//------------------------------// // Chapter 15 - Blight // Story: Halfling // by Dee Pad //------------------------------// Halfling By Dee Pad ===================================================================== Chapter 15: Blight ===================================================================== The Changeling Kingdom was a place that Shade had never wanted to see again. But given the circumstances, he really had no choice but to return. It was full of nothing but selfish, power-hungry, bloodthirsty and frankly stupid creatures. If the other changelings weren't smart enough to see how easy it was to just make friends and find better lives for themselves, then maybe they just deserved to rot here. Shade honestly didn't care anymore whether or not peace was ever achieved between them and the ponies; he just wanted to live his life like a normal person. But apparently he wasn't allowed to do that. Shade had thought that his involvement with the changelings and Chrysalis was over, that he wouldn't have to deal with them anymore. Wraith showing up at his house was the last thing he expected in his day-to-day life. As if being a parent weren't stressful enough, now his son had been kidnapped by those loathsome insects, forcing him to take action and try and find him. Shade played the moment over and over in his mind on his way to the Changeling Kingdom. Was there anything he could have done to stop it? If the rumors he'd heard about Wraith held any water, then the answer to that was no. Compared to the average changeling, Wraith was much stronger and significantly more intelligent. He was certainly physically stronger than Chrysalis, though the difference in smarts was arguable. There was a reason why he was the queen's right hoof. Still, though, Shade was kicking himself for not even fighting back. Perhaps he was being a little hard on himself considering he was basically incapacitated by Wraith's first strike, preventing him from retaliating at all. But he still wished there was more he could do. It was the first major crisis he faced as a parent and he utterly failed to protect his son. If that weren't bad enough, Winter and Chamella were nowhere to be seen as well since they brought him to the hospital. After he'd snuck out, he immediately went home to prepare for the rescue operation, but found that the house had already been pretty much cleaned out of provisions. He could only assume that Winter and Chamella had beat him to the punch and went on to the Changeling Kingdom ahead of him. That worried him even more. Now, not only was his son out here, but his best friend and girlfriend as well. Shade slowed to a stop within the dark cave of the changeling hive. He felt his head throb painfully and he placed a hoof against his temple to massage it. Wraith really did a number on him, and it was starting to slow him down. After being brought to the hospital, he could barely stay conscious for more than a few minutes at a time. After resting for a night, the constant, throbbing pain dulled to occasional headaches, but it was definitely enough to affect his judgment. He was starting to regret coming by himself. He blamed himself for letting this happen, and being forced to spend the night in a hospital bed knowing his son was in great danger was more than he could endure. As soon as he felt able enough, he snuck out of the hospital and hightailed it for the Changeling Kingdom without thinking. If it was any consolation, Winter and Chamella might have asked Twilight and the others for help anyway, so maybe they were already here somewhere. Still, even if that were the case, it was unlikely he'd run into them. Honestly, he didn't really even know where he was supposed to be going. Shade rarely ever went into the hive back when he lived here, and even when he did, it wasn't very deep. He would usually just go deep enough to find some edible mushrooms that he knew grew in the caves. If he were to choose a destination now, it would probably be the throne room; that was his best chance to find Chrysalis and get some answers. Hopefully Chamella would have had the same thought and they'd meet up there or on the way. Of course, Chamella and Winter weren't the only ones he had to worry about. Shade had no idea what Snowflake might be going through right now. He had to be alive. Why would Chrysalis go through the trouble of having him kidnapped if she were just going to let him die? It was just one of the questions he was going to have to ask when—or rather if—he encountered her. If there was any fortune to come from this so far, it was that there hadn't really been anything in Shade's way. Being a native of this land, it wasn't any trouble for him to traipse through the forest and into the caves without rousing suspicion. The other changelings weren't going to bat an eye at him, and any of the ones that would recognize him weren't likely to be randomly wandering around. Shade had to stop for a few minutes, sitting down on the cold, stone floor of the cavern and leaning against the equally uncomfortable wall. He sucked down a deep breath of the damp, cave air—as close to fresh as it was going to get. He needed a rest. He'd been walking or flying nonstop since this morning, and considering he'd just been hospitalized, he wasn't quite feeling one hundred percent at the moment. Unfortunately, in his rush to save Snowflake he hadn't taken the time to find what Winter and Chamella had left behind, so he was also getting pretty hungry and especially thirsty. Thankfully, he knew there were sources of fresh water as well as things like mushrooms and insects around that he could use for nourishment. The problem was he needed to be lucky enough to happen upon them. "You're looking cozy there." Shade jumped to his hooves at the sound of the unfamiliar voice, ready to defend himself against this potential threat. Not far away, coming from the direction he himself had been going, was an armored changeling; a female with hazel eyes and wearing a rather smug grin. Chrysalis's soldiers were the ones Shade had been hoping to avoid. No doubt they expected him to come after his kidnapped child, so they were likely told to be on the lookout for him. He was lucky it wasn't Wraith this time at least. He wasn't entirely sure he was in well enough health to deal with the captain right now. However, he found it strange that it was just the one soldier. There was no sign of any others with her, unless she was setting up some sort of ambush. He was going to have to be on guard. "You need something?" he asked her, hoping to play himself off as just an average changeling. He could at least hope that this soldier didn't recognize him. The armored changeling smirked at him knowingly. "No point in trying that, I'm afraid. We're all looking for you, Shade." Shade took a more defensive stance, scowling at the mare. He didn't want to have to fight his way through this, but it was looking inevitable. "Just give him back and I'll leave quietly." The female shrugged. "Sorry, can't do that. I've got my orders. Right now, those orders are to kill you." Considering the situation, Shade was going to have to deal with this changeling one way or another, so he figured now would be as good a chance as any to try and get some answers. "What does Chrysalis want with him anyway? What use does she have for an infant pony?" The soldier sighed with a roll of her eyes. "Look, I get you want an explanation, but we both know it wouldn't make any difference. No excuse is going to be good enough for you to accept, so there's no point in wasting my breath. But I will say that I don't agree with it." Shade quirked an eyebrow. "What? You don't want to go along with it?" "I didn't say that. Like I said, I've got my orders. What they want to do with that larva is their business. I just say it's not worth the effort of taking it for ourselves. Case and point: now we have to deal with you lot." That seemed weird. Shade wasn't used to seeing the soldiers question authority. Usually, a drone was chosen to be a soldier based on their strength, skills and unwavering loyalty. Still, though, at least he wasn't the only one who was questioning the act. And from the sound of it, it seemed his hunch about Winter and Chamella being here, as well, was correct. "So why can't you just help me get him back? That way I'll be out of your hair," Shade asked. She sneered at him in annoyance. "You have ears, try using them. I'm following orders. What I have to say about this whole scenario is moot. I'm here to deal with you. After that, I'm just going to go about my day." Shade stood confidently, hoping to intimidate her into changing her mind. "Who even are you? Why would Chrysalis send one random soldier to deal with me?" The other changeling groaned in exasperation. "Geez, you're dense. You're pretty dumb if you think we know exactly where you might be." She grinned once more, seeming proud of herself. "I'll admit, I got lucky finding you out here. But to answer your questions: First, my name's Glory. Second, I'm not some 'random' soldier; we don't need any more than me." Glory. For some reason, the name sounded familiar to Shade. Like Wraith, she may have been one of the soldiers he'd heard others talking about. There were a few soldiers that were considered exceptional, though Shade was always certain most of those rumors were exaggerated. Wraith himself seemed to be the only one who could probably back up the claims, and even then, Shade had never actually seen any hard evidence for himself. At least, not until last night. There must have been more to this Glory than he gave her credit for. He was going to have to be careful. Glory saw the anticipation in Shade's expression and stance, and smirked. With little warning, she lunged forward, her wings carrying her quickly towards Shade. The male managed to barely evade a hasty tackle, ducking to his left and causing Glory to overshoot her target by several feet. The armored changeling pulled a u-turn, preparing for a second pass at her quarry. Shade simply repeated his previous action and dodged again. However, as Shade sidestepped, Glory came to a quick stop in midair, redirecting herself to Shade's new position. Glory tackled Shade roughly with her shoulder, knocking her victim to the ground. Shade shook off the hit, quickly rising to his hooves again. But as soon as he did, Glory hit him again, grabbing him and pinning him to the stone floor. Shade, unable to move with his hooves held down by his assailant's, was forced to struggle to get free. She was stronger than she seemed, or perhaps he was still weak from his previous injury. He stared up at her, baring his fangs. She was gazing intensely into his emerald eyes, her self-confident grin having never left her face. "Before I kill you, I'd like to get to know you a little better," she said, her voice disturbingly nonchalant. Before Shade had time to think about that strange statement, Glory's eyes began to glow a vibrant green. Not just her irises, but even the normally-sky-blue sclera were emitting the eerie light. Shade felt as though her gaze were physically penetrating his own eyes, digging into his skull and groping his brain. The throbbing pain suddenly came back with a vengeance and his head felt like it was filling with liquid and about to pop. In a desperate attempt to escape whatever it was Glory was doing to him, Shade let loose a small burst of magic from his horn. Glory barely managed to recognize the incoming attack and pulled away before it caught her square in the face, instead watching it fly up at the ceiling. With the soldier now off of him, Shade staggered back to his hooves. He winced as the pain in his skull pounded against his temple. Whatever she did, it made the headaches even worse. What was more, the pain had also caused his vision to blur momentarily. "Ngh... What... What did you do?" Shade stammered groggily, holding a hoof to his temple. "Just a little research. But I gotta admit, not many people have the willpower to keep fighting back under my gaze. Wraith was right about you; you are special." Shade stared at her, confused, but more wary about her words. "'Special'?" Glory shrugged. "Not that it'll matter when you're dead anyway. And, sure, you cut me off before I could dig too deep, but I've got enough." Before Shade could contemplate what that was supposed to mean, Glory's horn lit up. In a flash, her body was enveloped by green flames, leaving somepony different where the changeling soldier once stood. Shade's eyes widened. She had shapeshifted into the spitting image of Rainbow Dash. Of course, the ability to disguise themselves as ponies was the one thing all changelings knew how to do. The surprising part was how she was able to do it without having ever seen Rainbow Dash. As far as Shade knew, a changeling needed to have a memory of the pony they were impersonating. How was she able to transform into somepony she's never met? He was pretty sure she wasn't there during the invasion of Canterlot, just like Wraith. Still, though, Shade had to wonder what advantage this would give her. It's not like he was dumb enough to actually believe this was the real Rainbow Dash, so what reason would Glory have to change her appearance in the middle of a one-on-one fight? Without a word, the disguised changeling flapped her new, feathered wings, lifting herself into the air. She stared down at Shade, her confident grin never faltering. Once she had nearly reached the ceiling, Glory suddenly dipped down, letting gravity drag her downward while her outstretched wings propelled her even faster toward Shade. Shade barely had time to register his dive bombing adversary barreling at him, rolling out of the way, though doing so rather clumsily as he was still recovering from the pain in his head. He felt the air blow over him as Glory zoomed by and curved upward to avoid colliding with the ground. That must have been it: Glory changed into Rainbow Dash not as an attempt to confuse or trick Shade, but to access her above average stamina and aerial prowess. It now made sense that she would choose to mimic a more physically fit pony. So now not only did he have to deal with Glory's cunning, but now Rainbow Dash's speed as well. Glory circled around, preparing to make another pass at Shade. If nothing else, her method of attack was pretty predictable, and Shade knew for a fact that pegasi didn't have quite the same degree of aerial control that changelings did. So as long as he had the reaction speed to dodge out of the way, he shouldn't be in too much trouble. Although, that's where Rainbow Dash's stamina was going to come into play; in her current form, Glory was likely to outlast him in that regard, especially given Shade's subpar physical condition at the moment. However, instead of diving straight at him like Shade had been anticipating, Glory swept around to his right and began flying in low circles around him. With the speed granted to her by her borrowed body, Shade was having trouble keeping an eye on her, not to mention he was already feeling a little dizzy from the headaches. After flying countless circles, Glory finally seized her moment, altering her flight path and charging straight at Shade from his left. But just before she made contact, the green flames transformed her body again, and instead of Rainbow Dash crashing into Shade, it was the more muscular and physically stronger Applejack, hat and all. The weight of the orange earth pony combined with the momentum of Rainbow Dash's speed resulted in a heavy impact that sent the two changelings rolling along the hard, stone ground. Glory managed to regain her footing mid-tumble, while Shade kept rolling another several feet, too shocked by the sudden impact to even attempt to stop himself. Once he had come to a stop, Shade rose back to his hooves with a pained groan. He shot a glower in Glory's direction, the other changeling standing rather haughtily and tipping the brim of her fake hat. "I was expecting more from you," Glory said condescendingly in Applejack's voice, though lacking the earth pony's distinguishable, country accent. "I was told you were an actual threat to us, but that's what I get for putting stock in the words of others. This is why I only trust my own information. There's no point in sharing anything that you're not absolutely sure of. Rumors and gossip aren't worth paying attention to. I said I should have been one of the spies sent to that little town to keep an eye on you. At least I would've gotten my facts straight." Shade pushed aside the pain, ignoring it to focus more on the obstacle in his way. He was starting to get more than a little aggravated by Glory's boasting. It was time to start fighting back. Shade grit his teeth before lunging toward Glory, doing much the same as she had been doing and charging through the air at her. Glory simply smirked at the hasty attempt to retaliate. With another flash of green, the form of Applejack was quickly replaced by Fluttershy. She shrunk back with a frightened yelp, cowering and whimpering as Shade bore down on her. Shade came to a halt in midair. Somehow, even though he knew it wasn't actually Fluttershy, the sight of the timid pegasus cowering in fear still dissuaded him from pressing the attack. Seeing that her ploy had worked, Glory grinned devilishly—which looked quite jarring considering whose face she was currently wearing—and took advantage of Shade's moment of hesitation by changing back into Applejack and delivering a swift and forceful buck to his exposed stomach. Shade collapsed back down to the ground, holding his midsection as he doubled over in pain. He didn't have any time to catch his breath either, as Glory gave him a another kick to the chest, forcing Shade onto his back. He tried to get back up, but Glory firmly planted a hoof on his chest, using the farm pony's strength to hold him down. "You know, as one-sided as this is, it's actually kind of fun. Been a while since I've gotten a chance to cut loose like this," Glory gloated, working a kink out of her neck with an audible pop. "I do have a job to finish, but I'd like to play with you just a little longer." She stomped her front hooves roughly onto Shade's own, pinning him down as she had before. "Get... off... me!" Shade growled as he struggled beneath her. "I don't have time for this! I have to—" "Save your kid, yeah, I get it," Glory interrupted with a roll of her eyes. "Thing is, that ain't happening. And it's not because I'm going to stop you. In fact, after all of this, I can see that you can't save anypony. Not the larva, not that pegasus, not your changeling friend... You couldn't even save that one guy." Shade raised an eyebrow. "What? What guy?" Glory grinned. In a flash, the body of Applejack was once again wrapped in emerald flames. Who was standing in its place was definitely not who Shade would have ever expected. Glory had taken the form of a unicorn stallion with a white coat and blue mane; a person that Shade hadn't seen in almost two years, and the last time he saw him, he was burying him in his grave. Glory had perfectly replicated the injured unicorn that Shade had encountered in the Everfree Forest when he first abandoned the Changeling Kingdom; the same unicorn that Shade himself had posed as for an entire month when he arrived in Ponyville. Shade was too flummoxed to even say anything right now. It wasn't just the shock of seeing that face again after all this time, but once again Shade found himself wondering just how Glory knew about him. He could at least believe if she somehow had seen Rainbow Dash and the others, but there was absolutely no way in Tartarus she could have possibly known about that stallion. Even if she were one of the spies Chrysalis had stationed in Ponyville to keep an eye on Shade, the unicorn was long dead before they would've been sent there. And now, here he was, staring that same stallion in the eyes once more. Even though Shade knew it wasn't really him, that didn't make it any less shocking. And the sinister grin on his face made it clear that Glory was taking great pleasure in Shade's reaction. "You didn't do anything," she said in his haunting voice. "You just stood there and watched him die as he cowered in fear of you." "I... I wanted to help him," Shade argued, his voice shaky. "He thought I was going to hurt him. He was afraid of me." "And he had every right to be. You are a changeling after all. And so soon after the whole Canterlot debacle, too. His fear killed him. You killed him." Shade grit his teeth, anger beginning to boil up within him. "I didn't do anything!" Glory's sadistic smirk persisted. "That's exactly what I said. If you really wanted to help him, you could have ignored his protests and brought him to safety anyway. But instead you did nothing. No, actually, you did do something. You let him die and then stole his face for your own use. Deny it all you want, but you are, and always will be, a changeling. A lying, deceitful changeling." "Don't lump me in with all of you," Shade growled. "I may have done some bad things in the past, but I owe my own life to that pony. I'd repay him if I could, which is more than you would have done." "And yet still you live a life of luxury, with a roof over your head and a family and friends that love you, while he rots in his grave. Doesn't sound fair to me." Shade let out a furious growl. He was sick and tired of hearing other changelings tell him he wasn't any different. He knew they were wrong. He knew he was better than them. And it was things like this that only solidified the idea that they were all irredeemable in his eyes. Shade had had enough. Shade felt a pounding in his head as his rage focused itself in his horn, sparking and flashing with green magic. "Get... off of me!" With a blinding flash, Shade let loose an involuntary pulse of magic. This time, however, no reaction on Glory's part was going to allow her to avoid it. The surge of energy not only blasted Glory off of Shade, but propelled her up toward the roof of the cave until she slammed roughly into the side of a large stalactite. She let out a pained yelp, the impact having interrupted her shapeshifting spell and forcing her back into her natural body before she unceremoniously collapsed back onto the stone floor with a loud thud. Shade grunted in pain, holding his head with both hooves and writhing on the ground. That surge of magic gave him the worst headache he'd had yet. He could hear his heartbeat in his ears. Regardless, he knew he wasn't out of danger quite yet. Shade laboriously rolled over and sat up, gritting his teeth and tensing his muscles in an attempt to offset the pain in his head. He turned towards the more immediate problem lying several feet away. Glory was in perhaps just as much pain as Shade was, though hers was much more physical. The set of harsh impacts she had just endured had knocked the wind out of her, and she coughed violently, spitting up a little blood before gradually getting her breath back. However, she didn't seem to be in any shape to fight back now, staggering and falling over again as she tried to stand up. This was Shade's opportunity. He had said before that he didn't have time to deal with her. With that in mind, Shade mustered what energy he could, flittered his wings, and took off down the caves, leaving the injured Glory behind without a word. Glory groaned, wiping away the blood that was trickling from the corner of her mouth as she watched Shade disappear further down the tunnel and cursing herself. "Dammit... Wraith's not gonna be happy about this." ***** ***** ***** Chamella took a bite of one of the sandwiches she had packed, a simple sandwich consisting of just some iceberg lettuce, mayonnaise, and shaved turkey. Rarity was never too comfortable with having meat in her refrigerator, but chose to let it go for Chamella's sake; she never wanted anypony to think she was judging. The changeling washed down the bite with a sip of apple juice from a small bottle. Sitting down and having a snack was a nice respite considering the circumstances Chamella and Winter were in. The dark, humid caverns of the changeling hive wasn't exactly a prime spot for picnics, but the food they'd packed was the only real homely comfort they had with them. They had to find solace wherever they could. Chamella looked across from her spot next to the stone wall of the cave to where Winter was seated, leaning against a sizable stalagmite. The pegasus was busy munching on a juicy, red apple, but was staring off to the side and at a random spot on the floor. She looked to be lost in thought. Not surprising, really. Winter obviously had a lot on her mind. Even a tasty apple from Sweet Apple Acres wasn't going to distract her from her woes. The two of them had honestly already lost track of how long they'd been gone. All they knew was that they entered the caves during the early hours of the morning. Their best guess was that it was at least sometime in the evening by now, and it felt like they hadn't made any progress yet at all. It was hard to even estimate how far they'd come so far when all the caves looked pretty much the same. What might have been worse was the added tension that accompanied the stagnant air of the hive. Despite having traveled for what felt like hours, Chamella and Winter hadn't really said much to each other since entering the caves. It was true that Winter was keeping good on her promise to at least try and tolerate Chamella, but the changeling wasn't sure if the lack of conversation was due to the pegasus having more important things on her mind, or if she actually just didn't want to talk to Chamella. Honestly, as much as she would like to attempt to lighten the mood and pass some time, Chamella was a little apprehensive about trying to strike up a conversation herself, worried that something she might say would set Winter off. Chamella took the final bite of her sandwich, making sure to savor it as that was the last one she had brought with her; from here on out it was going to be all store-bought snacks and prepackaged meals. Simultaneously, Winter finished her apple, tossing the core away. They both put the caps back on their drink bottles, saving the rest for later, and packed them back into their saddlebags. "Let's get going," was all Winter said to break the thick silence. Her voice was quiet, but carried well through the spacious caverns. Her voice was also notably devoid of any enthusiasm, though that much was to be expected; neither of them wanted to be here after all. Chamella followed behind Winter as they continued through the caves. The changeling knew that was odd considering how she was supposed to be the one leading the way, but it wasn't like there were any branching paths around, and the light she was casting from her horn was enough for Winter to see even with Chamella trailing a few feet behind. Winter cast a glance over her shoulder. "So... Any idea how far we have left to go?" Chamella lowered her head a little. "Um... No, not really. I'm not even really sure how far we've come yet." The changeling noticed the pegasus's brow furrow slightly. Just as she feared, she'd said one thing and already upset Winter. Winter let out a exasperated sigh. "So when you said you were going to guide me, you were just trying to convince me to let you come along, right?" "To be fair, I said that I wasn't entirely sure how to get to the throne room from the get-go." The pegasus went silent for a moment. She was trying her hardest not to say something to berate Chamella for her lack of foresight, though the irony of that thought was not lost on her, which was part of the reason she didn't comment on it. "Is there any way we can tell where we're going?" Winter asked. "I might recognize some areas. A lot of this place looks the same, but there are a few stand-out locations. If we wind up in one of them it could give me an idea of where to go next." "Given how big and maze-like you say this place is, do you think it's likely that'll happen?" inquired Winter skeptically. Chamella knew it wasn't the answer Winter wanted, but it was the only one she had. "I don't know. I guess we just have to hope." The changeling heard Winter let out a long breath through her nose, but the pegasus said nothing. It was obvious that going in practically blind—in both the knowledge and visual sense of the word—was wearing on her. She was visibly frustrated. Chamella wasn't going to pretend that she knew exactly how Winter felt, but she had an inkling. Honestly, Chamella wished she could be more useful. She did offer to go along as a guide, but as Winter suspected, that was more or less just a way of convincing her to let her come along, although the empty threat was probably the clincher. That being the case, Chamella really didn't feel like she was contributing much being there, at least when it came to navigation. Obviously, Winter wouldn't have even made it this far without her, but the pegasus seemed less than grateful. Chamella wasn't going to hold it against her, though, especially in this emotionally fragile time for the new mother. Right now, their focus was Snowflake. She could deal with any emotional problems once he was home safe and sound. Winter stopped for a second, squinting as she tried to pierce the darkness herself. Chamella could more easily see what she staring at. There was a faint light further down the tunnel. "It's probably an open cavern," the changeling surmised, not wanting Winter to get her hopes up that it might be an exit—not that they were looking for a way out right now. The two of them hurried their pace a little, both of them somewhat eager to get a glimpse of natural light again. At the end of the tunnel the cave opened up into a large chamber, just as Chamella said. The cave was actually quite picturesque, like something one would see in a geology textbook. Small amounts of light streamed in through tiny gaps in the walls and ceiling; not big enough for anypony to squeeze through, but enough to provide enough light to see where they were going without the need of Chamella's magical illumination, although it supported their theory that it was getting late as the sunlight was rather dim. The chamber was actually even bigger than expected, stretching probably one hundred feet up and even wider than that. However, there wasn't actually a whole lot of room to move on the ground comparatively. Chamella and Winter currently stood on a cliff side overlooking a deep ravine on their right. The path continued forward along the left wall of the cavern, but was wide enough that even flightless individuals would have no worries about falling; perhaps thirty or so feet wide. Several large stalagmites decorated the precipice, as well as a few towering columns of stone connecting the floor to the distant ceiling, although it was uncertain and unlikely that they were load-bearing given how sparsely spaced they were. Winter cautiously stepped over to the edge, looking down into the abyss below. Although her wings kept her from being in any actual danger, the sheer depth of the chasm was more than a little unsettling. Even with the light they were given, she could not see the bottom. For as high as Winter has ever flown, she was always able to see the ground beneath her, but seeing nothing but empty blackness made her gulp nervously. One small misstep that resulted in her perhaps injuring her wing or hitting her head before she could catch herself in flight could easily end her life. It kind of made her think of whether or not there were pegasi out there that had a fear of heights. If so, this might be what it feels like. "I think I recognize this place." Winter looked backed at Chamella. The purple-maned changeling was glancing around, analyzing the chamber carefully. She turned to Winter with a reassuring smile. "Yeah, I'm pretty sure the soldiers lead us through this cave when they would guide us to the throne room for Queen Chrysalis's addresses." Finally, there was a glimmer of hope in Winter's amber eyes. "So we are on the right track?" Chamella nodded confidently. "Yup. I mean, it's still a bit of a trek, and there's still plenty of chances for us to get lost, but hopefully I can remember the way from here." Winter grimaced slightly, but shrugged. That didn't exactly inspire confidence, but it was something at least. It also begged the question: "Why is Chrysalis's throne room so deep in the caves? That seems really inconvenient." "I think that's the point. As hard as it may be to believe, Queen Chrysalis knows these caves like the back of her hoof, same with most of the soldiers. It makes it harder for potential enemies to find her. The maze-like nature of the hive is like a built-in security system." "Does it normally take this long to get to one of these meetings?" "Uh, well, no. The soldiers know the shortest path there, plus we usually just fly all the way. It doesn't typically take that long." Winter noticed the slight look of embarrassment and shame wash over Chamella's face. "We got here completely by accident, didn't we?" Chamella looked away, rubbing her leg sheepishly. "Um... Maybe." She straightened up, attempting to look more sure of herself again. "But the important thing is that we made it somewhere familiar. It should be a little easier for me to figure out where we're going from here." Her expression fell a little again, and she muttered, "But I guess I shouldn't make any promises." The pegasus took one last look at her surroundings before heading back down the path along the cavern wall. "No time to admire the scenery, I suppose. We should keep moving." She let out an exhausted sigh. "But I am getting a little worn out." Chamella nodded in agreement, breathing a sigh of her own. "We've been walking since this morning, only stopping long enough to have a bite to eat. We're going to have to deal with the fact that we may need to get some sleep soon. We didn't exactly get much last night." The changeling punctuated her sentence with a tired yawn. Winter was visibly reluctant upon hearing that. "Every minute we spend resting is another chance for something to happen to him. But I know we're not going to be able to do much without any energy. Maybe should have brought some coffee..." "Let's see if we can find a safe place to get some shuteye up ahead," suggested Chamella. "We're kinda out in the open he—." Chamella stopped, holding out a hoof to stop Winter, as well. Using the limited light filtering in through the small gaps in the stone ceiling, Winter was able to barely make out a moving figure further up ahead. Based on the size and shape, as well as the dark skin, it was undoubtedly a changeling. There appeared to be only one, and the lack of glowing, blue eyes indicated that its back was turned. However, neither of them could quite make out what it was doing. It was hunched over, but that was about as much as they could discern. Winter leaned in close to Chamella, whispering quietly to her. "What should we do?" "Well... There is just the one, but that doesn't mean there's no danger." Chamella squinted, trying to see if she could make out any other details about the changeling from this distance. "I don't see any armor, so I don't think it's a soldier. I might be able to distract them long enough for you to sneak by." She thought about it for a few more moments, her eyes briefly looking over to a sizable stalagmite to their left, then to the seemingly-bottomless ravine to their right, before deciding on a course of action. She slipped off her saddlebags, passing them to Winter. "Tell you what, take my stuff and hide behind that stalagmite for a bit. I'll see what they're doing and figure out if they're going to leave. If I take too long, you might be able to get by unnoticed by flying into the chasm." "Why don't we just both fly into the chasm," asked Winter. "My wings make too much noise. They'll hear me and probably investigate. We just need to make sure they don't see you. Think you can carry both our bags while flying?" Winter glanced back over to the ravine, looking a bit apprehensive. "Honestly, I'm not sure I want to risk it. We packed a lot of stuff, so these bags are a little heavy. Plus, I don't want to accidentally drop them down there." "Then I guess you'll just have to hide until they leave. Give me a minute." Winter took Chamella's saddlebags and silently crept over to the nearby stalagmite, ducking behind it to conceal herself. Once the pegasus was out of sight, Chamella started making her way over to the changeling, who was still hunched over and doing whatever it was they were doing. As she got closer, she felt her stomach begin to tighten, a nervousness building up within her. She could smell blood. A lot of blood. Chamella had a feeling she knew now what that other changeling was doing. Sure enough, once Chamella was close enough, she could make out the object the changeling was leaning over. It was hovering over the corpse of another changeling while eagerly tearing into its flesh with its sharp fangs. Blood pooled around the body and its innards were spilled out onto the cavern floor. Chamella suddenly felt as though confronting this changeling was a very bad idea. Of course, she was familiar with the idea that some changelings chose to cannibalize their own kind, but she'd never actually seen a changeling kill and eat another. She assumed that it was an act of desperation, the attacker having to resort to such cruelty due to their impending starvation, but even then, where was the line? If cannibalism solved the hungry changeling's problem, what was to stop them from doing it again? Chamella was starting to have doubts about this plan. Maybe it was a better idea to just try and sneak past. She decided to abandon the plan and started back towards Winter. "What's wrong? Lose your nerve?" A chill ran up Chamella's spine when she heard the voice speak up behind her. The other changeling must have known she was there the whole time. Perhaps they heard her hoofsteps on the stone floor. With a nervous gulp, Chamella slowly turned around to face the changeling again. The cannibal was now stood up, looking over his shoulder at Chamella. He was a male changeling with a white mohawk and silver eyes that glinted rather deviously. He was still lapping up the blood that dripped from his fangs, wearing an unnerving grin. "Uh... N-No, I was just... I-I was going to ask if you knew the way to the throne room from here, but you seem busy. I, uh... didn't want to bother you," Chamella stammered, attempting to hide her uneasiness behind an unconvincing smile. The other changeling chuckled rather casually. "No bother at all. I do enjoy company." Chamella's eyes fell upon the half-eaten corpse behind him. "Don't mind him. He's not going to interrupt. If I'm being honest, though, I didn't come here for him. He just happened to show up while I was waiting." "W-What were you waiting for?" Chamella asked, unable to fight her curiosity. The inquiry prompted a devilish smirk from the cannibal. "Why, you, sweetie." Chamella felt her heart rate quicken. "M-Me? W-Why were you waiting for me?" "Not just you, darling. Your friend, too." Chamella gulped. "W-What're you talking about? There's nopony with me—I mean, no one... Oops." "Voices carry in these big caves, you know." He looked past Chamella scanning the area behind her. "So where's your friend hiding? I've just been dying to meet them." The female didn't respond, not wanting to give away Winter's hiding spot. Seeing that she wasn't going to tell him, he shrugged. "Well, why don't I just go have a look around?" With a buzz of his wings, he took to the air, flying over Chamella and in Winter's general direction. Her hiding spot wasn't really going to do much if he went looking for her. However, there was also the issue of their supplies. If he found Winter, he'd also find their saddlebags. They needed that stuff. If he already knew Winter was here, and he was probably going to find her anyway, the least she could do was keep the presence of their supplies unknown. "W-Wait! N-No need for that!" The male stopped short, touching down once more. "Hm?" With a reluctant sigh, Chamella called out. "Winter, you might as well come out." From behind the stalactite Winter had been listening in on the whole exchange. The moment she heard that the changeling was coming to look for her, she began to sweat. But as much as she didn't want to confront him, she'd already been outed. Winter pushed the two sets of saddlebags against the wall, trying to conceal them as well as possible before stepping out from her hiding spot. A pleasantly surprised grin appeared on the cannibal's face upon seeing the pegasus. "Well, well, they weren't kidding. There really is a pony wandering around down here." "Who's 'they'?" asked Chamella. The male shrugged his shoulders. "I probably shouldn't say. I've already violated one of the conditions of my release. Wouldn't want someone snitching on me," he said, glancing back at the disemboweled changeling on the floor. "You said you were waiting for us. Just who are you?" Chamella inquired. "And what do you want?" Winter added. She tried to look undeterred by the changeling, but the sweat on her forehead and the slight twitch of her wings belied her defiant expression. "Both good questions, and I'd be happy to answer them," he said with an amicable, yet rather sinister smile. With a flourish of his hoof, he bowed to the pegasus. "My name is Blight..." His eyes glanced up from his bowed position, his eyes glinting maliciously. "And I'm here to kill you." Chamella flew over to Winter's side, ready to fight for both their lives. She knew something like this was going to be unavoidable. It was only a matter of time before another changeling caught on to Winter's presence. The problem was, she had always relied on Shade to get her out of situations like this. Could she hold her own if she was actually forced to fight back? "So you were sent here to kill us? But you're not a soldier. Why do you care?" asked Chamella, more as an attempt to stall than anything else; this Blight guy seemed like the type who liked to run his mouth. "Because my freedom is on the line here," he answered, although the question seemed to elicit some impatience as he knit his brow slightly. "See, when you've spent as many years as I have cooped up in a cramped, smelly cave, any opportunity to get out feels impossible to pass up." His bloodthirsty grin returned. "So when I was told that all I had to do to earn my freedom was kill a couple of outsiders—one of them a pony no less—that was just a bonus. 'Hey, do the very thing we put in here for and we'll let you go.' Well, who am I to argue? Besides, having nothing to eat but unripe berries, half-eaten rats and apple cores, I've been developing some desperate cravings. And looking at who I was sent to deal with, I think I'm starting to get a hankering for some..." He licked his still bloodstained lips. "...flank steak." Chamella and Winter both shuddered at the disgusting way he had said that. Blight took notice and chuckled darkly. "And you can interpret that whatever way you like. Either way, you're probably right." "You're a sicko," Winter said with disgust. "And you're awfully chatty for an evening snack," Blight quipped back. His insidious smirk immediately vanished, being replaced by an impatient scowl. "And I don't like to let my food go cold." Without any more warning, Blight lunged forward at Chamella, fangs first. The female changeling managed to react quickly enough to dive out of the way, tackling Winter in the process to get her out of harm's way, too. Blight stumbled, having not expected his prey to move so deftly. Once they recovered, both Winter and Chamella immediately took to the air, attempting to put some distance between themselves and this psychopath. They had been about to just fly down the tunnel in the direction they'd been headed in the first place, hoping to perhaps lose Blight once they got back into the maze-like catacombs. However, Winter came to a stop, looking back over her shoulder. Chamella stopped to see what she was doing. Not wanting to let Blight in on anything, the pegasus discreetly pointed a hoof to the stalagmites she'd been hiding behind before. Chamella understood immediately. She was gesturing to their saddlebags. They couldn't very well risk going too deep into the caves without food and water, but they also couldn't let that maniac find out about it. Which meant they were going to have to deal with him in some way. But before either of them could formulate any sort of plan, the sound of frantically buzzing wings grew closer. Looking down, they saw Blight barreling toward them from below, coming straight for Winter this time. The pegasus dipped out of the way in the nick of time, feeling the speeding changeling brush past her in the air. Winter started heading back toward the ground. As much freedom as she had in the air within this open cavern, she didn't have the aerial maneuverability of a changeling. She came to a skidding stop once she touched down, quickly turning around to make sure Blight wasn't right behind her. Instead, Chamella had followed her lead, landing with a slight stumble next to her. Oddly, Blight was nowhere to be seen. Neither of the mares could spot him anywhere above them where he had been last. Chamella looked to the cliff overlooking the ravine. It was really the only place he could have been where they wouldn't be able to see him. The female changeling carefully crept over to the edge, cautiously leaning her head over the side to see if she could spot their attacker down there. However, before she could even peer into the endless void below, Blight sprung up, fangs bared. His bite barely missed their mark as Chamella pulled back with a surprised yelp. But the maniac still managed to tackle her to the ground, preparing himself to lunge his bloodthirsty fangs into her slender neck. Just as he was about to chomp down on her, he was struck from the side by the full brunt of a shoulder tackle from Winter, sending him rolling along ground before deftly righting himself and sliding to a stop. He chuckled maniacally, his pupils narrow like a tiger on the prowl, and he licked his lips eagerly. "Heheheh, this is starting to get fun. It's always so much more satisfying when the prey tries to fight back. Don't get too worked up, though, or your meat'll be all tough and chewy." "Just leave us alone!" Winter snapped at him. "I don't care about your stupid mission or whatever! You're already out, so why not just leave?!" Blight's grin widened, contorting his face into one of pure madness. "I can't very well leave now that I've been given this challenge. For as many changelings as I've devoured, I've never had the pleasure of even tasting a pony." "You're insane!" "And you're as good as dead!" Once again, Blight lunged toward Winter. The pegasus braced herself. She was starting to feel the effects of this journey taking its toll on her. Her legs were sore and she had little energy left. Her adrenaline could only push that back for so long. She didn't feel like she had the reaction speed to get out of the way unharmed this time, so instead she was going to meet him head on. However, just as Winter was about to leap forward and intercept her attacker, a burst of bright green magic blasted Blight in the side, sending him reeling and rolling until he came to a stop near the edge of the chasm. Surprised, Winter looked to where it had come from. Chamella was standing nearby, panting and her horn glowing faintly. The pegasus was stunned. She knew that Twilight had taught them some basic spells, but she'd never seen Chamella use any sort of offensive magic spell before, let alone one that strong; she felt the blast blow her mane back. "Okay, gotta admit, that one caught me by surprise," Blight grumbled as he rose back to his hooves, apparently none the worse for wear aside from a few mild burns and scrapes. His psychotic, silver eyes locked onto Chamella, his grin returning. "Guess I've been focusing on the wrong target. Sorry, sweet cheeks, but if that's the way you're gonna play, I'll just have to deal with you first." With that, Blight launched another assault, this time aiming for the other changeling. Chamella was quick to respond, her horn glowing once again, but this time erecting a bubble of green energy around herself. Blight payed it no mind, viciously slamming all four of his hooves into the barrier in the hopes of shattering it with brute force. To his surprise, the shield held up surprisingly well, although Chamella clearly felt the force of the impact on her horn as she flinched in pain. Blight chuckled. He was surprised that another changeling other than Chrysalis could create a barrier that could withstand any amount of physical stress, but he could see that she was obviously struggling to maintain it. He continued to cling to the force field, pounding on it with his front hooves. Each strike caused a jolt of pain to shoot through Chamella's horn as she desperately tried to keep the spell going. Blight lifted his hoof for another blow, but felt something small strike him in the side of the head. He halted his assault to look bemusedly over at the pegasus, who was preparing to throw another pebble. Winter's confidence faltered the moment he looked in her direction, thinking that that may have been a mistake. The mohawked changeling smirked. "On second thought..." He lifted off the bubble barrier, flittering slowly towards the pegasus with his menacing grin. Winter took a fearful step backwards as he approached. Chamella saw her opportunity. Blight's back was now turned. This was her chance to strike back. She dropped her defenses and rushed at Blight from behind. Without a moment's hesitation, Blight shot a glance over his shoulder, his wide, fanged grin still flashing. "Gotcha." Blight shot backwards quickly, meeting Chamella halfway with a swift and forceful buck of his hind legs directly to her chest. The female, caught off guard, fell to the ground, rolling over in pain. Satisfied that she was incapacitated for the moment, Blight turned his sinister gaze back on the pegasus. Winter could only watch as Blight touched down onto the floor, cantering slowly towards her. She knew she didn't have the energy to outrun him, and she was starting to think that fighting back was only going to result in getting herself killed. But what else could she do? If she did nothing, she was dead anyway. All she could do was back away and delay the inevitable. However, after just a few steps, she found herself bumping into a stone column at the edge of the ravine. She looked back to see nothing but the black abyss below. If she fell, would she even have enough energy to fly out? An ebony, hole-riddled hoof struck the column of rock just inches from Winter's head, and she quickly tore her eyes away from the chasm to find Blight now standing right in her face. She began to slink down onto the ground, instinctively attempting to get as far from this psychopath as she was physically able. This, however, only resulted in the changeling towering over her, staring down at her victoriously with his unnerving smile. Blight leaned down, growling hungrily as he hovered his fangs near her throat, the pungent smell of blood still fresh on his breath. Winter shut her eyes tightly and clenched her teeth, letting out an involuntary whimper. "It's too bad I don't have time to..." Blight ran his tongue up Winter's alabaster neck. "...savor you, but I'll be sure to enjoy this as much as I can." He lifted his head, licked his fangs one more time, and readied himself for the killing blow. Blight suddenly felt a strong weight land on his back, though he managed to keep his footing. Never letting his grin fade, he cast a look over his shoulder to find Chamella latched onto him. He chuckled in amusement. "I think you've got it backwards, love; I'm supposed to mount you. But I like your enthusiasm." Ignoring his perverted comment, Chamella threw her head back, bore her short fangs, and plunged them into Blight's back, at the base of his wings. Blight, surprised and shocked, winced in pain, his muscles tightening instinctively. However, Chamella wasn't finished. With one jerking motion, she ripped a chunk of flesh off his back, taking his right wing with her. Blight shrieked in agony, bucking Chamella off his back and sending her down onto the floor. The searing pain in his back blinded him momentarily and he stumbled off of Winter, inhaling sharp breaths between his tightly clenched teeth. He didn't even allow himself enough time to think about the pain, shooting a venomous glare back at the other changeling. But the moment he did, all he saw was the female hurtling towards him before tackling him over the edge of the cliff. As Blight began to plummet, he instinctively attempted to flutter his wings to catch himself only to feel the return of that burning pain as he tried to flitter a wing that was no longer there. Unable to achieve flight with just one wing, Blight fell, screaming furiously the whole way down until he and his voice were both swallowed up by the darkness. Chamella hovered above the gorge, watching their assailant drop into the void. She was a little shaken herself, staring with some disbelief that she had actually managed to get rid of him. But even with Blight out of the way, she knew that they were far from out of the woods. With some modicum of relief, Chamella returned to solid ground, breathing a sigh as she made her way over to retrieve their hidden saddlebags. Winter simply sat in stunned silence, her eyes wide as she watched Chamella walk past. Sweat was running down her neck and her heart was still pounding in her chest. She couldn't think of anything to say. She was still reeling from that whole experience. The pegasus was snapped from her stupor suddenly by the low thud of her saddlebags being dropped next to her. She looked up to see Chamella standing there, her expression oddly relaxed for somepony who had just been assaulted by a psychotic, cannibalistic changeling. "Come on, we should probably get going. We don't know how many others like him they recruited to hunt us down." Winter was quiet for a moment, continuing to stare at her changeling companion rather incredulously before finally managing to form words again. "Uh... Yeah, right." She stood up, her legs still shaking a little, and hoisted her bags onto her back. Just like that, the two of them were on their way again, as if nothing had just happened. Silence thickened the air between them, but it wasn't the same as the earlier tension that had built up. It was more like a contemplative silence where the two of them were simply thinking quietly to themselves. The sound of their hoofsteps was practically deafening within that silence, which only encouraged them to at least try and break it so that they didn't have to dwell on everything that just happened. Chamella decided to start, a thought having come to her. It wasn't exactly going to move them forward, thought-wise, but it was something. "Now that I think about it, I'm pretty sure I've heard of that Blight guy before." She looked at Winter from the corner of her eye, expecting at least a curious glance. However, the pegasus continued to gaze ahead, her expression unreadable. Against her better judgment, Chamella figured she'd finish her thought anyway. "I think I remember hearing rumors about him when I used to live here. Apparently he went around violating and killing other changelings. And not because he was desperate for food or anything, but just... for fun, I guess. Given what we just went through, I'd say it's probably a safe bet that that was the same guy. From what I heard, Queen Chrysalis wasn't too pleased to hear that her subjects were being slaughtered by one of their own kind, so she had him thrown in the dungeon. Actually, you know what, I think it was Shade who told me about all this. He overheard a lot of stuff from other changelings when he was off looking for food and stuff." Chamella chanced another glance at Winter. Her gaze hadn't shifted at all. It was like Winter was somewhere else entirely. Chamella wasn't even sure if she was listening to her. However, she decided to continue anyway in the hopes that she would contribute at some point, forcing a smile as she recounted the rumors she'd heard. "You're probably wondering why Queen Chrysalis didn't just execute him. From what I've heard, she believed he had some kind of sickness and was worried that killing him might... I don't know, release it or something and infect her other subjects. I dunno, it all sounded kind of weird back then, too. But, hey, he's gone now, right? We just took care of maybe one of the Changeling Kingdom's most notorious criminals. That's pretty cool, huh?" Without warning, Winter collapsed onto her haunches, shaking and sobbing. Chamella stopped, caught off guard by the pegasus's sudden shift in demeanor. "W-Winter? What's wrong?" Chamella asked, concerned. Winter stared down at the cold, stone floor, tears beginning to run down her cheeks. "What am I doing?" Chamella quirked an eyebrow, barely able to hear her quiet and shaky muttering. "What?" Winter finally looked up at Chamella, her distraught expression making the changeling all the more worried and curious. "W-What am I doing?" she repeated, her voice a little louder, yet also more shaky. "That guy was going to kill me. It wasn't like with those other changelings. He was actually just a second away from tearing my throat out. A-And..." Chamella watched the realization hit her like a hydra falling from the sky. "...I was going to come here alone. Without telling anypony where I was going. I could've been dead right now and nopony would know. What was I thinking?!" Winter held her head in her hooves, tears dripping from her fear-filled eyes onto the unforgiving stone. Chamella wasn't sure what she should say, or even if she should say anything at all. All she could really think to do was just let her be, silently waiting as Winter had her emotional breakdown. "I... I'm an idiot," she admitted quietly, almost talking more to herself than to Chamella. "I was so focused on just proving that I can be a good mom when I should've been thinking about Snowflake. A 'good mom' doesn't run headfirst into danger to save her child; she does everything in her power to make sure they're safe, even if that means asking for help..." As happy as Chamella was to finally hear Winter admit that, she couldn't help but pity her in the state she was in. Winter was completely defeated, the possible ramifications of her behavior and actions finally dawning on her. "I'm going to die down here... Snowflake is going to die down here. All because I was too stubborn and selfish to ask for help! I'm not a good mom... I'm a horrible mom..." Winter's eyes clenched shut with no discernible end to the remorseful tears that flowed from them. Hearing her come down on herself so harshly, Chamella finally decided to interject. "Well... I mean, we've come this far already. There's not much point in turning back now. We might as well see this through." Winter looked up at the changeling. "That's easy for you to say. You're from here. The changelings aren't going kill you on sight. And even you suggested we ask for help. You're a better mom than me! I'm just..." Winter let herself fall to the ground, wallowing in her own self-pity. "I'm just a failure... I don't deserve to be a mom." "Sitting around moping isn't going to change anything," said Chamella, perhaps a little too bluntly, she realized. "Like you said, we should be focused on Snowflake." "How can you be so calm?" Winter asked, sitting up again and wiping the moisture from her cheeks. "We might end up dying here. You keep saying that you were always weak and helpless. Aren't you afraid of dying?" Chamella was a little caught off guard by the question, raising an eyebrow. "Of course I am, I just... Well, I guess growing up here I've just gotten used to the idea that every day could be my last. And part of the reason I insisted on coming along was to protect you. And the other reason is the same as yours. As long as we're doing this, I'm going to do everything I can to help you, whether you want my help or not." Winter turned her gaze back down to the floor, contemplating her situation before looking back up at Chamella. "I think I'm starting to understand why Shade was so insistent on making you Snowflake's godmother." Chamella tilted her head in confusion. "Huh? What's that got to do with anything?" "You admit you're weak and helpless, and Shade is the only reason you're alive today. But maybe that's because you were never given the opportunity to help anypony yourself." "What do you mean?" asked Chamella, not quite comprehending. Winter looked into Chamella's eyes with the softest expression she'd seen the pegasus cast in her direction. "You don't give yourself enough credit. You think you're powerless, but when somepony you care about is in trouble, you don't hesitate to stick your neck out for them, even putting yourself in harm's way. I think Shade must realize that, too. Maybe that's why he thinks you'd make a good godmother; you don't really think much of yourself, but you care so much about the people close to you. You're even willing to put your life on the line to help me, even though I've been treating you like dirt." Chamella said nothing. Frankly, she was stunned to hear this coming from Winter, but she was touched and a little relieved to see that perhaps she was beginning to win Winter over. "You've been thinking about me, and Snowflake, and Shade this whole time... And all I've been thinking about is proving I can be a good mom. What's wrong with me?" The changeling hesitated, trying to find the right words without inadvertently insulting Winter. "I can't really say I know exactly what you're going through, but maybe this isn't the time to be beating yourself up. You can worry about fixing your problems when we get Snow home safe, okay?" The pegasus looked away for a moment before turning back to Chamella, her amber eyes conflicted with hope and doubt. "You really think we can find him?" The changeling relaxed a bit, offering a comforting smile. "If we work together. We are on the right track." The ivory mare wiped away the rest of her tears, finally standing back onto her hooves and trying her hardest to push back the fear and doubt. "Alright, I'm not exactly brimming with confidence, but I know as long as Snow's stuck down here, I can't just give up. Still, though, I'm starting to really wish we'd at least left a note or something." Chamella rubbed her foreleg, her cheeks blushing with embarrassment. "Well, actually, I know I said I wouldn't tell anypony, but I... might have mentioned this trip to Sweetie Belle. Sorry." Winter was silent for a moment as she decided how she felt about that. "I don't really have a right to be mad at you. Actually, it's probably a good thing. If she happens to mention it to Rarity, who knows, they might come looking for us." She let out a regretful sigh. "I've got a lot of apologies to make when we get home. And while I'm at it, thanks for saving me back there, Chamella." The blush in Chamella's cheeks went from embarrassment to bashfulness. "Oh, um, don't mention it. You had my back, too, though. But I'll step in for you as many times as I need to. I've got some things I need to make up for anyway." Winter looked ahead as best she could. The faint light streaming into the open cavern was starting to fade into night and they still had a long road ahead of them from the looks of it. She could barely make out another smaller passageway leading away from the ravine. "Guess we should get a move on, huh?" Chamella nodded, and with that they pressed forward. Whether or not they were ready to deal with whatever awaited them was yet to be seen, but, like Chamella had said, there was no point in turning back now.