//------------------------------//
// Chapter Three - Regress 
// Story: Changing What Can't Be Changed 
// by PonyThunder 
//------------------------------//

	

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"This is it. Assume your forms."

Tarsus transformed himself into a palace guard, as did Thorax. The were in hiding beside a window to the large crystal palace that was fixated in the center of the kingdom. It was the dead of night, and the air was calm and still. High above the air on a small balcony, they made their preparations for the fillynapping of Princess Flurry Heart. For Thorax, just thinking about it put a guilty knot into his stomach, right next to the part that made him hiss and snarl when in such close proximity to love and affection. For Poison Fang and Tarsus, Thorax reasoned they must be feeling something as well, but it wasn't the same as him. For them, it was a feeling of vengeance and excitement for the day they would finally rise up once more. For the changelings that played a role in the attacks attacks on the Crystal Kingdom prior, it left only a bitter feeling of despair and hatred.

"Why do I have to be the prisoner?" Poison Fang griped. Thorax and Tarsus had disguised themselves as two palace guards and were getting ready to enter through the window.

"Because you're small and scrawny," Tarsus replied sternly. "You think you could pass as a palace guard?"

"I could if you'd let me," he grumbled. "It's not all just about appearance you know. It's an art. You have to live the part."

Tarsus snorted. "Ugh, just do your job so we can get out of here. The queen is counting on us."

That seemed to quiet the two of them, and Poison Fang transformed into a regular pony. They entered through the window silently and carefully to avoid making any noises. Inside, the halls were long and dark. The little light that shone in from the moon and stars outside dimly shimmered and reflected along the crystal walls.

"Okay," Tarsus whispered, "where's the princess supposed to be?"

Down the hall, third door on the right, Thorax thought to himself. He found himself second-guessing himself. When should he make his move to derail their task? Too soon, and they'd be able to catch him and rip him to shreds. But too late, and the princess would be in the hands of Chrysalis. He debated for several seconds as they walked down the hall, until a voice emanated from behind them.

"Halt."

They stopped immediately, not because they were scared, but because it was what well-trained palace guards would do.

"Yes, Princess Cadence?" Tarsus replied respectfully in the deep voice of a palace guard.

Cadence trotted over to them. "Who is this pony you are escorting? It's nearly midnight."

"They were trespassing on palace grounds," he replied. "He seemed suspicious, and we can't take too many chances. Not with the sightings of changelings we've been having."

"Sightings of changelings?" Cadence replied. "I haven't been informed of those."

Suddenly, Thorax's heart sank. The topic of conversation was drifting uncomfortably close to his time spent at the Crystal Empire.

He quickly entered the conversation. "Only recently, just earlier this evening."

Cadence seemed mildly annoyed, but accepted his statement and eyed Poison Fang disguised as the prisoner pony. She scanned him slowly from head to hoof. His eyes drifted uncomfortably away from Cadence as she continued to observe him up close. His legs shook ever so slightly from nervousness. 

"This is no changeling," she replied, and took a step back from him. "You may carry on and escort him outside of the palace. I have things to discuss with Shining Armor, now that you've given me this unfortunate news."

Princess Cadence turned around and left them where they were, standing in the middle of the hallway. 

Moments later, Poison Fang broke their silence with a sly grin. "I told you: it's all about living the part."

Tarsus rolled his eyes and they continued onwards down the hall. If there was any moment to derail their operation, it was then, and he had missed it. But, upon a second thought, revealing his identity then and there might have been disastrous. As much as he would have liked to think otherwise, Thorax didn't look much different from any other changelings. Cadence was a powerful alicorn, and there's no telling what kind of powerful magic she could have used on all three of them, including himself. The ponies were kind and caring, but there was a limit when it came to his kind. 

They came to Flurry Heart's room. She was sleeping soundly in a crib below a mobile of pegasi, unicorn and earth ponies. Thorax could feel the immense aura of love permeating through the air like a thick fog. The near-uncontrollable urge to devour and destroy filled his stomach and he felt the all-too-familiar urge to hiss and snarl. Looking at Poison Fang and Tarsus, they seemed to be experiencing the same phenomenon. It's likely that they had never been so close to such an object of affection.

Poison Fang fidgeted in place, like he was about to explode with energy. Tarsus shot him a stern look that said everything he needed to say: don't mess this up. Tarsus and Thorax, still disguised as guards, came closer to Flurry Heart. The immense feeling of love washed over them, filling their noses with the tantalizing aroma of pure energy. Poison Fang watched from afar, with feelings of jealousy starting to take hold. From his currently foggy perspective, two other changelings were going to take what was rightfully his. He was the one who delivered the solid performance that fooled the princess of love herself. He should be the one who gets to take Flurry Heart, feeding off the energy that emanated from her at all times.

He found himself walking towards them, his mouth snarling and disguise fading. The bruised, ragged body of a scrawny changeling slowly inched towards them as they carefully lifted the princess from her crib.

"Poison Fang..." Tarsus whispered urgently, "don't mess this up."

He didn't listen, and instead chose to let out a slithering snarl from the back of his throat, his tongue flicking aggressively towards them. Immediately, Flurry Heart awoke and began to cry, her voice wailing and echoing down the long crystal halls.

"Ugh, you idiot!. Come on, we need to run."

The sounds of galloping guards came from afar. Looking around urgently for an exit, Tarsus grabbed the princess and smashed through the window, followed shortly by Poison Fang who was more motivated by chasing after Tarsus than running from the guards.

Thorax stood alone in the princess's bedroom, still debating what he should do. So far, he hadn't done much of anything to stop their plans. In fact, he hadn't even said a single word the entire night. But he couldn't just stay behind now that they had Flurry Heart. And he doubted that the guards would accept anything he said, standing in Flurry Heart's empty bedroom with shards of shattered glass beneath the windowsill. No, he still had to go along with their plans. He would just have to find another way to prevent them from continuing.

He leaped into the air, re-assuming his natural form and taking to the moonlit skies behind the other two fillynappers. As he caught up with them, he began to wonder if he was really just indecisive, or if he subconsciously wanted something else.