

I resisted the urge to sigh as my grip tightened on the guitar. “Yes, Twilight.”

Twilight scribbled something on her clipboard, then set it down and set her relaxed gaze upon me as a gentle smile played on her muzzle. “Take your time and try again.”

“You can do it!” Fluttershy cheered. Well, it was more like an enthusiastic whisper. The effort was appreciated all the same.

I strummed a few test notes and closed my eyes, honing my focus into the sounds. Twilight spent every night making me commit steps to overcoming stage fright to memory. Just like with every attempt so far, the serenity and peace of mind I had when I first played for Twilight never reached me. My frustration from my subsequent failed attempts thus far to the pressure of failing Twilight and Fluttershy again made each attempt feel more difficult than the first. It was like dealing with a wall I knew I should be able to jump over, but couldn't.

“Don’t be nervous, Flash. Remember what we studied.” Twilight advised with practiced calm.

Recalling the lessons drilled into me was the easy part. ‘Stop scaring myself with what could go wrong.' 'Shift the focus from my fear to my desire to deliver something meaningful to my audience.' 'Breathe.' 'Relax.' The advice was sound, and so far there was some progress in that I was able to play a few notes on my guitar for them. Playing a full song or singing, on the other hoof, were critical issues I needed to overcome.

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. Once I cleared my mind, a mental image of Fluttershy and Twilight sitting before me flashed before my mind’s eye. Their soft smiles. Eyes filled with intrigue and anticipation, hungry for a satisfying performance. I gave my guitar a few teasing strums, feeling out the desired rhythm. A soft, jovial tune seemed right for them.

My hooves positioned themselves along the proper strings, ready to begin. I took in another breath. Just play it. Relax. Let it flow. These mares gave me the golden opportunity to show them my love for music. The audience was ready. The mood was right. The song was perfect. All I had to do was begin.

Nothing.

Seconds ticked by. Then a minute. The calm silence turned deafening. Atmosphere added pressure with every false start. This attempt was no different than all the previous attempts in recent sessions, and continued to haunt me during my next several attempts.

Every time I failed, Twilight and Fluttershy would take turns offering advice and getting me to try a different method. I could strum a few notes at the start, but every time I attempted to sing my mind would go back to that place. A stage. A sea of faceless ponies. The more I tried to force my way through it, the more vivid the mental images were and the stronger my anxiety grew.

I lost track of how long I was on the stage or how many attempts I did. Every failure gnawed at me. There was no kidding myself; I was not going to get through this. They knew I failed them again. Twilight, who had been so patient with me so far, was smart enough to know I was not going to get over it. It was only a matter of time before she said the magic words.

“It’s over, Flash.”

Shock ripped through me as my eyes snapped open. When did Twilight move next to me? It wasn’t until I saw her hoof resting on mine that I noticed I was trembling, my iron grip biting into the neck of my guitar. My eyes connected with Twilight, who merely smiled patiently at me as she held my hoof until it stopped shaking. When I looked towards Fluttershy, there was clearly concern in her eyes. Concern with a hint of familiarity.

“Did you hear me?” Twilight asked.

“Huh?” I blinked, looking at Twilight. “I’m sorry, what did you say?”

“I said let’s take a break, Flash.”

Oh. Could have sworn she said something different. Then again, every attempt to play a song for Twilight kept bringing me back to unpleasant moments I'd tried to forget. I never did explain to Twilight or Fluttershy why I stopped playing for other ponies, only mentioning that it was a bad experience on a stage a long time ago. It wasn't a lie, but I was not ready to tackle that problem. I didn't trust myself to bring it up. Not yet.

I repressed the disappointed sigh threatening to erupt from me, settling for forcing a grateful smile towards Twilight and Fluttershy. “That sounds like a good idea. Thank you both for your help.” I struggled to keep the irritation of another failed attempt out of my voice and expression. After giving so many speeches about the Royal Guard showing no fear in the face of adversity, I felt like a disgraceful hypocrite. Some brave soldier I turned out to be.

“Anytime, Flash,” Twilight said as she smiled back. “I know it’s tough for you, but I know you’ll be able to break out of this. I’ll get you something nice for lunch to lift your spirits.”

It had been on the back of my mind for awhile, but something about Twilight and I recently felt strange. Backwards even.

I should be the one getting nice things for Twilight. As her captain, it was my duty to look out for her and help out with various tasks. So far, she had been putting in so much effort into making me feel comfortable and appreciated. In my history as a guard, the only princess I’ve seen invest so much intimate attention with a guard was Cadance, and only when she and Shining Armor were dating in secret. The only reason I knew was because I was Shining Armor’s wingpony at the time.

This begged the question: Why was Twilight going so far out of her way like this? More importantly, why was I so okay with that idea? Sure, I could just assume it was her genuine nature to look after anypony in need, but something I learned about Twilight was that once she had her mind set on something, there was little that could stop her. In the case of myself, she put in a level of effort that I couldn't help but question if there was something deeper in her actions.

“There’s no need, Twilight. I’ll fix something for us.” I offered.

“Don’t worry about it. It’s my pleasure.” Twilight waved off casually.

“Seriously, Twilight. I’ll take care of it. You’ve done plenty for me already.” I insisted.

“I said don’t worry about it. It’s no trouble. Just stay here with Fluttershy and keep her company while I’m gone, alright?”

“But—”

“Flash.” Twilight silenced my muzzle with her hoof, which shocked the world out of me. Did I miss something, or had Twilight gotten bolder as of late? “Sit down. Relax. Keep Fluttershy company. Got it?” I slowly nodded compliance. “Good. I won’t be long, so you two get comfortable.”

Right then, her eyes fell onto the hoof that was still on my muzzle. Awkward silence followed as her face gradually went from lavender to crimson, quickly yanking her hoof away like she touched fire. After quickly muttering a flurry of apologies and stammerings she teleported out of the room.

This did not seem to faze Fluttershy at all, who was enjoying the tea she had brought over today. If anything, she seemed mildly amused by all of this. Almost as if she expected such an interaction between us.

Seriously, what was I missing here? It was as if everypony but me was in on some really obscure joke.

Rather than risk thinking too much about Twilight’s suspiciously odd behavior, I chose to focus my attention on Fluttershy. For the most part, Fluttershy was quiet and observant during these sessions. At first, she was the timid pegasus I had expected based on the dossier and stories I’ve heard about her. But since the last day or two she grew more relaxed and calm, occasionally offering advice and methods she used herself to grow more confident.

As much as I tried to take her advice seriously, it cannot be stressed enough that this was Fluttershy giving advice on how to overcome stage fright. I never dismissed her advice or looked down at her efforts, but it was a level of insight I never thought I would’ve garnered. A perfect example of why it was best to not judge a book by its cover.

“Would you like some tea while we wait, Flash?”

“I would like that. Thank you.” I moved to sit next to Fluttershy, accepting the offered tea she poured for me. Warmth spread through my body as I took controlled sips of the hot tea. The pleasant aroma brought a smile to my face. A soothing flavor, but I felt like it was missing something. “Jasmine tea. You have good taste, Fluttershy.”

The meek pegasi flushed as she smiled. “Thank you, Mr-” She stopped as she caught my raised eyebrow and shrunk back marginally. “I-I mean, thank you, F-Flash.”

I chuckled at her slip. Had a feeling her shy nature was still in there somewhere. “I know how you feel. Every time I talk to Twilight I have to force myself to think Twilight Sparkle rather than Princess.”

“It must be so different being stationed at such a quiet place like Ponyville. How have you been adjusting?”

I stopped to think. Outside the stress of the real reason I came here, the town was rather pleasant. If I were to take a vacation after this mission was over I could see myself returning here. “I like it. It’s a major change of pace from the Crystal Empire. Ponyville’s very…” The proper word escaped me. Relaxed? Quiet? Comfortable?

“Homey?”

“That’s right,” I nodded. “Though I have to admit, I sometimes feel a bit stir crazy. The Crystal Empire always had something going on or to look into so I always got this itch to do something productive. Ponyville, being so ‘homey’, kinda magnifies that.” I stopped to put a few cubes of sugar into the tea before sipping again. Much better.

“I’m surprised. I’ve heard about how peaceful the Crystal Empire is. I didn’t think you would have much to do.”

“You’re right. There isn’t much to do.” I sighed, thinking back to the what the last year was like for the empire. Stagnant. Dispirited. There was no sense of urgency or concern to address other than why the Royal Guard still existed. It always bothered me, but I didn't dare voice it to my comrades. Did it make me a bad pony to believe our lives were too peaceful?

“Does that bother you?” I glanced up at Fluttershy to her calm, attentive eyes staring into mine.

“No, not at all! Why would the empire being peaceful bother me? That would be silly!” I tried to brush off the subject. Her eyes stayed trained on me. While her expression didn’t change, those eyes of hers felt like they were looking into my soul.

“Well, maybe it does a little.” I faltered as I admitted a bit of my grievance

“If it bothers you, then it can’t be silly. Why does it bother you, Flash?”

Considering my thoughts on the subject, it was ironic for her to be asking me this question. A part of me was curious on her thoughts on something that bothered me for years. “It’s a bit selfish for me to say it bothers me. More accurate to say it makes me question certain things. Things I’m not sure I want to know the answer to.” I stopped to take another sip. “Such as the existence of the Royal Guard.”

“What do you mean?”

My eyes fell on my cup, gazing at my own reflection from the hot liquid. “I can’t help but wonder sometimes if we’re actually necessary. I mean, whenever we have a major crisis, a majority of the guard had proven to be little more than bumps in the road for the threats. Chrysalis. Tirek. King Sombra. Discord...well, before you changed him for the better, but I think you get it. There are so many powerful threats out there in the world. Yet, when the chips were down, you, Twilight and the others happened to be there to save the day. If neither of you, then the princesses are able to step in and solve the problem.

“But everytime that happens, I ask myself; why? Why can’t we, the Royal Guard sworn to protect Equestria, do our jobs? Why must we rely on you and the princesses to solve problems that we should be capable of performing? Celestia, Luna, Mi Amore Cadenza, Twilight Sparkle, and you all shouldn’t be forced to step in for every disaster. You all have your own lives and happiness to pursue.

“Believe me, it’s not that we don’t appreciate what you all have done for Equestria. You are all heroines in our books. But let’s be honest; when there’s danger ahoof, nopony thinks to ask the Royal Guard anymore. They look to the princesses and you, the bearers of the Elements of Harmony, for protection. Heh, how funny is it that ponies don’t look to the Royal Guard when they want to be, well, guarded? It’s like… we no longer matter.”

I blinked rapidly. A lot more spilled out of me than I thought. Hard to say if it was due to the tea, or Fluttershy's disarming presence. Perhaps both.

When I looked up at Fluttershy, her eyebrows were knitted together in deep thought. “Um. Well, I think the Royal Guard are important,” Fluttershy said after a beat. “After all, I’m sure there are bad things happening all over Equestria, and we can’t be everywhere at once. Having somepony around who is ready to help when something scary attacks us is very reassuring.”

“I suppose that’s fair. There are a number of crimes and dangers we strive to deal with, but there’s a difference between stopping somepony who is trying to snatch a purse and stopping somepony who is trying to take over an entire kingdom.” I sighed, “I know it’s a selfish thought, and there are some things we do that are important, but there will always be a major threat lurking around the corner, waiting to strike when we least expect it. I just worry that someday we’re going to get hit with another major threat like Discord, or an invasion like with the changelings, and there will be no princesses or Elements of Harmony there to find a magical solution to save the day. I learned what that was like the hard way.”

Again, I had to catch myself from talking too much. This was neither the time or place to bring up such terrible events. “Sorry, don’t worry about it. I’m just rambling on about nothing.” Desperate to change the subject, I grabbed the first thought out of my head. “Anyway, I have to ask: how is it you’re able to live near the Everfree forest for so long?”

Fluttershy hesitated, probably debating if she wanted to speak on the subject further or not. “It’s not so bad. Everfree is actually rather peaceful as long as you don’t go too far in. It hasn’t been too bad since the Tree of Harmony's protective magic was restored years ago. A pony should still be careful though.”

No matter my thoughts on Fluttershy, it takes a lot courage to put your house on the edge of such a dangerous forest. I recalled learning how the massive forest had many winding paths it was easy to get lost in. Even after it was purified thanks to the Tree of Harmony, ponies don’t enter the forest, let alone go too far in. I couldn’t imagine any reason for it.

No reason to go into Everfree... too dangerous to go very far in…

The epiphany struck me like lightning. How could I have missed something so obvious?

“Fluttershy, have you noticed anything strange going on in the Everfree forest recently?”

“Strange? How so?”

Thinking on it, I wasn’t sure what I was really asking. Asking her if she had seen evil black energy or super mutant changelings was not exactly subtle. “Strange like... hostility? Something that sticks out in your mind?” The wording felt ridiculous. The Everfree forest being hostile? That was like asking if Pinkie Pie was energetic.

Fluttershy went quiet as she wore a thoughtful look. “Hostile...hostile...oh!” Her eyes lit up. “There was something strange I’ve noticed.”

Now we were getting somewhere. “What did you notice?”

“The animals I take care of have been acting rather odd. Almost like something in the forest has been making them upset. Lately, there seems to be more and more fights breaking out between the animals in there. When I talked about it with Twilight, we came to the conclusion that it was just a tougher mating season than usual.”

That’s right. We were well into the mating season for a lot of animals. Mating season was one of the most dangerous times of the year to track certain monsters or predators, as everything was in competition with each other to score themselves a mate. Even the calmest of creatures would tear your head off if you didn’t watch your step. During my missions with Shining Armor and Shine Spark, I learned the hard way just how dangerous mating season could get.

“Fluttershy, when did you notice this was going on?”

“It’s hard to say. I didn’t really notice it until about a month ago. In fact, when we went inside the forest last week to look into that terrible Timberwolf incident you got caught up in, we could all feel that something wasn’t right. Even Pinkie Pie was scared, and it’s hard for anything to scare her.”

Everfree might be scary, but I couldn’t imagine anything being as terrifying as a pathos-possessed Pinkie Pie. There was still something I needed to confirm while Twilight was still gone. I couldn’t risk Twilight asking too many questions or catching on to what I had in mind to do.

“Do you know if Twilight plans on going back into the forest?”

“I think so. We’ve tried telling Twilight she shouldn’t go in there anymore and we should just warn the town to be careful at night during Everfree’s mating season, but she was very determined to get to the bottom of this Timberwolf incident.”

That was a problem. There was no denying I needed to investigate that forest. But at the same time, I couldn’t let Twilight know I would be going in there. She would no doubt want to come along, and that was the last place in Equestria I would want to escort her. Plans quickly formed in my head as I tried to calculate angles of attack and contingency options.

“Could you do me a favor and not tell Twilight about this conversation?” I asked. “I don’t want her to get worried.”

“Of course, Flash.” Fluttershy smiled. Her eyes brightened suddenly, as if she stumbled upon an interesting discovery, and beamed at me. “It’s so refreshing to know that such a considerate stallion like yourself is Twilight’s guard.”

I flashed a confident grin. “I wouldn’t have it any other way. Her best interests are my best interests, and I will do everything in my power to make sure Twilight can live a happy, peaceful, and fulfilling life.”

“That’s wonderful to hear.” Fluttershy’s smile widened. “Your love for Twilight is so inspiring! I hope I could find a special somepony like that someday”

“I’m sure one day you will find a pony that can—I’m sorry, could you repeat that?” I asked, blinking owlishly. Surely I misheard that.

Confusion dawned on Fluttershy’s face. “I was just saying how inspiring your love is for...ah!” Her hooves moved to stifle her gasp. “Oh no! I can’t believe I said that! Please, forget what I said.”

Breathe in. Breathe out. I knew what she said. The problem was why she said it. There was no way in Tartarus I was going to let that one slide. “Where did you get that idea from?”

“I-I-I’m sorry, Flash. I promised not to tell.”

“Not to tell? Who would…” I stopped, and delved into my thoughts.

Who would tell her not to say anything? Why would they claim I loved Twilight? Something like that would have to come from somepony she would trust. Or rather, would trust to know enough about me to make such a claim valid.

That’s when a memory flashed in my mind. Something that Rainbow Dash had said after I woke up from the changeling incident. Something that forced a flustered Twilight to interject.

“Oh nothing~. Only that Sassy caught you saying that you—”

Oh. Oh no. Please let me be wrong.

“Fluttershy…”

Please, please let this just be me overthinking matters.

“When Sassy told you about what happened with the Timberwolves, did she tell you I was in love with Twilight?”

Fluttershy shrank back in a vain attempt to hide behind her pink mane. Her eyes grew the size of dinner plates as she sat frozen stiff. “Um...p-please don’t be mad.”

...I don’t think Shining Armor would be too upset if I left Trojan bound and gagged somewhere in Everfree.

I forced a smile as best I could. Best to not let Fluttershy know how much I wanted to scream. “I’m not mad at anypony. I am, however, rather concerned that my dear sister had been saying such things about me.”

“Saying what about you?”

I nearly gave myself whiplash as my head spun to find Twilight entering the room with a plate of oatmeal raisin cookies in her telekinetic grip. As desperate as I was to clear up this mess, there was no way I could bring it up with Twilight right now. Fluttershy’s eyes connected with mine briefly, creating an unspoken oath of silence to protect the innocent.

“Just the usual stuff sisters say about their brothers. My sis is a scamp.” I forced a chuckle, which took effort to sound somewhat natural rather than manic.

It suddenly clicked that Twilight Sparkle was aware of these 'feelings of love' Trojan said I had for her. In other words, when she said she wanted to get to know me better, it was done under the impression I had strong feelings for her. This entire time, all of her efforts to make me feel comfortable, help me overcome my weaknesses, and know more about me, were operating under the assumption that I was in love with her.

Had I not jumped out of my seat, my unfurling wings would have accidentally slapped Fluttershy in the muzzle.

“You know, I just remembered I had an important thing to attend to!” I hastily shot out of my chair, stalling the panic rising in my chest.

“A… thing?” Twilight parroted.

“Yes. A thing. A-about stuff. Thank you for the session today!” Before she could give a response, I bolted right past her and out of the room, grabbing a cookie and muttering thanks in the process.

There was too much to think about at the moment. Far too many variables and concerns to address without the added stress thrown on me thanks to Trojan's bluff.

Speaking of which, this seemed like the perfect opportunity to visit my dear, sweet, and oh-so-helpful sister and show her how grateful I was for her intervention.

There was plenty for us to discuss after all, such as our next area of investigation: the Everfree Forest.

Chapter 11: Foundation

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“Relax your body. Free your mind.”

I nodded and closed my eyes, straightening my posture as I nestled into my meditation stance in the middle of Trojan’s living room. Legs crossed, interlocked claws resting on my lap, I pushed any previous thoughts I had out of my mind and forced my body to stay loose and unwind.

“Breathe in slowly. Release peacefully.”

Once I found my emotional center and focused on it. I no longer felt the sticky sweat that clung to me after all of today’s drills, nor the pain from all the nicks and small cuts I got from Trojan’s serrated knives if I messed up a technique or failed to dodge an attack properly. I didn’t even feel any remote stress from dealing with both Flash’s exhaustive body conditioning and Trojan’s intense training methods on the same day, as I'd been doing every day and night since I became Trojan’s secret student.

“Focus only on your breathing. Embrace the natural state of the universe around you.”

The direction of her voice never stayed in one place. Her silent movements gave me no clue as to where she was standing at any point. I learned quickly to not worry about where she was standing, as she punished any attempts to break my own meditation, whether I did it by accident or she did it on purpose. I simply needed to clear my mind of distractions and focused on the peace of mediation.

“Good. Just like that.”

I smiled. Her calm and soothing voice was a far cry different from the jovial tone she usually carried when around other ponies. It always helped me get to that ‘zen’ state faster whenever she guided me through meditation. I was amazed at how peaceful I felt once I truly nailed down how to meditate.

For a few minutes there was only the sound of my breathing. The wait was always the hardest part. Sometimes I was barely given more than a minute to meditate. Sometimes she would make me stay in meditation for hours. It was never consistent. Every time I found myself getting restless or fidgety from the lack of movement she would whisper something to calm me down or massage a muscle that instantly made me relax. Despite her being strict and unforgiving at times, she was always attentive and kind.

“Now,” Trojan started, “let’s recite the shadow’s creed.”

That was my cue. By now I remembered the verse completely, even if I didn’t really understand the meaning or significance of it.

I am the guile mind. Knowledge is my weapon.
I am the strong body. Health is my core.
I am the brave soul. Courage is my shield.
I am the noble heart. Love is my life.
We are legion. We are victory. We are shadow.

We fell silent for a beat. I couldn’t explain why we did. It simply felt right to let those words settle before we got started.

“Today’s lesson is practical application of foundation,” she said. “Every story began with a word. Every castle started with a stone. To truly understand the way of the Changeling, the way of the shadow, you must learn to embrace the sources of strength we draw from. Without it, you are a dull and brittle blade, only fit to be broken. Understand?”

“Yes, Trojan.”

“Good. Our foundation is made up of four cornerstones: The guile mind, the strong body, the brave soul, and the noble heart. Sound familiar?” I nodded. Trojan continued. “Each one is just as vital as the other. If one fails, the others are soon to follow.

“The guile mind seeks as much information as possible while denying the enemy information to stay ahead. The strong body must always be in peak physical condition to maximize survivability. The brave soul knows how to lead others and commits to every action, as every second of hesitation puts you and others at greater risk. The noble heart must utilize their wit and charisma to inspire affection and disarm suspicion and hostility.

“Outside the factors you can’t control, your survival is dependant on your ability to uphold each of these foundations to their fullest. Each one has many layers of knowledge that could take a long time to master, but you can’t learn to walk without learning to crawl first. It takes patience, natural ability to learn, and most importantly, dedication.

“For your first lesson of foundation training, we shall start with my personal favorite: the noble heart. Are you ready for your lesson?”

This lesson sounded easy enough. Until now, everything I had been learning from Trojan was methodical and, at times, cold. How to walk. How to talk. How to express and suppress expressions and reflexes. Details upon details of intricate techniques that had to be learned on a subconscious level. At times I would rather be crawling my way through mud with Flash than go through these intense trials. Learning about being charismatic and witty seemed right up my alley.

“I’m ready.”

“Perfect. Now open your eyes.”

I did. My jaw dropped.

A blue unicorn towered over me with a long red mane that I had never seen before. Half-lidded emerald eyes stared back at me as I found myself lost for words, Her face was dangerously close to mine, a mere shift of my chin would have my lips meet hers. Whoever this pony was supposed to be, she was downright stunning.

“First rule, keep your jaw properly aligned. Strong composure shows confidence.” Trojan’s hoof lifted my chin and closed my mouth. “It also makes you look more attractive,” she added with a husky tone.

I gulped.

“Eye contact is also important. Shows respect and attentiveness. The effect is doubled if the other pony also enjoys looking into your eyes. Just be careful not to get too lost in them. You might miss out on something important.”

“Gah!” I jumped as I felt something sharp poke at my side. When I looked down, I caught the sight of a blade in Trojan’s hoof, almost poking me hard enough to draw blood.

“Or dangerous,” Trojan added firmly through narrowed her eyes.

I take back what I said earlier: I was totally not ready for this.

“What kind of disguise is this one?” I asked once I found my voice.

“We call this a ponysona. Disguises are serious business with changelings, but we try to find humor and entertainment where we can, such as creating what we would consider our pony selves had we been born a pony. Mother was not a big fan of the idea at first, but she eventually let it slide once she deemed it was harmless.”

Perhaps it was due to the proximity, but I caught a slight drop to her smile at the word 'mother'.

Now that I thought about it, Trojan had called Chrysalis ‘Mother’ once before. I didn’t think much of it at first, as it was generally believed Changelings had a similar system to other insects where majority of them were born from the same queen. After the initial meeting with Chrysalis and her Changelings back in Canterlot, I spent countless nights helping Twilight dig up what little material there was. I couldn’t get it out of my head that there was something important about it, but I didn’t know enough about them to guess one way or another.

Then again, here was a friendly Changeling standing in front of me who I could just ask.

“Do all changelings call Chrysalis ‘Mother?’”

Had I blinked at the wrong time, I would’ve missed her frowning before the grin was back on her face.

“I could answer that question for you, but you need to make me want to answer your questions, Shortcake.” I jumped at Trojan’s touch as her hoof made small circles on my chest. “You have to be very persuasive to get me talking. Although, if you can get me to talk by using my lessons to its fullest potential,” her hoof slid up my body and cupped my cheek, staring at me with a level of intensity that turned my brain to mush, “who knows what else you could get me to do?”

I didn’t know whether to feel terrified or take a very cold shower. Never before had I experienced predatory pressure in such a strange way, nor did any of my fantasies involving a certain fashionista made my body feel this warm. Were we still having a lesson, or was Trojan trying to do something really weird to me?

The sharp poke at my side answered my question, making me yelp.

“Stop losing focus,” Trojan admonished.

“I-I-I can’t help it! You’re being all intense and weird!”

“Is that right?” Trojan raised an eyebrow, smirking, “And how am I being weird?”

“You’re getting all close, and giving me those eyes, and saying weird things that're making me think of...um...w-well…” I faltered. I couldn’t tell Trojan how deep in Tartarus my imagination wandered.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about," said Trojan as she shrugged nonchalantly. “I’ve just been talking about the lesson this entire time. Sounds like your imagination got the better of you.”

“What? But this whole time you just… just…”

That’s when it suddenly dawned on me. Nothing was directly mentioned, but just from her sultry tone, subtle touches and suggestive phrasing, I was completely at her mercy.

My face must have gave it away, because Trojan dropped all pretenses as her features softened and she smiled at me. “It’s amazing what a little boldness, clever use of wording and body language can do. Having charisma and charm is good and all, but a little bit of bravery and guile went a long way to get the precise response I desired. Having a hot body certainly added spice to the recipe.”

“Hehehe, it certainly did… I-I mean…!”

“Oh relax,” she giggled airily, “it doesn’t take a genius to know what was going through your mind. You’re a growing dragon who's been stuck with a bachelorette bookhorse who's practically your sister for your entire life. I’d be surprised if you could hold any resistance to the charms of a charismatic master such as myself. By the time I’m through with you, there will be no living being who could resist the charms of Spike, the Brave and Glorious.”

I flushed at the use of my awesome title, but did my best to show some sense of backbone with a confident smirk. If I was going to learn these techniques, I couldn’t keep falling for her tricks. Besides, those knives of hers really hurt.

Speaking of which, those knives were a perfect topic switcher to get myself a break to recover from… whatever the heck that was earlier.

“Actually, I’ve been meaning to ask you something. Those knives, how are you hiding them like that?” I asked.

She paused to ponder the question. At first, I thought she was going to make me try to get her to answer the question, just like the last one she dodged, but shrugged after some thought. “I’ll show you. Just make sure to keep it between you and me.”

Trojan ignited her horn, releasing a cascading green aura over her hoof. After a few seconds, several black straps of thin leather suddenly appeared. I counted four sheathed blades tucked away on her hoof straps. She then recast the spell to make them invisible again. “If you prove yourself, I may be willing to give you weapon training and tell you more about these stealth blades.”

As cool as that sounded, the thought made me uneasy. I’d always pictured myself being a valiant knight with a shield and sword fighting to protect the innocent. Hay, that’s part of what made me want to train in the first place. But… this was different.

“Worried about hurting somepony, Shortcake?”

I sighed. No point hiding that one from her. “Yeah. I mean, I wanted to learn how to fight so I can protect everypony and stop the bad guys. Never thought about actually using weapons to really hurt somepony.”

“You mean kill them?”

I cringed.

With a sigh, Trojan sat on her haunches and regarded me seriously. “So no matter what, you would never want to seriously injure somepony?”

“What? Never!”

“Even if they were trying to kill somepony important to you?”

“I…” The hesitation was brief, as I shook the doubt out of my head the moment it entered. “N-no! That’s just wrong!”

“Letting somepony die is no different than killing them. You either dirty your hands, or let somepony else dirty your hands for you. Are you saying you’re willing to let another pony die if it means you don’t have to kill? Does your conscience mean more to you than somepony's life?”

I couldn’t help but stare blankly at her. There was no hesitation or even a hint of concern or emotion in her voice. Cold calculation went into that line of thought. It was unsettling to hear her talk like that. “I never said I was willing to let anypony die. There’s always a way to save somepony.”

“There are times you may be able to save a single pony, but there’s no way you can guarantee that you can save everypony every single time."

I glared at her hotly. "But—"

"You are free to prove me wrong," she continued. "In fact, I want you to try your hardest to prove me wrong. It would mean the world to me if you can prove to me that such a thing exists.”

“I will, Trojan! I will show you that you can save everypony if you do your best! That’s why I’m doing this!”

She smiled warmly. “Good. Don’t lose that determination. We’re all going to need it for the harsh days ahead of us. Now then, I believe we’ve distracted ourselves long enough from the lesson. Let’s get back to it.”

As my lesson continued, I kept replaying our last conversation in my head. Trojan seemed awfully convinced about killing, which really got to me and made me think. What happened to make her think like that? What kind of life did a pony have to live to be so cold? Did all changelings think like this? Once the questions began flooding my mind, I couldn’t get them to stop. There was so much I wanted to know.

This lead me to the most pressing question: Who exactly was Trojan?

That one question plagued me for the next hour as my lesson played out similarly to how we started; she would introduce a concept, force me to adapt and learn through example, and occasionally give me a brief lecture or make me practice the techniques. It was one thing to nail down a technique or figure out the trick behind something, but another to pull it off under pressure, whether Trojan did something to break my concentration, throw me off, or would keep sticking those sharp knives in my side.

Just as we started wrapping up today’s training session, Trojan’s ears suddenly perked up. Her hoof moved to rub the base of her neck. “Just great,” she scowled, “Prince Charming is phoning in.”

“Prince Charming? Wow, I haven't seen him since my last visit to Prance. Say hello to him for me.” I said. Trojan gave me a really odd look. “What?”

“I'm talking about Shining Armor.”

“Oooh, I get it. You meant that sarcastically.”

Trojan rolled her eyes, mumbling something along the lines of ‘stupid ponies and their stupid names’.

“Might as well see what he wants.” Dropping her disguise, Trojan’s horn glowed and sparked a purple glow that appeared around her neck in the shape of a thick metallic choker. I knew Flash and Trojan used those things to communicate with Shining Armor, but I never actually got to see it in action.

“Is Trojan with you?”

I nearly jumped at the sound of Flash’s voice in my mind via Dragon Whisper. While it was disappointing to not hear our usual vox speak, there was a sense of urgency in his tone that made me worry.

“Uh, yeah. I was just hanging out at her place and decided to take a break.”

I still felt guilty for not telling Flash what I had really been doing with Trojan, but I promised not to tell anypony I was training with her, and planned to keep that promise.

“Good. Keep her there and don’t let her get away. We have to talk.”

I did not like where this was going.

“What’s wrong?” I asked.

“You knew the entire time that Twilight thought I was in love with her, didn’t you?!”

Oh crap. Flash figured it out. And boy did he sound pissed.

“U-uh...y-y-you see, Flash, what had happened was…”

“Stay there until I get there. We’re all going to have a nice long chat about this.”

“Uh, Flash? Don’t be mad. We were only trying to help… hello? Uh, hello?”

Yep. Flash was really mad at us.

I was about to tell Trojan what happened when I noticed the pink, transparent projection of Shining Armor appearing in the middle of the room. Small streaks of light beamed from Trojan’s choker towards the lifelike image.

“Whoa!” I gasped.

It was enough to immediately grab Shining’s attention as he whirled around to look at me. The shock on his face lasted a few seconds before he beamed at me. “Spike! Long time no see, buddy!”

“Uh, h-hey, Shining! It’s great to see you… er… sorta see you again!” Still worried about the impending doom that was Flash, I forced a smile. Trojan’s eyes flickered towards me for a moment before looking back at Shining Armor.

“Yeah, yeah, salutations and brohooves around. Whaddya want?” Trojan asked disdainfully.

I’d never seen her get this miffed with anypony except Flash, and that was just whenever Flash did something to get under her skin or make a crass comment at her. Shining Armor was a pretty great guy, and I couldn’t stand letting her treat him like that. “What gives, Trojan? What did Shining ever do to you?”

“It’s okay, Spike,” Shining Armor waved off calmly with his fetlock, “if Flurry Heart taught me anything, it’s that all insecure foals require patience and understanding to deal with.”

Oh snap.

That sting made Trojan’s nose flare up in a snarl. I wanted to be sympathetic to Trojan and say something in her defense, but considering how much often she always seemed to get under somepony’s skin or insult them, I couldn’t help myself.

“I think Twilight has some aloe at the palace to take care of that sick burn.”

I squeaked when her heated glare intensified and shifted at me.

“Can it, or I will turn you into a belt.” She snapped, completely red-faced.

“You know, Trojan,” Shining began with a sly smirk, “it’s never too late to invest in building a bridge so you can get over it.

Her attention swung back to Shining, glaring daggers. “What. Do. You. Want?!”

Instantly Shining’s expression went serious. “To share some new developments that occurred. I tried to contact Flash, but he wouldn’t answer. I want to share this with all of you together. Do you know what he’s doing at this moment?”

Uh oh. “Flash is on his way here, actually.” I answered hesitantly.

Shining Armor, oblivious to the problem at hoof, smiled widely. “Great! Any idea how long until he gets here?”

KNOCK-KNOCK-KNOCK!

Oh boy, here we go.

Shining’s smile fell. “If that’s Flash, something’s got him riled up bad.”

“Knowing him, it’s probably something silly,” said Trojan as she transformed into her Sassy Love disguise. Probably a good idea in case that wasn’t Flash. “Who is it?” she called out.

“It’s Flash.” There was something disturbingly cheerful about his tone. Had I not spoken to him earlier, I would have mistaken him for being in a good mood.

Shining’s frown deepened. “That is definitely not good. Haven’t heard this kind of dreading tone from him since one of my sergeants conspired with Cadance to set him up on a blind date.”

That caught my attention. Even Trojan got curious.

“A blind date?” Trojan echoed.

“Long story. Might as well let him in and see what happens.”

As much as I didn’t want to face Flash after hearing such foreboding words from Shining, I knew it would be far worse to let Trojan answer it. I swallowed and summoned my courage to face the music.

“I-I’ll answer it.” I went to the front door and, bracing myself for a harsh tongue lashing, opened the door and prepared some mixture of greeting and apology.

POMF!

Before air could reach my lungs to speak, I was blindsided by something white and fluffy that smashed my face and knocked me back. I blinked and looked up at the offending source that just smacked me on the nose.

Flash glared down at me with the most terrifying face I’ve ever seen as he kicked the door behind him closed. On his back were two saddlebags stuffed with… pillows?

POMF-POMF-POMF!

I was slapped silly by a barrage of pillows and forced back until I fell next to Trojan. Any call for help or mercy were snuffed out by the fluffy menace known as Flash Sentry.

Trojan, who was stunned speechless for a moment, bristled. “What in the world is going— OOF!” She was quickly silenced by an expertly thrown pillow to the face. Just as she ripped it off, three more found their mark.

“You two,” Flash breathed heavily through his nostrils as he glared at us, “have got some nerve to tell Twilight I was in love with her!”

The look that dawned on Trojan’s face matched my exact thoughts; what in the world did we just unleash?

“Whoa, slow down Buttermilk. Let’s just calm down for a second and— ACK!” Trojan gasped as another pillow crashed into her face, stunning her.

“I don’t want to hear it!” Flash shouted as he stormed up to the dazed changeling. “I can take being mocked. I can take being the butt of your jokes and teasing. I can even take your insufferable attempts to put me in uncomfortable and embarrassing situations. What I won’t stand for is having Twilight’s feelings, or mine, be toyed with!”

Before we could make an argument, Flash proceeded to beat the stuffing out of us. We tried to slip away and escape his wrath, only for us to be pulled back into the line of fire and beaten savagely by a flurry of feathered pillows.

Interestingly, whether it was due to blind rage or pure hindsight on his part, Flash had yet to show any notice to the pink hologram of Shining armor, who simply observed the situation with a raised eyebrow.

The attacks ceased after what felt like an eternity. Trojan and I gasped for air, struggling to stay on our hooves and feet respectively thanks to our pounding headaches. I never thought I would see the day where I felt threatened by a pony wielding weaponized pillows who wasn’t Pinkie Pie

“Now then,” Flash huffed as he towered over us, “you two are going to think about what you did, find a way to clear up this confusion, and you’re going to do it now.”

“No can do. Not if you want to keep our cover.” Trojan sat on her haunches and met Flash’s glare with her indifferent stare. Knowing what I knew about Trojan now, I could tell she was getting annoyed whenever she wiped off any emotion on her face

“What do you mean?”

“You make for a great distraction for getting her mind off things. It worked especially well since her friends were around to pester her about it. Considering that you live in her castle and your bedroom is merely a door away, ignoring you will be impossible. I could care less about what do you with her as long as you keep her focused on you and only you.”

Shining Armor’s eyes narrowed. Not good.

“If it was only about keeping Twilight focused on me, then you could’ve simply told me what was going on! I would’ve been able to keep her in the dark without resorting to such a foolish plan!” Flash barked.

I moved in to intervene and step between them before things got any uglier. I’d come to like both of them and hated it whenever they fought each other.

“Hey, calm down, you two. I know what Trojan said to Twilight was very manipulative, but we were in a tight spot. Twilight was bound to catch on that something big was going on and investigated more thoroughly had Trojan not said something.”

Flash’s anger fizzled somewhat, but the disappointed look he gave me made me feel small. “Spike, I’m even more surprised and disappointed with you. All this time you could’ve told me what was going on. I really thought I could put my trust in you.”

Ow. That was a low blow.

But could I really blame him?

When I was with Trojan and collaborating with her story at the time, it seemed harmless and, admittedly, I was caught up in Twilight’s shocked response to think about how messed up creating such a misunderstanding might be. I’d considered telling him, but Trojan convinced me to keep it secret. Seeing the hurt on Flash’s face, I was beginning to regret that decision.

Thinking on it, Trojan had been convincing me to do a lot of things without telling anypony since day one. Seeing how mad Flash was because of what she did, and knowing that I played a part in it, I had to wonder how many things I was doing were actually a bad thing. Not to mention poor Twilight. I haven’t been spending a lot of time with her or considered her feelings on the matter. It’s no wonder Flash was so upset; I’m a bit angry at myself for letting the stress of the situation blind me to what was important.

Suddenly, I felt Trojan’s hoof push me out of the way and she strode up to Flash’s face, their noses barely an inch away. I caught a brief glance in her eyes, an emotion passing through them I couldn’t identify, before she shot a dirty look at Flash. She spoke at a low, threatening tone.

“I made Spike promise not to say anything, so don’t you dare try to guilt trip him. If you have a problem with something, say it to my face.”

That caught all of us by surprise. Trojan defended me, showing more emotion now than I had ever seen. I made a mental note of the use of my name outside a sarcastic context and tucked it in the back of my mind for later.

“That’s enough.”

We all froze and turned our heads to Shining Armor. For all the fire and fury that was in Flash for the last several minutes, the moment he witnessed Shining’s admonishing glare, his pupils shrank to pinpricks like a colt who got caught with his hooves in the cookie jar. Even Trojan couldn’t ignore the heavy atmosphere generated by Shining’s presence.

“Captain!” Flash hurriedly stood in salute, sweating bullets. “I, uh, ahem, sorry about that display, sir! I was just—”

“Stall it, soldier. I heard enough and have words for all of you,” Shining declared as he gave us all a withering look. “From what I’m seeing, everypony here is at fault in some shape or form. My sister has changelings targeting her, Ponyville citizens are at risk of being caught up in the crossfire, and rather than spend all of that energy trying to solve that problem, all you can think about is yourselves.

“Spike,” I stiffened the moment Shining’s eyes fell on me, “I understand a lot has been thrown on your shoulders, and some lines of morality can be blurry at best. I applaud your efforts for taking the initiative and lending your hand to help us in this crisis, but you have to always keep in mind what’s important not only for the mission, but your teammates. From what I’ve heard, I can see why you felt keeping such a thing secret might’ve helped, but keeping such secrets that affects a member of your squad can be fatal. Remember to always keep your wits about you and do the right thing when you can, even if it’s not the easiest thing to do.”

“Y-yeah, you’re right, Shining. I’m sorry.” I apologized.

Shining Armor smiled at me. “It’s okay. You’re still learning, so it’s inevitable that you will make mistakes. I will discuss this in detail at a better time.

“As for you two,” when Shining’s eyes moved between Flash and Trojan, his expression hardened, “I will be having separate conversations with both of you later tonight about this mess in detail. There will be no attempt to dodge this communication and the situation involving Twilight will be put on hold for now, or else there will be severe repercussions, especially for a certain hard-headed changeling.” A pointed look was sent at Trojan, who merely shrugged. As nonchalant as she tried to look, I noticed a few beads of sweat rolled down her cheek. Flash was in far worse shape, looking visibly sick.

Shining held his glare for a few moments before letting his features soften. “Now, getting back to the main reason I wanted to start this meeting. We have a special guest that wants to meet you all, and has something very important to share with us. I’ll let him speak for himself.” He looked to his side and motioned for somepony to come to him.

Another image materialized next to Shining. The moment the figure’s image was clear, we all took a collective gasp and gaped at the so called ‘special guest’.

The figure anxiously rubbed his black hooves together, gossamer wings fluttering nervously as his pale blue eyes searched us.

“Um, h-hi. M-m-my name is Thorax. It’s a p-p-pleasure to meet you.” The changeling stammered.

Author's Notes:

What's up, my fellow paladins?

This chapter was an odd one. Took me ages to develop the core pieces I wanted to accomplish in this piece. Yet, once everything clicked, only took a matter of hours to write out. Sometimes you know what you want to write, but to actually write it out is a different can of warms.

So, with this chapter, we get to see a good chunk of changeling-related stuff, a bit of clashing of the characters here, and a surprise guest! I rather enjoy the idea of changelings having creeds and strict disciplines they follow to maintain effectiveness. They are still hive after all.

Flash was quite the joy in his entry scene. What better way to vent your frustrations on someone when you don't want to hurt them? PILLOW FIGHT!

Important note: you may have noticed that I changed the frequency from 2 chapters a month to 1. Outside the advent of life and responsibilities catching up, I want to also begin working on other stories and projects alongside this one, such as "Chrysalis's First Sleepover" and others. Rather than try to rush something out there, this will give me the chance to really nail the quality chapters and stories for you all. Definitely more stories coming down the pipeline.

But yeah, definitely keep your eyes peeled for the next chapter. This party is just getting started. Feel free to drop a comment and share your thoughts.

Stay classy, my paladins.

Chapter 12: Perspective

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When I first sent Flash on the Ponyville Mission to protect my sister, I knew I would be waiting on pins and needles until Twilight was safe. It wasn’t until that badly wounded Changeling appeared in the prison chamber, two weeks ago, that the feeling of dread truly began to sink in, assailing me with all kinds of doubts.

Each day I heard nothing from Flash or Trojan brought with it the far too real possibility that they were killed in action. Or even captured and compromised. Every update could be the day I receive the bad news of their mission failure. Cadance constantly reminded me that lingering on such thoughts would only wear me down needlessly. It was sound advice, but I found it harder to follow each passing day.

Every free moment I could spare was dedicated to ensuring I was able to provide Flash with whatever support I could as soon as possible. Shine Spark and Sunburst were critical to the success of this special project. The four of us, including Cadance, had been working hard well before Flash left for the mission, building off the data Flash had provided me concerning our most promising guards in combination with what little data Trojan provided us in dealing with Changelings. The only factor that had not been accounted for until Flash reported it to me was this strange ‘pathos’ magic. If we had a decent sample or source to draw the magic from, we could figure out a lot more about it. That would be up to our sleeping guest to help with.

Despite all of this, those damnable doubts still ate away at me. So many questions and unknowns demanded to be answered. What other information was Trojan hiding from us besides the pathos? Was it right to send Flash on a mission dealing with Changelings? And what about Spike? I knew Flash wouldn’t let him get hurt, but what if something did happen?

“Shining, we talked about this. Stop stressing yourself out.”

Oh. Right.

My bleary eyes look up from my untouched coffee and bowl of oats to find Cadance staring at me, her picture perfect face and bright lavender eyes filled with concern. Usually, I could put up a strong face and pretend everything was fine, but I just didn’t have the strength for it this morning. “Sorry, honey. Just can’t help it.”

“I know,” Cadance said as she took another sip of coffee from the mug held in her light blue aura. “I’m also worried about Twilight. But I do trust Flash to hold his own until he’s ready to call in the cavalry.”

I tapped my forehooves together out of habit. “He’s been through alot with Changelings before. If I felt remotely comfortable with anypony else handling this, I would’ve chosen them. But with this strange magic that seems to deal with some ponies' emotions... if that gets to him…”

“All we can do is have faith in him. I may not be the biggest fan of Trojan, but at least she seems to be making an honest effort to bring this mission to a peaceful resolution. On the bright side, I’m grateful Spike is there to support those two. With Spike, the Brave and Glorious at their side, they can’t lose.” Cadance giggled.

I couldn’t help but join in the chuckle. Spike had certainly grown up to be quite a capable dragon. My sister may have more victories under her saddle, but Spike was just as much a courageous hero and sibling as Twilight in my eyes. With Flash there to throw in a bit of extra guidance, there was no telling what sort of potential would be brought out of him. “I suppose you’re right.”

“Of course I am. Now stop being a worrywart and finish your breakfast.”

“Yes, ma’am!” I grinned playfully as I resumed chowing down my bowl of oats.

Until the sound of scrambling hooves and rapid knocking on our door grabbed our attention. “Prince Armor! Princess Cadance!”

Recognizing the panicked voice, I was filled with both hope and dread. “Come in, Sunburst.”

The gamboge unicorn pulled open the doors with his magic, his usually frazzled red mane looking even more hectic than usual. “It’s the Changeling! H-He’s awake!”

I shot up from my seat. While it was great news, something about his alarmed state told me it was anything but great. “Is something going on with the Changeling?” I asked.

“Yes. He’s… w-well, you will see when we get there.”

That didn't bode well, but I didn’t press the matter further.

Cadance hurried with me as we followed Sunburst down the towering castle, climbing down the stairs until we reached the basement level where the containment zone for Changelings was created. Thanks to Trojan’s specifications, any attempt of the Changeling trying to reach out to their friends was blocked out by powerful enchantments and barriers placed all over this level.

The first sign of trouble were the rushing unicorns flocking towards the chamber our captive was locked in.

As we neared the source, we heard it.

Thumps, pained screeches and snarls echoed down the stone halls. I primed a magic blast in my horn, ready to pulverize the Changeling for hurting my personnel. It wasn’t until I arrived that I got a clear picture of what was going on and why Cadance seemed so disturbed.

Four unicorns were focusing their shielding magic on the glass between them and the raging Changeling. The yelling and screeching were all coming from the Changeling, who was constantly throwing himself against the glass like a feral animal desperate to escape a death pit. Tiny cracks spread across his chitin with every tackle. Splotches of blood stained the glass.

Trojan’s advice echoed in my mind. Listen up, because this is important. Once the captured Changeling wakes up, two things might happen. If that Changeling wakes up and tries to blend in or act coy, you got off lucky. However, if that Changeling starts going crazy, then you need to act fast before they go berserk and try to kill you all. Restrain that Changeling, but be careful not to hurt them.

“Let Cadance and I through the barrier. Keep it closed behind us so that Changeling can’t escape. Sunburst, stay with them and monitor everything you can from the Changeling’s reactions and magic,” I ordered rapidly.

“Alright. Please be careful.” Sunburst quickly moved towards the defending unicorns to organize their efforts. With a quick nod to my wife, I ignited my horn to generate a rose-colored shield over us. Once we were ready to move in, the unicorns maneuvered their magic around mine to grant us entry into the tempered glass prison without giving the Changeling a chance to slip through.

The moment we entered, the Changeling immediately tried to break through my shield. The blow did little more than rattle my barrier. Unfortunately for him, protection spells were my speciality; he was not breaking through it anytime soon.

But the more he tried to break the shield, the more I realize he was not after anypony; he was trying to break through us.

“He’s terrified.”

I glanced at Cadance, whose eyes held laser-like focus on the Changeling. Whenever she got that grim look on her face, I knew she was onto something major. “Cadance, talk to me. What are you sensing?”

“There’s some violent interference with his heart. It’s barely weak enough for me to feel his loneliness and desperation. Something has him scared out of his mind.” Her frown deepened. “He’s either trying to reach his friends, believes we’re going to hurt him, or both. Either way, we have to calm him down.”

Once I saw a lull in its movements, likely dazed and tired from the constant tackling, I conjured another spell towards him, magically chaining him to the floor. His eyes squinted together with effort, likely trying to transform into something that could slip out of my grasp. Thanks to the magic limiter on his horn and the enchanted choker on his neck, that was not going to happen.

When he realized struggling was useless, he merely laid there and shut his eyes, shaking like a leaf. While I may not have the strongest feelings for Changelings, the way he just seemed to resign himself as if he expected execution unsettled me. At least he seemed to calm down. Now to recall the next bit of Trojan's instructions.

As soon as you deem the Changeling unable to harm you, get your bed warmer to give him a bit of love. It will make him far more receptive to you, but still a bit guarded.

Remembering Trojan’s ‘nickname’ for my wife was an aggravating reminder of her lackluster charisma. Regardless, it still held important advice.

“Cadance, if you would…”

With a nod, Cadance dipped her head low, eyes shut, and lifted one hoof up to her chest. She took a deep, long breath. A spark of magic slowly came into shape at the tip of her horn; but this was a little different than anything me, Twilight, or any other unicorn I knew could do. This was all her.

Cadance lifted her eyes a fraction to meet mine, and she smiled warmly. I returned the gesture equally, very glad to have my wife with me to banish the cold dark of the dungeon.

Then, as if she'd just found what she was needing, she angled her horn at the Changeling, and a vibrant ball of pink in the shape of a heart rushed across the space between us and exploded in his chest. The Changeling jolted upright with a shocked gasp. His eyes were still cast down to the floor, but I could tell he was peeking towards us. His mouth worked soundlessly in incomprehension.

“Thanks. I think that will work for now.”

Once Cadance stopped her alleviating magic, the Changeling released a pained sigh before looking at me, directly this time, scanning my face as though expecting some sort of trick.

If you did everything else perfectly, recite the following passphrase to him. Word for word.

I leaned down until the Changeling and I were face to face, but not close enough for him to leap forward and try to bite me. Then I began.

“The shadow of the noble heart lives on.”

His eyes grew as wide as saucers, and his jaw dropped. His stunned silence lingered to the point where I wondered if that passphrase somehow broke him.

“The one who told you that passphrase...” The Changeling croaked weakly, “...is she alive?”

Interesting. He automatically assumed a female told me this, meaning that passphrase is a direct connection to Trojan. “Yes, she is.”

Suddenly, he collapsed on the floor, bawling. “S-she’s alive! Thank the queen, she’s still alive!” I couldn’t tell if he was laughing or wailing. Still, it was preferable to whatever happened to him a minute ago.

“Do you have a name?” Cadance asked.

Rubbing his bruised and cracked face, he took the moment to stall his tears of joy before nodding. “My name is Thorax. Thank you for for feeding me, Princess.” Cadance smiled at him while I sighed with relief. Already I was liking him far more than Trojan. “What is the name of the Changeling who told you that phrase?”

“Her name is Trojan.“ I briefly considered telling him the fact she never gave us a name and instead opted for us to give her the codename Trojan, but decided against it. He didn’t need to know that. “We have some questions we need you to answer.”

“If it helps, I will answer what I can. But, erm…” Thorax averted his eyes downward and pawed nervously at the ground. “I-I don’t want any of my kin to get hurt.”

“I don’t want anypony, especially my sister, to get hurt either,” I hissed. “We know Chrysalis is trying to assassinate my sister.”

Thorax's head shot up with whiplash-inducing speed. “W-what? What are you talking about?”

I blinked. Cadance blinked. Thorax looked between us in utter confusion.

I took a breath to calm myself down before I got fired up. “Now is not the time to play dumb. Trojan told us Chrysalis was after Twilight because she helped us stop her when she tried to take over Canterlot all those years back. With something this big, you have to know something!”

Thorax gulped as he cowered under my glare. “I-I honestly didn’t know anything about that. Then again, I’m just a lowly drone. They don’t tell me much.”

I looked to Cadance. “Is he…?”

“He seems to be telling the truth. It’s not like dealing with Trojan; he’s much easier to decipher,” Cadance answered.

I’m not sure what worried me more, that Thorax was telling the truth, or Trojan was hiding something vital from us. Again.

Maybe I was imagining things... but that phrasing of his hinted at something. “Thorax, when you say ‘drone’, is that a rank?”

“Yes. Drones are very low in rank. Like a pony who works a garden or fixes things.”

Interesting. “What other ranks are there?”

Thorax paused, likely making a risk assessment of divulging that information. “Um… in the hive, we call it a caste. The lowest caste are hatchlings, which you can think of as foals growing up. Once they are old enough, they are designated into roles governed by our queen and become drones, such as me. Then you have the sentinel caste, which I suppose you can think of like the royal guard. They protect us and help micromanage drones who are sorted to them. Above them are lords, who help govern those below them into various tasks and do micromanagement on a bigger scale.”

“So they are like lieutenants and high officials?” Cadance inquired.

“That’s right. Above the lord caste are the overlord caste. They do a lot of very important things and watch over many, many Changelings. They are some of our oldest and most powerful Changelings. In some ways, you can compare them to princes or princesses like you two.”

“And that leaves Chrysalis at the top, akin to Celestia?” I guessed.

“Well, sort of. Our queen’s rule is absolute and without equal.” Thorax’s hoof moved to rub what had been his broken foreleg. “That’s all the major castes. The rest are divided by roles and directives given by the higher caste.”

“So just to be clear; that’s all the castes? There’s no other?” Cadance asked.

Thorax seemed to take notice of Cadance’s suddenly serious demeanor. “Yes. That is all the castes.”

“You’re lying.”

Thorax's and my eyes widened at Cadance as she continued. “You can’t hide your heart from me. When you said there were no other caste members of your hive, there was a pulse in your heart. There’s fear, but also something else. Adoration, perhaps?”

The Changeling looked downright spooked, completely giving him away. Many wouldn’t know it, but Cadance’s ability to read hearts was not only useful for knowing another pony’s feelings, but sensing any feelings they may be wanting to hide. Once she found something, there was no slipping away from her.

Cadance leaned closer to the Changeling, bearing a sweet, merciless grin. “There’s something super important about this caste, isn’t it?”

“I...I-I’m sorry, I can’t.” Thorax shook his head furiously, only to stumble and nearly crash on the floor from dizziness. Probably still feeling all of those wounds from crashing into the glass and shield. “Yes, there is another caste, but I am forbidden to speak of it, even if you are considered trusted by Trojan.”

“Come on~, I promise I’ll keep it a secret. You can trust me, Thorax.” Cadance cooed.

I decided to intervene while our one and only ‘cooperative’ Changeling was still cooperative. “We can worry about that later, Cadance. Let’s stay focused on the mission, alright?”

Cadance pouted as she moved back from the frightened Thorax, glaring at him. “Fine. I’ll just have to find out later.”

“Moving on, I have a few more questions I need to ask you, and not about the caste,” I reassured. Cadance’s frown deepened while Thorax breathed a sigh of relief. “However, some of these questions I want to have Trojan and the team with her present for so we can collaborate on this. Besides, I need you rested and healed before we meet her.”

The news made Thorax’s tired appearance brighten. “Thank you. I-I’m also pretty hungry if you have something to eat.”

On reflex, I narrowed my gaze.

“Um…” Thorax looked decidedly uncomfortable. “I-It can be normal food and water. Though a little more love would be nice…”

“I’ll have my assistants take care of that and mend your wounds. Although, there is one thing I want to know before we send you off. Our reports indicated that you were trying to harm Mr. Cake when we caught you. Why Mr. Cake?”

“O-oh. Um, that is… I-I couldn’t help it.” Thorax lowered his head shamefully. “Y-you see, we’re no longer the same Changelings you knew in Canterlot. There’s something that’s changed all of us. Something vile.”

“You mean pathos?”

Thorax gasped sharply. “She told you about that?” I nodded. “O-oh. Well, yes. The pathos is very bizarre magic. It makes us feel cold. Angry. Hungry. Very, very hungry. Pathos gave us new ways to feed and protect ourselves, but at a terrible cost.”

“One moment, Thorax.” Cadance interrupted. “Did you just say new ways to feed? As in, outside love?”

“Yes. Love is still important for us, but now we can feed upon very bad feelings, like hatred. It allows us to feed off any living creature without fail, but if we are not careful, the bad feelings take over. We get angry and lose ourselves to the pathos. We become hatelings, or rather, Changelings that have fallen sway to the pathos and the one who controls it. I...I hate it. I hate everything about it.”

Hatelings. I was now getting the picture of what this pathos magic involved. Sunburst was going to have to be all over that to create countermeasures. “So love helps you balance out the pathos magic, but too much pathos turns you into a hateling?” I asked. Thorax nodded. “You still didn’t completely answer my question regarding Mr. Cake: What did you mean you couldn’t help it?”

“We were ordered to feed on and spread as much pathos as we could while staying undetected. Pathos is bad, but it hurts just as bad to not feed on it." He glanced off to the side, looking like he wanted to spit something out. "The more we have in ourselves, the more we want it. I hadn’t been able to feed on love as much as normal because of my directive, so I was desperate. I-I just wanted to get a little bit of love and get some of the pathos out of my system. It was driving me crazy.” His voice and gaze lowered as he snarled, speaking more to himself than us. “I would rather die than side with the Cold One.”

A strange chill then flowed from Thorax's body, and an odd gleam of white flashed in his eyes.

Just as I opened my mouth to inquire about what that was about, Cadance touched my shoulder. She gave me a silent nod before directing her attention to Thorax.

“That will be all for now, Thorax,” said Cadance. “Do what the attendants tell you and rest well. Know that you are safe here.”

The dark look on his face lifted at Cadance’s words. Once I gave the signal, Cadance and I exited the room to let the unicorns go in and get Thorax situated and healed. Sunburst was about to go in there when I pulled him aside.

“Stay cautious and monitor everything, magical readings and all. Pull what data you can from him and see what you can utilize to counter pathos. I want to know everything.”

“Right.” Sunburst gave me a quick nod as I released him. I waited until Cadance and I were alone in the hall before consulting her.

“What happened back there?” I asked.

“When he talked about the 'Cold One', I detected a surge of anger and pain from him.”

“I have no doubt this is related to this ‘mysterious partner’ Flash reported Trojan mentioning. Sounds like some Changelings aren’t a fan of Chrysalis’s new friend or their gift.”

“That’s not what bothered me. Not completely.” Cadance shook her head. “When I took part in Trojan’s interrogation, I sensed something similar in her, though it was far more subdued and controlled. She stated it was just a result of magical interference and negative feelings to being captured; clearly a lie to cover up the fact she had pathos. I couldn’t put my hooves on why that bothered me so much until just now. I think that all that time, what I had been sensing was pathos.”

“Makes sense. Didn’t this Cold One give the Changelings pathos?”

“That’s exactly what’s bothering me.” The look in Cadance’s eyes were filled with dread. “Whatever sort of magic is in the Changelings feels alive and volatile. The only magic I’ve ever sensed that was this intricate and warping to another living being was Discord.”

I stopped, tossing Cadance a grim stare. “Hold on. Are you saying…”

Cadance nodded, confirming my suspicions. “Worst case scenario, we might be dealing with another Discord.”

The next few days came and went in a blink. Between interrogating Thorax, coordinating the information with Sunburst, and alerting Shine Spark and the rest of the training sergeants involved with the mission what we learned, there were some days I completely forgot to sleep due to the whipped-up frenzy I was in. There was progress to be made, and I didn’t want to waste a single second that could help protect Twilight and help Flash and his team.

Sunburst’s research on Thorax’s body and magic was a goldmine of information. Much to my fears, the pathos was indeed similar to Discord’s style of magic; parasitic and heavily warping to whatever it touched. Even though Thorax was restricted from a lot of key details thanks to his low status of a drone caste, the ability to study pathos in a safe, low impact environment helped us learn more about what we were dealing with. More importantly, this knowledge acted as a guidepost to help us develop better tools to deal with it.

Thorax had grown from a wary prisoner to a warm guest. While I ensured to take every security measure necessary to keep him under surveillance, I did not feel as paranoid with him as I did with Trojan, who seemed to take every single opportunity to get under my skin or pilfer confidential information. However, he was still a curious one that couldn’t stay still to save his life. At least Cadance enjoyed talking with him, though I had to play interference whenever her curiosity went a few steps too far.

The day finally arrived when I felt ready to invite Thorax to our next meeting with Flash’s team. Once the preparations were made, I extracted Thorax from his containment cell. He had a foal-like excitement to see Trojan until it was time to actually see her. That enthusiasm seemed to disappear, and reluctance and anxiety filled the void.

“What’s wrong, Thorax?” I asked as we travelled down the halls in step.

“I-I...um, n-nothing’s wrong! I’m just so excited to finally talk with Trojan!”

I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. It was like Flurry trying to convince me she wasn’t afraid to go to the dentist.

There was no denying that Trojan was no normal Changeling. After all, her mane and height alone were a dead giveaway. The big question was how important to the Changelings she was. It was clear he looked up to and respected her, but there was always this sense that whenever the topic of Trojan came up, he was constantly walking on eggshells.

“Indeed. You’ll be speaking with a team who is doing everything they can to find Chrysalis. All I ask is that you answer as best you can to help us.”

“I-I understand.”

Ascending the spiral staircase to the floor just below the Crystal Heart and past a series of guards and magic security barriers, we entered the hallway connecting to what Sunburst calls the ‘comms center’. The walls and floor were outlined with a transparent crystal surface, displaying a fragmented view of the Crystal Empire around us. A large, diamond-shaped prism hovered in the center of the room, pulsing with a soft, white aura.

Thorax nearly tripped over himself as he stopped just at the edge, his wide eyes looking down at the empire’s ground level. I resisted the urge to chuckle at his reaction as I entered the room.

“It’s fine to enter, Thorax. You won’t fall.” I assured.

“A-are you sure? That’s a long way down.”

I blinked, staring at him in silence for a few moments. “You have wings. You could just fly.”

Thorax was silent for a beat. Then blushed. “I, er, k-kinda forget things when I get nervous or scared.”

“Just wait there. I’ll call you forward when I’m ready to introduce you to the team.” I rolled my eyes, failing to hide my amused smirk as I approached the communication prism.

If there was one thing I’ve come to appreciate about the Crystal Empire, it was the abundance of unique minerals and crystals that possessed versatile magical applications. This prism itself was a perfect example of that, capable of linking up with other like fragments attuned to its resonant frequency. Igniting my horn, I launched a stream of energy into the prism. After a moment, light streaked from its surface and enveloped the room until it was completely dark.

The prism shimmered, releasing a pulsating chime akin to a heartbeat. My point of contact was Flash, who should be sensing my incoming message on his shield choker. After a few minutes of waiting, it was safe to assume he was either busy or unable to get in touch with me.

Charging the prism again, I augmented the magical signature to target Trojan’s choker. After a few pulses, the prism brightened, securing the connection.

The once pitch-black room now resembled a humble office space. Furniture, structure, and smaller details appeared out of thin air around me, perfectly simulating the area my communication target was in. Last to appear in the simulated images was Trojan and Spike.

Trojan was as ‘friendly’ as ever with her ever-present scowl and snappy attitude, something Spike was quick to admonish her for. Though I had more important business to discuss, I couldn’t help but prod Trojan, made even sweeter by by Spike’s contribute to the poke. It felt good to take a little back for myself. Thorax was not amused.

It was interesting to note that Trojan only seemed to get off guard and embarrassed when Spike joined in the jab, something I’ve never seen from her before. Interesting.

Things seem to take a turn when the subject of Flash was brought up.

KNOCK-KNOCK-KNOCK!

The heavy sound of the knocks rang across the room. If that was meant to be Flash, that was a bad sign. When I heard his voice, that raised a red flag. He was definitely in a foul mood. I mused over how this reminded me of the time Cadance and Shine Spark roped him into a blind date. Despite that being well over a year or two ago, I don’t think he ever got over it.

POMF!

My eyes widened as Flash proceeded to beat the tar out of his teammates utilizing the pillow treatment. While watching Trojan get throttled was amazingly cathartic, the fact Flash was pushed this far to bring out a technique garnered from Cadance’s anger management sessions was deeply disturbing. Upon seeing Flash, Thorax’s anger at seeing Trojan getting hit with a pillow seemed only matched by the fear in his eyes at seeing Flash’s face. Considering the shape he was in when we found him, it was clear why he was bothered by Flash’s presence.

What in the world could have pushed Flash’s anger to the point he had to resort to the pillow venting technique?

“You two,” Flash breathed heavily through his nostrils as he glared, “have got some nerve to tell Twilight I was in love with her!”

Oh. Oh no. Of all the berserk buttons they had to press, they had to choose that one?

I was rather split on this. For one, I was worried about how Twilight got roped into this. The absolute last thing I wanted was for Trojan to be involved in whatever matchmaking nonsense was going on.

Second was my concern for Flash. If it were any other pony who was doing such a thing I might have been more bothered by the one spreading that kind of information. But considering it was a Changeling that was spreading misinformation to manipulate actions, especially concerning subject matter that was a hot button topic for Flash, I could see how his anger was warranted. It’s hitting way too close to home for him.

What eventually grew to be the most dominant feeling, however, was the draining of my patience and growing headache as the arguing intensified. They were aware my sister was still in danger, right?

With everything that was going on with Twilight, Chrysalis and the pathos, this was the last kind of argument that should take precedence over finding a way to solve the problem at hoof. Trojan’s flippant attitude about my sister’s feelings only served to piss me off more. I don’t think I’ve ever met any living being more ungrateful than Trojan.

For a Changeling who was desperate for help, she showed no appreciation that our lives were in as much danger as her own. I was willing to put up with it because she was our only means of uncovering Changelings. But with Thorax being far more pleasant company and Trojan apparently manipulating her teammates in a very unhealthy manner, I was half a second away from just pulling her from the mission and throwing Thorax into the mix.

“I made Spike promise not to say anything, so don’t you dare try to guilt trip him. If you have a problem with something, say it to my face.” Trojan challenged as she interposed herself between Flash and Spike.

Did she just defend Spike?

I wouldn’t have believed it if I didn’t see it. Trojan had been, for lack of a better word, a bitch to deal with and showed little regard to anypony else’s well being as long as she got what she wanted. But that moment with Spike raised several questions, including the distinct possibility that Spike may have somehow wormed his way into the chink of her proverbial armor. How much of her behavior was a fabrication and what was real? Regardless, it was time to end this charade.

“That’s enough.” I stated heatedly.

Finally, a moment for everypony to calm down and reclaim their senses. Flash looked like he was about to have a heart attack after finally noticing my presence. While I had plenty of strong words to say to them, I tempered my words for Spike. From what I could gleam of the situation, Spike had the best of intentions when he kept silent with what was going on. While I expected far better from Trojan and Flash, I was willing to be more forgiving to Spike.

“Now,” I started, “getting back to the main reason I wanted to start this meeting. We have a special guest that wants to meet you all, and has something very important to share with us. I’ll let him speak for himself.” I motioned for Thorax to enter the room.

With a gulp, Thorax moved to meet everypony like he had led in his hooves. “Um, h-hi. M-m-my name is Thorax. It’s a p-p-pleasure to meet you.”

A hush fell over the team. Thorax shuffled uncomfortably under their respective gazes, especially from Flash’s glare. Spike raised an eyebrow, giving a thoughtful hum as he appraised Thorax. Trojan’s reaction was unreadable outside raised eyebrows. She went completely stiff, but otherwise simply stared at Thorax with indifference. I would have expected her to be relieved or overjoyed to see one of her kin.

“I would like to use this time to have Thorax aid us in developing a strategy to securing Twilight and stopping whatever plans Chrysalis is attempting to put in motion,” I said. “Now, if I recall, there were two key points Trojan needed to confirm. Is that correct, Trojan?”

Silence.

I blinked owlishly at Trojan, who simply continued to stare at Thorax in silence. Flash and Spike gave her an odd look while Thorax shuffled in discomfort. “Trojan, I asked if that was correct.”

“I heard you the first time,” said Trojan calmly. There was the tiniest hesitation in Trojan’s voice as she cleared her throat and her eyes refocused. I would bet bits she was struggling to contain her emotions at seeing one of her kind after so long. “Thorax, what was your directive and… who is leading this mission?” That last question came out rather sullen, as if she was dreading the answer. Interesting.

“My directive was to track and monitor Applejack, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Twilight, Spike and Zecora while applying distractions when necessary. The one leading the mission is… i-is…” Thorax gulped as he averted his eyes from Trojan, “Overlord Elytra.”

I had no idea what to make out of the name, but for a brief moment I was able to catch Trojan’s eyes going wide and pupils shrinking. Though she tried to hide it, it was clear the news confirmed whatever fears she had in her head. The caste was also worrying, as that was only a step away from Chrysalis, barring the idea of the mysterious caste Thorax kept hidden.

“Friend of yours?” I guessed.

Trojan threw me a harsh glare before sighing and resetting her expression to neutral. “Overlord Elytra is a very cunning and deadly opponent. The lack of Changeling and pathos sightings now make sense; she’s a brilliant strategist and does not take chances, especially since we’re in Twilight’s domain.”

“You sound quite proud of her,” Spike pointed out.

Trojan flashed a wide grin. “Of course. After all, I…” suddenly her smile fell, and she cleared her throat, “oversaw many of her victories. It’s going to be an uphill battle, but knowing who our target is will do wonders to develop a counter strategy.”

“Which means we need more intel,” said Flash. “Thorax, how many Changelings are involved in this mission?”

When Thorax’s eyes locked with Flash he tensed up. “T-there were ten other Changelings, not including Overlord Elytra and myself.”

“What were their directives? Where are they hiding?”

“I don’t know about the other Changelings’ directives, but we were originally staying in Everfree since ponies don’t go there. But with me gone, they probably moved by now and cleaned out the hideout. I don’t know where the new hideout is. I wasn’t told much.”

Flash’s eyes narrowed. “Don’t lie to me, Thorax. You’re all part of the same team on an assassination mission. How could you not have any idea about the movements of the other Changelings?”

“We simply don’t need to,” Trojan answered for Thorax, “whoever is in charge of the mission delegates tasks to the other Changelings. Those Changelings in turn act independently depending on the directive given. The reason why we can act so well independently is because we can always connect with each other and coordinate via hive mind link at anytime. Considering Elytra is involved, she likely has most of the Changelings on tracking duty or taking simple or inactive roles until she’s ready to make her move or is forced to do so.”

“I wonder then; is that why we couldn’t find any trace for so long? Maybe losing Thorax scared Elytra into playing it more cautiously?” Spike asked.

“Exactly. We caused a shift in her plans without giving her a clear idea of what exactly happened. Knowing Elytra, that hideout in Everfree is abandoned by now thanks to Thorax’s disappearance. Thorax would not have been told of the secondary hideout beforehoof.”

“A clear idea on what happened… hold on!” Flash’s eyes lit up suddenly. “Thorax, when we fought, did you send any alerts or descriptions to Elytra?”

“No, I didn’t. Everything happened so fast, and I knew Overlord Elytra would be very angry with me if she knew what I did, so, um, I didn’t think about it until it was too late.”

A smile slowly spread across Trojan’s muzzle. “Perfect! Your screw up may have given us the edge we need!”

Thorax blinked. That was quite the backhoofed compliment. “Oh. Um. You're welcome?”

Flash grinned widely with anticipation, ready to jump at the opportunity to finally take the initiative. “Alright, so Elytra has no idea we’re onto her or that we’re even involved. This means we still have a decent element of surprise, even if she’s moderately alert that something’s up. So how do we go about seeking her out and countering her? What can we do to bait her out?”

“Pretty easy strategy, actually. We continue to do what we've been doing; keep an eye out and wait. She’ll show her hoof eventually.”

“Wait? What do you mean ‘we wait’?!” Flash exclaimed.

Trojan tossed him a deadpan gaze. “We wait. As in, stay inactive for a long period of time. If you have trouble comprehending this, feel free to ask Twilight for a dictionary or—ACK!” She nearly fell back as a pillow soared from Flash’s position and into her face. Well deserved.

“We’ve been doing nothing but waiting for the last few weeks. There has to be a way to take the offensive before she strikes Twilight.” Flash pointed his hoof at Thorax like a spear. “Tell us everything you know about this mission of yours to assassinate Twilight!”

Thorax looked between Flash and Trojan as he shrunk back, “I don’t know anything about that.”

Flash’s eyes narrowed, a dangerous glint in them. “Excuse me? Did you just say you knew nothing at all about this?”

“Y-yes. I’m not told very much.”

“It’s due to the caste system,” I clarified. While this grabbed Flash and Spike’s attention, I just barely noticed Trojan cursing under her breath. “When I asked him the same question, he confirmed he didn’t know because of his ranking as a drone, which is effectively the civilian working class. Overlords are much higher in rank, like a prince or princess.”

“So, let me get this straight,” Flash held his chin and closed his eyes in thought, “Thorax is a lower ranked Changeling placed on a mission he knows nothing about outside keeping an eye on Twilight and her friends. Higher ranked Changelings manage tasks and duties out to lower ranked Changelings to handle independently because they can talk to each other anytime using their special means of communication.

“In other words, this Overlord Elytra, who is apparently very smart and dangerous according to Trojan and is equal to a prince or princess in terms of rank, made the choice of adding civilian personnel on an assassination mission targeting Twilight. Did I miss anything?”

“Huh. That sounds about right.” Spike answered.

“Agreed. Cadance even helped to confirm Thorax wasn’t lying.” I added.

“Um, I guess?” Thorax added.

Trojan said nothing, her facial expression passive.

“Well, Trojan? Got anything to confirm or deny?” Flash asked haughtily.

“...No. You are correct.” Trojan answered.

“I see.” Flash opened his eyes and looked at me. “Captain, why did you send me to protect Twilight? Why not some other pony?”

It took me a second to catch on to Flash’s game plan. Now was as good time as any to bring this to light. “Because I refuse to take any chances at failing this mission. I’d rather send my most trusted and skilled guard to handle such a critical task.”

Flash smiled. “Thank you, Captain. And Trojan, what were your words about Elytra again? Something about her being the type to not take chances?”

“Get to the point, Buttermilk.”

Flash walked up to Trojan’s face, glaring. “Once again, to the surprise of nopony, you lied to all of us. I’m looking at two possible conclusions; either all of you Changelings are incompetent, or you lied about Chrysalis’s assassination plans. You are clearly hiding something else from us.”

“Flash,” Trojan regarded him seriously, “we are getting dangerously off topic here. Let’s focus on dealing with Elytra and talk about this later.”

“Oh, NOW you want to do something about Elytra! What happened to ‘wait and see what happens’? On that topic, you seem to know Elytra very well. In fact, from what Thorax just demonstrated, you seem to know her far better than a lower ranking Changeling should know, to the point you are able to develop counter strategies.”

Now seemed like a good time for me to add my two bits into this theory. “Which actually brings up something interesting we learned. According to Thorax, the Changeling caste is as follows, in order of lowest to highest; hatchling, drone, sentinel, lord, overlord, and queen. However, there is apparently a secret caste that Thorax is forbidden to speak of. We can thank Cadance for pulling that one out of him. If your thought process is following what I think it’s following, Trojan is either another Overlord, or is ranked somewhere above that station but below Chrysalis. Conveniently, that missing gap could also answer the question of the important of the secret caste.”

Trojan’s facade shattered. She threw a death glare at Thorax, who lowered his head in shame.

Flash’s grin couldn’t have been wider at Trojan’s reaction.

“That raises one last question then. Thorax!” Flash called out. Thorax was beginning to sweat bullets at this point. “What’s her real name?”

“Flash, drop it. Now.” Trojan looked ready to jump at Flash’s throat.

“Why so nervous, Trojan? It’s just a name. After all, you know all of ours.” Flash teased. “Thorax, let’s hear it; what’s her name?”

Thorax looked conflicted for a few moments, then was struck with confusion. “Wait. But you know her name already. It’s Trojan.”

Trojan facehoofed. “You idiot!”

“Captain,” Flash smirked, “Thorax has no idea what he did just now, does he?”

Thorax looked between Flash and I with worry. I decided to solve the mystery for him. “Thorax, that was her codename. In truth, she never actually gave us her true name, and instead opted for us to give her that codename.”

When it suddenly dawned on him what happened, he visibly paled. “I-I… that is…”

“Save it. That told me everything we needed to know.” A cold fury surged behind Flash’s eyes as he refocused on Trojan. “Everything about you has been a lie until now. You hid the truth about the pathos from us. You hid the truth about how you’re manipulating Twilight. Now you’re hiding details about your identity and possibly about Chrysalis’s mission itself. All of this while WE are trying to help YOU find Chrysalis and stop her!”

“You think it’s so easy, don’t you?” Trojan’s face was a breath away from Flash as she met his eyes with an equally fierce stare. “That I should just spill my heart out and tell you everything about us? Just as you ponies slapped the collar on my neck for your own safety, what makes you think I will tell you something that would endanger my hive? I only tell you what you need to know, no more, no less.”

“You lost the right to talk about trust when you withheld information about pathos from us and tried to manipulate Twilight's feelings. In case you can’t comprehend it, miscommunication like that could easily compromise us or get us killed!” Flash’s nose flared as the two glared daggers at each other. “We are putting our lives on the line and doing what we can to help you! But I guess our lives just don’t matter unless you get what you want, right? I should’ve known better than to think a changeling could care about something other than themselves.”

“U-um, S-S-Shining Armor?” Thorax called to me in a hushed tone.

I kept half an ear on the conversation at hoof while listening to what Thorax had to say. I didn’t want to miss out on what was going on, but Thorax clearly had something important he wanted to say. “What is it?”

“I-I will tell you whatever you want to know if you can stop that pegasus. Even...e-even about the secret caste.”

Admittedly, while I was uncomfortable with the volatile argument at hoof, Flash posed far too many valid points to ignore. Trojan had hidden far too much for us to be considered trustworthy. But if Thorax was willing to talk…

“Why the sudden change of heart? Isn’t it forbidden for you to talk about it?”

Thorax bit his lip. “It is, but I cannot stand to see her hurt so much. Even though Trojan had hidden a lot of information from you all, you have to see it from our side. The Changelings are suffering, and Trojan risked everything by confiding her trust in you. We have to take into consideration that anything we tell you can always be used against us later.”

His eyes drifted toward Trojan, who began to look increasingly agitated. “When she suddenly disappeared without a trace, we thought she was dead. I understand now that she faked her death to seek help from the very ones we wronged. Please understand that we Changelings only have each other for support and trust. There are no others I could think of that would even consider helping us.

“Even if it’s only for a moment, put yourself in her hooves. Imagine you had to make everypony you love believe you were dead, only to beg for help against those you had only ever considered an enemy. That you had to hurt some of your loved ones, perhaps even kill, in order to save your species. All while working with those who can turn around and betray you anytime they wanted. I know I am asking a lot, but I beg of you, please help her stop hurting.”

I briefly imagined what he described. The idea of everypony I knew thinking I had been killed. Infiltrating the Changeling hive and being forced to hurt and kill the very ponies I was hoping to save. All of this while acknowledging that my life was constantly in the hooves of Chrysalis and her hive.

It was beyond brutal.

The level of loyalty and determination to undergo such hardship was astounding. While I didn’t agree with Trojan’s tactics or feelings towards us, I had to admit there were not a lot of ponies who could go through something like that. I couldn’t unsee the crushing weight of responsibility and despair that was likely resting on Trojan’s shoulders. Was her irritating nature a farce to cover up her frustration? Perhaps her secrecy was due to minimizing as much risk to her hive as possible?

I had no way of knowing what was actually true, but if there was one thing I could agree with: Trojan definitely had it rough.

“I want to know everything,” I said to Thorax after a lengthy pause. “I don’t care how forbidden you think it is or how much trouble you could get into, you need to tell me all of it. But in return, I give you my word and honor as captain of the guard and prince of the Crystal Empire that you and Trojan will be protected in absolute confidentiality. And before you ask, no, I have no interest in damning your race. All I want is to secure the safety of Equestria’s citizens and make sure my sister is safe, so unless Chrysalis forces me to do otherwise, I won’t use the knowledge you provide against your kin.”

Thorax gaped at me. “R-really?”

“I may not agree with how Trojan does things, but as a military leader, I think I get it. But if you’re lying to me, I won’t save you the next time Cadance starts getting curious. Trust me, you will regret breaking our trust.”

Thorax gulped.

“U-understood. Thank you.”

I extended my hoof to Thorax. “Trust works both ways. Never forget that.”

Thorax didn’t hesitate to shake my hoof. “I agree.” His smile was the widest I’d ever seen it. I didn’t need Cadance to tell me he was being genuine about this.

I nodded him before returning my attention to the mess at hoof. Flash was berating her quite harshly while she stood there, her scowl deepening every second.

“That’s enough! Both of you!” I announced sharply. Their heads whipped towards me.

“Captain,” Flash started, “you know I’m right on this. We have to get Trojan to stop hiding these secrets from us once and for all!”

I glanced at all the faces. Trojan looked worn out, struggling with whatever dark thought was swirling in her head. Spike was decidedly uncomfortable while Flash, though still heated, looked completely confident in his argument. Thorax waited for me to make my move, eyes shimmering with hope. Once the air settled and I formed the proper words in my head, I began.

“One thing needs to be made abundantly clear: this is entirely unacceptable. Our priority is the safety of Twilight and all other Equestrian citizens. All of this scheming, manipulation, and deception behind each other’s backs is inexcusable and it needs to end right here and now. This goes for all three of you. After this meeting, you all WILL work harder to begin treating each other like team members rather than threat assessments. I am not afraid to pull ANY of you out of this team the moment I see the necessity. Am I clear?”

“Yes sir!” “Yeah. Sorry, Shining.” “Tch, whatever.”

“Trojan,” I continued. Her face fixed into a cold stare as she gave me her attention. “If you’re going to stay as a part of the team, you need to understand that there are some things you must communicate with your teammates. As a Changeling, you should be all too familiar with the importance of proper communication and trust. You may not like working with us, but you have to acknowledge the risk of sabotaging the very mission you are attempting to accomplish by not trusting in your teammates. I picked Flash and allowed Spike to stay as part of the operation specifically because I trust them to do their part and work with you despite the odds being stacked against them. Do you understand?”

“Yeah, sure…” Trojan sighed. For a Changeling who had seemed so unflappable and headstrong, she didn’t look like she had the strength to put up an argument right now, even if she wanted to. Hopefully, she was registering how much could have been avoided if she was a little more upfront with us.

“However. Hesitant as I am, I’m willing to leverage a bit more trust in you and allow you to maintain some level of secrecy of non-mission critical information that pose a security risk to yourself or your hive. As long as you communicate information that aids towards the mission’s success or avoids risking our agents or citizens, you are free to reveal only what you are comfortable with.”

Life returned to Trojan’s eyes as she stared at me, dumbfounded.

“WHAT?!” Flash gaped in horror. He was not going to like what I was going to order him to do next, but this would knock out two birds with one stone.

“Flash,” I started, “from this moment onward, you are not to press Trojan on information that doesn’t directly correlate to the mission. This includes Trojan’s true identity and caste. Furthermore, concerning the misunderstanding involving Twilight, you are to personally clear this up yourself. Neither Trojan or Spike shall aid you unless Twilight personally seeks their council. Do you understand?”

Flash stared blankly at me as if he was seeing me for the first time. “No. I don’t understand any of this. Why are you taking that thing’s side?!”

Instantly there was a shift in the atmosphere. Thorax and Trojan gave him disgusted looks. Even Spike looked livid at his pig-headed comment. My blood boiled at the idea Flash could be this foalish and blind. I fixed him a hard glare.“That “thing” is a living being and your teammate, Captain! You will treat her and Thorax with the same integrity you would give any pony teammate!”

“With all due respect, she has clearly shown herself to be manipulative and deceitful! How can I trust her when she is constantly hiding secrets that endanger us?”

“I am not condoning her actions until this point, but I am willing to meet her halfway as long as she learns from her mistake and shows an honest effort to amend it. You will do the same.”

Flash gave me a leveled look as she straightened himself up. “I refuse.”

It took me a second to register exactly what he said. Spike and even Trojan stared at him in shock. “What did you just say?” I asked.

“I said I refuse! We can’t work with Trojan and Thorax while they play us like this! Can’t you see they’re manipulating us for their own gain? It happened exactly like this back in Canterlot, and I can guarantee that if this continues, Ponyville and Twilight will suffer the same fate! Hay, were it not for Twilight, Chrysalis would have won!”

I’ve never seen Flash act so defiant before. Almost frantic with desperation. For a moment, I found myself second guessing my choice in choosing Flash for this mission. “Flash, you are out of line and acting foalish!”

In my anger, I failed to register my next words before they came out, fueled by all the stress and frustration cumulated from the last few weeks. “You will calm down and get over it, or I will be forced to consider you unfit for duty and remove you from this mission.”

Flash reeled back with the most wounded expression I’ve seen on him. I tried to find something, anything I could say to rescind that last statement. Suddenly, something dark flickered behind his eyes as he turned about-face and made for the door.

“Where do you think you’re going? This meeting isn’t over! Flash!” I shouted after him, but my words fell on deaf ears as Flash stormed out, slamming the door closed with enough force to rattle the building. All I could do was stare emptily at the door, reflecting on what just happened.

Somewhere between outrage at Flash’s attitude and disbelief at what just happened was the overpowering sense of regret over my reckless outburst. I allowed my doubts to cloud my judgement for only a moment, but it was enough to shake the foundation that was Flash and I’s faith in each other.

Damn it… what have I done?

“Flash! Wait!” Spike’s voice and rapid movement snapped me out of my daze as he made a break for the door.

“Spike! Stand down!” My voice boomed. Spike froze, his hand resting on the door knob. I paused, taking a deep breath. Running after Flash right now would only make things worse. The last thing I needed was for Spike to be caught up in Flash’s warpath.

“Let him go,” I spoke again, a little calmer, “he just needs some time to cool off. For now, we need to stay focused on the meeting.”

Spike glanced back and forth between the door and myself, ready to make a break for it. “But we can’t just leave him alone. He needs a friend to be there for him.”

“Flash is a big colt. I know you’re worried about him. Believe me, if I was there I would want to be right out there with you, but I know him. He will be fine. Trust me, Spike.”

Spike took one last look at the door, then sighed, and let go, returning to the center of the room. “Alright. I’ll give him some time to cool off, but then I’m going to check on him.”

“That’s fine. Thank you for staying, Spike.”

Perhaps I was seeing things, but for a moment I caught Trojan’s eyes aimed at the front door before she returned her attention to me. Confusion was written all over her face.

“Shining Armor, why did you do that?” Trojan asked.

“What do you mean?”

“You chose me over Flash. What’s your aim?”

“It wasn’t about choosing sides,” Spike answered for me, “it’s all about perspective. Right, Shining?” When he winked at me, I couldn’t help but laugh. He must have quite the hearing if he heard Thorax talking to me over Flash and Trojan’s argument. Or perhaps he was simply paying more attention than the other two bickering teammates. Either way, he had surprisingly keen senses, more than I ever remembered him having.

“Spike nailed it in one. Yes, Flash could have handled that far better, but I don’t think he was completely wrong, particularly about the deception. If you continue sabotaging your own teammates by hiding too much information, you’re only dooming yourself and the team for failure. Just as I looked at things from your perspective and made a decision based on that, you have to give us the same courtesy.”

“I see,” Trojan wore a contemplative look. After a moment, she grinned. “You’re not as dumb as I thought, Shining.”

“Trojan!” Spike facepalmed. I simply rolled me eyes. Back to business as usual, I see.

“Actually, no. That’s not what I meant to say.”

All eyes were then on Trojan. She closed her eyes, and sat on her haunches. After a beat, she sighed and opened her eyes again, expressing a sense of calm.

“I can’t fault Flash for having his prejudices when I’ve been exhibiting my own. I allowed the stress and frustration of my predicament cloud my judgment and place us all in an unnecessary conflict. What I had meant—no, should—say, is sorry for allowing things to get this out of hoof. And thank you. All of you.”

I was truly floored. Out of everything that happened today, that was by far the most shocking turn of events. Once the shock had settled, Spike, Thorax and myself brandished wide grins at the humbled Changeling before us. There were still concerns to address, but I was grateful for that moment of alleviated tension.

“Amazing,” I mocked a gasp, “humble AND grateful! She can learn!”

“...Just continue the damn meeting,” she scoffed. There was even a tint of red invading her puffy cheeks. I was sorely tempted to call her adorable, but knew she would likely get me back later for it.

“You’re kinda cute when you get embarrassed-HEY!" Spike yelped as a swift hoof smacked him upside the back of the head. Her face was practically a furnace at this point.

“Alright, let’s give it a rest and focus on Elytra.” While I was grateful for that small bit of tension, there were still problems to solve. “I'm afraid I have to side with Flash on this one. If we just sit still and let her plans go unhindered, won't they just progress?”

“Yes and no. There's a particular reason I said to wait," Trojan said pointedly. "It speaks to a level of psychological warfare that we let her make the next move. What's important is how we react to whatever is happening, something that can’t be easily planned as we pay close attention to shifts of behaviors or patterns.”

I sighed. “So without any clues to go on, I suppose all we can do is follow your suggestions until something comes up.” I would have appreciated at least a small inkling to why Trojan felt the need to keep the thought process behind this tactic hidden, as she is the only one who seems to truly know this Elytra’s tactics.

I glanced over at Spike, finding him looking down at the floor, brow scrunched together with thought. Occasionally, I heard him muttering to himself.

“What's on your mind, Spike?” I asked.

“Hmm… denying the enemy information to stay ahead… AH HA! I get it!” His eyes lit up, a victorious grin plastered on his face.

I gestured him to continue. “Alright, let's hear it.”

“A wise teacher taught me a very special expression: ‘The guile mind seeks as much information as possible while denying the enemy information to stay ahead’. I bet a Changeling like Elytra would be going crazy right now if one of her Changelings disappeared without any idea what happened. Kinda ties into the whole ‘nothing is scarier’ expression, where not knowing something is far scarier than actually seeing the scary thing. In other words, she’s going to slow herself down and waste time looking for problems that don’t exist, at least not in the way she’s thinking. I think that's what Trojan was trying to say.”

Trojan nodded. “Spike is correct. She will start to panic and imagine the worst-case scenario, not realizing that her own imagination will be a trap. Elytra is a very careful one, so she would want to make sure all unknowns are cleared before proceeding with her plans.”

This Elytra was starting to remind me of Twilight whenever she started overthinking or entered panic mode. This was a blessing and a curse, as my sister was a masterful problem solver once she caught onto a possible solution. Hopefully this Elytra was not as intelligent, or else we were all in trouble.

As I let this sink in, I noticed a peculiar reaction from Thorax; he looked like he was about to have a heart attack as his eyes bounced between Spike and Trojan, eyes growing wider each second. Suddenly, he settled for a goofy grin, as if he'd figured out some dirty secret.

“Can't believe I didn't think of that! Great catch, Spike!” I praised.

“It sounds like this wise teacher taught you very well,” said Thorax. He seemed suspiciously chipper.

“I know, right?” Spike seemed just as suspicious as Thorax, as if they were speaking some sort of code.

“Moving on,” Trojan threw a withering stare at Thorax and Spike, “the point is that Elytra won't do anything too brazen until she is confident that all elements are accounted for. The longer we keep her in the dark and give her no indication we are pursuing her, the better. We just have to play it safe and look for clues.”

“Any ideas where to start?” I asked.

“Yes. Thorax mentioned that the initial hideout was in Everfree. True, that one is no longer going to be a viable hideout due to the fight that happened in that forest, but it’s still worth investigating to see why they started there. Once I’m positive that it’s safe for us to proceed, I want to start looking into that forest to confirm something.”

“Didn’t Thorax mention that he was also tasked with spying on Zecora?” Spike asked.

“Exactly,” Trojan confirmed. “If it was just the element bearers, that’s one thing. But if Zecora is involved, that means there’s more to our presence here than just Twilight.”

“More to the Changeling’s presence in Ponyville than Twilight?” I didn’t like where this was going. There were far more questions growing than we had answers for. “Wasn’t that the whole point of sending an Overlord to Ponyville?”

Trojan hesitated for a beat, like she was thinking something over. “I’ll find out more once we manage to capture Elytra. Once we secure Ponyville completely, we will have all the answers in our hooves. Twilight is still a concern, there’s no doubt about that. But the problem lies in that I’ve been separated from the hive for almost two months now; there’s no telling what other goals we might have here. That’s precisely why I don’t want us to take unnecessary risk and expose ourselves. Once they know we’re hunting them, things will get very dangerous. Stealth is the only protection we have against the possibility of assassination protocols, aka killers coming after us.”

Now I was starting to form a better picture. Would have been nice if she had just simply started with that. “So that explains why you’re playing the patient game so much. Rather than show we’re actively hunting her, we make it look like we’re simply responding to an unusual situation.”

“Now you’re thinking like a Changeling.”

I smiled, satisfied for now. “Alright, so that makes your next objective clear: play it safe and investigate Everfree when you feel it's time to do so. Unless there’s anything else, I think that wraps up our meeting for the time being.”

“Actually,” Trojan spoke up, “there’s one thing I would like to know.”

“What is it?”

“It’s about Flash. During that argument, I sensed a level of hatred inside him that I’ve never seen in other ponies." She paused, glancing to the side; she almost looked uncomfortable. "It wasn't all the explosive, spread-out kind, either. He had… real intent behind it. Focus. Ponies don't get that without having a reason. I recall you mentioning that he’s dealt with Changelings before, but you never told me exactly what happened.”

From defending Spike to worrying about Flash, who she literally just fought minutes ago. I just couldn’t figure her out. I thought back to what Thorax told me earlier and started wondering if her aggressive attitude was a defense mechanism or simply a struggle of being a Changeling in a pony world. Time would tell if this was just a temporary change, or an actual honest effort from her. I was willing to withhold judgment until I could nail it down one way or another.

Normally I wouldn’t be so open with Flash’s history, but it was more important than ever they understood that Flash’s feelings came from a very deep scar in his heart. One that never completely recovered.

“When the Changelings attacked Canterlot, Flash was a private at the time. The squad he was part of got caught up in the middle of the madness while he helped Canterlot civilians seek safety. We were completely unprepared for the psychological warfare involved with Changeling disguises, guerilla strategies and mind control tactics. While many of the citizens were saved, a good portion of the guard were killed.

“Of the twelve guards Flash’s squad composed of, he was the only survivor. Even then, his body and sanity was hanging on a thread, crippled by paranoia and PTSD. He told me about the details of his squad’s downfall, miscommunication, treachery and distrust instilled by the Changelings devastated and divided them. Since that day, Flash swore he would never again let what happened that day repeat itself. Considering this team is experiencing miscommunication and distrust on such a grievous scale, I imagine he probably felt history was repeating itself.”

I briefly wondered if Flash encountered a similar crisis with his unit as he did with today’s outburst before they were killed. My stomach churned at the thought.

The others made faces that mirrored my feelings on the matter. While Flash’s outburst was rather extreme and out of line, it was impossible to completely fault him on how he felt. Trojan was silent for roughly a minute before she spoke again.

“Shining, if you knew all of this, why did you put him on this mission? Why pair him up with a partner you knew he would hate?”

Such an ironic question considering that was what led to my own outburst. “To be honest, I hesitated at first for that very reason. Even though it’s been a long time since then, I knew he would have strong feelings tied to this mission, not to mention the obvious risk of someone who's suffered in the way he did. But at the same time, it’s that same reason that I put him on this mission. Who better to know how to handle himself and his team against a Changeling infiltration than one who was driven mad by it and experienced the worst of it? Beyond that, the only pony I would trust with my sister’s life is one I would trust with my own life.”

I say that, and yet I let myself doubt him. Flash must feel utterly betrayed.

“Thank you for telling me that, Shining Armor,” said Trojan with a grateful nod.

Again, I was caught off guard by Trojan’s shift in behavior. There was not an ounce of sarcasm or superiority in her tone. Once was a fluke. Twice was a sign. “Of course. Just give him some time to cool his head. And if you can, just talk to him as a teammate. If you can show him that his trust isn’t misplaced, he will eventually come around.”

“Trust works both ways, captain. A pony with a history like that may not hesitate to slay Chrysalis if the opportunity comes. I will always put my hive first, no matter what. However, if he shows that he can be trusted in that regard, I… suppose I can begin to meet him halfway.”

Spike patted Trojan on the shoulder, bearing a wide grin. “Don’t forget, you've always got me to help you two along. I know both of you have a lot of good inside. I’ve seen it. You two just have to catch up and realize it yourselves. Just be glad Twilight isn’t here to see you two like this. We would be stuck with a month’s worth of friendship lessons.”

I laughed heartily. “That sounds like Twily, alright.”

“I will certainly have to keep that in mind.” Trojan smiled—a real smile—at Spike. If this didn’t confirm that there was a connection forming with those two, I would eat my armor.

“Now that we’ve made some headway, I have a lot of preparations to take care of with Thorax. I will be checking up on you two tonight for a follow-up. Anything else?” They shook their head. “Good. This meeting is officially concluded then. Dismissed.”

I ignited my horn again to cancel out the communication enchantment, returning the room to its default state of observing the Crystal Empire. Thorax hovered in the air momentarily, only to drop down when he realized he was not going to fall, which was only after I gave him a strange look. Such an odd Changeling.

“Let’s go, Thorax. The meeting may be over, but we still have a lot of work to do.” With a nod, we departed from the communication room, descending upon the long flight of stairs to return Thorax to his room, though I still had a ton of questions to ask him. Particularly of the forbidden variety.

I’d taken notice of Thorax’s silence as we walked. Whatever was on his mind made his face go through several phases; anxiety, worry, frustration, depression, and then as we reached ground level, determination. That’s when Thorax chose to speak.

“Excuse me Shining Armor, I have another request I would like to make.”

I looked down at Thorax, who looked like he had set his mind on something important. “What is it?”

“You plan on sending help over there, right?”

“Most certainly. Why do you ask?”

Thorax took in a breath, as if readying himself for something. “I would like to join them in Ponyville, please.”

I shook my head. A noble sentiment, however... “No, that’s not going to happen. You’re a nice Changeling and all, but keep in mind that mere weeks ago, you were about to kill my agents. It’s one thing to work with you for intel, but another to throw you into the thick of it.”

“Yes, I did hurt Flash and Mr. Cake back then. I’ve done a terrible thing and deserve whatever punishment you feel I deserve. But I have to do whatever I can to fix this the mess we’ve created.”

I stopped as we reached the bottom of the stairwell, then reached up and took hold of his shoulder, turning him around so I could look him in the eye. “If I put you out there, that means I am trusting you with the lives of Ponyville, including my own sister. I didn’t have a choice when it came to Trojan, but with Flash and Spike, I knew them long enough to know that my sister was in good hooves. But... I don’t know you," I said slowly, enunciating every word. "Even if I take precautions, there’s no guarantee you won’t do anything to harm the mission or my sister. Why should I believe you? How could you possibly convince me that you’re that trustworthy to send out there and protect my own sister?”

For awhile, Thorax said nothing, his eyes wavering as he looked to the floor. Just before I decided this conversation was not worth my time, he finally looked back and met my eyes.

“Among the hive, I am one of the weakest Changelings, even among drone standards. Many don’t think I could ever amount to anything important, even our queen. It can be very rough for drones, especially if you’re clumsy and cowardly like me. The only Changeling who made me feel like I was worth something was Trojan.”

If this was his attempt to convince me, he was going in the completely opposite direction. But I allowed him to continue.

“Trojan was always so nice to me. She had her scary moments, but not once did I ever feel pathetic in her eyes. She told me that every Changeling was part of a whole, and that even the smallest contribution or effort could make a world of difference. All I had to do was do my best at anything I do and believe in myself to do what’s important to the hive, even if no other Changeling thinks so.”

“So the reason you want to help is because of Trojan’s influence on you?”

“Mostly, but that is not the only reason. Yes, she helped me realize that no matter how weak or lowly I am, I should always do my best to support the hive, even if it involves something other Changelings may disagree with. The other reason is because of Flash Sentry.”

My brow raised at this. “Flash?”

Thorax nodded. “I knew I did many terrible things, but seeing Flash’s anger and resentment made me realize that it was our fault. I didn’t have to sense his feelings to see the amount of pain that is in him. I realized that I had to do something to fix this so we can stop hurting each other. If I could do something, anything to stop ponies and Changelings from hurting one another, I have to. I want to show ponies that there are good Changelings too, not just scary ones who want to hurt them. Maybe then we won’t have any more victims like Flash Sentry.”

A flicker of a smile tugged at my lips. Never thought I would say this, but I was really starting to like Thorax.

In my eyes, Thorax seemed genuinely determined to help not only his hive, but ponies too. While I couldn’t make such a big decision on the spot, I did acknowledge the effort he was willing to make.

“I’ll consider it. Of course, even if I did decide to send you, you will not be going alone.”

“I understand. I’ll do whatever I can to prove you can trust me.”

“Hope you can keep up that enthusiasm. I may be willing to tolerate you, but it takes more than a speech or song to earn my trust. In fact, I think I have the perfect way to determine if you will make the cut.”

“How so?”

I smiled. “You see, I have a special project I’ve been working on for awhile now, utilizing the best minds, soldiers and equipment available. While I am not completely convinced to let you join the fight now, if you can pass the test, I may be more inclined to let you be part of this project to help Flash, Spike and Trojan. But if you fail, then I won’t let you join the fight.”

“If it will prove to you that I want to help, I’ll do it.” Thorax agreed without any hint of hesitation. That was a point in his favor.

The large double doors leading to the main hall swung open as my favorite sergeant entered the area. Perfect timing.

“Alright, Thorax. If you’re so eager to get started, then let’s not delay. Sergeant Shine Spark!”

Thorax stiffened and immediately began sweating bullets as Shine hurried towards us. His timid nature always crumbled in the presence of the brash and robust personality that was Shine Spark, who openly showed her disdain for the Changeling. Had Thorax realized what he signed up for, he would not have been nearly as determined to sign up for the special project.

“Reporting for duty, sir!” The red earth pony instantly stood at attention before me. Always did appreciate how dutiful and confident she was. She was just as trustworthy and dedicated to her duty as Flash was, a perfect compliment.

“At ease, sergeant,” I ordered.

The moment she relaxed and took noticed of Thorax, she gave him a quick nod. “‘Sup, buggy?”

“U-um, my name is Thorax…” Thorax muttered as he did his best to avoid her gaze.

“Excellent timing, sergeant. A congratulations is in order!” I announced happily.

“Oh? What are we celebrating?”

“Thorax was telling me all about how amazing he is. That he can take on any challenge you throw at him to prove his loyalty and worth for the Crystal Empire.”

Thorax paled. “W-wha, but I didn’t—”

“You should have heard him,” I interjected, “he went on and on about tough he was and how nopony in Equestria could break his undying spirit!”

“Oh, really?” Shine grinned as she looked up and down Thorax appraisingly. “And here I thought he was just a cowardly punk!”

“I-I actually—”

“In fact,” I interrupted him again, “I’m thinking about throwing him in our special project to see if he has what it takes. Speaking of which, we’re gonna have to speed things up. A lot. So give him the full Crystal Empire treatment. No brakes.”

“W-w-wait, do I get a say in—ack!” Thorax gasped as Shine threw a foreleg around his shoulders and pulled him in tight, grinning ear to ear.

“Aww, is it my birthday already? You spoil me, boss! I’ll just go ahead and take it from here!”

“Sounds good. Just make sure he’s still breathing for the first few days. I still have questions he needs to answer.”

“Don’t you worry. If he’s as tough and strong as he brags about, he’ll come out singing like a canary. Isn’t that right, buggy?”

“U-um, that’s not—GACK!” I swore I heard the sound of chitin cracking as Shine Spark tightened her grip.

“I said, isn’t that right, Buggy?”

“Yes! Yes! Just please stop hurting me!”

I smiled at them as I channeled my horn to teleport to my office. “Have fun, Shine Spark. Try not to die, Thorax.”

“D-d-die?!”

Shine Spark laughed, an evil glint flashing in her eyes. “He’s just kidding around, Buggy.” In a lower voice, she whispered in a foreboding to him with a foreboding tone. “That would be too merciful.”

The last thing I saw before teleporting was the pure terror on Thorax’s face, followed by Shine’s sinister grin and cackling.

I’m sure he will be perfectly fine.

Once I returned to my office, my momentum took a dive as I slumped into my seat at the desk and dropped my head into my hooves. Between Thorax waking up, Flash exploding, and Trojan’s drastic shift in behavior, today was filled to the brim with enlightening information and stressful consequence.

My eyes drifted to the picture of Flash, Shine Spark and myself, pure nostalgia flooded my mind. Of all the guards I’ve trained and personally recruited, those two always found a way to surprise me, for better or worse. Flash had especially come a long way considering the tragedy involving his old squad and his path to recovery. Once I talk to him later tonight, I plan on smoothing things over with him and making sure he keeps his head straight… after a strong reprimanding, of course. No way I could let that slide.

Until then, there was one important task I needed to take care of.

Underneath my desk was a magically enchanted safe that could only be opened or moved by myself and Cadance where we kept all of our confidential files. Using my magic, I interacted with the combination, twisting until I felt the pulse of the invisible enchantment seal unlock.

From the safe I pulled out a thick folder. I flipped through the pages until I reached the section depicting a list of names, most of which were garnered thanks to Flash following through on my task of assessing military readiness and guards with a particular set of skills and potential. In that same list, I added Thorax. If I had more time, there were several preparations and extra measures I would have taken, but after the meeting today, it was clear that our time was far more limited than I would have hoped. I immediately went to work on the other documents to get everything finalized.

I had to get Project Prism running as soon as possible.

Author's Notes:

What's up, my paladins?

So... this chapter. My god, this chapter.

So, when I first conceived this chapter, I thought it would've been a simple venture. Thorax wakes up. Shining starts the meeting. Flash storms out. And the rest is history. But it just goes to show that when it comes to writing, sometimes the characters and scenes write themselves. As you can see from the word count, this was a beast of a chapter to pin down, especially with characterizing Thorax and Trojan.

As for the chapter itself, a lot of different things occurred here. We get to see some more things from the changeling's side, as well as get to see some of Flash's berserk buttons. Hopefully this makes up for the chapter's delay.

I definitely gotta hear what all of you think. Any pieces or clues coming together? What other secrets could Trojan be hiding? What about the secret caste? What's gonna happen next? Look forward to seeing everyone's theories.

Until next time, stay classy my paladins.

Chapter 13: On the hunt

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”You will calm down and get over it, or I will be forced to consider you unfit for duty, and remove you from this mission.”

Those words buzzed in my mind like an angry hornet’s nest as I took into the air to put as much distance between me and home base as possible. I couldn’t wrap my head around what possessed Shining to threaten me with removal with the mission, yet seem perfectly fine keeping Trojan in the mission. How could Shining Armor take her side over mine? I found it harder and harder to accept that she was actually on our side.

My argument was sound. I had Trojan dead to rights. Had he simply backed me up, we would’ve had her and whatever secrets she was hiding. I refused to stay in that room a single second longer, else I would say or do something I would truly regret.

I flew toward the castle to retrieve my guitar and calm myself over a few solos, only to stop myself as soon as I remembered the initial reason I paid Trojan a visit in the first place. Twilight would likely pick up that I was not in the best of moods and start asking questions, especially since I left in such a hurry. I would rather not deal with something that would add even more stress if I could help it.

Without my music, that left me with one enjoyable activity to help take my mind off things: flying.

I climbed into the atmosphere higher and higher, the ponies shrinking to mere colorful specks and buildings resembling more like layered blocks with shingles. Higher altitudes gave me an even grander view of the area. Twilight’s castle acted as major landmark surveying the town. Mountain ranges and a winding path layered with trees snaked towards and around the massive orchard of apple trees taking root in Sweet Apple Acres. Everfree was even bigger than I thought, taking up a large portion of the land and was as imposing as ever. This was the perfect height to cruise the skies with, making laps around the area.

Several minutes into my laps, I’d spent enough aggressive energy to allow some reflection, particularly with Trojan. As I approached that argument with a clearer mind, it hit me that she hadn’t fought back as much as I was expecting her to. I expected her to show some sort of resistance or attempt to lie her way out.

“You think it’s so easy, don’t you? That I should just spill my heart out and tell you everything about us? Just as you ponies slapped the collar on my neck for your own safety, what makes you think I will tell you something that would endanger my hive?”

I mentally scoffed at that. Of course we had to equip her with the shield choker. That kept her from using her magic against us if she decided to betray our trust. Having her on this mission was dangerous enough as it is. For her to mind control other ponies, Celestia forbid Spike or Twilight who are directly involved in this mess, was too much of a risk. We had to do it.

But then… why did that bother me so much?

I thought back further to when we defeated Thorax when he went berserk. Then came memories of when I finally got her to explain more about the pathos and what happened to the Changelings after Canterlot. Moments where we were not angry with each other, but maybe taking steps to feel each other out and understand what we were dealing with.

I couldn’t shake off the feeling that there was something I was missing about her. For a moment, I had really begun to wonder if there was some good in Trojan. Certainly not perfect, but a respectable living being.

Was that why Shining defended her like he did? Did he see something that I just couldn’t? And then there was Thorax, who was far different from Trojan. A bit meek and shifty, but a far cry different from when we first met. What was real about him? What was simply an act? Was it simply due to pathos that he attacked Mr. Cake?

Was I mistaken about Changelings?

Memories of the invasion flashed in my mind. Helpless to save my dying comrades. The running. Fighting. So much infighting and panic. Watching each one fall to either the changelings or each other’s blades out of dissension and paranoia. Those changeling bastards enjoyed every minute of it, treating us like playthings.

Nitro. Stride. Shellshock. Nightingale. So many more. All good soldiers and better pals.

All dead because of them.

A chill went through my body that caused me to stop flying and hover. In my reverie I hadn’t noticed that I'd flown in the direction of the Everfree Forest, and was now directly above it. The air felt colder than it should have, almost frigid. We were in the middle of spring. It shouldn’t be this cold.

Another chill went through me. This time not from the weather, but an ominous feeling. I looked around to see if anypony was flying near me, but I was clearly alone. I recalled Everfree being unique in that it had its own weather patterns, which led to bizarre occurrences that couldn’t be predicted, like the snowflake that fell on my nose.

Wait, what?

It was a single snowflake that seemed to appear out of nowhere. I found it hard to believe that Everfree’s unpredictable weather patterns could cause it to go so out of whack that it snowed in April.

This was starting to weird me out. A tingling, uncomfortable sensation traveled through my wings and feathers, a telltale sign that something was amiss in the wind. The main question was what and why?

I thought back to the conversation with Fluttershy.

“I didn’t really notice it until about a month ago. In fact, when we went inside the forest last week to look into that terrible Timberwolf incident you got caught up in, we could all feel that something wasn’t right. Even Pinkie Pie was scared, and it’s hard for anything to scare her.”

And if I combined this with what Thorax had said...

“I don’t know about the other changelings’ directives, but we were originally staying in Everfree since ponies don’t go there.”

So that was it. What Fluttershy and the others felt was likely the sensation of pathos in the area. Magic that vicious, it was no wonder they felt uneasy.

I placed my hoof to my chest, prepared to communicate with Spike and tell him of my findings. Then I thought about Spike’s reaction during the meeting. The look on his face like he was afraid of me. I must have looked like a selfish bigot to him. Then there was Shining Armor, who probably couldn’t wait to pull me out after I stormed out of the meeting.

...No. I couldn’t rely on them. If I was going to do this, I was going to do this my way.

I’ll admit this was a dangerous call to make. With at least Spike present, I could rely on him to watch my back. Trojan, despite my feelings about what transpired earlier, would have made a powerful ally to sense pathos or Changelings nearby. If I was going to do this solo, I needed to maximize my survivability and mobility as much as possible. That required proper equipment and a plan. Both involved me returning to the castle. Great.

As I arrived at the castle and made my way to my quarters, creeping dread filled me every step of the way. Twilight would likely drill me over why I left in such a hurry. Then there was the matter of the misunderstanding to clear up. I knew the smart decision was to get it over with as soon as possible, but the knowledge that she believed I was in love with her this entire time made me cringe. I didn’t dare entertain what this could mean, only that it would not be a happy conclusion for either of us should it head in a particular direction.

My fears were thankfully unfounded as Twilight was nowhere to be found. Probably stepped out for the moment, I surmised. As I entered my room, I saw a note on my desk, likely left by Twilight to alert me to where she went. I picked it up and read through the contents:

Dear Flash,
I stepped out to meet with Applejack and Rainbow Dash at the Stardew Horizon. I imagine it shouldn’t take too long. I’ve left a similar note for Spike when he gets back, but should you see him before he reads the letter, let him know where I am and that I should be back in a few short hours.

The Stardew Horizon. I recall Rainbow Dash bragging about it to me whenever I joined her for a quick flight for the sake of exercise. It mainly stuck out because she was extremely incessant about how much Twilight enjoyed that location and how awesome it would be to take a pony on a date there.

Wait…

I faced hoofed as it dawned on me. How dense could I be to not put two and two together? I swear to Celestia, nopony better try to set me up on a blind date.

Noting there was more to the letter, I continued reading.

By the way, when you have a free moment, there is something important I would like to discuss. I'd rather not talk about it in this letter, as it is a personal matter I feel we should address it as two adults living in the same castle together. Don’t worry, you’ve done nothing wrong, nor is there something bad happening. It will make sense when we talk about it today. Make sure to clear your schedule tonight.
Sincerely,
Twilight Sparkle

It was quite clear what she was referring to: that damn nonsense Trojan spewed. We were going to have ‘the talk.’

Trepidation struck me like a freight train as I slowly placed the letter back on my desk and swallowed hard. I should have been all for a conversation like this. Instead, anxiety gripped me like a vice.

Damn it. Focus, Flash. Everfree now, Twilight later.

Shaking the thoughts out of my head, I immediately went to work on preparing myself for the trek through the Everfree. The armor was a definite, strapping on the protective garments and golden horseshoes. Normally I would bring my helmet, but considering I needed to be stealthy for this one, I opted for something more subtle: my forest camouflage. It clicked perfectly in place in the attachment joints of my armor, the hood covering my head well enough to grant me reasonable vision while shrouding my head in shadow. Perfect.

Next was a saddlebag carrying only essentials: medical aid, rations, storage devices for samples I may find, and a variety of other small utilities that could aid in my search, including a small map of the Everfree itself. Last, but certainly not least, was my primary weapon: the collapsible, steel quarterstaff. Compact, reliable, flexible, sturdy, and equipped with a retractable blade when I needed either lethality or a cutting instrument. I was thankful that Shining Armor approved of these latest additions to our standard gear, as well as thankful to Sunburst for coming up with such an efficient weapon.

Once everything was set, I made sure to properly secure Twilight’s castle before departing. I made a speedy return to the Everfree while attempting to dodge as many prying eyes as possible. No doubt citizens would start wondering why an armored guard dressed in a dark camouflage cloak was in such a hurry towards Everfree.

On the approach to Everfree, I kept in mind two particular key points of interest to investigate. My first objective was to check into Zecora by visiting her hut. Thorax had mentioned she was being watched. I needed to talk to her and find out what she could tell me about the Everfree’s status. The second objective was the battlefield where I fought Thorax. While I had a rough idea of where it was. Unfortunately, narrowing it down was akin to finding a needle in a haystack, otherwise I would have checked that out first.

Ready or not, time to deal with the Everfree forest.

The cooled and desolate atmosphere gradually grew colder the further I pressed on. While not as intense as the feeling I had when I was high above Ponyville, there was still the discordant sensation flowing through my feathers. I moved as carefully as I could through the forest to avoid making unnecessary noise.

About two miles in my trek, I encountered signs of disturbances. Mostly torn trees or clawed rocks. Typically signs of territorial battles and animal skirmishes. But then I ran into the corpses, thankfully not of the pony variety. Some were fresher than others. A few looked particular gruesome and visceral; torn limbs and body cavities as if a vicious predator was playing with their food. No wonder Fluttershy’s animals got nervous. If I had any other choice, Everfree would be the last place I would want to visit.

The fact Zecora lived inside the forest was growing increasingly suspect with every corpse I found.

According to the map, I was roughly fifty yards away from where my map said Zecora’s hut would be located when I noticed a trail of broken trees and unusual marks diverging from my path. The marks made me think of a scorch resulting from a flame or magic use.

Slipping from the road and into the bushes, I stopped to investigate the damage. The plants closest to the damage were rotten and decayed. If the fire was recent, then some of these plants would still be somewhat healthy. Condensation on the ground and leaves told me that these burns were fairly old. After a moment to mull over my findings, I decided to follow the trail. A quick look shouldn’t hurt.

The path stretched further than I thought, but it was getting increasingly clear that a battle had taken place close by. The number of scorch marks on the environment increased as I pressed forward. This area seemed vaguely familiar for reasons I couldn’t put my hoof on. It wasn’t clear until I noticed a cleaver stuck on the tree next to me. That one must have belonged to Pinkie Pie. If that was the case...

As soon as the realization dawned on me, I rushed towards the opening ahead. Craters littered the landscape before me, charred with patches of grey and black ash. Trees bent over, almost to the point of snapping in two as if a powerful force blew them back. I had no doubt this was where I fought Pinkie Pie.

My wings rustled restlessly. Something felt wrong here. The air was charged with a sense of something I couldn’t define, colder than I remembered. To think this fight occurred less than half a mile away from Zecora’s hut. Surely, she must have heard the commotion. If that was the case, why hadn’t she come by sooner?

A twig snapped just south of my position.

I dove for the nearest batch of foliage, rolling into a prone position to keep the clearing in sight. The air stilled with tension around me, my eyes pouring through every detail for the slightest shift in movement among the trees. I must have been too slow, so now they went to ground.

After counting to thirty off the top of my head, I moved back with painstakingly slow steps, listening for the smallest sounds outside any I made.

There was a brief shuffle of leaves to my west. I froze.

Another shift. Still west. It was getting closer.

Slowly as I could manage, I turned my head to face east, making sure the hood of my cloak overshadowed the features of my face, thus concealing my orange muzzle within the green brush. My heart pounded in my ears, muscle tightening from standing completely still for an agonizing amount of time. But I knew the moment I moved, a keen eye would catch me out of position. Trust the cloak, and I would not be seen.

The sound of movement through the brush crept closer still.

The blades of grass in front of my face rustled. My heartbeat deafening in my ears. I held my breath out of anticipation and fear this thing could hear me.

A grey and white hoof slide out of the brush as smooth as the wind, barely making a sound. From the position of the keratin, they were facing towards the clearing. I could easily reach out and grab my opponent’s hoof if I was crazy enough to dare it.

A gleam of metal reflecting off the small bit of sunlight filtering through the leaves came into view, a breath away from my muzzle. The blade end of a spear.

For an instant, the atmosphere shifted. The hoof pivoted, facing my direction now. The spear tip slowly lifted out of view. Either she was about to move or use her spear. Couldn’t take either chance.

Now!

I launched myself underneath the stalker in a roll, sweeping through the legs in a surprise attack. The female stalker gasped sharply as her body tumbled over me and on her side. The hood over my head prevented me from getting a clear view for a few precious seconds, but I wasted no time leaping into my combat stance.

With the element of surprise gone, I drew the combat staff tucked on the underside of my armor and flicked it opened in my forehoof, extending into a fully drawn quarterstaff. I twisted my body to face my attacker. Nothing.

I blinked. Where did she go?

Leaves shuffled to my right.

I leapt away just as the spear swooped down where I stood, the wood portion of the bladed side striking air. With a pivot I faced the direction of the attack, only catching the tail end of a mud-brown cloak slipping behind the tree. I darted forward and around the tree.

Quick reflexes saved me as I ducked below the butt of the spear and followed up with my own thrust. The cloaked pony spun behind the tree, keeping it between us.

The cover was only for a moment, as the hooded opponent made swift strikes from around cover, keeping me at bay. I paused and waited for the fourth strike. Seconds past with nothing. That is, until I heard quick shuffling of movement drifting away. I sprang forward in hot pursuit.

Noting the attacks thrown my way, I was surprised that my Sentry Sense didn’t kick in. This meant my opponent was using non-lethal strikes, likely trying to capture me or simply avoid killing. Looks like I would have to rely on good old fashioned technique and reflexes to see me through this fight.

The stalker slipped through the forest with practiced ease, weaving and dashing through the thick underbrush. Unfortunately for my opponent, I was no slouch to chasing down my targets in a high traffic areas such as forests. Reaction speed and flight was to my advantage as I took flight and darted around trees, vines, and other hazards that attempted to impede me.

I was gaining on the interloper when she suddenly disappeared behind a tight collection of trees and vines. Immediately I threw myself underneath the foliage. My breathing was forced to be subdued and deliberate, reducing as much noise as possible while also keeping my ears and eyes peeled.

A shift to the west. Subtle. Quick.

I was about to move until my instincts warned me to wait it out.

Seconds later, rapid movement rushed towards me from the east, only to pause as they realized too late I did not fall for their bluff, likely a thrown rock or stick to make me go after it.

Dodging the overhead strike from the assailant’s spear, I slammed my staff on top of theirs, forcing their spear tip to embed itself into the ground long enough to get a few quick strikes in with my wing tips, aiming for the legs to trip them up. Rather than release the spear, they hopped to the side while still maintaining their grip, using the shift to rip their spear from the ground.

CLACK-CLACK-CLACK

Our respective polearms clashed against each other in rapid succession, attempting to parry one another or sneak in a decisive strike. A few blade strokes scratched against my armor while a few of my strikes scored a few grazing blows across the forehooves and chest.

She was annoyingly agile. Hopping over my sweeping leg strikes and jumping across wide distances like it was nothing. I could tell my wing strikes were throwing her off, utilizing three weapons to their one. However, she adjusted quickly and made sure to keep a reasonable distance so I couldn’t attempt to strike or disable them.

During our third clash, I sensed an opportunity to score a head strike and took it. Unfortunately, she seemed to have noticed the same and attempted to strike my own head with the backside of her spear. Our respective attacks narrowly missed their mark, but ended up knocking the hoods off our heads.

Exposed, we jumped away, taking the moment to recognize the other while catching our breath. Neither of us dropped our guard.

“Hold on… Zecora?” I asked.

The grey-striped zebra took a few gulps of air before speaking. “Indeed, that is me. Are you the one known as Flash Sentry?”

“Yeah. I’m the one guarding Twilight. Why are you sneaking up on me?”

After a beat, Zecora relaxed her stance, turning her weapon into a prop to stand with. “My intentions were not malicious. I only followed because you seemed suspicious. I noticed you sleuthing about with curiosity in your eyes. As one who lives alone, nothing’s worse than a nasty surprise.”

I nodded and lowered my weapon, standing at attention. There was no telling if this Zecora was real or a changeling, but as long as I watched what I said or did, hopefully it wouldn’t matter.

“Fair enough. I didn’t mean to scare you, Zecora.”

“All is forgiven, for neither of us were harmed. But I fear your presence here does have me quite alarmed. You’re dressed as if preparing for war. Tell me; what have you come into this forest for?”

Wow, she really does rhyme whenever she talks. Zecora would make a killer lyricist.

I had to watch my answers here. If she was a Changeling, this could easily blow my cover. “I haven’t really had a good look into this forest, so I figured I would give it a look and see if there’s anything worth noting. Have to make sure to identify as many threats in the forest as I can.”

“I see. Your need to ensure security is rather profound.” Zecora suddenly paused to think to herself. Considering that sentence didn’t rhyme, I toyed with the idea that she was attempting to find a sentence to rhyme with. “Actually, if you have a moment, I would like to show you something I’ve recently found.”

Nailed it. “Something you’ve found?”

“Yes. Even for Everfree, what I saw is rather distressing. Should things continue, our troubles will be quickly progressing. To describe it to you now may not make much sense. But if you come with me, you will see what’s made me so tense.”

“Alright. Lead the way.” I fell into step with Zecora as we made our way north.

We weaved through winding pathways and towering trees. Zecora’s knowledge of the forest proved invaluable as she pointed out danger zones and shortcuts to avoid ravines and marshes, all of which I jotted down in my pocket map to help me navigate.

Just like earlier, carcasses of eviscerated animals were littered across the forest. Zecora warned that this was abnormal behavior for the predators of Everfree, further confirming my fears of something nefarious going down in this forest.

Along the way, my curiosity about Zecora started eating at me. There wasn’t much information about her, only that she was friends with Twilight, was a sort of an apothecary and botanist, and lived in Everfree. The way she wielded her spear and moved, though... she definitely had some training.

“Hey Zecora, where did you learn to wield a spear like that?” I asked.

“The basics of survival and defense were taught to me by a wise teacher back home. The rest came from nature, constantly teaching me the skills I needed to hone. I suppose I could ask you the same. Your skill with the staff is worthy of acclaim.”

“A lot of my training also came from experience, but I have to give credit to my old combat instructor, Azure Striker.” I haven’t seen him in ages ever since he transferred back to Canterlot to train the soldiers there. Hopefully he’s doing well. “But I can see why you were able to survive out here. You can certainly defend yourself.”

“My skill with the spear does help me survive. But it is not the sole reason I thrive.”

“Really? How do you manage dealing with the predators around you, then?”

Zecora smiled mysteriously. “That is a story to tell another day. Let’s just say the voice of the land shows me the way.”

Well that answered absolutely nothing. But if we’re on the subject of mysteries, I did have one question I wondered about. “Do all zebras rhyme like that, or is that just your thing?”

She quirked an eyebrow at me. “I don’t know what you mean. To rhyme all the time would be most obscene.”

I narrowed my eyes suspiciously. “You can’t be serious. You just rhymed!”

“I assure you that I’m not playing a game. I know not of these rhymes that you claim. But let’s not worry about these so-called rhymes you have stuck in your head. Let’s focus on the issue at hoof instead.”

Perhaps I was crazy, but I could’ve sworn I saw the ghost of a smile playing on Zecora’s lips as she pressed on. I said nothing further on it as I followed, unamused at whatever joke she playing.

The further we traveled towards the center of Everfree, the lower the temperature dropped. Whenever I asked about what was going on or inquired about the abnormal drop in temperature, she simply said I would understand in time. Not to say she had been vague with every answer, as she shared advice involving safe paths and danger zones within Everfree. Though I was confident I could easily fly out of here if danger struck, I was grateful for the knowledge. Never know when you would need to know your exits.

It was almost dusk by the time we were on the approach. I had no idea what to expect, but made sure I had my staff ready to fight at a moment’s notice.

“Beyond these trees is the troubling mess. Let us proceed so you can better assess.” Zecora weaved her way through a congested mess of trees, disappearing through the tall brush. I followed behind her, noting that the grass and leaves around this area seemed as though they were wilting and graying.

Once I emerged on the other side, a wave of shock struck me at the sight, rendering me speechless.

“So now you see why I waited to explain, ” Zecora said. “I admit, upon seeing this, I thought I was going insane.”

“I… can definitely understand.” I couldn’t stop staring at the sight before me.

This mission had just gotten a lot more complicated.

Author's Notes:

What's up, my fellow paladins?

Feels good to get into some action and mystery, now with more Zecora!

Zecora was both complex and rather entertaining to write for. Attempting to string together rhymes while making the dialog entertaining without coming off cringy requires a particular mindset. I can see Zecora being the type who can have fun with the fact she is such an enigma with ponies. I feel she has loads of potential, and I want to milk as much potential out of her as I can.

As for this chapter, things are certainly getting spicy. Flash deciding to ride it solo will definitely make things interesting. At least he has company as he dives head first into the dreaded and totally scary Everfree Forest. Surely nothing bad will happen there, right?

Right?

So I'm super curious to see everyone's thoughts. What do you think Zecora showed Flash? What's really going on? Looking forward to see everyone's thoughts.

Until next chapter, stay classy, my paladins.

Chapter 14: The invasion from within

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My blood chilled at the sight, though whether it was due to shock or the massive drop in temperature that seemed to flow from the cavern’s maw, I couldn’t tell. The bones and discarded remains of devoured animals was proof that whatever lived in that cave was not to be taken lightly. Though it wasn't the biggest cave, the presence it gave off warned that delving inside without a plan was a fool’s errand.

All of this paled in the face of one alarming fact: I was fetlock-deep in snow.

Tiny icicles hung from tree branches closest to the cave. Layers of thick snow trailed out of the opening, frost coating the outer lining of the cave’s mouth. My wings tingled with a strong, uncomfortable sensation as I observed this frozen portion of Everfree. I had to remind myself that we were not even in summer, yet this area looked like it was dead set into the winter.

We treaded closer to the cave, minding every step to avoid noise. Some of the remains looked broken in unnatural ways, as if frozen solid first and then shattered into thick chunks of ice. Even more alarming were the tracks in the snow, which I wasted no time attempting to decipher. The deep impression and lack of leaves on the snow told me something moderately large left the cave somewhat recently. Hopefully none of its friends were still here.

“Zecora, when did you notice this?” I asked quietly.

“Early this morning I encountered this patch of snow. Whether it was there beforehoof, I don’t know. The last few weeks have been most bizarre, but this snow is the strangest thing I’ve seen so far.”

“The last few weeks?” I had a bad feeling about this. “How many weeks do you mean exactly?”

Zecora paused to think. “Three weeks, maybe a few days past that I would say. I’ve been busy, so I don’t always keep track of the day.”

So right around the time I first arrived. Definitely sensing a pattern.

“Zecora, please tell me everything you can about the bizarre happenings in those weeks.”

“The first night I knew something was amiss was quite clear. I happened to be in town gathering last minute supplies when I heard a piercing howl rip through the air. When I rushed for the source at the edge of town, I saw no danger worthy of fear. When I witnessed explosions and light within the forest I rushed as fast as I could to see what was happening there. But I was too late, nopony or clues were anywhere near. All I knew was that whatever happened was only the start of the despair.”

Zecora’s expression hardened as her eyes scanned the area, ears occasionally twitching. “Things only got stranger as the creatures of the forest grew feral. At times I feared my own life was in peril. The herbs and moss I used for protection kept the creatures at bay. Despite it being the season of mating, this level of violence is certainly not nature’s way.”

Unnatural violence in an already dangerous forest. No denying the pathos had a field day here. Yet that didn’t explain the snow I was seeing here, nor the fact I couldn’t see this level of frost when I was above. The only conclusion I could make was that the frost didn’t come from above the trees, but rather ground level. Something was capable of producing ice. Something likely involving that cave.

“Zecora, do you know what lives in there?”

“Timberwolves reside in this cave. For wooden beast to live in this frozen climate, they are either foolish or brave.”

That was an interesting thought. If the wilting leaves and trees blackened from frostburn were any indication, Timberwolves couldn’t survive for long here. But if that was the case, the Timberwolf tracks shouldn’t be so fresh. This was starting to make less sense with each passing second.

Going into my saddlebag, I pulled out a chrome-colored metal box. Sitting it on the ground I flipped the lock and opened it, revealing several small jars comfortably settled in velvet insulation. With the jars I started scooping up samples of whatever I could fit: snow, frostburned tree bark, and frozen pieces of the cadavers. Just enough of a sample size to get it to Sunburst later to have analyzed.

Zecora tilted her head as she watched me gather seemingly random materials. “What do you make of this bizarre snow? If there is a secret to be found, I would love to know.”

“You and me both. Wish I had an answer,” I replied. Once I collected enough samples, I packed the case back into my saddlebag.

I didn’t want to linger around here any longer than I had to, but there was one more place I needed to investigate. If Zecora was a Changeling in disguise, she was the last pony I would want to have around me for this.

“Thanks for showing me this, Zecora. I shall look into this further. Go ahead and head back.”

Zecora shook her head. “Silly pony, did you believe I would simply return to my home after bringing you here? If so, then allow me to make my intentions clear. I’m not going to turn a blind eye to this blight. If there is danger to be found, I will stay with you and fight.”

I fixed her a small frown. “Look, I appreciate it, but I would rather not put you at risk if I can avoid it. Please, go back.”

“You are free to return to safety, if you desire. However, I will not ignore an issue this dire.”

My eyes narrowed. “As a member of the Royal Guard, I cannot let you put yourself in needless danger. Please go back.”

An amused smile danced on her muzzle. “A member of the Royal Guard, indeed you are. But you must not be a big fan of rules if you waited to speak of this until I’ve come this far. A timberwolf, if hungry, even alone, is no runt. Is it wise to send me back, alone, to face their hunt?

I paused to take a calming breath. The last thing I wanted to do was to continue arguing in front of the Timberwolf den. Zecora was clearly not going to comply, and going inside the cave alone with her without knowing if she was Changeling was out of the question. Even worse, she had a point: sending her back alone was a major oversight on my part, and in retrospect I should have asked for a map and went in alone.

My shoulders sagged as I sighed in surrender. I was starting to wish Trojan was here to verify if Zecora was a—

The moment the thought entered my head I facehoofed. I actually wanted Trojan’s help. I refused to go crawling back to that Changeling for help. Even if having her help would solve this dilemma in one fell swoop and provide valuable backup upon finding a threat, I needed to deal with this without her help.

I flinched at the touch on my shoulder, my eyes locking onto a concerned Zecora. Her tone and expression softened. “There is more to your frustration than this mess. I’m willing to lend an ear if you want to release some stress.”

My eyes locked on hers for a moment before I tore my glance away. The offer was inviting for sure, but discussing that particular topic would only serve to annoy me further. Caught between a rock and a hard place, the only sensible course of action was to escort her back and deal with this another time.

Just as I prepared to call this expedition to an end, a guttural, distorted growl rippled through the air.

Immediately, we drew our weapons and stood back-to-back, searching for the source. The growl was too difficult to pinpoint where it came from, but it was very close by.

A tingling sensation coursed through the back of my neck, accompanied by tightening of muscles and sharpening of senses.

One of us was about to die.

With only a few scant seconds to react to the unseen threat, my eyes swept around to see what was trying to kill us. My answer came in the form of a thick shard of ice rushing out of the west side bush and toward Zecora’s temple.

I shoved her aside just as the shard slipped past us and shattered against the tree. Two more shards shot out, this time toward me. I rolled to avoid the shards and bounced to my hooves, readying myself as I took position between the attacking source and the now recovering Zecora.

The foliage blackened and fell apart in the wake of the creature that leapt out from cover. What I noticed immediately was the wooden body frame of the creature, unnaturally formed together in the shape of a wolf that stood almost twice as tall as me. It leered at us with hungry, glowing eyes. By definition I knew this to be a Timberwolf, but this didn’t look like any Timberwolf I’ve ever seen before.

The darkened wood limbs were covered in a thick layer of ice that conformed to its wolf design with jagged edges. The mere presence of this abnormal Timberwolf drained heat from the area and chilled it even further. Eyes that should have glowed green from its unique magic now flashed white, reminiscent of Thorax when he went berserk.

Those eyes landed on me as the wolf opened its mouth, a swirl of black energy forming in its maw.

Within seconds, a flurry of ice shards rushed in my direction. I propelled myself through the air using my staff to dodge. One of the shards flew past my head and grazed my cheek. The other tore through a few of my left feathers, thankfully not enough to affect my ability to fly. I took to the air to strafe around the wolf, allowing Zecora to flank it.

In the span of three swift cuts, slicing into the frozen frame, Zecora was in and out of the Timberwolf’s paw range, narrowly avoiding a furious swipe. Keeping her body low, she moved at sporadic patterns and speeds to throw off the Timberwolf’s ability to land a blow on her. A quick juke to the side from Zecora made the Timberwolf stumble.

I dove in from behind, driving my blade into its back. It howled and glared back at me, jaw opened.

The energy that swirled and prepared to blast me was stopped by Zecora’s blade as she sliced through its jaw, dismembering it.

That gave me the chance to get a few more stabs in before hovering away, keeping a safe distance away from the Timberwolf. So far so good.

Until a white aura covered the wolf.

The change was slight, but the Timberwolf grew slightly taller. The wounds we inflicted rapidly healed. Where Zecora sliced off the jaw, ice extruded and formed a new, sharper jaw. While the wooden frame beneath the ice was still severed or damaged, the iced portion made up for it.

Zecora distanced herself from the Timberwolf, teeth gnashed together with frustration. “Something most foul is at play. Direct combat is no longer the way.”

The Timberwolf looked between both of us, likely trying to figure out who to strike first. I also kept a reasonable distance. “In which case, I think it’s time we got out of here.”

“That is a wise plan, that I cannot deny. However, there is one answer to this madness I would like to try. I may have something to end this battle swiftly. All I ask is for you to distract it while I prepare it quickly.”

I looked between Zecora and the Timberwolf, whose eyes began lingering on me. Looks like I was being considered the bigger fish to fry. If Zecora had a trick up her sleeve that might bring this monster down, I was all for it. It would also provide more data if there were more Timberwolves like this one.

“You get one shot. If this doesn’t work, we’re out of here,” I said.

“Agreed. Hopefully, one shot is all I need.” With that, Zecora distanced herself further and got to work. What the nature of that work was, I had no time to analyze as a pair of ice shards were launched in my direction, faster than before.

I dropped to the ground to avoid the attacks and swooped in to score a few quick strikes. Barely a nick into the frame that might as well be armor now. The tingling in the back of my neck triggered as the wolf’s paw clawed at me with alarming speed. It wasn’t until one of the swings I blocked sent me flying that I fully understood the damage an unblocked swing would have done to my skull. Time for a change of strategy.

Stabbing my spear into the frozen earth to keep it still, I flexed my legs and flared out my wings as I waited for the charging Timberwolf to approach. Three meters. Two. One.

Let’s rock.

I swiped the snow and threw it at its face as it lifted a paw to strike. It blinked. The paw struck air. By the time the Timberwolf realized I was to its left, it received another flurry of snow to the face. It turned quickly and pounced where I was half a second ago.

Suddenly, it released a howl of pain as my back hooves crashed into its back kneecap, shattering it. So far so good.

Though the broken knee was already healing, the drop of speed the creature suffered in the meantime allowed me to flip over its back and fly toward its face, unleashing a barrage of hoof strikes. Without much time to do any damage, I aimed for the ears and eyes, crunching and cracking its flimsier wooden parts beneath my hooves and knocking its head back. Still, the shock in my legs from striking such a tough hide was very noticeable, and would tire me out quick if I didn't find a weak spot.

I flapped my wings to fly out of reach, but it grabbed my leg faster than I could move, slamming me into the ground like a ragdoll. Celestia that hurt like a bitch!

It’s paw pressed onto my chest to keep me pinned, the only thing saving my life being my armor and inability to let this bastard win without a fight. I punched at the paw with all of my might, struggling under its grip. I was definitely in trouble here.

The wolf lurched forward, its chilling breath causing me to shiver. Jaws open, I noticed the swirl of energy in its mouth like it was preparing another shard projectile. Instead, it was a white vortex of magic essence similar to what I saw when Thorax was infecting Carrot Cake. Something about it felt oddly alive.

Within the vortex, I heard something that was almost imperceptible until I listened closely. Was that… laughter?

“You will do.”

Now I know I’m going crazy. The Timberwolf’s mouth did not move, but I knew I heard something. I had no time to ponder what when I noticed Zecora flanking the wolf and throwing a brown bag at it. Upon impact, a flurry of sparkling dust fell over the beast. The effect was instant.

At first, it coughed and wheezed after inhaling the substance. Then the legs started shaking, and it stumbled to the side, giving me ample opportunity to roll out of the way.

Wisps of smoke or some other vapor escaped its mouth with each cough, keeping the wolf off-balance, staggering about in a drunken fashion. The magic in its eyes flickered weakly as its limbs struggled to maintain its connection.

Now was the time for me to strike while it was vulnerable.

It let loose a pained, ear-piercing howl, a perfect clue that it had cleared its airways just enough. Before it could recover, though, I rolled over my blade that was nearby, came up in a crouch, and launched forward with an overhead swing right between its eyes.

The forged steel blade of my swordstaff met hard wood fiber with an intense crunch. Its head, likely weakened already from the freezing of its natural hide, split like a melon, following the downward force of my weapon all the way to the ground. A mixture of greenish sap-like blood and white powder that might have been ice crystals spewed out of the hole that was once the timberwolf's forehead.

Like a puppet with its strings cut, the creature crumpled to the turf with a loud thump. Silence fell over us as the bright magic flaring in its eyes faded. The Timberwolf laid still and silent.

My battle stance lingered for a few more seconds, awaiting any more surprises. I belatedly pulled the business end of my staff out of the timberwolf's head. Interestingly, nearly all the greenish sap that had collected on the blade was… hardening, as though it had just decided to give up the whole idea of moving. I tossed an incredulous look at Zecora. “What in the world was in that stuff, and where can I get it?”

Zecora laughed. “Timberwolves are animated by magic. The right mixture of ingredients interrupts the flow and grants them an end most tragic. Perhaps we can discuss this later when we leave this place. Should we linger further, there may be more danger to face.”

A shrill wail suddenly ripped through the air, causing us to freeze in place. That didn’t sound like any creature I recognized. A haunting dread creeped into my spine.

Any elation we had at taking down the Timberwolf vanished as we caught sight of the white essence flowing through the broken wolf and emerging from the husk. It looked like its very life force was pulled into the swirling vortex above where the wolf lay.

The energy stretched and contorted until it took the form of an abnormally tall equine. White outlines painted the picture of an otherwise ghostly presence. Piercing azure eyes materialized, staring into our souls. As it floated onto the ground, frost spread wherever it touched, the very atmosphere drained instantly of heat.

Zecora’s jaw dropped as she stared at this ghostly pony, her mouth moving but not forming words. Once the clues clicked into place, my expression followed suit.

The rage-related magic. Bizarre weather patterns. All of the ice and chilling presence brought with this thing’s presence. I knew what this creature was. I couldn’t believe it, but I couldn’t deny what was right in front of me.

It was a windigo.

Fierce eyes glared murderously at Zecora, who stood rooted to the ground with pure terror in her features. Another angry, blood-curdling howl ripped from its lungs as it rushed forward. Training and ingrained instincts broke me out of my own stupor and allowed me to take action.

“ZECORA!”

I dove towards her, shoving her away from the charge. With my Sentry Sense, I knew it would give me the boost I needed to dodge this powerful charge.

It never triggered.

The windigo crashed into me with hurricane force, sending me tumbling across the ground. I couldn’t stop myself from shivering as my body seemed to drop in temperature. Expecting another attack, I quickly bounced back onto my hooves and readied myself to face the windigo.

It was gone.

My heart raced mile a minute as I tried to process what happened. The windigo crashed into me, then suddenly vanished. Did it run away? Tackle through me? I shivered as I looked around for any sign where it went.

“Where did that damn ghost go?!” My voice came out a little stronger than I would have liked. Then again, my nerves were shot to Tartarus from acknowledging that freaking windigos even existed. That’s when I noticed Zecora staring at me, shock etched into her face.

Zecora made several false starts to speak, gaping. After a few tense seconds, she fixed me with a hard look.

“Though I wish it wasn’t true, the spirit went inside you.”

My heart skipped a beat.

“W...what?” I asked once I found my voice.

“The spirit, that windigo, is inside you,” Zecora repeated. “You must remain calm, no matter what you do.”

Memories flashed of Pinkie Pie when she was possessed by pathos. So much rage and destructive power. If that same force was now dwelling in me, then that meant I would suffer the same fate. If I lashed out like that at Zecora… or even Twilight...

Words were coming out of Zecora’s mouth, but all I could hear was my own heartbeat and rapid breathing. What was a windigo even capable of doing inside a body? Could it be listening to my thoughts right now? Would I lose control and hurt Zecora? What could I do to get it out?

“...ash… own… Flash, please calm down!”

I blinked as I found myself being shaken out of my frozen state by Zecora. Once I found my senses, I gently peeled her hooves off my shoulders and smiled apologetically. “I’m good now, Zecora, thanks.”

“Don’t thank me yet,” Zecora said grimly. “I know next to nothing about how to deal with this threat. If the windigo was capable of corruption this strong, in regards to your health and safety, there’s no telling what could go wrong.”

As if on cue, a cacophony of howls echoed around us. Timberwolf howls.

Zecora just had to ask the universe for trouble, didn’t she?

“We’ll deal with that windigo later,” I said as I made for the treeline we came from. Zecora nodded and followed.

As we made our mad dash away from the den and howls, the chill never left me. There was a disturbing sense that I was being watched.

We were about to burst through the trees when we stopped dead in our tracks, using the trees for cover. Danger greeted us in the form of three Timberwolves, each covered in ice and of a similar, but smaller build to the one we defeated. The howling around us intensified, the wolves in front of us waiting for dinner to arrive. I cursed under my breath. Not good.

WIth the windigo dwelling inside me, we couldn’t afford to be delayed. My attention went towards Zecora, whose eyes narrowed at the wolves prepared to pounce us any minute. Her safety needed to be my number one priority, and I knew only one method to secure that.

I pulled Zecora close enough for us to whisper. “Listen. I need you to take my saddle bag, which has the samples we collected, and take it to Spike. When I give you the signal, I need you to gallop as fast as you can to the castle. Don’t fight unless you absolutely have to. No matter what you see me do or what happens to me, don’t stop running.”

Zecora blinked as she fixed me an odd look. “And what about you? While I am running for my life, what shall you do?”

Unsaddling my bag of samples and supplies, I hoofed it over to her.

“My job.”

I am now convinced that all of Everfree is trying to kill us.

The moment Zecora and I made our blitz for the exit, it was a never-ending barrage of predators coming at us. The Timberwolves came at us in droves, as more attempted to flank us from all directions. Though the corruption that turned them into frozen variants of Timberwolves was still present, our only solace was the much lower severity. The downside was their numbers.

For the sake of speed, I took into the air, crossing through gaps and breaks of the trees while staying as close to Zecora as possible. Though she was far more agile on the ground, sliding under vines and leaping across hazards and obstacles with shocking ease, I was more than capable of slipping around the trappings of Everfree as long as I was able to stay in the air, occasionally slipping in and out the surface of the treeline to maximize my mobility and keep Zecora and any ambush zones in my sights.

This combination worked well to our advantage. I was able to swoop in and pick off pursuing predators while Zecora used both the environment and her supply of powdery concoctions just as skilfully as her spear, keeping as many obstacles between her and her pursuers as possible to slow them down. Yet they still continued chasing and somehow finding us, as if they had a perfect way to track us.

Through all of the fighting and running, I’d begun to notice strange sensations and shifts in my stamina and strength. Every blow exchanged, whether a Timberwolf struck me or I cut them, a burst of heat flooded my veins and invigorated me. The slowly dwindling number of Timberwolves was growing easier to take down. Each bear, giant python, and chimera that rushed at us with murderous fervor went from harrowing encounters to bumps on the road before me. I felt like I could take down anything.

“Over here! Hurry!” Zecora cried out to me as she tore down the path, tripping the lone Timberwolf that attempted to swipe at her with a sweep of her spear.

“Keep going! I’ll hold them off!” With a cry, I dove in from above the tree line and thrusted both of my back hooves into the face of the chasing Timberwolf, shattering the thin layer of ice and the wood structure beneath. It collapsed, thankfully tripping over one of its overeager buddies. That bought me enough time to end its chase with a blade to the head before I hurried behind Zecora on hoof, several more Timberwolves in hot pursuit. I was surprised to find they didn’t have the healing factor like the first one.

I quickly recognized the path we were crossing. This winding path lead through a rocky ravine that we used to cross dangerous territory without notice. Once we crossed this path, the exit wouldn’t be much farther.

Rushing through this ravine blind was not a smart move, and it was evident from Zecora’s heavy breathing and slowing pace that marathoning this long path was that much less an option, especially since night was quickly approaching. I would rather not have Zecora collapse in exhaustion while we were being hunted.

“Zecora, find a spot to hide and rest up! I’ll cover you!”

She slowed down and looked back at me, her face riddled with confusion and sweat. “Just… a little… further…!”

...She had a point.

The sooner we were out of this forest, the sooner she could rest. She might get a little tuckered out, but Zecora was strong. I knew she could make it.

A distant memory flashed in my mind just as I opened my mouth to tell Zecora to keep going.

“We can’t keep this up, L.T.”

“You can’t be serious. We’ve already come this far. We can’t give up on them.”

“This is different. We’re not giving up on them, but they won’t last like this. We need to push them, not break them. Let them ride this out as a victory, and we can build them from there.”

That snapped me back to my senses. We had to be smart about this.

“No, we need to rest!” I quickly scanned our surroundings. Only a few meters away was a small cave big enough to fit us into. It would have to do. “Hide in that cave over there-gah!” I gasped as a chill ripped through my chest. What in the world was that?

Zecora’s worried glance lingered for a few moments before she nodded and altered her course for the cave I'd pointed out.

That plan immediately fell through as she narrowly dodged a Timberwolf pouncing down at her from above, scrambling toward me. The wolf didn’t advance immediately, but was smart enough to stand in front of the cavern entrance. I spun around and slid into a halt, standing back to back with Zecora.

With a quick headcount, I saw that five Timberwolves blocked off the path we came from. Four more jumped from the topside of the ravine on the other side, cutting off our escape in a pincer attack. My condition wasn’t much better than our predicament.

My armor was cracked, my steadily growing number of wounds bled profusely, and my bruises darkened from repeated impact. Though I couldn’t feel the pain, exhaustion threatened to take over my consciousness with occasional spurts of dizziness and migraines. Zecora didn’t have nearly as many injuries, but I doubt she had the bolstering effects I did, leading to the disheveled state she was in now. Admittedly, this was a grim position to be in.

It startled me to feel my staff wobbling in my hooves. Took a second to realize I was actually shaking. The reality was setting in: we were about to die.

What hit me hardest was that I screwed up.

This entire disaster of a scouting run could have been avoided if I simply sucked it up and stuck around for the meeting. No wonder Shining contemplated taking me out of the mission; he wanted to avoid a situation like this. Everypony must be pissed that I turned out to truly be a failure after all.

I failed Zecora. I failed my current team. I failed my previous team during the invasion. Shining Armor, Spike, Twilight, Trojan, and even Sunset Shimmer. My life has been nothing but a road paved with defeat, and this was the culmination of that fact.

Until the very end, I was a failure. The Changelings won.

“...No.”

My grip tightened on the shaft of my staff in a vice. Not this time. It can’t end like this. It won’t end like this.

“No fear…!”

Wings flared out in defiance of the fate I was given. To die now would be to fail Equestria. We can’t let the enemy win. Never again.

“Yes I can…!”

My flared nostrils took in the smell of blood and smoke around me. Screams and agony filled my ears. Ponies crying for help, pleading for somepony to save them. The Changelings were going to kill them all!

“No mercy...!”

The ice that had settled in my veins from fear burned away in unrestrained fury. Adrenaline and resolve flooded my system.

We are not dying tonight.

They are.

“NO RESPITE!”

Unleashing a soul-crushing battle cry, I hurled myself headfirst into the half dozen pack of Timberwolves.

Their movements were like molasses as I weaved my blade and hoof strikes through them. Limbs splintered from my blade strokes. Wooden skulls shattered under my hooves. Every injury or cut I received only fueled my strength and resolve further, all of my pain channeled through my hooves and into their fragile bodies. It didn’t take long to kill them.

The instant I finished my side, I turned around and rushed at the remaining enemies. Suddenly, four Changelings had joined the fight in place of the Timberwolves, assaulting a familiar lime-colored mare with a short, teal mane where Zecora had been previously. I didn’t allow my momentum to drop as I grabbed one their heads and smashed it into the cracked pavement of the street.

With a spin, I locked eyes with the second Changeling and hurled my staff. The blow connected, impaling the Changeling into the side of a posh building. One of them bit into my foreleg in a vain attempt to rip it off. I returned its attempts in kind, using my other hoof to smash its face repeatedly until it caved in and shattered like glass.

The last one rushed at me in a blind rage, jaws open to devour me. With a strike to the temple, I floored the bug and immediately pounced on it, raining blow after blow until I was sure it stopped moving. Served them right.

With the current threat eliminated, I yanked my staff out of the wall of the building, the Changeling I had impaled falling slump to the ground. I turned towards the mare I saved, who in turn looked paralyzed with fear.

“Nitro, are you hurt?”

She gulped after a few false starts, catching her breath, “Flash, I know not of this Nitro you speak. However, you are clearly not well and medical attention we must seek!”

I’ve never heard her speak like this before. Perhaps it was a case of shellshock distorting her perception of reality. No choice then.

Before she could have a chance to refuse, I slipped her on my back, using my wings to provide support. “No time! I’ll get you as far as I can, but we have to rally our team and reach Shining Armor and Cadance before it’s too late!” I mustered my newfound strength and made a mad dash for the Canterlot Castle.

I had no idea how long I was running for, riding on pure adrenaline and rage. The damage to Canterlot was extensive; fallen debris, both pony and Changeling corpses, and collapsed buildings impairing my path as if I was in a concrete forest. Nitro kept muttering something about illusions and seeing things. Typical side effect of dealing with Changeling mind control magic. I couldn’t take any of her words seriously, but would definitely find her help the moment I found the rest of my squad.

I was about to find my way out of the residential district and into the castle grounds when, in amidst the flames and debris, I found another one of my allies. The youngest in the Royal Guard, but definitely one of the brightest soldiers; Wind Stride. His dark purple coat and bright green mane stuck out like a sore hoof.

Unfortunately, he was surrounded by Changelings.

I placed Nitro on the ground as carefully and quickly as possible, making sure she didn’t end up getting herself hurt. “I’ll save Wind Stride. Go seek help.”

“But—”

“Look, there’s no time to talk! Get your head together and do your duty! We can’t let the Changelings take over Canterlot!”

With my sights set on the true enemy, I took into the air, preparing a surprise attack for the bastards.

They wouldn't know what hit them.

Chapter 15: Unravel

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“This meeting is officially concluded, then. Dismissed.”

Shining’s image faded from view and left Trojan and I alone. The stiff silence between us didn’t last long as Trojan faced me, eyes full of cold focus.

“Change of plans,” Trojan announced. That low and even tone carried a foreboding vibe that filled me with dread. That feeling doubled when she dropped the concealing magic over her forehooves, revealing eight black sheathes carrying daggers.

I gulped. Definitely not liking where this was going.

“Oh, uh, okay. What are we doing?” I asked.

Trojan ignored my question and went for the latches that secured her daggers, unlocking three of the straps, and placing them on the floor before me as if she was laying a foal to rest. I was reminded of some sort of traditional ritual similar to a Royal Guard being knighted.

“These are Niekinis blades,” Trojan said. “They are crafted out of Niekinian alloy, which are impervious to the touch of magic. They will shatter shields, dispel illusions, and in some cases, grant resistance from a variety of mental spells as long as these are sheathed on your person.”

“They’re that powerful?!” I gasped, only to swallow hard at the thought of those lethal blades being pointed at Twilight.

“Correct. These daggers are extremely rare, so protect them with your life. Nopony can know that you have these. Is that clear?” When her eyes went to meet mine, the sharp stare chilled my spine. I nodded. “Good. Now put these on and get ready for weapons training.”

Her speech came off clipped, coupled with underlying hostility. The gleam of the serrated blades reminded me of the conversation we had concerning killing. I frowned.

“Why are you giving me these? I mean, I know times are dangerous, but I couldn’t use these against anypony. You’re better off keeping them.”

Anger flashed in her gaze before she blinked them away. She settled for a frosty look. “You may be forced to make a choice. Perhaps it is your own life at stake. Perhaps somepony else’s life. But one day, especially knowing now that Elytra is involved, you may very well have to choose who lives and who dies. This isn’t about which you choose. This is about making sure you are ready and able to choose.”

I wanted to argue the point, only to catch the dip of tone when she spoke of Elytra. Had Trojan not made me practice picking up on such minute clues, I would’ve missed the melancholy in her voice.

I relented for now and nodded, my disdain for those weapons clear on my face. Trojan stopped channeling and opened her eyes, a focused gaze honed into my own. “Strap them where they will be easiest for you to draw them.”

A faint glow of green magic burned off the sheathes like magic vapor. After brief hesitation, contemplating if I should even touch them, I bent down and grasped one of the daggers. Warmth shot through my hand, a sharp tingle of electricity coursed through my body. Once the magic subsided, the dagger handle, sheath and strap faded into a ghostly transparency.

“Whoa…!” When I placed the dagger back on the ground, it was opaque again.

“I’ve enchanted them so the spell will only take effect when their owner, now you, is in contact. While you are touching the daggers, only you can see them. Now put them on.”

Though I’ve never used daggers before, I’ve read enough comic books about cool-looking assassins to get an idea. Two of them I strapped to my waist, a dagger on each side of my hips. The final one I decided to strap on the edge of my tail for easy access.

“Say, why did you give me three?” I asked. Trojan smiled.

“Two more daggers than your enemies will suspect.”

She changed disguises to look exactly like me. The grim look on her face never left as she stood across from me. It made my skin crawl to see my own face look like that.

“Move like I do,” she instructed.

Trojan drew a dagger from her hip sheath and held the blade upside down. Once I mimicked the action, her posture changed to a boxer’s combat stance, fist raised to guard the chin and balanced on the balls of her feet. I recalled a similar pose from Flash when he was giving me the basics for hoof-to-hoof combat.

“This stance maximizes your mobility and defenses while allowing swift attacks. Observe.”

Trojan performed quick and simple strikes while shifting her movements to either create or close distance, rotating to the side to strike and cut down her invisible opponents.

“Weapons are merely an extension of your body. Your movements must flow like water.”

When she punched, she followed up with a cutting or stabbing strike.

“Don’t always rely on your weapon. Keep your targets guessing.”

She struck with her blade, it followed into a strike with her fist.

“Commit to every movement. Adapt. Strike. Deflect. Your weapon is only as sharp as your wit and technique.”

Each knife and fist strike weaved in and out of each other seamlessly, quick enough to show efficiency but slow enough to let me absorb it. Over the next minute, her pace sped faster and faster, to the point I could hear the blade whistle as it slashed the air.

This Trojan struck me as a contrast to the Changeling I had known for weeks, who was graceful and smooth when she showed me a combat maneuver. Here she moved as if she was cutting down an actual opponent. I couldn't help but imagine that blade sweeping and cutting through somepony or a changeling like Thorax. I didn’t let myself dwell too much on that fact.

Once Trojan finished the demonstration, she returned to her combat stance. “For today, we will stick to mastering your stances and basic strikes. Stay focused, or I will cut you.”

I gulped. Definitely wasn’t looking forward to this kind of training.

“Fix your stance.”

“Position your claws like this. Hold it properly.”

“Pay attention! The last thing I need is for you to cut yourself! Now, again!”

This was the majority of our interactions for the next few hours.

Mind-numbing repetition of the same attacks over and over again. Learning to maneuver on the battlefield. Weaving knife strikes with hand strikes. Once in awhile we built up to more advanced combat maneuvers such as the riposte and parry for defense. Outside whenever I asked a question or a maneuver required explanation, Trojan didn’t speak much except to reprimand me.

“Gah!” I stumbled back to dodge a swift attack.

“Pay attention, you fool!” Trojan pointed her dagger at me, eyes narrowed in disapproval.

“S-sorry!”

“Weapon combat is serious business. If you’re not focused, you will get hurt, or worse! Now, parry rotation!”

Trojan stepped forward and lunged at a careful speed. This gave me ample time to step back and deflect the blade with my own. In turn, I stepped forward and struck like she did. Trojan mimicked my block and struck back with a riposte. Step. Block. Step. Strike. Step. Block. Rinse and repeat.

Whether it was due to so much training by this point or my ability to learn quickly, I was able to pick up on the basics with ease. Every parry and riposte felt natural to my muscle memory. Blade strokes felt as versatile as my punches and kicks. I was nowhere near Trojan’s level, yet I found myself capable of adapting her style.

I hated every second of it.

Once the pace of our exchanges slowed down, I decided to finally tackle the elephant in the room: Flash Sentry.

His outburst stuck out in the back of my mind and refused to get out. Part of me was disgusted with his blatant racism towards Trojan. It was only after Shining Armor told us about his past that I understood where he was coming from. Though it was brief, I did catch a concern look from Trojan after Flash stormed out.

This whole thing is a mess. I have to do something to fix this.

“We need to talk to Flash and get everything sorted out,” I suggested.

“I’ll pass.” Trojan’s blade stroke hesitated for an instant, her expression static. I’d bet my hoard that she was worried about him, yet is either too angry or too proud to admit it. Perhaps both.

“I know he said some hurtful things, and I don’t agree with how he went about everything, but I really think he had good intentions with his reasoning. You can’t blame him for feeling like he did.”

“The road to Tartarus is paved with good intentions.” Trojan’s movements sped up. “He’s just a pig-headed bigot. He can sulk until he turns blue for all I care.” Her blade pushed against mine with increased force.

“That’s pretty unfair. You haven’t exactly helped the issue, either.” I pressed against her attacks with my own riposte. A growl escaped her lips.

“I did what I had to in order to protect our hive. Why should I risk the safety of my entire race for the sake of playing nice with ponies?”

Huh. Why does that sound like something Flash would say?

Upon reflection, I found several similarities between Trojan and Flash. Both could not bring themselves to trust the other and enacted security measures to protect themselves. Though the methods varied, those two resembled each other far more than they would dare admit.

“Trojan, don’t you understand that Flash feels the same way you do?”

I must have surprised her, because her guard was laxed enough for me to push her back. Doubt flickered in her eyes.

“After everything you’ve heard about his past and how you’ve been treating everypony until now, do you seriously think you’re the only one who’s scared to death of making a mistake that can cost the lives of those you care about?”

Her attacks dwindled in strength, face contorted in discomfort. I decided to press the advantage while I had her attention.

“Every single one of us is trying to help in our own special way. If your reaction earlier was any indication, you must have realized this when Shining Armor protected you from Flash. I understand that you’re trying to save your—”

“You understand nothing!” Her blade strokes spiked in power. “You’re just a special case who happened to have a perfect life with ponies! You never had to worry about the fate of your entire race riding on every choice you make! You—”

“That! That right there is exactly the problem!” My blade clashed against hers hard enough to make her stumble. “Again, you are forgetting that you’re not the only one who is feeling that way. You’re getting so wrapped up in your own issues that you can’t see how Flash’s feelings are no different from your own. If you could just communicate a little more instead of always assuming the worst of us, we could understand you better, and I bet the others would even trust you more.”

“You’re as dumb as Flash if you believe it’s that simple.” Trojan’s tempo increased. “I’ve had to put up with you all for the last few weeks, and in that time, I have searched every corner for comrades that I may have to kill because my mission takes precedence. I didn’t ask for this, but those ponies left me with no other choice. I can’t trust ponies as far as I could throw them, and the bucking slave collar on my throat is proof that they will never trust me, either. They can turn on me anytime they want and I wouldn’t be able to do anything about it! None of you soft prey could handle a day in my hooves, especially a naive upstart like you, so shove it!”

We would have been in a screaming match had we held this conversation with the old me. However, the bitter and hateful tone in her voice triggered part of the ‘Noble Heart’ foundation she ingrained in me. Her body language, speech, tone, expression, everything pointed to her emotions unraveling themselves.

Somewhere in there is her true feelings, screaming to get out. How long did she have to force herself to keep this all in? To suffer in silence?

A light switched on in my head. From how she asked about my position within pony culture, talked about the weight on her shoulders, to her concerns with the collar on her neck. She faked her death to slip away from her friends and family. Thorax was probably the only Changeling that knew she was alive.

It’s so obvious now. All this time, she must have felt so terrified. Alone.

Even worse, I don’t think a pony could help her with this, and Thorax isn't available. I’m… I’m probably the only one in all of Equestria who can help her right now. I'm the only one who could help her find some sense of peace in her lonely world. In the time I knew her, she never showed this much emotion to anypony else.

If I had to guess, this is her way of showing her trust in me. Maybe it's just like when Twilight tried to reunite with Moondancer back then. I think Twilight said it was catharsis that helped Moondancer release all of that pent up stress and anger. Knowing Trojan, she won't do it on her own. I'm going to have to drag it out of her.

Thank you for showing me this, Trojan. I won’t let your trust in me go to waste.

“That collar probably wouldn’t be around your neck if you stopped throwing stones in your glass house and realize that you’re just as much of a stubborn, hypocritical bigot as Flash,” I barked. Trojan reeled back for a moment, the surprise on her face soon overtaken by aggravation.

“You insolent brat! I’m nothing like Flash!” Her blade crashed hard against my own, nearly knocking me back. I steeled myself and clashed back just as fiercely.

“Judging someone because of their species? Treating their partner unfairly? Trust issues? Gee, I can’t see the resemblance!”

“Shut up!”

“You may act tough and always in control, but you’re just as vulnerable and fallible as Flash! If you opened your eyes and stopped acting all high and mighty, you would see it as clear as day!”

“I said shut up!”

“You’re not fooling anypony! Admit it: your problem with ponies is just an excuse to cover up the fact that you’re just as scared and distrusting as Flash because you think you’re all alone and—!”

“SHUT THE FUCK UP!”

Greenish flames erupted around her as she emerged in her default form. The change happened so fast, I couldn’t react to her lunge. She grasped my throat and choke-slammed me into the floor.

Her fangs were in full display as she snarled, eyes boring holes into my head. Trojan’s blade moved close enough to my face that I could see my own, terrified expression in it’s reflection.

Maybe I should have thought this one through a bit more.

“You’ve got some nerve spewing all of that nonsense in my face! You know nothing of what I’ve been through!” The jagged blade bit into my neck, a twitch away from drawing blood. “I could’ve ignored all of this! I didn’t have to risk everything I knew! When I was sent on my mission to infiltrate the Crystal Empire, I had every intention of carrying out my orders to kill Flurry Heart! I didn’t have to put myself through all of this horseshit!”

Shock rippled through me. I never did think to ask how she met Shining Armor and got wrapped up into this. So she originally went to the Crystal Empire to assassinate Flurry before switching sides? What changed?

Trojan’s brow furrowed, slowly shifting from anger to despair.

“Just before I could slit Flurry Heart’s throat in her sleep, my mother’s voice rang out to me. She left me a single message before our communication was silenced: Find Twilight Sparkle. I hadn’t heard mother sound so desperate since her decision to invade Canterlot.”

This made me think back to something Trojan said that I found odd, but never thought to question:

“The tundra of the north is practically a loveless zone. Were it not for Mother... that is, Chrysalis, we would have died long ago.”

And then when I confronted her about it…

“Do all changelings call Chrysalis ‘Mother?’”

“I could answer that question for you…”

Now that I think about it, she does look sort of similar to… no. Way.

How did it take me this long to put all those clues together?

This confirmed the one suspicion I had whenever Trojan talked about her mother; this entire time she had been talking about Chrysalis. If what little I knew about insects played a role here, Chrysalis was both mother and queen to every changeling… or wasn't she?

My revelation was short-lived as I noticed tears spring in Trojan’s eyes. “I could’ve ignored that message for the time being and focused on accomplishing my mission. I knew I could get away with it, and she would have probably approved of it.

“But knowing that I would put two parents through the same pain my own mother had gone through for our sake made me… soft. I couldn’t bring myself to go through with it. This forced me to make several terrible decisions to both evade the one who gave us pathos and not make my brethren suffer for my mistakes; I had to fake my death and disappear from the hive mind network while finding a way to reach Twilight.”

The pressure on my neck lessened as she pulled back. She rested her hooves on my chest as her gaze fell. “Hatching probably the stupidest plan of all time, I allowed myself to be detected, pretending to fumble about like a newborn grub. Cadance wanted to lock me up forever. Shining Armor wanted me executed. Had Flurry Heart not secreted her way to me and found their soft spot, you and I wouldn’t be having this conversation.”

“Trojan. I had no idea.” I muttered, breathless.

Her body shook as she shut her eyes, unable to fight back the flow of tears. “If I screw up again, it will be over for us. It would be all my fault! I don’t care what happens to me, but if anything happens to them because of me, I… I-I just....I couldn't bear it."

The next few moments were filled with silence, interrupted by Trojan’s occasional hiccups and shudders. There was a ton of information worth sorting out. Revelations and questions that turned everything I thought I knew on its head. Chrysalis being her mother. Her true objective in Ponyville.

I couldn’t care less.

I lifted myself up to meet her eye to eye. My hands moved on their own to cup her cheeks, thumbs brushing away the tears. Her reddened eyes finally opened to meet mine. Our gaze lingered for a few seconds before I moved forward and embraced her.

Trojan tensed up as she gasped. She sat frozen for a solid minute until her hooves wrapped around me. Her face burrowed into the crook of my neck as she cried softly.

I couldn’t find the words to express how sorry I was about all of this. Instead, I opted to simply stroke her back lightly with my claws, hoping that did something to soothe her. She hummed as my claw softly raked across her back, gossamer wings fluttered with each stroke. Her heart pound against my chest as she pulled me in with all her might, causing my own heart to accelerate.

Minutes. Hours. I lost track of how long we stayed like this. It was all I could do to show her that even if the world around her was falling apart, she would always have someone who cared about her.

“I just can’t bring myself to face Elytra, Spike,” she whispered, “she’s a good girl. She doesn’t deserve any of this.”

“We’ll find a way to resolve this. I swear it,” I muttered. Her grip around me tightened.

“But what if we can’t? If my own daughter forces me to kill her, I don’t think I could do it.”

“....What?” I asked, the reality of what she said dawning on me.

It must have happened to Trojan at the same time, as she suddenly pushed me back, eyes wide with panic.

“Get out.”

“What?! Elytra is seriously your–"

“Get the fuck out!”

It wasn’t until her hoof cracked my jaw that I was broken out of my stupor and got the message. I hurriedly sheathed the knife I dropped when she knocked me over earlier and exited her home, making sure nopony could peek inside as I closed the door behind me.

Once I was outside, I slumped against the door and stared into space in a haze. My mind raced a mile a minute, unable to fully come to grips with what I just learned.

Elytra, the Overlord we had to face to protect Twilight and Ponyville, was Trojan’s daughter.

“...Holy shit.”

Author's Notes:

What's up, my fellow paladins?

I know it's been forever since the last update, and I apologize for leaving you all in such a cliffhanger until now. The wait is over and, barring anything that hasn't been accounted for, no more hiatus or extensive delays from now on.

I've already talked much about the story in detail over in my blog, but it cannot be stressed how much I needed that hiatus to get certain things together and organized. But yeah, let's talk about this chapter.

Moments like these I've always felt Spike did well in. He doesn't have crazy powers or combat experience, but the guy's got a lot of heart. In this case, he's also gonna have some extra teeth behind his bite. I look forward to exploring this potential.

After all, it's not like anything terrible is going to happen to him.

Nope, I'm sure the rest of his day is going to be perfectly safe and comfortable.

Anyway, thank you all again for your patience and I look forward to continuing this story until its completion.

Until next time, stay classy my paladins.

Chapter 16: They that sow the wind

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I think I’m done with everything ever for today.

I walked away from Trojan's place with my thoughts in a haze, winding through Ponyville back to the castle. By the time I arrived, the sun was just beyond the horizon, Luna’s moon rising from the other side of Equestria.

Every time my mind wandered, I slapped myself out of it with a palm to the face, not caring what anypony in town might think.

Stop it, brain. Spike, the Brave and Glorious, needs his ‘me’ time, Celestia-damn it.

First order of business was to get cleaned up. I didn’t want to think about the meeting, Flash’s outburst, or Trojan and that one mind-blowing discovery she dropped on me. Bath. Food. Rest. Then I could properly deal with this mess and possibly freak out. I made a bee-line for the shower to satisfy my first objective.

Cleaned up and far less stressed out, I went into my room, reveling in the familiarity of my amethyst quarters. That Saturday issue of Power Ponies still on top of my bookshelf was tempting, but the rumble in my stomach led me to the corner of the room instead.

I rubbed my claws together in anticipation as I approached my good ol' gold-embroidered treasure chest. After a quick palming on the alarm glyph I set on the lid -- to warn me via Dragon Whisper if anyone I didn’t approve got to my gem hoard -- the little red circle that marked the spell lit up. I smiled for the first time since I got back.

The lid clicked open with a satisfying pop. A glittering bed of tasty rubies, emeralds, diamonds and more greeted my eyes. I passed over most of them; today called for my emergency stash of star sapphires.

I grabbed an armful of the glorious blue rough-cut shiners, chewing through a few as I made my way to the bed. As the fragments melted in my fiery stomach, I shuddered from the euphoric surge no sugar rush could ever compete with.

Oh yeah, that’s the good stuff.

Just as I climbed on the bed and prepared to relax, I noticed a letter addressed to me on my pillow. I gave it a quick read while munching on gems.

Dear Spike,
If you need to find me, I am at the Stardew Horizon with Applejack and Rainbow Dash. If you see Flash before he sees my letter, let him know to read it as soon as he can. There is something very important he and I need to talk about. I’ll explain later, but it is important that I talk to him alone about this.
i would be grateful if you could give us some space during that time. It’s a very adult conversation and I would rather not subject you to that or make Flash feel uncomfortable. I promise to make it up to you later.
Love,
Twilight Sparkle

Adult conversation? With Twilight? So she’s finally going to talk to him about this human versus pony Flash thing she’s been stressing out over since he got here. Add confronting him about Flash’s imaginary feelings for her, and there is a recipe for the world’s most awkward conversation ever since Twilight gave me ‘the talk’.

“...Oh well, sucks to be him!” I pushed the concern out of my mind as I continued getting my fill.

Halfway through my fourth sapphire, an uneasy feeling twisted in my chest.

Trojan was not the only one who had a rough day.

“Nope. Not gonna deal with this right now. Today has been crazy enough as it is.” The discomfort intensified.

I haven’t heard from Flash for awhile. He’s probably even more upset, and now has to suffer Twilight’s ‘adult’ talk. I should talk to him too. See how he’s doing.

I groaned. “But I don’t wanna deal with it now. Ugh, can’t it just wait until tomorrow? A lot of crap just went down today.”

Same with Trojan, but that didn’t stop me from helping her. Am I playing favorites now?

“Damn it, I like both of them. I mean, yeah, Trojan has been growing on me, but it’s not like I don’t think Flash is… wait, why am I arguing with myself?”

Because those two are driving me to drink.

I sighed in defeat. Couldn’t agree more. “Fine, I’ll check up on Flash and give him his pep talk… even if he was being a great big jerk today.”

I placed my hand on my chest and channeled Flash. “T-Bolt, this is Dragonfly, do you copy?”

No response.

“Come on. T-Bolt. This is Dragonfly. Please respond.”

Still no response.

Perhaps he was still feeling angry and wasn’t up for our Vox speak. Time for a different angle. “Hey Flash, you got a minute to talk? Please say something. Anything.”

Nothing.

Flash was always particular about maintaining proper lines communication and coordination, usually answering my calls within a few minutes at the latest. For him to not mention anything whatsoever churned at my gut with an uncomfortable feeling. I gave him some time to respond to me, stuffing my face with more gems, if only to calm my nerves.

After two minutes, it was clear he was not going to answer. Maybe he’s talking to Twilight.

Channeling the Dragon Whisper, I connected to Twilight. “Bookhorse, this is Dragonfly. Do you read?”

“Spike, I’ve told you to stop calling me that,” I didn’t have to see Twilight to know she rolled her eyes. “I take it you finished spending time with Sassy?”

“Yep! Had fun, as usual. Showed me a lot of cool therapy stuff with her job.” Biggest damn lie of the century.

“I would hope you’re learning something from her. Can’t help but notice that you’ve been hanging out with her a lot, lately. Ugh, stop it, Rainbow! Pretty sure Spike doesn’t have a crush on Sassy!”

I facepalmed. Not in the mood for your crap, Rainbow.

“Twilight? You left the whisper on,” I warned.

“Oh! Sorry, Spike. You know how Rainbow gets. Just ignore what you heard for now.”

“Way ahead of you. Speaking of crushes, is Flash with you?”

A pause. “W-what is that supposed to mean?!”

“Nothin’. Anyway, is he there?”

“No, but he did seem troubled by something when he left the confidence session. Haven’t seen him all day. Is he alright?”

“Oh, him? Yeah. Totally fine. I read the letter, so I thought he might be with you talking. Finally gonna tell him the truth behind the Mirror World Flash?”

“Y-yeah, among, well, other things. I can’t keep dancing around this subject, no matter how uncomfortable it will be for both of us.” Twilight’s voice trembled big time.

“Don’t worry, I’m positive that’s not going to be near the top of his uncomfortable list.” That honor went to ‘working with Changelings.’

“Well, what probably will be on his list is once I talk to him about his, erm, w-well, emotions for me. For the past few weeks I’ve done what I could to get to know him and calculate my feelings. I just… I don’t know, Spike. Everytime I see him, I just see the other Flash. No matter what I do, I can’t see them as individuals, and that’s not fair to him. I have to set the record straight.”

Now I was definitely glad not to be part of that conversation. I wouldn’t want to be anywhere near earshot of those two talking about their ‘feelings’.

“I’m sure everything will work out. Just tell him how you feel and don’t beat around the bush.”

“You’re right. I just hope I don’t make things awkward between us. Flash is a fantastic friend, but I’m just too confused to see him as anything more than that. I would rather not, as Applejack phrased it, ‘lead him on’.”

Had the story about Flash’s love for Twilight been true, I would have felt bad to know he was about to get friend-zoned by the Princess of Friendship.

It’s so ironic, it hurts.

Nothing against Flash, but the implications of those two being in the same castle and dating made me cringe. I read enough of Big Mac’s secret stash to know what would happen eventually.

Ugh, I think I made myself sick.

“Everything will be fine. You got this, Twilight.”

“Thanks, Spike. Leave it to my Number One Assistant to know exactly how to cheer me up.”

I smiled. “Alright, I’ll catch you later. Going to find Flash and send him your way.”

“Okay. Bye, Spike!”

I released the connection. Never thought that one little lie would spark all of this. Then again, I should have known better. Time to find Flash and get this over with.

I hopped off my bed and went across the hall, knocking on Flash’s door.

“Hey Flash, are you in there?”

No response. I frowned.

With a twist to the handle, I opened the door.

“Look, Flash, I know you’re probably still… huh?”

Immediately, red flags went up in my mind: Most of his equipment was gone.

Flash was not in his room, his armor missing, and I couldn’t reach him via Dragon Whisper? This had bad news all over it.

“Oh come on!”

I was torn between punching something out of frustration and telling Trojan, who already was not in the best of moods, that Flash had likely gone out and gotten himself in trouble.

Whoa, time to get a grip on myself. Remember your training. Assess and evaluate. Don’t jump to conclusions. Flash usually took his equipment with him whenever he went on patrol, so that doesn’t mean he’s in actual danger.

I searched the room all over. There were no signs of hurry, such as knocked over items or unorganized belongings. Some of his special equipment were missing, such as his evidence case. His concealable weapon was also gone, as well as that cool camouflage cloak he talked about using should he ever need to go into Everfree’s forest.

Wait. There’s no way he would do that… would he?

Nah. There’s no way he could be that stupid to go into Everfree by himself, especially without telling either of us. There must have been some piece of the puzzle I was missing.

Trojan’s advice suddenly sprang to mind. Every solution left a trail of answers. Just a matter of finding where the trail starts.

My brow furrowed in thought. Flash somehow figured out that Trojan and I made up the story that he was in love with Twilight. The big question was how he pulled that off? He had to have come from the castle, since it was during his confidence session time. The only two ponies who knew about the stage fright issue was Twilight… and Fluttershy.

My eyes widened. Ruling out that Twilight somehow told him, that left Fluttershy to be the last one he spoke to. Fluttershy ratted us out!

“I need to talk to Fluttershy.”

I kept a steady jog as I hurried towards Fluttershy’s cottage. I’d asked ponies along the way if they saw Flash. Unfortunately, nopony recalled such an occurrence. Assuming they somehow never noticed an armored pegasus run around in a forest-colored cloak, this meant there was a chance Flash, for reasons I could not fathom, dodged attention on purpose.

Damn it, Flash. Where did you go?

I was about to leave the outskirts of town when I caught sight of three unicorn stallions trotting with a brisk trot down the road. It wouldn’t have bothered me so much had they not been moving towards Everfree. Ponies had been warned by Twilight to avoid going into the forest, especially at night. What reason could they have for going into the forest this late?

While there were still some ponies milling about, no one paid any attention to the stallions. Nothing about them stood out to the naked eye. To my trained eyes, they were too normal.

Dark, crew cut manes that were eerily similar. They moved almost in perfect unison, more of a march than a casual stride. Their expressions were empty as their eyes focused on the path ahead. Most telling was the unsettling vibe that emanated off them. Those ponies were on a mission.

I might just be paranoid. But just in case, I’ll ‘practice’ my stalking and stealth training on them. If I get caught, I’ll just laugh it off and pretend I was playing a prank on them.

When it came to stealth, my biggest weakness was that I stuck out like a sore hoof. For me to hide in plain sight was a fool’s errand. I thought back to the golden rule drilled into me for stalking ponies.

Think like a Changeling. Move like a dragon. Act like a predator.

The moment the stallions looked away, I slipped to the side and around a building as if I took a casual turn into a side street. Once I was out of everypony’s line of sight, I dashed from one shadow to the next. I ensured every move and position I took produced no sound or hint I existed in the space.

As we reached the edge, there were no more buildings to hide behind. Just a bridge to cross over a small river to enter the Everfree’s vicinity. The stallions continued to move, oblivious to me.

The plain was well maintained outside areas that drifted rather close to Everfree’s Forest, where the tall grass could easily provide cover. My only safe bet before then was under the bridge the stallions were about to cross. To my chagrin, they alternated lookouts for anypony following them, almost like clockwork. Roughly between thirty to forty five seconds each, not too often to draw suspicion.

If I was going to get close to not lose them, the timing was tight. I would have to cross the plains and get under the bridge before they noticed me.

Going onto all fours, I interpose myself between a house and parked carriage to get a clear shot between my spot and the bridge. I waited until one of the stallion’s eyes faced forward again to scramble towards the safe zone. Ten seconds. Twenty seconds. Twenty-five seconds.

One of them was just about to turn his head as I crawled under the bridge, my claws gripped along the edge of the bank and the wooden planks underneath. My heart thudded against my chest as I took agonizingly slow breaths to avoid making a sound.

I listened for the subtle hooffalls. Though difficult, I could pick up muffled steps growing more and more distant. Once I judged they were far enough, I slithered towards the edge of the river and stole a peek just above ground level. I released the breath I didn’t realize I was holding once I saw they did not suspect a thing.

I snaked my way into the tall grass, watching my speed so they wouldn’t immediately notices the shifting of the grass blades. I watched them through the slits of green blades, going about their merry way into the gap of foreboding trees and darkness that was Evergreen Forest. Not silly enough to follow them along the main road, I opted for the scenic route behind the trees and through the underbrush.

Something most ponies didn’t realize about dragons was their ability to see in the dark. Along with having powerful senses, it was all too easy for me to keep track of the stallions who suddenly picked up the pace. They never talked or even made expressions as they acted as if some invisible force commanded them to move.

Those ponies were definitely up to something.

Every step had to be carefully executed. A single twig or misstep would give away my position in a second. At times I fought the urge to speed up as our gap widened to avoid risk. Outside a few close calls with some snakes and broken branches, I was little more than a formless, silent shadow to them.

We moved deeper into the forest, a rough estimate of about a quarter mile in, before they stopped. I froze and held my breath.

Before my eyes, they transformed into Timberwolves.

I stifled a gasp. Changelings!

My heart thump in my ears as the three ‘Timberwolves’ slipped into hiding spots alongside the path. Green, glowing eyes peered through the thick underbrush they hid under. It wasn’t until I focused that I realized there were more of them in this area.

Three more pairs of glowing green eyes hid amongst various shadows and foliage. It wasn’t until I looked skyward that I noticed even more Timberwolves perched on the thick tree trunks, one of them right above me. Some were harder to find than others, very well hidden among the greenery and treelines.

It’s almost as if they are setting up an ambush. But for what? Or rather, whom?

After a cautious scan, I found ten Timberwolves lying in wait. According to Thorax, this was almost all of them with the exception of one, likely Elytra if I had to guess.

I have to get away and call Trojan. This is way too big for me to handle on my own.

I shifted my weight to move backwards, thankful their focus was primarily on the path ahead. Inch by torturous inch, I slipped behind another thick line of trees until it was between me and the Changelings.

Only to be greeted by two leering, untransformed Changelings.

Oh crap!

An odd, uncomfortable sensation filled my mind, fogging my thoughts. Their bluish eyes burned green as they crept towards me. The sensation didn’t feel harmful, but it was clear an unknown force at work.

Are they attempting to mind control me? Figured it would be more painful and less irritating. Unless… that’s it! The daggers keep them out of my head! That just leaves dealing with these two bastards.

I waited for them to get a little closer before I blew a flash of dragonflame in their direction. This stunned them for only a few seconds, but long enough to jump to my feet and run for my life. Various growls and shifts echoed from behind, rapid steps and shifts of foliage followed hot on my heels.

I leapt through the trees and looked back only to blow more flames in their direction to scare them off. Leaves shifted all around me.

They’re trying to flank me! Shit!

Before I could alter my direction, one of the changelings dropped in front of me. Pain exploded on my chin as the hoof knocked me back. I countered with a quick jab to the cheek and shifted back and into a fighting stance out of reflex. I stole a cursory look around to search for a way to escape.

That chance for escape proved useless as I found myself surrounded by Changelings.

A quick headcount revealed twenty.

Did Thorax lie to us? There should be no more than eleven!

My stomach and heart sank.

Am I… going to die?

No escape routes. Completely surrounded. I doubted I would get a chance to call Trojan. How in the world am I going to get out of this?

The daggers came to mind. I didn’t want to kill them. Perhaps I could scare them off long enough to call for help and put some distance.

The Changeling who punched me lunged forward.

I reached for my blade, slid to the side, and swiped at its hooves, scoring a small cut on the dark chitin.

All the Changelings converged towards me. I took on a defensive stance, gathering flames in my gut to unleash a blast.

“HOLD IT!”

The swarm froze stone still. My eyes turned to the source of the voice; the first Changeling to attack me.

His eyes went wide with shock, a hoof raised to issue a hold position. He stared at my blade like he had seen a ghost.

After a pause, fury took over his features.

“That blade! Where did you get that?!”

Strange. Why did he look so shaken about seeing the–

I gasped with a start. They recognized Trojan’s weapons!

The other changelings murmured among themselves, half stunned, half enraged. My life hung on a shaky thread. One wrong move, and I was changeling chow.

“I… uh…” Sweat poured out of me in waves. Think, Spike, think! How do we use this to stay alive and get help?

“Tell me what you’ve done, dragon! How did you get those daggers?!”

Do I tell them about Trojan? They recognize her weapons, but for all they know, I killed her and took the daggers. I don’t think telling them Trojan’s alive is a good idea without making sure she was okay with it. Thorax had no weapons on him, so I can’t say he had them. Couldn’t say a buddy gave the daggers to me either; that would kill me faster.

Gah, I’m thinking too much. Keep it simple; how do I keep them from murdering my face off? Show them that I’m not a threat worth killing?

It suddenly clicked.

Here goes nothing.

I steeled myself as I recited the Shadow’s Code:

“I am the guile mind. Knowledge is my weapon.
I am the strong body. Health is my core.
I am the brave soul. Courage is my shield.
I am the noble heart. Love is my life.
We are legion. We are victory. We are shadow.”

For a moment, I thought they stopped breathing.

They gaped in awe, jaws slack and eyes wide. It was more terrifying to see them silent than snarling at me.

“Spike, was it?” The initial speaker inquired, his tone far calmer, yet held a hint of caution, “where did you learn such a phrase?”

Welp, I’m not dead yet. Here’s hoping I can keep it that way.

I thought to give them the true answer, but realized I still needed to maintain some secrecy. No telling how they would respond if I told them the truth.

“I have my ways,” I replied.

He growled, “you’re the one who killed the other changeling, aren’t you?!”

Easy, Spike. This one I think I can answer honestly.

“Thorax is alive and well. We’re taking good care of him. Of course, he will only stay that way as long as I am unharmed.” I added as a safety precaution.

Tension instantly thickened among the group, who exchanged nervous glances.

The lead changeling glowered, though I could see the proverbial gears churn behind his gaze. Occasionally he would throw death glares at some of his teammates, who shrunk back in shame. I would have found their silent arguments humorous if my life wasn’t in danger.

After a minute, he nodded.

“We won’t kill you. However, we do have to bring you before our leader for question–”

He never got to finish his sentence.

I’d noticed the shadow half a second before something crashed onto the changeling with crushing force. Cracked chitin and strangled gasp filled my senses. Blood and splinters showered from the now brittle corpse, some of it splashing or bouncing off my face. I looked up, earfins pulled back as I stood speechless.

Tattered remains of the mud-green cloak were stained dark red. His snow white coat was covered with numerous cuts, bruises and blood, majority of the blood covered the bladed sword staff. The once golden Royal Guard armor barely hung on his body, cracked in places and just as bloodied as the rest of his garments.

The black sclera and feral look in Flash’s eyes made me question whether I was safe or about to die.

“Move.”

My blood chilled at the warped tone. My legs failed to respond.

“Are you daft?” Flash’s voice dripped with hateful venom. “Move, or I will kill you too.”

That was more than enough encouragement to wake my legs up. I dove and took cover behind the furthest tree. I moved just in time before Flash was immediately surrounded by growling Changelings.

“Hope you bastards enjoyed your last meal.”

Flash bore a wicked grin.

“I have no love or mercy left to give. Only twenty dead Changelings.”

The changelings rushed at him.

A violent white aura whipped around Flash as he dove towards the swarm. He let loose a battle cry that rooted them in place.

In the span of a gasp, Flash gripped the first Changeling’s face and charged forward. A yelp escaped its lips before a resounding crack against the now bloodied tree silenced it.

By the time that Changeling slumped from the tree to the floor, Flash’s blade already cleaved the closest Changeling, separating his skull and body. Flash spun towards another Changeling’s charge and grasped its horn.

Twist. Snap!

The body went limp, one horn short of a full Changeling.

One of them opened their mouth to cry in anguish, but a flying horn to the throat silenced that attempt.

In the next second, Flash’s blade found its mark on another Changeling’s throat before he could fire off a magic bolt from its horn. Before the blood touched the floor, Flash turned and struck down another.

Then another.

Again and again.

Their numbers dropped faster than I could count.

Bloodcurdling screams filled the night sky. Flash stabbed, and slashed, and carved his way through the ranks like a blender. Those who resisted or attempted to fight back were cut down in an instant, torn apart by Flash’s blade and broken both in body and spirit by his hooves.

With each kill, a ghostly essence flowed from the corpses and into Flash, somehow inspiring his frenzy.

The smile never left Flash’s muzzle.

I drew the conclusion long before the changelings did: They did not stand a chance.

The smarter Changelings attempted to flee, only for Flash to skewer them with his spear or improvised Changeling horn. His movements between one changeling to another was a mere blur to the naked eye. I tried to peel my eyes away from the slaughter, but couldn’t find the strength to do anything more than cry for the remaining half of the Changelings, who begged for their lives.

Flash kept true to his word. Their wish was never granted.

As I stared back at the hollow eyes of the Changeling’s head that rolled to at stop at my feet, every nerve went numb. I opened my mouth to scream.

Only to be stopped by a pair of hooves that yanked me away from the madness and pulled behind the trees. My cry was stifled from the hoof over my mouth.

“Spike, relax, you have nothing to fear. You won’t come to harm, that I swear.”

I nodded slowly. Zecora turned me around to and tossed a tired smile. Her mane was a frazzled mess, matted to her muddy and sweaty coat. Strapped to her back was a familiar metal case that was missing from Flash’s room. There were traces of blood on her, some clearly not from her wounds.

“Zecora, what is going on? What in the world is happening?” My voice cracked between trying to talk over the screams and failing to fight my own rising panic.

“Please stay calm, for what I will tell you may sound crazy. The ghosts of hatred, a windigo, has possessed Flash Sentry.”

She's right. That did sound crazy. This entire situation is crazy. Maybe even I'm going crazy.

My chest tightened. Breathing was a chore.

Windigos possessed Flash. Butchering of Changelings.

Screams. Blood. So much blood.

Why was this happening? Why the buck was I even here?

Somepony, please wake me up!

A sharp pain exploded on my cheek. I snapped my focus to Zecora’s stern stare as she lowered her hoof. “I apologize for striking you, but we cannot delay. You must seek help while I keep Flash at bay!”

Zecora’s right. Flash can’t be allowed back into Ponyville until the Windigo is out of him. In fact, his symptoms was just like Pinkie when the pathos–

I gasped with a start.

Wait a minute. Magic that fed on hatred. Windigos that spread hatred. Chrysalis’s partner. They all had to be connected.

I dug my claw into my shaking arm and squeezed. The pain brought my mind out of the brink of frenzy.

I’m Flash’s teammate. No matter how much I wanted to run away and seek help, Zecora is clearly in no condition to deal with him.

“My turn for questions, one that is cause for much alarm.” Zecora peeked her head over the hedge bush towards the madness. Immediately she averted her eyes and crouched out of sight. “What are Changelings doing here, targeting you for harm?”

“There’s too much to explain. I’ll tell you later, but for now, I need a favor.”

You can do this, Spike. You can’t let Zecora deal with Flash after what she’s been through. I am the brave soul. Courage is my shield.

“I will stay here and deal with Flash. I need you to be the one to find Twilight and the others.”

Zecora shook her head. “Foolish dragon, that will not do. I won’t stand to see harm come to you.”

“Don’t argue with me on this. You’re in no condition to deal with Flash.”

“But–”

“This isn’t the time!” I hissed. Zecora reeled back. “Twilight is at the Stardew Horizon. Find her and bring her here as soon as possible. Flash will listen to me, or I will make him listen.”

Her hardened stare met my own for several seconds. Zecora sighed. “I will bring Twilight. But whatever you do, avoid a fight.”

“I’ll be fine.”

Hopefully.

Zecora moved only a few steps before a terrible realization hit me.

If Twilight knows about the Changelings, Trojan will find out. If Trojan ended up learning Flash killed those Changelings…

“Wait!”

Zecora froze, casting me a curious glance.

“Let me do something first. Stay still and relax.”

I went up to Zecora and initiated the draconic glyph spell on her chest like I did with Flash and Trojan.

“This is the Dragon Whisper. Whenever you need to talk to me, place your hoof where I touched you and picture me in your mind. With it, you can talk to me from any distance.”

Zecora’s eyes went wide. Her mouth opened, only to clasped shut as her eyes looked over the hedge we hid behind. I was about to ask what she saw when the answer was all too clear.

It was quiet.

“Find Twilight, and please don’t tell her about the Changelings! I’ll explain why later, now go!” I commanded in a whisper. Zecora nodded and bolted around and through the tree line, disappearing into the night.

“Wind Stride, it’s safe to come out now.”

I stiffened. Flash’s voice was both lighter and more warped at the same time.

Wait, who was Wind Stride?

“Are you still here? I said come out!”

Was there another pony? What if this Wind Stride was travelling along with Zecora and Flash?

I gulped, forcing myself to ignore the ball of ice that dropped in my stomach as I moved out of hiding to face Flash.

I covered my mouth to stifle the scream.

Flash panted heavily as he sauntered towards me, stepping through a trail of severed limbs and eviscerated bodies. Red and black stretched as far as I dared to look. White mist leaked off his body and merged with the chilled red mist that smelled of foul iron, a trail of frost and snow followed Flash’s wake. The blood contrasted his white coat. His hard eyes robbed my ability to talk or move.

Was this what war was like? Did Flash go through this during Canterlot?

“Wind Stride, are you hurt?”

How could Flash think this was okay? How was any of this okay?

“Hey, are you there? Wind Stride!”

I… I can’t. This was wrong. All wrong. Please, no more bloodshed. Make it stop! By the stars, make it all stop!

“Wind Stride, snap out of it!”

Flash shook me like a ragdoll, throwing me out of one nightmare into the next. Now I had to deal with the murderer himself.

I am the brave soul. Courage is my shield. I am the brave soul. Courage is my shield. I am the brave soul...

I sucked in a shaky breath.

Spike, get your act together! Twilight will be here soon to help. If you don’t deal with Flash here, there will be more deaths. Buy time.

With my wits back to normal, I begrudgedly surveyed the landscape–more like graveyard–to find this ‘Wind Stride’. When Flash wrapped his hooves around my head and peered closely at my eyes, I fought every instinct in me that wanted to flip out and run. The obsidian sclera shifted in his glassy gaze.

“W-where is Wind Stride?” I cursed the tremble in my voice, especially when Flash frowned.

“What are you talking about, Wind? Wait,” Flash’s eyes widened with alarm, “did those bastards get to you? Get your act together, private!”

Private? Why is he calling me Wind?

Shock rippled through my spine.

Does he think I’m was Wind Stride? I have a bad feeling about this.

“Flash, what is my name?”

Panic flickered in his gaze for a second. “How do you not… hold on. I think I know what’s going on here. Shellshock, just like Nitro.” Flash’s features softened. “Alright, listen; you’re Private Wind Stride of Squad ten.”

Oh. Oh no. Please tell me this is not happening.

“W-where are we, um, C-captain?” I asked.

“Captain? No, that’s Nightingale. I’m a private, just like you. Look, I wish I could get you back to speed better, but the changelings are running rampant. We have to save everypony and take down as many of these bastards as we can before they take down all of Canterlot.”

Oh sweet Celestia. Flash thinks he’s back in Canterlot during the invasion! But didn't Shining say Flash was the sole…

My heart sank.

Just play along, Spike. For both of your sakes.

“I… er… y-yeah, it’s coming back to me now.”

Flash smiled. “Damn good job! I’d already sent Nitro to find the others. In the meantime, we need to storm the castle and free the hostages.” He dropped a hoof on my shoulder.

A sharp chill went through me. I couldn’t feel an ounce of body heat from him.

“Bro, I know you’re scared right now. But I want you to know that I believe in you. The only ones left who can save Celestia and the other hostages is us. It’s a long way to the castle, but if we work together, we can make it! We can’t let the fear get us!”

That train left the station a long time ago, Flash.

“R-right. We can’t let fear get us. That’s why we should, uh… look for our other comrades! I’m sure they are in this fore-I mean city, somewhere. Reinforcements and all of that.”

“But there’s no time! Chrysalis could be torturing the hostages! Maybe even killing them!”

“Flash, you’re thinking scared right now. We need to be smart about this. The more of our squad we save, the better our chances will be to infiltrate and rescue the hostages. Secure the quickest advantage first. No soldier gets left behind.”

Flash frowned as he looked between me and the direction towards Ponyville. I could only assume that was the direction the Canterlot castle was for him.

After a minute, he sighed, then smiled gratefully at me. “You’re right. See, that’s why you’re the smart one in the team.”

“Eheh, yeah, that’s totally me. A total genius.” I laughed with a nervous hitch. “Follow my lead. I’ll help you find the others.”

“Right behind you.”

Assuming he believed me to be a pony, I moved while crouched on all fours. Flash followed.

Great, now I have to escort a tripping Flash Sentry while pretending to be a dead soldier in the middle of an imaginary warzone.

What could possibly go wrong?

What the hay is taking Zecora so long? I’ll be dead from stress or Flash at this rate!

Time couldn’t have moved any slower for us as we trudged through the ‘ruined city of Canterlot’. Flash kept scowling towards Ponyville every few minutes as lead him in an obscure circle. The pathos inside Flash grew as we walked, snow and frost trickling from his hooves and all around out. Flash would mumble something incoherent to himself and stop once in awhile to stall a migraine. I was on borrowed time.

After ten agonizing minutes of aimless walking, my small miracle came through.

“Spike, can you hear me?”

I stopped cold, causing Flash to slide into a stop. That’s Twilight’s voice! Zecora found her!

“What's wrong, Wind?”

“Oh, uh…” I cupped my chin, searching for an opening. First thing’s first; lose Flash for just a minute so I can talk to Twilight alone.

“Let's split up here to save time. Gale search pattern,” I suggested. It was Flash’s code for encircling separate paths and waving routes into each other so we didn't stray too far.

Flash lingered, giving me a blank look. “...Alright. I'll search this street. Go through that alley.” He pointed to a hollowed out log.

“Sounds good. See you soon.” I moved in the suggested direction, looking for ponies that didn't exist until Flash ventured off east and disappeared out of view.

Flash didn’t look at all convinced. Have to do this right now.

“Please tell me Zecora found you!” Half excited, half paranoid, I spoke in a hushed tone.

“Yes, Zecora told me about the windigo and Flash. I had Fluttershy take Zecora to the castle to get some rest, but the girls and I are on our way to Everfree right now. Are you hurt?”

“I’m fine for now, but please hurry up and find me. Flash is really freaking me out.”

“We’ll be there soon. Whatever you do, avoid doing anything to agitate or upset him. There’s no telling how he will react if he’s hallucinating.”

“I’ll be careful. I’ll get us back to the entrance to meet up.”

I released the call. Tension rolled off my shoulders in waves–

–only to return with a vengeance as Flash’s blade settled at the crook of my neck.

“Going somewhere, comrade?”

Chapter 17: Shall reap the whirlwind

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Author's Notes:

What's up my fellow paladins?

As promised, here is a recap for the previous chapter for those who are uncomfortable with high level violence:

Spike returns to the castle after learning a very dangerous secret, only to find that Flash disappeared on everyone and isn't responding via Dragon Whisper. His search leads to a group of suspicious ponies entering Everfree. After stalking them, it turns out they are changelings!

Spike gets caught up in the ambush and discreetly makes it known that he has connections to Trojan. Before he can be taken in custody and brought to Elytra to talk, Flash, possessed by the windigo, makes an appearance and slaughters them. Zecora secretly pulls Spike to the side and explains what happens. Spike tells Zecora to find Twilight while he distracts Flash and keeps him busy.

While distracting Flash, he gets a call from Twilight that she's on her way to Everfree with everyone to help. But just as Spike disconnects the Dragon Whisper...

...Flash rests the blade of his spear on his shoulder, having heard only half the conversation and assuming the worst. Will Spike survive? Will things get better from here?

Find out... right now!

Every nerve on my neck jolted at the touch of Flash’s blade. The sight of the swordstaff’s bloody tip below my chin made me shudder, puffs of white smoke made from my breath. I stood rooted, not sure if I was waiting for death or a way out.

“Nice try,” Flash growled. “Tell me, Changeling, where did you hear that search pattern from?”

I forced my breath to slow down. I’m not dead yet, but definitely on thin ice.

“You’re the one who told me about the pattern in the first place.”

“Liar!” He pressed the blade in. I jumped, eyes wide. “There’s no such search pattern! That is a sloppy lie, even for scum like you.”

“Flash, calm down,” I urged my voice to sound as calm I could manage. “Remember how you talked about developing maneuvers with Sergeant Shine Spark? This was only a week ago.”

Flash paused for a beat. “What are you talking about? Who is Shine Spark?”

What? He’s the one who told me all about Shine Spark and how they worked closely with Shining Armor in the first place! Either he’s even crazier than I thought, or maybe this flashback is somehow messing with his memories. I have to make him remember, or else I’m dead.

“You’ve worked with her when you transferred to the Crystal Empire. There was a mission involving crystal drakes attacking trade routes. Shining Armor found out they hid in a crystalline cavern near the empire and went in with you and Shine Spark.

“The drakes ambushed you all and Shining Armor disappeared in the confusion. You told me how both of you had been at each other’s throats until you worked together to come up with that search pattern. That’s how you learned about it.”

Please try to remember, Flash. I really don’t want my life to be decided by a damn pop quiz.

I almost fainted as the blade shifted.

Flash groaned, a tremble reverberating through his spear. “Ngh, y-you’re trying to trick me! I won’t fall for it!” Flash’s blade trembled almost as much as his voice.

I think it’s working! I have to keep trying!

“Listen to me; something is messing with your memories. Remember how you transferred to Ponyville to protect Twilight from an assassination? You trained me–er, Spike–to help you out. There’s also Sunburst and,” I gulped, “Trojan. You have to remember us and wake up! Don’t do something you know you’re going to regret for the rest of your life!”

Huh. Did the area just get colder, or was it just me?

“Those names. But… n-no, that can’t be… agh! That’s enough!”

“Gah!” I yelped as Flash’s steadied blade bit into my scales enough to draw blood. It scared the world out of me, though I was thankful he didn’t hit any arteries.

“I won’t let you manipulate me like you did with the others! I heard you talking to your buddies! You’re trying to lure me into a trap!”

Oh damn. He sounds ready to kill me any second. Think, Spike, think!

The temperature dropped even further. I shuddered.

Thoughts of the old fable sprung to mind. Talks of blizzards created by windigos when they fed off enough strife and anger. The snow that followed Flash fell harder. Winds picked up in strength. My gut churned from anticipation. Winter was coming.

I can’t wait for him to come to his senses. I need to create an opportunity to slip away and get to Twilight, fast!

“Flash, you need to-ugh!” I gasped and clutched my chest. The blade twitched and agitated my cut.

“Hey, what are you–”

“T-Bolt, this is Dragonfly. Wake up,” I whispered low enough he could only hear me in his mind.

“Huh? Who said that?” The blade moved a few inches away from my neck.

Now!

I turned my head and bit down just below the blade on the swordstaff.

The cold rattled the nerve endings of my teeth as I held with all my strength. My head jerked as Flash tried to yank his blade out. I blew a stream of green dragonfire onto the spear. The weapon glowed in a soft sky blue light. The next second, Flash’s spear disappeared, a small wisp of energy that was once a swordstaff shot out of his grip and zipped towards its destination.

Hope I don’t scare Twilight too much when she gets that Dragon Mail.

Flash yelped as he found himself pulling nothing but air with all his might. By the time his flank touched the ground my next move was already in motion: get the hay out of dodge.

A rush of icy wind swept around me, accompanied by a bone-chilling roar from Flash.

Yep, time to go.

I leapt, rolled through, and maneuvered my way through the forest, driven by pure fear and survival instinct. Flash’s heavy hooffalls trotted far too close for comfort and drew closer every second. My only solace was his rage-addled mind combined with the weaving and winding paths of the trees that prevented him from having a straight path to outpace me on.

That is, until he swooped down at me from the sky.

The sounds of shattered tree trunks saved my life as I threw myself to the side to dodge the explosive dive bomb. I ducked and rolled under his punches as Flash launched himself at me. His hoof shattered a portion of the tree that happened to be behind me at the time. Mental images of what such a blow would do to my skull was plenty motivation to bounce to my feet and sprint away.

Again I used the trees to break line of sight and gain distance. Yet it was never long before Flash dove at me from the sky and continued the chase. Every additional attempt increased with accuracy and force.

He’s just going to keep doing that if I only slip out of his view and run. I need to change tactics, or his next dive is going to kill me.

I paused just long enough to give him a false sense of security and make him fly down at me. Once I judged his distance by shadow and the chill that emanated off him, I pulled a feint and dove for the opposite direction into some bushes. I scurried away in my prowl stance, just in time to avoid a leaping lunge. The area ahead of me was thick with foliage and cover to hide from Flash as I moved soundlessly.

Trees and tall obstacles obscured his vision of me. I moved in sporadic directions and used rocks and twigs as misdirection to keep him guessing. I spied on Flash through tiny slits in the greenery as he lashed at spaces he thought I hid at, muttering angrily to himself. A wild animal jumping at their own shadow.I tore my eyes away in disgust after a minute and kept moving.

...Until a huge boulder crashed right in front of me.

I froze, not daring to move a muscle. My heart nearly burst out my chest as I slowly shifted my gaze to look back.

More Rocks, some times my size, flew through the air and crashed in random areas, each one followed by a slew of curses and death threats from Flash. Some were hurled at poor misguided animals who made the mistake of creating noise.

The distorted voice. The rage. Memories of the day Pinkie Pie was consumed by pathos flickered briefly.

I shook my head and took a few deep, quiet breaths before moving on, ignoring the nauseating sensation that coiled in my stomach.

After minutes of crawling, dashing, and skirting Flash’s view, I finally found the mouth of the forest. Only a few meters away and I was home free. A surge of adrenaline broke through my discipline as I shot onto my feet and sprinted towards the exit. Five meters. Four–

–A white blur crashed into the ground in front of me, the force throwing me back.

Of bucking course he would show up now!

The broken remnants of Flash’s gold armor and torn cloak fell off upon landing. In its place was a thick layer of jagged, pitch black ice coated over his body, throat and legs. Tucked under one of his hooves was solid ice shaped similarly to his swordstaff, obsidian energy crackling within. Magical essence burned off his irises as he glowered with a malicious grin.

I’m so bucked.

My hands rose to guard, ingrained training saving me from a left hook. The world spun around me as I was knocked off my feet and sent tumbling along the ground, only to make a hard stop at the base of a tree. Anguished screams ripped out of my lungs as I gripped my now limp left arm. I squinted an eye at the injury.

Damn that hurt! Hey, why can’t I move my arm? Oh Celestia, is it broken? I need to–oh shit, he’s coming!

I rolled to the side in time to avoid Flash’s spear that skewered the tree I stopped at, bounced to my feet, and used my working arm to draw my Niekinis blade. A surge of adrenaline flooded my veins, and I used that moment of pure focus to review my options.

There was no grace or calculation in Flash’s attacks, only pure murderous intent backed by fury. His predictability and my speed was my only saving grace as I fought for my life, especially since I only had one arm to work with. Every parry and riposte with my blade against the ice spear caused the black energy inside to crackle and pop like an aggravated electrical current. This gave me an idea.

I hopped away to avoid an overhead slam from the staff, and scrambled behind a tree for cover. The next second, wood exploded in my ears as his spear pierced clean through the tree, barely an inch away from my face.

Now’s my chance. Here goes nothing.

I twisted, swung, and pierced the icy exterior and crackling black energy of the spear with my dagger.

It screamed.

The spear vibrated violently, like something inside was trying to get away from the blade. I grit my teeth and pushed my weight against it, preventing it from retreating back through the tree. It began to rapidly warp and lose shape, almost resembling some kind of bizarre black snake rearing back to strike; but then it shattered. I turned my head away from the spray of ice shards, but found that they lacked any real force, as though whatever was behind them had simply vanished. All of what I assumed was the pathos energy dispersed and faded away like ink in water.

“What?!” Flash gasped, just as surprised as I was. My moment of elation died as he growled and bent down to pick something up. I expected him to grab air, only to see another spear forming in his hooves.

Don’t stand there staring like an idiot, run!

Seeing my chance, I slipped the dagger back into its sheath and dashed towards the entrance of the forest.

Too late did I catch Flash at my side.

He grabbed my throat and threw me down on my back, the wind knocked out of me. A cold hoof crushed into my stomach to stop any chance I had to get away again. All I could do was wait for the end as he lifted his spear. A vile grin spread on his muzzle as he drove his spear towards my head.

Only to get crashed into by a sky blue blur with prismatic highlights.

The two disappeared into the depths of the forest. Pained yelps and broken trees echoed further and further away. Once I realized I wasn’t dead, my mind raced.

Those colors. That speed. Was that Rainbow Dash? That means…!

In my stunned state, I hadn’t noticed the lavender grip of magic around me until I was already in mid flight, pulled out of Everfree’s Forest and into purples forehooves.

“Spike! Thank Celestia you’re safe!” Twilight nuzzled my cheek with all her might. Relief and exhaustion crashed into me as I nuzzled back just as fiercely.

“Boy am I glad to see-agh!” My arm reminded me that it was still broken and I almost died. I slumped against Twilight, short on breath and dizzy from exhaustion and pain.

Twilight carefully laid me down on my back. It was from this position I could see the others staring at me with worry: Applejack, Rarity, and Pinkie Pie.

“Ah’m gonna help Dash deal with Flash. Ah need the rest of yall to tend to our dragon here,” Applejack rattled off the words as she charged into the forest.

“Me too! Ain’t nopony gonna be mean to my friends! CHARGE!” Pinkie charged after Applejack.

Rarity hurried to the side of my broken arm, her horn already lit up as she cast a healing spell on my arm. Tears formed in her eyes as the injuries I suffered dawned on her. “I’ll get you patched up, darling. Though I must say I am most cross with you. Why didn’t you call on us before going into Everfree? You know how dangerous it is!”

I looked away, sighing as I felt the pain lessen on my arm. “I know. Everything just happened so fast. I just wanted to find Flash.”

Wish I could tell you, Rarity. I really do.

At the mention of Flash, Rarity’s gentle eyes burned with fury. “Speaking of Flash, we saw the spear you sent to Twilight. Did that brute do this to you? When I see him next time, I’m going to–”

“Rarity, now is not the time.” Twilight’s eyes were hard as she looked over my body, then towards the forest. “Applejack and the others should be running back to us any second. We need to deal with Flash before things escalate further. Rarity, please move Spike away from here.”

Relief instantly turned to fear as I realized my friends were about to deal with somepony who had just finished butchering twenty changelings like they were nothing.

“Hold on,” I raised my hand to urge Rarity to stop her magic from moving me as I got to my feet. I was thankful she continued to mend my arm. Though I couldn’t move it, at least the pain was no longer so intense. “You can’t take him on in a fight. He’s too strong. We have to go after the others before it’s too late.”

“I know. Zecora warned me of something similar, so I made sure everypony was aware to play it as safe as possible and draw him out. From the sound of it, I think he’s suffering from PTSD. If that’s what the windigo is feeding off of, calming him down is not going to be easy.”

Twilight’s musing was interrupted by panicked cries that erupted from the forest. Rainbow, Applejack, and Pinkie, all covered with small cuts and bruises, ran towards us. Their eyes were wide, faces pale.

“Okay, I don’t know what’s up with that windigo nonsense, but Flash is definitely messed up!” Rainbow said.

“Yeah, he looks super freaky! And he started shouting that I was a Changeling out to get him! It’s freaking me out!” Pinkie wailed.

“But that ain’t the worst of it. He’s freezin’ up everythang!” Applejack illustrated the point by showing the frosted portions of her stetson. “We gotta do somethin’, Twi. Ain’t a fan of that murderin’ look in his eyes.”

The sky rumbled and cast a shadow over us. It started snowing.

When I looked up, my jaw dropped.

Luna’s moon was covered by a thick, rapidly expanding cloud that stretched over Ponyville. My scales crawled at the malevolent presence that filled the air. The concentration of falling snow was densest over Everfree, ice enveloping the trees and encroached in our direction. Twilight and Rarity shuddered, their affinity for magic likely responding to the dreadful sensation brought on by this magic.

Flash emerged from the now iced-over mouth of Everfree Forest. There were more bruises on his body than I remembered. The ice armor cracked on portions and he had a black eye. His teeth gnashed together with effort as he leaned on the spear for support, his breath coming out in pants.

“I won’t lose to you, bastards!” When his eyes landed on us, we tensed up and got into a combat ready stance, preparing for him to charge at us. Flash staggered as he pointed his spear. “I’m going to save everypony, and not you, or your Celestia-damned queen will… w-will...!”

Whatever anger that had been in him was suppressed by shock and horror. After everything I saw today, I couldn’t fathom what he saw in us that got him spooked. I followed his gaze and found the source of his fears: Twilight.

The wind stopped.

“S… Sunset?”

All eyes turned to Twilight, who stood frozen with surprise.

What in the… how does he know Sunset? Why is he even seeing Sunset in Twilight rather than one of his squadmates?

Twilight swallowed as she took a step forward. Flash took a step back. “Flash, what has happened to you? Why are you doing this?”

Flash shook his head, eyes wide with disbelief. “Why are you here? No, this has to be a trick! But how could they know?” I couldn’t tell if he was talking to Twilight or himself. Everything about his demeanor was frantic.

Twilight took another step forward. Again, Flash stepped back. A bead of sweat rolled down Twilight’s cheek. “Flash, listen to me carefully. I’m not Sunset Shimmer. You are not in Canterlot, and there are no Changelings here.”

I winced at that last one.

A brief light flickered in Flash’s confused gaze. “No! T-this is all wrong! You have to be a Changeling! You are not real!”

Twilight frowned. “I’ll prove that I am real. But I need you to trust me. I will come to you.”

“No!” Flash jerked his spear at Twilight. The wind started up again. “S-Stay back!”

“I’m not sure this is a good idea, darling,” Rarity warned. “It’s quite clear you are not Flash’s favorite hallucination to see at the moment. He could hurt you.”

“Ah say we group up and tackle him. Knock some sense into his fool head,” Applejack said.

Twilight shook her head. “In the stories, windigos fed off violence and hatred. Have you noticed how the weather shifted when he started panicking? Any amount of fighting we do will only feed it and make things worse for all of us. If I can calm him down and get him to wake up, I might be able to force the windigo out of him and deal with it.”

Her eyes set on Flash, determined. “Until I give the signal, do not approach him.”

“I don’t like this plan,” I said. “I might’ve been more confident if he actually recognized you. But for some reason he’s picturing Sunset.”

“That’s why this is going to work. When we first talked about Sunset when he initially arrived, something about the name unsettled him. I have a little theory about that, and that may be the only reason he hasn’t attacked me already.” There was unmistakable confidence in Twilight’s words. Whenever she got like that, I knew she had her mind set. As to what that theory entailed, I had no idea. I could only hope it kept both of them safe.

My eyes flitted between Flash and Twilight, weighing my options. A frontal assault hadn’t worked for the Changelings and I didn’t dare entertain that option with my friends. The approaching snowstorm increased in strength, matching Flash’s panicked state. If Twilight was right, calming him down was the smartest solution. Possibly the only one.

Twilight’s hard eyes told me I was not going to change her mind. At the very least, I could warn her about the nature of the windigo. “The windigo seems to act alongside his hallucinations. Don’t take any chances.”

“I’ll be careful. Thanks Spike.” With a nod, Twilight slowly walked towards Flash.

Please be safe, Twilight.

“I said stay back!” Flash screamed. A sharp gust whipped through us.

“I’m not going to abandon you, Flash,” Twilight said as she stepped forward. This time, Flash didn’t step back. “I understand you’re scared. Angry. Hurt. You’ve been through a lot, haven’t you?”

Flash shook his head. His breath quickened. “I know you’re a changeling. You can’t fool me!”

“If I was a Changeling, I wouldn’t approach you without weapons or backup, would I?”

The spear trembled in his grip. The wind slowed down.

Twilight moved with cautious steps. “Tell me; what do you see right now?”

He hesitated, eyes sweeping his environment. “I… I see fire. Crumbling buildings. C-corpses, both pony and Changeling.”

“Who do we look like to you?”

The wind lessened.

“My old squadmates. And… and you, Sunset Shimmer.”

Twilight stood just before the end of the spear. It took everything in me to not run over there and get her out of the way. The look on everypony’s faces told me the feeling was mutual. I had to strain my hearing to catch their words at this distance.

“Flash, you are suffering a flashback. You are not in Canterlot. You are in Ponyville, just outside Everfree’s Forest. I’m Twilight Sparkle. Back there is Spike, Rarity, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, and Rainbow Dash. Your friends.”

The gust diminished to a mild breeze.

Flash lowered his spear, staring as if he saw her for the first time. “This… this isn’t real?”

Twilight nodded. “That’s right. Now, take a deep breath. Breathe in.” Her hoof moved to her chest and inhaled. “Breathe out.” She pushed her hoof outward and exhaled.

Recognition flickered in Flash’s eyes as he repeated the notion with his free hoof. Breathe in. Breathe out. Breathe in. Breathe out. Both took synchronized breathes again and again. I stared in amazement at how Twilight handled this.

A flicker of black energy shimmered around Flash. Whatever happened caused Flash’s face to contort in agony. His mouth moved to mutter something, a strong gust of wind muffling his words.

Panicked, Twilight moved forward, speaking too low for me to hear clearly.

Flash lifted his spear and slashed Twilight.

The world crawled by as I watched Twilight’s body get flung to the side, blood flying from her face as she crashed onto the ground

My heart sank. She didn’t move.

“Twilight!”

My eyes blurred from tears as I ran for Twilight. There was movement at the corner of my eye. That was the least of my worries as I collapsed next to Twilight and observed the damage done.

Oh Celestia. There’s so much blood!

A tear of flesh stretched from the base of her cheek, crossed diagonally over her right eye, and stopped just below her horn. The gash was deep. My claw fell on her neck to check for a pulse. It was low, but there was a heartbeat.

Thank the stars! She’s alive!

I forced myself to breathe, gritting my teeth against the powerful winds that blew towards Ponyville. It was so hard to think with all the yelling and cursing going on behind me, but I had to ignore it. Twilight needed me.

I caught the saddlebag on her side and sifted through it. Luck shone through as I found a roll of gauze and a wound cleaning kit. My hand trembled as I started applying the tape, though whether from panic or the sheer drop in temperature, I didn’t know or care at the moment.

Practiced breathing and focus drilled into me thanks to Trojan’s teachings saw to my cleaning and patching of the wound. Twilight needed to see Nurse Redheart as soon as we could, but with only one working arm, I had no way to move her to a safe location. There had to be a way to get Twilight out of the way.

Once I cleaned, disinfected and secured the gauze I looked over my finished work. It was clearly a rush job, but far better than nothing. I cupped Twilight’s cheek and bit back tears. I know Twilight’s hurt, but I did everything I could until we get her to a hospital. I have to help the others and make sure they aren’t killed.

I gasped with a start and jumped to my feet. My attempt to run to help out the others was stunted as harsh winds of the now full-on blizzard threw me back on my knees. Horror gripped my chest as my eyes fell on my surroundings.

A field of white streaked across all of Ponyville, turning the landscape into a winter wonderland. Several pegasi were already in the air, fighting uselessly against the powerful winds. It wasn’t until I looked at Flash and the others did I catch how terrible my tunnel-vision had been.

Flash zipped across the battlefield, dodging Rainbow’s furious dives and strikes and Pinkie’s party cannon attacks. Rarity dropped a hail of magical bolts at him, accompanied by Applejack rushing at him full force.

Though they held their ground, Flash was in a league of his own. When he threw his spear, he waited until it was just about to hit one of them before he moved like a deadly blur, catching the spear mid-flight and striking out with a swift and unorthodox angle of attack. His speed and combat prowess were matched only by the teamwork of the girls, saving each other from a fatal strike to counter and distract Flash to open an opportunity for somepony else to hit him.

Before I could even think to help fight Flash, a fierce gust threw me off balance and face first into a tall layer of snow. Rarity and the others were also buffeted by the blizzard, at the mercy of Flash who threw them around like they were nothing.

I should have been freezing, yet I could only feel heat coil in my stomach and flood my veins.

That son of a bitch hurt Twilight! He almost killed her!

My claw curled into a fist, a puff of smoke escaping my growl.

He also killed all of those Changelings, and almost killed me too! He’s a murderer! I’ll… I’ll kill him! Rip out his fucking throat!

“Spike! What happened?”

My eyes widened, shock and relief overriding the moment of rage. That voice!

I connected the Dragon Whisper link. “Trojan!”

“What the hay is going on? There’s a blizzard that whipped out of nowhere! Everypony’s panicking over here like it’s the end of the world!”

“Flash got possessed by a windigo! The pathos got him, and he’s causing the blizzard!”

“For the love of… Where are you and Flash?”

“At the entrance of the Everfree Forest! Hurry!”

“I’ll be there as soon as I can. Where is Twilight and the others?”

“Flash knocked Twilight unconscious. The others except Fluttershy are fighting Flash.”

“What?! How did all of this happen in just a few hours?”

“Doesn’t matter! Just hurry the hay up before he kills us all!”

“Alright, I’m enroute. Do what you have to do to keep the others alive.”

I released the call and turned my attention back to Flash and the girls. Outside of a few cuts and bruises, I was thankful none of them had been seriously hurt. Their faces were contorted with frustration as they huddled together under the safety of Rarity’s magic barrier to keep from getting blown back.

As for Flash, he leaned into his spear that was embedded into the ground. His body was littered in so many cuts and wounds I was amazed he could still stand. One of his wings was bent in an unnatural position, splayed out uselessly on his side. Despite all of this, his eyes were still ablaze with determination and rage.

“I will not falter! The enemy must die!” Flash’s distorted voice howled through the frosty winds.

The enemy. Enemy this. Enemy that. Flash will probably kill everyone in Equestria while trying to ‘save’ us from Changelings. Damn windigo is going to get us all killed.

A light went off in my head.

That windigo was inside Flash when he killed those Changelings. In fact, it seemed to get stronger by absorbing that white magical essence that came from their corpses. But how did that make sense if the windigos were working with the Changelings?

Fighting. Hatred. Conflict. War. The enemy.

My eyes went wide.

Chrysalis was the one to find this partner. Sometime after that, she sent Trojan to find Twilight through the hive mind link that this partner is capable of monitoring. That means… Chrysalis never wanted to assassinate Twilight. She was trying to warn Twilight about the windigos.

Chrysalis was asking for help!

I pulled out my knife and crawled my way to Flash, forced to squint my eyes to see through the flurry of snow. As the winds increased to almost hurricane levels, I had to pin myself to the ground to keep myself from flying off.

Glancing back at the town, the damage from the blizzard was already escalating. Roofs were getting torn apart. Buildings swayed dangerously. Ponies hung on for dear life to keep from flying off. Weather control pegasi couldn’t keep up with the wind as it continued to pick up strength.

If windigos were truly partners with the Changelings, it wouldn’t have empowered Flash to kill them. This bastard of a partner is probably playing both sides against each other for his own, selfish benefit.

I crawled inch by painful inch as I attempted to close the distance. The sheer cold sapped at my strength and made me shiver uncontrollably. The rushing air made breathing a chore. Though he was on the ground, he seemed so far away.

I can’t get through this. This is impossible.

“Spike….” Flash’s voice, his normal one, echoed in the back of my mind. “I know everything hurts right now. Things look bleak and out of reach. Right now, you’re probably telling yourself this is impossible for you and you want to stop. But look at how far you made it. Look at how close you are to the finish line.”

I forced myself to look up, seeing Flash roar into the sky. The winds picked up even more.

“Every inch you make is one that could save a life. Every inch you refuse to take could end a life. At this very moment, you have the choice to take that inch.”

Forcing myself to breathe, I concentrated on making it to the next inch.

“Focus on your breathing. Take it one move at a time, but don’t let yourself stop. Once you give in to the temptation, it’s all over.”

I couldn’t just lie down and let everything go to Tartarus. I had to remember my training and keep moving forward. With every shift forward, I took in whatever gulp of air I could take in and pushed forward. Just like with the doorstep, I kept myself moving, slugging through the snow and dirt.

“No fear!”

I pulled myself forward.

“Yes I can!"

Another inch forward.

“No fear!”

I felt heat in my chest as adrenaline rushed through me.

“Yes I can!”

My mantra continued with every pull, closing the distance more and more. The more I struggled, the more I shouted. The harsher the winds blew, the harder I pushed. Before I knew it, there was a shadow cast over me that wasn’t there before. I looked up to see Flash stare down on me.

“That chant… only the real Wind Stride would know that chant.”

Another voice came to the forefront of my mind.

“One day, you may be forced to make a choice. Perhaps it is your own life at stake. Perhaps somepony else’s life. But one day, especially knowing now that Elytra is involved, you may very well have to choose who lives and who dies. This isn’t about which you choose. This is about making sure you are ready and able to choose.”

I smiled, despite feeling no happiness in the expression.

Trojan was right all along.

“S-sure thing, Flash. I learned it from you,” I bit back tears. His hoof fell on my shoulder. The winds lowered.

“Wind Stride, I know things are rough, but we have to stay strong and kill the enemy before they kill us. We can’t let them win!”

“You’re right,” I moved closer and slipped my working arm around Flash. I held tight and shut my eyes. “I can’t let the enemy win.”

Flash tensed up to react, but it was too late as I drove my dagger into his barrel.

The wind stopped.

Chapter 18: Consequences

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“I. Am not. Upset.”

I moved across homebase with the force of a whirlwind, a broom in hoof, two dusters strapped to my pink apron, and an unquenchable desire to purge my home of all filth and disorder. Desks, chairs, curtains, no dust bunny would be safe from my wrath. No pillow was left unfluffed. No counter unclean. No paperwork unorganized.

“I do not get upset,” I muttered to myself through clenched teeth as I attacked the floor with my broom. “I’m always in control. I would be a disgrace to my hive if I allowed some foolish upstart to rattle me.”

Once the dust on the floor was collected and dumped, I moved the desk and unleashed my dusters upon it like a raving tiger. Traitorous thoughts brought me back to the moment Spike embraced me.

“Foolish little dragon. Thinks he can go around saying whatever he wants. So what I blabbed dangerous information to him that could easily be used against me? I… simply wanted to him to lower his guard and make him think I was lonely and miserable! Hah! I showed him!”

My pace slowed to a stop.

“You know what? I’m going to not worry about anything! Not about Thorax blabbing away our secrets, or Flash’s foolishness, or Shiny’s weird kindness, or how Spike might be the only one who can understand me, or even that I might be forced to kill Elytra! I can handle this! I-it’s only the fate of my hive that’s at stake! I totally got this!”

The dusters trembled in my grip.

“This is fine. I am fine. Everything. Is. Going. To. Be. Fine!”

The window cracked.

I turned my head in time to see pitch black clouds and a torrent of snow outside. The large crack on the window pane gradually spread.

I barely had time to drop to the floor and use the desk as cover when the enchanted, soundproof glass shattered.

The blizzard’s howl and panicked screams rattled my senses. I flipped into my Sassy disguise, ripped off my apron and rushed for the main street of Sugarcube Corner to grasp the situation.

Loose carriages, barrels, and stripped fragments to roofs tumbled down the roads. Cries of panic echoed all around me as the citizens ran for cover or attempted to hold their fragile homes together in vain as the blizzard raged on.

Flash! Spike! Please tell me you two aren't caught up in this!

I activated Dragon Whisper while using the building as a windshield. The panic and unfiltered anger in Spike’s tone doubled my anxiety. As he explained the involvement of the Cold One’s vassal–a windigo he called it–I realized both the truth behind what caused this blizzard and the direness of Elytra’s presence.

Just when I thought things couldn’t get worse, Spike brought more grim news when he reported Twilight’s status.

I let them leave my sight for just a little while and this happens. What did I do to deserve this?

I frowned. ...Oh. Right.

“Alright, I’m enroute. Do what you have to do to keep the others alive," The moment our connection ceased I sprinted towards Spike’s location.

I hurried from building to building for cover against the blizzard. The closer I drew to Everfree Forest, the stronger my headache grew from overwhelming surge of pathos energy embedded in the atmosphere. I stopped by one of the houses to catch my breath and stall the lightheaded sensation that assaulted me.

If this gets any worse, there wasn't going to be a town left to save. You two better not get yourselves killed!

A cry for help tore me out of my thoughts. Across the street I saw a group of three young mares huddled together in the middle of the intersection. The wheels of a runaway carriage clicked and bounced along the ground towards their direction.

Protective instincts placed me in front of the girls in a blink. I gritted my teeth and channeled the icy energy of pathos from my chest into my forehooves. The carriage almost fell upon us before I darted forward and flipped it over our heads and into the side of a building.

It exploded into a shower of broken wood fragments on impact, a slew of vegetables stored inside scattered into the wind. Any fragments that threatened to whip around and hurt them were thwarted by my wings as I shielded them. Only when the three were clear of danger did I breathe in deep and force the pathos in my hooves back into my chest. When the rebellious energy finally subsided to a gentle pulse of warmth, I knew it was contained. For now.

I turned to the girls, who in turn gaped at me with awe. They seemed familiar, but I couldn’t put my hoof on where or when. “Are you three hurt?” I asked.

“That. Was so. COOL!” The orange one beamed. Ah, right. The Cutie Mark Crusaders. This must be Scootaloo then. Which means the other two are...

“This ain’t the time to be impressed!” Applebloom barked.

“Anyway,” Sweetie Belle rolled her eyes at the miffed Scootaloo before looking up at me, “you’re my sister’s friend, Sassy, right? Thank you so much for saving us!”

“What are you three even doing out in this blizzard? You need to find someplace safe to hide until things calm down. Stay with your families,” I said.

“We tried to find our sisters, but we don’t know where they are! It got too dangerous to stay in my sister’s boutique! We wanted to make sure they were safe too!” Sweetie was on the verge of tears. Scootaloo and Applebloom nodded, sharing equally stressed expression.

It’s too dangerous to let them flail around looking for their sisters, and no way in Tartarus am I going to bring them with me to Spike’s location where their sisters actually are. They need someplace safe to wait it out.

An idea clicked.

“I’ll find your sisters and let them know you’re safe. For now, stay at my place.”

“B-but we can’t just sit around while they could be in danger! We gotta help ‘em!” Applebloom said. The others nodded with strengthened, albeit hesitant, resolve in their gazes.

More worried about their family than themselves.

...Elytra, please be safe until I find you.

My expression softened as I lowered my head until we were at eye level. “And you will be helping them by putting their minds at ease. Don't leave my place, even if the storm stops. Don’t open the door for anypony except for myself, Twilight’s friends or your family members. Am I clear?”

Blizzard or no, there was no telling how many ponies were still influenced by the pathos surge. The last thing I wanted was for them to deal with a pony who went mad from its empowerment.

After a moment of indecision, they slowly shook their heads and followed me. Outside the occasional flying debris we had to dodge, we made it safely to homebase. Once they were inside, I waited to ensure they locked the door before I continued towards Everfree.

That moment was when a sudden, anguished roar tore through the air that rooted my hooves and rattled my bones. As the cry faded, so too did the raging blizzard.

The pathos is disappearing. That means it lost its anchor… Did those two somehow defeat one of those monstrosities?

With the blizzard subsided recovery teams kicked into gear. Weather ponies took into the skies to disperse the dark clouds while other ponies left their homes either to check on their neighbors or rush to the hospital to seek help. The speed of efficiency of their response to the crisis was profound, though I had to remind myself that this was Ponyville.

I thought to take flight and head straight to Flash and the others, then realized my brethren had to be aware of what was going on, and they could be any of those ponies who are out and about to reign in the chaos. Instead, I opted to maintain a low altitude as I weaved through the buildings so I didn’t risk any unwanted attention following us.

When I finally arrived to the entrance of Everfree, I spotted a pony in the center of an otherwise empty snowfield. Collapsed on his side atop of bloodsoaked snow. My heart sank as I realized that pony was Flash.

Oh no. No no no. This can't be happening!

My body moved faster than I could think as I landed and closed the distance. A closer look confirmed my fears.

Cuts, bruises, and bluish flesh marred Flash with hints of frostbite. His wing hung to the side at an unnatural position, and whoever tried to apply first aid only managed a hastily applied gauze around his rib cage. His fur was a lighter shade of orange, areas around his It took considerable effort to keep my focus on the mangled mess of a pony who I called my ally.

Had I been paying more attention, just a little more careful, I may have been able to help prevent this. Perhaps I could’ve opened my senses to detect pathos earlier or said something to Flash so he didn’t go running off like a mad stallion. Either way, none of this should have happened, and I have no one but myself to blame.

How could I be so blind?

No, this is not the time to be thinking about my… distraction. Flash comes first.

I crouched over Flash and felt for a pulse. There was still a small twinge of life in him. Next to him was a conveniently placed saddlebag. I rummaged through it to find a generous number of medical supplies. This raised a few red flags in my mind I had to push aside for now to focus on the bigger issue that made itself known to me.

The windigo doesn’t seem to be around, yet there is so much pathos inside Flash still. I searched his body for further wounds, sifting through the fur and messy bandage job to find a deep blade wound in his rib cage. From this angle, whatever blade struck him risked hitting the heart.

I tore off the previous bandage and cleaned the wound with the white cloth and bottle of disinfectant alcohol. Once done, I was about to apply gauze when I realized the wound was already closing.

It must be the pathos healing him. I know it bolsters tissue regeneration, but that is ridiculously fast.

Next I moved to the broken wing. Pegasi wings are notoriously difficult to heal if they are not properly reset to their natural alignment. I was thankful the primary source of the injury was from a dislocated joint rather than a broken bone, which would likely cripple his flight ability forever. I grasped the ligaments and cautiously snapped them back into place and applied gauze to the now folded wing. With the major wounds taken care of, and the healing factor of the pathos able to handle the rest, I allowed myself a moment to internalize the situation before me.

When Spike called, he said Twilight and her friends were dealing with Flash. Yet here is Flash, near dead, alone with a medical saddlebag, a sloppy rush job of mending and, to top it all off, injected with a large amount of pathos energy. Let’s start by checking in with Spike and see where the others disappeared to. And for that matter, why did they leave Flash here?

I activated the Dragon Whisper. “Spike, are you there? Where did you go?

Nothing.

Don’t you dare do this to me, Spike. You’re not allowed to make me worry about you.

“Spike, please respond,” I tried again, only to receive continual silence. Concern flooded my mind as I left Flash alone to do a cursory sweep of the area.

Quite a battle took place here. Spike mentioned Twilight was hurt, so I’m assuming the snowless space was where she was at if the pony outline, splotches of blood and strands of purple mane are an indication. In this case, that means the blizzard took place after the fact due to all the hoofprints scattered across the snow and especially around where Twilight ended up.

Interesting. So Twilight’s injury was a catalyst for the blizzard invoked by Flash somehow. There’s only one thing that is bothering me: the single line of tracks went to Flash from Everfree.

I followed the tracks behind a tall tree, through a small path just behind the wall of forestation, and stopped halfway when it was clear they converged with a larger series of hoofprints that led to town.

No doubt the large collection of hoofprints belonged to Twilight’s friends. The crisp shape of the solitary imprint tells me these are a little fresher than the others. Now for the money question: who did the solitary prints belong to? For that matter, where did the others go that they left Flash out here to die?

Bah, I got nothing conclusive to go on. I’ll look for the others once I’m sure Flash is safe.

After I did a once over to confirm there were no critical wounds I missed, I slipped on the saddlebag, then Flash on my back. Once I was sure he was secured, I made the painful walk back to the castle.

Damn he’s heavy. He’s going to owe me big time for doing this.

I groaned.

No. If there’s anypony who’s in debt, it’s me.

“Sassy, you’re bac–Oh my goodness gracious!”

I’d barely set hoof into the castle’s foyer when I was almost knocked over by a yellow and pink blur. It took a few seconds the realize the frazzled pony checking Flash’s condition was Fluttershy. Immediately she fired off words before I could utter a single one.

“Are you okay? The girls told me that Flash was–”

The moment she touched Flash’s body, a look of horror overrode her features. She shook like a leaf as tears welled up. “F-Flash’s body is so cold. So he r-really is…”

I’d started to wonder why she was looking at him as if he was dead until it occurred to me Fluttershy likely presumed he was dead due to how cold his body was thanks to the pathos. From the onset, it was an easy mistake to make.

“Whoa, hey, slow down, Buttercup,” I patted her shoulder to catch her attention. “Flash isn’t dead, but he does need to warm up. If you don’t believe me, check his pulse.”

“Huh? Flash is really alive?” She asked. I nodded towards him. With a hard swallow she checked him for a pulse. When her face went from hesitation to dumbfounded, I knew she figured it out. “Oh. He really is alive.”

Three… two… one…

“Holy smokes, he’s alive!” Fluttershy’s wings fluttered spastically as she ran in place, eyes bouncing all over the castle. Never had I seen a pony both ecstatic and panic all at once in such a marvelous fashion.

“Hey, calm down, everything is going to be–”

“We need blankets! Lots of blankets! No, more than that! We need a fire to warm him up!”

“Fire? Hey, slow down and–” The next second, Fluttershy disappeared as she barreled into a nearby room, nearly smashing the door off the hinges. Sounds of crashing and rapid movement erupted from inside. I shook my head, a smirk on my muzzle.

Gotta give her points for taking the initiative. Still, something’s rubbing me the wrong way with that initial reaction.

“Uh, Fluttershy? Did you think Flash was dead before you checked on him?”

The door slammed open as Fluttershy rushed towards me with two blankets. “That’s what the other girls were saying when they brought in Twilight and Spike.” She threw the blankets over Flash and dove into the room on the opposite end. More crashing ensued, grunts muddled in her words. “I-I refused–huff–to believe it and–puff–was about to go out there–huff–and see for–puff–myself.”

They told her he was dead? Even though he was barely alive, he still had a pulse. Did they make the same mistake Fluttershy did?

“Fluttershy, please wait for me! I too would like to check on Flash Sentry!”

I looked ahead to see a zebra slide into a halt before me; Zecora, I recalled. An awkward silence fell on us as she looked at me and Flash, whose head poked out from beneath the blankets. Zecora looked rather worse for wear with her cuts and generous helping of gauze, at least she was nowhere near Flash levels of bucked up.

Her reaction to Flash makes sense if she’s in the same boat as Fluttershy, but why do I feel like she’s also shocked that I’m here? For that matter, why does she know Flash? Don’t think they’ve ever met, and Spike never mentioned her when he explained the situation. What the hay happened in the meantime?

The door crashed open again, which made Zecora jump back as another two layers of blankets were thrown over Flash and I. The moment she locked eyes with the shocked zebra, Fluttershy’s eyes lit up like a hearth's warming tree.

“Hey Zecora, guess what? Flash is alive!”

Zecora blinked in surprise, then exhaled with relief. “Thank goodness he is alright. The news of his death gave me quite the fright.”

So just like Fluttershy, she was also told Flash was dead.

Fluttershy was ready to zip towards yet another room when she paused. “Oh, right. You two haven’t met yet. Zecora, this is Flash’s twin sister Sassy. Sassy, this is Zecora. She’s the one who told us Flash was in trouble.”

“Yes, yes, salutations and all that,” I waved off. I wasn’t in the mood for making pleasantries. However, now was a good time to confirm some information. “So who was the pony who said Flash was dead?”

“Rainbow delivered news of his passing to us,” Zecora answered. “Without a body on hoof as proof, it caused quite the fuss.”

“Where are they now?”

“In Twilight’s chambers with Nurse Redheart to aid in her healing. I escorted Spike to his room and took care of his mending.” A despaired look overcame Zecora. “The boy has suffered a great ordeal. Though his body will recover, I fear his mind and soul won’t be as easy to heal.

Spike...

It took all of my effort to stall the motherly worry that gripped me. If the situation took a toll on him, that likely explained why he didn’t answer me when I called him earlier. I’ll deal with that later. First I need to address that slip of the tongue. “Nurse Redheart?”

“Oh yes,” Fluttershy answered. Only now did I realize she disappeared from my side and spoke from the third room. Just how many blankets is she going to get? “When the others arrived, she was with them. Looks like they had gone to the hospital first to get help. Because it was so busy due to the blizzard, she offered to come to the castle and help out.”

A bead of sweat rolled down my cheek. Of all the places for my brethren to be stationed during a chaotic event, hospitals were at the top of the priority infiltration zones. If Nurse Redheart turns out to be a changeling...

“Speaking of busy, you two go and take care of Flash’s mend. I have… other business to attend.”

Zecora's mysterious tone caught my attention, but before I could ask any questions, Fluttershy rushed out of the room with even more blankets, this time throwing two particularly thick covers over Flash, one lavender, the other matching Flash’s coat.

“That’s right," Fluttershy said, again focusing on the zebra. “You did mention you had to go somewhere after that. Don’t forget the supply closet is in the hall to the right.”

Zecora cringed and averted her eyes from me.

“A-ah, yes, that is correct. Fear not, for I didn’t forget.” Just like that, Zecora scurried off down the hall.

Zecora, what in the hay are you up to?

I turned towards the hall where Twilight and her friends resided. Though I didn’t have the time to interrogate Zecora directly, I had the next best source of information next to me.

Fluttershy was about to rush for the next room when I caught her by the wing tip. “Alright, that’s enough. I think Flash has enough blankets to help him through an ice age.”

Fluttershy shook her head. “Oh, I wasn’t going to get more blankets. That would be silly. I wanted to find some flint to get him to warm up faster.”

“I’m gonna go on a limb and say a simple bed to get him to rest on will do for now.” As well as getting him and the fifty pounds of fabric off my damn back.

“...O-oh. Right,” Fluttershy flushed. “Um, we created a makeshift ward for Twilight and Spike to rest in. There should be a spare bed for Flash, so let’s use that.”

“Now we’re talking. Let’s go.” I fell into step with Fluttershy as we trotted at a brisk pace.

After a few seconds of comfortable silence passed, I started my inquiry. “So, what was that about with the supply closet?”

“She asked me for a shovel earlier. I imagine all of that snow buried her hut something awful.”

In which case, that doesn’t explain that weird look she gave me. Don’t have time to deal with that. First Flash, then Nurse Redheart. It’ll be faster to put him in the same room so I can work to secure him and make sure Nurse Redheart isn’t a changeling.

As we hurried to find the others, Fluttershy quickly filled me in on Zecora’s story. I also learned of what transpired during the battle with Flash based on the accounts of the mares present.

I need to remember to investigate the path Flash came from where the windigo resided. There should be clues to help me piece together where Elytra is.There’s also Zecora that I have to talk to and learn everything about Flash’s movements before shit went south. This is going to be a very busy evening.

As the topic drifted to Flash, Fluttershy cast her gaze to the ground as she walked. “I’m… I’m sorry about Flash getting hurt, Sassy.”

“You have nothing to be sorry about. Considering Flash went into Everfree alone, he’s only got himself to blame,” I grumbled.

“But that’s the thing. I think this is all my fault.”

Whoa, what? “Your fault? How?”

“Flash asked me about the Everfree Forest earlier and Twilight’s expeditions there. When he told me not to say anything to Twilight because he didn’t want her to worry, I had a feeling he truly wanted to make sure she was safe. When he rushed out the door, I wasn’t sure why he seemed so panicked. That must have been the point where he decided to go into the forest himself.” Fluttershy sniffed. A tear fell. “I knew I should have said something to Twilight. I’m a terrible friend.”

“Oh no, you don’t. Stop blaming yourself for something another pony did. There’s no way you could have predicted he would do such a thing.”

Predicted. As the word rolled off my tongue, Shining Armor’s words returned to haunt me: “If you continue sabotaging your own teammates by hiding too much information, you’re only dooming yourself and the team for failure.”

“Besides,” I grimaced after a beat, “this is actually my fault.”

“H-huh?”

“He and I had a, well, let’s call it a disagreement. Flash can be very narrow-minded at times, and he only seems to see my flaws whenever it’s convenient for his arguments. Things came to a head today as he got on my case about some of my... habits.”

“What sort of habits?”

“Trust issues.”

“Did something happen where you feel you can’t trust anypony?”

“I suppose you can say it runs in my blood. Must’ve got it from our mother.”

“But he’s your brother. Surely you can trust him, right?”

“We have a complicated history.” Very complicated.

“I can relate to that. I’ve had issues with my own brother time to time as well. He can be self-centered, lazy, and petty. Sometimes, I just can’t stand him.”

I grinned. “Can’t spell brother without bother. Am I right?”

Fluttershy giggled. “Yes. Brothers can be a hassle, but I still love him anyway. And he has good merits too. He can be really passionate and dedicated when he actually puts his mind to it. Sometimes he just needs a push in the right direction, or at least a chance to prove himself.”

A chance to prove himself...

I thought back to our interactions until this point. I always knew something about me got under his skin, yet he always tried to brush it off and give me a chance to earn trust. I had to acknowledge the effort it took for him to do that now that I knew his history with changelings.

He gave me more chances than anypony else. Far more than I’ve ever given anypony.

More than I deserved.

I suppose I never did give him a chance, did I? I know he gave me several.

I frowned.

Can’t believe I’m actually letting this get to me. Not like it matters. Even if he survives this, there’s no way he would give me another chance.

“It’s never too late.”

I tensed as I glanced at Fluttershy. “What?”

“It’s never too late to start things over. I’m sure if you two just had a heart to heart and talked things out, you two can be close again.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.” I’m afraid that train already left, Buttercup.

When we arrived, I was greeted by the two beds that took center stage in the chaotic mess of tables and improvised supplies, Twilight settled in the centermost mattress. The neighboring bed was empty.

The ponies in the room perked up at us; Applejack, Pinkie, Rainbow, Rarity, and a white mare with the neatly styled pink mane who had to be Nurse Redheart. The smiles on their faces dropped the moment they noticed Flash, sans Redheart who, for half a second, had an unreadable look on her face before she gasped in surprise.

“Another patient? Please, lay him here,” Redheart directed me to the unoccupied bed I slipped Flash onto with the piles of blankets.

“This is a lot of blankets for one pony. I know it’s snowing outside, but this might be a little overkill,” Nurse Redheart said as she peeled through the layers of blankets checked his pulse. “Oh my, the poor thing's freezing! No wonder you got him so many blankets. Don’t worry, I’ll take care of him from here.”

As Redheart started checking him for injuries, two things caught my attention.

First was Nurse Redheart, who I attempted to mentally feel out for any signs of pathos. Usually, the pathos inside me pulsed at the proximity of other sources of pathos or aggressive emotions like a magnet. Yet the response to Redheart was mild at best.

A pathos signature would normally be a sign that they were a changeling. But after that surge, now I’m not so certain. With that logic, Flash would be the biggest candidate for a changeling in this room. Speaking of Flash...

The second concern was Flash’s body: He was completely healed.

Though his body grew even colder, he recovered from what had been near-death to almost perfect health. No doubt this led to further awkwardness from the four mares who pronounced him dead almost an hour ago.

“Oh. Well now. Looks like he doesn’t need anything more than rest.” Nurse Redheart said.

I recovered from my moment of surprise and gave my chest a proud thump. “Of course. He’s had a rough day, but luckily he had his sister to look after him. Oh, and another thing, not pronounce him dead.” I added a pointed look at the mares, who recoiled with surprise.

“That…s-something ain’t right. Flash was bleedin’ out when we last saw him. Dead as a doornail!” Applejack exclaimed.

I chose to play along and get to the bottom of this mystery. “Well, when I found him, he was still alive. Even Fluttershy was able to find a pulse in him.”

“Yeah. You all told me he was dead when you found him. So how do you explain this?”

I expected them to flounder in the strange logic. Instead, guilt-ridden expressions overrode their features.

“Sorry, Sassy, I… what we did wasn’t right. I’ll own that.” Rarity said.

Wait. Wasn’t right? What they did? They’re speaking almost as if…

“When you told Zecora and I that Flash was dead, was that the complete truth?” Fluttershy’s eyes narrowed with suspicion.

Silence.

“Well?” The suspicion in Fluttershy’s tone receded into hesitation. My eyes widened.

No way. They didn’t seriously…

“You weren’t there, Fluttershy.” Rarity spoke up with a somber tone. “Flash did some terrible, unforgivable things…”

“I-I didn’t want to do it. We’re not monsters, but...” Pinkie bit her lip.

“And your bright idea was to leave our friend to die?!” Fluttershy’s eyes welled up. “That is beyond monstrous! It’s barbaric!”

They were at the eye of the storm where the highest concentration of pathos would be, so it makes sense their bolstered anger would warp their decision making. Still, never thought I would witness the legendary heroines of friendship leave a pony to die.

Twilight Sparkle, you are seriously sleeping on the job here.

“He nearly killed us all!”

The raw burst of emotion rushed from Rainbow, who snarled. “Look, I’m not a fan of doing such a thing, but if Spike hadn't stabbed him, we'd all be dead. Are you saying that we would’ve been better off dead? Huh?!”

My brain slammed the brakes as Rainbow’s words hit me.

Spike… stabbed Flash? I heard that wrong. That can’t be right.

“Whoa, slow down everypony! Rainbow, repeat what you just said!” I demanded.

The heat in Rainbow’s eyes cooled as she shot me a somber look. “Spike pushed through the blizzard and got close enough to stab Flash in the rib cage with a really weird dagger. Don’t know where he was hiding it, but he saved our lives."

I fell back on my haunches. My eyes clouded up, unfocused, staring somewhere past Rainbow's face.

Spike stabbed Flash.

With a Niekinis dagger. My dagger.

I gulped.

No. I… I can’t believe it. Spike, of all teammates, stabbed Flash? There’s no way. Especially after all that talk about not wanting to kill anypony, he attempts to kill the one pony who he looked up to like an older brother? That’s too unbelievable.

But… I did train him, didn’t I? In the end, I was the one who put the knife in his claws and showed him how to use it. I showed him the philosophy to control his emotions and focus on his directions without distraction of thought and morality.

I stifled a gasp. Was this my fault? Did I drive him into killing Flash? No, but I… I only wanted to…

I rubbed my watery eyes to clear up my expression. I have to stay focused. If Twilight’s friends have this thought in their heads, Flash is still in danger. Even if Spike did manage to snap him out of the pathos' control.

Fluttershy shrunk back from Rainbow’s words as if she was struck. “B-be that as it may, lying about it was wrong.”

“No, what we did was necessary!” Rainbow fired back.

“Necessary? Leaving our friend to die was necessary?!” Fluttershy snapped. “I’ll have you all know Flash is actually a really sweet and passionate stallion. I know for a fact he would’ve never hurt Twilight had he been in full control. Just as I’ve never seen him when he was possessed by the windigo, neither of you have seen how hard he’s worked to overcome his, um, personal issues. So please try to understand that we shouldn’t resort to such barbaric measures to protect ourselves. We’re all friends here.”

Another flare of aggressive energy burst from Rainbow as she glared at Flash. “What if he goes berserk again? Windigos follow hatred and fighting, right? We can’t let this happen again!” Her eyes narrowed. “I won’t let it happen again.”

"Rainbow," Fluttershy said, her tone pleading, but ominously low. "Listen to yourself. Whatever happened, Flash is hurt. Or… he was. But when he wakes up, he's going to need friends!",

Doing what was necessary…

Something inside me twisted at the absurdity of the situation.

These ponies know nothing about what’s necessary! Flash would have never left an ally to die. He gets on my nerves, but at least he’s an honorable pony.

White-hot anger flooded my veins as I glared at the bearer of the element of loyalty.

I’ll be damned if I let things stand as they are.

“Rainbow Dash, if you think I’m going to let any of you hurt Flash, you are gravely mistaken.” Though there was no anger or threat in my tone, it caught everypony’s attention like a rattlesnake’s tell. Nurse Redheart grew alert and curious.

Rainbow walked up to me, wings flared in some sort of war stance. “Sassy, look, I got nothing against you, but your brother tried to kill Twilight."

"He's not some kind of monster." I enunciated every word, resisting the urge to snort at the irony that I was actually defending him. My voice rose an octave higher, matching my intense gaze into Rainbow's eyes. "You do not get to treat him li--"

"I'm not waiting 'till he wakes up and starts ripping up the castle, and Spike, Twilight, and whoever bucking else he can get his hooves on," Rainbow growled. "Make this easy on all of us and just… just move aside.”

I rolled my shoulders until I felt the satisfying pop between my shoulder blades. The pathos inside raged and flooded my limbs and chest with a burst of adrenaline.

Time for mommy to unwind.

“Enough!”

The screech caused us to freeze up as Fluttershy planted herself in front of us, forehooves raised to keep us from getting through. Angry tears rushed from Fluttershy as she glared at all of us.

“You all should be ashamed of yourselves!” She screamed through choked sobs. “So many ponies got hurt today, yet rather than find a peaceful solution to bring us together, everypony is trying to use violence to fix their problems! Am I the only pony who sees something wrong with all of this? Well?!”

No one had an answer for that.

Fluttershy continued. “Yes, Twilight and Spike got hurt. Flash got possessed by a windigo, but that doesn’t mean we can’t work together to figure things out without needing to kill each other! Please, think this through! Don’t rush a decision you’re going to regret for the rest of your life!”

I looked down at my hoof, and recalled the moment I punched Spike.

I’m… better than this, aren’t I? Have I gotten so sloppy that I let a pathos-influenced pegasus control my emotions?

Or rather, to be more accurate, let the very anger the pathos feeds off of control me? No. I’m the master of my emotions, damn it. No matter what, I can’t let the pathos win.

“Fluttershy’s right. We’ve been going about this all wrong,” I finally said. “You have to admit, this is an extreme leap of logic without doing a proper investigation on all possible solutions. For all we know, that was the only windigo in the area, and Flash just happened to be the unlucky one to catch it. First of all, let’s wait for Flash and Twilight to wake up and work together to seek out answers.

“After all, if the bit was on the other hoof, would you kill Twilight to prevent Flash from getting hurt? He’s my brother, and even I wouldn't go that far.”

The tension gradually climbed down as the realization dawned on the other mares. Even Rainbow seemed a little more receptive to the idea after I broke down basic logic. Logic that I had admittedly forgotten in my own anger.

“Ahem, if I may interrupt for a moment?”

We all turned to Nurse Redheart. Though I had not forgotten about her, it was a surprised to see this tensed atmosphere had little effect on her.

“It’s been a crazy day for all of us, and I for one agree we should not jump to any conclusions until we’ve collected ourselves. A little rest and reflection should help resolve things in the morning.”

“U-um, I have to agree with that plan.” Pinkie looked around at all of us with a nervous smile. “Why don’t we all get some sleep rather than think about silly things like committing murder? Safe to say we’re all under a teensy amount of stress.”

“I-I agree. I don’t feel right about any of this at all. Feelin’ a little sick to be honest,” said Applejack.

“Let’s at least sleep in the castle to keep an eye on things. Twilight did have spare rooms for all of us, after all.” Rarity suggested.

“Y-yeah…” Rainbow averted her eyes from me, her expression a conflicted grimace.

“Glad to hear it. Twilight and Flash Sentry will be fine, so let’s all leave them to rest. I’m prepared to call it a night myself.” Nurse Redheart yawned and shooed us out of the room before closing it behind her.

Everypony exchanged awkward farewells as they part ways, leaving uncomfortable tension in their wake. Though I never got to truly tell if Nurse Redheart was a changeling, the fact that she'd left and showed little pathos inside her put me at ease for now. This left me with one concern to take care of before moving onto my investigate: Spike.

I moved across the hall to his room and quietly opened the door. I slipped in, locked it behind me, and moved to Spike’s bedside without a sound. Even in his sleep, Spike still suffered as his tear-stained face was contorted in pain.

My hoof smoothed over the torn cloth used to prop Spike’s arm in a sling. I carefully shifted it to reveal the exposed injury. I wrinkled my nose at the smell of mint and some other strong substance Zecora likely added to disinfect the wound.

I’m sure she wouldn’t mind a little changeling intervention. I hate that I can’t do this in Sassy’s disguise, but beggars can’t be choosers.

I dropped my disguise and channeled my horn. Warmth flowed in my stomach, then the magic bubbled through my lungs until I coughed up a glob of fluid that glowed from the ‘love’ that filled it. I chuckled at the mental image of Spike gagging himself at the sight.

You better be thankful for this, Shortcake. I don’t give my magic to just anyone.

I applied the goo to the wounded zones. The results were instant as the magic repaired the damaged tissue and rejuvenated the skin cells. His arm took a considerable amount of magic to heal, which left me breathless for the next few minutes.

I need to hold onto the rest of my magic. If I let the pathos take over… no, I can’t let myself think about it. I’ll have to find a way to feed tonight.

I wiped the sweat off my face and fixed the sling back on Spike’s arm as if nothing changed. Just as I turned to leave, I heard him mutter under his breath.

“Please... No... It’s all my fault.”

Whether it was the pain in his voice or the context of his words, it rooted me.

Just walk away. He’s just talking in his sleep.

My hoof moved like lead as I took a step forward. Each step was heavier than the next.

My kin are likely to attack or make a move soon. Don’t get distracted.

I stopped as grasped the door handle. You’re losing your edge! Getting too attached.

The line of thought made me gasp. From the start, I had seen Spike only as a means to an end. A tool to help me accomplish my mission. The sleeper agent I could manipulate and use as leverage if necessary.

When did that change?

At what point did I start seeing him as… as a friend?

“Trojan, don’t leave me,” Spike whimpered in his sleep.

I almost squeaked as my heart skipped a beat. My eyes stung and blurred. I scrubbed at the tears.

Stop it! I… I can’t. There’s no place for us with them. After everything we’ve done to them, ponies will never accept my kind.

The tears didn’t stop. My hoof trembled on the door handle.

I’ve manipulated dozens of ponies and dragons. Mindless drones who bent to my will with the slightest persuasion and trickery. I didn’t care then, and I can’t care now. There’s too much at stake for me to lose focus.

So why are those two so different?

After a moment, I released the door handle.

Why... do I actually give a damn about them?

I walked back to Spike’s beside and soothed my hoof over his head, humming a nameless tune. I continued until the pain in his expression faded to mild content. On impulse, I planted a kiss on his forehead then whispered into his ear.

“Damn you both for doing this to me.”

Spike smiled as I quickly and quietly flipped into my Sassy disguise and left the room.

As soon as the door clicked close I slumped to my haunches, leaned my head against the door and shut my eyes. I did not move or let myself think for the next few minutes, all spent to reel in the emotions that threatened to burst out of my chest.

“Pull it together. Just a little while longer. We still have a job to do,” I groaned.

As if some cosmic forces heard me, my choker buzzed.

That’s got to be Shining Armor. Ugh, as if this day wasn’t already stress enough as it is.

I thought to answer it immediately, but knew it was too risky for prying eyes. Then my mind drifted to the unknown hoof tracks over by ‘ground zero’ where I found Flash. I still have to investigate. Might as well talk to Shining Armor while enroute.

After taking a moment to collect myself, I moved to exit the castle.

He is not going to like this.

From the main floor to the base of the castle, Shining continued trying to reach me. The buzz on my collar matched the butterflies in my stomach as I took into the clouds.

What will Shining Armor say or do upon learning about Flash? Don’t know if I should tell him about Zecora yet, but there’s no denying that we need help.

Once I found a lone cloud high above Ponyville to settle on, I triggered the imageless function of the collar by pressing in the gem. I still had to mind my surroundings for any curious pegasi, as anypony could still hear us.

“Trojan, what’s your status?”

“Single,” I smiled wryly. Might as well get one last joke in before I get on his bad side.

“Very funny,” he replied dryly. “Seriously, what’s your current status?”

“Could be better. Things certainly didn’t get better, given Flash’s, well, anger getting to him.”

“I see. He didn’t answer my call, which is a problem I will tackle when I get to it. But since I have you on the line, have you reflected upon our last conversation?”

“Yeah. I’ve done a ton of reflecting in the past few hours.” A lifetime’s worth.

“And?”

“And… you were right.”

Shining went silent for a beat. “Just so we’re on the same page, what exactly am I right about?”

I opened my mouth to snark at the obvious smile in his voice, then closed it. No. Let the guy have his victory. It’ll be all downhill from here in a minute.

After a pause to collect my thoughts, I continued. “Show my work, eh, Teach? Alright, fine. You and I both know the easy part. Honesty is a virtue, friendship is magic, yadda yadda yadda. Just so you and I are clear, we come from completely different walks of life. Case in point, Chrysalis is our one true ruler and teacher. She taught all of us the values we know today. Clearly there’s going to be some, well, bias.

“I admit, I felt cornered when I realized I had no choice but to work with you. Our history with each other isn’t exactly spotless, so I went in with the assumption that you could get rid of me at any moment, not to mention anything I told you could be used against us. I mean, come on, our invasion was on your wedding day.

“On top of all of that, were it not for Flurry Heart stepping in, you and I would not be having this conversation. I would either be dead or rotting in your basement. Could you blame me for not wanting to be just a little careful considering my entire race is on the line here? I’m under a lot of pressure here.”

“I’ll concede to that point. I couldn’t take any risk either.”

“Exactly. So, I don’t regret most of the things I’ve done or hid from you. It was for survival’s sake. However… I do regret how I went about it. Regardless of the type of information I feel safe to share, I should not have compromised the health of our team the way I did. I plan on rectifying this moving forward by communicating better. So yeah, I was wrong in my methods, and I’m sorry.”

“Color me impressed. Glad to see you finally came around. I take it you will be more forthcoming and honest with us from now on?”

Forthcoming and honest. Mother would strangle me if she saw me now. Then again, I put myself in this position.

I looked up at Luna’s moon and smiled.

You always wanted me to be more honest, Flash. Hope it’s everything you wanted.

“Indeed. So, on that note, I know you’re a stallion of action rather than words, so I would like to start off this honesty kick I’m on to show I’m not just messing around.”

“Fantastic! So what would you like to share?” Shining’s tone was filled with hope and anticipation.

I cleared my throat and spoke with a calm, careful tone. “The situation in Ponyville has escalated. We could really use some reinforcements. A medical and disaster recovery crew would be highly recommended as well. Might be a smart idea to get an evacuation going too.”

“What?! Explain!” Shining roared.

Hello, happy Shining armor. Goodbye, happy Shining Armor.

“Word from Fluttershy, which is based on Zecora’s testimony, is that some time after our meeting, Flash went into Everfree by himself and met with Zecora. From there, he encountered a windigo and got possessed. It’s believed he entered some sort of PTSD flashback during this period and ended up whipping up a blizzard that drowned Ponyville in snow.”

Shining Armor went silent.

“Did you just… I…”

Another pause.

“You’re not serious, right? Is this another one of your jokes?” Shining Armor asked as if I told him I was Celestia’s lovechild. The calm before the storm.

“No. I’m serious.”

I took a deep breath and prepared myself.

Three… two… one…

“What the buck happened down there?! Blizzard? PTSD?!” A pause. “Windigos?! Are you kidding me? What are they doing here?!” Shining punctuated every word with the force of a volcanic eruption. Glad we’re not face to face at the moment.

“Please tell me you’re not serious. Windigos, of all things?” Shining Armor’s onslaught relented, though I knew another wave of unbridled rage was right around the corner.

“I don’t have all the facts, but I’m positive they were drawn to Flash’s aggression. Just like in the stories, they are drawn to hatred and conflict. As for their presence in Ponyville, that’s bothered me too. There shouldn’t be enough means of generating pathos to sustain their presence for–”

“Hold up! Sustain their presence? As in, those monsters feed off pathos?”

“Even we don’t know all the mechanics behind them, as the Cold One denied us their secrets. From what I’ve been able to glean, windigos are born from pathos, and they cultivate other sources of pathos to create more windi–”

“You knew this!” Shining cut me off. “You knew about the windigos from the start, didn’t you?!”

I braced myself. “Yes.”

“You are un-fucking-believable!”

I winced. “Had I even a remote idea they were in the area, I would’ve–”

“I don’t give a damn what you think!” Shining spat. “This could’ve been avoided had you told us everything from the start. Flash’s condition, the blizzard, we could’ve avoided all of this! This is all your fault!”

“...Yeah, you’re right. That is a possibility I cannot deny.” The next words tumbled off my tongue before I thought it through. “I failed to predict that Flash’s outburst would have fed him to the windigos.”

A furious snort ripped from Shining’s nostrils. “Flash’s outburst was all because of…!” A shudder escaped from Shining as he went silent. “O-of…” He tried again. The anger in his voice fizzled. Several seconds passed. “Celestia damn it, Flash…”

The defeat in Shining's voice shot pang of guilt wrenched into my stomach. A flame doused by their own hubris.

No, it’s not fair for him to blame himself for that. In the end, things would not have escalated so far if it wasn’t for me.

“Is… there anything else you’ve failed to mention thus far? Absolutely anything else you need to tell me?” The anger rose up in his voice again, though saturated with bitterness and exhaustion.

I sighed. Time for the final nail in my coffin.

“There’s something else. During Flash’s PTSD attack, some ponies, including Spike, got hurt. Twilight and her friends stepped in to stop Flash, and though some of them got minor injuries, Twilight received a deep laceration across the face and is currently unconscious. Spike received several wounds including a broken arm. I’m sure there are some townsfolk that got hurt during the storm, but I haven’t been able to confirm casualties so far. Nothing looks life-threatening, and local first responders are active, so I'm sure they will recover with rest and medical treatment.”

Shining Armor went quiet.

A second passed. Then five. Ten.

The warmth of the magical aura told me the connection was still on. I hesitated to call out to Shining at the chance of setting him off even more. Is he going to be okay? Is the connection broken or something?

I gathered what little confidence I had left and took the plunge. “Shining? Are you still there?”

Another full minute of silence.

I opened my mouth to speak when another voice beat me to it.

“H-hello? Is this working?"

My heart almost leapt out of my chest. “W-Wha… Thorax?”

Thorax gasped. “It’s working! Yes, I can hear you!”

Shining is letting him use the communication channel? Something isn’t right. “Is Shining there with you?” I asked crisply.

“He bolted past me some time ago. Looks like he forgot to turn this thing off.”

My shoulders tensed. “What’s going on?”

“I don’t know what you told him, but he started gathering almost every able soldier to get on the train and head towards Ponyville. I’ll be on the first train heading towards you."

...Oh, no…

Thorax continued, "I, um, overheard that he wants me to be your replacement. He plans to send you back to the Empire immediately.”

So this is it. When he gets here, it's all over for me.

“You need to hide,” Thorax’s voice jumped an octave, “I tried to tell him that a smaller group would be smarter, but he ignored me and said something about doing things his way now. He’s being really scary.”

I pressed the cold flat of my hoof into my forehead. “Hiding is not going to do me any good," I replied glumly. "My collar is not only a tracking device, but he can make it explode anytime he wants. There’s no escape for me.”

“Oh no. No, no, no. I-I’ll find a way to get those off for you. Maybe there’s a key or disenchant spell to break it?”

I considered the angle. With Shining Armor on the approach with the wrath of Tartarus, the next few hours would be my last moments of freedom. However, his anger was directed at me. If Thorax got caught up in my mistake…

“No. Don’t put yourself at risk. I need you to stay on his good side and do whatever he tells you.”

“But what are you going to do?”

“I’ll figure something out, but I need to know something. How’s everything back home since I left?”

A pause. “Not good. The division of the broods has shifted since you were deemed K.I.A. and only grown since then. At this rate, the entire hive will– oh no, they’re looking for me! Stay safe! I’ll find you and do what I can!”

“Thorax? What is about to happen to the others? Are you still there?” Only silence greeted me. The connection ceased.

My teeth gnashed together as unholy rage flooded my senses. It's worse than I feared. If I don't hurry, there won't be a hive left to save. Don't they realize this is exactly what he wants? Either way, if I don’t accomplish what I came here to do, I won’t be able to save myself, much less the hive.

I peered over the edge of the clouds for an overview of Ponyville. Several houses were completely destroyed. Ponies moved across town in a frenzy, majority towards the white building at the edge of town opposite of the Everfree forest. The hospital must be a mad house right now.

Houses closer to the eye of the storm were demolished, broken wood and snow left in the storm’s wake. My gaze continued to follow until it landed on ground zero, where I had found Flash.

No choice. I have to dig up whatever I can. My kin likely covered up the evidence already there, but perhaps they left a clue only someone like me would pick up. Either way, it’s the only real lead I got so far, and I can’t afford to wait things out.

I have to find Elytra before Shining Armor imprisons me again. It’s do or die.

Chapter 19: Malice

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These Changelings just don’t know when to quit.

Just before I could cut down the one posing as Wind Stride, another crashed into me at breakneck speed. A flash of pain stunned me. I crashed through a wall and some fallen debris and was sent tumbling in a mix of hooves and wings. My hooves were locked in a struggle against the Changeling who posed as yet another one of my comrades.

“Flash, snap out of it, will ya?!” Private Amaranth snapped, pinned on top of me.

“You won’t fool me a second time, you bastard!” With a huff, I threw her off me and rolled to my hooves. I pounced forward with a series of jabs.

This fake Amaranth was quick, sidestepping and dodging with respectable skill and speed. Her counterattacks, however, were sloppy, made with wide-arcing swings and telegraphed strikes which I easily avoided and punished with swift punches and hooks. With every blow that connected I felt a spark of adrenaline urge me forward, bolstering my strength and speed.

Trouble started once two more Changelings entered the fray, this time disguised as two of my earth pony comrades; Privates Gear Scrap and Silver Lance.

“Alright, Flash, ya’ll need to calm yer fool head before ya kill somepony!” Gear said.

“I really don’t want to hurt you, Flash. I’m sure if we all just relax and take a deep breath, you can stop going all murder psycho on us,” said Silver.

I backed up a few paces, taking quick glances around for something, anything I could use to defend myself. “If you think you’re gonna trick me with that pathetic performance, you’re going to have to try harder.” At the corner of my eye I spotted a lance sticking out the ground. I grabbed it and crouched low, ready to spring. “Especially you with the fake country accent. Gear never had that voice. You’re not even trying, are you?”

“Why, ah take offense to that—whoa!”

I cursed under my breath as she managed to dodge my spear thrust. Amaranth tried to dive at my blindside, only to strike air as I anticipated the attack and jumped into the air, flapping my wings to hover above her. My spear nearly connected with her head when Silver leapt and knocked me out of the air with a jump kick. I landed on my hooves, but the swift follow-up from Gear shoulder checking me knocked me down.

This would have been an excellent time for them to charge at me, but instead they ran away. I paused to catch my breath. Why are they running away? They should’ve pressed the advantage against me.

My gaze followed the trail. The path led to Canterlot castle. I tightened the grip on my spear.

So that’s it. Something’s going on at the castle and they’re rushing there. I have to stop them!

Catching my second wind, I charged after them as fast as my legs could carry me, hoping against hope that my captain and princesses were able to hold the fort until I arrived. I tore down the road until I reached the connecting pathway that would lead out of the residential district and into the castle grounds.

When I arrived, I spotted several ponies stationed in the middle of the hot zone. The moment I spotted Wind Stride and the other fakes who fled the skirmish, I realized what they were doing; guarding the entry point into the castle. Once I cut through them, I would be able to access the castle.

I had to hold onto my spear for support, glaring down on my sworn enemies. This was a fight I couldn’t lose. I had to avenge my comrades and save everypony before it was too late.

“I won’t lose to you, bastards!” I roared, catching their attention. “I’m going to save everypony, and not you, or your Celestia-damned queen will… w-will...!”

As my glare swept through the all too familiar faces of my squad, one of the faces stole my breath.

N-no… that can’t be right! There’s no way they can know about her!

I had difficulty catching my breath. My spear was the only thing holding me up.

“S… Sunset?”

The fire around us shimmered slightly as if Sunset’s very presence attempted to quell it.

She took a nervous step forward. I took a reflexive step back. “Flash, what has happened to you? Why are you doing this?”

Static flickered around Sunset at the sound of her voice. I shook my head. “Why are you here? No, this has to be a trick! But how could they know?” I started asking myself more than her. This has to be a Changeling! There’s no way Sunset is really here.

...Right?

She took another step forward. I stepped back again. “Flash, listen to me carefully. I’m not Sunset Shimmer. You are not in Canterlot, and there are no Changelings here.”

I blinked. There’s no way that could be right. There are Changelings in front of me and more I’ve killed on the way here. This is a lie! “No! T-this is all wrong! You have to be a Changeling! You are not real!”

She frowned. “I’ll prove that I am real. But I need you to trust me. I will come to you.”

“No!” I jerked my spear at her. The flames brightened and drew closer from all sides. “S-Stay back!”

There was a brief conversation between her and the fakes who had to be posing as my comrades, concern written all over their faces. Her promise to ‘prove’ what I was seeing was not real. It had to be a lie to lure me into a false sense of security. This had to be a trap.

Yet, a tiny voice in the back of my mind began to wonder; what if she was right? What if I really was seeing things?

After a moment, Sunset started walking towards me again.

“I said stay back!” I screamed. The flames roared and whipped around us.

“I’m not going to abandon you, Flash,” Sunset said as she stepped forward. I forced myself to hold my ground, curiosity battling against panic. “I understand you’re scared. Angry. Hurt. You’ve been through a lot, haven’t you?”

That… that voice. The concern. It feels like the Sunset I used to know, but...

A chill settled in my bones. I shook my head.

No, I can’t fall for it! “I know you’re a changeling. You can’t fool me!”

“If I was a Changeling, I wouldn’t approach you without weapons or backup, would I?”

They had to know I cut down a bunch of their friends. It really would be foolish to approach me without being prepared.

The spear trembled in my grip. My strength waned from the combined exhaustion and drop of momentum.

Something is off about all of this. I can feel it. Could she be right?

Sunset inched closer. “Tell me; what do you see right now?”

I took a brief glance around. Flames ravaged the once pristine capital of Canterlot. Towers reduced to rubble. Corpses, enemy and ally, littered the grounds, their charred remains burned at my nostrils. My entire world, literally and figuratively, was falling apart before my weary eyes.

“I… I see fire. Crumbling buildings. C-corpses, both pony and Changeling.”

“Who do we look like to you?”

If she really was a Changeling, this would be a weird question. I can’t sense anything off from her tone or body language, though.

“My old squadmates. And… and you, Sunset Shimmer.”

Sunset stood just before the end of the spear. My eyes went wide. No one was stupid enough to walk up to the enemy and put themselves at my mercy like this. I could easily thrust forward and end her life and she had to know it.

Pain pulsed in my head. Mental images flashed; A Twilight Sparkle with wings sparing me a gentle smile. Her friends greeting me. Spike crawling his way to the doorstep of a crystal castle.

This isn’t Sunset? Is this really Twilight Sparkle?

Could this really be a flashback?

More images flooded my mind. An office with bookshelves. Shining Armor, Cadance, and a grey pony with a lab coat giving me a miserable look.

Another image. This time a white room with a wide glass window. Leather straps pinned me into the bed like a wild animal. Shining Armor, Cadance, and that same grey pony giving me pitiful looks, crestfallen.

When did all of this happen? Are those my real memories, or fake ones?

I lowered my spear, slowly processing everything. I could no longer feel the flames, shivering from the sudden cold that assaulted my senses. “This… this isn’t real?”

‘Sunset’ nodded. “That’s right. Now, take a deep breath. Breathe in.” Her hoof moved to her chest and inhaled. “Breathe out.” She pushed her hoof outward and exhaled.

More image flashes. Cadance mimicked her very movements, taking deep breaths while making motions with her hooves.

Numbly I followed the movements of the one who could possibly be Twilight Sparkle. Breathe in. Breathe out. Breathe in. Breathe out. We took synchronized breaths again and again.

The movements came to me as if second nature. It was through the breathing exercise I sensed something odd flooding everything up to my throat. An unusual sensation as if cold air was being pumped into my veins and through my heart. Something about it felt malevolent and alive, twisting and shifting in my body.

Surges of adrenaline pumped rapidly in my veins, but this time I forced myself to ignore the sensation and breathe. Slowly the fog of panic and fear ebbed from my mind. I couldn’t put my hoof on it, but I was growing more sure something was amiss, almost like my own body was fighting me to make the aggressive strategy.

Whatever it was didn’t like the fact I was calming down, as this ‘thing’ constricted my heart and dropped my body temperature drastically. Sharp pain wracked my body as I grimaced, my heart racing erratically.

What… what’s going on? What did I feel just now?

Is this her doing? Is something affecting me?

I shuddered. Panic washed over me. Is she telling the truth? Is she lying? What do I do?

I… I can’t do this! Somepony, anypony, please help me!

“Get away from me! P-please!”

Panicked, ‘Twilight’ moved forward. “You can fight this!” Her voice was distorted, half Sunset Shimmer, half… Twilight?

I blinked.

A Changeling stood where Sunset had been.

“I believe in you!” The changeling shouted with Twilight’s voice.

Panic drove my actions before my thoughts could catch up. With a wild swing, I slashed her face.

The blow threw her across the battlefield, landing with a thud.

I blinked again.

Twilight Sparkle was on the ground, unmoving.

I stared in shock, shaking like a leaf.

What… what have I done? What if she was right? What if that was the real Twilight Sparkle?

I… I have to check to make sure. Maybe if I try the breathing thing again I could—

A hoof to the face derailed the train of thought and threw me back. Before I knew it, four ponies descended upon me like vengeful griffons.

Heat sparked through me as I shifted my focus to the fight. These ponies were after my blood, leaving no doubt in my mind this was all some Changeling attempt to trick me. It was kill or be killed now.

As our battle escalated, so did the flames around us. On an individual level, my speed and ferocity outmatched the Changelings, dodging their attacks and striking them from blindsides and openings in their defense. This advantage, however, paled in the face of their teamwork. It was on a level I could only dream of, perfectly coordinating their positioning and saving each other from all of my lethal blows.

The flames raged wildly and separated me from the enemy. It was impeccable timing, as my stamina reached its limit. All that kept me standing was battle adrenaline and knowledge that I was likely the only soldier still alive that could save the captain and princess.

Digging deep, I pulled out whatever reserves of strength I had left to push me one final mile to make the rescue.

“I will not falter! The enemy must die!” I shouted.

Fires spread even further, nearly blinding me. With my wing broken, escape was impossible without getting burned to a crisp. Between the fire and the Changelings bracing themselves behind their magical barrier, it was all too apparent I would be joining my fallen squad.

If I’m going to die…

I gritted my teeth and tightened the grip on my spear.

I’m going to take as many of these bastards as I can with me!

That’s when I heard it.

The sound was faint, mixed within the screams of anguish and crackling fire. My ear flicked towards the raspy voice.

“No fear! Yes I can!”

My heart soared once I caught sight of Wind Stride crawling towards me. My instincts warned this could be a changeling in disguise, but I discarded the thought. No changeling was dumb enough to scramble towards an armed soldier while injured.

“That chant… only the real Wind Stride would know that chant.”

“S-sure thing, Flash. I learned it from you,” his grin was weary, but I was confident there was still some fight in him. Happy as I was to see him alive, the odds were still stacked against us.

I dropped a hoof on Wind’s shoulder to steady him as he stood on his back hooves. “Wind Stride, I know things are rough, but we have to stay strong and kill the enemy before they kill us. We can’t let them win!”

“You’re right,” he muttered. Wind moved to wrap a leg around the back of my neck for support. “I can’t let the enemy win.”

My spine suddenly tingled in warning.

Huh? Who is—

Sharp pain exploded on the side of my barrel.

I let out a shocked yell, but it was nowhere near as loud as the terrible shriek that I heard echoing around me.

Stabbed. I've been stabbed.

Icy cold ripped through my body from the strike, making my knees falter and buckle to the side, trying fruitlessly to flinch away. The chill seemed to paralyze my muscles, leaving me feeling weak, and hollow inside.

Poison…? Is it… W-Wind Stride... ?

For a moment, I saw the writhing shape of a tall, ghostly pony with an icy blue glare as it dissolved before my eyes.

Darkness swam in and out of my vision. The flames, corpses, crumbling buildings... they were all gone. The night sky was covered in clouds, and the air smelled of blood and frost. The spear abruptly fell from my grasp, dropping to the ground. Strength left me as I slid off Wind Stride’s shoulder and slumped to the blood-stained snow.

Snow….?

I looked down at the source of my pain. The harsh reality of my fate hit me when I saw the blade embedded deep into my side; I was going to die.

With a grimace, I cast my gaze upward at my killer.

My heart nearly stopped. That was not Wind Stride.

I couldn’t believe it. I refused to believe what I was seeing was true.

“S...S-Spike?” My voice was little more than a rasp. Spike said nothing, but one look at him told me the story.

Spike had fallen on his knees, staring at his bloodied claw. His expression conveyed shock, but his eyes were void of emotion other than tears.

I recognized that look.

It was no different than the day I lost my squad.

I tried to say something, but all it accomplished was pushing the remaining air out of my lungs. With what little strength I had left, I tried to reach out to him with a hoof, only for a light blue hue of magic to grasp the drake and pull him back. Through my hazy vision, I saw Rarity wrap her hooves around him protectively, glaring at me with utter contempt. Applejack hurried to Spike’s aid, trying in vain to snap him out of the stupor he was lost in.

He saved them.

As my vision faded, the last glimpse I caught in my vision was the sight of Pinkie Pie carrying Twilight on her back.

But not all of them.

My mind drifted into darkness before I could complete the thought, yet what I saw confirmed all I needed to know.

I killed Twilight.

I awoke with a gasp, shaken from the jolt that ripped through me.

The absence of light and atmosphere made me roll onto my hooves in a defensive reflex. I should have been dead or dying, yet outside a chill that made me shiver, I suffered no pain. I woke up on wooden planks, unable to see or hear anything.

Is this what it’s like to die? But why wooden planks? Where in Tartarus am I?

A mechanical click, followed by a flash of light from above left me momentarily dazed. The sound reminded me of… stage lights?

Other sounds caught my attention. Murmurs. Hushed ramblings. Whispers.

An endless sea of eyes from featureless ponies appeared before me. Pitying, judging, watching every move I made. Everything beyond the ponies was dark and obscure, which magnified their grey eyes.

My legs turned to jelly at the sight. I turned away from the crowd, only to find myself surrounded on all sides.

“You’re no soldier, you’re a murderer!”

“We trusted you!”

“You’re no better than the Changelings!”

I covered my ears and shut my eyes, doing everything I could to block them out. It didn’t work. Not back then, and that terrifying fact still held true now, their haunting whispers violating my senses.

Is this is the last thing I see before I die? Maybe I’m already dead, and I’m just doomed to this for the rest of who-knows-how-long?

My eyes snapped open, pupils shrunken.

Is this my punishment for killing Twilight and failing my mission?

The whispers grew louder, almost deafening.

“Twilight believed in you!”

“You killed her, you monster!”

“Just like you killed him!”

The maddening voices grew louder. I shivered uncontrollably, feeling the walls closing in.

I’ll never get over this. This will follow me for all eternity.

“Shut up, shut up, SHUT UP!” I screamed.

As if my wish was granted, everything ceased. The whispers, the staring, all of it. The masses faded as the darkness rolled in towards me, swallowing them whole. Panic rose in my throat. Something about the shift in reality felt unnatural and made my skin crawl, a phenomenal statement to be made in such a twisted nightmare.

“Pathetic.”

Glancing to the side, I nearly jumped out of my skin. Another pegasus had suddenly appeared next to me, a twisted mirror image of myself with snow white fur and piercing ice blue gaze. His voice was also similar to mine, but with a silky and dangerous edge to it. As far as nightmarish imaginations went, this doppelganger was decidedly unsettling.

“Such mindless, foolish masses. They are blind to your efforts and the potential they represent, instead spouting nonsense and treating you like the town fool. You are nothing to them.”

“I can’t let that bother me,” I replied automatically, though my tone bore little confidence. “I’m a member of the Royal Guard. I’m above such things.”

“Yes, you should be. But you’re not,” he encircled me with stalking steps. “The Royal Guard are proud soldiers. Warriors who stand to brave dangers many would run from. A fighter—”

“Your point?” I cut him off.

He didn't even bat an eyelash. “You are none of those things because you hold back. Once you’ve embraced your true nature, you’ll have the power to make a difference and be the pony you’ve always wanted to be.” The pegasus stopped in front of me. “My point is, I’m going to show you who you really are and bring out your full potential.”

“What does it matter if I’m dead, or whatever this place is?”

“You’re not dead yet, but haven’t fully escaped it, either. You are in a coma.”

“I’m still alive?! Wait a minute…” Something about what he said hit my ear wrong. “If you’re supposed to be some weird version of me, how would you even know that? I know what I saw. I should be dead.”

I might have imagined it, but for a second, I caught what looked like a flicker of annoyance cross his expression.

“You will find your answers when you deserve them. None of it will matter if you fail my test.”

“Test? What test?”

I barely caught his eager grin before he swooped in and rammed a hoof into my cheek.

I quickly shook the stars out of my eyes and pounced at him. “That hurt, you sonuva—Gah!” He ducked under my left hook and countered with an uppercut to the jaw. I stumbled for a moment.

“Harness your rage. Fight. Survive.” He smirked. “Kill.”

With a growl in my throat, I sprung at him, hooves flying. The lookalike danced and pivoted around my strikes with disturbing ease, throwing in occasional counters that always hit home. Frustration mounted with every blow I missed. It was clear from the smirk that he was toying with me.

“You’re still holding back, ignoring your potential.” He dipped under my hook and darted forward, his muzzle a breath away from mine. “You walk a path of weakness.”

The world spun as I found my legs swept and fell on my side. I rolled onto my stomach to stand, only for his hoof to pressed on my back and keep me down. A yelp left my lungs as he gripped my mane and pulled it up hard.

“As you are now, you’ll never be able to protect what’s precious to you.”

“I already couldn't!” I howled back, baring my teeth, turning to glare balefully at him.

The doppelganger just stared, lifting an eyebrow just a fraction higher.

"You think this impresses me?" I continued in growing rage. "I did it! I killed her! It's DONE! The only ones who have it right in this place were those voices back there! What in Tartarus is strength good for if what I'm trying to protect is already gone? Because of me!"

My counterpart just gave me a knowing smile.

And that infuriated me like nothing else.

Sudden strength flooded my legs then, and with a roar in my throat, I rolled to the side. His hoof lurched off-balance, and I took the chance to kick off with my back legs and twist, trying to get on top of him.

His response was to drop onto my back and wrap his hooves over my barrel, clinging like a leech. I wound up with him below me, my legs kicking in the air. My doppelganger leaned in close, and whispered next to my ear, "If that really were true… I wouldn't be—"

I arched my back inward and stretched all four limbs, then snapped it back, smashing his head into the wood floor with a resounding crash.

He didn't even grunt, but, taking his sudden silence as encouragement, I twisted with the momentary slack my maneuver had afforded me to position myself face-down towards him. My hooves shot for his throat, but he recovered disturbingly fast, raising his own legs to push against mine.

It was no good. He had leverage. Still, he seemed content to just lie there in the stalemate, giving me an almost mirthful sneer.

“As I was saying,” he drawled, "I wouldn't be here if there truly wasn't hope for you yet."

"You know nothing about me," I snarled back, pressing my weight as hard as I could to twist his hooves away. I was ready to just bite his neck if I had to.

His sneer flashed a little wider. "Then prove me wrong."

Somehow, he managed to get his hind legs underneath me, and buck upward into my abdomen. The force lifted me off the ground, and I grunted when I felt my back crash against the floor. Though the maneuver disengaged my front hooves from the grapple, I quickly managed to scramble back upright, and spun around to launch my hoof in a vicious haymaker.

My hoof crashed into Twilight Sparkle’s chest.

I gaped in horror as her body flew, sprawled on the floor like a ragdoll. A deep impression of my hoof was left on her chest, teary eyes filled with pain and disappointment aimed straight at me.

“W-why are you trying to kill me, Flash?” Twilight groaned, her voice a ghostly sough.

“T-Twilight!”

I rushed forward, only to be immediately thrown back by some sort of invisible force. My impact left a ripple, revealing a transparent forcefield. A deep chuckle echoed, followed by the appearance of the lookalike.

With a roar I pounced at him. He grabbed my foreleg, spun, and threw me back over his shoulder. I barely managed to recover mid-air with a panicked flap of my wings and land hooves first.

“Let me through!” I darted around him to reach Twilight, but he was faster, thwarting all of my attacks with ease.

“Poor Twilight Sparkle,” he smirked. “She believed in you. Trusted you. While others saw a broken blade worthy only of pity, she saw a strong stallion who deserved a chance at redemption. Perhaps if you were stronger, more capable of mastering your own nature, this could’ve been prevented. You could be the one defending her rather than one she needs to be defended from.”

His words struck me harder than any of his punches, causing me to stumble back.

“You have the power to surpass limitations. To be reborn anew and become the hero you’ve always wanted to be. All you need—” a tingle went through my spine as his eyes went ablaze with blue flame, hoof aimed at Twilight. “—is a push in the right direction.”

Patches of ice appeared on Twilight’s body and began to spread. Her body writhed and twisted in agony.

“No! Stop it! Let her go, you bastard!” I practically threw myself at the clone, giving him everything I had in me.

He blocked my attacks as if they were nothing, grinning the whole way. “The secret to saving Twilight isn’t some cheap trick or hidden riddle. If you’re trying to find a gap in my defense, you’re going to spend a very long time doing absolutely nothing.” The ice began to spread faster, Twilight’s breaths coming out ragged. “Time neither of you have to waste.”

The ice covered Twilight’s limbs and wings, crawling up to her neck.

No, I won’t let her die!

I charged forward, screaming with rage.

I have to stop him!

I forgone the swift attacks for more decisive blows. My heavy hooks were blocked. Drop kicks were dodged, and wingtip strikes to the eyes were countered with punches to my face. With every miss or block I pushed harder, aiming for as many killing blows in the throat or temple as I could to end the fight.

Desperation fueled my attacks I flung myself at the clone with reckless abandon. The once chilled air grew increasingly warmer, as did the sensation that flowed through my veins and chest.

“Do you feel that, Flash?” Our forehooves caught each other in a deadlock. I took hungry breaths for air, every muscle in my body tight with tension and bruises. The clone did not even break a sweat. “The fire that calls to you, begging for release. That spark inside your chest. The answer you seek lies in harnessing that anger and hatred.”

I slid back as he pushed. “What the buck are you talking about?!”

“As long as you hold back your rage, you will never grow stronger. You are so much more than this.” A dangerous glint twinkled in his eye. His hoof shot forward and grabbed my throat. “I will make you more than this.”

I flailed in the iron grip, kicking and struggling with everything I had in mind. He never budged, barely even flinched.

“Even as your princess is on the verge of death, you still hold back. But I suppose some weaklings will never learn. This is why you will fail to save her, just like you failed to be there for your squadmates.”

Ice completely covered Twilight. Somehow, I broke out of his grip. I made a mad dash towards Twilight.

“Just like you failed Shining Armor.”

I was almost there. I reached out to her—

“And just like you’ve failed Sunset Shimmer.”

—and the ice shattered.

I stood frozen where Twilight had been, unable to look away from the tiny splinters of ice that had once been Twilight, littered across the floor like broken glass.

Just like that, he killed her.

That bastard killed Twilight.

“You...”

Temperature dropped as a cold wind swept by, but my blood boiled hotter than any furnace. I slowly turned to face Twilight’s killer.

“You son of a bitch…!”

It’s because of him Twilight is dead! This is all his fault!

The heated sensation in my veins hit a fevered pitch. Every muscle tensed, wings unfurled completely as I turned the rest of my body to face the murderer, who had the gall to smile as if he won some sort of prize.

I leaned into a crouch, “I’ll fucking kill you!”

When I pounced at him, the world around me seemed to stretch and bend around me for an instant. By the time the bastard blinked, I cleared the distance and was already attacking.

He was undoubtedly fast, but my strength and speed practically tripled as I rained down hoof strikes like hammers. With every blow, hints of magical essence seemed to explode out of him and fly off somewhere. Every punch grew stronger and faster. The fatigue and pain I had felt earlier were gone, leaving only my desire to kill him.

Even while battered and bloodied, the clone only seemed to get happier as I beat him into a pulp.

One of my punches threw him to the ground. With a leap, I prepared to drop a coup de grace to crush his face into the ground. The moment before I hit he dematerialized into a thick cloud of energy. A shockwave of pressure erupted as my hoof crushed into the ground, creating a small crater.

“You’ve passed my test.”

Even in my haze of rage, the fact the cloud actually spoke startled me just long enough for it to plunge itself into my chest.

Every cell in my body felt like it caught fire. I collapsed on my knees, howling in agony. The pain quickly increased, to the point it was almost unbearable.

“Fight through the pain. It will pass, and from it, you shall be reborn.”

Heavy steps made their way towards me from behind, jingling of chain and metal catching my attention. I didn’t have the strength to turn around, but the figure was gracious enough to maneuver in front of me. I looked up at the mysterious figure, my jaw dropping as I registered the sight.

A pearl white, bipedal dragon draped in plates of armor and chainmail towered over me. His body frame was thick with muscle, accentuating his hard emerald gaze. Notably, he did not have wings like other dragons I knew, but did have a trail of curved, navy blue spines trailing form his head down his back and similarly colored ear fins.

The dragon crossed his arms, fiery eyes transfixed on me. “You cannot run from your true nature, Flash Sentry. This hatred will always be a part of you, as shall I. In time, you will get used to your new gifts and make yourself worthy of being my champion.”

“Champion? What are you-hrk!”

A cane suddenly appeared out of my peripheral vision and hooked me by the chest. Before I knew it, I was yanked away at breakneck speed.

The dragon’s eyes went wide with fury. He charged after me, but whatever was pulling me to who-knows-where was too fast for him. Between the pain of whatever that clone did to me, getting jostled by the cane and the stress of recent events, consciousness started to slip from my grasp.

Before my eyes closed, I heard the dragon cry out in rage.

“Damn you! I won't let you take him away from me too! He's mine! You hear me?! MINE!”

Once my senses returned and I gathered my bearings, I quickly realized I was a long way from Equestria.

The sky, if one could call it that, was a mess of purple, blue and black swirls. Orbs that resembled miniature planets orbited the larger one I resided on. My gaze followed the grassy lawn I woke up on to a surprisingly normal suburban home nearby.

“That was a little too close. Any longer and you would’ve been the next supervillain.”

My skin crawled at the voice. I’ve only heard it in passing, yet as I turned to face the voice’s owner, there was no mistaking Discord. Clutched in his claw was the very cane that pulled me out of that nightmare.

I blinked rapidly. “What the hay are you doing in my dream, Discord?”

Discord’s face wrinkled with discomfort. “As much as I would love to get on your case over dreaming about me, this is no dream. Well, it kinda is, but isn’t at the same time. Somewhere between dream and reality, but with a slight left at Albuquarabque.”

“Uh, what?”

“Point is, you’re unconscious, but all of this is as real as you can imagine. Long story short, I foalnapped your soul and brought it to Chaosville for safety.”

Time stretched as I stared blankly at Discord and tried to process his words: Unconscious. Foalnapped my soul. Safety. Dream and reality.

The words failed to connect in my head, though part of me knew it was supposed to make sense. Too many things happened in such a short amount of time, yet one critical fact needed to be confirmed.

“So everything that happened earlier, all of this, it’s not just some weird nightmare? Everything actually happened?”

Discord nodded. “That’s right. And before you ask, no I’m not messing with your head on this one. In fact, I’m going to need your help before Puff the angry dragon flips Equestria upside down.”

I said nothing, though my face said it all. Discord frowned. “So, uh, you might wanna let it sink in a bit. You’re making that ‘broken brain’ face Twilight has whenever she pulls an all-nighter, and it’s making me a little uncomfortable. Still need to pick your brain before it goes to mush.”

I nodded slowly. My gaze fell on Discord’s cane again. That dragon’s words echoed in my mind, something about taking me away from him. Though I still wasn’t able to wrap my head around everything, knowing Discord was involved bought him an absurd amount of credibility.

Wait a second,if this is real, that means Discord could help! There might be a way to save everyone!

I opened my mouth to speak, then closed it shut when I noticed my snow white hoof.

Upon further inspection, all of my coat and wings were also white.

Discord’s expression grew somber as he snapped a body length mirror into existence in front of me.

I looked no different than that doppelganger I faced moments ago. The bastard who killed Twilight in front of me.

My breath hitched. “What in the world is happening to me?”

Discord snapped the mirror and cane out of existence. “I need you to tell me everything that's gotten you mixed up in this mess before I answer that,” he said. “I took a major gamble in bringing you here. What you tell me will determine if I boot your sorry flank out of existence, and I'll know if you're lying so don't even think about it.”

I grimaced. Not giving me much of a choice here, but this is Discord we’re talking about. If there’s anyone with the power to help find Chrysalis and stop this mess, it’s gotta be him. Besides, not like I have any other options to work with.

Doing my best to put my concerns and questions to the side for now I brought Discord up to speed on what’s occurred since Shining Armor briefed me on the mission. His attention was rapt, especially when it came to discussing matters about Trojan and the pathos occurrence. What bothered me was his lack of surprise with majority of the mentioned events, as if he was merely confirming his suspicions. What did surprise him was the events that started from my scouting run into the Everfree Forest to when I fell unconscious.

As I finished retelling what transpired, Discord cursed under his breath. “To think things have gotten this out of hand. But for Twilight of all ponies to… no, we’ll have time for a pity party later. Based on everything you told me, we don’t have a lot of time left to fix this mess.”

“What’s stopping you from making things better?” I asked. The situation clearly unsettled Discord, yet he was one of the most powerful beings in the world. “Considering you have the power to bend all of reality, couldn’t you just, I don’t know, eliminate this pathos in one fell swoop?”

Discord sighed.

“Y’know, when you put it like that, it really rubs it in that I can’t do anything about this. Not yet, anyway.”

“Seriously? Why not?”

“It’s complicated, but everything has to do with that dragon who decided to give you a friendly house visit. That new paint job he put on you? That’s because he’s corrupted your soul with his magic. Can’t remove it without tearing your soul in two,” Discord shot me a frown, “an option I will consider if you prove to be a threat.”

“That is—”

Twilight's marred face flashed in my mind.

My shoulders drooped in resignation. “I understand. Do what you have to do.”

Discord rolled his eyes. “Aw geez, you look like a kicked, albino puppy. That's the worst kind of kicked puppy.”

I tossed Discord a weird look. “Is there a best one?”

“Corgis.”

...I got nothing.

“Anyway,” I started after a beat, “I've told you what I know. Mind filling me in on what's going on?”

“Well, I could tell you…”

With a snap, I found myself thrust upon a suede seat facing a wide movie screen and camera. Discord appeared next to me, a bucket of popcorn sitting on his lap.

“But it would be far more entertaining to watch. Roll it!”

The camera whirred to life. Lights clicked on, flashing rapidly at the screen.

When the title card appeared on screen, I slowly turned and gave Discord a stare.

“‘Shameless exposition, the movie’?”

“Low budget documentary,” Discord said nothing more as he stuffed his face with popcorn. I turned back to the screen.

This is going to be uncomfortable levels of weird, isn't it?

Discord froze mid-sip, nearly dropping his teacup.

Settled in a chair at Fluttershy’s home, his gaze drew east of Fluttershy’s home. Hmmm, that certainly came from within Everfree. What a peculiar pulse of magic. His voice was distant, giving the effect I was hearing Discord’s thoughts.

“Discord?”

His head whipped towards Fluttershy, who sat across from me with a teacup in hoof. Her face was full of concern. “Oh, terribly sorry about that, Fluttershy. Did you say something?” He asked, masking his surprise. She shook her head.

“No, but you seem troubled. Did something catch your attention?”

“Something of that sort.” He paused. “Out of curiosity, have you or the others been messing with the Elements of Harmony lately?”

“Not at all. It’s been years since we’ve needed the power of the elements. Why do you ask?”

He opened his mouth, then paused.

Whatever sort of magic that was, it feels far too similar to my own, except far more violent. The moment I tell her I feel something was off she would be relentless in figuring out what it was.

If I let Fluttershy get anywhere near that...

“Always wanted to build a treehouse in there. It would make quite the vacation home,” he joked.

Fluttershy giggled. “Oh Discord. It’s far too quiet in that old tree for you. You would get homesick in no time.”

Discord chuckled. “Can’t argue that.”

He subtly used his magic to create a whirl in the teacup to conjure a temporary farsight pool to peer into Everfree. His sight reached as far as the entry to Everfree before devolving into blinding static.

Well, that’s mildly concerning. No one blocks me except me! Looks like this is a job for Ace Detective Discord!

He downed the rest of the tea and placed the cup on the table. “Sorry to cut our tea time short, but I really must be going. Think I’ll take a trip to see Celly today or something.”

Fluttershy blinked at me for a moment, then settled for a smile. “Okay, then. Same time next week?”

“Just try and stop me,” he smiled. With a snap, he blinked out of existence via teleport.

Moments later, Discord materialized before the entrance to the Tree of Harmony. Icy air rushed out of the cavern mouth, frost covering the opening. He shivered, claws clenched.

When was the last time I've felt this bothered?

He pressed forward into the cave, tense.

There was that one time with Tirek, that backstabbing bastard. Can’t be him, though, even if he devoured a thousand magic sources. This one sticks to reality-bending prowess a little closer than most magic users. A little too close to me in fact.

The closer he drew, the more nervous he seemed to be.

It’s definitely not pony magic at work here, and I know Zecora isn’t doing her voodoo magic that even gives me the hibijibis. This magic feels more flexible. Shifting.

Discord stopped to swipe a finger in the air, drawing green, viscous magical goo. He slurped the goo, swishing the essence in his mouth.

Aha, there’s a bit of changeling in here! Ol’ Chrysalis is back for more, eh? I wonder what sort of scheme she’s got going on this time? More kidnapping?

He took several more steps.

Wait a minute. This magic reminds me of what I felt roughly eight years ago. It was smaller then, but the location was way up north. This is the same magic signature, but with a bit of changeling mixed in. Something I know I should absolutely, positively, certainly be remembering. What in the alternate reality hell is it?

He neared the opening, which lead to the tree of harmony. The entry point was guarded by a barrier of white magic, obviously made to obfuscate whatever was going on with the tree. Discord grinned.

By George, I think I got it! Chrysalis is trying to take the power of the tree herself so she can become powerful and take vengeance on Equestria for kicking her sorry flank to the curb! Ace Detective Discord cracks the case!

He cracked his knuckles, unable to contain his excitement. And now I get to be the main protagonist of this story! Take that, Twilight!

Discord took a bold step forward through the barrier.

Immediately, regret was written on his face.

The chamber which held the tree of harmony radiated with powerful spirit energy. The temperature was well below freezing, to the point snow and ice covered every nook and cranny of the chamber. At the center of the room stood the crystalline Tree of Harmony, but before that tree stood a familiar figure.

Tall as Celestia, holes in her legs and horn, adorned with a hard carapace and cute little crown on her head. Though it looked like Chrysalis, to say this was actually Chrysalis could not be further from the truth.

Her carapace was pure white, translucent mane shimmering with icy blue magic. ‘Chrysalis’ slowly turned her head, blue eyes staring back at Discord’s wide ones. Power spilled off her in waves, causing hairs on the back of his neck to stand at attention.

“Oh no…” Discord muttered. “No no no…” He tried to step back through the barrier, only to be rejected from the sudden power spike.

“Well, well, well,” Chrysalis chuckled. Her voice was mixed with the same deep voice of the dragon I met in my dream. “To think it would be you to seek me out. And here I was hoping I could surprise you this time.”

Discord’s jaw worked to form words. All he could mutter was his name, fear draining both his voice and color.

“Malice…!”

“Ah, so you do remember me. It’s been such a long time since we’ve seen each other.” Chrysalis’ grin grew disturbingly wide.

She walked towards him, her body all the while bursting into blue flames and shifting into the white dragon I recognized from earlier.

“Don’t be so reserved. Come now, don’t be shy,” he drawled, voice sounding fully like the dragon. It didn't take long for me to realize the actual Chrysalis was not the personality at the forefront here.

Malice suddenly vanished.

His next words were whispered into Discord’s ear as he teleported next to him.

“We have so much catching up to do, dear brother!”

Pain tore through Discord from the explosion of magical energy that sent him barreling forward. Discord snapped a massive pillow into existence to cushion his crash against the tree. The magic pressure in the air tripled by the time he got to his feet and put his own magic to work.

With a snap, he conjured a superheated ball of energy next to Malice’s head and detonated it. From the smoke of the explosion, Malice soared through the air towards him, wrapped in a bubble of silver magic.

Discord teleported meters to the side to dodge and readied a magical blast.

Malice’s palm was already extended in my direction, releasing a wave of electricity.

A scream ripped out of Discord’s lungs, stunned. Before he could recover, Malice teleported again and shoulder checked Discord until he was pinned against the tree of harmony.

“What are you doing here? How did you get free?” Discord snarled.

“Many great things, but nothing you will need to know shortly. As for the how I got freed, well, let’s just say I got in good with a family. Of course, you wouldn’t know anything about the importance of bonds and honor, would you?”

“Oh really? So how did that talk go with Chrysalis about using her body? If memory serves, Changelings are not exactly the biggest on sharing.”

“I believe you have more pressing concerns than worrying about my Changelings.” Keeping one arm pressed against Discord’s chest, Malice raised his other claw to bring it down on his head.

Discord teleported away just as the claw bit into the tree. He reappeared behind the tree, using additional magic to grant himself invisibility and suppress his magical aura.

“Go ahead and run, Discord! I’ll level all of Equestria if it means I get to kill you!” Malice bellowed.

I need to warn the girls. I’ve been out of the game too long to put up a fair fight. Maybe they could use the Elements to stop him like they did me.

Discord paused.

Hold on. Why is Malice at the tree of harmony? If he knows Chrysalis, no doubt she had to tell him how dangerous it—

Discord stifled a gasp.

There’s no doubt he knows about its power thanks to Chrysalis. Since it could seal me, there’s a chance he’s here to destroy it so he can't be sealed. If he succeeds…

His thoughts went to Fluttershy. Resolve burned in his gaze.

I can’t let him get away with this, and I know just the way to hold things off until the girls stop him.

I nearly fell out of my seat when the screen suddenly went black and the words “To be continued….” appeared. I was so absorbed in what I witnessed I’d nearly forgotten my own predicament. All I could do was gape in disbelief at what I’d just learned.

“Thinking about getting some guest cameos for the sequel. Maybe Songbird Serenade is available for—”

“Are you kidding me?!” I jumped up from my seat, glaring daggers at Discord.

He blinked owlishly at me, then shrugged. “Fine, fine, I get it. You’re more of a Coloratura fan. Such a hipster.”

I ran a frustrated hoof over my mane. I barely noticed the slight drop in temperature on my skin. “Don’t play dumb with me, Discord! You’re telling me that Malice, the one who is causing this pathos crisis and is working with the Changelings, is your brother?”

“I know, right? What a twist!”

I had to bite my tongue to keep from screaming. How anypony could stand to be around Discord was a mystery. There were countless variables that bothered me with the story: What was really going on with Chrysalis and Malice? What was Malice trying to accomplish other than killing Discord? What did Discord do to impede or deal with Malice?

Wait a minute…

“Discord,” I paced back and forth, “when did this happen?”

“I would say about three months ago.”

“That makes two months before my arrival… huh.” I stopped and faced Discord. “What did you do after that, er, movie ended? And please, be serious about this.”

Discord frowned. “I knew he was after the tree, but I had no idea what he was capable of, so I hid in the Tree of Harmony.”

I blinked, waiting for some sort of punchline or joke. After a few moments, my eyebrows rose. “You’re actually serious.”

“When you’ve been alive as long as I’ve been, and have the ability to bend time and space, stuffing myself inside a magical tree is easy. What wasn’t easy was fooling Malice and keeping myself hidden.”

His shoulders sagged, a rain cloud appearing over his head. “That plan… kind of backfired. Whatever he did to the tree after I got inside sort of… well…” Discord rubbed his neck awkwardly. “I may or may not have been trapped ever since.”

“Unbelievable,” I pinched the bridge of my nose. This whole thing was a huge headache, but it did explain why I hadn’t seen Discord make an appearance as long as I’ve been around.

Actually, that didn’t explain three particular points. “The other girls should’ve been suspicious or concerned that you were missing, yet they haven’t even mentioned anything about you missing.”

“Meh, I tend to take vacations on a whim. Besides, who in their right mind would be worried about the almighty Lord of Chaos being in danger? Well, besides Fluttershy, but she knows not to worry about me during my trips.”

“Right…” I drawled, unconvinced. One mystery down, two to go. “If you’re so trapped, how did you manage to reach me? I was outside Everfree when everything went south.”

“Magic,” Discord waved his hand in dramatic fashion. I shot him a deadpan glare. “In all seriousness, unless you’re magically inclined to this kind of thing like Twilight, it will be way over your head. Let’s just say when Malice made his house visit, I smuggled myself in his connection to you.”

Yeah, definitely way over my head.

That left me with one last mystery. “Alright, so I get investigating the magical signature and not wanting to make your friends worried. Considering how powerful you are, I’m okay with that. What I’m not okay with is why you didn’t try to warn anyone after you learned Malice and Chrysalis were right next to Ponyville.”

Discord crossed his arms and fixed me a frustrated look. “There was a small chance Malice would catch wind of it, and... well, bad things would happen to good ponies. But looking back, I probably could have slipped a fast one past him and got my message to Twilight and the others if I thought to try.”

My eyebrow twitched. “You… you mean to tell me you had a chance to warn everyone and didn’t think to do it?”

“Well, of course when you say it like that, you can make anything sound bad. Everyone makes mistakes. I just happened to get over it.”

“You... outrageous, incompetent son of a bitch!” I screeched, shaking with fury. “You single-handedly screwed us all over!”

“Flash, calm down,” Discord warned, raising a claw, but I was having none of it.

“Screw you! I’m sick and tired of all this secretive bullshit that keeps bucking us in the flank!” I stomped. “And it pisses me off that you can’t take this seriously! If there was a single functional brain cell in your Celestia-damned head, it would’ve been obvious to call for help or send a warning that your own brother and the mother-bucking queen of the Changelings were in our backyard!”

“Flash, stop this or you will—”

“Had you pulled your head out of your ass and actually communicated with everyone, Twilight might still be alive!”

Wait…

I paused my tirade, panting.

That’s exactly what I did, isn’t it?

The hurt on Discord’s face didn’t help the guilt that stabbed my chest.

I dropped on my haunches, eyes cast down. “I… I’m sure you did what you could. I have no right to call you out on that when I was no better.” My eyes drooped, sleepy from the cool sensation that suddenly washed over me.

Discord’s eyes went wide. “Flash, snap out of it!

“I’m the one who failed us,” my voice cracked. “I wasn’t strong or smart enough to do the right thing. All I did is act like a foal and endangered everyone I care about.”

Frost encroached the grass around me. A small voice in the back of my mind told me this was bad, obscured by a mental fog that clouded my thoughts, like trying to swim through quicksand. “Maybe… you should erase me before I kill someone else I care about—”

Pain exploded on my cheek as Discord’s fist connected.

“Flash, wake up and get over yourself before you kill us all! Breathe, damn it!”

Breathe. Why does that make me feel like I’m forgetting something important?

I did as instructed and took a single deep breath.

That’s right. Somepony taught me something about this. Ugh, why is it so hard to think? When did it get so cold?

Two more deep breaths.

That’s right! Cadance’s breathing technique!

After a few more deep breaths, I shivered upon finally noticing the bits of ice and frost that grew on my limbs. I winced at the clawing sensation in my mind, like something was trying to break through. Whatever it was got suppressed when I regained my senses.

“It’s worse than I thought,” Discord muttered to himself. “Listen, you have to keep your emotions in check from now on. The moment you lose your head, the pathos will take advantage of your weakness and Malice will be able to reach you. If that happens, not only will he destroy your mind, but that could even affect me, then we’re all screwed, so do me a favor and keep your hate-boner under control, capiche?”

I nodded limply. It was all I could do in the moment. “Discord... how do I get rid of this? How do I get Malice out of me?”

A shrug. “No idea.”

“W-what?”

“I’m sure there’s a way to do it, but unless you don’t mind your mind and soul getting ripped six ways from Sunday, I’d rather not taking any unnecessary risk. Although…” Discord stroked his chin, humming thoughtfully, “I know someone who might be able to help.”

I perked up. “Really? But I thought you said you couldn’t reach out for help.”

Discord quirked an eyebrow. “Who said I was reaching out? Our special guest is in the house as we speak. You’re the second one I’ve saved from Malice. Outside myself, she’s the closest we have to an expert on Malice and his shenanigans. With your help, we might even be able to stop him before things get even crazier.”

I hopped to my hooves in surprise. “Seriously?”

“Unusually so. Besides, it’s time for supper, and I personally prefer fighting bad guys and saving helpless colts like yourself on a full stomach. Now then… ”

Discord ignored my glare and snapped his fingers, equipping a black leather jacket and shades. He spoke in a gruff and monotone voice, thumb pointed to the house.

“Come with me if you want to live.”

Author's Notes:

What's up, my fellow paladins?

Hoo boy, this one was a doozy.

A lot went on in this chapter, though in particular I want to begin with discussing Malice. This guy is the reason this story became a thing. Whenever I looked at Discord and his nigh-omnipotent existence, it always struck me as a curious thing. Where did he come from? How did he become as powerful as he did?

Is he the only one of his kind?

And the rest went deep into headcanon valley from there.

As for the other elements of this chapter, Flash has been going through quite the hell, but it looks like he may have finally found the help he needs in the strangest of places. Perhaps things will be better from here.

Surely things can't get any worse, right?

Anyway, so who do you think is the mysterious guest staying at Discord's house? What's the deal with this Malice guy? What's gonna happen to Flash now that his soul is tainted and becoming this champion of Malice? All these answers and more sooner than you think, though I would love to hear your thoughts on this and more.

Until next time, stay classy, my paladins!

Chapter 20: Crisis

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To maintain operational stealth, I flipped into my snow-white wolf disguise while I scoured the area where I found Flash for clues. To my surprise, the area looked untouched. The snow where I found Flash was still fresh, even Flash’s blood and body impression.

“Sloppy,” I muttered. “I trained Elytra better than this. Why didn’t she do proper cleanup?”

Or… maybe the better question is why couldn’t she? Perhaps this development has her team running ragged, which may give me the chance I need to catch her among the chaos.

I tallied up the number of individual hoof print and compared identities. Flash, Spike, Rarity, Pinkie, Rainbow, and Applejack made sense. The lack of snow in a pony-shaped spot was the location Twilight was found unconscious, so it was easy to deduce she could not make hoof prints, especially since the timing of the full brunt of the storm was after she was knocked out.

“Wait a minute…” I ran the math over my head again; Six ponies, with Twilight being the only one unable to make prints.

Then why am I finding six hoof prints?

I looked over the prints again. Though I lacked the means to identify whose prints belonged to whom, I knew it was less about being able to identify who prints belonged to and more about which prints were out of place.

“Hmm. Something out of place…” I sat on my haunches and tapped my wolf paw against my chin. There were prints where most of the fighting likely took place over by Twilight and Flash’s area. Then the prints from Everfree’s treeline towards Flash.

Twilight’s friends would travel in a group. Doesn’t make sense one of them would randomly split from the group, especially during the fight. If not before the fight or during, perhaps...

It clicked.

A disguised Changeling must have slipped in after the chaos. It must’ve happened some time between them leaving Flash for dead and my arrival, which wouldn’t give them much time to do anything too creative. Perhaps they caught my approach and didn’t have time to do proper cleanup. That leaves one last thing to investigate to determine Elytra’s moves.

I looked up towards the mouth of the Everfree forest.

When Thorax was disconnected from the hive, they should have relocated to another hiding spot. For a vassal to be hidden in Everfree after all of this time, that means there’s more to that forest than a simple hideout. I’ll have to start by following Flash’s path to the origin point where he got possessed.

I took cover within Everfree’s underbrush and transformed into a camouflage-patterned panther. Once I picked up the scent of Flash’s blood, I followed it into the trees.

What pathos I felt from Ponyville didn't hold a candle to what Everfree experienced. The entirety of the forest was covered with ice. I had to transform into a grizzly bear to keep myself warm as I progressed down the path and noted the broken trees and rocks that were likely damaged by Flash.

For Spike to escape with only a broken arm and scrapes, he did well to survive Flash’s rampage.

Over time, the trail got easier to follow. Shattered rocks. Broken trees. Dead animal carcasses with hoof marks. My nose wrinkled at the smell of blood. Note to self: never fight Flash when he's under pathos influence.

It wasn't until about an hour in the smell of blood thickened exponentially, almost too noxious to my senses.

Bingo. That's gotta be where things went south.

I took on my black panther disguise and crept towards the source with silent movement. The smell grew thicker with every step. My heart pounded against my rib cage, filled with anticipation. I’ve seen a number of grotesque killings in my time. Worse case scenario, a bunch of woodland animals were at the wrong place at the wrong time.

The source of the pungent scent was a few meters away when I heard it.

Grunts. Shifts of dirt. Sounds of metal striking earth.

I crouched and stood still, ears flicked towards the sound. Who in the hay would be out here this late?

I waited and listened for the next few minutes. The more I listened, the more it occurred to me somepony was digging. The grunts and breaths held a tone that was somewhat familiar.

That reminds me; Didn’t Fluttershy mention Zecora needed a shovel for something? In which case, this has to be Zecora. What are you up to, my little zebra?

Carefully, I moved towards the closest hedge and peered over it. Just as I deduced, Zecora was hard at work with her shovel. The scent of blood nearly overwhelmed my sensitive nose. No doubt about it; whatever she’s doing here involves whatever Flash did to these poor saps.

No point in spooking her. I’ll just drop by and say hello.

I flipped to my Sassy disguise and emerged through the brush.

“‘Sup, Zecora!” I greeted.

Zecora nearly jumped out of her skin at the sound of my voice. She stayed rooted, shovel frozen in her grip. Oho, somepony didn’t want to be spotted.

“So whatcha doing with…” I trailed off as my hoof bumped into something heavy and hard. I looked down.

A mangled mess of black chitin covered in cracks and blood greeted me.

I rubbed my eyes. I have to be seeing things. There's no way this could be-

I gasped, jaw slackened.

...No. Please no.

I slowly looked up. Legs failed to support my weight as my breath left me.

Please! Not like this!

Rows of mangled corpses were laid out. Severed black hooves and horns stacked by the bodies. Blue eyes once filled with life returned my horrified stare with empty ones.

I didn’t know where to look. A thousand thoughts ran wild with nowhere to go. All concern of Zecora being there, Shining Armor on his way to imprison me, everything about this mission fell to the wayside in place of one worry.

This must be Elytra’s unit. Is Elytra… by the mother, if my Elytra is also…

Memories flashed through my mind. Waking up on a frozen tundra. Witnessing dozens of changelings broken and maimed. My daughter hanging on by a thread to stay alive.

“Elly!” I scrambled and sifted through the horrid mess for any signs of my daughter, fighting every urge to vomit out of disgust and panic. My insides twisted more and more with each body I checked. My Elly was nowhere to be found.

As if reading my mind, Zecora spoke up. “There were no other of your kind to be found. I’m afraid that—”

For a moment, I stopped listening to her. ‘Others of my kind?’ I was still in disguise, so how did she—

In the span of a gasp I dashed at her and held my blade under her chin. “What. Do. You. Know?”

Zecora barely flinched, though she showed little more than mild surprise. “Spike confided in me of your mission with him and Flash during his moment of strife. I mean you no harm, so please, miss Trojan, put down that knife.”

“Have you seen a taller Changeling among them? She’ll look like this.” My features flipped to look like Elytra; bowl-cut, translucent green mane, slightly taller than the average Changeling.

“The one you display I did not find. What you see here is all I’ve witnessed of your kind.”

I held my stance and glare. There was no fidgeting from Zecora. Mostly steady breath. No shiftiness in the eyes. She’s not lying. My Elly might still be alive, then.

Zecora, however, knows too much. There’s far too much on the line right now to take unnecessary risk.

My grip on the blade tightened.

With Spike, I managed to handle his inclusion. But I can’t let her know our secret. She has to—hold on...

I loosened my grip.

Spike told her everything. He wouldn’t tell her without good reason. If I kill Zecora, I would be betraying his trust. Not to mention…

My gaze drifted to the makeshift graveyard, churning my stomach. The slightest bit of relief washed over me knowing that Elytra wasn’t caught up in this massacre.

I hesitated a moment longer before drawing back and sheathing my dagger.

“Sorry. And… thank you,” I said. Zecora nodded and stepped back, rubbing her throat.

I stole another glance at the gravesite. Just then, the reality of this crisis hit me.

“Flash killed them, didn’t he?”

“Though Flash was not in a proper state of mind, he fought so he could pull Spike out of a treacherous bind.”

I narrowed my eyes at Zecora. “You’ll understand if I’m not as grateful for him saving Spike as I should be.”

“I know right now, you may hold ill will towards Flash. But I fear there’s something you should know, if only to keep you from doing something brash.” Zecora placed a hoof on my shoulder. “It wasn’t until I talked to Spike that I learned he suffered from a scar of the past. The war of Canterlot where your kind killed his squadmates almost to the last. I tell you this not only to protect Flash and ponykind. I tell you because an eye for an eye will leave us all blind.”

I bristled at that. “Tch, like I care what happens to him. He killed my—”

An old memory flashed through my mind. Flames and cries of ponies all around me. My blade carved through the hearts of civilians and military alike. One pony caught my attention. Azure eyes intertwined with fear and rage. A fresh recruit. Driven to the brink of madness and made to slay his own allies thinking it was me. I thought to clip his wings and make him beg for his life. Without a warning, my vision suddenly went pink. I was flung through the air and lost my orientation. The next thing I remembered was waking up somewhere in the north, with a broken limb and snow everywhere around.

A pegasus with azure eyes. A Royal Guard recruit.

I stiffened, as if struck by lightning.

“N-no. It… it can’t be…!”

My eyes fell to my hooves, stained red from the blood of my comrades.

The blood of Flash’s comrades.

“Flash. His resentment. All of it...”

Our first meeting when he tried to kill me. That extreme reaction to Shining agreeing with me over him. The level of hatred that drove him to getting possessed by the Cold One’s vassal.

The collective epiphany knocked me onto my haunches, breathless.

“I-it was me. I caused this to happen…! This is all my fault!”

“That is unfortunate to hear,” Zecora replied. “That will be quite the burden to bear, I fear.”

For the first time in my life, I felt ashamed of myself for actions I committed against a pony. A crime that miraculously led to so much happening now. It was a hard pill to swallow.

“Though I wish we had time to let you grieve, I’m afraid we don’t have time for a reprieve. The town is still in peril and danger still has free reign. Until the fight is over, find your resolve to push on through the pain.”

Zecora’s right. I still have to find Elly.

But… then what? I’m still shackled without a way to break my slave collar. If Shining were to find Elly now, he will kill her.

Is it right for me to try and find her? I need to get her away from all of this, but I can’t bring her to face Shining Armor, either. At least with the Cold One, she would live to see daylight.

“What’s the point?“ I asked myself aloud. “In several hours, Shining will take over and send me back to the Crystal Empire. His captain is probably going to die, Twilight and Spike got badly injured, the town got swallowed in a blizzard, and I still got nothing to show for it. If he doesn’t kill me immediately, he’s bound to leave me in a prison to rot forever.”

Everything seemed to point in one direction.

My shoulders sagged in defeat. “It’s… over for me. I’ve failed.”

Zecora wore a thoughtful expression. “Are you truly that selfish? Or perhaps simply foolish?” Her expression and tone was neither condescending nor sarcastic. She seemed genuinely curious.

“What do you want from me? No matter what I do, I just can’t see a way out that doesn’t involve me locked in Cadance’s basement for eternity.”

“There it is again. Which one is it, then?”

“I’m not in the mood for your bucking games, Zecora. Pick one. I don’t give a damn.”

“There it is once again.” I opened my mouth to snap at her, but she raised her hoof to calm me. “I’ll explain in a moment, my friend. But first, follow my lead. A moment of meditation will help give you the answers you need.”

Zecora closed her eyes, and sat with her hind legs crossed and forehooves rested front and center. I threw her a flat gaze.

I opened my mouth to tear her a new one, when I thought about the grave site Zecora had taken time and effort to do out of respect for my kind.

Fine. I’ll humor her, if only for a moment. I owe her at least that much.

I mimicked Zecora, albeit shifting uneasily as I waited for her to continue. A minute passed. Then two. Then three.

I have no time for this nonsense! I have to go out there and—

As the thought came to, I realized what Zecora was truly asking of me. The truth of her approach.

I took deep, slow breaths, doing my best to push the pungent scent of the fallen to the side.

Relax your body. Free your mind.

Breathing grew easier. Tension and stress began to ease.

Breathe in slowly. Release peacefully.

My breathing was more deliberate now. The mission. Shining’s approach. Flash. Spike. Elytra. All of my worries vanished. There was only my breathing.

Focus only on your breathing. Embrace the natural state of the universe around you.

The calm of the forest. Zecora’s breath matching my own. Peace and calm echoed within me.

I recited the chant.

Right then, I knew I was ready to move forward. I was ready to listen.

A minute more of calming quiet passed before Zecora spoke.

“You’ve only talked about how you’ve failed and how your fate would be affected. In your anguish and anger there are important things you’ve neglected. I, me, my, all have been centered solely on you. Don’t forget there are others involved with you, too. Division wreaks destruction. Unity brings salvation. Yes, Shining Armor may very well take you away by the next daylight. But until then, don’t you have reasons other than for yourself to fight?”

“Of course. I fight for my Changelings. To protect the hive and help us live freely.”

“And do you believe you can do this alone?”

“I…”

I faltered.

Alone. That’s how I’ve felt since this started. No one to trust. No one to depend on to save my brethren from the Cold One.

No one to call a friend.

A wave of discomfort washed over me.

That’s not quite right anymore, is it? Or rather, it’s never been right.

“I do not believe. Not anymore,” I admitted. “I came for help to save my kind and received it. I’d grown so jaded and suspicious that I allowed myself to become my own worst enemy.”

“And should you surrender now, these Changelings, your allies, their sacrifices will be in vain. I shall lend my spear to our cause and help end this madness and aid you through this trial of pain. But this all depends on you. So tell me, Trojan of the Changelings, what shall we do?”

I allowed myself a few moments to let her words settle.

Even though I screwed up, and will be paying for it with my life in the next few hours, can I really say it’s all over? If I do nothing, there will be even more deaths; Pony and Changeling alike.

Funny. I always thought I would be going at this alone, plagued with the company of Shining Armor’s guard dog and some domesticated house pet of a dragon. Figured I could never trust anything the ponies threw at me that I couldn’t control.

Yet even now, backed into a corner, I can’t say it’s all hopeless. I can’t give up, but I can’t do things like I’ve done before. Even if it turns everything I’ve ever learned upside down, I have to move past this and do better.

I have no choice but to change and move forward.

I smiled softly.

But I won’t move forward alone. I don’t have to. I’ll do what I can to save everyone who’s still alive; Elly, Twilight, Spike, Fla—

Flash’s weakened form came to mind. I frowned.

Poor Flash. If he somehow lives through all this, I can only imagine what he will go through after getting stabbed by Spike and now filled to the brim with—Wait a minute…

I grimaced, brow furrowed with intense thought.

Flash got stabbed with a Niekinis dagger. It clearly killed the vassal that possessed him, so there shouldn’t be any pathos left inside him.

That meant the pathos was pumped into him after the fact. But getting so much pathos inside him so quickly after the fact without leaving a bigger trail, only a powerful changeling close to my level could have that much control over it without going into a frenzy.

I thought back to Nurse Redheart and her surprising amount of calm despite the fight that nearly broke out.

What if I was wrong about Nurse Redheart?

No, that’s impossible. With her squad wiped out and knowing her nature, Elly would be absolutely furious, sending her pathos into overdrive. There’s no way she could hide that much pathos from me.

Flash’s corrupted body sprung to mind again.

Unless… it was never hidden. Hiding in plain sight.

My eyes snapped open.

“Zecora, how well can you fight?”

Zecora raised her eyebrow at me. After a brief pause, she moved towards a nearby tree and picked up a spear hidden behind it. “The wilds of Zebrica has trained me well. Is it safe to assume you have grave news to tell?”

“I’ll explain on the way. We need to hurry to the castle.” I rattled off, breaking into a gallop. Zecora sped along with me as we rushed for the castle.

Please let me be wrong about this.

We slid into a halt just before the castle of friendship. All seemed quiet on the surface. For now.

“Before we go in, I need to set some ground rules. Stay behind me and be as silent as possible. Elytra favors traps and ambushes, which won’t be immediately obvious until it’s too late. Be ready for anything. Is that clear?”

“There is but one small detail that is unclear,” Zecora gently squeezed my shoulder. “Are you truly ready to face the one you hold so dear?”

“I doubt any mother could be ready for that. But if there’s a way to save her, I’ll find it.” With a swallow I quelled the uneasiness in my stomach and moved forward. “Be ready for anything.” Zecora nodded and followed, staying silent.

I pushed open the door with a feathery touch. It was barely enough for me to squeeze through when I felt a minor tug of resistance. I crouched and peered between the crack of the door, a gleaming line shimmering in Luna’s line.

My heart sank as I ran a hoof along the thin, nigh-invisible steel wire.

Garrote wire. Elly’s handiwork.

I followed the line across the step, up the wall, and noted how it traveled all the way up the stairs. Roughly every flight was layered with a wire trap.

“Bellringers,” I informed upon climbing back down to meet Zecora. “The moment we trip one, she’ll immediately know something’s up. Move how I move.”

Confirming my daughter’s presence in the castle made traversing the stairwell agonizingly slow. It was only through years of discipline and infiltration I kept myself from rushing ahead. I could not leave Zecora behind either, not daring to entertain the possibility of her tripping a trap.

Minutes of evading traps paid off as we finally reached the main foyer. In moments I felt a wave of violent energy pulse through the halls. Pathos…!

Whatever was going on either involved Elly, the pathos inside Flash, or something I didn't account for. All terrified me equally.

I held my breath and followed the chiling pulses, looking for additional traps that might’ve been set.

H-Help…

I froze mid-step, then after shaking the shock out of my head I answered the Dragon whisper. “Spike?!”

Twilight’s Room. Flash. E-Elytra is—

Dead silence.

I bolted to Twilight’s room, all thoughts of secrecy abandoned. I barely acknowledge more garrote wires layered down the path, using my dagger to cleave right through them. Within a minute Zecora and I crashed into the room

The room itself had been transformed into a winter wonderland. Icicles formed on the ceiling, frost and snow encircling the three occupants. Flash was still unconscious on the bed, his pathos-ridden body getting pumped by even more pathos by the same one who had a web of garrote wires gripped in her hoof, leaving Spike suspended in mid-air by wires and unconscious.

When my eyes laid on the Changeling standing between them, black chitin and curtain of translucent green, bowl-cut mane corrupted white by the pathos, I lost my breath.

Elly…!

Zecora rushed ahead of me and lunged at Elytra. I was too stunned by the sight of my corrupted daughter to stop Zecora.

The pommel of Zecora’s staff nearly reached Elytra, who merely grinned before ceasing her pathos infusion on Flash and flicking the same hoof.

Zecora’s staff swerved to the left, barely missing Elytra’s head. Her eyes went wide as she struggled to retract her staff.

“Tch, can't I have one bloody thing go right today?” Elytra growled. With a hard yank on the wires, the spear spun like a buzzsaw towards its owner, forcing Zecora to sidestep and forfeit her weapon in favor of hoof-to-hoof combat.

I was about to unsheath my dagger when a terrifying thought rooted me. She’ll recognize the blades in a heartbeat. I need to save the others, but… can I really bring myself to hurt her to do it?

Elytra clenched and unclenched her grip on the wires as she jumped back, the wires around Spike and the staff going taut. Zecora’s unleashed a flurry of jabs and and sweeping kicks. Elytra danced away after each block and parry.

From the way Elytra toyed with Zecora by making elaborate spins and flips around her, to anyone else it would look like she just wanted to be flashy and dramatic. I knew better, barely able to catch the wires moving and circling Zecora.

I have to stop her, but she knows me too well. She’ll know, and then the Cold One will find out...

Several seconds into the exchange of hooves, Elytra flicked her forehooves and spread them out. Zecora gasped as she was lifted up onto her backhooves, forelegs pinned against her chest and fleshed completely constricted by wires.

“Hmph, I may have a use for you. I’ll just strip your will and make you into my slave. Don’t worry, though,” Elytra’s eyes burned with magic, attempting mind control, “you’ll join the others shortly.”

No! I said I’ll change, and I’m going to do it! I’ll save everyone or die trying!

I sprung forward and slammed down on Elytra’s hooves. She howled and staggered away, losing her grip on both her magic and the wires restraining Zecora. Zecora dropped to the ground, still tangled in a mess of metal threads.

“Oh no you don’t!” Elytra flicked a forehoof. The gleam from the ceiling light revealed several wires thrown towards me. I continued to rush at her.

With a twist, Elytra tugged the wires to snare me. She only grasped air.

“W-what?!”

To her left, I slipped in from the blindside with six pointed hoof strikes on the barrel. With a flip, I rolled over her back to dodge a kick. More strikes at her legs, leaving her limping. Her backhoof moved to kick me; big mistake.

I grasped her leg and flung her across the room. She teleported in mid-flight and appeared to my side, turning the momentum into a flying kick. I hopped to the side to dodge. Her wings buzzed and shifted her direction towards me again. I ducked at the last second, then sprung upward with a punch just below her left wing.

Elytra screeched at the struck weakpoint, stunning her flight and throwing her to the ground. She recovered in an instant, throwing me a look mixed with surprise and contempt.

“How did you learn to fight like that?!” she snarled, panting.

My tailored response to inquisitive opponents came out in an instant. “Buck you, that’s how.”

A surge of magic surged through her horn, a hint of black intermingled with her green magic. “Fine! I’ll just ravage your mind until— huh?!” She blinked in astonishment. I felt a gentle pressure against my mind, like water flailing against armor. “It’s just like with Spike…!”

Just like with Spike? So she tried to mind control him too!

The confusion was clear in Elytra’s eyes, struggling with too many puzzle pieces she could not fit. A sudden epiphany lit behind her eyes, followed by her taking on a guarded stance. “Wait a minute! You’re the one who killed my other Changeling, aren’t you? Or was it Flash Sentry? Tell me!”

Open questioning during combat? Probably trying to find a way out. What if… I could talk her into calming down?

“That Changeling you’re referring to is alive and well. We’re open for discussion if you can calm down and—”

“I refused to be talked down by some upstart pony!” The rage in her eyes brightened. “You take my mother, then my squad, and you want me to calm down?!”

I winced. This is some brutal irony.

“You and I can both agree we want answers. We don’t have to fight.”

“Tch, as if I have a choice, no thanks to your filthy kind! You know nothing!” The pathos in her flared.

I felt my heart tear at the hatred and bitterness she exhibited.

“We know more than you think! We know about the Cold One! We can help!”

“Enough!” With a stomp, Elytra’s hoof crackled with black energy. Behind the enraged eyes which darted all around the room, and trembling form, I realized she was terrified. “Shut up and die!” A burst of pathos energy exploded from her as she dove at me.

Shit!

I barely managed dodge her pathos-empowered punch. Though easier to dodge than her normal strikes, the force I felt from each blow that missed hinted at a broken leg if I decided to block.

“Die, die, die!” Her voice warped as she applied increasingly powerful and swift blows. Heavy hooks and jabs pounded mercilessly towards me.

When timing permitted it, I slipped under a blow to lure her in, grabbed her leg, and smashed her back into the floor. Once she was stunned, I planted a hoof on her chest and raised the other forehoof for a coup de grace.

Elytra gasped as I drove my hoof forward.

Memories of Elytra flashed in my mind. Young. Crying over her bruised hoof. Myself applying soothing kisses on said hoof.

The ground beside Elytra’s head cracked from my punch. For a moment we stared at each other.

Before my mind caught up to my mistake, Elytra kicked my stomach and shoved me to the side. She jumped over the fallen Zecora and grasped at a collection of wires near Spike. With a yank, Spike was pulled onto her back, barely leaving room for her wings as she took into the air. I moved to intercept her exit into the balcony window, forcing her to leave out the doorway.

I drew my blade and cut Zecora free. Once she was on her hooves, I hoofed over the blade. “Take this knife and secure the castle. Watch for more wire traps. I'm going after her.” I had just stepped beyond the door when I decided to give Zecora my final instruction. “The knife erases magic. If Flash wakes up and goes beserk again, you can use that to stop him.” With that I took into the air and gave chase.

Going through the entrance was out of the question, and she likely scoped out the best escape zones beforehoof. Unfortunately for her, I’d perceived those routes ahead of time and rushed down the hall.

Any window would do for an escape route, but with Spike on her back she needs to lose me first. She’ll likely head for the east wing and lead me through several wire traps.

The buzz of Elytra’s wings reached my ears as I turned the third corner. As expected, I was greeted by a web of garrote wires threatening to snare me. My blades made short work on them, though I did not have the time to stop the attached bells from ringing, alerting Elytra.

Each turn contained more traps to impede me. Though through it they were noticeably more obvious and thicker in layers, trading stealth for security. Desperation coursed through me as I pumped my pony wings as hard as my muscles allowed and carved through the increasingly thick layers of defense.

I grimaced, barely able to hear Elytra’s buzzing at this point. In pegasus form, I could outpace her top speed, but our gossamer wings work much better for agility demands such as the tight corridors of the castle and wire traps. Unfortunately for me, she had the advantage here, and I didn’t dare transform and give my identity away. I can’t lose her now. Once I do, I’ll never find her again!

Crackling static boomed in my ears, followed by a screech. Elly!

I pushed through the last layers of defense and homed in on the sound and flashing light out of the nearby bedroom.

I’d nearly forgotten about the security measures Flash talked about during the earlier weeks of or mission. If the windows were forced open or broken, the embedded gems would ignite and form an electric barrier to ward intruders.

Looking at Elytra now, charred and smoking from the six amethyst crystals lined around the window, I was grateful for Flash’s advice to not test the castle’s security.

That had to hurt...

I reached out to her—

“El—”

—then immediately I slammed my jaw shut. Elytra perked up and glared at me. I could swear I caught the smallest hint of suspicion in her gaze before she jumped through the broken balcony window, taking the form of a pegasus with a midnight coat and jet black mane. I sped forward and continued pursuit.

I nearly lost sight of her when she nose dived and rounded the bottom of the castle. The temptation to follow nearly overrode my knowledge of her combat tactics. Instead, I rounded the castle and approached the bottom from the west side instead of south.

As predicated, Elytra’s horn was prepared to snipe me out of the sky the moment I poked my head from the south side. I rushed at her.

At the last second she noticed the flank and fired off her stored magic bolt. I dipped to the side, then up for an uppercut. She parried the blow and flew back, blocking and pivoting all of my rapidfire blows.

Her horn brighten, this time swirling with black energy.

Pathos!

I flew back just before the sphere of corrupted magic could knock me away. Elytra used that brief reprieve to fly out from the bottom side and shoot for the skies. As we climbed, she continued to launch green bolts at me, some of them mixed and tainted with the pitch black of pathos magic.

If she’s using pathos, she must be panicking. My eyes narrowed with concern, zipping left and right to dodge the magical blows. If she continues using so much pathos… no, I can’t think about it. Just stop her and save Spike before it’s too late!

Elytra dove for the thickest cloud in the sky, seconds before I entered it. Other than my pants and flapping wings, I couldn’t hear or see anything. Did she lead me here to lose me? No, it’s all too likely this was meant to be a trap.

I allowed my senses to wander, increasing my chance to catch a surprise attack. She can’t use her wires effectively here, so she’ll have rely on magic. I’ll have a second at most before—west!

I dropped down a few inches to dodge a stream of black magic bolts and darted for that direction. Elytra was nowhere to be seen in the west side.

Must’ve just missed her. Damn it! This would be so much easier if I could access some of my magic and find her.

As before, I waited to catch the telltale sign of glowing magic through the white cloud. East!

I shot forward and maneuvered around the beam with an aerial roll. This time I caught Elytra attempting to fly towards the northside. Just before I could reach her wing to stop her flight, Elytra spun away and towards the earth, throwing several more bolts at me.

She’s trying to get away! Elly must realize she can’t match me for up-close combat with Spike on her back. Just a little longer, and I should be able to run her out of stamina!

Hang on just a little longer, you two!

We fell like a rock as we plummeted towards Ponyville. As we drew closer to the ground, I sensed a spark of pathos inside Elytra roar to life. Our wings closed in to increase velocity and prepare ourselves.

My heart raced with anxiety as our distance to the ground drew closer than I got comfortable with. What in the world is that girl planning? There’s no way she could pull off a dive so close to the ground.

A scant few meters above ground, Elytra’s wings snapped open and her hoof thrusted at the ground. My fur tingled from the burst of black and green energy she unleashed on the street at an angle. The blast accelerated her away from the ground and between the buildings.

I gaped at the audacity of her risky gamble.

Had she miscalculated that even a tiny bit, she would’ve become a Changeling pancake! White hot fury coursed through me as I followed her through the buildings. If she thinks she can give me a heart attack and get away with it, she’s got another thing coming! When I get my hooves on her, she’s going to be in so much trouble!

We weaved through the buildings, using our hooves to kick off walls to make otherwise impossibly sharp turns. Elytra’s speed gradually decreased, the panic on her face clear; Spike’s weight on her began to take its toll.

During one particular stretch through Sugarcube corner, Elytra’s eyes burned bright with energy. A mass of black energy crackled around her just before she fired a black laser from her eyes and diagonally cleaved one of the buildings in half.

I paled. She’s using a pathos-induced beam in such a crowded place? Has she lost her bloody mind?

She shot past the collapsing building. Just as I prepared to do the same, a shrill scream caught my attention.

In the path sliding building, rooted in terror at the impending doom, was the Cutie Mark Crusaders.

Unholy rage surged within me. You foolish fools! I told you to stay inside the house until it was safe!

Right then it made sense; Elytra planned to use anything to gain advantage over me, which included altruism. Then again, using that much power while exhausted was clearly a last-ditch effort. If I ignored the foolish Crusaders, there was no doubt in my mind I could catch up to Elly.

But those fillies would die.

My eyes bounced between the collapsing building and the scared fillies.

But if I don't catch Elytra, I risk losing both her and Spike.

A growl of effort ripped out of my lungs. Neither was an option, as I refused to let the death of those fillies hang over my head.

With barely a second to decide, a third option popped to mind: Pathos.

As when I saved the girls the first time, the boost of strength would guarantee saving those girls and keeping up my momentum to continue the chase. However, every use of pathos weakened my ability to control it, especially in a stressful situation like this. If I failed to suppress it, my mind would be forfeit.

I won’t let that happen, I shot towards the girls and braced myself. I can’t lose here. I won’t let the Cold One win!

With a growl I pushed the bubbling hot energy of pathos from my chest into my forelegs and shoved the closest filly, Scootaloo, into the others. The push sent them tumbling away like bowling pins, securing their safety.

I moved to lunge forward, only to stumble from the pathos surging faster than my ability to suppress it.

Shit, not now!

The girls cried out for me just before the crash of wood and stone upon me coupled with my scream cut out their voices. All of the bone-crushing pain shooting through my entire body lasted for an instant before I whited out.

Consciousness flickered in and out like a fading light. I tried to open my eyes with marginal success, obstructed by black spots in my vision. My head swam and body was more or less unresponsive from the mind-numbing pain.

“Sc… grab…”

Voices muddled through my ringing ears. I strained to listen, wincing as pain shot through my left hoof from getting pulled.

“Don’t pull hard, Scootaloo!”

Scootaloo? Isn’t that Sweetie Belle’s voice? Wait a minute…

“Ain’t this kinda dangerous? We’re gonna be in a heap o’ trouble if we got caught with a Changeling.”

The ringing in my ear intensified from the crescendoing migraine. I couldn’t make out the rest of their words, but only one word was really important.

Changeling? What are they—

Through my blurry vision I caught Scootaloo grasping my black hoof. Reality struck me like lightning.

My disguise fell off when I was knocked out! They know I’m a Changeling! No, it… it can’t end like this!

My vision started to fade.

Not… like this...

Chapter 21: The truth shall set you free

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I wasn’t sure what to expect when Discord invited me into his home to meet this mysterious guest.

From the outside it looked like a completely normal suburban home. My first sign that something was off was the sugary scent. The brittle-looking wall made me think of wafer treats. My stomach rumbled at the thought.

A snap from my left drew my attention. Part of the home’s beige siding was snapped off and chewed by Discord. He seemed to read my mind as he smiled at me.

“Welcome to the Waffle House,” he said between chews. He offered a bark of the waffle house. “Want some? Made of wholesome buttermilk.”

I eyed the treat suspiciously. You couldn’t pay me enough to eat that. “Uh,n-no thanks,” I shook my head.

In the back of my mind, I could already hear Trojan saying something snarky like ‘Home sweet home, right, Buttermilk?’

The interior held the same vibe; a normal looking home with a strong hint of sweets in the air. Through the hallway we entered what I assumed to be a dining room; a cheap chandelier hung over the round, white clothed table with two chairs across each other. Through the window I could see the twisting and empty void. A reminder I was in Discord’s world now. The lack of an actual sky unnerved my wings.

“Lucy, I’m home!” Discord called out, grinning.

Around the corner, I heard a series of heavy clops climb down stairs. I straightened my stance, eager to welcome the one pony who might be able to help me

“For the last time, I’ve told you to stop calling me—Oh!”

My blood ran cold.

Dual-tone voice. Black chitin. Celestia’s height.

A Changeling I recognized in images I’ve been shown both in Discord’s vision and Shining Armor’s descriptions.

The one who caused this mess: Chrysalis.

A haze of rage suddenly washed over me. With a roar I soared through the air, hoof raised to strike her down.

I nearly made contact when Discord grabbed my fetlock.

The world spun around, then my back slammed into the ground with enough force to rattle the house.

I heard Discord yelling at me, but whatever he said fell on deaf ears as I broke his grasp and rolled onto my hooves, preparing to attack again.

Wait a second…!

Chrysalis was completely unfazed by my surprise attack. Discord, on the other hoof, looked livid, his serpentine body coiled around Chrysalis’ frame.

Discord’s protecting Chrysalis? Why?!

I was reminded of my first meeting with Trojan, when Shining Armor introduced her as my partner for this mission. To see the very objective I came to stop in Discord’s home boggled my mind.

Then it hit me.

“Oh no…” I shook my head furiously. “No, no, no! You have got to be kidding me!”

“Intriguing,” Chrysalis eyed me curiously. “Malice must be rooted very deep for the corruption to be this clear. You fished up quite the surprise, Discord.”

“I’m starting to regret that decision a bit, honestly…” Discord muttered.

Sheer shock battled against fury. I resorted to glaring at the source of my troubles rather than try my luck again. If it wasn’t for her, we wouldn’t be in this mess! My comrades would still be—

There you are…

I locked up, eyes wide and breathless. I only heard the voice once, but to have it inside my head filled me with even more dread than Chrysalis.

It took some, well, ‘soul’ searching, but I finally tracked you down. I don’t know what Discord is trying to pull, but you and I both know he cannot be trusted. Malice’s voice dripped with barely restrained hatred.

“Get out of my head!” I screamed, clutching my skull.

Discord raised his claw to snap his finger, but Chrysalis stopped the notion with her hoof, observing me with great focus.

I know all about Discord, he continued, ignoring me. Recall how he betrayed you all when Tirek nearly destroyed Equestria. How he attempted to take all of Equestria for himself twice before. Destroy him. You have the power to do so, and believe me, I will ensure you have the tools to do so.

“No! I won’t do it! Get out!”

The presence faded, but I couldn’t stop shaking. With painstaking effort I regain some semblance of control. All thoughts of attacking Chrysalis gave way to the bigger threat who found his way into my head, literally and figuratively.

Chrysalis and Discord watched on as if I was some unusual experiment going through the notions.

I can’t let Malice back in. No matter how much I hate Chrysalis, Malice is the clear threat at the moment. One step at a time, soldier. Lives are depending on it.

“You heard him, didn’t you?”

I gasped, looking at Chrysalis in shock. Pretty sure I should have looked like a mad stallion, yet there wasn’t an ounce of judgment in her gaze. It was as if she expected my encounter with Malice to happen.

Chrysalis continued. “You’re going to have to keep a lid on those emotions until we can find a way to separate the pathos from you. Otherwise, you’ll play right into Malice’s claws and be lost forever. Hate me or not, neither of us want Malice here or in our heads.”

She’s right. I have to keep my emotions under control. But still…

I shook the surprise out of my head and reminded myself of who I was talking to right now. “Alright, what the buck is going on here?”

“Sounds like a perfect time for introductions!” Discord said cheerfully. “Chryssy, this is Flash Sentry. Flash, meet Chryssy. This is the one I told you about who I reached out to after getting stuck.”

“Why don’t we take a seat? I’m sure we both have a lot of questions each other, don’t you agree, Flash?”

This… is so weird.

I merely nodded before taking my seat at the table, making sure to stay as far from Chrysalis as I could manage. Discord pulled the chair for Chrysalis, then snapped his own chair out of nowhere to take a seat next to her. Chrysalis’s expression remained professionally stoic, contrast with Discord relaxed as he leaned against Chrysalis’s frame.

So Celestia-damned weird.

“Since you’re still a little on edge, I’ll let you get your questions out of your system first,” Chrysalis offered.

The level of calm the queen of Changelings held unsettled me. Stories of Chrysalis painted her as a tyrannical and cruel monster. For years I imagined a deranged fiend capable of only hate and conquest. The Chrysalis in front of me was an unreadable wall of calm and wisdom. Regardless of the strangeness of the situation, I realized this was probably the only chance I was going to have at getting answers.

The answers to all the mysteries surrounding this mission was right in front of me.

“Alright. Let’s start with the basics; what the hay is up with you and Malice?”

Chrysalis sighed. “Things were great between us at the start. Malice’s unusual ways of handling magic evolved my Changelings. We were stronger, faster, more capable than ever. Combined with his help, we took over and managed to thrive in the north at the edge of Yakyakistan.”

“You took over the entire north?” I gaped.

“To be fair, there isn’t much up there in the first place. Small tribes and growing empires hidden from the rest of the world. They were powerless against the might of the swarm.” Chrysalis’ gaze drifted to the window, a far away look in her eye. “Malice is a strange one. As much as he went on about the power of rage and being a warrior, he was far more complex than I expected. Had a bit of a barbaric charm, going on about honor and code.”

Discord leaned towards me, pretending to whisper. “Chryssy has a weakness for bad boys.”

Chrysalis swatted the back of his head, shooting him an irritated look as he leaned back and smirked coyly. “Anyway,” Chrysalis continued. “He started acting odd over time. More demanding. Possessive. Had the gall to start saying “our” Changelings. Even more unnerving, he was always tight-lipped about his capabilities, down to his true name, preferring we called him the Cold One. It was only thanks to Discord I managed to learn his name and understand a portion of his power. If I had to guess his reasoning, I think he was paranoid about Discord figuring out he was freed. He was utterly obsessed with getting stronger and being prepared to kill Discord.”

“Annoying brothers, am I right?” Discord shrugged.

“Only child. Wouldn’t know about siblings.”

A brief mental image of Spike and Trojan appeared in my mind.

I shook the thoughts away. No time for distractions. Stay focused!

“I imagine all of this came to a head at a certain point?” I guessed.

“Five years ago, I made one of the biggest mistakes of my life. And yes, that’s including attacking Canterlot,” Chrysalis smiled wryly. “I confronted him about his behavior. Word of advice; if you’re ever dealing with an avatar of war and hatred, never expect an argument about poor behavior to go over easy.”

“I’ve only met him once, and I can already tell he’s not exactly the cooperative type,” I agreed.

Chrysalis nodded. “He started going on about how they were his Changelings as much as mine. How he gave us a chance to live. To fight. How much we owe our lives to him. How I owed my life to him. He may be a spirit of war, but I still had a leg up on him in regards to diplomacy and manipulation.”

“Sounds like it went as well as it did in Canterlot,” I seethed.

A chuckle slipped out of Discord's throat, earning a glare from Chrysalis.

“That’s besides the point. I’d almost succeeded in stroking his ego enough to calm down until we were interrupted by my daughters.”

I tilted my head. “Aren’t all of your Changelings your children?”

“Yes and no. In spirit, they are all my children and belong to me. However, Changeling family chemistry works a bit differently than a pony’s. For one, we don’t need a mate to create eggs. Unfertilized eggs breed males, which make up majority of our population. Females, however, are special and do require fertilization, though not in the way you might think.”

“Such a shame. Not nearly as fun,” Discord huffed.

“Ahem,” Chrysalis cleared her throat. I could swear I saw the faintest hint of embarrassment in her as she shifted uncomfortably. “In a nutshell, my daughters have other daughters and expand from there. My immediate family of daughters, however, are special. That’s all you need to know for now.”

Special daughters, huh?

I thought about bringing up the hidden caste Thorax talked about, then thought against it. Considering how I wasn’t supposed to know that, I did not feel like testing Chrysalis’ patience on her secrets being exposed. “Fair enough. So, your daughters were listening in on the mess…”

“And like undisciplined fools, they rushed in thinking I was about to get hurt and attacked Malice. When Malice thwarted their attempt and was about to punish them, I had a choice to make; side with Malice, or protect my daughters. Unfortunately, I made the unwise decision to protect them.”

Rarely have I heard a sentence as mind boggling as her last statement. “Am I hearing right, or did you just say that acting to protect your own daughters from an abusive asshole was a bad idea?”

“Don’t confuse a noble act for a smart one,” Chrysalis reasoned calmly. “They can take a hit or two; he wouldn’t have killed or maim them. It would’ve made negotiations go far smoother. But I acted out of instinct to protect them, realizing too late I crossed a line I wouldn’t be able to come back from. He looked utterly betrayed and hurt by this.”

“Is he that much of a selfish prick to get upset at not wanting to see your own daughters get hurt?!”

“To be honest, I think there was more to it. Like… he was reminded of something that triggered the sudden burst of anger and sense of betrayal. He got furious, believing that I was going to break his trust. He ended up possessing me, separating my mind from my body. For five years, all I could do was see the visions he allowed me to see as he took my Changelings and asserted his dominance, turning those not willing to side with him into slaves or execution targets to keep the others in line.”

Had I blinked, I would’ve missed the pain and anger that flashed behind her eyes. Part of the chitin of her face faded white for a moment before returning to its black shade. This certainly matches what Trojan told me, although this is still pretty brutal, even for a tyrant like her.

I refuse to feel pity for her, but I get it.

“So if I got this right, mommy and daddy had a fight, the foals intervened, and this devolved into foalnapping your mind and putting your Changelings into slave labor?”

“Not an elegant metaphor, but yes.”

I shook my head in disgust. “Did you two ever consider marriage counseling?”

Chrysalis chuckled with mirth. “It doesn’t take a genius to guess no marriage counselor in the world would be able to handle that mess of a spirit.” Her humored laugh died as a dark look overcame her features. “I’ve had a lot of thinking to do in those five years of captivity, and learned more about the deep-rooted thoughts of my hive than I would have ever imagined. As you can imagine, I ruled with an iron hoof, and all obeyed my command without a second thought. However, Malice’s ability to dig deep into your emotions and unearth anything you’ve ever tried to hide brought up facts that… unnerved me.”

Discord frowned, rubbing Chrysalis’s shoulder. If I didn’t hold so much hatred for the queen, the despair on her face would’ve shaken me. “You don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to,” Discord said.

“No, it’s fine. It’s good to get this off my chest, actually.” Chrysalis smiled at Discord for a moment, then redirected her attention to me. “Many of my Changelings were not as agreeable to my rule as I believed them to be. They’d found ways to hide their true feelings from me. Feelings Malice was more than happy to share with me when I was helpless to do anything about it. A disturbing number felt I would run our hive into the ground and get us killed. More and more began to turn to Malice, some seeing a positive change for our species, others out of fear and survival instinct. He often tormented me, using my pain to galvanize some of my Changelings into action.”

My body tensed from the heat swirling in my chest. What a bastard…!

“He didn’t kill the resistant ones outright, allowing them to live as long as they didn’t get in his way and followed his commands to the letter. Those that chose to follow Malice were blessed with his… gifts. This, sadly, includes my daughters.”

A nervous pit fell in my stomach. “The same daughters who tried to defend you?”

Chrysalis nodded, looking outright depressed. “My hive is govern by four pillars; referred to as my Shadows. For comparison sake, think of them as generals.”

“Shadows? That’s an ominous thing to call your own daughters.”

“Princess. Matriarch. Fitting, but they don’t embrace the true quality of soon-to-be queens of the swarm. Princesses are meant to be adored and revered. These Changelings are the strongest extensions of my power, a shadow that stretches as far as my reign. The shadows are both our safest refuge and greatest weapon. What better titles to give to daughters who are the very embodiment of my will? An extension of myself?”

A queen and her Shadows. I admit, it does sound far more fearsome than Princess.

“Edgy queen is edgy,” Discord quipped, earning an elbow jab to the ribs from the irritated queen.

“Back to the topic at hoof, when the division reached them and Malice dug into the deepest crevice of their hearts, I’ve found things… I wish I didn’t see. Two of my daughters, Guile Mind and Strong Body, harbored ill feelings towards me for a long time. The first pair to fall into Malice’s sway. My eldest one, Brave Soul, was completely divided. Her devotion towards me is stalwart, but ultimately was conflicted. Slowly but surely she began to drift more and more to Malice’s warrior mindset of undying loyalty and staying true to the warrior’s code. Which brings me to my youngest, Noble Heart.”

Chrysalis closed her eyes. A tear fell.

“Despite everything thrown at her, no matter how deep Malice dug to find something to use against me, Noble Heart’s loyalty to me was immaculate. Her youth and headstrong nature prevented her from becoming as jaded as her sisters, but her lack of experience made her voice weaker than the rest. She was constantly a thorn in Malice’s side, earning her unyielding loyalty with a good portion of her portion of the hive.”

“Sounds like she lived true to her name,” I said, unable to help the pride I felt for Noble. I may not be able to bring myself to like Changelings, but this Noble Heart sounded like the kind of Changeling I wouldn’t mind meeting, if only for her unwavering faith.

“Indeed. I… miss her.”

The proverbial rug was pulled from under me, tearing my heart in two. An awkward silence washed over us.

“I wonder if...no, it couldn’t be,” Discord mused quietly to himself. He threw a concerned look at the downtrodden Chrysalis. “A-anywho, it’s not like you’ve been doing nothing but twiddling your hooves the entire time, right?” Discord offered, a nervous smile.

A look was exchanged between them. Chrysalis smiled weakly. “Indeed.”

Am I imagining things here? What is up with those two?

No, it’s not important right now. Discord did bring up something interesting. “Been planning a jailbreak?”

“Of course,” Chrysalis grew serious. “Unfortunately, there was not a lot of opportunity for me to act against him while in captivity. He seems to have eyes everywhere at once, multitasking even better than I have thanks to his vassals.”

“Vassals?” I asked.

“Windigos,” Discord answered.

Chrysalis continued. “Indeed. Things began to take an interesting turn when Malice decided it was time for him to have his resurgence to regain his lost power. So he made his way to Everfree Forest—”

“And you know the rest from there, thanks to my award-winning film!” Discord interjected proudly.

Chrysalis held a hoof to her head, annoyed. “Did you seriously show him the ‘Shameless Exposition’ movie?”

“It beats boring old dialog.”

“Well, that does paint a pretty clear picture of what went down until now,” I said. Though I don’t know what he plans to do with the Tree of Harmony.”

“You got me there. I’ve tried to mess with the thing, and it’s a pain in the butt to deal with.” Discord shrugged. “If you ask me, it would probably be faster if he just collected the seven dragon balls to make a wish.”

I threw a disgusted look at Discord. “E-excuse?”

“Come on, you gotta know this. Dragon balls? Summon a magical dragon?”

“Uh...what?”

“Context,” Chrysalis interrupted. “You need context for these jokes, Discord.”

Discord looked confused for a moment, then beamed. “Oh, right! Well, you see—”

“No one cares,” Chrysalis harshly shut him down.

“Alright, moving on from… whatever the hay that was, what can you tell me about Malice? Abilities? Weaknesses? Anyway to fight back.”

“A lot of it is theory, as its too dangerous to attempt practical implementation of these ideas. But before we go into any further, how versed are you in magic theory? Some of this could easily go over your head if you don’t understand it.”

“I learned enough about it from basic to get the idea. Just don’t get too technical with it. I’m no genius when it comes to this kind of stuff.”

Chrysalis nodded. “Getting the obvious out of the way, spirits such as Discord and Malice don’t use magic the same way any other living being does. When we use magic, we follow the A.C.E. method. How each of those steps function varies species to species.”

“Attunement. Capacity. Efficiency.,” I quoted. “We pull in the energy from the world around us, channel it, then release it. Our bodies can hold magic, but it’s our hearts that allow us to process and release that energy.”

“Textbook answer,” she said. “However, this is where spirits differ. While you and I have to pull in magic, convert the energy into something useable, and then utilize the energy, spirits can freely interact with the magic around it without following usual channeling methods.”

“In other words,” Discord started, “the world is a giant batch of cookie dough, and I’m the baker. All you can do is eat my cookies and sh—”

“—shut up and let me finish.” Chrysalis cut in, glaring daggers at Discord. “Point is, the most important part of how a spirit uses the magic is the way they do it. Whether unleashing a burst of energy or creating a vassal, it’s less that Malice is warping the world around him, and moreso imparting his very being into it to take control. The vassals, pathos, it’s not just him using magic; it’s all Malice.”

“So… the windigo I faced wasn’t just some powerful form of magic. It’s a literal part of Malice?”

“That’s where Malley and I have different methods,” said Discord. “Doing that kind of thing spreads yourself thin. If something happens to that part of you that gets far away, you lose it forever. I prefer keeping all of my magic as close to me as possible, while Malice prefers to spread himself out like a hooker during Hearts and Hooves day.”

I facehoofed, but couldn’t resist chuckling.

Chrysalis rolled her eyes, pointedly ignoring Discord. “Something I was able to test with Discord is that a certain amount of themselves needs to be imparted before it can be given a form of intelligence. The more powerful something is, the more alive and a higher level of intelligence it can possess. Spirits are essentially living magic that can impart a portion of their persona into something. With enough magic, they can infuse a carbon copy of their own memories and personas into anything, magical or otherwise.”

I thought about the Malice I met in my dream. Didn’t seem too different from the one in Discord’s vision. Just how much of Malice is inside me?

“Discord,” I began, feeling uneasy, “from what you saw before you took me from Malice, how much of his actual self would you say is in me?”

“A ton. Wouldn’t be surprised if he threw a copy of himself into you. He’s like the arms dealer of magic; gives a bunch of ponies and Changelings his magic, then collects that magic later once its matured and ‘beared fruit’. How to separate that, well… I haven’t figured that out yet.”

“It’s quite a problem,” Chrysalis said. “Even I haven’t been able to separate myself from him. He’s never revealed just what exactly he does when he corrupts someone’s magic. He calls it ‘championing’, where he converts the way you use magic. In laymare’s terms, he makes you use his magic, which is fueled by desire and aggression.”

His magic… I thought back to the fight against Pinkie Pie. When the pathos corruption got out of control in her, she did some crazy stuff. Stuff she honestly shouldn’t have been able to do in the first place. All because of her desire to protect Cup Cake.

Actually, back in the forest, the surge of strength I felt surfaced when I tried to protect Zecora and Wind—no, Spike. Have we just been nothing but fuel for Malice all this time? Profiting from our anger and desire to accomplish something?

Thinking about it, Chrysalis had to deal with this for years, all the while being tortured and likely isolated.

“How did you do it?” I asked.

Chrysalis threw me a curious look. “Pardon?”

“How are you still sane after being his prisoner for so long? To resist his magic the way you do?”

The shift of mood was instant. Discord started grinning ear to ear while Chrysalis rolled her eyes.

“I didn’t come out as unscathed as you may think. I was… in a really bad place for quite awhile. Meditation kept me from madness, and Malice was very careful in not breaking me completely. My hatred for him acts as an unbreakable tether that bounds me to him. I did lose hope for a long time. That is, until Discord rescued me.” Chrysalis’ tone dipped in volume at the last statement.

“I didn’t exactly have a blast of a time either while stuck in the tree,” Discord started. “I’m the lord of chaos. I need stimuli! Excitement! Being stuck for weeks on end with nopony to talk to or interact with started to drain me. On a whim I fished around and used my magic to try to find someone. Anyone. That’s when I sensed Chrysalis and managed to get her here. And, well, one thing led to another… we had a couple of drinks…”

Discord slithered and coiled around Chrysalis, snuggling his cheek against her. “Then we totally—”

“It’s a temporary arrangement,” Chrysalis added quickly. “We both need something from each other. It just so happens a more...intimate approach works out quite profitably for both of us.”

Discord and Chrysalis. Never in my wildest nightmares would I have ever guessed this could exist.

I slumped on the table, facehoofing.

Damn I need a drink.

“Of course, sexy benefits aside, Chrissy helped me learn more about my magic than I ever would’ve managed alone. Even managed to get Chrissy to send for help under Malice’s nose.”

Send help?

I slowly turned to look at Chrysalis. “Come again?”

Chrysalis sighed. “Slowly we’ve been finding ways to manipulate magic signatures and leylines. That is, magic pathways that connect to and are specific to the caster. So far, we’ve figured how to use Discord’s signature as a spirit to slip through Malice’s signature. Essentially, smuggling Discord through Malice.”

“Now that’s a mental image I don’t need,” Discord stuck out his tongue in utter disgust.

“Better than imagining you two in an intimate relationship,” I muttered.

“I have pictures~...”

“Enough!” Chrysalis barked. “What’s important here is thanks to Discord, I was able to reach my daughter Noble Heart to send her for help. The problem is the method isn’t perfect. We can only infiltrate for a short period of time, and he becomes aware of our presence the moment we act. I could only send a small, vague message to her—”

“Find Twilight Sparkle…!”

Chrysalis perked up. “Wait. How did you know that?”

Wait a freaking minute. Don’t tell me…!

“Chrysalis!” I slammed my hooves on the table and shot out my chair. “Were there any other Changelings you tried to reach out to?”

“Can’t say I have. Why do you ask?”

Discord’s eyes slowly widened, drawing the same conclusion I did. “Say Flash. This Trojan character you spoke of. Are you saying—”

It all adds up! I figured it out!

“Chrysalis, I’ve met Noble Heart! She’s still alive!”

For the first time since our meeting, Chrysalis’ emotions were on full display, somewhere between disbelief and hopeful.

“What are you talking about?”

“A Changeling by the name of Trojan came to the Crystal Empire, claiming you had a plan to assassinate Twilight. I was sent in to be Twilight’s guard and secretly confirm and stop the threat. Turns out this Trojan was hiding a lot from us, and it wasn’t until running into the pathos and Thorax that we learned she had been deceiving us. Point is, I’m now convinced this whole time she pretended to believe she was sent to assassinate Twilight when, in actuality, she followed your orders to try and protect her. In other words, the name she gave us was a fake; her real name is Noble Heart!”

Chrysalis worked her jaw to form words, eyes bulging. “But… how can that be? Her link to us was severed. I have no doubt she would’ve tried to get in contact with us at some point. Malice even sent Elytra to Ponyville on the slight suspicion she would’ve made contact with Twilight since he intercepted my message to her. I suspected Shining Armor had found and killed her.”

“Far from it. Noble already knew this, which explains why she was so adamant with me about keeping our mission a secret. I saw the logic, but knowing what you’re telling me now, I think she was really trying to hide from Malice rather than the other Changelings.” My thoughts ran a mile a minute. Layers upon layers of epiphanies struck me. “This whole time I figured she just didn’t want to alert the changelings so they wouldn’t send assassin teams at us. But now I know better; she was trying to hide from Malice and eliminate all possibility of him spying on our activity.”

Chrysalis eyes welled up, my words finally sinking in. Her body trembled, breath coming out in shudders. “My little Noble pulled it off. I… I just… sorry, I need a moment.” Her head dropped into her hooves. Tiny sniffles and hiccups escaped. Discord consoled her in silence. “Thank you, Flash Sentry.”

I shifted uncomfortably, unable to keep my eyes on her. “Um, s-sure.” What is this right now? This is supposed to be the evil tyrant who devours love. One of the most evil and vile creatures in Equestria. She’s not supposed to be this... overjoyed mother thanking me for bringing the good news. It’s not right.

She is the direct cause of the death of my fellow soldiers and waking up Malice.

...So why can’t I bring myself to hate her right now?

Mental flashbacks of my battle against the Changelings surfaced. Carving through them with my spear. Their howls of pain. Cries for mercy before I silenced them. So many dead.

My vision blurred and eyes stung. I hurriedly rubbed my eyes, praying they didn’t notice.

That’s… not fair.

I clenched my eyes shut.

Damn it, that’s not fair at all.

“My apologies, I’m fine now.”

I perked up as if nothing happened, waiting for Chrysalis to continue. The moment I caught Discord raising an eyebrow at me, I smiled nervously.

Chrysalis continued. “This is fantastic news for other reasons too. She’s bound to reach Twilight and get help from the other side. Considering how brilliant Twilight is, there’s no doubt she’ll figure out a solution in no time.”

“That won’t be possible.”

My gaze fell to the table. I couldn’t stop my tears now, voice raw.

“I… I killed her.”

“W-what?!” Chrysalis gasped.

I nodded, unable to meet her eyes. “My memory of the whole thing is fuzzy. I was caught up in a… PTSD flashback. I was back in Canterlot during your invasion, struggling to survive and fighting off Changelings. Twilight had the image of someone I… once cared about and tried to snap me out of it. But I couldn’t see through it. I freaked out thinking she was a Changeling and… c-cut her down. When I finally came to, she…wasn’t moving.” I dared myself to look up.

Chrysalis was speechless, hope drained from her expression. Though Discord already knew the story, being reminded Twilight was no longer with us because of me ignited a spark of anger behind his eyes..

“I should be honest with something else,” I added hesitantly. “Twilight wasn’t the only victim. I’ve killed others inside Everfree Forest who looked like Changelings. I don’t know if that was a hallucination or not, but I… I have a feeling they were actually Changelings. I’m…” My eyes went downcast. “I’m sorry.”

There was a moment of absolute silence. Then, without a word, Chrysalis got out her chair and went upstairs.

I blinked. That had… not been the reaction I had expected?

“She’ll be fine,” Discord said, breaking the awkward tension in the room. “She’ll just need time to digest all of this. The loss of her changelings, and that of Twilight—”

“Why would she even care about Twilight?” I wondered. Her reaction to the death of her children had essentially been weird enough. To think that she’d react in a similar manner to the death of somepony who, in the end, had been her enemy...

“You see,” Discord continued, “Twilight was always a good first pick for problem-solving in situations like this. Chrysalis respected Twily’s intelligence and strength in the face of whatever life threw at her. She also had this belief that Twilight would be the easiest to work with, thinking there was too much bad blood between her and the other princesses. You can say she’d bet everything on Twilight.”

Discord turned away from me, shaking his head. From how quietly he muttered, I was sure I wasn’t supposed to hear what he said next. His tone was riddled with suppressed irritation. “But to think she would be killed by the one guard who was supposed to protect her. These guards can’t do anything right, can they?”

Killed by the one guard who was supposed to protect her...

These guards can’t do anything right...

The words cut deep, echoing endlessly in my head. Defiant rage bubbled in me faster than I could calm it.

“Excuse me?”

Discord whipped around, raising an eyebrow. “What?”

I tried to remind myself to calm down, but I couldn’t stop. “Mind saying that to my face?”

In the blink of an eye, Discord teleported and reappeared lying on the table, his face an inch away from mind. “Tough guy, huh? What, did I touch a nerve over the fact you killed one of my closest friends, who you were supposed to protect?”

“I get it, alright?!” I snapped. “This is situation right now is completely my fault! I screwed up, abandoned my team, and killed someone I cared about! The last thing I need is a bitchy draconequus talking shit without the balls to say it to my face!”

Discord’s eyes narrowed. “Listen, little toy soldier, you’re are incredibly lucky I learned a lot about keeping chill over the years, or I would have you plastered on my wall right now. Or perhaps you’ve already forgotten how I wiped the floor with you Royal Guards all those years ago?”

Every muscle tightened. Teeth gnashed together.

“Things are a little tense as it is, so I would appreciate if you shimmer down like a good colt scout, sit in the corner and stay useless until we’re ready to deal with you, capiche?”

Discord patronizingly patted my cheek.

I cracked his with a left hook.

A burst of black energy detonated from the blow and sent Discord hurtling through the air. His back slammed against the now crumbling wall, left in a stunned daze.

I stared at the violent energy crackling on my hoof, then at Discord, who slowly started getting up. With a grimace I stormed out of the house, distancing myself as far from Discord as possible. I needed space. Time to think and calm down.

What in the world was that?

The encounter played out again in my head over and over during my trot. No doubt Discord deserved the hit. My problem was that I hit him at all.

Outside the Elements of Harmony and Tirek, there’s been no record of anypony being able to land a hoof on him, much less hurt him. I just rocked his world with a single punch, and I have no idea how I even pulled that off.

I looked down at my forehooves. Is this what it’s like to use pathos? What Pinkie went through?

And to think that was only a fraction of my power. Your power.

I snarled, gripping my head. “Get out of my head, you asshole!”

I’m as much a part of you as your wings. Your chance of disposing me is as futile as your ability to control your rage.

“I will find a way to do it. And when I find you, and I’m gonna tear you apart!”

Believe me, I will appreciate and enjoy the effort. However, it would be a shame if Discord destroyed you before you even had a chance to face me in combat. I’d much rather you survived until then. For that, you need me.

“If you think I’m ever going to use your evil powers, think again!”

You saw for yourself the power you possess. The Changelings you carved through like they were nothing. Taking down an alicorn with a single blow. As for Discord, not even your captain, Shining Armor, stood a chance against him alone. Yet you succeeded where many could not in wounding him. When Discord inevitably betrays you all, you may very well be one of the few who can stand against him.

I paused at the thought. Discord did betray us before. It’s been years since then, but… can I really trust he would never do it again? How do we protect ourselves against spirits like Malice and Discord? I really did manage to hurt him. If both Discord and Malice are spirits…

Don’t forget that you’ve used my power to save the lives of your friends. They live, and you live, because of me.

I thought back to Zecora and Spike. What if… I didn’t have that windigo inside me. What would have changed? Would Spike and Zecora still be alive?

Would I still be alive?

I shuddered.

Is Malice… right?

You need more power.

You. Need. Me.

The presence in my mind vanished. Apparently, he was gone. At least for now.

I sat on my haunches and looked up at the twisting void. My eyes fluttered closed.

“It’s amazing, really,” I muttered to myself. “Such a small, foalish mistake allowed all of this to happen. If only I was a stronger soldier. A better pony…”

A tear slid down my cheek.

“You would still be with us, Twilight.”

Something stirred within me. A feeling I hadn’t experienced in a long time.

“You tried so hard to help me overcome my weakness. You believed in me until the very end, even when I didn’t believe in myself. I… I was scared of letting you in. Of showing you how weak I really was. The real me.”

I pictured Twilight sitting in front of me, smiling patiently as she always did during our confidence sessions.

“If you’re watching me, Twilight, I have something I want to show you. The part of me I regret only letting you see once.”

My hoof reached out on its own and grabbed at the air.

A cool, solid material fell into my hooves. I didn’t have to open my eyes to know what it was.

A tiny smile broke out on my muzzle at the first strum of the guitar strings. I played a soft, melancholy tune.

“Allow me to show you the real me. One last time.”

After playing a few notes to feel the rhythm, I began.

♪I have to find a way
To make this all okay
I can't believe this small mistake
Could've caused so much heartache

Oh why~, oh why~?

Losing promise
I don't know what to do
Seeking answers
I fear I won't get through to you♪

A cool breeze swept around us, carrying a gentle flurry of snow. I swayed side to side with the rhythm. Warmth filled my chest.

♪Something is wrong, it's plain to see
This isn't how it's meant to be
And you can't see it like I do
It's not the life that's meant for you

Oh why~, oh why~?

Losing promise
I don't know what to do
Seeking answers
I fear I won't get through to you♪

The wind crescendoed into a gale. Heat spread throughout my body, growing hotter as my volume raised.

♪I'll try~
And I'll try~
I'll try~
And I'll try~♪

As the song reached its end, the wind slowed to a stop. The burning sensation in me shimmered until it disappeared.

♪...for you~♪

The world faded until it was just Twilight and myself.

“Thank you for everything, Twilight Sparkle.”

I opened my eyes.

In place of where I mentally imagined Twilight was an ice sculpture of her sitting on a stool.

I nearly fell backwards. “W...w-what?!”

In my hooves was a perfectly crafted ice guitar. A circular patch of snow surrounded us.

“What the buck?!”

As if reacting to my shock, the sculpture and guitar shattered and melted into the ground along with the snow. It was all gone within a second, as if it had never happened.

I was about to turn around and hurry back to the house, only to be greeted by an equally surprised Discord standing right behind me.

“Gah!” I stumbled back, falling onto my haunches. “W-what did you do just now? What even was that?”

Discord continued to give me a mystified look, slowly shaking his head. “I didn’t do that.”

I blinked. “What do you mean you didn’t do that? I sure as buck don’t think Malice would do that!”

“Exactly as I said. That was all you.”

The words sunk in as slow as quicksand. When it clicked, I jumped in shock. “No! It can't be! I don’t have freaky ice powers that make sculptures out of my own thoughts!”

Discord raised an eyebrow, amused. “So that’s what you were thinking about, huh?”

Whatever I was about to say disappeared the moment his words clicked. “I, uh, I-I mean…”

“Aww, look at you blushing. Aren’t you just precious!” Discord teased.

“T-t-that’s, um...anyway, what are you doing here?”

“Well, I was about to get you back for that sucker punch earlier, but that little Kodak moment will more than make up for it once we figure a way out of this mess. In fact,” Discord stroked his beard, “I think your adorkable singing routine just gave us the clue we need to figure a way out.”

I decided to ignore the adorkable comment in favor of a far more relevant statement. “It did? How?”

“I’ll explain in a bit. Let’s meet up with Chrissy, she needs to know what just happened.” With a snap, Discord disappeared.

I moved towards the house, then stopped to look at the area where the ice sculpture had been.

“What in the world is happening to me?”

Eagerness faded into irritation as Discord and I found ourselves waiting for Chrysalis. She sat in the middle of an dark, empty room save for some incense and candles, meditating. I thought to interrupt, but Discord shook his head.

“She’ll come out of meditation soon enough. It’s best to let her finish clearing her mind of negativity. It’s her way of battling Malice.”

That’s right. She still has to deal with her attachment to him. Guess we’re both in the same boat.

“Chrysalis has been constantly stressed out over this whole thing,” Discord continued. Though he looked in Chrysalis’ direction, his mind was clearly somewhere else. “Look, I know you hate her guts and all, but you gotta imagine what she’s been through so far. Her Changelings, daughters, and everyone she’s ever cared and loved is enslaved by Malice. She’s been powerless to stop him for so long, constantly reflecting on everything she could’ve done differently. It’s been eating at her for so long I… I don’t know how she does it.”

“I get it. I really do, but my life has been turned upside down because of her. I’ll never forgive her for what she’s done. I’m still struggling with the fact you two are a thing. Never would’ve seen it coming.”

“Neither did we. Guess you can look at it as misery loves company,” Discord chuckled wryly. “I know what we have is temporary. Fleeting. I also understand she deserved a lot of what she got; she’s no saint. But I will never forget that feeling of being so alone. I just… I want to do for her what Fluttershy did for me. And if she does something dangerous, I’ll take responsibility. All I ask is that you don’t ruin this for me in return, alright?”

I wonder how long has Discord been feeling like this? Is Chrysalis aware that he even feels this way about her?

For a moment, I reflected on my time with Twilight.

...I’m in no position to argue, am I?

“I’ll try my best,” I answered.

“Also, if you tell her any of this, I’ll drown you in strawberry pudding,” Discord added with a grin.

“Trust me, I have no interest poking my muzzle anywhere near that subject.”

Chrysalis stirred and, after taking a deep breath, muttered a chant.

The Noble Heart…

“As you guessed, the name of my daughters,” Chrysalis said. She stood up and stretched. “A reminder that we are all part of the same whole.”

“So a team chant.”

Chrysalis rolled her eyes. “Such an insulting comparison. But enough about that, what brings you to my meditation chamber?”

“Babe, you are not gonna believe what Flash managed to do!” Discord beamed.

“Don't call me babe, and I hope there is an explanation for why there is a bruise on your cheek.” There was a dangerous glint in her eye as she looked at me. “A very good explanation.”

“See for yourself.” Discord snapped his finger. Just like when we first met, a movie screen popped up.

The recording started from the argument where I punched Discord. Discord picked himself up and made his way out the house and towards my direction, a deep snarl on his face. Whatever punishment he had in mind faded from his face when the music reached his ears and he witnessed my performance.

The scenery around me played out exactly as I envisioned. A guitar formed and shaped in my hooves. Ice sculpture Twilight looked so realistic with the way she smiled and made subtle movements, swaying to the music. Snow and wind danced along to the tune of my song.

There was no doubt this was Malice’s magic at play. Yet, only one word came to mind as I witnessed this magical orchestra.

“Beautiful…” I muttered.

Everything stopped the moment I opened my eyes. The scene fell apart as I gaped in shock, fading away like nothing happened.

Speaking of fall apart, Chrysalis slowly turned to look at me, speechless.

“Am I right, or am I right?” Discord beamed at Chrysalis. She merely nodded.

“Mind if I get some context on what just happened?” I asked.

Chrysalis paced back and forth, muttering to herself. Just as my patience for weirdness ran out, Chrysalis looked at me and answered.

“Somehow, you tapped into Malice’s power without rage. To put this in a way you can comprehend, you used magic the same way Discord and Malice did. A way I didn’t think was possible for anyone but a spirit.”

My eyes widened. “Wasn’t… the whole thing with Malice’s magic that anger and desire was necessary to use it?”

“And thus you see why this is amazing. This actually goes perfectly with my theory that Malice’s magic is tied to some core value in your heart. All of our memories, our pain, sorrow, anger, we never truly forget them. Inside our minds they are locked somewhere. The magic can temporarily be destabilized by affecting their memories.”

Memories…

The word triggered a thought that bugged me for the longest time. “When Trojan—er, Noble—helped me deal with Pinkie Pie, who was afflicted with pathos for a time, she used some weird spell called the love love amnesia kiss.”

Chrysalis facehoofed. “Ugh, of course she would call it that. She never was one for properly honoring our most sacred traditions and spells.”

“Anyway,” I continued, “when she used it, the pathos was knocked right out of Pinkie.”

Discord nodded. “Pinkie is eccentric, but not exactly the angry type by nature. Malice needs something to hold onto with his magic. So when the reason for her frustration went poof, so did the pathos’ hold on her.”

The pieces were clicking together in my mind. “So in other words, it’s not so much erasing the memory tied to the emotion, but ‘resetting’ the emotion Malice has his grubby claws on.”

“Your situation is a little special in this case,” said Chrysalis. “For a moment you were perfectly in control of that magic. Not even I had that much control, and I doubt there is anyone who had more time to use his magic than me.”

“True. The ability to shape the environment around you with magic hits pretty close to home,” Discord stroked his beard, humming thoughtfully.

So I’m a special case here? What could be different about my situation that nopony else have gone through? Something that could affect—

”That’s it!” Discord and Chrysalis glanced at me. “My shield must have something to do with it!”

“Your shield?” Chrysalis asked.

“Shining Armor gave me a piece of equipment that was supposed to help fight against mind control. It’s supposed to reject foreign magic signatures from affecting my mind.”

Chrysalis nodded. “Interesting. That… could have some affect. The magic attacks your heart rather than your mind, though it would prevent total mind control.”

“But then… how is he speaking into my mind? The shield should be rejecting Malice’s magic.”

“Maybe it just sucks?” Discord offered.

I shook my head. “This mission involved his sister. He would have triple-checked it to make sure it worked. Weird as this may sound, the only way Malice's magic would be able to affect my mind is if the shield, for some reason, mistaken his magic for my own. But that’s impossible.”

“Why is that?”

“From what I read on it, it is constantly tracking my magic signature. It would only reset itself when the magic it recognized disappeared, or to look at it in another way, have no magic in my body at all to track. I’d have to either be dead or something happened that erased the flow of magic in my body.”

My brow furrowed. “Hmmm… it’s clear that I’m a special case with my connection to Malice and his magic. If only there was some way to neutralize this magic or use it against him. Discord, you’ve messed with a pony’s magic before, right?”

“Of course I have. When it comes to messing with magic, there is no one better than me!”

“Any chance you can analyze me or something? You mentioned before you can infiltrate Malice’s magic signature. Maybe you can infiltrate the version of Malice inside my head to get some answers?”

Discord’s eyes lit up like fireworks. “Why Flash, I do believe you are onto something here.”

“Discord?” Chrysalis inquired.

“Ever since I was but a wee lad, I’ve absolutely loved messing with magic of all kinds. During the time I spent with Malice during our youth, I realized our magic is almost perfectly identical; thus our conclusion that we’re siblings. Sadly, I haven’t really had good access to Malice’s magic to mess with it in a safe-ish environment. But with Flash and his weirdly strong connection, he’s the perfect choice for me to flex my magic-messing muscles.”

“Discord, I’ve told you before I was more than willing to let you experiment on my magic,” Chrysalis reasserted with a hint of annoyance.

“And you’re crazy if you think I’m going to do that on you. You’re asking me to do brain surgery with a mallet. I flunked medical school for a reason, y’know. If I messed up, I…” Discord hesitated, rubbing the back of his neck. My eyes bounced between the two.

If I was in Discord's horseshoes, and my only way to experiment with magic I didn’t quite understand and was dangerous would be to put Twilight at risk, would I have the guts to do it? It didn’t take me long to realize why Discord hesitated on answering truthfully.

“I’m the better candidate. No, the only one you got,” I cut in.

“How so?” Chrysalis asked. Discord breathed a sigh of relief.

“You’re the only expert on Malice’s magic we got. If something happens to you, then we’re all screwed. But if you two work together and use me instead, you will have a much better chance at finding the answers you’re looking for at minimal risk.”

“It’s too dangerous,” Chrysalis was quick to deny. “My ability to control my emotions greatly exceeds yours. For this to work, we would need to go into your mind. That means all of your fears, every little secret you would hope to bury, will be uncovered.”

Chrysalis crept towards me, flashing her fangs with a challenging grin. It was all too clear she wanted to intimidate me out of my decision.

“Discord and I will know everything about you and all the secrets you hold. All the while you have to watch your emotions and deal with Malice at the same time. If you mess up and let Malice beat you this time, all of our minds will be forfeit. Are you willing to have both Discord and I in your brain, poking at every single button you have, every dirty, embarrassing secret you have while also fighting off Malice's control of your anger?”

“Yes,” I answered without the slightest hesitation.

They looked at me in shock. Discord was especially confused. “Uh, you did hear the “we” part, right? As in ‘also Chrissy’? Dirty secrets, even your weirdest fetishes, will be laid bare before us. This can include military secrets and stuff that could put everyone else in danger. Aren’t you scared?”

“Of course I am. What pony in their right mind wouldn’t be terrified?” I pointed out. “I’ve let my selfishness and fears go on long enough as it is. Yes, I get that I have a temper. I’ve had it all my life. I’m far from an innocent stallion and have a crap ton of things I regret. But I have also have a long track record of dealing with said problems. The Royal Guard fears nothing, for we are fear incarnate, and I’d rather die fighting than live with the fact I’ve never had the guts to fight.

“So please, both of you, let me do this. I need to do this. For everyone who sacrificed themselves and suffered because of Malice. For Twilight… and myself.”

Chrysalis gave me a leveled look. I met her eyes, unwavering under her judgmental stare. After a minute, she pulled back and gave Discord a nod.

Discord brightened and snapped his fingers. Stuffed suitcases appeared out of nowhere.

“Alright boys and girls! Pack your bags! We’re going on a road trip into Flash’s mind!”

Author's Notes:

What's up, my fellow paladins?

And now we enter some of the core concepts of the story that's been built up from the start. Pieces and truths of all kinds will start coming to light, and I'm very curious to see how many of you saw some of things coming. Believe me, this train of revelation is gonna keep on rolling.

One of the more surprising elements that even caught me off guard was Discord and Chrysalis. As I went about working the finer details of their connection, I considered what Discord and Chrysalis living with each other would look like. Things their fear, and the emotional baggage and struggle they would both be dealing with. Things clicked together and... this happened.

Actually, how would you all feel about a side story segment featuring these two living with each other until this point? What are your thoughts on how magic is being implemented? Very curious to see your thoughts!

Until next time, stay classy, my paladins!

Chapter 22: A world of meaning

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As we followed Discord out of his home, my gaze fell on Chrysalis, the Changeling queen who had been my sworn enemy since day one. I couldn’t help but frown.

Why do I keep getting stuck with sketchy teammates? At least with Discord I can rely on him wanting to get back with the ones who reformed him. Chrysalis, on the other hoof, doesn’t have such a connection with us. Nothing could convince me to trust her completely, and yet I have to let her roam free inside my head?

Goosebumps traveled down the back of my neck. Chrysalis could easily tap into the Royal Guard Codex, a hoofbook of strategies to combat enemy threats. Malice was no doubt the bigger threat. But still, I couldn’t ignore the chance of Chrysalis using this knowledge against us down the road.

That last thought stopped me in my tracks.

Was… Was this how Noble felt when she was forced to work with us? With me? If so, then damn. Still pissed off at her, but… damn.

“Flash? Are you alright?”

I stumbled, just now noticing Chrysalis giving me a worried look. “Wha, me? I’m fine!”

“Lying is dangerous thinking, especially where we’re going.” Chrysalis leaned uncomfortably close, eyes narrowed. “I won’t ask again.”

“Alright. Fine.” I reminded myself that I couldn’t afford to repeat Noble’s mistake of hiding the truth, even if I believed it wasn’t worth discussing. “I really hate the idea of you getting inside my head so much that... it made me think if this was how your daughter felt being around Shining Armor and I.”

“Absolutely,” Chrysalis answered without a second thought. “Noble adopted my hatred for you ponies quite well. Despite times she had her doubts, she eventually came around to realizing there would be no peace between us.”

“Is this really the time to be having this kind of conversation?” Discord asked incredulously. “We’re about to go inside Flash’s head, Chrissy. I’d rather he think about something far less stressful.”

“Having him attempt to hide his feelings will make things worse for all of us. Besides, we hate each other mutually. No point in pretending otherwise.”

I found myself gawking at Chrysalis, at a loss comparable to seeing my favorite buckball team lose a winnable game at the last second. “Can’t believe I’m saying this, but we’re both on the same page.”

Chrysalis grinned. “Liberating, isn’t it?”

Discord sighed. “If you two keep this up, I’ll throw both of you in a pool of chocolate ice cream.”

“What, the lord of chaos can’t take an unexpected occurrence of two enemies agreeing with each other?” Chrysalis teased.

“Unexpected occurrences are fine. It’s in my resume. But this… this weird frenemy thing you two got going on is like pineapple on pizza: so much nope.”

I gasped. “Are you serious? That’s the best topping on a pizza!”

“Finally, someone with good taste!” Chrysalis beamed.

Discord threw us a look as if we conspired to bury him alive, then shook his head. “You know what? I think I enjoyed this conversation better when you two talking about hating each other.”

Chrysalis and I chuckled.

I stopped shortly after.

Here I am in a literal alternate dimension where I am having a jovial chat about pizza and laughing with Discord and Chrysalis.

What a strange time to be alive.

Discord stopped several meters away from the house and turned to face us. “I think this is a good spot to start.”

With a snap of his fingers, a double door gateway appeared in a puff of smoke. It stood double my size in height, which was more than enough room for all of us to enter at once. Emblazoned across the entire doorway was my cutie mark. I wasn’t sure what to expect when it came to entering somepony’s mind, but a magical door was certainly not on my list of expectations.

“May I present to you all… Sentry World! Sponsored by Yours Truly.”

I rolled my eyes. That name was almost as ridiculous as the ‘love love amnesia kiss’ nonsense Noble came up with. It did little to help the tension that filled my legs. Each step I took towards the door was like my first time running the Tartarus Road obstacle course back in basic: I’m not looking forward to recovering from third degree burns. Again.

“So how will this work, exactly?” I asked. ”From the sound of it, we’re literally going to travel into my head… unless it’s just Discord being Discord.”

“It’s really quite simple,” Discord began to explain. With a snap he conjured a pair of reading glasses and a white lab coat. “Right now, you are using the ‘thinky’ part of your brain.” Using the chalk and blackboard that suddenly appeared in his paw he drew a poorly detailed image of a brain. “Hmmm…. Wait. this is your brain we’re talking about. Needs to be more realistic.” He erased the image and redrew it, making it far tinier and messier, like a mutant avocado. “Much better!”

Son of a…

Despite the urge to punch him again I settled for a deadpan stare as he continued.

“This part of your brain is what you are using right now to make sense of the world and go about your business. But then you got the ‘sleepy’ part of your brain,” Discord drew some z’s next to the “brain” image. “This is where the fun stuff happens that you can’t control. It’s like a fussy wife who thinks she knows what’s best for you and is a control freak. Kinda just does stuff without your permission.”

I couldn’t catch what he said as he coughed into his paw, but it caused Chrysalis to throw a sharp glare his way.

“Malley is somewhere inside the sleepy part of your head, ” circling the z’s, Discord drew an arrow pointing to Malice’s poorly drawn face. The melodramatic scowl Discord made on his face pulled a chuckle out of me. “Chrissy and I will help you in giving Malice das boot outta you, but it will be up to you to guide.

“Guide us where?”

Discord shrugged. “We’ll figure it out when we get there.”

My shoulders sagged. “Can’t say that sounds promising.”

“What Discord means is that we’re attempting to isolate the source of Malice’s magic and see how we can use his ability to ‘champion’ to our advantage.. If all goes well, you and I will be able to wield enough magical power to counter Malice and his influence while staying right under his nose..” Chrysalis tossed me an appraising look. “Are you ready?”

Facing the door, I rolled my shoulders. “I’m about as ready as I’ll ever be.”

“Without further ado,” Discord gestured the door with a dramatic flair, “let’s go say hello to Ol’ Malley.”

I approached the door and placed my hoof on the handle.

Don’t keep me waiting.

I sucked in a breath, fighting the chill that crept up my spine.

“Don’t worry, I won’t,” I growled under my breath.

After a moment, I steeled myself and opened the door.

My vision went white.

I shot up from the impeccably soft ground, startled by the sensation of icicles piercing my senses. “Ugh, my head…” I rubbed my temples to dispel the minor headache and blurry vision. Although the chilly air made my body quiver, the feeling of the wind blowing through my wings along with the soft touch of the clouds beneath my hooves made me feel like I was back home.

Clouds?

Through the daze two formless blobs popped into view. They stood beside me on the largest cloud I’ve ever seen, stretched endlessly into the horizon.

However, as my world gained focus, Chrysalis and Discord’s attention were not on me. I followed their gaze.

Isolated on a cloud moat loomed a massive castle. I was reminded of Canterlot castle; spiraling towers and imposing stone walls which made the structure seem insurmountable. Yet, where Canterlot was a symbol of strength and unity, this castle, born from my own mind, was anything but welcoming.

Golden banners imprinted with my cutie mark were faded and tattered. My stomach churned at the aged vines that had snaked throughout the exterior, frosted onto the cracked walls. The long abandoned and decrepit Castle of the Two Sisters was a vacation resort in comparison to this nightmarish and haunted fortress.

“Is this really in my mind?” I took a hesitant step towards the castle, swallowing down my uneasiness.

“Yep! From here on out, we’re in the wild world of Flash Sentry!.”

I was only partially paying attention, distracted by the dreaded castle we were about to approach, until he booped my nose with his paw. “That’s you, Snowflake,” Discord smirked.

“Yeah, I know. And don’t call me Snowflake. I really don’t need anymore nicknames,” I grumbled.

“Oh? What other nicknames did you get?” Discord mused.

“Probably Buttermilk.”

I snapped towards Chrysalis so fast I almost gave myself whiplash. “How in the world did you know that?”

Chrysalis licked her lips. My skin crawled at the hungrily look that flashed in her eyes. “You actually t—”

“On second thought,” my hoof shot up to silence her, “forget I asked.” I shook my head and moved towards the castle which suddenly looked less uncomfortable than present company.

“Like mother, like daughter,” I muttered under my breath.

At the corner of my peripheral, I could swear Chrysalis stifled a giggle.

The world was mostly empty and plain, but I didn’t mind it. It was hard to believe this was my mind we were inside of. “Is this what it’s like to go inside someone’s mind? Does everyone have something like this in their heads?”

“Yep. Even me,” Discord said. “Where did you think you were earlier?”

I froze mid step, my head snapping towards him. “So that place was in your mind?”

“Not as easy as it sounds. We’re talking about having actual living beings kicking back and enjoying the best tea ever in your head. Can’t think of anyone else who is as amazing and magical as me who can do that..”

“That aside, we have more important things to worry about,” Chrysalis said sternly. “Discord and I will be providing support to defend you, but our lives are in your hooves, and I don’t say that just because Malice will no doubt be breathing down our necks.”

“What do you mean?”

“This is a world that is alive and shifting according to your consciousness. It is a cognitive world.”

“Minus demon-summoning teenagers,” Discord added as an aside.

“Discord, what are you… no, forget it. Please continue, Chrysalis.”

“How you go about manipulating this world is no different than how a spirit manipulates reality. Through your willpower and imagination, you can actively shape this world and conjure objects. I’ll explain as we go, but it is imperative that you are cautious with your thoughts. Any wrong thought could have Discord and I in serious danger, and that’s just without Malice’s influence.”

I gulped. “I’ll do my best to control my thoughts. Let’s go.” I pressed towards the castle, Discord and Chrysalis following closely behind.

It wasn’t long before we reached the edge of the moat. In front of us was this huge drawbridge that seemed to be the only way into the castle. Spiked chains barred the wooden bridge. I tried looking for a lever or something to summon the bridge, but found nothing. Considering what Chrysalis said about manipulating reality, I knew there was more going on here than what meets the eye.

“Welp, that explains a lot,” Discord commented.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” I asked.

“Spoiler alert; you don’t have a literal castle in your brain. Your brain is trying to make sense of everything by creating these images. The real kicker is that everything here means something to you because it is you. Just like how this ridiculously creepy and guarded castle is a mirror image of the real you.”

“He’s saying you’re defensive and closed-minded,” said Chrysalis. “Also thick-headed by the looks of the castle walls.”

“Wha—I’m not closed-minded!” I barked. As if reacting to my words, the chains on the bridge shifted and tightened.

“Defensive~” sang Discord.

“This is no time to be worried about your brittle ego. Face the door and follow my orders,” Chrysalis barked.

“Freakin’ jerks,” I mumbled before setting my sights on the door. “Alright, tell me what to do.”

“Paint a clear mental image of what you want to happen,” Chrysalis instructed. “Be detailed with what you think. It’s not ‘you want the door to open’ but ‘the chains will retract and the drawbridge will unfold’. Don’t ask for the door to open; make the door open by imposing your will on it step by step.”

Focused on the drawbridge, I carefully painted the vision of the door opening. How the chains would unravel and retract into the castle. The drawbridge would lower.

Nothing.

For a minute or two I stood there like an idiot. I was having a staring contest with a bridge and I was losing.

“It’s not working. Am I supposed to feel something? What am I doing wrong?”

“Willpower is the key here,” Discord added. “When the world gives you magic, don’t play nice or ask for permission. Be like my dear Fluttershy and be assertive! Demand to see this world’s manager! Make the world rue the day they thought they could make Flash Sentry ask for permission to use magic!.”

“Is… magic always that aggressive to use?”

Discord shrugged. “What can I say? Magic likes it rough.”

“Huh. Alrighty then.” I nodded to Discord and tried again. I need to will this path to open. Command it.

Following my instincts,I lifted my hoof and pointed at the gate. My eyes narrowed.

The spark that ignites…

Channel the spark!

I grasped at the gate and yanked my forehoof back, as if I tore off the lock.

The drawbridge responded with a deep groan as the chains shook loose and pulled into the castle walls. Behind the now lowered bridge a grated, iron gate creaked open. Nothing stood between us and the castle now!

I turned to Chrysalis and Discord, beaming. “Did you see that?! I just opened that door with my mind! That… that was freaking awesome!”

Chrysalis gave the tiniest hint of a smile. “So easily excited, though I suppose I can’t blame a pegasus for getting happy over achieving something usually outside their ability.”

“Keep in mind you’re not restricted to only being a door pony, at least while in here. Just keep it simple, unless you don’t mind accidentally turning yourself into a pretzel.”

That mental image wiped away my previous joy of magic. I swallowed hard.

“I…I’ll keep that in mind. The gate is open, so let’s go.”

I crossed the bridge and motioned the others to follow. We were halfway across when Chrysalis and Discord were knocked back by some sort of transparent forcefield.

Chrysalis rubbed at her forehead. “I was afraid this might happen.”

“What?” I asked. Discord looked equally confused.

“It must be the shield device on your neck that’s preventing access into your mind. Even if you tried to will us through, we wouldn’t be able to break it.”

“Didn’t Malice get through somehow?”

“He got in by infiltrating your mind through fusing himself into your magic. It would seem that as long as this device recognizes it as your magic, that source can gain access.”

“Leave it to Shiny Plot-Armor to give something that helps you in the worst possible way,” Discord said with a grimace.

“Well it’s not his fault we weren’t prepared to face a spirit like Malice. It’s Noble’s.”

The second those words left my mouth, I knew Chrysalis was going to say something. Anything, like scoffing at me for putting the blame on Noble. But, then, Chrysalis surprised me: she had opened her mouth, as if she was going to say something, but then she immediately closed it, her lips pursed while her muzzle twitched.

Was she trying to keep herself calm for my sake? Or was it for her own?

Apparently, it was for neither of us. She was just trying to find the words to throw at me. Chrysalis let out a gritty-sounding growl that sent a shiver down my spine.

“This isn’t the time to be throwing blame. We need to get in there.”

“Well unless you can scowl your way past that barrier, we’re not getting any closer, my dear Bug-butt. I don’t think I can smuggle us through here like before,” said Discord. Of course, rather than offer a solution, Chrysalis gave Discord a generous helping of said scowling.

Smuggle through... that’s it!

“I have an idea. Maybe you can’t smuggle us through the barrier, but there’s a chance I can since it’s my magic. Let’s see if this works.” I stepped through the barrier and offered my forehooves, standing on my back legs. “Grab my hoof.”

Discord and Chrysalis gave each other a look before they grasped my forelegs. Moving backwards, I pulled them through the barrier effortlessly, not stopping until we were beyond the drawbridge and inside the entrance.

“Good thinking, Flash,” Chrysalis complimented. “Makes sense we would have to be connected to your energy intimately in order to be allowed entry.”

“Intimate, huh?” Discord smirked at me. “At least buy us dinner first.”

I facehooved. “Discord, knock it off! We need to be on guard from here on out. Malice knows we’re coming, so there’s no telling what kind of traps he’ll lay out for us.”

“Alright, alright. I’ll be as straight and narrow as the stick up your butt,” Discord beamed.

“If you keep this up, I swear I’m gonna kick your—”

The gate and drawbridge suddenly came to life and slammed shut, harsh metallic sounds assaulting our senses. Rattling chains moved to cover up the path. With the entrance closed, our only light source was blocked out.

“I… didn’t do that,” I warned. I tried to will the bridge open again, only to get rejected by a sensation I could only describe as a brick wall with a mean right hook. Whatever resisted my magic wanted to keep us here.

Chrysalis seethed. “No doubt Malice knew we were coming through with you, but there’s no avoiding him. We need to move carefully.”

With a snap, Discord conjured a few hard hats with attached flashlights on our heads.

“Discord, cancel your magic,” Chrysalis instructed.

“Come again?” Discord gave her an odd look, as did I. “Not everyone can give themselves nightvision like you, Cuddlebug.”

“Don’t call me Cuddlebug, and that’s not my reason for the request.” Chrysalis sent me a meaningful look. “Flash needs to understand how to manipulate this world. If you solve everything for him, he won’t stand a chance when we encounter Malice. Don’t give him the fish; show him how to catch.”

“Good point, Sweetcheeks,” Discord smirked. Chrysalis merely rolled her eyes. He turned to me and snapped his fingers, leaving only a lightsource on his own head. “Alright Flash, time for your next lesson. This will be a lot like how you opened that gate, but with a little more ‘oompf’. Tell me, were you creative when you were a colt? Or maybe a daydreamer?”

“Not really. I just kinda winged it when I was younger.”

“Ah, so you were boring. Perfect!”

I’m… not sure how I should take that.

“Mind telling me why that’s such good news?” I asked.

“Being such a simple-minded toy soldier means you get straight to the point. It’s pretty easy to lose your head, sometimes literally, when you try to create something out of nothing. Though, if your cheesy solo from earlier is any indication, you have a good knack for magic as long as you go with the flow.”

“Not surprising for pegasi,” added Chrysalis. “Pegasi magic works more like an impulse or reflex, which explains why you can do more when you’re not thinking about it.”

“How is that different from an Earth pony or unicorn?”

“Earth ponies exercise their use of magic like a muscle and channel it through their body. Unicorns craft and project magic with thought. For you, it will likely be more of a reflex than a conscious thought.”

“In other words,” Discord started, “you gotta think without thinking.”

Think without thinking? Is it even possible to be more confusing?

“Yes, it is possible for Discord to be even more confusing,” Chrysalis said.

I gawked. How did she… y’know what? I’m gonna just leave that one alone. I shrugged it off and focused on the task at hoof.

It was one thing to ‘interact’ with a tangible object, another to will something into existence.

Just like before. Channel the spark.

A jolt of energy flooded my chest. I held fast to that sensation and grasped at the air.

Come on, give me something to help us see.

White energy crackled in my forehoof, then stretched out and formed into a lengthy, silver telescope. I nearly dropped it out of shock, jaw agape.

I...I just created something…! Out of nothing!

“Whoa…” I inspected the telescope. Despite not being what I needed right now, the marvel of creating something out of thin air left me in awe.

“Be more specific,” suggested Chrysalis. “Your instincts will fill in the gaps as long as you feel out precisely what you need.”

“Got it. I’ll try again,” With a nod I tried again.

Be specific. I need something to light our path. Give me light.

White light engulfed my vision. I flinched, then peeked at the three steel necklaces dangling in my hoof. Each chain was attached to a glowing crystal sphere. I recognized them immediately. These were standard issue in the Crystal Empire for traversing caverns and mines. “Whoa…!”

“Not bad, newbie,” Discord snapped his fingers, removing his own lightsource. “Just keep it simple and stick with what you know.”

“Things I know, huh?” To test I gathered the energy again, my “spark”.

I need my blade staff and armor to fight Malice.

I reached out and grasped at the air, grabbing the blade staff that sparked into existence. The sudden weight of my helmet and armor that exploded out of light and formed onto me nearly made me lose my balance. “Is creating stuff with magic always this easy?”

“As long as you stay in la-la land, it really is that easy,” Discord answered. “But if you try that outside your mind, you’ll find it’s a lot tougher. Unless you’re me, that is. Just do us a favor and keep it simple; I’d rather not have your magic explode in our faces while Malley is breathing down our necks.”

“Good call. Speaking of which, put these on before we go any further.” I passed out the crystal lights. Once Discord and Chrysalis fastened them around their necks we pushed into the castle.

We followed the desolated path, minding each step on the crystalline frozen floor. Between the iced-over golden torches along the cracked walls and the faint howl of wind that never seemed to leave our ears, my nerves hung on by a thread. I don’t know what was worse: having a haunted castle inside my head, or imagining what Malice had been doing inside my head that led to this.

I craned my head around the circular room we had entered beyond the corridor. Though lighting was still poor, the stained glass depicting my cutie mark allowed a reasonable amount of light to filter throughout the towering chamber.

Between the several floors connected to who knows how many doors, my history with living in castles bestowed the cruel truth of how many hours it would take to fully scour this place. Time we didn’t have.

“Maybe we should split up and search for the magical source,” I pondered. “We don’t have a lot of time to go through each individual room.

“It’s too dangerous,” Chrysalis advised. “If Malice catches one of us away from each other, he can pick us off one by one. It will be faster to skim the area for traces of his presence. We’ll know it when we see it.”

As if on cue, flames erupted from the golden torches on the wall, lighting up one at a time towards a massive double door. The left door had an emblem of my cutie mark. The right door’s emblem was a dragon’s skull flanked by two crossing swords.

“Three guesses as to who that edgy looking mark belongs to,” said Discord.

“If Malice thinks I’m going to let him run around in my head like he owns the place, it’ll be the last damn mistake he’s ever made.” Just as I moved to go towards the door, Chrysalis’s foreleg barred my path.

“And if we rush in there without a plan, it will be our last mistake,” she warned. “It’s clear Malice wants us to go through there. He’s likely listening to us now, daring us to go in.”

“If we’re being perfectly honest with each other, I’d rather dodge this family reunion,” Discord said.

I gave Discord an odd look. “It’s weird seeing you actually want to avoid a fight.”

“You know what else is weird? Running into another spirit who might be stronger than me. I’m not a fan of getting my mind crushed by an angry sibling today.”

“I agree with Discord,” said Chrysalis. “He’s too valuable. If we lose him, any chance of dealing with Malice goes with him. I’d prefer to not take any unnecessary chances.”

Can’t really argue the point. Still, is this really an ‘unnecessary’ chance?

The fur on the back of my end stood on end. Uneasiness wore at my spine.

He’s definitely behind that door. I can feel it. It’s gotta be a bad idea to face him directly. But what choice do we have when it’s obvious he’s watching our every move?

I pondered the options. Face him head on, or evade as long as we can? He would come at us either way.

“What are the chances of us taking him down if we work together?”

“Depends on how much pathos he’s infused in you so far,” Chrysalis answered. “Considering he hasn’t instantly blinked Discord and I out of existence right away, there’s a chance he hasn’t hit a critical mass of power yet. However, I’ve never seen any of my Changelings get so much pathos inside them that Malice was literally fused with their consciousness. It’s a coin flip I don’t care to gamble on.”

I slowly moved towards the door, tossing the pros and cons of both paths in my head. The closer I got to the door, the stronger the sensation I felt that we were being watched.

The ghost version of myself that popped through the floor between me and the door turned that sensation into a terrifying reality.

I screamed and slashed at it. My blade passed through its incorporeal body harmlessly. It stopped before us, expressive as stone.

Discord tilted his head. “Huh. This creepy little thing feels like you, but also feels like Malice. It’s like a magical love-foal between you two. You’re welcome for that mental image, by the way.”

I facehooved.

Chrysalis hummed thoughtfully to herself. “I wonder; is this one of Malice’s vassals, or perhaps it belongs to both of you?”

Her musings brought something to mind that always bothered me with windigos. I remembered the Hearth’s Warming stories of these angry spirits, but never paid much attention what they actually are until now. If we’re going to be facing them, I need to know more.

“Chrysalis, you mentioned that these things are created by spirits, right? These windigos, vassals as you call them. What are they exactly? Are they, for lack of a better word, alive?”

“I believe I see where you are going with this. They’re not ghost like the way you might be thinking. They are sentient manifestations of a spirit’s magic. Servants, warriors, living extensions of a spirit’s will and mind.”

“I create them all the time,” said Discord. “Take Broomhilda the broom for example. She likes to clean Fluttershy’s house, enjoys hobbies like long walks on the beach and slapping Angel around once in awhile.”

The longer I stared at it, the more it freaked me out. Another ‘vassal’ popped up from the ground in my peripheral. And another. Before I knew it, dozens more emerged from the ground and took positions around and above us in a large dome. The only path left before us was the double doors. I braced myself, unsure what to expect.

Heaviness washed over and filled me with dread. He was coming.

“Welcome home, Flash Sentry.” The doors swung open with the emergence of Malice.

The half-plate and chainmail underneath his white furred cloak jingled with each step. All sound seemed to stop with him as he stopped a fair distance away from us, tension almost as thick as the greatsword that rested on his shoulders.

“I have to admit, it’s surprising to have both traitors brought to me rather than stay in hiding like rats,” said Malice. “You have my deepest gratitude, Flash Sentry.”

“Aww, I miss you too Malley,” taunted Discord, no trace of a smile on his lips.

“As irritating as ever,” Malice snarled. “I’m going to enjoy tearing you limb from limb.”

His gaze shifted to Chrysalis. The temperature in the room dropped. “Then there will be no one left to save you from my wrath.”

Chrysalis’ frown deepened, a glimmer of fear in her eyes.

I maneuvered protectively in front of them. “I’ll die before I let you lay a claw on Chrysalis or Discord!”

Malice chuckled. “Now I’ve seen everything. From harming your own princess to protecting the very threats Twilight Sparkle and her friends tried so hard to stop. Your aptitude for threat assessment is astounding.”

“You drove him into killing her!” Discord roared. His claw clenched into a shaky fist. “No matter how long it takes, I’ll make you pay for what you’ve done.”

“The pain of losing someone you cared for. Hurts, doesn’t it?” Malice grinned. “As much as I relish seeing you suffer, your anger towards me is only partially warranted. I did not make him attack her. It was his inability to master his hatred that led to it. Coddling him into believing otherwise is recklessness I would expect nothing less from you, foolish brother.”

“That’s a lie and you know it!” I yelled. “I would’ve never hurt Twilight!”

Malice’s expression softened. “I don’t doubt your intent was to keep her safe. You simply lack control. In time, you will learn how to properly wield your emotions and find your true potential. That goal, however, cannot be accomplished with these two manipulating you.”

His gaze swept over us. “Flash Sentry, Chrysalis, I will give you one chance to earn my mercy; Either kill Discord or get out of my way.”

Chrysalis smirked. “If you’re giving us a choice, then you can’t be very confident in your ability to face all three of us. The fact you’re stalling rather than trying to kill us speaks volumes. You know you cannot beat us.”

Malice tilted his head to the side, throwing her a raised eyebrow. “I always did enjoy how confident you get when you think you have all the answers.” He shrugged the blade off his shoulder and let it slide of. The ground cracked from the weight of it. Black lightning coursed through the blade. “If you believe yourself correct, then indulge in your convictions and come at me.”

Malice sounded far too confident for my liking. Then again, it could be a bluff if Chrysalis was correct. Either way, we had to take him down.

I sprung into a lunge, hoping to catch him off guard. His blade rose to block faster than it had any right to. With a twist and shove I was thrown into the air, stopping my fall with a strong flap of my wings.

Malice grin grew wide, eyes wild with excitement.

“Good. Very good. I like my champions with a little bite!”

He charged, the tip of his blade sparking along the ground. I took point and extended the blade of my staff. At the last second he sidestepped the blade and dove in. The back of his fist cracked my cheek and launched me into the air.

Soft green magic caught me in mid-air and let me down. Without wasting any time, Chrysalis fired off an impressive barrage of magic bolts. Malice darted left and right with small hops and slides in his footwork. His blade moved to both shield him from majority of the bolts and to reach his main target: Discord.

The blade swung horizontally at Discord. Right before it could connect, Discord vanished. With a pop, he appeared to Malice’s side and raised his fingers to snap a spell into existence. He never got the chance.

Momentum allowed Malice to spin on the ball of his foot and slash him.

Discord screamed, his chest torn from black lightning and steel. Within that tear was a twisting void similar to the empty space that made for the backdrop in his dimension. As if Malice’s blade literally shredded a part of Discord’s reality.

I’d nearly reached Discord to shield him when he teleported to dodge an overhead strike. Discord reappeared, flattened against the wall of windigo clones just before he was repelled by an explosion of pathos energy from a barrier. It seemed as if it was emitted by the windigos themselves.

Discord staggered in a daze, clutching the deep gash on his chest. Malice opened his mouth and let loose a screaming jet of blackfire.

I pumped my wings to beat Malice to Discord, barreling him to the side to avoid getting roasted by crackling pathos flames. I rolled onto my hooves and rushed at Malice, spear poised to stab him. He didn’t notice me, being distracted enough by Chrysalis pelting his face with beams.

Just as I reached him, however, he pivoted around in the blink of an eye.

Chomping down at the staff’s neck, he tore off the blade. I reeled back. His tail wrapped around my neck before I could react. Any air I thought I could contain in the strangle was lost when Malice rammed his fist into my gut. Black spots bubbled my vision when I found myself lifted up, then crushed into the ground with a resounding crack.

Malice released me, then went after the wounded Discord. Precious seconds ticked by as I struggled to find my hooves. All I could do was watch as Malice swung his blade.

Only to slam into a halt just before it could split the stoic Chrysalis’ head in two, who popped into existence in a flash of green magic. Her horn emitted a blinding light before firing an explosive blast at point blank. My senses rattled from the boom of the detonating spell.

Malice staggered for half a second before grabbing her throat.

“You live only by my good graces,” Malice growled. “Reflect on this.”

Chrysalis clawed uselessly at his grip. Ice appeared all over her body, akin to what happened to Twilight in my dream. Within a blink of an eye, Chrysalis was trapped within a block of ice, unmoving.

“Chrissy!” Discord cried out. He snapped his fingers. Transparent energy shimmered around the ice, then fizzled like smoke. His eyes grew wide, horrified.

Malice fixed his glare on Discord, and with his free hand on the blade, prepared to cut him down.

I conjured another blade staff and charged at Malice without second thought. This time he didn’t notice me, and the blade plunged itself dead center into his back.

Malice grunted and turned his glare on me, letting the solidified Chrysalis drop to the ground. I paled and shuffled back, ripping the blade out of him. Malice walked towards me.

I attempted to stab at him again. He slapped the blade away. Regaining my footing, I spun around, coming in low. I aimed for his legs, but quickly aborted when I saw him spin on one leg and aim with his other foot for my head with a roundhouse.

I blocked him with both forehooves and was shoved back a fair distance. Grabbing my staff in the middle, I dove in low, prepared to hit his abdomen with an upwards strike. Even at my fastest he managed to grab my staff right below the blade. I yanked it around in an effort to free it, but Malice still ripped it out of my hold with a single pull. While he tossed the blade aside, I had already conjured a new one.

I took into the air before his full attention was back on me and threw the staff like a javelin. He slammed it away with the back of his fist, but in doing so wasted any precious time of focus. I dove down again, beating my wings as quickly as I could while conjuring yet another staff.

His head snapped upwards. He focused me with a grim look. There was no surprise or fear in his eyes.

The tip of my spear was rammed into his shoulder armor with all my weight and momentum. The tip barely penetrated.

Whatever his armor was made of, my staff was no match for it, and his scales had probably absorbed the rest of the force. Malice reached up, grabbed the blade directly with his armored gloves and broke it clear off the staff. He pulled the sharpened metal out of his armor and, just to make a point, snapped it in half with his thumb.

Still hovering in front of him, I was too shocked from the result of my attack to react in time. From one moment to the next Malice dropped the shards of my blade, grabbed the base of my wings, and smashed me into the ground.

I swore the impact made my vision go black. I was just glad to be back before he had reached me again. Hastily pulling myself back up, I almost tripped over my own hooves while retreating backwards. It was only when I felt something ice-cold prickling against my tail that I noticed I had reached the windigo’s shield barrier.

Malice was still drawing closer, and I had just become cornered. My heart pounded heavily inside my chest. The moment I noticed his look, I shuddered.

His eyes were filled with cold determination and unrelenting focus. I was his target, and he was going to destroy me.

Like he had taken out Chrysalis, the very mare that had bested Princess Celestia in magical combat. Like he had incapacitated Discord with a single strike. Despite all our attempts to stop him, he had worked his way through us like the force of nature he was.

He was an enemy that knew no fear, no doubt, no weakness. Only the next target ahead: Me.

My hooves trembled as I reached out into the air. When I tried to conjure another staff however, my hoof only grabbed air. The next moment, Malice was upon me.

“I expected more,” he muttered, apparently more to himself than to me.

I threw myself at him. I was all out of options, but I would go down fighting. My hooves hammered against his chest armor. I was able to land three quick strikes before he grabbed my face in his claw.

“Unacceptable!” he roared, crushing me against the shield barrier behind us.

A piercing pain shot through my cheekbone, and I screamed. Lightning cracked where my fur touched the barrier. I half expected Malice to grind me against it until I was done for.

But he didn’t. He just kept me there, dangling by a thread known as death. Then, he dropped me to the ground.

“All that potential, wasted on a weakling. Is this how it’s supposed to end?”

I looked up. From down here, Malice towered over me like a mountain. I drew in a shaky breath, but released it when I couldn’t think of a single answer to give him.

“Stand up,” he demanded.

All I could manage was to cough. Even if I wanted to get up, I wasn’t sure my body was up for it anymore. However, when I didn’t react Malice was all too willing to help. He grabbed my neck and pulled me up like a doll, pressing my back against the shield once more while almost choking me.

“The Royal Guard are supposed to be fear incarnate,” he grunted. “Or perhaps your false bravado has finally caught up to you? I’ve only seen glimpses of you so far, but it’s enough for me to recognize the path of a coward. One who to tells others to be strong while he can’t even brave his own failures.”

He made a short break. I didn’t know what to answer, but he continued regardless.

“Never cower before your enemies, Flash Sentry. And all the more, never surrender.”

To my surprise he sighed, before dropping me again. “You have much to learn. Yet still, pathetic as you are, you are not beyond saving. I will teach you. I will hammer you into shape like a fine blade, until the weakness has left you and you’re a true warrior.”

His look went over to Discord, who was currently freeing Chrysalis from the block of ice with a flourish of fire magic. Malice’s fist clenched around the handle of his sword. “I have to take care of an old score. Stay here and ponder upon your failings.”

He quickly strode towards Discord.

No!

I pushed myself back up. Pain shot through my hooves, my back, and my muscles all at once, but I didn’t care.

If he killed Discord, Chrysalis and I were finished, and Equestria would be next. There had to be something I could do! Anything!

Looking at the dome of windigos around us, it dawned on me. If this would fail to work, it would have consequences for me. Malice had spared me once for whatever twisted reason, I doubted he’d do it a second time. However, if I could protect our only glimmer of hope, it was worth the risk.

Never surrender? Damn right, asshole.

Heat built up in my chest. I rose to my hind hooves. They were trembling with exhaustion, but there was no time to waste. Malice had almost reached Discord, who only now noticed the approaching enemy.

I drew a single breath. Even though the air chilled me to my core, I couldn’t let it get to me.

I will protect them. I will get us out of here. And I will not! Let! Him! Win!

I felt something powerful ignite inside of me, and aiming with my hoof at the space between Malice and Discord, I decided to let go.

Malice lifted his greatsword over his head, ready to deal the final blow. As if he had noticed something was off, he turned around. Just in time for his eyes to grow wide. He raised his arms to cover himself, but he was not my target.

My bolt of magic arced just past his head and into the wall of vassals behind Discord.

Sparks exploded off their forcefield. It flickered, followed by a large crack spreading across it. However, most of the lightning seemed to penetrate right away. It struck one of the windigos behind the barrier in the chest. The lightning danced over his body and the creature howled before being torn to shards of white magic. The second it shattered, the lightning travelled into the ones beside each other, who quickly faced an equal fate.

Once destabilized, the forcefield’s energy violently disintegrated, taking another portion of the vassals involved down in an explosive chain reaction. Sparks of radiating magic and more lightning randomly shot around, laying waste to our isolated sphere. Wherever struck, the ground turned soot-black, and rocks and dust were tossed up.

It took several seconds for it all to calm down again, and once the dust settled, I could see that a gap in the dome had been created, hopefully enough for Discord to slip through.

Discord took a good look between me and Chrysalis. Why was he wasting his time? He should get out now!

Suddenly, a literal lightbulb appeared above his head.

“Flash,” Discord’s voice whispered in my head. “I appreciate the help, but the answer here isn’t me.”

I whipped my head towards him. “Discord? What are you—”

“Stay with Chrissy and keep her safe. Don’t screw this up.”

Just as Malice lunged to decapitate him, Discord snapped his fingers.

A bright light engulfed my vision.

Chapter 23: Trust Fall

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Cold stone flickered in and out of my hazy vision. My body ached all over, and the splitting headache only added to the piling list of pain I had. Last time I remembered hurting this bad was the first time I challenged Shine Spark to a sparring match.

“Ugh, did someone get the plates on that carriage?” I groaned and picked myself off the floor.

Compared to what I’d just gone through I would’ve rather got run over by a dozen carriages. I remembered the three of us fighting Malice...well, more like getting our flanks kicked, until I somehow zapped a hole through the windigo barrier. Still trying to figure out how the hay I pulled that off, as well as what Discord did after he asked me to protect Chrysalis. Wish my head had picked a better time to have a fuzzy memory.

Another groan caught my attention. Vision now cleared, I recognized the slumped form of Chrysalis against the corridor wall. I scrambled towards her. “Hey, are you alright?”

Chrysalis’ eyes fluttered open. “Could be better. Where are we?”

“No idea. Here, let me help you up.” I extended my hoof, providing Chrysalis the support to find her hooves and stand. Her eyes searched around, then came back to me.

“Where’s Discord?”

Our answer came from a spine-rattling roar from Malice at the end of the hall. The building rocked and rumbled from the explosions. It didn’t take long for me to get the jist of what happened.

“Stalling Malice.” I pointed to the path the sounds resonated from. “We need to put some distance between us and the fight.”

“We can’t leave him there! Malice will kill him!” Chrysalis nearly bolted away from me when I reached out and grabbed her tail.

“Oh no, you don’t! We’re not going back there!”

Chrysalis used her back leg to break my grip. “We are not leaving him behind! I’ll save him with or without you!”

“Enough!”

My hoof slammed into the wall. As if responding to my thoughts, a series of spears broke through the wall and formed a gate to cut off Chrysalis’ escape. Her horn lit up and, in a blink, she disappeared, only to reappear squished against the gate.

It was enough to snap Chrysalis out of her panic. Anger left her face, throwing me a surprised look. “How did you—”

“I don’t know, but that’s not important right now! Going back there is going to undo the one chance Discord gave us to find an answer to stop Malice! I don’t like leaving Discord back there anymore than you do, but we’ll only make things worse!”

Chrysalis’ carapace lightened in color, a feral growl ripped from her lungs. “There is no choice! We can’t let that idiot get killed!”

“If we go back there, it won’t be Malice that will get him killed. It will be us distracting him that will kill Discord. If we can’t beat Malice as we are then we will only hold Discord back.”

Chrysalis flinched. Her carapace returned to dark colors. Her piercing glare lingered, beaten only by the realization we could do nothing to help Discord. I’d seen such a look a few times before, usually when Cadance watched Shining Armor leave for battle.

“Listen,” I spoke in a softer tone, “Discord is far more mobile without us weighing him down. We still have a job to do, and that’s to maintain a safe distance and find the source of Malice’s magic. Discord’s putting his faith in us, so let’s put our faith in him to survive Malice.”

Chrysalis hissed, staring down the corridor. For a moment she looked ready to break from me and try to break down the gate. Once the tension from her face disappeared she let out a sigh and walked down the opposite end of the corridor. I fell in step with her.

“Discord is dealing with a lot of resentment and emotional instability,” Chrysalis said. “Between being trapped with no way to help his friends, powerlessness, and the recent news of Twilight’s demise, the threat of falling victim to Malice is more than likely the only thing keeping him stable and focused. He’s not the best at making tough decisions when under duress. This is something Malice could take advantage of and Discord knows it.”

Her words gave me pause. With Discord’s talks of manipulating Malice’s energy, it hadn’t occurred to me it could also work the other way around. “Do you think he’s being influenced by Malice?”

“We don’t know. That’s what scares him most. I’ve taught him how to release his insecurities through small, controlled bursts. It’s not easy to teach a powder keg how to put out a fire.”

“And now that powder keg is stuck in a lava zone. That’s one way to stress test,” I groaned. “I hope he’s able to deal with it considering his bloodthirsty brother is breathing down his neck.”

Chrysalis’ expression hardened. “It’s not Discord’s ability to control his emotions or escape Malice that’s concerning. It’s how long he can keep it up.”

My stomach twisted at the absurd idea of Chrysalis worrying over Discord for more than tactical reasons. To think this is the evil incarnate who ruined my life. Fussing over Discord like a worried wife.

“You really are his anchor, aren’t you?” I pointed out.

Chrysalis chuckled. “It’s a job I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy.”

With such thought over our heads we wordlessly decided to stay silent and not dwell on it. We had our own issues to deal with, as this castle was an obstacle in its own right.

For a castle spawned from my subconscious, the interweaving hallways and stairs made the overall structure seem both organized and a messy maze. The rooms were about what I expected: bed chambers, kitchens, training grounds, and even a music room. Outside small hints of Malice’s icy touch, nothing looked out of place for an otherwise labyrinthian castle.

The lack of Discord’s presence weighed heavily on Chrysalis and I, leaving a wall towering between us. Her silence made the push through the castle all the more unnerving. I couldn’t help thinking about Discord’s fate. Did he get away? Did Malice kill him and we just didn’t know it? What if Malice was watching us right now, waiting for the right moment to ambush us?

The sudden shift in temperature brought me to a halt.

“What are you—”

My hoof shot up to my muzzle. Chrysalis nodded and stayed silent. I beckoned her with my hoof to follow and we stalked towards the center of what I assumed was a series of connected halls stretching as far as I could see. The atmosphere was electrified. Thick. Slicing wind greeted my ears. Curious, I peered around the corner.

A windigo look-alike lazily stalked the hall. Streams of wispy smoke flowed from its breath and spread along the walls, coating it in snow and ice. It moved towards our direction.

I flattened myself against the wall. Chrysalis took a hint and did the same. The louder its heavy breathing grew, the harder my heart pounded. I channeled spark into my hooves, ready to lightning bolt it out of existence. A disastrous thought stopped me.

Killing it might alert Malice to where we are. If he catches us now, we’re done for.

My light source gradually dimmed as the spirit was about to pass us. I wasn’t sure why, but it was freaking me out.

Contact was imminent. My light was almost out. I held my breath.

The vassal move past us without incident, a breath away from contact.

I continued to hold a little longer until the vassal disappeared around the corner. My light crystal’s brightness returned to normal.

“Looks like scouts,” I whispered, checking my corners.

“The moment they see us, no doubt Malice will know exactly where we are.”

“What was it doing? Looked like it was freezing up the area with its breath. But why?”

“It’s Malice’s influence on your mind. The more he corrupts you, the stronger his grip will be and the more accessible your memories and thoughts are to him.”

“Is he trying to destroy my mind so he can take over?”

“His aim isn’t to destroy your mind, though he certainly isn’t above such an option. He wants to destroy who you are. To turn you into a war machine that constantly sustains his existence.”

I shuddered at the thought. “So all this crap about me embracing my anger is just him trying to mold me into his weapon?”

“And his meal ticket. The rage of his host is what sustains him, and you are far from his only chosen ‘champion’. If we don’t stop him, my invasion will look like a snowball fight among fillies compared to what Equestria will go through.” Chrysalis snarled. “And my Changelings will be used as tools to fan those flames and destroy anything that could be used to stop him.”

“All the more reason to find this pathos source.” I swiped sweat off my brow. A frustrated growl slipped out. “Ugh, I hate feeling so lost in this place. Bumbling around with those patrols on the loose is just asking for it.”

“Well, this is your mind, so you’ll have to forgive me for not bringing a map.”

I growled internally. “I’m losing my mind from getting lost in my mind. Unbelievable.”

Chrysalis hummed in thought. “Well, I’m sure wherever we need to go, Malice’s presence will be considerably potent. Whatever set of memories he targeted will be the ones buried deepest in your heart.”

Buried deepest…

Something about that phrase rang true in my mind. I had no doubt one of those memories was the Canterlot invasion. It was a memory that I would never want to relive ever again.

A memory I would want buried to never see the light of day…

That’s it! How could I have been so dumb?!

“I know where to go!” I beamed.

“Really? Where?”

“Well, it’s a theory, but I’m almost positive of the direction. We need to go down. Like, way down. There might be an archive, vault, someplace I would want to lock up my memories and throw away the key.”

“And in most castles, the most well-kept secrets are often basement level,” Chrysalis nodded to herself. “Yes. I can see this being a logical direction to take.”

“Just one problem; we have to navigate through this maze of a castle while dodging those scouts.” I paused, an idea forming. “Unless you can teleport us there.”

Chrysalis shook her head. “It’s safe for me to teleport short distances. Clearing stretches of territory without knowing my destination is too risky.” She paced back and forth, brow furrowed. “I don’t like the idea of using a slower means of travel either. It’ll take too long and increase our chances of losing Discord and getting caught. Unless…”

She stopped to give me a look. “You teleport us there.”

“Say what now?”

“You’ve adapted very well to using magic in this space. I think you can pull it off. Not to mention it’s better you learn now than wait until Malice brings his blade to your throat. Even if we took it slow and went floor by floor, it would be better than walking it.”

“Is… this a really good idea considering that I could screw this up? What if I got stuck in a wall or something?”

Chrysalis laughed. “You sound like my Noble when she first learned about teleporting. It’s not too different from how a balloon would act if it went beyond the size of its existing space. Your magic will adjust to place you at the next closest location that has enough space for you to emerge. The act of teleportation is completely safe. It’s where you end up that you must be concerned of.”

The mental image of appearing in front of Malice’s claws forged a knot in my stomach.

“Point taken. So how do I do it?”

“You have to sense your way towards your destination. Visualize your distance and where you want to be. It’s much easier if you can picture the precise location in your mind. When you have your target in mind, you have to, for lack of a better word, ‘project’ your energy at the location you want to go. Feel it out. The sensation won’t feel like teleporting. It’ll feel more like the universe pulled you into that spot.”

Pulling… why does that sound so familiar?

I recalled fighting the fake version of myself when he killed Twilight. How the world just seemed to wrap around me, and in the next second I was in front of him. If I could try to capture that feeling again...

To test it I directed my attention to the far end of the hall we just came from. I poured my focus towards the space at the end and channeled my spark. ‘Projecting’ my energy turned out harder than I thought. It was one thing to imagine something happening, another to picture throwing myself at the target. The energy was there in my chest, just a matter of executing it.

Well, if mentally throwing myself doesn’t work...

On a whim, I decided to jump towards the target. Reality stretched, then snapped into place in a single instant.

I stumbled upon landing. I ended up several meters away from Chrysalis. To my surprise I had just managed a successful teleport.

Right in front of a patrolling vassal about to turn the corner towards us.

Oh shit!

My hoof shot forward and pushed out energy. The lightning arced from it and zapped the windigo. It howled in pain as electricity surged through it, moments before exploding into sparks and fizzling out.

I stood frozen with my hoof out, not daring enough to move a muscle. My gaze drifted to Chrysalis who matched my terrified look while looking over her shoulder.

“Let’s not stick around here any longer than we need to,” I suggested.

“Agreed. There’s no telling if Malice knows what just happened.”

I had taken a few steps towards rejoining Chrysalis when the ground rumbled. We stopped to listen. After a moment the ground shook again, this time accompanied by the faint thud that echoed along the walls.

Either the fighting is getting worse, or…

The thud got louder. From Chrysalis’ west.

I channeled my spark and leapt at Chrysalis, teleporting to knock her back just before the wall exploded where she had been.

From the dust and debris emerged a particularly vexed, ghost version of Malice. He lunged with his blade raised overhead.

I conjured my spear and blocked the blow. My forelegs trembled under the weight of the blade and angry dragon behind it.

“Where is he?” Malice snarled.

Brief relief washed through me. Looks like Discord gave him the slip.

I smiled. “Only if you say please.”

Malice pulled back one of his claws, the other still clutched on the blade. “I’m going to enjoy this more than I shou—”

A green laser slammed into his chest over my shoulder and sent him flying down the hall. With a flip he recovered and landed in a crouch. I followed up with a lightning bolt and blasted him against the wall.

Wait a second. Why does he seem weaker? Something’s not right.

“Hehehe, very good.” Smokes and sparks coming off his ghostly body, Malice locked eyes with me and tapped against his temple with his finger.

Dread dawned on me. Did I give it away, or can he read my thoughts?

I quick series of footsteps drew my attention to Chrysalis. I turned just in time to see Chrysalis raise a shield to block a sword strike from...another ghost Malice?!

Before I could assist Chrysalis, the Malice—or rather vassal—I had knocked back rushed at me. Our weapons clashed in a deadlock. Despite not being as powerful as Malice, I still found myself fighting an uphill battle of strength against these Malice-variant vassals.

More footsteps reached my ears, emanating from both around my corner and from Chrysalis’ direction.

“Flash, we can’t stay here!” Chrysalis growled. “They may be vassals, but they are still Malice.”

“Tell me something I don’t know!” I shouted back.

“You will never escape us!” Both vassals spoke in unison and doubled their efforts, bashing their weapons against our defenses.

Even if we can take them out, there are more coming. At the corner of my eye I spotted a dashing Malice-variant down the path with the broken wall. I can try teleporting again, but I can’t leave Chrysalis behind to get picked off. Maybe...

I thought back to when I helped Discord and Chrysalis slip through the mind barrier.

It was a long shot, but it had to be done.

If this doesn’t work, this is going to be really awkward.

I jumped to the side and allowed the windigo’s weapon to slide off my staff and bite into the ground. At the same time I reached out to Chrysalis and grabbed her tail. Chrysalis barely had time to cry out in surprise before I threw myself and my spark energy downward with all my might. If there was ever a moment to make a blind leap to the basement level, it was now.

We teleported.

Stars exploded in my eyes upon re-entry into reality as my face slammed into the ground. Any reprieve I thought I would have was lost when something hard and heavy crushed down on my back and pushed out the air in my lungs. Said hefty object yelped on impact.

“What in the world was that?!” Chrysalis yelled.

“Can’t… breathe…!”

After a short moment, Chrysalis hurried off of me, startled. I coughed and gasped hungrily for air. Even with the help of Chrysalis’ magic to find my hooves, I struggled to find my hooves and shake the spots out of my eyes.

“I think I broke a rib…” I groaned.

“Stand still. Let me help,” Chrysalis flourished her magic, casting a veil of sparkling green essence over me. The pain gradually began to ebb away. “Between Malice’s blows and the fall, I’m surprised that’s the only thing broken.”

My mouth acted before my thoughts caught up. “No, that was from that meteor you call a flank.”

When the healing magic ceased, I knew I bucked up.

Chrysalis glared down at me, cheeks tinted with color. “Excuse me?!”

Uh oh.

“Oh. Um, I was just saying, uh, how we barely escaped Malice attacking from our flank… and how he hits like a meteor…?”

The face Chrysalis made spoke volumes. I smiled back nervously.

“I can add a broken jaw to your list of injuries if you keep running that mouth,” Chrysalis threatened.

“H-hey now, there’s no need for that. Besides, big flanks are a hot commodity these days with stallions. You should be taking that as a compliment.”

“I will not take being called ‘fat’ as a compliment!”

“To be fair Cuddlebug, you are Pretty Hot And Tempting.”

“Stay out of this, Discord!” Chrysalis shouted.

I blinked. Chrysalis blinked. Discord smiled.

Chrysalis and I shrieked, nearly jumping out of our skins.

“Hey! Did ya miss me?” Discord greeted.

“Discord, you son of a bitch! Don’t scare us like that!” I roared.

Chrysalis response was to crack him on the jaw with her hoof.

“Ow!” Discord rubbed his bruised jaw. “Jeez, is this what I get for making a heroic sacrifice? What happened to the hero’s kiss on the cheek?”

“No, that’s what you get for scaring Flash half to death, you foolish fool!” Chrysalis hissed.

“Excuse me?!” I bellowed at Chrysalis. “I wasn’t the one freaking out over him disappearing!”

“I’ve told you that lying is dangerous, Flash.”

I sputtered, floored by how smoothly she just lied to our faces. Forget it. We don’t have time for this. “That aside, Discord, I’m glad you managed to get away from Malice.”

At the mention of Malice, Discord let out an exhausted sigh. “It’s far more difficult than you would think. Do you have any idea how many times I had to pants him to get away?”

“Huh? What does pantsing him have anything to do with—”

“It might be better not to ask,” Chrysalis warned. After thinking about it, I couldn’t agree more.

“Anyway, good work getting him off our tail,” I said. “On the topic of good news, I think I figured out where to start our search. Malice’s anchor is probably going to be towards the bottom of the castle.”

“Well that would explain why this stairway to Tartarus is all spooky and chilly. You really need to start getting some furnaces in here, Flash.”

I peer around Discord and Chrysalis to get a better look at the spiral staircase.. Chilling winds howled from the depths. Wherever it led to was definitely not the most inviting place in the world. Then again, that’s exactly the sort of place unwanted memories would likely rest.

“This must be the place. Let’s go check it out!” I took lead, guiding the two down stairs.

The hall grew colder the further we descended the spiral stairway. Thin sheets of frost evolved into mounds of thick ice and snow. At the bottom of the stairwell was a gate with a broken padlock.

“Looks like we’re entering the deep consciousness,” Chrysalis peered over my shoulder. “This is likely where all the core moments of your life reside. The good and the bad.”

This is where Malice is attacking me from. My deepest memories.

My hoof rested on the gate’s door handle.

Chrysalis will get to see everything, won’t she? My weaknesses. Fears. Can I trust her?

The padlock repaired itself, barbed spikes thickening.

“A subconscious response. He’s hesitating,” Chrysalis said.

“Hey Flash, mind letting us in before the manifestation of swords and pain waltzes in here to kill us? No pressure.”

“Maybe… it isn’t here,” I offered. “It might be somewhere else.”

Discord frowned. “Can you not be ‘that guy’ right now? Really need you to put your big colt pants on and let us in.”

“It’s not ‘us’ that’s bothering him,” Chrysalis’ gaze fell. “It’s me he doesn’t want in. As long as I’m here, the gate won’t open.”

My hoof trembled.

She’s right. I seriously don’t want to let her in. Anything she sees she can use against Equestria and myself. How can I possibly be okay with letting the one who ruined my life seeing all of my most important memories?

Slowly, I began to withdraw.

“You can fight this!”

I gasped. Twilight’s voice echoed through the chamber.

“I believe in you!”

After a moment, I let out an easy breath.

With a swift punch I shattered the lock. The gate swung open.

“Let’s go,” I ventured onward into the depths. Chrysalis and Discord followed, though I could hear them muttering among each other.

“D’aww… that was so cheesy.”

“More like sickening.”

“You’re just jealous I don’t give you uplifting advice in your head.”

“There isn’t enough magic in the world to make me want you anywhere near my subconsciousness.”

I turned my head towards the two. “Those were Twilight’s last words to me before I killed her.”

The two shifted awkwardly, not knowing what to say. I continued down the depths, barely catching their conversation.

“Talk about a mood killer. Ow!”

“Silence, you fool!”

I sighed.

Never thought I would see the day I missed dealing with Noble’s shenanigans.

Just when I thought the castle could not look anymore haunted, the ‘memory dungeon’ surpassed those expectations with flying colors. Or rather, lack thereof.

We trudged through the thick sea of snow down the charcoal stone walls and series of steel prison bars. Behind the prison bars were floating crystal shards, emanating a blue glow that stood out among the unsettling darkness. Malice’s oppressive and chilling presence could be felt all over the place. Powerful. Violent. Didn’t feel any different from taking a stroll through a predator’s home.

“Well isn’t this a dreary little basement,” Discord whistled.

“Any idea what to look for?” I asked.

“Not exactly. Discord would probably be able to figure it out once he sees it. For now, we have no choice but to explore and play it by ear.”

“We don’t have time for this,” I grumbled under my breath. With Malice breathing down our necks, the last thing we needed was random shots in the dark. For all I knew he was watching our movements through me, waiting for the right moment to pick us off.

Nevertheless, there was another dilemma I needed to deal with first.

“Before we go in,” I started, facing the two, “I need both of you to swear to me that whatever you see here stays here.”

Discord shrugged. “Believe me, I have bigger things to worry about than whatever creepy skeletons and fetishes you have locked in your closet.”

I facehooved. I’m starting to hate working with Discord.

Chrysalis reaction on the other hoof wasn’t exactly what I had hoped for. She smirked widely. “You do realize you’re speaking to the Queen of Changelings, right? There’s no guarantee I will be able to keep everything to myself, especially if it involves my Changelings.”

Spears erupted from the ground and barricaded Chrysalis. I stumbled back, half expecting Malice to show up and attack. Chrysalis gasped and tried to jump out unsuccessfully, startled at first. After a few moments she relaxed and fixed me a stoic glance. The message was clear; this was my defense mechanism at work.

“Uh, Chrissy?” Discord raised an eyebrow. “I know diplomacy isn’t your strong suit, but this is the part where you smile, nod, and peek when he isn’t looking.”

I glared at Discord.

...really starting to hate working with him.

“Flash already suspects me of it, and I’m not claiming that I’m going to sabotage him. If we come across a memory that involves something that could harm my Changelings, why wouldn’t I be concerned? Flash would do the same thing in my position and he knows it.”

The prison of spears tightened around Chrysalis. Her eyes bounced along the blades that drew closer to her face, panic showing through the cracks of her calm facade. Discord raised a finger to snap, then stopped when Chrysalis shook her head. I knew why, and it was a point I had to keep in mind. I could kill Chrysalis with a thought, controlled or otherwise.

“While I appreciate your honesty,” I started, “I can’t in good conscious risk you using this against ponykind. If you see a memory that bothers you, discuss it with me before automatically declaring that I’m going to use it against your kind. Let’s focus on the real threat rather than each other, alright?”

Chrysalis nodded slowly, eyes glued to the blades pointed at her. “Trust me, overthrowing Equestria has fallen far from the top of my to-do list, nor am I in any position to be picky about my choice in allies. I’ll honor my word and safeguard information from your memories. As long as you honor your word.” I nearly missed the waver in her voice, though quickly realized it came from a place of nervousness rather than deceit.

I let my glare linger a bit longer, judging her body language. There was no shifting movements or unease in her expression. Recognizing she had not misled me so far, I was forced to take her word for it.

The spears slipped back into the ground, freeing Chrysalis.

“Of course. Alright, let’s get this over with.” I reached out towards the gate, then paused to take one last look at Chrysalis. I nodded at her. She returned the gesture, a silent agreement of trust settled between us before I touched the steel bars.

Nothing happ—

Chapter 24: Face myself - part 1

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The pitch black nothingness lasted a moment before the environment built itself around us like self-repairing glass. Each completed part of the memory added sound. Talking. Clinking of glass. Muffled steps on carpet. Ponies with shadowed facial details dressed in high society clothing faced my direction. Well, ‘my’ direction.

Chrysalis and Discord appeared next to me as I witnessed ‘myself’ seated at the table with a griffonness whose face was obfuscated by shadow. The other me wore a red military dress shirt with golden straps and buttons, while the griffonness donned a silver sleeveless dress and bangles.

I facehooved.

Oh. Oh no. Not this.

“Well, well, well, lookie what we have here!” Discord beamed. “Hot date with a griffon? Didn’t realize you were into other species.”

“Wouldn’t say he’s enjoying this particular date,” Chrysalis pointed at the past me, whose face screamed uncomfortably awkward.

“This was the first time Cadance tried to set me up on a blind date.”

Discord and Chrysalis’ heads whipped in my direction.

I rubbed the back of my neck awkwardly. “I was one of the only guards who wasn’t looking to, um, get it on with a nice mare. Personal reasons. Cadance can be… well, imagine a mad scientist who was really passionate about hooking ponies up.”

“Oho, this is just juicy! Although…” Discord scratched at his beard. “Her face seems to be covered in blank spots.”

“Memory gaps,” Chrysalis answered. “No memory is perfect, so situations such as these will arise where some details are hidden even to you. There might be an entire event hidden somewhere in your mind where you would never know to look.”

“Huh. Now that you mention it, I can’t remember what this griffon looked like or even her name. Kind of a shame. It really wasn’t my date’s fault the evening was awful.”

“I can help with that.”

I snapped my attention to Chrysalis. “Whoa, really?”

“Memory gaps in your subconscious are difficult to recover on your own. I can aid you in filling your memory gaps. Granted, you can only remember things you’ve actually seen or experienced in some way. You still have to put the memory back together yourself. I’ll just make the sure that process goes a little smoother.”

“Alright. Go for it.”

Chrysalis’ horn ignited brilliant emerald. I turned my focus to the shadowed faces. Almost immediately I caught a sensation clawing at the back of my mind, the kind where the answer burned at the tip of my tongue.

I started piecing together details with what I could remember. How a number of the ponies in the restaurant had graying manes. The gaps on some of their faces formed out of melding glass shards. Just barely could I mentally reach for those details, stringing them together like pieces to a puzzle: an elderly pony with thick black frames for glasses. A stallion who rubbed his hoof while staring nervously at his date. The older couple who rolled their eyes at me. Everything was coming together.

Soon, the atmosphere of the restaurant came to life. The patrons, clothing, classical music, smell of robust pasta sauce wafting the air, I could recall it all. Especially my date.

By griffon standards, she was attractive in a tough girl kind of way. Details rushed back to my mind. I’d always thought the purple mascara and those piercing gold eyes would’ve been a turn on if they didn’t seem to be perpetually set to ‘scowl’. Her fur was also a nice shade of brown and looked soft to the touch.

Discord nearly fell over. “Cadance set you up on a date with Gilda?!”

“Wait, you know her?” I asked. The only answer I got was a fit of hysterical laughter. I frowned. “What? What’s so funny?”

I patiently waited for Discord to calm down. After a minute, he wiped a tear from his eye. “Oh. Oh wow. Just… when we get out of this, you gotta tell Rainbow Dash. I need to see her face when she hears about this!”

“For what it’s worth, I know nothing about Gilda. I do have a question though,” Chrysalis pondered. “Why does Cadance think you’re into griffons?”

“It’s because of my dad, and no, this is not the time to talk about that. Let’s just go on to the next memory. Malice clearly hasn’t messed with this one.” I moved away from the scene.

The vision ended.

The universe twisted and restored itself. I shook off the dizziness, noting that Chrysalis also needed a moment to regain her senses. I shouldn’t have been surprised that Discord was unaffected.

“I really hope I don’t have to experience that with every single memory,” I groaned.

“Hard to say. I’m not sure which memory Malice could’ve possibly anchored,” said Chrysalis.

Discord took a quick glance of the area. “Malley isn’t what I would call a delicate flower. There likely will be signs of influence out there.”

“Then there’s no time to waste. I’ll take point,” I started towards the corridor with them in tow.

Walking through an area where I subconsciously imprisoned my own memories left a bad taste in my mouth. Discord and Chrysalis’ curiosities didn’t help matters. Half of the trip involved me chastising them repeatedly for getting “just a peek” at my memories, especially some of the more ‘questionable’ situations I’ve either stumbled or acted upon.

I knew we were going the right direction when we encountered more signs of Malice’s presence: thicker sheets of frost, icicles hanging on the ceiling, and drops in temperature that left my teeth chattering.

“What’s with Malice and this ice stuff? Couldn’t he have a more summery vibe or something?” I grumbled.

“If you got the energy to complain, you got the energy to get through it,” Chrysalis shot.

“I never said I couldn’t deal with it. The Crystal Empire is in the northern hemisphere, after all. At the very least I wouldn’t mind it being a little more… wait a second…!” Channeling the spark, I conjured a thick white cloak to throw around my shoulder. Damn I’m gonna miss being able to do that.

“I would certainly appreciate getting one of those cloaks,” Chrysalis said.

I smirked. “If you got the energy to complain, you got the energy to get through it.”

I ignored Chrysalis’ glare, but welcomed Discord’s chuckle. It didn’t take long for Discord to seize the opportunity and wrap himself around Chrysalis. There was no more complaining after that.

Down one particular corridor was an open prison gate. Icy winds howled at us as we drew closer to the prison, beckoning us towards the drifting layers of sleet. Unlike the other crystals, this one sent a prickly sensation along my skin. The pulsing energy that flowed from this crystal drilled a migraine into my skull. I turned my head to catch grim looks on Discord and Chrysalis’ faces.

There was no doubt; this had to be one of the primary sources of hatred Malice corrupted.

Chrysalis nodded at me. “You have to stay strong and face this. It’s the only way we are going to get to the root of Malice’s magic.”

“I know. Let’s go.” We delved into the memory.

“Ladies and gentlecolts, stomp your hooves for our next contestant; Flash Sentry!”

The thunderous applause from the crowd rooted me in place. My past self stood trembling behind the curtain, breathing through shaky pants. My pupils shrunk.

“A-alright. Here we go,” past me muttered to himself before striding to the center of the stage, guitar strapped on his back. The heat of the spotlights followed him all the way to the center stage, sweat pouring off him in waves. Rows of faceless ponies gradually hushed as he placed himself on the stool in front of the microphone.

“So was this some sort of side gig before you decided to become Celestia’s metal punching bag?” Discord asked.

I glared at Discord for a moment before looking back at my past self, staying silent.

“Oooh, now I get it!” Discord beamed. “You flopped the contest and got boo’d offstage. Pretty weak for the big bad secret Malley’s holding over your head.”

“Shut up and watch,” I seethed under my breath.

“H-hello Manehattan!” past me called out, voice shaky. “I want to thank you all for coming out today and for taking part of the biggest moment of my life. The prestige and honor of performing for you all and having a chance to play for our princesses is everything I could ever hope for. But there is one other reason I’m here,” I strummed the guitar for dramatic effort. “Love.”

I glared at Chrysalis, who made a gagging notion.

Past me continued. “There is a mare in attendance tonight who I wish to dedicate this song to. Somepony who has stuck by me through thick or thin and has been a constant source of happiness in my life. My confidant. My muse. The love of my life.”

Past Flash pointed in the crowd. On cue, a single spotlight turned on, centered right over the mare in question. My heart skipped a beat.

The orange mare was rooted to the seat, green eyes wide like a deer caught in train lights. Her head slowly looked around, though whether she was registering the fact the crowds were looking at her or seeking an escape route I couldn’t tell.

Discord went slack-jawed. “No way! You and Sunset Shimmer were a thing?!”

I kept my mouth shut, focused solely on the memory.

“Sunset,” my past self continued, “it is thanks to you I can be up here today, doing what I love. So allow me to show you what I’m made of.” He strummed the guitar again, starting the song. “Let me show you what’s in my heart.” his eyes closed.

♪Love is in bloom
A beautiful bride, a handsome groom,
Two hearts becoming one
A bond that cannot be undone because—

Love is in bloom
A beautiful bride, a handsome groom
I said love is in bloom
Let’s start a new life and make a home
For us♪

I remembered how my heart pounded so hard I could barely hear my own music. How all I could to pull myself together was focus on the song. Yet, even as a nervous wreck, I was still doing what I loved for someone I loved.

It killed me to know how cowardly I’ve become...

♪Our special day
Let’s celebrate now, the pony way
My love, I’ll always be near
Won't let these moments disappear because—

Love is in bloom
A beautiful bride, a handsome groom
I said love is in bloom
Let’s start a new life and make a home
For us~♪

The auditorium went silent.

Sunset’s jaw hung open, her eyes conveying a thousand emotions.

There was one last thing past me had to say. The finishing touch.

“Sunset Shimmer. Will you marry me?”

Chrysalis and Discord looked just as stunned as the rest of the crowd. Sunset looked ready to faint.

Her muzzle mouthed to form words, only for nothing to come out. Everyone waited for Sunset’s answer with baited breath. Seconds felt like years.

Without a word, Sunset suddenly got out the chair and made her way down the carpet aisle towards past me. She climbed the stairway onto the stage, walked over to past Flash, and kissed him.

The crowd whooped. Discord and Chrysalis grew confused.

“So… happy ending much?” Chrysalis shrugged. “Looks like everything turned out perfectly. I don’t see what—”

Sunset broke the kiss.

“It’s over, Flash.”

In a flurry of light, Sunset teleported.

Her words echoed among the eerie quiet. Everypony in the audience heard it.

What started as celebratory fanfare ended in confused silence. The same sensations struck me now as did that moment, staring over the murmuring crowd. Panic rose to my chest, strangling air out of my lungs. Strength left my legs, dropping me on my haunches. I tried to look away, but my mind went blank. I couldn’t breathe.

The world spun around me. Hundreds of faceless ponies stared with mixed expressions. Whispers among the crowd grew louder, almost deafening. Condescending. Pitying. Laughing. My heartbeat quickened as terror seized me. Darkness edged at my vision.

The vision ended.

We returned to the memory dungeon in an uncomfortable silence. I couldn’t bring myself to meet their gazes or stop trembling. My breath finally caught up with me.

“I know you two are thinking it,” I eventually said, my voice barely more than a whisper. “This happened so many years ago. It’s only a breakup. That happens to everypony. I should just forget her and move on, right? Only a colt this pathetic would let a breakup hang over his head for so long.”

“Well,” Discord began hesitantly, “my initial thought was Sunny was being a colossal bi–hey!” He jumped at Chrysalis’s elbow to the ribs, which earned him her ‘be sensitive’ glare.

My shoulders slumped. “I hate this. Her. That crowd. All of it. I… I hate not knowing why she left. How pathetic and weak I was.” My voice grew louder. Harsher. “I thought I was finally able to put her out of my mind forever, but Twilight just had to go and remind me how she moved on and found someone while I never… damn it!”

I cut loose and punched the wall with all my might, sending a shockwave of electricity through the air, leaving shards of stone in its wake. Discord and Chrysalis jumped back to dodge the streaks of lightning.

“Flash, calm down or you’re going to lead Malice straight to us!” Chrysalis yelled.

“Calm down? What do you mean? I’m fine!”

“Y’know, I’m no rocket scientist, but I’m gonna take a guess and say you are as far from ‘fine’ as you could possibly get.”

“Shut up, Discord! I’ve had it up to here with your bullshit!” The temperate dropped around us. The wind increased in strength. “I don’t care what you think of me, but if you keep pissing me off, Malice will be the least of your problems!”

“Both of you, enough!” Chrysalis yelled. “Flash, remember what your anger has cost you. Are you prepared to throw more lives away?”

Twilight’s face flashed in my mind.

“I...I just…Gah! Give me a minute,” I turned away and forced myself to take a long breath, motioning my trembling hoof to my chest and pushing out as I exhaled. In. Out. Rinse and repeat.

A warm gust rushed through the corridor. With each breath I took, the breeze ebbed and flowed, tickling my fur. The sensation kept my mind from tipping over the edge, soothing my rattled nerves.

“Oooh, that feels nice,” Discord groaned, stretching his limbs in a dramatic fashion. “Think you can whip us up some margaritas while you’re crying us a river?”

The breeze stopped. Whatever moment of peace I thought I had was thrown out the Celestia-damned window.

“...excuse me?”

“Actually, you’re right. I would rather have a Sunrise on the rocks. And make it snappy.”

“We’re going to die,” Chrysalis facehooved. “We’re going to die because this idiot can’t keep his mouth shut!”

“Look Flash, I know this is heartbreaking and all, but it’s just a mare. There are plenty others out there for you to fawn over. Just in case you missed the memo, ponies and changelings alike have died. Even more are going to die if we don’t stop Malice and, quite frankly, I’m insulted that our lives hang in the balance because you’re too pathetic to get over some girl.”

Fire lit up in Discord’s irises. “I refuse to end up like Twilight because you can’t get over yourself!”

Black lightning arced just past his face. Discord went silent, face ashened as he threw a shocked look at me.

Discord can never know loss like you and I.

My breath hitched, white hoof remained aimed in his direction. I couldn’t stop shaking.

The feeling of losing something important to you. A core part of your soul, gone in a blink. It is a terrible weight for warriors like us to carry. Discord took away from me what he mocks you for. He only cares about himself.

Part of his words rang odd in my mind, yet there was no denying Malice and I were both on the same page with Discord. Sparks of energy rippled and popped around me.

Make him pay for his insolence.

Suddenly, the electricity surged encircled my hoof. The glare I threw at Discord was enough to make even him flinch.

Show him our pain.

My muscles tightened. Discord raised his fingers to snap.

After a moment, I released a long sigh.

...you’re gonna have to try harder than that, Malice. Discord is an asshole, but I’d rather die than give in to you.

Malice’s laughed echoed in my mind. I will enjoy watching your last shred of resistance shatter before me. You cannot ignore who you are forever.

The energy that flooded me faded into small embers.

“I know, Discord,” I lowered my hoof and gaze, despair etched in my expression. “I know. And I’m sorry.”

“H-hey, I didn’t mean…” Discord hesitated. “Flash, I… err… you know what? I’m going to just go to work over here and mind my own business. Good? Good.”

I looked up to find Discord awkwardly moving towards the memory crystal. The stilted atmosphere left a bad taste in my mouth.

Chrysalis approached me cautiously. “Are you always this aggressive? Most ponies are not this violent.”

“In case you haven’t noticed, I’m not the ‘take sh—crap and do nothing’ type of stallion. But no, I don’t normally throw lightning at someone’s face when I’m pissed off. I just… look, I’ll be fine, just do what you got to do.”

Chrysalis frowned, then turned her attention to Discord. “Discord, did you find what you were looking for?”

Discord let out a whistle. “Oooh yeah, this is a huge catalyst all right. Malley’s been all over this bad boy. No doubt about it; this is one of Malley’s anchor points.”

I perked up and pushed the dark mood behind me for a moment. “Is it enough to deal with him?”

“I’m about to find out.” Discord placed his paw on the crystal. As he slowly pulled back, a sphere of pure black energy appeared around the crystal. “This is a literal ball of hatred pulled from this memory. Hey, didn’t you mention that you tried to hate her?”

“Love and hate are two sides of the same coin,” Chrysalis answered before I could. Her gaze drifted towards me. “You clearly harbor a generous amount of hatred towards her. But from what I witnessed, that’s not the only thing you still feel for her, is it?”

I winced. “No. It isn’t.”

“You poured your heart and soul into that act. You loved the attentive silence of the crowd. Their cheers when Sunset kissed you. Then it was all torn to shreds in front of you, which lead to you resenting music. You came to loathe the performance, the crowd, your past love. They all made you feel so weak and violated, but you also can’t help but mourn all the good things you lost that day. Even though you hate the love you felt for her, you still feel that way nonetheless.

“It seems as if these emotions go hoof in hoof with you, and considering you’re quite the prideful type, more so than the crowd and even Sunset, you must hate yourself for being unable to get over it. If it’s lasted this long, your sense of inferiority and levels of self-loathing have likely turned pathological. It’s no surprise that suppressing all those emotions eventually backfired and became self-destructive—”

“Alright, I get it!” I snapped. I instantly regretted it, reminded of when I snapped at Twilight for poking at my sore spot. Ugh, why can’t I get it together? Stop acting like a brat and grow up, damn it!

“I told you from the start you would have to face your memories. Lives depend on it. Be prepared.” Chrysalis glanced at Discord. “I think it’s about time we got started.”

Discord nodded. His paw and claw maneuvered and tapped against the black sphere. “Alright, Flash. I’m gonna start tinkering with this leyline of Malice’s magic tied to your memory. While I do this, I’m gonna be doing some, well, stuff with my own magic. You will feel some pressure while I work on this.”

“Pressure? What pre-—AGH!”

Pain shot all over my body. Heat coiled through my mind and limbs. Everything felt like it was being torn apart.

Chrysalis’ eyes widened, now in full blown panic mode. “Discord, you’re killing him!”

“Don’t worry, I got this. This magic is just so tightly wound around his emotions and senses. It’s like trying to unstring a ball of yarn if it was made of steel.”

Spots flickered in my dazed vision. Lines of color streaked before my eyes. I swore I could taste the color red. I slumped to the floor, panting and writhing in agony.

“If he dies, we’re done for! Stop it!” Chrysalis screamed.

“No! Keep going!” I forced out. “I—gah—can take it! If you think you’re getting somewhere, go for it.” I took in a few gulps of air, clutching my head.

“Not good,” Discord frowned. “The sphere tightened. I think it’s reacting to whatever he’s feeling. The negative feelings are clutching the memory like its life depends on it.”

Chrysalis cupped her chin, looking between me and the crystal. After a moment, her eyes lit up.

“You have to let her go, Flash. As long as you feel that affection for her, you will always feel the hate as well. One emotion cannot exist without the other, they’re tied together too closely.”

I laughed bitterly. “I’ve been trying to forget her for years. What am I supposed to do? Magically forget her now?”

Chrysalis shook her head. “I didn’t say forget about her. I said let her go.” She took a seat next to me, eyes staring ahead. “If you don’t learn to let go, you’ll end up like me.”

The pain receded slightly. “What?”

“Noble Heart used to preach on and on about simply talking to you ponies to help us survive. Getting food and staying in secret works well for smaller groups, but our hive had grown further than we could manage to sustain while staying out of sight. We’ve been on the verge of starvation. But I couldn’t bare the thought. My hatred for Celestia outstripped my desire for a peaceful solution that involved ponies. I couldn’t move past that, even if peaceful negotiation would’ve had stronger odds than, well, what I had actually chosen to do instead. Perhaps if I had forgone my anger in favor of my changelings’ survival, things could’ve been different.”

A small, knowing smile spread on her muzzle. “It’s remarkable you still hold her so dear, but this memory will bring you nothing but pain. I know that this isn’t something you conquer overnight, nor do it only once, but if you ever want to move on you need to make that first step now.”

I tried to stand, but a flare of pain from whatever Discord was doing drained at my strength. “Kinda wish you thought all of this before you invaded Canterlot. Would’ve saved a lot of lives.”

Chrysalis laughed bitterly. “Indeed. I still struggle with facing that nightmare everyday. When Discord saved me and gave me a second chance, I knew I could no longer be the changeling I was months ago. Nevermind my own survival or sanity, I have to put my changelings and daughter’s best interest ahead of my old, biased ways. Just as you have to put the interests of those you fight for ahead of your own old, biased ways.”

I couldn’t tell what shocked me more; Chrysalis telling me all of this, or that Noble at some point talked about changelings and ponies working together. One truth was certain; the stallion I am now can’t beat this. Not in a million years. I rolled onto my back and closed my eyes, digesting Chrysalis’ words of wisdom.

Chrysalis has a point. This can’t go on anymore. Sunset is gone. I’m sure she had her reasons. Maybe I just didn’t know her like I thought I did. Maybe it just wasn’t meant to be. Either way, trying to bury everything about that day clearly isn’t working, and this ‘pressure’ is not making things any easier to think through.

That… leaves me with only one choice, doesn’t it?

“Hey Chrysalis,” I called out. “Mind if I… air out some thoughts? Ramble a bit?”

“Oh? Why’s that?”

I sighed. “I can’t think straight with whatever Discord is doing, and keeping this hot mess of thoughts in my head only seems to make things worse thanks to this pathos nonsense. The only solution I can think of is to just let it out.”

“Agreed. Keeping negativity buried under lock and key in this situation will only fuel the tether that is Malice’s anchor. Although I am rather curious; are you sure you sure you want me to hear it?”

“No, but I haven’t gotten anywhere by keeping it to myself. Besides, you’ve already seen most of my life story. The damage is already done.”

Chrysalis smiled. “Good answer. Proceed.”

Alright. Here we go.

“I’ve always been pretty feisty when I was younger. Got into a lot of fights, and I mean a lot of them. Only went after bullies and assholes, though. When Gilford, my stepdad, came into the picture and helped me learn to appreciate music, I knew I found something else I could put my energy into. That music was what brought Sunset and I together. What we bonded over.”

I sighed. The pain began to subside.

“I still remember all those sessions we had where I taught her how to play. She was almost as bad as I was when I started. Between her study sessions with Princess Celestia we would just kick it and have a good time playing together. Sometimes when she came home upset after a fight with the princess, it was one of the few things we could do together that let her vent and calm her down.

“But when, well, that happened, music started reminding me of those times we had together. Everything started hurting again. It was like I was back at that place, facing down those judging eyes, watching the one pony I loved so much just up and go as if those few short years we were together never happened. So I stopped. Just wanted to pretend those days never existed.”

Warm, vibrant energy smothered the agonizing sensations until they were mild throbs of irritation.

“That feeling of… well, guess you can call it inadequacy ended up following me. When I lost my friends in the invasion, all of that anger, fear, and inferiority felt validated. I vowed to never let myself be that weak again and, well, look at me now.” I blinked the wetness out of my eyes. “I’ve never been weaker.”

“Throwing a ‘slain princess’ on the list clearly compounded on that inferiority complex,” Chrysalis said. “The only difference now is the rest of Equestria may suffer if you succumb to this. Knowing this, what will you do?”

“To start, I have to make it through this and get back to my team. I don’t think I’m ready to do the whole ‘forgiveness’ thing or have an answer to deal with all of this, but I can start by accepting that I can no longer run away from it. It’s literally being shoved in front of my face and ruining not just my life, but everyone else’s lives.”

My chest swelled, reinvigorated with my second wind. I rolled onto my hooves and stood up, feeling lighter than ever. I wasn’t sure where this energy came from, but I felt like I could take on the world.

“I don’t have time to throw myself a pity party. I still have a job to do, and I’m going to finish that job by mopping the floor with Malice. I’m still a member of the Royal Guard, and nothing is going to stop me from doing everything I can to protect Equestria. Even if I have to protect it from myself.”

“That’s it!” Discord, who looked like a foal who just experienced their first Hearth’s Warming. “Eureka! I’ve cracked the code!”

I glanced over at Discord to see the sphere in his hands pulse and began to unwound.

“That’s great news! What did you find?” I asked.

“I’ve figured out how Malley’s champion magic works. That little burst of ‘oorah’ you just had was the missing piece to the puzzle I needed.”

I blinked. “Uh, mind filling in the blanks?”

“Alright. So… pop quiz! Why do different species use different magic? Why do pegasi fly? Dragons breathe fire? Chrissy stays grumpy?”

“No idea,” I answered, stifling a chuckle. Chrysalis simply glared at him.

“You’re simply born that way. You can’t breathe fire, teleport, or do anything outside the starter kit you got at birth. What Malley did was upgrade that starter kit into the VIP package, changing up what you can and cannot do. Only catch is that he’s your sponsor, and your tribute is whatever emotion aligns with his modus operandi.”

“So he gives me kickass powers, but in return my anger fuels him, creating a vicious cycle.”

“Bingo! Now, this is clearly old news, except for one tiny detail; I operate the same way, just with a slightly different emotion. I’m all about freedom, creativity, doing whatever I want when I want. You may be thinking ‘chaos’, but that’s just the finished product of what actually gets my juicy chaos powers flowin’.” Discord waggled his eyebrows at Chrysalis, who rolled her eyes. “If you want a name for that emotion, guess you can say inspiration.”

“So what does this mean?”

“Remember when you had that cheesy adorkable moment with the ice and music? You used Malice’s magic, but the emotion tied to it wasn’t anger. It was passion. Fun fact: inspiration and anger are best buds with passion. ”

I quirked an eyebrow. “Correct me if I’m hearing you wrong, but are you telling me there’s an emotion that you both feed on? And that emotion is passion?”

“Exactly, and that’s my ticket in. With any luck, I should be able to champion Flash too.”

Chrysalis quirked an eyebrow. “Too? As in, both you and Malice championing him? Would that even work without ripping him apart?”

“No idea. It’ll take me some time to figure out this mess of magic, but the key is definitely in Flash focusing on passion.”

“And what about getting rid of Malice?”

“Not with just one of your major catalyst. There’s an even stronger catalyst somewhere in this prison. If we can take care of that one, there is a possibility I can get rid of him. But even then…”

Whatever gave him pause left a terrible feeling in my stomach. “Spit it out.”

“Well… there’s still the problem that he’s stronger than me. He’s been doing this far longer than I have, and trying to stay hooked up with you and Chrissy while beating back his raging hate boner is a pain in the ass.”

...I swear he’s doing this on purpose. I groaned internally. When Chrysalis facehooved, I knew we were on the same page.

Discord continued. “If worse comes to worse, there’s one thing I can do, but you’re not going to like it.”

“And that is…?”

Discord sighed. “I can sever his connection to pathos outside your body with a little work. I can do this by basically locking Malice in a box by also locking a bit of myself in a box to act as a seal, just like I did to him way back when. But a lock is no good without a container strong enough to keep him in. As you can imagine, I don’t keep a spare spirit-lock-box around for obvious reasons. There’s only one container we have on our hooves.”

That’s when it dawned on me. The good feeling I had earlier was brushed aside by pure disgust and horror.

“Me,” I answered.

Discord nodded. “To be honest, it wouldn’t be foolproof either. I bet even you could put two and two together with what would happen if you let him beat you.”

I swallowed hard. “That… is just a last resort, right?”

“Second to last resort. And no, I’d rather not talk about what the actual last resort is. Either way, we’re not going to get anywhere unless we try to take care of that other catalyst. I’ll stay here and foalsit this one and get everything set up. Rather not try to champion you right now though if I can help it. For all we know, you could explode.”

I paled. “Yeah, how about we don’t test that. In fact, let’s not mention me and explosions in the same sentence ever again.”

“Deal. Now go on and tackle whatever trauma you got left and let me work. Going to need all of my concentration to handle this and play hide-and-seek with Malley.”

With a nod, Chrysalis and I moved further down the corridor. By the time we got out of sight of Discord, my hooves moved with the weight of lead. Best case scenario: I kick Malice out and Discord gives me some new powers to fight him. At worst, everything else from what Discord described.

“Discord knows what he’s doing,” Chrysalis reassured. “He’s a buffoon with far more power than anyone other than me has a right to wield, but he is far more focused and careful than he lets on. He won’t let you die like this.”

I nodded, urging my limbs to cooperate. The rest of the walk was in silence, following the increasingly chilling path. It wasn’t long until we found what we were looking for.

As the end of the third corridor was another open prison gate. Unlike the previous memory, every step towards this one filled me with tension. My heart raced, pressure intensifying through my wings. By the time we stood in front of the corrupted memory, I was ready to lie down and sleep off the ache in my chest and wings.

“No question about it. This is definitely the other anchor,” she said.

Being equally curious and terrified, I moved one step closer. The emotions that radiated from the memory were overwhelming, stronger than anything I've ever felt in my life.

Compared to the intensity of it I felt tiny and lost. Trapped in a cold grip, I couldn't move anymore. My chest tensed up, rendering me unable to answer her.

My wings began to twitch, instincts screaming at me to spread them and flee. However, I knew that my only way was forward. There was just one thing to do.

I forced a trembling hoof forward and triggered the memory.

Author's Notes:

Merry Christmas Eve, my fellow paladins!

And here is where things start coming together for our hero. Welcome to backstory central, where protagonist go to relieve their worst nightmares for your viewing pleasure! I have to say, I really enjoyed developing this segment. There's quite a bit to unpack here, but I'll wait until part two before I start breaking it down.

Speaking of which, I know we've experienced delay after delay with these chapters, and you all have been so patient with me all year around. Just want to say I am super thankful for all of you lovely readers, and just knowing I might be livening up your day just a bit is my personal Christmas present to me. Look forward to showering you all with more awesome in 2019!

Since you all have been (hopfully) good boys and girls this year, I got a nice little present coming up soon. With any luck, it will be hitting your feed tomorrow. Definitely very, very soon, so stay tuned.

Until next time, stay classy my paladins!

Chapter 25: Face myself - part 2

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The echoes of distant screams and explosions welcomed me as I entered the memory. It scared me, thinking that I was right, that this was going into a place I never wanted to enter. Yet this need, this desperate need to fix my wrongs—I... I had to do this. I had to ignore these muddled sounds of my ears ringing, and of my heartbeat that threatened me with deafness. I had to push through the searing heat that washed over myself from the flames, now matter what kind of nightmare was ready to greet me.

I watched as Chrysalis moved through them too, her carapace reflecting the inferno around us. After that, the flames parted, revealing an all too familiar scene. Remnants of buildings decorated the broken paths of concrete. Corpses accompanied them too, as the cloudless sky bore the charred wounds of many.

It hit me like a bolt of lightning, shock paralyzing my legs. I knew exactly where and, more importantly, when I was. To think I would return to this nightmarish invasion with the one who started it right next to me. Buck my life, the universe, and its twisted sense of humor.

Less humorous was the changeling who clashed against my past self, suited in blue armor reminiscent of a beetle’s shell and brandished two curved swords. The burning cuts. Heart pounding in my ears. Adrenaline and terror drove my every move as I blocked the rapid slashes and stabs with my spear. Chrysalis was stricken with surprise.

“Makes sense for this memory to start here,” I started. “My squad scrambled to try to save as many lives as we could and kick out the invaders. This was the first fight against the changelings I had. This was the moment when reality sunk in for me.”

As the changeling pushed me back and forced me to turn, I witnessed two other ponies draped in bronze armor like I was. A pegasus and an earth pony, lying in a pool of their own blood, wide eyes frozen in horror and pain. I winced at the vision, the same feeling of icy terror I’d felt then crawled up my spine. I pointed at the dead ponies.

“I was convinced I was going to die, just like them.”

I remembered offensive to be the last thing on my mind when the changeling barreled down on me with the wrath of a wild animal. Block. Step back. Stay alive. It was all I could think of to do then, and it showed with my sloppy movements.

Chrysalis grew understandably confused at points as time slowed down for my past self, helping me stay alive and dodge the changeling’s fatal blows. “Why did everything slow down?”

“It’s my talent, the Sentry Sense. I can sense when someone nearby is about to die, including myself,” I answered.

Chrysalis threw me a surprised glance. “I see. That must make you quite the natural in combat.”

“Being good in combat and being good at staying alive are two different things. Back then, I was used to saving ponies from getting run-over by a runaway carriage or falling off a ledge, not fighting for my own life against a real killer. I could only avoid not getting killed for so long, but I was too scared to kill.”

The changeling hadn’t expected me to dodge the lethal lunge as narrowly as I did, creating an opening that allowed me to uppercut his chin. He staggered back, shook off the stun, and prepared to lash out at me. The bluish magical blast that slammed into his head denied that chance, half of his face blown off from the detonation. He was not getting back up anytime soon.

“Hey Sentry, pick up that jaw and grab your spear!” The bark from my old squad leader, Sergeant Nitro Starburst, spurred my past self into movement.

“Y-yes ma’am!” I scrambled to pick up my weapon and straightened my posture. I absorbed the scene as my past self did. Half a dozen changeling bodies were sprawled around us, eviscerated or blown apart. My remaining squad of ten motley grunts looked weary, some of us covered in cuts. The only thing that kept my past self from vomiting was the sharp glare from the squad leader.

Nitro looked to her side. “Shellshock, status report!”

The bulky earth pony stallion rolled his shoulders, hard eyes sweeping the ruined landscape. “Privates Storm and Buster are KIA. Privates Firesong and Skyline need patching up, but should be good to go. Already got Corporal Slipstream on it.”

Chrysalis and I looked to the find the teal pegasus in silver armor tending to the ponies in question, wincing as the corporal applied a healing salve and bandage to the deep gashes in their legs and barrel. Those of us who were still in fighting shape made a circle around our position, keeping eyes open for hostiles or civilians in trouble. Nitro motioned the three corporals of our squad to group up. Though my past self kept guard to look out for any more ambushes, I still remembered the conversation I overheard.

“They knew we were coming to this spot,” Nitro pointed out. “Clever bastards almost got us. We can’t fall for that again.”

“Where do we go from here, Sarge?” Corporal Moonbeam asked. “These Celestia-damned bugs got us scattered.”

“We did all we could to evac the civvies in this zone. I haven’t seen a runner since this damn mess started, so they must be hitting our comms.”

“She’s correct,” Chrysalis said. “I made sure to establish infiltrator forces inside the castle before I put my plan into motion, about a hundred if memory serves. Needed to remove as many messengers as I could to disrupt the link between your forces. By the time the shields were down, almost all runners were either dead or impersonated and every squad had at least one of my infiltrators in the ranks.”

My expression hardened. “With our lines of communications cut, we didn’t stand a chance.”

Chrysalis nodded. “Communication is the lifeblood of any fighting force. Our numbers were about a third of your fighting force, but still ran circles around yours. Were it not for Twilight and that blasted shield, we would not be having this conversation right now.”

I glared at her for a moment before returning my attention to the member. “Yeah. I suppose you’re right.”

A burst of red fireworks erupted several city blocks away from our position. It was still within the residential district, which meant only one thing: One of our other squads were in trouble.

Nitro caught the signal flare and cursed under her breath. “Break time’s over kiddos! Squad two is getting their flanks kicked. Fireteams two and three will guard our flanks. Fireteam one, on me! Let’s go!”

“Yes ma’am!” The squad called in unison and formed up. Fireteam two and three, all together six ponies, took up rear and side guards. I took position just behind Nitro and Shellshock, marching in step with Private Skyline who looked pale. I wanted to say something assuring to him back then, but not even I would’ve been able to believe a word that came out of my mouth. There was no room for safety or hope in our minds. We just wanted to get out of this alive.

A block or two ahead we spotted a pair of changelings hovering over two unconscious civilians at the center of a street intersection. The changelings were armed with metallic tanks latched onto their sides, drawing greenish essence from the civilians and into the tanks. In seconds they seemed to sense our approach, after a glance, they darted down the west path.

I turned to Chrysalis. “So what’s that about?”

“They’re gathering fuel for our forces. A support-caste changeling tasked with making sure our injured are saved and our ammunition is stocked.”

“I recall something about a caste system when we were questioning Thorax.”

“Yes. Our combat caste has secondary divisions, all bred to maximize their effectiveness in the field. Just like that vanguard-caste changeling you fought previously was made for frontline combat, the support-caste are quick and efficient in keeping our forces going.”

Corporal Moonbeam’s voice drew my attention. “Ma’am, permission for my team to chase. We can’t risk them alerting the others.”

Nitro nodded. “Granted. They get further than a block, regroup at the next street.”

“Alright team, on me!” Corporal Moonbeam grabbed her two remaining soldiers and went after the support caste. The rest of us continued down the blocks.

“A fatal mistake,” Chrysalis sighed. “If a changeling is out in the open, it’s never for lack of battlefield awareness.”

“Wait, so they were in the middle of the street on purpose?” I asked.

“What we lack in numbers we make up for in tactics and communication. I like to decide the outcome of a war before it starts.”

Her words put together what I already knew; the battle was lost before it even began.

A collapsed tower kept us from reaching the last known location of our team and forced the squad to turn at the intersection. Since Moonbeam’s team was scheduled to meet us at this point, we turned onto a curved road. Halfway down it, we discovered a pair of what Chrysalis called assault-caste changelings. It was a little too obvious they were waiting on something. Back then I surmised it was for the other changelings which fireteam two tried to chase down. If what Chrysalis said was true, then what happened next was all too easy to guess.

“I don’t like this,” Nitro growled. “Why are they just standing there in the middle of a warzone?”

Corporal Slipstream shook his head, looking dazed for just a moment. I was the only one to notice back then since I was happened to be checking that area for a possible flank. His mood took a sudden turn for furious. “Let’s take ‘em and get going to the squad. We can’t afford to wait. Let’s do this!” He bolted forward, dragging his fireteam in for the attack.

“Slipstream, halt! I said halt!” Nitro’s shout fell on deaf ears. “What is that idiot doing?!”

“This isn’t like him,” Shellshock said. “We need to stop him!”

“Damn it! Fireteam one, let’s g—” Nitro cut herself off as the changelings lying in wait transformed into a red and blue civilian pony seconds before fireteam two closed in.

“Help! Somepony help!” One of them screamed.

“Anypony! Save us!” The other joined.

Back then it made no sense why the changelings would try to disguise themselves when the attacking team already spotted them. It never occurred to me until now that the other team had ventured westward to chase down another group of changelings. Putting two and two together, I had to give Nitro credit for catching on to this so quickly.

“Fireteam two, get back! It’s a trap!” Nitro reacted a moment too late.

Fireteam two was knee-deep into trying to kill the disguised civilians when another shout rang out from around the corner.

“Those are changelings in disguise! Kill them!”

My eyes widened. That was Corporal Moonbeam’s voice.

Chrysalis sighed. “Hook, line and sinker.”

Everything happened so fast. Once Moonbeam’s team jumped into the fray, it devolved into a bloodbath of the worst kind. The ‘civilians’ slipped away in the middle fight, leaving both fireteams to go at each other's throats. Two green orbs were dropped from them among the fighting fireteams, who were too busy either staying alive or choking on their own blood.

Nitro rushed forward. “Team one, on me. Team two and three, friendly fire! Stand down! Friendly fire!”

Corporal Moonbeam broke away from the infighting, running towards us as fast as his legs could carry him. I wasn’t sure why until time slowed down. Then, those green orbs detonated.

Liquified mist filled the air. Shrieks erupted from both fireteams who were engulfed in the mist. The shireks turned to strangled gasp, then silence. I only had a hint of the awful stench, a stinging mix of bile, chemicals, and something else I couldn’t define. The mist cleared seconds later. What was saw would never leave our minds.

The pavement where the mist touched turned to silver sludge. I was forced to watch comrades who I’d fought with and befriend turned into horrific mess of melted flesh and bone. One or two were somehow still alive and melting, eyes wishing for death. We fell into speechlessness.

A single thought crossed all of our minds back then: Had we been a few seconds faster, that would’ve been us.

Even Chrysalis looked disgusted at the scene. I was thankful she said nothing.

Corporal Moonbeam was the first to break out of the stupor, shaking Nitro’s shoulders to snap her out of it. “Nitro, we can’t stay here! The squad needs us!”

Nitro’s hazel eyes gradually returned to focus. “W-wha...what—”

“The fuck!” Private Skyline screamed, streaks of tears on his face. This brought the rest us the distraction we needed to tear our eyes away from the mess. “What the fuck are we dealing with?!”

My past self tried to say something. But I couldn’t, as I was too busy turning away to lose my lunch. Shellshock turned green, barely holding it down himself. Nitro managed to shake off the shock after a moment.

“I… what’s done is done,” even now it felt so off to hear the ever-strong Nitro sound so small. “We need to get to the other squad and—”

“Sarge, did you not just see that shit happen?! No way that’s happening to me!” Skyline took a step away from us, ready to bolt in a second.

“Private Skyline, calm down and get back in line!” Nitro barked. “Yes, we all saw what happened, and you can bet I’ll do worse to you if you bail on us!”

It was clear Skyline was not listening. “No! No way! And how they just disguised themselves and….n-no. Wait a minute.” His gaze swept over us, anger and panic embedded in his features. He raised his spear at us. This prompted all of us to ready our own weapons. “One of you led us into this trap, didn’t you? One of you is a bug!”

Shellshock roared. “Put down your weapon! You don’t want this to get ugly!”

“No way! I’m not gonna die here! I’m not doing anything until I know you guys aren’t bugs!”

“Put it down now! This is your final warning, Private!” Shellshock raised his voice.

“Fuck you, sir!” Skyline bit back.

“Both of you, knock it off!” Nitro stepped in.

“This is what those bugs want!” My past self joined in as well. “We need to get a grip and figure this out!”

At the corner of my eye, I caught the faintest hint of a grin on Moonbeam’s face. “Or are you trying to tell us you’re a bug, Skyline?”

“Corporal Moonbeam! Shut up!” Nitro screamed. The damage was already done, Shellshock’s eyes narrowed at Skyline. Nitro’s horn sparked to pull them apart. When time slowed down, I realized it was too late.

“No…! No! NO!”

I stepped forward to stop the attack, but Shellshock was faster. The tip of his spear found its way into Skyline’s throat before he could make another step. My past self gasped, stunned.

Time still slowed, my past self turned his head to yell at Shellshock, only to find a curved dagger plunged into his temple. Moonbeam, a second dagger in his hoof, moved to attack the unsuspecting Nitro.

My spear buried itself into Moonbeam’s barrel, but momentum carried him forward. Were my reflexes half a second faster, I could’ve prevented the dagger from ripping through Nitro’s chest. Moonbeam let out a strangled gasp as his form was engulfed in a green blaze. The changeling fell dead to the side, spear left in him. I hurried to the fallen sergeant’s side. Nitro was desperately gasping for air.

“I got you Sarge,” my past self cried. In his haste, he pulled out the dagger and went to work on unbuckling the gold armor. Her wound was deep, blood rushing out in rivers. My past self grabbed what he could from Shellshock’s satchel to try and patch up the wound. The panic and desperation was fresh on my mind, overwhelmed with what transpired in the span of seconds. I would’ve given anything to save my sargeant.

Nitro tried to speak, only to cough up blood. Deep down, part of me knew she wasn’t going to make it. That cut had struck a major artery. I didn’t know any better back then, nor did I want to take no for an answer.

My past self was halfway through patching up the wound when Nitro’s eyes glazed over.

“S-sarge? No, come on sarge! Don’t do this to me!” My past self shook her body, trembling like a newborn foal. “Don’t leave me alone like this, sarge! I can’t do this without you…!”

First Slipstream’s team, then Moonbeam’s, and now my sargeant. My entire unit was wiped out.

My friends. My family.

They were all dead.

A tear escaped my own eyes. I wanted to end this vision. To bury this nightmare and move on. But the nightmare wasn’t done with me yet. I owed it to them to see the rest of it through.

Nearby screams shocked my past self to alertness. Though I was overcome with grief then, I knew I couldn’t ignore my mission. Something had to be done. Ponies needed to be saved. changelings needed to be killed.

Hatred guided my past self’s movements, ripping the spear out of the dead infiltrator and hurrying around the corner. With a hop I took into the air, careful to keep a low altitude. I made my way towards the rendezvous point, consequences be damned. I’d figured that the worst thing that could happen to me was to join my comrades on the other side.

How wrong I was.

My past self arrived at the tail-end of the street squad two was supposed to clear. The sight caused him to him to stop.

The street was littered with bodies, each one bloodied and eviscerated. Some ponies were embedded into the wall by their own spears while others lie bleeding on the streets. My past self dropped to the ground, searching for survivors.

“Rose, wake up! Sonar? Glideance? Sergeant Coast? A-anypony?”

Each body checked turned up no survivors. Just when I’d figured another changeling squad wiped them out, the lack of changeling bodies left an awful feeling in my stomach. Who, or what, killed them?

A shrill cry echoed from down the street. I knew that voice.

“Wind Stride!” I rushed towards the source, propelled by the knowledge that he of all ponies had survived.

Sweat and tears poured down my face. Back then all I wanted was to save one teammate. At least one. Stars above, give me something.

My past self rushed around the corner. There I found none other than Wind Stride, covered in wounds and spear trembling in hoof, facing down a changeling whose features were oddly obscured in shadow. My past self charged forward, spear raised. The blow nearly landed when the changeling sidestepped the thrust and jumped back. My past self was interposed between Wind Stride and the mysterious changeling.

“Interesting,” Chrysalis murmured. “You remembered my other changelings fairly well. This is the only one I’ve witnessed in your mind so far whose details are foggy.”

“That is weird,” I mused. “You would think if this one is so different I would’ve recognized them.”

“Well, this is a memory you’ve tried to bury. It’s possible that this particular changeling is linked especially close to something you want to forget, just like how Gilda was linked to you wanting to forget about the date. More of a self-defense mechanism than anything else.”

“Mind helping me clear this up? If I’m going to do this, I don’t want to leave any details out.”

“Alright, I—” Chrysalis’ words died in her throat the moment the changeling spoke.

“Spicy,” she purred. Clak. Clak. Clak. Her hoof tapped mockingly on the surface. The voice was heavily distorted, my only clue being it was a female.

Chrysalis paled. “It’s… too dangerous.”

My head snapped towards her. “Excuse me?”

“If I help recall this memory, you won’t forget it. It may help you now, but the damage it could do in the future risks something worse happening to you.”

“You are picking an awfully inconvenient time to be conscious of my life choices.”

“It’ll be better this way.” Her eyes were glued to the mysterious figure.

I threw her a suspicious look. “Why?”

“It… it doesn’t matter who that changeling is. What matters is the rest of the memory—”

“That you clearly want to hide from me,” I accused. “What are you hiding from me? Who is that changeling?”

Another thought hit me. I don’t know enough changelings to make merely their identity important. The bigger question was why is this changeling so important? I already know of Elytra, Thorax, and—

A weight dropped in my stomach. My blood ran cold, the shock of the clues falling into place hit me like a knife being twisted in my chest. Slowly, my head turned to Chrysalis.

“That’s Noble Heart, isn’t it?”

Chrysalis took one look at my face and looked away. She may have been a master of deception, yet even she couldn’t deny this. On a whim I flashed my forehoof on the figures, willing the memory to stop. The world around us froze, a perfect still image.

“Chrysalis…!” I growled. “You know who it is. We both know, and yet you wanted to hide that from me.”

“Flash… I…” Chrysalis swallowed hard. “I couldn’t.”

“The hay you can’t! We’ve already gone this deep, and you’re choosing now of all times to chicken out on me?”

Whatever facade Chrysalis tried to keep slowly cracked. Behind that mask was an expression I never thought I would see on Chrysalis; She was terrified. “I can’t risk incentivizing you to kill her. I’ve already lost so much—”

“Well tough titty, because so have I!” I bit back, pointing at my past self. “You see this here? This is what you’ve done to me. What you took away from me. You are watching the moment my life fell to fucking shambles! Now I have to watch it happen again, all because of the moment where we both got screwed by life! The difference here is one of us actually has a chance to set things right before things get even worse. If you deny me this memory, if you back out now, I will personally tear your ass asunder so hard even Malice will feel sorry for you!”

Chrysalis reeled back.

“You need to decide right now if you want to make a difference! If you deserve even a hint of trust! Chrysalis, you have no choice but to make that blind leap of faith for me!” I jabbed my hoof at her. “You owe me, and now it’s time to pay your mother-fucking dues, one way or the Celestia-damned other!”

A pause followed. Chrysalis bit her lip, staring at the “mysterious” changeling so hard I thought she would accidentally set it on fire.

A single tear escaped her as she sparked her horn.

The shadows lifted on the changeling. It confirmed my suspicions, yet the disbelief still rocked me to my core: The changeling was none other than Noble Heart.

“I knew it,” my words came out slow and cold. “Noble is the one who killed squad two. Safe to assume it was her team that was responsible for what we saw earlier?”

Chrysalis stayed quiet, eyes averted from the scene. She gave a slow nod.

I wasn’t sure what to feel over this. Enraged? Betrayed? I decided to puzzle out how I felt later and focus on the now. With a hoof wave, I made the scene play out. Regardless of how I felt, I needed to see this through to the end.

Noble licked her lips. “Looks like I missed a spot. Are you lost, little boy?”

Sensations flooded back to memory in waves. I recalled how unsettled I was by her presence. I wasn't a threat to her. Not even food. I was a cornered mouse for this vicious wildcat. A plaything.

“Flash, get away! She killed everypony! The whole damn squad!”

“Aww, you're so modest. I didn't kill your whole squad.” She pulled out a dagger from seemingly nowhere and pointed at Wind. “You’re still alive, my little Cupcake.”

It was all too clear that I was outmatched. If she could devastate an entire squad by herself, Wind and I stood no chance at killing her. Noble took a few steps forward. My past self flinched, not knowing what to expect.

A dangerous glint suddenly gleamed in Noble’s eyes. She stopped, brandishing a grin. Her horn glowed ominously.

“And that’s why you’re going to do the honor of killing him for me, drone,” Noble’s tone shifted, More commanding. “Since you’re so eager for your first big mission, I’ll let you finish that weakling off. Put on a good show for me.”

“What? Hey, wait!” Past me charged after her, only to miss as she disappeared in a flash of green light. I should’ve guessed what her plan was from the get-go. Instead it bewildered me why she would call me a drone out of nowhere.

With the threat gone for the moment, past Flash turned to check on Wind Stride. Wind’s eyes were strained with terror, trembling spear pointed towards me.

“Wind Stride,” Past Flash started, “try to calm down—”

“S-stay back!” Wind scrambled back.

“Wind, stop it! Can’t you see she’s trying to play us?” Past Flash hurried after Wind Stride. Disappointed, I shook my head. Big mistake.

Past Flash barely dodged the spear thrust as Wind screamed and attacked.

“Get away from me, monster!” His attacks were wild, unfocused. Tears flowed like rivers down his marred face.

Past Flash blocked and parried the attacks. All I could think about back then was one of my squadmates, a great friend of mine, was trying to kill me. I didn’t want to get killed like Shellshock did, but I didn’t want to kill Wind either. What was a bull-headed grunt like myself supposed to do other than try to scream his senses back? “She’s trying to turn us against each other! This is a trap! Listen to me!”

“Liar! Give back my friends! Give Flash back!” Wind roared. His attacks grew more desperate, pushing my old self further and further back.

I winced as Past Flash tripped over a corpse and barely caught himself from falling. Wind took the chance and tried to stab him. It took all of my willpower to not look away as time slowed down.

“Stop!”

Past Flash lifted up his spear in panicked defense. The blade pierced Wind’s chest.

Time crawled by, almost still. My vision blurred as I reached out for my friend, a decade late to save him from myself. Poor Wind’s face was racked with excruciating pain and shock from the betrayal. His spear fell from his hooves, its clatter deafening in the silence.

“Wind…!” I choked, helpless to save even one friend. Wind tried to reach out to my past self, kept at bay by the spear plunged deep into his barrel.

What could I have done differently? How could I have let this happen? He didn’t deserve this. No pony did.

Wind mouthed something, words drowned out by the blood filling his lungs. I was able to make out the words.

“Give him back.”

Wind’s eyes rolled into the back of his head as he collapsed on his side.

“Wind!” Past me and myself cried out. He dropped the spear and rushed to Wind’s side. I had to force myself not to do the same.

“Wind, speak to me! Don’t die on me, Bro! Wind? Wind!” He shook and shook, eyes blurry and voice hoarse from screaming. When Wind went limp, cold, dead eyes still filled with suffering, all I could do back then was stare back. It finally set in that he was dead. That I killed him. At that moment I learned the downside of remembering some events with perfect clarity.

My own mind went blank. Metallic stench of blood engulfed my nostrils. I began panting, desperate for air. Everything went numb and cold. My heart wanted to tear itself in two. Looking back at my old self, he looked frozen in time. Broken. Wind was dead. Half of my platoon was gone. Twenty-three souls lost, and I was powerless to do anything about it.

An anguished scream ripped me out of my stupor. I thought it was my own at first, accurate to how I felt at the moment. Then I noticed my old self punch at the ground, screaming and crying his heart out. His shouts were filled with pain. They echoed back from the buildings, for a moment even drowning out the fighting sounds in the distance.

Suddenly his head collapsed onto Wind's motionless body. His shoulders began to rock as his shouts turned to sobs. His hooves clung to Wind’s armor, not yet ready to let go of him.

I stole a side glance at Chrysalis. Her eyes turned watery, lips making a fine line. It was surprising to see she still had a heart left that could take a stabbing like mine did.

However, the world wasn’t done kicking my heart in the dick yet. A haughty laughter erupted from behind past me. Just like back then, the hair on the back of my neck stood on end.

“And then there was one,” Noble whispered into past me’s ear. He rolled away, grabbing Wind’s spear and bracing himself. “It’s a shame, really. I’d expected more of a—”

My past self cut her off with a roar and lunge. The tip of the spear hissed through the air. Past me had aimed for her throat, but she easily sidestepped the attack. He slashed at her, the blade whistling above her head as she ducked. Noble darted to the side just before past me slammed it over her head like a hammer.

He attacked again and again. Stabbing. Slashing. Whatever it took to kill her. There was no thought or skill put into past me’s attacks, fueled by a bottomless pit of hate. His unorganized flurry of strikes and stabs was not enough to touch someone as nimble as Noble, though. Every blow was dodged or deflected, the brutal force of the strikes always missing her.. All the while she kept her smug grin.

“This moment,” I said to Chrysalis. “This was the moment I wanted nothing more than to kill her. Kill all changelings. She’d taken my squadmates, made me kill my friend, and just smiled. It just made everything hurt worse. How she just trivialized everything about my own world falling apart.”

“This is…” Chrysalis was at a loss, watching my past self devolve further and further into a mindless frenzy.

“Don’t. Nothing you say or do will change how I feel. All that matters is seeing this mess to the end.”

After dozens of failed attempts to kill Noble, my past self finally stopped to catch his breath. There was just no touching the nimble changeling. All I could do back then was throw her the deadliest glare I could muster.

“So, did you get that out of your system? Ya good?” Noble asked.

“Go to Tartarus, bitch!” My past spat.

“Hmmm, looks like you need to vent a bit more.” She produced a dagger in each forehoof and hovered an inch off the ground. “A dozen holes in the chest should do the trick!”

Time slowed as Noble darted forward.

Even with the Sentry Sense, my past self was barely able parry her speedy blade strike. He tried to step back to place her within effective spear range, only for her to stick to him like glue. A whirl of blades seemed to come at him from every direction as she darted to the side to attack a blindspot. An offense was impossible, and she was too fast for him to get away. All he could do was parry and dodge until she either slipped up or he died.

The smug grin eventually evaporated from Noble, replaced with a deep scowl. “Between you and me, this is all Celestia’s fault!”

My ears perked at this. I hadn’t remembered her saying anything to me, though that was for obvious life-at-risk reasons. Chrysalis also looked invested.

“She could’ve just defeated my mother. Banished her. Imprisoned her. But no, she had to damn her and our future!”

Noble’s attacks increased in ferocity, daggers biting into the guard handle of the spear. “Think we wanted these holes? Think we want to hide like rats? You think I want to be the last of my kind?!”

The last statement made Chrysalis gasp, decidedly upset. I had no idea what Noble was talking about, but decided to wait until later to ask Chrysalis about it.

Noble unleashed a magical blast that sent me flipping into the air like a pancake. I’d crashed back on the ground, covered in small cuts. She flashed me a pitiful look. “I really did try to find a better way for us. Something that didn’t resort to this. But no!” Another blast of magic flung me against a wall before I could get my defenses up again.

“All our benevolent queen could think about was one-upping the sun bitch and her precious peasants! She’d rather stroke her own ego than think about what the hive actually needs or what her own daughters want, which leads to a particularly pissed off changeling murdering the particularly foolish stallion in front of me!”

Another blast of magic had crushed me to the wall once more. My past self tried to stand straight, legs little more than wet noodles at this point. Watching myself turn into Noble’s stress relief toy, likely breaking a few bones with each magical burst, was hard to watch. Chrysalis’s shoulders sagged, looking as if she’d been slapped.

Noble marched up to past me, knife raised to stab him. She lingered over him for a few seconds, only to step back and sigh. “Phew, okay, turns out I really needed get that out of my system. All it took was you lasting more than a few seconds, so thanks for lasting so long.” Noble snickered. “Fifty bits says a mare never told you that before, eh? Sucks for you that will be the last time, too.”

An insidious grin spread across her muzzle as her horn let up.

“I had my fun, but let’s go to more familiar territory for you. You know, quick and—” She never got to finish her sentence.

The world around my past self was suddenly covered in a brilliant pink light. A frightening amount of magical energy rushed through my past self’s limbs. I could still remember the prickling sensation that crawled all over my body, how the air tasted of static. The energy had felt benevolent and refreshing as it washed over me.

Unfortunately for changeling in front of him, it was anything but refreshing for her. The forcefield’s immense power propelled her out of my view at mach speed. It’s wave stretched farther and farther until it was little more than a glimmer in the distance. In hindsight, I was surprised Noble was able to survive getting blasted out of Canterlot at such neck breaking speeds.

With the threat gone so suddenly, all that was left for past me was to look around, at a loss for words for the devastation that remained. Buildings still burning, and surrounded by the corpses of fallen squadmates, exhaustion began to take over him. He looked to his side to find Wind Stride facing him, cold vacant eyes staring back.

I still remembered my last thought before I blacked out.

I failed them.

The vision ended.

We were spat back into reality, neither of us better than when we started. Reliving that memory left me in a raw, quiet state. Even Chrysalis looked shaken, though I had a feeling I knew why.

“You’re still thinking about what Noble said, aren’t you?” I asked.

“I don’t understand where that came from,” Chrysalis admitted. “I never knew she harbored such thoughts about my actions. Our minds have always been linked. We shared and discussed everything.”

“You clearly haven’t.” I shook my head. “My stepdad told me once about an old griffon expression for raising kids. ‘You’ll never know your kid until you look under their bed. Then you’ll wish you haven’t.’ I don’t know what being connected to a hive mind is like, but if I learned one thing from Noble, she will always have that ‘one thing’ she failed to mention or tell you. And if she can hide her thoughts from you, then there’s probably a mountain of that ‘one thing’ she decided to keep to herself.”

Uncertainty crossed her expression. “Surface thoughts and emotions are easy enough to hear in a link. I knew she wasn’t pleased with some of my decisions, but to see such resentment coming from her… it’s unsettling to say the least.”

“If memory serves from our previous conversation, you had no idea your other daughters didn’t take kindly to your life choices either. Malice proved that. What makes Noble so different?”

Chrysalis looked like she was going to object, then faltered. Looks like I got her there.

“While we’re at it, what did she mean by last of her kind?” I asked.

A sudden sense of discomfort struck Chrysalis. “When Celestia and I first dueled, she struck me with a spell that pierced my body in several places, like spears forged from the sun itself. It not only affected me, but all future changelings I created.”

“I recall hearing something about that. You were doing your feeding thing and paid for it. I may not know Celestia personally, but I doubt she wanted to brand future generations of changelings.”

“Celestia did more than that. Whatever she did, it… robbed me of certain privileges. It’d gotten progressively worse with time.” Anger flashed in her eyes. “Noble Heart is not only the youngest matriarch; she’s my last. I...can’t make eggs anymore. Haven’t been able to for awhile now. ”

I winced. Celestia not only defeated Chrysalis; she eventually sterilized her entire race.

“So what Noble said holds some weight. Your hatred for Celestia rendering you barren consumed you. You didn’t invade us to sustain your race; you just wanted to get back at Celestia.”

“Don’t speak of it as if you understand, insect!” Chrysalis snapped, fangs bared. “It’s not your place to trivialize the doom of my species!”

“You’re right. It’s not my place. You took that spot the moment you went to war with us rather than seek help.” I threw back.

Chrysalis stormed up to me until her face was a breath away from mine. “Watch your mouth, you little runt!”

I’d expected my mind to trap her in a prison of spears again. Then again, I wasn’t afraid or paranoid of her anymore. “And you should watch your temper, unless you already forgot what got you in this mess!”

Her gaze narrowed. “Don’t throw stones in glass houses, Flash Sentry. We wouldn’t want to lose another princess, now do we?”

“You got no right to throw that at me!” I thrust my hoof at her face, an inch away from striking her chin. It took everything in me to not punch her in the throat. “This mess is all your fault! Canterlot! Malice! At every turn you’ve managed to find some way to ruin my life!”

“And I’ve paid for it with all but my own life,” Chrysalis’s cold eyes stared down at me. “The failing stability of my hive is at the mercy of a merciless god. What little sanity I have left is saved only by the lord of chaos himself, and I’m separated from my own body, helpless to save my dying race. If it will make you feel better to hit me, do so as many times as you like.” Her gaze narrowed. “Nothing you do will hurt me more than Malice has.”

I hissed through my teeth. Everything in me wanted to strike her down here and now. To see her suffer for her crimes and everything she put us all through.

Twilight’s face suddenly flashed in my mind.

No.

Slowly, I withdrew my hoof, glaring down at the hooves that stole Twilight’s life. I couldn’t stop shaking.

We’ve all suffered enough.

“...It’s so stupid,” my voice was tired. Defeated. “I swore I would avenge my comrades. I’ve trained, and struggled, and fought tooth and hoof to get where I am now. Haunted by nightmares and doubt that we would ever be ready to face you again. Now here you are, standing in front of me. The enemy I’ve dreaded and anticipated killing for the best part of ten years… and actually I want to save you.”

I rubbed at my wet eyes. “ First I kill my own princess, now I’m protecting the one who caused my friends to be murdered. They must be turning in their graves right now.” A bitter laugh escaped me. “I’ll never stop being such a screw-up, won’t I?”

Warm chitin slipped around my frame and pulled me forward. I gasped, struggling to catch up to the fact Chrysalis was embracing me. Strange as it was, it made the brewing storm of emotions running through me even more sporadic.

“W-wha…?”

“You’re not the only one who needs it,” Chrysalis whispered. Something wet dropped on my back. “I’m sorry.”

Bewildered, I didn’t know whether to push her away or meet her halfway. All I could do was stand wrapped up in Chrysalis’ warm embrace. The passage of time was lost of me while we stayed in the awkward one-sided embrace.

I hate that she’s right.

My hooves seemed to act on its own and moved up and around the back of Chrysalis’ neck. It was easier than I thought.

...Really hate that she’s right.

“And so the circle closes.”

Ice dropped in my veins.

Chrysalis and I shot away from each other and turned to face Malice, flanked by what appeared to be a dozen Malice-variant vassals.

“I swear, everytime I turn around you seem to surprise me, Flash Sentry. Here you are, rapt in a touching embrace with the traitorous deceiver who brought you so much despair. If you’re trying to surprise me to death, I applaud your creative attempt.”

Malice sidestepped a bolt of magic from Chrysalis’ surprise attack.

The next second, Malice dashed toward Chrysalis and smashed her face into the wall with a left cross. She was too stunned to react before Malice conjured claw-shaped ice that trapped Chrysalis against the wall.

“Know your place, traitor,” Malice growled.

I moved to attack with my conjured spear, only to get blocked by his sword. Malice’s gaze fell on me. “I have to thank you for helping me find the missing piece to a rather troubling puzzle; Noble Heart.”

My gaze narrowed. “What are you talking about?”

“I’d been unable to figure out who was disrupting my operations in Ponyville. I had a feeling you and this ‘Sassy Love’ might’ve been involved, but it was too risky to play my hand without knowing what Discord was up to or draw too much attention before I’ve completely recovered my strength. Who would’ve thought the elusive Noble Heart could evade me to such a degree by hiding in plain sight?”

My mind scrambled to find a way out of this. With those vassals at his side, Chrysalis and I were at a disadvantage. Our only chance was Discord, who was still dealing with the catalyst.

Only one thing left to do; keep him talking until I figured out another plan.

“What’s the deal with you and this pathos mess in Ponyville, anyway? Why go through all of this trouble?”

Malice gave me an odd look, then smiled. “If you’re trying to buy time for Discord, my vassals are already hunting him down. A wasted effort, far more than that pathetic traitor deserves.”

Damn it!

With a shove, Malice knocked me to the side and placed himself between Chrysalis and I. When he glanced back at Chrysalis, something passed behind his eyes that I couldn’t identify. Some strange mix of disappointment and hesitation.

“I truly hate how it has come to this, Chrysalis. You’re quite brilliant. Powerful. Charming. Killing you would be a tragic waste of potential. Only for you am I willing to forgive your traitorous transgressions and let you come back to me if you do so willingly and faithfully. You can either do it now, or wait until I kill Noble Heart.”

Chrysalis gritted her teeth. “You… no, you can’t reach her. She’s out of the hive’s network. You can never touch her.”

Malice shrugged. “She may be out of the network for now, but her little tricks will soon fail her, and then she'll fall victim to my might as all enemies and traitors eventually do. After all, if you can entertain Flash and myself for a moment, tell me,” he smirked, “when is the last time I’ve failed to honor a promise?”

After a moment, Chrysalis paled, horror stricken.

“What in Tartarus are you getting at, Malice?” I demanded.

Malice turned his attention back to me. “I’m a strong believer in the phrase ‘seeing is believing’. As Chrysalis has witnessed, I always deliver on my promises.”

With the wave of his claw, one of the windigos moved forward. It’s body stretched and contorted until it resembled a rectangular shape with a sort of transparent film in the middle.

Is that a screen?

“Noble Heart will arrive shortly. My vassals are already in position, with Elytra none the wiser,” Malice chuckled darkly. “Hope you two are ready for a show.”

Author's Notes:

Merry Christmas, my fellow paladins!

Told ya I would deliver on a present. Worked extra hard to bring you lovely paladins something truly special to tide you over for the holidays. Hope you enjoy!

Now, onto these two parts, this has been a long awaited segment I wanted to tackle. A glimpse of events that shaped Flash to who he is now. When I first conjured this story, I had to really think about the Flash I wanted to bring to the story. Elements that are familiar with the human one we recognize (the guitar, association with Sunset), combined with the military background, and give him a foundation that speaks to what his strengths and weaknesses are. Also helps that I love deep backstories.

The Canterlot invasion is an integral piece to a lot of why Flash is the way he is. The gritty reality of a war he simply wasn't ready for. Loses that wrecked him on a psychological level. The final nail in the coffin. I hope this sheds light on all of his actions until this point.

Unfortunately for our hero and Chrysalis, Malice has plans to chip away at their spirits even further. What could it be? Find out next chapter!

Until next time, stay classy, my paladins! Enjoy the holidays!

Chapter 26: The end of all hope

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I stirred awake to hushed whispers. Pain echoed throughout my stiff carapace, pulling a hiss and groan out of me. Somebody tied up my legs, forelegs pinned to my chest and hind legs bound together. My only comfort was the pillowy cushions I laid on.

Ugh, feels like I got hit by a house.

My eyes fluttered open. No doubt I was at home base, though with some key differences. The window was roughly repaired with an overabundance of duct tape. I ended up on the patient's couch tied up with impressively tight knots. Panic flickered in my chest until I witnessed the culprits behind my capture.

Behind my swivel chair were three familiar fillies shaking in their hooves. Scootaloo was huddled underneath the chair with her eyes covered while Sweetie Belle and Applebloom peaked out from around the chair from opposite sides, gawking at me as if I was going to try and gobble them up. Not that I was in any position to do such a thing.

Admittedly confused, I stared back at them blankly. Then I looked down at my hooves again. Black. Cracked chitin.

“...Well, shit.”

The girls gasped, somehow more offended by my words than race.

I smiled sheepishly. “Sorry.”

They visibly calmed down. At least Scootaloo moved her hoof enough to peek out with one eye. I was half tempted to shout ‘Boo!’, held back only by the likely mess on the floor I would probably have to clean up later. “A-are you sure you’re not gonna gobble us up?” Scootaloo asked.

“Wouldn’t dream of it.” I reassured. I need to gain their trust and get them talking first. Then figure out my next move to find Elly, save Spike, and pray I haven’t been too exposed.

“W-w-we need answers from you, Miss C-Changeling!” Sweetie demanded. She would’ve been more threatening if she actually poked her head out from behind the chair.

Play along for now. They’re just scared of the big bad bug in their town. “As you wish, Sweetie Belle. Are any of you hurt?”

The poor thing recoiled at first, then cautiously stepped out from her safety chair, legs shaking slightly less than before. “No, we’re fine. But that’s what we want to know; why did you save us?”

“Now hold on a sec,” Applebloom stepped out of the chair’s shadow, placing a hoof on Sweetie’s shoulder. “Now, ah reckon we need some answers, but we cain’t forget to show respect. She saved our hides back there.”

“I know, but she’s a changeling! And she’s been pretending to be Sassy!”

“O-or maybe she gobbled up the real one!” Scootaloo added, eyes covered again. Would’ve rolled my eyes if I weren’t so amused.

“How long have I been out?” I asked, changing the subject.

“Ya’ll were out like a light fer about two hours.”

I paled. Two hours?! That gives Elytra far too much time to recover. The trail will be long cold at this point.

But what about Spike? Who knows what she could’ve done to him during that time. He could be dead!

My eyes started to sting. Oh no… Spike could be dead…!

“Miss Changeling?” Sweetie called out softly. Whatever face I’d made caused them to give me a sympathetic look. “Please tell us what’s going on and what you’re doing in Ponyville, as well as what happened to Sassy.”

I don't have time to play twenty questions with them! A scowl set on my face as I tried to struggle out of my bindings. I need to get out of here and—

And do what exactly? The rational side of my brain asked. I stopped to force myself to breathe slowly. You lost Elly’s trail, got exposed to a bunch of fillies, and don’t have anywhere near the fighting strength to deal with her. I need to recover my strength and heal. I need…

My eyes glazed over as I looked at the fillies. I licked my lips.

Sustenance.

The girls recoiled.

I… I have to get a hold of myself. I’ll only make my life more difficult if I scare them to death.

I took a few deep breaths through my nose, quelling whatever feelings of despair that tried to constrict my lungs.

“Sorry. Mouth is dry.” I lied. They calmed down slightly, still sitting on pins and needles. “Before I clear the air, there’s something I must know. Does anypony else know about me being a changeling?”

The girls exchanged a look with each other. When Scootaloo and Applebloom nodded to Sweetie, she finally answered. “No. After you saved us, we decided together to keep you safe and secret until we figured out if you’re dangerous or not.”

“I see. That is really smart,” I complimented. Majority of ponies would’ve exposed me on the spot and made a big spectacle of capturing the big scary bug. Then again, the young ones are never to be underestimated. Easy to manipulate, but far more observant and intelligent than most adults give them credit for.

“Thank you for your secrecy. I’ll tell you the truth about what I’m doing here, but you must keep this a secret, okay? It is very important that nopony knows what I’m about to tell you.”

They nodded rapidly, their attention rapt. I continued. “You’re right about Sassy Love. She’s not a real pony; just an alias I took to protect my true identity.”

I took a dramatic breath.

“I’m a Niponese ninja that’s on a secret mission to protect Princess Twilight from the forces of evil. My true name is Kawaii Mushi.”

The girls gasped, torn with shock and disbelief.

“My clan has been working from the shadows for thousands of years, fighting together with Princess Luna to protect Equestria. We’ve long mastered the art of ninjutsu to create illusion so we can stay secret.” I sighed. “But alas, you’ve found me out, just as I was trying to save Spike from the clutches of my sister, Baka Mushi.”

“Spike’s in trouble?!” Sweetie gasped.

I nodded. “Yes. He’s been a student of mine for awhile now, helping me and Flash Sentry protect Twilight from our greatest nemesis; Megatron.”

“I dunno,” Applebloom’s eyes narrowed with suspicion, “this sounds mighty fishy to me. Wasn’t Chrysalis a queen of ya’ll or somethin’?”

“She went rogue,” I answered smoothly. “Chrysalis took many of my clan and separated, joining Megatron on his quest to rule the world. He even forced my sister to do terrible things, like kidnap Spike to turn him against me. I must save him.” I closed my eyes, forcing a tear to slide out. “But in saving you, honoring the promise of my dear friend Flash to protect the innocent, I’ve injured myself. I… need your help.”

“Hmm…” The crusaders took a collective pause. This was shortly followed by a huddle, talking amongst themselves in hushed tones. It might’ve been effective if I wasn’t a meter away in an otherwise quiet building.

“Should we really trust her? That story sounds weird.”

“But she saved us, Scootaloo. Changelings are supposed to be bad guys, and bad guys wouldn’t go around saving fillies. Twice if you count the cart thing.”

“Maybe she could help us figure out what's goin’ on with Twilight and the others actin’ all weird.”

My ear twitched. “Pardon my interruption, but what was that about Twilight and everyone else?”

The three jumped back. “Whoa, how in the world did you hear us?” Scootaloo asked.

“Must be some sort of super ninja hearin’,” Applebloom added.

Were my hooves not tied, I would’ve facehooved so hard.

Sweetie was the one to answer me. “A little bit before we ran into you a second time, we saw my sister and the others heading into Everfree. They outright ignored us and looked a little off, like they weren’t themselves. It was really weird.”

“That does sound strange,” I agreed. Now that I think about it, didn’t Elytra say something to Zecora about 'she’ll join the others' when she was about to—

The proverbial hammer dropped in my head.

So that’s it! With the element bearers enthralled and taken out of the picture, that’s some of Ponyville’s most problematic defenders taking out of the equation. No doubt the Cold One will rob them of all information and will power. But if that’s the case, why did she foalnap Spike rather than send him in as well?

What in the world are you up to, Elly?

“Alright, we’ve made a decision!” Sweetie announced. “We’re going to give you a chance, only because you saved us twice and are going to save Spike.”

“And talking about Spike reminded me of somethin’ I noticed, but wasn’t quite sure until now,” said Applebloom. “I couldn’t right tell what was zippin’ by us because I was so surprised, but ah coulda sworn it was headin’ to the hospital.”

Scootaloo rolled her eyes at this. “I already told you that doesn’t make sense. You saw how full that hospital was. No one in their right mind would go there with all the craziness of that random blizzard that came out of nowhere!”

The hospital…

A wide grin burst out of my cheeks.

I think I found my first location to scout out. And with the crusaders giving me a pass, all I gotta do is lose them and make them swear to silence. The last thing I need is a changeling hunt to get thrown into this mess.

“I see. Well, thank you all for giving me a chance to set things right. Now, if you could untie me and swear that everything you saw today never leaves this room—”

“Not so fast, Kawaii!”

I stared dumbly at Sweetie Belle. “Huh?”

“I said we were going to give you a chance, but it comes with one condition.”

A bead of sweat rolled down my cheek. “And that would be…?”

“You must become an honorary member of the Cutie Mark Crusaders!” They cheered.

“And teach us ninja stuff like that exploding cart technique!” Scootaloo added.

So the fate of my secrecy as a changeling hinges on joining a their silly little group? Eh, I’ve done worse to keep a secret.

“Sure, it’s a deal. After this whole situation calms down will I start teaching you the sacred arts of the Niponese Ninjutsu.”

“Alright!” The girls hoofbumped each other with glee. They soon untied my bindings, giving me some much needed freedom. That still left me with one issue.

“Alright, fellow crusaders, I need your help to save Spike. And with this, I shall teach you a secret about my kind.”

“Of course! Whatever we can do to help save Spike, we’ll do it!” Applebloom declared heatedly.

“You see, changelings such as myself draw upon the strength of love and friendship to give us power. If you can help give me strength by showering me with love, I can gain enough power to save Spike and stop Megatron.”

The girls looked at each other, then looked at me.

“Uh, how do we do that? Do we just hug you or something?” Scootaloo asked.

“There’s stuff like the magic of friendship, but we don’t have powers like that,” said Applebloom.

Drawing love from fillies and colts in a harmless manner was somewhere between ridiculously easy and ludicrously hard since they had to willingly offer it. The wrong move would make it near impossible to draw on the energy I needed to heal up.

I suppose getting ideas wouldn’t hurt.

“What if I transformed into something you really like?” I offered.

The moment I saw the grin on their faces, I realized I might have made a poor decision.

The things I do for love...

“Why did you do it, Spike?”

Flash’s voice echoed all over the empty tundra, tone as unforgiving and cold as the wind cutting into my bones. I searched left and right for him. For anyone.

“I… I had no choice!” I cried out into the drowning gale. “You were going to kill everyone!”

“There’s always a choice. You took the easy way out!” Flash barked. “You killed me!”

My shaking legs gave way and dropped me to my knees. I clutched my head. “I didn’t want to do it! I-it’s not my fault!”

“Let me guess, the knife just so happened to fall in your hand. You just so happened to trick me into believing you were my best friend, and you just so happened to stab me? You were supposed to be my friend! My teammate! You didn’t even try to defend me when Trojan was clearly making a fool out of all of us!”

The excuse I had on the tip of my tongue died. My stomach churned, sick to my core.

“You were supposed to be my friend. I trusted you!" The harsh wind picked up speed and whipped around me. "You were like a brother to me! But now I’m dead! Face it, kid, this is all your fault!”

“I-I’m sorry! I’m sorry! I’m sorry!” I apologized over and over, blubbering like a inconsolable foal. Arms crossed over my stomach, I curled over, the pain in my chest unceasing.

I wish I could take it back. I would’ve done anything to take back what I did. But now he was gone. All because of me.

The thick flurry of snow swirled around me faster and faster, drowning out my words and thoughts. I couldn’t even hear myself anymore, let alone feel anything but the freezing air drilling down into the bone.

Then all at once, everything stopped.

My screams echoed into the silence. The pure white surroundings, even the air itself dispersed. I was still shaking, only just out of feeling raw like my throat rather than cold. I didn’t dare to look up at first, still reeling from the crippling ache worming through my gut.

“I warned you, Spike.”

A shadow, tall as Canterlot Castle itself, fell over me. I slowly looked up, petrified of the giant version of Trojan towering me.

“You can’t save everyone, Spike. I tried to warn you, but nooo~, you’re just too smart to take me seriously,” Trojan sneered. “Now look at you. A pathetic mess who can’t take responsibility.”

“I…” I swallowed hard. “I-I did save everyone! Rarity, Pinkie, Rain—”

“How about Twilight?”

I stopped.

“Well? Did you save her?”

“U-uh...k-k-kind of…”

“Uh huh. You saved her as well as you saved the rest of the town. How many ponies do you think died in that blizzard? What if Twilight is actually in a coma, never to wake up? Are they saved, Spike?”

The tears returned in force. I didn’t have an answer for that.

“Twilight nearly died because you failed to act. Failed to do what was necessary. Maybe if you were stronger, smarter, braver, you might’ve been able to stop Flash and protect Twilight. Instead, you had to kill your best friend. Who knows what will happen with your next screw up. Maybe you will have to kill Twilight too.”

“Shut up!” I screamed.

“Awww, the poor wittle drake can’t handle some criticism?” Trojan cooed condescendingly. “Too scared to face the real world? Or maybe you’re finally realizing why Twilight always makes you play bass while everyone else saves the day.”

“I said shut up!” I pushed myself to my feet, glaring up at the condescending Trojan. “I’m not scared to face the world! I’m not useless, and I am going to help save everyone!”

Trojan flashed a toothy grin.

“Prove it. Spike?”

The sudden tone shift to distant and echoing threw me off. I blinked in confusion. “Huh?”

“Spike, can you hear me? Spike? Spi—”

“—ke, please respond!”

My eyes snapped open as I shot up and placed a claw on my chest. Training kicked in and I stopped myself from using the Dragon Whisper. As much as I wanted to talk to Trojan, I had no idea where I was or if I was even alone. I craned my neck to look around first.

I thanked my night-vision for allowing me to survey what otherwise would’ve been a pitch black room. Piles of boxes, gurneys, and various exercise equipment were stacked all over the place. There were no windows, dust settled all over what probably had been pearly white tiled flooring and tan walls. I was just about to consider myself safe when I barely noticed the presence on the other side of the room, nestled between two tall boxes. My heart sank.

Crouched in a meditative position was Elytra, eyes closed. Had I scanned the room too quickly I would’ve easily mistaken her for a statue.

“Spike, please respond if you can hear me! If you can’t talk, just do something to let me know you’re alive,” Trojan pleaded through the whisper.

I dwelled on my options. Whatever noise I made would catch Elytra’s attention. As much as I wanted to talk to Trojan, it didn’t take a genius to realize having an open conversation in front of a sleeping threat was a bad idea.

Perhaps I could sneak out of here? That thought reminded me of my recent stealth attempt at the castle.

Waking up from a nightmare. Finding none of my friends in the castle. Stumbling upon ‘Nurse Redheart’ pouring white energy into Flash. Tripping on a metal wire. Elytra dropping her disguise and chasing me. I ran. A lot. Might’ve screamed like a little filly at some point. I barely got a few words out to Trojan before Elytra caught up and… everything went fuzzy after that.

Note to self: Invisible wires are a thing. But why would Elytra bring me here? Why does she even want to keep me around?

An idea sprung to mind. She wouldn’t have gone into meditation if she didn’t feel secured about me or the room. Probably assumed I would still be asleep. Perhaps a little sleep talking could mask my words to Trojan.

I shifted slowly to lay on my side, back turned to Elytra. Once I was ready, I put on my best drowsy voice and channeled the Dragon Whisper.

“Hey sexy. Aren’t you a sight for sore eyes.” I murmured.

“What the fu… oh. Oh! Spike! Thank Mother you’re still alive! Is Elytra nearby? Are you at the hospital?”

I smiled to myself, playing extra attention to the subtle shift from Elytra’s position. “Mmm, yes and yes, baby.”

There was a pause. “I can’t tell if you’re brilliant or an idiot, but either way you can stop talking now. Just listen and act natural.” I allowed myself to relax. That is, until soft hoofsteps made me clinch all of my muscles. “Stall for as long as you can and watch what you say. The Cold One will be keeping his eyes and ears to everything. I will reach you soon.”

“Wake up, Reptile!”

Stars exploded before my eyes when a kick to the spine sent me rolling into the wall. I hissed through my teeth and scrambled onto my feet. I knew it was Elytra, yet having her hover over me with a glare that could melt icebergs shook me like nothing else.

“W-what do you want with me?” I asked, unable to keep the trembling out of my voice.

“You’re a slippery little runt, you know that?” Elyra snarled. “It was one thing to sneak up on me while I’m working, but another to make it difficult to catch you. I think we both know why I kept you to myself while I had my slaves escort the princess to her rightful place.”

Anger beat back the fear in my throat. “Where did you take Twilight and the others?”

“You got bigger things to worry about, Reptile.”

As if on cue, her horn lit up. Razor thin wires tightened around my wrists, ankles, waist and neck, yanking me off my feet and flatten onto the wall. Any amount of struggling just led to the wires biting deeper into my scales.

I really hate these damn things.

“My master wants nothing more than for me to kill you and be done with it. But if you tell me what I want to know, I might be able to keep you alive.” Elytra narrowed her gaze. “And don’t even try to think you can lie to me. The minute I catch you lying,” magic ignited in her horn. The wires coiled further, pulling a yelp out of me as they bit into my skin, “you’re going to regret it. Get me?”

I nodded slowly, staying silent out of fear of giving anything away.

“Let’s pick up where my subordinate left off. You know some information I want. Answer my questions precisely and you may keep some of your limbs.” She moved closer, cleverly staying out of biting range. “You had something that doesn’t belong to you. How did you get it?”

Something that doesn’t belong to me? It’s gotta be the daggers. I can still feel them on me, so she must have no idea about Trojan’s invisibility enchantment, or rather, that she would use it on me. But she knows I got them, and changelings are natural lie detectors. No point in lying.

“You mean the dag—”

I caught a panicked look from Elytra half a second before her punch to the gut left me winded.

“What part of answer precisely did not reach your puny brain? Do it right!” She snapped.

What was that about? She looked scared for a second.

My mind raced for something. Anything to buy time.

I thought back to Trojan’s teachings, specifically the path of the Noble Heart. The way she charmed me to lower my defenses. Perhaps, I began to realize, there’s a way I could use that to play to her senses. After all, it’s all too obvious why she’s asking about the daggers. That was my ticket to not get stabbed or lose a limb.

I put on the best thoughtful look I could muster. “Before I tell you, hear me out. You know you don’t have to go through this ‘bad cop’ routine, right?” I gulped at seeing her muscles tighten up to strike me again. “I can’t lie to you, and we both know your cold-blooded master is a jerkface that can’t be trusted. The real question here is why you care what happens to the owner of that dagger?”

I gasped as the wires coiled even tighter everywhere except my throat, cutting my skin. Elytra growled. “I don’t have time for games. Answer the question, whelp!”

“Even knowing what your master would do to the owner if I do?”

Elytra stiffened as if I’d slapped her in the face. Doubt played in her eyes, glaring hard into mine. I stared back, daring her to answer.

The wires loosened. Slightly.

“...Let’s come back to that question,” Elytra said after a long beat. “Where did you learn the code?”

Pieces clicked together in my mind. She would know her mother better than anyone. Know who those daggers belonged to.

“Not from Thorax,” I answered smoothly.

Elytra threw me an odd look like I just told her I was from outer space. She studied my face for what felt like minutes, gears churning behind her gaze. I’d bet my treasure hoard she started putting two and two together.

“...Sassy Love?”

I nodded.

“T-that is…!” Elytra gasped, dumbfounded. She moved away from me, pacing about the room. The emotion in her face flickered between several emotions. Anger. Hope. confusion. Concern. After a minute of active pacing she ended on terror. “No. No, no, no. That… but it couldn’t be. Why would… how… oh. Oh no.” She continued muttering and fussing to herself like Twilight seconds before a meltdown.

Not exactly the reaction I was hoping for.

“So, uh, isn’t that supposed to be good news?” I asked, knowing full well she got my hint.

Elytra stopped, looked at me, then looked away with a grim look on her face.

“I just dropped a house on her a few hours ago.”

I waited a bit, ready for the punchline. After a few seconds of realizing there wasn’t one coming, I tilted my head and gave her a bugged out stare. “A… house?”

“Did I stutter, Reptile? Yes, a bloody building fell on her!” She screeched, then calmed down after taking a moment to sigh. “Oddly enough, this is actually good news. Sort of.”

“In what universe is that good news?!” I bellowed. The look she gave reminded me I was on thin ice.

“Most ponies would be dead or crippled from such a crash. If she is who I think she is, such an event would only slow her down. I’ve had my suspicions about her from the start. Enchanted security of her home. Expertly controlled emotions. Fighting style. Dodging my garrote traps. I couldn’t make heads or tails of Sassy. At least, not until the disturbing yabberings you sputtered moments ago.”

“Yabberings?” I feigned surprise. “O-oh, was I talking in my sleep—”

“Fool!” She cracked her hoof across my face. I could taste blood in my gums. “It’s all too obvious you were only pretending to sleep talk!”

I was unable to hold back my shock. “W-what?”

Elytra rolled her eyes. “The pitch in your breathing shifted seconds before you began talking to yourself. Sleep talking isn’t a string of coherent words, but a broken mess of thoughts given voice. You froze up the moment you heard my steps, shoulders and back muscles tense as I drew close. With the way you keep that palm to your chest, I imagine you’re using that Dragon Whisper spell you developed about… hm, was it about three years ago? Right after your sixteenth birthday?”

My jaw slackened, then closed with a clack. Sweat rained down my forehead. “H-how did you…”

Elytra grinned, pleased with herself. “Please, do you suspect me to be an amateur in the art of deception and espionage? You are a mere duckling trying to blend in a pride of lions! The only thing stopping me from slitting your throat for your audacity is your connection to ‘Sassy’ and your adorable effort to uphold this pathetic farce.”

It took a bit to work my vocal chords to form words. “W-well… good thing I’m adorable then, huh?” I laughed nervously.

Elytra mocked my laughter for all of two seconds before exploding with rage. “Fool!” A punch to the gut knocked the wind out of me again. “You dare mock our talents with such a paltry performance? Mock me by believing I would fall for it?”

I gasped for air, wrenching from the pain echoing in my abs. “U-um… uh… s-sorry?”

“Damn right you’re sorry! You worthless, incompetent charlatan! You dishonor your teacher—no, the entire hive by not giving it your all. Why I have half a mind to—”

“Why is this drake still alive, Overlord?” Hissed a deep, echoing voice.

Elytra suddenly spun her head towards the right wall, gaping in terror. I was about to ask what she saw when a ghostly creature easily twice my height materialized out of thin air. It reminded me of the windigo the legends talked about, except draped in full plate armor covering everything except its flaming white eyes and jaw. The air around its fiery energy was hazy and charged, sapping all heat from the area. Ice dropped in my veins.

What in the world is that thing? No way that huge thing can be a normal windigo.

“When did you… I have this under control, so get off my back!” Elytra snapped.

“Mind your tongue, Overlord. Do not dare to address me like your underlings.” The windigo floated towards us, slithering through the air and staring at her like a hungry python. “Unless you require us to make another example of your brood?”

Elytra’s teeth gnashed together with effort, as did mine. “That... is not necessary. I know my place.” Each word was punctuated as if she tried to kill the windigo with them.

“The Cold One has spawned me to provide support to cover the loss of your squad,” its eyes swiveled to me and narrowed, “and ensure that all loose ends are severed.”

I gulped. That ghost looked ready to have me served on a silver platter.

Elytra grew suspicious. “You could’ve did all of that while still remaining invisible. Why reveal yourself now?”

The windigo tilted its head at her. “I can feel your fear, Overlord. Such weaknesses risks compromising your judgment and the mission. I wish to grant you focus by any means necessary.” His emphasis on ‘focus’ carried a chilling undertone which sounded more like a threat than promised comfort.

I shifted my attention to Elytra, unable to see anything more than an irritated changeling. She certainly wasn’t kidding about being good at deception if not even an ounce of fear could show on her face. Then again, that windigo being able to read her emotions spoke volumes.

“I’ll do my part as commanded by him. I fear nothing.” Elytra spat.

“Lying is pointless, Overlord. There’s something about this drake’s words that inspires paranoia and concern out of you.” The windigo floated closer to me, examining me with a disdainful stare like I was dirt. “I see no purpose in keeping him alive. A fleeting distraction. I would be more than happy to end his life.”

“Leave the dragon alone. He has information about somepony I want.”

“As I’ve overheard. Why not rip the answer out of his mind? Has the loss of your forces dulled your logic?”

Anger cracked through Elytra’s stony expression. “That’s none of your concern!”

The windigo snapped its icy gaze to her, growling. He encircled the suddenly nervous Elytra like a vulture. “All you do is our concern, Overlord. Allow me a moment to remind you why. Hmm…” It’s eyes flared with power. “This one will do.”

Elytra sparked her horn. Suddenly her eyes shot wide open. “Wait! Don’t do it! H-he’s just a hatchling! I’ll whatever you ask! I—” Her breathing hitched. She sunk onto her haunches, tears threatening to fall as she stared emptily into the floor.

“Do we have an understanding, Overlord?” The windigo glowered.

“Y… yes. Yes we do.” Whatever fight had been in her vanished, a mouse pleading mercy from the cat.

I tried to piece together what I was seeing. Elytra looked as if part of her soul just got ripped from her. The mention of a hatchling, and then—

Did… did that windigo just kill a hatchling? All just because he was sassed just a little bit?

I thought back to what we’d learned about the Cold One’s “disciplinary” practices. Keeping them in line by killing others. Making examples of those that wouldn’t follow him.

Elytra had already lost so many changelings thanks to Flash. Now she had to lose even more for such a selfish reason…?!

My fist curled, blood boiling with fury.

“Hey you! Look at me you worthless bastard!”

The windigo turned to throw me a merciless glare.

I said nothing at first, glaring hard at this bastard. After holding his attention for a moment I finally spoke, pouring every ounce of conviction into my voice.

“I’m going to kill you. No matter what I have to do or go through, I will do whatever it takes to end your miserable life.”

The windigo tilted its head, unimpressed. “Overlord, alert me when you are done with him. I shall dine on drake tonight after securing the area.” It faded out of sight. An icy sensation crawled up my spine and through my veins.

“Spike,” Trojan’s voice rang in my head, “I’ve infiltrated the hospital and found one of Elytra’s wires leading into the basement level. I’ll be there a minute or two tops. Stall for just a bit longer.”

Knowing Trojan would be here to rescue me soon was overshadowed by the dark mood on Elytra’s face. I opened my mouth to say something when Elytra beat me to it.

“That was foolish,” she said somberly. “Any chance you had to live is gone. That vassal wants you dead.”

“I don’t care.”

Elytra looked up at me, surprised.

“I’ve… done a very bad thing today. I probably deserve whatever that thing has planned for me. But I can’t die here. Not until I stab that son-of-a-bitch in the face and stop the Cold One from hurting anyone else, changelings or otherwise.”

“Why do you care?” Elytra asked sincerely. “After everything that’s happened to you, mercy should be the last thing on your mind.”

“She taught me a thing or two about what you all had to go through. No creature should have to go through such a thing, and I decided to stop being a bystander and do something about it. I know what I’m fighting for and why.” I stared into Elytra’s eyes. “What about you? Is this Cold One really what you want to fight for?”

“Of course not!” Elytra shot. “I don’t have a choice. If I had another option I would take it in a heartbeat.”

“But you do have a choice!”

“Not while the rest of my brood is at knife point. He can kill any of us, myself included, with just a thought. There’s no happy ending for us. No hope in being anything more than a slave of his will.”

“There is hope. Living proof that hope exists if you just ask for it,” I gave her the best smile I could muster. “You don’t have to take my word for it. You can just ask her yourself.”

Panic started to show on Elytra’s face. “Ask her for… wait, are you saying she’s already on her way here?”

The door lock clicked. Elytra looked ready to have a heart attack.

Elytra’s magic worked the wires on me to tighten even further and add a layer around my mouth to seal it shut just before the door creaked open. Like a professional performer, panic was wiped from Elytra’s face as she transformed into Nurse Redheart. Trojan, disguised as Sassy, emerged through the door as if she didn’t have a care in the world, flicking on the lights in the room.

Trojan stopped in the middle of the room, facing down Elytra. I couldn’t help getting teary-eyed. “Sit tight, Shortcake. I’ll have this whole thing sorted out in no time.” She promised.

“Those are big words, Sassy.” Elytra flashed a confident grin. “But you better not come too close. One wrong step and I’ll—”

“Kill him, right?” Trojan cut her off with a yawn. “Eh, go ahead.”

Wait, what?!

Elytra looked just as surprised as I was.

“He’s an annoying little twerp to be honest. Always sticking his nose where it doesn’t belong and, quite frankly, being a pain in the flank. Besides, Twilight isn’t paying me overtime for him, so… yeah, sorry Spike. I’m just here for the street cred.”

I was half-thankful for the wires keeping my screaming and cursing muffled.

“Do you think I’m joking? I really will kill him if you try anything.” As if to prove true on her threat, she worked her magic on my wires and tightened them even further. I winced, unable to fully cry out from the wires slicing my skin. Trojan apparently found the keratin on her forehooves to be more interesting.

“For a hospital, this place is really dusty. Think it might cause a health hazard?” Trojan moved to dust off her forelegs. I couldn’t read Trojan’s motives at all. Moments ago she reassured she was going to save me, and now she’s claiming to be here just for bragging rights?

What kind of rescue is this? With friends like her, who needs… wait a minute, doesn’t she carry dagg—

A frightened gasp left me as something silvery whistled by and stabbed the wall beside my head and left wrist. My heart leapt into my throat, wide eyes staring back at me from the knife’s reflection. It wasn’t until the wires on my neck and wrist fell off that I realized what happened.

Trojan threw another dagger at my bindings, only for Elytra to snatch it out of the air and rush at her.

While Elytra was engaged in a blinding clash of knives against Trojan, I busied myself with the blades hurled at me to free the rest of my bindings. It took a second to realize these were regular combat knives and not Niekinis daggers. I tried to keep my eye on the fight while cutting at the bindings on my legs, waist, and mouth.

My training allowed me to keep up with the movements. Elytra pressed the attack, slashing twice before stepping back. Trojan followed up with a quick slash at the blade before darting back.

I blinked rapidly, not sure if I was seeing things. Their movements were fast, both of them slashing and blocking at breakneck speed. What bothered me was how familiar it was. Elytra would dash forward, strike, then bounce back. Trojan would do the same, each of them perfectly parrying and blocking the attacks. Step. Slash. Step. Block. Rinse and repeat.

Hold on…

Elytra’s stony expression started to crumble as the fight pressed on, teeth gnashed and brow creased. Whatever emotion she tried to hold back started to come out through small tears. Trojan was the opposite: total control and focus. Neither received a single cut in their exchanges. The longer I stared, the more I realized their movements were perfectly synchronized and choreographed.

They’re… communicating. They both know who the other is. Why are they still fighting then?

Several cuts later I was finally free of the wires. I’d thought to run over and stop them for a moment, then rejected the idea. I would only get in the way.

After a few more exchanged their blades clashed, locked in struggle.

“So, where did you learn to fight like that, huh?” Elytra asked, a hint of amusement in her voice.

Trojan leaned in close and smirked. “Your mom.”

Trojan ducked and swept Elytra’s hooves. Elytra was thrown onto her back. Trojan rolled forward and pressed her blade against Elytra’s neck. Neither moved an inch, exchanging hard stares. Then they looked around themselves.

“Think we’re clear?” Trojan whispered out of breath, just loud enough for me to hear.

“I… I think so. You would’ve been dogpiled by vassals by now,” Elytra was just as breathless, paranoia written all over her face.

They waited some more. Then, a snort from Elytra.

“I just… I can’t with you. You’re such a dork,” Elytra laughed.

“And you’ve been slacking on your training. Even Spike could’ve seen that trip coming.”

I grumbled inwardly. I’m right here, y’know!

Trojan dropped on her haunches and scooped Elytra up and into a hug.

“But I still love you anyway. Slacker.”

Elytra caved.

She collapsed into Trojan, sobbing like an inconsolable foal. After everything that’s happened tonight: the lives lost and the drama caused by the Cold One, seeing those two finally reuniting and being happy warmed my heart.

“Everyling said you were either dead or abandoned us,” Elytra rambled through hiccups. “I never believed any of it. I've missed you so much, Mum.”

“I’m sorry I had to put you through that. It was hard being away from you, Elly.” Trojan nuzzled Elytra, glowing with happiness. I smiled, a wave of warmth flooding my chest. “...Spike, what do you think you’re doing?”

I nearly jumped, thrown off by Trojan’s dead serious tone. I worked quickly at the final bindings around my snout and freed my jaw. “Huh?”

“Get that tail over here. You’re not getting out of this hug, Mister.”

“Wha-but-I don’t…” I shuffled in place, suddenly uncomfortable with the attention. Couldn’t help being reminded of how our last meeting was less than pleasant. “T-this is your moment. I don’t want to ruin in.”

Trojan sighed, then shifted her attention to Elytra. “Hey, give me a moment to take care of something.”

“Yes, of course,” Elytra scooted away to give space. Trojan’s expression turned stern as she walked over to me, staring down with a hard look that brought back memories of my recent nightmare. I don’t know why or how it happened, only that all of the guilt and stress I’d gone through until now bubbled to the surface and out as hot tears.

“You… you were right. About needing to take responsibility. That I can’t save everyone.” I sniffled, avoiding her gaze, “I didn’t want to believe—ow!” I winced as Trojan gave me a light punch on the arm.

“Read the room, Spike. That’s the last thing on my mind right now. I just got back after a house was dropped on me!” Elytra looked away from Trojan's pointed glare until she returned her gaze on me.

“I-I thought it was a good idea at the time…” Elytra muttered to myself. Now I knew how the crusaders felt whenever they were called to the teacher’s office.

“We’ve all had a rough day, Spike,” Trojan continued. “It’s not going to get any better from here. We’ll talk more when we get back to the castle, but for now, I’m going to count to three. If I don’t get my motherbucking hug from a certain motherbucking dragon, I will start stabbing things until I get my motherbucking hug. One—”

I nearly tackled her with my hug. Never before had I needed something as simple as a hug so badly. And warmth. Much needed warmth.

...Had the room always been this cold? Why did my muscles suddenly grow tight and rigid?

I tried warn Trojan that something was wrong, only to realize I lost control of my mouth. In fact, I couldn’t control my body at all.

“Your resistance is stronger than I anticipated. You must have those infuriating blades on you somewhere,” a familiar voice echoed in my mind.

“What the—who are you?!”

The voice laughed. “Your new master.”

At that moment I recognized the voice; the windigo I threatened earlier.

...Oh no.

“I hoped to devour your mind, but control of your body will suffice.” My muscles tightened, rippling waves of ice flooding me.

“We can’t stay here for too long,” Elytra warned. “The Cold One created a Warlord vassal. Whatever he’s been planning these last few months is about to pop off soon.”

Concern crossed Trojan’s furrowed brow as she broke the hug and walked back to Elytra. “Figured. This mess probably gave him pathos fuel for days. First thing’s first, we have to break your connection to the hive before the Cold One uses his kill switch.” Breaking her disguise, Trojan channeled her horn. Elytra did the same and cross horns with her.

“What pathetic mindsets they have to believe we hadn’t accounted for this. Well, if they wish to play games...”

My arm trembled with feeble resistance as ‘I’ flashed my palm at Trojan. Energy swirled at its center. A sickening grin was plastered on my face.

“Who am I to deny their last wish?”

After a moment, the two split apart. “Thanks, Mum. That's one problem off my mind. Let’s—Move!”

Elytra pushed Trojan to the side just before getting struck in the chest by a ball of black energy.

On contact, the detonation unleashed a concussive blast that rocked the room. Elytra and Trojan were sent flying in opposite corners of the room, boxes and equipment crushed into the walls and floor. Trojan crashed into a pile of boxes while Elytra smashed into the now cracked wall.

Trojan sprang back into the fight instantly like she didn’t just fly through the air like a ragdoll. “Shit! Spike, fight it!” She rushed towards me.

I’m trying, Trojan. Damn it, I’m trying! All motion control seemed to be just out of reach as the windigo piloted me to charge at Trojan. Black hooves flew at me in blurs. ‘I’ blocked each strike just as fast, both of us dancing around piles of broken equipment and open boxes.

I stepped to the side and kicked an empty box at her. The moment the box blocked my line of sight, she was gone. For some reason ‘I’ turned to the left, realizing too late the windigo anticipated her flanking dash. My palm flashed in her direction.

Trojan vanished just before the flash of energy rushed out, turning a pile of equipment into shrapnel. Black hooves wrapped around my throat and shoulder in a hoof-lock.

“Impressive,” the windigo grumbled. Whatever Trojan was up to sapped at the cold energy and a bit of my own. “Trying to drain me out? Looks like I need to remind her where she belongs!”

The cold energy coiled in my stomach like a block of ice. A moment later, a wave of magic rushed out in all direction and ripped Trojan off my back. Her gossamer wings fluttered to help her recover in midair, but not before a hail of magic blast rained from my palms towards her.

Without much height to properly maneuver in the air, Trojan could only go so far until the explosive force clipped one of her wings and sent her crashing to the ground. Or at least would have if she didn’t drop into a front flip. Her momentum stabilized, she darted after me.

‘I’ grabbed at her hoof when she drew close. Just when I thought he had her, she flicked her hoof to break the grab and went for a gut strike. The windigo took the blow and followed up with a headbutt, stunning her. He grabbed her chest with an iron grip. An icy sensation flowed down the arm.

“You should’ve ran when you had the chance, insect!”

No! I won’t let you! Stop it!

In that split second I forced the grip loose. Trojan parried the arm just in time to dodge another magical blast that exploded on the ground. The force nearly sent her flying again, except ‘I’ managed to grasp her hoof. I spun once. Twice. Then flung her at the just now recovering and smoking Elytra. Trojan crashed into her, the two toppling over and battered from the impact.

“I believe my point has been made. Thank you for your cooperation, Spike.”

The windigo’s drafty presence shifted forward until he slithered out of me, releasing me from his grip. I flexed my fingers and waggled my tail just to make sure I was truly free. Good, because he was going to regret turning his back to me.

I drew the niekinis dagger and rushed him. Somehow he predicted my moves and twisted around my backstab. My follow up slash was countered by his ghostly hoof smashing my face. I staggered back from the explosive pain, stunned. A cold grip caught my throat.

“I’d hoped you would volunteer to participate in our little game. It’d be a shame to leave you out!” With a grunt he hurled me into the pile of equipment next to Trojan. I gasped and cried out from my limbs and back colliding with broken piles of metal. My Niekinis blade had fallen from my hands when thrown, lost in the mess of mangled equipment and supplies.

“Of all the victims in this room, I’d expected the overlord to have enough intelligence not to defy me. Were I in a less than stellar mood, I would kill you all just to quell the population of idiotic beings.”

“Well aren’t you just full of mercy and sun shine this evening,” Trojan snarked. “So what’s got you in such a forgiving mood? Did the Cold One give you doggie treats?”

The windigo thrust his hoof forward. A pulse of powerful energy knocked us all back and onto the floor. “And thus the leader of bad decisions continues to run her mouth. I’d be more upset if you hadn’t hoof delivered yourself back to us, Noble Heart.”

“That’s Shadow Noble Heart to you, asshole!” Trojan hissed.

Noble Heart? As in, the Noble Heart from the Shadow’s Code?! Shocking as it was, revelation of Trojan’s true name was slightly overshadowed by the terrifying monstrosity that was this windigo.

“You say that, but sources would say you prefer your slave name, Trojan,” the windigo chuckled. “The memories privileged to me speak highly of your cleverness and caution. I’ve yet to be impressed.”

Noble’s eyes narrowed, glaring daggers. “Tell you what, close your eyes and count to ten. I’ll give you something to be impressed about.”

“Ah, so the insect still has bite. Good. It’d be a shame if you gave up before we started to have fun.”

“If you think I’m going to just bow out and let you have your way, then you have a twisted sense of humor.” Noble staggered onto her hooves and took on a defensive stance, Elytra and I took up her sides, prepared to fight for our lives.

The windigo chuckled. “Mother, daughter, and pet, banding together in the face of insurmountable odds. Rather touching. Foolish, but touching. Let’s test those bonds, shall we?” He waved his hoof.

Heat drained from the air seconds before white flames erupted everything except us. Rather than burn or melt every object, it created thick sheets of frost and ice, transforming the dark room into a brightly lit winter wonderland. I shivered from the intense cold as if the windigo drowned the room in dry ice. A column of thick ice formed in front of the door, sealing us in the room. Things only got stranger as parts of the fire wall took shape.

The left half fluctuated shapes of different changelings. Some looked small as a foal. A few eggs were displayed as well. On the right was several ponies, some lying down in pain and the others walking in place. Chatter and motions from both sides made the images feel like we were watching real ponies and changelings going about their business.

“Wha… what is this? What are you up to?” Elytra cried out in panic.

“A chance to earn my favor,” the windigo grinned. “The images you see are merely visuals of what is happening outside this room. Changelings and ponies alike, unaware of the role they are about to play tonight. The changelings just so happened to be part of Noble’s brood while these ponies are the witless citizens of Ponyville in this very hospital. Two sides with only one thing in common: you will determine who lives and who dies by proving yourself worthy of forgiveness.”

“You sneaky little bitch! You’re using everyone as a hostage!” Noble screeched.

“Hostages have value. These lives are worthless.... except for you three,” the windigo ‘corrected’. “Allow me to make the rules clear so even you all can understand. You three will fight for the survival of these creatures. The sole survivor will spare the lives of their respective species and earn a reward for their efforts.”

My breath caught in my throat. He wanted us to kill each other?! This had to be a trick. “You can’t fool me! These are just illusions to mess with us because you’re scared!”

“Spike, no!” Trojan paled.

“Oh yes, how could I have forgotten? I do owe you for that act of defiance earlier. Let’s see…” His eyes swept to the wall of pony images. An elderly mare rested on a bed, an IV drip in her arm. The windigo nodded towards the image.

Her eyes snapped open, hooves to throat. She squirmed and writhed, gasping for breath. Just as quickly as the attack happened and ended. That poor pony went still. Silent.

I trembled, feeling a rock drop in my gut. That… that was just a trick, right? He’s just messing with us. There’s no way he would just kill that poor old lady like that for no reason.

“H-hey Tro—um, Noble, he didn’t just…” The words died on my lips as I turned my head. Noble avoided my gaze, heart broken.

“Spike… he’s not lying. The Cold One usually keeps his word when it comes to this kind of thing,” Noble’s voice was hushed. “I just felt a pulse of pathos above us. That pony is dead, Spike.”

Elytra remained silent, also dodging my gaze. The words sunk in, cutting into my heart.

Dead? That pony is dead?

My chest tightened. Darkness edged at my vision.

Did another pony die because of me...? It’s what happened to Flash all over again, isn’t it?

A squeeze on my shoulder brought me back to focus. I hadn’t even realized I stopped breathing. Noble had grabbed my shoulder, eyes glued to that bastard of a ghost.

She’s right. I have to pull myself together and focus on the now. I… I’ll figure this out as I go.

“Of course, I’m a fair and just master. Noble Heart…” An ominous gleam crossed the windigo’s gaze. “You’re overdue for your lesson in humility, as well as the overlord for her newest transgression against us. Three sounds about right.”

Noble and Elytra snapped their heads to the changeling wall of fire. An egg exploded spontaneously, popped like a water balloon filled with green, viscous liquid. Two changelings, a young and older one, clutched at their throats and crumbled to the floor. Shortly after the attack they stopped moving.

Just… just like that? They’re dead. He killed them without batting an eye. That one changeling wasn’t even born yet.

This was the worst kind of nightmare. There was no waking up from this. No elements of harmony to zap away the monsters. No crazy spell or puzzle to solve that could fix this. All I could do was watch ponies and changeling die, speechless and terrified.

“No, no, no!” Elytra screamed. The glare she set upon the windigo was so fierce I wouldn’t have been surprised if he combusted. “You know what? Screw this bloody—”

“Elly, calm yourself!” Noble’s command was sharp and curt. Elytra stopped just short of rushing the windigo.

“Grr… u-understood, Mother,” Elytra gritted her teeth. Noble’s grip on me tightened as she seethed, bruising my shoulder.

“Why? What is the point of all of this?!” I cried at the windigo. “They’ve done nothing to you! Leave them alone!”

“Their lives matter little for us,” said the windigo. “Just as ponies pay little heed to the straws of hay they feed upon, all that matters for us is who is worthy to not become part of the food chain.”

“That… that is just...!”

“There’s no point in arguing with him, Spike,” Noble growled. “The Cold One only cares about those who follow his insane methods. Everyone else might as well be dead or become fuel for his pathos.”

“Now that we have an understanding,” the windigo continued, “I believe some incentive is required. Should the overlord win, her crime against the Cold One will be cleansed, reinstated as my second-in-command and the remnants of the brood will be spared and granted immunity from future punishments by death. For Spike, the lives of ponyville citizens will be spared alongside the bearer of the elements of harmony we have in our possession. Noble Heart’s reward will be the same as the overlord with an added condition that I will spare Chrysalis of further suffering.”

“Wha…” Trojan worked her jaw, gaping, “what have you done with her?!”

“As we speak, Chrysalis is at a crossroads, witnessing everything happening here through me. Her life is all but forfeit. But right now, you have a single chance to see her again. To be reunited and respected as part of the hive. This will be your only chance of redemption. Your chance to see your mother again. Maybe even save her.”

Noble’s fangs flashed as she growled. She looked sick, as if she was forced to choose which favorite puppy she had to strangle. Even Elytra was stunned by this news, at a lost.

“With the condition set, I believe you three have some killing to do.” An ice sword materialized and hovered in front of us, one per “player”. No one move to grab the weapon. “For those slower on the uptake, every thirty seconds that one of you hesitates to act, a changeling and pony will die for you. So get to it.”

With a wave of the windigo’s hoof, a pony and a changeling fell dead.

“...Clock’s ticking.”

I’d thought seeing Flash murder all those changelings was the worst thing I could’ve witnessed. Everything about this was so much worse. Every ounce of tension in my muscles was wound up like a guitar string. I felt the proverbial guillotine over my head preparing to drop.

Despite the madness thrown at us, one horrifying thought was louder than the rest.

I’m going to die.

No one moved. Seconds ticked by in stifling silence. The tension was so thick I doubted even one of those blades the windigo gave us could cut it. Noble looked at me, then Elytra. Elytra glanced between me and Noble. I already knew who I was going after.

Elytra picked up the blade and rushed at me.

I was reminded of how Trojan moved when she trained me. Crouched low. Sword tucked in her hoofs reverse-grip style. Once in front of me, she sprung to her back legs, point of blade rushing to my throat. Pure reflex saved my life as I picked up my own blade and narrowly swiped at the blade to parry her. Elytra spun on her back leg, using the momentum of the clash to follow up with a spinning slash aimed at my throat. I was too slow to block.

It was pure luck that Noble tackled her onto the floor before the blow could connect, sword knocked out of her hoof. Chest and hooves pressed down on her body and limbs, Elytra struggled against it with everything she had.

“Mother, move!” Elytra roared. “I refuse to lose anymore of us for those ponies!”

“Unless you plan on killing me too, you won’t be saving anyone!”

Elytra’s actions provided me enough focus to break me out of my frightened stupor. She had no qualms with killing me and playing along this stupid murder game. I had no intention of doing the same.

My glare lingered on Elytra as I dropped the ice sword in place of my second Niekini dagger. “Guess we all know who you really want to fight for after all,” I spat venom at Elytra. I encircled the two, knife raised.

Noble gawked at me like I’d lost my mind. “Spike, listen to me, he’s trying to use us against each other. He wants the violence! Don’t play into his hooves!”

“If he wants to play games, I’ll do just that. I know exactly what I’m fighting for!” I raised the blade into the air.

With a spin I hurled it at the windigo’s head.

Just before contact, the windigo tilted his head to dodge. My knife whistled just past his head and embedded itself on the wall behind him. A dirty smile crept into his muzzle. I paled, dreading whatever the windigo had planned.

“Interesting. I rather like your spunk, little drake. If only you were smarter about your life decisions. Let this be a lesson.” He raised his hoof and performed a grand, sweeping gesture. As his hoof moved from the pony wall, patients of various ages collapsed or went still in their beds. His hoof continued to the changeling side, eggs detonating with a disgusting sound of squishy, organic material.

Six ponies. Six eggs. Twelve deaths because of me.

“You bloody idiot!” Elytra screeched. A white haze of energy leaked off her as threw Noble off her and jumped to her hooves. I had just enough time to pick up the ice sword before she picked up her own blade and pounced at me, eyes hungry for blood.

“Elly!”

Noble darted between me and Elytra, caught in a clash of blades with her own ice sword.

“Both of you, knock it off! This is not the time to do this!” Noble cried.

Elytra sprung away from her, eyes trained on me as she skirted left and right to get a clean shot at me. “Do you got any plans then?! How many more of us do we have to lose?”

“I… I don’t know yet! I’m working on it!”

“Well I know where to start!”

“Elly, no!”

“Interesting, isn’t it?”

I gasped. It was a new voice whispering in my ear. My own, but deeper and bone-chilling. The windigo’s lips curled upward.

“Elytra is ready to kill you. She doesn’t care about you or what you’re fighting for. Noble Heart isn’t much better, stalling for answers she doesn’t have.”

I shook my head furiously. “N-no. This isn’t right.”

“Nothing about this situation is right. It wasn’t right with Flash either, but you did what you had to do to save your friends. To save Ponyville.”

My breathing labored, while my eyes moved from Elytra, to my blade, and back to her.

“The only difference here is the ones you have to kill don’t give a damn about what happens to ponies. Are you gonna just let Flash die in vain? Going to let your friends die?”

The grip on the sword tightened.

“Are you going to let Twilight die? Rarity?”

Something cold coursed through me. Whatever it was brought strength into my muscles. I set my eyes on Noble, whose back was turned to me.

You can never defeat Noble. Once she deals with Elytra and focuses on you, it’s over. There’s only one thing to do: Kill her before she kills you.”

The blade trembled. Tears streamed down my cheeks.

“You’re all that’s left. The only one who can save your friends. This is the only way.”

I took a step toward Noble, shaking like a leaf. My heart pounded in my ears so hard I thought I would go deaf.

“Oh, and Noble Heart?” The windigo called out, drawing our attention. “First thirty seconds are up.”

Two more deaths. One changeling. One pony.

“Only one chance to save everyone. This is the only way.”

This… this is the only way to save everyone.

Noble still hadn’t noticed me when I pulled my blade back. All I had to do was thrust forward while she was distracted. I could barely see through the haze of tears.

“T-the only way…”

Author's Notes:

What's up, fellow paladins?

And thus the curve balls continue to fly! A lovely reunion ruined by some aggressive alpha male jerk, just like my own family reunions!

Jokes aside, I love these kind of moments that really put a character's morals to the test. When it feels like the weight of the world is trying to make you press the button you just don't want to press. This is certainly Spike's trial by fire as well as Noble's stress test for handling a situation quickly spiraling out of control.

Not much else to say here. I just love how this turned out.

I know by now you guys are ready to stab me in the face with a pitch fork for these cliffhangers. Well, let's just say next chapter will be rather cathartic for everyone involved.

Until next time, stay classy my paladins!

P.S. Kawaii Mushi was meant to be translated as "Cute Bug" and Baka Mushi "Idiot Bug".

Chapter 27: Breakthrough

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Never before have I ever wanted to punch a smug face more than Malice’s.

Chrysalis and I watched the horrific scene unfold, speechless. A happy reunion, ruined by Malice’s needlessly cruel attempt to crush her resolve by pitting mother against daughter with Spike, the hospital patients and innocent changelings caught in the crossfire. Judging from the sickened look on her face, his plan was working.

Malice released the ice restraints on Chrysalis. She collapsed on her haunches like an unstringed puppet, helplessly staring at the screen.

“I’m willing to stop all of this, Chrysalis,” Malice ‘reassured’. “You know how much I detest traitors, and I have no problem killing both of them if that’s what it takes. If you won’t return to me willingly, I’ll let the hatred in your heart answer for you upon seeing your daughter and granddaughter slain. A waste of precious resources, but a necessary evil I’m willing to commit.”

Chrysalis’ pupils shrunk.

She barely managed to get away from him thanks to Discord. If she goes back, there’s no telling what he will do to her. Forget whatever advantage Malice would get. I refuse to do nothing and watch a mother get her heart ripped apart.

“We can’t give in, Chrysalis!” I yelled. “You know what going back to him means. There’ll be nothing stopping him from killing them even if you do go back. You know that!”

Chrysalis didn’t budge. Not even a blink. Whatever was going through her mind kept my words from reaching her.

“Flash,” Malice snarled. “Are you forgetting these are the same creatures who slaughtered your fellow soldiers? Stormed Canterlot Castle and attempted to take over all of Equestria? This should be a celebration for you rather than a tragedy. It’s rather unfortunate that Spike’s life will end in this conflict. A painful, but necessary sacrifice in the name of war.”

Lightning crackled around my legs as I lunged at him.

Malice danced around my raging strikes, grinning all the way.

“Perhaps you can use the power I’ve granted you to save them. It doesn’t take much; just continue to harness that rage. Accept the song of bloodlust that runs through your veins.”

My hoof stopped just short of Malice’s chest, trembling. I took some steps back, breath short from emotional restrain.

The moment I give in to that anger, he wins and we’re back to square one! But I can’t just do nothing. What do I do?

I turned to the screen. Noble was doing everything she could to hold together and keep Elytra from killing Spike. One look at Spike revealed the crumbling hope fading from his eyes. I didn’t like how his blade seemed to be pointed a Noble.

Hot, seething anger boiled within me and threatened to bubble over. If a miracle didn’t happen, there was going to be a lot more blood being spilled.

“There is one thing I can’t figure out about you,” Malice admitted. “Why do you care what happens to Noble Heart or any of the Changelings? Your emotions speak from a place that’s not rooted in self-interest, not to mention the amount of hatred you still harbor for them. I’ve yet to see another being in a similar predicament care this much about what happens to their enemies.”

He… has a point.

I moved closer to the screen, focused the changeling who murdered my squad and drove me to the brink of insanity. The same Changeling who manipulated me during this mission and lied for the sake of getting closer to Twilight. Similar could be said for Elytra, who led the operation in Ponyville and Chrysalis who started all of this.

Part of me hated them. I still hate changelings.

...Or is it I should hate them?

That’s not it. I shook my head. What they’ve done, what I went through, that has nothing to do with it, does it?

I breathed in through my nose.

“That doesn’t matter. Not right now,” I growled.

“Oh?”

“This isn’t about some petty revenge. It isn’t even about saving Changelings, I couldn’t care less. Not anymore.”

A heat shimmered in my chest. I chose to ignore it for now.

“This vicious cycle. The whole ‘eye for an eye’ mentality. I’m sick of it. I lost my friends, yeah, that still bothers me, but what I did to those changelings wasn’t any different. Friends, lovers, family, they’re not coming back. Killing those changelings did nothing but create more victims like me. This has to end, or we will keep killing and taking until there’s nothing left. I’m going to put an end to this stupid cycle.”

I threw a sharp glare at Malice. “And that starts with ending you.”

Swaths of heat rushed through the dungeon halls. Ice began to melt, as did Malice’s confident smirk.

“I’ve let you and my anger ride my ass way too long. I don’t know how, but I’m going to find a way to save everyone. Changeling, pony, I don’t give a damn!”

I stomped on the ground. Electricity ran down the hallway. Static rippled on the screen. Malice, for the first time since we’ve met, glanced around with concern. The vassals flanking us flickered in transparency as my electricity leapt from the walls and surged through them. I’d expected them to get hurt or dissolve, but they simply grew lethargic, eyes set on me. Whatever happened filled my body with searing hot energy, painful and invigorating at the same time.

“Mark my words Malice, I’m going to save everyone and kick your ass, or die trying!”

A snap reached my ears.

Fiery energy surrounded Chrysalis and detonated. I was barely able to keep myself from getting knocked back. The same could not be said for Malice and the vassals, knocked several meters back and crashing into walls.

From the flames emerged Discord, coiled around a surprised Chrysalis.

“D… Discord?” Chrysalis called out in a daze.

Discord beamed down at Chrysalis. “Didja miss me, sugar lips?”

Chrysalis started to answer, paused, then continued, a tiny smile on her muzzle. “Perhaps a little.”

Discord turned his attention to me. “About time you got that blood flowin’, Flash!”

“Where the hay have you been?!” I screamed.

“Long story short, I got everything set to convert the catalyst. Whatever you did shook up Malley’s connection just enough for me to get the ball rolling. All we need to do is get the last one going and—”

“Discord~!”

Malice raged with the wrath of a god as he leapt at Discord through the air, sword raised overhead. Discord snapped his fingers. The blade carved through the stone like cheap wallpaper. Chrysalis and Discord materialized behind me.

“You three are not going anywhere!” Malice spat a ball of black fire at the memory crystal that held the invasion catalyst. Once struck, flames blackened and engulfed it.

Static screech in my ears, splitting my head in two. Visions of the invasion ran in and out of my vision like a film stuck in fast forward, assaulting my senses from all directions. Catching glimpses of my squadmates’ deaths. The smell of acid, blood and fire. Sounds of clashing metal and screams drilling into my skull. All sense of motor control was swallowed in the pain exploding inside my head. It wasn’t long until everything went black.

I woke up to the rush of cold air cutting through the warmth that had flooded the dungeon and woke me up. A head-splitting migraine greeted me as I picked myself off the floor. Sharp ringing drilled into my ears, muffling screeches and sounds of combat.

“Fl...you…can you hear me?”

I blinked the spots out of my eyes to find myself thrown over Chrysalis’ back and away from Discord and Malice’s clash of magic. Malice hammered away at Discord’s barrier like his life depended on it. Every strike pushed Discord back, who struggled and trembled under the pressure of Malice’s onslaught.

Chrysalis craned her head and said something I couldn’t make out thanks to the deafening pain in my ears. I took deep breaths and pushed through the pain, straining my hearing.

“Ugh, what happened to my head?”

“Malice poured his power into the catalyst to strengthen his hold. You have to let go of your anger or we will never be able to push him out!”

I looked back at Malice, wailing against Discord’s cracking shield. The vassals didn’t move, still as a ponnequin. My gaze went back to the battle with Noble, Elytra and Spike. Noble and Elytra continued to clash against each other while Spike stayed behind Noble, his hollow gaze laser focused on Noble’s back.

Is Spike seriously thinking about… I’m running out of time. I need that spark.

I tried to summon my spark, only to sense a chill seeped into my chest. Wind Stride’s anguished face flashed in my mind.

Let go of my anger? How am I supposed to do that? How did I feel that surge of power in the first place?

The faces of my comrades flashed in my mind. All of them dead.

Can I really just let go like nothing happened? Just put it all to the side and move on? It took years just to suppress those memories. Yet Malice—no, not just him, this entire situation—undid all of that work so easily.

Discord slammed into us, knocking Chrysalis and I to the ground like bowling pins. I struggled to my hooves. Malice let the tip of his blade hit the ground.

“This ends here, Discord! Never again will you take what belongs to me!” Malice charged, blade sparking along the ground.

Malice’s words triggered something in me. Echoes of similar words he said sprang to mind.

“The feeling of losing something important to you. A core part of your soul, gone in a blink. It is a terrible weight for warriors like us carry.”

Something about Malice’s words rang true, relatable and familiar. Whatever Discord took from Malice drove him to single-minded obsession with revenge and despising traitors. A cycle of vengeance driven by despair.

Malice and I… huh. Why didn’t I see this before?

I sprung to my hooves and, with a conjured spear, dove in front of Discord and Chrysalis.

The sharp clash of metal rang through the silent hallway. Malice’s eyebrows rose with surprise.

I blocked Malice’s advance. It felt like I was holding back the weight of Equus itself, but I stopped him.

“I get it now,” I hissed with effort. “Why you seem so drawn to me. This obsession to kill Discord and take back Chrysalis. You can’t let go either!”

Malice hopped back and darted to the side to get around me. I moved to intercept, blocking another blow.

“I hate you, Malice. Everything you are. Anything you do, I despise it. Yet, I understand now we have some things in common. I… I can’t let go either.”

Malice’s face contorted with effort as he pushed towards me. I held my ground, much to both of our surprises.

“In fact, as much as I hate to admit it, I do need to embrace my hatred.”

I took a step forward. Malice’s eyes shot wide as he was pushed back.

“I’ve hated bullies who took advantage of the innocent. Hated Sunset for breaking my heart. Hated Chrysalis for taking away my closest friends. Hated myself for feeling this way, like I had no control over my life or ability to protect those I love. Hated myself for being too weak.”

Two more steps forward. Malice slid further back.

“But in doing that, I’d forgotten that I need to embrace my other side too. My love for music. Desire to protect those who can’t protect themselves. The respect I have for all of my friends and family who helped me get this far. My passion. Everything!”

“Enough!”

Malice broke the deadlock and unleashed a flurry of slashes. Every block felt like my bones would break from impact. Yet somehow I held my ground as steel clashed against steel.

“Malice, that is where we’ve both failed!” I ducked under a slash and sprung forward. “That’s where I’m going to surpass you!”

My hoof cracked his jaw.

Malice stumbled back, nearly toppling over. He regained his balance and threw me a murderous glare. “You speak nonsense, colt! You will never surpass my power!”

I turned my head just enough to catch Discord and Chrysalis rooted in shock. “Discord, Chrysalis, get to work on that catalyst. I’ll hold him off.”

They nodded and hurried towards the invasion memory still engulfed in fire. When they attempted to get close, the fire expanded and nearly licked them with its flames.

“No good! The magic is too strong!” Discord cried. “I recommend dropping the whole ‘embrace hatred’ part! That’s kinda what got you into this mess!”

“You’re wrong!” I shot back. “Trying to bury my hateful side is the problem. Trust me on this, I’ll make it work!”

Malice wore a mad grin. “I know of your plan, Discord, but it won’t work! If you attempt to convert my catalyst now, our combined magic will tear his soul in half!”

“What?!” I gasped. Malice used that moment to close the gap with a leap. I jumped back to avoid a swipe of the blade. Our weapons clashed again, caught in another deadlock.

Chrysalis growled. “He’s right. If your soul can’t handle the combined magic of Malice and Discord, there’s a risk you’ll turn into a magical bomb and explode. With the amount of magic inside you now, Ponyville might be wiped off the face of the planet.”

“There is one good thing that can come out of it,” Discord pondered. “If Flash can somehow pull it off, there is one thing I can do. The catch is, well…”

A bead of sweat rolled down my cheek. “Plan B?”

“Plan B,” Discord confirmed. It was all too clear what that meant: Containment.

Malice would be locked away inside me. If I fail, then I risk taking Ponyville with me.

Spike. Noble. Everyone in Ponyville. They will die, just like my comrades did.

...No. They won’t die. No one else is going to die.

“The moment you get things going, take Chrysalis and get out of here.” I hollered.

Malice’s eyes shot wide. “Do you think I just wanted to lie to you? You will literally cease to exist, and that’s after destroying Ponyville from the convergence. Are you crazy?!”

I flashed my wildest grin.

“That's a very good question, Malice!” I glanced at Discord and Chrysalis and gave them a nod. Chrysalis looked to speak, only to be stopped by Discord who shook his head. They exchanged a look before Discord teleported the memory crystal into his claws, pouring orange magic over it.

“No, no, no! It will not end like this!” Malice pushed harder than ever to break out lock, but I held my ground.

“And to answer your question, yes. I am crazy. You have to be crazy to be a Royal Guard!” I bellowed. Orange energy rushed down the hallway. Cracks formed on the walls, matching the sensation of tearing flesh all over my body.

“All Royal Guards are crazy. And guess what; I’m the craziest of them all! After all, what sort of sane pony willingly puts themselves in danger?”

Malice broke the deadlock and tried to move around me again. I met him at turn to clash blades.

“Every day, there's a Royal Guard out there somewhere fighting for their lives against terrifying beasts, struggling in a hopeless battle they know they can’t win.”

Temperature in the hall skyrocketed. More cracks appeared. Frost spilled from the crevices. The once lethargic vassals sprung to life at Malice’s glare and rushed at us. I continued to hold my ground, raising my voice.

“Everyday, there's a Royal Guard who is squeezing out every ounce of willpower they’ve got to push that extra inch, lift that extra weight, throw that extra punch when they don’t have any strength left!”

Half of the vassals flickered an orange light and stopped their advance. The others slowed their advance, fighting some unknown force from within. Everything inside me burned like I was being incinerated, muscles and bones tearing apart at the seams. Yet I held my ground, staying on my shaking hooves.

“Every day, we're putting our lives on the line to protect somepony else, probably somepony we don’t know or even like. What sane pony does any of that?”

“Silence!” Malice pushed with all his strength and knocked me back. He only got a stop forward before dozens of spears rushed out from the walls, ceiling and floor, barricading him in a bladed prison.

The blades lasted little more than a few seconds as he shrugged through them, breaking off rows of spears with a single swing of his arms. “I will not be stopped by some upstart—GAH!”

Malice finally broke free, only to get dogpiled by Flash-variant vassals wrapped in an orange light. “What is the meaning of this?!”

I continued, smiling like a mad stallion. “If I was a sane pony, a sensible pony, I wouldn’t do this to myself. I would just quit and go home. I would probably be a baker. Or a farmer. A caretaker. Hay, maybe a librarian or something. Those are safe. Those make sense. Why put myself through these crazy trials, fighting impossible enemies for ponies and changelings you don’t even know? Isn’t that insane? Who would want to do that? Who would want to be crazy?”

Malice tried to shake off what I now realized were my vassals.

“We would, sir!” They shouted in unison. Face full of fury, Malice resorted to crawling in our direction.

The castle shook with the force of an apocalypse. I glanced back to see the catalyst in Discord’s hooves flash a brilliant orange light. It took everything I had to continue standing, the fractured and crumbling castle were as beaten and broken as my body and mind felt.

“All done, Flash. The rest is up to you,” Discord nodded at me.

“We’ll be waiting at the tree of harmony. Don’t die on us.” Chrysalis ordered. Discord snapped his fingers, and in that moment they vanished.

“No... no!” Malice screamed, voice now filled with panic.

I sneered back at him. “Feeling lucky, Malice? Let’s roll that die.”

Blinding light rushed down the hallway. Just as the pain hit a crescendo it stopped as the light engulfed my vision.

My body felt light, tingling with an odd sensation of needles piercing the skin just enough to feel it without hurting. The world faded black.

I woke up on the floor of the castle’s grand hall. The spiraling stairway and countless corridors were still present. Everything was brighter. Warmer. No longer was the castle dark and dreary, sunlight pouring from the windows to fill out the interior. There was no ice, frosty breeze or creeping darkness. A sense of familiarity ran over me as if I walked through the main hall of Canterlot Castle on a calm afternoon. This time I truly felt home.

The only unsettling point was the familiar chamber of Malice that still resided at the center. Although, a second glance revealed an insignia encircling Malice’s symbol: a stone emblem of Discord in a circle like he was chasing his tail.

“What just happened?” I asked myself.

“Discord sealed your fate.”

I tilted my head upward to find a semi-transparent version of Malice standing fairly close, arms crossed and brow creased in irritation.

I jumped to my hooves and faced him, ready for a fight.

“Count your lucky stars, colt. I cannot harm you in this form. Not yet, at least.” His mood shifted from annoyed to pleased. “My prediction about you turned out correct after all. Your potential is even greater than anticipated.”

“What do you mean? What’s going on?”

“You accomplished what I’d believed to be outside your capabilities. Rather than tear yourself and the land around you apart, you’ve assimilated my power for yourself. Believe it or not, you’ve ascended as not only my champion, but Discord’s as well. My essence, my pathos, is your magic now, as well as diet.”

I blinked rapidly, staring at this tyrannical warlord who seemed way too happy about this arrangement. “You… you sound awfully pleased about this.”

Malice laughed. “What, pleased that I’m not only imprisoned once again, but this time within the soul of the one who bested me? Quite the contrary, I’m vexed and enraged beyond measure. If I could, I would tear you apart and turn everything you love into glass.”

“Then… then why are you so—”

“Amused? Two reasons, really. One, I have plenty of opportunity to torture your existence until I have a means to break free and kill Discord. Entertainment to pass the time.”

“Well, consider me thrilled to have you as a roommate.” I rolled my eyes.

“Second, and slightly more satisfying,” he continued, “I was able to relay one final order to my warlord: Kill them all.” Malice snapped his fingers.

Just like in the dungeon, a screen materialize before me. Unlike the previous screen, white wisps of mist emanated off it. I noted the same, frosty vibe which came off the screen matched what oozed from Malice’s chamber door. On the screen was the same scenario with Noble, Spike and Elytra.

“Noble Heart. Elytra. Spike. Noble’s brood and the inhabitants of Ponyville. They will all die for your insolence.”

“What? No!” I reached out at the screen, helpless to do anything to save them.

Is there really nothing I can do? I stopped Malice inside me, but that means nothing if I can’t save them.

My breath ran short, panic rising in my chest. What do I do? What can I do?

Heat flooded me as I slammed my hoof at the screen. What’s the point if I can’t save anyone I care about? It’s back to square one all over again!

“...No. Not this time.”

“Oh?” Malice mused.

“I won’t let you take them away from me…!”

I punched the screen a little harder.

“I’m going to save them. Save everyone, and there’s not a Celestia-damn thing you can do to stop me!”

Another punch. The screen rattled, a crack forming.

Malice’s grin dropped, tilting his head. “How is that...” He trailed off in confusion.

Noting the breaking glass, I shared Malice’s confusion for a moment. I wasn’t sure why, but in the back of my head it seemed like a very good idea to smack it again. I threw an even harder punch. The crack spread. “I’ll show you what the Royal Guard can do, so sit there and watch, Malice!”

A roar ripped out my throat as I punched again. Each strike caused the crack to grow bigger and bigger until it enveloped the screen. I had no idea what I was doing, if I was actually doing anything. All I could do was go forward and see what happens.

My punches grew stronger and quicker. Shifts in the pane began to form, on its last legs of resistance.With one final punch with all my might, the screen shattered.

Pieces of the glass screen spilled onto the other side. An unholy howl of agony was carried by the icy wind from the opening into the castle.

Malice choked, gawking at the sight. “W...wh… what? How?!”

I was just as stunned, attention glued to the ensuing fight in Noble’s area stopped as all eyes turned to… me?

Noble was the first to snap out of it. “What in the... Flash?!”

I blinked. Noble just spoke to me. She can actually see me? What just…

It hit me. What I was seeing was a breach into the real world. This seemed impossible. Should have been impossible. But it was real nonetheless.

Malice recovered before I did, fist clenched at his sides. “Run all you want, boy. You will never escape me.”

Well that certainly confirms it. Here goes nothing.

I galloped and jumped through the opening.

All sense of weight left me the instant I passed the threshold and landed onto the ceramic tile floor of the hospital. A glance at my hooves left me speechless. Leaving the castle somehow stripped my colors, turning my body into a ghostly blue version of myself. The vassal who had been toying with my teammates looked like his face was nearly split in half, unable to close it over the shattered piece of reality revealing the castle and a stupified Malice.

Even stranger was the white mist permeating the room. It had no physical presence to it like normal mist, nor even scent. Whatever it was sent tingling sensations through my magic-sensitive wings and down my back.

Whatever that uncomfortable white energy was it also rushed out of Elytra in waves and mildly came off of Spike like vapor. Noble had the least amount on her, though it seemed to flow out of her foreleg and barrel akin to smoke seeking the closest window to escape through. They stared at me like I’d just come back from the dead.

Is… is this a dream? Or maybe a vision?

Just to make sure, I prodded at the ground and broken boxes and equipment. The objects felt normal to the touch, smaller items shifting from my poking around.

No. This is real. I’m really in the hospital with my team!

“W-w-what are you?!” Noble produced two daggers from some invisible space on her barrel. This seemed to wake up Elytra who also got into a defensive stance. Spike was still in a daze, the ice sword shaking in his grip.

This snapped me into focus. “I’ve seen the whole thing, Noble.”

Noble looked ready to faint on the spot. “H-How did you do that?”

“I’ll explain later. Well, try to anyway. We got bigger things to worry about.” I stole a glance at the warlord, grunting and howling until his maw snapped shut, closing the portal. Just the sight of this menace ignited something hot in my chest. “Time to make this bastard pay.”

“Flash Sentry!” The warlord roared. A wave of white energy rushed forward and over us. “I know not of what you just did, but you will not—”

Reality stretched around me as I dashed in and punched him with everything I had.

The room rocked as the warlord smashed into the back wall of the room. He gasped and shook his head in a daze, blowing an angry snort through his nose. “Impossible! How could a mere pegasus tele—”

Another reality jump forward and an uppercut. The warlord’s huge body was thrown upward, forelegs off the ground. I seized the opportunity and rained down a hail of hammering shots into this stomach. I’d nearly drilled a hole into his exposed gut and chest before he had enough.

I bounced back before he could stomp on me. With pivots and hops, I dodged a furious storm of kicks and punches. Anger committed him to slow, powerful swings. He was rewarded with more cracks and hammer hoofs to the face.

One of my blows shattered his helmet, pieces dissolving after leaving its master. He lurched to the side, nearly tipped over with my hoofprint left on his cheek. I took into the air and tried to strike his face again.

Halfway through recovering, the warlord opened his mouth to fire a magical blast at my face. I pulled back my hoof. Electricity crackled around it as I thrust it forward to push out a lightning bolt. A deafening boom rippled through the room as it collided with the energy in the warlord’s mouth and detonated. I was blown across the room and onto the floor, while he was knocked flat on his flank.

I picked myself up and was about to rush at him again when I realized Noble and Elytra weren’t attacking. They’d barely moved from their spot, glancing nervously between the warlord and the fire wall with various changelings and ponies.

That’s right. He’s still holding them hostage.

The warlord must’ve caught my glance as he staggered onto his hooves. His feral stare bore into my skull. “You will pay in blood!” His gaze swept the others. “Kill him! Now or else!” He stomped in fury.

Several ponies and changelings materialized in the fire. A dozen on each side? Maybe two? At this point I wouldn’t be surprised if he attempted to erase the Noble brood and Ponyville population in one fell swoop. I knew I had him running scared if he was resorting to such a dirty tactic, yet I had no idea what I could do before he killed all those ponies and changelings.

True hesitation washed over the others. Elytra’s attention was solely on the blazing murals now. Noble walked up to me, slow and deliberate. The ice sword dropped from her hooves, reaching for a dagger that made my skin crawl for reasons I couldn’t grasp. The white energy in the air seemed to dissolve just by being near it.

I had no idea what was going through her mind, staring down a stony mask wielding weird daggers. She stopped about a hoof away, grip on her blade as hard as her stare.

“You really are Flash, aren’t you?” Her voice was strangely low, almost a whisper.

“Yeah. Feels like ages since we’ve seen each other.” I kept my expression stern, ignoring the ingrained instinct to expect the worst from the one who killed my comrades in the past.

“Flash, I...” Her head tilted downward. Voice was even smaller. “I don’t know what to do.”

I could only stare back in surprise. Here we were, a genocidal warlord relishing in having my friends and Noble’s daughter fight to the death with countless lives hanging by a thread. There was no easy answer I could think of that didn’t risk the lives of dozens, maybe even hundreds.

“I thought I was ready for this,” Noble continued. “Ready to sacrifice everything to accomplish my mission. My mother, my daughter, my brood, everything I’ve ever cared about is on the line… and I’m out of ideas.”

She moved closer, her face a breath away from mine. Tears spilled down her face. “Give me something. Anything. I just need a chance to do the right thing for once in my miserable life. Don’t let me do something I will regret.”

Everything we’ve gone through came down to this. Here was the killer of my squad. Deceived Shining Armor and myself from the beginning. Manipulated us for her gain. Now, pressed in a corner, she was begging for my help. Neither of us knew exactly what to do I realized. But I knew where to start.

“Noble Heart, do you trust me?”

Noble locked gazes with me, lost in uncertainty. “I… w-why does it matter? After everything I’ve done to you. To everyone.”

To everyone...

Those words were like a twitching in the back of my head.

Something was missing… a piece of the puzzle…

My eyes went wide. A single, subtle look around was all it took to confirm my suspicion. Heh, you glorious, sneaky bastard!

Unaware of my flash of insight, Noble continued. “It’s not like you can ever trust me, so…”

I couldn’t help but smile at her. “I think this is the first time I truly felt like you were being real with me, Noble. A lot has happened, and there’s only one thing I can say...”

I reached out for her throat. She gasped, confused. Elytra and that damn warlord were rapt with attention.

“Aegis Code: four-six-two-one. Alpha lock disengaged. The sky is clean.”

Mechanical clicks echoed in the quiet. A silver choker emerged out of invisibility and slid off Noble’s neck and clattered on the floor.

“Let’s both start learning trust our teammates a little more.”

Noble’s eyes grew wider and wider, shining like a foal experiencing their first birthday present. Energy flared on her horn, a faint aura appearing around her form.

She was free.

Whatever she was doing caused the Warlord to snarl. I glared at him, muscles tensed and electricity coursing my body like a lightning coil. My threat was clear: Try me.

Defiant rage shimmered to concern when Noble faced him, all fear and concern replaced with renewed purpose and a mighty urge to murder this warlord.

“You… you think this pathetic posturing will save your lives?!” A hint of hesitation slipped in his voice.

“Think begging will save yours?” Noble threw back.

Rage returned to the clearly intimidated warlord. “It appears you are not taking me seriously. Such foolishness will cost—” He never got to finish.

Spike burst from underneath a stack of boxes on the warlord’s side, a screaming force of vengeance. The warlord only had a chance to blink before Spike latched himself onto his back and buried the blade into the back of his head. The warlord’s jaw slacked with speechless agony as he crumbled to the floor, his once burning white energy dimming rapidly.

White flames representing changelings and ponies began to fade alongside the warlord’s body. Any attempt to move or speak was cut off as Spike dragged the blade through his spine. There was a pained gasp, a shudder, then silence as it stopped writhing. The warlord’s body dissolved like vapor, Spike landing on all fours once it disappeared. All trace of the white energy I sensed in the area were gone.

I knew Spike was up to something, yet I was still floored with how quickly Spike ended him. Judging from Elytra and Noble’s faces, they couldn’t believe it either. Spike took down the warlord and saved us.

No one moved. Time crawled by as we waited for any impending attack or crisis. Nothing happened.

Once it was clear there was no danger to be found, we all sunk to the floor. Noble and myself could barely move, slumped against each other as we dropped to our haunches. Spike was sprawled on his stomach while Elytra flopped on her back. A lengthy, comfortable silence stretched between us, every one of us gasping for much needed breath.

As adrenaline left my body, it left me with only exhaustion. I could barely see straight from the spots in my vision. My own light dimmed to reflect the massive loss of energy. Yet I couldn’t be happier.

We did it. The fight is far from over, but damn it, we go through this one.

“So...” I started after a few minutes of catching my breath, “talk at the castle?”

“Talk at the castle,” the others sighed simultaneously.

“Might be kinda hard for me to pass though the hospital, given my new paint job,” I chuckled.

“I’ll come up with something. Just need a minute,” Spike gasped.

Noble snorted under her breath. “What if I threw a white sheet over you? I could introduce you as the Buttermilk, the friendly ghost.”

“Friggin’ hay,” I nearly choked, facehooving. Elytra rolled her eyes while Spike rolled with laughter. “Buttermilk, the friendly ghost? Really?”

“You could totally make it work. The foals would love it.”

Elytra stared at us like we lost our minds. “Are… are we actually doing this right now? After the bloody mess we just got through?”

“Well, if you’re wanna look like a ghost, we’ll have to cut out eye holes. But where are we gonna find the sheets?” Spike asked, blatantly ignoring Elytra’s question.

Elytra shook her head, tip of her hooves rubbed at her temples. “Bloody loons, the lot of you.”

“Loosen up, Elytra,” I chided lightly. “We all deserve something of a break after that.”

“Elly, the soldier with the stick up his flank is telling you to relax. You’ve officially hit rock bottom.” Noble joked. I repaid her comment with a lighthearted, lazy punch to the shoulder.

Elytra dramatically flopped onto her back, exasperating a long-winded sigh.

“This is crazy. You’re all crazy!”

I smiled.

“If you wanna hear crazy, just wait until you hear what I went through.”

Chapter 28: Succession

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“I can’t believe we actually pulled that off…” I shook my head in disbelief, ascending the castle stairs alongside Mum, Spike, and Flash Sentry with a grimy bedsheet over him, complete with cut-out eye holes. I couldn’t tell what gave me the bigger headache; getting blasted by the warlord or trying to figure out how this joke of a plan Mum came up with worked.

“Of course it did. It was my idea,” Mum boasted. “Just imagine the headlines in the morning: Ponyville’s Love Guru and friends defeat the deadly Buttermilk phantom!”

I facehooved. Never thought I would miss Mum’s terrible jokes, yet here we are.

“It wouldn’t surprise me.” Spike chuckled. “This town has seen so many weird things happen that they just roll with it. Fluttershy actually has a tracker for how many days we’ve had without a Discord-related incident. Should’ve known something was up when we didn’t hit double digits this month...”

“I still think we should take this off before Zecora sees me,” Flash suggested.

"And ruin the surprise?" Mum gasped. "Don't take this away from me, Buttermilk. I need her reaction in my life."

“Need my reaction for wha—” Zecora turned the corner of the hall just before we crossed the connecting intersection of the hallway, porcelain mug clutched tight in her hoof. Her words trailed off at the ridiculous sight that was Flash Sentry. She turned her head down the hall, then back to us as if deciphering a mirage.

Flash shuffled in place. “So, uh, I’m sure you have a lot of questions...”

“This is… no, my eyes must be deceiving me. Are you truly Flash Sentry?” Zecora then took notice of us. Mum and I had maintained our previous disguises, Sassy and Nurse Redheart respectively, to both avoid detection and not give Zecora an immediate heart attack, thus why I hadn’t stripped Flash of his silly disguise. All of us except Flash were strapped with several saddlebags carrying all of my equipment and supplies from the hospital. “When did you wake, and why are you dressed in a sheet? This is hardly the time to play trick or treat!”

“Don’t worry, Zecora, it’s really me. It’s a long story, and would be best to sit down and explain it all at once.”

“I... see. You all certainly look worse for wear. Come, put down your things so we can rest and discuss things over here.” Zecora guided us to the makeshift triage center where I last ‘visited’ Flash. This raised another question about Flash’s new form I was curious to see unfold.

Zecora swung the door open, then stopped dead in her tracks. The mug of coffee fell from her frozen hoof and shattered on the floor.

Flash’s body was still on the bed, coat white as snow. The white aura of pathos engulfed it completely. All eyes snapped to Flash, who scratched his head underneath the sheet.

“I can explain... I think.”

Oh I can’t wait to hear this.

Shock overcame Zecora for only a moment before settling into curiosity. “How did… could it be?” Without warning, she reached for the sheet on Flash and ripped it off.

Zecora drew a Niekinis dagger from the pouch strung along her barrel and pointed it at the ghostly Flash’s throat, terrified eyes bouncing between each of us.

First Spike, now Zecora has the blade? Since when did Mum start giving away our precious relics like candy?

“Explain yourself, windigo,” Zecora glared. “If they are under your spell, I’ll cut you down lest you let them go!”

Flash reared back, eyes glued to the tip of the blade. “Whoa, calm down Zecora! I told you, it’s really me!”

Zecora glanced at the bed where Flash’s actual body lay. Her wary gaze returned to him, grip tightened on the blade. Mum moved between them before things could escalate further.

“He’s telling the truth, though the jury is still out on what is going on with him,” Mum said. “That aside, I don’t think you and I formally met. Well, you met ‘Trojan’ and ‘Sassy Love’, but not the real me.”

She moved closer to Zecora, standing just beyond the knife point, and extended a hoof and smile. “The name’s Noble Heart. Real name, that is. Pleasure to meet ya officially, Zecora.”

I nearly had my own heart attack. It blew my mind to witness Mum give away her sacred identity so easily. “W-what the bloody hay are you doing?!” I caught myself too late, tensing on instinct for Mum’s sharp reprimand thanks to my disrespectful outburst. Instead, she merely shrugged.

“There’s no point in hiding my true name anymore now that the Cold One knows I'm still alive. Besides, we’re long overdue to start being a little more buddy-buddy with our new allies, so let’s lose the disguise. That includes you, Elly.”

With a grumble I followed orders and dropped my disguise, Mum following suit. At least I got some satisfaction out of Zecora’s reaction to seeing me again.

Zecora drew her attention to Spike for confirmation, eyes pleading for answers. Once she got the smile and nod from him, the tension in her shoulders slacked and her weapon lowered. “By the earth, you all have given me quite the start. Please, get settled so we can talk and give me time to calm my heart.”

We dropped the saddlebags in the corner and sought out chairs scattered about the room. Our seats were organized in a large circle. I acquired the seat on Mum’s right, followed by Spike, Zecora, then Flash, who had yet to take his seat. The air shifted to a damp, bitter taste of suppressed melancholy. Flash’s gaze would flicker to his body as if ashamed of it. Spike avoided looking at Flash and Mum with every opportunity, failing to conceal his discomfort. Like always, Mum kept up her upbeat mood, never giving away her intentions or thoughts like a good changeling. I knew the good-natured farce from earlier would eventually collapse, especially given the horrors we've faced in the past hour alone. I was thankful for Flash and Spike not being completely oblivious of our dilemma.

Flash stood over his own body, mood souring with a single glance at the guilt-ridden drake who clearly positioned himself to sit away from him and Mum. I could understand Spike’s reasons for being away from Flash, yet it eluded me to why he treated my mother the same way.

Zecora left her seat and sidled up to Flash’s side, looking down at pathos-infused body. The expression on his face spoke volumes. “Though I am still perplexed with this form you’ve taken, I don’t believe it wise to leave your body forsaken.”

“I have no idea how to get back to my body,” Flash admitted. “I’m not even sure how I ended up outside my body in the first place.” His hoof landed on ‘his’ chest. “There’s this energy coming off the body. Never seen anything like this.”

I couldn't hold back my surprise. “You can see pathos?”

“That is pathos?!” Flash exclaimed.

Spike looked around, completely lost. “See what? I don’t see anything.”

“Only those touched by the Cold One can see the tainted aura of his vile magic,” I explained.

“Or those gifted in such a field of study,” Zecora added. “Though I admit my aura reading skills are somewhat rusty. Regardless, this is a discussion to have once preparations are done. Now that I have clarity on your crisis, I may be able to help your soul and body once again become one.”

Flash gaped. “Whoa, you can do that?”

“This manifestation of your consciousness is magic taking form. Though it has been many years since I’ve performed such art, I can still mend souls and bodies separated and torn. However, that is a story for another day. When you are ready, I will show you the way.”

“There’s no time like the present. Let’s do it.”.

“Keep your hoof upon the body’s chest. Close your eyes and relax your soul. From there I shall do the rest. Do not allow your mind to wander and soon you will once again be whole.”

Flash complied and waited. Zecora placed her hoof over his and chanted something in a language I didn’t bother trying to decipher. It wasn’t normal Zebrican, that much was certain.

Faint, amethyst energy burned off her body and channeled into Flash’s hoof. Whatever she did caused his incorporeal form to twist and melt into his body, literally sucking him in. Tangerine rushed in and overtook the white on his coat just before his eyes popped open. Flash gasped for air.

Zecora extended her hoof to him. “Welcome back, captain. It’s good to see you back in action.”

With a big grin, Flash accepted her hoof and hopped off the bed. “Thanks Zeco—whoa.” He barely caught himself on his designated chair, wobbling like a sickly foal. “W-well now. Looks like I need to get used to having weight again.”

Zecora's little magic trick stole my curiosity. We’ve known about shaman zebras for a long time. Powerful in magic not commonly seen in Equestria and held secrets to this day our brightest changelings have been unable to expose. Still, seeing it first-hoof made my skin crawl. What else could they do with souls? What had they done with them in the past? I made a mental note to investigate this once this crisis was over. If I was still alive to see the end of this madness.

“Welcome back, Buttermilk,” Mum greeted. The two exchanged a nod, Flash smiling widely at her.

“It’s good to be back, Noble.”

I barely restrained a snarl. How dare he address her so casually? I should put him in his place and teach him respect!

My seething paused when Spike got out of his chair and approached Flash. Nervousness flashed in his gaze. Only a fool couldn’t tell what made him uneasy.

“Flash…” Spike forced the words out, fists glued to his sides.

Flash placed a hoof on his shoulder. “Later. Alright?”

Spike hesitated. I half expected the reptile to protest Flash’s wishes until he loosened his fists. “Alright.” He returned to his seat, shoulders slightly more relaxed than earlier.

Flash swept his gaze over us and cleared his throat. “I’m sure we’re all burning to figure out what the hay is going on. I got questions, and I know you all feel the same way, but let’s save them until we have all the facts on the table. This way we spend less time answering questions and more on being productive with what little time we got. We’re gonna need it to plan our next move.”

“Makes sense to me,” Mum said. “And since you were the one to come up with such a brilliant plan, you should go first.”

“Seems fair. Guess I’ll just start from the beginning after I left home base…”

We listened intently to Flash’s side of the story. The more he talked about his possession experience, facing “Malice” in his dreamscape, and working alongside Discord and Chrysalis, the harder it was to fight down the urge to ask questions.

Everything about Chrysalis working with him and Discord assaulted my very senses. Our queen consorting with ponies? Utter madness! Yet, had Flash not appeared out of that strange portal within the warlord vassal and utilized magic no pegasus should be capable of, I would’ve sooner called him a raving lunatic. Learning what became of our queen was most unsettling.

Flash choked up when Twilight and, surprisingly, the death of my squad was brought up. We all exchanged a look with each other, realizing he had no idea Twilight was still alive. More troubling was the salty emotions wafting out of him. He genuinely regretted butchering my squad.

That struck a nerve like nothing else, spilling gasoline into my pyre of rage.

“I know it won’t mean much after what I did, but… I’m sorry.” Flash’s voice quivered. “What I did wasn’t right. I should’ve talked things out more. Thought things through. Instead, I acted like an idiot and nearly got myself and everyone killed.” His head and ears drooped. “I wish I could take it all back. Hurting you all. Killing those changelings and taking Twilight’s life. It’s… it’s all my fault.”

“Enough!”

This drew raised eyebrows in my direction from all except Flash. His head still hung low like a whipped puppy. “Everyone else can throw a pity party for you, but I won’t forgive you so easily for slaughtering my forces! My mother’s forces!”

“Elly.” Mum’s warning tone slipped in. Against better judgement I continued.

“Had you not been such an immature brat, more lives probably could’ve been spared. Not like you would understand what we’ve gone through!”

“Elly…!”

“I will never forgive you, Flash Sentry! The only thing stopping me from strangling your sorry little neck is—”

Mum’s magic wrapped around my muzzle and trapped it shut. My head was turned just enough to witness an icy glare from Mum that liquefied my nerves.

“No more,” she scolded. “The lost of our kin is not his fault. Malice is to blame for this mess. It’s because of Flash I found you. Because of him we haven’t killed each other. Because of him that you live. He doesn’t owe us. We owe him.”

Flash looked up at Mum, life returning to his features. It took everything in me to not glare at her. Why is she taking a pony’s side and not mine? What happened to her since she left that warped her this way? Was there something I was missing?

...Am I wrong?

No. That can’t be. Why should we owe him after what he did to our forces? Even worse, he has an aspect of Malice dwelling within him. Why should he deserve anything more than retribution through death? Why would—

“We will discuss this further another time,” Mum’s tone left no room for debate. “You will treat him, Spike and Zecora as you would treat me. I will tolerate no less than full respect of our very lifelines in this fight. Are we clear?”

I nodded. Her gaze held as she released my mouth, daring me to defy her orders. Discipline kept the deep scowl out of my face, maintaining an impassive facade as I took my seat. Tension in the air thickened like a stifling bog.

“So, with that mess out of the way, guess it’s my turn. But before that, gotta clear the air.” Mum turned to Flash, carrying on like she didn’t just verbally throttle me, wearing her usual perky smile. “I don’t know why you got the idea of Twilight being dead, but she’s not.”

Flash threw a dumbfounded look at Mum. “Wh… what did you just say?”

“Twilight. Sparkle. Is. Not. Dead.” Mum repeated as if speaking to a confused child.

Flash went still. His emotions tasted like unrefined cinnamon: sweet with a strong hint of spice. Shock and happiness. This taste intensified as his breathing picked up. “B-but she… I know I slashed her face with my spear! I remember seeing her unmoving in the snow! I know what I saw! I swear to Celestia if you’re messing with me…!”

“You’re not wrong about what actually happened,” Mum shrugged. “You certainly did a number on her face, but I’m not lying to you. Twilight’s still alive.”

His wide eyes stayed on her a little longer, the sweetness in his emotions almost unbearably strong. Just when his eyes started to water, he shot up from his chair so fast it nearly flipped. “Where is she? I-I need to apologize. Tell her what happened and sort out this mess. She must be—”

“Twilight’s not here,” I answered, catching Mum’s warning glare at the edge of my vision.

“Where is she? Is she alright?!”

I hesitated, not sure if my answer would lead to him or Mum mauling me. Maybe both if I was careless. I decided to be diplomatic, if only to avoid Mum’s wrath. “She was taken with the enthralled element bearers by Malice. He hasn’t told me where he took them when I handed off control.”

The look of horror on Flash’s face struck me with guilt. It was like I took Hearth’s Warming away from him. This didn’t last long. His expression gradually morphed, deepening to a bitter scowl. Spice flared from his emotions as he looked ready to tear me asunder.

“You did what?!”

Pathos flickered in his emotional aura, static in the air tickling my carapace. His voice reverberated similarly to Chrysalis’, a hint of Malice embedded in the double voice. Spike and Zecora tensed up. Mum showed no reaction outside a small twitch of her forehoof. Though caught off guard, I was ready to deal with him if needed.

Go ahead, Flash Sentry. Try your luck. We can settle this right now. Mum would have to agree you’re too dangerous to let live.

To both my surprise and minor disappointment, his anger receded as quick as it came. He took a deep breath, made a sweeping motion with a hoof, then reclaimed his seat. A storm of spicy, hostile emotions whirled in him. “Sorry. I just… any idea if Twilight and the others are safe? What does Malice have planned for them?”

I tilted my head, throwing him a surprised glance. Just when I think I have him figured out, Flash pulls a fast one and sidesteps my expectations. The emotional switch threw me off so hard I almost forgot he asked me a question. “If Malice wanted them dead, he would’ve had me do it. There’s something he wants from them. He would sooner use them as, ugh, “motivation” than kill them outright. He knows how valuable they are as a set, so killing even one of them would cut his potential profit. We have time. I just can’t tell you how long.”

Flash closed his eyes. Another sigh. His pathos shimmered to a soft ember. “I’m sorry. I threw us off track even though I was the one who said to hold questions. Let’s continue reviewing what’s happened so far. Looks like plenty happened while I was out.”

A ghost of a smile appeared on Mum’s lips as she gave him an approving look. Seriously, what does she know that I don’t? “Alright. I’ll continue where you left off after you left home base…”

Mum retold her side of the story up to this point. I was surprised she knew about the death of our comrades before now, yet still treated Flash like a respectable pony. Spike told his side right afterwards, filling the gaps of what happened after he left Mum’s residence. He and Mum both claimed they only had weapon’s training before he left, though for some reason grew uncomfortable talking about it. Zecora was last to confess her side, primarily an observer to some of these events until she ran into Flash in Everfree.

“Guess it’s my turn then,” I said. “It’s best I start from the beginning. Malice assigned me to what was originally Mother’s next mission; set up a covert ops base camp and intel network in Ponyville. This meant not only watching movements of high priority targets such as Twilight Sparkle, but also controlling all communications that went in and out of Ponyville. Well, except dragon mail.”

“Yeah, I can see that,” Mum nodded. “Can’t remove him without raising too much noise, and enthralling or impersonating him would've been too risky thanks to Twilight Sparkle’s insight.”

“Right. And let me tell you, it is not easy to keep a town like Ponyville quiet. I couldn’t turn around for five minutes without some weird crisis popping up. We couldn’t risk some bizarre happenstance to convince Twilight and the others to start investigations. If either of those led to Everfree Forest, our cover would’ve been blown.”

Flash cupped his chin. “Complacency creates weakness. Why suspect anything when everything is at peace?”

“Exactly! The mission had progressed soundly. We were able to subjugate some of the more problematic monsters in the forest and maintain control through enthralling and pathos possession. Things started to go sour after Thorax got captured, which got Malice nervous about being discovered too soon. It’s only after Flash bumbled his way to the commanding vassal’s lair that Malice decided to initiate security procedures.”

“What does that entail exactly?” Spike asked.

“Remove the biggest threats. In other words, capture the element bearers and eliminate any witnesses tied to them. Everypony who was remotely aware of what was going on,” I threw a gaze at Spike and Zecora, “were marked for death.”

Flash frowned. “While I can’t say I like the idea of you enslaving them, I can at least appreciate that you didn’t have to go through killing them.”

“How’s the view from that glass house of yours, Flash?” Mum asked with feign innocence.

Flash glared. “Hey, that’s not fair at all! The Shield Choker was completely different. Besides, is that something you say to the stallion who set you free?”

“Just saying. You and Shiny had quite the hard on for seeing me in bondage.”

I sputtered. “Excuse me?!”

Flash facehooved. “Context, Elytra.”

I could never tell when Mum was joking with such… delicate matters. I decided it was safer to not think too hard about it. “Moving on, shit hit the bloody fan when Flash stumbled upon the vassal’s hideout in the Timberwolf cave. Whatever Malice saw in you made him want to catch and possess you. My team was supposed to detain you and do the job while I observed Twilight’s movements from my spy outpost within Stardew Horizon, but… well, we all know how that went.”

Flash’s gaze fell. “R-right.”

“The rest is as you can imagine. First Spike caught me off guard, then Mother and Zecora spotted me just as I finished transferring pathos into Flash, and the rest is history.”

“Ugh, what a mess,” Flash grumbled, “and all because I lost my cool. Buck my life.”

“Speaking of mess, there are a few things that I still can’t make sense out of,” Mum spoke up. “Now that we got caught up with each other, I just got to know; what in Tartarus was that ghost nonsense you pulled off earlier? Did you seriously break out from inside you own mind?”

“Wish I could tell you. All I know is that I really, really wanted to punch that warlord in the face and save you guys. This ‘Spark’ of mine seems to work off desire and willpower rather than actual thought like a reflex. I really don’t understand much beyond that, or even its limitations. In my mind, I was able to do just about anything as long as I committed to it on an instinctive level. Outside that? No idea. Just lucked out I guess.”

“I may have the answers that you seek,” Zecora spoke up, “though I fear my knowledge on this matter is a bit rusty and weak.”

“It already sounds better than what I got, so spill,” Flash said.

“After Discord’s seal was complete, Malice’s power and persona, a part of his very soul, became one with you. Just as he was able to connect to one of these vassals through you, you became capable of such feats too. Channeling your newfound power allowed you to breach reality through Malice’s connection. It’s proof the power within you is real with risks worthy of much consideration.”

“It hadn’t really sunk in till now that I could use the same magic outside the mind castle. It’s far more taxing than I expected, though. So as long as Malice is stuck inside me, I have access to everything he could do?”

“Careful, Flash Sentry, as it will work the other way around,” Zecora warned. “Malice is likely to try and abuse this connection that keeps you two bound. We will need to secure the limits of your control. Should you fail or use it too much, Malice could very well take over your soul.”

“It’s just like what Discord and Chrysalis told me. If I mess up and lose control, Malice will be freed. I… I could die.” Sweat trickled down his cheek, color drained from his face. I’d wager the price he paid for having Malice stuck inside him was too steep.

“Hey, are you gonna be alright?” Mum asked him.

“Huh? Oh, yeah. I’m fine. Just… thinking about our next move." An obvious lie for our benefit, or so he believed. "Our first priority should be to find Twilight and the others’ location. If I had to guess, they’re likely in Everfree somewhere. The question is where in the forest? And why? Any ideas?”

“Only one place makes sense,” I said. “Malice’s main base of operations is at the tree of harmony. It’s the one place he didn’t want any of us to be at and the strongest concentration of pathos. Can’t figure out what he wants with the tree, though. Maybe protect it?”

“He wouldn’t need to make you generate pathos for him in that case,” Mum pointed out. “A token force with some vassals would be more than enough to defend it while staying hidden. The fact he summoned a warlord class vassal means something’s up. He has a bigger plan here.”

“Warlord class?” Flash asked.

“There’s more than one type of vassal,” I answered. “Each one requires varying levels of pathos and resources for Malice to create. Stronger classes of vassals contain more of Malice’s psyche, intelligence and memories. So far we’ve been able to classify reapers, hunters, warlords, warmasters and champions. Pathos gatherers, fighters like the one who possessed you, and overseers who run the show for the first three. Warmasters are basically replicas of Malice himself, and champions are his “privileged” few that are in a class of their own.”

“Apparently I’m his newest ‘champion’,” Flash spat. “As much as I don’t like it, that power helped us take down that warlord. From what you described, a warmaster is what was put inside of me. I bet that wingless dragon had to be what the real Malice looks like.”

“I can only guess another warmaster is at the tree of harmony, doing whatever he can to further his game plan.” Mum guessed.

“So what are we waiting for?” Spike hopped out of his chair, steam puffed through his nose. “Let’s get in there and save everypony!”

“Hold on, Spike,” Flash raised his hoof to gesture him to stop. “I want to get in there and save Twilight and the others as much as you do, but rushing in there, especially now, is suicide. We lucked out by catching that warlord off guard, but if this Warmaster is anything like what I faced, he’ll rip us apart as we are now. There’s another problem to consider as well.”

Mum’s shoulder sank at the unspoken concern. “Shining Armor, right?”

“Yeah. From what Noble described, he’s coming here with some much needed reinforcements. Unfortunately, he will also be coming with the wrath of the stars. What do you think will happen if an army of angry soldiers led by a furious prince were to show up in Ponyville as it is now? More importantly, who do you think would profit the most from it?”

I caught on immediately. “It would be a buffet of negative energy for Malice to feast on. Malice is all about sparking war and fueling rage. They would play right into his claws.”

“We need prepare ourselves and wait for reinforcements first,” Flash suggested. “Once we get that under control, we’ll have the backing of Shining Armor and whatever he brought with him to help secure Ponyville and Everfree. Beyond that, going into Everfree without proper rest or preparation is just asking for trouble. The smartest course of action is to wait until we’re rested and have taken care of Shining Armor.”

“B-but what about Twilight? What if Malice is torturing her? He might even…” Spike’s gaze fell, unable to complete the thought.

“He won’t,” Flash answered without hesitation.

That sounded rather confident. Is he just talking out of his ass? “How do you know that?” I asked.

“He only tortures traitors. It’s part of his code to impart that kind of punishment on those who betray him, such as Chrysalis. He’s the type who believes in burning one village to make the neighboring three surrender. Though he’s a bastard and a tyrant, torturing someone for ‘fun’ is beneath him. Waste of resources and time. What he wants, more than anything, is spark off the biggest Celestia-damned war he can profit of, and having a princess and the element bearers at his mercy plays into that almost too perfectly.”

“Flash,” Zecora started cautiously, “your level of comprehension concerning Malice is rather distinct. Were those words, by chance, spoken out of instinct?”

The accusation spoke volumes and matched my concerns perfectly. I’d spent nearly three years trying to understand the depth of Malice’s thoughts, actions and motivations. Flash is just learning about him, yet he spoke as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

Flash looked at us like we had just accused him of treason. “I… it just felt like that’s how he would think. I don’t think I’m wrong, but I can’t explain why it’s right.” His forehooves rubbed together as he averted his gaze from ours. “Hey, look, I’m still me, alright? No matter what happens, I won’t let that change.”

Despite his reassuring words, even Flash couldn’t ignore the dangers of having Malice infused within his own subconsciousness and soul. “That aside, I can’t disagree with what Flash said,” I admitted. “As long as I’ve studied his behavior, Malice made it abundantly clear he had a particular hatred for traitors. I just never pieced together that there was actual purpose to it rather than stigmatism from Discord’s apparent betrayal.”

“But if that’s the case, one thing doesn’t make sense,” Flash pondered. “Malice went out of his way to give Chrysalis the ‘easy’ way out. He had plenty of chances of severely crippling her mind or even killing her, but stopped himself each time.”

That… doesn’t sound like the Malice Mum and I know. Granted, he only began torturing Chrysalis after suspecting her of betraying him, but he already has her body and the grip on the hive mind through it. Why spare her?

“Don’t think it matters why,” I settled. “All that matters is dealing with him before it’s too late.”

“Agreed. So that’s it then. Settle matters with Shining Armor first, then assault Everfree,” Flash said. “Let’s get all the rest and prep work we can tonight. Once Shining Armor gets here, there will be no time to do anything but launch the offensive against Everfree.”

“We should have watch rotations to make sure Malice doesn’t get creative,” Mum suggested.

“Good idea. We can also use this time to take care of anything weighing on our minds. We may not get the chance later.”

“Way ahead of you, Buttermilk. Elly, you’re with me. Bring the equipment.” The grip of nervousness crawled up my back at the seriousness in mum’s tone. I had a feeling I was not going to slip away from her promised "talk" so easily.

“Sounds good. Spike, mind coming with me to prep food for everyone?” Flash turned his attention to Spike, who nodded.

“I suppose I’ll make myself useful and clean up this space,” Zecora suggested. “I recommend we sleep here so all can be in one place.”

A quick glance at Flash and my stomach twisted into a knot. The last thing I wanted was to sleep anywhere near him. Sadly, there was no arguing the point, as being in one place made it easier to keep watch.

Flash smiled. “Good call, Zecora. Alright, let’s break and regroup here later. Make tonight worth it.”

All except Zecora departed from the room, Flash and Spike heading down stairs while I followed Mum down the hall. An invisible weight pressed on my shoulders while we walked in silence, saddlebags hovering in my magical grip.

This very well could be our final night together.

Mum and I entered what appeared to be a music room. She pointed to one of the couches with a silent command. I didn’t hesitate to take the seat, dropping the saddlebags in a pile between us. Mum sat across from me. No words. No body language. Not even a hint of emotion on her face to decipher what was on her mind. Either I was still in trouble for my behavior earlier or something heavy weighed on her mind. At this stage it could be both.

“Something isn’t right.” Mum spoke cryptically as she pulled out the items in the bags. Ration canisters, melter bombs, alert bells, spools of garrote wire, broken down components and bolts for my crossbow, and other weapons were being organized on the ground. She rifled through the equipment, occasionally placing items that caught her eye by her side and others on the floor.

“Talking about the vassals, right?” I worked my magic to gather pieces of my crossbow and reassembled it.

Mum nodded. “When Flash freed my magic, I sensed reapers all over the hospital. Considering how much pathos was generated from the whole mess, I bet Malice had a reaper for every patient in the building. If he was serious, he probably could’ve made several hunters to help his warlord.”

Putting the pieces together, I started following Mum’s thought process. “The development with Flash was a surprising one. Perhaps he was caught off guard?”

“That warlord was likely made for me,” Mum’s brow knitted together, “and for all of that pathos to disappear, or rather, relocate…”

“He’s consolidating his resources.” I finished. “For him to reclaim all the reapers in the hospital, all the pathos lingering around the town, he must have an endgame in mind.”

“Exactly, which is why you will need these.”

Mum washed a layer of magic over her hind legs. Fours straps filled with Niekinis daggers emerged from invisibility. She unclipped them and passed the weaponry over to me via magic.

“Thanks, Mum.” I placed my completed crossbow on the side and fastened each leather bandolier to each of my legs. Mum recast her enchantment spell over me, causing the blades to disappear from sight. In turn, I grabbed some of the canisters containing siphoned love and passed them to Mum. “Please drink. Would be best for you to stay at full strength.” I couldn’t help the scowl unbidden on my face. “There’s a lot less mouths to feed. It would be a shame for this to go to waste.”

“Elly,” Mum frowned, grasping the canisters in her magic, “you must maintain control of your discipline. We will make Malice pay, but only if we stay focus and play smart.” She popped open the rations and downed the green viscous liquid one gulp per canister. Her magic brightened and shimmered with each drink, months worth of rations devoured in minutes.

How many weeks had she gone barely consuming her minimal diet? No wonder she’s so hungry.

“Please slow down a bit, Mum. The last thing we need is for your to go into shock.” I helped myself to one of the canisters to top off my strength, the sweet taste of pure love caressing my taste buds.

A pile of empty canisters at her side, Mum released a blissful sigh. “It will take more than that to overwhelm me. Besides, I need the extra juice just in case I screw up.”

One of my eyebrows quirked. “Screw up what?”

“I can’t risk being separated from you again. I don’t know what will happen from here on out, so we need to stay connected. But we can’t use the hive network without leaving the backdoor open for Malice. He’ll kill us in a second.”

“That reminds me; how did you disappear from the network like you did? It was so sudden we thought you were killed instantly… ahem, n-not that I thought those feeble ponies would get you.”

“A normal disconnect would’ve tipped someone off, especially your aunt Guile. She, better than anyone, can tell apart the subtle nuance of a manual disconnect. Considering Shining Armor and I still had yet to be best buds, I had to think fast and get creative without letting anyling know what I was up to.” She tapped on her horn. I focused on two tiny cracks formed in the grooves of a hole in it. “Turns out sticking a Niekinis blade in here hurts like a bitch.”

“M-Mother!” I gasped. “What in the world possessed you to do that? You could’ve shattered your mind or suffered a psychotic break from severing your connection that way!”

Mum shrugged. “Between that or tipping off Malice, I had to take my chances. Besides, it paid off. I was able to play dead long enough to find you.”

“That is…” I grumbled, unable to find a counterpoint. Being caught lying by Malice would’ve certainly led to worst consequences. “Ugh, point taken. It was still far too risky.”

“And so is what I’m about to do next. For us to function as a unit again, we need that hive mind network.”

“But we can’t. Not without connecting to the Queen’s network, which won’t end well for either of us.”

“Exactly. You will be joining my network.”

I sputtered. “What?! But I thought the Queen refused to teach you how to create a hive mind network!”

“True. Stars forbid any of us dared to even think of leaving the hive to become queen by our own hooves,” Mum rolled her eyes, a hint of bitterness on her tongue. “Luckily, breaking the network and having a lot of time to think allowed me to figure some things out. I’m going to try and reach out to you with my magic. When you feel it, align your magic as you normally would. From there we should be able to forge a network… I think.”

“Not exactly a shining beacon of confidence, Mum,” I muttered under my breath.

“What was that?”

“I-I said let’s go for it.” I closed my eyes and, emptying my thoughts to strengthen my senses. After a moment and some frustrated grunts from Mum, a sudden warmth engulfed my horn. I gasped, feeling every inch of Mum’s warm presence in my mind. The sensation wasn’t nearly as muted as when we were part of the Queen’s hive mind network.

*Mum? Can you hear me?* I called out through the link.

*Huh. That wasn’t as bad as I thought. Regardless, connection established!*

I opened my eyes, as did Mum. Smiles erupted from our muzzles. “My goodness, it works! I can’t believe it!”

“I know. Ain’t I amazing?”

I rolled my eyes. “Modest as always, Mum. You haven’t changed a bit, have you?”

The smile dropped a bit. “Much to my surprise… yes, I have. A lot opened my eyes today.”

I was taken by surprise from the sudden shift of mood. “What do you mean?”

“Elly.” A touch of gentleness reached her voice. “Do you remember my assignment during the Canterlot operation?”

“Yes, Mum. Destabilize the residential district to attract attention away from the castle. You had to deal with Canterlot's Delta Company, right?

“Correct. All I had to do was attract enough attention to divide the pony forces stationed there. However, I’d gotten a bit… overzealous.” She paused. “I killed many ponies. Way more than the mission required me to. It was during that raid I encountered Flash’s unit. I’m not even sure if they were sent to intercept us, or if his unit just stumbled into our AO. Either way, we engaged them, and…” Another break. I had never seen Mum be this dismayed over some dead ponies. “I’m responsible for wiping out his entire team. His friends. I nearly killed him, too, until that barrier blasted us away.”

“That’s quite the odd coincidence to run into him again. Small world, I suppose,” I shrugged.

“Do you also believe it to be a coincidence that of all the ponies for your team to have faced, it was the one whose comrades I’ve had slaughtered in front of him?”

Now I understood what she was trying to get at. “Mum, please do not lump the tragic losses of our forces with his. Not even the death of a thousand ponies could replace one of ours. You of all changelings should know we can’t accept any further losses.”

A hidden pain flickered across Mum’s face for a moment before she sighed. “And thus the ‘truths’ of our queen blind us. As much as I love Chrysalis, her ways have led us to the dark ages we are in now.”

I barely withheld a gasp. “I-I know you two have had differences in the past, but she always had our best interests in mind. All of her work had been to help us thrive and survive. It’s either us or them!”

“You still don’t get it, do you?” Mum shook her head. “Back then, the operation was never about the survival of our species or even toppling the leaders. It was all because of the queen’s spite against Celestia. The marriage of the princess of love, a celebration generating more love than we could even fathom, was merely an opportune time for her to exact vengeance. The perfect cover.”

Everything coming out of Mum’s mouth hit my ears wrong. Words of heresy and treason against the great queen. All had been about survival and evolution of the species! No longer would we need to slink through the shadows, scavenging for food like a wild animal. Without the ponies, we would be free.

“Mum,” I paused to search for the proper words, “I don’t understand. None of this seems like our benevolent queen. Sure, any mention of Celestia usually struck a nerve, and the ponies always did seem less a menacing threat than she said they were…”

Even my own words felt alien. Everyling knew of the queen’s hatred for ponies, especially Celestia. How her battle against the sun princess scarred us in the past. An obnoxious reminder of the fate of anything who went against the ponies.

Whatever she saw in my face caused a small, bitter smile to appear in Mum’s muzzle. “I see you’re catching on that something is off. Our queen wouldn’t dare allow something as scandalous as her personal vendetta risk creating discord among the hive. Only myself and your aunties knew the truth behind her actions. We kept it secret for the peace and safety of the hive and help our queen cope with what she could. As you can imagine, centuries of festering your inner hatred can have some… disastrous results.”

My head spun as it assembled pieces and clues that’d stuck out in my mind for years. If our queen was really so biased, that placed every decision she’s made into question. How much was for the good of the hive? How much was only to satisfy her hatred? How many lives have we lost because of this?

“Where… are you going with this? Why are you telling me this now?”

“It’s a lesson I learned tonight, Elly. A lesson that took the deaths of many changelings for me to understand. Our Queen’s hatred led to the deaths of many ponies. This created ponies like Flash Sentry, a survivor whose hatred for us was born from our actions. That is what led to the demise of the squad you brought with you.”

Mum’s expression hardened, almost angry. “We have to change, Elly. I understand why you hate Flash. Seeing the aftermath of what he did is going to haunt me for the rest of my life. However, if we are going to survive this, we will have to move past it. That starts with having faith in Flash Sentry.”

I nearly choked. “Him? As in, the very same pony you just got through telling me has such a compelling reason for hating us so?”

“Heh, yes, that very one. His development will be pivotal in showing us that the possibility of peace between our races exist. If the stallion who hated us for so many years can be convinced to give peace a chance, then what’s to say others can’t? What’s to say that we can’t?”

How many years has it been since Mum talked about peace with the ponies? Chrysalis always detested such talks and would shut Mum down at every opportunity. I thought Mum finally abandoned such wild ideas years ago. Then again, tonight has been full of surprises, so what’s one more?

Mum continued. “Observe him tonight. Form your own judgement based on what I’ve told you. You know I would never speak this highly of a pony unless he earned my respect.”

I groaned. “You say that, but he’s also carrying Malice in his soul. I can’t be the only one who saw a bit of that bastard shine through when Flash started losing his shit. He’s too dangerous.”

“I never said it would be easy, nor did I miss that. I trusted him to keep it controlled and he did. If it comes down to it, I will stop him, just as Spike had done.”

“Regarding Spike, I don’t understand what you see in the feeble novice. You seriously trust him with our sacred teachings? With our relics?”

A strange smile appeared on Mum’s muzzle. Almost shy in nature. “Well, it started with just trying to manipulate him to do my bidding. But let me tell you, that drake is not to be underestimated. I couldn’t have made a better decision in taking him on as my disciple.”

I pursed my lips. “He’s too clumsy and naive. That drake will only slow us down”

“Alright, then. Remind me on how this clumsy drake slipped out of your sight back at the hospital?”

That… had not crossed my mind until now. That little shit...!

“I-I was distracted!” was my snap response. “With everything that was going on, Spike was the last thing I was concerned about!”

“Ah, so you admit my strongest disciple allowed herself to get distracted in combat? If you were his target, you would not be standing here right now.”

“I…” I wanted to throw myself under a carriage. Losing control of my combat awareness sounded just as bad as admitting that upstart evaded me. All I could do was growl at Mum, who giggled at my mortifying display.

“Relax, I know things were a bit tense. I admit, I’m grateful Flash showed up when he did. I couldn’t tell if Spike really was going to try and stab me in the back.”

I gasped. Thinking back on the fight, I scarcely remember the troubling look in his eyes as he held his weapon. I’d figured he was just emotionally confused and agitated, or preparing himself to kill me at the time. Not once did I consider the possibility of him hurting Mum.

“Him? Kill you? Impossible!”

“Believe me, you weren’t the only one I kept my eye on during that scuffle, a fiasco that I will let slide only once,” the glare she threw at me sent shivers down my spine. I’d hoped she forgot about my insubordination during that crisis. “It took guts for Spike to even think about killing me to save everyone. Knowing him, he realized the only way he could even dream to defeat me was to catch me off guard. Excellent threat assessment, considering the situation.”

I shook my head. “Only you would compliment a student who contemplated murdering you.”

“Well, I’m just glad I didn’t have to end up killing him in the end. I think he would be a good match for you.”

I coughed. The sudden shift in conversation nearly gave me whiplash. “Excuse me, what?”

“You’re not getting any younger, y’know. Sure, he’s dorky and inexperienced, but I do approve of his cuteness and mindset.” A look I was all too familiar with gleamed in her eye. The kind of look someone wore when they had their ‘best idea ever’. “Maybe after this is over, you two could have a private training session. You could, you know, tutor him in our ways. Embrace his culture… maybe even his—”

“Nope. Not having this conversation.” I shot from the couch and bolted for the door as fast as my legs could carry me.

“Have you seen that muscle definition? Don’t knock it till you try it~”

“Not listening!” I shouted back, disappearing around the corner. I could still hear her mad giggling from down the hallway.

*It’s rude to run away from conversation, young lady.*

*So is trying to throw Spike on me, Mum.*

*Only because I care… and curious to see if he’s into taking turns.*

I nearly tripped down the stairs. *Mother!*

I received no further response from her after that. Probably laughing her head off at my expense.

Disturbing habits aside, Mum’s words about Flash and the future of our race stuck out in my mind, a nail begging to be hammered down. I wasn’t quite ready to take everything she said to heart, unwilling to let Flash’s crimes against us lay to rest. A lot more information would be required before I could make my judgment.

Mum did say I should observe Flash tonight. Not sure what she expects me to find that I haven’t already seen. Guess there’s only one way to find out.

I had wandered down stairs when I heard the sound of shifting plates and voices. I hugged the wall on reflex, head inched towards the edge until I could peek into the kitchen.

A collection of hay sandwiches and salads were spread over the table. Flash went about preparing the food while Spike helped with drinks, neither saying a word. I could taste the stifling awkwardness in the air. I was about to consider surveillance a waste of time until Flash spoke up.

“Hey Spike. Mind taking a seat?”

Spike hesitated, then hopped onto the seat as understanding dawned on his face. “Shouldn’t we take food to the others first?”

Flash dove for the cabinet below the sink. “We got time. Besides, I hadn’t forgotten that you wanted to talk. Figured now is as good time as we’re gonna get to spend some quality time and air out the laundry.”

“O-oh. Okay.”

A chuckle slipped out of Flash. “Why do you sound like I’m about to grill you? Just wanted us to have a quiet moment to just be us, y’know? You’re not in trouble.”

Spike folded his hands over the table, nervously twiddling his thumbs. “Really? I thought you would’ve been mad at me for… well, y’know. Even after you saved us, what you went through in Everfree, I just… it hurts.”

“Well good thing I bought the good stuff.” Flash pulled out a tall, ruby glass bottle and planted it on the table. Spike stared at the thing as if it might bite him. Recognizing the bottle, my eyebrow quirked.

Isn’t that Maelstrom Rum? That thing could knock a minotaur flat on their ass. Pretty good stuff.

“Uh, Flash? Why are you bringing out a bottle of alcohol? Why do we even have alcohol?” Spike asked.

Flash said nothing as he grabbed two glasses from the freezer and planted one of the cups next to Spike. He planted himself in a seat next to the drake with his own cup.

Spike’s jaw slacked when the answer sunk in. “Isn’t drinking this a really bad idea?”

“Not if you do it right.” Flash moved to pour their glasses. “This is how Shining and I like to spend our time before a big mission with the squad. This is really strong stuff, so drink slowly.”

“B-but what if Malice attacks us while we’re drunk? I’ve read enough comic books to know how that goes.”

I rolled my eyes at the paranoid drake. Seriously, what does my mother see in this twerp?

Flash frowned. “Only an idiot gets drunk before a mission. I won’t let that happen to you. I made that mistake once and got stupid drunk before a big bust. Do you have any idea how hard it is to chase down a diamond dog pack with a hangover?”

“Then why risk that?”

“We’re not risking anything as long as we’re careful.” Flash swished the brownish liquid a little before taking a sip. Though I’ve only had it a few times, I could still taste the cinnamon spice alcohol swirl on my tongue. I wouldn’t mind having a glass or two before we had to face Shining Armor and Malice tomorrow.

“You’re right about too much alcohol making someone stupid. It’s a dumb idea to do that right before a big battle. However, having too much stress and pent up thoughts is just as deadly. It makes you distracted and sloppy. Stress, anger, depression, it’s all poison for the soul.” He tipped his glass towards Spike. “And this antidote does wonders to help the cleansing process.”

Spike picked up the glass, eying the liquid with a cautious eye. “Should I be drinking this? Twilight said the drinking age was twenty-one. I still got two years to go.”

Flash placed the cup back down and fixed Spike a hard look. “Spike, you were nearly killed by changelings, had to stab me to keep me from killing you and everyone else, were a prisoner of war, and barely got through that fight against the warlord in the span of hours. Hours! As a member of the Royal Guard, honor-bound to uphold the law at all times, I saw screw the rules and drink. You’ve more than earned it after all you’ve been through.”

It hadn’t occurred to me until now that Spike had undergone quite the terrifying experience for a novice. Despite the adventures he’s had with Twilight, I don’t recall observing him going through something this hazardous to his psyche. I’ve seen tougher individuals crack through less pressure. For Flash to recognize and address this does say something for his character I suppose.

“Huh. Um, wow. G-guess I guess I can’t argue with that.” Spike took an experimental whiff, only to wince. “Gah, what is this stuff? Not even lava makes my nose burn like that.”

“I don’t get any of the weak-sauce crap you find at the street corner. This is vintage spiced rum, and you’re about to take that next step into stallion-hood. Well, so to speak. Now quit whining and drink up.”

“W-well, if you say so.” Finally, Spike took a sip. Unfortunately for him, he ignored the warning and downed his in one gulp. I winced, recalling my first time drinking that stuff. I couldn’t taste anything for three days.

“Hrk!” His eyes popped open, followed by gasp for air. His free hand moved to grasp his throat, tongue hanging out and face flushed.

“I told you to drink it slow, Spike. That stuff will knock you on your flank faster than you think.”

After a series of strangled gasp, Spike managed to gain control of himself ahead. He blinked the tears out of his eyes, staring down the empty cup in awe. “Whoa… this stuff is awesome!”

“Haha! That’s the spirit!” Flash poured Spike another round and passed it back to him. “Remember, slow.”

Spike nodded and took a slow sip. A hum of approval echoed inside his glass. Flash decided to start catching up with him.

While the two indulged themselves, I replayed their interaction in my head. For one who had a god of war plugged into his chest and was recently stabbed by this very drake, Flash seemed to be taking this quite well. At least, that might've been the case to those who couldn't taste the sourness emanating from his emotions. Something still weighed on his conscious that he did well to avoid showing.

True to his word, he ensured Spike did not drink too much too fast. It didn’t take long for the effects to show on Spike. His shoulders and demeanor relaxed. A spicy emotion drifted from Spike, gradually surging in intensity. His eyes narrowed as he glared down at his drink. If Flash noticed the aggressive change in the tipsy drake, he didn’t show it.

“Flash, you… you’re such...” Spike murmured.

“What was that?” Flash asked.

“You’re such a jerk!” Spike screamed, slamming his fist on the table. His body shook with barely contained restraint. “You abandoned your teammates and nearly got yourself killed! Now you just come back, act like some big damn hero and pretend that nothing happened? Like I didn’t attempt to kill you?!”

Spike downed the rest of his drink and nearly cracked the glass upon putting it down. I frowned at the sight. So he’s the angry type. He must be really pent up if he’s this bad while tipsy. Not the kind of personality you want anywhere near pathos.

“You know that’s not fair,” Flash said. “It’s not that simple.”

“Of course I know that!” Spike clenched his eyes shut, unsuccessfully stemming the flow of tears. “Nothing about any of this shit is simple or fair! I thought I killed the closest thing to a brother I’ve ever had! I almost had to kill Noble and Elytra too!”

“I saw. It’s a call I don’t know if I could’ve made.”

“Liar!” Spike slammed on the table again. “You… y-you hate changelings! They ruined your life! Killed your friends! Why wouldn’t you kill them to save ponies?”

Flash winced, wounded. He downed his drink before answering. “Had you asked me that yesterday, I would’ve completely agreed with you. If killing any and all changelings would mean saving everyone and stopping this madness, I wouldn’t have hesitated.”

My grip tightened at the edge of the doorway. Son of a...

“But after meeting Chrysalis and learning more about what the changelings and Noble has gone through, I can’t bring myself to look at them the way I used to.” Flash poured himself another drink. “Changelings are just as much victims in this mess as we are. I still worry about them stabbing me in the back or messing with my head. I’ll probably always be paranoid of them, but damn it, I have to at least try to make a difference or I’ll never get past this. I owe it to not only my comrades, but also for those changelings who died because of me.”

Try as I could, there was no hint of deceit to be found in him. It was a stern promise, albeit a hint of fear in his tone. Angry as I was with him, what he went through with the lost of his squad was not so dissimilar to what I'd gone through. I could still feel the gap in my consciousness and heart from the horror and pain my squad endured during that brutal encounter.

“That goes for you too,” Flash continued. “No one can say you made a poor choice in trying to kill me. I hurt Twilight. Hurt you. I don’t know if you realize this, but you saved everyone, Spike. You saved me. You did what was necessary to protect everyone. It may have been unpleasant, but you were the difference between everypony living or dying.”

Spike went for the bottle, but Flash pulled it away. A frustrated groan pulled out of his throat. “It doesn’t feel like it. And I even thought about...” His face twisted like he was going to be sick. Recalling what Mum warned me about, I knew it wasn’t the alcohol twisting at his gut right now.

Flash scooted over to help, slugging his foreleg over the drake’s shoulders. “I saw what was going down when that warlord cornered you all.” He lowered his voice. “The way you looked at Noble. It crossed your mind, didn’t it?”

Spike gasped. “I… I didn’t mean…” He faltered and shut his eyes, whimpering. “I’m sorry.” His words were drowned in blubbering tears. Flash pulled him into a hug.

“Let it out, Bro. It was a tough call to make. No one should have to go through that, let alone twice.” Flash patted Spike’s back, coaxing more sobs out of him. “Doing the right thing doesn’t always feel good. What matters is that you did your best. I’m proud of you, Spike. Just wish I could’ve been a better stallion so that didn’t happen in the first place.”

The two simply sat in silence, Spike crying his eyes out while clutched to the pegasus like a lifeline. I lingered a little longer before peeling myself away from the scene and going about my business in the castle. I’ve seen enough.

My disdain for the pegasus ebbed away, dwindling from utter hatred to mild nuisance. I had no plans to let him completely off the hook. However, I refuse to be morally outclassed by some low class guard. As long as his intentions stayed on the path to support my brethren, the death of my comrades would mean something.

Besides, he did help get my mother back to me. I suppose he earned a bit of leniency from me. For now at least.

In the meantime, I’ll be watching you, Flash Sentry.

Dinner was more than a little awkward.

Center of the several mattresses pulled from adjacent rooms was a large table where we ate hay sandwiches and salad. A plain palate, but better than nothing. As I expected, Spike was still dazed from his little drinking adventure with Flash. Zecora seemed rather content with the tense silence. Mum seemed okay with it on the surface, but our mental conversation was a different story.

*Nope. I’m not doing it.*

*Elly, this is not the time to be a party pooper. Start a conversation with your new friends.*

*They are not my friends.* I tore into my sandwich with a little extra force, drawing a curious eye from Flash. *Our goals are simply aligned for the time being. I’m not going to “chat them up”.*

Mum threw me a look across the table as she took slow, deliberate bites. *If you don’t loosen up, you won’t be able to build any foundation of trust. Just do it. You’ll feel better. Everyone else will feel better for it too.*

*Ugh, fine. I’ll start a silly conversation.* I rolled my eyes and cleared my throat. “Flash Sentry.”

“Hmpf?” Flash looked up from his plate, muzzle stuffed with food. Zecora and Spike threw a curious look my way.

I pointed to the corner of the room where our “armory” was piled together. Majority of the space was taken up by my equipment, mixed with Zecora’s spear and Flash’s gear. “Is that tattered piece of scrap your only armor?”

Mum threw a scathing glare at me. *Really? Starting off with that?*

*If I have to force conversation, it’ll be a productive one.*

Flash glanced over where the broken strips of gold laid about, swallowed his food, then returned his eyes to me. “Yep.”

My eyebrow quirked. “You traveled rather light.”

“The goal was to travel light and fast. You don’t bring a cannon to a spear fight if the point is to avoid raising too much suspicion. I’m sure you would’ve noticed something was up if I carried the national armory on my back.”

“Hm. Fair point.” I took another bite of the sandwich. “We typically keep our armor stashed for emergencies, but make up for it with tools and weapons to facilitate our operations. It’s weird seeing you ponies be so… ill-equipped.”

“Feels like the opposite for changelings. I mean, you can turn into anything you want, right? Why do you even need weapons?”

“Same reason a unicorn brings a spear to battle.” I answered, and paused to take another bite. “Always bring a backup plan.”

A smile worked into Flash’s muzzle. “Couldn’t agree more. Speaking of weapons…” His gaze moved to Mum. “What’s up with those weird daggers you carry? Don’t tell me that’s standard issue.”

“Hmm…” Mum dwelled on the question, letting the silence linger.

*Mum, you’re not seriously considering answering that, are you? If he learns where we acquired them, it won’t end well.*

*It won’t matter if he knows. Besides, it’s better to gauge his reaction now than wait until he finds out eventually.* Mum threw an innocent smirk at Flash. “They’re not standard issue. Tell me, are you familiar with something called the Celestial Armory?”

Flash tilted his head. “No. I never heard of...” He trailed off as his eyes landed on the glassy eyed Spike, whose hand was raised, albeit swaying a bit. That rum was really starting to kick in.

“Twi saw somethin’ like dat in Celestia’s private study by accident. Celestia got all bitchy about it and wouldn’t spill the beans.”

“Well, then you all will find this rather juicy,” Mum steepled her hooves. “Spike already knows this part, but my blades are made of Nekinian alloy.”

I caught a flicker of surprise in Zecora’s gaze for an instant before she resumed her relaxed posture. “That sounds like a rather ominous metal. Please, continue.”

Mum nodded. “These nasty little bad boys erase whatever magic it touches. The only material that can safely contain this metal is the sheaths I carry. Turns out there’s a ton of weapons made of this stuff in an impossibly difficult vault that’s very well hidden. Well, heh, was inside this vault. After some extensive digging, we learned that right after the Discord incident some odd thousand years ago, Celestia and Luna got to work on countermeasures for any future threats like him.”

“Never heard of such a weapons project,” Flash commented.

“I’m not surprised, given the princesses tried to sweep this project under the rug. Guess they realized a little late these were just as deadly against themselves. These weapons are not supposed to exist, but you know how that song and dance goes.”

Flash sighed. “Sold to the highest bidder. But wait… if you guys had this, why wasn’t it used during the Canterlot Invasion?”

“Remember the ‘impossibly difficult and hard to find’ part? Yeah, we haven’t had these babies for very long.”

“So… Malice was perfectly okay with you carrying the very things that could hurt him?”

Mum sighed. “He knows we won’t use it against him openly. Not while he can kill us with the snap of a finger via hive mind network. With the way he sort of duplicates himself through the warmaster vassals, trying to kill one would only make the rest keenly aware we’ve broken our ‘contract’. Besides, he has one critical reason for us to keep them around. Three guesses as to what, or rather who, that reason is.”

“Discord, huh?” Spike answered.

“Ding-ding-ding, somepony give him a cookie! But yeah, not being able to use it against Malice, combined with knowing these would really hurt Discord, gave him too much incentive to have us discard them. Just in case, he enforced the idea only a select few were allowed to carry them.”

“Which I guess leaves me with just one question,” Flash quirked an eyebrow. “Why are you so confident about telling me all of this? Why not lie?”

Mum snagged a bite of her sandwich. “Because you know we need these weapons for Malice. I’m sure you wouldn’t do something silly like tell your boss that Elly and I are carrying weapons that were superbanned by Celestia and Luna.”

“Dat’s… dat’s a crime, yo,” Spike drawled tiredly. He waved his hand dismissively as if explaining away common sense. Likely an effect of the rum still sloshing around in his system. “If we know ya got bad stuff and say nothin’, then we just as guilty. But we say nothin’ cuz we ish good guys and shtuff.”

I expected Mr. Royal Guard to throw a fit, or at least admonish Mum using the law to keep his trap shut. He laughed instead. “Guess we really are partners in crime, huh?”

“Guilty as charged,” Mum laughed with him. She smiled in a way I hadn’t seen in years. She was genuinely enjoying this.

To think these two couldn’t stand each other little over a day ago. Even knowing what happened, what Flash did, she’s still treating him like an equal...

My gaze fell to the half-empty glass of water next to my empty plate.

Like a friend…

I sighed.

“Flash,” I called out.

The laughter ceased, Flash’s attention drawn to me. “Yes?”

“Before you set out to battle tomorrow, I will need to outfit you with some changeling gear tonight. It won’t do to have you killed on my watch because you can’t take care of yourself. For that matter, Spike, Zecora, you two will also be due for outfitting.”

Flash, Zecora and Spike exchanged a look with each other before looking back at me. “Oh, huh, thanks, Elytra.” Flash said finally.

I huffed. “No thanks needed. It’s my duty to make sure my team is running at optimal…” My words trailed off when I noted Mum’s empty seat.

Oh no…

“Awww~”

I nearly jumped out of my chitin as Mum slipped her hooves behind me, nuzzling me like her life depended on it. “My wittle Elly is making fwends~”

“Ack! Mother, c-cut it out!” I writhed and wiggled uselessly in her iron grip. Once she got like this, it was impossible to deal with her. It didn’t help having a highly amused audience. My chitin could only hide so many shades of red.

Zecora snickered. “On the surface, she is quite tough. Let her mane down for a moment and we witness softer stuff.”

“Nopony asked you, Zecora!”

“You’re lookin’ mighty comfortable there, Elly,” Flash drawled, a hint of mischief on his tongue. “You should do it more often. It’s cute.”

“Don’t call me Elly!”

“Yeah, she doesn’t like it when anyone but me calls her that,” The grin in her voice warned me of a follow up comment. “Although she didn’t seem to mind when Pharynx—”

A screech several octaves higher than I would’ve liked tore out of me as I flipped Mum over my shoulder and onto the nearest mattress. She bounced harmlessly on the bed, laughing herself silly.

“Are you, uh, alright there, Noble?” Spike asked.

I was about to admonish him for asking such as silly question when a thought forced me to hold my tongue. The concern on his face made me wonder if he saw what I already knew. His question was focused on something beyond the physical. It was the only reason I forced myself to bite my tongue whenever she got like this before a big mission.

I answered Spike for her. “She’s never been better.”

“Damn straight!” Lying on her back, Noble shot a hoof to the sky, staring at something past the ceiling with dead serious focus. “Hey Flash, I know you’re hiding that good shit, so cough it up!”

I facehooved. Mum and alcohol always, always ended up being an embarrassing combination. “Mother, please contain yourself just a little bit. I’m sure we’re all rather exhausted from—”

“Actually,” Flash mused, “that sounds like a good idea. Let’s keep the drinking to just between you and me, though. I think the others have had more than their share of excitement for tonight.”

My free hoof joined the other upon my face. “For the love of all that’s good, please don’t encourage her!”

“Woohoo! That’s mah bro!” Mum cheered. “Now gimme some of that good drank! I’m gonna drink your weak ass under the table tonight, Buttermilk!”

Flash laughed. “Yeah, you try that. I’ll be busy laughing my ass off while you’re blackout drunk!”

It was one thing for Mum to act silly, but I couldn’t allow Mum to drink, though it’s partially due to her embarrassing display when wasted. “Must I be the voice of reason here?! Look, it’s fine to cut a little loose. Blow off some steam. Whatever. But need I remind you that there is still a chance of us being attacked as we speak?”

Flash shook his head. “Been keeping that at the back of my mind. He would’ve seized the opportunity long ago. Something is gonna happen for sure, but not now. It would be dumb to not have an overwatch as we sleep, but we can live a little for now. Don't worry, we're both keenly aware to keep our guard and not drink too much.”

“See? He gets it!” Mum beamed.

“Ugh, sorry, but I’m with Elytra on this one. I’ve definitely seen enough alcohol for one night.” Spike groaned.

Zecora hummed thoughtfully. “If drunkenness or hangovers are your concern, no need to worry. I can take care of that with my special remedy.”

“Zecora, you beautiful zebra!” Mum praised. “See that, Elly? We got permission to get wasted as shit!”

“I’ll grab the drinks. Hey Zecora, mind bringing out that remedy for us? Thanks!” Flash hopped out of his cheer and made out the door.

I slammed my hooves on the table, throwing a glare at Zecora. “Why are you encouraging them?!”

Zecora stayed silent as she left her seat, got a blue flask from her saddlebag in the corner, dropped back into her seat, placing the flask at the table’s center. Then she smiled. “I wish to be entertained.”

Silence.

Simultaneously, our heads slowly turned to Zecora.

We waited. And waited. Still nothing.

“Did…” Spike quirked an eyebrow. “Did you just—”

“Drinks are here!” Flash barreled through the door, half a case of rum balanced on his back.

“Whoop, whoop! Party train has arrived boys and girls!” The moment past, Mum bounced from the bed and back to the table.

When I caught the twinkle of amusement in Zecora’s gaze, I knew what was up.

My eyes turned to slits as I glared at her.

“...I hate you, Zecora.”

Thanks to Zecora’s potion, the alcohol Flash gave me had already worn off by light’s out. As promised, Elytra made sure to outfit us with as much changeling equipment as we could carry. Each of us had two bandoliers filled with various bombs and hoofblades, though mine had to be modified to work with my wrist. The form-fitting “carapace armor” took some getting used to. It was like wearing a dark blue beetle’s shell on our legs, chest, head, and in my case, arms. A little on the hefty side, but surprisingly flexible.

I offered to take first watch of the night, too restless to sleep. Noble offered to keep me company due to my inexperience. At least, that’s what she said. The way she had looked at me when she asked to help with overwatch told me she had other plans.

Noble and I took our spot by the balcony, keeping an eye on everyone sleeping in Twilight’s room and any movement in Ponyville. The night sky was cleared thanks to weather control teams, providing a clear view of a winter-torn Ponyville. Mayor Mare probably had her hooves full organizing recovery. On the bright side, everypony was well adjusted to bizarre disasters happening usually weekly and knew what to do by this point. Though I sometimes worried that Ponyville might be a little too used to disasters for an otherwise dead-quiet town.

Speaking of quiet, Noble hadn’t spoken since we started our watch. A lot happened in the past few hours, and the last time we spoke wasn’t in the best of terms. As much as I wanted to talk about it, my throat tightened up everytime I tried. I decided to just trust Noble and wait for her to start the conversation. If she wanted to.

“So, uh, crazy day, right Shortcake?”

The sudden break of silence caught me by surprise. Guess she’s ready to talk. “Tell me about it. At this point I’m just glad I’m still alive.”

“You and me both.”

A pause. My turn, I figured. “Hey, Noble?”

“What’s up?”

I blinked out the stinging sensation in my eyes. Here we go. “Back at the hospital, when that warlord tried to have us kill each other, I didn’t know what to do. I tried to kill him, but messed up. A lot of changelings and ponies died because of me.”

“Spike…”

I gestured her to wait. I had to get this out before I lost my nerve. “I was too weak to fight him, and none of us seemed to know what to do. I thought back to what you told me about sometimes needing to kill to save lives. It turns out you were right. But in doing that, I… for a little while, thought killing you would help me save everyone.”

I rubbed at the tears with my forearm. “I-I’m scared of myself, Noble. I nearly killed Flash and thought about killing you. Can’t believe I even considered it.” I grasped at my shaking shoulders. “I still don’t know what I could’ve done differently had Flash not come in to save us. I’m… I’m sorry I even considered doing such a terrible thing to you.”

Noble slipped her foreleg around my shoulders and brought me in for a half-hug. “Spike, hey, don’t beat yourself up over it. The fact you took action, no matter how much it hurts, shows how dependable you are in the heat of the moment. It’s all the more proof that you are trustworthy even in life-threatening situation.”

I sniffed and tilted my head to look up at her. “Really? Why?”

“You remembered what was important and followed through when it mattered. Had you taken inaction, more lives could’ve been lost. Maybe Flash would’ve killed everyone had you not stopped him. The warlord may have taken even more lives had you not stepped in during the confusion. I’d rather you acted on your best intentions than do nothing. Don’t be afraid of the hard choices. Just continue to learn how to deal with them.”

A weak smile broke out on my face. “I don’t know how you do it, Noble. How you can just hear me talk about almost killing you and just shrug it off like it was nothing.”

She grinned at me. “This isn’t my first rodeo, Shortcake. I’ve had to constantly make hard choices and made plenty of mistakes along the way. Besides, it’s not like you didn’t think it through or was indifferent about the decision. In fact, I’m proud that you used my lessons the right way and came out stronger for it. The hard decisions won’t stop here, but at least I know we can count on you in the future.”

“Thanks. I won’t let you down, Noble.” A huge weight rolled off my shoulders. I’d expected her to get mad or bothered by the whole thing. With such a burden off my conscious, I felt like I could take on anything.

“Hey, Spike?” Noble’s brow pinched together with discomfort. “I… have a confession to make.”

...Anything except that.

My heart skipped a beat. A boy and girl on a balcony at night, and a girl has a confession while holding me close? I’ve read enough magazines and Twilight’s hidden stash to know where this was going. The fact this was coming from Noble freaked me out. “W-w-what is it?”

She sighed. “When I first took you in as my student, it wasn’t just to prepare you for the mission. I’d intended to manipulate and control you.”

I released a breath I didn’t realize I was holding, feeling a strange mix of relief and disappointment. “Oh, okay. Thank goodness.”

Noble quirked an eyebrow. “Come again?”

“I-I mean, uh, how did you plan on manipulating me though training?”

She studied my face a bit longer, then shifted her attention out the balcony. “I didn’t want to only train your body. I wanted to mold your mind. Imprint my will into your subconsciousness. It was also my way of trying to understand who you truly were. Your habits, thoughts, perceptions, see what’s useful and what I can use under the guise of a training regiment. It’s easier to control someone when they look up to you as their instructor.”

I tried to think back to our sessions. While there was no specific point I could think of that seemed odd, it did bring to light how much I’ve adopted a bit of her teachings. How I snuck on the changelings and under the warlord’s nose. Evaded Flash when he was possessed and found the resolve to take him down. I couldn’t deny how much influence Noble really had on me.

Noble continued. “I’ve been so focused on controlling you, but after that chat we had earlier, I realized what I actually wanted. I just wanted something familiar close by. Someone who would eventually understand me in a way a pony probably couldn’t.”

“You were lonely.”

She nodded. “I’ve never needed to sever myself from the hive before. It’s isolating. Way too quiet in my head. When you confronted me on how I was acting, it was like everything I’ve kept down for months exploded. I hate feeling vulnerable, and you got to me in ways I didn’t think a non-changeling could.”

“I thought you were going to kill me.”

“The thought crossed my mind.”

I gasped. “W-w-what?!”

“When I spilled the truth about Elytra being my daughter, I overreacted and got caught up between wanting to erase your memories and outright getting rid of you. That is, until you gave the big scary bug a giant hug and made all those bad thoughts go away. I didn’t feel lonely anymore.” A mischievous glint reached her gaze. “And let me tell you, that pissed me off like you wouldn’t believe.”

I blinked, thrown off by the mixed message she was sending me. Did I do a good or a bad thing? “Um… sorry?”

“Heh, don’t be. You got me to ‘break’ character. Not an easy feat. So, I guess what I’m trying to say is thank you for being you, and sorry for thinking about brainwashing and murdering you.”

A laugh bubbled out of me. “Anytime, Noble.”

My laughter ceased when Noble hugged me out of nowhere. “Seriously. Thank you.” She whispered into my ear

“You’re welcome.” I returned the embrace wholeheartedly, face flushed. Now this was something I could get used to.

After a few moments, her hug tightened. Suddenly, it felt less like a tender moment and more like an ensnaring trap.

“So Spike,” her voice turned sultry, “what kind of confession did you think I was gonna give you, hm?”

I stiffened. Uh oh. “Uh… n-nothing. Nothing at all.”

“You totally thought I was gonna give you a love confession, didn’t you?”

Heat rushed to my face. “I-I, er, I didn’t mean it, really! It was just the moment, and you got really serious, and-and—”

“Shhh, relax. I’m just messing with you.” She giggled. Her hold on me loosened, though not enough to let me slip away. “Although, to be honest, I totally thought you were gonna kiss me during that moment back at home base.”

I sputtered. “H-huh!?”

“Oh yeah, I was so vulnerable,” the way she whispered it into my ear did awful things to my racing heart. “I mean, there’s just no telling what you could have gotten away with. Just you and I, alone, me wanting something strong and solid to hold me down…”

My mind raced to all the wrong places. I tried to pull away, only to find myself still snared in her hoof. “I-I-I would never take advantage of you like that! I respect you too much to—”

“I know, and that’s what I like about you.”

Before I could move, Noble tilted my head to face her and kissed me.

All sense of control of my body shut down. My senses focused into the smooth lips pressed against my own. Fire whirled in my stomach. Lightning danced along my spine. The only thing I could comprehend beyond the tingling sensation on my lips was the thundering heartbeat in my ears. I think my everything melted.

It only lasted a moment, but hot damn was it a moment I would never forget. Noble pulled back and flashed me a coy grin. I was ready to faint, lips still tingling and softening from the kiss.

“Never change, Shortcake.” She finally released me, leaving an affectionate pat on my cheek. “Might want to go take that cold shower while you can before I start getting more ideas.”

Still dazed, I nodded dumbly and fled as fast as my shaky legs could carry me.

I was starting to prefer her when she was angry at me. At least I wasn’t nearly as turned on.

Celestia damn it, Noble!

I was beginning to worry I teased Spike a little too much.

The poor guy made numerous trips to the bathroom, claiming he had too much to drink and needed to get it out of his system. I don’t regret giving him a taste of changeling appreciation and hospitality, though I almost felt bad for him. Almost.

I volunteered to take over the rest of the watch before switching rounds, giving Spike some much needed relief from my teasing. Once it was Zecora’s turn, I took the chance to get a good night's sleep, nestled next to Elytra.

A hint of the sun was just about to peek over the horizon by the time I woke up. I found Flash overlooking the town from the balcony, acting as the final watch of the night. We had a few hours at most before it was time to get down to business. Seeing as we had yet to spend much quality time together, now seemed as good time as any to catch up with my partner in crime.

“Want some company, soldier?” I flirted playfully, moving next to him.

Flash chuckled. “I appreciate it, but you can get some more sleep if you want.”

“I got all the sleep I need. Besides, I don’t think you and I had much sibling bonding time since the train ride here.”

Flash frowned, eyes drawn to the horizon as he leaned over the balcony railing. “How... can you be so upbeat with me?”

“What do you mean?”

“You know I killed all of those changelings. I’ve said such awful things to you. I ran off on my own and botched the mission. Throw in being Malice’s prison warden for who knows how long, and I’m surprised you can be this close without a knife in hoof.” His frown deepened. “How can you just pretend I’m not the worst pony in the world right now?”

I couldn’t fault him for feeling like he did. Last night opened all of our eyes in the worst possible way. He put on a brave face earlier, only now revealing the cracks in his facade. Even more surprising was his willingness to show me this level of vulnerability, a pony who outright hated my guts yesterday.

For so long I’ve just ragged on him for holding us back. I’ve made my peace with it, but Flash… no, I can’t let this hang over his head. I’m better than that.

I moved behind him. “Stay still.”

“Hm? What are you—whoa, hey!” I removed the armor locks surrounding Flash’s wings, placing loose chitinous plating on the ground.

“Just relax and let me work, alright?” His back now exposed, my hooves went work, kneading at the knots formed all over his back and near the base of his wings.

“Really, I don’t need a mas—oh. Oh damn.” Flash’s chin dropped atop his forehooves on the balcony railing, eyes half closed. All sense of resistance fizzled, granting me free reign. Sometimes it paid to be the head of the hive’s medical and support brood. “You—oof—make a persuasive argument.”

“Comes with the territory, Buttermilk. So, to answer your question, I haven’t forgotten about what happened with Elly’s squad. Your hatred for my kind is not something I take lightly. But when Zecora helped me cope with what happened with Elly’s crew, I remembered something important. It’s about what happened in Canterlot.”

“That you were there? Responsible for killing my squad?”

I froze. “You… you knew?”

“Subconsciously I did. I’d forgotten about it until Chrysalis helped restore those memories.”

I shook off the shock and continued the massage. “I really messed you up back then. To think such a thing came back to bite us all in the ass thanks to Malice milking that bit of hindsight dry. Don’t know if it will mean much, but I just wanted to say that I’m sorry. I’m not looking for forgiveness here. I don’t deserve it, but I do regret that whole mess we did to you all back then.”

Flash grew quiet for a beat, occasionally sighing as I worked on his back and wings. “The feeling is mutual. What I did to those changelings, even if it was to protect Spike, went too far.”

“Only because of Malice,” I reasoned. “We probably wouldn’t even be in Ponyville if it wasn’t for his orders. Don’t blame yourself for what he made you do.”

“It’s not that simple. I didn’t mention this earlier, but some twisted, terrible part of me enjoyed what I did. It was like some weird validation to see the ones who hurt my comrades pay. I’ve dreamed for years about getting back at you guys. Getting back at Chrysalis. But now, after all of that, it just feels empty.”

“War really does bring the worst out of all of us, doesn’t it?”

“This time it also has a name and face, and I’m going to tear him a new one,” Flash growled. “Not just for what he’s done to us, to me, but for every changeling that’s suffered because of him.”

His muscles tensed for a moment, then deflated. Something else was eating at him. “I’m sensing a ‘but’.”

Flash made a light, depressing laugh. “It’s stupid.”

“Am I going to have to twist your wing to get it out of you? Just say it.”

He groaned inwardly. “I just… I don’t know if I can do it.” The defeat in his voice spoke volumes. “Have you ever seen him in his dragon form? Ever fought him?”

“Seen his true form once, but never fought him. Never came off as a healthy idea.”

“He’s terrifying. I got my flank handed to me twice, and that was inside my own head. Even when I managed to finally be able to fight back, I could barely hold my ground against him. Without Discord’s help, I would’ve gotten creamed. Once we go into Everfree, I have no doubt I will have to face him again.” He trembled under my hooves. “If I lose this fight... if I lose Twilight and the others—”

“You won’t,” I said.

“But—”

“No ‘buts’, soldier. You will win. After all, you got a rhyming zebra, my talented and deadly daughter, an adorable sidekick dragon, and the sexiest badass alive to back you up. We’re gonna win, and we’ll look damn fine doing it too.”

Flash laughed. “You certainly have a way with pep-talks. But there’s one other thing I want to do.”

“Oh? What’s that?”

“I want to stop this vicious circle of ponies and changelings hating each other. I don’t want any more of us ending up like I did. It’s what got us in this mess, and what I hope will get us out. That starts with saving Chrysalis.”

I smiled as I worked through the last few kinks of his back. “You’ve really changed. Flash. I mean, sure, it only took nearly killing Twilight, going on a rampage, and getting Malice locked up inside you, sure, but check you out now. You’re all grown up.”

“And like that, the magic is gone,” Flash groaned.

“Oh hush,” I giggled. “You’re gonna save Twilight. After that, you’re gonna ask her out. Then, if you play your cards right, get laid.”

Flash coughed, wings tense. “Wait, what?!”

“Phew, that wingboner is something else,” I whistled, touching the stiff wing muscles. “The things you can do to Twilight with this bad boy. I can give you some tips to how to really make Twilight sing if you want. Trust me, she’ll thank you for it later.”

“You can stop right there. That’s definitely not gonna happen.”

I rolled my eyes. “You and Spike are such dorks.”

Flash looked at me over his shoulder, eyebrow quirked. “What does Spike have to do with this?”

“Don’t dodge the question,” I cut him off, dodging the question. “Look, you don’t have to exactly body slam her onto a mattress. That’s for the third date. Just show her that you’re not just a guard who only lives to protect her. Let her know that deep down, you’re still a good-natured, goofy ass stallion.”

“Are you just gonna ignore that I nearly split her face open with a spear? Last I checked, not a way to pick up mares.”

“That’s because you used the wrong spear on her face.”

“Not. Helping.” Flash groaned.

“No need to be a negative-Shiny about it. Alright, so maybe you did cut her face up pretty good. And she’s probably not gonna like the idea of us dancing around her about the whole secret mission thing either. That whole lie about you being in love with her might ruffle a feather or two as well.”

“Gee, and you were doing so well to convince me to go for it,” Flash deadpanned.

“Did you already forget that I’m a Love Guru? I don’t get paid the big bits by feeding you BS you wanna hear.”

“I can’t believe I’m actually thinking about this,” He shook his head, pinching the bridge of his nose. After a moment he perked up. “Huh. When did I actually start thinking about this?”

“I’m assuming puberty?”

Flash threw me a frustrated glance. I rolled my eyes.

“Okay, fine, I’ll bite. What’s so special about you wanting to bang a pretty face?”

“Celestia damn it, Noble,” Flash snorted, failing to restrain his laugh. “I won’t get too deep into it, but there was someone I was really into when I was younger. I made a big thing over it, marriage proposal and all. Turns out that was not part of her plan and… well, that led to why I had a hard time playing music for anypony. Reminded me of what happened that night. It’s also why I wanted to dodge the whole dating mess.”

“You couldn’t bring yourself to move on.”

“At least until I met Twilight. I mean, it’s not love like the crap you told Twilight, but I… I think there’s something between us. That something was probably why I kinda overreacted a bit when I realized what you told her.”

I quirked an eyebrow at him. “Kinda overreacted?”

“Alright, fine, I really overreacted. Point is I really took her for granted. It wasn’t until I thought I lost her that it hit me just how important she is to me. Not as a princess. Not as someone I’m sworn to protect. Not as a pretty face. It was Twilight Sparkle, the smart and crazy mare with a beautiful voice who took joy in helping me become a better stallion that won me over.” Flash sighed, continuing in a sulking tone. “And I threw it all away in a temper tantrum. I had one job. Just one, and I screwed it up.”

“Hey, enough of that nonsense. Kicking yourself won’t solve anything. As your Love Guru, here’s some advice on what you gotta do: After we save her and get time to settle down, just tell her how you really feel. No BS. No hesitation or some big dramatic reveal. Just go for it with a hundred-and-ten percent confidence and authenticity. Twilight’s the kind of girl who wants genuine, honest chemistry. Give her that. Show some vulnerability, no matter how stupid you think you will look or what you think you actually deserve. I’ve seen more impossible looking relationships work out.”

Flash sighed deeply and shifted his gaze to Everfree Forest. “I...thanks, Noble. I’ll take that advice to heart once we save Twilight.”

“Good. I accept bits and food as payment for my services. No checks, please.”

“Ha, sure thing. Put it on my tab.”

We shared a laugh before falling into a comfortable silence. Finished with my ministrations I placed the armored pieces back on and moved to his side, looking over the town.

“...You’re gonna chicken out, aren’t you?”

“Just trying to tackle one crisis at a time.”

Chapter 29: Declaration of war

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“Coffee, Buttermilk?”

I looked away from the balcony to see Noble approach while levitating two ceramic mugs, one of hovering next to me. “Thanks.” I grabbed the cup and indulged myself. Noble took up the spot next to me, watching Celestia’s sun rise over the horizon.

“As much flak as I’ve given ponies, you guys really know how to set a mood.” A soft grin played on Noble’s lips. I smiled at her.

“Well, after a thousand years of practice, I guess Celestia got used to making good sunrises.”

Her smile waned. “Might be my last sunrise once Shining gets his hooves on me.”

“I won’t let that happen. I just need to get him to see reason.”

“Yeah, because that worked out so well last time.”

I sighed. “Glad to see you’re optimistic about this whole thing.”

“I like to keep my expectations tempered. Harder to be disappointed that way.”

I’d prepared to retort, cut off by the blaring horn of a train. Noble and I took one look at each other, then directed our attention to the railroad tracks near the edge of town.

The purple and gold train roared across the tracks at breakneck speed. Dozens of cars were connected to the locomotive, thick plating on the sides emblazoned with the Crystal Empire’s emblem. More pressing were the amount of ordinance carried on the center cars. There were enough cannons to level Canterlot itself.

“...Noble?” I asked slowly, “what exactly did you say to him that called for this?”

“Unfortunately, the truth.”

With a lurch and another shrill horn, the train stopped a good mile or two in the town’s outskirts. Woken by it, Spike, Elytra, and Zecora hurried to the balcony to see rows of armored ponies pile out of the train. Though I recognized the lavender and gold armor of the soldiers, I was thrown off by the forward scouts approaching us at an incredible pace.

Even from this distance, I could make out the vastly different armor of the platoon charging for the castle. Their full-plate rainbow armor shimmered in the morning sun like stars. I was impressed how they could move that fast in armor that covered them head-to-hoof. Their formation was pristine, moving in unison, pegasi breaking off and taking into the air in two V-shaped flight patterns.

Leading the pack was none other than Shining Armor.

“Break time’s over,” I rested the coffee mug on the balcony edge and turned to find everyone’s focus on me. Their eyes voiced the question on their lips. “It might get rocky for a bit, but I’ll make sure we come out on top. Noble, Elytra, you two need to stay behind me. Spike, Zecora, play it cool and don’t act or even look hostile, no matter what happens. Understood?” Four nods greeted me. Their firm expressions showed their readiness for what laid ahead. Their trust in me to see them through this encounter. “Let’s go.”

I was about to leave with everyone when I caught Noble’s dejected expression. I gave her a squeeze on the shoulder. “Have some faith, will ya? I’ll keep you safe.”

Noble gave me an odd look for a moment, then smiled. “I’ll believe it when I see it. But the fact you’re saying it is appreciated anyway.”

“Eh, I’ll take it.” I flashed a confident smirk before leading the march to the rally point at the top of the main stairwell.

Minutes rolled by in silence. A shattered window from the hall behind us pulled a gasp out of Noble. Elly’s eyes bounced from door to door. Breach and clear maneuvers from the pegasi forward team. They’ll probably surround us by the time Shining gets here.

“Calm down,” I ordered my team. “Everything will be fine.”

“Easy for you to say…” Elytra mumbled under her breath. Before long, the sound of metal and hooves echoed from the bottom floor.

As we maintained our position, breaths held, concern swelled in my gut. I knew I should’ve felt glad to see Shining Armor. Instead, all I could think about was how our last conversation ended and what he must be going through right now.

*Today should be a most interesting day.*

I gasped, losing my composure for just a moment. Was that voice… no. No, it couldn’t be.

*But it is, Flash Sentry. Did you think I would live out my prison sentence in silence?*

The steps drew closer. Sweat rolled down my cheek. But… but you’re supposed to be sealed inside me.

Malice, or rather Inner Malice for simplicity sake, chuckled darkly. *I’m still part of your subconsciousness. You are as trapped with me as I am with you. Through you I can feel the hostility of the approaching soldiers, especially the one leading them. I believe you have bigger concerns than the voice inside your head.*

As much as I hated to admit it, Inner Malice was right. I needed to focus on Shining armor. If I couldn’t get him to see reason, things would no doubt get ugly.

The doors were nearly torn off their hinges from Shining Armor’s telekinetic force. Rainbow armored soldiers flanked his sides, spears, bucklers, and swords at the ready. Shining Armor’s glare turned into shock upon noticing all of us draped in changeling armor.

To go from hating changelings to wearing their armor. Can’t imagine what’s going through his head without any context to the sudden change of heart.

The surprise round came as quickly as it went, Shining’s glare returning with double force at the two changelings standing to my back left and right with no disguises. I was about to second guess the decision to let them drop their disguises when I realized there was no point, especially when Thorax, oddly donned in his own rainbow armor, meekly shuffled his way to Shining’s side.

“Lieutenant.” Shining’s grim tone left nothing to the imagination. He was ready to draw some blood. “Start. Talking.”

I saluted him, matching his domineering stare with my own. “Sir, mission has been compromised. Princess Twilight Sparkle and the element bearers have been captured by the enemy. We suspect the hostages are at the tree of harmony. We need to secure the town and mount a coordinated offensive.”

Hot air rushed out of Shining’s nose as he huffed. “I was told you were in critical.” His frosty stare moved to Noble. “Clearly another lie.”

“Sir, I was in critical. My team saved my life. It’s... complicated.”

“I’ll bet.” His eyes moved to Elytra next. “Another changeling, Lieutenant?”

“Elytra, sir. She and Trojan will be helping us save the princess.”

Shining’s glare hardened. “Over my dead body. Sergeant Spark!” From behind, Shine Spark, also in rainbow armor, hurried to Shining’s side opposite of Thorax. “Take them in. Thorax will be our eyes for this OP. Escort them back to—”

“Not happening, Sir.”

Shine stopped dead in her tracks, her and Shining staring at me as if I’d just committed high treason. “LT, what the hay are you doing..?” Shine’s voice was little more than a whisper, shock and worry etched in her throat.

Shining Armor recovered quickly, his horn sparked to life. “I gave you an order. Sergeant!” Shining’s tone sharpened. “Take them.”

“Sir, with all due respect, you are not touching my team.” I struggled to keep my tone as professional as possible. Showing any weakness would kill any chance of making a sound argument.

“Flash,” Shining Armor shifted as if preparing to charge forward, “last chance to stand down. I’d rather not take you in for treason against the crown.”

“Don’t do this,” Shine pleaded quietly. “Please don’t make us force the issue.”

*You can easily take them,* Inner Malice said. *It’s all too clear Shining Armor won’t take no for an answer.*

I won’t let it come to violence. There’s too much he doesn’t know or trust. All I need is for him to give me a chance. Just one minute to clear up this mess.

“Sir,” I calmed my tone, hoping to come off reasonable, “I don’t give a damn what you do to me after we save Twilight and the others, but right now we need their help to take out the captor before it’s too late. Hear me out first, then make your judgement.”

“Nothing is happening with those two loose. If you won’t move, I will make you move.”

Shining was growing agitated, but I understood what he needed. I glanced back at Noble and Elytra, their expressions still as stone. A silent conversation passed between Noble and myself. She nodded at me. I nodded back and returned my attention to Shining.

“Alright,” I started carefully. “I’ll let you detain them for the time being. In return, allow me to submit myself, Spike and Zecora for examination and mental check before you ship them off. If we’re deemed healthy, hear me out before passing judgement on them. ”

Shining Armor studied me hard, watching like a hawk. The air between us was thick. Smothering. He glanced at Shine, then nodded at Noble and Elytra. Her steps echoed across the dead silent hallway, stopping briefly next to me.

“Hey,” Shine whispered, “you are LT… right? I mean, with the getup and all…”

“I really am Flash, Shine. I'll explain everything later, I promise, but take it easy on them for me, alright? They won’t resist.” I whispered back.

“Sergeant.” Shining’s warning tone cut through us. Shine continued on, moving next to Noble and Elytra.

“Put these on and step forward. Do me a solid and don’t do anything stupid.” Shine pulled out two golden horn bracers, magic suppressors. Thankfully, Noble and Elytra placed them on without hesitation or argument. They winced and grunted, likely suffering from the sudden loss of magic. Once they recovered, Shine led them back towards Shining’s side.

“Hey,” I muttered to the Noble and Elytra, “everything will be okay. I promise.”

Still looking forward, not an ounce of emotion on her face, Noble muttered a quiet ‘thank you’ before going out of earshot and behind the squad flanking Shining Armor.

Once they were out of view, Shining Armor glanced over to his left side. “Sunburst, you’re up.”

Dressed in his usual emerald garb, Sunburst sidled up to Shining’s side, a nervous wreck under all the tension. His eyes kept flicking towards me, more than likely wanting to say something but couldn’t. “Y-yes, sir?”

“I need a full examination on them. Physical. Mental. Magical. I need to be two-hundred percent sure they aren’t indoctrinated or in disguise. Put them in separate rooms.”

“A-a-alright.”

Shining’s stare moved back to me. After a long moment, his heated glare relented. Slightly. “For your sake, this better be good, Flash.”

It was a little too quiet for my taste.

Locked in a guest room, Sunburst, with the help of Thorax, took charge of my examination. Shine and Shining stood by the door, never once taking their eyes off me. I was the last one to be examined, though I knew the others were under close guard. Hopefully it was not nearly as tense as my examination was. But if there was anypony who I would trust to recognize it was really me, it was the three ponies in the room.

Thorax was the only wild card in this mess. While Sunburst had set up the equipment to check for magical and mental effects, the changeling shot me a look somewhere between anger and worry. Assuming he was still able to see pathos, he must’ve realized what the others couldn’t; I was full of that stuff. It bothered me to no end how quiet he was about it.

The tests were relatively simple. Answering questions that only I would know. Following directions to show my intelligence and logic hadn’t been altered or diminished by certain effects. Taking drug tests to make sure there were no non-magical influences in my system. Sunburst’s face was pensive for the entire hour he’s been working on me. That was the one bit of tension driving me nuts beyond anything else.

“C’mon, lighten up. I already feel like an ant under a microscope.” I joked.

Sunburst paused for a beat, throwing me a serious look. “Sorry, but you’re gonna have to deal with it a little longer. This has to be done right or not at all.”

“So you can make sure I’m Flash?”

He shook his head, voice lowered to a whisper. “So we can finally put our fears to rest. We can’t mess this up. I refuse to let this mess up.”

“I… I understand,” I slowly nodded, unable to contain my smile. “Thanks, bro.”

A small grin broke out on his face. “What are friends for?”

Sunburst cleared his throat, raising his voice to normal volume. “No signs of changeling manipulation, drugging, disguises, or hypnosis. Mental faculties and memories also seem to be intact. All that leaves is the pathos test. Thorax, I’ll leave this one to you.”

Thorax nodded and stepped forward, eyes narrowed. Ah, so this is what he was waiting for.

He stared at me for what felt like minutes, horn sparked and glowing. His eyes roamed all over my body, licking his lips.

*Someone’s hungry.* Inner Malice quipped. *A starving beast faced with a buffet he knows he can’t touch. I can relate.*

“Your body is filled with pathos,” Thorax growled. “More than any of us ever had, even Queen Chrysalis. There’s too much to tell whether you’re truly possessed or not.”

“I thought he seemed a bit paler than usual. It also matches what Trojan said about possession,” Anguish riddled Shining's face. “The Flash I knew wouldn’t be walking around with changeling armor. He must be possessed then.”

“Not exactly,” Thorax shook his head. “There’s something off about him. Different. Rather than pathos taking him over, it’s as if the reverse happened.”

“It’s a little complicated to explain. It’ll sound crazy.” I admitted.

“There’s nothing about this mess that isn’t crazy,” Shining fired back. “I get the call that you’re in critical after possession. Next thing I know, you’re being all friendly with Trojan and looking like you stepped fresh out of changeling basic. I doubt there’s anything you can tell me that sounds crazier than that.”

I sighed.

“The Cold One, or at least part of him, tried to turn me into his champion by using my hatred and anger as a binding thread between us. He was sealed inside me by Discord, who is trapped inside the Tree of Harmony alongside Chrysalis’ consciousness, so now I have control of his powers to some degree. That’s why it probably looks like I’m filled with nothing but pathos, because apparently my magic has become some mix of my own magic and the Cold One’s.”

A deathly silence fell over the room. Everyone looked at me like I was crazy, though at this point I wouldn't be surprised if it was true.

Shining was the first to speak after finding his voice. “Extract it. I need every part of him clean.”

“Bad idea,” I advised. “Pathos is forged into my own soul. Extracting it would not only end up killing me, but risk setting the Cold One free.”

“Not buying it,” Shining growled. “Why should I believe you’re not already possessed and just trying to fool us?”

“The Cold One wouldn’t be wasting time with this conversation. If the power I witnessed was any indication of what could be unleashed, you would all be dead right now.”

“He has a point.” Thorax nodded. Bewildered glances snapped to him.

“What do you mean? Please explain.” Sunburst requested.

“Flash’s magic chemistry is warped. It’s like…” Thorax tapped his chin, searching for the right words. “Think of it as if somepony mixed two strong alcohols together. It’s a potent mix that’s impossible to separate. To remove the pathos would be to remove Flash himself. Doubt we can extract without killing him.”

For the first time since we met, sternness left Shining’s face. Whatever crossed his mind left him worried. “What does this mean? Is there really no way to tell if he’s possessed?”

“I don’t know if this helps, but...” I hesitated. Mentioning this will probably make my position look worse, but I couldn’t think of any other way to prove I’m not possessed. “I can hear the Cold One in my head.”

This got their attention. Thorax looked shaken.

Shining’s eyebrow quirked. “Hear him? As in, the same guy who is Chrysalis’ partner?”

“Partner is really stretching the term, but yeah. If we could use some telepathy, maybe there’s a way for one of you to listen in? Well, if he will talk.”

“Listen in... what a novel idea!” Sunburst beamed for all of two seconds before deflating. “Telepathy is not my forte, sadly. Especially if this Cold One really is inside you, we would have to tread cautiously.”

“It’s been awhile since I’ve tried that myself,” Shining stroked his chin. “We would want someone with experience… huh. Thorax, think you can do it?”

Thorax swallowed hard. “I… I guess I could give it a try.”

“Ain’t that risky?” Shine asked. “What if this Cold One tries to possess Thorax?”

“I can read surface thoughts as long as Flash allows me to. That will be a safe enough distance… in a manner of speaking,” Thorax reassured.

Shining nodded. “Consider me convinced. Do it.”

“A-alright,” Thorax swallowed again. Having a little more understanding of what he went through with Malice, I can only imagine how he felt at the prospect of interacting with his previous ‘boss’. “Flash, make sure to relax your mind and accept my magic.” His horn glowed.

Warmth rippled across my forehead. Even though it was my idea, having a changeling enter my head sent familiar shivers down my spine. I tried to relax, but all I could think about was what could go wrong. What if Thorax tried to dig deeper than he should’ve? What if something went wrong in there? Thorax could easily—

“You’re resisting,” Thorax spoke calmly. “I can’t do this safely if you’re so nervous.”

“Sorry. Kinda regretting my life choices at the moment.” I took a few deep breaths to calm down.

If I don’t do this, it will only make getting Shining to trust me harder. I have to do this. If Shining takes away Elytra and Noble Heart—

*How do you know her name?!* The voice in my head snapped.

I nearly fell out of my chair. Thorax?!

*Yes, it’s me. Do me a favor and try not to panic like that again. It nearly kicked me out of your mind, which isn’t pleasant.*

Oh. Sorry.

Thorax threw me an odd look. *You’re different. Way different than when you and I first met.*

Yeah, I’ve been getting that a lot.

*Don’t get me wrong. I don’t like you. Not one bit. Had my superiors not been at risk, we would not be having this conversation right now.*

I… I see. Can’t say I blame you. We didn’t exactly have the best first impression of each other.

*You still haven’t answered my question. How did you learn about Noble Heart’s name?*

Chrysalis told me.

Thorax’s jaw laxed, eyes wide as saucers. *That can’t be true! Why would… no, there’s something wrong here. My queen would never—*

*Boo!* Inner Malice’s voice boomed.

Thorax screamed as he fell backwards and scrambled away from me, face full of terror. Shining, Sunburst and Shine grew alert, stopped only by Thorax’s hooves signalling them to wait. It took a moment for Thorax to gather himself while Inner Malice cackled madly.

*Damn I needed that laugh! You’re as feeble as ever!* Inner Malice continued to laugh.

A dark rage took hold of Thorax’s features as he got back onto his hooves. *So it’s true. You were locked inside him after all!*

*From one caged beast to another, tell me Thorax, how are your new owners treating you? It’s clear you’re already house broken.*

I winced. Brutal.

*Shut up! I’m not afraid of you anymore! We’re going to find you and destroy every last part of you!*

*Heh, ‘we’ you say. Strong words from a changeling who couldn’t take a piss unless his new masters gave permission. The only reason you’re puffing out your chest now is because you believe I cannot touch you. You hide behind a wall of glass thinking you’re invincible when you’ve never been weaker. Cowards like you never change natures, just sides.*

Malice, that’s enough! My nose flared. You’re the one that’s hiding behind the changelings because you can’t do anything yourself! At least Thorax is trying to make a difference.

Inner Malice huffed. *You see that, Thorax? He may be a naive fool, but Flash at least has balls. Something you always lacked. That’s why Elytra took you on the team out of pity… and why your brother Pharynx will always be better than you.*

“Shut up!” Thorax’s voice boomed in the now awkwardly silent room. Shaking with fury, he looked around at all the concerned glances, then quietly moved to a corner of the room and took a seat, head hung low.

What the hay was that all about, Malice?!

*A true warrior sharpens every tool at their disposal, even if it’s only barbed words. Besides, I was hoping for some entertainment besides pissing you off.*

For the love of...

“So…” Shining drawled awkwardly. “Anypony gonna tell me what that was all about?”

“When Thorax entered my mind, the Cold One—”

“I can answer for myself!” Thorax snapped, cutting me off. After a beat, his hard expression wilted into guilt. “I-I… I got to talk to the Cold One inside him. Flash was speaking the truth. He’s not possessed.”

“Thorax…” Sunburst walked over to his side, dropping a hoof on his trembling shoulders. “You should take a break.”

“I… I’ll be fine. For a minute I’d forgotten what it’s like dealing with him,” Thorax’s voice grew quieter. “He always knows exactly what button to push to get what he wants. It’s so infuriating!”

“I’ve experienced that first-hoof,” I added. “His ability to read somepony, whether combat or personally, is unreal.”

*Flattering me won’t save you.*

Can it, Malice!

Shining groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Damn it Flash, what in the world did you get yourself into…?” After a moment, he straightened his posture. “Sergeant, Sunburst, Thorax, gather everyone to Twily’s council room… including Trojan and Elytra.”

Relief flooded me. “Thanks for giving me a chance, Boss.”

“It can’t be helped,” Shining smiled wryly. “Only the Flash I know could get himself into this much trouble and somehow come out of it in one piece.”

We moved the discussion to Twilight’s council room, a detailed map of Ponyville spread all over the dormant table. Four ponies clad in rainbow full-plate armor, earth pony, unicorn, pegasus and crystal unicorn respectively, formed a line by the entrance. Now that I got a good look at their gear, I noticed the runic carvings stretched from shoulder plate to chest plate emitted a bluish glow, matching the crystals connecting the runes. I fought down the question burning on my tongue. Shining would bring it up when it was time.

Spike, Zecora, Noble, and Elytra took up one end of the table. Noble Heart, Elytra and myself took turns filling in gaps and retelling our crazy series of events. Shining took Twilight’s seat on the opposite side, hanging onto every word with an uncomfortable amount of focus. Thorax, Shine Spark, and Sunburst settled for a spot by his side of the table, rapt with attention as if listening to a horror story. But of all the ponies in the room, the crystal guard officer standing next to Shining stole my attention the most.

He was a Major, as was indicated by the pink heart adorned with two crossed spears atop each of his shoulder straps. That could mean anything and nothing, though, and told literally zero about what sort of pony he was, which was why I decided to take a closer look. Every soldier had a story behind them, usually told through either himself, or his uniform.

I decided to examine the officer himself first. He was at least in his fifties, yet built like a minotaur. His posture was as straight and rigid as a steel beam, and his biceps threatened to burst from his sleeves at any moment. This spoke highly of his dedication and persistence. Most officers’ bellies tended to bloat like a yeast bun once they reached his level.

His black mane and navy fur further accented his intimidating image, but of more interest was the long scar which trailed across his forehead and through his left eyebrow, barely sparing his eye, and ending just short of the edge of his lip. A training accident? No, unlikely. This guy had seen action, and probably lots of it.

His uniform supplement that theory. His chest was draped with ribbons and medals worthy of a whole battalion. From the bottom to the top, they reported of his exceptional service, his excellence in marksmanship, and repeatedly distinguished service. The last one, an ivory-white badge with green-and-gold lining, caught me by surprise. It was identical to the one on my own uniform dress.

He had served in Canterlot, on the day of Chrysalis invasion. Combined with everything else I had just found out, I was now absolutely certain: This guy meant business, and Shining bringing him along further cemented the unrestrained Tartarus Shining was prepared to unleash had I not slowed him down.

*Quite the accomplish Major. He’s an O4 for Equestrian forces, correct?*

Inner Malice’s comment nearly caused me to choke. You know about our structure?

*Idiot,* Inner Malice scoffed. *Need I remind you who you are speaking to?*

When it clicked, I mentally facehooved. Right. A warmonger like yourself would never pass up military intel.

*Damn straight.*

By the time Noble finished her side of the story, Shining’s head was dropped into his forehooves. The Major and Shine threw me baffled looks at the absurdity that was the last twenty-four hours. Sunburst was both invested and sickened by the story, Thorax leaned more towards sick and guilt-ridden.

“...You have got to be kidding me,” Shining muttered. “So all of that happened just because you AWOL’d into Everfree like a dumbass?”

“Yes, Sir.” Ouch.

“You weren’t kidding about that colt wonder of yours, Prince” The Major stroked his beard as he appraised me. “Can’t tell for the life of me if he’s crazily lucky or dumb as a brick.”

“A little of both, Max. Flash is a special kind of trouble magnet.” Shining sighed as he returned his attention to me. “Alright Flash, you’ve made your case. It’s a tough pill to swallow, but I’ve seen enough to believe I can trust you. For now, at least.”

“All I wanted was a chance so we can save Twily together. Thank you for giving me that, Sir.”

“Let’s save the thanks until after we’ve rescued Twily.” Shining glanced at the Major, then back to me. “Flash, you’ve never met the Major, have you?” I shook my head. “This is Max Warbane. He’s originally from Canterlot like you were. He’ll be taking the reins on this OP.”

I stood from my chair and saluted the Major. “It’s a pleasure having you on this OP, Sir.”

Max saluted me in return. “At ease, kid. The general’s told me a lot about you. Glad we didn’t have to put you in the ground earlier.”

“Heh, you and me both, Major.” I sat back down. “So what are we working with?”

“1st Crystal Regiment, 3rd battalion 2nd company, plus the 1st battalion’s entire headquarters platoon. Two lances, one cloud and a cannon.” Two frontline platoons, a sky guard and artillery, all together a very well rounded company. An entire HQ platoon is at least fifty ponies strong, not counting who knows how many specialists and techs he brought along to operate the new equipment. “Already got the cannon platoon and AUX setting up around the castle. It’s the best vantage point we could find to coordinate strikes and make into an HQ. The rest of the company is mobilizing around the town hall as we speak. Even got our special surprise ready, but I’ll let Sergeant Shine Spark handle introductions.”

A grin erupted from Shine. “Remember that class project you were in charge of before all this mess started, LT? Well, after doing some further digging and working with Canterlot’s guard, Princess Twilight now has a full platoon of the best badasses we could get our hooves on: The Prism Guard.”

The four guards by the entrance marched around the table and stopped a short distance away from me. Shine Spark continued. “We knew the princess wouldn’t want a big flashy group of soldiers, so we had to be especially picky and work with a smaller team. Only thing missing till now was a captain.”

The four sergeants saluted me.

It took a moment for it to sink it.

“Hold up, I was only a captain for the sake of disguise. You can’t be serious…!”

Shining nodded. “I made this decision the day I asked you to organize a team. Twilight needs a guard, and today is just another reminder of why it’s so important. Wish I had more time to prepare and provide additional training, but beggars can’t be choosers.”

“Were the situation less critical, we would’ve thrown a damn good party,” Shine shrugged. “I’ll just have to settle for introductions with your new squad leaders. Alright ladies, show your captain some Celestia-damned respect and introduce yourselves!”

Each of the squad leaders, my sergeants, sounded off.

The dark mane and furred earth pony to the far left started. “Sergeant Ebony Thorn, reporting for duty, sir!” With the way his golden eyes burned into me, I couldn’t tell if he was glaring or simply focused on making a good impression.

Next to him was a dark blue unicorn, flashing a smile as bright as her white mane. “Sergeant Vivid Meadows, ready for a fight! You can call me Vivi, Sir!”

I nodded, doing my best to keep my eyebrow from raising. So we got Mr. Serious and Ms. Cheerleader. Next is—

“‘Tis a pleasure to finally you, el capitano.”

—this guy, apparently.

A pegasus with a flaming mane and beige fur, he saluted with an air of grace that was almost arrogant. From the way Shine’s lips tightened, I knew he was going to be quite the show. “Sergeant Dos Cadenaz, at your service!”

...Guess I’ll add Mr. Charisma to my ever-growing list of misfits.

The last sergeant was, to my surprise, the oddest one in the bunch. A quiet crystal unicorn with snowy white mane and coat. Cool blue eyes locked with my inquisitive glance as she saluted me. “Sergeant Allegro Forte, sir. It will be an honor to serve you.”

Soft spoken as she was, there was no mistaking the strength lurking in her tone. A pony who didn’t need to be loud to show she meant business, though not as intense as Thorn. Hmmm… I suppose Ms. Cool suits her for now.

I got out of my chair and, after a sweeping glance over my new squad leaders, saluted them. “At ease, Sergeants.” Their hooves went down, then my own. “Don’t have time to deliver a proper address. Just know that I’m going to work you hard. Harder than you’ve ever worked in your life. But through me you will succeed and be the best damn thing to happen to Equestria. That starts with saving our princess and the element bearers. Be ready for anything, as our enemy will throw everything he has at us. Am I clear?”

“Yes, sir!” All four shouted. I nodded with approval.

"And then you got my squad," Shine chimed in. "After all, you need somepony to recon and soften up any poor sod you got your eyes set on. I’ll try to leave a little bit of fight left to make you feel important."

I beamed. "Glad to have you aboard, Shine. I almost feel sorry for whoever tries to mess with us."

“A new guard is not the only thing we’re giving you and Twilight.” Sunburst’s tone swelled with pride. “Thorax was instrumental in helping us develop tools to help with this whole pathos debacle. With his help, and thanks to past experience against Discord, we were able to develop a countermeasure against Malice.”

“I’m guessing it’s the armor?”

“Yes. I’ll spare you the science behind it, but it should give limited effectiveness against pathos magic based on the number of ‘disruptor’ gems slotted.”

“That’s great news, but…” I took another look at the Prism Guard armor, noting some armors were missing gems in their slots. Thorax, Allegro and Vivi each had one in their chest plate. Thorn and Cadenaz had two gems. Shine had all three slots filled. “Is there a reason some gems are missing? Low supply?”

Nervousness washed over Sunburst’s face. “W-well, pathos is not the only source of magic the gems resist. I couldn’t find a solution to stopping only pathos, not so soon anyway. The level of protection counts for all sources of magic. Including the user’s.”

“So let me get this straight,” Noble spoke up, “your best solution against pathos was to cut off your own magic? That’s gotta be like running a marathon with only one working leg for you ponies.”

“Well not everypony can absorb pathos like a sponge and get away with it,” a hint of irritation slipped into Sunburst’s voice. “There’s only so much the development team and I could come up with that was feasible to mass produce. The coffee shops made a lot of money off us this month.”

“In Sunburst’s defense,” Thorax started, “these are also useful for us changelings to suppress pathos. Unfortunately, these aren’t fit to work with our transformations, but we can still use the rest of our magic and drain pathos as long as only one gem is slotted.”

“I see someling has been making himself useful.” The praise did not reach Elytra’s eyes. Poor Thorax withered under her stare. Bet she’s still pissed at how he messed up earlier.

“I-I’m helping with all pathos-related threats, providing insight from a changeling perspective. With my Shadow’s and Overlord’s permission, I would like to be part of the swarm again so we can work together to beat Malice.”

I barely caught the disapproving growl in Elytra’s throat. “Elytra? Cool it.”

Elytra grunted. “I know, I know. If it’s okay with Mother, it’s okay with me for you to come back, Thorax… though I still plan on tanning someling’s carapace once this is over.”

Thorax whimpered. And here I thought Shine Spark was the hard driver of us all.

Noble smiled. “Elly, you will not punish him for breaking protocol.”

Elytra shot Noble a look. “What?! But he—” She stopped the instant Noble raised her hoof.

“Thorax gave us the opportunity we needed to set things in motion. You will scold and educate protocol, but not punishment. As far as I’m concerned, he’s forgiven for his pathetic display of discipline and ignorance of rules that could’ve cost even more lives.”

Thorax sighed in defeat. I shook my head. Damn, he just can’t win with these two, can he?

I returned my attention to Shining Armor. “I don't know what to say. Just... thanks for all of this, Boss.”

“Save it for after this mess is over. I’m not letting you off the hook yet.” Shining took the marker out of my hooves with his magic and drew lines and circles around key points. “This is what we understand so far. According to safety logs Twily gave us a while back, the castle and hospital are evac shelters. Since they take up the northwest and northeast corners of the town respectively, we’re calling those Quad-one and two. Quad-three will be southwest side with Sugarcube Corner, leaving town hall and the frontline to Quad-four.”

“Quad-four and three are the closest points to Everfree,” I pointed out. “There’s not much in the way of natural defense outside half a river.”

“It’s better than nothing,” Max started, “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves though. First we need to prep for the worst. Mind filling me in on what we’re dealing with?”

“We will likely face two threats,” Elytra spoke up. “On one hoof, we got the wildlife. Manticores, chimeras, Timberwolves, everything you can imagine hiding in that forest. The second threat, the most dangerous one, are Malice’s vassals. If we’re going through the forest, Malice won’t make it easy for us. We’ll be playing to his homefield advantage.”

“A blind assault on Everfree would be rather unwise,” Zecora added. “When it comes to traversing the wilds ahoof, allow me to advise.”

“Zecora’s not the only one who has it figured out,” Elytra proclaimed proudly. “My squad mapped out just about every nook and cranny. Pass me the marker, and I’ll show you the areas corrupted with pathos.” She grabbed the marker from Shining Armor and drew X marks in the Everfree area. There were far more X marks than I would’ve liked.

“Oh dear, this does not bode well,” Zecora broke out in a sweat, “all of those are where the predators dwell.”

“That’s no coincidence I guess,” I said.

“Something tells me I should bring out Fluttershy’s bestiary on Everfree.” Spike suggested.

“Do it,” I nodded. Spike hopped out of his chair and left for the castle library. “So this sounds simple enough. When we’re ready to tackle the tree of harmony, Zecora and Elytra will guide us through. Noble and I should support from the air. Need to watch for ambushes and keep those vassals in mind.”

“That’s something I would like to bring up, actually,” Noble spoke up. “It’s very possible we can face another warlord before reaching the tree. In open battle they are usually flanked by hunter vassals who target threats and direct reapers. Reapers are not really combatants per se, but their most dangerous trait is the kamikaze.”

“The kamikaze?” Max asked. “Like the Nipponese kind?”

“One and the same. Once they worm their way into someone’s soul, they can self-terminate to shred someone’s soul apart. It takes some time to bury themselves in a target, especially in a strong one or if being stealthy, but once they do, the kill switch becomes active. Unfortunately for us changelings, they don’t need to go that far. Overload the hivemind link and then pop, bye bye changeling.”

I threw Noble an incredulous look. The way she can say that with such a straight face is unreal. Maybe it’s a changeling thing. “So back at the hospital, the warlord had that many reapers at his disposal? And he killed them off just like that?”

“To Malice, and by extension all his vassals, reapers are expendable and easy to produce,” Elytra answered. “They’re nothing more than magic given form and instinct. It’s cruel, but they are surprisingly efficient tools for his needs.”

“So we have to deal with ghost suicide bombers. Just great.” Shining groaned.

“And those are just the fodder of the vassals,” Noble continued. “Hunters are where the real fighting force is. If they’re not throwing down in their ghost forms, they can possess targets, driving them into a frenzy. If the target’s will is weak or they’re primitive, they can take full control.”

“And what about the warlords?” Max pressed.

“Think officers, but with a degree in badass. Never, ever take them for granted. If it wasn’t for Spike, there’s a real chance none of us with be here right now.” Noble pointed out.

“Well I couldn’t have done it alone,” Spike beamed. Noble, Elytra and Thorax were the only ones who didn’t flinch at seeing Spike suddenly appear in his seat. His smile fell, looking around in confusion while clutching a thick encyclopedia. “...What?”

“W-when did you get back?!” Shining gasped.

“Just now, actually.”

“Sweet Celestia, I didn’t hear a thing.” Shine stared in awe.

“Hehehe…” Noble seemed way too pleased with herself.

“It took me a whole year to be able to do that...” Thorax grumbled.

Max cleared his throat. “Let’s not get off track. We still have a princess to save. Have a few loose ends to cover first.”

Max grabbed the marker provided by Spike and drew a line between the southeast portion of Ponyville and Everfree forest. “My boys should be able to turn the town hall into a supply point for the frontline here. Before we mount a rescue though, we need to secure the town as a fallback position,and create a defensive line in case of a counterattack. The river may not look like much, but it will slow any aggressor down regardless of its size, and that’s enough time for unicorns and archers to rip anything that so much as looks at us funny a new one. They can use that as a barrier.”

“Hope it will be enough to stop whatever Malice decides throws at us,” Shining said before he turned to me. “We need someone at the townhall to get things going. That supply depot needs to be running ASAP.”

“I think we both know who we need, Boss. But before I send anyone off, I would like to get a communication line going. Spike, mind working your magic on everyone in this room?”

Spike’s eyes lit up. “Good idea! I’ll get right on it.” He hopped out of his seat and proceeded to bestow the Dragon Whisper connection to everyone while also explaining the process. Once we went out there, there was no telling when we would get the chance to do this once the fighting went underway.

“Thank you, Spike. Hey Shine,” I called out. “Mind heading to town hall and making some noise?”

“You got it, Cap!” Shine hopped out of her chair, saluted, then bolted out of the room.

“The Prism Guard will probably need to be the vanguard of the assault,” Sunburst suggested. “In fact, I did bring some extra armor for you all to wear. This should help dampen pathos effects. Although for Flash…”

“Hm? What is it?” I asked.

“I have a theory about something because of your unique circumstance. Sergeant Forte, can you let Flash touch your armor?”

“As you wish.” Forte shifted closer, standing at attention. The moment I touched the shoulder plate containing the gem, an echoing sensation flooded my hooves. Whatever it was sapped my strength, hollowing out my limbs. I released it instantly.

What in the world…?!

*It would seem these ‘disruptor’ gems live up to its name, destabilizing the flow of magic wherever it touches. Useful, but they will only delay the inevitable.*

I ignored Inner Malice. “It feels like whatever it’s made of is eating at my strength.”

Sunburst frowned. “As I thought. Malice is infused with the magic in your body. I’m afraid you won’t be able to use any gems without it hurting you, or worse. You can always wear the armor without the gems at least.”

“I appreciate it, but thanks to Elytra I’m good for now. Just my luck I can’t use anti-Malice wargear.”

“You can still throw lightning bolts and teleport without a horn, so forgive us mortals for having some sort of advantage.” Noble giggled. “Can Elly and I touch the armor as well?”

Allegro glanced at me. I gave her the go ahead with a nod. She positioned herself between Noble and Elytra, allowing their hooves to rest on her armor.

“It’s a little tingly, but otherwise harmless. Would be useful for a frontline engagement where transformations aren’t needed,” Elytra said after a moment.

Noble hummed thoughtfully. “Interesting. As great as this kind of protection would be, I need full access to my magic.”

“That aside, the Crystal Guard are not as fortunate to have that equipment. Not enough to go around,” said Shining Armor. “The Prism Guard needs to take out the vassal threats for us, then we can handle whatever else Malice tries to throw at us.”

I nodded. “Between the Prism Guard and my team, we should be able to handle the vanguard position. Elytra and Thorax can be our pathos fighters on the ground for the trip. Just in case, Noble, Shine and I should take point as forward scouts. We can communicate via Spike’s Dragon Whisper, so he should stick with you at HQ.”

A chuckled slipped out of Shining. “Sounds like a certain dragon got himself promoted to my S6.”

“What’s that?” Spike asked.

“Comms officer,” Shining answered. “Since all information will be relayed to you, you will be the centerpiece to making sure our communications are secured.”

“Finally feels like everything is coming together.” I said. “Malice no longer has a combative changeling squad to get us, and we have measures against the vassals. All that’s left for us is to finish getting our defenses together and make the assault. He’s not going to know what hit him.”

*Oh I wouldn’t be so sure about that.*

Dread crawled up the back of my neck. What do you mean by that, Malice?

*Listen well, colt. I have thousands of years of warfaring and combat experience, and that is before being sealed away by Discord. I’ve led campaigns to victory against impossible odds and have helped conquer an entire continent. Knowing that, try telling yourself again how assured your ‘victory’ is.*

Malice… what in the world do you have planned? What do you have left?

Inner Malice merely laughed.

...I was starting to get a bad feeling about this.

I burst through the town hall’s double doors with my shoulder, flanked by four hoof-picked privates. Town hall was buzzing with activity. Ponies zipping left and right. Paperwork floating through the air like confetti. My team stormed through the mess towards the Mayor’s office, ponies being smart enough to get the hay out of our way before getting trampled.

“Lancer, set up shop for ammo storage and field hospital. Hunter, clear this building. Dancer, Knight, with me.”

“Yes, Ma’am!” The two stallions split off to work on their tasks. Privates Dancer and Knight stayed by my flank as we marched into the Mayor’s office.

The mayor in question was at her desk, nose buried in a mountain of copy paper and folders. Between the frazzled mane and bloodshot eyes, it was clear she had not slept all night. The fact she didn’t so much as flinch when I barreled through the office door spoke volumes for her level of awareness.

I was about to announce myself as a sergeant of the Prism guard when I caught myself, defaulting to my usual civilian introduction instead. “Ma’am, I’m Sergeant Shine Spark representing the Crystal Empire forces. We need to commandeer this location to—”

“Papers on the left corner. If you got a complaint or emergency, speak with my secretary at the front.”

My privates took one step back, having much better instincts than this civvie.

With a swing, my hoof nearly split the table in half. Papers exploded from the desk from the sheer force of my strike and, more importantly, snapped the Mayor’s focus to me.

“As I was saying,” I forced out through gritted teeth, “we need to use this town hall as a supply point and field hospital for our soldiers. We need you to start evacuating everypony.”

“An evacuation?! Soldiers?! Hold on a second, there’s no need for something as drastic! Things are hectic enough as it is with that blizzard and—”

I snagged the mare’s muzzle in my hoof and brought it close enough for our eyes to lock. “Ma’am, this is not a request and it cannot wait. We’re about have a shitstorm that’s gonna make last night look like cakewalk. You can bury your face in paperwork later, but right now you need to get all these ponies out of here and evacuate right the hay now. Am I clear?”

The mayor’s eyebrow creased angrily together as she nodded slowly. I released her muzzle. She lingered for a moment, throwing me a fleeting glare just before she rushed around the table and past us, barking out orders for evacuation.

“Permission to speak freely, ma’am?” Silent Knight asked.

“Go for it.”

“I know we’re in a hurry, but wasn’t that going too far? We don’t even know if we’re going to be attacked.”

I threw a look at the private. “You’re right, we don’t know if we’re going to be attacked. Would you rather wait until you’re already attacked?”

“No ma’am.”

I gave him an approving nod. “Good. Now make yourself useful and help get this place up and running. You too, Dancer.”

“On the double, ma’am!” Silent Knight and Blade Dancer bolted out of the office. I knew I could trust my team to get things going. Until then, it was just a matter of waiting for Flash to give me the greenlight.

A nagging sensation bit at the back of my mind. Nothing about this OP feels right. It shouldn’t be this quiet considering what we’re dealing with.

A sudden tremor rippled through the wooden floorboards. I thought it was my imagination until it happened again. The mayor’s unattended glass of water on a nightstand shook from the vibrations.

“What in the…?” That bad feeling multiplied.

Private Knight burst through the door like he was on fire.

“Ma’am, the forest! Quick!”

That bad feeling struck a fevered pitch. “Knight, with me!” I sprinted towards the town hall entrance, Silent Knight only a second behind. I could only imagine what was coming out of the forest that spooked him.

I burst through the entrance, only to freeze mid-step.

A line that stretched as far as the horizon emerged from the edge of Everfree Forest. Timberwolves, chimeras, manticores, bears, tigers, just about every predator under Celestia’s sun rushed down the path towards us.

I placed a hoof on my chest, activating the Dragon Whisper.

“We got contact! The Celestia-damned forest is coming to kill us!”

Chapter 30: Attack on Ponyville - Part 1

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Spike

If somepony told me ten years ago that I would be assisting in a military operation to fight a war spirit who made Discord—a being who can bend reality—look like a whipped puppy by comparison, I would’ve thought they were out of their mind.

“Spike, do me a favor and map out the fastest routes through these quadrants,” Shining hovered a marker over to me. I grabbed it and leaned over the hoof-drawn map of Ponyville provided by Flash.

With each line drawn, memories of the ponies and changelings who died last night flashed through my mind. Times we almost died. My first kill.

That really happened, the mere thought made me nauseous. Even if they were pure evil, I did kill someone. That’s not even counting my attempted kill on Flash.

...Shouldn’t I feel bad about that? Feel anything?

A hoof patted my back, just now noticing someone moved next to me. Noble gave me a stern nod. I returned the nod, showing her I understood the message: stay focused.

“When Twilight approved the Ponyville expansion project some years ago,” I began, “we wanted to avoid making everypony feel cramped, so we made sure every street and pathway was a little bigger than normal.”

I pointed to some of the bigger pathways in between the quadrants. “We also kept in mind that something always happens to Ponyville, so in the case of another Discord-level emergency, we made clear paths leading towards the two fallout shelters: the hospital,” pointed to the building in the top left edge of Ponyville, “and the castle as secondary,” I pointed to the opposite end.

“How many civilians should we expect to deal with?” Shining asked.

“Our last count was roughly close to eight-hundred.”

Sunburst quirked an eyebrow. “That’s a lot more ponies than I expected for a hamlet.”

“Wish it could still be that way some days.” I sighed. “But that’s beside the point. Should the town get overrun or be unsafe, everypony’s supposed to go to the hospital or castle. Depending on what happens, we can create chokepoints—”

*We got contact! The Celestia-damned forest is coming to kill us!* Shine Spark’s booming voice detonated in my head. I clutched at it with one claw, activating Dragon Whisper with the other.

“Could you please not scream in my head, Sergeant Spark? I can hear you just—” what she said suddenly registered. “Wait, contact from the forest?”

My words drew everyone’s attention. Shine Spark continued. *I’ll get the frontline going until the Major gets here. Tell everyone to get their ass in gear; the enemy is here!*

“C-Copy that!”

“Spike, what’s wrong?” Shining Armor asked. I took a breath.

A massive explosion echoed from the distance, followed by a collective series of roars rattling the windows and our eardrums.

“...That,” I answered. We rushed out of the council room and towards the nearest room with a balcony facing Everfree side to see the damage.

Countless creatures poured out of the treeline of Everfree forest. I was able to make out some of the bigger monsters such as serpents tearing at whatever their claws and fangs could reach. The forest had never been angrier.

“The frontline hasn’t had time to form up yet,” Flash turned to Shining. “I’ll lead the Prism Guard into town and regroup with Shine Spark. We need to make sure nothing gets through.”

“Leave the line to me,” Max said. “I’ll cut the tide down and make your life easier. Would appreciate making sure our supply depot stays in one piece”

Shining Armor looked between them and nodded. “Good. Max, head to the frontline and make it airtight. Flash, escort Max and secure the town. Go!”

“Yes sir!” Max saluted and bolted out of the room.

“Noble, get everyone suited up and get out there! Sergeants, let’s rally up by the entrance!” Flash belted out his orders.

“Count on me!” “Yes, Sir!” Noble and the sergeants sounded off. While Flash and his guard bolted through the door, Noble threw a glance at Thorax.

“Thorax, stand before me.” Noble authoritative tone had Thorax nearly throw himself at her hooves, standing at attention. Brilliant green magic swirled in Noble’s horn for a moment, then reached out to Thorax’s horn. After several seconds of channeling, the magic faded.

Thorax’s eyes went wide. He opened his mouth to say something, but a sharp glance from Elytra erased the words on his tongue. With a nod, he started again. “Good to go, great Shadow.”

“Good. Thorax, stay with Shining and Spike. Be our eyes and ears for the field and guard them with your life.”

Thorax straightened himself up and nodded. I’ve rarely seen someone more determined to follow an order. “By your will.”

Noble glanced at Shining. “Securing my own communication network. Don’t worry, we’re not connected to the main hive network. It’s limited to just Thorax, Elly and myself. Malice won’t be getting his greedy hands on us.”

Shining’s silence spoke volumes. Noble frowned.

“I’m smart enough not to ask you to trust me on this one, Shining. You trust Flash and want to put an end to this nightmare. That’s enough of a common ground for me.”

“If you screw this up,” Shining’s tone lowered, “nothing will save you from me.”

“If we screw this up, there won’t be anything left of me for you to punish,” Noble’s expression hardened. “I’m fighting for more than my own survival here. I won’t fail.” After a pause, she nodded at the others to follow her out the door. Everyone except Thorax, Shining and myself were gone from the room.

“Sergeant Spark,” I called via whisper, “Flash and the others are on their way. Hang in there!”

*Appreciate it. I’ll take out as many bastards as I can!*

Shining Armor looked over the balcony with a grim look on his face. “This isn’t good. We haven’t been able to get communications fully up and going yet. The town will go to Tartarus before we can be online. We’re cut off.”

“What about that crystal communicator thing you had set up with Flash?” I asked.

“Great for long range communications, but we haven’t mastered crystal tech enough to make outgoing communications portable. Max can probably handle the frontline coordination, but our artillery are blind as bats.”

Outgoing communications, huh?

“What about my Dragon Whisper?” I offered. “I can link up with whoever you want to maintain contact with so you can give orders when you need to.”

“Hmm, that’s a damn good idea, actually.” Shining took another glance over the window, then back to me. “First Lieutenant Vox Trot is our comms officer. Find her over there.” He pointed to the lavender tent with the Crystal Empire emblem on the side. “If you can link up with the artillery platoon and her, that will give us a damn good edge in this mess.

“Alright. Drop me down there.”

With a nod, Shining Armor levitated me out the window in his magic and lowered me to ground level. The second my foot touched the floor I bolted for the officer’s tent.

Several soldiers rushed in and out of the tent as I stepped inside. Boxes lined the inner corners of the tent, a large table with a lamp at the center. Six ponies stared back at me, confusion etched on their faces.

“Lieutenant Vox Trot!” I belted out with urgency I didn’t realize I could channel in my tone. A cream-furred mare with a dark mane stepped up and saluted me.

“First Lieutenant Trot reporting! What can I do for you?”

“We need to get comms online with the artillery squad. I’m here to make that happen. Where can I find them?”

“You have good timing.” Trot stepped to the side and gestured to the other officers. “This sad lot runs the gun show. I was just about to send them out.”

“Good. I need them and as many messengers as you can spare. While I’m at it, stand still for a sec.” Without asking, I blew fire into my palms and placed them on her chest. She flinched, but otherwise did not move away. “Hoof to chest, you can talk to me from any distance. I’ll be your comm link to the Prince.”

Vox gasped. “Seriously? Oh, that is just perfect! I have some messengers in mind perfect for that.”

“Good. Bring them here. Just remember that you’re speaking in my head. No screaming.”

“Wilco.”

I blinked. “Who?”

The lieutenant gave me a look. “Wilco. Meaning will do.” A pause. “...how verse are you in comm speak?”

“Well… Flash gave me a small crash course, and I read a few books about it… alright, they were comic books, but still…”

For a second, I caught a look on her face somewhere between disbelief and exhaustion. I recognized from Twilight’s ‘it’s gonna be a long day’ face. “That is...er, understood. I’ll walk you through it. Just… you might want some aspirin in a few minutes.”

“Why?”

She threw me a mysterious smile. “If it’s anything like my first day, you’ll figure out why real quick.”

Other than the lieutenant’s cryptic words, everything went along surprisingly smooth. I half expected them to throw me a weird look or question my authority. It might’ve been because I was the Princess’s assistant. Deep down, part of me placed my bets on Noble’s training of shouting things with enough confidence so no one would even think to question me.

Between Vox Trot, the AUX sergeants, Artillery leaders and several messenger pegasi, the dragon communication network was as good as it was gonna get. After explaining how to properly manage the Dragon Whisper I rushed back to the castle.

Almost immediately my mind was flooded with voices and military jargon slinging at me so fast it made me dizzy. I tried my hardest to grasp each message and pass the word, but I couldn’t keep up somewhere after the fourth message. Vox Trot, thankfully, slowed down enough to explain what certain jargon meant and how to relay military messages properly. Eventually I had to tell everypony to just sit tight until I could get my bearings.

Lieutenant Trot’s words made perfect sense now. Never again would I take information networks for granted.

I arrived at the council room to find Shining pouring his eyes on the map, despair written all over his face. Thorax tried in vain to give him a consoling pat on the back.

“Did I miss something?” I asked.

Shining sighed. “Spike, were you able to talk with Trot?”

“Yeah. I’m hooked up to the artillery platoon, AUX and Officer Trot herself. Even got a few messenger ponies heading to the frontline as we speak.”

A tired smile reached Shining’s lips. “Good thinking. I could really use some good news right about now.”

I didn’t want to ask, but I had to know. “H-how bad is it?”

“Noble reported at least a hundred monsters breached the town before we could get the frontline perimeter set up. That’s not even factoring flyers the sky platoon couldn’t intercept. So far, less than half the town has been evac’d to the hospital shelter. The Crystal Guard already has their hooves tied just making sure the frontline doesn’t collapse.”

My heart sank with dread. “That leaves only Flash and the Prism Guard, doesn’t it?”

Shining nodded. “There are a lot of lives resting on his shoulders right now. Still not sure if letting Flash lead the Prism Guard was—”

“It was the best decision you could’ve made.” I cut him off. Shining directed his tired eyes at me. “The entire time I’ve worked with him, Flash never lost focus on what he was supposed to do. Maybe he didn’t go about it the best way, but I know he will make sure to save as many ponies as possible. Besides,” I smiled, “the guy got a jaded changeling to be his friend. He’s no stranger to working miracles.”

Thorax snorted at this. “He cannot lose with Elytra and Noble Heart at this side. They will make sure Flash Sentry keeps his promise or he will die trying.”

“I hope you two are right.” Shining’s frown deepened. “Otherwise, there’s going to be a lot of graves to dig.”

“Not if I can help it.” I took a seat next to Shining and placed a palm on my chest, activating Dragon Whisper. Something told me I was going to be doing this a lot today. “Let me get Flash up to speed. Thorax, let Elytra and Noble know I got artillery, comms officer, and messengers on speed dial. Shining, I think we’re both going to need your direction on this one.”

For the first time since he arrived, I saw a smile on Shining Armor. “You’ve really grown up, Spike. Not used to seeing you be this bossy.”

“To be fair…” Thorax smiled as he closed his eyes and channeled magic into his horn, likely communicating with Elytra and Noble. “Noble Heart is known for being a terrible influence.”

I snorted. “You got that right.” A pulse of warmth in my chest confirmed I found my target for the Dragon Whisper.

Flash

In front of me was a platoon of hoof-picked soldiers under my command led by four sergeants: Thorn, Vivi, Cadenaz, and Forte. Behind me were allies who fought with me in one form or another: Zecora, Elytra, Max and Noble Heart. The weight of every decision I had made—and of those that needed to be made soon—pressed on my shoulders. I had to accept that some of those around me—and, just as likely: myself—might not make it back home today.

It was one thing to die on one’s post, following the orders of somepony else, and another thing entirely to be the one who had to issue those orders and live with the outcome.

The silence at the hoof of the castle was deafening. The screaming and roaring of the beasts at our gates was nothing compared to the weight of this very moment between me and my teammates.

I stared at the group, my eyes focusing on everyone and nothing at all at the same time. I swallowed, then mustered my resolve. I was a Royal Guard. I would do what needed to be done.

And so would they. Reassured by this—the invisible bond of comradery, and knowledge of the price of duty—I knew what to say.

“We’re about to face an opponent unlike any other.” Everyone straightened their postures, gazes hardened as I started my address. “As we speak, Malice is leading the entirety of Everfree’s predators against us. He’ll be backed by beings called vassals… though you’ll recognize them as windigos.”

Knowing looks went through the group. I caught myself pacing up and down in front of them as I continued. “He will throw every possible ruse at us. Every trick, feint, plot, and hoax one could imagine. Celestia knows he probably invented most of them. And, if backed against a wall, Malice has no issues with resulting to brute force and massive collateral damage.”

A faint smile crept up my face as I glanced at our changeling friends from the edge of my vision. “Unfortunately for him, we not only have extraordinary weapons to face him with, but powerful allies. You’re already aware of the two changelings by my side from the briefing, but I’ve had the pleasure of fighting side by side with them. Give them a weapon and a target, and they will end a motherfucker faster than you can say ‘these bitches are crazy’. Be glad they’re on our side.”

A chuckle went through the group. Good. “And beyond our new weapons, our new allies, and our new guard unit, we have something else Malice can’t prepare for, because he doesn’t understand it: We have trust in each other. We can rely on one another in a way Malice can’t comprehend. This includes Noble and Elytra, who I’d blindly trust with my life.”

Nopony budged. I caught a subtle nod from both Noble and Elytra. “If this is an issue for anyone, if you feel unable to trust either of these two absolutely, without limits and without question, I ask you to step forth now. I won’t blame you; they were our enemies in the past, and this may be a whole lot for you to move past in such a short time. Sadly Malice doesn’t give us a weekend of team bonding exercises, and I need all of you to work together one hundred and ten percent now, without any exceptions. So... you in or you out?”

A pause. No one moved. “Good. They’ll be worth your trust, I promise.” I took a deep breath and mustered them. “Sadly, there is one more thing I need to address. Not all of us, or of your friends and comrades out there, might survive this fight. A lot is coming for us, and Malice is a spirit that feeds on negative emotions. He’ll creep up your mind in the heat of battle, when the pressure of what you see and suffer through is the greatest.”

My hoof came down on the ground, accompanied by a snap of spark magic. “You must not give in! I cannot press enough how imperative it is to maintain mental steadfastness. He will try to turn you on each other, on your squads, or even on me and General Armor. For all his strength, our emotions are his greatest asset. He did it with me, and while I’ll do my best to protect you all, your minds must become impregnable fortresses. Remember your friends, your training, and your oaths, and we shall all make it through the storm!”

I let my eyes wander over them. The weight of the dangers ahead had obviously sunken in. Now, while the reality settled in for them, I need to give them a push. Pull them in like an arrow… and let go.

“Our first goal will be to escort the good Major to the frontline and regroup with Sergeant Shine Spark and her recon squad. From there, we will save whoever we can and kill every damn vassal and monster who thinks they stand a snowball’s chance in Tartarus! Know that Malice thinks you’re weak! He thinks you’re all cowards that will cave in to hatred and give up when the going gets tough! Well Malice is too blind to see what I see in all of you! I see the craziest sons of bitches to grace Equestrian soil! I see fully qualified defenders of Equestria ready to save our princess and give Malice and his forces the biggest ass-kicking he’s ever had the pleasure of receiving! What I see are heroes in the making ready to show the world who the hay they are!”

Some of the troops rolled their shoulders. Others snorted with barely restrained fury and conviction. I could see it in their eyes. They were ready.

Drawing my blade staff from its holster, I raised it high as if piercing the stars. “I wanna hear it! Who's ready to kick some ass and take names?!”

Ear-rupturing warcries exploded from the soldiers as they rattled their various weapons.

“I can’t hear you! I said who is ready to kick some ass and be some Celestia-damned heroes?!”

Roaring intensified, outstripping the cries of the creatures swarming through Ponyville.

“Damn straight!” I took into the air and pointed my staff towards Ponyville. “Now let’s show them what we’re made of! Prism Guard, move out!”

We moved with the force of a volcano for the southeast edge of Ponyville where the action was. I worked my wings to stay ahead of the pack, closely flanked by Elytra, Zecora, Noble and Max.

The closer we drew towards the fight, the easier it was to hear the cries of ponies and monsters locked in combat. If we were going to do this, I needed some intel and fast. “Elytra, Noble, I need eyes on what we’re dealing with. Report it to Shining as you come back to me.”

“Gotcha. Let’s go, Elly!” Noble and Elytra exchanged a quick glance at each other before vanishing behind a worn-out house.

*Flash, the front suffered several breakthroughs. They’re pushing their way into the town. Rough count says thirty got through.* Spike warned.

I activated Dragon Whisper. “Copy that. No hostiles spotted yet. Keep me updated.

*Got it.*

The closer we drew towards the frontline, the more reports Spike called in. *Twelve hostiles flanking front. Shine Spark intercepting.* *Another dozen breaking through the center.* *Ten more got through. Fast hostiles coming in hot north-northwest!* As much as I wanted to praise him for adapting so quickly, actively trimming the fat of details to focus on quick, efficient facts and direction, this was far from the right time to break his concentration. I mentally noted to thank him with a round of drinks later.

Halfway across town, we spotted several carriages surrounded by predators. Among the chaos were a mix of ponies in Crystal Guard armor forming a circle around the carriages, spears and swords raised to hold back the tide. Grizzly bears, tigers, timberwolves, all burning with pathos attacking the convoy with bloodlust in their hungry gazes. The group of probably a dozen guards were barely holding on, soon to be overwhelmed.

They’ve gotten this far already? Hold up…!

“Captain, that’s the supply convoy for the front!” Max seethed.

*This is it. Show me that you’re not all talk!* Inner Malice challenged. *Blood for blood!*

“We have to save that convoy! Let’s go!!” I shouted. Trickles of electricity coursed through my limbs as we rushed in.

With the enemy preoccupied with the Crystal Guard, our window to ambush them was short. Thorn’s squad took the front, acting as our shocktroopers. Vivi and Forte’s groups held back slightly, the unicorns burning with power while Cadenaz and his pegasi took into the air, weapons ready. Zecora, the Major and myself sped up to stay ahead of the wall of steel, spearheading the ambush. I used my teleportation to reach the backline of the enemy quickly and quietly to draw first blood before they could blink.

First to make contact, my blade sliced through one of the bear’s hamstrings. I rolled over the falling, screaming bear’s back just before one of it’s friends could swipe me, bringing my blade down the neck of an unsuspecting tiger. Two bears lunged for me, one front and one behind me. I ignored the back one in favor of smashing through the first with a lightning charged hoof, crushing its face in and advancing forward.

With me providing a valid distraction, my platoon was in a prime position to eviscerate their flanks with blades and magic bolts.

Cadenaz took his flycolts overhead to pincer the enemy from the other side while Thorn drove through the enemy ranks like a runaway train, slicing his way towards the center. Forte and Vivi used their magic to rain Tartarus on the clumps of enemy forces caught between the Crystal Guard ponies they were fighting and the Prism Guard tearing them a new one from behind.

Max landed on top of a Timberwolf I was dueling with a slash strong enough to split it in half. Another Timberwolf threatened to tear out the Major’s throat, only to lose its paw thanks to the Major’s blindingly quick slice with the longsword, shortly followed by its head getting lopped off. Catching two tigers dashing for him at the side, I jumped over the Major’s back and, with a spinning slash, split their heads open.

Max and I carved down the middle of the ranks, my spear and Max’s longsword making short work of anything dumb enough to get too close. Adrenaline surged through me with each strike and cry of fury that tore from my lungs. Skulls shattered under my hooves, limbs and torsos severed by my blade.

While the Major and I went to town through the center, Zecora danced in and out of the confusion, slashing and cutting her way around them like a buzzsaw. I could barely keep up with her as she constantly disappeared within the enemy forces, not even a scratch on her whenever she appeared. The most nimble of all of us, she used the creatures as springboards to leap bounds all over the battlefield, instantly reaching areas that needed help closing gaps or were at risk of getting flanked.

“Cut ‘em down, colts!” One of the Crystal Guard ponies shouted. With a rally roar, they broke out of the defensive formation and pushed back, slicing apart the now panicked monster swarm caught between them and my Prism Guard.

Magic bolts and arrows soared into the monsters, weakening them enough for us to make a clean breakthrough. Some tried to flank our positions, only to get harassed by our pegasi teams and unicorn barriers. Some close calls were had with my guard who nearly got trampled. Sentry Sense and well-timed teleports helped me save their lives. It wasn’t long until the attacking forces were eliminated..

With the threat cleared, we regrouped with the convoy, making sure to secure the area in case of surprise attacks. One of the Crystal Guard ponies approached and saluted the Major and I.

“Sergeant Edge, reporting sir. You guys saved our hides!”

“Don’t celebrate yet son,” Major said. “If they already reached this point, who knows how many more are runnin’ around. It’ll get worse before it gets better.”

“All the more reason we need to hurry to the front, Major. I’m sure those colts could use the help.” I activated the Dragon Whisper. “Spike, we saved a convoy being attacked and are escorting them to the front.”

*Copy that.* A pause. *Quad-4 is getting swarmed. At least fifty got in, and still counting. We can’t spare any ponies from the front, so it’s all you.*

“Wilco. Get Shine Spark to meet us halfway to deliver the convoy. I’ll get my team to deal with them asap.” I turned my attention back to my platoon. “Team, double time! Hostiles ahead, so be ready for anything!” We broke into a full-blown gallop towards the frontline. The sooner we met up with Shine and got the Major and convey to the frontline, the quicker we could help the civilians get to safety before the beasts get to them.

Cadenaz and Thorn’s squads took point with me, Vivi and Forte’s squads hanging back to protect the convoy’s flank from any ambushes. Reports from Spike warned the frontline was struggling to hold against the countless numbers coming at them wave after wave. Knowing what pathos-infused monsters are capable of, I imagine the only reason the frontline wasn’t drowning in fur and teeth was because their objective was beyond the front. While some quick-moving Timberwolves tried to come at us, taken down quickly thanks to some well positioned magical blasts and lightning bolts, we otherwise progressed down the chaotic streets without incident or losses.

Just as we crossed halfway through the southeast quadrant we encountered a small group of timberwolves. I’d thought they were gunning for us until a thunderous cry erupted further down the street and timberwolves in their backline were thrown into the air like ragdolls from the force of nature tearing through them. It was impossible to keep down the smile knowing exactly who could compel pathos-infused monsters to runaway.

“Cap!” Shine cheered as she and her squad charged for us, armor covered in blood splatters and small cuts. Caught between us and Shine’s recon squad, the timberwolves were screwed.

With the beasts between us either routed or slain, I regrouped with Shine Spark and her squad, two of which seemed familiar but I couldn’t put my hoof on it. Said privates looked exhausted and terrified, though whether it was from the attack or Shine Spark herself I couldn’t tell.

“Took you long enough, Cap. I was about to start the party without you.” Shine beamed as we exchanged hoofbumps.

“Spike filled me in. How did it look when you left?” I asked.

“Tightened up the breach before I left. Got word from Spike you caught some of the stranglers.”

“Those stragglers not the only problem.”

Noble and Elytra suddenly appeared at my side. If Noble was amused by the shocked look on our faces she didn’t show it as she continued. “As I suspected, there are vassals mixed up in the invading forces. They seem to be directing the aggression for an organized rampage.”

*Not surprising,* Inner Malice said. *If the objective was to truly crush you, that would’ve happened long ago. What better way to generate a large amount of pathos in a drawn out engagement than razing an entire town and its helpless civilians?*

Over my dead body! “Malice is stirring things up to make himself a pathos buffet. We need to focus on saving whoever we can and secure the shelters, but we also gotta get this convoy to the front before it’s too late!”

“How do you wanna do this?” Shine asked.

Before I could organize my thoughts, Spike’s voice reached me via Dragon Whisper. *Noble reported in not too long ago. Barely half the town is evacuated so far. Good news is I got artillery and the comms officer linked up with me and they’re ready to go. My messengers are organized all around town and some in the clouds for a bird’s eye view, so I got eyes wherever you need it.*

“That’s great news, Spike! Keep me updated.”

*Copy that.*

I released the connection and motioned the squad leaders to regroup on me. Sergeant Forte’s and Vivi’s unicorns formed a barrier around us to shield against anything coming at us. There were a lot of fires to put out, and I needed us to stay as coordinated as possible.

“Spike’s got a direct line to the big guns,” I said. “Unfortunately, only half the town was evacuated, so their hooves are tied until we make sure nopony gets caught wherever we need to shoot at. That means we need to act fast and do this right.”

I surveyed the attentive faces around me and quickly broke down who I needed where. “Thorn, Cadenaz, Vivi, Forte, you four work out which quadrant you’ll take. Shine, you and I will get the Major and the convoy to the frontline and work our way backwards to help with cleanup. Noble, Elytra, Zecora, stick with a sergeant going to Quad-One, two or three. Since you’ve all had experience against vassals, your eyes will be critical.”

I pointed to Shine, Thorn, Cadenaz, Vivi and Forte respectively. “Callsigns will be Strike One, Two, Three, Four and Five. Keep Spike updated on everything and watch each other’s backs out there.”

“Dibs on Quad-Four with the captain!” Vivi pipped. “We can provide covering fire for you and Sergeant Spark as you escort the Major.”

“Vivi’s squad has excellent sharpshooters. It’s a good call.” Shine affirmed.

I nodded. “Alright, Vivi. You’ll cover us and help secure Quad-Four.”

“If we are calling dibs,” Cadenaz smirked, his attention on Noble, “I’ll take on Quad-Three with Lady Noble Heart. We’ll have it cleaned out no time flat, right Love?”

“Cadenaz…” Shine pinched the bridge of her nose. The other sergeants shook their heads with equal amounts of exhaustion and disdain. It was clear this was not an uncommon trend with this guy.

Cadenaz straightened his posture, throwing us a serious look. “No need to worry, Love. Business before pleasure. I know we got lives to save. I won’t let you down.”

“If Noble’s okay with that arrangement, I got no problem. Just stay focused.” I warned.

Noble shrugged. “I’m fine with that. I actually wanted to stick closer to the frontline just in case, so this works out.”

“I can handle Quad-One, sir,” Thorn declared. “I’ll make sure nothing gets past our flank.”

“I can assist with that zone. I shall stay with Sergeant Thorn,” Zecora said.

“Which leaves Quad-Two near the castle to me,” Forte said. “Are you fine with this arrangement, Miss Elytra?”

Elytra shrugged. “Doesn’t matter to me. Let’s just get moving already. Time is of the essence.”

“The little girl is right. We can’t afford to waste any time.” Max joined.

“Little girl?!” Elytra bristled. Her words went unheeded by the Major.

I nodded. “Alright team, don’t get careless out there. Watch out for each other and stay in communication. Move out!”

As the Strike teams split up to their respective locations, I activated Dragon Whisper. “Spike, this is Flash. Noble, Elytra, Zecora and I are splitting up. They’ll follow up with mission updates.”

A pause. Likely relaying information to Shining Armor. *Callsigns?*

“I’m with Spark and Vivi. Strike One and Four.”

Another pause. *The others reported in as well and told me the plan. A messenger called in a lot of civilians in Quad-Four, Sector-Two.*

I recalled the map. Southeast side of Ponyville. Sector-Two was a commercial side of the town. “Copy that. I’m on it.”

*Be careful, Flash.*

“Wilco. Over and out.” I cut off contact and turned to my squad. “Strike-One and Four, let’s move! We got asses to kick and lives to save!” I hopped into the air and flew down the street, my squads in tow.

Almost immediately we encountered resistance in the form of Timberwolves. Three of them broke from the pack and lunged for me. I raised my staff to strike them down when Vivi beat me to it, teal horn burning with a blue hue.

Thin beams of magic sprayed at the Timberwolves, piercing their chests and heads with deadly precision. Where the three fell dead, two more jumped over them and ran towards us. Two lightning bolts from my hoof to the face turned them to smoking corpses. Combined with several privates armed with spears, swords, and unicorn magic, nothing got remotely close to us.

Street to street, we cut our way through the increasing wave of monsters. Outside of some occasional creatures breaking away to fight us off, many avoided us. Cutting down who we could was less an issue than the sheer number of monsters stampeding through the town. With vassals directing the wild creatures at strategic points, such coordination made the rampage all the deadlier.

As we charged through the streets, a startling realization hit me: This battle was not a simple sweep through until the monsters were gone. I had to work knowing they had specific objectives to tackle.

The cobblestone roads expanded as we entered the commercial sector of Quad-4. Civilians screamed as they ran past us, warning of monsters breaking into houses and scouring for survivors. Several houses and stores had shattered windows and broken doors, some were even smoking or burning from the fires that broke out. My gut wretched at some of the bodies we came across of those who couldn’t escape, blood boiling with hatred. This galvanized us to move faster, ensuring we properly provided cover for the convoy while guiding any civilians we came across to hurry to the hospital for shelter.

Further down, we came across half a dozen bears clawing at the weakened door into a three-story building with a star-shaped sign above the door titled “Stardew Horizon”.

*You have your work cut out for you, colt,* I could hear a grin in Inner Malice’s tone. White energy burned off these creatures, eyes burning with rage and hunger as the bears stripped the door of wood with each cleave. A clean hit from those on anypony would rip through flesh like wet paper. *I can sense hungry reapers among those creatures, as I’m sure you noticed by now. If you don’t act quickly, the lives of those inside that building will be forfeit.*

Not if I can help it. “Vivi, flank them! Wait on my signal before you strike! Shine, on me!”

“Got it. What’s the signal?” Vivi asked.

“You’ll know it when you see it.”

“Yes sir! Listen up, ladies! Form up around those bastards! We’ll go on the captain’s mark!” While Vivi organized the squad I formed up with Shine Spark.

“You thinkin’ what I’m thinkin’, Cap?”

“Yeah. Let’s get the drop on them. Have your squad ready to move in.”

“Got it.” Shine glanced back at her troops. “The moment you see the captain and I move in, start charging in. Got it?”

“Yes ma’am!” The squaddies confirmed.

Shine returned her attention to me, a smile gracing her muzzle. “Just like old times?”

I smiled back. “Like old times.”

With a hop, I hovered in the air and positioned myself above Shine Spark. I wrapped my hooves around her barrel and, with a heave, lifted her into the air.

“Damn Shine, what have you been eating since I left? Recruits?”

“It’s about to be barbeque wings in a minute.” Shine deadpanned.

“Your fat flanks would have to catch me first.”

“…You know, Flash,” a dangerous undertone slipped into Shine’s voice, “I’m pretty sure I’m flexible enough to kick your balls in from here. Care to test that fat theory of yours?”

“E-er, nah, I’m good.”

“Thought so.”

As coordinated, her squad charged into the fray while I flew higher and over the group of monsters. Once we were dead center above them, I sounded off. “Three…”

“Two…” Shine counted.

“One!” I dive bombed towards the group, releasing Shine and readying my blade staff.

Our hooves crashed onto the unsuspecting bears with the crushing force of a boulder. Without meaning to, my body discharged a surge of electricity in an explosive wave. Though surprised, Shine Spark luckily resisted getting blown away by the surge thanks to her heavy, magic resistant armor. The creatures in our immediate vicinity weren’t so fortunate.

Anguished cries and small fires erupted from the creatures caught in my lightning surge. Taking my cue, Vivi’s squad unleashed a torrent of magical beams upon the startled enemy forces, taking several down before they could even react. Combined with Shine’s squad churning through them, we made short work of the enemy before they could properly respond to our triple threat ambush.

Cleared of the immediate threat, I glanced over our squads to assess our condition. Outside a few scratches, there were no losses or grave injuries to note.

“Hey Cap,” Shine threw me an irritated look. “I know you got fancy powers and all, but could you warn me before you fry my ass?”

“I didn’t mean to do it!” I raised a hoof in defense. “Trust me, I wasn’t even trying to do that. I didn’t even know I could do an explosion like that!”

*Perhaps, but you like it,* Inner Malice chuckled. *Your lust for combat runs deeper than you realize and overlaps with my own. When our desires coincide, your potential for destruction deepens.*

Damn it, Malice! Will you ever stop being an ass?

*Temper, temper. Would hate to see any of these fine warriors meet a premature end due to any ‘happy accidents’. I recommend you direct that fury to the approaching threats.*

That caught my attention. What are you…?

*The one leading the assault senses our might through the vassals and monsters. They will be coming for you. I want to see a good fight, so prepare accordingly.*

I glanced around, looking for a sign to confirm Inner Malice’s claim. Frustrations with him aside, I couldn’t ignore his point. Malice had an unhealthy interest in me ever since my encounter in Everfree. Being out in the open while brimming with pathos magic was bound to attract trouble.

“What’s going on, Captain? Don’t tell me you’re catching cold feet.” I caught the impatience in the Major’s voice.

Can’t risk the Major and those supplies getting caught up in whatever Malice has in store for me. I turned to the Major. “Sir, the frontline needs you and those supplies more than ever, but we need to check this place out. Shine, mind getting the Major to the frontline? Vivi and I will scope this place out?”

“Don’t be so quick to get rid of me,” the Major smirked. “It’ll be quicker in numbers. Let’s just get it done.”

“Sir, normally I’m all for it, but I have a suspicion that Malice will be coming back for this spot, especially because I’m here. He has a weird obsession with me, and if you get caught up in the mix, that will delay you. If shit goes south, I’ll call Spike for reinforcements and give you and Shine the heads up.”

Shine pursed her lips. “Cap, with all due respect, please don’t tell me you’re trying to pull off some heroic bullshit on us.”

I shook my head. “I learned my lesson when that vassal took my ass on a joyride. Look, we really don’t have time to argue about this. The longer we stand around, the worse it will get, and if that frontline collapses, then we’re all screwed.”

The Major stroked his chin. “Hmmm… alright. I’ll head to the front. Just don’t go dying on us. Got it?”

I saluted him. “Thank you for understanding, Major. Shine, take care of him and try to get back once the front is held.”

Shine looked ready to snap at me when her jaw clenched shut. An angry snort blew through her nose as she saluted. “Aye aye, Captain. Alright fillys, nap time’s over! Let’s get the Major and that ammo to the frontline!” She swiftly departed with the Major, her team, and the supply carriages, disappearing from sight as they rounded the corner.

I turned to my team. “The enemy will likely try for this door again. I’m going to check the other side of the barricade and unlock it if the interior is safe. Prep for anything and keep eyes in the air. I want no surprise.”

“Yes sir!” While Vivi belted out orders, pegasi scrambling into the skies and unicorns taking up the sides of the entrance, I focused my attention just beyond the claw-ridden door. A normal lock wouldn’t have held off pathos-infused monsters, meaning it had to be barricaded. When I teleported to the otherside of the entrance, I confirmed such suspicions.

My hooves landed on the soft velvet rug. A pile of chairs, tables, pottery, even a severed kitchen sink were crammed against the door. I stepped out of the foyer area into the main dining area, at least what used to be the dining area before the windows were barred with whatever remaining furniture and pieces of broken wood ripped from the circular bar counter at the center. A glass painting of passing clouds at dusk took up majority of the ceiling, encircled by wood and a winding staircase. More importantly, the first floor was clear of threats.

Attention back to the barricade, I braced my hoof for a lightning strike. Actually… I may not want to set the place on fire by accident, but I need to clear the way quickly.

*Seems like a good time to exercise your capabilities,* Inner Malice pointed out.

Well, if I can throw freaking lighting, I should be able to use telekinesis.

*Hah! You’ve barely begun to learn what you are capable of. Such fine-tune control is out of your reach, nor do you have the luxury of time to test for that. A pegasus such as yourself should already have an idea of what comes natural to you. Use your head.*

A pegasi such as myself? What are you… huh. I thought back to the mind palace. Lightning was natural for me due to weather control. Following that train of thought…

“Vivi, clear the door for breach!” I yelled. I heard muffled voices on the other side. Hoping they maintained a safe distance, I proceeded with my theory.

I extended my wings and focused on the Spark. When the surge of power went through me, I flapped my wings towards the door.

A blast of hurricane force winds rushed forward. Not only did the door burst open, nearly tearing it off the hinges, but the barricade was scattered and slammed to the side, clearing a path for my team.

*Very good. Such instinctive use of magic will be critical in the upcoming battle to come. Don’t disappoint me.*

There was something rather cryptic about Malice’s comment I wanted to unpack, but I put it aside in favor of reconvening with my team.

Vivi rushed to me. “Captain, I have my pegasi on overwatch around the building. Ready when you are.”

“Good. Clear first and second floor, keep a team by the door to meet and greet. I’ll take on third floor and meet you in the middle.”

“How are you…” Vivi paused, then eyes lit up with her epiphany. “Ooooh, right. Teleportation. Gotcha. Still kinda processing that bit, sir.”

“Don’t worry,” I turned my attention to the ceiling. “It’s still weird for me too.” With a hop, I projected my focus for where the third floor would be and teleported.

It wasn’t until this moment I realized how much I took teleportation for granted.

As the world warped into focus, I slammed into a yellow pony, crashing us onto the floor. Said pony screamed, sparking a series of horrified cries and wails from the surrounding townsfolk. I rolled onto my hooves, taking stock of the situation.

Can’t say I was used to being surrounded by various ponies wielding kitchen utensils and weaponized chairs, but here we were. It wasn’t until somepony yelled “Monster!” that I realized teleporting here while donning changeling gear as a pegasus would be more than a little unnerving to those not in the know.

“Listen, I’m not a monster!” I belted out my most authoritative voice. “I’m Captain Flash Sentry of the Royal Guard, and I’m here to get you all to safety!”

“Don’t listen to him!” A gruff pony barked. “That bug looking thing just attacked one of us! Don’t take any chances!”

The other ponies hesitated, though the look on their face warned I was on the backhoof in this conversation. At that moment the pony I tackled accidentally roused from getting floor, struggling to his hooves. My heart lifted at the familiar face. “Carrot?”

Carrot Cake stared at me owlishly, having difficulties making heads or tails of what he was looking at. “Flash? Is that really you in that getup?”

“Yes, but trust me, it’s a long story.”

The pony who spoke up earlier inched forward, the butcher knife in his hoof lowering. “You know him, Carrot?”

“Yes. This stallion helped save me and my family some time ago. I owe him and his friends my life.” He looked back to me. “Though I don’t know why you had to tackle me. We got enough going on with the monster rampage.”

“I know, but don’t worry, the Crystal Empire recently arrived and are helping out. I have a squad with me that should be arriving any second. We’re gonna get you all out of here.”

On cue, the sound of clinking armor and hooves on stairs rapidly approached. Civilians in the way took one look at the approaching ponies and gave way to the rushing guard. Relief washed over the survivors as Vivi and her entourage of two earth ponies arrived. The urgency shown on her face left a disquieting sensation in my gut.

“Let’s go, everypony! We’re getting out of here now!” Vivi hollered. While the two earth pony soldiers moved things along, Vivi made a dash for me, getting just close enough to whisper. “Pegasi spotted incoming hostiles. We need to get these ponies out fast.”

“Alright. I’ll head to the roof and get a view of what’s going on. Focus on getting these ponies out of here, Vivi.”

“Yes sir!” While Vivi moved to cover the rear of the civilians, I teleported upward.

Appearing on the roof, a dizzying headrush greeted me. My legs wobbled for a moment, a sign to calm down on the magic usage. Last thing I need is to collapse in the middle of a fight.

“Captain!” The pegasus soldier called out, pointing in a direction. “Some dozen hostiles coming south!”

I hurried to the edge to see for myself. Rows of beasts barreled through the streets towards Stardew. With nothing between us to slow them down, I knew they would reach us before we could get the civilians away.

“On me!” I called out to the scouting pegasi as I jumped off the room. The two guards dove down with me, landing with a skid by the entrance. I pointed to the two unicorns by the door. “ I need barriers up, southside!”

They nodded and formed up in the direction the monsters would be coming from. Their horns sparked up, projecting a wall to wall barrier of transparent blue magic. I activated dragon whisper.

"Spike, we got a whole can of hostiles coming in hot. Tell Vivi to double time that evac. Also need to know what kind of heat we’re packing.”

*Heat? What do you—* Silence, then a moment later, *Oooh, artillery. One sec, fetching data.*

As the creatures came into view, we all braced and hoped the shield would hold. I readied the blade staff, heart pounding in my ears. “Don’t let that barrier fall until I give the word. We can’t let them reach the civilians!”

“Aye, sir!” The unicorns doubled their resolve, faces full of effort.

The oncoming wave crashed into the shield with such force I feared the barrier would fall immediately. The enraged creatures thrashed and clawed at the shield, carving rapidly expanding cracks. The unicorn’s legs began to buckle from the pressure. It was not going to hold for long.

Spike’s voice suddenly echoed in my mind. *We got Typhoon Cannons. They’re as accurate as the house you want hit. Forty seconds prep time, then fifteen seconds per salvo. Twenty shells per salvo.*

“Copy that. Stand by for shelling on my call. Gonna need it in a few.”

*Wilco. Hey, I think I used it right this time!* A pause. *...You didn’t hear that, did you?*

Had I not been facing a horde of beasts banging on our shields, I would’ve been in the mood to laugh. “Priorities, Spike. Stay focused.”

*C-Copy that.*

“Oi, Captain!” The burly earth pony corporal dashed towards me. “Dem bastards are breachin’ the windows!”

This day just gets better and better…

“What’s Vivi’s status?”

“Rearguard. She’s got two of us backin’ her up, but it’s gonna be dicey!”

Beyond all else, I needed the civilians out of here. With Vivi holding the rear and I at the front, that meant somepony needed to lead the civilians out.

“Who is Vivi’s second?”

He immediately stood at attention. “Why ol’ Corporal Moonshine ‘ere, sir!”

“Congratulations Moonshine, you’re in charge of getting these civilians out of dodge, now haul ass and send some help out here! We’re about to be hoof deep in it!”

“Ya got it, sir!” With a quick salute, Moonshine bounced back inside the building, hollering orders. It was going to be tight, but with any luck, we won’t lose any civilians. Within mere moments, several soldiers scrambled out of the building and towards me. The timing couldn’t have been better, as the shield dimmed in power, on its last legs.

“On my mark, you two will drop shields and provide cover fire from the back! Everypony else, we’re holding here until the civilians are out! This is what we’ve trained for, so form up and get ready to send them to Tartarus!”

“Sir!” The soldiers formed a line spanning the entire street. The unicorns were truly giving it their all, shaking with effort. Once everypony was in position, I began sounding off. “Ready…!”

The soldiers readied their weapons.

“Steady…!”

The unicorns turned their bodies half towards us, ready to run.

“Go!”

The shield dropped.

Our unicorns narrowly evaded the claws and fangs as they darted behind us. With a roar, I led our forces against the tide.

Against a much bigger wave than before, and with smaller numbers, they crashed into and eventually through us like a tidal wave. We were saved thanks to the earth ponies in the backline working hard to seal the cracks made in our defense. I hacked at and stabbed whatever came at me, dipping and pivoting around manticore tail strikes and chimera bites. The pegasi hovered over us, doing strafing run slashes on whatever they could with their spears. When the unicorns caught their second wind, they pelted the monsters with a hail of bolts, nailing some nice precision shots.

The tide, however, was relentless. With every cut we gave them, every blow we landed, their strength only grew until they were put down. A bear’s swipe, matching equally against an earth pony’s shield block, now nearly sent them flying. Tigers leapt bounds over us to hit our backline. Even Timberwolves started evolving midfight into their frostwolf forms, chilling those near them. This was the power of pathos. Power that only seemed to grow stronger the longer the fight went on.

Power I now possessed.

A single punch was capable of turning a frostwolf into icy splinters and sent tigers soaring. The strength I was able to put behind my blade easily severed a bear in half. My Sentry Sense even seemed to improve, slowing the world around me to a crawl as I dove in to save a vulnerable comrade. The only time I sensed a hint of exhaustion was through the use of lightning bolts and even heavier drains from teleportation.

During the clash against a hungry sabertooth, I dared a peek behind me. Moonshine and his two squadmates clashed against the group of Timberwolves who had dashed in from the corner. Behind him were the civilians in tow, gaping in terror at the madness surrounding them. If any line of defense broke, they were goners.

*It’s only a matter of time until something breaks,* Inner Malice drawled. *This entire engagement is the sole result of him knowing you’re in this area. The amount of forces directed here is proof of commitment.*

I drove my hoof into the beast’s temple, stunning it long enough to drive my spear into its eye. Your point?

*I see an opportunity for you to solve a majority of these problems. After all, the vassals are currently set to raze the world around you. A champion worthy of my attention could easily shift their focus.*

It didn’t take long to understand Inner Malice’s suggestion: he wanted me to draw the warmaster’s focus away from the civilians. I was half a beat away from telling him where he could shove such a ludicrous idea when I noticed our own formation beginning to cave from the seemingly endless stream of angry monsters charging in.

Breaking away from the engagement to take into the air, I dove towards the monsters that either leaped over or broke through our barricade to reach the civilians.

What in the world are you scheming this time? I threw a point-blank lightning bolt at a manticore. The monster crumbled into a quivering mess, unconscious. My question led to another, more important thought. Why are you even helping me?

*I’ve told you my intentions from the beginning. I want to see a good fight. I know the one leading this war wishes the same.*

A few well-placed lightning bolts shut down the rushing timberwolves that broke through. At the corner of my eye I spotted a tiger jumping from the stardew entrance and going towards the civilians. With a teleport, I narrowly caught the tiger by the neck with my spear before it could touch the civilians.

If some are slipping through from the inside, what happened with Vivi’s team?

I stole a glance at the squad present and made a quick headcount. Three ponies missing, including Vivi.

My mind flashed back to seeing my dead squaddies when I rushed to save Wind Stride. I couldn’t be there for them then. If I did nothing now, history would repeat itself.

“Spike, pulse check Vivi.”

*Checking in,* Spike paused, a little longer than I would’ve liked. A timberwolf sprinted through a small crack in our defensive line and got halfway towards the civilians before my blade carved into its back, splitting it down the middle. It took everything in me to not hurry Spike, as any number communications could be running through him as this war escalated.

Spike finally reported back in after what felt like a millenia. *Vivi’s reporting in at least a dozen hostiles pouring into Stardew. She’s holding for now, but needs help,*

“I’ll see what I can do.”

*Copy that.*

Much as I wanted to dive in and help, I didn’t have the numbers or positioning to deal with the overwhelming threat efficiently. These civilians, my soldiers, they needed an answer now. An answer that wouldn’t reach me.

*Time is running short, Sentry. How will you respond to his challenge?*

Three tigers darted around Moonshine’s group. A timberwolf hopped over the main squad and towards the civilians. My sentry sense kicked in.

With only one path open to me at this moment, I decided to roll the dice.

I teleported to the tiger who pounced Carrot Cake, jaw ready to bite down his neck. My hoof struck its ribs like a train. There was now a tiger-shaped hole in the adjacent building.

Another teleport, this time to a leaping tiger. I snagged it’s throat and drove it into the last tiger on the ground, crushing both of them into the pavement until they were a mess of blood and fur. Sentry sense activated.

I turned to see a timberwolf near me, jaws wide. A deafening lightning bolt caused it to explode into cinders. Civilians secured, I dashed towards the majority of the squad safeguarding the south side.

“Pull back! Keep them moving with the civilians towards evac!” I shouted and leapt into the air, flying over the monstrous swarm. I connected to Spike. “Tell Vivi I’m on my way.”

*Wilco.*

*If you’re loud enough, no one can ignore you,* The excitement in Inner Malice’s tone could not be denied. *Now make some noise!*

The moment my squad began moving back, I dove for the center of the enemy formation as a screaming hurricane of hooves and blades. The confused creatures hesitated a second too long out of shock, allowing me to take down three beasts in quick succession before they could do anything. When they tried to pounce on me, I flew into the air and dive bombed another clutch, weaving and slicing through them as quickly as my body allowed.

I repeated this maneuver again and again, diving in, doing damage, and jumping out before they could get a hold of me. It was not without earning myself a few slashes across my legs and an unlucky bite on my forehoof. During one of my jumps, I saw my team about a city block away, civilians kept in the middle. Now I could make use of my back up plan.

After one final leap towards the backline, with their focus properly directed at me, I teleported inside the entrance of Stardew Horizon and slammed the door shut.

Now to get to Vivi and—

A shrill roar, followed by a battle cry, rattled my thoughts.

At the tavern’s center, Vivi and her two earth pony squadmates fended off a dozen or so bears and tigers, completely surrounded. Vivi’s shields were holding, otherwise they were trapped.

“Hang on!” I hurried over and, upon drawing close enough, flapped my wings towards them hard.

The powerful gust of wind lifted the beasts off their paws and slammed them against the wall on the other side. With a deep gulp for air, I hurled several bolts of lighting towards the disheveled pile of creatures scrambling off each other. Vivi followed suit and blasted them with magic. When the dust finally settled, there was nothing left but charred corpses.

With the immediate danger clear, we regrouped at the center. Blood and claw marks marred their armor. Vivi teetered as she walked towards me, requiring both ponies to help her along. Three diagonal claw marks found its way across the earth stallion’s helmet and closed, bleeding right eye. The earth mare had small bits of her armor ripped off, revealing light gashes where plating should have been on her forelegs. Seeing the impressive body count littering the floor, it was clear the enemy paid for every blow they landed. Seeing how much fight they still had left in them, shrugging through the pain, bolstered my faith in their talents.

“Thanks for the save, Captain,” Vivi panted, “we tried to catch up with everypony, but they just kept pouring in non-stop. We had to plug it up to keep them from ripping our flank apart and reaching the civvies. How’s our cargo?”

“Clear of danger. Good news is my plan to distract them from the civilians worked.”

“And the bad news…?”

The door shook from whatever snarling beast tried to ram its way through.

“Bad news is the plan worked.”

Vivi took the cue and organized her fireteam to seal the windows while she and I worked to set up a blockade at the door. Furniture, vases, even the kitchen sink from earlier was used to barricade the main entry point. It wasn’t pretty, a temporary solution to a problem we eventually had to deal with, but it would buy us time.

“We should be able to make it through one of the windows on the second floor as long as they’re focused on barging through the front,” Vivi suggested.

With the warmaster coming after me, this place will get swarmed any minute. Which… may be the one predictable thing I could work with to give our big guns a target rich environment.

“I have a plan for dealing with these forces, but first, I need to get you all out of here to regroup with the others. I may be able to get you guys out by having you all teleport with me.” At least, theoretically.

“Say Captain,” Vivi hesitated a beat, “have you teleported a group before? I admit, I’m still a bit sketchy on what you can and can’t do, but teleporting a group even this small will take a lot.”

“I haven’t yet, but considering what’s outside that door, we need to take that chance. Just in case, pocket your disruptor crystals and put them back on the moment we come out of teleport.”

Pressing down on a latch connected on their armor, the gems came out of the slots with a hissing pop. Once shelved in a hidden pocket beneath a layer of plate mail on their sides, they grouped near me. I wrapped my hooves around them and, channeling my Spark, I attempted to teleport towards the north side of the building.

The world around us twisted and stretched. A wall of white suddenly flashed before our eyes, followed by a blast of black lightning rocking me before the universe spat us back where we initially started the teleportation. All that came out of it was an unhealthy loss of stamina that forced my teammates to hold me up, and singed fur.

“That’s… not good,” I gulped and tried unsuccessfully to stand on my hooves without help. Despite the warning, I wasn’t prepared to feel like I ran nonstop for a week.

“Told you it was dangerous, sir.” Vivi said as she hoisted me onto her shoulder to carry the majority of my weight. Everypony re-equipped their disruptor gems. “Not sure why it looked like you got blasted by lightning though. Usually a failed teleport leads to dizziness. For unicorns at least.”

“No, that’s not the real problem,” I shook my head to shake off the dizziness. “It would’ve worked, but something reflected me with…” It suddenly dawned on me where I’d felt such a sensation before. “Oh. Shit.”

“W-what’s wrong, captain?” Vivi asked. I ignored her and instead activated my dragon whisper.

“Spike, Malice dropped a barrier over Stardew Horizon. We need support asap...Spike? Spike, do you copy?” Only silence greeted me.

Inner Malice sighed. *If teleporting didn’t get past the barrier, why would this ‘Dragon Whisper’?*

If I wanted your opinion, I would’ve asked for it.

“A barrier is… good, isn’t it?” The stallion squadmate asked. “Doesn’t that mean the monsters can’t get through?”

A particular large thump against the entrance, followed by roar answered the question for me.

The mare next to him sighed. “Care to give the universe any more ideas, Brand?”

“...Welp, I tried. Your turn, Saber.”

Vivi threw them a deadpan look. “Really think this is the time or place for that?”

The two snapped into attention. “No, ma’am!”

Her stare lingered a little longer before returning her attention to me. “Captain, maybe there’s a way we can use our gems to break through the barrier before they come barging in.”

“Good idea, but we need to prep for a holdout first. I’ll try to deal with the barrier first while your team gets the table ready on the second floor. Don’t make it easy for them.”

“Sir, with all do respect, you’re not looking too hot. I can check the barrier for you while you catch your breath, and I trust these two to get the job done without me.”

I wanted to argue the point, but arguing against three blurry Vivis was a tough sell. “Alright, I’ll set the table in your place. I should be fine as long as I keep the magic to a minimum. Just keep your head low.”

“Aye aye, Captain!”

We all moved upstairs to establish our base of operations. The barrier could be seen through the gaps of hastily nailed wood planks on the windows, similar to the one I was sealed in back at the mind palace. I was lucky to break through it then. However, my overuse of magic to save the civilians and my team cost me a lot of stamina, raising a critical question I had yet to find an answer for.

If my strength is giving out now, how the hay am I going to be able to last throughout this engagement, let alone take down the warmaster?

*It should be quite obvious. When you’re hungry, you eat.*

Considering who this was coming from, there was only one thing he could be referring to. You’re talking about pathos, aren’t you?

*Clearly. No matter what sorcery you learn or use, devouring pathos will always be your greatest ability. You would do well to remember that tactics will get you through battles, but resources and logistics will get you through wars.*

This statement had red flag written all over it. Nevermind his asshole methods in utilizing my strengths and abilities. Forget that it was Malice doing this. Now it was clear he was actively helping me defeat...himself? Or rather, his warmaster clone?

For a prisoner, you are being surprisingly helpful. What’s your angle here?

Silence.

Malice? I know you can hear me. What are you up to?

Still nothing. Leave it to the spirit of war to stay quiet when it mattered most. This was a question I would have to tackle later, as the temperature dropped.

Howls intensified all around it, as did the sounds of clawing and breaking wood echoed from the first floor. Vivi rushed back to my side.

“Captain, this building is completely surrounded! I don’t have a way to get close to the barrier without throwing myself headfirst into a monster mosh pit.”

“‘Fraid that’s not gonna be our only problem.” I sensed them moments before arrival, like the cool of an ice cube on a hot summer afternoon. Below the circular glass flooring three ghostly figures appeared through the floor of the ground level. They did not take a pony shape as they formed, but a pale blue dragon with light armor and muscular roughly half as impressive as Malice’s. Bigger than reapers, but much smaller than warlords, it was clear who our opponents were.

The middle hunter vassal pointed up to me, then made a downward gesture with its thumb.

Splintered wood exploded all over the first floor as the monsters piled in.

Author's Notes:

What's up, my fellow paladins?

After who knows how many set backs, FINALLY I can start posting again! Beyond shenanigans talked about in my update blog, this chapter had its own myriad of shenanigans, mostly revolved around writing and rewriting segments. The biggest contributor to this was how this chapter is directly affected by the next few chapters, and any weaklinks in one area affected the rest. So, in a way, I had to edit a few chapters at a time to keep the story and execution consistent.

As with this chapter, one of the things I wanted to play especially careful with is Flash and Inner Malice's dynamic. After all, Malice of all flavors are assholes, and this one has, in a weird way, both improved and ruined Flash's life. However, for what's to come, Flash will need all the help he can get.

Also, you may have noticed a bit of a formatting changed. I'm experimenting with a few quality-of-life updates to make character identity a little smoother between scene transitions. As one or two other chapters will feature different perspectives, figured I could make your lives a little easier by pointing out who exactly is talking. Do you guys like the change? Or maybe it's distracting? Too blatantly obvious of my laziness? Lemme know!

Good news is the next chapter is in its final draft. All that's left is a little editing and making sure I didn't miss anything before posting. It's also even bigger than this chapter, so... get some popcorn or something ready, it will be a doozy.

Until next time, stay classy my paladins.

Chapter 31: Attack on Ponyville - Part 2

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Flash

Vivi and I darted to opposite stairwells, Brand and I holding the westside stairs while Vivi and Saber took east. From one moment to the next, the entire first floor was filled with raging predators hungry for blood. Luckily, the stairs were only big enough for two ponies, maybe three to climb simultaneously. Our blades sliced away at the tide, bodies tumbling down the stairs one after another.

As the body count rose, the chokepoint tighten as monsters had to claw through their fallen friends to reach us. A new problem presented itself when the window just behind me shattered.

“Windows!” I shouted, turning towards the tiger climbing through the window. I buried the spear into its ribs before it had a chance to strike back. Vivi had equal trouble on her side as some more of the creatures started utilizing the window strategy. After taking down a third window prowler, the vassals made their move.

Sentry Sense helped me dodge the surprise attack from below as a hunter vassal lunged at me from the floor, a ghostly claymore clutched in claw. I swung my staff, only for it to get parried with a swipe. Seizing the moment, the hunter spun into a downward slash. Sentry Sense kicked in, giving me just enough time to dodge the blade stroke by jumping to the side.

As a ghostly blade slashed through my armor and across my barrel from the second hunter who emerged through the wall, I realized too late I dodged the wrong attack.

A trail of blood fell as I rolled away and onto my hooves. The two hunters released an unnerving hiss and dove for the kill. With hurried lightning bolts, they were caught off guard and stunned by the blast. Another lightning bolt disintegrated the first hunter. I thrust my hoof out to shoot lightning at the second hunter.

Nothing.

Shaking off its stunned state, the hunter stalked forward, blade wield in front. Barely able to stand, I hobbled away, digging deep to pull out whatever I had left to zap that thing to oblivion. Outside a tingling sensation in my chest, I had nothing to show for it.

Chilling dread echoed through me. Magic wasn’t working, and the blade wound threatened to steal my consciousness away. I was all but helpless.

The hunter raised its blade and dashed forward.

Another sword moved to block it.

“I got you, sir!” Brand pressed forward with a display of lightning quick slashes, followed by a heavy strike that caused the hunter to stumble back. He quickly turned around and pulled out an icy blue crystal shard.

“Shard out!”

When he banged it against his chest plate, the crystal started glowing brighter and brighter. After a brief pause, he hurled it into the clump of corpses and writhing monsters at the stairs. Familiar with what had been experimental weaponry when I last saw them, I scrambled away from the stairway.

Ice exploded from the shard and rapidly expanded enough to envelop the entry point. Combined with the corpses and bodies caught in its wake, the wall of ice would by us a little time. The staggered hunter dove through the floor just when Brand turned around to face it.

Through the glass floor, I spotted the hunter diving into a manticore. The possessed creature roared and made for the frozen stairway, likely aiming to break through the blockade.

Meanwhile, Brand whipped out a medical pouch and hurried through it. “That looks really bad. I’ll patch you up.”

“I’ll—agh—I’ll be fine. Check on the others.”

“But sir, that wound is—”

“Your concerned is noted, but Vivi and Saber need your help first, now go!”

“I—y-yes, sir!” He dropped the medical supplies next to me and scrambled for the others, his timing impeccable as creatures started spilling in from windows on their side. Following his example, Saber hurled a red crystal into the second stairwell. A blaze of flame erupted from the opening, scorching the poor bastards who were anywhere near or on the stairs.

In the meantime, I had a gaping wound bleeding all over the floor and the stamina drain was doing little to help me stay conscious. Grabbing the supplies, I went to work on bandaging the wound as fast as my shaky hooves could manage, working through the sizable crack in the changeling armor.

Why? Frustration mounted, fueling my movements. Why didn’t my magic work?

*How disappointing,* Inner Malice drawled. *I expected better of the champion who bested me. Where did all of that bravado go?*

I don’t need your crap now!

With deep gulps of air and sheer force of will, I finished the rough bandage work and got back on my hooves.

The ice barrier shook from the sudden impact of a manticore tail strike. Time and answers were running short on supply.

Inner Malice’s words echoed at the back of my mind. If hungry, eat. Recharge... with pathos.

I gathered a few more breaths before pushing forward, carrying my lead-heavy legs towards the rest of the team. No, I can’t risk him controlling me again. I’ve seen enough of what pathos does to a pony to fall for it. Why am I even listening to him in the first place?

Another strike on the ice. Cracks expanded across the surface, ticking away until it crumpled under the hunter’s assault.

“Captain!” Vivi hurried over to me. Horn sparked, her magic coated my limbs and barrel to assist movement. “Stay with us. I’ll get you someplace safe to rest.”

I glanced over at the two squadmates fighting side by side. Brand took on the tigers vaulting through the windows while Saber used her poleaxe to chop down the creatures climbing the stairs. Everypony was doing their part… except me.

No, I can still fight. I won’t become a burden to them.

I shook my head. “Thanks, but I can still fight, Sergeant. Just had to catch my second wind.”

Doubt flickered on her face for just a moment, then she released her magic on me. “Understood, sir. Just be careful.”

The ice shattered, that possessed manticore from earlier emerging from the stairwell. Upon closer look, this manticore was much bigger than the other ones, barely able to squeeze through the opening into the second floor.

Vivi’s horn brighten, poised to strike at the beast, when she suddenly gasped and was yanked back.

Three ghostly ponies grasped her tail and backlegs, dragging her away from me and towards the other squad.

“Vivi!” I turned to go after her, only for my Sentry Sense to trigger.

With a side roll, I narrowly dodged the manticore’s tail strike.

“No,” the manticore drawled in double voice, “I am your opponent, Flash Sentry.”

“Captain! Sarge!” Saber tried to run towards us, only for several reaper vassals to emerge from the floor and bar the path. Brand had to deal with vassals tackling into him while trying to restrain his limbs. Vivi released a telekinetic blast that knocked back the smaller vassals, only for the third hunter to descend from the ceiling, two ghostly long swords in its grasp.

As much as I wanted to help, I had to tango with this hunter before it dared to get close to my comrades. Blade staff drawn, I shifted into a combat stance.

“I shall devour you. I shall ascend!” A deafening roar exploded from its lungs. The hunter charged.

I dashed into a slide under it, avoiding it’s pounce. My blade bit into its back leg. It glanced back, tail twitching just before it struck out at me. I rolled to the side to dodge the strike and kept defensive. With every miss, I sliced at the tail. My attacks, though biting into its flesh and bone, only seem to have a temporary effect before healing itself up.

*This hunter is well fed,* Inner Malice mused. *Best land a lethal blow before he outlasts you.*

Thanks for spelling out the obvious, genius! Despite knowing it was best to go for a fatality strike, it’s quick tail was able able to keep me at back. Deal with tail, then deal with manticore.

I moved like I was going for a stab on the barrel. The scorpion tail darted for my chest. My Sentry Sense triggered.

I twisted my body into a spinning jump over the tail thrust. Momentum powered my blade strike to slice and dice the tail like a blender, severing it in three pieces. The manticore howled in pain and stumbled. This was my chance!

The moment my hooves touched the ground, I dashed at it, staff poised to stab.

“SABER!”

I made the mistake of looking as Brand screamed in a rage. Vivi gaped, rendered speechless like I was.

Blood ran the length of the other hunter’s blades. At his feet was Saber, crumpled to the floor in a pool of her own blood.

Pain exploded on my skull as the manticore’s paw throttled me with a hook, throwing me onto the ground. My staff flew out of my hooves and across the room. I tried to get up, stopped by the heavy paw of the manticore squashing my chest down.

I extended my hoof towards the hunter, drawing whatever power I could amass to fire a bolt at it. Nothing.

Damn it! Come on!

A voracious howl caught the manticore’s attention, as did mine, as it came from Brand.

Blind with fury, Brand swung his sword wildly at the hunter. The hunter in turn deflected each blow with ease, surprisingly staying defensive. For a moment, it seemed uncharacteristic. Then I remembered my initial encounter with Malice.

After getting pushed back by a parry, the hunter pointed at him. A vassal appeared from behind Brand through the wall and dove forward. It screeched upon making contact with the armor, hissing with effort as part of it was caught inside. Brand tried to turn around to deal with it, only to get tackled onto the floor by the hunter.

Vivi tried to shoot magic bolts at them, but the swarm of reaper vassals surrounding her absorbed the shots. Some tried to hold her down or grab her limbs while others were similarly stuck in her armor.

They’re trying to possess them!

I wiggled and squirmed to get out of the manticore’s hold, but to no avail. He leaned in, bloodied jaws grinning.

“Watch. Let your hatred shimmer and boil,” the hunter grinded it’s paw into my chest, “then I shall feast when you are ripe.”

I tried to think of something, anything to change the situation around. With my staff on the other side of the floor and magic unavailable, there were no other tools I could think of to—

Wait a minute…

I wiggled my forehoof enough to feel around my barrel. A sphere found its way into my hoof.

Is that what I think it is…? It is!

Probably the only time I would be thankful for keeping on the changeling gear.

“Hey ugly!”

The manticore leaned close enough for its hot breath to wash over me. “Wha—”

“Fetch!”

Just as the mouth opened, I hurled the sphere down its throat. He lurched upward, clutching his throat and giving me enough room to roll out of the way.

After a few coughs, the hunter seemed to recover, glaring at me. “Your parlor tricks will be your downfall!” He crouched low, ready to lunge. Then froze, eyes wide with pain.

He tried to talk, only to choke and cough up the acidic substance I’d shoved down its lungs. It collapsed onto the floor, writhing in unspeakable agony. Within seconds, holes appeared throughout its barrel, melting away. Before the melter bomb could fully run its course, the hunter jumped out of the soon to be corpse, disorientated.

I tried to go for a lunge, only for a magic blast to send me flying into the wall, knocking the wind out of me.

“U-ugh, what in the world…?” I looked up from my dazed state.

Vivi and Brand shambled towards me, burning with pathos energy. I didn’t see any of the reapers, leading to one horrible conclusion: Possession.

While one of the hunters was still recovering, the dual-wielding hunter walked alongside my possessed comrades towards me. I tried to pick myself off the floor, only for my strength to give out.

Get up, damn you! Get. Up!

The stamina drain was too much, grounding any attempt to stand and fight.

I… I can’t let it happen again! I can’t let anyone else die because of me!

My legs were shaking. Not out of strain, I realized, but fear.

Has nothing really changed? After getting this far, overcoming everything up to this point, is this really where it ends?

Am I… still powerless?

*Enough!* Inner Malice’s voice boomed, compounding the headache I already had. *I will not stand for this weakness! Have you learned nothing since our encounter?*

I gasped, stunned by the sheer rage in his voice.

“This pitiful display is not from a lack of power, but fear. When you faced me, a being infinitely more powerful than you, you bested me not through Discord, Chrysalis, or some unknown power. I was defeated by your ability to fully embrace your true nature. To recognize who you were and unleash your potential. Now here you are, repeating history and paying for it. Not only with your life, but others!

*Look around you! Face the cost of your cowardice!*

I did so, not that I could do much else. My possessed comrades trembled with each movement, struggle evident on their faces. A wave of guilt washed over me.

*If you continue to run away from yourself,* Inner Malice’s tone calmed slightly, *if you do not go all the way, failure will be your only reward. Just like in Canterlot. Is that what you want?*

Of course not!

*Weakness. Cowardice. Failure. This is no longer allowed. Fly or die, you will not run from this. I will see you and your world burned to ashes before I allow such things corrupt you further.*

The hunters drew closer.

I… Desperation took hold of me, unyielding. I can’t let you control me again. I can’t lose myself!

*...You rather lose everything? Lose the lives of these proud warriors fighting by your side? Lose your allies and family?* A pause. *...Lose Twilight Sparkle?*

My breath caught in my throat.

*What are their lives worth to you? What are you willing to do to protect them?*

A growl slipped out of my lips.

*...Say it.*

It didn’t take much imagination to know what Inner Malice was alluding to. I shook my head.

*Say it. Or watch them die. I don’t care which.*

Hot fury coursed through me, enough to bring function to my limbs. I rose to my hooves, causing the hunters to freeze midstep, guarded.

I closed my eyes, took a shaky breath, and opened them.

“...Fine,” I took on a fighting stance, “I will stop at nothing to save them. Even… even if it costs me my life or identity, I will get past this.”

Inner Malice made a satisfied hum. *That wasn’t so hard, was it?*

Screw you.

The hunters darted forward, blades poised to strike. My Sentry Sense triggered.

*Don’t fear the anger in you. Hate them with all your might. Let the fury fuel you, and thrive in their destruction.*

As the ghostly blades drew closer, I stole another glance at Saber’s bloodied corpse.

A ripple of energy rushed out of my chest and flooded my body.

The hunter’s blades struck air as I teleported.

“Where did—ACK!”

I dropped down from the air and onto the first hunter with a punch to the skull, crushing it against the floor. The other hunter swung his blade for my throat. Part of my helmet chipped as I ducked and darted in for Saber’s killer.

I screamed into my relentless flurry of blows. Halfway across the floor, I grasped it’s throat and, with a leap, smashed him into the floor, stunning him.

*Now, while he’s vulnerable, feast upon his essence.* Before I could ask, Inner Malice continued. *Tune your instincts aggressively. Devour your prey.*

Tune my instincts… devour…

Squeezing the throat, I envisioned Noble when she had drained the pathos out of Thorax. My glare sharpened on the hunter, mouth open.

Wisp of white energy tore from the hunter and pulled into my mouth. He writhed and screamed, thrashing in my grasp. A burst of power flowed through me like a triple shot of espresso. The hunter began to fade, losing color and solidity. Then, after one final scream, he burst into several tiny balls of energy that dove into my chest.

Pain from the sword wound started to ebb away, already healing. My exhaustion vanished. In place was a swell of energy in my chest, completely recharging me and then some. I hadn’t felt this refreshed, this hyped, in years.

I was about to turn my sights upon the other hunter when Vivi fired a hail of bolts at me. I threw myself to the side to dodge. While she conjured another magical blast, Brand rushed me with his sword.

*Deal with the reapers quickly if you want to save them. Force them out.*

The other vassal recovered and charged at me, only to get thrown back into the ground with a well placed lightning bolt. My attention went back to my possessed comrades.

How do I force them out?

*How else? With force.*

The emphasis, strange as it was, gave me an idea.

I darted around some more magic bolts and dashed straight for Brand.

Channel the spark and get them the hay out!

Praying this would work, my hoof shot into his chest.

Four reapers were ejected out of Brand upon impact. Their forms were distorted, like phantom dough struggling to remember what it looked like. This was my chance.

Dodging a cutlass thrust from Vivi, I teleported straight for the reapers. The moment I struck, the reaper dispersed into small bits of energy, which I then absorbed to refuel. By the time I devoured the second one, the remaining two reassembled themselves and ran towards the hunter.

Another teleport, this time in front of Vivi. I had pulled back my hoof when she swung her blade at my head. Her blade missed as I teleported to her side and punched her barrel. This time there were three vassals knocked out of her as she fell over.

*Intriguing. No more than two vassals should ever be needed for a possession. Those gems are stronger than I expected,* Inner Malice mused.

A little busy here! I’d absorbed two reapers, missing the last one who fled to the hunter. To my surprise, the hunter grabbed them by the throat and, as I did, absorbed them. His muscle definition and size grew, pathos aura brightening like a fanned flame.

Did… did that hunter just cannibalize their own vassals to get stronger?

The hunter looked at me, grinned, then dashed for me. The boost in speed surprised me as it dodged my lightning strikes.

After ducking a hook punch from me, it dove inside me. Panic swelled as frost seemed to freeze my veins.

*Resistance is futile,* The hunter’s voice hissed from inside my mind. *You’re mi—*

A shrill cry echoed in my mind, then as quickly as it came, silence. A tense beat followed, then a warm, invigorating sensation flooded my body. I waited, expecting some sort of possession attempt or hallucination, but nothing came.

Malice? Are you—

*No one lays claim to you except me. You will do well to remember that.*

Never in my entire life would I have been grateful to have a hateful war spirit inside me.

I glanced at both stairways, grateful the monsters were still held back by the obstacles that were their dead kin. Though it bought us some invaluable time to deal with the hunters and reapers, it wouldn’t be long before we were back to square one.

“Captain!” Vivi and Brand ran up to me, expressions filled with dread.

“Are you two alright?”

“Yeah, we’re good. Just… I’m sorry about attacking you, Captain,” Vivi apologized.

“Me too, sir,” Brand joined. “I know it was mentioned during the briefing, but to actually go through that…”

“No point in dwelling on it. I went through that myself, and there’s no training in the world that could prepare you for that. For now, I’ll need you two to stay focus and guard the stairs.

“What about you sir?” Vivi asked.

My eyes moved towards the lower floor.

“I got some energy to burn.”

I teleported.

A clutch of beasts reared in surprise as I appeared in the middle of their pack on the first floor. I unhooked one of the bombs Elytra called ‘Phosphor Bombs’ and dropped it at my hooves. I paused, waited for them to lunge at me, then teleported towards the other side of the first floor just before the bomb detonated.

Hot white flames ignited, setting anything it touched on fire. Flames licked and hopped from one creature to another in rapid succession. As I repeated the tactic, more and more flames engulfed the creatures on the first floor. At bigger groups I hurled the Melter bombs, turning them into piles of mush that brought back some horrible memories. My teammates on the second floor followed my example and hurled the explosive shards down the stairs and the window openings.

My ears started ringing from the series of detonations echoing all around me. By the time I teleported back to the second floor, the entire first floor was a collection of broken beasts and corpses among the fire and acid. Though there were more monsters, their numbers were finally cut down to the point of being manageable.

The creaking and lurching building, on the other hoof, presented us with a whole new set of problems.

Support beams creaked and cracked, succumbing to the combined weight of the building and weakening foundation thanks to the generous use of explosives. Smoke plumed, threatening to fill the building in no time.

“Looks like it’s time to pack up and try to get out through that barrier,” I declared.

*I believe you mean utilize this collapsing building to cull their numbers.*

I blinked owlishly. “... One second team, brainstorming.” I pretended to look around for ideas. What the hay do you mean, Malice?

*Look down and see for yourself.*

The creatures below were whipped into a downright frenzy. Rather than leave the building, they mounted a full force assault through the flames and acid to try and reach us. More specifically, if their gazes were any indication, reach me.

Why are they… It took a moment for it to click. Of course. Whatever vassals are left wouldn’t dare let a falling building steal their meal ticket. They want a piece of me before the building takes away their dinner.

*Ah, so that head is used for more than aerodynamics. But yes, if they are going all out to get you, this building will make a fitting grave for them.*

A pain in the flank until the end. I glanced out the window, seeing the barrier still in place. I can’t just wait for the fire to get them. However, if I could reach Spike…

An insidious plot formed in my mind. It was just a matter of keeping the beasts’ attention long enough for the plan to come through.

“Vivi, Brand, I got a plan, but I need your help to get that barrier gone. I’ll keep these bastards inside and make sure they stay in.”

“Captain,” Vivi started, “we’ll do what we can, but how are you going to keep them in? Please don’t tell me you’re going to be the bait again.”

I nodded.

Vivi wilted a bit. “Captain, there has got to be a better way. We can’t lose you too!”

Oof. That one got me in the feels. “Your concern is noted, Sergeant, but it’s the only way this will work. I need you two to protect each other and deal with the shield. The faster you work, the easier my job will be. Once it’s down, get away from the building and get the good word to me via Dragon Whisper. Do I make myself clear?”

Vivi and Brand threw a nervous look at the approaching monsters and creaking building. After a lengthy pause, they nodded.

“Good. Now, go!”

“Yes, sir!” With a salute, hopefully not our last, they made for the window. After a quick look over the edge, they hopped to the other side and sprinted. Time to make my own move.

*The vassals will anticipate this. They won’t allow them to drop the shield. How will you deal with this?*

I smiled. You know damn well how.

*...Heh, alright then. Now, show these fools your new teeth! Blood for blood!*

Running over to Saber’s body, I grabbed whatever shards she had on her and made my way up to the third floor just in time for the monsters to start pouring in. I hurled some of the red crystals behind me as I ran, devastating any poor sod chasing me. Needed to soften them up as much as I could get away with.

Once I got to the third floor, I took to the center of the area next to the bar counter and prepared for the fight of my life.

The first to rush in were tigers and other quick moving predators. Using the tables and bar counter as cover, I vaulted over them to dodge attacks and counter with my own, cleaving through them with my blade. When bears and Timberwolves started coming in, the situation got a little hairer, and I was forced to teleport and use lightning bolts more liberally.

Turns out, however, that since they were driven by pathos, their loss was my gain once I cut them down. My loss of stamina was surprisingly minimal. Leaping, flying, and vaulting over obstacles and monsters alike, the pathos I drained from each kill gifted me with a decent return on investment. Deep down, it frightened me how good it felt to have such power flowing through me.

Like the previous floor, the glass pane on the floor provided invaluable intel for whatever came at me. While swarms of monsters were clear, catching a hunter accompanied by several reaper escorts made me more than a little nervous.

Dodging monsters was one thing. Dodging reapers was another. Dodging hunters was a pain in the flank. All three at the same time? Not even I was that good.

Reapers attempted to immobilize me by grabbing my limbs or tackling into me. After devouring a few of them, they played it a lot more cautiously. This did earn me a couple of bites from the creatures rushing me from all corners. The worst attacks came from the hunter. Whenever he attacked, it was all biting and clawing strikes. Every blow, each torn flesh caught in its fangs, stole breath and energy out of me. It wasn’t until Inner Malice spoke up that I learned why.

*They’ve begun to adopt your tactics. The hunter is trying to leech your magic. Devouring him should allow you to reclaim whatever wasn’t utilized.*

Would love to get some of that energy back—I grunted as I blocked a biting lunge from a grizzly bear—But I’m a little busy here.

*Make time. If they run you dry, you will die.*

Slave driver! With a cry, I punched the bear, causing it to release my staff. I darted to the side in time to avoid a biting lung from the hunter. What the hay is taking those two so long? If they don’t hurry, I may not—

“Flash? Flash, can you hear me?”

My heart nearly soared through the roof. With a teleport, I appeared on the least congested side of the room which, quite frankly, wasn’t saying much since they were everywhere. I activated the Dragon Whisper. “Spike! I need a strike on Stardew Horizon!”

“Copy that. Vivi told me everything. Relaying orders now, standby.”

“No rush,” I muttered under my breath as I darted away from a tiger’s leap, “Take all the time you need, buddy.” With a roll, I flipped over a bear and threw a lightning bolt at another tiger jumping at me.

After a long moment, Spike’s voice reached me. “Ten guns engaged. Call firing pattern.”

Ten Typhoons to fire with. Should be more than enough. As for firing pattern, I can’t let any of them escape, so only one real option exist.

“HE shells. Time-on-Target. Need this building gone before they know what hit them.”

“Copy that.” Another pause. “Target confirmed and engaging. One salvo incoming, ETA twenty seconds. Brace for danger close.”

“Got it. Getting out of dodge.” I’d moved to teleport when a swarm of reapers rushed me all at once.

Right then, the hunter appeared through the wall behind me and latched onto me. Pain shot through my shoulder as frozen dagger like teeth pierced through the armor. I bucked and shrugged wildly to get him off, but the ironclad hold got me good. Adding to my list of problems were the tigers reaching me, biting down my limbs while I was vulnerable.

Along with the pain was a sudden wave of lethargy hitting me as he tried to drain me dry. When shaking or bucking didn’t work, I resorted to the only measure at hoof that had consistently been effective; lightning.

This time, rather than force lightning out of my hooves, I willed it to throughout my entire body. Not only did it force the hunter to let go, but stunned the other creatures biting me as well. My efforts, focused on the hunter and creatures near me, bought the reapers enough time to dive into me, forcing themselves through the electrical field that was my body.

*Run! They’re trying to—* Inner Malice’s words cut off.

The electricity suddenly stopped, as if it’s own accord.

Malice? What are they trying to do? Hey, can you hear me?

My only answer was the cool sensation in my chest. I jumped in time to avoid a claw strike from the hunter, aiming my teleport to the first floor.

Nothing.

Worst yet, I couldn’t feel the spark in my chest, as if I’d lost touch with my magic. When I caught the hunter’s grin, it clicked.

While I doubt Inner Malice would get taken down by a bunch a reapers—a line of thought I never thought I would have or be concerned over—my ability to quickly get out of dodge was revoked… with about fifteen seconds left before the bombs hit.

...This is going to be my entire day, isn’t it?

I dashed for the stairs, vaulting over and springboarding off anything and everyone to reach the stairs. Monsters climbed over each other, only earning a few nicks off me.

Ten seconds left.

The stairway was in reach when the hunter flew through the air and tackled me into the wall.

Oh come on!

Our claws and hooves met in a clash before he could pin me, bodies trembling with effort to overcome the other. Little by little, the hunter started overcoming me, forcing me to bend at an awkward angle just to compensate for the disadvantage. The hunter hissed, glowing eyes burning with bloodlust.

“You shall pay for your disrespect!” The hunter growled. “I’ll devour you and the failure within!”

Failure within… wait, is it talking about—no, unpack that later. Deal with this first!

I gritted my teeth and pushed with all my might, falling just a hair short as I found myself slowly crumbling under the hunter’s strength.

Five seconds left.

Think, Flash, think! How do I get out of this?

An epiphany struck me.

...Maybe I don’t get out of this. Just dig in.

While not the smartest idea in the world, this hunter was not giving me a lot to work with. Well, maybe one thing.

“...Remember, you asked for it!” I shouted at the hunter before dropping to the ground, pulling the hunter on top of me while all the beast began dog piling me. I braced.

The look on the hunter’s face as he heard the shrill whistling rip through the air? Priceless.

The building rocked violently as crystalline shells ripped through the ceiling and walls. I’d nearly gone deaf after the first explosion, only hearing faint thuds and ringing from the subsequent detonations. Each explosion followed one after the other with little to no pause in between, engulfing everything remotely near it with fire and shrapnel. Monsters were thrown around and eviscerated from the sheer force. The hunter being torn off me as we both got bounced around like a ragdoll. I was only saved thanks to the monster swarm soaking up the majority of the blasts like a sponge.

One thing I hadn’t accounted for was getting rocked so hard that I landed where the third floor glass had been, followed by a gap where the second floor used to exist.

I tried to flap my wings to gain altitude, realizing too late that all of my magic was locked thanks to the reapers. Like it or not, I was taking the express trip to the first floor with no brakes, followed closely by burning debris and shredded corpses.

“Fuuuuuu—”

Everything went black as my face kissed the corpse-ridden first floor.

“...firm hit… ash?”

I awoke with a gasp, lungs feeling like someone dumped burning sawdust down my throat. The weight of a hundred furry mattresses smothered me, only able to see or breathe thanks to a sliver gap through what I could only assume was a mountain of corpses atop of me. I tried to move my limbs, stopped not only by the weight on them, but pain shooting all over my body.

“Flash, are you there? Please tell me you’re alright!”

“Ugh…” Was the only answer I could give. Even then, with no access to my limbs, I had no way of activating the Dragon Whisper.

“Flash, please resp—”

*For the love of the emperor, silence!* Inner malice shouted, further compounded my headache.

A lengthy pause followed before Spike spoke again, a world of hesitation in his voice. “F-Flash? Please tell me that’s not who I think it is…!”

*Interesting, so you can hear me through this ‘Dragon Whisper’ as long as Flash is conscious. I could always use more playmates.* Inner Malice mused. Shock ripped through me as it sunk in; Spike was able to interact with Inner Malice through me.

“Malice, you good-for-nothing bastard, what have you done to him?!” Spike screamed. “I swear, if you do anything to—”

*You will do nothing but listen, little drake!* Inner Malice snapped.

Can we not have a screaming match inside my head, please?

Inner Malice continued. Though I had no proof, I could swear he rolled his eyes at me as he lowered his voice. *Flash is buried among the corpses and has no ability to speak with you. Though it’s weakened, I still sense a hunter nearby. Ensure the team is aware of this before they get more of themselves killed.*

Another, much longer paused. "Why should we believe anything you say?! Bet you’re just trying to trick us!”

*You don’t have a reason to trust me, nor am I inclined to give you one. However, if you wish to let your captain and fireteam die, simply ignore what I say and let the hunter ambush them.* A brief pause followed. *Don't worry, I'll wait.*

A small burst of energy went through me. Some strength returned to me, just enough to shift my hoof onto my chest. “Spike—” I coughed, wheezing between every few words. “Hit confirmed. Tell Vivi to be careful. Malice might be right.”

“Uh, say again? Did you just agree with Malice?” I couldn’t blame the shock in Spike’s voice.

“This Malice is…” I stopped, searching for the right words, “different from the one we’re fighting against. Long story. I’ll talk more when” —another wheeze for air— “when I can actually breathe.”

“I...c-copy that. Warning Vivi’s team.”

With that confusing moment out of the way, I tried to squirm out of my burial site through the tiny opening, squeezing my face through it.

Through the flicker of fire and smoke was complete ruin. The building creaked, threatening to collapse at any moment. Melted tables, charred animal corpses and burning debris littered the decimated area. Taking Malice’s warning to heart, I kept my eyes peeled for any signs of the hunter. Another wave of energy went through me, this time soothing the sharp ringing that had deafened my ears. That’s when I heard it.

The shimmer of prismatic colors revealed itself to me thanks to the flames reflecting off the armor. After everything that happened, Saber’s body was still in relative good, although burnt, condition alongside her armor. Beneath her corpse was a writhing, hissing hunter struggling to get out from under her. Even in death, Saber did her part against the vassal menace.

The hunter’s gaze locked with mine. The same idea crossed our minds; whoever gets out first will kill the other.

Malice, hurry your ass up and deal with those reapers! I wiggled with all of my might, digging deep for anything to get me out of this mound of bodies.

*Don’t blame me for your frailty! I’m still culling their numbers. Survive until they are dealt with.*

Inch by inch I squirmed outward, helped only by the uncomfortable amount of blood lubricating my fur enough to squeeze through. I pushed through the bodies with everything in me.

“Damn it, come on! Move! Move damn you!”

The hunter scrambled, clawing its way from underneath Saber. Unfortunately for him, Saber’s body seemed to drag along with him, awkwardly keeping him pinned down. Little by little, her body shifted and started to roll off it.

Another burst of energy returned to me. With a heavy grunt, I managed to slide halfway out.

The hunter managed to roll the body off itself and escape first. With a screech, it scrambled towards me.

I raised my hoof to throw a panicked lightning bolt.

Nothing.

Can’t one thing go right today?! Just one damn thing?

A gem-encrusted sword sailed through the air and pierced the hunter through the back, nailing it to the ground just before it could reach me.

Stunned, I glanced to the side, barely catching Brand’s hoof extended, a heated glare aimed for the hunter. “That’s for Saber!”

Vivi stood next to him, upholding a barrier that kept the ceiling above them from collapsing. “Kept you waiting, huh?”

Brand hurried to my side and, grasping my hooves, yanked me out of the bloody mess. “Glad you’re still with us captain.”

“Damn good throw, Brand,” I coughed.

“Ready to get out of here, sir? This building’s not gonna last.”

I set my sights on the hunter with the enchanted blade through its back, unable to pull it out.

“Almost. I have some unfinished business.”

I walked over to the hunter and grabbed the back of its neck. It clawed at my hoof as I squeezed the life out of it.

“Here’s a message for your master on the way out,” I growled. “No matter what he does, who he sends after me, he can’t stop us. Can’t stop me. I’ve dealt with you, his reapers, and his Celestia-damned monsters. Now, I’m coming for him,” a grin found its way into my lips, “and he better be ready to kiss his ass goodbye.”

As I started devouring the hunter’s magic, the hunter laughed.

“H-heh, he also has a message for you…” He gasped for his final breath, body fading. “Challenge... accepted.”

The vassal disappeared, its essence drawn into me.

*Exactly what I needed,* Inner Malice beamed. *Enjoy your victory meal.*

What are you—

A sudden rush of energy ran through me, raising the hairs on the back of my neck. Every ounce of energy I’d spent or lost until now returned twice over. There was so much power flowing through me I thought I was going to burst. Inner Malice finally took down those reapers!

Again, never imagined I would be fighting alongside Malice to fight his own…

A weird epiphany struck me as I hurried towards my squadmates.

Hey, who is this version of Malice really after? Me, or you?

*Yes,* Inner Malice answered gruffly. *More importantly, you’ve just angered him and revealed one of your most powerful assets. This will inspire escalation, so prepare accordingly.*

Escalation for who? Me, or the guard present here?

*Again, yes.* I could hear the smile in his answer.

I was halfway across the floor when my Sentry Sense triggered.

I tried to find the danger or who was being threatened, but outside some smoke and flames, I didn’t—oh no.

I teleported next to Vivi and Brand, grabbed them both by the barrel, and threw another teleport outside the building just before the collapsing building cracked through Vivi’s barrier.

When the world snapped back into focus, it was to the sound of a building falling like a house of cards. Dust and heat of the flames washed over us, mitigated thanks to Vivi’s shield. A pile of burning rubble lay where the building had once been.

So much for taking Twilight to Stardew Horizon...

“Structure’s been flattened. Hostiles eliminated,” I reported to Spike.

“Copy that. How are you holding up?”

I looked to my teammates, exhausted, angry, determined. I knew the loss of Saber still weighed on them as it did for me, yet still they knew there was a job to finish. A fight to see through to the end.

“Could be better,” I answered honestly.

The ground shook me into a stunned pause. Just when I thought it was my imagination there was another tremble through the earth. A terrifying roar tore through the air, rattling all of us down to our bones. We all shared a look at each other, color drained from our faces.

...Yep. Could be a lot better.

Noble

*Shadow, leviathan-class serpent reported in your area!* Thorax’s panicked voice echoed in my mind.

*Tell me something I don’t know!* I barked through the hive link. The giant green serpent, almost as tall as Twilight’s castle, crashed its way in our direction like a runaway train. And because a feral serpent was apparently not hard enough on us, a thick curtain of pathos covered the creature like armor, a terrifyingly obvious clue what was driving it.

*Warlord identified in the serpent,* I warned Elly and Thorax through the hive network.

*Of course a bloody warlord would be possessing that thing,* Elly mentally groaned. *Any idea of it’s target?*

At first I thought it was coming for me or the squad. However, it’s focused glare was set not for any of us, but for whatever was in the distance. I only knew if one building this warlord could be going after in that direction. *The castle. I’d put my bits on him wanting to shutdown HQ and guns.*

“Scatter! Cadenas, with me!” I took into the air and towards the roof of a house alongside Sergeant Cadenas while the rest of the squad skirted the edges of the main street. “It’s heading for the castle. I’ll attack it head-on to catch its attention! Maneuver your squad to attack where you can. Keep a safe distance until then.”

“Aye aye, Love. Don’t get your pretty self killed.” I rolled my eyes at Cadenas as he smirked and hopped off the roof, shouting out orders to the squad. Just before the Serpent could pass my position, I flew at it’s head, Niekinis daggers drawn. It must have sensed me, because it’s diamond-shaped eyes swiveled to me before I could get close.

The serpent snapped its jaw at me, only catching air. From under its chin where I moved to dodge, I dove in to slash its throat. My blade barely bit into it’s tough as steel hide before a large shadow fell over me. I kicked off to dodge the tail swipe, the mere force of wind enough to buffet me.

“Shard out!” One of the Prism Guards called out, hurling a bright red crystal shard at the beast. An explosion of flame erupted upon contact, scorching its body. Several more shards were thrown at it: fire, lightning sparks, some in even burst into icy mist that instantly froze whatever it touched. Beyond scorched marks and a moment of sluggish movement wherever the ice shards struck, it only seemed to irritate the warlord.

“Meddlesome insects!” It’s warped voice screamed, following up with a tail slam towards the forces.

If that hits…!

Unable to use magic without breaking my identity, I hurled a dagger at the beast’s eye. It’s head narrowly tilted far enough to avoid losing an eye, my blade burrowed into eyebrow. Not a perfect hit, but my plan of shifting the trajectory worked. A long stretch of crushed earth formed next to one of the fireteams. They were smart enough to scramble before the warlord tried to sweep them away.

The warlord glared at me. I had his attention.

“Those blades… Noble Heart, the constant thorn in our side,” the warlord’s voice dripped with venom. “I will have your head!”

It lunged and snapped its wide jaws at me. Zip to the left. Dip to the right. Pause, then dive to feint another bite. I darted forward to cut its throat again. Onto my tricks this time, his body lurched and tail whipped at me. After barely dodging it, I dashed to the side and came at his eyes. I barely managed to pull out the dagger I hurled at it earlier before that damn tail moved to intercept me again. All I could manage was light cuts before he either snapped his teeth at me or slapped me away with his tail.

The Prism Guard could do little to stop it outside throw more explosive shards, crossbolts and unicorn firepower to distract it. I was its most annoying target by far, lunging for me with every opportunity. Most I could do was play keep-away before it could sink it’s enormous fangs on me.

“Love, civvies on your six! Groundside!” Cadenas shouted from behind the corner of a crumbled house.

Avoiding another lunging bite, I maneuvered around the warlord and dove behind the rubble of a smashed house to see what the sergeant warned me about. Dozens of civilians scampered down the war-torn road. Foals cried out in horror at the massive serpent smashing through their home. The wounded and elderly were carried on the backs of the able, some of them limping from their own wounds or threatening to collapse from exhaustion.

I locked eyes with one pony for a moment. Thankfully I was in Sassy disguise so I couldn’t scare off the very ponies I was trying to save, yet the look he gave me said it probably didn’t matter who or what I was. All that mattered to him was if someone, anyone, could help him save his family.

That’s when Cadenas’ warning hit me: Continuing the fight risked drawing it towards the civilians. If I broke off the engagement, the warlord would likely continue towards its objective. Once it reached the castle, there would be little I could do to stop it… not that I could do much in the first place.

The warlord turned its huge body left and right, searching for me. Thankfully, my squad pulled back its attack. My mind raced as I ran around the building, using it as cover from the warlord to reach Cadenas. Do I continue the attack and take a chance, or let it continue?

I was reminded of the promise I made to Flash, promising to safeguard the ponies I was asked to protect. To continue fighting here risked breaking that promise, lacking the answers to deal with a warlord-empowered serpent.

Enough lives have been lost already. I can’t risk fighting it here.

“We’re breaking off the attack! Get them out of here and avoid engaging if possible.”

“You got it, Love.” Cadenas faced his squad, motioning the other half across the street to gather on our position. “The lady needs us to evac those civilians! Let’s keep them from the big bastard, ya?”

While Cadenas organized his squad, I directed my attention to the hive network. *Thorax, Elly, I couldn’t deal with the warlord. It’s heading through Quad-2 to reach the castle. I’m in pursuit.*

*Understood, Shadow. Updating Shining Armor and Spike.*

*Oh no you don’t, Mum,* Elytra chided me over the hive link. *I’ll deal with this warlord. Stay focused on clearing Quad-3.*

*Elly, I’m not letting you handle a warlord alone. Last time we—*

*Last time we both got our flanks handed to us,* Elly shot back. *We both have a job to do. Ponies to save. I’ll be damned if I’m going to let a warlord get one over me again. Let me do this, Mum. I need this, and you do too.*

*This is not the time to get on your revenge soap box, Elly.*

*Give me a little credit, Mum. You’re closer to the front than I am. If you leave that area, you can’t be there to stop whatever else is thrown this way. Besides, you, Flash and Spike have already done so much and gave me a chance to do something about this. Let me show you, show the world, why I am the Overlord of the heart brood.*

I cursed under my breath. Every instinct in me screamed to just run over and fight alongside her. After everything that’s happened, all the lives lost, I couldn’t bring myself to agree with Elly.

And yet, I couldn’t stop myself from respecting the hay out of her.

Deep down, I knew part of her motivation was revenge. To take the fight back to the ones who ruined us. Enslaved us. Perhaps, I realized, I needed to take a page out of my own book and see things from my daughter’s view. Warlord aside, my quadrant was still in disarray and needed every bit of help it could get.

Decision made, I sighed.

*May the shadows protect you, Elly.*

*Love you too, Mum. Now let’s show these fools what happens when you turn your back on a changeling!*

I smiled. *Get ‘em, girl.*

I hurried back to Cadenas’s squad to organize our efforts. The sooner I got this quad under control, the quicker I could assist others.

Terrifying as it was, all I could do for Elly was believed in her.

Elytra

The warlord-possessed serpent could be heard coming a mile away. Unfortunately for us, he was far from our only problem.

Droves of civilians ran through the open plain between the hospital and the town, combined with runaways coming from Quad-2. Everything had proceeded with minimal difficulty until the bloody beasts cleverly skirted the edge of town from both sides to flank us.

I took half the squad to secure the west flank while Sergeant Forte handled the east. Their target was clear, either trying to force themselves through or skirt around our forces to reach the civilians. Our respective sides held against the monsters crashing into our wall, but they outnumbered us two to one with even more on their way to worsen our odds. This forced me to call for Sergeant Thorn through Thorax to reinforce our defense. Before dealing with the Warlord, securing this area was paramount.

Lucky for us, changelings specialized in handling overwhelming odds.

Seeing that my troops were struggling to hold back the wave, I knew something had to be done to reduce the monster’s fighting strength and we needed an answer now.

Unloading more than half my spool of garrote wire, I worked my magic overtime to strangle and root several manticores bearing down on us. I pulled and twisted wires to trap limbs, tails and necks of monsters entering my web.

“Fireteam one, on me! Fireteam two handle the stragglers!” I ordered through clenched teeth, firing crossbolts into the wire-bound creatures.

Those I could restrain were assaulted by the first of two fireteams under my command, the second chasing down the more slippery threats. Though invaluable with the bigger creatures, I was too occupied to help with the smaller swarm of creatures.

I kept a close eye on the Prism Guards protecting areas my wires couldn’t reach. Though they were holding their own against the Timberwolves and bears, more monsters were attempting to overrun my position. At this rate, our defensive line would collapse and the civilians would get slaughtered, and that was before the warlord would arrive.

*Thorax, where are those reinforcements I asked for?*

*Thorn’s squad is heading to you right now.*

I was about to ask for an ETA when the unholiest of warcries reached across the battlefield.

The approaching group of predators were sent flying into the air by the black-furred engine of destruction crashing into them. What didn’t get its neck broken were quickly dispatched by a separate group of Prism Guard ponies who lagged behind. My jaw nearly unhinged at the terrifying pony who suddenly changed his trajectory towards my position.

“Sergeant Thorn?” I gaped. For such a stern looking pony, the amount of aggression burning from him was staggering. Thank the Queen for his disruptor gems: Malice would have quite the buffet feeding on him.

“Get out the way!” Thorn screeched, charging at the monsters I caught in my garrote’s stranglehold. The guards who were helping me reign them in paled and nearly threw themselves out of the way before Ebony leapt into the monstrous pile, carrying a bloodied broadsword as thick as my foreleg.

Ebony hacked and slashed through the ranks, limbs and tails flying with each stroke. Any attempt the manticores had to fight back was denied by the garrote wires not severed by his blade. A third of the manticores had already been slaughtered by the time the rest of his team arrived.

While witnessing the work of art that was Ebony’s bloodbath, Zecora rushed to my side.

“Quad-1 and 2 are evacuated,” Zecora gasped for air once she stopped moving, catching her breath. “Any threats left to be eliminated?”

“We just cleared it. Where is Sergeant… I see he arrived.” Sergeant Forte trailed off, the only one among her soldiers who didn’t retch or gape at the carnage wrought by Ebony.

Ebony Thorn sighed as he walked up to us, covered in blood splatter. His eyebrow quirked, now realizing the looks Forte’s squad was throwing him, myself included. “What?”

“...Nothing.” Anything clever I had in mind to say faded from my tongue. Decided to let the thought go in favor of something more pressing. “Anyway, we’re going to need your help to deal with that before it reaches the castle” I pointed in the distance, specifically the head of the green serpent sticking out above the buildings.

Zecora frowned. “Underestimating the River Serpent will leave you with much regret. It’s speed and resilient hide makes it quite the potent threat.”

Ebony snorted angrily. “Give the word, and I’ll have its head.”

“Don’t be too hasty. He has friends.” I pointed to the swarm of manticores and chimeras flocked around the serpent. “Let’s intercept the escort first. Avoid direct combat with the reptile.”

“I’ll provide a slowing distraction. You ensure the escort’s destruction,” Zecora suggested.

“Not by yourself. I’ll help deal some damage” Ebony nodded to Zecora.

“As will I,” Forte approached us, two longswords clutched in her magic. “I’m confident Thorn’s squad combined with my own can help you clear the smaller threats while the three of us focus on the serpent. Any objections to this arrangement?”

I mulled over the suggestion. There was no denying the capabilities of everypony here, having seen them first hoof. My speed would allow us to deal with the manticores before they became a problem, and combined with them taking on the serpent, it was a potent enough formation.

“No objections here,” I nodded to Forte and Thorn. “You two organize the squad to focus solely on the escort creatures. While you three distract the warlord, I’ll deal with the monsters carrying stronger vassals and support where I can. We still have a long fight ahead of us, so play it safe, alright?”

“Yes ma’am!” They saluted in unison. After the sergeants relayed the orders, we all moved on an intercept course for the warlord.

How long have I wanted for a chance to fight back? To finally take the fight back to Malice?

My wings fluttered.

Never again will I allow myself to be someone’s slave! I will break our shackles and take down this tyrant!

I hovered into the air, holstering my collapsible crossbow and drawing a Niekinis daggers in each forehoof.

I will show you the true fury of the swarm, Malice…!

“Show no mercy!” A shriek I didn’t realize I was capable of ripped out of me as I darted ahead of our forces and plunged my blade into the first manticore’s forehead. I kicked off the dead beast, the vassal’s aura fading as darted in between the ranks, cutting and carving through the surprised monsters. I could only hope my lacerating strokes helped, as my only aim were the other creatures fully possessed by a strong vassal.

A few claws and chimera stingers scrapped against my carapace during my sweeping dash and slash. I leapt out of the angry monster pack to find the Prism Guard impeding the advance. Unicorn bolts rained into the ranks, earth pony and pegasi acting as forward guard against the wave. With most attention still drawn to the guard, I seized the chance to plunge my blade into the skulls of distracted possessed targets.

Though the warlord was slowed down, there was no stopping the thrashing serpent, slapping away our forces with its tail like we were flies. Majority of its attention was drawn to the sergeants and Zecora.

Zecora threw flasks filled with red acid at it, weakening the hardy scales enough for Ebony and Forte to wound the vulnerable areas exposed by it. Zecora slipped around the battlefield, jumping and bouncing around and away from the warlord’s attacks and occasional monstrous pounce. Ebony, on the other hoof, merely slashed at whatever came remotely near her, only blocking or dodging when necessary. Forte’s magic support and lightning fast sword slashes provided adequate backup in concert with pulling Ebony or Zecora away from a deadly thrash and piling up the gradually increasing injures on the beast.

I’d taken down my third possessed target when several monsters suddenly shifted their attention to me. I narrowly escaped the mosh pit of fangs with my life thanks to quick thinking and fast wings. I flew over the horde of monsters and towards our backline to catch my breath and find my next target.

I locked gazes with the serpent, who apparently found his target.

I threw myself to the side just before the warlord could catch me in his maw. With a frustrated roar it wailed at me with its tail, smacking around friend and foe alike. Some monsters were crushed under its tail, soldiers left as broken heaps vulnerable to the hungry beasts. Though we’d taken out a roughly half the monsters, the frantic attacks of the warlord were decimating our squads.

We can’t take it on like this. If we don’t end this quickly, we won’t have any fighting strength to deal with the other monsters. What can we use to end this quickly?

Though the warlord had its sights on me, it was still aware of the menacing trio throwing everything they had at it. It only slowed its advance whenever Ebony landed a hit on the areas struck with Zecora’s acid.

They’re hurting him, but will need a lot more than that to end this conflict before we lose ground.

I stole a glance at the castle on the other side of the town’s outskirts. Specifically, the series of artillery batteries at the palace’s steps..

Well, I did promise Mum I had a plan.

*Thorax, coordinate with Spike and Shining and prep an artillery strike. Give me AP shells.*

*By your will, Overlord. Coordinating with Spike and Shining. Stand by.*

I pushed through the air as fast as my wings could carry me towards the power trio. They had backed away from the warlord several paces to dodge a tail slam. “Zecora, Forte, fall back! Ebony, on me!”

Their odd glances lasted barely a second before nodding. Zecora and Forte broke off towards the Prism Guard. Ebony hurried towards me. “What’s the plan?”

I worked my magic to wrap my garrote wires around Ebony’s barrel. “We’re about to send this warlord to a world of hurt, but we need to keep him still long enough for artillery to get ready When I give you the word, brace yourself.”

It took all of a second for Ebony to catch on. “Understood. Just make sure we’re not buried in ordnance.”

“I won’t let you die!” My gaze hardened. “I won’t let them take anypony else from me.”

The serpent leered hungrily towards our troops, slithering towards them.

“Let’s go!” I called and dashed for the warlord alongside Ebony.

Moments before the serpent could lunge for our squads, we plunged our respective weapons into the melted portion of the hide. A pained howled escaped its mouth as the serpent glared down on me. For better or worse, we had it’s undivided attention.

“It was a mistake to let you live…!” The warlord snarled at me.

“The first of two mistakes,” I switched to my crossbow. “This fight will be your last!”

With a howl, the warlord charged for us. Ebony and I threw ourselves out of the fang’s path. I fired three bolts into its hide. Keeping its momentum, the warlord swiveled its head and slithered at me. I hopped into the air and pulled up to avoid another bite. A scream belted out of the beast as Ebony’s sword cut into the melted skin again. He ripped his blade out to swung again when the tail shifted back, then rushed towards him.

“Brace!” Magic ignited, I pulled at the strings on him.

Ebony gasped as I yanked him just hard enough to dodge the tail swing. With a frustrated growl, it lunged forward. I darted down, then to the side, dodging a fang strike. I’d moved next to the sergeant when I heard two magical words.

*Artillery ready!* Thorax signaled.

*Fire!* I sprinted from the serpent as I could, readying the magic on my garrote wires. “Ebony, brace!”

“Hurk!” Ebony yelped, once again pulled off his hooves and flying towards my direction as the AP shell whistled towards its intended target.

For just a moment, I swore I saw the ghost of a smirk on the serpent’s face.

Just before the shell landed, the manticores and serpent disengaged from our forces and spread out. Dirt exploded into the air as a silver shell landed next to the serpent, the warlord speeding towards the castle at breakneck speed. The manticores followed the warlord at a distance, rounding towards the castle on a wide arc that was no doubt meant to avoid any contact with us..

Was… this planned?

*Near miss! Warlord’s making a break for the castle!* I reported. *Focus down the bloody bastard before it gets close!*

*By your will. Relaying orders.*

“Head for the castle, intercept course!”

“Take the pegasi with you! We’ll catch up!” Ebony fired off quickly.

I nodded and grouped up with Forte and Ebony’s pegasi squadmates, going as fast as our wings could beat to reach the castle. We watched as shell after shell rained on the serpent, many of the rounds shredding through it's tough hide like wet paper.

It’s not even making an effort to dodge. Warlords are far from foolish vassals, second only to the warmasters. Why is it just plunging headfirst into artillery fire…

No, my mind raced a mile a minute, what does it gain from being a much easier target…?

“Ma’am! Skimmers 11’o clock! Castle bound!” One of the fliers pointed ahead.

En route to the castle were dozens of tigers and timberwolves. The fastest creatures from the forest.

In the distance, opposite side of the skimmer forces, dozens of large brown and white birds emerged from the trees: Rocs. They too were heading for the castle.

It’s a three-pronged assault! Shit!

*Thorax, skimmer forces and Roc fleet coming in hot as wel! It’s a pincer attack!*

*Rocs also appeared near the frontline. They’re even going after the scouts hiding in the clouds! They’re rendering us blind!*

I dared to glance back at the town, gaping as Rocs swooped through the clouds, digging out unsuspecting pegasi like earthworms. Ice dropped in my stomach: Malice adapted and stepped up his game big time.

*Thorax, we need that warlord dead now! It’s trying to draw fire from the assault!*

*Relaying now. Organizing defenses!*

A massive volley of shells rained down the serpent. A barrier of ice suddenly formed around the warlord before the shells could connect. When the dirt, pieces of serpent carcass and evaporated ice settled, what emerged was what I could only assume was the warlord. More accurately, it’s ancient form.

Ethereal magic filled the floating full plate armor fit for what was described to be Malice’s dragon form. In its grip was a great sword paired with a tower shield burning with pathos magic. White fur lined the shoulders and connected to the cloak flowing with the wind. Mist leaked through the slits and gaps of the armor, two blue dots representing eyes peered through the draconic plate helmet and bloody mist left from the annihilated serpent.

The warlord suddenly sprinted at ludicrous speed, at least thrice faster than its serpent form. Though we just barely beat out the speed of the Rocs and fast moving creatures, the warlord was about to beat all of us to the castle.

As more cannon fire rained down on him, he zipped left and right, dodging shells and heading straight for his objective. I’d expected the warlord to utterly wreck our ground forces. Instead, he cleaved and slashed his way through their lines with single minded purpose. Halfway through the first row, he performed a mighty leap, soaring stories high towards…!

*Thorax, that warlord is coming straight for you! Prepare for contact!*

*I-I…* An icy sensation crawled through Thorax’s connection. Considering what was coming for him, no doubt he was terrified. *Understood! We’ll prepare for his arrival!*

My heart leapt into my throat as the warlord crashed through the castle’s balcony.

He’ll be on them in seconds… They’re good as dead.

The thought shook me as much as it’s reality.

Thorax, a foolish prince, and an upstart novice against a warlord. Spike got lucky last time, but this warlord is serious. They’re going to die… I allowed them to die by failing to stop him. Because of me–

*Elly, what’s wrong?* Mum’s voice echoed through my mind. I tried to gather my thoughts to answer, but my concentration was enfeebled by the blast of magic erupting from the castle. As the artillery fired at the approaching forces, I could see the first tiger leap into their formation. Far too late, blades were flashed from the gun crew. I watched in muted horror as the first soldier fell.

My mind was filled with apprehension, my focus ensnared by the bloodbath. They’re as good as dead, they’re all–

*...Overlord Elytra. Status!*

Mum’s authoritative tone broke through my stupor. Decades of training and discipline embedded in instinct broke through. One doesn’t hesitate or show weakness before a Shadow of the swarm, especially one of my rank and caste.

*Warlord breached the castle and his forces are converging on our guns. Comms and artillery will be offline until they are dealt with.* I stripped the emotion and guesswork out of my sitrep, stating only necessary facts. The emotions that might have infiltrated my thoughts were another story entirely. I tried to banish them from my mind, at least long enough for the next message. *What’s your status?*

*Irrelevant.* I couldn’t sense any emotion from Mum’s connection, invoking the control and strength fitting for a Shadow. *All you need to know is that I cannot reach you at this time. What you have now is all you get.*

My flying speed dipped as the weight of her words hit me. The pegasi glanced at me, concern all over their faces.

*You are an Overlord of the heart brood. My brood. Correct?*

I gulped. *Yes.*

*Why?*

I forced down the shudder of doubt creeping on me. *Because… because I was trained by the best. Trained by you. I proved myself to be what the swarm needed to succeed.*

*To be an Overlord is to be a necessity. A role that requires an immaculate mind and unbreakable will to do what is needed anytime, anywhere. A position of power that does not accept failure, weakness or excuses. There is only victory, and that victory lies in you. Unless you believe your Shadow has made an error of judgement?*

*Never!* Was my snap answer.

*This pincer attack needs to be dealt with. Thorax and Spike will do what they can to protect the prince. You must organize your resources to deal with each attacking force efficiently. You have the knowledge and skills for this, Elly. I’ve trained and invested in your growth as an Overlord, and your ability to find solutions in the impossible has always been one of your greatest strengths. I have all the confidence in the world that you will be able to resolve this and save our HQ.

*Do the math, Elly. Find the path to victory, and show the world why I’ve chosen you to be the overlord of the swarm!*

*I… I needed that, Mum. Thank you.* Renewed fury and confidence flooded my veins, giving me the second wind to think straight and focus on solving this crisis.

I was reminded of one other changeling who could also use a confidence boost. After all, Thorax had never faced an opponent like the warlord. Like it or not, his role in this harrowing battle had just become critical.

*Thorax, focus on the task ahead and listen to me. I’m going to secure the perimeter and our guns. Until then, I’m counting on you to survive—no, kill—the warlord. Look to your teammates for strength. Give them your all to take him down. You’re part of my team because I know what you’re capable of. I trust you to get through this alive and show that warlord where he can stick his sword!*

The fear I’d sensed in Thorax ebbed away, replaced with white hot courage on a level I’d never felt in him before.

*...Thank you, my overlord. We won’t let you down!*

With a smile, I brought my attention back to the prism guard squadmates who glanced my way.

“We need to secure those guns and deal with the assault forces”

“What about that thing that breached the castle? What about the prince?” One of them asked.

“Don’t worry, the prince has some of the best bodyguards in the business,” a slight exaggeration, but I needed these ponies focused. “Right now we need to deal with everything else. Now let’s save those guns!”

“Yes, ma’am!” The rest of the pegasi seemed to steel themselves as they pushed their wings harder. I kept ahead of the group, blades ready to do work against the pincer attack.

Failure was not an option. I will succeed and save everyone.

Flash

Screams filled the air, civilians scrambling for their lives. Vivi, Brand and myself caught up to the rest of our squad just as Corporal Moonshine took position as rearguard against the approaching hostiles. The chimeras, manticores and timberwolves bearing down our position along the main road truly tested our grit and resilience.

I’d lost track of how many monsters I’d cut down with my spear or blasted with lightning. The streets were littered with bodies and blood as I fought my way to regroup with the squad. By the time we were able to clear out the waves long enough to get the civilians out of harm’s way and regroup with the rest, we’d lost five good soldiers.

“There ain’t no end to them,” Moonshine gasped for breath. “Feels like we’re churning through a big ol’ field of weeds.”

“Unfortunately, we got an even bigger problem.” Vivi pointed down the street where Stardew Horizon had been not too long ago.

As my eyes turned, the ground shook, echoing the footfalls of a giant. The shadow eclipsed my squad and I just as I set my sights on the behemoth stomping through the streets. Houses crumbled under its steps, one of the five dragonoid heads crashing through a building like it was made of popsicle sticks.

...You have got to be kidding me…!

The white hydra’s roar shattered windows and morale alike, drawing our eyes to the terrifying monstrosity that towered us like the mountain of muscles and fangs it was.

Pathos flared off its body like a bonfire as it took in a deep breath. With an ear splitting scream, a geyser of pathos magic spewed from its mouth as white flames. Buildings, wood and stone alike, were melted and glassed. It trampled its way into the vicinity, bringing a fleet of Rocs with it, because apparently we needed even more horrible ways to die.

Please don’t tell me that’s a warlord.

*A warlord wouldn’t bother with such a low priority area. It very well could be more than one hunter occupying the hydra, consolidating their power. Fight cautiously.*

I had to agree with Inner Malice. The way it just ripped through buildings like nothing, I didn’t dare risk my team fighting it directly. Thankfully, I had a go-to solution in mind to deal with it.

I activated the Dragon Whisper. “Spike, can you hear me?” No response. “Spike, come in!”

“Sorry, dealing with a hot mess right now. Talk to me.”

“They just entered Quad-four with a hydra and a bunch of Rocs! We’re gonna need help to take it down!”

“A hydra?! For the love of…!” Spike gasped. “How are evacuations?”

“Negative! Civilians are within danger close! Standby for artillery strike!”

“Copy that.”

The hydra stepped towards us, all five heads leering at us, when it suddenly snapped its heads towards the north. After a moment it stomped towards the direction. I quickly realized that led to the castle. If that warlord trampled over there now, it would cripple our artillery. On top of still needing to evacuate the rest of the area, we were about to have our hooves full.

Forming a quick plan, I had an idea on what we needed to do. “Strike-Four, form up!” I made a circle motion with my hoof in the air. The team gathered around me.

“We need to double time the evacuations in that bastard’s path! Vivi, I need you to get ahead of that thing and save whoever you can. All pegasi come with me to deal with the Rocs and stall the hydra long enough for our guns to hit that thing.”

“Understood.” Vivi directed her attention to a dark blue furred pegasus. “Corporal Bolt, your team is with the captain. Everypony else with me to clear the way!”

“Yes ma’am!” The guards saluted.

While the rest of the squad hoofed it down the streets, Bolt and her team gathered around me. “Ready when you are, Captain.”

I nodded. “We can’t let that hydra reach the castle, but I have no plans on making this a suicide run. Don’t get reckless. Strike when you can and watch out for the Rocs.” The team nodded. It was a tall order, but beggars can't be choosers. With expectations set, we took into the air towards the eye of the storm that was the hydra.

Almost immediately Rocs descended upon us like starving vultures. It was bad enough we had to face birds whose claws were bigger than our own bodies. I realized too late each Roc was possessed by a strong aura of pathos reminiscent of reaper vassals. A direct fight against these things was a terrible idea, and I was grateful my team was smart enough to avoid a direct battle against them.

The first few dive attacks we were able to dodge with relatively few close shaves from their claws trying to clip our wings or grab us. The inevitable problem came from the sheer numbers and the flanking attacks of the ones we dodged. My team could only skirt to the side or slip through tight gaps so much before the Rocs threatened to swarm them. When I slipped through the final wall of Rocs via teleport, I was alone. The squawks and flurry of feathers at least meant my team was still fighting, opening the only window I would have to hunt down the hydra.

Please stay alive, you guys.

One of the hydra heads turned to me as I approached at full speed, a bright light shining in its mouth. I dipped to the side in time to avoid a ray of destructive magic. With a swipe, my blade bit into its neck’s rough hide like a butter knife striking concrete. Another head lunged to bite me, only catching my dust. I scored another hit on its cheek, still doing laughable damage with no sign of slowing the behemoth down. I need more damage. More power.

With a cry, I hurled a bolt of lightning at one of the heads. It flinched, then retaliated with a magical beam. I teleported above its head and threw another bolt. Other than scorch marks, all I seemed to do was irritate the beast. I was starting to run out of options.

The hydra trampled through buildings like it owned the place. Those squadmates unlucky enough to be caught in its way were vaporized by its magic blasts or crushed into the environment via tail swipe or stomping. Every death sent a stab of despair in my chest.

No, no, no!

Panic seeped into my bones.

*Don’t lose focus,* Inner Malice said. *The moment you cave, you die. Powerful as you are, you are not yet ready to tackle such a well fed pack of hunters. Use your resources effectively.*

I took a careful look around the hydra’s area for any civilians. With the hydra stomping around the middle of the street, surrounded by crumbling houses and thankfully no civilians nearby, this would be my only chance to call in a strike.

“Spike, I need an AP strike on the hydra! Time-to-Target! Warn Strike-Four of danger close!”

“Copy that. Relaying...uh…” Spike’s gulp echoed through the Dragon Whisper and into my bones. “N-Negative. No can do.”

For an instant, all sense of protocol and decency left me. “Why the fuck not?!”

“Warlord’s attacking HQ with a three-pronged assault and—”

Dead silence.

Dread crawled up my skin. “S-Spike? Spike, respond!”

My blood froze. Nothing.

*..Well he’s dead.* Inner Malice quipped.

It took everything I had to not scream. I refused to accept Spike was dead. However, that didn’t help the fact that we now had no access to our guns, and comms would more than likely be cut until Spike was confirmed not dead and merely busy with the attack coming his way.

Stripped of all tactical resources, only one move remained: Run.

A well-aimed teleport landed me dead-center of the Roc swarm. Corporal Bolt busied her spear into one of the Rocs while evading the claws and pecks of the others. I didn’t see the others, nor had the time to search for them. All I could hope was this worked the way I think it did.

I wrapped my hooves around the surprised Bolt and teleported to ground level. Far from the confused Rocs, I searched the sky for any sign of the others, slowly releasing the shaken corporal. I didn’t like what I saw.

Bolt collapsed on her haunches, a distant stare drawn to where her squad had been fighting for their lives. The glassy look in her eyes and horror stricken expression was a giant red flag; something inside of her had broken.

“Corporal Bolt, where are the others?”

Her head slowly shook, eyes staring right past me and at the Roc fleet.

“Bolt, snap out of it!”

Her jaw worked, forming weak, silent words. The lights were on, but no one was home.

Grasping her head, I forced her to look at me. I’d seen that look in Wind—no, Spike—earlier when he witnessed my… moment with those changelings. Corporal Bolt was shellshocked.

I would’ve preferred to get her professional help to get her back into the game, but we lacked the time and horsepower to do things ‘proper’. “I asked you a question, soldier! Where is your team?!”

Tears stained her cheeks. “G-gone. They… birds… a-all gone…!”

The trembling in her weak voice strengthened the pain that struck my chest..

Three more lives lost. Without anything won or achieved.

Is this what sergeant Starburst went through when she lost someone under her command…?

I shook the creeping fear out of my head and glanced towards the hydra. He scanned the AO for me, smashing some more buildings in the process. My only hope was there being too much pathos around it to properly find my energy, hiding in plain sight. After several tense moments, it began making its way southeast, escorted by the Rocs.

Isn’t that where the frontline is? Is it trying to flank them? If that happens… what do I do? What am I going to do about this mess?

Speaking of mess, I had to get the corporal out of harm’s way. Harsh as it was, she would only get herself, and possibly others, killed in her state.

“Corporal Bolt,” I mustered the toughest voice I knew, keeping her attention out of her head and on me, “rejoin with Strike-four. Tell Vivi on my orders to continue evac operation and avoid engaging the hydra or Rocs until otherwise ordered. Understood? Lives are still depending on you, soldier. Dig in and fight through it. You got this.”

Slowly, hints of life filled her face. She was still trembling, but with a little help she was able to at least stay on her hooves through her own power. “Y… yes, sir!” With one last look at where her comrades had fallen, biting her lip, she made off to rejoin the others.

Meanwhile, I still had a ninety-nine problems to deal with and an answer for none of it.

We can barely do any harm to the hydra, and now it’s about to attack them from the back. Everything’s falling apart.

My breath quickened.

What do I do…?

The hoof on my shoulder pulled my attention from the spiraling thoughts. I looked to find Noble giving me a hard look.

“Noble…!” There was little resolve in my voice. No point in hiding it from her.

“Flash, get to Everfree and take down the warmaster.” Noble ordered. “Malice won’t let this end unless we stop him here.”

I took one look at the devastated town and shook my head. “I can’t. This town needs me. Everyone needs me.”

Noble shook her head. “This town and everyone in it needs you to do the one job that only you can do. I’ll make sure there’s a home for you and the princess to come back to.”

“How? Comms are down, a warlord is coming down on the castle, and I can’t do anything against the Hydra! It’s suicide for you to tackle that!”

“Unless they plan on boring me to death, they will need more than that to take me down!”

“For the love of… you’re insane!”

Noble threw me an affectionate smirk. “Last I checked, that was part of the job requirement for the Prism Guard.”

I gave her a long, hard look. “You wouldn’t tell me what you had planned if I asked, would you?”

“Nope, and I’m gonna ask that you don’t worry your pretty little head about it. Just go and give that warmaster an asskicking for me.”

I fully turned to face her. “If I leave, everyone will be relying on you. Hundreds of lives will be riding on your shoulders.”

“Look, you and I both know I’m not about that ‘yes I can’ mantra. But you can trust me. As a comrade on the field and a friend. I got this.”

A long pause settled between us. Then, I activated the Dragon Whisper.

“Spike, I hope you’re alright. If you get this, please note that I’m going into Everfree to stop this mess. Noble’s taking command in my absence. Kick that warlord’s ass for me!”

A pause. Then...

“You better come back to us, T-Bolt.”

Relief and courage rushed through me at the sound of his confident voice. “Copy that, Dragonfly. Over and out.” I released the connection and glanced over at Noble. “Good hunting, Noble.”

“May the shadows guard you, Flash.”

We exchanged a hoofbump and a nod. With a hop, I took off into the air and channeled my teleport towards Everfree forest.

Author's Notes:

Happy Holidays, my fellow paladins!

I swear these chapters keep getting bigger and bigger on me.

I've written plenty of characters that were fun to write for, but little compares to writing for Inner Malice. He's such a glorious jerkface who thrives on annoying Flash to no end. There'll more gloriousness featuring our favorite hate spirit in the next chapter.

Wanted to get this chapter up for Christmas as a special present for those sticking with me. I'm so grateful to all of you lovely readers, whether you only stopped by to say hi or are invested in my shenanigans, thank you so much for sticking with me this year. Though I didn't get to finish this story this year as I planned, I'm crossing my fingers to make that finish push in 2020.

Happy holidays to everyone, and see you all next year, my fellow paladins.

Chapter 32: Under our spell

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Snow, frozen trees and leaves warped back into focus from the teleportation. Explosions and thunderous roars echoed far behind me, adding up to the dizziness and migraine pounding at my skull. Even with the energy I recovered from the hunter, teleporting such a far distance was a taxing use of energy. As I heard the by now familiar string of detonations once again, it took everything in me to not turn straight back around and fight alongside them. But this battle was in their hooves now. The fate of Ponyville rested on Noble’s shoulders until I’ve dealt with the Warmaster. If I could deal with the Warmaster.

I took a deep breath of the icy air, gathered my senses, and pressed into the forest’s depths.

*This was the right call to make,* Inner Malice said as I ran through the gradually quieting forest. *Staying in Ponyville would’ve been a no-win scenario in the long run. It’s just unfortunate that you’re not yet ready to face him.*

I know I’m not ready. If he’s anything like you were in my head, this is going to be very one-sided.

*Yes, and keep in mind that he must’ve already grown stronger from the battle’s emotions. The longer you wait, the smaller your already insignificant chances will get.*

Well thank you! I sneered sarcastically. Hindsight’s twenty-twenty as they say. But I need to go all the way here, and I’m not going to be stopped now. He remained silent after that. Maybe he, too, needed some time to come to terms with the inevitable?

I only slowed upon reaching the deepest part of Everfree. Snow and sleet reached up to my knees. Frozen bushes and rock solid branches covered in ice crystals blocked my path like natural barbed wire. It didn’t take much force to get through or above such obstacles, but they added up to the sense of impregnability. If pony-sized frozen barricades of thorny vines and collapsed trees were his outer fortifications, how would his inner line of defense look like?

To my mild surprise, at least it was not as cold as I remembered it being. A change of the weather? Or a change of me? While I hoped for the former, I instinctively knew it was the latter. After all, I’ve grown much more adjusted to the pathos within me since my last visit to the forest.

As I mustered the frozen landscape, painfully aware of how long it had taken me just to get this far, I channelled my ability to devour pathos. Icicles and snow melted as the energy that had kept them frozen flew into me. It was strange to be able to draw power from something that either drove ponies mad or transformed creatures into feral monstrosities. I was disgusted with myself, both at the newfound reliance and the carnal appreciation my body developed for pathos. I wouldn’t have known such a possibility to absorb it and not lose myself existed had the version of Malice inside me not helped.

That reminds me, why are you helping me? What was that mess about you being labeled a failure the hunter went on about?

*...Why do you ask so many pointless questions?* Irritation filled his tone. *My answer would be meaningless to you. All it will serve to do is bolster your ego. I may be your prisoner, but I refuse to be your mental masseuse.*

These questions are important. Ever heard of the phrase ‘know thy enemy’?

*...are you mocking me? I was familiar with the idea long before it was adopted by the first philosophers of your kind. But how exactly do you plan on utilizing it to survive this encounter?*

Note to self: if it’s combat related, I can get his attention.

It’s pretty clear I won’t win a direct confrontation, But for some Celestia-forsaken reason, you’ve decided to help me go against the very one who I can only assume created you. By understanding what you had in mind, why you made the choices you did, it may give me a chance to get into his head and see what makes him tick.

*...that is the most ridiculous thing I’ve heard from you yet. Do you really expect someone with my mental fortitude to fall prey to mind games? You seriously believe you can outmaneuver us?*

Better question: Are you curious enough to find out? Got this far, didn’t I?

Silence stretched between us as I traversed the pathos-thick forest. Though there were no monsters to face, the magic-laced air served to refuel me just by breathing it in. I recalled Inner Malice’s words about this being the key to defeat him, and it made sense: deny the warmaster any and all resources, all the while using them against him. That alone was not enough, but at this point I would settle for using anything against him.

Just when I started to think he was giving me the silent treatment, Inner Malice spoke up.

*I’ve failed my mission to assimilate you into our fold and suffered a fate no different than when I was defeated by Discord. In the eyes of my fellow battle brothers, I am dishonored. A failure. Fit only to become food for the strong.*

Once I had a firm grip on devouring pathos around me, I increased my pace, absorbing whatever I could along the way as I galloped for the tree. Then why help me? Why not just… let it happen?

*The same reason you foolishly charge headfirst to challenge Death: too stubborn to roll over and play dead.*

Well… can’t argue with that.

The more pathos I absorbed, the further my devouring reach grew, stopping at about few meters around me.

*Humor me for a moment, Flash Sentry: why do you believe it is a warmaster that you will be facing?*

The question gave me pause. Well, from what Noble said, a warmaster is the highest chain of command other than what I can assume is the true Malice. And with Malice going through all this trouble to stay hidden, setting camp right next to Princess Twilight would be asking to get caught, so we can rule that option out.

Doubt crept into the back of my mind. The fact Inner Malice asked the question in the first place made my initial assumption feel insecure. Malice, what brought that up?

*I’m simply assessing your mindset. Your thinking is too inflexible. You’re so set on your beliefs and assumptions that you fail to see the sword hanging over your head. You may not stand a chance against your next opponent, but I would be a poor teacher if I let you go to your death too unprepared.* Smugness filled every syllable.

I rolled my eyes. If you got something to say, just say it.

*Prepare yourself for any and all possibilities. Plan your victories and be ready for defeats.*

Glad you can be so helpful, I huffed. If the true Malice is at the tree of harmony, how in the world am I supposed to plan for that possibility?

*You’re not at the level yet where you would plan for such a possibility. He would smite you in an instant. Granted, we didn’t choose you as a champion for your intelligence, but for the fact you won’t stop no matter who your opponent is.*

Must everything be backhoofed compliments with you?

*Set me free, and I can give you an alternative backhand all you want.*

I’ll pass.

Not long after the end of that conversation my advance came to a sudden halt. I mustered the energy barrier in front of me; it vibrated with pathos and stretched into both directions as far as my field of view—and heightened senses—went. The barrier also rose into the sky, much higher than the frozen treetops high above me. I knew the Tree of Harmony wasn’t far from here anymore, but I’d bet my armor that this barrier covered every possible access route; up to and including the sky above the cave.

*A wise king would never make it so easy for his enemies to reach him.* Inner Malice pointed out.

I don’t have time for this. I readied my hoof to throw a lightning bolt.

*Stop and open your senses. You’re surrounded.*

A quick glance revealed no immediate threats, but the pathos in the atmosphere was too thick to make heads or tails of any vassals hiding among the foliage.

I don’t sense or see anything…

Inner Malice said nothing. I took it as a hint and focused on the cool sensations of pathos flowing around and through me. If their aura alone wouldn’t reveal them, perhaps their movements would.

The air shifted subtly, pulsating like the infected forest had a heartbeat of its own. Readying my staff, the pulse of pathos energy drew from the east and west direction of the barrier. It grew stronger each second, causing the hair on the back of my neck to stand on end.

There’s two… no, four of them. I corrected upon picking out the individual sensations.

*Four… what?*

I felt out the energy signatures. Reapers, at least from what I’ve seen so far, would be little more than ice cubes inside an ice box; barely noticeable. Warlords were way too obvious. Considering who they were guarding…

Hunters.

On cue, four hunter vassals emerged out of invisibility all around me. I spun onto my hind legs, blade staff at the ready and back facing the barrier. Their movements were slow, glowing eyes calculating my every move. They hadn’t attacked, nor made any hostile movements, but I was far from comfortable with letting my guard down.

One of them moved forward, slowly and carefully. “We greet you, challenging champion Flash Sentry.”

This… was new. “Come again?”

One of the other hunters—let’s call him hunter B—snarled. “Fortune favors you, champion. Your life would be forfeit had our emperor not accepted your wish to foolishly challenge him.”

...Emperor? Why would they call a warmaster Emp—

My thoughts slammed the proverbial brakes.

Reapers, hunters, warlords, and warmasters were the known vassal ranks. If warmasters were second only to the original, then this emperor could only mean one thing.

“...FFFFF—” I cut myself off, halting the blend of conniption and panic in favor of putting on the bravest face I knew for the immediate threat before me. The hunters threw me odd, curious looks at whatever face I must’ve been making at the moment. “Only reason I haven’t eaten you all is because I have manners. I’ll only ask once: stop wasting my time and let me through.”

Inner Malice grunted with amusement as Hunter B leered, shooting a deadly stare.

The first hunter, Hunter A, nodded at Hunter B. The aggressive one moved back a few steps while hunter A continued. “The Emperor will grant you entry into his realm. Know this: once you are beyond the barrier, there is no escape. We will not interfere with the sacred duel, nor will you be permitted to leave until you’ve met your demise or the emperor wills it.”

“You mean after I kill your emperor,” I corrected.

“You are free to embrace your illusions of grandeur,” Hunter A scoffed. “Regardless, we are here only to kill those who are unworthy of his attention... and ensure you do not flee in terror.” With the flourish of a ghostly hoof, a gap opened in the barrier just big enough for me to go through. “Do not keep him waiting.”

I took one final glance at the hunters. It was a gesture to ensure I was not going to get suckerpunched, but as I looked at them I couldn’t help it. “Once I’m done with him, I’ll come for you.” Then I hurried through the barrier.

“Malice,” my voice was quiet even with the hunters well out of earshot, though laced with boiling frustration under the surface, threatening to pop off. “You knew I was going to be facing the true Malice, didn’t you?”

*Yes.*

I sighed. “I… I see.”

*I must admit, I’m rather impressed,* Inner Malice said. *When you finally gathered who your opponent would be, I half expected you to lose your—*

“MALICE~!!”

*Ah, there it is. Please go on.*

And I did.

Everything exploded out of me all at once, screaming and cursing both the Malice inside me and the Celestia-damned original Malice waiting for me at the tree of harmony. I stomped and hollered for what felt like hours, though it was only a few minutes of unfiltered rage amplified by soul-crushing terror.

After forcibly stopping my tirade, if only to catch my breath and conserve what precious time I had left, Inner Malice sighed. *...Are you done?*

“Huff… puff… no, but I got enough out of my system for now,” I answered.

*Good. Now that you’ve properly processed your fate, please hurry on to face your death like an honorable stallion.*

And I did press on, but not without making a face. “How in the world are you so... okay with this? Do you believe he will free you?”

Inner Malice snorted. *Are you serious? Of course not! My fate has been long since sealed. We’re going down together.*

That caused me to physically grind to a stop. “Say what now? You’re actually okay with dying?”

A pause.

*...That wasn’t rhetorical? You’re actually asking me that? Your stupidity really knows no bounds.* Before I could retort just as viciously, Inner Malice continued. *Just so we’re both clear, I am neither okay with dying, nor accepting of being a prisoner on this sinking battleship of a situation. Our opinions are aligned on that front.

*However, when we face the Emperor, when we inevitably die by his hand, we will do so our way. We will go down in a blaze of glory so bright we will blind Eternity, our names and actions immortalized through song and legends. Whatever you’re feeling now, whatever fears or regrets you carry in your heart, deal with it now so only resolve and courage beats against your chest upon facing the Emperor himself.*

Somehow, despite knowing I was going against someone who gave Discord a run for his money, despite realizing I didn’t stand a chance against him, despite Inner Malice himself saying these things after everything he’s done to us, I found the strength to grin.

“You really love to hear yourself talk, don’t you?”

*Would’ve made the past few millenia unbearable if I didn’t.*

“...Damn, you got me there.” With nothing else to add to that, I pressed on towards the tree of harmony.

With every gallop, a wave of doubt and fear threatened to ground my hooves. I had no idea how I would defeat the true Malice when I couldn’t deal with a warmaster or a hydra-possessed hunter alone. To go from fighting lions to entering the Ursa Major’s den, the only thing keeping any ounce of courage in me is knowing that failure simply wasn’t an option. To assume anything less than victory meant the destruction of everything I loved.

I may hate Inner Malice, but we had one thing in common: we were not going down without a fight.

It wasn’t long until I reached the cavernous mouth that supposedly lead me into the tree of harmony’s chamber. I could feel the intense and chilling aura rushing out of the opening. This had to be it.

Wind howled from inside as I entered. Just like in Discord’s vision, there was only one short path to take leading into the chamber. At the end of the tunnel was a thin wall of pathos obscuring the otherside.

*He’s waiting for you inside.* Inner Malice warned. *Once you step into the ring, only one of you will leave alive. Are you ready?*

My answer was instant. “No, but it doesn’t matter. Even if I was facing Tartarus incarnate, I can’t stop or hesitate. I will save them and beat the hay out him.”

*Good answer. Find your resolve, and leave nothing wanting. You will need everything for what’s coming.*

Count on it… and thanks.

*...I believe I misheard you. Say again?* He seemed genuinely surprised.

“I said thank you, Malice. You’re a tyrannical asshat who made my life complicated and miserable, but you’ve helped me get this far and even helped salvage enough courage to push forward. That, and only that, is why I’m thanking you.*

*Hmph. I would be a terrible warmaster if I didn’t do something to graduate you from pathetic to slightly-less-pathetic. As long as you do your part and fight with everything you got, I’ll be satisfied.*

I rolled my eyes. “Whatever you say, Malice.”

I stepped through the pathos veil.

A wave of pathos in the form of a chill blasted me the moment I exited on the other side. I reeled back half a step in surprise, before leaning into it and pushing forward. The influence of pathos swept all around me like the blizzards of the Empire’s vast and lifeless frozen wasteland. Snow and ice blanketed the entire ground ahead of me. Icicles and frozen shards covered the walls and part of the ceiling, as well as the tree itself.

A dark aura of pathos pulsed throughout the room, echoing through me with power so intense it seeped into my bones. This chamber wasn’t just alive, it felt possessed. Like a sentient tumor, pathos had enveloped everything within, slowly suffocating every other magical presence.

I’d always known, or at least had an instinctive idea, on what evil was. Someone performing cruel and despicable acts, harming innocents, manipulating others for selfish gains, things like that.

Very recently, Malice had set a new standard for evil. The atrocities committed by him where a whole other level. And still, those faded to insignificance in comparison with the sensation of true malevolence that seemed to stare at me from every corner of the cave at once.

This was the first time I’d ever felt true evil.

I instinctively licked my lips, somehow getting hungry just being in the presence of such an awesome power. Resisting the disturbingly powerful urge to devour all the energy in sight, if only out of fearing what so much pathos could do to me, I pressed further through the thick snow.

Six pony-shaped blocks of ice were fixed to the tree like cocoons. Though the ice was too thick to identify who was inside, it was not hard to guess where Twilight and her friends were imprisoned.

Just before making my way to the pods, I froze midstep. That insane level of power, I realized, was not just coming from the tree of harmony.

It’s not to say the tree of harmony did not emit such terrible energy. Though it still glowed weakly with light, it was no longer the beacon of magic it used to be. Its dimmed aura barely reached the walls; the ice shards and occasional rock causing more than a few long and creepy shadows.

Pathos however, emanated from the tree like morning mist from a river. Its bark was marred with countless deep cuts, cracks, and charcoal blemishes on its otherwise beautiful crystal exterior. Even in its crystalline form, the tree seemed to wilt, woefully depressed from whatever abuse its suffered from its attacker.

And still, even this great power wafting out of the tree was overshadowed by the tall figure resting on her haunches between me and it. Shock rooted me for a beat as recognition dawned on me: Chrysalis.

Ice as cold as Chrysalis’ stare dropped in my veins, but I kept my pokerface in place. My knees nearly gave in when all last doubt was erased. The little hope in me that it wasn’t the true Malice after all died like leaves in a bushfire. The fact that I couldn’t just pack my things and run weighed heavily on my shoulders.

The Spirit of War, a force of nature in the flesh, a millenia-old god who wished for nothing more than to smite me, was here.

“I’m glad you could make it in time, Flash Sentry.” Even with the dual-tone voice, it was all too obvious Chrysalis was not in the driver’s seat. “To have come so far, fought so hard, you have more than earned my attention.”

I wanted to say something, anything, but I was still reeling from seeing the face of evil and war incarnate greet me as if welcoming me to a tea party. That terrified me more than anything else: he was far too confident in his ability to kill me with ease, and I knew it would not be far from the truth.

...I’m going to die.

My legs trembled, lunges tightening like caught in a noose.

He’s going to kill me, kill us, then murder everyone…!

Years of ingrained training and combat instincts kept me rooted in place still, probably the only thing stopping me from from running or screaming in terror. I forced myself to stare Death in the face, to stand strong in the presence of Tartarus given flesh. This civil conversation would not last, nor should it. Once the fight started, I would not have a lot of time to figure out have to save Twilight, her friends, and Chrysalis. All the while acknowledging I would be facing an opponent whose sheer power, even when rested, made the warmaster who kicked my flank in the mind palace look insignificant by comparison.

I… I can’t let fear rule me. I will get through this.

I forced down the terror threatening to overtake me in favor of smug bravado. “What, no red carpet? No fanfare for the pony who beat the warmaster you sent in? You disappoint me, Malice.”

“Heh. I hope you can forgive the lack of appreciation for your arrival. As you see, I’m quite the busy god,” Malice grinned. “Though I admit, some congratulations are indeed warranted. After all, you came quite far from the pathetic pegasus you were all those weeks ago. In such a short time you have become able to harness my gifts, enough to subjugate my warmaster, even if he was still fresh in his own development. This is an unprecedented achievement. I wish to see the full extent of your strength for myself.”

He licked his lips. “And savor myself a victory meal by devouring the failure trapped inside you.”

“You’re out of your mind if you think I’m going to let that happen. The warmaster inside me, my warmaster”—Malice’s eyes narrowed—“filled me in on this sick game of yours. You planted him inside me to get stronger, to carry out the mission of spreading pathos. But now that he’s trapped and you no longer have any power over me, you’re sharpening your fork to reap in your investment.”

Malice paused for a beat. “You have been paying attention. Yes, I fully plan on gorging myself on all the power you collected. Every vassal you absorbed, everything you did to this point, will be collected and repurposed.” He faced the tree, a thoughtful expression on his face. “That will likely be enough to finish infusing this tree with my influence, to turn it from Equestria’s greatest weapon to my own. A weapon powerful enough to turn Discord to stone at my fingertips.”

I wonder… does he know Discord is in that tree?

*We would not be having this conversation if he did. Should’ve suspected something was amiss, but the properties of the tree prevented us from looking in.* The disappointment was clear in Inner Malice’s tone, likely realizing he had Discord captured and, only after being imprisoned learned where Discord had been hiding. *If you don’t wish to have every warmaster on this planet coming down on you, don’t give away the game.*

I gulped. How… many warmasters would that be?

*One problem at a time, Flash Sentry.*

I broke my gaze on the tree, returning my focus to Malice. “If it’s taken you this long to get the job done, it should be obvious that plan is not going to work.”

“On the contrary, the tree is on its last roots of strength,” he gently placed his hoof on the tree. A pulse of pathos fluctuated from his touch, “and it’s all thanks to this glorious fight.” With the same hoof, he performed a sweeping motion similar to how the Warlord did back at the hospital.

Pathos-conjured screens popped up all over the chamber. Droves of monsters rushing into the frontline. Tigers and rocs crashing upon artillery. An armored warlord facing down Spike, Thorax, and an unconscious Shining Armor. Various battles all over Ponyville appeared on the screens, almost none of them looking good for the home team.

“An army on my doorstep, the elements of harmony at my mercy, and witnessing firsthand the potential of a champion that’s exceeded my expectations. You’ve given me more than I could’ve asked for. I honestly tire of the changeling’s cloak and dagger strategies. It had been a necessary evil to ensure my plans proceed uninterrupted.” He turned back to me. “But now you’ve freed me from the boredom of staying quiet. The least I could do is grant your wish of a warrior’s end by my hand.”

I smirked right back at him. “Sounds like that old age is kicking in pretty hard. I’m here to kick your ass out of Equestria. The same goes for those of your vassals who thinks we’re gonna let them run the show.”

He laughed heartily. “The colt’s got bite! I’d already known you would make a grand vessel for my warmaster, but to insult your emperor so boldly? I’m grateful soldiers like yourselves still have their fangs.” After a moment, his expression darkened. “Don’t get me wrong, I’ve allowed you to come this far solely because you, a champion whose magic is as pure as our own, fascinates me. I wish to see more of what you can do. Learn from this development. But in the end, I will kill you.

Malice’s confident smirk returned. “But I imagine you didn’t come all this way just to chat. Your eyes make it all too clear what you really want. I’ll make it easy for you: you will die before saving your friends.”

“You know, there was another overbearing warrior who said something similar, and now he’s locked up in my chest.”

I teleported above Malice, hoof raised.

“Let’s see if you’re any different!”

A wall of energy threw me backward. I landed and jumped back from the lavender shield. That color… that’s not his color signature, nor Chrysalis’.

“I approve of your aggression, but I don’t plan on letting Chrysalis slip away from me again. If you wish for an opponent, I have one prepared just for you.”

Purple magic spilled out through the gradually increasing cracks in the foremost cocoon.

Is that… no. He wouldn’t seriously…!

*I’ve already warned you earlier,* said Inner Malice, *I always have a backup plan at my disposal.*

The cocoon exploded, its prisoner using her wings to glide and land between me and Chrysalis. I stared back at the black sclera corrupting Twilight’s left eye. What drove that knife even deeper was the eyepatch covering a bloodied scar on the right eye.

Twilight moved next to Malice, slightly crouched forward, her horn primed with magic. “I won’t let him hurt you, Celestia!”

Malice patted Twilight’s head, all the while throwing me a smug grin. “I shall entrust this task to you then, my faithful student.” To hear Celestia’s regal voice come out of him, his hoof all over Twilight’s mane, and that damn smirk, shattered the fear in me and left unrelenting fury in its wake.

“Malice, you son of a bitch!”

Black lightning exploded out of my hoof towards Malice. It wasn’t until Twilight’s barrier absorbed the blow I remembered that Chrysalis was a hostage here, not my target.

“Let’s not delay this any longer than we have to. I have a war to manage and a tree of harmony to take care of,” Malice flashed me a grin. Twilight’s horn brightened and wings flared. “Entertain me, won’t you?”

The purple light on Twilight’s horn flared with power, pathos blending with her aura like milk and coffee.

I took a step back, motioning her to calm down with a forehoof as her magic burned brighter by the second. “Twilight, don’t listen to—whoa!”

I threw myself to the side, barely dodging the sizzling rays of magic boiling the snow and ice where I had been. “Snap out of it! It’s me, Flash!”

“The Flash I know would never try to hurt Celestia, you faker!” Unholy anger channeled through her words and horn. The ceiling of the cave suddenly ignited with longing flames. Burning debris rained towards me like Tartarus’ fire. I teleported behind her just before her spell blasted and melted my prior position to rubble. Her head whipped around to find me, horn and ire both burning even brighter. “He could never teleport or throw lightning either!”

Sentry sense kicked in, allowing me to duck just in time to avoid the beam that bolted through the chamber. The air left in its wake reeked of ozone, and the rear wall it struck began to melt at the impact point.

*Not too different from your little episode with the hunter, minus combat trauma,* Inner Malice pointed out. *She’s seen too much to believe you’re anything other than some doppelganger, maybe even a changeling in disguise. Fancy that coincidence.*

Not helping, Malice!

I sprinted and leapt into the air, dodging streaks of fiery light. Memories of anti-unicorn training with Shining Armor rushed back to me as magic bolts rained down on me at every turn. I kept the tree between us as much as possible, breaking the line-of-sight whenever her horn glowed.

How the hay do I get through to her? Trying to knock her out is out of the question; I don’t trust my control over the Spark yet.

I tried to peek around the corner, and immediately ducked back behind the tree to avoid another searing beam. When I looked back, she was gone. My Sentry Sense triggered. My fur suddenly stood on end as I could feel the warmth of the spell in my back.

I jumped up and teleported. No clear goal in mind, I reappeared in the crown of the tree, just in time to watch her spell turn the ground below me to bubbling lava. Her blast had been so strong that the ice around the tree had suffered tiny cracks from the heat. Twenty meters above the puddle of molten rock, its sulphur-like stench—carried high by the updraft of the hot lava— forced me to quickly relocate to the other end of the tree.. More desperate in my search for options than before, I activated the Dragon Whisper. “Spike? Are you there? Spike?!” No response.

*Did you already forget about the barrier you passed through to get here?*

Didn’t forget. Just had to try.

Twilight compounded on the bad news by teleporting in front of me for a point-blank blast.

Time slowed just enough so I could cover my face with my forelegs. Ultra-cold ice formed around them, just in time to be annihilated by her spell. However, it worked just well enough. Scorching rays of magic seared my forelegs and knocked me several meters back and onto the floor. Compared to having my head blown off my shoulders, these injuries were the preferable option. Given I had landed only a short distance from ‘Chrysalis’, I immediately scrambled onto my hooves, bracing myself for a possible joint assault from Malice himself.

Malice merely stole a glance at me before staring ahead into the emptiness, his attention far and away from me. I half expected him to at least threaten or mock me.

*He doesn’t see you as an immediate threat,* Inner Malice pointed out. *Between managing the invading vassals, the tree of harmony’s corruption, and manipulating Twilight, he has more important priorities to focus on.*

In that case...

I took into the air. Dodging Twilight’s strafing beam, I flew straight for Malice.

I caught the shimmer of purple too late before smacking face first into a magic barrier.

Just as I shook off the dizzying stun and painful throbbing of my muzzle, a veil of Twilight’s magic wrapped around me. I had no idea what Twilight was doing, knowing only that every cell in my body seemed to vibrate. Muscles became constricted as the magic drilled through my skin.

*Shake it off! Don’t let her magic take hold!*

The genuine concern and urgency in Inner Malice’s tone was all the motivation I needed. I channeled a generous about of spark through my body and ignited it in the form of sparking static all over my body.

Twilight’s horn crackled and popped. She reared back in shock as her magic hold on me fizzled away. “What in… b-but how?!”

Malice… what was she trying to do to me?

*You don’t want to know.*

I gulped. If it was enough to make him worried, I was probably better off not knowing.

This time, Twilight took several moments to recover from her stunned state. It was more than enough for me to press my second attack against the barrier. Taking a large run-up, and charging more then plenty of spark into my right hoof, I smacked it right into the barrier with bone-shattering force. Lightning erupted towards every direction. A shockwave—probably my own kinetic energy—dispersed into the ground, causing the entire cave to shortly quake in its foundations. The shield, however, remained intact.

Taking just a single step of safety distance back, I tried again, this time channelling the spark longer before unleashing it into the barrier in the form of a thunderous, second-long lightning arc. The moment it touched the shield, the superheated air around the impact point ignited. The shockwave and wall of fire tossed me back several feet. The shield rippled like a storm-struck ocean... but again refused to yield.

“You will not—!” Twilight shouted from afar.

I snapped towards her and unleashed another charged-up lightning bolt, realizing far too late what I had just done. My sentry sense went off just as her horn ignited in slow-motion. Then, another thunderous explosion erupted the battlefield.

Frozen in place, I watched as a dust cloud expanded from where she had stood a moment before. Absolute shock kept me rooted where I stood. Malice, did— did I just—

A hate-filled shout filled the cave—no doubt her voice. This relieved me like nothing else, even though the shout promised retaliation unlike anything before.

*She’s charged up with enough pathos to glass a small nation. Push for Chrysalis’ body, now or never!*

I dashed forward, just as the dust cloud exploded into every direction, revealing a healthy but seething alicorn in its place. I channeled the spark to teleport beyond the shield. There wasn’t much room between it and Chrysalis, but I had the hope that I just needed to make contact with her—

All hope vanished as I was brought back from the teleportation prematurely. Purple magic blinded my vision as I was knocked back.

I had no time to find out whether it had been a property of her shield, or an active spell she just cast, because a second later she was above me, hoof raised.

I darted back in time to avoid a soaring downward punch. Rocks and debris hailed in every direction, leaving a sizable crater in their place. Blood drained from my face when I saw how her right hoof was enveloped by sizzling purple-and-black magic.

When Twilight’s horn activated, I readied myself to dodge another magical laser to the face, only to feel a wave of pathos pulse through the snow. Malice’s previous crash course on pathos awareness helped me piece together just enough clues to jump out of Twilight’s next spell.

Stalagmites erupted, crossing each other and piercing the air where I had been a moment before. And, just as I tried to make out where her next spell was going, she instead dashed forward, propelled by wings and pathos alike.

I raised my legs to cover my face, but she was very content with just ramming her radiating hoof into my guts. It felt as if she had punched straight through me. Weightlessness gripped me as I soared through the air, knowing the only thing to stop me this time would be a cave wall.

It didn’t disappoint. I had my wings readied for the impact, but when my back slammed into the wall so hard the stone cracked, it still smashed the air out of my lungs and left me blinded for a moment. Sparks of purple erupted around my impact, remnants of her most recent courtesy.

My back fur tickled once more. Though it was numbed from the impact, in combination with the sentry sense triggering, it gave me a colorful idea of what she was going for. I propelled myself away from the wall, just before more spikes jutted outwards from my most recent impact point.

When I tried to land, the effect was the same. More spikes, more harrowingly close impalements. Each spell now came quicker than the last, forcing me into the air. Not satisfied with the floor and walls trying to stab me, Twilight’s magic reached into the ceiling. A single, huge spike with a razor-sharp tip shot out, threatening to shish-kebab me in mid-air. I twisted and dodged as it was joined by more of its kind; circling the chamber as it transformed into a deadly aerial circuit.

I knew I couldn’t dodge forever. The longer I took to deal with Malice and stop Twilight, the longer lives would be at risk. Right now, primarily mine. With no way to reach Malice, the only option open to me was to somehow deal with Twilight first. Considering the pathos flowing through her, the answer stuck out like a sore hoof: drain her pathos.

My next teleport, after dodging a particular large stalactite falling from the ceiling, got me right above Twilight. My hoof barely grazed her coat before a wave of magic bowled me over and sent me flying.

What the hay? No one’s reflexes are that fast…!

*Speak for yourself.*

No, I mean, it’s almost like she predicted where I would land.

To test my theory, I darted left, right, left, then teleported to the other side of Twilight.

The moment I reappeared, I caught her unimpressed glare before throwing myself to the ground in time to dodge another deadly beam. Parching heat reached for my feathers while more ozone stench filled the chamber.

“It’s getting old, faker!” Twilight snapped, readying another spell.

No, it can’t just be reflex. I must be giving off a tell.

*Such as leaping towards said direction? Or the energy emitted briefly at your destination?*

My jaw slacked a little. I thought back to how Inner Malice predicted where Discord and I would move during our teleportations. Admittedly, realizing how my small hops to initiate a teleport was also a dead giveaway was some damn good hindsight.

I glanced over the wrecked landscape. The entire room was enveloped with pathos, including the snow and ice on the ground and walls. Chrysalis mentioned something about how my magic was different from normal. How I could manipulate external sources.

Wait, wasn’t I able to create ice sculptures?

*Ice sculptures? When did you do that?*

Nevermind. I have an idea.

“I’m tired of messing around with you, faker! RAAH!” Several rays burst from Twilight’s horn, curving out, then towards me. I teleported to the far end of the cave, only to learn those beams were homing towards me, turning at sharp angles and coming in fast.

Come on, just like in the castle! Demand the world around me to bend to my will. Ignite the spark, and let it rip!

I performed a sweeping motion with my forehoof, projecting my magic towards the snow in front of me.

A wall of ice stretched from the ground and followed the upwards movement of my forehoof. The beams connected with the ice wall. Cracks formed like lighting within the ice; shattering the barrier into pieces just as the last of the homing beams found its target. Water vapor shot out and upwards, blocking everyone’s vision for a moment. I could sense Twilight’s fury from across the cave and even through the pathos-laden air. Chrysalis, the only one left within view range, simply threw a raised eyebrow, a hint of amusement in her smirk.

*Finally some finesse from you! It should be foal’s play to use the emperor’s chamber as your playground with this much pathos.*

Playground. Snow. Jungle gym.

I suddenly had a very solid idea on how to utilize this form of magic.

“Stop resisting and STAY—” A radiating purple aura suddenly shone through the fog like a malicious omen— “DOWN!”

A burst of power was released, gripping the ground and ceiling in its arcane hold.

I took into the air just as boulders the size of carts rained down from the ceiling. More spikes, each now as tall as the tree itself, erupted from below me at every turn. I pushed towards one side of the chamber, just to be followed by these very spikes now actively chasing my tail.

Dodging to the side, one of them crashed razortip-first into the wall, embedding itself half its length before it shattered. It didn’t take much imagination to think about what they’d do to a pony. They needed to go.

With the wave of a hoof, I conjured a frozen ramp from the ground and curved so I could slide across it. I used it to launch myself into the opposite direction at a sharp angle, suddenly enough to juke the tendrils into crashing into the wall one after the other.

I then used my remaining momentum to dash towards Twilight.

Twilight fired a panicked beam of magic. Rather than dodge, I accelerated towards her, channeling my spark, a hoof raised towards the laser.

The beam clashed against the thick ice shield that morphed on my hoof. Heat threatened to burn through it, orange hotspots glowing through the barrier. A guttural growl erupted from Twilight as she poured more magic into the beam, growing it even thicker and hotter.

That was when I teleported.

Twilight could only gasp before I tackled her down.

We rolled along the ground in a flailing, tangled mess of hooves and wings. Eventually I managed to snake my forelegs under her striking foreleg and around her neck. Successfully locked, I rolled onto my back, wrapping my hind legs around her waist, then prepared for the ride of my life.

Twilight bucked, and screamed, and writhed with everything she had. Her wings struggled against my stomach to try and find leverage to free herself. When her horn lit up, I squeezed as hard as I could and bit down the exposed crook of her neck to throw off her focus.

The ‘iron maiden’ lock made for excellent grappling, at least against normal ponies. Shine Spark had been the only pony to ever break out of my hold. Unfortunately for me, Twilight’s absurd alicorn strength combined with raw pathos-fueled power threatened to take that crown if I couldn’t get it out of her. My teeth still latched onto her, I began devouring her pathos.

A shrill scream tore from her throat as energy flowed into my lungs. I clenched my eyes, failing to block out the horrid pain in her voice while ripping the vile magic out of her system.

I’m sorry, Twilight. I’m so sorry…!

I dared to take a peek with one eye, catching a mix of blood and tears trickling down her eyepatch.

Memories of that incident flashed before my eyes.

The flow of energy ceased.

I tried again, but nothing, as if my own magic rebelled the very notion of absorbing Twilight’s pathos.

*Ah, the downside of controlling magic with your instincts,* Inner Malice pointed out, *your mind knows what’s necessary, but without the heart, your magic is useless.*

For the love of…!

I had no idea how else to break the mind control, nor wanted to experiment further on Twilight. Stopping Malice directly would’ve been the smartest course of action, except Twilight was protecting him. Even worse, assuming I could get to him, I had sworn to save Chrysalis. I was painfully low on options.

Caught up in indecision, Twilight seized the chance to teleport out of my grasp and towards the other side of the chamber, leaving me to scramble onto my hooves.

Twilight staggered when she emerged from teleportation, teetering dizzily. “Since you like playing games so much…!” Twilight muttered while shaking her head, double voice kicking in with her whitening coat. “I’ll play one of my own!”

I didn’t like the crazy grin that broke out on her muzzle.

The ground around her glowed bright with magic. I was ready for another rock tendril attack or something more explosive, especially as the ground rumbled.

Ahead of me, mounds formed underneath the landscape's white veil. The rose up until they were thrice as tall as myself. Arms as thicks as tree trunks and legs even thicker emerged from the dirt.

My heart skipped a beat as they assumed shape: they weren’t equine, but bipedal instead. Like minotauri. The surfaces of the creatures hardened as they assumed a combat stance. Swords the size of flag poles emerged in their hands, and atop of their ghastly, misshapen, nightmarish gorilla bodies, reptilian heads formed.

Their eyes were cold, without pupils, exhibiting no intelligence or consciousness within. They were animated monstrosities given form and function and made obedient through dark magic; creations good for nothing but destruction.

Golems!

They opened their reptilian snouts, baring their sharp carnivore teeth and releasing an ear-shattering roar.

Of freaking course, because dealing with a pathos-fueled alicorn was not terrifying enough. Could this get any worse?

I really didn’t like how Twilight’s grin grew even further as her horn sparked.

A pink aura washed over the golems. Magic flooded the cracks in their bodies. A moment later, their, eyes began glowing ominously.

My heart pounded savagely against my chest. Face flushed, blood rushing through my ears. Compelled by a presence so righteous and true, a calling to my very soul, all I could seem to do was walk towards the golems.

“Come a little closer,” Twilight giggled madly. “They would love to give you a hug… around your throat!”

*What in the world are you doing?*

I cast all unimportant thoughts to the side. I had no need for them. All I needed were the magnificent stone soldiers before me.

*You infuriating mammal, listen to me and stop—why are you running?! No, don’t telep—*

Stars filled my vision as I was punched hard enough to fling my body across the chamber. Struggling to my hooves, the strangest thrill went through my body as I gazed upon the small army of pinkish golems. The dazing blow left me staggering about like a drunkard.

Hurt. Weak. Need power. Need golems.

A frustrated groan tore through my cloudy mind. *Flash, get your act together or so help me I will strangle you with your own...hmmm…* The angry thoughts shimmered to a contemplative hum.

After a beat, the hostile inner voice cleared his throat. *Flash Sentry, listen well, for I am the voice of the holy golems standing before you…! Do you wish to earn my respect? To earn me?*

I nodded vigorously, drawing odd glances from the original Malice and Twilight.

*Listen well, my herald of the divine golems. Draw in the pathos. Fill your mind with it. In doing so, we will be forever yours. Prove yourself… you worthless dumbass.* The last part was muttered low.

Taking heed of the golem’s divine message, I inhaled deeply, pulling pathos-thick air into my lungs. Power pulsed through me with every breath.

Prove myself. Fill your mind with their blessing.

Rather than keep the power centered in my heart, I channeled and pushed the energy upward. A chill ran up the back of my neck and caressed my mind.

Channel the power of the golems. Fill myself with… with…

Just like that, the mind-numbing haze fled from me. Memories rushed me like a tide, bringing clarity with it.

Wait a… what am I...

Then came the pain of getting absolutely bodied by a walking boulder.

“Agh, Celestia-damn that hurts…!” I clutched my chest with a hoof, which had nearly been caved in by the Golem’s fist. What the hay happened? I couldn’t stop myself.

*First off, you’re welcome, you ungrateful colt.* Inner Malice scoffed. *You were enchanted, so out of the kindness of my heart I decided to save your pathetic self.*

My retort was cut short, almost literally as a rushing golem tried to split my head with its stone sword. I threw myself to the side and scampered away from it.

I mentally scrambled through my basic knowledge of combat magic spells. An inviting and hostile sensation. The insane level of neediness for the enchanted material. Even now, a mere glance at the golems pulled at my heartstrings like a thirsty pony seeing an oasis. Some part of me needed those golems in my life, a need greatly suppressed thanks to the Spark flowing through my mind like a cleansing breeze.

It fitted none of the battle spells I knew… but there was another spell that came to mind. A potent one, a spell with a dark history of crippling towns and leading to the downfall of many royal families in the past.

Twilight enchanted them with the ‘want it, need it’ spell!

*I’ve never heard of such a thing. What is it?*

I jumped back from the golem’s next swing. That spell makes anyone who witnesses the enchanted target fall madly in love with it. Long story short, had you not tricked me into suppressing it, I would probably be eating dirt with a smile on my face!

*...You’re telling me she cast a love spell on murderous animations? Damn, I’d kill to have a champion like her!*

I rolled my eyes. Not the time to be impressed, Malice!

I pivoted around another golem’s lunge, thrusting my hoof out for a lightning bolt. The tiniest of sparks popped and fizzled from my hoof, doing little more than leaving me open to the wrath of it’s backhand. Stars exploded before my eyes as I found myself on the ground in a daze.

What the hay was that?

Before the golems could get close, I attempted to teleport away from them.

Instead, I landed atop one of the center golems.

A swarm of swords crashed upon the head of the golem I barely managed to jump off of. The carved up automaton was split into chunks from the collective blows, a small victory in my favor. I landed just outside the edge of the angry golem army.

Something’s wrong. I drew my bladestaff. Even while suppressed, it must be working on my instincts.

*The answer is simple. Fight that much harder.*

Dodging a sword swing of the nearest golem, I hopped to the side once, twice, then slashed at its leg.

Steel struck stone with a sharp scratching sound. I moved back half a step, then thrust it forward again, utilizing the full length of the weapon. The effect was no more spectacular than the first attempt; a metalling pang that made the staff vibrate, but nothing else.

I stole a brief glance at my trusty staff before collapsing it and placing it back in its hold. This isn’t working. Looks like I’ll have to get a little creative.

Animated golems had a few advantages over living things, not having vital organs being one of them. They also never felt pain, fear, or really anything. However, magic was their lifeblood, and removing that would remove their entire existence. I couldn’t sense pathos in them, meaning this was all Twilight’s own magic. An unsettling theory rested at the pit of my stomach.

Is pathos the only magic I can devour? Can I eat Twilight’s magic?

*You’re no changeling. Just like pathos, your ‘spark’ can only amplify or influence what’s already there. Her pathos, however…*

Way ahead of you. Hope it’s enough to shut them down.

I knelt forward slowly, waiting for the golems to get a little closer. Just when the front three reached for me, I made my move.

Their large hands grabbed air as I dashed in between the first and second golem. Another golem behind that one swung a right hook. The first hit snow as I slid under it. On my back, I bucked as hard as I could at the fist of a golem, narrowly parrying the crushing blow. With a swing of my hind legs I flipped onto my hooves to dodge yet another golem strike. The golem I slid under swung around with a lumbering backhand. I hopped over it, waiting for just the right moment as the surrounding golems crowded me to initiate my plan.

Stone crashed against stone as a series of fists connected with each other. Unfortunately, the rock was too hard for them to do more than chip each other with their bumbling strikes. Lucky for me, they did not have the intelligence or awareness of vassals, unable to find me. From my vantage point, I could see Twilight blinking owlishly, searching for me among the rocky, animated soldiers.

*Heh. Clever little fox,* Inner Malice complimented.

Hanging off the back of a golem on the furthest edge of the group away from Twilight like a monkey, I began siphoning the pathos out of it.

To my surprise, there was little pathos to be found inside the golem. No doubt the potency of animation magic combined with the ‘Want it, Need it’ enchantment was strong. Unfortunately, the amount of pathos laced into this magic was like drinking decaffeinated diet soda, severely lacking the addictive punch. What little I could drain did help accelerate the healing process from the crushing blow I suffered early and bolster my stamina, but it didn’t really affect the golem. None of this helped me get any closer to knowing how to deal with these golems quickly and efficiently.

A looming shadow over my head brought a swift end to my ponderings; the question would have to wait.

I leapt off in time to avoid getting smashed into the golem’s back like a fly. Though the one I drained looked a little more sluggish than before, its movements stalled ever so slightly, all it took was a spark of magic from Twilight to bring it back to full strength.

Well… shit. I learned absolutely nothing from that.

*Speak for yourself. I learned even more about how useless you are.*

...When I’m done punching the daylights out of Malice, you’re next!

*Survive this and I’ll happily greet your face with the earth.*

I sprinted away from the chasing golems, scrambling for ideas. It took too long to absorb their magic, my attacks would do little more than chip my keratin, and my magic-based instincts were hampered by that damn Want It, Need It spell.

Really wish my squad was with me right now. Those anti-magic gems would work wonders right about now.

*Need a helping hand, you say?* Inner Malice asked inquisitively.

Anything would be better than what I got right now. I’m out of ideas.

A brief pause fell as I continued running around the chamber, darting between golems trying to flank me. *Ask for my help, Flash Sentry.*

...What are you up to this time, Malice?

*Simply tell me you need my help. You need me to protect and save you.*

The golems moved to surround me, closing in as I found myself backed into a corner. I could smell the BS from a mile away, but I was a thirsty pony in a desert of poor life decisions. If it helped me live to fight another day, I would take just about any reasonable solution.

Fine, you obnoxious ass! I need your help! I swear, if you’re just mocking me…!

Inner Malice chuckled. *I’d be far more creative if I wanted to make you beg, but never mind that for now. Forge an ice sculpture. Shape it like how you saw me when we first met.*

...Where are you going with this?

*Do you want to live or play twenty questions?* Inner Malice snapped, not an ounce of patience left in him.

I cursed under my breath and, envisioning Inner Malice’s form, channeled my spark towards the clump of snow before me.

Snow and ice erupted from the ground, twisting and forming into a replica of Malice. The original Malice went from amused to curious as he looked at the sculpture. Twilight glowered at me.

“Two against twenty, huh? I don’t know what you’re up to, but I’ll pound you and that sculpture into oblivion! Crush them!” With the wave of her hoof, the golems started sprinting.

*Project as much energy into the sculpture as you can and make it quick! Repeat these words and believe in them! Your instincts will do the rest!*

I sucked in a breath. I had no idea what I was doing. Worse yet, all I could do was rely on the one who probably wants to screw me over the most. My only option was to put my bets on the abysmal chance that the angry ball of hatred trapped inside me was going to play fair.

“Warmaster Malice Doomscale, come to my aid!”

The original Malice peered at the display with vested interest, as did I when a burst of magic shot from me and into the ice sculpture.

I’d just about dumped my soul’s weight of magic into the sculpture when the two closest golems raised their fist to strike me down. I tried to take on a fighting stance, but using up so much Spark had left me winded and vulnerable. I winced on instinct, bracing myself to get pounded into the dirt.

Next thing I knew, the two golems were halted, fists caught in a frozen grip.

The Malice-like sculpture glanced back at me, flashing an icy grin at me. “Was that so difficult?” With a growl, he shoved them back, crashing them into their buddies.

I nearly fell back, a terrible realization gripping me. Did… did I just set him free?

*Hmph. I wish,* Inner Malice said. *Since you lack the understanding necessary of creating your own vassals, I had to manipulate you into making one. Hurry and get your energy back; our vassal will buy you time.*

I knew there was something fishy about your instructions! You tricked me into giving you a body! Frustrated as I was with him, I had no choice but to start devouring the pathos-rich energy around me to regain my strength.

*Not for me, but rather our combined mentality of me. Be grateful; I’m saving your life.*

Twilight gasped. “Im...impossible! How are both of you resisting the ‘want it, need it’ spell?!”

My ice vassal growled. “A vassal’s loyalty can never falter to cheap tricks!” Clenching his fist, he raised his hands to his chin, lightly bouncing on the balls of his feet. “Try not to bore me with your useless toys, Twilight Sparkle!” The vassal charged into the fray.

“Golems, destroy that ice sculpture!” Twilight commanded. All at once, the golems converged towards the ice vassal. My vassal worked his way into the ranks like a deadly hailstorm, punching and clawing at them. While notably slower and weaker than the Malice I was familiar with, he was far from a pushover. I was thankful for the distraction, feeling my strength return as I fed upon the energy from the pathos rich environment.

How did you know that would work?

*...I didn’t.*

I choked. What?! I could’ve died if something went wrong!

*The unknown element was you. Getting you to willingly accept my help was simply a means to guide your instincts in my favor. Remember, we are stronger when our desires are aligned. I simply guided you to the right decision.*

It was unnerving to know how easily he manipulated me, even if it was with ‘good intentions’.

*Don’t get too comfortable. All that did was by you some time. Finding the path to victory is your job.*

My attention went back to the vassal, his sweeping kicks and lighting quick punches working at the golems. Upon a closer look, I noticed his attacks did little more than break some of the stones on their hardy bodies. Though not nearly as fast or intelligent, the golems more than made up for it with their brutal strength and incredibly durable stone bodies. Any hit that landed cracked the vassal’s body. All the magic I poured into him was apparently for more than simple animation, the vassal repairing himself by absorbing the pathos in the chamber.

You’re… I mean, he’s losing…! If I had like twenty of him, maybe they could do some damage, but summoning just one took so much out of me…

*Then I suggest you either release me or think fast.*

I caught myself considering it for the tiniest of moments.

Hay no! I’m not that desperate.

*Good luck freeing her from under the emperor’s spell then.*

Right then, Inner Malice’s words stuck out to me. Something was kicking and screaming at the back of my mind.

Free her… under his spell…

I was onto something. I knew it, even if I didn’t know it.

Golems… magic… charm…

I shook my head furiously. The pieces were there, so painstakingly close, yet just outside my reach.

Charm… control… under a spell… perhaps I could—no, that’s silly. I don’t have any way to control—

I gasped sharply.

If a charm spell is affecting my ability to hurt them instinctively... what about the reverse?

A wave of epiphany struck me. My jaw dropped, the full picture finally clear in my mind.

...I’m a Celestia-damn genius!

*Delusional would be more accurate, but I’m willing to hear you out anyway.*

I was about to snap at him when an impish thought struck me.

...You know what? Just for that, you’ll just have to sit in the dark and watch me deal with these golems in one fell swoop. Enjoy the show.

*Hmph, fine. When you crash and burn under the weight of twenty angry golems, I will be laughing.*

I took a few deep breaths, gathering as much pathos and courage around as I could manage. Not knowing whether this worked the way I thought it would terrified me, but it was all I had left to go on at this point.

“...This one's for you, Twilight,” I muttered to myself.

Alright. It's now or never.

This would either by a moment of brilliance or the dumbest thing I’ve ever done. I shifted onto my hind legs and threw a hoof into the sky, channeling every ounce of spark and passion through me.

Twilight quirked an eyebrow at me, baring her teeth. “I don’t know what you think you’re up to faker, but it’s not going to work.” Her horn lit up, readying a spell.

Malice took this time to throw me an inquisitive glance.

I had their curiosity. But now I was going to get their attention.

♪Oh whoa, oh whoa
You didn’t know that you fell…
Oh whoa, oh whoa
Now that you’re under my spell...♪

“...What?” Malice blinked, head tilted to one side.

“What?” Twilight’s gawked, powering down her magic out of sheer confusion.

*What?!* Inner Malice’s enraged and baffled tone spoke volumes. I ignored all of them, bobbing my head and wiggling my hips to the beat only existing in my soul.

♪Blindsided by my moves…
Shakin’ your flank, stompin’ your hooves
You didn’t know that you fell…oh whoa oh whoa
Now you’ve fallen under my spell…! oh whoa-oh whoa-oh whoa-oh♪

*By ‘show’, you literally meant… I can’t even… what?!* I continued ignoring Inner Malice’s bellowing, as well as the heat flooding my face, and continued dancing around the ‘stage’.

♪I got the music, makes you move it
Got the moves that makes you lose it
I say jump, you say how high
Put your hooves up to the sky♪

Malice and Twilight tilted their heads, narrowed their gazes as if deciphering a bizarre alien ritual. My Spark pulsed with the rhythm of the song. If they noticed the faint traces of golden magic flowing out of me like mist and towards the golems, they didn’t show it.

I started to cut loose, a mad stallion dancing and singing like his life depended on it… which, in my case, it really did.

♪Listen to the sound of my voice...♪

Gold flickered in pink as the golems slowly stopped moving, facing me. My vassal took it as a cue to get out of the mosh pit of stone and get some distance.

“What sort of madness is this…?!” The vassal breathed.

♪Soon you'll find you don't have a choice...♪

Golden energy flickered faster and faster within the golems. Their bodies swayed, as if going along with the song. My moves got more and more provocative as my spark swelled, pivoting my hips and making suggestive notions… towards the golems.

♪Captured in the web of my song...♪

Pink completely faded from the golems one by one. Within moments all that was left was golden light flooding through the cracks of their bodies.

♪Soon you'll all be singing along…!♪

Their mouths moved, a gravelly version of my voice coming out of them, singing.

Twilight snapped out of her reverie, eyes wide as she stared at her—no, my—golems.

“What are you…. What have you done?!” Twilight snapped. Her horn burned with furious energy, flooding the golems I’d affected with my spark. Unfortunately for her, my magic had already taken root, golems continuing to sing along with me.

*..Are you bloody kidding me? This silly little… display is actually affecting the golems?!*

If Twilight is so stuck on invoking seduction for her golems on me, why not use that to my advantage? You would have to be pretty stupid to not figure that out.

The next words out of his mouth were spoken in a language I didn’t dare try to comprehend. Considering how sharp and severe he sounded, my only guess was that I pissed him off enough for him to default into his native tongue.

Worth it.

♪You didn't know that you fell… oh whoa-oh♪
♪Now that you're under my spell…!♪

As the song finished, I sensed no trace of that damning charm magic. I was free!

“You took my golems! Impossible!” Twilight bellowed.

“Sorry, Twilight, but this is for your own good!” I said, facing my golem squads.

Alright, so I have control… now what?

I glanced at Malice, who was utterly dumbfounded, though whether it was from the absurdity or unusual use of magic I had no idea. Though I considered having my golems go after him, I couldn’t risk them fatally injuring Chrysalis’ body or Twilight trying to regain control of them.

However, I knew who else could use a helping hoof of deadly charm golems.

“The equestrian forces need your help in Ponyville! Do everything you can to help the ponies and changelings fighting for their lives! Kill any enemy vassal or possessed beast you come across!” I shouted.

They snapped into a salute. “Yes, sir!” The golems moved into a single file line and charged for the exit.

*Good use of your resources. I’m sure they will appreciate an extra pair of deadly hands,* Inner Malice said.

“No!” Twilight shouted.

Her horn ignited. A brilliant beam of purple and white dashed towards the golems. It struck the reatmost one in his back, and its entire torso exploded into shrapnell. The legs and charred stump of a hip struggled to maintain their balance, and before they managed to do so, they too burst into a firework of magic and boulders.

“Oh no, you don’t!” Twilight yelled. She fired another magical blast at next of the golems, but this time my ice vassal was faster. It deflected the blow into the walls, and before Twilight could prepare another spell, the golems were gone.

“It’s Flash’s turn to play with the toys,” my vassal chuckled. His defense saved the rest of my golems, and thus important new assets that I could bet were desperately needed elsewhere.

Twilight was not pleased.

Baring her teeth, Twilight hovered into the air and worked her magic to levitate loose rocks all around us. Small enough to fit onto the frogs of my hooves, dozens were lifted and suspended mid-air. As one of the rocks glowed with power, my Sentry Sense triggered.

Even with heightened senses that slowed the world around me to a crawl, the rock shot towards me with ludicrous speed. Air warped around it in waves as it broke through the sound barrier, just a fraction of a second before it caught fire from the insane friction alone.

Pieces of my shoulder armor disappeared as the grazing shot’s force knocked me back so hard it sent me spiraling through the air. Still caught in the Sentry Sense, I followed the projectile with my eyes as it struck the wall behind me. The massive granite wall splashed and threw waves like a fluid as the rock disintegrated itself down to its last atom upon impact.

Splinters dashed away from the wall and towards me as all of the pebble’s kinetic energy now sought another way to dissipate. I slammed onto the ground and immediately raised my forelegs to protect my face and throat. Splinters as sharp as razor blades hammered against my defenses.

Only when the hailstorm of shrapnel had stopped did my Sentry Sense disappear. I paled as I quickly picked myself up and clutched at my singed shoulder and bleeding forelegs. Had that rock been slightly more accurate I would’ve lost that shoulder.

Several more rocks were levitated off the ground, brimming bright with magic. By this point I was seriously reconsidering some life decisions.

I had no time to warn the vassal or even protect him, barely staying alive thanks to Sentry Sense. Most of them went after me, but the vassal unfortunately took some shots. Part of his body shattered from the impact, the sharp edges caused by it melting away from the projectile’s heat. When he crouched, readying for a jump, a terrifying realization hit me.

“Vassal, do not harm or go near Twilight!”

The vassal threw me a side glance, growling before lunging out of the way of another high velocity rock throw. “Just don’t get yourself killed, sir.”

It seemed so strange to hear the word ‘sir’ spoken in Malice’s voice, vassal or otherwise. Oddity aside, I was relieved that I wouldn’t have to worry about my vassal accidentally hurting Twilight. My moment of relief was instantly replaced with terror as the heat from one of those damn rocks singed the top of my head.

I need to throw off her aim or make it hard for her to target us before I lose my head. In fact...

With my magic heavily tied to my nature as a pegasi, I was reminded of other weather effects I could make. I took in a deep breath, channeled my spark with a clear vision in mind, and blew out.

Like making breath mist in winter, I exhaled thick puffs of cloud. A single breath created enough cloud to obscure my area with thick fog. One of those superspeed rocks crashed through the cloud, revealing the empty space where I had long since disappeared from.

Twilight paused for a beat, confused until she heard me blow from behind. She spun around and shot several rocks into the cloud behind her, a second too late as she struck air. The cave rocked in its foundations as the stones disappeared somewhere into the walls. I could hear shrapnel fall onto the ground like rain, but this time too far away to be of any harm.

More and more clouds were conjured around her, slowly filling the chamber with thick mist.

“Stop hiding! Show yourself!” Twilight shot down the clouds quicker and quicker, agitation and temper growing with every miss.

Huh. That worked better than expected.

*Clearly not because you’ve just hidden your movements; That alone wouldn’t have stopped her from finding you. But you’ve just covered the entire cave in your aura, and it’s damn difficult to find a needle in a stack of needles. Best take advantage of this while you can.*

Don’t have to tell me twice.

Knowing Twilight’s power, one factor I had to acknowledge was her lack of military combat training. There were some things, certain techniques mastered through training and skirmishes against various forces, that magical prowess and pure strength cannot overcome. With the mist completely fogging the area, my next plan required a little experimentation, and a helping of good luck.

I flew around the chamber, invoking Spark through my wings to lower the chamber’s temperature as much as possible. More importantly, also lower the air pressure. With Twilight’s mounting frustration and pathos influence seemingly clouding her judgment, she blasted away at me with her rocks. I had to dodge angry shrapnel more than once, and gained a number of new cuts in the process, but luckily she missed me by several lengths each time.

I caught the sound of Twilight taking deep gulps of air, seemingly unaware of my plans. I tracked her thick pathos signature through the obscuring mist, careful to avoid staying in one place too long else I gave her the chance to adapt and track my movements.

“Enough of your tricks!” Twilight empowered her horn to cast another spell, exhuming purple light bright enough to shine through the mist. A spell she would never finish if I could help it.

I finally revealed myself above her and latched myself onto her back. Without the use of her wings, Twilight plummeted to the ground. I worked my wings to ensure she didn’t hit the ground too hard, only enough to knock the wind out of her and stun her, fizzling the spell she was about to cast.

If I can’t get the magic out of her, I’ll have to drain her physically.

While she was vulnerable, I carefully locked my hooves around her neck and squeezed into a sleeper hold. Combined with the freezing temperature and lowered air pressure, Twilight might as well be trying to run a marathon atop the world’s highest mountain. Her breathing turned to pants, movements slowing as her fighting strength dwindled. My training allowed me to better control my breathing in such conditions, having a strict upper hand in this grappling contest of death.

“Twilight Sparkle, my faithful student,” Malice started up, using Celestia’s voice again, “you have my consent to use that.”

Twilight gasped, eye drooping. Her choked voice was barely audible. “But… but I…”

What the hay is Malice up to?

*If I had to guess, Twilight’s trump card.*

Malice continued. “The fate of Equestria is depending on you. Do whatever it takes to survive and protect everyone. You are our only hope, my faithful student. Don’t let Flash’s death be in vain.”

My… what? Death? What is he talking about?

Twilight’s eye snapped open, horn igniting and its light cascading down her body. Her shriek of fury was followed by a wall of magic exploding out of her.

The sudden burst of magic tore my grip off her and flung me across the chamber. Furious flapping of my wings kept me from slamming headfirst into the chamber wall, landing on my hooves before dropping to the floor. My vassal stabbed the earth with his blade and held on for dear life, barely holding as Twilight’s overwhelming wave of magic flooded the room.

Such a powerful display of magic diminished Twilight’s already thin supply of stamina, panting heavily as she fumbled onto her hooves. Purple lightning crackled weakly around her horn, her one eye glazed over as she glared at me.

She and Malice exchanged a look, then a nod. Newfound conviction filled Twilight as she forced out another spell with some effort.

A barrier of thick purple magic covered Malice, the tree of harmony, and the ice pods her friends were encased in.

*Why is she protecting them only now?* Inner Malice pondered.

I gulped. I… don’t think it’s me she’s protecting them from me.

A wide smile that crossed madness and excitement reached Twilight’s muzzle, matching the crazed intensity in her eye that made me weak in the knees.

Twilight’s horn—no, her entire body—suddenly exhumed black mist. Her eye emblazoned with fiery black and green magic like I’ve never seen.

*That… is not pathos…* Inner Malice sounded just as confused as I felt.

Whatever she was doing caused any loose objects— snow, water, and rocks—to slowly float. My hooves could barely stay on the ground, practically weightless. Trying to go airborne did little for me, the lack of weight throwing off my aerial balance. I was forced to adapt to a low gravity environment while trying to figure out what in Equestria Twilight was trying to throw at me this time.

Though the familiar white aura of pathos pulsed from her, this kind of magic was a far cry different from that. More reminiscent of how Cadance described Sombra’s—

A proverbial spike shot through my heart.

—dark magic!

Her shadow darkened and grew in size rapidly. Before I knew it, everything except Twilight and I was swallowed in pure obsidian. It’s viscous consistency and squirming sensation made this stuff feel alive and writhing.

“You can hide nothing from me, faker,” Twilight’s distorted voice sent chills down my spine as she suddenly faded from sight, swallowed by shadow. “Nothing!”

My hooves left the muck as a warped force threw me into the air. Wings flapped furiously to regain control, a useless struggle against this twisted atmosphere shifting all of my weight upward. Pain exploded on my back as I fell hard on the ceiling, the wind knocked out of me.

*You should’ve thought twice before trying to replace my friends.* Twilight’s venomous voice echoed inside my head. *I’ll drown you in your own deceit!*

Gravity, along with my stomach, flipped and dropped downward with several times its normal force. A scream tore out of me as I was flung back into the black muck. I braced myself to crash into the ground, only to instead splash into a sea of obsidian.

I scrambled and swam against the unstoppable force that continued to push me through the water, all the while dealing with the sensation of hundreds of tiny needles attacking my brain from all angles. Firmly caught in gravity’s grasp, all I could do was hold my breath and pray as I was dragged deeper and deeper into the endless depths of the swirling void.

Just when my lungs started to burn, my migraine subsided just as I was spat out of the dark sea and towards the ground. Quick thinking with teleportation saved me from becoming a buttermilk pancake, though not completely as momentum travelled with me through the teleportation.

Rather than snow like I expected from the chamber, my hooves crashed upon hot, red brimstone.

What the…?

Neither snow nor black muck were present anywhere. Sweltering winds swept past me, carrying distant howls and screams from the rocky terrain reaching far beyond the horizon. Rivers of lava were scattered across this horrific field, some of it filtered through the tiny cracks in the brimstone.

“Where in Tartarus am I—GAH!”

I jumped away from the gnashing teeth and growling of the feral bugbear trapped behind its cage, nearly stumbling into another cage, one with a manticore, just behind me. Dozens of cages were littered across this nightmarish landscape, each filled with various monstrosities and horrors.

Uh, Malice? I could really use some insight here… Malice? You home?

Nothing.

The sound of enormous beating wings drew my attention upward. From the now-blood-filled sky descended a skyscraper sized Twilight who shook the world with her landfall.

You have gotta be kidding me! My ears pinned back as I tried to step back, stopped only by shaking legs frozen with terror.

I was in Tartarus in every sense of the name.

Calm down, Flash, we’ve been through this before.

I shook my head, if only to rid myself of the paralyzing terror.

Dark magic is just terrifying psychic magic that thrives on fear. This is all in my head, just like in the mind palace.

Recalling my training on handling dark magic did the trick to slow my heartbeat a few notches below cardiac arrest. Twilight was still a very real threat and had infiltrated my mind thanks to her magic. As much as she could tear me apart in here, dark magic had its own share of setbacks that made her just as vulnerable to those who could handle themselves in mental warfare. I had to tread carefully here, for both of our sakes.

“Welcome to your new home, imposter!” Twilight leered. “On behalf of Equestria, I find you guilty of attempted regicide, fraud, and first-degree murder!”

That last word snapped me out of my daze. Unless she learned about what I did to the changelings, I couldn’t figure out what drove her to such a conclusion, twisted pathos-influenced logic notwithstanding. Malice had said something along those lines, but I had to be sure. “Murder? Murdered who?”

“Don’t play games!” Twilight stomped. Everything not attached to the ground bounced from the force. “You parade in his image and dare to claim innocent?! You’re nothing but a liar! A murderer!”

She thinks I killed… me?! How in the—

It clicked. Just like when the vassal possessed me, Twilight was also going through a hallucination. There’s no telling what kind of deception Malice fed her while posing as Celestia. All that mattered was finding a solution fast and avoid either of us ending up brain dead or suffering a psychotic break.

“Twilight, don’t be ridiculous! I am the real Flash! I am alive! You’re being controlled by—”

“Enough of your lies!” Twilight’s wrathful voice carried throughout the endless stretch of Tartarus, threatening to deafen me. “It all ends here, and I have the perfect punishment for you!”

Creaking metal resounded from all the shaking and screaming cages. I had a bad feeling what punishment Twilight had in store for me.

“Your punishment is endless death! You will die over, and over, and over, for all eternity!”

All the cages opened.

Every manner of creatures and horrors one’s nightmares could produce poured out of their prisons and bounded for me, piercing red eyes and frothing maws aimed at tearing me limb from limb.

For once since this messed up war against Malice started, I was relieved to finally have something easy.

Sorry Twilight…

I threw a single forehoof into the air. The environment followed my will as electrified spears erupted from all around me, skewering all the beasts at once.

...But you’re in my world now!

“What?!” Twilight reeled back, gaping as my spears sliced through her ranks, dissolving like burning paper right before her eyes. “Impossible!”

“I used to think so too, until a certain asshole invaded my mind and showed me how it was done.” I said moreso to myself than Twilight.

Like an orchestra conductor, I waved my hoof across the plateau between us. The earth upheaved in a mighty wave from the left to the right, washing the corpses off its edge and into the depths of the pit below. Without the fear of stamina or magic consumption, my powers had free reign, limited only by my imagination. The only catch was not knowing what Twilight was actually capable of.

“Twilight!” I stared up at the giant alicorn with pleading eyes. Couldn’t help but notice the lack of an eyepatch. Intended or not, I appreciated that. “Please stop and listen! Let me prove that it’s really me!”

“No! I won’t fall for your tricks!” Her glare moved to the remaining monsters charging for me, black ichor spreading through her horn, greenish flames erupting from her irises. “Kill him!”

Shadowy tendrils sprouted out of the creatures’ bodies and coiled around their limbs. The ones impaled by my spares howled and wailed as their bodies split in half from the point of piercing, regenerating the severed halves with a shadow version of themselves. Not only did this free them, but their numbers as well as speed were effectively doubled as they charged me again.

I summoned another round of deadly electric spears from the ground. Despite being slashed or impaled, they didn’t burn away like the previous ones.

She must’ve empowered them with enough dark magic to resist getting outright erased. They’re tougher than I thought.

Unfortunately for them, someone far scarier than they could ever be was on my side.

Time to bust out the big guns!

I pounded my hoof into the ground. “Malice Doomscale, come to my aid!”

For each spear jutting out the ground, an ice vassal of Malice emerged beside them, picking the spears off the ground as their weapons. The bewildered shadowbeasts, and Giant Twilight by association, were stunned by the roaring ferocity of the scariest damn dragon I’ve had the pleasure of facing.

“No fear! Yes I can!” Half of them yelled, pouncing upon their target.

“Blood for blood! No mercy, no respite!” The other half yelled, driving their spears into their ambushed prey. The look on Twilight’s face sent a prideful chill through me. She clearly didn’t expect my army of unstoppable warriors to hard counter her Tartarus spawn.

For the ones that narrowly slipped out of my vassal’s claws I had a special surprise waiting.

They slammed into my ice wall like a bird colliding with glass. Conjuring spears in my hooves, I hurled them through the wall, pinning the beasts against my ice shield.

“Enough! Let’s see how you handle this!” With the spark of her horn, Twilight transformed the bleeding sky into a sea of lava. Droplets of molten lava rained all over Tartarus.

...Okay, that is new.

Because that apparently wasn’t annoying enough, the droplets that made contact with the ground transformed into more shadowy Tartarus spawn, this time coated with black fire.

You’re gonna have to do better than that, Twilight!

I conjured full plate ice armor to counter the raining lava and took into the air. The protection held against the literal raining death, only needing to worry about some of the small embers touching my exposed hoof...and the monsters sprouting wings to chase my down.

“Oh come on!” I exasperated, forging an ice spear into one hoof and shield onto the other.

I dove between swarming beasts, using a combination of lightning and evasive maneuvers to avoid getting grabbed. Following my instinctive command, and using some inspiration from Twilight, lightning coursed through the bodies of my ice vassals as they empowered their spears and hurled them at the flying beast coming at me. The spears sailed through the air quicker than lightning bolts with the power to pierce the heavens, skewering and splitting apart anything that got remotely close.

Even if all of this was in my head, I knew better than to risk a flaming shadow monster touching me, using the spear as a spacing tool to keep my distance from those my vassals couldn’t snipe out of the sky.

During my aerial dance of death, I had to remind myself that this was not a battle of power. Twilight seemed to have as much of a hoofhold on this reality as I did. All I had to do is counter her options until I found an answer to end this madness once and for all. To start, I needed to do something about the raining fire that was slowly melting through my armor, and I had just the idea to handle that.

I channeled a healthy dose of spark into creating a raging hailstorm. Ice materialized and swirled around Tartarus like frozen daggers, shredding monsters and dampening the lava. When the ice shards landed, and again thanks to Twilight’s idea, each shard transformed into more ice vassals, half of them Malice and another half shaped into my likeness. While the Malice-vassals took care of the ground forces, the Flash-Vassals took into the air to chase down whatever avoided getting shredded by the hailstorm or by the lightning-powered spears..

Twilight really didn’t appreciate my counter of choice, evident by the raging snarl.

“The battle of minds is my domain, faker! You are nothing!” Twilight sparked her horn again.

I’d expected another phenomenon or magical strike. What I didn’t expect was for gravity to get flipped on its head again, sending me flying straight up into the lava-filled sky.

Oh shit!

I flailed, unable to catch myself from rising—or rather, falling—into the lava. The switch of gravity, and subsequent increase of intensity, had me rushing to a fiery death at breakneck speed. No amount of flying could save me from this twisting of reality’s rules.

Yet, this was still my mind, and I’d gotten out of more precarious scenarios than this. I just had to think outside the box... and screw the rules.

With a cry, I allowed myself to get pulled towards the lava, and slammed my hoof towards it.

An iced platform formed at my hoof, saving me from a burning death. Lava splashed around my makeshift platform, some of it landing on my armor. I regained my balance and stared down—or rather up—at the infinitely irritated Twilight. “Twilight, there are ponies dying out there that need our help! Please, stop for just a second and—”

“Never!” The black and green aura of dark magic swirled violently around her horn. “Imposters like you are nothing but cowards! You hide behind your lies and mirrors! Well, let’s see how you like it when your greatest fears are revealed to the world!”

Everything except mega-sized Twilight dissolved, swallowed by darkness. Gravity went back to normal, forcing me to glide through the empty void of space. A clawing sensation pulsed in the back of my mind, invoking a migraine.

I nearly tripped when my hooves suddenly landed on snow.

I found myself just outside a crumbling city set ablaze. The mad grin and cackling from giant Twilight died down as recognition dawned on her. Once I realized where we ended up, my heart nearly stopped cold: The Canterlot invasion.

“What… what is this?” Giant Twilight glanced around, marveling with horror at the warzone. More specifically, the several figures standing on opposing sides to my alternate self. I suspected yet another terrible trip down memory lane, subjecting Twilight to the terrors of war. It wasn’t until the one pony who should be nowhere near Canterlot slowly approached Alternate Me that I learned which memory she drew my fears from.

“S...Sunset?” My alternate self muttered, breathless.

This was not an event from years ago. This was yesterday.

“What is this?!” Giant Twilight barely tore her eyes from the memory to glare at me. “How are you doing this?”

This was as surprising for me as it was for Twilight. I knew what my greatest fear was. The moments that paved the way for years of inferiority and cowardice to poison my soul. It was the loss of Sunset Shimmer. The loss of my entire squad back in Canterlot.

Yet, watching this memory play out, my shoulders tensing as the defining moment approached, I could not deny the hurt that gripped me. At least I had been able to face my fears back in the mind palace. Forced to confront memories that plagued me for so much of my life. This particular incident was too fresh. Too real.

As the memory played out, my past self realizing that I cut down Twilight and believed I killed her, that terrible, insufferable pain hit me just as hard now as it did back then. Apparently, it struck Giant Twilight just as hard.

“Why are you remembering this?!” Giant Twilight’s voice boomed. Her wings flared in defiance as her glare hardened. “E-explain yourself!”

That miniscule hesitation in her voice. The tiniest hint of doubt resting on Twilight’s tongue.

At that moment, the mother of all epiphanies came to me. What I had to do to save us both was clear.

I looked up at the giantess, steeling myself for the plunge I would have to make. “Continue digging, Twilight,” I offered with the gentlest voice. “Dig deep to find the truth you need.”

Giant Twilight reared back in surprise. “This is… you’re not making any sense!” Her eyes flared with dark magic. “I can see that you’re scared. You’re trying to bluff me, aren’t you? Aren’t you?!”

“You’re right that I’m scared. I never wanted you to see the pony I was and what I went through. There’s so much I wish I could just lock up in the deepest part of Tartarus and throw away the key. Even now, even in such a crisis, I’m goddamn scared out of my mind.”

I stomped a hoof, forcing it to stop trembling. “But I’m done running away from my past! All it’s done was hurt me and everyone I care about. So leave no stone unturned. Look through my soul as much as you want. Nothing will stop me from saving you, Twilight!”

With the wave of my hoof, the environment dissolved, leaving a black void.

“Not even myself.”

The clawing in my mind intensified, sending chills through me. I didn’t fight it this time, allowing Twilight free reign.

Different images appeared all around us, conjured as living photos. Different memories of Twilight and I appeared in the visions: our confidence sessions, my moment of stage fright, the first time I played for her, when she confronted me about my personal issues, even the smaller interactions between us were all laid bare.

“Why, why, why?!” Twilight rummaged faster and faster through my memories, her enormous size shrinking as her panic and doubt grew. Her speed slowed as she reached my meeting with Trojan—that is, Noble Heart—and Shining Armor. Then even deeper, to the Canterlot Invasion that crushed me.

I lost track of how long she stared at the visions, some of them she watched over and over again, searching for some damning evidence or inconsistency that simply didn’t exist. Not once did she look at me, being too engrossed with every single relevant memory she could find.

“This has to be a lie. Some… some sort of trick…!” Twilight was no longer speaking to me, little to no conviction in her assessment of my past. By this point she shrunk down to her normal size, tears of frustration threatening to spill. All I needed was one decisive push to send her over the edge, and I knew just the memory to do it.

“Twilight,” her head snapped to me, “I’ve never explained the true reason behind my stage fright. What filled me with this sense of failure and cowardice. Very few ponies know. I… I was afraid of being judged for it. That you would see me as a weak stallion if you knew.”

“No…! No! Stop it!” She stumbled back from me, clutching her head. “You’re NOT Flash!”

“You believed in me, even when I didn’t believe in myself,” I continued. “When I had no faith in moving beyond my past, you helped me, even while knowing little to nothing about me. Just as you opened my eyes, I will do the same for you.”

I willed the images around us away. A stage light popped on above us.

“Let me show you what had been my greatest fear. Showing you this is my proof that our time together, your trust in me, was not in vain!”

A third stage light popped on, this time focused on the past version of myself. The last day I saw Sunset Shimmer.

The song, the look on Sunset’s face, everything about this moment should have hurt me more than it did. Perhaps it was due to having faced my feelings so recently, or maybe the harrowing threat still looming over our heads distracted my true feelings enough to numb the pain. Deep down however, I knew it was the look on Twilight’s face.

Her eyes bounced between my past self and Sunset. I could see the light of recognition in her eyes as she began putting two and two together. Just as Discord and Chrysalis did, Twilight was roped along the motions, attention rapt as Sunset kissed past me. And then…

“It’s over, Flash.”

With Sunset’s final words and departure, Twilight’s mouth hung ajar.

I slowly approached Twilight who was still stunned, stopping when I was just a step or two away. “That’s everything, Twilight. If you still think everything’s a lie, have no doubt about what you witnessed, then strike me down.”

She didn’t. Her magic continued to worm its way through my mind, searching for who knows what. Judging from the look on her face, the dwindling intensity of her dark magic as it lost strength, she did not find what she was looking for.

“I… I don’t… why are you…” Twilight babbled incoherently, the most confused and vulnerable I’ve ever seen her.

“I meant what I said,” I dared to get even closer, “that was my greatest fear. But now…”

“H-huh?”

Going against every instinct, casting precaution and fear to the wind, I embraced her.

“My greatest fear is losing you, Twilight.”

The sound of cracking echoed all around us. Twilight stiffened in my embrace, but I refused to let her go. Never again.

Wisps of black mist fled from her body, leaving a weakened Twilight in my hooves. She shuddered, groaning softly as she slumped against me.The real Twilight, my Twilight, whispered back to me.

“Flash… I’m sorry...”

The world shattered.

Our world of shadow broke away like glass, revealing the reality that had been swallowed by dark magic. Cold returned to my limbs as the temperature and overflowing pathos rushed to welcome me back.

My vassal stumbled forward into a halt, staring at me weirdly. “How…?” Even Malice was throwing me looks, his eyes asking the same question. Outside having Twilight unconscious in my hooves, the eyepatch back on her face, the world seemed no different than the moment her dark magic took over.

Malice, talk to me. What happened while I was gone?

*Gone? What are you talking about? One second that vile magic flooded you and this chamber, the next second she’s unconscious in your hooves. That so-called dark magic completely blinded my connection to you.*

Unsettling as that was, I put it aside for now if only to enjoy what had seemed like an insurmountable victory at the start.

Huh. So dark magic even affects spirits... anyway, it’s a long story, but I broke the spell over Twilight.

*What in the holy emperor’s name happened? How did you pull that off?!*

I smiled, unable to help myself. With the power of friendship.

*Hmph. Spare me.* Though I had no proof, I just knew he was rolling his eyes.

“Astounding. Truly astounding.” Malice nodded with approval. “I knew this ‘dark magic’ would be an unusual element, but to see it in action, and you survive it, is truly fascinating. You exceed my expectations once again, Flash Sentry.”

Malice’s voice brought my attention back to focus. Looking down on my sleeping princess, everything Malice has done to her, to me, to everyone, rushed to the forefront of my mind. Even now, friends old and new were fighting for their lives, some of them dying, and all because of him.

Focused calm greeted my mind, contrast to the swell of violent energy raging within me, a wrathful beast begging to be unchained. I carefully laid Twilight on the snow. “Not a hair on her mane gets harmed.” I commanded my vassal with quiet, pure authority.

Whatever the vassal saw in me caused him to grin. “Understood.” He moved next to Twilight, taking guard.

“Oh?” Malice drawled with amusement. “I sense your conviction. Your hatred. Now that you have passed my—”

I dashed at Malice, leaving a trail of sparks in my warpath.

Malice conjurned an emerald shield between us, only to rear his head back as my hoof broke through the shield, crashing into his cheek.

White chitin turned black as the ghostly form of Malice was blasted out of the body, Chrysalis crumpling to the floor like a puppet with severed strings. Unlike his subordinates, his full form materialized instantly as he was flung out of her.

A massive wingless dragon tumbled across the frozen ground. Even without any armor on, Malice’s massive muscles made him far bulkier and taller than his warmaster counterpart. He quickly spun into a roll to break his fall. His claws pierced through the snow and deep into the rock as he came to a halt.

He looked up. First at me, then at Chrysalis’ motionless body. “How in—No!”

Shock and fury exploded on his face as he realized what had happened. He dashed forward in a series of long jumps, each so heavy they made the ground tremble underneath me. His hind claws dug into the ground with every step.

For a terrifying, horrible second I though he was gonna murder Chrysalis where she laid, while she was defenseless.

Helpless.

Fragile.

Just like Twilight.

I dashed forward to intercept, driven by breathtaking fury burning in my lungs. He spotted me, and his claw came down upon me like a reaper’s scythe. His voice roared like thunder. “I will NOT be denied—”

I moved into his strike, grabbing his claw as I passed by him. Using my own momentum I yanked him around, diverting him from his path. Still piloted by instincts and fury alone, I heard myself screaming at him. Holding his claw tight, I used it to lift myself into the air—and drop-kick him right in his Celestia-damn face with all I had.

An explosion of sparks and thunder shook the room, accompanied by a pained howl as Malice was sent skipping across the ground like a pebble over a pond. He crashed through the bedrock wall of the chamber, a Malice-shaped crater being the only evidence he had been present in the room.

Everyone of my muscles burned with energy as I landed on the ground in a cat-like pose. I drew in heavy breaths, eyes fixed onto that hole, expecting him to return any second now.

Any second now...

Only when my breath calmed down did I notice that the entire room had become dead silent, save for the sound of strangled gasps. My vassal gaped at the crater. Inner Malice had made a similar noise, somewhere between a stifled scream and choked words.

*That… did you just…*

Like a light switch, Inner Malice went from speechless to growling with unholy rage.

*Disgraceful...!*

I had no idea what he was driving at until I noted the vassal mimicking his barely contained rage. That murderous gaze was aimed where the original Malice had been bucked to. I knew he was still alive, the rising intensity of pathos pulsing from the crater a warning of the shitstorm now imminent. I moved towards the crater in the wall, ready for the fight of my life.

Only to stop and whip my head around towards Chrysalis. Unconscious, still breathing, and, more importantly, not possessed.

“Vassal, stall him!” I pointed to the crater.

“With pleasure…!” The vassal charged into the crater full of eager bloodlust. Rumbling boomed along the walls, shouts and bursts of flame rushing out of the opening. I darted for Chrysalis’ side, but not before a chilling thought crept into my mind.

Did… did I just send my vassal, a soldier under my command, to his death?

*What are you doing?!* Inner Malice exploded, practically frothing with anger. *Stop wasting time and kill Malice before he recovers!*

I’d experienced Inner Malice’s unhealthy levels of rage before. This, however, was on a whole new level. I only recall Discord making him this upset.

My friends are still fighting a one-sided war out there. They take priority over Malice’s ass-kicking!

Inner Malice growled, but otherwise said nothing more on my decision as I got to Chrysalis’ side.

“Chrysalis, wake up! Please tell me that worked!” I gave her a light shake. She was breathing, yet not knowing where her soul was, I had no idea if it meant she was already in the body or if it was just her body’s natural reflex.

I glanced at the tree of harmony, forming an idea. “Hey Chrysalis, get your fat ass back into your body already! I didn’t do all of this for the street cred!”

After several tense moments, long enough to ponder if there was another way to summon her, Chrysalis gasped, eyes snapping open. Caution grounded my excitement, if only because—having just now realized this possibility—I had no idea who was piloting her body.

I waited with the patience of Celestia herself, letting ‘Chrysalis’ catch her breath. Sitting up, her gaze moved to me. It was filled with disbelief and shock, but also with a mix of something else I couldn’t quite—

“OW!” I yelped as her hoof smacked the back of my head.

“That’s the second time you’ve called me fat, you uncultured brute!”

I should’ve been upset. Shocked. Yet all I could do was stand up and grin like the happiest idiot in the world.

“Welcome back, Chrysalis,” I greeted her warmly, extending a hoof.

“Hmph. That’s Queen Chrysalis to you!” Chrysalis’ irritation lasted a beat before transforming into a smile filled with so much warmth I was surprised the ice around us didn’t melt. She reached for my hoof. “You have the strangest way of solving problems, Flash.”

Accepting her leg, I helped Chrysalis onto her hooves. “What can I say? I work well under pressure. Can you stand on your own?”

“I’ll be fine. Go check on Twilight.”

I rushed over to the collapsed Twilight and crouched by her side. Outside of being unconscious, her breathing was steady. Chrysalis walked over to us. “She should no longer be controlled, but we’re far from out of the woods.”

“I know. We got a warzone outside this chamber. The Crystal Guard arrived to help, but now got their hooves full dealing with the—”

“—invasion using Everfree’s predators,” she finished.

“How do you know that? Were you able to sneak peeks from the tree?”

Chrysalis shook her head. “I’m seeing the war from the hivemind feedback provided by the vassals right now. I’m getting battlefield reports from them… addressed to Malice.” She threw me a worried look. “I’m behind enemy lines, Flash.”

“What do you mean exactly?”

Worried etched into Chrysalis’ face. “The torn control of my body temporarily destabilized my hive mind network. They have no idea what just happened, only that the network was silenced for a moment. I’m connected to every single vassal Malice ever made. The numbers are massive…!”

That was far from what I wanted to hear. “Can’t you just destroy them or separate them from the link? Kinda like how he was able to—” I carefully picked my choice of words “—shut down your changelings?”

“Unless I want to destroy the minds of my changelings as well, I’d have to do each one individually. Everyone, vassal and changeling, use my network as a central point of connection. It takes a moment to determine which is a changeling and which is a vassal.”

Panic reached her eyes. “Even then, I can’t stop warlords or warmasters without everyone and their mother realizing what happened. Once they catch on, they will overwhelm me in an instant. I-I’ll be dead if they’re feeling merciful.”

That’s not going to happen. I won’t let it.

“Can you turn off the network?” I asked.

Chrysalis threw me an aghast look. “That would be insane. My changelings are all over Equestria and beyond. It would destroy us! Put our hive into disarray! We need our network!”

“So do the vassals!” I fired back. “Malice is using the hivemind to kill and control the changelings! Would shutting it down save them from the vassals?”

“It… it will save them from the vassals, but—”

“Do you have another way to save them, then? A surefire way to stop the vassals from taking over?”

The look on her face confirmed we were on the same boat of bad ideas. I could only imagine it was the equivalent of all ponies losing their magic. Conveniences we were born with and integrated throughout our lives and culture, gone. The complexity of this decision was far beyond what I could process, yet it was easy enough to conclude that leaving Malice in control of the network had to be the worst of the two evils.

After a pause, Chrysalis swallowed hard. “T-there has to be another way. I need time to figure this out.”

“Time neither of you will have…!”

I whipped my head to find the skull of my vassal clutched in Malice’s claw as he emerged from the hole. A vicious snarl was plastered on his face. “I didn’t think you had it in you, Flash Sentry.”

The ice sculpture’s head shattered in his flexing claws. I jumped in front of Chrysalis, blade staff drawn.

“I’ll see what else is in you when I tear you in half!”

The blur of where he had just been still hung in the air by the time he had reached me. He moved with such ungodly speed that not even my Sentry Sense seemed to slow him down. As his fist came from his hip, aimed for my skull, I knew I could never raise a defense in time.

An explosion of purple and white erupted an inch away from my face. Energy discharged into all directions at once—except towards me. Snow and shrapnel were tossed into the air, and the former slowly settled on his clenched fist that was still just a breath away from my snout.

Only now did I notice the vibrating purple barrier his knuckles were pressed against.

—Twilight!

Chrysalis and I snapped our heads back to see Twilight on her hooves, breathing hard as her horn radiated a brilliant light.

“Chrysalis…” Twilight spoke between pants, “I’m still trying to piece together what’s going on, but what I do understand is you have a decision you need to make right now. If turning off the network is what it takes to save your hive, it’s better than letting it get taken over.”

Chrysalis growled. “We will be lost without the network. There will be nothing for us.”

“No, there will be something,” Twilight countered. “If you’re willing to put aside our differences and work together with us, you can at least have a home. I’ll make sure of it.”

Chrysalis stared in disbelief. “B-but…”

“And I’ll help make sure of it,” I added. “We’ve already worked together so far, and look how much further we got because of it. If you have to cut off the network, at least do so knowing we got your back.”

Chrysalis squeezed her eyes shut. Tears slipped out the edges. “...Okay. I need a little time to properly sever the network. In the meantime,” fiery rage graced her features as she faced Malice. “I will make sure he pays dearly for what he’s done to us…!” Green magic coursed through her horn, glowing brighter and brighter by the moment.

“Over your dead body!” Malice roared, his claws slashing against the shield with the wrath of a meteor storm. Twilight screamed in pain with each blow, body shaking with effort. The shield began to crack.

I teleported to the side to get clear of the shield. Energy rushed through me as I extended my foreleg and fired a lightning bolt at him. He blocked it with crossed arms, but I fired away again, and again, and again. Whenever he tried to go at the barrier again, I picked up the pace, throwing lightning faster and faster.

When it wasn’t enough, I conjured a spear into my hoof and slashed out for his chest. He blocked me, but I simply shifted my weight and thrust the weapon at his throat. The first time he dodged, but I beefed the next strike up with a lightning conducted through the spear. When he grabbed the blade in his fist in an attempt to yank the weapon from my hold, it blew up right in his face.

He roared in fury, and with a mighty leap, he landed several paces away with a resounding crack on the ground. His glare burned into my forehead like a focused laser. “To think you’ve pushed me this far, Flash Sentry. I don’t know whether to be proud of you or murderously infuriated.”

He stared at Chrysalis, who had already gotten into a cross-legged position. Her pupils were moving rapidly below her closed eyelids, and for a moment I found myself wrapped in utter fascination. Not just that she was confident with pulling off this near-surgical mental operation here, amidst the shrapnel and embers of our fight and mere steps away from this raging monstrosity of a war machine—but also that she trusted us to keep her safe as she did it.

I conjured two more spears into my forehoves and rose onto my hind legs.

And keep you safe we will. I promise.

Black smoke leaked from Malice’s mouth as he slid his front foot forward, fist raised and clenched as he took on a fighting stance of his own.The lingering pathos in the room that was not embedded into the tree twisted towards him and swirled around his limbs like a cyclone. Plates of white armor were forged onto him out of pure pathos until he was covered head to toe, transforming him into a draconic mountain of steel and rage.

“I suppose I’ll just have to settle for both, don’t I?” Malice hissed.

I aimed one of the spears right at him. “You will die here, Malice. No matter the cost, you will not leave this cave alive.”

Malice and I sized each other up. Glares locked, bodies tense.

*Flash Sentry,* Inner Malice started.

I mentally growned. Look, if you got a smartass thing to say about my inevitable death or whatever, this is a bad time.

*Tch, disrespectful colt. Listen to your betters before you open your fool mouth.* After a brief pause, Inner Malice’s tone turned firm and authoritative. *But, no matter your desire to die a martyr’s death, you do not have my permission to die here.*

I couldn’t help the small grin growing on my muzzle. Oh, really? What happened to dying in a blaze of glory?

*That changed when you bucked him through the fucking wall!* Inner Malice laughed with all the giddiness of a raucous drunk. *Underestimating you will be his final mistake! Now, go all the way—*

Battle fury surged through my bloodstream. I bared my teeth at Malice.

*—and dethrone this unworthy reptile! No mercy! No respite! Blood—*

“—for blood,” I whispered, finishing off his sentence.

I caught a look from Malice as he tensed. “What did you just say?”

My expression tensed. I had no idea where that had come from, but he seemed to know.

“Blood for blood!” I shout through the cave. “Now show me what you’re made of, Malice!”

Malice roared—and charged.

Author's Notes:

What's up, my fellow paladins?

Having overcome one of the hardest fights in his life against Pathos Twilight, Flash is now presented to the final boss: the original Malice Doomscale. Even with Twilight, Chrysalis, and Inner Malice on his side, Flash will no doubt face an uphill battle against one of the mightiest foes Equestria has ever faced.

OH MY GOD IT'S FINALLY DONE! This chapter that is.

This chapter was the primary reason I had to remove the update schedule. It's one thing to write a chapter this huge, another to have to rewrite it. Twice! Not to mention this year kicked off to quite the horrible start, slowing me down even further. There are still some rewrites to be done, but I swear I'm making progress and not ~~just~~ sitting on my bum staring at the screen like a lifeless husk.

Unless hindsight strikes again, we're hanging right at the cusp of the end. I swear this will get done, and I will eat my hat if this goes another year without being complete, let alone get past the end of spring. *cracks knuckles* Let's get to that finish line!

Until next time, stay classy, my paladins!

Chapter 33: Attack on Ponyville - Part 3

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Spike

I’ve survived the post office during Heart's Warming Eve.

I’ve braved the Canterlot boulevard during summer sale.

Hay, I’ve even dealt with the reception of the Grand Galloping Gala and lived to tell the tale.

None of them, perhaps not even all three combined, came anywhere close to what was happening within the Dragon Whisper network right now.

The same way the Canterlot Boutique turned into a madhouse during a clearance sale, my head became a madhouse of the worst kind when everypony from frontline scout to rear echelon artillery officer reported their findings, warnings, and requests right into my brain. Often at the same time. It. Never. Stopped.

As the fight outside escalated, so did the frequency of messages floating through my head. Whenever it got too much, and especially when several arrived at the same time, I tried to sort them by priority. This created another issue by itself, though: everypony was first priority in a situation like this. Or, at least so they claimed. Everypony was equally panicked, equally stressed, equally rushed with adrenaline. In the end, I was left with no choice other than blocking out voices that didn’t belong to the Prism Guard, telling everyone else to stand by until Shining Armor was briefed and ready to give new orders.

It was far from an ideal solution, and upon noticing that my mental filtering led to the warzone escalating even further, I relayed at least some of the messages from the frontline, hoping they would turn out critical enough to be worth it. It was a mental walk over a tightrope, without an end in sight.

“Spike, can you hear me?”

And then there was the pony who gave me more heart attacks than anypony else in this insane warzone. I was about to answer Flash when another call entered my head.

“Whisper-One to HQ! Timberwolves and tigers coming in hot from the west! Distance: two klicks. ETA: one minute.”

Just as I focused on the map, trying to visualize their attack vector, two more messages came in, this time from our own artillery commanders.

“Gun-Three to HQ! A fleet of Rocs incoming eastside!”

“Gun-Two to HQ! A dozen manticores charging us from the south!”

Celestia-damn it…!

“Copy that. Stand by,” I sent towards all of them, before turning to Shining Armor. “Whisper-One and Guns two and three called in. Timberwolves and tigers west, Rocs east, and manticores south. All heading for the HQ.”

Shining cursed under his breath. “Pull guns one through eight off to defend. Get all whispers grounded before those Rocs spot them.”

I parroted Shining’s orders through the dragon whisper, switching channels a dozen times. It was starting to strain not just my concentration, but my energy as well. I had never maxed out my use of the Dragon Whisper; single messages or even long conversations normally didn’t tend to be much of an effort. However, today might just be the day there I reached the ceiling of my abilities—and magical stamina.

Once I got their confirmation, Flash’s voice buzzed in my head once again. “Spike, come in!”

“Sorry, dealing with a hot mess right now,” I apologized. “Talk to me.”

“They just entered Quad-four with a hydra and a bunch of Rocs! We’re gonna need help to take it down!”

“A hydra?! For the love of…!” Thorax and Shining’s heads whipped towards me, though whether it was what I said or the ‘I want to punch a wall’ face I was making I wasn’t sure. “How are evacuations?”

“Negative! Civilians are within danger close! Standby for artillery strike!”

“Copy that.” I couldn’t hide the weariness as I repeated Flash’s request to Shining Armor.

“Malice is triple tapping our guns so he can move his heavy hitter in. Clever bastard.” he hissed. His eyes roamed the map, searching for something within the grid lines and marker highlights. “Whatever Flash plans on doing, he better make it quick. If our guns go down, we lose the ability to take down their bigger assets. Spike, have…” Shining trailed off as he looked at Thorax, as did I.

A worried look hit Thorax as he used his magic to draw on the map with his marker. X marks were made to the west, south, and east of our location. The one that threw us off was the fourth one he made a little ways away with an arrow pointed to the castle. All the while he didn’t say a single word.

I appreciated what he was trying to do, but couldn’t help but feel unnerved by his seemingly random moments. He would randomly draw color-coordinated markers on the map or fire off directions and instructions without any warning. I knew he was relaying intel from Elytra or Noble, yet it was still odd to see his expressions randomly morph from one emotion to the other without rhyme or reason.

“Thorax?” Shining asked carefully, as if worried he would trigger a powder keg.

“Incoming Serpent. Warlord host.” Thorax absentmindedly tapped on the x mark with the arrow. “AP shells. Kill it.”

Flashbacks of that basement brawl sent shivers down my spine. “Shining, we can’t have that monster near us.”

“Agreed. Spike, have guns nine through fifteen take down the serpent. Prime guns sixteen through twenty for Flash.”

“Got it.” I channelled my network to reach one of the artillery sergeants assigned to be my voice. “Sergeant Grit, serpent identified south of you. Get nine through fifteen on it with AP shells. Also need sixteen through twenty ready to fire at my call.”

“Wilco, lil’ dragon. Relaying orders and firing at the slithering bastard.” the gruff stallion confirmed.

After a few moments, thunderous thumps echoed through the castle walls as the Typhoons launched their volleys. I couldn’t imagine how the gunners handled being near those things when it was deafening being this far from them.

“Near miss on target. Concentrate fire.” Thorax instructed.

Without waiting for Shiny’s approval, I reached out for Grit once more. This serpent—and more importantly, its pilot—needed to die asap. “We missed. Repeat the volley. I say again, repeat the volley!”

Pencils and glasses danced over the table as another eardrum-pulverizing series of thumps shook the castle’s foundation shortly after. The shots were coming less organized now, though. What had been a rapid-fire series of shots akin to a wardrum’s beat had turned into an arhythmic sequence of explosions, gaps, and even longer pauses that made me question how much longer the reload gunners could uphold this insane rate of fire. All of these were clear signs the gun crews were at the limits of their coordination as well.

“Hit confirmed. Target has been—”

Thorax went still as if stuck in time. Shining and I exchanged looks as his eyes grew wider and wider, then jumped when he shot out of his seat, forehooves slamming on the table.

“We gotta go! Now!”

“What’s wrong?” Shining asked.

The castle suddenly rocked as if a train had crashed into it. I was nearly thrown off my chair, struggling to keep my balance. Rubble and pieces of crystal came loose and fell from the ceiling; exploding into a million fine splinters upon reaching the floor.

Just as my eardrums recovered from the shock, a second explosion followed, this time accompanied by the sound of shattering glass.

Glass, or crystalline walls? My stomach plummeted when I realized it came from the farside of the castle. Those explosive waves of force echoed louder and louder, the ground shaking each time.

“That!” Thorax pointed a hoof in the sound’s direction. “The warlord is coming for us!”

At the word ‘warlord’, I scrambled off my chair, nearly tripping over my own feet as I made for the door. Like Tartarus I wanted to face that monster again. “We can’t fight that thing! Let’s go!”

Shining needed no further convincing as he and Thorax bounded for the door with me.

A dark expression fell over Shining’s face as he snagged the map in his magic. “We need to evacuate the castle. Spike, lead the way out.”

“Got it!” I shoulder tackled through the large double doors, nearly causing the two Crystal Guards stationed in front of it to fall over in surprise.

“Code Ruby! Avoid engagement!” Shining rattled off to the startled guard. His eyes went wide and, after a quick salute and confirmation of the order, sprinted off with the other guard, hollering stuff like “Code Ruby!” and “Evac! Evac!”. While those guards went to spread the word, I led us towards the quickest exit route.

We’d barely made the first turn in the hall when the walls of the council room crumbled from the world shaking impact.

“Gunnery Grit to HQ! We’re getting hit hard! Ain’t gonna be firing anytime soon until these damn things are off our backs!” Grit barely contained the panic in his voice.

Damn, damn, damn!

“Shining, guns are tied up! They can’t fire!” I hollered.

“Overlord Elytra, Zecora, and their squads are enroute to them now.” Thorax informed.

Shining hesitated for a beat. “Spike, have all guns on defense until the assault is dealt with. Thorax, keep me apprised of Elytra’s status.”

“Yes, sir.” Thorax and I chimed. I reached out to Sergeant Grit, doing my best to ignore the battle cries and screams coming down the hall behind us. “Stay on defense! Report back when the coast is clear.”

“Copy that.” Grit responded.

We were halfway towards the exiting staircase when a quick series of exploding walls tore through the castle.

“Shining Armor, I know you’re here! Show yourself, coward!”

That deep, familiar voice powerful enough to echo through half the castle could only belong to the warlord. I briefly wondered how it knew Shining Armor was here, yet knowing some soldiers got caught up in the warlord’s warpath, I decided it was not worth diving too deep on that spiraling train of thought.

“Don’t fall for the bait,” Thorax warned. “He will do anything to spark anger and rage. As long as you keep your emotions calm, he will struggle to find us.”

“I know.” A snarl crept into Shining’s muzzle, probably drawing the same conclusion I did about the warlord’s acquisition of intel. “I know…”

“Spike, I need an AP strike on the hydra! Time-to-Target! Warn Strike-Four of danger close!” Flash’s voice exploded in my head.

“Copy that. Relaying...uh…” I gulped. Oh. Right. “N-Negative. No can do.”

“Why the fuck not?!”

I winced. “Warlord’s attacking HQ with a three-pronged assault and—”

We were mere steps from reaching the exit when a shadow fell over Shining Armor’s back, growing bigger and bigger at a frightening rate.

“—Oh shit!” I tackled into Shining Armor, knocking him out of the way just in time.

Ripped metal and carved flesh crashed where Shining Armor had been. We slid to a halt, caught in muted horror at the sight of the poor Crystal Guard caught at the wrong place at the wrong time. We all glanced back at the one who threw this grisly scene at us.

The wingless draconic phantom draped in ethereal armor laughed from the opposite end of the hall.

“Bring me more toys, Prince!” The warlord cackled at us. “They break too easily… just like she did, ‘BBBFF’!”

A glacier dropped in my stomach.

He didn’t—!

As the words sunk in, rage turned my blood to lava. Black puffs of smoke left my lungs as my breathing grew heavy, interrupted only by the shaking of my tensed limbs.

My fingers wrapped themselves around one of the Niekinis daggers. “Oh, you little—”

Before I could act on my impulse to rip this bastard apart, Shining did. He snapped around and dashed off like a crossbow bolt from Tartarus. Any attempt to call after him died when I belatedly realized the expression of heavenly fury carved into his face.

Thorax’ warning came back to my mind. Seconds too late did I realize how the warlord had played us like fools.

It was also Thorax who found the words that had died in my throat. “Stop! It’s a trap!”

Words did as much to stop Shining’s charge as a breeze did to stop a buffalo stampede. Long before Shining reached him, the warlord adjusted his stance and shield. Holding his sword low, he was prepared to thrust it forward from behind his cover once Shining reached him.

I dashed forward as if chased by the devil incarnate. Instinctively though, I knew I’d never make it in time.

A warcry left Shiny’s throat as he was but a step away from the warlord. Then he vanished, nothing but a quickly dimming glimmer of rose magic in his place.

The warlord hesitated a beat before slashing a spot to the right of where Shining Armor disappeared. His blade struck something invisible and my heart skipped a beat, until I noticed the telltale purple cracks hinting at a shield spell around this invisibility sphere.

A bright flash broke through the sphere, and the warlord jumped back. The sharp sound of steel striking steel snapped through the corridor. I hadn’t even seen the blade, let alone Shining himself. I had no idea how the warlord managed to deflect such a strike.

“You’re full of tricks, General. But they are wasted on me,” the warlord grunted. He lifted his sword to his snout, and breathed white mist against it. At first I thought it was dragonfire similar to my own, but when ice spikes grew across the blade like a thousand sharp needles, I realized it was ice magic instead.

I was halfway across the corridor when Shining lifted his invisibility spell. He was all but three steps away from the warlord, his service sword levitating by his right side.

“My Emperor was right; it’s almost too easy to lure you into the offense.”

Shining revealed but the faintest smile on his face. I slowed down, struck by realization. He hadn’t fallen victim to pathos—and it wasn’t Shining who had fallen into a trap.

“You may regret that,” Shining breathed ever so quietly. “It brought you face-to-face with a Master of the Mystic Blade.”

“What—” The warlord never got to finish his sentence.

Floor, walls, and ceiling exploded with carved blade scars as a dozen unseen swords hammered away at him. Fast as lightning, the conjured weapons danced around him in patterns so random my brain hurt just from trying to follow them. The warlord backpedalled as cuts upon cuts hammered against his defenses.

A furious shout boomed through the hallway as he used his huge shield to slam the conjured blades away like a swarm of flies. “You cowardly little maggot! Stand and fight!”

His ice-coated blade slammed into the spot where Shining had been just a second prior. Reappearing behind the warlord, Shining thrust his sword into the warlord’s heel, pulling a roar from the creature even more enraged than the last.

This time, Shining was too slow to evade, though. The warlord spun around on the spot and slammed his shield against Shining’s chest, tossing him towards the far end of the hall with the force of a locomotive.

“Spike!” Thorax darted by my side, running alongside me. “Hold back for now. We can’t interfere.”

“Are you crazy? He needs help!”

“Unless you can conjure another hundred blades from thin air, we won’t be much help to him. In fact, we could even get him killed” Thorax growled, eyes glued and shifting to a harried looking Shining who was just pulling himself back up.

“How so?”

“Best case scenario we get cut accidentally with his invisible magic blades. At worst, we break his focus and give the warlord an opening. Let’s stay close and wait for an opportunity.”

It wasn’t until I allowed myself to slow down and process the situation that I realized Shining Armor was holding his own surprisingly well. Even though he had taken a first blow, so had the warlord—and ironically, Shining seemed to be much more in control than the three-meter-tall ice monster from Tartarus.

“Do you really think he can kill him?” I couldn’t help but ask, dreading the answer.

“Until yesterday, I didn’t know these things could die at all,” Thorax admitted, just as another bunch of blades came into existence left and right of Shining. “But if we work together, like one swarm…. Yes, I believe together we can.”

“...Alright, Thorax. I’ll follow your lead.” I nodded, keeping my eyes on the action. Taking position next to him, I drew my blade.

When the warlord’s attention snapped to me, I realized my screw-up.

“Spike?” Thorax wondered.

His glance fell on the Niekinis blade. He was struck by recognition the moment the warlord tossed his sword at Shining like a throwing dagger. For a moment, Shining was distracted with deflecting the huge bihänder, and the warlord used this window to charge me like a madman.

“YOU!” his shout boomed through the hallway.

All plans of a smart, coordinated, tactically valuable approach were stripped from my mind instantly. All that was left was a very straightforward concept I managed to shout at Thorax while turning on my heels and making for the exit.

“RUN!”

The ground beneath us shook as the warlord came after us. I turned around only once, curiosity sparked by a pained shout from my pursuer. Apparently, Shining had hurled several of his conjured blades into the barely protected back of the warlord.

Against all logic and reason, this did little to slow him down though. He used his shield as a last throwing weapon to toss into Shining’s path, then he continued his chase with double the ferocity.

“Split up!” Thorax shouted as we neared the end of the corridor. “We need to split up!”

A conjured sword larger than myself suddenly zipped through the corridor. It passed me high above my head and embedded itself down to the hilt in the wall ahead of me.

What the hay?

As I scurried around the right corner and Thorax around the left, we both threw a glance back at the warlord. A second sword cut through the air, preceded by a warcry from Shining and followed by the angry general himself. This one managed to graze the warlord, and with enough power to almost send him tumbling no less. It then joined the other deep within the corridor wall.

“Stand and fight, you coward!” Shining yelled after the warlord, who had chosen to pursue me instead of Thorax.

Of course he had chosen to pursue me. After all, I was the one with the demon-killing dagger around my hip. Great plan, Thorax!

Suddenly, the shadow of the warlord loomed over me. “Got you!” he shouted.

Something bright rose came into existence ahead of me. A terrible crashing sound sent me flying to the floor. In flight, I managed to spin around to see the impossible: Shining had teleported into the path of the warlord, not a second too late. Casting a shield between us and the warlord, he had brought the foe’s charge to a very unexpected halt.

“I said,” Shining breathed between gnashed teeth, “stand and fight, you coward!”

The warlord stared at Shining with a mixture of amazement and fury. He extended his right arm, and within his open claw a new sword materialized. “You will not deny me my quarry, prince!”

“Should’ve thought of that before foalnapping my sister!”

The Warlord hopped back and dove into a sword thrust. The shield shattered upon impact, but Shining pivoting around the blade to attack with his own. Shining dashed left, then right, deflecting strike upon strike away from both himself and me. The pissed off dragon ghost soon had enough of this and refocused his efforts on Shining.

They clashed repeatedly, each searching for an angle against their defensive opponent with no success. Several blade strokes turned into a defensive reposition with their shields, then they sprang back at each other’s throats. Back and forth, back and forth, a faster and deadlier version of my knife practice with Noble.

“Spike, find Thorax and get out of here!” Shining barked.

“We’re not leaving you behind!” I yelled back, readying both Niekinkis daggers on my hip. While I wasn’t sure how to contribute to this contest of master sword fighters, I couldn’t bring myself to abandon Shining.

This wasn’t just about my desire to kill that warlord. I wasn’t ready to lose another sibling just yet.

“This is no time to be a hero! I need you alive!” Magic poured from Shining’s horn at full power, launching thick spikes of magic at the warlord. “Now run! That’s an order!”

“Go ahead and run!” the warlord joined in. “Without you around, I can kill your general even easier!”

He spun around on the spot, slashing and bashing at the spikes with both his sword and with his shield. Many burst into magic sparkles upon being shattered, but some managed to exist long enough to cause the warlord serious struggle.

One scraped his side, tearing off a piece of his armor’s abdominal plate. Another pushed against his back, nearly causing him to lose balance during a complex move.

Each spike chipped away at the warlord’s focus, demanding more and more of his attention. After the fifth one strafed his back armor, and with a mighty cry, the warlord spun away from us to face the spikes behind him. That was a signal to run for it.

Shining Armor dove in for the kill.

I followed.

The moment the warlord turned his head around ever so slightly and focused us from the very edge of his vision, I knew we done bucked up.

Shining had been aiming high, putting lethality before subtlety. It became his undoing when the warlord released his weapons and grabbed Shining’s sword mid-attack. He used it to pull him even closer, before delivering the haymaker of the millenia.

Shining’s head was struck twice. Once by the warlord’s armored knuckles, and once by the castle wall that caught him mid-flight. Somewhere in between the two he must’ve lost consciousness, because all that hit the floor was a limp, motionless heap of a stallion.

It was too late for me to turn back now. Knowing I’d never outrun him, I ripped both daggers from their sheaths. I crossed them before my chest like armor, ready to slash at whatever they struck first.

If he can’t hit me without touching the blades, then he won’t. That was my logic.

He wouldn’t... right?

His knee struck my stomach like a cannonball. Pain exploded in my eyes and head, then traveled through the rest of my body as I was sent skipping along the ground. I remained where I landed, lungs void of any air. It was as if the echo of his kick still reverberated through me, because my body refused to get up again.

Damn it, something’s broken again, isn’t it?

Barely three steps away from me the warlord had collapsed to his left knee; his right knee was a mess of wafting white smoke and shattered armor.

Before I could even consider moving again, he got back up though. It was clear he was fighting against immense pain, but it still wasn’t enough to stop him.

He breathed heavily, holding his chest with one claw. “I shall not… be made undone… by this foul sorcery!”

I searched for the two Niekinis blades; my spirit plummeted when I saw them scattered across the floor. There was not a chance I’d manage to recover them before he’d reach me.

As a matter of fact, I wasn’t even sure my limbs would obey if I’d just try to reach the one on my tail. Nonetheless, I slowly reached out for it with my arm, pain accompanying my every motion.

He noticed my attempt much sooner than I had anticipated. Then again, I didn’t really have the strength to be subtle or coordinated anymore. He walked towards me; his limp fading as his magic had almost entirely regenerated his injury.

“You—”

Whatever he had planned to say was drowned out by the beastly shout of…

Of…

Was that a gorilla shouting in the distance?

The ground trembled underneath me as something of no doubt immense mass approached us at Tartarus speed.

*Grab Shining and run!* Thorax’s voice suddenly sounded in my head.

“What the—?” I muttered in confusion.

“What the—” the warlord breathed, louder and even more confused than myself.

This was the moment something huge, black, and hairy came running at him.

It was Thorax, I belatedly realized.

The warlord made an attempt to get into position, but he was caught off-guard by the insane mobility of this eight-hoof tall heap of muscles and aggression. Before he could raise his arms, the larger-than-life beast delivered a bone-shattering right hook to the warlord’s face.

*Get Shining!* Thorax’ voice boomed through my head, and belatedly I realized that this was Thorax. He had transformed into this nightmarish monster in order to buy us time!

As the warlord wrapped one claw around Thorax's throat and slammed the other into his stomach, I realized this opening would soon close.

I crawled towards Shining, first on my knees, but eventually I managed to stumble at him at a quick pace. Behind me the brawl of giants continued, the ground trembling whenever one of them slammed the other into a wall or door frame.

“Shining!” I huffed, shaking his shoulder. “You there, buddy?”

A growl was all I got from him. *No good, he’s out cold.*

*Can you carry him?* Thorax asked between two punches. His follow-up grunt suggested the warlord paid him back in kind, and with interest.

I tried to wrap my arms around Shiny’s barrel, but upon trying to lift him my knees gave in, and a piercing pain shot through my chest. *That’s a negative. I can barely carry myself.*

*Gotcha—ouch! Time for a plan B—oof!”

I looked over my shoulder only to witness Thorax getting absolutely trashed by the warlord. The draconic warrior rammed his armored knee up Thorax’s stomach, then slammed his elbow against Thorax’s brow.

Still, Thorax’s current form was accompanied by a huge load of muscles and much tougher bones than those of an equine, so he was able to stumble away from strikes that would’ve no doubt killed a lesser creature.

To stumble away - and kick my daggers back towards me.

*New plan: you distract him, and I evac the General.*

Thinking back to how well his last plan had worked out for me, he really seemed to have a thing for putting me in these situations. Not like I had a better idea, though.

I grabbed the daggers and got myself up, prepared to collect my next beating. Just as I was wondering how to tackle this beast, Thorax managed to get the warlord into a hold—and slammed him into the ground between us.

There wouldn’t be a better timing. I needed no further incentive from Thorax as I scrambled forward, daggers in hand.

The warlord was mumbling to himself, something about tearing out spines and strangulations, by the time I tossed myself onto him.

I managed to bury one blade in his shoulder before he realized what was about to happen. His pained roar was not from this world, and he jumped up like he was bitten by a horse. I didn’t even get to use the second dagger on him before he stumbled several paces back, trying hard to remove the weapon from his back.

For a moment I was tempted to go after him, but the second he got a hold of the hilt and freed himself from the blade I reconsidered. He was beyond pissed now, and this might be our only window to escape and regroup.

I turned towards Thorax. “Grab Shiny—”

“—and leg it!” he completed my thought.

Thorax rushed at Shiny and scooped him up in his giant hands.

Even through the immense pain he must’ve been experiencing, the warlord still caught on to our plan in no time. An angry huff escaped him as he dashed towards us.

He only made a few steps before he was met with a niekinis blade tossed into his kneecap.

Curses were uttered in a rough and incomprehensible language left him as he stumbled forward, trying to strike me even as he fell.

He narrowly missed me, but before he could get back up I already spinted out of range.

“Go!” I shouted at Thorax. He nodded, and three huge steps later, he vanished around the corner.

White hot fury met my gaze as the warlord slowly rose back to his feet, injury quickly healing and the fleeting Gorilla-Thorax with an unconscious prince already forgotten.

“My emperor wasn’t exaggerating after all.” He stalked towards me, again with somewhat of a limp in his steps—but this time he managed to look far more menacing than the last time. I scampered back, my fierce scowl betrayed by my shaking hands. “That foolish warlord deserved his fate for underestimating you. A mistake I won’t repeat.”

I took a glance over my shoulder. At the end of the hall were two paths; one led to the exit, and the other deeper into the castle. My initial instinct urged me to run towards escape, and I nearly turned for it when a thought made me hesitate.

If I exited the castle with the warlord breathing down my back, no doubt he would carve through anyone caught up between us, and our soldiers would no doubt be forced to fight him. With the evacuation order given, most if not all the soldiers would be outside now; I’d be leading him right towards them. I knew I could never forgive myself if I allowed that to happen.

Since insanity was already the order of the day, I didn’t hesitate before sprinting towards the path which led deeper into the castle.

“Thorax,” I called through the Dragon Whisper. “I need your help.”

*Of course. What’s the plan?*

I swallowed hard. Hate to do this to him, but I can’t do this by myself.

“The moment Shining’s back up, we’re going to kill this warlord.”

Noble Heart

Changelings like myself are bred to face impossible odds. Capture towns without anyone noticing? Done it. Uncover deadly weapons Celestia tried to keep secret? Nailed it. Conquer a city and castle with a quarter of their numbers? Succeeded. Kind of.

This operation Flash allowed me to take charge of? Save a town besieged by Malice and his woodland critters? That was going to take a few miracles.

Lucky for these ponies, I had at least one miracle tucked away in my wing.

Not long after sending Flash off and calming Elly down, Cadenaz’s squad and I bumped into Vivi and her team. They were missing half their squad, the survivors looking worse for wear both physically and emotionally. It only made sense to combine them with our forces, as we too had been hit pretty hard thanks to dealing with the serpent and subsequent mobile hit squads. I briefed them on the situation, Vivi being especially irked by one tiny detail.

“Ma’am, the captain was by far the strongest part of our team. We would’ve been dead without him!” she argued.

“And for that reason he’s the only one equipped to deal with the enemy commander,” I explained. “If he can disrupt the warmaster pulling the strings, that will turn this battle around. We will not win this fight unless we do something about him.”

“We won’t turn anything around by being dead,” Vivi contered. I was starting to get the feeling she was going to be difficult. “Captain Sentry was able to provide a level of support and cover we won’t get again. Sending him away was wrong.”

I released a tensed huff. “I believe it was, and still is, our best shot at—”

“It was too high of a risk,” Vivi fell into my sentence. I tilted my head, caught dumbfounded for a moment by her brashness. “Flash was our best chance at getting through this mess in one piece, and you just—”

She fell dead silent when I quickly paced towards her, my gaze burning into her forehead with every step. “Perhaps it was the wrong call to make. Perhaps we won’t make it out of here without Flash. But let me make one thing crystal clear: it was my suggestion, but the decision of your commanding officer to follow it, a decision you’re in no position to question, Sergeant Meadows.”

Vivi was about to take breath for a reply, but I cut her attempt short. “And while we’re at it, bear in mind that I don’t simply outrank you in terms of seniority—by much more than you can imagine—but also, Flash explicitly left me in charge of this unit. Thus, you’re in no position to question my orders, either.”

I didn’t need to taste her emotions to tell she was struggling hard to swallow that one. Lucky for her, I wasn’t done yet. “Lastly,” I increased my voice, making sure the others could hear me as well, “it doesn’t matter if any of us survive or not. We’re facing a threat that goes way past a local skirmish. If this warmaster isn’t stopped, the entire continent, your very homeland, is at mortal risk. Thus, it’s our duty to stop this bastard, and his monsters, and our personal fate being the balance must be of no concern right now. Do you understand?!”

Vivi remained quiet for a moment. Then she braced her shoulders. “Yes. Ma’am.”

She was still visibly tense, but as I backed off a few steps, I could sense her releasing that tension bit by bit.

It was Cadenaz who calmed the remaining waves. “Love, I get it, but somepony’s gotta give that enemy commander the shaft. Nothing we do here today will matter if he doesn’t kick the bucket.” He turned to me. “I take it you have something in mind for us in the meantime? We’re in no condition to be of significant impact anymore.”

“On the contrary, my plan is to crush the enemy’s fighting strength, down to the last rabbit and mouse that came out of that accursed forest.”

“How?” Vivi asked.

I flashed them a smirk. “Doing things the changeling way. That starts with getting in touch with Spark and the Major.”

“Yes, ma’am.” Vivi tried to hide it, but I could taste the bitter uncertainty and distrust in her emotions. I couldn’t blame her, as their very lifeline was sent away and left a changeling in charge of this motley crew.

“I’ll explain everything when we get to the front and talk to the major, but with dragon comms down, I need everypony onboard and ready to act when I give the word. I’ve led more hazardous missions than this with minimal casualties. I promised Flash to see you guys through this, and that’s what I plan on doing. Are you with me?”

Cadenaz threw me a serious look, a very rare occasion outside battle. “The prince made you out to be a boogeymare who couldn’t be trusted. But today, when you chose to save ponies and used yourself to direct the serpent away from us, I knew he was wrong.” He nodded at me. “I believe in you, Love.”

Vivi paused, deliberating on his words. Then she gave me a stern nod. “I’ll do the same, ma’am.”

I still sensed a hint of wavering faith within Vivi, but at this point it would be better to show rather than tell. “Spectacular. Now, mobilize and push for the front. We’re regrouping with the Major and Sergeant Spark.”

“Yes, ma’am!” Cadenaz and Vivi saluted. The moment our squads were organized, we set out full steam to the frontline.

Whatever Vivi and Flash did prior to my arrival had thinned out the herd within the town. Pockets of resistance popped up between streets or in the households of those too slow to make it out alive, but it was much less than expected. The weirder occurrences were from citizens and straggling soldiers infused with pathos, attacking anyone within eye contact. My ability to absorb their overflow pacified them before they could do any real harm outside bruises and scratches. I could only imagine what the frontline was going through between berserking soldiers and tides of feral beasts.

By the time we reached the forward supply base, I found my answer.

Black smoke swathed over the battered landscape. Even from the supply outpost, I could spot the countless casualties of both sides strewn across the battlefield. Explosions rang through the air frequently, screams and battle cries joining in unholy matrimony. The very atmosphere was laced deep with pathos, undoubtedly influencing the rising tension and body count. It didn’t matter whose blood was shed, only that someone bled.

The frontline was not the only war being waged.

“GRAAAH!” Sergeant Spark screamed into her sweeping blade stroke, carving up the creatures threatening to storm the supply depot. I started wondering why the sergeant was alone in the monster mosh pit when I spotted the equally harrowing monster wave crashing against the entry point of the Town Hall.

Of the Crystal Guard ponies holding the line against the monstrous tide, I noted two Prism Guards held the entry point into the building, nearly drowning in corpses and pathos possessed monstrosities. Judging from the bodies of the other Prism Guards, those two and Shine had to be the only ones left in their unit. Skilled as Shine was, she was gravely outnumbered and cornered. Then it dawned on me.

If this many already got through the frontline, no way it’s going to last much longer...!

“Vivi, secure the forward base! Cadenaz, on me!” I hovered off the ground and zipped forward, flanked by Cadenaz and his merry band of swift killers.

I tackled the grizzly bear attacking Shine Spark, tearing at its throat with my blades. Cadenaz swooped in and performed a mid-air spin with his cutlass, lopping off the heads of the two Timberwolves near Spark’s flank.

“About damn time you showed up!” Despite the ferocity in her volume, there was no doubt of the sincerity in Shine’s words.

“Fashionably late!” I twirled into a rising slash, splitting a tiger’s head in half. “Cleaning up your mess!”

“Can we save the foreplay for later, ladies?” Cadenaz kicked off one beast and slammed his blade down the other. The rest of his squad tore into the pick, slashing and stabbing at the startled creatures.

Dammit, Cadenaz.

“Dammit, Cadenaz!” Spark growled into her punch, crushing the unlucky werewolf’s face in.

Our combined efforts made short work of the remaining assailants. A disturbing sense of dread crawled up my spine as we cleaved their ranks and limbs alike. Every creature I’ve ever faced had a threshold of morale and common sense. Ponies, dragons, griffons, yaks, they knew when it was time to pack it up and go home. They knew fear. Malice and his vassals, on the other hoof, lacked this quality. To me, that was the true terror of pathos.

As I stared down the last creature, a tiger whose legs I had severed, fire burned hotter than ever in its gaze. Pathos had long killed it’s flight instincts and warped its nature. Twisted into a perfect killing machine.

Exactly what Malice had in store for us.

After casting the creature a pitying glance, I ended its miserable existence with a well placed stomp on the neck.

Once we were sure this area was clear, we regrouped with Shine, letting the corporals and privates aid in recovery efforts and overwatch while my sergeants and I recapped previous events. Flash’s departure drew more than a few eyebrows.

“Sounds like something Flash would do alright,” Shine sighed. “Could’ve at least asked for me to watch his back. Regarding the Major, losing the comms forced him to hunker down here and come up with a new plan. What the hay is happening back there?”

“I’ll explain when we find the Major. Can you take me to him?”

“Sure thing. Let’s go.”

Town hall was just as chaotic as our fight to get here. Ponies scrambled to and fro, tending to wounded and carrying ammunition to the frontline. Many of the injured were missing limbs, healing magic barely keeping their organs and what blood they had left inside them.

It was a bloody mess to witness—literally. Shine Spark was the only sergeant of mine who didn’t have to fight the impulse to vomit. The spicy taste of rage wafting off Shine’s emotions made her feelings abundantly clear.

After squeezing our way through the hustling guards and officers we approached the two entrypoint guards by the closed office door.

“I’m Noble Heart of the Prism Guard. We need to see the Major,” I requested.

“He’s in a strategy meeting. What do you need from him?”

“To listen. I wish to discuss a plan to crush this conflict.”

Surprise caught the guard for a moment before he defaulted to his stoic expression.
“Understood. One moment.” He nodded to his buddy, who returned the nod and slipped quietly inside the office.

“That statement holds a lot of brass, ma’am,” Sergeant Spark said. “Hope you can back that up for all of our sakes.”

“It’s not worth saying if I couldn’t back it up,” I replied. “And I didn’t learn how to break a motherfucker’s neck to be called ma’am. Call me Noble.”

Spark threw a raised eyebrow at me. After a beat, she laughed. “You’re alright, Noble.”

The guard stepped out and retook his post. “Come in.”

In Max’s “office”, which was just Mayor Mare’s office with a military makeover, several armored officers locked gazes with us as we stepped inside. Salty distress drifted through the room, coupled with the spicy taste of frustration among the officers. Changeling or otherwise, it was impossible to deny the lingering desperation. Everypony in the room was in rough shape, some sporting an injury and bloodied bandages. Sprinkles of fang and claw marks decorated their necks and faces. Two of them leaned onto the table for support, sporting damp, bloody bandages on their legs. These soldiers were at their limit.

Noting pony protocol, I stood at attention and saluted in sync with my sergeants. “Noble Heart of the Prism Guard, reporting in, sir!”

Max smirked. “At ease, lady. I get itchy when someone not on my payroll salutes me.” I couldn’t help but feel the heat of the other pony’s gazes on me. They had to already know I was a changeling, their distrust wafting about like a fog. “So I hear you got a brilliant plan to get us out of Tartarus.”

“Yes, sir. But I need to know: how bad is it at the front?”

A grim look fell over Max. “We’ve been thinning their ranks little by little, but we’ve lost a lot of good ponies today. Losing those guns, even temporarily, is not doing us any favors. At this rate, we’re facing collapse within the hour, less if those guns don’t get running soon.”

“Hmm, it’ll be close...” I pondered aloud, approaching the map. “How accurate are the numbers here?” I pointed to the heavily marked areas where the frontline was supposed to be.

“Just finished updating what we got,” one of the Crystal officers said.

“Good. May I?”

“Sure thing, lady.” Max tossed me a highlighter. I caught it with my magic and got to work.

“So, I’m gonna cut to the chase here. I’m gonna need some heavy coordination with the front and to create a defensive line around these chokepoints.” I marked the designated areas with ‘X’ marks. “There’s no telling how many woodland critters Malice has left, but I have to imagine enough to ruin our day. If we can funnel them all to this point—” I circled the forward base, “—then we have a chance to take them out all at once.”

“Hmmm,” Max rubbed at his chin, “I appreciate the idea, but we don’t have the horsepower to hold them long enough to keep up a pincer attack.”

“I noticed. That’s why we’re not going to use a pincer attack.”

Max raised an eyebrow. “You can’t expect me to launch a bombardment with all of our troops trying to keep them in. Nevermind the casualties; our guns are still tied up.”

“I agree. We can’t expect all of our guns to light up the place; it’d simply take too long. And I’m not asking for us to completely encircle them, either. All I need is one Typhoon to be online… along with every explosive we can get our hooves on stuffed inside that forward base.

Dead silence filled the office. Odd glances assaulted me from all angles.

“Ma’am,” one of the officer’s started, staring incredulously at me, “are you seriously suggesting we blow up our own supply base with all of our explosives in it?!”

“With the monsters around it, of course. I’m not that crazy.”

The officers, sans the Prism Guard and Max, started talking all at once.

“Why would you even think that works?”

“There’s no way we could hold such a defensive line!”

“How will our soldiers survive such a blast?”

“Enough!”

Max’s voice cut through the cacophony like a fine blade. The Crystal Officers fell silent. He threw me a hard look. “You’re asking for a risky gamble. Hundreds of pony lives would be counting on it to succeed.”

“I know, Major. It’s not a strategy I take lightly.”

Max gave a long, hard look at the map, then back to me. “Our forces can create a divide and let them run in. They seem reasonably predictable enough to go head long in that direction. However, there is no going back if this doesn’t work. The barricade to box them in needs to hold, we need the typhoons free, and we need something to keep them occupied long enough to hit their numbers.

“The prism guard has proven their resourcefulness and skill,” I answered without hesitation. “With the aid of some extra bodies, they can hold the barricade long enough. I’m not asking them to hold it all day. Just long enough to collect the majority of their lot. All I need is one typhoon to hit the building. The rest will be a bonus if we can get it. As for giving them something to be occupied, I got that covered.”

“How?”

“I’ll be their target.”

“Whoa, hold on, Love,” Cadenaz started, “you know we’re talking about hundreds of who-knows-what biting down your ass in the Celestia-damned blast zone!”

I grinned at him, noting the concerned faces of my sergeants, especially Meadows.

“I’ve been Malice’s most hated changeling for a while. Now that I’ve shown up to ruin his plans, he will stop at nothing to kill or capture me. The vassals controlling the monsters will recognize me and make me their top priority. I’m not throwing myself in the ring for the hay of it. It’s the only thing that makes sense.”

“You’re gonna need backup,” Shine said. “I can throw my hat in the ring with you and—”

“Negative, Sergeant. I’ll need to go all out for this, and I can’t guarantee anypony’s safety. Hay, I can barely guarantee my own safety. But nopony’s coming out of this if we sit on our asses and wait for a miracle to fall on our laps. If anypony here has a better idea, now’s the time to put it on the table.”

Murmurs floated between the officers. Max simply stared at me, as if sizing me up. To my surprise, the first one to speak up was one of my sergeants.

“Permission to speak, ma’am?” Vivi asked.

“Go ahead, Meadows.”

“If something were to happen to you, won’t the beasts simply focus their efforts on breaking through? That would mean the survival of the strategy hinges on you staying alive while keeping hundreds of creatures busy.”

“Alone, as you pointed out,” Max added.

“A calculation I’m fully aware of. All I need to do is buy enough time and bug out before the bomb goes off. I got this.”

Worry crossed Vivi’s features. “I… understood, ma’am.”

“You’re asking a lot of trust from us for this one,” Max pointed out.

“I know, Major.”

“Hmmm…” Max glanced between his officers, uncertainty permeating the room. I half expected them to deny my strategy when he leaned forward, chin propped on his forehooves. “Sergeants, what do you think of your commanding officer’s plan?”

I hadn’t expected that. Each of my sergeants wore contemplative expressions. While I’m sure there was some genuine curiosity, I had a feeling what Max was scrutinizing were my sergeants’ thoughts on me just as much as their take on the plan itself. More than likely determining if I could be trusted through those who have seen me in action.

“I can’t see an alternative, sir,” Shine answered. “It’s bold, but it helps us minimize casualties while maximizing damage to the enemy’s ranks quickly and efficiently. I’m in.”

Cadenaz spoke up next. “It’s risky, but I’ve seen her in action. I believe it’s crazy enough to work, sir.”

Vivi’s turn. For a long moment she simply stared at me. I returned the look, not a glare or withering gaze, simply acknowledgement accompanied by a nod. After a moment, she returned her attention to the Major, mind made up.

“I believe in the plan, sir.”

Couldn’t help but smile at that. Whether she was believing in the plan or I, it was clear she was giving me a solid chance to prove myself.

“I see. Officers, do you have anything to add or say?” No one spoke. After a moment, Max smirked. “...There are some details I would like to throw into the mix. The way I see it, this is a one-way trip. We’re gonna need a spare wagon wheel for this ride, just in case.”

Relief washed over me as I nodded. “Whatever you need, Major. I’ll make this work or die trying.”

Elytra

By the time my strike team arrived at the castle, the forward artillery battery was nearly overrun.

A series of crystal guards utilized their ‘Hurricane’ turrets: a rapid-firing stationary weapon holding a large crystal that fired powerful magic bolts. It could usually rip through any poor bastard dumb enough to get in front of it. The problem here was that the gun crews weren’t all that inexperienced, and their lack of coordination wasn’t helping.

The “Typhoon” cannons meanwhile fired off thick crystal shells imbued with powerful spells, dousing the ground with fire magic and incinerating groups of ground forces. It was an impressive display of firepower to witness, but their rate of fire and accuracy were nothing to write home about, either.

Those of the three attacking forces that had managed to slip through the hail of gunfire had already entangled the guns just as we regrouped with the remaining defenders. At this rate, the artillery will be crippled in no time.

Not on my watch!

“Fan out and help where you can!” I ordered my strike team. Crossbow in hoof and garrote wires held in my magic, I went to work while my squadron scattered all over the artillery batteries. As my team focused their attention on the ground forces I went skyward, my first targets being the Rocs attempting to divebomb our artillery.

A few well-placed bolts in the neck dropped two Rocs from the sky. It was more than enough to catch their attention.

Another one quickly swooped down to bite me. I rolled to the side at the last second to dodge, rewarding it with a bolt through the eye for its impudence. Yet another nearly clipped my face with its large talons. My wires latched from my body onto its leg as we passed each other, pulling me away from some of the aerial predators just in time. While being pulled, I fired bolt after bolt at the other fliers, injuring many while catching two more dead in the bullseye.

The one I latched onto finally came up with a plan to rid itself off me. It hovered into the air, trying and failing to dislodge me. This made it easier for me to line up a headshot at one of the birds diving straight for me. When I’d gotten several of them pissed enough to come at me all at once, I used my magic to dislodge myself. Tearing off the leg of the bird I’d been anchored to did the job just fine, and I dove downward, leaving a few parting bolt shots to catch some of them by surprise.

While plummeting downward, I spotted several Timberwolves assaulting the small token force defending the gunners. The agile bastards easily trapped them in close combat, and while my prism squad managed to hold off the majority of the forces, it wasn’t enough. Apparently only I was left to mop up what slipped through their grip. A plan in mind, I reloaded my crossbow and stripped myself of the disguise to allow my full changeling magic.

I continued speeding towards the ground, calculating their weight and momentum versus my own while spraying some bolts at the Timberwolves in a rain of death. Just before it was too late, I emitted a blinding flash of light from my horn. I channeled magic into my hooves to create a magic barrier and kicked off it to quickly change direction towards the rest of the wolves. Rocs, though powerful, did not have the aerial agility I possessed.

Glancing back, I smirked at some of the Rocs who hadn’t attempted to recover in time. The smarter ones either pulled back early or suffered a mildly rough landing. Those unlucky enough to recover from my momentary flash too late ate dirt at literal breakneck speed. While they were occupied wondering what the Tartarus happened, I had other threats to take down.

My bolts rained down the unsuspecting Timberwolves, tearing into their limbs and bodies. Once I got into melee range, I switched to my daggers and went to work on them. Spiraling through the air, my blade carved through them, caught between the defending gunners and my fury.

During cleanup of the remaining Timberwolves in this zone, I caught another wave of Rocs making their way towards us. Is there no end to them?!

I didn’t have nearly enough crossbolts to take them down. I needed a bigger weapon.

At the corner of my eye, I spotted two empty Hurricane turrets. The chewed up ponies and torn Timberwolves around the guns told the full story. It also gave me a wild idea.

I hurried over to the turrets and, standing between them, got to work. I channeled magic through my remaining spool of garrote wire to wrap around the two turrets and the firing trigger, lowering the amount of magic I would need to aim and fire these bad colts. It took a little work to string them up enough to properly aim the guns and wire them so my forehooves could pull the trigger.

Alright. A little clunky, but it will have to do. Time to Calibrate. Aiming where I roughly guessed the shots would land, I tugged at both wires strung around my forehooves. Two magic bolts exploded from the crystal towards some of the remaining Rocs in the area, and missed wildly.

Hmm. Correct by twelve, no more than twenty degrees.

I fixed my calculations and accuracy and fired off another two shots.

First shot, though a lot closer, missed. The second tore a wing off, sending the beast plummeting into the dirt.

Not bad. Adjust left by five to eight degrees. Adjust right by three to five.

This time I fired at two separate Rocs. One bolt tore through its legs, another nailed the second in the chest, blowing a hole through it.

Left is calibrated. Right is—

Another shot from the right turret tore the one legged Roc’s head off.

...calibrated.

I took a calming breath while glaring at the Rocs.

“Taste our united fury, you bloody bastards!”

I pulled hard on the strings. Both cannons blasted away stroboscopic salvos of energy, unleashing the unbridled violence of their payloads upon the fliers. The crystals powering them sizzled and sparked as the gun’s arcane mechanisms slowly drained them empty.

Limbs were torn off, feathers melted, and bones shattered, as the deafening crackle of magic lightning almost drowned out the pained screams of the creatures.

Almost.

Like jackhammers from Tartarus, they cut down everything in their line of fire. I yanked the twin turrets around, and another Roc simply disappeared in the cacophony of magic bolts. This much power unleashed at such a rate of fire left no room for wounded.

Like an angry god purging everything in its path, the turrets disintegrated whatever I pointed them at. Enemies. Structures. Corpses. The world around me seemed to melt away in rainbow-colored light as I held the triggers down and directed the wrath of the Empire’s killing machines towards my enemies.

I didn’t notice I was screaming from the top of my lungs until the first gun fell silent, quickly followed by the other. I gasped for air as the cathartic thrill receded. My ears were left ringing, the echo of a thousand magic bolts taking its sweet time to leave them.

Only when I pulled the lever on the side of the first gun and a warm, dimmed crystal was ejected into the grass did I notice how outnumbered the defenders were. All of this, two energy crystals full of death and destruction, and it barely seemed to matter.

A Roc attempted to divebomb me. I reached for the second lever, pulled it back, and heard the telling ka-ching as the metal bolt pushed another crystal into the chamber.

I ducked - and fired.

In the end I lost track of how long I held my position. Rocs continued to take their toll on the other gun crews, tearing guards apart with their beaks or carrying them off with their claws only to shred them to pieces in mid-air. Yet we were trying to fight tidal waves while armed with nothing but buckets, and it showed.

Eventually it was their ground forces that got me.

Timberwolves and tigers had suddenly turned their attention on me, ignoring everything else to go after the bitch that was shredding their air superiority. I noticed them too late to turn the guns around. Prepared to light them up with a spell of my own I channeled my magic into my horn and—

One of them bit down into my leg. I screamed out in pain, and with my focus broken, the spell dissolved.

“Why, you little spawn of Tartarus—!”

I struggled to free my hooves from the wires. He tore at my leg and yanked me around, onto the ground and away from the gun.

…the gun!

I bit down onto the wire and ripped it off my fetlock. Digging both forehooves into the dirt, I tried to remain in place as my telekinesis reached out for the guns.

The last thing I needed was blasting myself into pieces. Then again, the same went for losing a leg because I hesitated too long. I found a middle ground between safe targeting and haste, and mentally pulled back the lever.

The left gun—the only one in my hold—opened up. Scorched wooden splinters exploded around me as I moved the barrel in a circle, mowing the beasts down one by one. Covering my head with my hooves at some point, I was eventually forced to blind-fire.

A tempest of magic energy, bloodthirsty monsters, and burning corpses revolved all around me, making me the literal center of the storm for much longer than I was comfortable with.

I knew something was wrong when dirt and grass around me stopped exploding upwards. I raised my head just in time to witness two timberwolves tearing the gun off its mounting and disassembling it with their teeth.

My hoof reached out for my backup knife. The timberwolves jumped off the wagon, baring their teeth at me.

I got into a combat stance, careful not to put too much weight on my injured hind leg. “Try me, fuckers!”

Something zipped through the air. The first timberwolf was thrown back at least ten steps, its body landing several lengths away from its head.

A shimmering blur flew straight through the other timberwolf, splitting its head like an axe striking, well, timber. I caught Forte at the corner of my vision, weaving in and out of the remaining ground forces with her dancing blades, slicing and cleaving and cleaving and slicing.

Ebony charged down the thickest collection of monsters like a train, sending them flying with each slash.

Because bad luck was the order of the day, some of the tigers slipped through and barreled towards me.

I’d nearly broke off my concentration to fight them off when a certain zebra jumped into my vision and cut them down.

“You beautiful bastards!” I screamed through the sound suppression and gunfire.

“I’m also grateful to see you alive!” She yelled back, slicing off the jaw of a timberwolf. “We still have quite the fight ahead of us, but we must succeed and thrive!”

Forte and Ebony followed shortly after carving a path, covering me from all sides. “Our forces are focusing on crowd control as we speak. It will be close.” Forte said.

“I’m ready for action on your call, Elytra.” Ebony offered.

I was about to send them to help clear out the gun batteries when I remembered a certain changeling and dragon who were facing even more of a dire crisis. “Zecora, I need you to stick around and keep those bastards off my back. Forte, Ebony, pursue the warlord inside the castle! Assist however you can, but be careful! Warlords are not to be underestimated!”

“Clearly,” Ebony nodded at the gaping hole in the castle walls. “Zecora, mind keeping her safe for me?”

“Of course,” Zecora nodded. Ebony and Forte nodded back and rushed for the castle.

*Thorax, I have Forte and Ebony inbound your position to help.*

*Yes, please! I-I mean, thank you, my Overlord.*

I rolled my eyes.

Why can’t he be more confident like this brother?

With Zecora at my side, I was able to focus on taking out the Rocs. There were some close calls with those attempting to divebomb me, but crystal shells to the face were a powerful deterrent.

My thoughts drifted back to the warlord. Even with Forte and Ebony, they were still outclassed by a vastly superior opponent. They needed more help. More power.

More power…

*Elly,* Mum called on the hive network, *can you do me a solid and get on a Typhoon?*

She wants me specifically on a typhoon? What could she be—

The flare of pathos inside the castle caught my attention. It was brief, a ripple in a sea of pathos, but I knew that had to be the warlord. A plan most diabolical came to me in a bolt of inspiration.

*I’m a little busy, but I’ll do so as soon as I clean up. What do you have in mind?*

*On my call, I’m going to need you to shoot an explosive shell at the forward base.*

*...What the hay are you up to this time?*

Chapter 34: Attack on Ponyville - Part 4

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Spike

The castle shook from the force that crashed through another of its walls like a wrecking ball. All I could do was stay crouched inside one of the few guest bedrooms we had left, barely breathing out of horrified tension. I clutched my trembling knife hand to keep it still, another claw clenched on the bed’s covers I used for both hiding and emotional support. I was never going to look at ‘hide and seek’ the same after this.

“Hey Thorax,” I whispered into my Dragon Whisper, “where is he?”

*North of your position, Spike. I’m guessing two guest rooms away, three at most.*

I mentally visualized the castle layout. The maze of intersections and crossing paths I knew like the back of my hand. “Three guest rooms and a janitor closet.”

Another wall collapsed, louder than the one before. I took a deep breath, preparing myself for the inevitable.

“...And there goes the closet. Are you in position?”

*Yes,* Thorax whispered. *This is insane, by the way.*

“You got any better ideas?”

*An unhealthy amount of ordinance.*

“...There’s a healthy amount?”

Another wall collapsed.

*Not good. I think he’s somehow tracking your general direction.*

“Any idea how?”

*Still trying to figure that out. Where are you exactly?*

“Hiding behind a bed.”

*...Bad idea.*

“Why?”

The warlord answered me in the form of rushing wind, metal screaming against crystalline material, and what I could only assume was exploding furniture.

I gulped, lowering my voice even more. “...He’s clearing every room he’s in, isn’t he?”

*Sorry.*

“Ugh, alright. Gonna prep for breach behind the entry door. Incoming gift.”

I sheathed the Niekinis dagger, unhooked the sheath and blew fire over it. It disappeared in a flash. Care package sent, I quickly went to work.

Quiet as a feather, I moved from behind the bed to the double door, slipping through and leaving open a crack just big enough for me to peek into the room. Drawing the second blade from my hip, I kept low and waited.

*Spike, the warlord’s coming into your room now. Brace!*

On cue, the warlord shoulder-charged into the bedroom, bringing with him a hurricane of blades. He chopped up the furniture like a blender. That’s when I sent my signal: a tiny ball of flame sent via dragon mail to Thorax.

The warlord paused, turned around, then stepped towards my door. My heart hammered against my chest, blade nearly falling loose in my clammy grip.

Crap, crap, cra—

Emerald light flooded the room just as the warlord turned his head down the destroyed path he had carved, lifting an arm in time to block a giant green fireball.

He took the bait! Get ‘em!

A purple blur slipped under the warlord’s legs amidst the exploding green fireball Thorax had hurled at him. The warlord dropped to one knee as a Niekinis blade tore through his thigh. He spun and faced Thorax—disguised as me—and rushed him, wound already healing.

The warlord’s sword fought the room more than Thorax. Thorax weaved under and around his legs, stabbing and slashing wherever he could. The warlord was forced to dance to avoid losing his legs, stomping and slashing, trying his hardest to catch the nimble changeling.

When his back was turned to me, that was my second cue.

“Thorax, switch...!”

Backflipping to dodge a blade swipe, Thorax spat a fireball at his face. Just as the warlord raised his arm to block, I pounced. My blade dug into his back.

In the middle of his pained howl, the warlord’s tail snaked around my arm. The warlord’s glare burned into my skull as he looked over his shoulder.

“Arrogant whelp!” With a whip, I was slammed into the wall hard. Then again. And again.

On the third slam, the grip on my blade loosened. Reflexed saved me, catching the falling blade with my free hand and slashing upward at the tail hard enough to force him to drop me. I fell to the ground in a stagger, reeling.

A silver glint caught my eye, followed by slicing wind and sharp cursing from the stumbling warlord. His blade had fallen from the lost grip of his severed wrist. On the wall opposite from the doorway was an embedded Niekinis dagger.

I sprinted around the warlord and down the warpath he created, just in time to avoid a cyclone of fury as he picked up his sword and spun wildly.

Thunderous footsteps followed behind me and were closing in fast.

*Switch! Smoke next left!*

Reminded of the wargear Elytra provided me earlier, I unhooked and squeezed a gray sphere twice. The rubbery item bubbled and expanded like a soda bottle ready to burst. Approaching the next room, I rolled it towards the door and dashed for it. Wind tickled the back of my neck from another blade swing.

A sharp hiss came from the smoke bomb. It instantly filled the space in chalky black smoke. Thorax rushed past me as I made a sharp left and nearly threw myself to the ground to keep low.

Then it hit me; he no longer had my blade!

I hurried my second blade into its sheath. “Incoming gift.” My flames washed over it, mailing the blade to Thorax. Despite the pain screaming all over my back and arm that had been squeezed by the warlord’s tail, I refused the temptation to lay down and recover while Thorax fought for his life. Fighting through the terrible ache, I followed—more like limped—behind the thrashing warlord from the otherside of the wall, trailing the sounds of combat.

Until Thorax was punched through the wall.

I barely stifled my scream and scampered back in time to avoid being spotted by the warlord. Thorax bounced to his feet and, after seeing where I was, ran the opposite direction just before the warlord could crush him with a jumping stomp.

“Running will only make you die tired, whelp!” He pursued Thorax, tiles crushing with each step of his heated pursuit.

Wait a minute… that hallway…!

“Thorax, that hallway leads to a dead end!” I warned through the whisper.

Thorax stumbled slightly in his run before placing a claw on his chest. “Gimme an exit. I’ll take anything.”

Exit... exit... what exit? How do I save him?

I quickly ran through some options. Catching up was not one of them, still winded from getting crunched into the wall. Had one dagger left. One smoke bomb. Two melter bombs and two phosphor bombs.

...Huh. I think it’s crazy enough to work.

Nothing else in mind, I grabbed one of each bomb and did some quick math. Then I opened the whisper to Thorax.

“Whatever you do, don’t touch whatever I’m about to send you. Just keep running.”

*Huff… puff… alright!*

Elytra’s tutorial on these bombs mentioned a combination of magic and alchemy that allowed one to “cook” these bombs after priming them for detonation. If this worked the way I think it did, it would give Thorax some breathing room. After double checking my calculations, I primed each bomb and dragon mailed them to Thorax.

The first one to reach Thorax was a smoke bomb, rolling under his feet and exploding right behind him. As the warlord charged headlong into the smoke, the second and third bomb appeared and exploded just a little further behind Thorax. I couldn’t see the initial explosion due to the smoke, the sharp hiss and acid splattering all over the floor and nearby walls were my only indication. Phosphorus bombs were a different story.

Smoke was dispersed from the force of the explosion, white hot flames enveloping everything just behind Thorax. The warlord stumbled back from the flames and onto the acid riddled floor.

“Hit him with your magic! Don’t let him move!” I shouted through the whisper.

Thorax grounded himself to a sliding halt and turned, spitting fireball after fireball.

“Foolish reptile!” Despite the white flames and burning acid coating his body, it still did little to hurt him as he blocked the fireballs with his sword. “You will need more than that to take me dow-AAARRRrrrggh~”

Lucky for us, he was not my target.

The floor gave way to the acid and fire, crumbling under the warlord like wet paper. Vicious cursing tore from the warlord’s lungs as he plummeted to the bottom floor with a loud thump.

Thorax wasted no time and dropped his disguise, fluttering over the demolished landscape and towards me. “Excellent thinking!”

“More like excellent luck. Now let’s make ourselves scarce before he comes back to return the favor.”

“You read my mind.”

We dashed as fast as our legs could carry us to the otherside of the castle, throwing ourselves into one of the other spare rooms to catch our breath. Suddenly, Thorax perked up.

“I got good news,” he spoke between pants, “Overlord Elytra sent us Ebony and Forte to help. I need you to coordinate with them though.”

“Got it,” I linked up to Sergeant Forte. “Just got the message. We’re on the upper floor. Ugly got sent to the lower floor, but he will be back up before long and not too happy, so watch yourself.”

*Understood. Stay away if you can until we arrive. I’ll convey your message to Sergeant Ebony.*

“Wilco. Keep me up to date on your location once you’re in the castle. I’ll do the same.”

*As you wish.*

Releasing the whisper, I slumped onto my back and took some deep breaths. That’s when my spine decided to remind me of the beating I took earlier. “Ugh, my back is killing me.”

“My everything is killing me,” Thorax groaned as he dropped his butt next to me. “I haven’t been punched that hard since Sergeant Shine’s ‘stress test’.”

“...What?”

“Don’t ask.”

“Fine.”

A pause.

“...How in Tartarus are we going to take that guy down?” I exasperated.

“A lethal hit with a Niekinis blade would do the trick. Otherwise, we would need to hit him really, really hard just like anything else.”

A lengthy pause followed. Thorax’s brow furrowed. “Spike, sit up.”

I sat up quickly, instantly regretting it as aches traveled up my spine. “What’s up?”

Thorax maneuvered behind me, stripping off the armor that had gotten severely cracked earlier. “I’m going to heal you.”

“I appreciate it, but take care of yourself first—”

“Quiet,” Thorax lowered his voice even more. “Something’s wrong. I need you at full strength just in case.”

The moment he brought it up, it hit me like a brick. “It’s too quiet.”

“Exactly. He’s changing his strategy.” Thorax made a sound with his mouth like he was gathering himself up for a huge spit. Something hot and wet was slapped on my back. I jumped.

“Dude, did you just slap a loogie on my back?!”

“Changeling alchemy. Don’t think too hard about it.”

“What are you talking abou—oooh…!” I shuddered as a soothing chill sunk into my scales and coursed throughout my back. All the pain from earlier was washed away in a blanket of cool, comforting goo.

Thorax’s labored breathing took me out of my relaxation. I glanced over my shoulder to catch him looking worn out.

“I’ll be fine,” Thorax said before I could say anything. “I know I don’t look like it, but I’m made of tougher stuff.”

I hated watching him look so miserable while he was taking care of me. Not knowing what the warlord was up to made things even more stressful. I may not have known him for long, but he’s saved my life just as much as I saved his at this point. I owed him something. “Is there anything I can do to help? Maybe give you some food?”

Thorax smiled weakly. “That is awfully nice of you to offer, but I don’t want to feed off you.”

“Just a little bit won’t hurt. Besides, I will also need your help. Or do you think I can solo that warlord?”

Thorax attempted to answer, only to hesitate. “I-I guess you got me there. Just relax and think about something that makes you happy. If it starts to hurt, tell me to stop, alright?”

A distant, muffled creak echoed down the hall. We both froze, wide eyed.

“J-Just hurry up. He’s here!” I whispered and closed my eyes. Trying to think happy thoughts when the train of doom was approaching at full speed was not the easiest feat in the world. My only solace was knowing I would be helping Thorax out like he did for me.

I didn’t know what to expect from him feasting on my emotions, but pleasant was not one of them. A lot of the tension and anger settled in me were pulled from my body and through my back as if literally sucking the cold out of me. Guess it doesn’t hurt as long as they’re not being forceful. Good to know.

As relaxation and mellowness hit me, my mind drifted to simpler times. Reading books with Twilight. Helping Rarity with her shop. Playing Ogres and Oubliettes with Discord and Big Mac—

Another, louder creak echoed down the hall.

Sweet Celestia he’s getting closer—no, focus. Quicker I help Thorax, sooner I can get both of us out of here alive and healthy.

I mentally scrambled for the next happiest memories. Among those, training with Flash and learning about changeling culture with Noble floated through my mind. The quality time I spent with them, especially last night.

And then that kiss from Noble.

“Just happy is fine,” Thorax said. “Arousal helps but I don’t want you distracted.”

I jumped, heat rushing through my face. “It… it was an accident! It just happened! I-It was her fault!”

“...What?”

“F-forget it! Just hurry up!”

Another door creak. Next door.

Thorax refitted my armor as quickly and quietly as possible and gave my shoulder two light taps. Looking over my shoulder, he made a motion to me with his hoof to stay quiet and follow him to the bed. Specifically under it. Considering the door knob was jiggling, I was in no position to argue options.

We narrowly slid under the bed when the door slowly opened. Yet, I saw nothing. Whatever Thorax saw on the other hand left him petrified. I was lost until I caught the sound of armored boots landing gently on tile, followed by a sniff.

“Their pathos is even weaker now. No doubt changeling interference. Clever little runts.”

I paled. He can turn himself invisible? How is that fair?! Wait, what was that about our pathos? I had pathos?

My musings stopped when Thorax tapped on my hand and motioned me to follow him again. Quietly. Thank the stars changeling armor was made for stealth operations.

The window was punched open, shattered glass spilling out of and into the room.

“I know they’re here some—what!?”

The bottom frame of the window was crushed under the invisible warlord’s grip. “By the blood, what is the emperor doing? Has he...no, that’s impossible!”

While the warlord was busy stressing over… something,Thorax made his move. Quiet as a mouse, he slid out from under the bed and hurried towards the door. I did the same.

Until cracked glass crunched under my foot.

Shit…!

Metal plates shifted, followed by an angry huff coming from near the window. I jumped for the door. The floor where I stood a moment ago split apart from the force of a heavy broadsword. Time to go.

Idea in mind, I tapped Thorax’s shoulder and pointed in the opposite direction before running. The wall exploded into splinters and crystal, heavy steps hot behind my heels. As expected, he was dead set on ‘settling our score’.

Approaching the nearest corner, I primed a phosphor bomb and let it drop behind me. The moment it detonated I darted down the eastern hall and dove into the nearest room, closing the door behind me. His footsteps vanished.

Hugging the wall, I took a huge gulp of air.

*I lost visual! He just phased through the eastern wall. Where did you go?*

“For the love of…”

Forcing back tears of frustration, I shoulder tackled out of the room.

The wall crumbled under the weight of the warlord’s invisible attack as it narrowly missed me, followed by him muttering “For the love of…!”

Never had I been more thankful for all of those endurance runs I went through with Flash.

The warlord was relentless in his chase, always trying to outmaneuver my every move. Disappear in a room? He would just phase through a wall. Try to bait him into going the wrong way? Not when he would try to jump ahead to cut me off. Had Thorax not been providing critical intel from wherever he was hiding, I would’ve been one dead dragon.

I was just about at wits end when a magical voice reached me.

*We’re in the castle. Where are you?*

Sergeant Forte…!

“Second floor! The warlord is invisible! Only Thorax can see him!”

*Got it.*

I switched channels to Thorax. “Thorax, rendezvous with the team in the castle and regroup on me!”

*I can’t leave you! You’ll die if you can’t see him!*

“I sure as Tartarus ain’t living if this continues much longer! Just do it!”

*A-alright. Don’t take any chances!*

A little too late for that buddy…

Drawing my last knife from the tail, I clutched the remaining melter bomb in the other hand and rolled into a one-eighty turn to face him. “A-alright, enough running! Let’s do th-ACK!”

A force hit my stomach hard enough to lift me into the air, knocking out whatever oxygen was left in me. Another hit to the gut sent me skidding across the floor.

“I was wondering when you would finally listen to your true nature,” ghostly blue returned to the warlord’s features as he walked towards me.

I gasped for breath, swearing a rib or two was broken. “You—gasp—know nothing about me!”

The warlord stopped and crouched in front of me. “Changeling Intelligence is quite impressive, Spike the Brave and Glorious.”

A swift kick to the stomach sent me rolling further down the hall. I couldn’t even scream, curled on the floor clutching my definitely broken ribs. At least I left him a parting gift.

Acid splattered all over the hallway, white liquid eating away the castle interior like no tomorrow. It didn’t seem to do anything to the towering dragon knight except cover him in gunk. “If I had weak, malleable flesh like yours, that might’ve actually worked.” He continued walking towards me, unimpeded by the bomb.

Buy time. I just need to buy a little more time. No matter what it takes.

Clutching my stomach, I slowly rose onto my feet, fighting back tears and the urge to cry out. I didn’t dare ask myself what other bones were worth breaking in me. Judging from the look he gave me, he was eager to answer that unsavory question.

No matter what it takes...

“Despite our differences, you have my respect,” the warlord lugged his sword over his shoulder as he approached me. “I fully expected to flay the enemy commander and cut you down in one fell swoop. But you bought them time and cured my boredom.” His head tilted at me. “You seem confused.”

I didn’t say anything, not that I could without screaming in agony.

After a beat, the warlord chuckled. “Ah, perhaps you expected me to simply kill you and be done with it. At this moment, you’re worth more to me alive. Perhaps you can become my very own champion if you survive a little longer.”

Worth more alive? Why would he—

It dawned on me.

I activated the Dragon Whisper. “Thor—”

A ghostly fist cracked my jaw, blinding me with stars and pain. “Ah, ah, ah, I can’t have you spoiling my fun.”

Metal sabatons crashed down on my knife hand, pulling a cry out of me.

“As the changelings say: a bird in the hoof is worth two in the bush. A truly inspired approach to catching prey. That changeling will come for you, hopefully with a vengeful prince and reinforcements for me to play with. Perhaps he too will gain the courage to face his doom as you have.”

Hurried clopping echoed in the distance.

“Right on cue. Do me a favor and look helpless, won’t you? Allow me to help you along.” He brought up his foot and dropped it hard.

A thin purple barrier appeared between his foot and my arm.

A growl slipped from the warlord as he glanced at the adjacent room, door ajar. I used the opportunity to get my hand and blade out of stomping range and roll away. With a quick look, I found the savior of my arm.

“That dragon is under the protection of the Crystal Empire!” Coming out of what I realized had been my room was Shining Armor, flashing the fiercest glare I’ve ever seen from him. “Anyone who messes with him has to answer to us.”

“Us…? Ah, the changeling who is com—” The sentence died on the warlord’s tongue as he glanced at the pony rushing around the corner and galloping—more like screaming—towards him.

Sergeant Thorn charged for the warlord with the fury of a thousand angry ponies. The warlord rolled his shoulders as he faced him. “Hmph. Fool!” He flung his sword at him. My heart skipped a beat as it connected… with an illusion? “What?!”

As the illusion faded, Sergeant Forte emerged from invisibility on the left side of the hall, horn blazing with silver magic. The real Sergeant Thorn was also pulled out of Forte’s invisibility spell, coming at him from the other side.

“Your parlor tricks won’t save you!” The warlord conjured a second blade and prepared to throw it, only to be stopped by the wrath of a gorilla who dropped from the ceiling and delivered the most satisfying of haymakers to his armored face.

A pained howl left him as he was knocked off his feet and sent flying down the hallway. The moment he recovered, landing on the ground in a sliding crouch, he was instantly assaulted by Sergeant Thorn and Shining Armor bearing down on him. With a battle cry that shook the castle, the warlord clashed at them.

My attention went from the fight to the friendly faces approaching me. “That was too close for comfort.” Thorax said, voice deep from the gorilla form.

I gave him a weak thumbs up. “Heroes always come in at the last minute, right?”

Forte put my hand down. “Relax yourself while I patch you up. Thorax, please assist against the warlord.”

“Alright. Take care of him for me.” Thorax transformed into his default form and charged at the dueling warlord while Forte went to work.

Silver light radiated from her horn and scanned my body. Her brow scrunched. “You got worked over pretty hard. I can get you moving, but you won’t be in any shape to do more fighting.”

Something crashed through a wall where the fighting was. I tried to look, but Forte grabbed my snout and forced it back on her. “Don’t. Stay focused on what’s important. You have a very important job to do, remember?”

A job more important than saving my friends? What could be more than—

That’s when I realized what she meant. There was still a huge war out there, and I needed to help everypony stay connected. But I couldn’t bring myself to let any of my comrades die fighting the warlord if I could help it. Seeing that Forte wasn’t going to give me a choice, I slowly nodded and forced myself to only look at her.

Her magic levitated a bunch of medical items from her satchel and began mending me. For the internal wounds, a combination of healing magic and syringes filled with colorless goop did wonders to keep my screaming pains under control.

An explosion shook the building, followed by Sergeant Thrown flying overhead.

Without looking, Forte caught him with her magic and placed him on the ground.

“Thanks!” And back into the foray he went. Forte hadn’t even bat so much as an eyelash.

“Um…”

“Just relax.”

“It’s kinda hard after seeing that—ow!” I winced from the sudden pressure Forte put in her bandage tightening around my stomach.

“I said relax.” Her glare gave me the opposite sensation, but I gulped and nodded nonetheless.

After a few more moments of mending and trying my damndest to not look at what was going out, Forte stood up and packed up her equipment. “Done. Stay safe and keep us connected.”

“Yes, ma’am!” I saluted.

Forte flashed me a smile before diving into the fight with the warlord. I took this time to finally get myself on my feet and assess the damage.

Thorn led the charge against the warlord, swinging his huge sword with the skill and ferocity of a masterful berserker. Thorax, who still had my Niekinis dagger, attacked the warlord’s flank with swift cuts, occasionally transforming to either a big creature like a bear or gorilla to deliver a stunning blow, or a smaller, slippery creature like a snake to dodge a deadly cut. Shining Armor and Forte shined in their support roles of, Shining Armor shielding his teammates while Forte attacked with magic bolts.

Even still, the battle was not nearly one-sided.

Ebony and Thorax could only land glancing blows as the warlord pivoted and danced around their attacks, countering lightning quick strikes that were barely held back by Shining Armor’s shielding. Forte’s spells did little damage, only serving to annoy him or blind him just before he could land a lethal blow that Shining needed time to deflect. He was clearly faster and stronger than everyone else.

As much as I wanted to dive in and help, it was clear I would only slow us down.

First thing’s first, I need to reach out to the artillery team and—

*Spike, I need your help!*

...Or start with Elytra. That works too.

“Talk to me, Elytra.”

*My mother has a plan to save the frontline, but we need you ready to coordinate. Are you available to do so?*

“Wish I could. This warlord just won’t let up.”

*I have something in mind for that bastard. I can’t distract Thorax, so it’s all on you. I’ll only have one shot to catch him off guard.*

“What are you planning?”

*Shoot him with a Typhoon.*

I blinked. “As in, we bring him outside?”

*Can’t imagine it will be that simple. But I’m a good enough shot to get him inside as long as I know where he is. He’s easier to sense when pissed off.*

“That’s insane!”

*Says the dragon who snuck up on one last night.*

“That’s completely different!”

*Believe me, it’s not that I don’t trust you all to be able to fight him, but I’d rather remove any chance he has of killing any of you or getting away. The sooner he dies, the sooner we can focus on the rest of the fight. If you are absolutely certain you don’t need me, let me know now. I will only have one shot at this and not a lot of time to make a call.*

I looked up again at the fight against the warlord. While they were giving him a hard time, the warlord was clearly just getting started while everypony else was battling exhaustion as much as the warlord himself. Firing a Typhoon of all things inside the castle was insane. Yet, even with the reinforcements I knew this fight would only end with some—or most—of us dead before the warlord was taken down. I wanted to ask the others for their thoughts, but I couldn’t risk distracting them.

Get a grip! This is what Noble trained me for! We can’t afford to wait for a miracle. I need to make a call that saves as many ponies as possible. Even if I don’t like it, it’s all we got until something comes along.

“Alright, Elytra. Let’s do it your way.”

*Just trust me and have everyone ready to keep that warlord still and stay out of the way when I tell you. Trying to get into position.*

“Alright. I trust you, Elytra.”

*You better.* I swore I caught a hint of amusement in her tone.

Crazy as her idea was, all that mattered was getting ready to execute it. Just in case, I decided against getting comms going so I could have full focus. Instead, I followed the fight closely and activated my dragon whisper to Shining Armor.

“Elytra has something planned for the warlord. She’s going to fire a typhoon at him. Depending on how fast this needs to happen, I will probably need your magic to keep us safe.”

Dodging a blade throw, Shining stepped back to message me. *You can’t be serious.*

“Elytra says she can get him. I’m willing to trust her.”

*If she misses by even a little bit, we’re not walking away in one piece.*

“I’m not seeing a lot of options. I just… I don’t want any of you to die, and I don’t know any other way to take him down for sure. Even together we can barely touch him.”

Shining grunted with exertion as he threw out a few more shields to cover Ebony and Thorax. From the way Shining grunted after blocking a sword strike, even his amazing barriers were meeting their match. “Alright, Spike. I’ll trust you on this one.”

As the fight dragged on, shifting from hall to hall, room to room, I lagged behind just far enough to keep an eye on the action without getting involved. Minutes passed like hours as I waited for Elytra to give me the green light. Exhaustion was clear on everyone’s faces while the warlord didn’t show any signs of slowing down. Couldn’t help but wonder how in the world I got away with killing the first warlord.

*I’m in position. I cannot stress enough that I will only have one shot at this, so your direction will be vital. Are you still near the warlord?*

“Yeah. We’re in the hall leading to the council room. About four rooms away from Twilight’s bedroom.”

A pause. *Okay. I have an idea of where to target. Think you can get that warlord into the center of the council room and keep him still?*

“We can barely keep ourselves alive. How can we keep him still?”

*I only need him to stay still for a few seconds. Preferably with nopony else too close to him.*

“Only a few seconds, huh? I might be able to keep him focused on… oh find me in the alley!” I groaned. Can’t I catch a break? “This better work. The moment I give you the word, do your thing.”

*Of course. I won’t miss.*

“Hope not for everypony’s sake.” I switched the channel to Shining Armor. “We need to keep him still at the center of the council room. I’m gonna do something to draw his attention. Have everyone ready to back me up and follow my lead.”

“Alright. Just be careful, Spike,” Shining Armor grunted.

I sucked in a deep breath. Alright Spike, you can do this! No fear, yes I can…!

Lowering myself, I took on a sprinting position.

“No fear…”

A deep, long breath. Everyone was counting on me. This could not fail.

I. Cannot. Fail.

“Yes I CAN!”

I burst towards the warlord. Dancing between Forte and Shining, weaving past Ebony, I slashed at his thigh and kept running. I didn’t have to look, only hear his hefty sabatons stomping to know I caught his attention.

Looking back, my teammates followed closely, exchanging words with Shining while the warlord was closing the distance fast. Despite my freshly mended wounds beginning to reopen and shoot pain through my ribs, I continued pushing forward with everything I had.

I bashed through the large double doors with my shoulder, narrowly missing a claw swipe that cleaved part of the door and nearly my head. With a leap, I hopped atop the cutie map and turned to face the warlord, who jumped on top with me. He wasted no time coming at me.

He’ll know what’s up if I hesitate. I can’t run away from this.

I rolled forward to dodge the overhead slash.

I refuse to run! Everyone’s counting on me!

I roared into a slash into his thigh and bounced to the side to avoid a kick. As Death stared down on me, daring me to run, I glared back. An unearthly scream tore out of my lungs as I lunged, pushing out soul crushing fear in favor of courageous stupidity.

I rushed him with a flurry of swipes, cutting into his sword, hands, legs, whatever I could get. Shining Armor’s shield blocked one of his kicks long enough I could dive to the side and slice at the back of his foot. That was finally enough to drop him to his knee.

With a hop, I kicked off his knee and went for his face. Catching his left hook, I braced my shoulder to withstand the brunt of his bunch. Silver magic caught me in mid air and hurled me back at him. He tried to raise his sword, but Ebony slammed down on his blade hard enough to keep it pinned. He tilted his body to the side just enough to avoid losing an eye, though my blade pierced through his cheek.

The warlord’s swings got wilder and faster. Spinning slashes and kicks, crushing hooks and sweeping backhands. Silver and purple magic blocked the lethal strikes, but couldn’t completely save me.

Exhaustion reared its ugly head, slowing me down and forcing everyone else to work that much harder to keep me alive. Narrowly evaded cuts left gashes all over my body. A surge of pain from my early wounds that were still healing paralyzed my spine a second too long left arm limp from an unlucky haymaker that cracked it. That punch threw me to the top of the map long enough for the warlord to pin down my chest with this claw.

Silver and purple magic wrapped around him. Sergeant Thorn managed to plunge his blade through the bastard’s side. Even Thorax, in his giant red dragon transformation, tried to peel him off me. He refused to budge, eyes were still on me as his claws dug through my chest and shoulder scales like swords. Seemed like nothing in the world could tear him off me.

Luckily, my broken arm was pinned to my chest.

Only one chance to take him down. If we miss this shot...

*Spike, I need that call sooner rather than later!*

One chance…

Reaffirming the trust in my teammates, I activated the dragon whisper.

“Center! Cutie Map! Now!”

The reaction wasn’t instant. Instead, there was a second-long gap where all my focus was on the warlord. His expression was filled with hatred as he fought against his magical shackles. He reared up with all his might like a wild animal.

A purple barrier fell over my comrades and I while silver magic pulled everypony except myself away from the warlord. Any attempt for the silver magic to grab me was stopped by the grip of the warlord.

Without warning, the world exploded into light. There was no sound to accompany it, and for the fraction of a moment I saw crystal shatter at the edge of my vision. A bright white line cut diagonally across the room—and right through his spectral body.

It was the last thing I remembered before my shield shattered. Pain exploded in my every limb and my vision went dark.

Noble Heart

With details and approval squared away, phase one of “Operation: Ghostbuster” was well underway.

Since Elytra was in charge of making sure the artillery guns and communications were up and running, I was left to handle the grunt work, including hauling a wagon full of spare explosives alongside the remaining Prism Guard and three Crystal Guard squads. I’d hoped for more, but Max was already stretched thin and needed everypony else to hold the fragile frontline until we were ready.

Once we got to the forward base, we evacuated it and crammed it full of whatever explosives we had, save for a couple of explosive shards to hold the barricade. I didn’t dare to leave our soldiers completely dry of bombs. Everything was proceeding smoothly until the distant sound of an explosion stole my attention. Cadenaz, our resident eye in the sky, burst into the building.

“Love, the castle’s been hit!”

I’d nearly let the crate of bombs on my back slip, stacking one heart attack atop the other. “Say again?” I asked, wide eyed.

“One of our Typhoons just hit the castle! Shot right bloody through it! I can’t raise Spike to confirm his status!”

I reached out to Thorax for some sort of confirmation. I couldn’t feel him through the network. Then I placed a hoof on my chest. “Spike, come in! Spike, respond! ...S-Spike?”

Nothing.

I fought to keep my heart from jumping out of my throat and sought out Elytra through the hive network. *Elly, status report!*

*Still trying to regain control of our guns. I only got the Typhoon I’m using under control. Awaiting word from inside if I caught that warlord between the eyes—*

*Have you lost your fucking mind?! What in All-Mother’s name made you think that was a remotely good idea?*

*It was the most efficient plan I could think of to quickly deal with the Warlord before it could kill anypony! I know it’s a little… unorthodox—*

*”Unorthodox” is infiltrating ponies to save them! Shooting heavy ordinance at the castle with our most important allies inside is ludicrous!*

*Please calm down, Mum! I took every precaution I could work with into account! Still awaiting word from Spike and Thorax if I got a clean hit. Considering I’m no longer sensing the warlord’s presence, either his power is greatly diminished or erased. Just wait for Thorax to call in before you consider throwing me off a cliff, okay?*

I paused to force myself to calm down with a few long breaths. Elly was a great shot. A damn good shot. I tried a few more attempts to raise Thorax or Spike with no success. Every failed attempt sapped strength from my trembling legs.

I needed some assurance Spike and the others would be alright.

Something.

Anything!

*...Probability of them getting caught up in the blast, Elly?*

A small burst of panic filtered the network. *Mum, I… Spike knew to stay clear of the warlord before clearing me to fire. He wouldn’t have made that call if they weren’t safe. I think.*

Elly’s hesitation shot straight into my chest, stealing my breath. If Spike was forced to make the call while in danger close…!

The world around me faded and crumbled under my hooves. An invisible icy grip clenched at my throat.

Spike...

*Mother… I—*

*Overlord, my Shadow, the warlord is down! We’re all alive!* Thorax’s voice cut into the thick silence.

“YOU DAMN WELL BETTER BE!”

Everypony within earshot stopped to gawk at me. I froze, realizing that was also spoken verbally. I retreated before anypony could ask and planted myself in the nearest corner. *Thorax, what’s Spi—everyone’s status?*

*Shining Armor conjured a shield just in time to cover us while Sergeant Forte pulled most of us away from the blast. However…* A chill of worry and fear seeped into the network from Thorax. *The warlord had Spike pinned when the shot was made. Shining Armor tried to shield him, but the barrier broke from the shockwave. He… he’s in critical condition.*

*I... I just…* Elytra’s shock flowed through the network like lightning. *why would he tell me to fire when he couldn’t break free? That idiot!*

*Calm yourself, both of you.* I took a deep breath. *I trained Spike to make the tough calls when it counted. He wouldn’t have made the call carelessly.* Another pause to shake the dread constricting my heart. *Thorax, make sure Spike gets through this alive and assist with communications. Elly, I need you ready to make the shot at the forward base when I call it. Timing and precision are your top priority above all else.*

*By your will, my Shadow.*

*Yes, Mother.*

I hadn’t even noticed my sergeants crowding me until I tore my attention from the hive mind. “What?”

“You look like somepony kicked your puppy. Talk to us,” Shine Spark said.

I frowned. “When the Typhoon was used to kill the warlord, Spike was within danger close. He’s in critical condition.”

Shock rippled through my sergeants, including a sharp curse from Shine Spark. “I swear, if he doesn’t make it—”

“He will,” I cut her off. “The more pressing matter is losing our dragon comms for the rest of this fight. I’ll need to rely on Max’s backup plan to keep our timing on point. In the meantime, we need to hurry and finish loading up the explosives and take position. We don’t have all day, so let’s move!”

A brief, worrying glance was exchanged between the sergeants before they saluted me. “Aye, ma’am!” They went to work, not hiding the extra weight of worry I dropped on their shoulders. I caught Vivi’s gaze lingering briefly towards the direction of the castle. Cadenaz’s attention was on me for a moment before refocusing on his task. As I levitated the crate off my back and onto the floor, I couldn’t help but glance out the window and towards the castle myself.

You better make it out of this. I’m not finished with you.

*Mum, the enemy is losing coordination. Killing that warlord must’ve done the trick to make them lose their focus.

*Not quite, Elly. Maybe for a moment, but their warmaster would quickly retake control. However, if something happened to the warmaster as well, that would no doubt cripple their coordination. Any sign of them getting desperate?*

*Outside every Roc and monster in the world coming after me?*

*...I suppose that was a foolish question. Do your duty and be ready for my call.*

*Yes, Mum.*

Turning my attention back to my own tasks, I doubled my pace to get everything moving. Though I had no proof, I just knew Flash was doing something to be a pain in the ass to the warmaster. The monsters were still a major threat by all means, but the loss of direction would likely make them more single-minded and direct. This was perfect timing to start corralling the creatures before Malice regained control of his hateful horde.

With a building stuffed with enough explosives to incinerate anything remotely near the impact zone, we shifted to phase two. This was a little easier, as all we had to do was set up the barricade and give the word to Max to let the dogs loose.

Of course—since no plan truly survives contact with the enemy—a hitch reared its ugly head when a red flare launched into the air, bursting like a firework display.

“That… came from the front, didn’t it?” Shine Spark gulped.

I nodded. No doubt the frenzied beasts got more aggressive than we were ready for. “The front is crumbling. Got no choice but to start early. Sergeants, on me!”

My sergeants, plus the three loaned to me, regrouped on my position. I paused to measure everypony present with a glance, assessing their readiness before giving them the boost they needed.

“We don’t have long, so I’m going to make this short. Not a single monster gets through you. We are the line in the sand between victory and defeat! Go to your post and fight for not just for your life, but the lives of every damn pony in Ponyville! Soldiers, are you ready?”

Respective weapons rose to the fair with a mighty cheer and simultaneous shout. “Yes, ma’am!”

“Good, now move out! Go, go, go!”

As my soldiers scrambled to their positions, Vivi lingered for a moment, throwing a hard stare.

“We lost a lot of good soldiers today.”

Sensing the spicy scent of heat in her emotions, a sour taste was left in my mouth. “Every second you waste my time is another second given to the enemy. Whatever you got to say better be worth it.”

Vivi’s glare tightened, sucking in air through her nose.

“Kick their ass, ma’am,” despite the anger and resistance she forced her words through, recognized the ingenuity in her gesture.

We exchanged a nod. A silent oath and understanding of who we were and who the real enemy was. Vivi darted off after the others, leaving me alone with a building ready to blow the enemy to kingdom come. Gathering magic in my horn, I fired a flare into the sky myself, giving Max the green light to part the waves and let them through.

Facing the changeling nightmare of overwhelming force while exposed and cornered, I expected some level of panic or dread that needed squashing. Instead I found a calm I’ve rarely experienced. A primal understanding of what needed to be done. Of what I was capable of versus the tide of fangs and claws rushing toward me.

Not only did I have to face countless numbers alone, the fate of many ponies rested on me not just surviving, but capturing their attention long enough to line up the perfect shot. I was in a changeling’s worst case scenario… and completely fine with it. What’s more, I knew this was exactly what I needed: a clear objective with nothing holding me back.

I was ready to meet Death head on and punch it in the damn face.

Tremors rippled through the earth. A collection of cries and howls in the distance.

...How long has it been since I could really cut loose?

Shadow games are fine, but a refined lady like myself needs to blow off some steam once in a while. Hadn’t really been able to do that since… well, Malice I guess.

The earth seemed to tremble as they got closer. In the distance, beyond the fog of pathos and kicked up dirt I could see the horde of beast storm towards my direction.

Suppose we shall get started then.

“I am the guile mind. Knowledge is my weapon.”

Magic surged through my horn, a beacon of power amidst the empty battleground. Telekinetic forces unsheathed all of my daggers, carefully holding them by the handle. Green flames wrapped around my frame as I transformed.

“I am the strong body. Health is my core...”

An extra layer of chitin shaped itself to become form-fitting plated armor. Ridges sharp enough to cut flesh emerged along my legs, horn and barrel.

“I am the brave soul. Courage is my shield...”

Small vents opened in the center of my back and just below my wings.

“I am the noble heart. Love is my life...”

My translucent green mane flared out through the back of the V-shaped plating on my head, not too different in design from a unicorn helmet.

“We are legion…

My gaze burned with magic through the slit of the helm as I hovered into the air.

“We are victory…!”

Two of the levitating daggers found their way into my forehooves. I could feel as the pathos inside me, dormant and contained for who knows how long, spread and empowered every muscle in my body, transforming my chitin snow white.

“We are shadow!”

With a burst of magic through my jet vents, I propelled myself towards the pile of poor saps who thought they had a chance in Tartarus against me.

I tackled into the grizzly bear leading the charge, shoving into it and plunging deep into the charging beasts with it in tow. Claws and fangs scraped against my tough plating, little more than itches as they tried to grab me. Sufficiently deep into the pack, I flew upwards and dove at them, performing strafing runs with my daggers slipping in and out of their spines and skulls.

One very brave tiger managed to leap onto me during one of my dives, hanging onto my limbs by the teeth. Even a timberwolf managed to latch onto my hind leg. With the help of my jets, I propelled myself upward and, after gaining enough height, plummeted down in a high speed aerial spin. The persistent tiger hung on until it was flattened against another beast below me as I landed atop a rather unlucky timberwolf.

I spun and slashed at who knows how many creatures. Blood and bite marks riddled my chitin as I cut down and sliced open anything that got remotely close. Several reaper vassals leapt out of their hosts to attack me. The daggers I had kept close now zipped through the air and nailed everything that threatened to get close. My blades often found themselves embedded into other roaming creatures, making it easier to retrieve them by the handle with my magic while the remaining creatures caught these hooves of mine. It was a whirlwind of bloodshed, and I was the eye of the storm.

A silver glint caught the corner of my eye. I pivoted underneath the blade just in time and raised my dagger to stab whatever it was in the eye. My blade stopped just in time from gouging out the bloodshot eyes of the Crystal Guard. I had no time to figure out what was going on as he swung his sword wildly, screaming bloody vengeance.

Timberwolves bit at my back and hind legs from behind while I had to duel with the pony trying to kill me. While the wolves couldn’t really bite through my armor, it greatly impaired my movements against the berserker drunk on pathos. I refused to accept killing him as an option to keep my promise to Flash, but that promise got a lot harder to keep as another rogue Crystal Guard pony squeezed his way through the monsters, the aura of pathos burning off him like a bonfire.

Celestia damned hunters!

As the hunter-possessed guard charged at me with a spear, a mass of grizzly bears dogpiled me to keep me immobile. My floating daggers were able to kill the bears on me, yet I was still vulnerable to the two ponies coming at me.

Until the flying corpse of a bear crashed into both of them.

“Noble!”

The bears atop of me were hurled off by the absurd strength of the earth pony who freed me while my floating daggers bought us time. Grateful as I was, I couldn’t help but throw a glare at the redheaded sergeant. “Shine, I told you to leave this to me! That’s an order!”

With a leap, Shine landed next to me, cleaving her sword down a timberwolf’s head. “My boys and girls got it under control. Give them some credit!” With another swing, she sliced open two leaping tigers coming at my flank. “And you’re welcome, by the way!”

Because we didn’t already have a hard enough time, several berserking pegasi guards dove at us from above. I had to duck to avoid getting my head clipped off by their spears. One of those who got dangerously close took a telekinetic blast to the head, knocking him out of the sky and into the monstrous pack.

Spinning around to cut down at the flanking creatures, I noticed a certain sergeant launching magical blasts from the rooftop adjacent to the barricade I designated her to guard. To accurately snipe a target from that distance was a feat that would even impress Elly. This was also when I caught Cadenaz fighting the pegasi above us, dueling several at once with his cutlass.

“You are all idiots!” I screamed into a back kick that caved in a bear’s face.

“And you’re a bigger idiot thinking you had to do everything by yourself!” Shine pivoted around me, slashing upward at a timberwolf so hard it’s splinters rained into the eyes of nearby monsters, making them vulnerable to my blade strikes.

“Not saying I’m ungrateful!” I darted through another group of monsters streaming in, drawing their attention to me rather than the barricade of guards ahead. “I just can’t risk a single one of those monsters breaking through!”

“And they won’t! Hiyaap!” Cadenaz slammed his hooves atop another possessed guard that slipped into the group of monsters, knocking him out. “You’re one of us now, Love, and a Prism never leaves a friend behind!” Another sniper shot zapped some of the bears charging for me, holes smoking in their heads. “See? Even Vivi agrees with us.”

I rolled my eyes, unable to keep myself from grinning. “Fine! We need to get these guards to safety after getting the vassals out of them!”

“We’ll try!” Shine yelled over the roar of the creatures.

Through a combination of my magic, Shine’s strength and Cadenaz’s swiftness, we were able to haul some of the unconscious guards out of the fray and to the barricade for shelter, Cadenaz flying them to safety and zipping back. Any vassals that tried to flee or attack from those soldiers fell to my telekinetic blades. Same could not be said for all the berserking guards.

Cadenaz was mere inches away from one of the fallen guards when the rogue guard was crushed underfoot by the influx of stampeding monstrosities. The world slowed to a crawl.

What are they… no, no, no! Those bastards!

Seeing another pathos-possessed guard, I rushed for him. A swarm of leaping tigers stopped me just long enough to watch him get trampled alongside smaller creatures unable to keep up with the horde. Just like with my changelings, Malice treated ponies and beasts under his command as expendable pawns to further his bloodlust.

Fury burned in my veins. My blood boiled, heart screaming in my ears to stop this madness. With an ear-shattering cry I flung the tigers off me and redoubled my efforts to kill the monsters and rescue whoever we could. I let loose magical blasts more liberally, carving my way through like a buzzsaw to reach the guards and help my sergeants get them out. Even so, there were just too many of them flooding in to make heads or tails where the soldiers were before they ended up killed by the rampaging monsters.

Doubt I could keep my promise to Flash threatened to slip into my thoughts when green light suddenly flooded the combat zone from the flare launched at the frontline. Max’s signal that we’ve hit critical mass.

“Shine, let’s wrap up rescuing who we can and bug out!”

“Alri—”

The ground rumbled.

...You have got to be kidding me…!

Behind the northern barricade, the hydra crashed its way through, ignoring the crystal guard who wisely got out of the way. It’s heated gaze was dead set on me.

“Damn, you really do get Malice’s attention, don’t you?” Shine said, cutting her way through to put distance between her and the approaching hydra.

“Double time on those guards! Get them out before the hydra arrives!”

“On it! Cover me!” While Shine charged her way through the ranks, scooping up whoever she could find that was still breathing, I gave my all to keep the path clear, a storm of blades and magic shredding anything that so much looked at her funny.

*Elly, phase two is done. Are you ready yet?*

*Need more time. Blasted Rocs are swarming us. They’re getting desperate!*

*Make time! We got a hydra breathing down our necks!*

*Understood. I’ll let you know when I get a chance!*

I cursed under my breath.

Didn’t want to do this now, but we may not get a second shot.

I surged magic through my horn, digging deep through my pool of magic.

Don’t know how long my reserves will last doing this, but it’ll have to do. Go hard or die trying.

I flew into the air a few meters ahead of Shine Spark and transformed. And grew.

I landed with a ground-rupturing crash. My roar boomed across the battlefield, giving even the hydra paused as it stared at my equally massive armored black dragon form.

My tail swiped at the approaching waves, scattering them like marbles. Anything that tried to get near Shine Spark was crushed under my hardy talons. I thrashed wildly, flinging monsters left and right. I spewed acidity spray at dozens of creatures attempting to surround us, melting them down to bone in seconds. Every attack I made needed to count, the transformation eating through my magic reserves like a ravenous diamond dog.

A scorching blast struck me on the side, nearly knocking me over. The hydra rushed forward, shooting red beams from its mouth.

“Go, now!” I shouted at my sergeants. Shine Spark had luckily picked up the last soldier we could find in this chaotic battlefield and hauled ass out of there, carrying an impressive number of unconscious guards on her back. Cadenaz helped her keep them balanced as they attempted to escort them. Unfortunately there were just too many creatures between them and the extraction point that was the barricade.

...Unless…

“Vivi!” My deep voice carried through the combat zone as I scooped the unsuspecting Sergeants and guards gently in my large claws. “Catch!”

I trusted my gut and hurled them over the monsters and towards the barricade. I couldn’t quite tell what Shine was yelling at me, though I knew it couldn’t have been anything flattering judging the mix of terror and rage on her face. The timing couldn’t have been better, as I caught a series of magical beams to my side from the hydra that arrived, knocking me over. My only relief came from seeing Shine Spark and the others caught in a bubble of magic from Sergeant Meadows and the other unicorns guarding the path between buildings.

I’d barely recovered, shaking off all the monsters clamouring for me when the Hydra’s heads fell upon me, snapping at anything in their path with mad ferocity. I grabbed some of their necks with claws and teeth and yanked downwards, forcing the both of us to the ground.

We rolled and wrestled, crushing several helpless creatures under our massive bodies. My acidic jaws melted whatever I bit, and the acid began its own fight against the hydra’s impressive regeneration speed. Empowered by several hunters, this beast was no slouch either. Hot teeth suddenly bit through my chitinous armor, and a piercing pain accompanied the crack.

I arched in pain and roared. I rammed my elbow into its chest again and again, but it refused to let go, grinding its teeth through my flesh. Faced with no alternative, I spun around, yanking myself free. I tried to rise up but stumbled back onto all four as the pain took my breath away for a second. Hot wetness ran down my back as my magic struggled to seal the no doubt massive wound.

Spurred by pain and boiling, absolute fury, I jumped forward, grabbed the next head that tried to bite me, and punched claws-first into its throat. Gripping whatever I could, I suddenly ripped tendons and windpipe out alike. The head released a choked squeak, before collapsing.

As I dropped the warm lump of tissue onto the ground and shook the blood off my claws, I found myself yelling at the creature with the deep, voluminous voice of my dragon form. “Go to Tartarus you piece of shit!”

The hydra stumbled back as it tried to rid itself of the dead head that was now only attached to the rest of the body by the remnants of a shattered spine and its thick skin. Its other heads snapped at the dead weight, and I got a feeling that the head could only regrow when fully separated from the body.

I rose up, arms close to my torso, prepared to strike out after the next head that came for me. My attention fell on the trickle of blood running down my hip and trembling legs, and the darkish puddle it had already formed. Breathing was ragged, magical reserves running on fumes. My plan to just stall them had worked out just great.

There was no doubt my strength was superior; as long as my magic managed to both maintain this form and stop me from bleeding out. But I was pretty sure the hydra wouldn’t give me the chance to fight my way through this one head at a time. Not that I had the time left since I had to consume a ton of magic to keep myself from bleeding out.

Inhaling deep, I focused magic through my stomach and towards my throat. One of the heads fired a devastating beam out of its mouth. I countered with a thick fog of acid to obscure it’s vision.

From the mist opposite of the hydra I emerged in my Shadow form, struggling to catch my breath. The mist would keep them busy for at least a few precious seconds. The smaller creatures unlucky enough to get caught in my mist were stripped of their skin and flesh, melting into a puddle within seconds. Unfortunately, this did not stop the onslaught of blind fire lasers ripping through the green mist towards me.

Just as the mist began to clear from the detonating barrage of magical blasts, a familiar tingle fought its way through my war-focused mind. *Ready, Mum! Now or never!*

Using my telekinetic daggers, I hurled them all into all the necks of the approaching beast the instant I got a visual. It got distracted long enough for me to fly away as hard as my wings could carry me.

*Elly, fire! Fire now!*

Pain pierced through my back and left wing as I pushed myself towards the direction of my sergeants. There was a short delay, and for a moment I thought the hydra might be able to catch up with me. Then the telltale boom of a typhoon snapped across the town like a whiplash.

I didn’t turn around as the whistling sound came closer and closer. Only when I had reached allied lines did I allow myself a single glance back. I couldn’t see the shell, though; it pulled no trail, and was incredibly tiny compared to the wide open skies.

What did catch my eyes however was the hydra, which had turned towards the direction of the castle by now. One of its heads was focused on some unknown point in the distance, another suddenly snapped towards the direction of the forward base.

You gotta be… it figured me out?!

With a speed that betrayed its enormous mass, it leapt through the air, throwing itself behind a large building to the east.

As for the shell itself, I knew we wouldn’t get a second warning. Expecting the worst, I ordered my sergeants to duck, kept my own head low as well, and cast a shield spell. I poured as much magic into it as I had left available, and not a second too early.

In the blink of an eye, the air around us turned hot. Not warm like on a summer day, but rather hot like the center of an oven. Straw roofs, stray carts, and wooden facades ignited instantly as if the sun itself had descended upon us. Radiating heat fried everything outside of our shield bubble. As anything that could burn rapidly began to do so, I could only imagine what it did to the unshielded predators.

A shockwave of dust and noise snapped past us faster than the speed of sound; taking away any view we might’ve had and shaking our eardrums to their cores. The wave did its best to push us across the street, but our barricade as well as my shield resisted. For now.

Windows shattered, just before a hailstorm of rubble and other debris erased buildings everywhere around us from the face of the planet. Wooden boards and stone foundations the size of boulders were turned into fatal projectiles. I gasped as one such boulder came blasting through our cover and struck my shield. The force of the impact sent us and our shield bubble skipping across the street like tumbleweed.

A literal wall of fire followed as blazing magic extended from the epicenter like a curtain of annihilation. I felt the heat even through the shield as it washed over us, and an ozone-like reek crept into the bubble, making it hard to breathe.

The earthquakes came last. Whatever buildings had managed to withstand the previous punishments now gave in to tremors stronger than any I had ever experienced. The ground disappeared beneath my hooves; only to return a moment later with a vengeance. We were tossed around inside our bubble, and I completely lost track of where we were within the town.

For all I could tell, the explosion might’ve catapulted us all the way into the forest. There was no way of telling, not as long as those hellish furies raged outside.

It took a while, but slowly yet steadily my magic gained the upper hoof over the everything that was trying to kill us. The tempest outside calmed down, the air became cooler and breathable again, and the mighty tremors became mild aftershocks.

Only when the last piece of debris had fallen down, and only when the last molten boulder had ended its journey of devastation, did I dare to lower my shield and raise my head.

Warmth not unlike a summer dawn greeted my face. Dust and dirt were still floating through the air in waves, but when I opened my eyes I was met with a view that was almost unbelievable.

A huge mushroom cloud, at least thrice as tall as Twilight’s castle, had risen into the skies. Within it, magical fires still raged, lunging out at the clouds now. I could hear the roaring of the flames even through my still ringing ears.

And not just the skies were ablaze. As I looked around, I realized everything else was, too. The heat of the explosion had ignited the buildings, their wooden walls and timber beams, just like the wooden furniture and just about the rest of southern Ponyville that was obliterated.

Everyone in the squad was quiet. Their breaths were rapid, their thoughts spiralled, but their voices were absent. We stood in quiet witness for who-knows-how-long, watching the timbers slowly turn to ash.

By the mother, what have I done?

Before I could ponder over the cost of this victory, a hissing nearby prepared to deny us that very victory itself.

Everyone froze. My sergeants had been quiet before, but now they became dead silent as their breaths stopped and everyone turned their heads towards the source of the hiss.

*Mother, please confirm status and hit.*

We watched in muted horror as a tall figure rose up from the ruins. Grey ash fell off its back like snow, followed by stone and the other debris that had buried it.

*It’s not dead,* I whispered back.

*What?!*

The hydra reached its heads up and roared a battlecry. The head I had maimed was missing now, and another was but a scorched stub, but the three remaining ones were alive and well.

A distant part of me realized that, if it wasn’t using it’s magic to regenerate, it was most likely keeping it at bay for the actual fight.

*It’s! Still! ALIVE!* I yelled through the mind link as we began running.

*How?!*

I dodged half a roof that was thrown at me. *Is that really important now? The motherfucker outsmarted me! I need another volley of AP rounds ASAP!*

*Getting hounded by bloody Timberwolves! I’ll raise you when ready!*

Mid-dodge I looked to my sergeants. Relief of having survived the blast had long since given way to horror once more. Behind us, the hydra was drawing closer, bursting through the burned-out foundations of stores and former homes. Now that our ammo storage was gone and our guns were tied up again, realization slammed down upon me.

They’re about to die.

It was such an obvious conclusion, and at the same time it felt so unreal. We had survived all this, the battle with the wild beasts, the fight against our own possessed allies… These sergeants had faced and overcome terrible horrors, bloodshed, and even the fires of total annihilation, only to succumb to a hoofful of slightly-above-average hunters now?

It felt so wrong, and at the same time I knew it was going to happen anyway.

Unless...

I summoned whatever strength I had left and took off into the air and at the hydra, ignoring the shouts of my distressed sergeants.

The hydra’s loathing gaze refused to leave my troops — until I swiped past its snout, dagger in hoof. The blade ripped deep through the tissue, and the hydra hollered out in pain. I dove down fast and low in order to avoid the vengeance of its teeth, then turned back to charge it again.

It was furious by now, it’s fiery magic breath and tail strikes taking turns in their attempt to ground me. But having its attention now wouldn’t save my team in the long run. A mere gash across its nose would never be enough to keep its focus firmly on me - but something else just might.

I dove down once more, flying circles around the beast’s torso and trunk. On occasion I strafed it with magic bolts, but they were merely there to distract from my actual goal: locating the hunters.

While pathos itself was spread all throughout the hydra’s body, there were significant focal points of it as well. At first I had expected one per head, but perhaps after I had taken two of those from the beast they had changed their strategy. A great deal of pathos was now located around the heart of the hydra; a natural place to root themselves into. But in order to empower every muscle of a creature this large they had to spread, at least as far as I understood them.

I made my find during the second circle around its lower back: a strong pathos signature was located in the tail of the beast. No wonder it was suddenly able to weaponize the giant chunk of otherwise saggy meat with such power and precision.

Coming from the side, I suddenly spun around mid-flight, used all my wingpower to decelerate, and gripped the scales left and right of the tail’s pathos core as I passed by. Instantly it tried to shake me off, but even as I was yanked up and down I gathered all my magic for a single, hyper-focused beam.

It burned through the scales like a drill, and the reek of scorched flesh quickly assaulted my nostrils. The hunter tried to close the wound up, too, but having reacted just a second too late, it wasn’t able to stop me before my spell had fully breached the scales and exposed the much softer tissue below.

I levitated a dagger above the wound and focused all my telekinetic power into the hilt. As the magics gathered, barely clinging onto the tiny fraction of the weapon they were able to touch without dissolving, I felt an impulse of fear coming from the inside of the tail.

The hunter had figured me out once more - but this time, far too late.

“Sayonara, motherfucker.”

I released the spell spell that had held the dagger in place, and the magic that clung to the hilt was unleashed. With a snap like a whiplash the dagger accelerated forward instantly.

I let go of the scales I had been holding on to, gaining distance just in time to witness the dagger breaking through the other end of the tail, dragging a ghostly appearance along with it. Flesh and blood splattered across the ground just as the hunter was nailed to the pavement by the hyperfast blade.

I was so fascinated by the image of the hunter slowly dissolving that I didn’t see the head whipping around like a flail. It got me like a wrecking ball, and I was hurled through the air and towards the forest.

Suits me just fine, I figured through the booming headache and strained wings. A look at my sergeants confirmed that they were already rushing to my help, but I quickly signalled them to stay back.

“You will pay in blood!” One of the heads screamed at me, and I couldn’t help but grin. I had evaporated the majority of Malice’s forces, braced its mightiest monster in direct melee, and now impaled one of their own into the street. I had been worried that the trick of luring them wouldn’t work twice, but it did. The wild chase the hydra now gave me was proof of Malice’s greatest flaw. Just like mother had once been blinded by anger and her thirst for revenge, Malice’s own agents had now succumbed to the very same flaws.

I am the Guile Mind. Knowledge is my weapon. And know that I’ll wreck you for what you did today, Malice!

Still flying over the blast zone, I was slowed down by the lead weight that formed in my stomach. Those places that weren’t covered in smoke revealed ghastly charred corpses and the embers of dozens of destroyed homes. I was glad when I left the edge of the town and approached the forest. Even here, trees had been bent over like toothpicks from the might of the explosion.

The hydra was annoyingly fast, slithering over the world’s biggest pet cemetery and hunting me down with a vengeance. Looking towards the distant frontline where Max’ troops had hopefully avoided the brunt of the explosion, I launched a yellow flare towards my destination. Hopefully they got the message to stay the hay away from this thing.

A fiery red beam launched from the hydra, nearly clipping my wing. I cursed myself for being this distracted during such a crucial moment, but I couldn’t help it. I had a promise to keep.

*Elly, gonna need those guns up and running sooner rather than later. I’m dragging it out into Everfree.*

*Yes, mum. We almost got all the guns ready. We finally got those sons of bitches running scared!*

I poured magic into my jets, darting left and right to avoid getting blasted once more. Speed and agility played into my hooves as the hydra seemed unable to both chase me with its bulky body, and properly aim.

It went well for a time, until it didn’t anymore. The horizon suddenly spiralled in my view as I started to tumble and roll through the air, unable to correct. I gasped when I noticed the treeline drawing closer and closer. I made a second attempt to pull up, but nothing happened. I rose my legs up to protect me from the inevitable landing.

Crashing through the crown of the first tree, countless branches struck out against me. The smaller ones were like whips, gashing into my chitin like needles. The larger ones meanwhile battered down upon me like a bag of cudgels. I barely missed the massive trunk of the tree itself, only to graze the side of a second just behind it. The impact sent me spinning towards the ground, unable to catch my weight.

I slammed into the thicket like a boulder dropped from the heavens. Air was forced out of my lungs as even my reinforced chitin shattered under the force of the impact. I was left speechless, thoughts spiralling. Mouth opened wide, I tried to force breath back into my lungs. Reluctantly, they obeyed.

W-what happened?

My right fetlock exploded with pain as I attempted to put some weight onto it. Forced to stay on the ground until my magic started doing it’s fucking job, I dug my left hoof and right elbow into the mushy ground. Fighting against the pain in every part of my body I managed to drag myself behind the next tree for cover.

What the fuck had just happened?

“G-Aahhhhh!”

I rolled to the side after having just touched my wings. Or rather… the spot where my wings were supposed to be!

The tip of my trembling hoof was covered with black, moist soot. Blood, and the remains of my wings, I realized in horror.

The ground began to tremble one more. I suppressed a scream as I pressed myself closer against my cover. My breath went rampant, my body still fighting the pain that was spreading rather than being contained by my magic.

Reaching for another dagger, I belatedly realized that the same blast which got me must’ve also burned the sheaths’ strips off. Then again, who was I kidding? I wasn’t in a fighting condition anyway.

A last morbid thought came to mind. I reached out through the mind link.

*Elly? Elly, can you hear me?*

Adrenaline and fatigue blazed through the link equally strong as she replied. *Yes! Still working on those timberwolves!*

For a moment I was tempted to let her know what had happened, but I decided against it. There was no reason to burden her mind. *Can you locate my position?*

A pause. *You went far into Everfree, but yes, I can sense your direction and distance.*

I gulped. *I… I need you to align the guns with my position as soon as they’re freed. I’ve lured the hydra away from the team. It should be the biggest pathos signature out here. Lock onto it and take it down as soon as you can!*

Her response came without wasting a beat. *What about you?! You’re much too close; I can’t just fire onto the both of you!*

*I- I’m in cover. You’re free to wreck the bastard!*

She stayed silent for a long moment. *Mother?*

In the not so far distance, a random tree was torn from the ground. Its ancient roots cracked in protest right before tearing. Its mighty trunk was slammed into the ground, just before the hydra continued its search with the next.

*You have your orders! There’s no time to debate; just do it!*

*Understood. Stand by.*

I felt our minds disconnect. As the hydra dismembered yet another tree even closer, I decided that there was one more changeling I needed to talk to.

*Thorax.*

*Yes, My Shadow?*

I took a deep breath. *Elytra… She’s strong, but in the days to come, she will also need someling strong by her side. Someling she can trust, and who has her back. You have to be that changeling for me, do you understand?*

A long pause. *N-no, not quite, my shadow. What do you mean?*

I figured the shock the network would experience any moment now would be evidence enough. *Just keep my words in mind. And… and tell Spike—*

My words were lost to the tree behind me being ripped from its foundation. Its trunk scratched across my back. I screamed as I tumbled forward.

*My Shadow? My Shadow, what’s wrong?!*

I cut the link and forced myself to turn around.

The hydra met me with a dirty, confident, utterly satisfied smile. When it opened its mouth, its voice was loud and reverberating. A chorus of the remaining hunters speaking in unison. “We told you you’d pay for this, Noble Heart.”

Forcing my limbs to obey me, I got back up on my legs. My vision went blurry as hot tears ran down my cheeks. And yet, as I let my bleary eyes wander across the creature a dozen times my size, I couldn’t help but laugh.

“Look at yourself,” I huffed, wiping the wetness off my face with a trembling hoof. “Your army’s almost gone. Your boss is getting his ass kicked. And the civilians have long since reached their shelters. You lost, you fool, but you’re too blinded by your glorified temper tantrum to notice.”

To my surprise, the hydra didn’t snap back at me. Instead, it lowered one of its heads until it was almost touching the ground. It’s cold blue eyes stared back at me. “You’re mistaken, Shadow. These primitive creatures have long since served their purpose. We have won this battle; and before long, our Emperor will have won the war, too. All that happened today paved the way for his ultimate victory; even if your pathetic little perspective on the world suggests otherwise.”

The head rose back up just as all the other heads opened their mouths wide. I could sense the power of another, final blast all the way from down here. “But you won’t be around to see this glorious future. You were but a pawn; and in a second, you’ll be—”

It stopped. I kept staring upwards, prepared to join all my brethren who were already on the other side.

Nothing happened. Then, the ground shook once more.

The hydra snapped its heads around and fired off. Not at me, but at something far beyond the treetops. The tremors came closer and closer, until—

A huge bipedal thing broke through the trees and through the hydra’s energy beams, only to bury the mother of all haymakers into the hydra’s middle face.

“...What?”

More of these grotesque creatures—stone golems? Was that what they were?— burning with a golden aura tore through the trees and charged for the golem. I couldn’t believe my eyes. Am I dreaming right now, or did that fall hit my head harder than I thought?

*Uh, Thorax? Am I alright?*

*Um, I’m afraid I don’t know how to answer that question, my Shadow. Outside stress and confusion coming from the network, I don’t sense any other abnormalities. Is everything alright?*

I looked at the golden golems again. There was something familiar about their signature. It felt like pathos, yet lacked the malevolent quality that always sent shivers down my spine. It was almost warm. The taste of the magic signature was familiar, too. Kinda like…

...I don’t know what Buttermilk did, but I ain’t complaining!

*Nevermind.* I used this chance to gather my strength and bring some distance between myself and the fight. More stumbling forward than actually running, I looked over my shoulder several times, afraid the hydra might come after me. But even though it was still moving, it was now completely occupied with the bunch of golems grabbing and pounding away.

*Artillery ready, Mum! What pattern?*

I didn’t hesitate. *Fire! Whatever goddamn pattern you like, as long as you fire already!*

*Understood. Firing time-to-target. Fifteen guns. Thirty seconds till hit. Make sure you’re nowhere near it!*

Working on it, I grunted as I dragged my injured self through the undergrowth. Behind me, the clash of titans was still going strong, but I wasn’t about to bet my money on those strange golems just yet.

As the by now dreadfully familiar whistling of shells approached us, the hydra noticeable started to panic. It doubled its efforts to free itself from the golems’ hold; going as far as decapitating one of the golems with its magic blast. Yet despite its best efforts, the golems remained adamant.

When the whistling was almost upon us, I took cover behind the biggest tree I could find and covered my ears. Having already forgotten what Elly had said, I half expected the shells to strike one after the other. Instead, they all descended upon hydra and golems alike simultaneously, like a unified torrent of wrath hurled down from the heavens.

In a single mighty beat, wood and stone shattered as they obliterated everything in their path before continuing deep into the ground. Wooden splinters the size of my legs were hurled through the air; some impacting so close to me I could smell the warm resin and burned bark.

Earth was ejected from the ground into the air, only to rain down behind me seconds later. The pattering receded quickly, and as a last beat to the orchestra of destruction, a tree somewhere in the distance slowly collapsed with the cracking sound of old wood.

A part of me wanted to stay hunkered down in case there were any more shots incoming; but I knew Elly, there would be no strays when she was in control. Carefully I crawled around the tree; my joints and muscles still burning from the hasty retreat just a moment earlier.

I gasped when the hydra was still moving. However, my heartbeat calmed down a second later when I noticed how little was left of it. Elly hadn’t exactly hit it dead center; instead, the united volley had strafed the hydra’s side and leg. Chunks of flesh the size of carts were spread across the scene like a meat puzzle, and belatedly I realized that I was staring at the remnants of its tail.

Still, two of its heads were still moving, still fighting the golems that looked no bit better. That won’t do it.

*You got the bastard; but it’s still moving. Fire for effect, I say again, fire for effect!*

*Wilco. Standby.*

As one of the golems, reduced to just his chest and one arm, continued to mingle with the hydra, I dared to move closer. Another golem was wrestling with one of the heads, but having just one arm and no head left made things difficult.

When the whistling approached once more, I raised my shield. These AP shells weren’t as dangerous as their explosive counterparts, and even with my magic involved in other things, I couldn’t help but enjoy the view from close-up as more and more shells rained down onto the beast.

They came more random now; each gun crew firing as fast as they could, with less focus on coordination than speed now. I cheered when one lucky shot blasted through the second-to-last head; killing the one-armed golem in the process and forcing the hydra to lastly, finally collapse.

“Die, asshole!” I shout across the newly created clearing. “Die and go to Tartarus already!”

The last remaining head lay limbly on the ground. It didn’t make any more effort to fight back, and I was pretty sure no pathos empowerment in the world could bring this wreckage of a body back to life.

Still, debris and hot blood kept pouring over my shield like a summer rain, as more and more shells kept pounding the cadaver further into the ground. Gravel and smithereens crunched under my hooves as I slowly walked closer to the massacre.

*Mother, beware! You’re too close to the engagement zone!*

*It’s dead,* I sent back. *Cease fire. I say again, Cease fire. We got the—*

A ghostly something suddenly jumped forth from the dead body. It was nearly smitten by a belated artillery shell, but dodging sideways, it managed to leave the AoE unharmed.

“Nooo!” I yelled as I poured the remnants of my magic into my horn. Green bolts of energy zipped across the clearing in rapid succession. The hunter dodged each and every one. Grass and mud exploded upwards as they impacted in the distance.

Frozen in place, I didn’t manage to think of any other spell before it had reached me. My hoof once more reached out for a Niekinis dagger, but they were just as missing now as they had been minutes before.

I couldn’t fly. I couldn’t run. And worst of all, I couldn’t kill it.

A last powerful magic bolt left my horn and dashed just past the hunter’s arrogant smile, before it leapt forward and into my chest.

Oh no, no, no, no…!

In a panic I channeled my magic to cut off my hive network. This would no doubt shock Elly and Thorax, but I couldn’t risk the hunter hurting them. His presence spread through me like ice in my veins.

“Get out!” I screamed. “I won’t end up like my sisters!”

I channeled my magic into my body, trying to purge the bastard before he could root himself in. It was akin to ridding a flower garden of weeds with a phosphor bomb. My magic surged through my body, burning up fresh pathos wherever it manifested.

However, it was unable to get a hold of the hunter itself; granted I was trying to conduct a surgery with a sledgehammer here. Still, I refused to roll over and surrender myself. When another chill went through my spine, I blasted away with a literal lightning spell.

Electricity surged through my every muscle. It burned like fire, and before long I had collapsed onto the ground.

“Hope that hurt you... as much as me!” I shout across the clearing in between gasps.

A piercing chill inside my head was the response. It began like a brain freeze and increased, until I was certain someone had just rammed an icicle into my skull. I grabbed the back of my head in agony, but my hooves couldn’t reach the source of it.

“Get… out..” I huffed, before pouring the last of my magic into another lightning spell.

This time, I barely felt a thing. My breath went slower and slower, and long before the hunter could retort, my vision went dark.

When I opened my eyes, I was wrapped in total darkness. I jerked up and instinctively lashed out at my surrounding, but my hooves struck nothing but air. I sucked a deep breath of air in, but coughed immediately after. The air was freezingly cold, piercing in my lungs like needles.

I stumbled back on my hooves, shaking my head in a hope to restore my vision. I could barely see my own legs at first, but slowly, light returned. I tried to recall what had just happened, but my memories were blurry and my brain was absolute mush. Thoughts tried to fight their way into my mind like arrows through a wall of jelly, but when they struck, the realization almost threw me off my hooves.

I have a hunter inside me!

I gasped again, lungs still burning from the cold sensation.

I… I need to get back to the base! I need support, I—

“If I were you, I’d reconsider that approach.”

I skidded to a halt, snapping my attention to the bulky changeling sitting at the base of an oak tree. She was much taller than myself, with far broader shoulders and the overall more muscular build, too. Covered head to hooves in the heaviest carapace gear possible, she still moved with ease as she lifted herself up.

The hardened resin cover of her armor shimmered ever so faintly in the afternoon sun as she approached me without any sound at all. Her armor’s silken undergarment swallowed up any noise, and even though her armor weighed a ton, she moved with such care that not a single twig dared to break under her hooves.

“S-Strong Body…! You… you’re…. No!” I shout out. “This can’t be. You’re not real!”

A delicate smile formed on her lips. “Of course I’m not real.”

I stumbled a step back. “W-what?”

Her smile turned serious as she stepped closer. I twitched back when her hoof moved towards my head, but it was obviously not her intention to hurt me. Instead, she gently tapped against my temple. “I only exist in here.”

I jumped back as realization struck me. How could I have been this dense?

“You are an illusion from that fucking hunter!”

My horn ached as I tried to summon a spell. Pulling on my near-depleted reserves was no pleasant sensation, but I had to kill this thing somehow.

“Wrong,” she said with a shrug and a scolding undertone. “He’s still fighting his way through your defenses. Trust me, if I actually was him, I would’ve knocked you over by now.”

I took breath to protest, but soon released it. She was probably right. But…

“Then what are you?”

She began circling me. I spun around to keep track of her; I was not at all comfortable with whatever she was.

“I am the last mental barrier you have,” she said. “A last attempt of your subconsciousness trying to protect you.”

“From the hunter?” Obviously, I thought in hindsight.

To my surprise, she shook her head. “From yourself. You’ve made some seriously bad decisions in the past, and now you’re afraid to make another.”

“I have a hunter inside me!” I snapped. “Not sure what sort of wrong decision could make this any worse.”

She finished her circle around me, just to begin anew. I was getting weary of following her movements; it was exactly the sort of distraction Strong would pull on her targets. “Isn’t it obvious?” she asked in a patronizing tone. “Going to the ponies in your state.”

“W-what?”

“Don’t try to hide your intentions from me… I literally am you. You planned to run to them for help without even thinking it fully through.”

“W-what’s there to think through? I can’t fight him on my own. I… I need them to pull me out of this.”

She raised an eyebrow. “They barely accepted you when you were yourself. Shining was close to locking you away for good the day he met you; and just again today when he heard what you had done to his squad. And back then you were you, without a fragment of The Emperor inside you. Shining’s fear of our species is already that strong; what were you thinking, going to him for help now?”

“H-he’ll help!” I sputtered. “I… I saved the town. We’re allies!”

She huffed. “You were useful to him back then. Now you’re a burden; a dangerous one at that. Just imagine: if the hunter were to take over you before Shining could extract him, you’d wreck the general and every living thing in his proximity. This joke of a new guard unit certainly wouldn’t be able to stop you. Thus, upon coming to this very conclusion, Shining will be forced to make the only sane call available to him: to end you while he’s still in control of the situation.”

My heart skipped a beat. I needed no illusion to see the image just in front of my eyes. To feel the shackles around my legs once more. To have my magic suppressed by yet another inhibitor ring, or slave collar, or worse.

“Don’t disgrace yourself or the hive any further. End this madness and come back to us.”

“W-what? Are you crazy?”

She took a deep breath, before putting one of her hooves on my shoulder. Again, I twitched back at first, but not as far this time. “Listen, sister. I might be the only part of sanity you have left in you. You have built your castle of friendship”—she essentially spat the word out—”on nothing but lies, and it’s beginning to collapse all around you. I’d hate to see you being buried by it, because no matter how stupid you were, you were also brave and strong in what you did. You’re one of us and you belong back with us at our sides.”

I shoved her hoof off my shoulder and stumbled back. “No! Lies, you’re nothing but lies trying to deceive me!” Realization dug into me with cold claws. “You are the hunter!”

She slowly moved backwards, almost floating away from me. “You’re afraid of the wrong things, sister. And I can prove it.”

With those words, she vanished into darkness. I rushed forward trying to break through the shadows that had embraced the edges of the clearing, but by the time I reached the thicket, she was gone.

I remained in place, bedazzled about what had just transpired. Eventually, I couldn’t hold it in anymore. “Are you FUCKING kidding me?!” I yelled at the thicket. I dropped to my knees, exhausted by the whole experience.

“W-what was that all about?” I whispered at the scorched, soggy foliage below my hooves.

“She’s just trying to help,” an indifferent voice threw in from the side.

I recognized Guile Mind’s voice in an instant. I snapped my head around to find her leaning against a nearby tree. My hoof dug into the ground, clenched around the first rock I could find, and threw it at her together with a fair load of dirt.

“Go to Tartarus!” I screamed.

The projectile passed through her unaffected. She closed her book—of course she was holding a book. I swear she wouldn’t be caught dead without holding one—and slowly shook her head, adjusting the spectacles on her nose. “Not sure what you expected,” she said with a shrug. “I know you were never meant to be the smart one of us, but even you should’ve caught up to the whole ‘immaterial illusion’ thing by now.”

I took a deep breath. Of all the things I could be hallucinating, it just had to be her. “Even in my imaginations you are a condescending bitch, Guile…” I grumbled.

She didn’t retort right away. Instead, she spread her wings and fluttered over to me. Only when she stood above me and glared down on my prostrated self did she answer. “Look at you. Your great escape, mother’s great plan, and where did it all lead you? You look like a miserable little grub that fell out of her comb.”

“At least I didn’t land on my head,” I half-grunted, half-chuckled. The entire situation was ridiculous. I dragged myself back up on my feet and pushed past Guile.

“When will you learn to accept reality?” she shouted behind me. I didn’t react as I shoved branches and bushes aside to return to the rough direction of the town.

“You were always good at running away,” she continued. I was pretty sure she was following me, but I refused to turn around.

“You’re like an insecure little grub. First the Cold One’s gifts frightened you, then your whole messed-up situation frightened you, and now you’re even frightened by yourself. You would rather die alongside your worthless imaginary ideals than turn around and face reality just once.”

Another large fern blocked my way. I shoved it aside and myself through it; only to find rows upon rows of burial mounds ahead of me. Suddenly I choked on my own breath. I coughed and moved another branch aside with a trembling hoof.

“How many lives must you throw away until you realize what you’ve done?” Guile inquired. “In your foalish faith in the good of ponykind you refused to choose the lesser of two evils. You told yourself that there was a third option. A damn pot of love at the end of the rainbow. Now reality is finally catching up to you, up to us, and it’s costing us dearly. Look around you and ask yourself: was it worth it?”

“No! I didn’t kill them!” I shouted back. “Malice killed them! Malice and his agents!”

“Because of whose actions?!” Guile retorted, raising her usually impassive voice for the first time.

My hooves refused to move, frozen along with my chest. I couldn’t turn my eyes away from the sight, and my vision quickly blurred as tears ran down my face.

“You ran from the one who saved our lives and into the hooves of those who will doom us.” Guile shook her head. “No wonder Mother never trusted us to have our own hives. She has you as an example.”

I finally tore my eyes away from the mounds. “No, you did this! You blindly steered us into a dead end! You and Strong and even Brave were so drunk on this newfound power, you didn’t once question Malice’s intentions.”

Without a warning, Guile dashed forward. She grabbed one of my forelegs and my neck and choke-slammed me into a tree. “Are you BLIND?!” she shouted. “If the choice is between death and resurgence, the answer is obvious! We’d all be dead without him. Now we live to fight another day and stronger than ever! Stop living an illusion and wake up already!”

I grabbed her leg and levered myself free. “Look who’s talking!” I yelled back at her face and shoved her half a step back. “What’s your big plan, smartass? How will all your brains get us out of Malice’s hold when he has toppled Equestria? When he’s become unstoppable? Did your math account for the fact that we can’t defeat him if all possible allies are dead?”

As suddenly as she had exploded into violence, Guile calmed down. She let go of me and retreated. “If we don’t fight him, we live. If we fight him, no matter at what point, many of us will die. But if we join forces with the ponies, there can never be a victory for us, and eventually we’ll all die. Either as cannon fodder, or as their prisoners. What, you think after the war’s over, if it ever were to end, they’d happily let us feast on them?”

I shook my head. “You don’t know that. You don’t know them.”

She hesitated for a long time before answering. “Neither do you. All you know is that there’s no way forward for you. None. Your only salvation lies in the past you’re so stubbornly rejecting.”

With those words, she too vanished into the shadows.

“Wait!” I shouted, but too late. Guile was gone before I could reach the edge of the shadows.

As I shoved a branch aside, I noticed in horror the white spots that had formed on my leg like a rash. I didn’t have much time left, and I had wasted too much already on these… mind games!

That’s what they were! Nothing but stupid little mindgames!

Of course I could trust the ponies!

Images of Shining and his personal guards appeared before my eyes. The night they had caught me. The hastily designed collar that suppressed my abilities and made me their hostage.

No! They’ve changed!

Another image appeared, this time of Flash’s baleful stare. The urge to kill me when we first met.

Flash has changed!

I stopped. Why was I even having this conversation? I knew better than this! I just had to get back to the others and ask for help! No more distractions!

Then it dawned on me. Someling was missing.

“Let’s get this over with, you mischievous little bastard!” I yelled into the thicket. “I know what you’re up to, and I have places to be, so stop being a drama queen and just show yourself!”

Fulfilling the obvious step, the last sister faded into reality before me from the encroaching darkness. Knowing who was next, I wasn’t sure what my fucked up imagination and the hunter’s influence would do with the eldest sister.

“They’re coming for you.” Brave Soul’s black and gold kimono fluttered in the breeze as she walked towards me. The lone emerald eye not hidden behind her crimson mane pierced through me. “I would hate to see you and my niece slain by ponies, little sister. If you wish to escape your fate, come with me.”

Something violent clicked within me right then and there. Something beyond the agitation of fighting against the hunter. Mimicking Brave was a level of disrespect I refused to tolerate. “To tartarus with this pathos illusion bullshit!” I hollered. “I know you’re not real! None of this is real! I know you’re just trying to get into my head, so stop with the bullshit and fight me like the warrior your punk-ass master created you to be!”

Brave tilted her head and stared for a moment in total confusion. Eventually, she scoffed. “I see. I expected more from my little sister. Nevertheless, calm yourself and think this through. To ponies, our very nature, our existence, is a threat. Creatures who thrive and cultivate love cannot abide by those who feast upon such a thing. Preys and predators can never coexist in peace. Even now, you are faltering to a lowly hunter vassal. What makes you think they will overlook such a vulnerability and let you live, or do you suppose every soldier you fought with consciously agree to be friends with a changeling? The same changeling who took part in the sacking of Canterlot?”

To hear such logic coming from Brave, even if it was an illusion, gave me pause. Strong Body and Guile Mind had their biases for sure—especially Guile—but Brave was always the mature one of us, always helping us focus on what was important and being a voice of reason in even the darkest of times.

Despite Flash being one of the few ponies I felt like I could trust, Shining Armor was ready to haul me off to who-knows-where until Flurry intervened. I knew he was even more of an unknown factor, and if he found out a hunter was trying to take me over…

“You must be swift with your decision, sister. The prey approaches soon. Should you go to them, don’t forget you’re not the only one at risk. Your daughter will also suffer for your failures. If you were to fall, what would the ponies think of someling of a lesser station than you?”

“I… no. No, that won’t happen. I’ve fought alongside the ponies. They trust me.”

“Their backs were to a corner. When the only other option is oblivion, any fool would take the other choice. But now?”

“Noble! Where are you?!”

“Noble Heart, are you alright?”

Voices. Friendly. Brave was right; they were coming for me.

“...Go on then,” Brave nodded behind herself and walked past me. “If you truly trust them, and believe they trust you completely, go to them. Prove centuries of evidence false.”

...I couldn’t move.

My hooves were glued to the ground. I knew I should go to them. I should warn them what was happening.

And yet, I had betrayed their trust before. Lied to them. Everypony knew that.

What have I really done to earn their trust? Was a single skirmish really enough to swing the odds in my favor? What if they changed their minds after seeing me?

“What’s wrong?” Brave’s voice lowered, emanating from the shadows behind me. “You were so confident in your decision moments ago. I only hope our prey is just as indecisive.”

“Stop it…!”

“Even now you hesitate when you believe me to be an illusion. We both know why you’re hesitating, and I hope you make the smart choice quickly. I do not wish to see my sister and niece die a fool’s death.”

“Shut up!” I hissed.

“I think I heard something over there!”

Hoofsteps. They were closing in.

I… I do trust them!

...All of them? A new voice entered my thoughts: my own. Not everypony is going to welcome me with open hooves. For every friendly soul like Spike, you got scarred ones like Flash. Which ones are they?

My legs trembled.

N-no, I can’t think like that. I can’t keep running away like this. It will only get worse.

It’s already gotten worse. Shining Armor was ready to lock you up forever, and that was just for lying. What would he think to see me as a liability—or even a direct danger to his team?

The hoofsteps were just around the corner.

I can trust them. I can… trust them.

I can…

I...

I scrambled away, lunging for the thickest bush that wasn’t blown away from the shelling. The tears wouldn’t stop running.

A gentle hoof touched my shoulder. I looked over to find Brave next to me. She didn’t have to say a word. The sad smile said it all, and I agreed.

I’m pathetic.

Two ponies entered the clearing. I recognized them instantly.

“I swore I heard something over here,” said Shine Spark.

Vivi moved next to her, face full of concern. “You think she got caught up in—”

“Stall that thinking. Just focus on finding her.”

Another voice came from above the trees. “Any luck, ladies?”

“Not yet, Cadenaz! Keep looking!” Shine called out.

“Aye, Love!”

They commenced their search, checking behind trees and large debris. Yet I was hiding in a bush, shaking like a terrified foal.

“...I can help you slip away,” Brave whispered in my ear. “Nopony needs to know you’re still alive. We can recover little Elly later.”

Escape… of course! For all they knew, I could’ve been blasted to smithereens. Just like I fooled my hive into thinking I was dead, the same could apply here. It was so obvious when I stopped to think about it. The basics for most changeling survival tactics.

I could run, couldn’t I? Brave would help deal with the hunter. Then I could sleep it off, gather my thoughts, and pick up Elly when the dust settles. Hay, if I change my mind, I’m sure I could just come back later and…

...And go where?

I almost allowed my respect for Brave to overshadow the reason for my crusade. There’s only one place Brave would take me: back home.

Back to Malice.

That sobering nugget of knowledge slapped me back to reality real damn quick. I went through Tartarus and back to escape his maniacal grasp. Then I risked my life again—and that of Spike, too—for the sole purpose of freeing my daughter. Returning to him would mean subjecting her to his control once more. Not to mention myself as well.

It was a level of foolishness beyond suicide. It simply wasn’t an option. Thus, the question reared its head once again; where would I go?

Wait a minute…

Something was wrong with this. Forget the hunter, forget Brave, forget everything else. The real problem was not where I should go. That I’m even thinking of leaving is sacrilege to everything I fought for. Everything we fought for.

“...I’m a coward,” utter disgust and anger filled my hissed whisper. “I’m a Celestia-damned coward…!”

“You are confused. Frightened.” Brave whispered into my ear. I argued back with my fierce glare. She clashed back unflinchingly. “I won’t let anyone harm you as long as you go back with me. We will make it work.”

I shook my head. We would make it worse.

I’ve been through Tartarus and back with these ponies. Betraying them would be my final, fatal mistake. They would rightfully never trust me again, and my daughter would more than likely pay for such selfishness.

Flash’s words came to me from the depths of my muddled mind: “Let’s both start learning to trust our teammates a little more.”

Hot liquid piercing through the hunter’s chill and stung my eyes.

Have I learned nothing during my time with them? With Flash? With Spike?

Even now, the squad I fought with, who spent so little time with me and had all the reason in the world to hate my guts wanted to save me. No, it’s not my sisters who need to save me. It’s I who needs to save them from the dark path. To save all of my brethren.

And I won’t have to do it alone, because I am not alone anymore.

“...Brave,” I whispered.

“Hm?”

“I’m not going to run away anymore. I just can’t.”

Brave gave me her patented ‘soul piercing’ stare. I knew her too well to miss the hint of surprise as she stiffened. “You will die and doom your daughter. You know that, right?”

“I won’t, and she will be fine.”

“How do you know this? What evidence do you have that you will live through this?”

I forced a smirk. “All I got is one colt scout who never gave up on me as evidence. Trust goes both ways, and it’s about time I started working on that bridge. And when I get through this, next time you see me I will be the one saving you.”

Brave’s stony facade dropped, staring as if seeing me for the first time. After a lengthy stretch of awed silence, she sighed. “So this is the path you’ve decided. Hmph, a stubborn fool until the end.”

Her hoof moved to squeeze mine, disappointment in full display.

“Walk with your head held high, little sister. No matter what consequences follow in the wake of your choice, never forget that we will always love you.”

….What?

I started at this ‘illusion’, mouth ajar.

“May the shadows grant you and little Elly refuge.” Brave closed my jaw with a hoof and smiled. “...and dignity.” Just like that, she slinked away and disappeared into the foliage.

What was that? Did I really imagine that or… I shook my head. No time to worry about that. Got a trust exercise to finish!

With a huff, I shoved my hooves out and pulled myself out of the bush. When Shine and Vivi spotted me, I froze up.

Just trust them. Everything will be okay.

The two sergeants rushed over to me, taking each hoof to pull me out.

“Damn girl, you look like crap,” despite saying this, Shine’s grin radiated.

I wanted to joke back or say something witty, but all I could think about was the chill deepening in my bones. “Shine, Vivi, there’s…” I gulped, forcing out the words, “t-there’s a hunter inside me. I can’t fight it.”

A dark look fell over Shine and Vivi’s faces.

“I’m doing what I can to slow it down, but it’s getting stronger by the second, and I don’t have my changelings to help drain it. If worse comes to worse, you’ll have to k-kill—”

Vivi gripped my horn and forced my head to face her.

“Don’t come at me with that BS!” Vivi barked. “I’m not letting you die no matter what you think!”

Was this the same Sergeant who was giving me the evil eye earlier? The same one who probably trusted me the least? Why would she—

“Thorax went through the same thing you did,” Shine added with a hint of somber. “He didn’t think he could fight the pathos hunger, or the vassal that spawned from the resulting anger he kept buried, but damn it, he did it. He’s probably one of the wimpiest creature’s I’ve ever met, yet even he found the strength to beat it. Wanna know how?”

Shine Spark started taking off her gem-encrusted armor. Without a word Vivi released me and started taking off her own helmet as well.

“He didn’t do it alone.”

With a smile, Shine placed the armor around me. Vivi meanwhile started fastening her enchanted helmet on my head.

A numbing sensation echoed from the equipment and through me. As the armor pieces were clamped onto me, the chilling sensation wormed away from the gem-embedded equipment. As more and more pieces were equipped onto me, the overflow of pathos washed off me like cold in a hot shower.

Suddenly, an icy grip tightened around my head and chest and threw me to the floor, writhing in pure agony.

He’s trying to kill me! At this rate…!

“Don’t let that sonuva bitch beat you!” Vivi snarled.

“Kick his ass!” Shine roared.

My heart quickened, pounding in sync with the throbbing headache. My surroundings lost all of its color, throwing me into the pit of darkness again. The gems could only do so much. I had to ride through it until the hunter lost its strength.

I can do this! I can’t stop here. Everyone’s counting on me…!

I forced my thoughts somewhere else. Anywhere else. Celebrating Elly’s first birthday with my mother and sisters. Flurry’s words when she defended me. Flash when he unlocked my collar. Spike’s growth as my student. Spike’s warm embrace when I was at my worst…

That’s right. They’re my friends. My family away from home.

Warmth bubbled through the icy touch of pathos. Combined with the equipment, my strength started overcoming the hunter inside me.

“This is far from over. I know you realize this,” A deep voice gasped, diminished of strength and volume. “Your kind has chosen its path. Your sisters are an extension of our will and rage to pay a bottomless debt. Without us, your misbegotten kind would be extinct!”

...Perhaps, I admitted, Malice did save us from a cruel fate in the north. He did empower us to be stronger than we could imagine. But sacrificing our freedom is too high a price. Maybe this decision will kill me one day. Kill all of my brethren. But that’s the difference between you and I: At least I won’t die alone.

I was prepared for an explosive retort, whether physical or verbal. What I got was a disquieting mumble too inaudible to catch, as if being strangled out of existence. Light and color flooded my vision, restoring everything as it should be. The hunter was gone, his exit quiet as death.

“The hunter’s gone. I… we got him,” I gasped for breath.

“See? You worried about nothing. Told you we got your back.” Vivi beamed.

Shine extended her hoof. “Can you stand?”

I nodded and accepted her hoof, helping myself up. “Well enough for now. How did things look on the way here?”

“A lot better than before,” Shine answered. “Any creatures we passed by seemed normal or started retreating back into the forest. If I had to guess, we took out enough vassals in the blast to break the creatures out of their hold. Forest is gonna be a whole lot quieter though.”

Catharsis rolled out of me in waves at the news. It took a moment to catch my breath.

We didn’t just survive. We won.

“That’s good. The hunter we took down must’ve been the last—”

I cut myself off. The fight here was over. But there was a certain orange colt scout who was still fighting for his life. “Any word from Flash?”

“Not yet. You read my mind, though. Hey Cadenaz! Bug’s in the net! Get the word out that we’re going to get Flash’s lazy ass out of Tartarus!”

“Glad to hear it! On my way to give the good word! Glad to have you back in one piece, Noble!”

“I can escort you back to get treated. No telling what predators are still hostile,” Vivi offered.

I shook my head. “Appreciate it, but I owe Buttermilk a friendly visit. Maybe I’ll throw a dagger or two into the warmaster if I see him.”

“Heh, now that’s what I’m talking about! Let’s go!” Shine led the charge towards the tree of harmony, throwing me on her back as she galloped. Finally able to rest somewhat, I picked up several of my daggers with my restored telekinesis on the way. Even if I was hanging on by a thread, I couldn’t sit by while my friend was fighting for all of us.

Hang in there, Buttermilk. We’re comin’!

Author's Notes:

What's up, my fellow paladins?

An explosive finish for an explosive war. How quick the tides turn when the winning side let it's guard down. Never underestimate the power of cunning changelings with an unhealthy amount of ordinance on hoof.

So, one of the reasons I wanted to wait for this chapter before explaining some things is because of one important point: this and the previous chapter used to be one chapter. Turns out Spike's segment was a little too fun to write, and Noble's last stand needed the badassery it deserved. We still got one final fight to resolve: Captain Flash vs Emperor Malice.

Look forward to seeing you next chapter for the big fight!

More importantly, those who are still sticking around to see this epic of mine finish deserve all the praise in the world. It's a crazy time with all sorts of madness plaguing the world. It's also a time to be infinitely thankful for things that are actually going well in your life, and I am thankful to all of you lovely readers who decided to stand by me. I swear that this story WILL be finished. Hopefully soon, as I am working on editing/proofing the next chapter as we speak.

Until next time, stay classy my fellow paladins. A thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Chapter 35: The Shadow of Hatred

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Malice’s claw whistled past my head as I ducked. Midspin, a battleaxe forged from pathos appeared as he stepped into an overhead swing. A timely hop to the side left him open for a spear thrust on the chest. The spear struck home, yet did little more than scratch his armor. I teleported backwards, trying to distance myself. Try being the operative word here, as my Sentry Sense triggered.

Malice was already in front of me swinging when I warped back into reality. A panicked lightning bolt exploded from my hoof, slowing him just enough to escape with only a chipped chest plate. He was breathing down my neck with every swing of the axe, catching up even with my heightened Sentry senses. I sprang back again, then forward into a teleport. I reappeared, my blade striking air.

“Where…?” I trailed off. My Sentry Sense triggered.

The shiny glint of a battleaxe appeared above me like a guillotine blade.

I threw myself to the floor.The axe peeled the edge of my helmet off like a razor blade. I rolled away and bounced to my hooves, only to find two battleaxes spinning towards me like discuses.

I pole vaulted over them with my spear, nearly losing grip as it was cut apart. Too late did I catch Malice flying towards me at breakneck speed, pathos exploding from his feet. His hardy gauntlets shattered the armor on my barrel and sent me flying past the spinning axes and toward the rocky end of the chamber. More importantly, still in their path.

Panicked wing beats eased my collision with the wall. With a kick I bounced off it to avoid the flying axes.

That is, until Malice outsped and caught them mid-flight. I was at best a meter or two into the air as he jumped at me with both axes in hand. My heart sank as I caught the grin of a tactical battlemaster.

My lightning strike was no more successful at stopping him than a faint breeze would have been. He swooped in before I could react and slashed in an X-shape.

The sharpened pathos sliced through chestplate and muscle like it wasn’t even there. My instinctive wing beats and Sentry Sense were the only things stopping those blades from goring my ribcage completely.

Hot needles of agony exploded in my chest as the blow launched me upward. I was sent spiraling at a dizzying pace, fighting to regain aerial control and push through the mind-numbing pain. I recovered just as Malice jetted towards me with pathos-powered sabatons. A swift teleport evaded disembowelment from Malice.

I reappeared closer than he expected and let loose a screaming electric blast at point-blank.

His head reeled back, stopped cold. Righteous fury guided my hooves as I pummeled him back into the ground where he belonged. The moment his back slammed into the dirt, something plated snaked around my hindleg. His armored tail whipped me away before I could respond. Mid hurl, Malice had already sprung to his feet and dashed for me.

Good.

Malice had almost reached me as I teleported and reappeared behind him. Momentum empowered my tackle into his back as I smashed him into the wall instead.

My lightning charged hoof rushed forward to crush his skull. His head pivoted just enough to avoid the shattering blow and catch my foreleg in his teeth.

His fangs sank through the ice armor and pierced my foreleg. The agonizing sensation of torn flesh and muscle jumped through my hoof and into my spine as I repeatedly punched at his face with my other hoof, screaming bloody murder in protest. Whether out of fear or instinct, I hooked my other foreleg around his throat and poured a monstrous burst of electricity through the hoof in his mouth.

Sparks of electricity danced all over his body like a stormcloud. Malice peeled himself off the wall and shook his head, growling like a feral beast, still not letting go. I hung on for dear life and kept blasting away, flashes of orange and blue lights squeezing between his fangs and my hoof. Sparks and smoke slipped through his mouth as he bellowed in surprised rage.

But Malice had enough. When shaking me loose didn’t work he spun himself like a top, and by association me. He whirled faster, and faster, until the world around me turned into a blur. Just when we reached stomach-churning speed, nearly tearing off my leg in the process, he flung me half across the chamber at Twilight’s barrier.

I braced my working foreleg for the worst, prepared to be the fly pitted against a train’s windshield. Instead, I sank through a soft, gelatinous-like veil and collapsed next to Twilight.

My heart jumped into my throat when Malice’s battleaxes crashed against the shield near my face.

“Come out and face me!” Malice screamed, slamming against the barrier with enough force to rattle nearby debris. I gulped, my life flashing before my eyes.

“You need—agh—to rest!” Twilight’s knees threatened to buckle with each blow against the barrier. Light and dark magics shortly fought an arcane battle of their own as part of the axe bit into and almost through the dense shield. The barrier refused to yield though, and in turn began eroding the blade in a spectacle of tiny explosions.

In the end, the shield won. Malice yanked the blade back out, and a last crackle of clashing magics manifested across the dome like cracks in a glass bowl, before the shield quickly repaired itself.

The strain not just on Twilight’s magic reserves, but on herself as well, was terrifying.

Giddy up, soldier! Your princess needs you now more than ever!

“I can’t rest. Not while he’s still breathing. Just focus on keeping yourself and Chrysalis safe.” I picked myself off the floor with the grace of a walking corpse. My bloodied foreleg, somehow still attached, was riddled with fang holes and white swirls of magic. Even with the numbing effect of pathos and combat adrenaline I could barely move. The axe wound on my chest was doing me no favors, either. Every time I redirected pathos from healing to combat the wounds ruptured back open, strength and blood gushing from them like a busted floodgate.

“Chrysalis, please tell me you’re almost done!” I pleaded with restrained anger.

“If you want to surgically dismantle the mental network of hundreds of changelings and vassals without getting caught, be my guest!” Each word was forced out in a hiss, said between labored breaths. “We will support you the moment I am done. Just stay alive until then!”

“Don’t you dare,” I gasped, sucking in air while clutching at my chest wound. “We can’t let you two be captured again. I’ll figure something out. Just leave the first chance you get.”

*Stop whining,* Inner Malice scoffed. *You have plenty of fight left. Don’t allow your wounds to drag you down. Fight the pain back.*

Why does every solution end up being violent or aggressive with you!?

I paused. ...Nevermind. Dumb question.

The better question to ask was how exactly I would fight my own wounds? I needed to figure that out and heal faster before Malice broke the shield. On the bright side, at least the amount of pathos wafting through the chamber kept me fueled with magic for days.

Fuel… fight… that’s it!

I didn’t have to work just with my meager supplies of pathos. The entire cave was both our field of battle and our supply carriage. I took a deep breath of the icy air and let my instincts take the wheel.

Magic filtered from the air and through my lungs. I directed it towards the nastiest of the wounds first, the levels of pain being a very good compass to work with. I grunted, heaved, stomped at the ground with my other forehoof to pump myself up.

“I don’t have time for this! Heal, damn you! Heal!”

Scalding pain melted away as I ‘encouraged’ my spark. The bleeding eventually ceased. Stamina drained and surged all at once between intaking pathos and channeling spark. Had so much pathos not been in the room I would’ve ran dry in seconds. Wounds sufficiently patched up and with a final deep breath, I caught my second wind plus interest.

*Now get back in there and tear him apart!*

“Gladly…!” I growled. With a hop, I teleported back into the ring.

Malice turned aboutface, ready turning to cut me down. When my Sentry Sense triggered, I channeled spark through my hooves and slammed them into the ground.

The blades whistled above my head as conjured ice spears erupted under Malice’s feet. I darted forward and forged a new blade staff while he stumbled and lost his balance. Charging electricity through it, I thrusted at the exposed armor joint on his arm pit.

Malice roared in fury and staggered further back. I ripped out the spear before he could break my grip with his wild axe swing. I swooped around and rammed the spear into his heel.

“You insolent little bastard!”

Timely flight saved me from his tail swipe. Mid turn, Malice forged an axe as large as my own wingspan and hurled it. Tips of several primaries disappeared as I twisted in the air.

I flew just above him and darted at him like an arrow shot. I rammed the spear with full might into the soft spot between his shoulder and his neck.

As the blade got buried deep in his ethereal skin, I chased lightning down the spear.
Malice collapsed to his knees, then dropped onto his back. Too late did I realize it wasn’t because of the lightning sizzling over his scales.

Malice rolled over, freeing himself from the spear tip that had dropped him. Just as I conjured another spear and tried to ram it between his ribs, his legs bucked upwards and shot me into the cave’s ceiling.

An axe followed. I let myself fall and twisted mid-air to avoid it. Before ever reaching the ground, his fist crushed into my temple.

The helmet saved my life, cracking like an eggshell as the punch flung me across the arena. I’d barely touched the ground and rolled onto my hooves when I found him behind me, pinning my spear to the ground with his foot.

His mouth opened.

Shit!

I released the spear and raised my forehooves in defense.

Black flames roared from his lungs, blasting through the earth around me and at my ice shield like a molten fire hose. My shield barely lasted a second before getting swallowed by fire.

More than enough time to teleport behind him.

He was already half-turned towards me, destructive flames tearing through the landscape. A well-timed lightning bolt to the mouth stopped him just before the flames could reach me. His jaw snapped shut and he reared back, cheeks full and flashing blue. I used the opportunity to dive in and yank out my spear. Malice smiled.

When his mouth opened again, several bolts of black lightning screamed out all at once. Muscles turned rigid as it struck and stunned me, frying me to a crisp. Thunder boomed, sheer force blasting me off my hooves. I collapsed into a twitching heap, parts of my coat singed. Malice jumped high and came down with a stomp aimed for my head.

Panic and Sentry Sense kicked into overtime, giving me an opening to force through spark healing to recover motor control. I raised my hoof to counter his kick.

A purple barrier fell between us and blocked his attack. Malice’s predatory glare slid from me to the culprit.

A switch clicked behind his gaze as Malice kicked off the barrier and planted himself between Twilight and I. He slammed his battleaxes together in an explosion of pathos. A greatsword as tall as himself emerged from the blast.

Malice turned one-eighty and sprinted towards Twilight and Chrysalis.

Oh no you don’t!

I jumped into a teleporting tackle, shoving him to the side before he could strike. He tripped and nearly fell, saved by plunging his sword into the ground. Momentum worked as leverage as he lifted his legs for a push kick. I vaulted off him just in time, flying upward, and then down with my spear. He opened his mouth, fire gathered in his lungs.

Another, shorter range teleport allowed me to beat him to the punch, thrusting the spear down his throat. At least, I would have if he didn’t grab it with his other hand.

Dark flames ignited on his hands and traveled down the spear. I was forced to part with it before the melting spear took my hoof with it. With a strong flap, I darted past the spiraling flames spewing from his lungs and took flight.

I rained down a storm of bolts from above, all focused on his face. Cutting off his flames, he ripped the sword out of the ruptured ground to guard his face. He stepped towards me, then swung his blade. The lightning filling his blade leapt at me, forcing me to evade and stop my barrage. Malice seized the opportunity with a mighty leap and shot towards me. I dropped down a bit to evade his blade swing, realizing too late his true aim.

Malice forward flipped towards the ceiling, landing with a crunch before kicking off towards me again. I twisted and worked my wings to dodge, escaping with a graze down my hind leg. Malice had barely touched the ground and he bounced just as he did earlier and rushed at me. This happened again and again. Faster and faster. I could not get in a solid hit without risking my neck. Literally. His movements were soon a blur of movement and sword swings, pushing my Sentry Sense to work overtime just to keep up.

A yelp from Twilight nearly broke my focus. As Malice bounced all over the cavern, leaving a small crater wherever he landed, I caught him bouncing off Twilight’s shield. Every other bounce towards me he rebounded to Twilight, slamming his sword against it before coming after me again.

...Sonuva bitch!

Malice’s blade cut a little close to home, nicking my neck. For a moment, when he landed, I caught his laser-like focus aimed at Chrysalis.

As long as I draw breath...

Malice kicked off, blade raised over his shoulder. My Sentry Sense activated.

All that matters…!

The sword cut through the barrier, shattering it into starry shards of magic. Twilight reared back and gasped as the blade continued towards her, stopping just above her head.

My hooves pushed against Malice’s wrist, body shaking under the weight of the aggressive tyrant.

...Is getting everypony home alive!

“Twilight,” I hissed through my teeth, “Get Chrysalis and your friends out of here! Now!”

Malice pulled back his blade and went for a horizontal swing. I moved again to strike at his wrist, saved by Twilight’s magic restraining him

“I’m not going to leave you behind!” Twilight growled.

“This will all be for nothing if you and Chrysalis die! Don’t fight me on this!”

“But—”

I glared at her. “Now!” I thundered, echoing with a hint of Inner Malice’s voice in it.

She reared back with a gasp. The hurt left as quickly as it came, replaced with hardy determination. “I’ll figure something out and get everyone to safety.” While not convinced she would leave me alone by a long shot, she seemed at least compliant with my lofty demand. “You don’t have my permission to die. Understood?”

“Yes ma’am!” I shoved Malice’s arms with all of my might, somehow causing him to stumble back. Spark in my chest heated up, pouring electrified energy into my limbs as I dove at him with wild fervor.

I swung my hooves with everything in me, swift blows hammering away at him faster and faster. He tried to swing his sword, but I slipped under his swipes and continued attacking until he was forced to forego the blade in favor of going hand-to-hoof.

Malice’s body burned of fiery pathos aura, surging with intensity as we exchanged lightning fast blows. Sentry Sense allowed me to barely keep up with him as he got faster and even more aggressive. I could barely get more than a glancing blow as he parried my moves like foal’s play.

I spotted Twilight and Chrysalis at the corner of my vision, rushing for the ice pods at the base of the tree. With each glance in my direction they increased their frantic pace to free the others and steer clear of Malice’s warpath. I was no different, doubling my efforts if Malice so much as twitched in their direction.

Come on, damn you! I need to hit harder! Faster!

I crouched low as his claw neared my head. My talent triggered. He carved air as I vanished before his eyes.

If I don’t stop him, everypony will die!

A flurry of tail stabs coming at me hot and ready. I somehow parried each attack, nearly overwhelmed by the sheer speed. Malice suddenly spun into a roundhouse kick aimed at my head. Another trigger. Another disappearing act.

No matter what...

I popped out of teleportation behind him. Punched at the back of his knees, then teleported before he could catch me with his overhead claw swipe.

I have to win!

When I reappeared above his head, he caught my punch. All momentum slammed into a halt as I spotted Malice’s frown.

“...Is that it?”

The disappointment in his voice pissed me off to no end. With a growl, I teleported at his feet and rose into a leaping uppercut, only for him to catch it again.

He regarded me with pure disgust like I was the world’s filthiest cockroach. I let loose the strongest bolt of lighting I had in me while he was still guarding.

A thunderous boom ripped through the chamber, nearly deafening me as the blast knocked me back. When the blinding flash faded, Malice still stood strong, burn marks all over his armor as the only evidence of damage I’ve done.

“For a weakling like you to push me this far…”

He closed the gap before I could so much as twitch my limbs. One hand grasped my head, his roar rooting me to the floor.

“IS UNFORGIVABLE!”

His knee rushed to my face. The blow nearly threw me to the floor as he released me, nose broken and bleeding. I scrambled back to my hooves instantly and jumped at him, only to catch a punch to the face. Then another. And again and again.

“GIVE ME A REAL FIGHT!” Malice screamed into his rapid-fire punches.

I couldn’t move or even lift a hoof without catching a leg to the gut, backfist to the head, or sweeping strikes that slapped me all over the battlefield. My lightning bolts refused to do more than charcoal his armor as he charged me down, furious swipes maring me with gashes. He broke through my ice barriers and reformed armor like it was nothing.

I teleported backward to distance myself and attempted a teleportation flank. Only to fall right into his claws as he grabbed my throat and squeezed. That’s when a terrible realization hit me: my talent hadn’t triggered during this beatdown.

…He held back, I realized.

I clawed at the hand, kicked at him with my hind legs, all for naught. His cold grasp got even colder, as did the spark in my chest. Darkness edged my vision, starved of oxygen and magic which he drained through his grip.

“You do not deserve my gifts…!” Malice seethed. “You deserve only death…!”

Purple and light blue magic bolts suddenly rained down his face, drawing his attention.

Now!

I thrusted both forehooves at his face and discharged a massive bolt with everything I had left. His grip loosed as he stepped back and snarled. In a panic I turned to run and put distance between us. This was a fatal mistake.

Malice grabbed a fistful of my wing. I glanced back in muted horror as he lifted his foot and kicked full force into my back.

An unholy shriek ripped out of my throat and throughout the cavern as my limp body was flung across the chamber like a rubberband. Paralyzing pain shot up my spine and spread across the rest of my body like wildfire. All control on my left side ceased. I was left convulsing and wailing at the unfathomable pain echoing in my back. Through blackening vision I spotted Malice casting my bloodied wing aside and rushing me with merciless abandon. I couldn’t move or even think straight, let alone fight back.

As a member of the Royal Guard, I’ve had to face all sorts of threats. Wandering dragons. Diamond dogs. Basilisks and chimeras. Changelings and manticores. Even Discord and Tirek, who overpowered us with their immense magical prowess. All of them were terrifying and dangerous in their own way.

But nothing, and I mean nothing, compared to what had just transpired.

All I could do was await the inevitable.

Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie and Applejack slammed into his side with just enough force to throw him off balance and stop his charge.

“Miserable pests!” With a roar and arm sweep, he tossed them aside like frisbees. Green magic reached me before his claws could, yanking me out of his clutches while Twilight screamed bloody murder and rained down magic bolts with the force of a Typhoon barrage.

For the second time in my life, I found myself clutched in Chrysalis’ hooves, albeit more cradled in her long leg than hugged. Any amount of gratefulness I had crumbled between the searing pain of torn muscle and cartilage and seething anger that they weren’t miles away from Malice by now.

None of that could compete with the mild heart attack I had when Malice’s greatsword cracked against Chrysalis’s hastily made shield.

“Fluttershy! Grab Flash and get out of here!” Chrysalis grunted with each blow to her shield.

“O-of course!” Fluttershy hurriedly snaked her trembling hooves under my neck and back, wincing at the amount of blood soaking my back. “I-I-I’m sorry Flash—Eep!” Another explosive spark of steel on magic rocked the barrier. Poor thing was in tears but still trying to put up a strong front. “I-It’s going to hurt, so please bear with me a little while.”

I tried to say something reassuring, or even smile to give her some encouragement. What came out was barely restrained screaming as the lack of cartilage in my back was more than a little distracting.

Fluttershy turned to leave, freezing solid when the blade swung her direction and crashed into the cracking shield. Even with Twilight and Rarity blasting at him with magic, even with Pinkie Pie, Applejack and Rainbow Dash attacking him from behind, they were little more than pillow fighting foals with what little attention he paid them. His glare, however, aimed squarely at Chrysalis.

The contempt he had for me fizzled to the sheer hatred he felt for her.

“I gave you every chance!”

Malice shrugged Applejack off his shoulder so hard she nearly crashed past the entrance. His claw slammed onto the shield.

“You had every chance to save yourself! Even when I allowed you to leave with your miserable life to kill Flash Sentry!”

Black fire erupted off his body, breaking Rainbow Dash’s futile headlock and Pinkie’s arm bar by blasting them away. Cracks formed on the shield.

“After everything I’ve done for you and your pathetic hive, you spit in the face of your merciful god?!”

Heat from Malice stifled the air like an overheated sauna. Pathos rolled off him in powerful waves, nearly throwing any pony outside Chrysalis’ barrier off their hooves. A tiny ball of condensed black energy shimmered in his palm.

“You’ve crossed me for the last time, CHRYSALISSSS!”

Brilliant streaks of light cracked through the sphere. Fluttershy shielded me mere moments before it detonated. The barrier shattered instantly, swallowed by the white-hot flames. Had Twilight and Rarity’s shields emerged a second later, we would’ve been roasted alive. The concussive impact still managed to cut through, sending Fluttershy and I scattered across the chamber floor.

As the dust settled, Malice was the only one standing, palm still facing Chrysalis, who was in bad shape. She was slumped against the tree of harmony, a circular indent left on the tree’s surface where she had crashed from the force of the blast. Chrysalis groaned as her head lolled, cracks streaked all over her carapace. The rest of us were in only slightly better condition, lightly charred in black soot and struggling onto our hooves, an option well beyond my grasp.

Malice traversed the broken battlefield. Quiet. Focused. A long sword spawned in his hands. The grip on his blade had never been tighter, denting the metallic handle.

The look he gave Chrysalis could freeze Tartarus. He was done. Judging the expression on Chrysalis’ face as she slowly looked up at him, defiance and dread etched into her wide eyes, she was as well.

She knows…

Ice dropped in my stomach.

She knows she’s going to die.

I tried to pick myself up, only to collapse back onto the ground and barely stifled a scream from landing on my wounded side. The fact I wasn’t dead, let alone conscious, was a miracle. To do anything but watch Chrysalis perish was arguably worse.

After all my attempts and efforts. All the obstacles and monstrosities faced.

All the bloodshed. All those lost along the way.

Did it really all add up to me watching Chrysalis die?

...I failed my squad. Failed Shining. Failed Twilight. And now, Chrysalis and Noble?

Malice stopped right in front of her. He lifted the blade above his head. Time slowed.

I had failed them just like I had failed Wind Stride.

No… no…! Not again…!

My heartbeat quickened.

I didn’t come this far to roll over and play dead. I didn’t take on the armor and spear to let evil win.

My body tensed up.

And I sure as shit didn’t just save Chrysalis so she could die to her bastard of an ex now.

Fire rushed through my veins like a furnace. Indignant rage exploded from the depths of my soul. Pathos-filled air rushed into my lungs and delivered the boost I desperately needed.

Celestia be my witness, I won’t let you kill anyone else, Malice!

A well placed teleport brought me right next to Chrysalis. Malice was already well in his swing. Perception still delayed by my Sentry Sense, I shoved.

There was no time left for another teleport. His blade was sharp, heavy, and cold. My armor gave way in an instant. Malice compensated for my intrusion a second too late, driving his blade forward instead of across.

My Sentry Sense remained active the entire time, letting me witness the brutality of the moment with unexpected clarity as the blade plunged into my flesh.

I was shook to my core by the sword’s momentum. Frozen air was driven out of my lungs even as I wanted to gasp in shock.

Halfway through the blade’s length, and completely through me, it apparently ran into the tree itself. It was stopped dead, pinning me in place. Using what strength I had left, I managed to glance up.

Malice gaped as he realized what had happened.

A high-pitched scream resonated through the cave. Something small zipped through the air, leaving a hole where Malice’s wrist had been moments before.

More followed just as my vision lost focus. I wanted to look up again. Couldn’t move a muscle or open my eyes. Screams, curses, and bone-rattling roars were the last indications of what was transpiring around me, but they soon faded into a soft ringing.

Then there was silence. I tried to keep my vision focused on the ground as it narrowed, but darkness quickly overtook those efforts, too.

One last thought remained as all else was lost to darkness.

I saved Chrysalis.

A surreal satisfaction overtook me.

I kept my end of the deal, Noble.

I relaxed, content in the knowledge I had thrown one last wrench into Malice’s plans.

See you all on the other side—

*Such a witless, overconfident fool.*

The absurdity of Inner Malice’s comment cut through the darkness around me. Even in death, Inner Malice failed to not be an asshole. I’m dying, and you’re choosing this time to mock me?!

*You’re not dying today, so drop the dramatics.* His manner of speaking so matter-of-factly like I was being an idiot irritated me even more. *More importantly, you’re not the source of my ire. He put us exactly where we need to be.*

...This might be a new concept for you, but being stabbed by a giant-ass sword is pretty much the end for us mortals.

Inner Malice sighed heavily. I didn’t need to see him to know he was rolling his eyes. *Mortal? You gave up such excuses when you finally accepted your calling. Accepted me. Now stop trying to think like one and use your head. Think. Where are you right now?*

I couldn’t have been more confused. I’m in the chamber of the tree of harmony. Have you not been paying attention?

*Be specific. Where. Are. You?*

I’m at the tree of harmony. Well, more like pinned to… to…

I couldn’t believe I missed that. How could I have been so blind?

The tree is full of pathos…!

*Do my eyes deceive me? The colt can use his head after all!*

Could you not be a dick right now?

*If I stopped, you wouldn’t be irritated enough to passively absorb the pathos keeping you conscious.*

That caught me off guard. I was fading away moments before he made that smart-ass comment. Though the pain of steel splitting through flesh and bone was still present, I hadn’t noticed until now it was numbed enough to let me think straight.

Did… did you save my life by annoying the shit out of me?

*Stop dawdling and start eating. They won’t last long without you.*

That was more than enough motivation to pull my head back into the game. They were still fighting out there, and if I wanted to put an end to this once and for all, it started here.

As if reacting to my will to live, pathos coursed through the icy blade and into me. Soothing chill fought against the tide of agony paralyzing me, overcoming it little by little. Sounds of combat gradually returned to me, as did the light of exploding magic and Malice’s flames. My limbs twitched with life, fighting for movement.

This was not enough.

Though strength was returning to my broken body, that burst of power I felt the first time I absorbed pathos did not reach me. Like molasses filling a plate of pancakes, progressing too slow for my taste.

Come on…! Come on! Why can’t this go any faster?!

*Flash, if there’s any advice I offer that you heed, make it this one. You have the ability. The most ability I’ve seen since Chrysalis. The issue is not with pathos. No amount of force or technique will save you if you can’t acknowledge the real problem.*

The underline accusation hit me like, well, a sword to the chest. The depth of the cut was outweighed by the truth that dwelled within it.

Chrysalis’ magic lesson jumped to the forefront of my thoughts. How magic was interwoven with the heart. The nature of pathos and emotions tied to it.

The body absorbs magic. The heart processes and releases...

That drove the point home. I didn’t want to believe it. I couldn’t bring myself to admit what was truly at fault and the lives it cost. Yet no other answer came to mind. All facts pointed at the true source of weakness.

...It’s me, isn’t it? Even with everyone being in grave danger, something’s holding me back.

*Fear.*

His ingenuity hit me harder than any of his punches. It was decidedly worse than him belittling me, especially when I realized he was right.

Even with so much on the line, why can’t I break through?!

*It would be irresponsible to believe you would overcome your failings overnight. No matter what weapon you carry or what power you possess, you’re just a pony. A pony with an edge who is now realizing how far out of his depth he truly is. Reckless courage suppresses the fear, but never truly eliminates it. Fafnir had struggled with similar failings during his early years.*

Fafnir?

*My first champion. My... legacy.*

As those words rolled off his incorporeal tongue, a bottomless wound revealed itself. No snark or deceit settled in his tone. This was more than a confession of weakness: it was a leap of faith. Pure honesty.

Back when you were trying to take over me, was he the ‘something important’ you lost because of Discord?

*Kill the false Emperor, then we can go down memory lane while breaking bread over a campfire. Beside the point, the core problem he had is not all that different from your own. The answer you seek, the same conclusion Fafnir arrived at, you already know.*

An answer I already knew…

When my eyes opened, it drew to the sword plunged through me.

...the reason I got this far...

I looked up at Twilight and Chrysalis, pushing against streams of black fire.

...And somehow pulled off the impossible.

Gazing down at the blade again, heat flooded through my limbs as I grasped the blade.

Thank you, Malice.

*You can thank me by doing your duty. What you were born to do.*

Lightning coursed wildly around my hooves as I fought to pull the sword out.

*You’re more than a pegasus. More than a soldier.*

Streaks of lightning grew stronger and faster, sparking dangerously through the sword and into my limbs.

*You are a warrior!*

“No,” I growled. “ I am… A Royal Guard!”

White lightning turned gold as I pulled the sword out and dropped to the ground on my hooves. A sharp crack of electricity rippled from me as I landed, wound fully closed before I drew my first breath. Any pain and exhaustion from earlier was washed aside, replaced with a surge of invigorating inspiration and drive governed with purpose. Such overwhelming power threatened to burst out of my chest like a supernova.

Never in my life had I felt so powerful. So ready...to tear this sonuva bitch apart!

“NO!”

Malice’s wrathful cry brought me back to reality in the form of a raging dragon racing towards me. I dashed at him without a second thought.

Malice was as fast. But now, I was faster.

A burst of gold lightning exploded on impact. Malice’s body crashed through the ceiling seconds before an echoing boom rocked the chamber.

Silence filled the room, save for strangled gasps coming from several ponies and one changeling, followed by the clattering of a dented draconic helmet.

“Flash, you’re alive!” Twilight finally spoke. “How on—”

“It’s not over.” I hurried over to the blade Malice stabbed me with and picked it up.

“Flash,” Chrysalis started, “you don’t have to worry about the network. It’s done. Now I—that is, we—can take that bastard out together.”

“Don’t.” I threw a cold glance at Chrysalis and the others. “Your daughter is out there fighting to save Ponyville alongside the Crystal Guard. I need everypony here to be away from this place and out there keeping everyone alive!”

As if to prove my point, a distant boom rocked the foundation of the chamber. Dust and small rocks rained down from above, moments before a strong gust howled past the hole in the ceiling. I’d guessed it was Malice’s doing at first, but the lack of pathos involved brought a new world of concern involving a certain changeling and the amount of artillery I left at her disposal.

Somehow, I just knew Noble was involved in some weird way.

It was the catalyst I needed to galvanize everyone to reorganize their priorities. I was thankful for their consideration, but the guards on the frontline needed every hoof they could get.

“Chrysalis, make sure Twilight and the others get as far from here as possible. Run, see what’s going on in Ponyville, and don’t look back!”

“Don’t do this, Flash.” The strength in Twilight’s voice wavered. I didn’t dare look at her. “You almost died back there! Again! You’re strong. Different. That much is clear. But this is not a fight to do alone. It never has been.”

After everything she’s been through, all the horrors I subjected her to through my failure as her guard, she was still willing to fight beside me. I expected her at the very least to withdraw me from combat after my crushing defeat in round one. The thought of pampering me due to my failures hadn’t crossed her mind once.

I couldn’t have asked for more from my princess.

“I know.” Renewed resolve and purpose swelled in me as I hopped into the air. “That’s why I’m not going alone!”

Whatever Twilight yelled out faded as I flew through the opening carved through Malice’s exit. Her magic threatened to wrap around and pull me back, belayed by a faint green barrier protecting me from it. Some twisted part of me couldn’t help but smile.

“Thanks for understanding, Chrysalis,” I muttered.

*Your princess had a point. We could use that kind of firepower on our side. Do you fear they will hold you back?*

“I wouldn’t be able to go all out if I kept worrying about them.”

*Choosing me over your precious little princess. Careful, the mares will get jealous.*

“Cadance always did say mares love a stallion in uniform, but let’s worry about that after I ripped Malice a new one.”

*Haha! Knew I picked the right soldier for the job. Let’s finish this, Flash Sentry!*

“Right!” With a mighty beat of my wings I zipped into the clouds where I sensed Malice’s violent pathos pulsating.

The war raging in Ponyville came to mind during my flight, specifically the explosion from earlier. I snuck a glance at the town, only to nearly lose my flight balance.

Entire portions of Everfree were obliterated. Smoking clearings filled several gaps near the Ponyville border and travelled towards a much, much bigger crater. It took me a moment to realize this was where the town hall had been.

Majority of the town was in complete ruin. Thick columns of smoke ascended from burning buildings and collapsed houses. I was forced to stop upon seeing the state of Twilight’s castle, my jaw dropping.

*...Damn.* Inner Malice muttered in awe. I could only nod in agreement.

Noble, what did you do?!

I would have immediately sought out Noble for answers had the battlefield not been so quiet. Whatever had transpired, the fight was obviously over. There was just one giant angry lizard left to put into the ground.

Finding the pathos signature of Malice was simple despite how thick the atmosphere was with it. I made for the cloud closest to the source at maximum speed and tightened the grip on my blade.

Malice had stood on one of the passing clouds, arms crossed and expression hard. I breached the clouds and closed the distance in the blink of an eye. My blade sliced into his armguard, biting into the metal. His arm trembled with effort as he held me off.

“...I see it,” Malice snarled, black smoke wafting out of his lungs. “You’re finally serious.”

“I’ve always been serious, Malice. Just had to do a little soul searching.”

Malice smirked. “I know from personal experience how easy it is to get lost within yourself.” I flew back just before his other claw could catch me and landed on an adjacent cloud. “I should be more surprised to see you alive and flying, and yet I couldn’t be happier.”

Everything about his demeanor changed as he assumed a fighting stance. Black flames of pathos coated his massive frame like a bonfire. “I acknowledge your worth, Flash Sentry. Rest well knowing I will visit and honor your gravestone.”

“That’s our line, Malice.”

“Our…?” Confused dawned on him, shortly followed by a disapproving grunt. “Cute.”

“Bitch, I’m adorable.”

He appeared at my side in a flash. I reared back and used both forehooves to block his fist with my blade. “Underestimating us will be your undoing!”

I shouted in thunderous unison as I pushed off Malice and lunged through the air.

“THIS ENDS NOW!”

The electrified blade cleaved into his armored ribs, tearing through chainmail and scales. He brushed off my follow-up cut and raked my face with searing claws. He froze upon realizing that was not enough to stop me. Such pause cost him several deep gashes on his chest and stomach from my flurry of blade strikes. One of my strikes bit his shoulder before his palm strike knocked me back.

I sank into the cloud to avoid his lunge. While under it, I struck the cloud with my hoof.

Pegasi magic shot into it and exploded like an overloaded lightning vane. Malice’s roar echoed throughout the endless blue sky. I darted through the clouds and slashed upward. I struck air. A fireball sailed at me a few clouds to the left, dispelled with a clean cut with my Spark-infuse blade.

“Not bad,” he huffed. Fine trails of smoke still rose from his scales and armor.

An idea struck me. Looking around, I spotted more than enough raw material. “Bitch… you haven’t seen half of it.”

Spreading my wings, I created strong gusts of wind. Not at him, but at the clusters of clouds around us. Malice prepared himself, armor regrowing from pathos twice as thick as before. He knew I was up to something, but he had no way of telling what was about to come.

Trapped by his curiosity, he watched as the cloud cover began to encircle us.

Static soon began to pull at my feathers as the clouds rubbed against one another, amplified pegasus magic working hoof in hoof with ancient weather phenomena. As the clouds darkened and small lightnings began to dance across their surfaces, Malice finally understood.

He came at me like an arrow, determined to interrupt me before my work was done.

Too late, sucker!

My fur stood on end as more and more arcs connected with my hooves: A sign the clouds were ready to discharge their bounty. Time slowed around me as his fist headed for my face, giving me an extra second to admire the blend of fury and trouble etched into his face.

A fraction of a second before he reached me, I extended my hoof. The sky erupted with blinding light as a thunderbolt unprecedented in power arced over the gap and into his fist. Time accelerated back to normal just as a record thunderclap boomed across the landscape.

Malice was tossed into the distance like a pebble, every cloud in his path torn apart by the impact energy and the hot furious arc of electricity that followed him.

He caught himself on a distant cloud dozens of meters away. Bolts of energy zapped from his smoking scales back into the clouds. Wisps of pathos remained where his zapped arm had been. Within moments surrounding pathos was absorbed into the stump, quickly reforging a new arm, armor and all.

I took a breath, tasting prickly static in my mouth. When I spoke, Inner Malice’s voice joined in deep unison. “It’s showtime!”

I reached out for the cloud underneath Malice and yanked my hoof upwards. Lightning obeyed my command and bathed him in another powerful discharge. I dashed forward before he recovered. Arcs connected with my body as I moved across the charged-up clouds.

Malice crossed his arms in defense, not realising he wasn’t my target. Instead, I dove into his cloud just short of his feet and punched upwards from underneath him. The thunderbolt that followed blasted the entire cloud apart. Malice was hurled into the air like a ragdoll; even the god of war was but a plaything compared to the powers of nature.

I was already back in motion before he started falling back down. Zipping around him in a spiral, all the clouds I had previously used were sucked into a single giant hurricane. Tossed around by the powerful winds, Malice was zapped more than once by the clouds around him.

I was about to deliver the final punch when the clouds, hurricane, and even the air in my lungs suddenly froze to painfully low temperatures.

The tornado that had held Malice trapped was blasted apart by a wave of icicles. Several of the deadly missiles nearly got me.

Too busy dodging them, I had no way of stopping Malice before he propelled himself towards me.

“ENOUGH!!!” his voice boomed across the battlefield.

I swung my sword towards him, but he simply dashed into it. Ignoring the blade biting his bicep, he grabbed my hindleg. With a mighty spin he yanked me towards the earth like a cannonball.

He was in hot pursuit long before I had a chance to decelerate.

Pushing aerial recovery aside, I was forced to clash with the giant dragon spirit while in freefall.

Blade clashed against claw as we fell at terminal velocity. Whenever I tried to fly up he clawed me back down. His attempt to recover ended with my blade biting into his flesh. We twisted in the air in a chaotic aerial deathmatch equally matched in speed, finesse, and power.

A swift headbutt knocked me back. With a roar he dove in for the kill and cleaved with his claw.

Fire met frost as my ice clone melted in his grip. He glanced over his shoulder and noticed my hoof too late.

A thunderous boom ripped through the sky as the furious war god plummeted into the ground like a meteor. Trees and rocky debris exploded into the air. Dirt and black smoke from the pathos flames masked his condition. I teleported down and readied my blade.

Malice was gone.

The debris had just started falling back down when I sensed a burst of pathos to my side. I turned and sliced. My sword cut only smoke. The parted smoke swirled and shifted into a flying dark fist.

I stumbled back, dazed from the surprise attack, and fell into another smoke strike that clawed my side. I dashed to escape from the smokescreen ambush. My exit was blocked by a flurry of nigh-invisible attacks coming rapid fire from all sides. I twisted and turned, blocked and struck, dipped and dodged the onslaught of this bizarre assault. If he thought this would do me in, he was about to have a rude awakening.

A burst of magic wind from my wings foiled the assault and parted all the surrounding smoke. On cue, the smoke pulled itself together to reform the fallen Emperor himself, an enflamed longsword in hand alongside reforged armor. I followed suit and conjured ice variant Royal Guard armor.

Four pulses of pathos erupted from behind me. I turned and readied my blade, reminded of Malice’s vassals who had been guarding the entrance to the tree of harmony. They charged at me—

“Halt!”

They stopped as if frozen in time, eyes on the fallen emperor who regarded them with dirty looks.

“This is my quarry. I have a better use for you.” Malice beckoned them with his hand. The vassals zipped around me and towards Malice, diving into his body. Their pathos signatures faded as they were absorbed. He answered the question before I could ask. “The honor of killing you is for me alone!”

With a thunderous warcry we charged in.

When our blades clashed, Malice’s blade ignited like dynamite. Black fire roared from the explosion and threw me out of the clearing and into a grove of trees. I recovered to a giant claw made of pathos flames rushing me from afar. I dove at the fire and, fueling my blade with spark magic, split the flames apart. The trees around me were not as fortunate, set ablaze by the pathos flames and severed by my eviscerating wind. Malice charged at me while making a grabbing motion with his free hand. This was mirrored in the flames as animated fire lurched out to grab me.

I flew at Malice while twisting in the air, simultaneously spinning my blade to part the flames like a wave funnel. My blade barely pierced his chest before his right hook caught my cheek.

With a battlecry rivaling Malice’s, I channeled my healing factor and shot after him. Fire and lighting swords met in a blinding flash of magic. Malice screamed into his attacks as I did with my blade strikes. Some of his blows were allowed to connect, earning burning claw marks and blade gashes along my face and barrel, if only to ensure my sword connected with his chest, face and limbs in kind. Pathos whipped around us as rivaling storms, healing and fueling us just as fast as we ate through our energy reserves.

The landscape was devoured in the inferno. More and more of the forest fell victim to Malice’s fiery attacks, transforming the world around us into the blazing pits of Tartarus itself. An advantage I planned to make use of.

I vanished just before his blade touched me and reappeared behind a wall of burning bushes. Channeling Spark into my wings, I fanned the flames toward Malice, throwing boiling mists of steam into the mix. All was going well until a torn down tree was hurled through it. I ducked in time to dodge, but due to the thick smoke failed to notice the angry dragon riding it until he fell upon me.

Hot sparks had melted his armor and flesh away, yet he tackled me to the floor regardless of it, knocking the sword out of my hoof. His blade dropped at my neck like a guillotine, held back only by spark-empowered hooves. Slowly but surely his blade drew closer to my throat.

When it was close enough to touch my fur, and when the steam had soaked his body enough, I ignited myself with gold lightning.

It traveled through the blade, the armor, and his soaked body to deliver a shock powerful enough to paralyze him. It also gave me just enough of a window to shove him off and squirm towards my blade. Malice rolled away, staggering from the shock while I seized the opening to strike.

Only to catch a familiar black sphere floating in his palm.

“Shi—”

The hastily crafted shield wall saved my life against the pathos bomb. Though I was not blown to bits, I was sent hurtling and tumbling through the trees and deeper into the forest. Rising to my hooves, I attempted to catch my breath when I found a lack of Malice. Instead, another pathos bomb appeared next to my position.

I darted away just in time to avoid the detonation unscathed, only to find even more spawning in my running path. Explosions followed my every step while I hunted around for Malice’s whereabouts, forced to take into the sky and avoid a trail of deadly detonations.

Malice greeted me the moment I broke through the treeline and grabbed my throat. Instincts guided my blade to stab his chest, stopped by a tail wrapped around my forehoof. My hoof couldn’t move.

As he realized a second too late, neither could he.

I poured Spark into my blade-wielding forehoof as if loading a spring. Just as Twilight had done with those rocks, I focused it all into a point between my hoof and the blade hilt.

Just before his other hand could unleash a point-blank pathos bomb, I released the power and blade.

A shockwave erupted between us like the firing of a Typhoon cannon. Unspeakable pain echoed through his expression as he let go, dropping me back into the forest. I wasn’t sure where my sword had ended up, my only evidence being the hole in the distant cloud cover behind Malice, which I could see through the gaping void in his chest.

Several branches broke my fall as I plummeted back to the ground. Similar sounds echoed in the distance where Malice would have fallen. An uncomfortable pause followed as I used the chance to recharge using the thinning supply of pathos floating in the air.

“We burned through more pathos than I expected.” I pondered quietly between labored breaths. “But that should’ve done the trick and took him out.”

*Take the hoof out of your mouth. It’s not over yet,” Inner Malice warned.

Are you serious? He had a hole in his chest!

*So did you, and yet here you are whining. Not so different for a spirit, though no doubt still a critical blow.*

Whatever argument I had in mind faded in the face of such an obvious fact. If I could survive that, no doubt he could as well. That just begged the question. What in Tartarus does it take to kill him then?

The most uncomfortable pause followed. It took a moment for me to realize why; it would work on him too. No way he would give me that much ammunition against him.

Nevermind. I’ll figure it—

*Crush his will.*

Malice…?

*Pathos is living, conscious magic. We are living magic, shaped and emboldened by our will and conscience. Without will, without consciousness, we cannot maintain physical form and function. Outside some exceptions, the pain we suffer must exceed our will of existence for us to truly be defeated.*

So I’m not killing him, but killing his will to exist…?

The lack of snark or vagueness in his words matched the weight of this guarded secret.

*Your victory is close. Any other foe would’ve fallen then and there. Unfortunately, you will have to deal with what comes next now that he’s all too aware of his approaching ruin.*

On cue, a tidal wave of pathos washed over the forest and towards Malice. I drank in what I could to top off my reserves. What followed was a howl so shrill and loud it drilled down to my bones. Primal instincts screamed at me to run and hide under the biggest rock I could find. But I was long past running.

*Be wary of one thing, Flash,* Inner Malice started. *What you just heard is the beginning of the end. This creature is no longer the fallen Emperor, but fury given life and purpose to do one thing: kill you.*

Through the forest depths, beyond the roaring flames, piercing red eyes cut through the fog of war and locked onto my own.

*What you face now is the fallen Emperor’s madness weaponized: a true berserker.*

The grip on my blade tightened. I readied myself into a fighting stance and braced for what I imagined was the final showdown. As the mad Emperor stared me down, I stared back.

I beckoned him with my hoof. “Bring it.”

A trail of fire blazed behind Malice as he closed the gap in a single leap.

Freight-train force rushed past me as I pivoted his claw strike. Pathos followed the shadow of his swipe, upheaving several yards of earth. I moved to stab his chest again, only to find the hole was still there, wisps of pathos bleeding from his wounds and maw. I went for his stomach instead. Tendril pathos flames leapt from his body and caught my blade.

I let go and darted back as his claw missed and slammed the ground. The fires of tartarus erupted where his claw landed, dirt and black flame rose into the sky. I made for the forest, Malice hot on my tail.

Better try harder than that to catch me…!

My wings beat harder than ever, zipping around the trees and through foliage. Heightened reflexes turned the twisting vines and thick branches into my own personal jungle gym, bouncing off trees to quickly change direction. I twisted my body in mid-air to throw a rapid series of ice javelins and empowered golden bolts to chip away at him with every opportunity.

Trees and boulders broke away to the stampeding whirlwind. His leaping footfalls struck the ground with the force of a comet. Malice’s pathos aura slung him around like an agile spider while his claws dug into whatever they could to drift him around tight corners. Somehow he was still faster than me. My saving grace was my unmatched agility and throwing chunks of sharp glaciers at his face.

*Please tell me you have a plan better than running away.*

I’m not running from him.

I kicked off a tree just in time to avoid a rain of molten pathos fireballs bathing the area in fire.

I’m pulling him along for the ride.

With a mid-air front flip I shot a two-hoof thunderbolt at his face. The force of the blast flipped me around without much loss of momentum. Good thing, as I narrowly evaded Malice’s lunging slash that threatened to split Everfree in half.

I can’t beat his pathos absorption. Can’t overpower him either. Killing him only makes him angrier. But one thing I can do better than anyone else is piss him off!

Molten fireballs launched out of him and rained down my position. I channeled spark into my ice armor, enough to stave off the sweltering heat from the inferno the forest was transforming into. What he had gained in pure destructive power he lost in accuracy, a weakness I fully planned on exploiting.

*...Yes, I can attest to that. I’m surprised that isn’t your cutie mark talent.*

Malice slid in front of me, poised to strike. I sped up even faster and tackled into his chest. Trees and rocks were blown away as we barreled dozens of meters through the trees, clawing and punching at each other like animals. After getting in a good hook to his jaw, I threw up an ice shield between us. The ice wall shattered in a single blow. I repaid him in kind and shattered his expectations with a flying buck to the back of his head.

Malice stumbled forward. By the time he regained his balance, the chase was on as I ran further into the depths of the trees. Judging from the ear-piercing roar, he was not a fan of the slip I gave him.

That anger and pride is his greatest weakness. The more pissed off he is, the more energy he uses. More careless opportunities he leaves open for me to kick his face in.

Towers of magma erupted all around me, twisting and forming claws as they rained down on me. Combined with walls of black ice popping up to block my path, Malice tried his damndest to warp and twist every bit of nature he could grab just to catch me.

He’s sucking up the well of pathos floating around dry. I’ll give it a few minutes at most before he cleans up his plate.

*So that hasn’t been lost on you after all. When did you realize this?*

Before I even stepped into the tree of harmony I knew the key laid somewhere in dealing with the overabundance of pathos. What you said about willpower and seeing his resilience for myself confirmed everything I need to know. As long as I stay efficient with my Overspark, I’ll win the long game and leave him high and dry.

*If he decides you will have anything left in the long game.*

Inner Malice’s haunting words planted a seed of doubt in my attrition plan. That doubt grew when I realized Malice was no longer chasing me… then blossomed when I saw he had jumped high into the sky.

The floating pathos in the air swirled faster and faster until it funneled towards Malice like a cyclone. Alarms rang loudly from the back of my mind as he pulled the surrounding pathos into himself, brimming like a second sun while the world around us grew darker each passing second.

*...Oh no.*

When Inner Malice got spooked, I knew I was in deep shit.

“What… what’s he... No, don’t tell me…” I didn’t dare put that idea into the universe.

Malice threw his hands in the air, palms facing up. A large pathos bomb formed above his head. It grew bigger.

And bigger…

And bigger…!

All the while Malice laughed like a lunatic.

“He’s not serious…! Please tell me he’s not serious!”

*I…* Inner Malice trailed off, lost for words. *His mind is truly gone. He would rather glass this entire region than lose his pride.*

Judging how the sheer power wafting from the eclipsing sphere made the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end, I had no reason to doubt this.

I grabbed my shaking hoof and forced it still, glaring up at the extinction-sized pathos bomb brewing in the sky.

“I have to stop him before that sphere grows bigger.”

*Wait!* Inner Malice screamed in my head just before I could take flight.

If I wait, he will kill us all!

*It’s already too late to interrupt him. If you rush in like a fool now, you will trade your life for nothing.*

Explain. Now.

*He chose that spot for a reason. He wants you to see him. Wants to bait you into attacking. It appears like a trade; your life for everyone else’s. But the moment you’re gone, nobody will be left to stop him. He’ll drain the pathos from your obliterated corpse and head to town to do it again.*

Gravity seemed to pull into the whirling orb of pure magic growing in his palm. The flaming tornado rising from the forest, I realized, was a by-product of the magical devastation being conjured in his hands.

Inner Malice continued. *Anything touching that sphere will be annihilated. Even you. However, there will be a single window of opportunity to strike him down. You can probably guess when.*

“...When he throws it, isn’t it?”

*Powerful as he is, even he will need his full focus to throw it. That single instant is your chance to land a decisive blow.*

“Right… and what about the Celestia-damned ball of death?”

*Too late. Unless you have a weapon as powerful as the false Emperor himself to counter it… I suggest praying for a miracle.*

“Helpful as always, Malice,” I rolled my eyes. Where the hay could I find something as powerful as Malice himself on such short notice? I doubt even Discord could deal with this in his weakened state.

Something as powerful as Malice… as powerful as…

I stared up at Malice, then the enormous ball of death looming overhead, casting a shadow over the entire forest.

...I got it!

*Impossible.*

A pause followed. He must’ve sensed my determination. *Wait, what crazy scheme did you cook up this time?*

I grinned.

“A miracle.”

I teleported atop the tree of harmony’s cave in clear view of Malice.

“MALICE!” I screamed at the top of my lungs. “I’ve let you live long enough! Let’s finish this fight once and for all! Give me all you got!”

The widest of maniacal grins spread on Malice’s face as the death sphere swelled in size and density. I could feel it now, the pure malevolence, the hatred and pain of a thousand creatures and soldiers, channeled and trapped inside the spell. With so much power, I couldn’t sense a drop of pathos anywhere else. This really would be the end of everything it touched.

With a deep breath, I gathered every drop of power I could muster, spark within as well as the nearby streams of pathos energy. Golden electricity wrapped around me, flashing and sparking like the world’s most volatile thundercloud.

“No fear… yes I can…”

While Malice’s absorption of power ravaged the world around him, I followed suit to fill myself with as much Spark as I could harness. Power radiated off me like an exploding star, uncontrollable electricity ripping out of me and tearing apart the landscape.

“No fear… yes I can…!”

I steadied my breath. Braced my racing heart.

*Ready…!*

“No fear!”

And prepared to deal the final blow to that arrogant bastard.

*GO!*

“YES I CAN!”

Malice roared as he hurled the death sphere at me.

I fired myself forward like the sword I threw earlier. Spark wrapped around my bones, protecting them from shattering like eggshells. The pathos sphere approached me at many times the speed of sound. I closed in on it so fast, even my sentry sense barely changed my perception of coming doom.

The moment before the sphere and I connected, I vanished in a teleport.

The heavens trembled as I reentered the atmosphere behind the sphere.

Behind it, and in front of Malice.

He didn’t even have time to look surprised before I tackled into him. His claws moved around me in slow motion while I triggered another teleport.

Golden Spark exploded from our bodies as we appeared in the same spot from which I had vanished - right in the path of the sphere.

Time nearly stopped as his mouth opened for an anguished cry of surprise he’d never manage to voice out before he slammed back-first into his own creation.

Streaks of light and darkness pierced through his body. The sphere was both burning hot and ice cold on touch.

His face was frozen in horror as we plunged into complete darkness together. Last thing I remembered was an icy veil of blue coating my golden form and Inner Malice screaming my name.

“...tay with me…”

A voice reached me through glimpses of flickering consciousness. My body weighed like lead. So heavy I could only open my eyes for scant moments at a time, catching a bluish figure through the haze. Through the ringing in my ears I listened for the voice again.

“Don’t you dare…” The voice’s owner grunted and growled with effort. “Die on me, colt! Stay with me!”

With a mighty roar something huge was heaved to the side from above me, landing with a hefty clash of stone against stone. Whoever moved that rock off me rapidly lost opacity and fell into me, voice losing strength as fast as I did.

“You… owe me—”

His words continued seamlessly in my mind, still fading.

*—again, Flash Sentry…*

I awoke with a dried-out throat and thunderous headache. Turning on my side, dust and debris rolled off my bloodied and singed fur.

It was hard to even catch enough breath for a cough. Pain pierced through my fetlocks as I tried to pick myself off the ground. With so much dirt and dust clouding my vision, I could only make out my immediate surroundings: rocks and sharp edged boulders lay all around me. A layer of dirt and burnt grass covered everything.

I stepped forward and slipped, noticing too late I had been laying on one such boulder myself. Tumbling over the ground, I was soon stopped by a rock between my ribs. I tried again while muttering curses at that particularly sharp rock jabbing my sides, this time rubbing the dirt out of my face first.

My eyes were greeted with nothing but greyscale. I had little orientation; rugged cliffs in all directions restricted my view. I coughed again, this time spitting out the dirt I must have breathed in while unconscious. A few drops of blood came with it.

I tilted my head, trying to stretch and straighten myself. A look to the sky revealed nothing but dust clouds; not a single ray of sunlight in sight, as if they were hiding from what had happened.

What… had happened, exactly?

I carefully wandered through the broken landscape. Some boulders were the size of myself. Others were way taller, restricting my view. For a moment it crossed my mind to spread my wings and fly atop one to see more, but I couldn’t find the strength to even try.

Tartarus knows if my spellcraft wing was even there anymore. My skin was still numb, the only evidence of my legs still being in one piece were my slow but steady steps across the scene of devastation. I couldn’t even find the focus to just turn my head and look at how the damn stub was doing.

I wasn’t even sure if I was awake. Was this just another dream? A hallucination caused by some overload of my Spark?

Or… maybe I just hadn’t made it. That was a valid enough option, too.

I had wondered if there was a way to find out, and the best thought that struck me was to shout out for someone. Unsure what answer I even expected, I gathered all my breath.

“H-hello?”

The supposed shout manifested as barely a whisper. Throat still dried out, jaw aching, I was spooked how hollow my voice sounded.

“A-anyone here?”

I was met with silence. If this was the afterlife; the welcoming left a lot to be desired.

M-malice?

Even in my own mind my voice sounded faint. Distant, and quiet. There was no answer.

I slowly proceeded through the dead, silent, dusty wasteland. The only sounds at all came from the occasional pebble I accidentally kicked away; the clattering of rock against rock way louder than I was prepared for.

It was only when I passed by a boulder easily three times my size that I stopped my exploration. Behind it, a rugged and pointy grey monolith reached high up into the sky. Its tip was spliced, like a tree struck down and ravaged by lightning.

A tree…

Something slowly surfaced in the back of my mind.

A tree…. The tree?

The tree of harmony?

I carefully approached the monolith. Its round shape, its surface…

My hoof extended to touch its charred exterior. It was still warm.

A piece broke off where I had touched it, shattering on the ground like glass. The high-pitched clanking echoed through the cave like a whiplash.

The cave. I was in the cave of harmony.

I eyed my surroundings with newfound realization. Those tall cliffs all around me… those had been the ice-covered walls of the cave of harmony not long before.

Or… maybe it had been long before. Had no idea how long I had been unconscious.

A horrifying possibility struck home. I couldn’t have been gone for more than an hour or two, else somepony would’ve come looking for me by now. As long as there was still somepony out there to make a search and rescue effort.

A lead weight dropped into my stomach. Inner Malice had spoken of the possible devastation of the spell, but this…?

Was anyone in Ponyville still left?

Something icy grabbed my chest and squeezed. Was anyone in Equestria still left?

“M-malice?” I caught my breath. “Malice?! Answer me!”

Silence. Rage surged through my veins. “MALICE, ANSWER ME!”

“Answer me!”

“Answer me.”

“Ans—”

Only my fainting echo cared to reply. Pain and uncertainty and anger all gathered in my chest. My vision grew blurry as tears slowly ran over my dusty face.

“MALICE!!!”

*Ugh….*

Malice, you dirty, rotten, no-good bastard! You’re alive!

I was overjoyed, at least for the moment. Just knowing I wasn’t alone in this, whatever this was.

*Quiet…* he groaned. *What… what happened?*

What do you mean, ‘what happened’? This was your spell, I mean his spell, I mean… “Gaah!”

Frustration took hold as I shouted. What in Tartarus had happened to him? This was miles beyond the Inner Malice I had fought with just moments ago.

Where the fuck have you been?

*Where was I supposed to go, you ignorant fool?!* he hissed back. For some weird reason, I welcomed his biting anger way more than his uncertainty. *I’m still here, evidentially.*

“I think we’re in the cave of harmony. Or…” My voice broke. “Or whatever’s left of it.”

*Ugh, I can see that. We survived where that stupid tree failed, I guess.*

Malice!

*What? We have bigger problems right now than a lack of magical forestation.*

I hated him for it, but I had to agree. The long-term consequences of this would have to wait. Right. What now?

I sensed his racing thoughts. Yet he didn’t answer. Malice? What now?! How… How big was this explosion?

There was a harrowingly long pause before he answered. *I haven’t the slightest idea. I don’t think a spell this size has ever been cast before.*

Didn’t you bring ruin to entire armies before? You must know this spell better than anyone!

*I took those lives by sword and claw. I never had the need to channel so much power at once, save for my fight with…* He paused.

With Discord. And let me guess, he stopped you long before you could even try something like this.

His silence was answer enough. So… how do we...

*Make your way to the edge of the crater. I will try to gather our strength from within until then. You cannot replace your wing with what little power you have left, and the walls are too steep to climb.*

And then?

Silence. Then again, I already knew what would come next. We’d have to head to town and see for ourselves how far the devastation reached. The thought alone almost made my legs give in underneath me.

My heart pounded as I traversed the final stretches of the rocky wasteland. Dust and shattered rock crunched under my hooves at every step, and my fetlocks began to ache again from the uneven paths I had to take.

Moments before reaching the cliff ahead, an icy shock rooted me in place. I knew it came from my inner companion, but I couldn’t tell why before he shared his realization with me.

*He’s… not dead yet…!*

WHAT?!

*The false Emperor lives! Do I need to spell it out for you?*

How in the world could he have survived that!? Actually, nevermind. I’ll see for myself!

I gathered what little strength I had left. No time to ponder on the why or how. There were no two ways about it; Only one of us would leave this crater.

My focus was subconsciously drawn towards the far left of my vision; opposite of the tree from where I had awoken, essentially.

*Good. You still have some fight left. You’ll need it.*

An ice spear manifested in my forehoof. Using that much energy nearly stole my consciousness. Not a lot of power left. It would have to be enough.

With every step I took towards him, doubt and worry fell off my shoulders in waves.

For once in my life, nothing else mattered.

Not Ponyville.

Not Equestria.

Not even my own fate.

Determination embraced me like warm rays of sunlight breaking through an ancient, endless cloud cover.

Inner Malice didn’t say a word. There was nothing left to talk about. Waves of spark rushed into the tip of the ethereal spear. He was just as eager as I was.

I knew I had almost reached him. His signature was weak, as if he was trying to hide his presence. Yet I could sense him behind the final boulder as clear as day.

I stepped around it. Muscle memory kicked in as I lifted the spear above my head, its blade shivering with power.

I was met with terror.

Malice laid splayed on the ground, one working eye wide open as he inhaled deep gulps of air. Half of his face was little more than a ghostly wisps of pathos trying to repair itself. Large sections of his arms, legs, and torso had gaps all over them; his pathos fighting an uphill battle against the damages. Shock was frozen on his face, mouth ajar. His armor was in tatters, fitting for what was a shell of his former self.

I stared at him for a long, quiet moment.

“...the fuck is this?”

*End him!* Inner Malice pressed with urgency. *End him now!*

I stared at the hapless, hopeless, pathetic shell with nothing but disappointment.

Slowly, I lowered the spear. “This is a fucking joke,” I whispered, before absorbing the magic back into my soul.

Malice tried to scramble onto his feet. He teetered, and tripped onto his face. Muffled cursing and groans were pulled out of him. He could barely stand, let alone fight.

All his fight, his struggle… all this devastation and bloodshed…

I had no words to describe the emptiness that hit me.

Malice’s glare sharpened. His efforts doubled as he scrambled onto his feet, stumbling backwards and away from me in the process.

I extended my hoof and fired a blast of Spark into his chest, flipping him back onto his ass like a tossed coin.

“Sit,” I commanded.

A snarl ripped out of his throat. He rose back up, a clawful of dirt barely hidden behind his back. “You do not command me!”

He threw the dirt at my eyes, followed quickly by an attempted punch to my muzzle. I sensed his fist coming even with my vision blurry and disturbed. I caught it halfway and pulled, yanking him into my throat punch.

He dropped to the ground with a wheeze.

“Still feel like an Emperor, Malice? Were all of those sacrifices worth it?”

No answer.

“You ruined so many lives. Caused all this destruction and madness. And for what, some Celestia-damned revenge?!”

He scrambled again, caught between hatred and despair. The fact he refused to answer even now got to me like nothing else.

“WHAT FOR?!” I shouted.

Energy built up in my chest. I aimed my forehooves at the boulders left and right of us and discharged it; blasting them to smithereens with the gesture alone. The ground trembled underneath us as a fine hail of hot gravel rained down across the scene.

Malice laughed, bitter and spiteful.

“Revenge? This coming from you?” He staggered and wobbled where he stood, no amusement reaching his eyes. “Fucking rich.”

Every word dripped with venom as he sauntered towards me.

“I don’t answer to you, colt. Go ahead, hate my methods all you like. Curse me till your voice runs as hollow as your future. I will not stop until I drown this land in war and hate. As long as Discord still breathes, my claws will be ready to tear him limb for limb along with you and—”

“This won’t bring Fafnir back, nor honor him.”

He stumbled. A savage growl leapt out of him. “You will not speak his name!”

With a shaky breath he stumbled into a right hook. It took almost no effort to block and counter with a haymaker to his face. He nearly fell to the floor again, hanging onto his fragile existence by a thread.

*Stop toying with him and be done with this farce! Kill him!* Inner Malice screamed.

I’m not doing this to toy with him. Even now, he has not lost his spirit. And I don’t plan to kill him. I plan to finally undo him. Now be quiet.

“In your world, might makes right. As the stronger fighter here, I’ll do whatever I damn well please, so shut the hay up and listen.”

Malice reeled back, trembling with bottomless fury. “You dare…?”

“I had a good talk with your ex-vassal when he tried to take over my mind. Discord took Fafnir away from you. Betrayed you and locked you away for so many millenia. But every day, every minute of your existence, you had to live with that shame. Live knowing you would never see him ever again. Suffering in the knowledge that you had failed him.”

Malice tensed, what little pathos he had left pulsing violently.

“It’s just like how I will never see my comrades again because of Chrysalis! Because I failed to protect them and have lived the shadow of a life since then!”

“What are you…?” Malice muttered quietly to himself.
“You faced all of that pain, that shame and humiliation, alone. Hatred didn’t fuel you, Malice. It consumed you. You spent so much time scheming and suffering that you never learned how to heal. How to move on. That is why you lost: you gave in to fear!”

“Weak…? Fear?!” Fury returned in full force to his trembling fists. “Even at a fraction of my full strength I had you backed into a wall and nearly crushed the empire’s army! Your friends were mine to do with as I pleased! You dare call such exploits weak? Fearing?”

I made a broad gesture across the crater. “And how did that turn out for you? Your squads of changelings, bullied into obedience. Your hordes of monsters, blinded by rage. Your army of vassals. Where are they now? You’re all alone again. Bested by me and the one vassal you considered a ‘failure’.”

“You spout nonsense! Even now, there is no enemy I fe—”

“Discord!”

One word, a single command, froze the air solid. All of his facade crumbled as he frantically searched for his nemesis. I swore he stopped breathing.

The longest pause of his existence stretched as the weight of his actions left him stunned. It confirmed the final blow to his unshakeable pride.

“Enough!” He rushed me, screaming bloody murder into every punch. “I!” Left hook. Blocked. “Will not!” Right hook. Blocked. “Let you!” Left hook. Dodged. “Mock—”

My cross-counter to the face cut off his rant and dropped him on one knee.

“Mocking you is the last thing on my mind, Malice. Killing you is at the top of my list. Letting Discord lock you up forever is a close second. It would be all too easy to pop you out of existence with a single bolt of magic.”

My forehooves itched at the opportunity. A gnawing instinct biting at the back of my mind. I could kill him. Just obliterate him, right now, and be done with all of this. Locking him up via Discord would be merciful. Throw away the key and don’t look back. After everything he did, all the lives he took, the urge was all too alluring.

Somehow, against all odds and urges, I resisted the temptation.

“But I’m not you, Malice. I saw where your path has led you, and I have no intention of following. Hate fosters war, war fosters hate… look where it brought you. This vicious cycle needs to end.”

“Stall your blabbering.” Every ounce of frustration and agony burst forth from his lungs. “Get to the point!”

“We will find a way to stop this cycle for good. We have to. That’s going to start with both of us. For that… I will teach you.”

His head tilted slightly to the left, gaping as if unable to register what he was looking at. “What did you just say?”

“I will teach you how to start healing. How to use your powers for more than just devastation. How to draw power from more than just suffering and hatred. There is another way Malice, and I’m the living proof.”

Malice tried to stand, only to collapse back onto his knee. Crumbling limbs struggled to keep opacity, fading in and out, repairing and decaying simultaneously. “...You jest.” He wheezed, clutching at his chest. “Speaking nonsense just to stroke your ego. Gloating as if you think you’ve actually won this war.”

I expected such doubt from him. Thankfully I knew the right angle to strike from. “Get this through your non-existent skull and listen real damn good: I’m the only thing stopping Discord from throwing you back into your prison. Is that what you want?”

Malice froze, stunned. That got his attention.

“You seem to forget we’re pretty chummy with Discord. I can command Discord to send you back into the lifeless void for the rest of existence on a whim. Trust me, I really want to lock you up and be done with your bullshit. However, if you agree to my terms, to redeem yourself through atonement and be willing to learn, and I mean truly learn, I’m willing to spare you that fate.”

After a moment, his expression morphed into bitter rage. “So you want me to be your slave, like that failure of a warmas—”

I slapped him so hard he spiraled into the dirt. “My victory is just as much his as it is mine. You will respect my warmaster as your superior!”

Malice slammed his fist into the ground as struggled to get up. “He is NOT yours to claim!”

“You should’ve thought of that before you labeled him a failure!” I snapped. “Neither I or he kicked your ass alone! We did it together! Far as I’m concerned, you’re not fit to claim anything but the decision you need to make in the next few seconds!”

“You insolent little colt…!” For all his blustering, he was mighty hesitant to come any closer.

“Speak out of line again and I’ll throw your ass at Discord so hard it’ll shatter the rest of your miserable body!” My tone could freeze Tartarus from the utter shock that gripped Malice. “Disrespect my warmaster again. Go on. I dare you.”

He bared fangs, absolutely seething. Malice must’ve been in actual physical agony to bite his tongue. I was admittedly shocked to find him silent.

“As I was saying, If my warmaster—” a snarl slipped past Malice’s fangs “—taught me anything, it’s how much can be accomplished if you can stop being an absolute bastard and work with others.” He opened his mouth to snap— “And before you come at me with some ‘pony nonsense’ bullshit, remember your time with Fafnir. Think back to that connection, why you allowed him into your life in the first place. It’s not all that different from us, albeit fewer casualties. If that time with him, those memories, meant nothing to you, then go ahead and renounce us ponies.”

Malice grew sullen. Obviously furious to the point of conniption, but finally quiet. Listening.

“Back to what you said earlier, don’t put words in my mouth. We didn’t enslave Discord, and I have no plans in forcing you into slavery either. All I want from you is to learn from me. Walk with me. Face your sins like I had to. I only have one stipulation.” I placed a forehoof on my chest. “You stay inside my soul and observe.”

“As your prisoner.”

“No. As my student and charge. I won’t let you walk free just yet, but I won’t let you be alone. I will protect you from Discord in exchange for your repentance and cooperation. You have my word as a member of the Equestrian Royal Guard. One day, when I see you are ready, I will set you free.”

He studied me hard, a scholar deciphering a mystery beyond his understanding. A lengthy pause followed.

“...Why?” Genuine curiosity rose above indignant anger. “Why would you, of all ponies, wish to show me mercy? Why go this far for an enemy who caused you nothing but suffering and pain?”

“Because I’ve learned to be better than that. The most important thing I learned was how to give others a chance, even if I cannot forgive them. If Discord, Chrysalis, and even my warmaster, a literal part of you, could change for the better when given a chance… why not you, too?”

Silence stretched between us like a canyon. Tension slowly drained from his decaying shoulders as he rose onto his feet. Gears turned in his head. Whatever crossed his mind as he looked at me stole whatever fight he had left in him. His age began to show through his unguarded expression: Malice was exhausted. Lost and defeated.

“Join me, Malice.” I offered one last time. “Your hatred, your warpath has caused you to lose everything. Twice. Had you not forced my hoof, I wouldn’t have learned and would’ve made the same mistakes you did. Hatred is just a crutch holding you back. There’s another way, and this is your only chance to see that. Let me show you what true strength is. The right way.”

“My only chance, huh?” That glimpse of tiredness I caught suddenly evaporated. He glanced between the entrance of the shattered cave and myself. Did he think he could escape me in that condition? “...You, who hugs his mortal enemies and sings his opponents into submission, has the audacity to demand a god to be your student.” He shook his head, chuckling lightly. “I can’t fathom if you’re the wittiest or dumbest warrior I’ve ever had the pleasure of facing in combat.”

Malice sobered after a few more chuckles, pure amusement on his face. “Consider my curiosity piqued. I can only imagine what else you’re capable of if given time...”

Pathos swirled into his palm, forming a dense ball of magic. A pathos bomb.

“... and proper motivation.”

I couldn’t help staring at him. Must’ve truly cracked. “Really, Malice? That’s all you got? That couldn’t kill me on an off day with a hangover as you are now.”

Malice’s smirk unsettled me.

*Flash…!* Inner Malice’s warning tone supplemented the sensation at the bottom of my gut.

“You’re right,” Malice agreed with a haughty understone. “It’s not enough to kill you. But it’s more than enough for her.”

“Flash!? Flash, are you here?”

My head snapped up to the edge of the crater. All the way across the field of devastation, a group of several ponies was carefully making their way into the expanse of rubble.

Twilight was spearheading them.

She was halfway down the incline, perfectly exposed. Her eyes were focused on the tricky terrain, unaware of the danger that lured amidst the rubble.

I spun towards Malice as fast as my muscles would allow me. Time slowed. Every tenth of a second felt like an eternity. The time dilation made it feel like punching through molasses.

My hoof extended. My fur and feathers stood on end.

*Flash, wait—*

His words fell on deaf ears as power surged through my limb.

The air between us ignited as my arc connected. Malice’s pathos bomb faded from existence like a fly tossed into a fireplace. His body became both evaporated and blown apart at the same time.

It was done in an instant. As the remnants of the arc melted the boulder behind him to glass, all that was left of Malice was his sadistic grin burned into my vision.

His grin, and a thousand fine streams of pathos energy bursting into all directions like fireworks. A brilliant spectacle of reddish lights danced all over the crater before quickly dispersing into the sky. I could still hear his laughter echoing the silent cave.

Exhaustion dragged me into the dirt before I could gather what had happened. My legs collapsed underneath me, leaving my vision locked on the spot where Malice had just been.

Malice? What… what…?

An angry huff left Inner Malice. But he didn’t reply right away.

*...It doesn’t matter now. For the moment, rest. You will need your strength for the battles to come.*

The edges of my vision slowly faded into darkness. W-what—

Before I could finish my question, a pair of mismatched talons and paws picked me up from the ground. Lacking the strength to do so myself, my head was gently lolled to face an extremely drained Discord.

He shouted something into the distance, but I couldn’t make out individual words.

He said something to me as well, but all I could hear was blood pulsing through my head. His broad—albeit tired—smile spoke volumes, though: we won.

I relaxed. About damn time. I could use some shuteye.

One voice managed to reach me before consciousness slipped out of my hooves.

*Sleep well, my champion. You’ve earned this.*

Author's Notes:

What's up, my fellow paladins?

The mad tyrant has finally been taken down! Ponyville, the mane six, and even Chrysalis has been saved thanks to the efforts of Flash and friends. What happened to the crazed emperor and the aftermath of this mess is another story...

"It's almost done." I said. "Editing should be quick." I said.

15K words later...

But finally. FINALLY! We reached the climax of this monumental battle! Despite the rewriting hell these last few chapters put me through, it was well worth the sacrifice. If I had any regrets, it's keeping you guys in suspense for so many months. But we did it. We freaking did it.

Next chapter will be the last one for this tale. Whether I have an epilogue chapter or not is still being deliberated, but look forward to the concluding chapter of this massive project. Big thanks to you all for sticking with me all these years and my editors for putting up with my nonsense in equal measure. Look forward to seeing all of you in the concluding chapter coming... eventually (not even gonna pretend to promise a strict deadline this time. Just gonna do my best and get it out there asap).

Until next time, stay classy, my paladins!

Finale: Change of Heart - Malice

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Flash

I couldn’t remember the last time I was this comfortable.

Sheets of silk entrapped me to the softest mattress I’ve ever had the pleasure of sleeping on. Even as Celestia’s sun threatened to pierce my eyelids, the accompanying warmth it brought only lulled me further to sleep. The gentle embrace of the bedsheets was, for a lack of better words, perfect.

Something was keeping me between sleep and wakefulness, though. Behind the serenity of sun and silk, nagging thoughts were hammering against the back of my mind. Images of ash, rubble, and shattered crystal.

Images of Twilight rushing downhill. A sensation of dread shot through my spine like lightning.

My eyes snapped open.

Everfree. The cave of harmony.

Malice!

The silken covers fell from me as I yanked myself from blissful sleep. Shaking my head, I stepped off the bed, rushing towards the door.

“Huh? Wha—shit!”

Or at least I would have, if my legs didn’t end up getting tangled in the sheets.

Stars exploded in my eyes as I face-planted into the crystalline floor. Legs and wings sprawled in every direction, my rear hooves still hanging off my mattress. My head throbbed from the impact as I picked myself off the floor and untangled my limbs. I sat with my back against the bed frame, doing what I should have done first: taking my environment in and finding out where I even was.

Gold. I was surrounded by walls of gold. Even stranger, the blue shaders on the windows, closed as if responding to my focus alone. The blinds had my cutie mark emblazoned on them.

Despite the obvious homage, the imagery was more than a little unsettling.

This isn’t my room.

Never had a room like this. Where in Tartarus am I?

A thought crept up through the back of my head. Wait… Am I back at the mind palace?

I kicked off the silk white sheets and picked myself up for real this time. Sleep was the last thing on my mind now, as this was the last place I expected to wake up in.

Figured I was still dreaming at first. Perhaps having spent so much time here allowed it to invade my dreams. I carefully shuffled out of the alluring satin bedding and looked around. A golden dresser sat opposite of the windows. An unused ponnequin stood next to it, lacking the armor that’d usually be held by it. I allowed myself a good stretch, before doing the tried-and-true pinch tactic to wake myself up.

No success.

“Assuming I’m not dead, guess I’m stuck here until I figure out how to wake up.”

“It’s not your time, Flash. Not on my watch.”

Inner Malice’s words echoed through the walls out of seemingly nowhere. For a second I pondered if I went to Tartarus instead. “Where are you, Malice?”

“In my chambers. Once you find your wits and legs, stop by.”

No snark. No sarcasm. Not a hint of aggression to be found. Someone who didn’t know him would probably say he sounded inviting. “What are you up to?”

“Don’t ask foolish questions. Just do it.”

“Better not be trying to pull a fast one.” While suspicious as Tartarus, there was not much else I could do outside getting lost in this labyrinthine castle once more. Besides, I owed him a hoof bump and hoof sandwich in equal measure. I stepped out into the hall.

Not much was different from my last physical visit. However, the lit torches of last time were now backed by sunlight flooding through the cracks in the ceiling, breathing life into what used to be a dreary hallway. It almost brought me back to the good ol’ days of Canterlot castle.

Now that I think about it, I got lost last time because I had no idea what I was looking for or where to go. Perhaps…

“Castle, guide me to the main hall!” I waved my hoof.

Torches trailing left of the upcoming intersection brightened their flames. It was embarrassingly joyous to finally figure out how to navigate my own mind.

“You could just think it instead of barking orders at inanimate objects.”

“No one asked you!” I should have expected this. Of course Inner Malice would keep a close eye on me. I followed the torches, albeit a little grumpier thanks to that watchful bastard.

Speaking of Malice, I still had quite a bone to pick with him about this shitstorm he needed to answer for. First and foremost, I need to figure out what the hay happened to the original Malice. He didn’t disappear like a vassal would after death. I had to know if he was actually dead. Whatever he did after provoking my attack, Inner Malice would know. He damn well better had a straight answer prepared by the time I got there.

Upon reaching the main hall, I immediately noticed the air was chillier. A faint fog settled on the ground, wafting out of a certain spirit’s prison chamber. The gap between the door wings immediately triggered all red flags.

The door was ajar, the whole chain and lock from last time being absent.

“Malice!” Hoof raised, Spark magic surged through my leg. Focused into a dense point, it was perfectly ready to blast him away. “What did you do?!”

“Calm down, you idiot.” His voice no longer travelled through the walls, but through the gap in the door. “I won’t harm you.”

“Right. I’ve heard THAT line before! How did you break that seal?!”

“You’re asking the wrong culprit. Have you tried taking responsibility for a change?”

I nearly sputtered from the shock. “Wha—but—h-how is this MY fault?”

“Have you already forgotten? Everything in this world is reality translated to fit your understanding. It was impossible for me to free myself. You opened this on your own free will.”

“No! No I didn’t! I never asked or wanted you to be free!”

“You didn’t choose to be attracted to Twilight Sparkle either.”

I choked. Rebuttals failed to reach me, partially for being shocked speechless. I could only think of one thing to say.

“You’re such an asshole…!”

“Is that any way to treat someone who saved your life so many times? One who has not attempted to kill you even when presented with the opportunity?”

Saved my life? Not killed me when given the chance? It didn’t make any sense. That was, until I remember something I couldn’t make sense of until now.

A bluish figure moving a huge rock off me after the mega pathos bomb exploded. My memory was still more than a little fuzzy, but it suggested something equally disturbing and worthy of respect: Inner Malice might be telling the truth. In more ways than one...

“Shall we discuss things further in my office? Unless you strike the first blow, I won’t allow any harm come your way. After all, I have a promise to keep.”

“Outside swearing vengeance to kill me and Discord?”

“You’ve earned a slight change in my priorities.”

I didn’t want to go anywhere near the door, let alone peek inside. But the fact remained, it was open. Knowing him, he would have used such a grand opportunity to kill me long since if he really wanted to.

I thought about closing the door and leaving him stuck in there, assuming it worked like that. I’ve already risked my neck more times than I could count. If something went wrong, I would have nothing else to blame but my own stupidity.

But I couldn’t do it. Not out of fear or caution, but respect. Besides, if he truly did save my life earlier when he could’ve escaped, that would be the worst kind of disservice, even for a jerk like him.

...I’m going to regret this, aren’t I?

The door groaned as I cautiously entered Inner Malice’s domain, not daring to open it anymore than absolutely necessary.

Snow. There was snow inside this… chamber? No. That word no longer did this place justice.

Contrary to Celestia’s sun bathing the other rooms in its warmth, Luna’s moon reigned absolute here, displaying its full glory during a cloudless night. Stars stretched over mountainous valleys in the distance. A wall of pine trees trailed each side of the entrance. Snow crunched beneath me as my hooves sunk deep into its chilly embrace with each further step into this bizarre landscape. Gentle winds whistled by, caressing me with a delightfully cool breeze.

My gaze followed the snowy path between the towering pine trees. It mouthed into a crossroad, where I bore witness to the real mystery at play.

Two logs settled on opposite sides of a burning firepit. One end was empty, save for a white cloak with a furred neckline thick as a bugbear. On the other side, stirring something inside a black pot hanging over the fire, and draped in the same white fur cloak was none other than Inner Malice.

Just when I thought Chrysalis and Discord being intimate was the biggest mindscrew of my life, this somehow blew that out of the water.

Inner Malice took one look at my face and pinched the bridge of his nose. “You’re going to be difficult, aren’t you?”

“I…” With a hard swallow, I broke through my stupor and answered. “I think I have the wrong room.”

“That’s what I get for trying…” He muttered under his breath. “Either join me or go away, but at least try to discourage me from wringing your neck.”

Ah, there we go. Familiar territory.

I let out a sigh of relief. “Phew, you scared me for a second. Glad to know you weren’t replaced by Fluttershy or something.”

“Compare me to her again and I really will kill you.”

Somewhere between his slightly irritated voice and his razor-sharp stare, I wholeheartedly believed him.

“Alright, fine, don’t pop a vessel over it.” Seeing as he didn’t attack me after that jab, either he was playing the long game like a pro or he truly sought out my companionship. The fact I truly couldn’t tell which was which disturbed me down to my core. Curiosity captured me hook, line and sinker. I made my way campside and took a seat on the log.

“That cloak is yours. Try it on and make yourself comfortable.” He growled at me when I unconsciously flinched at his ‘hospitality’.

“Look, I can’t help it, alright? We went from trying to kill each other to you treating me to a camping trip. I’m not even going to try to figure out how you managed to set all of this up in your prison, but you can’t expect me to suddenly be all smiles and sing kumbaya.”

“Several millennia of practice. Would you prefer if we fought to the death instead? Say the word, and I’ll give you what the false Emperor couldn’t.”

My only reply was a frustrated huff.

“Besides, like I said, I made a promise that I intend to keep.”

“Hmph. Alright, I’ll bite: what promise?” I took the cloak and threw it over my shoulders. It was even more comfortable and warm than I expected. Note to self: conjure up one of these bad boys later.

Inner Malice dipped into the traveler backpack by his feet and pulled out… a loaf of bread?

He leaned over and extended the bread to me.

Hold on. Didn’t he say something about… for the love of Celestia!

I don’t think I’ve laughed so hard in my life.

It had been such a mundane comment to make while I was busy fighting off death. I couldn’t believe he was actually serious about that. Such a joke of a promise was so unlike him, yet it somehow still fit him regardless.

I wheezed and clutched my sore stomach, fighting a battle of wills to regain composure. “I thought you were messing with me! No way I would’ve expected you of all creatures to take the whole ‘breaking bread’ line so literal.”

“That’s your fault for taking me lightly.”

“Heh, I guess it is.” I accepted his offering, tearing off my half of the loaf. Hunger didn’t seem like a factor in the mind palace. At least, I hadn’t been stuck here long enough to find it. Still, I just had to sample bread offered by Inner Malice. I took a bite.

Crunchy exterior betrayed the otherwise surprisingly fluffy bread. Cinnamon melted on my tongue with every bite. I was halfway through my half when Inner Malice poured broth of what appeared to be veggie soup from the pot into two bowls and passed me one, followed by a cup of what smelled like hot chocolate. I accepted both graciously.

“This tradition was commonplace in Dracossia,” he began with a hint of nostalgia lurking in his tone. “It’s a continent to the far, far north-east. A land dominated by dragons of all kinds. A ruthless tundra where you were either strong, smart, or dead.”

“Sounds like one hay of a vacation spot.” I sipped on the hot chocolate. A little rich, but I could get used to it.

“It had its calmer sides. You haven’t lived until you’ve tasted Draken mead, but that’s a treat for another day. As you can imagine, traveling was especially dangerous. Worthy companions were treasured for survival just as much as camaraderie. In Equestrian terms, this is the roaming warrior’s way of giving a toast of gratitude to those that he entrusted to fight by his side.”

I sampled a spoonful of the soup, making sure to grab pieces of minced celery and assorted peppers. My nostrils and tongue almost melted from the amount of spice packed into it. Took a couple more bites before speaking. “A sign of friendship.”

Inner Malice facepalmed. I swore he was in physical pain. “Way to ruin a millennia old tradition…”

“Don’t be an ass. It’s the same thing!” A long pause passed, his glare unrelenting. I eventually decided to throw him a bone. “Fine. A sign of respect. Better?”

“Enough to let you live.”

“Excuse me?”

“I said it’s enough. I’ll live.” Inner Malice lied and raised his cup to me. “Regardless, I wish to formally thank you, Flash Sentry.”

...Let it go, Flash. Let it go.

“What for? Taking out the true Malice? We may have worked together to get this far, but not like you had much choice.”

“I had plenty of choices.” Inner Malice stopped to replenish his bowl with more spicy soup. I presented my bowl for seconds, which he filled with a hint of satisfaction in his smirk “Did you believe someone who worked so hard to avoid capture hadn’t considered suicide or sabotage?”

“Almost. Quickly learned you’re too proud to do such a thing.”

“Being proud is exactly why I had to consider it.”

A wry grin snuck into Inner Malice’s jowls. He leaned back, draining his soup and letting his words sink in for a beat. “You cannot fathom what it means to be imprisoned for so long. It does things to you. Cripples your mind and willpower. Raving madness is just foreplay during the first century. Killing Discord was not just a ploy of vengeance to restore Fafnir and I’s honor; it was what kept me going.”

“And through Chrysalis, you learned about the Tree of Harmony and how its power trapped Discord.”

“Indeed. While Chrysalis and her forces grew stronger and kept Equestria controlled through stealth, we enacted the false emperor’s plan to use the tree against Discord. The changeling’s natural hatred for ponies acted as both leverage and a self-sustaining power source.

“Many contingency plans were in place, ponies were none the wiser, and the changelings were wrapped around our claws. I—no, he— took a chance when deciding to handle the tree personally under Princess Twilight’s nose. So, assuming we were holding all the cards, we grew confident. Too confident.”

“To be honest, I can’t blame him for that,” I muttered in between sips. “Everything you guys did since breaking free seemed to go according to plan, save for the occasional hiccup. If I had known at the start who you were and what your plan was, I would've done a lot more to prepare for my mission.”

“Our plan held together because it wasn’t being tested by an outside force. From the moment that crafty little Shadow started working against us, things began to slip from our hold. He wouldn’t admit it of course, and in our pride we refused to see the growing issues.”

Considering my experience with Noble, it was a wonder his plans hadn’t been dismantled by her sooner. “She was hiding in plain sight from everyone. We knew she was a changeling with an agenda from the word go and she still played us like a damn fiddle.” A thought occurred to me, a detail that seemed almost out of place. “Is that why you had her daughter take charge of the operation nearest to you?”

“Of the four generals, Noble Heart is the softest. If there was even the faintest chance she survived, seeing her daughter would no doubt make her hesitate. It was one of many contingency plans and it would have worked… were it not for a meddling pegasus and his merry band of friends.” He emptied the contents of his cup and brought out a gallon-size canteen with more hot chocolate.

I nearly choked on my own hot chocolate from the snort that escaped me. “Hate to break it to you, but your first mistake was not outright killing me.”

“I made no mistakes with you.” He offered to refill my cup. I accepted it. “Chrysalis and Discord were my true undoing. I was not prepared to deal with Chrysalis, nor had the power to kill Discord directly, not that it would stop me from trying. All I could do was push you hard enough to deal with them.”

“And yet here we are after all of that, breaking bread over a campfire. Weirdest Tuesday of my life.” I shook my head, laughing to myself. “You never answered my question though. Why are you thanking me?”

“I’ll take from your example and answer your question with one of my own.” Inner Malice downed his hot chocolate. “Why did you defend me? When the false emperor slandered me, you fought for my honor. There was clear defiance in your retorts. Anger born not against me, but for me. So why?”

The question struck me in a weird way. It was a fair question, yet such a genuine one coming from him. All I could do was be honest in return.

“I didn’t have a reason. Well, not a conscious one. You might be an unbearable asshole, but the way he disregarded you the moment you failed his expectations rubbed me the wrong way. It just kind of happened.”

“Hmph.” Inner Malice took an aggressive bite from his bread. “You’re being dishonest. Or perhaps unconsciously modest. Hard to tell with ponies.”

“What do you mean?”

“You told the false emperor to look at me as his ‘superior’. Not stronger, not better, but superior. Equestrian military has a very distinct definition of superior. Such words came from an honest place. From your very core.” He pointed his cup at me. “You defended me out of respect as a threat and your equal. You stopped seeing me as a helpless prisoner and accepted me as your warmaster, and yours only. That, Flash, is worthy of gratitude.”

“I… see. That is a very you way to look at it.” I shrugged and took a swig of the hot chocolate.

Thinking about it, when I was fighting for my life and he guided me on how to use my pathos, I really did start to see him less and less as an enemy. Sort of. Still don’t know what to think about him, but ‘respected threat’ was the best category I could see to throw him in.

“Now then,” Inner Malice placed his empty bowl and cup to the side and leaned forward on his knees, fingers steepled against his snout. “I’ve prepared for this moment. It will test my resolve, but I do believe I’m ready now. I owe you at least that much.”

Tension coiled shoulder to shoulder. I placed my dishes down and braced myself for the worst. Either he was messing with me, or he was about to drop a bomb on me. Possibly both. “For… what?”

“Questions. I know you have them, and I would rather tackle them now, while I’m in a good mood.”

...It’s the former, I see. Celestia damn it, Malice.

“I’m not that bad,” I rolled my eyes. “You have to admit I was thrown into the den of wolves—quite literally mind you— with very little to work with. It would be ridiculous to not have some questions.”

“At the rate you barraged me with your silly inquiries, you would’ve been a damn good inquisitor back in my day.” He shrugged. “I can’t argue against rewarding your efforts for not screwing up. I am a benevolent and merciful warmaster, after all.” He made a lazy flourish with his hand. “So ask away, Inquisitor Sentry.”

His snark aside—and admittedly liking that title—I was not going to pass this opportunity up to put these mysteries to rest. “As long as you’re offering. So let’s start with the most pressing question: what in Tartarus happened to the original Malice? Before lights out, you said something about how he used me as a trump card.”

Inner Malice’s mood shifted. Hesitation spoke volumes as he glared at the flames roaring between us. “Leave it to you to start strong. He’s… gone, but not gone at the same time. Shattered might be more accurate.”

“Meaning…?”

“It was something Discord taught me long ago. Energy cannot be destroyed, but the bond holding it together can be. I won’t bore you with the specifics, but the false Emperor tricked you into forcing his energy, his very consciousness, to scatter rather than be trapped by Discord. You freed him from a fate worse than death at the cost of his identity and memories.”

“So he’s not dead, just broken up? What happens now?”

Inner Malice stroked his chin and hummed thoughtfully. After a long pause, he shrugged. “No idea.”

“Oh, you have got to be kidding me…!”

“Let me remind you that I’ve never actually experienced this. In war, an experimental strategy—even if based on mere speculation—is better than accepting a worst case scenario. As someone who just body-slammed a spirit into a town-ending pathos bomb I’m sure you’ll understand.”

He seriously needs to stop making good points at my expense. “So what, after all of that he’s just going to come back?”

He stared into the fire, as if the answer was hiding somewhere among the embers. “Yes and no. Something will return. What exactly, only time can tell. Only thing you can do for now is to learn from your mistake.”

“Excuse me?”

“You’ve seen what happens to the overconfident. And yet, you fell victim to your very own strategy.”

That stung in the worst way. “Bullshit! I was not overconfident! If I didn’t stop him then, Twilight could’ve died!”

“Excuses,” He spat. “You had every opportunity to handle it better. You didn’t. Putting that aside, a conversation we will continue later, that pathetic bomb lacked the potency to kill Twilight. Assuming she didn’t deflect it, she would’ve lost another eye at worst.”

“We both know I could never allow that, no matter how weak it was.”

“Even if it risked him getting free?”

I didn’t hesitate. “Yes. If you gave me a thousand chances, I would save her every time. We lived to fight another day, all of us, that’s what’s important here.”

Inner Malice studied me for a beat. “...So be it. I don’t like it, but it was not my call to make. I just hope you can keep that conviction when this comes back to bite you in the ass. Just because we’ve claimed the top of the food chain doesn’t mean others won’t try. In fact, the remaining vassals will be dying to test your willpower and dethrone you.”

“Hold up; other vassals? I still have to deal with them?”

“What, did you believe taking down the leader granted you a ‘happily ever after’ ending? You ponies always did enjoy optimistic fantasies.”

I rolled my eyes. “You know what I mean. Shouldn’t beating the emperor have done something?”

“Oh, it did something alright. With such a major loss of vassals and the emperor himself, the remaining warlords and warmasters will be attempting to fill the power vacuum in their own way, seeking champions for their conduits. They all have their sights set on you to prove their dominance. It’s a free-for-all power struggle with you as the grand prize.”

My shoulders sagged as the weight of responsibility fell on me. “Will this mess ever end?”

Inner Malice leaned back, wearing a thoughtful expression for a beat before smirking. “That’s up to you.”

“Of course it is.” I groaned. “Speaking of pain in the asses, about Chrysalis…”

Inner Malice’s smirk disappeared. “What about her?”

“I haven’t been able to get over why you didn’t just, well, kill her when you had the chance. You had every opportunity to kill her when you were running around in my head. Even later, during the real fight, the true Malice didn’t seriously attempt to kill her until the very end. Why didn’t you, either of you, do so?”

His answer was an angry snarl. I was not going to be deterred.

“Don’t go giving me the silent treatment now. After everything you put me through, you owe me some intel.”

“Know your place, colt!” He exploded. “You owe me your life several times over!”

“And you owe me a thousand years worth of solitary isolation! So tell me, who got the better end of the deal?”

Our glares locked. Eventually, Malice broke his gaze, looking anywhere but at me.

“...It wasn’t supposed to be like this.”

His voice was so low I had to strain to listen. “Come again?”

“You heard me.” Inner Malice drummed his talons along his knee. “She was supposed to take Fafnir’s place. She had everything I could want in a champion. Passion. Cunning. Power. Confidence. We were a perfect team. And yet…”

He went quiet. His claws flexed in and out of fist, tension in every twitch of movement.

“When…” He centered his attention on me, forcing out words like poison. “When she stood against me, bared her fangs against the savior of her race, I failed to see the strength of loyalty to protect her own daughters. Strength I valued and fully expected. All I could see,” a pause, “was Discord betraying me.”

Fafnir’s replacement... Failure to grasp motherly nature and defaulting to betrayal…

“You knew!” I shot up from my seat, pointing at him. “You overreacted when she stood against you, and you knew it! You only took it easy on her to save face. To protect your pride.”

“I’m not so petty as to keep her around for my pride!” He snapped. “The only thing I hate more than traitors is wasting potential. Chrysalis was different. She was…”

A hidden pain flickered behind his gaze. I thought to press on it, only to think of a certain pony I preferred to never talk about. Suddenly, I felt like the villain in the room.

“Sorry…” I sat back down, mentally slapping myself for being such a hypocrite. “Not like I haven’t blown things out of proportion. I’m also pretty screwed up on that front, so I get it.”

An awkward pause fell between us. For a moment we sat here not as warriors, but as males carrying a history of regret with us.

“You truly are a strange creature.” He drained his bowl before going for another helping. “It was your trust that was betrayed. Your efforts that were thrown back at your face. Most would’ve simply called her a bitch and left it at that. Why do you carry such an unnecessary scar?”

“I’m not carrying it on purpose, Malice.”

“Yes you are.” He countered me so matter-of-factly I nearly choked on the hot chocolate. “If I had to guess, not knowing the truth behind her sudden betrayal has plagued you more than the betrayal itself. You want to hate her on some level, but can’t truly hate her. Why are you sacrificing so much to protect her? Or perhaps it’s just your version of her that you’re protecting?”

“I’m not protecting her!” Everything he was saying was absurd. Foolish. There’s no way I would protect someone like that.

Right?

“Accept facts. She’s a traitorous slut.”

“SHUT UP!”

I couldn’t remember when I shot out of my seat. Didn’t even notice trails of electricity down my limbs and across the fallen bowl and cup until reality caught up to me. As my indignant shout echoed into the wind, and Inner Malice flashed a smug grin, I realized just how hard I bit the bait.

I had no response for that. For anything Inner Malice threw at me. All I could do was take back my seat and try to figure out what in the world that was just now.

“...Bah, it matters not,” Inner Malice mercifully dismissed the topic with a wave. “We made that mistake with Chrysalis. I’ll own that. But I won’t make the same mistake with you.”

I snapped myself out of my stupor. Would rather unpack those doubts later. “Is that right? Enlighten me on how this will be different.”

“You’ve already seen it. Or did you believe my cooperation so far was a simple flash of inspiration?”

“Uh huh. So you’re telling me all your help was not just out of self-preservation?”

“In part. But it would be foolish to not get something out of it besides staying alive. What binds us together is inherently different but identical at the same time. Care to piece together what that could be?”

Inherently different, yet identical. Something that binds us together…

Nothing came to mind at first. He’s a warring tyrant constantly obsessed with finding a champion to replace the missing gap that was Fafnir. I may not be a shining example of a good pony, but I only did what’s best to protect those I care about. Hay, the existence of the Royal Guard is all about protecting what was important. It was my calling. My—

“Purpose.” I muttered to myself. When I saw Inner Malice’s proud grin, it cemented the point. “That’s why you’re so determined about finding a legitimate champion. Not just to replace Fafnir. It gives you purpose.”

“See, thanks to my tutelage, you’re learning to think rather than ask questions.” Inner Malice laughed. “But yes, finding a worthy herald to fight in my name grants me purpose. What is the point of power if it can’t be shared? Conquering lands, crushing nations, means to an end. But to explore someone’s true potential and unleash their full power... To watch their growth, their rise to becoming the apex predator and master of their fate and world, is satisfaction that no kill count could otherwise satisfy.”

“And for me to take down your original?”

“To accomplish what not even Chrysalis or Fafnir could have done? It’s well worth having to suffer your pestering… and almost worth forgiving my imprisonment. I want—no, need—to witness your development in full.”

In other words, he’s gonna make damn sure he doesn’t screw up with me, hopefully. I can live with that. For now.

An uncomfortably warm smile suddenly beamed from Inner Malice. “The resemblance is truly uncanny. You two might’ve become friends had you met.”

“Friends with who?”

“Fafnir Doomscale. The world... is lesser without him.”

“Doomscale. You mentioned that last name along with your own. By Celestia, do you have more siblings I need to worry about?”

“Damn if I know. I found Discord by accident,” he shrugged. “But no, it’s nothing like that. Fafnir was the one who gave me the name Malice. A reflection of his disdain for the dismal, unstable state of Dracossia at the time. I simply adopted his family name Doomscale, as well as this image, to honor him.”

That caught me off guard. “So wait, this isn’t what you really look like? Malice isn’t your true name either?”

“I was born without name or shape, just like Discord. A product of my environment. I drifted from battlefield to battlefield, shifting tides of war with my gifts on a whim. I was empty then. Granting wishes to whoever could stir my mood. It was Fafnir who gave me what I needed: Purpose. Company. Meaning to my wandering existence. He meant everything to me.” His hands curled into tight fists. Shaking. “And Discord took that away from me...!”

His rage lacked its usual intensity. Almost as if he was forcing himself to be angry. To hate. For a moment, I could only see a broken pony who failed his squad and killed a dear friend. A prisoner of regret.

“You can’t live in the past forever, Malice,” I said somberly. I’m sure he didn’t want to hear it, but he needed to. “I don’t need to tell you how that pain is never going to leave; you’ve lived it. If Fafnir’s anything like you talked him up to be, you know he would never want to see you like this. You gotta move on…” I paused thoughtfully. “We both have to move on.”

We stewed in comfortable silence, feasting on bread, soup and hot chocolate. There were still things I wanted to ask about, instead opting to let him digest my advice.

“Flash Sentry.”

I glanced up from my bread. Inner Malice hesitated.

“Is that offer still open?”

“What offer?”

“The one you gave to the false emperor.”

I blinked. It took me a second to work words through my surprise. “You mean becoming my student?”

“I mean earning my freedom.”

He officially had my undivided attention. “You seriously want to become my student, Malice?”

I swore the word ‘student’ nearly made him vomit. Was almost tempted to say it again, just to watch him squirm. After receiving the same glare he gave me when I commented about the sign of friendship I instantly rejected the thought.

“I’m not some fledgling who's beneath you. I am your warmaster, and that’s where we will leave it.” His scowl emphasized the veiled threat lurking within his words. “That aside, I refuse to repeat the false emperor’s mistake and underestimate what you and the rest of your kind can offer. Despite the odds, you’ve proven that the false emperor’s way does not stand the test of time.”

“You either adapt or get left behind. Soldiers don’t get a choice.”

“I see that hits rather close to home. Many of your fellow soldiers didn’t share your thinking, did they?”

I shook my head. “Nothing that self-centered. Outside one or two disasters, there simply wasn’t much of a reason for us to mobilize. We got comfortable. Complacent. We couldn’t adapt because we had nothing to adapt to.”

“Ah, the price for remaining uncontested on top of the food chain for too long. At least you understand the need to learn from past mistakes. Don’t worry, I’ll make sure you are never too complacent or comfortable. As your warmaster, I will teach you tradition, warfare, and how not to be an incompetent moron.”

I decided to ignore that last part and focus on what was important. I didn’t dare waste this opportunity. “Fine. A mutual exchange of knowledge. I teach you. You teach me.”

Inner Malice smiled. “See? We don’t need titles like master or student. Like I’ve said from the beginning; I’m your warmaster. You’re my champion. No need to complicate what works. So what will it be, my champion?”

It would be a cold day in Tartarus before I passed up a chance to set him on a path to become one of the good guys. Only when the possibility not only proved itself real, but dropped on my lap willingly did caution rear its ugly head. Truth be told, Inner Malice got me good.

This whole nice guy routine was partially to butter me up for this moment. He knows I could never refuse this request, not with him being this genuine with me. Considering who this was, I wouldn’t be able to sleep at night if he was truly doing this without a hidden agenda.

“Don’t think I’ll go easy on you just because you helped me out,” I warned. “Just as I had to work to earn your respect, you need to work even harder to earn your freedom. If there’s even the slightest chance you’ll hurt someone or regress, you’re not setting one foot outside my soul.”

His response was immediate. Dare I say planned. “That’s a bit of a tall order, no? What if I need to defend myself? I’ve made plenty of enemies who want nothing more than to lock me up for good. I can’t let that happen again.”

I saw where this was going from a mile away. “No killing, under any circumstances. Not even Discord.” I raised my hoof to stop him before he threw some excuse at me. “What I promised for your original would obviously extend to you. I will protect you from getting sealed in return.”

“Even if it meant killing Discord?”

“I’m not dignifying that with a response. Just as I found a way to stop the false emperor, I would find a way to stop him. You’re not killing Discord, no matter what excuses you try to come up with.”

Memories of Discord’s heckling bit at the back of my mind.

“...Punishing without lethal force or permanent damage, on the other hoof, is fine. Only in strict self defense or with my permission.”

He gave me a look that simply asked ‘why’. I rubbed the back of my neck and averted my gaze.

“I… would be a hypocrite if I said you couldn’t at least punch him in the face for doing or saying something stupid,” I admitted. “Look, just make a conscious effort to change and redeem yourself, and I’ll give my all to secure your freedom. Take it or leave it.”

“Hmmm…” stroking his chin, Inner Malice stared into the fire between us. His silence stretched for several minutes. I didn’t dare interrupt, if only to avoid risking a change of mind. Without warning, he stood up. “Before I accept these conditions, which we will iron out as we go, I have one request.”

Inner Malice moved around the campfire and stood before me. I leaned back warily as he towered like the titan he was. After a moment, he knelt before me, eyes cast down and fists touching the ground.

“Give me a new name.”

“Wha… pardon?” Took me a second to realize I was holding my breath.

“The name Malice Doomscale has been desecrated by a mad dragon with no honor. I wish to sever all ties of weakness and bring victory in our name. Fafnir’s image is my homage to his legacy. That will never change. My new identity will be an homage to your legacy.” He looked up, glaring. “Don’t squander it.”

My mouth worked to form words I couldn’t find. As much crap as he’s given me until now, this was confirmation I wasn’t the only one who had grown from this conflict. Now I really felt like an ass for giving him such a hard time.

I hopped off the log and stood before the kneeling warmaster. It was surreal to have such responsibility dropped on me out of the blue. “Are you absolutely certain? I’m honored, but that was a name given to you by Fafnir.”

“I’m always certain. As I will be a hallmark to your legend, best choose a name that will stand the test of time. I will accept nothing less.”

“Alright then.” I hadn’t been this nervous since my first patrol for Princess Celestia. I mentally rummaged for an idea, taking his personality and our chemistry into account. I didn’t want to deviate too far from what he’s used to; no doubt he would bemoan a weak name. It needed to be strong. Fitting. Something that tied us together.

Then it hit me.

“I’ve decided on your name. This will be your name from now on. A name anyone who faces us will recognize and never forget.” I paused for effect.

“Fluffy McCuddlesworth.”

Inner Malice stared. He didn’t move, speak, blink, or even breathe. He glared with the force of a thousand suns. He searched my face for something. Anything. Seeing my stony expression, a look I could only describe as sheer terror exploded on his face as he shot up to full height. “You wouldn’t…!”

“Hey, you asked me for a name. No takebacks!”

Inner Malice—sorry, Fluffy—trembled with outrage. Fists clenched and teeth gnashed together. “You… you little...!” I don’t think I’ve ever seen him—or anyone—look so upset in their entire life.

“What’s wrong, Fluffy? You seem upset. Does Fluffy need a hug?”

“I’LL KILL YOU!”

I ducked and jumped away in time to dodge his lunge. I ran circles around the campsite, dodging him at every turn and no longer able to keep up the act.

“You should’ve seen the look on your face!” I howled with laughter, simultaneously running for my life while he chased with the wrath of a Tartarus hound. I dove through the treeline of pine trees in time to avoid a vicious claw strike that bit into one of the trees, tearing it in half. Worth it.

Note to self: he can’t take a joke.

“Alright, settle down! It was a joke! A joke!” I reared back and waved my forehooves in surrender moments before he could tackle me.

Finally catching on, he slammed into a halt just before his claws reached me. I swear on my life I saw a hint of red break through on his scales as he screamed and pointed. “Fy faen ta deg!”

I may not have understood a word he said, but it was damn clear exactly what he meant.

Thank Celestia he can’t kill me with words. Yet.

I forced down whatever chuckles I had left. “Okay, okay, I’ll be serious this time. In my defense, that was payback for always getting on my case. Let’s put the claws down and do this for real, alright?”

Inner Malice hovered over me for a few more moments before pulling back, muttering something under his breath I just knew was equally damning.

I cleared my throat and gathered my composure. Inner Malice knelt before me again, not daring to take his eyes off me. “As the force of nature who reflects my wrath, one who acts as my confidant and battlemaster to face all of Equestria’s threats, only one name is appropriate for you: Fury Stormguard.”

“Fury, huh?” A grin crept into his features. “Yes, that will do.”

A huge lightning bolt shot from the cloudless sky and struck Fury, almost blinding me. I was nearly sent flying from the sheer force of the electrical blast.

“Fury!” I couldn’t even hear my own scream thanks to the deafening ring in my ears. Took some staggering steps back, unsure who or what attacked him just now. All I could do was take guard and wait for the whites in my eyes to wear off.

When the ringing in my ears stop, the first thing I heard was his voice.

“That was for your little stunt, colt.”

I rubbed away the white flashes with a grumble, calming down upon learning it was just him being an ass. “Damn it, what in Tartarus is wrong with you? Can’t just throw random lightning just to… to…” My vision cleared.

Thick, rainbow-plating covered the dragon from head to toe. The style was a damn near perfect replica of Prism armor, though a variant that turned him into a military train with anger issues. A blade staff just like mine rested in his grip. I could barely see his sharp gaze through the slit in the helmet, a long blue plume falling down his back.

“A new identity deserves new wargear. It wouldn’t do for Fury Stormguard to be confused with a failure.”

I didn’t have words, not even a retort for his boasting. Instead I circled him, admiring the fresh looking warmaster. Only thing I was worried about was him making me look bad if my fellow soldiers ever got a look at him. He simply stood there, allowing me to drink it all in.

The finishing touch was the back of the cloak. Emblazoned in gold, was my cutie mark. I was impressed by the armor and cloak, but I was blown away by the meaning behind it.

“Well?” Fury’s tone was haughty with a touch of impatience. “Will you shower me with praise or just let your jaw stay on the ground?”

My jaw snapped shut. “...Eh, it’s alright.”

Fury removed his helmet as he faced me. “No need to hide your envy, Sentry. A warmaster must strive to always be a step ahead of their champions at every turn.”

“What, to show off how lucky their champions are to have them around?” With a smirk, he flicked the helmet at me. I barely caught it in time.

“To give champions a goal.”

“Huh. So showing off is just your way of taking care of your charge, huh?” I threw back his helmet. With a snap of his fingers, the helmet fizzled out of existence before touching his chest.

“Mostly, yes. Also wanted to show off how lucky you are to have me around.” He suddenly ruffled my mane. I moved to swat his hand away, stopping when I spotted the warmest smile I’ve ever seen on him. A brief glimpse of what lay beneath a millennia of hatred and despair.

The moment left as quick as it arrived as Fury wandered back to camp. I couldn’t help but stare as he acted as if the last few moments didn’t happen. “...Nope. Still can’t figure him out.”

Awkward as that moment was, I still had plenty of questions to resolve with him. I resigned myself to continue our chat and make my way to my seat. Not like there was much else I could do until I woke up outside worrying about the others.

I wonder what the others are up to right now. I hope everyone is alright.

Finale: Change of Heart - Spike

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Spike

I took a deep breath of air just as a cool gust made its way upcountry. Leaning against the balcony rail, I got a glorious view of the slowly setting sun. For a short moment, just before it vanished over the horizon, it bathed Equestria’s largest construction site into a beautiful reddish glow.

Mist from the river began to rise, wafting over the landscape and past the countless wooden skeleton structures spread across the otherwise almost empty countryside. The tremors that had followed the city hall detonation, as well as heaps of smoking debris from Malice’s almost-world ending pathos spell, had shaken Ponyville to its core. If the shrapnel rain hadn’t gotten to the buildings, the shockwave had. Those that had still been standing afterwards hadn’t been safe to inhabit. It wasn’t long until Canterlot had mobilized the funds and workforce to rebuild it all.

Some priority buildings, like the hospital for example, were almost back to normal, while most others had to wait for the steady supply of construction material trickling into the city with each arriving train.

Mayor Mare had opted to rebuild the city just the way it had been, and most of the townsfolk agreed. Shining pressed for a five meter palisade around the city limit and watchtowers sporting heavy artillery, but Twilight, the mayor, and especially Applejack had quickly talked him out of it. Ponyville would get the traditional treatment in its reconstruction, and Shining had eventually given up arguing with them. I would’ve sided with Twilight more if the nightmares didn’t constantly remind me how close we all had gotten to dying.

As the sun disappeared, so did its warmth. The mist and cloudless sky sapped it from the air quicker than expected. It didn’t take long until the first shiver overcame me, despite the bandages still wrapped around most of my limbs and upper body. Rather than go back inside, I stuck around to drink in everything we fought for a little longer.

Down in the castle courtyard, a horn lit up with magic. Seconds later a bright flare exploded just above the castle, bathing the yard in bright yellow light.

Good to see the cold doesn’t stop some ponies from having fun.

“Step!” Elytra’s voice boomed across the yard. While harsh in tone, it also carried the passion and strength she inherited from her mother.

The platoon of Prism Guard recruits before her obeyed, albeit more uncoordinated than she might have expected.

“Slash!”

They began to move in unison, each move further adding to their efficiency.

“Step! Block! Step! Slash!”

Unlike her recruits, Elytra never seemed to grow tired of the routine. New squads were rotating in almost every week now, replacing those that had returned to the Crystal Empire, to Canterlot, and to other cities all across the nation. Something told me Thorax and some of the recently reunited changelings from Noble’s brood being part of the training had a lot to do with Elytra’s bottomless enthusiasm. The Prism Guard was growing rapidly, and there was no denying Noble and Elytra were playing huge roles in it.

Seeing changelings and ponies working together, growing stronger and helping each other, made all the pain I went through absolutely worth it.

“Hey!” she suddenly snapped. Her glare focused on the poor mare who had dropped the dummy dagger. “Pay attention, you fool! Do you want to die?”

I could almost hear the mare squeak in response.

“Weapon combat is serious business! Lives are on the line, especially yours! You wouldn’t accidentally drop your leg in combat, would you?”

“N-no ma’am!”

“Then don’t drop your blade, either. This weapon is an extension of your body! Your movements must flow like a river. Now, form pairs everycreature!”

Despite my ribcage’s protest I couldn’t help but chuckle. Like mother, like daughter.

The chuckle eventually turned into a cough, straining weak muscles still healing from the Typhoon blast incident. I shook it off and walked back inside. The last thing I needed on top of my bruises, strains, stripped scales and partially fractured ribs, was to catch a cold.

*Lie down and catch your breath. I’ll review the lesson with you after this drill.* Even through the dragon whisper I could feel Elytra’s concern and warmth.

“Thanks, Elytra. Wish I could join you guys.”

*I’ll keep your spot warm. I expect nothing less than a perfect bill of health before you set foot on the training field. Got it?*

“Yes, mom.” I was almost sad Elytra didn’t reply. It was a safe bet she would make me pay for that later.

Once back in, I was met with the spicy scent of pumpkins, ginger, and onions. My stomach cheered for the opportunity to dive into whatever smelled so good. The perfect reminder dinner was ready.

Several passing ponies greeted me along the way. Some were members of the Prism Guard on patrol, while others were workers or volunteers staying at the castle to help with Ponyville’s recovery efforts. Even got to greet a changeling buzzing about, aiding ponies with various labor around the castle. Everycreature was putting time and effort into working together and rebuilding what we lost in Malice’s invasion.

‘Time will heal’, huh?

Time was all I had going for me these days.

Time to sleep. To read comics. To study changeling culture and history. To fight insomnia. To scream bloody murder in my sleep. To wonder if Flash will ever wake up. To worry about the rogue changeling broods and vassals Chrysalis and Discord talked about.

Time to do everything but actually help.

The increasingly potent scent of pumpkin delight broke through the spiraling thoughts and led me to a special pair of volunteers who were probably having dinner right about now: the Cakes.

Their door was already open. Even if their shift was over, they rarely stopped offering a helping hoof. It must have been a quieter day for us to have dinner together on time. Just in case, I peeked from around the corner first to make sure I wasn’t interrupting anything.

The Cakes were unable to recover much from their home. Two mattresses took up one wall of the room while a collection of pots, pans and various cooking supplies was stacked against the other in barely controlled chaos. Center of the cramped space was a large wood table with eight seats and a pot of Pumpkin cream soup in the middle. Half the seats were occupied by the lovely family of four.

Pumpkin and Pound happily chowed down on the tantalizing soup while their parents were still setting up the table. Weariness was in full display with Mr. and Mrs. Cake’s unkempt manes and tired eyes. It was enough to make me hesitate.

How much time have they had for themselves? Had anyone besides me had a break?

During the three weeks that passed, I can’t recall them ever having a single day of quality time with each other. Meanwhile, all I’ve been allowed to do is stay in bed and wait for my night terrors to pass.

What happened to the dragon who took part in a stealth mission? The guy who helped coordinate a military operation and took on a warlord? Now that same dragon is stuck in the background while everypony else does the hard part. Back to square one.

I slowly retreated from the doorstep. They deserved time for themselves, without having to watch out for me on top of their relief work.

Just as I moved to retreat, my chance was lost when Pumpkin and Pound noticed me and waved. “Hi Spike!”

Mr. Cake immediately brightened up. “Hey! Glad you could make it, buddy!”

Exposed, I moved back into the doorframe, neither moving away nor stepping inside. “Oh, h-hey guys! I, uh…” A reason to excuse myself failed to reach my tongue. I blame the soup for distracting me.

Mrs. Cake’s smile dipped a little. “Don’t just stand there, Spike. Come and join us!”

That little voice continued to haunt me. They’re obviously stressed out and tired. I can’t do that to them. “I appreciate it! I really do, but you two have been working nonstop. You should use this time to relax as a family. Give yourselves a break.”

Mr. and Mrs. exchanged a look before breaking out into a laugh.

“Know what? You’re absolutely right, Spike. It’s important to relax with family. That’s why you should take your own advice and enjoy dinner with us! You’re family too.”

“That’s right!” Mrs. Cake seconded. “I don’t know what nonsense is filling that head of yours, but spending time with family who enjoy our food is the only way we know how to relax. Now park your behind in a seat. We won’t take no for an answer, mister!”

I resisted the urge to sigh, defeated. No way I could deny the offer after that. Even if I did, my stomach chose this time to scream at me to comply. I raised my claws in surrender. “Okay, you got me! Thanks for having me for dinner, as always, Mr. and Mrs.—”

I took maybe three steps inside before I sensed it.

“Get him!” Several voices shouted in unison.

Memories of a certain warlord jumped to the forefront of my mind. I rolled forward and spun to greet the ambushers, ignoring sharp pain echoing through my ribs. My hand went for the invisible daggers I still kept on me.

Three familiar teenage fillies piled up where I had been moments ago. Quickly realizing that there was no danger I relaxed my guard, half irritated, half amused. While this was not their first attempt to catch me by surprise, doing so inside the Cake’s private quarters was their boldest attempt yet. “Girls, you know shouting “got ‘em” doesn’t actually help, right?”

“W-we might’ve gotten a little excited…” Sweetie Belle admitted.

Scootaloo fumed a little. “Aww, and we were so close to finally surprising you!”

“Still got a ways to go, ah guess.” Applebloom sighed.

I almost feel bad not letting them catch me. Almost.

Mr. Cake struggled to keep himself from laughing. “Sorry, Spike. I promised I would keep quiet as long as they weren’t doing anything mean.”

“It’s fine. I’ve gotten used to it. Still...” There was something odd about these ambushes I couldn’t put my claw on. If I was a paranoid dragon, I would say they were stalking me. “Why do you girls keep trying to sneak up on me?”

Just like the last time I asked, their answer was the same.

“It’s a secret!” They chimed with eerily good choreography.

Oh well. Worth a shot.

“If you four are done playing, sit down and eat before it gets cold,” said Mrs. Cake.

“Okay!” We all took a seat, ready to dive into the Cake’s pumpkin soup.

Delicious spices, cinnamon, cream and vegetables melted on my tongue with each sip. It took a lot of effort to not down the entire bowl in one breath, pacing myself out of politeness. Besides, with eight mouths to feed, I did not want my dragon appetite dominating dinner.

The first few minutes went by with only the sounds of scooping spoons and shifting plates for seconds and thirds. Light conversation soon took place here and there, Cakes trying new successful recipes or the Cutie Mark Crusaders boasting about how helpful they’ve been around town. I kept mostly to myself, not exactly having much to contribute to the conversation.

I wonder when Flash will wake up.

I only found out through Noble how much was being kept secret about his condition. With the seal placed on him broken, we have no idea who will wake up, let alone when. I couldn’t even see him thanks to the guards restricting access to only Twilight and Discord. No amount of arguing made them budge from their position. His absence, and my inability to do anything to help him, emphasized how powerless I really was.

“Well, I don’t think I need to ask if you enjoy our food,” Mrs. Cake giggled and patted at her nose.

Taking the hint, I mimicked her to find some of the soup decorating my face. “Oh. My bad.” I wiped it off with a napkin and proceeded to keep eating, my face a couple of degrees hotter.

I caught a look passed between the married couple before Mr. Cake tagged in. “You know you can talk to us about anything, right? We’re here for you anytime you want to talk.”

“I’m fine. Really! Just sick and tired of being in pain. You’d think it gets easier after a while.” I forced out the most disarming smile I could muster. It seemed to work, as the worried tension evident in their creased brows relaxed.

Curiosity grabbed me when I caught the crusaders whispering among themselves. Just then, I recalled something Noble was really evasive about. “Hey girls, I just remembered something.”

They nearly jumped out of their skin, fidgeting as they sat up straight and played innocent. No doubt whatever they were talking about had something to do with me. “What’s that, Spike?” Applebloom asked.

“Noble talked about how you girls saved her during a chase.” No one told them exactly what happened then and I had no plans on explaining what Elytra almost did to them to force Noble’s hoof. “She mentioned something about a deal she struck with you to keep her secret. What was that deal?”

“Well, normally we shouldn’t say anything,” Sweetie started, “but since changelings are our friends now, guess there’s no point in hiding it. She disguised herself as a giant pink, fluffy pony! It was so cute I couldn’t take it!”

“We all got to cuddle it! She was sooo fluffy!” Scootaloo chirped.

Laughter roared all around the table. I was almost in tears. The mental image alone was almost too much. “That. Is. Amazing!”

“It was so worth it saving her!” Scootaloo chirped. “Not only did we help save the day, we’re even getting ninja lessons—”

“Scootaloo!” Applebloom and Sweetie cut her off. The Cakes were confused, but I knew exactly what Scootaloo let slip.

“Ninja what-now?” Mr. Cake inquired. “What’s that?”

I had a mountain of questions for those three as well. However, the last thing I wanted was the Cakes worrying they were learning something dangerous… at least, I hope it wasn’t.

“They’re talking about ninjutsu. It’s mostly stuff about discipline, self control, typical life lessons thrown into a good work out. Right girls?”

They enthusiastically nodded, not saying a word.

“Oh, okay!” Mr. Cake looked satisfied with my answer. “I think I heard about something like that brought overseas from Nippone. Well, it’s good you all are learning about good discipline at your age.”

“Noble said the same thing. It really opened my eyes!” Much as I talked it up, I can't say everything I learned was foal-friendly. Not that they needed to know about how I utilized such “discipline”.

I was about to go back to scarfing down pumpkin cream soup when I caught Sweetie Belle staring at me between sips. There was a weird starry look, the kind I see Rarity have sometimes when she’s looking at some couples or handsome stallions. Safe to say, I had a bad feeling about this.

“Uh, Sweetie Belle? Is everything alright?”

She answered after a contemplative pause. “Are you Miss Heart’s boyfriend?”

I nearly spat out the soup I was about to swallow. Mr. and Mrs. Cake also choked. “W-where did that come from?!”

Applebloom poked Sweetie’s side, shooting a dirty look. “Ya promised not to ask ‘bout that!”

“Oh come on! I can’t be the only one thinking about it! You can see it just from the way he talks about her!”

“Ignore her.” Scootaloo tried to wave off the subject. Bless her heart. “You know how she gets caught up in all the romance junk. We know she only visits your room during the night for training.”

When the Cake’s heads slowly turned, throwing me a look mixed with worry and intrigue, I wanted to hide under the biggest rock I could find.

Dammit, Scootaloo! I thought you were on my side!

“Spike…” Mrs. Cake had that face as she spoke. A face Twilight has given me a few times before, and always led to conversation I never, ever wanted to revisit.

“Whoa, hold on, it’s not like that!” I frantically waved my hands. “I already told you guys how much she helped me out! She just happens to check up on me once in a while and deliver Zecora’s sleep aids. There’s nothing weird happening between us, alright?”

“Now, now, Spike,” Mr. Cake chuckled, “there’s no shame in, um, keeping good company behind closed doors at your age… although I don’t know how that would work with a changeling. I’m still getting used to the idea of being friendly with them. You’re a fast working dragon, that’s for sure.”

Oh no…

“Now dear, you shouldn’t be encouraging such provocative behavior! But now that I think about it…” Mrs. Cake pondered aloud, “they could transform into anything, right? With a marefriend like that… oh dear, the possibilities!”

Oh no…!

“Well, if the cats outta the bag anyway...” Applebloom shrugged as she turned to me, “do ya make requests or prefer her natural?”

I could hear a pin drop.

All color drained from the Cakes, gaping at Applebloom with jaws nearly hitting the table. Scootaloo dropped her head into her hooves, almost as mortified as I was. And if Sweetie Belle got any redder she would give Big Mac a run for his bits.

All the while Applebloom regarded me with nothing but innocent eagerness to a question I hadn’t even entertained. Until now.

“...Well? Don’t keep us hangin’. Ah got a week of chores with AJ and Big Mac ridin’ on this.”

“Aaaaand I’m done! Goodnight everypony!” I jumped out of my chair and fled as fast as my legs could carry me. Last thing I heard was a confused Applebloom going “Aww, c’mon!”.

Strutting down the hall, I could only focus on the rapidfire thoughts barraging me.

Where did that even come from? Me and Noble? Queen Noble at that? Those girls are crazy!

Even before Chrysalis relinquished her title of queen to Noble, I knew there wasn’t a snowball’s chance in Tartarus some upstart novice like me would have a chance with her. Nevermind what she said that one night… or when she kissed me. As the new queen, she’s got way more on her plate to worry about than some dragon fledgling like me.

Yeah! Totally out of my league! I mean, sure, she hangs out in my room at night when she’s stressed out and needs to talk, but that’s just because I’m her student. Not like she considers me—

My pace slowed as a thought dawned on me.

What do I think of her?

For all of my stress over thinking how she actually feels about me it didn’t click for me to look into how I felt about her. With someone like Rarity, our stance was clear; I was into her, but she was not into me. Noble and I had the opposite going on; I had no idea whether she was truly just teasing me or just trying to get me to make a move. I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t working, but I had no idea where to even begin making a move, or if I even should.

The only thing I knew was that I cared about her. Beyond that, I’ll just have to improvise or ask around. Not sure who I could possibly ask about her, though. Forget asking Chrysalis or—

Something grabbed my shoulder from behind.

Fluster morphed into terror. I tore my shoulder from the assailant and spun one-eighty degrees. Terror clashed with shock as none other than Elytra’s hoof hovered where my shoulder had been. Elytra didn’t say anything, simply stared at me with deep concern. Or rather, at my hands.

I followed her gaze to witness my shaky claw clutching my unsheathed dagger.

When did I…?

I glanced around the hall in a panic, praying no one else saw me draw a knife on Elly. I was met with emptiness, the shadows of curtains softly dancing across the floor.

I definitely didn’t remember the hallway being this empty. Just how long had I been walking around with my head in the clouds? I wasn’t that out of it. Was I?

The insufferable silence accompanied by Elytra’s worried look unnerved me, especially when I realized my blade was still pointed shakily in her direction. I quickly sheathed the dagger, but the damage was done.

If I didn’t catch myself, would I have…?

I expected Elytra to be angry with me for breaking weapon discipline, let alone draw my weapon against her. What she opted for instead was decidedly worse; pity.

“E-Elytra, I’m sorry, I just—”

She motioned her hoof for silence.

“No, Spike, I should apologize. I shouldn’t have grabbed you so suddenly.”

Awkward pause. I’d rarely seen Elytra look so uncomfortable, like she wanted to say something she shouldn’t. If she was holding back just because I’m injured...

“I’m the one who almost hurt you, Elytra. You can yell at me if you want. I’m not made of glass.”

“Is that right?” She looked me up and down, evaluating me like a science project. “Why do you believe I need to yell at you? Or that I would even want to?”

The genuine worry in her voice left me on the defense. Elytra had been nothing but nice after that incident. Perhaps a little professionally stiff when she kept her passionate side underwraps, but the last thing I wanted was for her to think I saw her as some insensitive monster. “N-no! Gosh, no! I didn’t mean it like that! I just… I mean…”

It suddenly hit me that I really had no idea why I said what I said. My poor weapon discipline had nothing to do with my injuries, and Elytra was way too smart to not know that.

So why did I come at her like that? What’s wrong with me?

“Spike.” Elytra’s ‘instructor’ tone kicked in. I instantly jumped at attention. “I need to submit a report to the princess about the new changelings that came in today. If there’s something you need, I’ll grab it for you on the way. Otherwise, go to your room and wait for my arrival. Is that clear?”

“Y-yes ma’am! I don’t need anything at the moment, ma’am!” I knew better than to refuse Elytra’s request. More than that, the pitying look she had rubbed me the wrong way. As if she understood something that was over my head. But I knew better than to question her when she got into instructor mode.

“Good. Just…” Elytra sighed as she walked over and placed a hoof on my shoulder. “Look, you’re not in trouble or anything, alright? I still plan on going over combat review with you. Use the time to loosen up until I visit you.”

Elytra being this sincere and calming somehow hurt worse than her getting upset with me. Not wanting to worry her anymore than I already did, I nodded silently.

“You’re dismissed. And try not to draw your weapon against anypony else in the meantime, alright?” With a comforting squeeze on my shoulder, Elytra left for the adjacent hall. As instructed, I retreated back to my room, albeit far calmer and weapon-free.

Once to my room, I closed the door and leaned back on it, sliding to the floor until I was hugging my knees.

Something’s wrong with me, isn’t there?

Recalling how I’d almost pulled the knife on the CMC earlier didn’t do much for my mood. I’d been jumpy here and there, sure, but today was by far the worst it’s been. Something needed to be done before I ended up actually hurting somepony.

Maybe that whole thing with the CMC got me more rattled than I thought. Maybe a drill or two will burn it out of my system. Better hurry before Elly comes back then.

I locked my door and moved to the center of the room. I drew two of my Niekinis daggers and went to work.

Angling my posture, I raised the blades, holding them downward in a boxing stance. I envisioned Noble standing before me, mirroring me in her disguise. How she would step forward and lunge. I stepped back and deflected the imaginary blade. I stepped forward, slashing with both blades. Pretending to get deflected, I shifted back to allow the imaginary Noble to strike me.

My legs trembled with every pivot and step. Pain shot down my spine, ribs, and thighs as I shadowboxed with my daggers, cutting at my invisible opponent. Still, this pain was nothing compared to my fight with the warlord. We were lucky to survive that fight with only a few casualties. But luck wasn’t going to save me next time. Save any of us.

The dragon I was before meeting Flash and Noble would’ve died several times over. I can never go back to that, not after everything we sacrificed to live another day.

“Never again…!” I stepped forward into a flurry of slashes, then forward again into a series of stabs. “I’ll never be weak ever again!”

“Who said you were weak, Shortcake?”

I was grabbed by the arm and spun around before I could even think. I froze under Noble’s ice-cold glare.

“On that topic, I believe you were explicitly told not to do any kind of physical training. Am I wrong?”

Caught with my claw in the cookie jar, all I could do was give up quietly and cast my eyes to the floor. I’d take Twilight’s lectures over Noble’s admonishing glares any day of the week.

“Spike,” Her grip tightened. “You don’t get to hide from me. Look at me.”

Hide. That word cut deeper than any knife could. Knowing Noble never pulled punches made it even worse.

“I’m not asking twice.”

Before I could rein it in, something snapped.

“I hate this!”

I tore my arm from her grip and glared back with every fiber in my being. There was no point in holding anything back; She would just dig it out anyway. Punishment or not, I was done pretending I was okay.

“Everyday I sit on my ass and do nothing while everypony else does the hard part! I get that I’m still healing, but that doesn’t mean I’m useless! I didn’t bust my ass training with you and Flash just to get put in the background again! I can’t go back to being useless again! I won’t! I—”

Emerald magic wrapped around my snout and trapped in shut. I grabbed at my mouth, trying in vain to free it from the glow. Noble’s silent glare unnerved me as she tightened her hold. Without warning I was hoisted into the air by the same glow and carefully dropped onto my mattress. Only then did she release the spell.

I tenderly touched the sore area where she grabbed me, wincing as I did. Great, gonna have to deal with that too. Can’t she just tell me to be quiet like a normal creature?!

Any thought of complaining about it got tossed out the window when Noble crawled atop of me and pinned me to the mattress, a stern look on her face. The CMC’s comments took center stage in my head, pushing my imagination and heart rate into overdrive as her chest brushed against my stomach.

I was unable to free myself while she hovered above me, thoughts racing behind her eyes.

What is she up to now?

As quickly as the tides had changed, she collapsed, head dropping on my chest like a dead weight.

“Too tired to yell at you. Gimme a minute.”

“Um…” I gave up trying to figure out what was happening. Clearly I was not the only one having a rough day. “Are you okay?”

“Why did I think becoming queen was a good idea...?”

All the pent up frustration gave way for Noble’s plight. I was admittedly thrown off by, well, being thrown, but I learned enough about her to know the best approach was to go with the flow. “Well, somebody had to do it. Chrysalis isn’t in any shape to command anymore, and the changelings need someone like you to take charge and make them whole again.”

Noble giggled. “She would kill you if she heard that.”

I laughed with her, though mainly to quell the chilling truth behind her words. “Anywho, I’m sure it’ll get easier once things get back to normal. Doesn’t help that—”

“Pet me.”

I didn’t miss a beat. My claw gently combed through her messy mane.

“Mmm, thanks, Shortcake.”

“Sure thing. Like I was saying, it doesn’t help that we don’t know where the other broods disappeared to. Even with Elytra pinpointing hideouts, finding the few heart brood remnants was a pain.”

“It’s supposed to be a pain, Shortcake. I just need a few minutes for the world to stop asking me for orders and data. On that note, I hate royal meetings. Half of them I want to stab, and the other half I’m almost sure want to stab me.”

“Eh, most of those stuffy ponies treated Twilight like that too. As long as you smile and nod at the right time and resist the urge to throw them out the window it will all work out.”

“Hehe, such wise counsel.” She patted my belly. “Good dragon.”

I gave her head a gentle pat back. “And you’re bestest changeling.”

“That’s bestest queen, Shortcake.”

“Right. Right. My bad. Bestest queen.”

“Much better.”

Silly as this exchange was, I couldn’t stop grinning like an idiot. Decided to keep any other thoughts to myself and give her some peace of mind. When she curled up into me and hugged my waist, I knew it was the right move to make.

Time drifted as we laid there in silence. It was hard to stay mad when snuggling with a purring changeling. All I could do in the meantime was reflect on how insignificant my problems were in comparison to hers. She was a newly anointed changeling queen working tirelessly to forge a pony-changeling alliance. I was a broken up dragon fretting at having too many naptimes. No question who had the bigger problems on their plate.

Knowing I could do nothing to help only served to emphasize how useless I’ve been since getting stuck in bed. Now I had pettiness to add to that list of issues after the Malice invasion. Suffering in silence at my own inadequacy. I wonder if other soldiers felt like this after surviving that battle.

...I wonder if this is how Flash felt after Canterlot.

Noble eventually broke the silence. “Have you calmed down now?”

“I mean, I’m not angry if that answers your question.”

Noble lifted her head, narrowed eyes boring into my skull.

“I-I mean yes, I calmed down!”

“Good.” With a sleepy smile, her head dropped back down on the pillow that was me. “There are literally dozens of issues I have with what you said, but I’m gonna let it slide and just give you the skinny; not being physically productive doesn’t make you useless.”

I sighed. “I could at least use the Dragon Whisper to coordinate things, or do some menial job to—”

“No, and no. I know you too damn well. You’ll work your brain dry and never rest if we allow you to help with coordination. Even if we gave you a small task, you’ll use every second to fix all the wrong problems.”

I blinked. “What do you mean?”

“Keep petting me and I’ll talk.”

“Alright, alright.” I surrendered to her request, lightly clawing her scalp. She curled up into me, emitting a low purr with every stroke. Reminded that this was the newly appointed queen of changelings, I couldn’t help but laugh. “So, is petting the secret to getting changelings to talk?”

“Maybe. Got it from Mother.”

I stopped. “I’m sorry, what?”

Noble said nothing. Catching on, I continued petting her. “What, did you think she was bitchy twenty-four-seven?”

“You can’t be serious. You’re just messing with me again, aren’t you?”

“The world may never know, Shortcake.”

Great, now I’m curious and gonna lose sleep picturing Chrysalis purring like a kitten.

“Anyway,” Noble changed the subject with a more somber tone. “I know deep down you want what's best for everyone. You proved as much a thousand times over. Helping to rebuild Ponyville is what you want, but it’s not what you need.”

I sighed. “Yeah, yeah, I need to stop being impatient and rest.”

“Don’t put words into my mouth. The problem you need to take care of is not the town, the castle, or even the inhabitants. It’s your head.”

A certain pegasus with severe PTSD came to mind. “Whoa, hold on. I know I’m a little impatient, and maybe had one or two nightmares, but it isn’t that bad.”

I jumped a little when her hoof traveled across my stomach and towards my waist. “Is that right…?”

“W-w-what are you—”

“Shhhh, don’t try to hide it, Spike. I already saw it.”

That sultry voice of hers did awful things to my blood pressure. “Y-you did?!”

Noble moved in one smooth motion. Just like that, she slipped the invisible dagger from its sheath. She lifted her head and gave me the smuggest grin I’d ever seen.

Seriously, why do I keep falling for that?!

“It doesn’t bother me that you keep these on you, unlike a certain princess who shall remain nameless.” Her playful grin dropped into a deadpan glare. “But I don’t appreciate you reaching for your steel just because Elly spooked you. I trained you better than that.”

Recalling the bitter dread I felt when both the CMC and soon after Elytra caught me off guard, ice cold guilt seized me. “I’m sorry. I just… I… I’m sorry. I don’t know how to explain it...”

“It’s simple: part of you is still back there, on that nightmarish battlefield. To be honest, I’m amazed you’re not a quivering mess hiding in a dark corner right now. Nopony will question how brave you’ve been to come out as strong as you did.” A pause. “...perhaps a little too strong.”

“I don’t see staying crippled in bed while everypony else does the hard part is anything but weak.”

“Seeing it that way is what’s making you weak, Spike. A healthy body is useless without a healthy mind. If you’re strong mentally first and foremost, the rest will follow. Focus on the battle in your head before worrying about what anypony else is thinking. Part of being strong is knowing what battles to fight and when to let others shoulder your burden. You and Flash taught me that all too well.”

I couldn’t find an argument for that point. Problem was, it didn’t make me feel one bit less miserable. Thinking about Flash only forced more worries to surface again.

Learning about Malice’s broken seal had already led to countless arguments. It took a lot of teeth pulling to convince everypony to let Twilight keep him in the castle. I know Flash will come back to us, but not knowing what’s really going on with that warmaster is the worst kind of terrifying.

Great. Now I was depressed again.

“Remind me to give Flash a piece of my mind when he comes back to us.”

Noble smiled warmly. “You and me both. Colt Wonder has a bad habit of making us worry about him. Maybe I should stab him for a change.”

I nearly choked on my laughter. “You would never hear the end of it, and Celestia help us if Twilight catches you poking him with those knives.”

Noble’s giggle rang in my ear like a symphony. “Right. Even Mother would wring my neck. You have no idea how much it ate her up when Flash took that blade for her. She’ll give you a run for your bits on who’s the bigger Flash fan.”

“Yeah, that still weirds me out. Hope she doesn’t try to adopt him or something.”

“Nah, I talked her out of it.”

My jaw nearly dropped. “Wut?”

“Kidding! Just kidding!” Though she tried to laugh it off, I seriously wondered if there was any truth to that. “Anyway, so back to stabbing Flash…”

“Oh boy, here we go,” I rolled my eyes.

“Considering how much he melted Mother’s heart and gave us changelings hope for actual peace and a future… no more than six pokes.”

I facepalmed, unable to keep myself from grinning. “Noble…”

“Fine, fine… three pokes. I’m reasonable.”

“I can’t even with you.”

“Two? C’mon, work with me here. A girl’s gotta stab when she gotta stab.”

I couldn’t take it and burst out laughing. Noble joined me, sharing the absurdly warm sentiment of stabbing for friendship. Twilight would faint if she caught wind of any of this, and that made me laugh even harder. Eventually we settled down, delving into our own thoughts while snuggling ensued.

On a more serious note, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t scared for him. Warlords were terrifying enough as it is. For Flash, he had something even scarier running rampant in his mind. But this was Flash we’re talking about! The guy fought his way through a warzone to take down the original Malice, all the while making sure the warmaster couldn’t break his spirit. No way he was going to let the monster in his head… beat him...

Aw, crap.

Flash’s pathos incident was still fresh on my mind. Carving through changelings. Fighting my friends. The look on his face as he ‘died’ by my hand. That haunted me just as much as those damn warlords.

If I didn’t beat this thing in my head, would I end up like that? No. I can’t put anypony through that. I would rather die than put them through a nightmare like that.

Then again… this was probably what Flash had told himself as well. That he’d rather die than injure Twi—

“If you think any harder, Twilight’s gonna get jealous. Stick to your happy place.”

I exhaled in frustration. She caught me again.

“Okay,” I finally said. “Don’t know where to even start or really understand what’s happening to me, but I get it. I’ll focus on getting my head straight while resting.”

Noble turned so her chin rested on my chest, gifting me an adorable sleepy smile. “Good. Don’t worry about how to get there…”

Grabbing the bed covers, she threw it over herself. Confused dawn on me until she crawled upward until her head was just above mine, sending my heart rate soaring.

“I’ll be with you every step of the way, Spike.” She pecked the tip of my snout. “And I mean every step.”

“I… um... I-I…” The most primal of urges dared me to cross that gap and seal the deal. I mean, that had to be a signal, right? Or was she just teasing me again?

My claws flexed, greedy for the changeling daring me with her eyes. I was so dizzy from the sheer tension I was shocked I hadn’t already fainted.

“Is something on your mind, Spike?” From the way she smirked, she knew exactly what she was doing to me. Her hoof fell on my chest. “Cat got your tongue?”

Not before I get yours.

The thought alone spooked me. Wisps of smoke escaped my lungs with every shaky breath. She’s just teasing me again, right? Trying to get me riled up or mess with me for a reaction. Bet she’s having a blast in her head watching me squirm.

...Screw it!

I grasped her barrel and—

“Are you done teasing him, Mother?”

—and would have screamed had Noble not covered my mouth with her magic.

Elytra rested on her forelegs on the edge of my window, throwing the dirtiest of glares at us. No amount of disappointment could beat how it felt to have Noble roll off me, lying on her back next to me. “Don’t be a buzzkill, Elly. I was just getting to the good part.”

You were?!

Whatever Elytra sensed made her cast me a pitying glance. “Nothing was gonna happen, by the way. Not until you healed, at least.”

“Ugh! Spoilers, Elly!”

My eyes bounced back and forth between mother and daughter, growing wider as the implications sunk in. “Hold on. When you say ‘not until I healed’...”

Noble ignored me and glared up at her daughter. “Shortcake and I were having a moment before you showed up, you know. Either have a good reason or join us for a threesome.”

Okay, now I KNOW she’s just messing with me.

...Then again, Elly’s aggressive side is kinda hot—

“Don’t even think about it.” Elytra’s glare destroyed any ideas threatening to surface. “Mother’s debauchery aside, making tonight’s lesson a joint session isn’t a bad idea. Since you’ve decided to start tackling combat trauma, we can start with meditation today to strengthen your mind. I’m sure Mother could also use the mental break as well.

“How did you—Oh. Right.” Can’t forget how inseparable these two are when it comes to information. Exactly how long have they been waiting for me to take that step forward? “I don’t mind. Is that okay with you, Noble?”

A groan leapt out of Noble. “I’ll probably just take a nap while you two do your thing. Need to meet up with Twilight and her buddies for some boring ass meeting in about two hours. I also promised Mayor Mare I would help get some other stuff sorted for the townsfolk…”

Elly and I exchanged a knowing look. With a single nod, Elytra gave me permission to use my secret weapon.

Turning on my side, I took her hoof into my claws. “Please join us, my queen.”

Noble looked away. The edges of her lips twitched. “That’s not fair…”

Just a little more. “It will be worth it. Please? For me, oh mighty and beautiful queen?”

When Noble finally cracked a smile, I knew we won. Elly covered the laugh that nearly slipped out with her hoof.

“That’s going to stop working eventually, Spike. Don’t get used to it.” With a playful poke at my chest, she rolled over me and onto the floor. “Baka,” she whispered midroll before quickly pecking my cheek. Almost like magic, all of my stress melted away.

Elytra dropped down from the window, rolling her eyes as she took her spot on the floor. “We’ll meditate for a half hour, then review what I introduced to the recruits for the rest of the hour. We can open the floor for other topics from there.”

“Only an hour of scheduled activities for our favorite dragon?” Noble sniffed, wiping away an invisible tear. “My little girl is all grown up.”

“Must you always sass me?”

“As your mother and Queen, it is my duty to lovingly criticize you every step of the way.”

Noble’s cheeky smirk only served to intensify Ellys’ twitchy glare. “I’ll remember that when I teach him and your three little spies all about our queen’s poor taste and habits.”

“You cheeky little bug!”

Three little spies. Easy guess who that’s referring to. “Speaking of the crusaders, did you seriously take on the cutie mark crusaders as students?”

Noble shrugged. “I did owe them for saving my life. Besides, as a member of the crusaders, it’s only fair that I do my part to nurture their growth and—”

“Mother found them cute and decided to include them in her spy network.”

Noble deflated at Elytra's summary, pouting in her direction. “Boo. My version’s better.”

“You gotta be kidding me…” I pinched the bridge of my nose. The last thing those girls needed was my training. “That’s a really bad idea. Those girls usually cause enough trouble as it is. Most of it unintentional, I’ll give them that, but teaching them how to use a dagger might be adding oil into the fire...”

With a gasp, Noble drew back in dramatic shock. “Shortcake, I am appalled at your opinion of me! I wouldn’t dare teach them any violent tactics or weapons training! I mean, sure, some martial arts and infiltration skills, but it wouldn’t hurt for them to know how to defend themselves!”

Cutie mark crusaders. Infiltration. Two things that should never coexist in the same continent, let alone sentence.

“Alright, enough worrying about my spy network and teaching them some new tricks. Besides, I did the same with you, and look at how you turned out.”

I threw a look at Noble. After a moment, she frowned.

“You know what I meant, Shortcake.”

“Yeah, I know.” With a sigh, I resigned from arguing the point. Highly doubt she would budge no matter how much I objected. “As long as they don’t have to fight, I guess it will all work out. I hope.”

“That’s the spirit!” Noble patted my head. “Now then, as my second favorite student, please lead us off.”

“You got it.”

Noble and Elytra straightened their posture and closed their eyes. I followed suit, taking deep, slow breaths while emptying my mind.

After everything we’ve been through together, it was more than a little frustrating to know it was a prelude to a much longer battle ahead of us. Inner battles and injuries aside, I know I squeaked by on a series of lucky streaks. That wasn’t going to last forever, and once I recovered physically and mentally, I would need to do everything in my power to make sure we survive together.

For now, that didn’t matter.

With every breath I exhaled, a bundle of stress and unanswered questions rolled off my shoulders. All that mattered at the moment was focusing on the now. On who we saved and what we accomplished. Thanks to Flash, Noble, and everyone else who pitched it, we survived against impossible odds and uncovered Malice’s scheme before it was too late. The fight wasn’t over, but we proved what we could accomplish through our teamwork.

We proved that without fear, we can accomplish the impossible.

With that final thought tucked away in my heart, my mind clear of all distractions, I recited the shadow’s code.

Finale: Change of Heart - Flash

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Flash

A lesson I learned early on in this dream realm was how time worked. In short, I had a surprising amount of control over it. While I couldn’t stop time completely in here, with some practice and Fury’s instruction I could stretch real-time minutes into days. Such an ability was invaluable, both for meditating on matters I didn’t normally have time to dwell on as well as spending time working on Fury’s redemption.

“No, Fury, ripping off Discord’s limbs is not an adequate punishment if he disrespects you.”

Didn’t take more than a day to realize spending any extra time stuck here with him was a terrible idea.

‘Quality time’ with Fury was a fate I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy. If he wasn’t pushing my buttons, he was trying to get in my head. If he wasn’t trying to get in my head, he was finding every possible loophole in our redemption agreement that allowed him to grievously harm Discord. On top of that, he always wanted to train. He would attack me if I ever lowered my guard or he felt I had a long enough break.

Even now, trying again to quell his hatred for Discord, we were exchanging blows inside Fury’s snowy chamber.

“You know he can easily grow it back,” Fury’s bladestaff rained upon my head, blocked by my spear. “I’m trying to be reasonable here. I already agreed not to claw his eyes out if he glared at me. Show me at least some leeway here.”

“I know you’re messing with me again, so I’m not even going to entertain that little farce.” I pushed off the blade. “Having dealt with Discord, I know how much of an asshat he can be, but that still doesn’t excuse—”

A loud door creek rang out from behind me.

I turned to find a golden door bearing my cutie mark that was slightly ajar. That was new.

“I see. That time already.” Fury sheathed his blade.

“I didn’t summon this door. Doubt you did either. What is it?”

“Time to wake up. It’s not something you would normally see, since the transitions between mind and reality are usually instantaneous. Thanks to my tutelage and your awareness, you can control when to wake up.”

I rolled my eyes. “You don’t have to take credit for every little thing. So, bragging aside, all I have to do is open that door to wake up?”

“Yes. Just bear in mind that such a transition will be a little jarring—”

I opened the door.

“Hey! I was still talking you little—”

For a single instant, there was nothing. No lingering soreness from sparring. No chill from Fury’s wintery realm or headache from dealing with his nonsense. As if all of my senses were sucked into a void. Then, all at once, the void spat it all back into me.

I gasped as life was thrusted into my being. Stiffness greeted me in both atmosphere and muscle. For a moment I lost track of whether I was awake or just suffered a strange experience in the mind castle. As if I was forced into a weaker, stiffer body. The answer was clear the moment I opened my eyes.

The crystal-edged furniture and bed were a dead giveaway, as was the size of the room that dwarfed my personal quarters at the Crystal Empire. But there were new differences, too, such as the cracks running along the crystal walls that looked hastily repaired with metal plates, as well as the metal-reinforced door. Besides all these, I couldn’t be happier with the result.

“Home sweet home. Better late than never, I guess.” I croaked, throat drier than Blueblood’s humor.

I twisted and turned in my cloth sheets, wrapped head to hoof in bandages. Legs moved like wood planks as I sat up on the edge of my bed. To my surprise, my magically conjured wing was still there. It acted as a perfect copy, even able to feel sensation and movement. Solid golden light given form and function.

It was the same wing, yet nothing like it at all. The lack of weight left a hollowness to the magically crafted prosthetics. A hollowness that resonated within me.

...What am I now? Am I still even a pony?

I sighed. Regardless of choices made, necessary or otherwise, whatever I was now didn’t matter. All that mattered was what I did with this gift.

*When you have a moment, take a look out the window.* Fury said.

The window? What’s on your mind?

*Just do it. Even you will be able to figure it out.*

Alright, fine.

The bed creaked as I shoved off it and hobbled towards the closed curtains, minding the diminished strength in my legs. Closer I drew to the curtains, the more I suspected Fury was onto something. A dulling sensation washed over me, going stronger as I neared the window.

Opening the curtain, a number of concerns and suspicions were immediately confirmed.

Metallic grates were placed on the windows. Through them I could see a number of skeletal construction frames strewn across the ruined town. My joy of seeing the town undergo recovery was countered by recognizing the warped metal not only barring window access, but seemingly hollowing out what little strength I had left.

I stumbled back from the window, then took a second look at the metal plates installed all over the room and on the door. Upon closer inspection, shards of crystal were embedded into each of the metals. If memory served, Sunburst called them disruptor gems.

*I knew it,* Fury growled. *Not even you are absolved of imprisonment.*

“But… but that doesn’t make any sense!” Panic swelled as I paced about the room, careful to avoid the ‘disruptor plates’ on the ground. “They should still believe you’re sealed inside me. They should know I’m not a threat. Why would they do this?”

*That assumes they didn’t check on your seal again.*

A block of ice sank in my stomach. "Ugh, you’re right. Of course they would check. That would be Discord’s first priority once the fighting stopped. But… why didn’t he just seal you back up?"

The longer I pondered over this, the more I disliked the possibilities. Maybe couldn’t.

*A broken sword is more dangerous to the user than the enemy. Consider yourself lucky they didn’t kill you. Yet.*

“Don’t be dramatic. They wouldn’t do that.”

*I’ll remember those words at the gallows. For your last meal, I’ll show you how to make draken mead and spice bread. A parting gift for my foolish, naive champion.*

Rather than respond to his jab, I gathered my wits. They would’ve killed me already if that was their only option, not that I really believed they would entertain such a thing. Assuming they knew about the broken seal, keeping me in here was a good call. Guess I’ll use this chance to get my bearings.

Curiosity pulled me to the mirror on the dresser, illuminated by the afternoon sun filtering through the parted curtains. I probably looked like a mess.

With all the bandages wrapped around my face and body, I would’ve certainly won any Nightmare Night costume contest “Guess I should consider myself lucky that I still have all of my limbs.” I glanced at the ‘Spark wing’. “ Well… Almost all of them.”

“You’re lucky to be alive at all.”

I blinked owlishly. Did that mirror just… talk?

My answer came in the form of confetti exploding from the mirror.

I whinnied and flailed as I scrambled back, promptly and painfully falling on my flank. It wasn’t until the cackling form of Discord slithered out of the mirror I started calming down.

*This must fall under the ‘fisting doctrine’ with Discord! Punch him!*

For the last time, I’m not calling it the fisting doctrine! And I’m not punching him, either!

… at least for now.

A guttural growl echoed within my mind, followed by the sound of a door being slammed shut.

“This is cause for celebration!” Discord snapped his fingers, poofing a long gold and blue banner over my head. I craned my head to read it: ‘Congratulations on not being dead again, Flash Sentry!’

Fan-freaking-tastic.

“Are you trying to give me a heart attack?!” I bellowed, still shaking.

“Oh relax, Flash-bang, you’ll be fine! I’m just so excited to see you up and about I could just explode!”

And then Discord literally exploded in tiny confetti-like pieces.

...By Celestia, I traded Malice for this.

Discord poofed back into reality behind me, scooping me into a bear hug and spinning so fast my mind could barely keep up.

“My boy, you’ve made me the happiest draconequus in the world! Why how could I ever repay you?”

“Put. Me—urp. Down!”

I was another spin cycle away from hurling before Discord dropped me.

...Into a bowl of marshmallows.

For a moment, I contemplated if there was room for me where Fury escaped into.

“Discord, would you cut it out?!”

“As you command, best buddy.” From somewhere behind his back he pulled out a director’s clapboard. “Aaaaand cut!”

The confetti, banner, and bowl of marshmallows poofed out of existence. Still reeling from the spin, I staggered and stumbled onto my wobbly hooves. “Phew! Okay, while I’m glad to see you again, mind getting me up to speed on what I missed?”

Discord raised his fingers.

“—With just words? Please?” I huffed, exasperated.

“Hmph. Well you’re no fun!” he pouted. “But alas, I suppose I can forgive you. After all, you got Chryssy and I out of that tree and kicked Malley’s booty outta here. A lot happened since you took your three-week nap.”

“Three weeks?!”

“Hey, you’re lucky to be up at all. I worked quite a bit of magic to speed up your healing. I even had to use one of my Megaelixirs. Do you have any idea how rare those are to get?”

“Uh, no?”

Discord shrugged. “Eh, still got ninety-eight left. Never know when you need them.”

I facehooved. “Discord, please get to the point.”

“Alright, alright. Good news is you haven’t been fired or kicked out. Yet. The bad news is… well, don’t worry about it. Just focus on getting back to full strength.”

That… that didn’t tell me anything! More importantly… !

“Being fired is the last thing I’m worried about! What happened to Spike? Noble? How are—”

Discord conjured and flashed a stop sign at me. “Whoa, slow down there, Flash-in-a-pan. Let’s cut to the chase here; everyone’s fine. Okay, perhaps a little wear and tear here and there, but nothing some good ol’ elbow grease and time can’t fix. You’ll get a chance to hoof bump all of your buddies soon enough, alright?”

Annoying vagueness aside, all I could assume at this point was most of the danger being past. Speaking of danger… “Not so fast. There’s something else I need to know, and you’re going to tell me. Are you aware about what happened to your seal?”

“Of course I do! What do you take me for, an amatuer?”

“Considering that was your first time doing something like that, yes.”

“Hmph. Smartass.” With a snap, he teleported onto my bed, kicking his foot/hoof up as he sighed, for some reason sporting a construction worker’s hat and vest. “It was a real mess in there. It’ll take a whole lotta duct tape and mommy kisses to fix that thing.”

“That begs the question; can you repair it?”

“Absolutely! Though Shining’s gonna be mad that I have to ask Cadance for those mommy kisses again. Maybe Twilight would give it another shot if I told her it was for science. Who said I couldn’t?”

I choked. “Excuse me?!”

With the world’s most innocent look, he dared to say “What? Don’t think Cadance got enough mommy kiss power? Guess I could ask Celestia again, but Cadance gets jealous when I do that.”

“What—I—h-hold up!” Okay, WAY too much to unpack there. Priorities come first. “You’ve asked Twilight for kisses before?!”

*Really? THAT took priority?* Fury grumbled.

“I’m with Fury on this one. Really, Flash?” Discord smirked coyly.

“Why are you both tag-teaming me? Wait… HOW did you hear that? And know his name?”

“I might’ve listened in on one or two campfire stories. Still, Fury Stormguard? Not even his sword is as edgy as that name, and that cut still hurts!”

I heard an audible cracking of knuckles inside my mind. *This bastard’s insisting on a fisting…!*

For the last time, no fisting! With the heftiest of facehooves, I chose to focus on the other actual issue I had with his statements. “Nonsense aside, if you can repair it, why didn’t you?”

“You’re the only one who knows that I could fix it. I told everyone else it was impossible. It would take a little bit of tinkering, but it's nothing I couldn’t handle.”

“That makes no sense!” I barely contained my rising voice. I wanted as many answers as I could pull out of him before letting the others know I’m awake. “Why lie about it and take such a stupid risk? You’ve seen what he could do!”

Discord sighed. “You see, that’s the sticking point; I did see what he could do. That’s why I couldn’t bring myself to trap him again.”

Of all the excuses I expected him to have, that wasn’t one of them.

At my silence, he continued with genuine seriousness. “I was able to see the whole fight from the tree. Fury had every chance to walk away, and that was if he was feeling merciful. What did he decide to do while you were trapped under all that rubble? He saved you, Flash. Saved you, and returned to his prison—more like a vacation home now—willingly. Do you have any idea how crazy that is?”

That confirmed what I saw when he lifted those rocks off me, though another point was made I hadn’t considered until now: There’s nothing stopping him from leaving. In fact, he could probably jump out and slice Discord to ribbons right this second.

Well, he did say I earned a slight change in his priorities. Maybe that meant more than I gave him credit for.

“That got me thinking,” Discord continued, “I wasn’t all that different before dear Fluttershy took me in. Perhaps I got soft in my old age, maybe even a little nostalgic of the days we weren’t trying to murder each other, but I couldn’t bring myself to seal him again. Not this time, anyway. But if he’s listening, I hope he can understand what I’m trying to say here. Understand why I wanted to pay it forward.”

Well, Fury? Anything to say to all of that?

Silence.

I expected at least a snarky response from him. No doubt he was listening, probably while sharpening his blade. Knowing Fury, his refusal to speak was an answer in itself. “I think he heard you, Discord. Just don’t expect him to show up at the next brotherhooves social.”

“Works for me. Equestria can barely handle me as the party-crasher extraordinaire. Throwing him into the mix would only set even more things on fire.” With a snap, Discord appeared above me, hovering. “Sappy stuff aside, just remembered a message for you from Shining Plot-Armor.”

With a snap, a bluish, flickering pony appeared next to me. Who I expected to be Shining Armor turned out to be a milky white mare in a dress, her mane spun into two buns.

“Pony-Wan, you’re my only hope…!”

“Whoops, wrong message!” The figure disappeared with another of Discord’s snaps. Taking her place was the Shining Armor. “Ah, there we go.”

Something about Shining felt different. There was the obvious; a flickering, transparent image not unlike when Noble and I summoned him for team meetings stood before me. But I knew my captain all too well. Something was missing beyond the result of Discord’s hologram. He stood straight and stalwart, but his exhaustion went deeper than military rigidness could cover up. Even at his most serious, he always held that spark, that fire in his eyes. Now, it was nowhere to be found in his stoic features.

“Take twenty-four. Aaaand action!” Discord’s voice and the sound of clappers echoed in the background. Though visibly annoyed, Shining Armor sighed.

“Flash, if you’re getting this message, that means my time in Ponyville is up. Malice’s incursion was a shot in the leg for all of us. All the princesses have been updated by now and are working to develop countermeasures for any future occurrences, and I’m needed elsewhere. Tried to get you transported back to the Empire, but Twily was adamant about keeping you at her side despite the risk… fought like she was battling for foal custody.”

Pretty sure I was not supposed to hear those mutterings, but he cleared his throat and continued.

“Noble Heart’s report on the state of the changelings hints at the onset of a civil war among the broods. Her brood has apparently allied itself with our cause thanks to her influence, but it is suspected that the remaining changeling “Shadows” are setting out to become queens of their own. We don’t know what this means for Equestria, but measures are being taken to avoid a recurrence of the Ponyville incident. Furthermore, the Tree of Harmony has barely a hint of life left in it, and it will no doubt take a lot of time before it grows back... if it ever does.

“That aside, Twily accepted the Prism Guard as part of her kingdom. Sunburst and Thorax will additionally be standing by to see you through this mess. Shine Spark will be acting captain of Twily’s guard until you get your hooves back on the ground.”

There was a pause, as if something was distracting him from his script. His eyes trailed off to the distance. When his focus returned, he had shaken off at least some of his rigidity.

“It’s not looking good, Flash. Without the tree, without its power, we are…” His look went to the floor. “We… ugh, screw it. That’s the last thing I want to talk about with you.”

Ah, there he is. Dropping the facade, Shining armor shifted uncomfortably where he stood, averting his gaze.

“Look, I’d rather talk to you face to face about this, but we don’t know when you will wake up. If you will wake up. Even then, we don’t even know if you will be yourself, so I don’t want to leave things off without saying… I’m sorry. I’m sorry for going off on you. For not trusting you. I lost my head, and got no excuse for it. You’re a good soldier, and a better bro, Flash. No matter what happens, just know that I got your back.”

“Boss…” It took everything in me to not run over to the kingdom and give him the biggest bro hug of his life.

“When you get better, swing by the Crystal Empire. Don’t let that bastard inside your head get the better of you, alright? And take good care of Twilight… assuming she hasn’t already mauled you.”

Shining Armor disappeared, taking all the positivity he gave me with him.

“Discord,” I gulped, “what did Shining Armor mean by that last part?”

“Remember the whole thing about not telling Twilight about your super secret mission? Yeeaah, about that…”

I gulped. “She’s mad.”

“This isn’t just any ordinary mad. We’re talking Ghost Pepper levels of mad. The kind of mad that would make Malice look like the king of happy town! Good thing for us ninety-percent of that nerd rage is locked onto you.”

Sweat stained the bandages wrapped around my forehead. This was not helped by the raucous laughter of a certain warmaster. “Um, yikes.”

“‘Yikes’ indeed. Boy you should’ve seen the way she was ranting and raving. Talking about the utter betrayal of trust…”

Oof…

“How she trusted you and thought you were a good stallion…”

Ugh…!

“And the stuff she said she would do to “That good-for-nothing, lying scum of the earth”... okay, that last one I might’ve paraphrased a bit.”

“Alright, I get it!” My heart couldn’t take anymore abuse. “I saw this coming a mile away. Even if I meant well, it never sat right with me. I need to set this right with Twilight. Make up for lying to her. How I’ll do that… I don’t know yet.”

“Not my problem,” Discord shrugged. His ear twitched, followed by the most insidious grin I’ve ever witnessed since his Malice. “Why not start with just talking to her? Here, I’ll help a brother out!” Discord laughed as he floated through the door.

“Wait, what? What are you trying to—” I swung the door open to chase him. Then I froze mid-step.

Two familiar Prism Guards—Silent Night and Blade Dancer if I’m remembering right—were posted by my door, all color draining from their faces as they gaped at me. Between them, seemingly caught in mid-conversation, was none other than Twilight Sparkle. Behind the stupefied princess was a snickering draconequus that I really, really wanted to punch.

Disquieting silence filled the air between all of us. After several of the longest seconds of my life, I closed the door.

*Colt,* I could hear every ounce of disappointment in Fury’s tone. *What was that?*

...I panicked.

I could hear a muffled commotion behind the door. I backed away, preparing myself to get an earful of anger at a minimum. If what Discord about Twilight had even a hint of truth, I was in a world of trouble.

“I’m coming in. Stand away from the door.” Twilight’s voice boomed.

“Okay!” I called back. “I’m away from the door. Go ahead!”

*Ah, so that’s how she’s playing it.* Fury mused. *This should be entertaining.*

Not in the mood, Fury!

The double doors swung open. Dancer and Night flanked her, grips on their spears tightening as they watched on with bated breath. Twilight stepped into the room, sporting a cold, calculating gaze that twisted my stomach into knots. The lack of anger in Twilight made her even more menacing. She nodded to the guards, cueing them to seal the doors behind them.

I gulped.

What do I do here? Apologize? Say hello? Shake her hoof? If the barrier and Shining’s words are any indication, they probably don’t really know who they’re talking to right now. Okay, let’s start there.

I cleared my throat. “Twilight—”

Her hoof shot up. I stiffened and stopped talking.

She’ll do the talking. Got it.

Twilight’s horn glowed. “Before we start anything, I need to make sure who I am talking to. To that end, I need to take a small peek into your mind, alright?”

I swallowed hard. In most other cases, that would be a smart course of action. Considering who we were both dealing with, however, that was a gamble not I wanted to make. I’d barely begun to redeem Fury, and if he did anything suspicious—and knowing him, he freaking would—that would put me at an even worse disadvantage.

“Twilight,” I took a shaky, nervous breath, “there’s something you should know first…”

“I already know, Flash.” A hint of anger slipped through her glare. “I know everything, and am prepared for any eventuality. Don’t make this difficult.”

Fury, I’m begging you here, please don’t mess this up for me!

*What, me? Do something to make your life miserable? I am but a humbled warmaster looking after his prodigy. Perish the thought!*

...I am so dead.

“Fine.” I surrendered. “Just be careful. He’s, ah, a little difficult.”

Twilight’s horn brightened. “Don’t you worry about that. I can handle difficult.”

I really didn’t like Fury laughing at that. *If it bothers you that much, I could always conjure a vassal so I can personally introduce myse—*

Over my dead body!

*I’ll bear that in mind next time you’re asleep.*

What—

Tendrils of lavender magic leapt from her horn and onto my head before I could question him. I tensed a little at invasive threads of magic drilling into my mind like a dozen prickly needles . It took considerable effort to even out my breathing and calm myself. Fury was surprisingly, and thankfully, silent while Twilight’s magic permeated deeper and deeper into my mind. After a small eternity of watching Twilight’s face twitch and grimace, occasionally even contort with visible discomfort, I couldn’t help but check in on her.

“Is everything okay? Nothing fighting you back or making snarky comments?”

Twilight paused to throw me a weird look before continuing her scanning. “Don’t get what you mean about snarky, but I’m not getting any resistance. Just going through quite a few really weird—”

As if on cue, much to my horror…

*Welcome to our humble abode, oh princess of Ponyville. Pardon the mess; I’ve been trying to get Flash to get off his lazy ass and clean things up around here, but you know how he is.*

Twilight choked. I nearly had a stroke.

Fury, you son of a bitch!

*Such foul language! And in front of a princess, no less. I’m glad somepony can finally witness the horrid abuse I’ve endured all this time.*

You… I… that is just…!

Rarely have I wanted to strangle somepony so much in my life. Only thing stopping me from giving him the berating of a lifetime was Twilight making the face of a mare who clearly stumbled into the wrong room.

*Um… who is this?* Twilight asked within my mind, concern and confusion overlapping.

*I am the warmaster who saved your captain’s life. I am the force of nature that will make your enemies beg for mercy just from hearing my name. You shall know me as Fury Stormguard, Flash’s instructor and guardian. And yes, I’m also responsible for helping to save your lives. You’re welcome.*

Twilight looked even more confused than before. *Just so we are clear… Are you the same warmaster created by Malice? The same one who tried to take over Flash and kill Discord and Chrysalis?*

*The very same. Speaking of Discord, I would like to offer a personal apology to him. If you can bring him in here so we can talk in private—*

"Please don’t indulge him, Twilight. We haven’t gotten over his I-must-kill-Discord issue yet."

“I never intended to fulfill that request in the first place,” said Twilight.

Fury tsked. *A real shame. Regardless, you’re free to search wherever you like for evidence of treachery, princess. However, you will save all three of us a considerable amount of time if you simply talk to your captain and savior instead of treating him like a prisoner. You only need to fear me if you intend to harm my champion.*

*I… see. Thank you for your help and advice. I think?* Twilight released her mind-scrying spell, then threw me an odd glance. “He isn’t anything like Discord described to be. Or what anypony said for that matter.”

“It’s a very long story.”

“Good thing I’ve cleared my schedule for the day then. Now that everything in your head checks out…”

All warmth suddenly drained from the room.

I apparently haven’t suffered enough for saving Ponyville, because Twilight’s glare pierced through me in ways not even the original Malice could. Combined with the eyepatch, it took everything to not cower before the furious princess.

Inside my mind, the sound of Fury irritatingly munching on popcorn echoed.

“I’ve been informed of everything.” Twilight’s words were clipped. Harsh. A bomb ready to explode. “Malice. Secret mission. Changelings. Pathos. I. Know. It. All.” Somehow, her glare sharpened even further. “You’re going to recount everything from beginning to end. And I mean everything. Do I make myself clear, Flash Bolt Sentry?”

Last time somepony used my full name, my mother tore me a new one for getting suspended in grade school. That was an act of mercy compared to dealing with Twilight right now.

I pulled together what little pool of courage I had. There was only one way to answer the beautiful, terrifying mare who was ready to kill me.

“A-absolutely! Everything.”

*See? I assured you I would be well behaved.* Fury could not have sounded prouder.

Screw you!

I recounted everything that transpired from mission start until now. Twilight listened intently, a laser-like focus on every word and detail. The more I confessed, the harder my screw ups struck me. How much would’ve changed had I not ran off on my own or acted the way I did? How many lives could’ve been saved if I’d avoided getting possessed by the hunter? Admitting this in front of Twilight was simply crushing.

The entire time, Twilight stayed quiet. I imagined she was cross-referencing what everypony else said or at least putting the pieces together. By the time I finished, all the guilt I’d carried until now threatened to boil over. She said nothing for a minute, likely deliberating over my story. I decided to take the chance while it was open.

“I’m… I’m sorry, Twilight,” I spoke with the utmost sincerity. “There’s no excuse for what I did. I betrayed your trust and lied to you. I failed you as both a captain and a friend. Circumstances weren’t favorable at the time to tell you everything, but I understand if you see that as only an excuse. I couldn’t think of a way to tell you everything while ensuring your safety.”

“Yeah,” she clipped, “I can see that.”

I winced, forcing myself not to look away from the source of guilt. “Y-you’re right. I… I even hurt you when you tried to save me. I am the worst kind of guard. So, if you want to kick me out, or punish me, or… or anything, I deserve it.”

Nothing happened for some time. I glanced back to find her sighing.

“Everyone vouched for you. Discord. Chrysalis. Shining. Spike. Zecora. Elytra. Noble was especially repentant and willing to take all of the blame on her shoulders. I know you had good intentions, and the sensitivity of the mission you recognized at the time called for you to be discreet. I figured that much almost immediately.”

She grasped my chin with an iron grip.

“But never again, Flash Sentry,” her voice was almost a hiss. “You may have meant well, but you still involved Spike and put others at risk. Never pull a stunt like this ever again with me. Got it?”

I gulped. “Y-yes, Princess.” Her glare nearly split my soul in half. “I-I-I mean Twilight!”

A sharp cracking sound lashed within my mind. Took me a second to realize it was a whip.

Go to Tartarus!

Twilight lingered a few beats before releasing me, warmth returning to her smile. “I understand you meant no ill will about it, so I’m willing to forgive you. This time. Not to mention Shining helped fill the gaps regarding your PTSD from Canterlot… and Sunset.”

My heart skipped a beat, suffering a new, deeper level of terror as I gazed deep into Twilight’s sorrowful eye.

“I can’t imagine how you must have felt revisiting such a nightmarish event when that vassal possessed you. Then you saw me as Sunset… it was rather hard to stomach how much you’d gone through. Maybe if I had reached you sooner, pieced the clues together back when you were terrified on stage, I could’ve prevented you from going through all that.”

“Twilight, I—”

“Shhh,” Twilight’s hoof silenced me, “I know. I shouldn’t have pried so deep into your personal life and history. I admit, I’m still a little shaken about everything that happened, especially what you went through concerning those changelings you fought. But no matter how I look at it, you acted in a way any pony would in that situation. It’s not your fault.”

At the mention of the slain changelings, something hot bubbled out of me before I could stop it. “Not my fault? Twilight, I can’t just look away from this!” Indignation boiled over, and I was powerless to stop it. “What I did to those changelings, it...it wasn’t right! I didn’t just take them down. It was a fucking massacre! And then I...I almost…” Looking at her eyepatch again, I quickly shut my eyes to keep in the tears. “I almost killed you, Twilight.”

“But you didn’t.” Her warm hoof fell over mine. “You were able to overcome your episode and come back to us. As for the changelings... I agree, what happened to them was horrible. There’s no denying that. But in that situation, what else could you have really done? It was kill or be killed, and the influences of pathos only made things worse.”

“But that’s just it; I let it get to me. I could blame the pathos all I want, but controlling my actions is my responsibility. Those changelings didn’t deserve to die the way they did. You shouldn’t have gotten hurt like you did. If anything, all this proves is that I will always be a risk to you. To everypony.”

“Flash,” Twilight’s voice grew quiet, barely enough to make me listen. “Do you know why I’ve decided to let you stay by my side, knowing that your pathos could hurt me and my friends at any time? Why I decided to give you another chance?”

It was a good point. I failed her before when the pathos took over me. To do so now, knowing Fury was unbound... “Why would you take such a huge, unnecessary risk?”

“My question wasn’t rhetorical, and don’t answer my question with another question.” Twilight smiled. “You’re a smart stallion; figure it out.”

I was well and truly lost. Trapped in an ocean of questions. I carefully organized my thoughts in hopes to reduce the chance of saying something stupid.

“W-well, I suppose the short answer is that you trusted me?”

Twilight nodded. “Partially right. That’s currently a work in progress, but why would I think you’re worth trusting again?”

“Because…b-because…” What was even the proper answer for this one? Because we are friends? Because Shining, her brother, trained me? Or perhaps there was some deeper reason I didn’t dare entertain the thought of? “Because we are friends?”

“While that’s true, that’s not it. You’re warm though.”

...No. No way. She’s not seriously going there, was she?

“I...I don’t know what else it could be.”

“It’s because you’re a good pony, Flash. You always have been, and I believe you always will be.”

“Twilight…”

I allowed hatred to drive me. I harmed her and committed an unforgivable atrocity against changelings. I yelled at her, even attempted to close myself from her. Twilight had seen me at my worst. Witnessed all of the anger and spitefulness in me.

And yet, after all of that, she still considered me a good pony.

Whether it was her warm smile, those heartfelt words, or the fact it was Twilight telling me this, something in me broke.

“I need to let everypony know that you’re okay. I wasn’t the only one worried sick about you. Sit tight while I spread the good word, okay?” I could only nod numbly. “I’m sure you must be starving. I’ll try to bring some food and water for you as well.” She turned to leave.

“A-alright.” My voice was so small I doubted she even heard me. I was entranced.

*Hmph. Is that really it? All you’re going to say?*

I… I… Pretty sure my brain was broken.

*Where was that courageous pony who fought their worst nightmares alongside their nemesis? The one who toppled a mad god?*

When I lifted my head to look, Twilight was halfway across the room.

*You know what to do. What you must tell her.*

I opened my mouth, but nothing came out. My chest tightened further and wings rustled in the bandages. The words wouldn’t reach me, but I knew what I wanted to say. The mere thought paralyzed me with fear. Fear at not what I would be admitting to her, but to myself.

Fury sighed. Silence. Then, a rhythmic thump echoed, as if stomping. *No fear. Yes you can. No fear. Yes you can.*

Twilight’s hoof touched the door handle.

I knew if I didn’t say it now, I would not get the nerve to do so again. I owed Twilight that much. I owed her everything, and I would be damned if I couldn’t meet her halfway.

*No fear… yes you can!*

Whether due to Fury’s chant or something more nefarious, possibly both, I sprang to action.

“Twilight, wait!”

I hobbled onto my hooves and hurried after her. That’s when the underused muscles in my legs betrayed me. Within seconds I went from chasing after Twilight to collapsing on the cold floor.

*...You had one job.*

“Flash!” Twilight rushed over, lifting me to my shaking hooves. “What in the world are you doing? You’re in no shape to be running around like that.” She tried to guide me back to the bed.

Instead, I wrapped my hooves around her. Tight.

Twilight gasped and went stiff. I could feel her heart pounding just as fiercely as mine did.

“Twilight, don’t put yourself at risk for me like that again.” My voice quivered, raw. “I know you were trying to save me. I can never thank you enough for how much you sacrificed to help me. But please, never do that again.”

After a moment, Twilight relaxed and hugged me back. “I’m sorry if I scared you, Flash. Believe me, I don’t make a habit out of putting my life in danger if I can help it. But I don’t regret doing what I did if it meant I could save you.”

“Stop it.” I pulled back to meet her eyes, being careful to hold back my anger. “Just, stop it. I get how brave you are and how far you are willing to go to save somepony. You’re one of the bravest ponies I know, no question about that. But you need to understand how important you are to everypony.”

“I get it, Flash. I know that being a princess is very important and how—”

“That’s not what I’m saying!” I took a deep breath. “This has nothing to do with you being a princess, me being a soldier, or any of that. You’re more than just a smart alicorn who has saved Equestria numerous times. You’re more than some title. You’re somepony who has changed so many lives for the better and is the best damn thing to ever happen to Equestria. If something were to happen to you, Equestria would…” I trailed off.

...Oh, who am I kidding?

“Sorry, I’m not being completely honest.”

My voice lowered, nearly a whisper, “I know I can’t stop you from wanting to save somepony. I know I can’t always be there to protect you and make sure you’re safe. Hay, you’ve done more to protect me than the other way around. But I can’t lose you, Twilight. I don’t care what I have to do or what I have to lose. I refuse to let you go.”

“Flash…” Twilight squeezed me, then broke the embrace to throw me a guilty glance. “B-before you go any further, I need to be honest with you about something.”

Her hesitation did awful things to my heart. “W-what is it?”

Twilight swallowed hard as she looked at me with such intensity. I wasn’t sure if she was angry or just determined. “I… I know that you’re in love with me, Flash, and have been for awhile.”

Of all the things I expected to come out of her mouth, that was not one of them. “...What? B-but didn’t Noble tell you the truth about that?”

“That’s right, Flash. It’s what Sassy—that is, Noble Heart—told me after things settled down. While I understand most of what I thought was true turned out to be fabricated, I can’t help but imagine at least that much was true, given this evidence.”

I found myself speechless, though not for the reason Twilight might’ve suspected. Fury was decidedly unhelpful, dying with laughter.

Of all the things for Noble to spill, THAT was the one thing she decided to keep her word to? Son of a…

“Twilight, hang on a—”

“Please, just let me finish,” Twilight pleaded. “I’d been trying to figure out how I felt about you for awhile now. Unfortunately, there’s something I haven’t been completely truthful about myself, which has been eating at me for the last month since you’ve been here. It’s about the human I had a tiny crush on way long ago. That human, ‘Brad’, that’s not his real name. It’s actually, um… F-Flash Sentry.”

All of the sudden, even Discord seemed more tied to reality than what I was hearing. “You… you’re joking, right?”

Twilight shook her head. “The mirror world is an alternate reality from ours. There are versions of all of us in that world, usually sharing the same name, and they often have similar traits or even color schemes. You’re certainly more, well, extreme than your variant, but there’s no denying how similar you two are. It’s been a little, u-um, confusing for the heart, to put it mildly.”

Her words sunk in like molasses. Assuming I’m not going insane or Twilight is indeed not trying to mess with me, she just admitted to having a crush on an alternate version of me… the same version Sunset dated after—

I slammed the breaks on those thoughts. That was a headache for another day. Had enough craziness to tackle right in front of me. “I think there’s a lot we both need to clear up here. First and foremost, I’m not in love with you, Twilight.”

She threw me a blank look like I told her the sky was liquid frosting. “W...what?”

“It was a story Noble made up to misdirect you from our objective. In other words, I was used as bait. I had no idea that was even going on until the day I bolted from the castle and, well, crap went south. It was all her idea, and believe me, I gave her an earful when I realized what she told you.”

A blank look washed over Twilight’s face, soon followed by a wave of pink flooding her cheeks as she covered her face. “Oh. Oh gosh. I can’t believe I fell for that for so long. Please don’t tell me Spike knew too.”

I couldn’t help but laugh. “Y-yeah, it was kind of a team effort on their part.”

“I... I don’t know whether to be mad, embarrassed or both. Of all the things to hide from me, why that of all things after the Malice incident was cleared up?!”

“Shining Armor.”

“...Eh?”

“Shining Armor made that my mess to clean up. Which I’m doing now.”

“Shining Armor told you… and that meant… ugh, that liar!” Twilight suddenly stamped angrily, almost screaming. “I’m going to strangle him next time I see BBBFF! What else could possibly be kept secret from me?”

“There is one thing.”

I ended up surprising both of us as I peeled the hooves off her face. My heart pounded a mile a minute.

“They... weren’t completely wrong about how I felt about you.”

Twilight’s breath got caught in her throat. “H-huh?”

“Twilight,” I started, forcing down the screaming instinct telling me to abandon this crazy plan, “I know I’ve messed up by you. Did a lot of things I regret. For all I know, I might make even more mistakes. But one mistake I refuse to make again is not being honest. With you… or myself.”

I swallowed to force down the unraveling nerves threatening to make me shake like a leaf. Part of me wished for Twilight to look away, blink, do something other than stare at me like that. “After nearly losing you, remembering the time we spent together, whether it was confidence sessions or just casual conversation, I realized something is there. It’s not love—”

*A work in progress. I expect powerful foals from you two by year’s end.*

Shut. Up. Fury!

“—but there’s certainly potential for, well, more. A connection worth pursuing, but under more honest conditions. If it’s okay with you Twilight, I would like to start over. I want you to get to know the real me, and I want to get to know you better too.”

A shuddering sigh threatened to escape my lungs. Somehow got all of that out of my chest without succumbing to frayed nerves. My insides threaten to fall apart in protest of what had to be the dumbest, craziest thing I’ve done since soloing Malice. Twilight’s petrified silence did little to help my electrified nerves.

“S-so, uh, with that said,” I forced through what had to be the world’s most awkward grin. “I know this really great spot behind the Equestrian Museum in Canterlot. It’s got some of the best Mexicolt food you can find. When things settle down, perhaps we start getting to know each other there? My treat.”

Twilight studied my face for what felt like eons. I had no idea what was going through her mind, or if she was panicking as hard as I was. All I could do was give her the best grin I knew.

“Wow…I... that is just… um, so… t-those confidence sessions really helped, didn’t they?” Twilight laughed nervously.

“Uh, y-yeah. Guess they really did,” I laughed with her, if only to smooth over the building nervousness in my chest. Decided to keep the fact a certain love guru compelled this crazy line of thought.

“I have to admit, for somepony who unintentionally blinded a princess and just heard said princess decline a pre-emptive, albeit slightly misunderstood, love confession, you got an impressive amount of nerve.”

I winced. Whatever she saw on my face made her panic. “S-sorry, that came out wrong. I only meant that it’s rather brave of you to come forward with that despite everything that happened.”

A pause. Then, a soft, almost shy, smile as she brushed a bang over her ear.

“And… with courage like that, how could I possibly refuse?”

I found myself unable to stop smiling, heart soaring from the ashes and into my throat with confidence I didn’t know existed.

“However,” Twilight added, jabbing a hoof to my chest, “I’m not letting you off the hook quite yet. You still lied to me, and we’ll need a lot of time before I can learn to trust you again. Although I don’t see why we can’t ‘modify’ our confidence sessions to be something more… appropriate.”

I know she hadn’t meant it that way, but what went through my head right then was far from ‘appropriate’.

Twilight must’ve sensed something because she glared. “Something weird crossed your mind just now, didn’t it?”

I froze up. “What? No, nothing like that.”

“Flash,” she leaned a little closer, scrutinizing me like an inquisitor, “you better not be lying to me again.”

“I-I’m not lying! Nothing weird crossed my mind… thought provoking and perfectly healthy, sure, but not weird!”

“Uh huh,” Twilight deadpanned. “‘perfectly healthy’ like the magazines Spikes thinks he can hide from me?”

Fury roared with laughter. *I like this one! She’s sharp!*

My mind scrambled for something to speak in my defense without outright lying to her or explaining what actually went through my mind.

Thankfully another, unfamiliar voice cut in from the door.

“Hey Twilight, what in the world hap… pened?”

The dark maned mare burst into the room, and subsequently froze as she stared wide eyed at Twilight and I. Once my brain caught up, I realized it was none other than Starlight Glimmer, back from her mission in Saddle Arabia.

“...What the f—”

Epilogue: My past is not today

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One month later

Knock! Knock! Knock!

My eyes bolted open, shadows swimming across my ceiling as I sat up.

Knock! Knock! Knock!

“Huh? Wha? What’s going-shit!”

Or at least, I would have if my legs didn’t end up getting tangled in bed sheets

*What a pitiful display,* Fury laughed. *Were you being attacked, you would be eating more than dirt right now.*

It’s way too early for me to be dealing with you, Fury. At least I’m… wait, why does this feel so familiar?

“That sounded like it hurt. Are you okay, Flash?” Sunburst called out from the other side of the door.

“Yeah, I’m just... Son of a...” I rubbed at my sore snout, peeking at the clock on my dresser. Six-hundred on the nose. Time to make my monthly visit already? Guess it’s a good thing he woke me up.

*And to think I had such a marvelous plan to wake you up myself. Being able to access your memories does have its merits.*

I ignored Fury and moved from the side of my bed, hoof tracing the imprint of my face on the crystal floor as I stood. After a good stretch of my legs I opened the door.

“Thanks. Sorry again for waking you up on your day off—didn’t think you’d still be asleep, today being the day and all...” Sunburst said meekly as he moved inside. I closed the door behind him.

“All good. So, what’s up? Got a mission lined up for me?” Part of me wanted something to do other than inspection and diplomacy meetings. I was ready for some action. Any action.

“No, it’s nothing like that. It’s about… w-well,” Sunburst shuffled in place. “While I have to admit that staying at Ponyville has been a most relaxing affair, there’s just one teeny issue that’s been grinding at me since day one.” His eyes darted to the side, cheeks tinting. “I-I mean, it shouldn’t be a problem, but… I can’t figure out how to act around Starlight now that she’s, y’know, right here in Ponyville with me.”

Fury snarled. *...Kill him.*

And this is why you don’t have friends. Chill out. I got this.

“Sunburst, buddy, pal,” I dropped a hoof on his shoulder. He looked up at me. “...Do us all a favor and just grow a pair.”

The glasses on his nose nearly fell off as his eyes went wide. “P-pardon?!”

“The more you dance around, the worst it will get. Take it from me; it’s better to just talk to her and get it over with than dance around it for all eternity. It’s been a month since you moved here and had literally every single chance to chat her up. If you don’t make a move sometime this century, somepony else will. Is that what you want?”

“N-no, b-b-but—”

“Yes, what do you want, Sunburst?”

I hadn’t even noticed Starlight entered my room, brushing against Sunbust’s side as she sauntered next to him. Poor guy looked ready to burst a blood vessel.

“S-Starlight?” Sunburst’s voice jumped so many octaves I half expected his vocal chords to snap. His body went rigid as she stroked his chin, throwing him a sultry look that even made me blush.

“If you’re gonna wander into bedrooms for some release, you should’ve came to my room instead.” Starlight learned into his ear. I barely caught her whisper. “My door is always open for you.”

“IjustrememberedIhadathingtodothanksFlashbye!”

Sunburst disappeared from the room just as suddenly as Starlight appeared. From the opened doorway we saw Spike stop and stare at the fleeting unicorn, glass of orange juice in claw. After a moment he shrugged and stepped into my room.

“You’re gonna give him a heart attack one of these days, Noble.”

‘Starlight’ vanished in a flash of flame as Noble dropped the disguise. “Well, as long as he keeps playing hard to get, I’ll just have to make the most of it. Girl’s gotta eat, after all.”

“That’s gonna get you into so much trouble one of these days.” It was hard to sound serious while trying to keep down a laugh.

Spike grinned. “There’s no Noble without trouble.”

“Boys, please, let’s save the foreplay until after the visit. One of us has rogue changelings to hunt.”

“Don’t talk like you’re the only one who has to work. Got any idea how hard doing pony and changeling training is?” Spike fired back.

“I’m with Spike on this one,” I added. “Organizing Twilight’s guard and training with you and Spike is busy enough as it is. None of you would be talking so big if you had to deal with Fury and his training methods on top of that. I swear, if he makes me suplex one more bugbear I’ll wring his neck.”

*That reminds me. For today’s training—*

Shut it.

*Hmph. Such poor sport.*

Noble laughed. “I’m starting to miss the old days where all we had to do was have a month long stakeout. Which reminds me, drinks at my place tonight? Gonna see how hard I can get Mother and Shine Spark smashed.”

Spike groaned. “Please don’t. I can’t put out fires that fast.”

I shook my head. “Not tonight. After meeting up with Shining and Cadance for dinner, I got plans.”

Noble and Spike looked at each other, then me, eyebrows quirked.

“Plans, Buttermilk?”

“That’s a little vague.”

My skin crawled from the way they stared at me, as if scrutinizing my soul. “Y-y’know, plans. Stuff. Things. I’m a busy stallion.”

Another look at each other, then at me.

“Come to think of it, Twilight’s schedule is booked tonight,” Spike pointed out.

Noble dramatically cleared her throat. “As head of the Prism Guard’s changeling division and an honest, law-abiding citizen of Equestria, I must advise you that fraternizing with a superior is rather frowned upon, captain. It’s also really hot.”

“Could you guys cut that out? That’s really creepy! Also, my plans for tonight are none of your business.”

They smiled and spoke simultaneously.

“Just remember to bring protection.”

“That’s it. Both of you, out!” I pointed at the door, failing miserably to keep the rising heat out of my face.

Noble shrugged. “Fine. We’ll just meet up in a few hours and give you time to figure out the moves you’re gonna throw on her. Don’t take too long, Buttermilk. Let’s go, Shortcake.”

“You got it, Cuddleb—ow!” Spike yelped as Noble dragged him out of my room by the earfin.

*...You have the strangest taste in comrades.*

I smiled. No argument there.

Before stopping to check upon Twilight, I made for the kitchen, brewing up a pot of coffee for us. With three cups balanced on a tray, I made for Twilight’s chambers and knocked.. The quick shuffling of scrolls and a groan echoed from inside. “Who is it?”

“Did you fall asleep at your desk again, Twilight?”

Her pause spoke volumes.

“I got you covered. Two cubes of sugar, right?”

“Thank you, Flash.”

Only a few minutes passed before the door opened, revealing the beautiful and tired princess herself. She offered a small and damn cute smile of appreciation as she accepted her first cup in her magic.

I know I should have gotten used to it by now, yet that eyepatch still nagged at the dregs of guilt I carried like a scar. Not nearly as bad as it used to be—I can look her in the eye now—but some wounds take a little longer to heal, if they ever truly do.

“Good morning, Twilight,” I greeted once her first cup was finished. I offered the second before starting my own. Not like I needed it thanks to my new emotion-powered diet, but what pony in their right mind would turn down a good cup of coffee?

Twilight accepted the cup with no hesitation. “Morning, Flash. What’s got you up so early?”

“Just Sunburst things, though I could ask you a similar question. What kept you up?”

Another yawn. “Still looking through reports and distress calls. Nippone, Maretonia, Transylmanenia, and that’s just places outside Equestria. They’re experiencing all kinds of issues between civil unrest and suspected political sabotage.”

“And any one of those could involve the rogue changelings, or even a fragment of Malice.”

“We can’t jump to conclusions. Some of these could be simple friendship intervention requests. If we tackle each one like a pathos outbreak, it could make things complicated.”

“Then we’ll just have to be careful. I’m sure they won’t mind an infiltration squad or two making sure ponies aren’t doing something they will regret.”

Twilight snorted. “Well when you put it like that, I’m sure our guard will put my friendship lessons to practice. Makes for good cover.”

‘Our’ guard. My smile brightened a little. Has such a nice ring to it.

“So fighting baddies and putting out fires aside, I’ll be making the monthly visit at noon. Wanna come with?”

Twilight blinked owlishly. After a moment it clicked, her mood turning somber. “The burial grounds, right?”

“We lost a lot of good ponies and changelings that day. Making these trips are optional, but help keep what’s important in mind. Remembering what we’re fighting for.”

A light smile played on Twilight’s muzzle. “I got so wrapped up in everything going on I nearly missed it again. I’ll come with you.”

My heart swelled. Twilight had missed the last visit due to a meeting with Celestia and Luna. To have her take part in this tradition meant the world to me. “We would love to have you. I can wake you up when it’s almost time.”

“Doubt I’ll be going back to sleep. Got a full day ahead of us after all, don’t we captain?”

Couldn’t remember the last time I had butterflies in my gut flutter with anticipation like this. The way "captain" rolled off her tongue delivered a hint of intimacy that always took my breath away. “Well, if you’re going to stay up anyway, I wouldn’t mind keeping you company.”

One of her brows rose. I quickly corrected my phrasing.

“Y’know, to go over the reports. I might as well know what I’m dealing with ahead of time so I can figure out who to deploy where.”

All I got was a mysterious smirk before she retreated back into the room. The door was still open.

*Playing you like a damn fiddle.*

Eyup.

I couldn’t stop grinning as I closed the door behind me upon entering her chambers.

Compared to the rest of the room, her workspace was a warzone. Piles of scrolls crowded her desk, some opened and cast aside while others spilled over her desk in waves. I know she called this ‘organized chaos’, yet I marvel at how she somehow knows where everything is. Once at her desk, she wasted no time pulling me into her work.

The work itself was fairly simple. We reviewed each request and put our heads together on who to send and what we should prepare for. The sheer volume was the real problem. Twilight opted to handle sorting through and prioritizing every single request herself, allowing the rest of us to handle acting out the request on her behalf while she handled some of the bigger friendship missions. A time-consuming and stressful burden to be sure, except when we worked on it together.

We bounced ideas and strategies off each other. Tension loosened as Twilight relaxed more, sometimes drifting off topic to share a story or unload a stressful thought plaguing her. Somewhere in between talks I found my wing crossing over her shoulder while she leaned into me. She would sometimes trail off, only to jump upon realizing she fell asleep. Again. I simply laughed off her apology, knowing she more than most needed extra rest.

Despite her best efforts, she started drifting off. I helped it along by singing a lullaby knowing full well she would have a harder time fighting it. She’ll be irritated for a while, as she usually did whenever I did this, but at the end of the day she would regain her strength and smile.

At least, that was my plan until Fury intervened.

*If I can interrupt your pathetic courting attempts, you’re going to be late.*

Late for what—

I froze, eyes darting to the clock on Twilight’s work desk: Five minutes till noon.

“Shi—ah, crap! Almost forgot about the meeting!”

Thankfully I was not the only one who forgot. Twilight jumped from her seat. “Let’s hurry. Can you teleport us there?”

“I can get us close without exhausting myself. Grab my hoof.” I reached out towards her. Once she accepted, I teleported us to Everfree Forest.

Everfree was far from the risky endeavor it used to be. The parts of the forest that hadn’t been wiped off the face of the planet were vacant of animal life outside squirrels and similar small creatures. It took some time to pick up the pieces that were Fluttershy’s broken heart when she grasped the disaster in its entirety. Zecora, bless her heart, offered to help with Everfree’s recovery alongside many Ponyville volunteers. For better or worse, Everfree Forest was a lot quieter these days.

Emerging from teleportation, Twilight and I made a mad dash for the large clearing. Dozens of mounds were neatly set up in the dirt, each with a personal item belonging to the deceased embedded on top. Familiar faces flocking the center greeted us as we moved to meet them: Zecora, Shine Spark, Sunburst, Starlight, the element bearers, Noble, Spike, Elytra, even Discord was present, coiled around the disgruntled Chrysalis.

Shine Spark beamed as she saluted us. “Good afternoon’ you two! Glad you could make it to our humble gathering, Princess.”

“It’s about time,” Chrysalis sniffed. “And here I thought I would have to drag you here myself.”

“I know, I’m sorry, Chrysalis,” Twilight apologized sheepishly. “Got so involved with work I almost missed this again”

Chrysalis eyed her dangerously. “Shall we discuss matters over tea later?”

I barely caught the look of guilt that washed over Twilight before it was replaced with resolve. I barely resisted the urge to jump to her defense at the subtle message. “I appreciate it, but there’s no need. Thank you, Chrysalis.”

She studied Twilight for a moment before nodding in approval. “Good. Would rather our next tea time be spent preparing for my first royal meeting in Canterlot.”

“Glad to hear it. Thanks for inviting me, everypony.”

“Nothing to thank us for, Princess. If anything, thank Flash for coming up with this idea.” Elytra said.

“They deserved better than this, but I had to start somewhere.” I cleared the path for Twilight and I to reach the chest high tombstone in the center. Twilight peered at the writing etched into the stone.

Gathered here are Equestria’s bravest
Brothers and sisters, united in battle
Defenders against those who would divide us
Through their actions and indomitable will
We live, love, and fight as one

Twilight’s eyes welled up as she looked at me. “Yes, this really was a good idea. Thank you, Flash.”

“I don’t really deserve the credit. I did have a little help.”

“From who?” Discord asked. “I don’t remember giving you such a good idea.”

“Ever the humble one,” I rolled my eyes. “Don’t worry about who. Let’s just get started, shall we?”

Everyone gathered around the tombstone and took a seat, eyes closed. I noted the confusion from Twilight and decided to fill in the blanks.

“This is our time to reflect on what we’ve lost. What they have given us. If there’s anything you want to get off your chest, whether to us or to them, now’s the time. We’ve all given our piece in the last meeting.”

“...Yes. There is something I would like to say. To everyone.” Twilight’s face grew serious as she faced the tombstone. “Two months prior, on this day, we faced a threat greater than anything we’ve dealt with before. Many of us lost friends, loved ones, and family. But we’ve also grown stronger from it. Found new bonds and friends…”

Noble nodded at this. I smiled, nodding as well.

“Found strength to grow stronger. Became a family, maybe found a loved one along the way.

Spike and Elytra nodded. Discord grinned. I could swear I caught a small smile from Chrysalis as well.

“One thing we all have in common is the hope we’ve found by working together for a better tomorrow. Let’s continue setting the example and finding more bonds to create. More bridges to build between us and those in need. To those who gave their lives, those willing to open their eyes and find trust and courage in each other… thank you.”

“That was beautiful,” I whispered to her.

Twilight smiled back. “Do you have anything to say?”

I grinned. “Yes, actually. Discord, if you please.”

Discord snapped his fingers. My guitar poofed into existence and fell in my hooves.

“Flash…!” Twilight gasped.

“Turns out, all I needed was a push in the right direction from the right pony to remember what was important.” I propped up the guitar, giving the strings a few test strums. “There’s a lot I can say, but I owe them, everyone, something special. Something… close, y’know?”

Twilight closed her eyes, a warm smile beaming off her. “You’ve come a long way. I’m proud of you, Flash.”

Butterflies danced in my stomach as I smiled, face flushed. “Thanks, Twilight.”

“Bow chika wah wah…” Noble whispered. Spike gave her a light, admonishing elbow to the ribs.

I shook my head, stifling the chuckle threatening to come out of me. With a few shifts and plucks of the strings, I tried to get myself comfortable. Thanks again for bringing up this idea in the first place, Fury.

*All warriors deserve honor after death. You’ve merely given me an opportunity to continue dracossian tradition, even if I have to do it through you.*

Careful, Fury. You’re being less of an ass than usual.

*Next time you’re a bleeding heap on the floor, you will be reminded of your folly. And I will laugh.*

Whatever you say. Shall I offer a word for Fafnir?

*No need. I will deliver your regards to him with my offering.*

As I paused to feel out the right song for the moment, my mind wandered back to that fateful night. Losing control. Killing those changelings. Hurting Spike, Twilight, and the others.

The perfect song sprung to mind. A culmination of what we’ve been through. The reason to move forward and no longer turn my eyes away from what was important. I began playing.

...I’ll dedicate this to you as well. Time for me to let go and say goodbye, Sunset Shimmer...

Author's Notes:

My fellow paladins... we did it.

With this, Change of Heart: The Shadow of hatred comes to a close. What a ride!

I got things to say, but first thing's first: Thank you.

Thank you lovely readers for sticking with me on this massive and turbulent 5-year journey. This is a major undertaking, my first novel written to completion and on a level I can say I'm satisfied with.

Special thanks to AlicornPriest, Setokaiva, Peerimagination and Tempest knight for all of their amazing support into making this possible.

Major shoutout to my editor/co-author/sanity stabilizer Midnight Quill for sticking with me from start to finish and keeping my head straight.

Everyone mentioned (and those not mentioned but still there did that part) has been nothing short of amazing and knowledgeable. They're awesome people and good friends who chipped in and asked nothing in return. Can't thank you guys enough.

Okay, incoming sap alert:

I admit, there were a lot of times I didn't think I would finish this. That it would up abandoned and half finished like so many epics before it. Suffered life-changing events and crippled motivation for who knows how long. But this story... this was a story I was determined to finish no matter how long it took. It taught me so much about how to plot out a novel. How to approach a story and certain traps to avoid. It was a major experience, a worthwhile one.

If I had any advice to offer for those looking to tackle their own large project, plan carefully, concisely, and keep pushing until you make the finish line. You'll thank yourself later. I already feel the five-year weight roll off my shoulders.

As to future plans for this story, the "prismverse", it's hard to say at this time. Not quite sure I have it in me to throw myself at this for another 5 years, but there are plenty of stories to tell regarding this universe, as this was meant to be the pilot story, the "origin" of the prismverse stories. Don't know what the future holds at this time, but for now, it's time to put my head on a pillow and dream of new adventures.

Until our next adventure, stay classy, my paladins.

And thank you.