//------------------------------// // Guy Bonding // Story: A Glimmer of Hope: The Beginning // by Mewrilah //------------------------------// With the understanding that no one was going to die that night and that Thorax would lead them to his hive in the morning to stop his kind, they all set off for bed. It took Nick a while to fall asleep, still shaken by the nightmare fresh in his mind, but fatigue finally won. Surprisingly, he didn’t need Discord’s “dream barrier.” Luna didn’t visit him. While he wished he could see her or Twilight again, he knew that this was for the best. The light of Celestia’s sun gently woke them up from their dreams. Discord and Nick ate breakfast, Thorax shamefully admitting he may have had a midnight snack while Nick slept. Nick just laughed, saying that in exchange he could teach him how to transform. His plan was to try and disguise himself as a changeling, infiltrate the hive and destroy Chrysalis’ throne. Once he had his magic back, he’d take care of the queen. “Can, can you just give her another chance before you kill her?” Thorax pleaded. “I know she’s evil but she’s still my mom. If she was pure evil, then how come I turned out different?” Nick walked over to the changeling and placed a paw on his shoulder, closing his eyes. He shared a memory with his parents, the day he graduated. Thorax could feel the richness of their pride and joy, but also sadness and worry. The memory then fast forwarded to when Nick found out what happened to his parents. “It’s ok Thorax,” Nick reassured him. “I know what it’s like to lose family. I can’t just take away a mother to thousands of kids without giving her a chance. Sadly, I’m sure she will want to fight and I can’t guarantee what will happen after.” The changeling nodded in understanding and smiled. “Thank you. It sure sounds tough being the Hero of Equestria.” “I appreciate the sentiment, but I think we’ve used enough daylight already. It’s time we started moving out,” Nick looked off in the horizon. “You said that it takes about a day to get to the edge of the hive?” “Yeah,” Thorax confirmed. “It only takes a few hours to get to the actual hive from there. We can practice your shape shifting along the way.” “Cool. Discord, you can do whatever you want. I’ll call for you when we get to the hive.” “And do what? Get pestered by your marefriends about how you’re doing or your whereabouts? Watching you try to shift into a changeling sounds more fun to watch,” Discord grinned. “Did you ever pester the other heroes this much?” Nick sighed. “I followed them in secret, which is why I know what they did. You on the other hand, although you think you can be a lone wolf, prefer company. Besides, I’ve already invested my time in you, might as well see what I get in return.” “If you say so,” Nick replied, turning to Thorax. “So where do we begin?” “Well, I guess first we’ll need to see if you can even change,” Thorax suggested, thinking of a way to test Nick’s magic as they walked. “Usually, if I wanted to change, I’d think about my, um, target. I guess a demonstration would better explain. Mind if I shift into Princess Twilight or Luna?” The idea made Nick a little uneasy, not sure of how well Thorax could mimic his marefriends, but he knew it would help make learning faster. “Does it have to be someone I love?” he asked, just to confirm. “It’s the easiest, at least for me,” Thorax blushed. “I won’t stay like them for long. Just to demonstrate and think of a way to explain better to you.” Nick sighed. “Alright, let’s get this done with. Can you pick Luna, I think I can handle her better than Twilight.” Just repeat, “It’s not her, it’s not her, it’s not her.” With the wolf’s hesitant approval, Thorax closed his eyes. First he focused on his target, Nick. He started to probe his emotions, looking for any related to the Princess of the Moon. Finding a few, he now focused on becoming her. Nick was astounded as he saw a wave of green magic blanket the changeling. Slowly, starting from his hooves, the black chitin replaced with Luna’s midnight blue coat. His legs extended to mimic her svelte form. It was exciting and disturbing on so many levels. Her shapely rump was next, every detail of her cutie mark down to a Tee. Nick shook his head. It’s not Luna. It’s a very convincing look alike, but that’s not Luna. That’s a dude, no matter how gorg- OH SWEET CELESTIA’S CAKE! Luna’s head had finally formed, along with her beautiful, stunning teal eyes. It was the eyes, though that caught Nick off guard. “Luna” was giving him a sultry look, one he’d never seen before. His heart started racing, and if he wasn’t a canine he’d be sweating heavily as well. Thorax picked up on Nick’s elevated “love” and realized he had tapped into a sensitive memory. He got what he needed, and was caught up in the savory emotions linked to that memory. Breaking off the link, he returned to his original form, blushing profusely at both the state he left Nick in and the memory he saw. “S-sorry about that,” the changeling rubbed his head. “Kinda lost control there. That memory just stuck out like an all you can eat buffet.” “That was from my memories?” Nick’s eyes widened, not having any recollection of such “events” taking place. Sure there was a lot of make out sessions but none like that. “It had to be,” Thorax mused. “That’s the best way to transform. Simply imagining turning into Luna would’ve led to an imperfect copy, which would definitely be a give away. You’ll have to work hard if you want to turn into a changeling since you don’t have any connections to one.” That must have been a memory from my clone. Will have to check that later. Alright, let’s give it a shot. “The most important concept to transforming is concentration. Any distractions will lead to faults in your “new” body. Once you have the right form, maintaining it doesn’t require much attention. I’m not sure if the same can be said in your case. Once you start morphing, usually the magic takes care of itself, like rolling a stone down a hill.” Nick closed his eyes and pictured Thorax’s form, drawing out each detail. He started with his head, the shiny black chitin plating, spiky mane and ears, his curved horn and large blue eyes. That was about as much as he could handle before experiencing fatigue. “Why’d you stop?” Thorax puzzled. “It worked?” *snort* “See for yourself,” Discord tried to restrain his laughter, holding out a paw mirror. “AUUGGH!” Nick flinched upon looking at his reflection. His face was disfigured, a chimeral distortion similar to Discord. Half was wolf, half changeling, all terrifying. After a few minutes of trying to revert back to his furry self, Nick breathed a sigh of relief when he saw his face was back to normal. The wolf felt a comforting hoof on his shoulder. He turned to see Thorax smiling as well, but not at his expense. “It’s ok Nick,” he reassured him. “It takes a changeling most of their youth to fully morph without issues. I’d say that transformation was a year’s worth of practice. You also have it harder since you’re trying to turn into something that has no emotional meaning to you. Keep practicing and by the end of the day, I’m sure you’ll have it down, at least well enough to sneak into the hive undetected.” “That’s the power of the Tree of Harmony for you,” Discord commented. “We don’t have the time for you to learn magic like most unicorns, so that little gem gives you a ‘handicap’ I guess you can call it.” “Alright,” Nick felt renewed determination. “Let’s continue on, I’ll practice while we travel to save time.” Even the weather in the desert was nice, Nick observed as they continued. It was warm but not hot, either thanks to the occasional gust of wind or the partly cloudy skies. He knew that it definitely was beneficial to his learning, he would overheat quickly due to the magical strain. As Thorax had mentioned, he tried to form an emotional connection to the changelings, seeing if that would make morphing easier. At first it started with dislike for them, no exceptions made for the way they survived. They chose to take rather than ask. When Thorax used his feelings to transform into Luna, it didn’t hurt. Sure it was a little awkward at first, but nothing that would cause a pony to cry out in pain. Asking some sympathetic pony wouldn’t hurt. The thought of the “reformed” changeling caused Nick to follow a different line of thinking. Not all changelings were bad right? Thorax sure seemed different than the rest of his siblings, what if there were more like him? What if by giving them love, they dramatically changed? “You ever had a friend before Thorax?” Nick asked, knowing the answer. “A friend? No, I don’t think so,” his ears flattened. “Kinda hard to make friends when you’re so… different. Also when you’re considered evil.” “Well, what would you say if I wanted to be your friend?” “You’d really want to be my friend?” Thorax asked in disbelief. “Why not?” Nick shrugged. “You’re not like the other changelings. You gave up everything you knew so you wouldn’t have to act like them. You at least deserve a chance, although now that I think of it, I’d probably be a sucky friend with death following me everywhere I go. I’ll also admit, trying to form a connection like that might make transforming a little easier.” “I’d be happy to have you as a friend!” the changeling cheered, throwing his hooves around Nick. Chuckling, Nick gently pushed him off, explaining guys usually don’t hug each other unless they’re close friends, sometimes they just forget it all together. “So what’s the first thing we do as friends?” Thorax excitedly asked. “That’s something we should ask my marefriend,” Nick joked. “If we had more time, usually we’d hang out, find things in common, etc. Seeing each other’s memories, gives me an idea of what we have in common.” “Oh, ok,” the changeling accepted although slightly confused at the whole friendship structure. Hopefully it would make sense later. They continued walking towards their destination, Nick still struggling with his shape shifting. By the time they stopped for lunch, he could transform his whole head and one leg. “Well, I guess it’s time to get better acquainted Thorax,” Nick announced, laying down on the ground, pulling out some food from his bag. “Have a feeling doing this might feed you as well.” “Alright, what do you want to know?” Thorax asked, sitting down next to him. “Well,” Nick pondered while biting into an apple. “Do you have any hobbies? Not sure how ‘busy’ changelings are, but what fun things did you do in your freetime?” “Fun things?” Thorax repeated. “I dunno. I guess I was so busy being hungry and not fitting in I didn’t really consider what I’d find fun.” “Well, maybe you like helping others out?” Nick suggested. “After all, it seems that the whole point in you leaving the hive was because of the pain that was inflicted. How do you feel about assisting Discord and I in our journey?” “I feel... great,” Thorax summed up after a few minutes of thinking. “I’m not sure if it’s because I’ve been feeding off your memories or actually helping you out, but either way, this is the best that I’ve felt in my life!” “That’s a start, I-” Nick paused by the sudden vibrations beneath them. “What in Equestria is- oof!” he was cut off as Thorax tackled and flew him out of the way, a few seconds later a giant worm popping out where Nick was. “You saved me,” Nick gasped as he saw the monstrosity continue to climb into the sky. “Thank you Thorax.” “That’s what friends do right?” the changeling smiled. “We can talk later, now we have a sandworm to deal with.” Nick nodded and got on his feet next to Thorax. Besides the worm’s massive size, it didn’t seem too much of a threat now. Dividing in two, Nick sent his clone with Thorax to distract the worm, while he would try to slice it up with his magic. A few blasts of magic and it appeared that the worm was resistant and annoyed with the attempt. Nick moved on to more physical attacks, activating his poison before charging the beast. Nick’s clone grabbed Thorax and teleported him away, Nick levitating towards the beast’s head and digging his claws in. The sandworm cried out in pain as Nick slid down its body, the tearing of flesh along with the toxic burn too much for it to handle. Nick dismounted the worm right as it tried to shake him off, and it receded back into its hole. The clone merged back into Nick, who landed beside Thorax, panting at the rush of adrenaline. They waited a few minutes before deciding the worm had learned its lesson. The two looked at each other and just burst out laughing. It took a life threatening situation to bring them closer. “I think that just upgraded us to best friends,” Nick smiled at the changeling beside him. “Just best friends?” Thorax acted hurt. “Gosh, you save a guy’s life and you’re only best friends.” “We’ve still got plenty of opportunities to get closer,” Nick slugged him. “Let’s get moving before we have another chance to strengthen our friendship.” As it turned out, the experience did improve Nick’s morphing. He still wasn’t able to do a full body change, but the parts he was able to convert transformed faster. Taking breaks from his attempts, Nick tried to come up with things Thorax might like, showing him memories of stuff he enjoyed. Coincidentally, each memory happened to include Alex, which caused the changeling to worry about him. Nick was hesitant at first, showing such a great friendship that ended in a tragic accident, but decided it might help Thorax understand about his own death when the time came. A tear formed in Thorax’s eye once the memory ended. “I’m sorry I brought up such a painful memory,” Thorax placed a comforting hoof on Nick’s back. The wolf shook his head. “That’s how friendships work sadly. Eventually they have to end, through death or other circumstances. I’m afraid that’s how ours will end though.” “When you defeat the darkness?” Thorax assumed. Nick nodded, letting out a heavy sigh. “Sorry I had to be your first friend.” Thorax shook his head, hugging the depressed wolf. “I wouldn’t have it any other way. You gave me a chance. One most ponies probably wouldn’t have even considered. I’ll make sure you’re never forgotten.” Nick looked up at the changeling, seeing a glint in his eyes. He smiled and hugged Thorax back. “Thanks Thorax. I appreciate that.” The sun was starting to set, and they were reaching the fringes of the desert. Appropriate to the changeling theme, there was a drastic change in color, from sandy brown to dreary gray. A drop off seemed to separate the two. “So where does the magic barrier end?” Nick asked Thorax. “Right on the edge of the hive. Try casting magic at it.” Doing so, the fireball sailed towards the cliff edge, and immediately dissipated in the air, presumably because of the barrier. “Alright, right here seems a good place to set up camp,” Nick announced, starting to prepare a comfortable space.”Where did Discord go? Thought he wanted to see me fail at transforming.” Discord popped out of thin air, apparently reading Nick’s mind. “I never went anywhere,” the draconequus huffed, setting up the campsite. “It's tiring to maintain this form, so I just shared yours.” “That explained some of those ‘odd’ transformations then,” Nick shook his head. “I didn’t even know you were riding along.” “Well you were so focused on your lessons I didn’t want to disturb you,” Discord stretched. “I may have dozed off here and there.” “I’m glad my body’s so comfortable,” Nick rolled his eyes. “So, what are your thoughts on storming the fortress?” “Why not ask your new buddy?” “He’s already informed me of the changing walls and magic nullifying barrier. I want to know what you’ve seen with the other heroes.” “Some led a full on assault, others used stealth. There were successes, failures and some haven’t even gotten this far. Do what works best for you Nick, this is your story. None have enlisted the help of a changeling, so this should be interesting. I can only do so much to guide you to your ‘destiny’, it’s up to you to fulfill it.” Thorax looked between the two, clearly missing some inside knowledge. Nick told him that it was complicated, that no matter how many memories he shared with him, there’d be more questions. He just asked him to trust in his decisions. “Well, if I’m willing to put myself in harm’s way to save you, then trusting you shouldn’t be too hard,” Thorax smiled. “I think stealth is our best option. Mom had something big planned after I left, so there’s probably extra patrols and security. If we can get your transformation magic perfected, all we have to do is sneak into the main chamber and destroy her throne.” “That sounds easier said than done, especially with the walls changing every so often. Also, wouldn’t they realize a new changeling just waltzing around the corridors?” Thorax laughed at that. “Honestly there’s so many of us, with similar builds and voices, it’s hard to tell who is who. We don’t even really socialize, so you don’t have to worry about acting. Just follow my lead and the only problem we’ll have is facing the Queen.” “Well there’s still some sun left in the sky, let’s see how far I can get with my transformations.” 30 minutes, Nick attempted a full transformation but was stuck at only half his body. Thorax tried to think of any tip that could help the wolf, but none led to any improvement. He thought about maybe trying something easier, like turning into his marefriends, but at the same time that would be a little too creepy for him. Although he had tried it before, he thought about how Thorax had saved him, how they fought side by side even though technically his kind was “evil”. His thoughts shifted, to how happy the changeling was when he made his first friend. How he shared sympathy with him after seeing Alex’s death. Thorax was not merely a changeling. He consumed emotions, but thoughtfully, to the point to where he could know exactly how Nick felt. It actually reminded Nick of Alex. Although his friend would never admit it, he was always conscious of other’s emotions, probably why he knew exactly what to do in most situations. “Nick, Nick! It worked!” That snapped the wolf out of his thoughts and he inspected himself. Thorax was right, he had fully transformed. It was odd though since he didn’t feel any magic at all. Was it simply just imagining Thorax as Alex? “I felt a stronger emotion there, just as strong as your dream with Twilight and Luna. Who did you think of?” the changeling inquired. “It was actually you, but in a different perspective,” Nick admitted blushing a bit. “I was thinking about how much you reminded me of Alex and I guess that did the trick.” “Aww, it’s like all the pieces of your life are coming back,” Discord dawwed, clasping his “hands” together. “Your marefriends are similar to your first love and now you found your bestest best buddy! Who’s next your parents?” Nick shot him a dirty look, to which the draconequus just shrugged it off. Thorax on the other hoof was blushing furiously, both with pride and embarrassment. “Y-you really mean that?” he looked at Nick in awe. “Well, I mean if I got to know you better than I could be certain. But for the most part your similar in all the main points. For now, since this is the best way to help me transform I’ll overlook some details.” Excited that he had finally unlocked the secret to transforming into a changeling, Nick practiced into the night, until exhaustion from today’s events finally took its toll. He bade his companions good night and was instantly asleep. Once in the Dreamscape, he remembered that he needed to view his clone’s memory. Something had gone down while he was busy with Tirek. The memory started to take shape, Ponyville the location. “He” was walking in between his mares. “What about our future?” Nick repeated, curiosity building. “Well, let’s just say about matters that might be best not discussed in public,” Luna replied cryptically. With a nod to Twilight, both alicorn’s horns lit up and all three popped out of sight. When Nick opened his eyes again, they were in Twilight’s castle, more specifically her bedroom. “Ah so we’re turning in early so we can be ready for tonight,” Nick found himself hoping, climbing into the bed and laying down on his back. The two mares looked at each other, nodded and joined him. Twilight started the first contact, kissing Nick on the top of his head and leaving a trail down to his mouth. Luna sensually stroked his side, pecking him on the cheek. Nick recognized the feeling when he and Discord were solving the last riddle. What else happened here? As much as the clone was enjoying his affectionate mares, it was all overwhelming still. “Whoa, whoa girls, hold on now,” he tried to be assertive, but with both mares loving on him it was kind of hard to keep that mindset. “What spurred all of this? We were separated for a day. I missed you both but I didn’t realize you missed me this much.” Luna giggled. “Well let’s just say that Twilight and I had plenty of time to discuss our future as a herd. And the more we discussed, the more you were missed. Especially when we saw Cadence’s and Shining Armor’s new foal. It, sparked, something within both of us.” Both mares now had predatory grins to match their posture. Nick gulped. “A-and what does that have to do concerning me?” Nick looked helplessly between both of them. Even Twilight’s innocent personality now radiated lust. Which in any other situation would’ve been sexy, but since he was just a clone, he wasn’t sure how much Nick would appreciate it. “It’s cute when you try and play dumb Nick,” Twilight batted her eyes. “But we both know how smart and romantic you are. You can read the signs.” “W-well yeah but…” the clone trailed off, trying to think of a way to get himself out of this. He didn’t want to bug Nick, especially if he was dealing with Tirek at the moment. He needed to stall. “What, you don’t like mares?” Luna teased, nipping his ear, eliciting a slight yelp. “That you were just playing us this whole time? Well, we can fix that with our magic if you like. Transformation is an easy feat for both Twilight and I.” “I’M A VIRGIN!!!” the clone blurted out, but closed his mouth too late. It wasn’t a lie, but he was sure that was something ‘Nick’ should’ve told them. Both mares stopped what they were doing, unsure expressions on their faces. They had thought with as close he and Sabrina were, he had some experience. The clone broke the awkward silence, letting out a sigh. “I’m sorry. You two were probably expecting somepony with more experience or something. But just like with us so far, Sabrina and I never went ‘to the next level’. We both agreed once we married that we would, I dunno some sappy part of me wanting to make sure my first, would be my only. Then she left and along with failures in dating I kinda put that idea off to the side.” Twilight laid to his side and put a hoof around him. “We would never laugh,” she looked into his eyes. “Honestly, hearing that makes me feel better. I thought that I was the only one and may slow things down. I think it’s very sweet that you want to save yourself for the right one. It also makes me happy you still are a virgin. It means you’ll be all ours.” Luna repeated the gesture, lying to her side and also placing her hoof on his chest, rubbing in slow circles. “It’s been so long since I’ve ever been that intimate with another pony, I may as well be one too. But since that’s the case we can all take this slowly.” She paused. “I’m still worked up and your tensing indicates you’re ready to go as well.” Now knowing each other’s experience, the mares started over again. The clone, while satisfied that he was able to stall, still was worried how he’d stop this. “We’ve gotten worked up before, but it was nothing a steamy make out session and a cuddle couldn’t cool down. Why now do you want to go all the way?” Luna shifted position to where she laid on top of the wolf. He was the perfect size, it would’ve been awkward if he were pony sized. She leaned close into his snout, kissed him fully on the lips and leaned in towards his ear. “I want your foals.” He could hear the seductive smile in her tone. The memory started to fade to black, and Nick hoped that was the end of it. It wasn’t enough to wake him from his sleep, but for a moment Nick found himself in his unconsciousness. He needed to take a moment to calm down, unlike most memories he actually felt everything. He did feel his sense of pride swell that both of them thought he was worthy of fathering their foals. But it also saddened him. If he did so, he’d be leaving his kids without a father and of course wives without a husband. It was a surprise he didn’t just quit then and there and do whatever he wanted. Like Tirek said, he could just contain the evil within him, maybe find a way to actually purify it. Heck, if he could reform Chrysalis, there may be hope. The night passed on without further incident. Nick dreamt of himself being surrounded by his new family, Twilight and Luna and their foal-pups, which oddly enough turned out to be adorable. The last thing he could remember was hugging them tightly, wishing he wouldn’t have to let go. Another day arrived, and Nick slowly opened his eyes. The feeling of something holding him sped up his awakening and found Luna facing him, holding him tightly. “Luna? How’d you find me? I thought Discord said-” he froze, the hair on him standing up. That wasn’t Luna. To think he was about to kiss “her” good morning. “Thorax!!” he yelped, trying to scramble out of the changeling’s grasp. *SNAP* Turning towards the sound, he saw Discord grinning, an old timey camera next to him. “Just another photo for our guy’s road trip!” he grinned, taking the photo and placing it in what appeared to be a scrapbook. All the commotion also woke up the sleeping bug, who after looking at Nick’s and Discord’s expressions looked down at himself. He quickly tried to change back. “I’m sorry!” Thorax frantically apologized, parts of his body returning to normal. “I didn’t do it on purpose. Going over that memory must have subconsciously morphed me and caused my body to sleepwalk.” Nick sighed and calmed the changeling down. “Let’s just forget this happened, alright? Discord, either you burn that photo or I’ll gladly do it myself.” The draconequus just laughed, teleporting the scrapbook away. “Try finding it.” Groaning, Nick changed into his new form and crossed the barrier. The sooner he defeated the darkness, the lower the chances of him making out with another dude. The path to the fortress was wide open, not many places for cover. How’d they make it unnoticed with Discord following them would take a miracle. The topic of what they would do if they got separated. “We should have a code word,” Thorax suggested. “Something the changelings wouldn’t know. They also won’t look into our memories, they’re too lazy to do that.” “Well as long as it’s not something like ‘klutzy draconequus’ I don’t care what it is,” Discord shivered. Nick thought for a while and had the perfect phrase. “Stupid, sexy Thorax,” he grinned. Both his companions just looked at him. He shrugged and said it was a reference from Earth. Seeing as the other two couldn’t think of anything that was the code word, at Thorax’s expense. As they got closer, both Thorax and Nick spoke what they had been wondering on the way there. “There hasn’t been a single patrol,” they said in unison. “Yes, that is quite odd,” Discord replied. Normally he’d done some extravagant gesture, using his arm as a telescope to spot any patrols or something like that, but he knew from experience no fun until the throne was destroyed. It was actually one of the more brilliant ideas the changeling queen came up with. When they reached the outer walls there was a hole above them, out of reach for those without wings. That’s when Nick noticed a more significant change in Thorax. “Thorax were your wings always that shiny and big?” The changeling looked to see what he was implying and let out a gasp. He shook his head. “That’s new. Could it be I’ve been freely sharing emotions with you?” “Could be. I’m not exactly sure how changeling biology works. Well since only you and I have magic that works, we’re gonna have to hoist Discord up.” “I can fly just fine,” Discord crouched then jumped up, only to flop on his stomach. Thorax chuckled and Nick just shook his head. Motioning to Thorax, Nick took hold of Discord’s arms and Thorax grabbed his legs and together they lifted the draconequus into the hole, just in time as it closed behind them. “Alright, we’re in,” Nick let out a sigh of relief. “Lead the way Thorax. Before going through any more holes, I suggest we wait a minute to make sure it doesn’t close on us.” Thorax nodded, trying his best to remember the patrol patterns and the quickest way to the throne room. They wound through narrow corridors, ducking out of sight of a passing patrol. All the while Thorax assuring them they were almost there. He knew the way to the throne room, but the sequence of corridors that could get them there faster all were closed. Another 30 minutes and they finally reached the front entrance, assuming that’s what all the guards were for. Discord cracked his talons and other body parts and moved to the front. “Tis my time to shine, not literally since I don’t have my powers. I have faith the two of you can beat her. Just be careful Nick, she is a temptress, a good one at that. Also make sure she doesn’t fly away when you beat her, that’s just stupid.” Nick was about to argue, but the draconequus was right. It’d save time and it wasn’t like he hadn’t faced all those creatures with somepony else. Thorax was more than capable in a fight. Also, Discord deserved a little action, after pretty much doing nothing on their journey there. “Good luck Discord, see you after the ‘boss’ battle,” he actually smiled at the draconequus. Once you got past his whimsical personality, he was actually pretty fun to be around. “Now don’t you get emotional on me,” Discord tutted. “We’re still acquaintances. Anyway, tally-ho!” He ran from the cover and grabbed the guards’ attention. “We’ve brought a small task force and have infiltrated your fortress. Try and catch me!” The guards were caught unprepared but once Discord started to run, they split up. Half went after the intruder and the other half looked for the others. The coast was clear. Nick looked at Thorax, who nodded he was ready. They both cautiously moved towards the door, opening it normally. In the middle was the throne, but other than that it appeared empty. There were also open yellow pods on the ceiling. Several. “Ah good,” a familiar, deep feminine voice echoed in the chamber. “You’ve brought back the traitor.” In front of them, the lithe frame of Chrysalis dropped down. When she uncurled, she stood taller than Celestia, including her horn. Her long teal mane flowed down her neck, jagged clear wings similar to Thorax’s stood up. Her back was green with bands wrapping around her midsection. The holes in her hooves were arranged so the tips actually appeared sharp. “Well done my drone,” she approached both of them. “Who knows what would’ve happened if he was allowed to reach those cursed ponies and informed them of my plan.” She took Thorax aside, motioning for several changelings to guard him. “It was a pleasure, my queen,” Nick hoped his acting would work. “All for the survival of the hive.” “Such a loyal and determined child,” the queen grinned. “Attributes that should be rewarded.” NIck gulped. She wouldn’t actually, with her own children? “You look tense my little drone,” Chrysalis noted, circling around Nick. “Maybe another form might ease your mind?” Her horn glowed, and she was enclosed in sinister green magic. As the veil lowered he saw blonde hair, followed by creamy white skin, a petite rounded face, lithe frame, and a scandalous black dress. She opened her eyes to reveal two blue pupils. “Hello, Nick.”