//------------------------------// // Chapter 16 - Spores // Story: Halfling // by Dee Pad //------------------------------// Halfling By Dee Pad ===================================================================== Chapter 16: Spores ===================================================================== The quiet of the changeling catacombs could almost be considered peaceful for somepony who was ignorant of the dangers present there. Although it was pitch black, the rhythmic plops of water dripping from the overhanging stalactites echoed throughout the caverns, almost as though they were trying to lead any stray travelers through the darkness. What little sound there was did much to provide at least some modicum of ambiance in an otherwise dreary place. That ambiance was disturbed by the sound of a long and tired yawn escaping the lungs of one exhausted changeling. Following her sleepy yawn, Chamella stretched her back a bit. She and Winter had been wandering the caverns since daybreak and were understandably tired. Right now, they were looking for a safe place to rest and get some sleep; sleeping in the middle of a random tunnel was just asking for trouble, and they didn't want to risk a run-in with another changeling like Blight. "Any idea where we can stop?" asked Winter, struggling to keep her eyes open. "There's gotta be a spot somewhere nearby," Chamella surmised, looking around at her surroundings. The purple-maned changeling had a general idea of where they were going now thanks to her recognition of the large ravine where they encountered Blight, but that didn't mean she knew exactly what lay ahead. "Um..." Chamella glanced over at Winter's utterance, who was looking back at her somewhat uncomfortably. "What?" "You've, uh... got something on you face," Winter pointed out. The changeling lifted a hoof to her lip where Winter was pointing. She wiped the blemish off her face and had a look at her now stained hoof with a slight grimace. As she suspected, a drop of blood. Chamella wasn't too proud of having to resort to such barbaric methods to defend themselves, but during their altercation with Blight, she couldn't think of any other way to get the maniac off of Winter. The taste of Blight's blood still lingered in her mouth. Winter could clearly see the disdainful look in Chamella's eyes. "You alright?" The question snapped Chamella out of her thoughts. "Huh? Oh, yeah. Sorry, it's just..." She let out a quiet sigh. "I've never tasted changeling blood before. It's... weird to think about." "Well, look at it this way: you did it to save my life. Considering everything you've said, I'd imagine that makes it worth it for you, right?" Chamella grinned weakly. "Yeah. I don't really regret doing it, I just wish I didn't have to do it, you know?" Winter nodded. "I get it." There was a bit of awkward silence following that short conversation. Winter found herself glancing discreetly in Chamella's direction a few times before she finally decided to speak her mind. "So... What's it taste like?" Chamella gave the pegasus a disgusted look. "What? Why do you want to know that?" "It's not like I want to try it myself," Winter responded defensively. "Believe me, I've been down that road. I was just wondering, you know, since you do eat meat anyway, does changeling blood taste good to you?" Chamella scowled with her lips pursed, feeling rather insulted. "Whether it tastes good or not, I'm not a cannibal. I did it out of defense, not because I wanted to eat him." "I know, I know, but since you had to taste it anyway..." The ruffled changeling huffed, turning her gaze forward once more as she contemplated whether or not she even wanted to answer the question. "It doesn't have a particularly distinct taste compared to other animals. It was still a little gross, but maybe part of that is just the thought of it." The taste in Chamella's mouth seemed to become all the more noticeable the more they talked about it, so she quickly used her magic to pull a bottle of water from her saddlebags and cleanse her palette. Winter actually felt a little bad, but not so much for bringing it up as it was for finding some amusement in how flustered Chamella had gotten. But she had a promise she was supposed to keep, so she decided to drop the subject there and let the silence take over once again. The two eventually came to yet another fork in the road, but it was less a fork and more like a web. Paths split off in practically all directions, even into the floor, walls and ceiling. Winter was a little discouraged by the sight of the various tunnels surrounding them. "Please tell me you know which one to take." Chamella stayed silent for a moment as she looked over their options. She hadn't been to the throne room very often, so her memory of the path there was pretty limited. She was looking for anything that might trigger her memory. After analyzing the caves carefully, something managed to catch her eye. She hurried over to a tunnel leading to their right, spotting a small, luminescent, blue mushroom growing near the wall. Curious, Winter walked up behind her to see what Chamella was looking at, raising an eyebrow at the tiny fungus. It glowed with a soft light; not enough to light the path for them, but enough to make it noticeable even in the dark. "This way," said Chamella with a confident smile, pointing down the path nearest the mushroom. Without another moment of hesitation, Chamella started down the tunnel with an oddly eager spring in her step. Winter hurried to catch up, trotting up alongside her again with a confused expression. "Wait, do you actually know where we're going? Is this really the right way?" "Well, not exactly, but I'm pretty confident we can find a spot to rest up ahead," Chamella answered assuredly. "And how do you know that? You recognize this area?" "I think I remember it vaguely, but I'm actually just following something I remember Shade telling me once." Chamella stopped, pointing around to the walls of the tunnel. Winter hadn't noticed until now, but there were more mushrooms growing around the cave. They were pretty sparsely placed, but their glow was hard to miss. "Okay, what about them?" asked Winter with an uncomprehending raise of her eyebrow. "Shade told me about this once when he came to the caves looking for food. He noticed that when you see mushrooms, they tend to lead to places where they grow in big numbers. Those spots tend to be out of the way, so it's probably safe for us there." "So there's a dead end up ahead? You sure that's safe?" "Safe from the soldiers anyway, since they'd know it was a dead end and might not bother to check there." Winter gave Chamella a rather skeptical look. "Look, it's probably as safe as we can hope for. And we're using the term 'safe' pretty loosely when we're talking about the Changeling Kingdom." The pegasus breathed a resigned sigh. "Fair enough. Let's just go; I'm getting pretty tired." Chamella shared the sentiment with a nod and the pair continued with as hurried a pace as they could manage given how exhausted they both were. Fortunately, it didn't take long for them to reach the destination that Chamella had determined with confidence was there. The changeling and the pegasus slowed their pace slightly as they reached the end of the mushroom-decorated path and entered into a more spacious room. If Winter had thought the giant gorge they had just passed was picturesque, then this particular room was an actual work of art. All around them—more so than even the tunnel leading there—were countless glowing mushrooms of varying sizes; some as tiny as buttons, while others were the size of their heads. The glow they gave off was actually barely enough to make their surroundings visible without the aid of Chamella's magic. It was actually a nice change of pace to be illuminated in a soft, blue glow rather than the neon green of changeling magic. There were a few columns of rock connecting the floor to the ceiling that were covered in mushrooms as well, making them look like some type of exotic Hearth's Warming tree. Winter took a moment to take in the sight of it. "Wow. This is actually... really pretty. Who would have thought something this beautiful would be in the Changeling Kingdom?" "And nourishing." Winter quirked an eyebrow at the comment, glancing over at Chamella who was busy plucking a mushroom from the ground. "'Nourishing'? Wait, you're not planning on eating these, are you?" "Well, why not?" Chamella asked with a tilt of her head. The pegasus was honestly a little shocked she had to explain. "Wha—? Because you don't just eat random mushrooms. They could be poisonous!" Chamella simply grinned and giggled. "It's fine. These are perfectly edible. Shade and I used to eat 'em all the time. Or at least when we were desperate enough to brave the hive." "Really? Hmm..." The changeling noticed the skeptical look she was receiving. "You don't believe me?" Winter shook her head with a sigh. "No, it's not that. It's just..." She plucked a mushroom for herself, staring at it. "Ponies don't usually eat things that... glow. That's kind of a red flag." "Need proof?" Without waiting for a response, Chamella took a bite of the mushroom's cap, chewing the fungus up and gulping it down. She then gave Winter a reassuring grin. "See? Nothing to worry about." Winter looked back at the mushroom in her possession, gulping nervously. Chamella seemed pretty confident that they were safe, so maybe there wasn't anything to be concerned about after all. Summoning all of her courage, Winter opened wide and chomped down on the mushroom. She was expecting some sort of stinging, bitter taste to assault her tongue—anything that would make her believe that eating these things was a bad idea and convince her to spit it out. But, to her surprise, there wasn't really anything unpleasant about it. Chamella watched Winter's apprehensive facial expression shift to become more relaxed as the pegasus chewed. "Well? Not bad, right?" "It's a little bland," Winter said as she munched, the tastelessness leaving much to be desired. She finally swallowed the bite. "But I guess it could've been worse." "We should pack some of these in our bags so we don't run through our supplies as quickly," suggested Chamella as she started picking a few of the small mushrooms and stuffing them into her saddlebags. "Alright, but if these things do end up killing me, I'm coming back to haunt you," Winter joked, joining Chamella in picking their new provisions. As the two mares walked around, plucking only the choicest of mushrooms for the trip, Winter stopped for a moment when she noticed something on the other side of the room, barely illuminated by the iridescent glow of the fungi. "Uh, I thought you said this was a dead end." Chamella looked up to see Winter pointing towards another tunnel on the opposite end of the chamber from which they entered. "Huh. Well, to be fair, I never said it was definitely a dead end." "But that's probably not the way we need to go, is it? You said these types of spots were usually out of the way." "The key word being 'usually.' If there's another path here, then it's entirely possible the other changelings might come through here." "Again, though, it's probably not the fastest route, right?" Chamella pondered for a moment. "Mmm... Probably not, but it might actually be safer. We'd be less likely to run into trouble if we veered off the beaten path." Winter grimaced slightly at the suggestion. "I don't know if you've picked up on it, but I'm kind of in a hurry. My son is trapped here, remember?" "And who's gonna save him if we're dead? Like I said, I don't think Queen Chrysalis is going to hurt him, so we have time to be careful about this." The pegasus wasn't too keen on the idea of delaying her son's rescue, but considering what they had both just went through, it would be preferable to avoid any more life-threatening experiences. "Yeah, you've got a point, I guess. But what if this isn't the right way? What if this just takes us further away from Snowflake?" "You could say that about any path down here. Chances are that all of these paths will eventually lead to the throne room; it is the most important room in the hive. Queen Chrysalis wants her subjects to be able to find her if they need her." Winter stopped foraging for a moment, looking rather vexed. "Why do you keep calling her that?" Chamella blinked, confused by the question. "Um... Because it's her name?" Winter shook her head. "No, I mean why do you keep calling her Queen Chrysalis?" Again, Chamella was a little puzzled. "That's her title. She's Queen of the Changelings." The pegasus dragged a hoof over her face, breathing a sigh of exasperation. "That's not what I meant. Why do you keep referring to her as 'Queen' Chrysalis even though she's not really your queen anymore? Shade just calls her Chrysalis because he's no longer her subject." Chamella's ears drooped slightly and she broke eye contact with Winter. Throwing Shade into the question just reminded her of a conversation they'd had some time ago. She sat down, leaning against one of the stone columns in the room. "Oh, that. Well, I guess it's because I still have some respect for her." Winter sat nearby, raising an eyebrow. "Why? Chrysalis is an evil dictator who kidnapped Princess Cadance and tried to take over Equestria." The changeling stayed silent for a moment as she tried to find the words to explain it. "She might seem that way to the ponies, but to us she's a leader. I know she's done some bad stuff, but she only did it because she cares about her people. I mean, I'm sure power was one of the reasons, but still..." "So you're going to defend her even though she just had my son kidnapped?" Chamella shook her head. "I already told you that there's something off about that. Remember: Queen Chrysalis let Shade and me live in Ponyville. She was happy to see that we found happiness. She didn't want to take that from us. And that's why I'm saying we need to find her. I don't think she'd do that to us without a reason." "And how can you be so sure about that?" asked Winter. "Because, like I said, she cares about her people. Queen Chrysalis was... Well, she's the closest thing any of us have to a mother. She wasn't just some bossy ruler who used her subjects as tools to achieve her goals. She knew all of us by name. Every decision she made was made with us in mind. Sure, her thirst for power may have lead to her more... aggressive approach to Equestria, but I'm sure she did it because she also felt there was no other way." "I really feel like you're giving her a little too much credit," Winter said with a slight scowl. "Well, maybe, but I guess that's just because I don't want to hate her. I genuinely believe that's she not as bad as you think she is, at least from my perspective. It's hard to hate the person who basically raised you, or as close to raising as we could hope for." Chamella lowered her head, her gaze falling to the floor. She mumbled under her breath, "It's more respect than Shade gives her..." Winter's eyes widened curiously. "Hm? What does that mean?" Chamella looked up again, looking at the pegasus with a little surprise. "What? Has Shade not told you how he feels about Queen Chrysalis and the changelings?" "Not lately. Last I heard he just hoped they could find a way to make peace with us." "Oh, well... He doesn't feel that way anymore." Winter was surprised to hear that. "What? Why would you say that?" "Because he told me. A few months ago he told me that he's lost all faith in the changelings. He believes that if they aren't smart enough to see how easy it is to find happiness, then maybe they just don't deserve it. He seems to think they're irredeemable now and wants nothing to do with them." The ivory mare frowned upon hearing that. "That doesn't sound much like him." Chamella shrugged, giving Winter a somewhat judgmental look from the corner of her eye. "I guess people change. Apparently it doesn't take much to make a person start acting out of character." Winter grimaced at the remark. "That's uncalled for. I already realized what a jerk I've been and apologized for it." She held a hoof to her chin in thought. "But it still seems strange that Shade would start thinking like that. I should probably talk to him about it when we get out of here." Chamella shifted self-consciously. "You don't think less of me for still respecting Queen Chrysalis, do you?" The pegasus let out a long yawn, stretching her legs as she did. "Look, I know all too well how much difficulty you seem to have changing how you feel about things. But as long as it doesn't cause any problems for us, I guess it's not a big deal. Now, I'm really tired. I think it's about time we try and get some rest." "Do you want me to stay on lookout for a little while? You know, just in case?" offered Chamella. Winter curled up on the cold ground, resting her head on her fetlocks. "Nah. I doubt I'll sleep very well anyway, even considering how tired I am. You might as well hit the hay, too." Chamella followed Winter's example and lay down, letting out a sleepy yawn of her own. "Okay. Not sure if I'd be able to stay awake very long anyway." After a long day, the pair of mares finally closed their eyes for some much needed rest. Hopefully they'd be able to doze off quickly enough to refresh themselves at least a little. If nothing else, they'd managed to have a decent meal before bed. ***** ***** ***** "Look, all I'm saying is that you two could at least try to help out if we get into trouble." Rarity rolled her eyes at Rainbow Dash. The two of them had been arguing nearly nonstop since splitting up from the rest of the group. The cyan pegasus was doing very little to mask their presence in the changeling hive, speaking rather loudly and her voice carrying through the spacious caverns; if there were any changelings nearby, they were now certainly aware that there were ponies in their territory. Thankfully, they'd yet to run into any opposition, but Rarity knew it was only a matter of time before Rainbow Dash's loud mouth gave them away, which tied into their current argument. "If I recall, you were the one who said, and I quote, 'They have me. I think we'll be fine,'" Rarity reminded the chromatic mare. "Was all of your boisterous posturing simply you blowing hot air, or do you intend to actually take on entire groups of changelings on your own?" Rainbow Dash huffed at the accusation. "I mean, I'm not saying that I can't take 'em on if I need to, but I was really just saying that to make you girls feel a little more at ease, you know?" "Um, if it's any consolation, it made me feel a little better," said Fluttershy, speaking up quietly for the first time in two hours as she trailed slightly behind her two friends. "See? Fluttershy has faith in me," said the cyan pegasus. "Yes, and that's all well and good, but what good is faith if you can't back up your claims?" Rarity asked rhetorically. Rainbow Dash breathed an exasperated sigh. "So are you offering to step in if I need help, or what?" "While I would certainly rather avoid engaging in violence, I would be willing to throw my hat in the ring should the need arise," the ivory unicorn claimed confidently. "Yeah, okay, if you say so," Dash said, stifling a snicker. Rarity glared at the pegasus, insulted. "And what exactly does that mean?" "Nothing. It's just kind of funny since you were just talking about being able to back up your claims." "And you think I couldn't?" said Rarity with a furrowed brow. "I mean, come on. You said yourself that you aren't a fighter." "I was more so referring to Fluttershy than myself," the unicorn clarified. "Okay, so let's say we come across some changelings. I know you put a lot of effort into making yourself look good and junk, but as far as I've noticed, you don't really work out or anything. I fly pretty much all day, rounding up clouds and flying long distances. And I was a part of three different sports teams in flight school and high school. I've got the stamina and strength to handle myself in a fight. What do you bring to the table?" Rarity scoffed at Rainbow Dash's insinuation. "Well, I must admit I never knew you had such a low opinion of me." "Hey, I'm just talking about stuff you can use in a fight. That doesn't make me think less of you or anything. You usually do your own thing, and that's cool, but what can you do when it comes time to get a little physical?" "I'll have you know that I do jog regularly," Rarity informed her. "You probably never noticed since I do so in the mornings when you're usually still sound asleep. That being said, strength is not the only factor one can utilize in a tussle. And for your information, I, too, partake in a sport." Rainbow Dash's eyes widened in surprise. "Really? What sport?" "Fencing." The pegasus actually looked a little impressed. "You mean, like, sword fighting?" "I prefer to think of it as sword dancing," Rarity corrected with a whimsical lilt in her voice. Dash shrugged. "Whatever makes you feel better about stabbing stuff." Rarity rolled her eyes. "Oh, please, you make it sound so barbaric. Fencing is not about 'stabbing stuff,' as you put it. It is about finesse and reflexes, poise and precision. It is a sport of wits, reading and outmaneuvering your opponent. In that regard, it is not really so much different from other, more physical sports." She glanced around the empty and featureless tunnel they traipsed through, looking a touch embarrassed. "That being said, I would require a weapon in order to utilize those skills. Sadly, I never thought to bring one." "What, you just have a sword lying around your house?" inquired Rainbow Dash. "Of course not. I usually just use the ones supplied to us at the rec center where I take part. Oh! Now that I think of it..." Rarity turned around to the yellow mare following behind them. "Fluttershy, you should join me some time. It's actually quite therapeutic." Fluttershy was quite caught off guard by the request. "Huh? O-Oh, I don't know. Swinging a sword around sounds pretty dangerous. I wouldn't want to accidentally hurt somepony... Or, more likely, myself." Rarity waved her concerns off dismissively. "Oh, you needn't worry, darling. Everypony wears padded gear and masks, and all the rapiers are capped to ensure there are no injuries. As I said, it is more like a dance than an actual fight. You simply point out the flaws in each others movements with a touch of your sword." The meek pegasus still looked a little unsure, but forced a small grin to appease her friend. "W-Well, if you really want me to, I guess I can give it a try." Hearing that, Rarity added an extra spring into her step and gave a pleased smile. "Wonderful! I assure you, you'll enjoy yourself." "Getting a bit sidetracked here, aren't we?" Rainbow Dash interjected. "Instead of making plans for the weekend, do you wanna focus on the here and now?" Rarity snapped back to reality, having briefly forgotten where they were. "Oh, yes, of course. In any case, the point I was trying to make was that I do indeed have skills I can offer if we find ourselves unable to avoid an altercation. Whether or not I can properly use those skills in an actual combat scenario is still up for debate, however. But I will most certainly try my best if need be." "I think I'll still hang back, if that's okay," Fluttershy chimed in. "No problem," said Dash with a reassuring grin to the other pegasus. "I'm still pretty confident I can handle a few changelings myself anyway, so hopefully you two won't have to get involved at all." "That would be ideal, yes," agreed Rarity. "Although it would have been nice to at least have one more person accompany us that can handle themselves in a fight." "Yeah, I'm sure Twilight's group'll be able to handle pretty much anything they come across," added Rainbow Dash. "Even Pinkie's unpredictability would be helpful." "If it really comes to it, I can try and fight," Fluttershy offered. "But I can't promise I'll be much help." "You don't need to put yourself in harm's way if you don't want to, darling," Rarity told her, not wanting to see her frail friend get hurt. The quiet pegasus stood up a little straighter, putting on a comparatively tougher face. "If I wasn't willing to put myself in harm's way, I would have stayed in Ponyville. I came to help, and if that means I have to fight changelings, then... I guess I'll fight changelings." "That's the spirit," Rainbow Dash said encouragingly, patting her feathered friend on the back. "Just remember: if things look dicey, you can always duck out." Fluttershy smiled confidently. "I'll keep that in mind." "Heavens, if we're this concerned over dealing with these brutes, I can only imagine what poor, little Snowflake must be going through," Rarity expressed with deep worry. "No kidding," agreed Dash, grimacing at the thought. "For all we know, he could be dead already." "Rainbow Dash! Don't even suggest such a thing!" the fashionista balked. She lifted a hoof to her face, shaking her head. "Oh, I simply could not handle the thought of such a fate befalling that sweet child." Fluttershy tilted her head, pondering something. "Do you think they'd go through the trouble of kidnapping him if they were just going to let him die?" "Yeah, that's a good point," said Rainbow Dash with a nod. "I know they're not the smartest group in general, but they should at least know that they have to feed an infant foal." "I do have to wonder: why in the world does Queen Chrysalis even need an infant foal?" Rarity questioned. "It must have something to do with him being half changeling," Fluttershy postulated. "You think maybe she plans on using him to create, like, an army of crossbred soldiers or something?" Rainbow Dash suggested. "If that was the case, she'd have to wait a few years for Snowflake to mature," said the unicorn. "Besides, I don't see the tactical advantage of raising an army of halflings. As far as we're aware, Snow doesn't have the ability to shape-shift. He doesn't even have a horn, so he can't use magic at all." "And, according to the doctor, he's probably not gonna be able to fly either," added Dash. "Maybe it's a psychological thing then," said Fluttershy. "Maybe she plans on raising it like one of her soldiers and eventually having him take part in the next invasion. I know I'd be confused if I saw a pony fighting alongside the changelings." "You think he'd recognize anypony?" Rainbow Dash asked. "If he was raised here, perhaps not," answered Rarity. "He's still so young, after all. If he would recognize anypony, it would most likely be his parents, but even then we can't say for sure." Fluttershy's ears dropped and she lowered her head slightly. "Just imagine how horrible that would be for Shade and Winter." Rainbow Dash stomped a determined hoof firmly on the ground. "All the more reason we gotta find him, right? We're not letting Chrysalis do this to our friends, and when I find her, I'm gonna teach her a lesson by whooping her sorry flank." "Let's not get carried away, Rainbow Dash," said Rarity. "We don't need to deal with Chrysalis at all, so long as we can find Snowflake, as well as Winter, Chamella and Shade." "I get the feeling it's not going to be that simple," Fluttershy assumed. She let out a tired yawn. "Not to mention I'm getting pretty tired. I don't think I could handle a few drones right now, let alone Chrysalis." "Fluttershy makes a good point," agreed Rainbow Dash, stretching her legs and wings. "We've been walking all day. It's probably getting kinda late." Rarity looked around, appalled by the insinuation. "You aren't seriously suggesting we sleep here, are you?" "What, you didn't bring alone some kind of giant, impractical tent to spend the night in?" Rainbow Dash asked with a sly smirk. Rarity turned up her nose with an insulted huff. "Hmph. I was told to bring only the bare necessities. Bringing a tent alone with us would have been impractical on its own since we already brought so much with us." "Then why are you acting so surprised that we have to sleep in the dirt?" The unicorn let out a sigh. "Truth be told, I was hoping somepony else would have brought a tent. I just didn't want to have to carry one myself." "Well, tough. You're just gonna have to suck it up, Princess," Rainbow Dash teased. The two pegasi removed their saddlebags and the helmets provided to them by Rarity, and lay down on the ground, not taking much time to be choosy with their location. Rarity hesitated for a moment, noting the dirt and moisture on the cold, jagged, stone floor. "Ugh, as if this humidity wasn't already bad enough, now my coat is going to be absolutely filthy." Against all of her instincts, Rarity lowered herself down, laying next to Fluttershy. She shuddered in disgust the moment her body touched the ground. "I am going to take the longest bubble bath of my life when I get home." "I'm gonna stay up a bit longer to keep watch," Rainbow Dash offered. "And we should be ready to make a brisk pace tomorrow. We have no idea how far ahead Shade, Winter and Chamella are. We've really gotta get moving if we hope to catch up to them. For all we know, they might not even be taking the time to sleep." "That is, if we're even going the right way," said Fluttershy, referring to the maze-like nature of the caves. "I suppose we just have to operate on the assumption that we are and hope we find them before something happens," added Rarity. She let out a sleepy yawn, laying her head against Fluttershy to avoid having to lay it on the ground. Fluttershy rested her head on her own fetlocks, closing her eyes. "Hopefully, we can all get some decent rest, too. Goodnight, girls." "Goodnight, dear," Rarity returned. "'Night," Rainbow Dash quietly bid her sleepy friends. As the only one who was staying up, the cyan pegasus leaned back against the wall. She was pretty exhausted herself, and she knew it was only a matter of time before she nodded off. She wasn't really worried about getting to sleep; she could fall asleep pretty much anywhere without a problem. She just offered to be on watch to make Fluttershy and Rarity feel a little more at ease. Still, though, having come this far and not having accomplished anything yet, she was starting to feel the pressure of this rescue. Like she suggested, they were going to have to really get a move on in the morning. ***** ***** ***** Winter tossed and turned, the uneven, stone floor digging into her as if to intentionally agitate her. As a result, sleep eluded her, though that was expected from the beginning. But even though she couldn't manage to doze off, she didn't dare open her eyes on the off chance that her much sought after journey into unconsciousness was but a few minutes away, and she didn't want to squander that. She was tempted to grab one of the larger mushrooms she knew was nearby and use its soft, round cap as a makeshift pillow, but something about laying her head on a damp, glowing fungus wasn't really too appealing. The pegasus rolled over onto her back, letting out a quiet, exasperated sigh. She found it rather irritating that she had been so exhausted and sleepy before she lay down, but now she felt like she had just had a hot cup of espresso. But, again, she elected to keep her eyes clamped shut. She was starting to regret not bringing a clock or something, as impractical as that would have been. In this situation it would have allowed her to determine exactly how long she'd been laying there. But, then again, did she really want to know? Winter was contemplating checking to see if Chamella was having just as much difficulty sleeping as she was. Chamella had grown up here, so perhaps she found it easier, although, according to her and Shade, she never actually spent much time in the caves and likely never spent a whole night there. Winter would at least feel a little better knowing she wasn't the only one who had to endure this sleepless torment. "Chamella, you asleep?" Winter whispered. She received the response she really didn't want: nothing. Maybe it was for the best. If at least one of them managed to get a good night's sleep, perhaps that was good enough. All Winter really had to do was follow Chamella's lead anyway. But, at the same time, she wasn't sure how much longer she was going to be able to tolerate this. It was time to give in. Winter finally caved, laboriously heaving herself up onto her haunches. Her own body taunted her as she let out a long yawn. She opened her eyes, finding that there wasn't really anything to which they needed to adjust given the near pitch darkness. She rubbed her tired eyes with her fetlock, an action she immediately regretted as she felt all the sweat and dirt that had accumulated in her coat rub onto her face. She felt the bags under her eyes weighing her head down, her gaze forced upon the cold, grey floor. Winter managed to lift her head high enough to look around at the mushroom-filled chamber they had chosen to rest in. It's not like she expected there to be anything different about it, but part of her wished something had changed to give her an excuse to get up and wander around. That may not have been the case, but she was going to do it anyway. The somnolent pegasus stretched her legs and wings, and worked an uncomfortable kink out of her neck. She chanced a look over to where Chamella had been sleeping to confirm just how cozy the changeling was and how jealous she should be. But Chamella was nowhere to be seen. Winter looked around frantically, hoping that maybe she was just looking in the wrong spot, or maybe Chamella had ducked behind one of the stone columns to use the bathroom. But no matter how hard she searched, she couldn't find hide nor hair of her companion. What was more was that both of their saddlebags were missing as well. The pegasus's knee-jerk reaction was to assume that Chamella had turned her back on her, took their stuff and left her to fend for herself. However, she shook her head. She didn't want to believe that to be the case. If Chamella had planned on stabbing her in the back the whole time, there were plenty of opportunities to do so before now. She could have just done nothing when Blight was upon her and she'd be dead right now. The only other explanation was that something had happened to her. Perhaps some soldiers had found them and took Chamella and their stuff. But then why would they leave her—a pony in changeling territory—behind? Furthermore, she figured that that couldn't have been the case; Winter hadn't gotten a wink since she lay down here, so there's no way she wouldn't have noticed something like that. "Chamella!" Winter's voice rang out through the cavern, but the only response she received was her own voice echoing back at her. Now she was really starting to worry. What was she supposed to do without Chamella? Winter had no idea where she went or what might have happened to her. Did she turn back the way they came, or did she keep going forward? Either way, Winter did not want to wait around to find out if Chamella was coming back. She needed to go look for her. She had no intention of leaving the Changeling Kingdom without Snowflake, so Winter decided to keep moving deeper, hoping that that would be the direction Chamella went—or was taken. She exited the mushroom infested chamber and headed down the other path she'd pointed out earlier. However, she was only just realizing that navigating the pitch-black tunnels was going to be incredibly difficult and dangerous since she no longer had Chamella's magic to light the way, and her flashlight was in her missing bags. She briefly looked back at the glowing mushrooms, but figured their luminescence would prove to be inadequate against the deep blackness. She was just going to have to risk it. Winter took a deep breath, then proceeded forward. Winter walked cautiously, staying near the wall with her wings outstretched, allowing her feathers to brush along the stone surface to feel her way along the tunnel. For a brief moment, she wondered if this was what it was like to be blind. There was nothing else to do as she tried to luck her way through the hive but think about the situation she'd found herself in. And now that she thought about it, the idea that Chamella willingly abandoned her was unlikely for the same reason as her being taken by other changelings; Winter certainly would've heard her up and about, no matter how hard she tried to stay quiet. But if neither of those scenarios were likely, then what did happen? None of this made any sense. Already Winter felt like she'd been walking for ages. The tunnel she was carefully treading through seemed to be unchanging. Most of the paths she and Chamella had navigated were winding and often had several alternate paths splitting off from them. This tunnel just went perfectly straight and didn't appear to have any distinct features as far as Winter could tell in the darkness. In fact, as she walked further, the walls grew gradually smoother, almost as though the changelings had actually put some effort into carving it out properly. Surprisingly, the longer Winter spent delving into the darkness, the more her eyes seemed to adjust. She could now faintly see her own hooves beneath her and her outstretched wings, as well as the smooth surface of the wall next to her. She wasn't exactly sure how her eyesight was coming to her, but she wasn't about to take such a blessing for granted. After enough time, her vision had recovered enough to no longer need to use the wall to guide her, and she could now see within several feet of her. The pegasus used her newly restored eyesight to look around the cave. As she thought, the cave walls were surprisingly smooth, but there were still several stalactites and stalagmites decorating the tunnel. Oddly, though, those spikes also appeared to have been carved to be smooth and to a fine, sharp, needle-like point. Did this path lead to some area of significance within the hive, perhaps the throne room? No, that couldn't be it. If they were that close this whole time, Chamella certainly would have known. Winter wiped her forehead with her hoof. The air within the cave was becoming gradually more humid, and the warm moisture was beginning to collect on her coat, mixing with the sweat she was beginning to exude. It felt like there was a light breeze blowing through the tunnel every few seconds, too, adding to the building heat. She was starting to feel like she was back in the sauna at the spa. If that wasn't strange enough, the normally-hard-and-rugged stone floor was starting to feel somehow softer beneath her hooves, not to mention moist. She'd already trodden through a few shallow puddles of warm—and oddly viscous—water, which felt more than a little gross. The warm gusts of air that had been periodically blowing against her face were becoming stronger, not to mention louder. The low, hollow sound and the rhythmic pattern of the wind almost sounded like the cave was breathing. Winter froze in place, a sudden feeling of dread overcoming her. She looked more closely at the walls and floor of the cave. Upon closer inspection, it didn't seem to be made of stone at all. It was almost... fleshy, and those stalactites and stalagmites looked practically like giant fangs. The cave was breathing. The tooth-like spikes, the breath-like wind, the warm, viscous water and the fleshy walls. Had she somehow managed to wander into the maw of some kind of colossal monster? The moment Winter's mind had arrived at that revelation, the entire cave began to rumble and shake, accompanied by a deep, guttural grumbling sound all around her. The floor and walls started to undulate in a disgusting manner and more of that gross liquid dripped from the ceiling in long strands. The pegasus, having a bad feeling about what was happening, didn't feel like sticking around any longer to contemplate the bizarre circumstances she'd found herself in. Winter whipped around the direction she'd come from, intent on returning to where the cavern was normal. However, she hadn't made it even a few feet before she noticed that the passageway behind her had been blocked, the fleshy walls having clenched shut. What was more, the tunnel was continuing to close up, the blockade quickly growing closer and threatening to crush her within its gross walls. Winter turned back to keep going the way she had been and started sprinting. Each step she took, her hooves sunk a few inches into the floor, like trying to run on a waterbed; a nasty, sticky waterbed filled with saliva and had sprung several leaks. Winter was having difficulty maintaining her balance on the unstable, wet and wriggling floor. While she never outright tripped, each minor stumble gave the enclosing walls just a little more ground to catch up on her. Desperate to escape just about the worse fate she could possibly imagine, Winter began flapping her wings, taking to the air and flying as fast as she was physically able. It was working at least. She was managing to outrun the imminent danger behind her, but she had no intention of slowing down. Winter kept pressing forward at top speed, unfortunately catching a few globs of sticky saliva dripping from above on her face and in her hair, but she didn't let that hold her back. She stared straight ahead as she flew. She was hoping to the bright sun above that there was an exit somewhere. At this point, she didn't really care about what the implications of an "exit" were within a giant monster's body, she just wanted out. Thankfully, she spotted something up ahead. The cave—or, let's face it, esophagus—appeared to end some distance down the way, opening out into a larger chamber. Winter hoped that she was approaching the creature's mouth and not actually entering the stomach, but the razor sharp, teeth-like spikes lined the top and bottom of the opening; it was about as mouth-looking as she could hope for. The problem was it was beginning to close in from that direction, too. The jaws of the titanic beast were starting to slowly shut, her exit growing smaller and smaller by the second. If Winter was too slow, she'd be swallowed and ingested, or, more horrifyingly, impaled and chewed up by those monstrous teeth. But it wasn't like there were any other options available. Winter kicked it into overdrive, flapping her wings until her muscles began to burn and her joints felt like they were going to separate. She wasn't even looking anymore, her eyes clamped shut so she wouldn't have to witness herself becoming a snack for this beast if that wound up being her fate. She simply flew and hoped she'd make it. Winter felt something sharp graze the fur of her fetlocks, then, suddenly, the intense humidity had suddenly disappeared, the air around her becoming much cooler in an instant. Her body felt relief faster than her brain was able to process it and her wings instantly gave out. Winter dropped out of the air, falling about half a dozen feet until she collided roughly with the hard ground. Winter panted, exhausted and sore. She ran her hooves over the ground slowly. Never did she think she'd be so relieved to tumble onto a surface of solid stone. Finally, she opened her eyes, confirming that, indeed, she was once again back in the caves proper. She lifted her head, but shuddered as a thought hit her. She spun around, peering behind her for the beast from which she had escaped. But she saw nothing. There was no creature there. No flesh, or teeth, or anything hinting that a giant monster is, or ever was, there. Just the dark, stone tunnel she'd been traveling through from the start. Winter stood up, taking a few more tired breaths as she tried to wrap her mind around all of this. She lifted a hoof to her mane, running it through the crimson locks. She shuddered in disgust as she felt something warm and wet adhere to her hoof. She held her hoof out, covered in nasty monster spit, and did her best to shake it off without flicking it back at herself. She also noticed a small cut on her fetlock where she must have scraped it against one of the beast's many fangs. She looked back down the tunnel, baffled even further. The creature was nowhere to be seen, but evidence of its presence still remained. What in Celestia's name was happening? But standing around wondering about it wasn't going to give her any answers. She was out of the frying pan for now, but time would only tell if she wound up in the fire. Winter had a mission to focus on, and she didn't intend to delay that for anything. Just as that thought returned to her mind, Winter was distracted by a droning buzz coming from behind her, down the way she'd been going. Given her experiences, she immediately recognized the sound as changeling wings. Not surprising, certainly, but she was a little concerned that it seemed as though she'd get no respite after that harrowing event. On the other hoof, there was always the possibility that it could be Chamella. A long shot to be sure, but at this point Winter was trying to hold onto whatever hope she could muster. Seeing no other option other than to press onward, Winter continued with determination decorating her face. She knew she was possibly walking straight into the lion's den, but considering she had just escaped the maw of some enormous monster, it probably couldn't get much more dangerous. The further she walked, the louder the buzzing became. It was evident that there was more than one changeling up ahead. In fact, it was getting so loud that Winter was beginning to shiver in fear. The sound was very reminiscent of a certain other life-threatening situation she'd once found herself in, and it was making her more than a little apprehensive. Winter slowed down, attempting to avoid detection as best as possible. She hugged the wall as she inched toward the source of the buzzing. She could see that the tunnel opened into a larger chamber not too far ahead, and she could barely make out moving objects inside. A lot of objects. Winter approached the chamber, finding a large stalagmite near the entrance to hide behind as she assessed the situation. The pegasus felt her heart rate jump up. The chamber was abuzz with countless changeling larvae, flittering around like a swarm of vicious hornets. Just the sight of it was enough to nearly paralyze her, incurring the memory of the last time she found herself inside one of the hive's nurseries. Winter wasn't entirely sure what to do now, either. Surely if she were to go straight in there she'd be torn to shreds by the ravenous newborns. Should she just cut her losses and head back? It seemed too risky to brave the nursery. But that's when she remembered something. Chamella had said that, chances were, Snowflake was being kept in one of the hive's many nurseries. Granted, there were purportedly innumerable nurseries within the caves, so the chances of her just happening to stumble upon the one her son was in was very slim, assuming he actually was in one of them to begin with. Winter peered into the chamber once more, weighing her options carefully. However, something caught her eye. Amongst the countless larvae buzzing about, there was a lone, stationary figure, no bigger than the rest, simply sitting in the center of the room. But, aside from its size and its translucent wings, it wasn't like the others; it appeared to have no holes in its legs, possessed no horn, and its body also didn't give off the same sheen as the other changelings' smooth, chitinous skin. Winter's eyes went wide in disbelief. It couldn't actually be him, could it? There was no way that she would be lucky enough to find him in the first nursery she happened upon. As if by divine intervention, the swarm of larvae suddenly spread out, each and every one of them exiting the chamber through one of the many connecting tunnels leading out. All except one. There were no larvae left. The room was completely empty, save for the lone figure sitting in the middle. Winter stared silently for a moment. Nothing was stopping her from checking to see if it really was just her imagination. She stood up, slowly making her way towards the little creature. Something about this seemed too good to be true. It was entirely possible that she was walking straight into some kind of trap, but at this moment in time, Winter was blinded by the idea that she may have finally found her missing baby. After a slow and cautious approach, Winter was finally standing right behind the small figure. There was no mistaking it; up close it looked less like a changeling and more like a pony foal. With his black coat, short tail of dark green hair, larger ears, along with the aforementioned lack of any distinguishable changeling traits, there was nopony else it could have been. It was a pony foal with changeling wings. It had to be him. Winter pensively reached out a hoof, still trying to discern whether or not this was actually real. "Snowflake? Is it really you?" Just as she was about to offer her motherly touch to ease her son, the foal spun around to face her, standing up and hissing viciously at Winter. The pegasus pulled back in shock. Her eyes almost began to start welling with tears, but not from the relief of finally being reunited with her son. It was undoubtedly Snowflake, but at the same time, she almost couldn't recognize him. For one thing, Snowflake had never shown any signs of being unruly outside of when he was just trying to have fun. Hissing was definitely not something she ever expected from him. On top of that, two pointed fangs were sprouting from his upper jaw, and his bright green eyes were now the same soulless sky blue as all the other larvae. Winter began to shake as she stared, shocked and frightened at what they had done to her baby. "S-Snow?" The baby snarled at her, crouching defensively. Winter was too scared to move, but she desperately held onto hope that her son could still be saved. "Sweetie, it's me, Mommy. Don't you recognize me?" Snowflake did nothing but continue to hiss and snarl at his own mother, causing the pegasus to tremble as she was forced to see her son devolve into one of the very creatures that had taken him from her. "W-What did they do to you?" Winter said shakily, trying to fight back the tears in her eyes. "We saved him." Winter nearly jumped out of her skin at the sound of the voice speaking from the darkness. She stepped back, spotting a figure through the dark veil behind Snowflake. Winter recognized the voice, and it sent a chill down her spine. It had been a long time since she'd heard it, but she would never forget it. And she watched as the figure emerged from the blackness, revealing the tall, slender figure of the changeling queen herself: Chrysalis. Winter was too frightened to say anything, but at the same time, anger roiled inside of her. This was the very person they'd been seeking out from the beginning. Winter finally had her chance to get some answers. "Wh-Why...? Why did you take him from me?" the pegasus stammered, her voice lacking courage. Chrysalis stared down at her haughtily, a smug grin creasing her fanged lips. "I was taking him back. He is a changeling after all." "You said we had your blessing! You were going to let us live peacefully!" Chrysalis simply shrugged. "I changed my mind." She cast a disgusted glower at the pegasus. "Besides, I had to step in after seeing how he was living." Winter went silent for a moment, confused. "W-What does that mean?" "You think I 'did something' to him? I'll have you know I did nothing." Chrysalis held out her hoof rather daintily. Snowflake, in spite of what the doctor had said when he was born, fluttered his wings, rose upward and latched onto the queen's leg, nuzzling into her affectionately. Winter's ears fell and her eyes widened. At that moment, it felt as though her heart had just been put through a shredder and the remains thrown into an incinerator. Chrysalis lifted the tyke up to her face, pressing her nose gently against his lovingly. "Little Snowflake here was more than happy to join our colony." "That's a lie!" Winter shouted, furious and with tears running down her cheeks. "I'm his mother... H-He would never..." Chrysalis scowled at her. "What right do you have to call yourself a mother? I've raised thousands of larvae with all the love a changeling can muster, and even that is more than you can offer. I could not just stand by and watch as one of my subjects was raised by somepony so selfish and irresponsible. He'll be far better off under my care than he ever would be with you." Winter was trembling, unable to believe what she was hearing. Even the queen of the changelings was calling her a horrible mother. Was she really that bad? The emotional mother reached out to her son once more, desperate for some sort of sign that he still loved her. "Snow... I..." Once again, she received only a hateful hiss from her child. Never in her life had she felt so devastated. Even the feeling of betrayal she'd felt upon finding out Shade was secretly a changeling couldn't compare to the heartbreak of being rejected by her own newborn son. "You're beginning to agitate my little one here," Chrysalis stated, pulling the baby close to her chest. "I think it's time for you to leave." The moment the queen said that, a thousand blue eyes lit up in the darkness surrounding them. Countless changeling larvae flittered in with a deafening buzz, hungry looks on all of their faces as they slowly began to converge on the lone pony cowering and crying in the middle of the room. "I suggest you run," Chrysalis said with a devilish grin. Despite her heart being in pieces and her mind still unable to comprehend the crushing revelation that her son no longer loved her, Winter still somehow had the wherewithal to take the changeling queen's advice and flee for what was left of her life. Winter didn't know where she was going, nor did she particularly care at this moment. Her mind was muddled by the emotional trauma, and it was only by pure, animalistic instinct that she was even running away to start with, leaving a trail of tears behind her. Her entire life felt like it was crumbling around her. All the pressure she was putting on herself to be a good mother having turned against her in the worst way imaginable. Her own son had forsaken her. She still couldn't believe that he would rather live here as a changeling than continue being raised by her. The pegasus's sprint slowed to a halfhearted trot before stopping entirely, collapsing onto the stone floor of the cave and sobbing loudly into her hooves. How was she supposed to just go back to her normal life after all of this? How was she supposed to live with herself knowing that she was the one who drove her baby away? But she had already given up. No doubt the pursuing larvae would be upon her in mere moments to take away her worthless life. Winter waited silently for several moments, hiccuping and whimpering. Finally, she lifted her head. She couldn't hear the sound of buzzing wings barreling down on her. She glanced over her shoulder, finding nothing but darkness. It seemed the larvae hadn't bothered to actually come after her. Winter had to wonder if this was a blessing, or just Chrysalis toying with her, trying to torture her as much as she could before killing her. She didn't know what to do anymore. What did she have left now? "Winter!" The pegasus jolted her head up. Another familiar voice beckoned to her, but one she was much more thankful to hear, not to mention shocked. Winter stood up, staring, wide-eyed, as she watched none other than the father of her child gallop toward her from the darkness of the cave. "Shade!?" Shade slowed down as he approached, panting with exhaustion and breathing a long sigh of relief. "Winter, thank Celestia I found you. Are you okay?" Despite her confusion and surprise at seeing him here, she was still happy to see him. Though, that didn't last long. She had to break the news to him. "Shade... Snow, he..." Shade raised an eyebrow, looking worried. "What about him?" "He—" Before she could get another word out, another changeling leapt from the darkness and tackled Shade to the ground. Without even a moment of hesitation, the attacker pinned Shade down and lunged at his neck, tearing into him like a rabid animal. It happened so fast. Winter never even had a chance to react to it. All she could do was stare in horror, listening to the disturbing sound of teeth ripping through flesh and watching blood splatter onto the floor. Winter's throat went dry, her vision began to grow fuzzy and she felt like she was going to vomit. "Shade!" she screamed in terror, her voice echoing in her own ears. The tears began to flow anew, her heart having practically stopped. The attacker lifted their head from the now corpse of the unsuspecting changeling. They just sat there for a moment, looming over the body with their back to Winter. It was only now that Winter noticed the assailant's long, dark purple mane. The changeling slowly turned their head, leering over their shoulder at the pegasus, their bright pink eyes contrasting the narrow, predatory slits of their pupils. "Ch-Chamella...?" Winter's voice was so quiet, even she could barely hear herself. Her horror and shock had almost completely taken her senses from her as she stared, unable to pry her gaze away from the changeling staring back at her. Chamella opened her mouth slowly, her jaw lined with long, dagger-like teeth, making her look like some sort of deep sea monstrosity. "If I can't have him, nopony can." Her voice grated against Winter's eardrums like claws on a chalkboard. The changeling stood up, slowly and menacingly walking toward Winter, like a predator to its cornered prey. Winter was in shock. Her son had abandoned her, and her lover was dead at the hooves of the mare they had chosen to be Snowflake's godmother. Now she truly had nothing left. All she could do now was simply stand there and wait for her own life to end. Chamella was just a few feet from her now, and what was left of Winter's fight-or-flight instincts kicked in enough for her to take a step backwards. However, her uncontrollable trembling and addled state of mind caused her to stumble and fall onto her back. Within a moment, Chamella was upon her, leaning over her and gazing down with pure malice and hunger. Winter clenched her eyes shut, not wanting to endure anymore pain. "Winter..." the changeling growled. Winter felt Chamella's breath on her face, saliva and blood dripping from her mouth and onto the cowering pegasus's ivory coat. "Winter..." The pegasus whimpered fearfully. Despite everything, despite having lost her son and her beloved, she still didn't want to die. But there was nothing to stop it. Nopony was going to save her, and the only person who could was the one who was about to deliver the killing blow. She tensed her entire body, only wishing that her death was quick so that she could be reunited with Shade as soon as possible. "Winter!" Winter's eyes shot open, her senses feeling suddenly dulled as if having just snapped out of a trance. Her gaze was directed once more at the changeling hovering above her. However, the monstrous set of dagger-like teeth and narrowed, hungry eyes were replaced by a couple of short fangs and pink eyes wide with concern. It was the face that Winter had become familiar with. "Are you okay?" Chamella asked softly. The pegasus was silent, save for her heavy breathing. She was befuddled by everything that was happening and had no idea where to start asking questions. Winter managed to remove her gaze from Chamella for brief moments at a time—she still wasn't convinced she was safe—to take a look at her surroundings. To her shock and confusion, she found that she had somehow wound up back in the chamber of glowing mushrooms, where she and Chamella stopped to rest for the night. Even their saddlebags, which she thought had gone missing, were there once more. Winter finally managed to speak, having thought for a short time that she may have lost her voice. "Wh-What's happening?" she asked, her voice subdued and still shaky with fear. Chamella gently placed a hoof on one of Winter's, speaking to her quietly and compassionately. "Calm down. You were screaming and crying in your sleep. You must have been having a pretty rough nightmare." Winter blinked. "'Nightmare'?" She sat up, still making sure not to keep her eyes off of Chamella for too long. She raised a hoof, wiping it over her face and through her mane. Sure enough, the blood that she had felt drip onto her face just moments ago was not present, nor was the monster saliva that had gummed up her mane. On top of that, the small scratch she had received on her fetlock earlier was gone as well. Was that all it was, a nightmare? Winter had a hard time believing that. She couldn't recall even a moment where she felt like she was comfortable enough to doze off. And everything she had just experienced had felt so real. The thought that it was nothing but a dream never even occurred to her, despite the bizarre, giant creature she had somehow found herself inside and was then suddenly gone. Winter's ears perked up, her eyes widening with hope. She quickly looked around the immediate area. Shade's body was nowhere to be seen. She let out a sigh of relief. If it was really was just a nightmare, then that meant that Shade was safe and Snowflake hadn't abandoned her... Yet... The concerned mother stood up, grabbing her saddlebags and throwing them onto her back. Chamella was surprised to see her acting so determined after she had just witnessed the pegasus crying out in her sleep. "Where are you going?" the changeling asked. "To find my son. Every second we spend waiting around is another second he could—" Winter was interrupted when she felt Chamella's hoof upon her shoulder. The changeling was giving her a rather disapproving stare with her pink eyes. "Don't so this again, Winter. We talked about this; rushing ahead is just a better way to get ourselves killed. We have to worry about ourselves first. I know that's hard right now, and I'm sure that, whatever nightmare you were having, it was about Snow, but don't get careless again, okay?" Winter paused for a few moments. Chamella's words rang through her head, reminding her of the chat they'd had after their encounter with Blight. She rubbed her eyes lightly. She knew Chamella was right. She'd been briefly blinded by everything she saw in her nightmare and almost lapsed back into the mindset she said she'd move away from. The mother let out a tired groan. "Right... Sorry. Guess I'm not thinking straight." Chamella looked her in the eyes, concerned for Winter's well being. "You gonna be okay?" Winter managed to crack a small, reassuring smile. "Yeah, I think so. Well, hopefully." "That nightmare looks like it did a real number on you. Wanna talk about it?" The pegasus considered it for a second, but just looking Chamella in the eye and remembering what happened, she shook her head. "I'd... rather not. You probably don't want to know anyway." Chamella shrugged, not wanting to push the issue when Winter was obviously in a fragile place. "You feel alright to keep moving? We can try and get a few more hours if you still feel tired." Winter stretched her legs and wings with a moan and a sigh. "Actually, I feel surprisingly rested. How long were we asleep anyway?" "No idea. But I guess if we're not tired anymore, that means we can keep making headway, right?" Winter nodded, rolling her neck to work out the kinks from her sleep before the two of them started making their way forward once more. She was still pretty surprised that she actually managed to fall asleep. She could have sworn she never lost consciousness that whole time. Honestly, it was difficult to tell if she even was awake right now considering how real that had all felt. But since nothing strange or terrifying had happened since "waking up," she was just going to have to run on the assumption that she was, in fact, awake. Still, it was going to be tough to get those thoughts out of her head. As they walked, Winter found herself glancing discreetly at Chamella. She shook her head, attempting to distract herself from the imagery that had bore itself into her mind. She was going to have to just focus on the task at hoof and not worry about what could happen.