//------------------------------//
// Part 8 (Cody) - Chapter 1 
// Story: Founders of Alexandria 
// by Starscribe 
//------------------------------//

Alex made her way to the door with halting hoofsteps. Less than twenty feet, but a monumental distance in her current state. If I burn my cookies because of this...

Alex had never imagined she would ever have to know the difficulty and physical strain of pregnancy. She knew it now, had known it for almost eleven months. Never again, Oliver. You're lucky I don't stab you right in the— She opened the door with her mouth, swinging it outward.

Three ponies waited outside—one who should've known better than to visit her now, and the other two she didn't recognize. Riley and an earth pony stallion stood on her porch. Behind them was a rough wooden wagon, the sort many refugees made for themselves to transport their stuff by hoof long distance. Much of the supplies of travel were still inside, which explained why the earth pony smelled so awful. Yet there was also a changeling in back, a changeling bound by ropes so tightly they'd gouged deep in its black chitin.

"Riley," she said, forcing a smile. The queen was taller than Alex now, her body grown into terrifying changeling maturity. Like the ideal healthy mare, but stretched and exaggerated still further, thinner than would be healthy for a pony. "I, uh... I'm not in the best shape to deal with..."

"I know!" she said, her voice a mixture of frustration and fear. "I'm so sorry we came. I know your husband will be furious. But I didn't know what to do, and he insisted you were the pony to see."

"I'm a bit compromised at the moment," Alex said, turning slightly to expose her swollen belly more clearly. Not like they wouldn't already be able to see it. "I've been on administrative leave from the mayor's office. Joseph's office is—"

She didn't finish, because at that moment the pony interrupted her. This wasn't the first time this had happened—the more pregnant she got, the less energy she had for anything else. Even the magic of the earth could help her only so much. If someone wanted to stop her from doing anything, they would probably succeed. Just a little bit longer, kid. Then I get my body back.

"Forgive me." The pony removed a wide-brimmed hat, lowering his head respectfully. The reason he smelled so sweaty and awful was pretty obvious—he wore a pair of dark trousers and a tee shirt, both of which only sort of fit him. He also had thick boots on, construction style with steel toes. "My name is Hiram, Hiram Young." He pointed back at the cart. "My friend here is Alvin. He's, uh... well, I'll get right to the point. He's broken."

She leaned a little to one side, looking out at the cart. The changeling looked like it was struggling even now, fighting against her bonds. "Wait," she looked back to Riley. "You couldn't help her? Use that... mind thing you do?"

Riley shook her head. "I tried, Alex. But he isn't a drone. At least... I don't think he is. He's fighting me. I'm not strong enough to force him."

"Him," she repeated. Alex took a deep breath, drawing on the strength of earth to keep herself standing. She should probably be back in bed. "That's a... you found a male? So they do exist!"

"I didn't find him," Hiram said. "We were coworkers. Driving around, when..." He waved one hoof, replacing his hat. "He was alright at first. He built the radio, said we should come down and find you guys. But he got worse. The longer we traveled, the less... rational... he became."

"I'm sorry," Riley said again. "I know this doesn't have anything to do with you. You can go back to resting. I'll probably be able to keep him alive, if nothing else. We're only here because this man insisted on disturbing you."

Alex was tempted to take Riley up on her offer to make this go away and get back to bed. Her body felt like it might explode on any given day. Any given moment, really. Oliver made her carry a radio at all times, and wanted her sleeping at the hospital until she delivered. But she'd refused, for this exact reason. "Why?" she asked. "What made you think I would be able to help? I'm not a changeling. I'm not a doctor. My husband, now... he knows what he's doing. I could give you directions to the hospital."

"No!" Hiram exclaimed, so loudly that Riley turned to glare at him. "Sorry, no. I don't think that's what he needs. I'm supposed to talk to you."

"Supposed to?" She raised an eyebrow. "I don't know who told you that, but... I've got cookies in the oven, and they're about to burn. How about we talk inside?"

As she turned away, Huan darted out through the door towards the stranger. "D-don't worry about the barking, he—" He wasn't barking. "Oh. Huan, come on back. We can talk inside."

A few minutes later, and Alex had removed her cookies from the oven, just in time to stop them from burning. She resisted the urge to swallow several of the chocolate-chip cookies before they were even solid, instead returning to the living room of her RV. It was a cramped fit, particularly when the new earth pony set the changeling down on the ground in front of them. He was certainly struggling, his mouth and hooves all bound. He struggled anyway, inching his way across the room towards Riley.

"So..." she began, as she sat down in the chair across from them all. "Why did you come here, Hiram? Did Joseph refuse to help when you asked? Because if that's what it is..."

"No," Hiram had removed his hat indoors, and set it down on the couch beside him. "It just... it felt like you were the pony I was supposed to talk to. When Riley told me about you, I just knew you could help him."

Alex rolled her eyes. "You just knew it, huh? I assume Riley explained I was due any day now, and it wouldn't be a good idea to bring any new stresses into my house."

Riley's expression was all the confirmation Alex needed. But it wasn't like she would've expected any less.

"You'll help him," Hiram said again. "I know what you are, Misses Pittman. God put you here to preserve humanity—well, you've got a human who's losing his right in front of you."

"God put me—" she began, indignant. But she stopped herself, taking a deep breath. She was not going to get riled up pointing out the factual errors. Oliver had been quite clear in his insistence she avoid all sources of stress. This certainly qualified. "I'll look," she said. "But I don't have magic. I'm an earth pony, just like you. I don't know what you expect me to do."

"Your best," he said.

Alex rolled her eyes, rising again and advancing on the fallen changeling. He was not in good shape—the bindings were tight enough and old enough that they'd worn away at his armor, and what passed for changeling blood oozed out from within. He looked like Riley had on that first night, withered with hunger. Riley hadn't been driven mad by her hunger, but the same couldn't be said for him. He looked a little like Riley, but there were some differences. He had no growth on his head, and no mane and tail like hers. There were fins down his back instead, and slightly bulkier armor.

"Alvin," she said, her voice clear. "That's your name, isn't it?"

The changeling male stopped struggling, twisting around to fix its faceted eyes on her. Archive swallowed her disgust, trying to see through the body in front of her to the person this pony had been. "Nice to meet you, Alvin. I'm Alex. Our names both start with the same letter, isn't that neat?"

It was harder to read emotions through eyes so different from her own. But she kept staring, until she could feel the poor pony's fear. Fear of Riley, by the way he kept struggling. He was like a cornered animal, desperate to fight past the source of the danger.

"Riley, could you go into the kitchen for a minute?" she asked. "I've got some cookies in there. I think you should try them. It's Sky's recipe."

If the changeling queen noticed what Alex was really doing, she didn't object. "Of course, Alex." She strode away down the hall, as elegant as ever.

"How could you—" 

Alex cut Hiram off with an angry glare, raising one hoof in a silencing gesture. She took another step towards the bound changeling. "You're in Alexandria now, Alvin. We're trying to rebuild. I think maybe we could use your help."

Oliver would not be happy when he heard about this, assuming he ever learned the details. Alex would have to hope he wouldn't. She leaned in close, grabbing the ropes around the pony's mouth and tearing through them like they were made of paper.

Hiram gasped, reaching out towards her with one hoof, but nothing happened. The changeling didn't snap at her with his sharp teeth, only coughed and hacked and dropped the rope onto the ground in front of him.

"There, is that better?" She retreated out of reach, though not fast enough that it would look like she was running. "I'm sorry about the other ropes, but I don't know if you'll run. Can you understand me?"

Alvin didn't react one way or another, just kept staring up at her. At least he didn't seem afraid anymore.

"Well, I've got something for you," she said. "I just baked them. Just one of those cravings, you know?" She looked down at her belly, then blushed. "Well, maybe you don't. Wish I didn't either... but maybe you'll want one. I know you changelings aren't big on pony food, but... you look pretty hungry. I'll be right back." She rose, turning back to the kitchen, and began to make her struggling way there. At least I still have earth magic. The trailer wasn't thick enough to keep her away, though she didn't have the same kind of magic she would've had right in the dirt.

But the Equestrian medical books had been quite explicit about the need for her not to be on the ground all the time. An earth pony mare who did that might keep herself from delivering when she should and making the delivery more difficult. She couldn’t just live out in a field and let the magic keep her comfortable, much as she wanted to. It's only a few more weeks at most. Then I'm free.

Alex stepped into the kitchen, and found Riley hiding on the other side of the wall, looking distressed. She hadn't touched the cookies, of course, and just pawed at the ground, shivering a little and wiping a tear away from her face. From the other room, the changeling finally spoke. Well, not spoke exactly. It sounded like a mewling cat, terrified and pathetic.

"I shouldn't need you," she said. "He's a changeling, I'm a queen. I should... I feel like I can do this."

"You're young," Alex whispered back, touching to her affectionately. "And you're a changeling. I can feed him, you can't."

"So could his friend," Riley pointed out. "How did he starve with a friend nearby?"

Alex shrugged. "Ponies have instincts. It isn't enough to act nice if deep inside you're afraid. We learned that, remember?"

Riley only shrugged, looking away as Alex went for her tray. She lifted the chocolate chip cookies gingerly, using the oven mitt in her mouth to avoid burning herself. She could still feel the heat radiating from it. But she had years of practice with her mouth now. Even unbalanced and bloated, she didn't fall.

Alvin stopped whining as she approached, watching her with interest but ignoring the food. She set the tray down right next to him, close enough that he could lash out and bite her if he wanted. But Alex didn't feel afraid—if she had, this wouldn't have worked. "Here," she said, lifting one of the cookies in her mouth and holding it out to him. "Moclate mipp. My favorite."

The changeling opened his mouth, and took the treat. Only when he had it did Alex pull away. 
Alvin chewed, then swallowed. His expression changed quickly, shifting through so many different emotions Alex wasn't even sure she could name them. He rolled to the side, spitting up all over her carpet. "T-that... was the worst... cookie... You used applesauce instead of eggs, didn't you?"

"I did." Archive smiled down at him, reaching one hoof down to where the bindings on his forelegs were tied, and tearing through them. "You're done with chains, Alvin. Forever." The rest of the ropes came off just as easily, thanks to a little more earth pony magic.

"I knew it would be you," Hiram said, rising to his hooves and staring down at his friend. "You still in there, Alvin?"

The changeling rose only with great difficulty, shaking on his limbs. Hiram rushed to support him, though Alex could catch a trace of the disgust she knew many ponies felt towards changelings. Enough to make him useless as food.

"Y-yeah," the changeling squeaked, returning his friend's embrace only with great difficulty. "I'm not... dunno if I'll stick with that name, though. I've had a long time to think." He looked down at her tray, then kicked it over with one hoof. Half-dried cookies went everywhere. "I'm doing you a favor," he said. "Nobody should eat those."

Riley came back around the corner, staring openly at them. She made it to within a few feet, one of her wings lifting slightly. "I, uh... I'm sorry... sorry I scared you earlier," she said.

The changeling turned to face her, and their eyes met. There was silence in the trailer for several seconds. Hiram was the one to interrupt it, clearing his throat loudly. "Well, we should get going, Alvin. Misses Archive has..." he trailed off as he turned to her, staring at a patch of ground behind her. "I didn't know horses did that."

Alex winced, twisting her head around to see. She hadn't noticed before, but now that the stress of the situation was over, she could feel the moisture coating her back legs and tail, and pooling on the ground behind her. That little break in her concentration was enough for her to stop pulling in magic, and stop dulling the pain. She felt the contraction come like a sled of bricks, making her knees buckle and her eyes roll back into her head.

Riley caught her with some magic, holding her carefully in the air until the painful moment passed.

Alex struggled with one hoof, pointing to where the radio rested on her couch. "C-call... Oliver," she squeaked. "He'll send a car."

Things were a blur after that. Alex's perfect memory was only as good as her senses, and her senses were an absolute mess. She knew pain in many different ways, pain her little body wasn't meant to contain. The magic of earth offered no solace to her.

Birth was always a process of blood, but for her that process was particularly bloody. Her body was so young, so small, she wasn't ready. She died, in the end.

But she got better.