//------------------------------// // XIII: Setting the Stage // Story: Visionary // by Razorbeam //------------------------------// "We're leaving," Aurus growled, his fangs bared and brilliant green eyes narrowed to hateful slits. "I understand your worry, but your training is not complete!" Korrick said, his tone pleading. "I don't care! Our people are dying, Korrick!" Aurus roared, his fury and fear for his people overtaking any other thoughts. Korrick moved to speak, but surprisingly it was Chrysalis who stopped him. "Still your tongue, old man." Though her words were harsh as ever, her tone was strangely calm. "Your king gave you an order. He's right, you know; there's no time left for him to waste here. If Gerd is strong enough to take on the council on his own, then there is no one left to stop him in T'rahk Enox." That seemed to calm Korrick, for it was strange to hear the tyrant of the past agreeing with Aurus in his mission to protect their people. "What do you care, witch?" he grumbled angrily. "If Aurus goes now, we cannot know he will survive!" The six friends of Ponyville flinched at those words, and the princesses wore looks of concern. None looked more uncomfortable than Applejack, who looked worriedly from Korrick to Aurus. But her lover was standing tall, his righteous anger alive and well in his eyes, denying the fear of his own possible demise. "Now you listen!" Chrysalis growled angrily at Korrick, surprising everyone. "I may have been a horrible queen, but I never wanted our people to die! All I wanted was my own power. I didn't kill our own kind, not unless I had to." She didn't show any remorse in her tone, was simply recounting facts. "Gerd has to be stopped, he's a monster who kills for pleasure. I don't love our people, especially not after what they've done to me since my failure... But they shouldn't be made to die, not if Aurus can save them." The room hushed completely, everyone looking at Chrysalis in disbelief. To stand up for Aurus, to insist he go and save his people... This was absolutely nothing like the Chrysalis that had come to them two months ago. Even Aurus, in all of his anxious anger, couldn't deny the surprise he felt looking at the ex-monarch. "Chrysalis..." She whirled on him, her head held high and eyes narrowed as if she dared him to continue that thought. "Don't think for a minute that I've changed. I'm a lot of things, but a murderer isn't one of them, and even I can't condone that. If I had all of my own plans to do over again, you'd best believe I would," she said coldly, looking Aurus dead in the eyes. "But my time is long past. All I can do anymore is watch, and Gerd makes me sick. I don't care if you're ready or not, he has to be destroyed." Aurus nodded, a slight frown on his face. So even now, Chrysalis was still the same terrible changeling? Even after all this time? True enough she had an abrasive personality and a horribly dark sense of fun. But looking into her eyes, Aurus could tell the truth. This wasn't just about watching Gerd Gallock burn anymore. Her home, their home, was in danger, and even she was shaken by that. "I'll tear him apart," Aurus growled vehemently, a promise to Chrysalis and all the others present that Gerd would pay. "Aurus..." Applejack started, worry clear on her face. This wasn't like him. She had never seen him this angry, this worried. One look at her softened his gaze and killed the anger in his eyes, bringing a sad smile to his lips. "Oh Applejack... I'm sorry you had to see me this way. But I can't sit by anymore, my people need me. He's killing them, and it could be my family next. Or Korrick's, or anyone's. Even if it costs me my life, I have to go back." Applejack sighed, shuddering as the breath left her and fighting back the tears of concern. "I know, sugar," she said sadly, smiling weakly at him. "But don't ya think fer one second yer goin' alone." Aurus moved to argue, scowling and opening his mouth to deny her. But they had been through enough arguments in their new life together, had come to know each other so well. Even through the tears brimming at the edges of her eyes, he could see that unrelenting spark in their beautiful green depths. Looking around, he noted the same determination in the faces of all his friends. Twilight, Rainbow, even Fluttershy. He simply sighed, knowing he was beaten. He smiled sadly back at Applejack as his other friends closed in around her, grinning calmly as if following him were the obvious choice. "I wouldn't have it any other way," he admitted at last, unwilling to turn his friends away. Gerd sat atop the obsidian throne of the king, the royal castle now his to command. Here he conducted his schemes with his slaves, giving them their orders. He had many new works in mind for them, and today was no exception as the scribe knelt on the black carpet that led down from the raised seat and across the floor of the great hall. "Of course," Gerd scoffed at the scribe. "It's time for the people to recognize me as their god. Though I could continue to cater to their simple-minded wants and needs, I have grown tired of their admiration. I crave their fear and awe much more, and I no longer rely on their love for my power." "Forgive me, my lord," the scribe said quietly. "My simple mind cannot fathom your plans. I will do as you have asked, and gather the people as quickly as possible. And this time, all of T'rahk Enox will be in attendance. But please, your grace, enlighten me. How will you reveal yourself as their god? How will you show your power?" Gerd chuckled, the high titles and obedience tickling his ego. "Quite simple really. I will show them that I can do whatever I please, that I am above consequence and fear. They will recognize my power and they will bow to me in fear. All the nation will obey me, cowering from the possibility of my undeniable wrath. I will declare the dawn of a new age to them, the age of Gallock," he said, rising from his throne and standing tall. "In three days time, I will have all the nation bowing before me. Then I will march on the rest of this miserable world, bringing the fires of war in my wake. Soon, all living things will know me as their god. I leave it to you to make the preparations. Don't fail me," Gerd said firmly, glowering down at the scribe. "Now go." "As you command," the scribe replied, his nose to the floor as he backed away, turning once he had gone a respectable distance and leaving the great hall in haste. Gerd turned, walking behind his throne and gazing out the massive window behind it. It looked out upon the gorge that the capital was nestled in, the castle's high perch atop the cliffs giving him full view of the insects below. They did not know that their god was watching them, had plans for them. They would know soon. Gerd paced about the throne room, his eagerness keeping him from sleep. The moonlight poured through the window, the dusty sheets lending the shafts of light a strange quality. It was almost as if the pale rays were solid, and looking at them he imagined that a god should be able to walk on such moonbeams. He chuckled to himself, knowing that it was an impossibility. Even for all his power, he knew that he did not possess the idiotic legendary powers of what people once referred to as gods. Irrational, impossible. To walk on a moonbeam was something only a legend could think up, for not even magic, the most powerful force in the world, could make it so. "The difference, Zarkoj, is that those gods, like their powers, were an impossibility," Gerd chuckled, putting a hoof to the gem hanging around his neck. A gentle pulse of magic against his chest was the stone's way of signaling that it heard him, was always listening to its master. "But I am real, and the power I possess is undeniable. Even so, I have my limits. A normal creature would not know them, not unless he could experience the same power I now do. To a normal creature, I would appear unstoppable. But we are a pair, you and I..." he said quietly, looking out the grand window to the moon outside. Its pale glow lit the barren earth outside, the plains above the cliff painted white, speckled with the shadows of stones littered about. "To be separated from you would mean my downfall. Even a god can be slain without his weapon," Gerd muttered. It was a weakness he had long been aware of, but until recently he had taken no heed of it. He could easily kill anyone who tried to take it before they could get near enough to attempt it. Any magic that might yank the gem away would be stopped by Zarkoj, and so he had considered himself invincible from the very beginning. But it was not so. Even a weakness that could not be exploited was still a weakness, and a god should have no weaknesses. "All that joins us is a simple chain of gold. Losing you would be akin to losing my own horn, Zarkoj," he said breathlessly, his mind searching for some way to hold the gem to him forever. His own words echoed back to him off of the black marble walls, quiet and barely a whisper. His eyes widened as he gazed upon the gem hanging around his neck. "My own horn..." he whispered again, looking at it. The shape of the gem, the length, its jagged appearance... It looked just like a changeling horn that had been carved out of smoky ice, pulsing with untold energy. Zarkoj trembled with excitement about his neck, the gem physically vibrating with the emotion. Gerd could hardly control himself. His hoof reached up over his head, bracing itself against the back of his horn, trembling slightly. Whether his hoof shook with fear of the pain that was to come, or out of excitement, he couldn't tell. His mind burned with those emotions in equal parts. He hesitated, looking at the gem, and then up in a futile attempt to see his horn. Would it work? Could it be possible? All magic stemmed from the horn, and for what he was about to do... For any changeling it would be unthinkable! The pain would be unbearable, and his life would be torn asunder. His plans for godhood would fail absolutely. A feeling came out of Zarkoj, encouraging and supportive. The gem could sense his indecision, his doubts. But Zarkoj knew more of magic than Gerd could ever hope to, and it knew that this would work, imparting that confidence as best it could through its master's thick shell. Gerd wrestled with that. His fear of this act consumed him, rattled his frame like a leaf in a strong gale. All of his own knowledge and logic begged him not to. But the ultimate power was still beyond him. His fear, his dependence on the gold chain pressing Zarkoj to his chest, held him down from the powerful throne of a true god. His hate for that weakness finally outweighed his logical terror, giving way to a zealous abandonment of his earthly fears. "I am no simple changeling!" he growled, clenching his teeth and setting his jaw with determination. "I am a god!" Gerd push hard, and the pain was excruciating. His shell cracked and popped under the pressure, and the bone beneath strained against him. He screamed as his nerves shot fire through him, his eyes watering from the agony. Still he pushed, and Zarkoj pushed with him, filling his foreleg with unimaginable magical power. Gerd cried out in such a voice that would have raised the dead as his horn finally snapped off, the force pent up behind that push throwing the bloody spike across the throne room floor. It clicked with each bounce off the marble, as if it were nothing more than a skipping stone across a frozen pond. Gerd breathed hard, blood running down his face, twin streams parting around his muzzle. His legs shook from the tremors of agony, but he was not yet done. There was still more pain to come. Eager to be done with it, Gerd ripped Zarkoj from the golden chain around his neck. Holding it above his head, he looked at the menacing, jagged spike of sapphire stone. And he denied his fear with his lust for power. Gerd crushed the gem into the bloody hole in his shell, the spike crunching through the bone beneath, but not passing through his skull. He nearly passed out from the pain, but the energy flowing through him forced him back awake. He could feel the power flowing through Zarkoj and into him. Power flowing in through where the horn should be, the outlet of the changeling body's magic. The magic rushing into him sought to escape, to go back against the flow from Zarkoj. But the gem was too strong to allow such a back draft, and the two magical forces collided, melded. The gem and his body lost individuality, the stone fusing with bone as magic fused with magic. The room shook as the excess energy vented itself, rocketing out of Zarkoj's tip and blasting pillars with rays of bluish light. Everything in Gerd's vision was spinning, a vortex of azure energy as he gritted his teeth to contain his screams. Bone reformed around the crystal horn, his shell regenerating to cover what remained of the hole in his flesh. Magic rocked through him, spinning around inside his body without control. He stumbled but held his ground as one of his legs molted before his very eyes. The shell blew apart, exposing pulsing flesh beneath. The flesh tore and Gerd screamed as he watched the very bone in his leg grow longer, the flesh rapidly regenerating and sealing back around the extended skeletal structure. The shell replaced itself soon after. This agony repeated itself in all his legs, a horrific transformation far beyond regular metamorphosis. His neck, his skull, everything grew. His wings became as wide as those of two changelings combined, and he would tower over the throne which once stood a full head higher than him. He writhed in agony on the floor as his body succumbed to the magic of Zarkoj, transforming into something monstrous. Spikes of bone punched through the shell of his back, pieces of his spine that had been transformed by terrible magical power. His hooves had cracked and grown into a horrific, three-pronged amalgamation of shell and hoof. His fangs grew long until they were like blades hanging from his jaw, his eyes burning with an inner blue fire, as if somehow his iris were glass and an azure inferno were trapped beneath. Gerd collapsed at last as the energy stopped. He was panting heavily, his eyes streaming hot tears of pain. But through his blurry vision he could see the floor next to him lit with a brilliant blue glow, his cheek pressed to the marble tile. He forced himself to his hooves, his strange new body surprisingly light. He stumbled to the window behind his throne, looking at his reflection. There, perched on his brow, was Zarkoj. The crystal was unchanged, but the once proud spike at its end was obscured by his head, for the gem was buried deep within his flesh, fused to his bone. He looked at his horrifying appearance, the spikes of bone and massive wings, the horribly twisted hooves. His face pleased him the most, for it had grown demonic, with those terrible eyes and sword-like fangs. His jaw was wider, more powerful, and he had no doubt that he could bite raw stone in two with less effort than a toothpick. He started to laugh, hoarse from his own screams of agony. This was the form befitting a god! His voice gained volume, becoming maniacal as his burning eyes turned to the moon, as if daring it to contradict the power he now wielded. "We are one," came a voice in his head. Accompanying that single sentence was a feeling of ecstasy, a tingle in his forehead that filled him with pleasure. Gerd flexed his powerful legs, marveling at his new size and strength. He was easily twice as large as any changeling, even Chrysalis at the peak of her rule. His body bulged with an unnatural amount of muscle and flesh, barely contained by his form. Moving his eyes and wings, he came to the conclusion that Zarkoj was not in control of his body; that he was still the god, and it was still the weapon. Turning and laughing again, he gathered the spell he sought to cast in his mind, channeling it through Zarkoj just as he would his own horn. The resulting fireball blasted one of the room's decorative but sturdy pillars to slag, melting each shard that splintered off of the shattered stone pylon. Gerd chuckled darkly to himself, glad to see that his magic not only still worked, but worked even better than before. "No, my dear weapon... We are so much more than that." Aurus and his friends trudged along the path below Lone Peak. It was slow going, for neither Chrysalis nor the non-pegasi among them could fly. They were forced to walk, taking small jumps now and then when Twilight was feeling energetic enough to warp them ahead. Afterwards she would always feel spent, but time was of the essence, and she refused to stop teleporting them. She would do so as often as she could and, during the lapses between, Aurus would carry her in her weakened state. He wished that he had been able to learn Twilight's warp spell, but sadly it was beyond the abilities of changelings, or so it seemed. It was not the first spell he had been unable to learn, but as of right now it was the only one he regretted not knowing. If the princesses had come, things would have been moving much more quickly for their troop. Alas, Luna and Celestia had to stay behind; the affairs of their own nation demanded their attention, and Aurus could not blame them. Even if he had been able to move the group along more quickly, he knew he wouldn't have. It was imperative that he maintain his level of strength, for until the people were made aware of his return it was all he would have to fight with. If they encountered any resistance before he could challenge Gerd, their odds were not very strong. "Do you need a break, sugar?" Applejack asked, walking next to him as Twilight rode on his back. Aurus had been carrying her for the last few miles now, but had never once complained or slowed his pace. "Thanks, but I'm fine. She's doing everything she can to get me home quickly, so I don't mind carrying her," he said, looking fondly upon the sleeping face of his dear friend. "And besides, she's not nearly as heavy as you," he teased, hoping to lighten the mood. "An' just' what do ya mean by that?" Applejack huffed, fixing him with a playful scowl. "Just that you're more muscular than she is, that's all," he joked, giving her a wink. She just smiled at him, letting the joke run itself out. "Yer a terrible liar. How much further, do ya reckon?" Aurus trudged along while his mind worked, kicking his way through a particularly stubborn bush. They'd been walking for two days now, and it had been a full twenty-four hour flight for him, and that was brimming with kingly energy. If he had to venture a guess... "We're probably only a day out," he said with little confidence, his tone making it clear that that was subject to change. "It turns into desert out past Lone Peak, but then we have to make our way through the canyons to the capital. I'll have a better idea of where we are once Rainbow gets back from scouting ahead." Applejack sighed, regretting her question. They'd been having a nice, lighthearted moment just a second ago, but now he was thinking about how soon before his battle. She knew he had to keep that in perspective at all times, but she still felt guilty for ruining that. A thought came to her again, as it had come to her now and then for the last couple weeks. It brought a blush to her cheeks, a happy flush that Aurus couldn't see as he carved the path ahead of her for the rest of his friends to follow. "Aurus?" she asked quietly, her tone low enough that it wouldn't wake Twilight. "Yes?" he asked, looking over his shoulder at her to make sure everything was alright. Her blushing face made him stop, his previous train of thought completely defeated by his imagination as it sought to uncover the cause of her happy, flushed face. He turned back to face her, careful not to jostle Twilight. "I was thinkin'... if-" Applejack began. A rustling to her right distracted them both suddenly though. It sounded like something large was coming through the trees, and fast. Suddenly, a flash of light blue blasted out of the branches of a tree, flopping into Applejack. Rainbow Dash and AJ went tumbling end over end together. Aurus just watched it all happen with a blank expression as his lover and his overzealous flying friend spun away into to brush on his right. This certainly wasn't the first time Rainbow Dash had come in a little hot, and it seemed like she always made a point of aiming for someone. Sighing and shaking his head, he forgot all about what Applejack had been saying as he wandered after them. The rest of his party had been trailing by a short distance, and had come to investigate the commotion. Fluttershy was first on the scene, ever the worrier. "Oh... my..." she muttered, and Aurus just nodded his agreement as he watched the scene unfold. Applejack extracted herself from Rainbow Dash. As soon as she was free, she bit down on the tip of Rainbow's tail and spun her around a quick circuit before letting fly. The disoriented pegasus stood no chance of stopping herself as she tumbled even further into the brush, and out of sight. "I was in the middle of somethin' important!" Applejack hollered after her, turning her tail on the hole RD had left in the bushes. A sorry mistake, for Rainbow zipped back out, tackling her. "Oh yeah?" she growled, the two rolling around and bopping each other when they got clear shots. Twilight started to stir on Aurus' back, and he decided to call the fight before somebody woke her up. Lighting his horn, he projected two bubbles, one over each of the combatants as they readied to run at each other again. They both collided with the suddenly solid wall ahead of them with an 'oof'. "Let me at her!" Rainbow growled. "What's the big idea, Aurus?" Applejack said, her tone equally ready for a fight. He walked between them, Twilight balanced carefully on his back. He dropped the green shields, smiling at them. Tensions had been high the last couple days. Aurus was normally so carefree and lighthearted, but lately he had been so gloomy, and he knew that it was affecting everyone around him. Except maybe Chrysalis, who was off to the side laughing to herself about the fight. Korrick, as usual, was kicking at her to get her to shut up, to no avail. "That's enough, girls. I know things have been uncomfortable the last couple days, but we can't afford to fight," he said firmly, smiling at each of them in turn. "You're being loud, and after everything Twilight's been doing to get us this far, I think we owe her some peace and quiet." "But she threw me!" Rainbow grumbled, pointing a hoof at Applejack. "Yeah, an' yerself barreled into me!" she retaliated. "Enough," Aurus grumbled slowly, scowling at them both alternatingly. They hushed immediately, his stern look defeating their childish anger. He turned his gaze back to Applejack, sighing. "You two are friends, and I'm sure she didn't do that on purpose. She was in a bit of a hurry and couldn't see you through the trees, I'd bet." Applejack pawed at the ground, looking away from him and knowing he was right. "As for you," he said sternly, turning to face Rainbow. "I'd have thrown you too. It makes perfect sense. Anyways, nobody got hurt, so let it go." "I wouldn't have even budged you, though," Rainbow muttered under her breath. "Now then, what were you in such a hurry for?" he asked, ignoring the angry look she was still shooting Applejack. He couldn't see it, but he knew Applejack was behind him making a similar look. Rainbow snapped to immediately, slapping her right front hoof into her left. "Oh yeah! I was out flying, and I found the edge of the woods, just like you said. It's only about another mile or so. But it's weird... There was a changeling out there, waiting for us!" she said, her voice full of eagerness. As if she expected a fight. "A changeling?" Aurus asked, puzzled. Nobody knew they were coming, and it certainly couldn't be Gerd. "Just one?" "Yup, just one," she clarified, smiling smugly. "Want me to go rough him up?" Aurus shook his head, raising a hoof to stop her even as she moved to launch back into the air. "No, don't. I don't know who it is, but we'd better not start trouble. Nobody should know we're coming, but if he's here, whoever that is is waiting for us..." Applejack inched closer, the fight with Rainbow and her earlier conversation with Aurus both forgotten. "What's goin' on, Aurus? Trouble?" He shook his head. "No, I don't think so. Come on, let's go see what this is about." Aurus peeked out from the brush, looking around. Sure enough, this was the edge. A few yards ahead even the grass stopped, giving way to sand-swept stone. In the distance dunes rose like glimmering hills of glass-speckled canvas, their light-tan hue a welcome and familiar sight on the horizon. He spotted the changeling to the south of them, several hundred yards away. He signaled everyone to be quiet and follow him, and the entire gang nodded as they shuffled after him through the trees, edging closer to get a better look. At last they were in the forest right ahead of him. Standing in the bright sunlight, Aurus doubted that this changeling could see them in the dim lighting and dense foliage beneath the forest's canopy. Twilight had woken up nearly an hour ago, and her eyes widened as she saw him, her expression shifting to curious. "Wait a minute, isn't that-" she started, but Aurus cut her off, completely giving away their position as he tackled Rainbow Dash out of the brush and into the sandy, sparse grass beyond the forest's edge. "You had me worried sick!" he vented, giving her a shake as he picked her up off the ground. "What?" she asked, scowling at him. "There's a changeling like I said, isn't there?" She pointed right at the offending lone black spot a few yards away. "Yes, you bird brain. It's Malik!" he muttered, dropping her and walking away. "Well how was I supposed to know? You all look the same to me," she grumbled, dusting herself off as she followed Aurus and the rest out to greet their friend. Malik was still smiling warmly at the humorous scene before him as Aurus approached. "Well, it's good to see you're still in a fun-loving mood. Not so much has changed since I left," he said, raising his hoof in front of him. Aurus raised his own and they bumped their forelegs together in salute. "It's good to see you, my friend," he said warmly, looking him up and down. "And unharmed to boot. But with things the way they are back home, is it safe for you to be out here looking for me?" Malik shook his head. "I can't afford not to." He looked about as the other friends closed in, all awaiting his news with looks of concern. "Gerd is calling the nation together tomorrow night. He's going to make a show of his powers and declare his 'godhood', if you can believe that." Malik scoffed at the notion, grinding a hoof in the dirt. "It's good you're back... I fear he plans for public executions, to show off his power, amongst other things," Malik said quietly, his countenance grim. Aurus scowled. "The bastard... Then again..." Aurus said, putting a hoof to his mouth as he thought. "What is it, my lord?" Malik asked eagerly, sensing a plan. "I was worried it would be difficult to let the people know of my return. Without them behind me, I cannot hope to defeat Gerd. But his display will do that for me!" he said with a victorious chuckle. "What do you mean?" Twilight asked, confused. "I'm saying that as he prepares to execute those changelings, I will step in and save them, in full view of all the assembled. He's playing right into my hooves by gathering everyone together. I have to get on that stage before it's too late for those poor souls," he said determinedly. Malik nodded. "That's going to be difficult, though. Everyone in T'rahk Enox knows your face, and your name. And they all believe you are dead. If you're seen, there'll be no end of commotion, and Gerd will strike you down before you can get anywhere near the coliseum." Aurus scowled, hoof back to his mouth again as he thought. His eyes lit up with the spark of an idea, and he grinned at Malik. "Tell me, is he leaving the dome open?" "Dome?" Twilight asked, puzzled. Malik ignored her, nodding to Aurus. "Yes, my lord. He's taken to doing things with a grandiose sense of style lately, and he intends to hold the gathering under the open evening sky. Why, what good does that do? Even if you were to fly in, he would simply shoot you down." Aurus chuckled, looking to Chrysalis. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" he asked, his wicked smile oddly similar to her own. "That's a perfect idea," she said back, chuckling darkly. "Does anybody have any idea what they're talking about?" Malik asked quietly, afraid to interrupt their fit of maniacal laughter. Twilight and the others shook their heads, looks of surprise on their faces. Malik just sighed, letting the confusion go as Aurus and Chrysalis finished their little moment. "Well, if you're finished, I suggest we hurry. It's quite a few miles to the capital," Malik said, turning to the northwest. "No, not that way," Aurus said quietly, pointing straight west, away from the entrance to the canyon network that Malik was heading for. "My lord?" he asked, confused. "Get us on the cliffs above the capital." Aurus chuckled to himself, thinking how ironic that it was as he looked out on the castle across the gorge, lit by the moonlight. Inside rested his enemy, sleeping securely thinking that Aurus was dead. Tomorrow Aurus would prove just how exaggerated the rumor of his death really was. The top of the cliffs sported hardly any buildings. Only the castle and a few ruined watchtowers remained from the ages of changeling civil war long ago, back at the dawn of their history. They were staying inside one such ruin, for they would be too exposed on the open, blank stone of the plains when morning came. Aurus was getting used to living in ruins after his experiences three months ago in Everfree. He sighed to himself, reflecting on that. "Has it really only been three months?" he asked himself quietly, looking out on his home. It felt like years, maybe even decades since he had left. Since he had seen his mother and father, or his wonderful sister. "It really has," Applejack said, coming up behind him quietly. Everyone else was sound asleep, preparing for the day ahead. The crumbling walls around them sheltered their group from the cold winds of the desert night, keeping them warm and comfortable with the fire burning inside, where the base of the tower once rested. Aurus had been careful to ensure the fire wouldn't be visible from the outside, and so he was confident that they were safe. Still, he had come out here in the cold to keep watch, just in case. "I didn't know you were still awake," Aurus said with a small smile, turning to face her. "I couldn't sleep, what with... ya know," she muttered, shuffling uncomfortably. Aurus just smiled, walking close to her and hugging her tight. "I'm going to be fine, don't worry. I don't care how powerful Gerd thinks he is... Once the people abandon him, he'll go down without much of a fight," Aurus said confidently, brushing a hoof against her cheek in a loving caress. "I'm not worried about that," she said quietly, looking at him with concern. "What're ya gonna do t' him?" she asked quietly. Aurus sighed, having expected this question much sooner than this. He knew she wouldn't like his answer. "Applejack... ponies don't kill other ponies, do they?" he asked sadly. "No, we don't," she said firmly, scowling at him. "Don't tell me yer plannin' t'-" she started angrily. He held up a hoof to stop her, smiling at her sadly. "Just hear me out, Applejack." She sighed and nodded, but he could see the worry and righteous anger still simmering in her eyes. "Imagine if someone... killed Twilight. Or Fluttershy. Or me," he said quietly. She reacted with shock, like he had expected. "That ain't happened, an' it ain't gonna," she grumbled fiercely, scowling at him. "I know, but you have to imagine it to understand," he said sadly. "Come on, Applejack. I can't explain this to you any other way." She sighed, conceding the point. "Alright, but why? Why would anypony kill Twi?" "For no reason at all. Imagine somebody just killed Twilight because he could," he said, his tone going dark. "Nopony would do anythin' like that!" Applejack insisted. "Gerd does." Applejack took an involuntary step back. She knew what she had heard Chrysalis say about him killing for pleasure, but she hadn't believed it. "Would you let somebody like that live? If he were in prison, imagine if he escaped? I'm sure we could catch him again, but how many people would die before that happened? As long as monsters like Gerd are alive, innocent lives are going to end, Applejack," Aurus said quietly, inching closer to her. "That's the ultimate evil, and the punishment for murder in T'rahk Enox is death. Gerd has to die for what he's done," Aurus finished, sighing sadly. "I-I don't understand," Applejack said sadly. "I know he's wrong, an' he's gotta be stopped... But does killin' him make you any better?" she asked, tears coming to her eyes. "I don't want t' see ya become like him, Aurus!" "I don't want to kill him," Aurus groaned, pleading with her to understand. "I'm nothing like him at all! He kills because he loves to kill! Don't you see? I have to kill him to protect everyone," he said, tears coming to his own eyes. "I have to." Applejack looked into his sad eyes, and saw true hurt there. True remorse for what had to be done. Aurus wanted to see Gerd dead, true enough. Everyone did, but he didn't want to be the one to do it. Aurus was the only one who could, and this was a burden on his soul that he had no choice but to accept. The light in his eyes reflected the truth, and she knew that if there were any way or reason to save Gerd's soul, Aurus would have tried first. She let out a shaky breath, using it to gather her strength and stem her tears. "I know ya don't... An' as much as I hate to say so, yer right. Lots of innocent folk are gonna die if ya don't put him down," she said, smiling sadly at him. "Yer just doin' what yer born t' do, sugar. I ain't gonna stop ya, but that don't mean I'll like it. Ya jus' gotta promise me it won't change ya'. Promise me ya'll still be the same?" Aurus smiled warmly at her. "I'm no monster, Applejack. I love you, and I love my people. I want to protect them and you, and that will never change. For the rest of my life, I hope I'm never forced to kill again. But know that I will always be the same Aurus. Your Aurus," he said, hugging her tightly. Applejack hugged him back, satisfied. She let her resolve meld with his, supporting him in this most important task. It was horrible, but he had to do it, and she would help to see him through it all. In the moment of silence they shared, her question came back to her. Again she flushed hot, and she tensed up. Aurus felt that and pulled out of the embrace, looking at her curiously. "What's wrong?" he asked. "Ya remember, back in the woods? How I was askin' ya somethin', right before Rainbow crashed into me?" she asked sheepishly, pawing slow circles in the dirt with her left hoof. Aurus watched her hoof, a nervous reaction that his tough marefriend didn't have often. "Yeah...?" he asked cautiously, unsure what was going on. "Well... I've been wonderin' fer some time now... But is there any history of one of yer folk marryin' one of mine?" she asked, looking away from him. Marriage? Aurus was kind of shocked by that idea. He loved Applejack dearly, but a commitment like that took more time than just three months. Still, he couldn't deny that the thought had crossed his own mind, for such were the workings of young love. To think far ahead, to the grandest things their love could offer. He smiled at her, recalling something he had learned in elementary school long ago. "Actually, there are," he said calmly, letting his tone take the nervousness out of the situation and draw her eyes back to him. "When I was a boy, I learned about the 'wickdori', which in your language means 'the exiles'. They were changelings who would leave T'rahk Enox by choice, to live a life in a different society. It is said they often leave because of love they find in faraway lands." He smiled at her warmly, lending her his strength through that loving gaze. "The love between you and I isn't strange, Applejack. Love is love. The only difference is that I don't have to hide myself to live among your people, or for you to love me. For the first time, at least as far as I know, a pony loves a changeling knowing that he's a changeling. Among my people, becoming infatuated with those of another species isn't uncommon, but until now we've never been able to bring them to our home. Until now, we had to hide to find love." "But... how did yer folk hide with mine? I mean, if they came along an' got hitched, it would... I mean..." she stammered, looking away from him and practically glowing red for all her blushing. "Go on," he urged, trying to show her that he wasn't embarrassed at all by this. "Wouldn't they get found iff'n they weren't makin' foals?" she asked, her voice a little louder than usual due to having to force that nervous question out. She had her eyes clamped shut as she asked it, and to all appearances she was even holding her breath. Her eyes snapped open as Aurus laughed warmly. "Is that what this is about?" he asked, still chuckling. "Well... yeah," she muttered, her tone going sour. "Ya don't gotta laugh at me..." "I'm not laughing at you, Applejack," he said, letting out one final, mirthful chuckle. "I'm just glad that that's all you were worried about. Applejack, changelings can reproduce with any race," he said, smiling warmly at her. "Huh?" she asked, her face a rather unflattering dumbfounded mess of disbelief. "Well, you do know how reproduction works right? With the egg and the-" he started, but she flushed red hot and stomped on his hoof, causing him to yelp and step back, blowing on his hoof to soothe it. "Yes, I learned all about that stuff in eighth grade, jus' like everypony else," she muttered angrily, looking at him over her cherry red cheeks. "Well jeez, it's nothing to get embarrassed about," he muttered under his breath. "Well, when the changeling cells come into contact with the reproductive cells of another race, they adapt. They kind of make an edited copy of the other race's genetics, based on the changelings own genes. Kids are totally possible, and if a changeling and a pony mated, it would be a baby pony," he said with finality, just as if he were ending a biology lesson. Applejack seemed to calm down due to his professional delivery of the subject matter. "So... iff'n we ever get hitched, we could have foals?" she asked, more to herself than to him. She flushed once she realized she had said it out loud. Aurus sidled up next to her, hugging her tight. "Yes, Applejack. When the time comes, if we're ready for that, we could," he said comfortingly, stroking her mane to calm her. "And I don't know about you, but I can't wait to see where the years lead us... I don't plan on leaving you, AJ," he said firmly, giving her a tight squeeze. She smiled, sincerely and fully as he hugged her tight, the two of them under the moonlight. "I don't figure on lettin' ya," she replied teasingly, nuzzling him gently. The two of them stood there together, secure in one another's forelegs as they forgot about the terrible evening only a day away.