//------------------------------// // Cry until you laugh (part 1) // Story: For the hive, my mom and myself // by Lighting Ace //------------------------------// In the following days things have being somewhat stable, Ziki, Zirra y Zuki had perform their roles to the letter and have help me get inside in the inner circle of the remaining 3 elements, as well as the town itself. It was to be expected that I made a public appearance but with the elements supporting me and Rarity ingenious idea of a slight make over on my appearance, my introduction to the town was smother than I though. Sure the fear is still there and a lot of ponies still are weary of approaching me, but its looks like that because I'm wearing a yellow jacket a pair of blue jeans and a partial mask that hides my eyes and nose, the ponies seem to be more receipting to talk to me. There was still a long way to travel but still it was progress. Now I'm currently feeding some ducks in the park waiting for one of my soldier to arrive and tell me if they had found a window of opportunity for me to approach my next target, something that like I fear wouldn't be easy, since all three of them are very well know social figures, so a moment of private with them was going to be tricky. "Having fun?" Looking to my right I saw a mare in royal guard uniform sitting next to me. She had a ivory mane put in a pony tail and black fur. I couldn't recognised the face but I sure recognised the voice "Freya, when did you…?" Before I could continue she put her hand on my mouth and give me a glare "Not so hard, moron, you want us to be discover?" "Sorry" I say in a whisper before resuming feeding the ducks "So…where have you being?" "Isn't it obvious? mom ask me and Tempress to head over Canterlot and prepare things for your arrival, the security there is tighter than here so it make sense" "Yeah that seem logical, but why didn't she told me?" "You were busy in your mission and time was on the essence, by the way, nice move in entering their inner circle that was one strike of genius" "Thanks sis, I did what I could, and now that you are here, we can come up with a new strategy" "Oh Kabuto if only was that easy" I look at her in confusion "I'm not here to stay, I'm here to deliver a message, one that was so important I had to be the one to delivered it" "Wow, that sounds serious" "It is, tell me, do you remember Torax?" "You mean the traitor that ran away in the middle of a storm? I though he froze to death" "We all did, until mom discover him in her mission, turns out that the weasel found his way to the Crystal Empire and made friends with the enemy" "What?" "Yeah I was shock to hear that too, to make matter worse, he manage to found out about our plans and ran away before mom could capture him, according to our spies he is heading this way" Freya look at me with seriousness "Bro you need to up your game and capture the remaining elements as soon as possible" "You are asking me too much Freya, I infiltrate this place for a reason, those 3 have eyes on them almost 24/7 I can't I just used the same techniques I used with AJ or Fluttershy" "Then you better come up with something fast" Freya says before standing up. "Exsos and Chitin are traking him down as we speak but the traitor is surprisingly hard to find, if he manage to dodge them and reach this place, all our plans can fall" "I…I understand" I say looking down before I feel something in my shoulder and when I look at it I find Freya holding it "I know you can do it Kabuto, Tempress and mom teach you well, if anyone can think of something is you" She smile before putting back her helmet "I need to go back, remember we all counting on you Kabuto, do not let us down" "I will not sis, just keep the red carpet ready for when I arrive with the 6 elements" "Je don't get cocky either" she lightly punch my shoulder before flying off into the distance, once I was sure she was far enough did I allow myself to sigh and look down in though And now what I'm going to do? I only had time to turn around before taking a step back from the impression of being face to face with Pinkie Pie who was smile brightly at me "Hi Kabuto, what are you doing?" "H…hi Pinkie Pie, I was just…feeding the ducks" "What ducks?" She ask with confused and when I was about to point I notices that they were all gone "Ja they probably flew off, I suppose I'm not doing anything now" I say with a smile chuckle. "In that case do you think you can help me with a couple of things?" She ask before pulling her puppies eyes on me witch earn me a chuckle "Oh ok, its not like I'm doing anything right now anyway" "Great! Come with me" Before I could say anything else Pinkie already took my hand and drag me away at top speed. "You want me to what?" I ask in confusion as various kids play around us while Cheerily await us. "To accompany Sweetie Bell while we take a trip into White Tail forest" Pinkie say with a smile "The kids were really excited about this trip but they can't go without a chaperon, and Rarity couldn't take Sweetie Bell because of an important dress she needed to made" "What about you?" "I can't I'm already covering for Filthy Rich, since he can't take Diamond Tiara" She mentions with a smile while holding Diamond hands. "I don't know Pinkie, I'm pretty new about this place and I don't know about that forest either" "Then you can used this opportunity to know it, and it will mean a lot to Sweetie Bell" She say with a smile before getting closer to whisper something in my ear "Plus she and Scoots have being a bit gloomy since Applebloom had to go in her emergency family trip to Las Pegasus" That comment made me flinch and actually feel bad. Its true that there are changelings that can turn into colts and fillies but they need to be really good at shape shifting and even then, the transformation can't last long do to the different in side, that is why we can't change into creatures like dragons or chimeras, so of course we were force to think of an excuse into why Applebloom wasn't around the farm anymore and not currently in a cocoon inside her own barn. And looking back at Scoots and Sweetie Bell I could say that even though Zuri was doing a perfect act as Dash and Scoots was buying it, she was only putting a brave face, for her idol while Bell was only looking down. I could smell their sadness from here and it was making me feel sick. They were so young and yet here I was robbing them of their friendship like I didn't care, Pinkie might have not know it, but her argument really make know how much did I own that little girl. "Ok Pinkie, I will do it" "Kabuto what is wrong?" She ask her demeanour soon turning into concern "What do you mean?" She put her hand on my check and remove a tear from my eye "You are crying?" "What?" I open my mask slightly and clean my eyes "Je would you look at it I'm, I suppose seeing them so sad really reach me" Pinkie smile and then surprise me with a hug "You are a really good friend Kabuto, that you care so much for them, will mean so much, thank you for helping" "Je anytime" She give me a quick kiss before going and tell the others about the good news taking Diamond with her. "Je not bad" Rainbow approach me with a smile and crossing her arms "Is she the next one?" She whisper to me after making sure that nobody was looking at us. Much to my confusion. "Next one?" "Come on Kabuto, a nice trip on the forest? an opportunity for you to 'get lost'?, I only need to tell her to look after you while I look after there kids…we can pull a really good trap" Zuri mentions and I suddenly have to stop to think in her words Its true, I couldn't ask for a better opportunity, some spies of us are in the forest and we can play the old switch, while Pinkie is looking for me or trying to make me smile, if I pretend to be happy I can stole… Out of nowhere I had to stop and hold my chest in pain. Act that doesn't go unnoticed by Zuri who breaks her character. "Sir, are you ok?" "Yeah…yeah I'm ok, that is a excellent idea Rainbow lets do it" "Kabuto are you sure you are…?" "I say I'm ok!" I snap at her gaining the attention of everyone so I need to act quickly and shake my head "Sorry for that it just…there is a lot of things in my mind" I say before walking to meet the others but not before give a hand gesture to a spy in the trees near by so they stay alert to anything. Working to the pain I manage to smile once more and approach the crusaders My hive is counting on me, I'm not going to fail my mother no matter what, I will catch the elements! While approaching them I subconsciously grab my chest once more. Something that doesn't go unnoticed by a certain pink mare, that hum in though and look at Kabuto closely.