To maintain operational stealth, I flipped into my snow-white wolf disguise while I scoured the area where I found Flash for clues. To my surprise, the area looked untouched. The snow where I found Flash was still fresh, even Flash’s blood and body impression.
“Sloppy,” I muttered. “I trained Elytra better than this. Why didn’t she do proper cleanup?”
Or… maybe the better question is why couldn’t she? Perhaps this development has her team running ragged, which may give me the chance I need to catch her among the chaos.
I tallied up the number of individual hoof print and compared identities. Flash, Spike, Rarity, Pinkie, Rainbow, and Applejack made sense. The lack of snow in a pony-shaped spot was the location Twilight was found unconscious, so it was easy to deduce she could not make hoof prints, especially since the timing of the full brunt of the storm was after she was knocked out.
“Wait a minute…” I ran the math over my head again; Six ponies, with Twilight being the only one unable to make prints.
Then why am I finding six hoof prints?
I looked over the prints again. Though I lacked the means to identify whose prints belonged to whom, I knew it was less about being able to identify who prints belonged to and more about which prints were out of place.
“Hmm. Something out of place…” I sat on my haunches and tapped my wolf paw against my chin. There were prints where most of the fighting likely took place over by Twilight and Flash’s area. Then the prints from Everfree’s treeline towards Flash.
Twilight’s friends would travel in a group. Doesn’t make sense one of them would randomly split from the group, especially during the fight. If not before the fight or during, perhaps...
It clicked.
A disguised Changeling must have slipped in after the chaos. It must’ve happened some time between them leaving Flash for dead and my arrival, which wouldn’t give them much time to do anything too creative. Perhaps they caught my approach and didn’t have time to do proper cleanup. That leaves one last thing to investigate to determine Elytra’s moves.
I looked up towards the mouth of the Everfree forest.
When Thorax was disconnected from the hive, they should have relocated to another hiding spot. For a vassal to be hidden in Everfree after all of this time, that means there’s more to that forest than a simple hideout. I’ll have to start by following Flash’s path to the origin point where he got possessed.
I took cover within Everfree’s underbrush and transformed into a camouflage-patterned panther. Once I picked up the scent of Flash’s blood, I followed it into the trees.
What pathos I felt from Ponyville didn't hold a candle to what Everfree experienced. The entirety of the forest was covered with ice. I had to transform into a grizzly bear to keep myself warm as I progressed down the path and noted the broken trees and rocks that were likely damaged by Flash.
For Spike to escape with only a broken arm and scrapes, he did well to survive Flash’s rampage.
Over time, the trail got easier to follow. Shattered rocks. Broken trees. Dead animal carcasses with hoof marks. My nose wrinkled at the smell of blood. Note to self: never fight Flash when he's under pathos influence.
It wasn't until about an hour in the smell of blood thickened exponentially, almost too noxious to my senses.
Bingo. That's gotta be where things went south.
I took on my black panther disguise and crept towards the source with silent movement. The smell grew thicker with every step. My heart pounded against my rib cage, filled with anticipation. I’ve seen a number of grotesque killings in my time. Worse case scenario, a bunch of woodland animals were at the wrong place at the wrong time.
The source of the pungent scent was a few meters away when I heard it.
Grunts. Shifts of dirt. Sounds of metal striking earth.
I crouched and stood still, ears flicked towards the sound. Who in the hay would be out here this late?
I waited and listened for the next few minutes. The more I listened, the more it occurred to me somepony was digging. The grunts and breaths held a tone that was somewhat familiar.
That reminds me; Didn’t Fluttershy mention Zecora needed a shovel for something? In which case, this has to be Zecora. What are you up to, my little zebra?
Carefully, I moved towards the closest hedge and peered over it. Just as I deduced, Zecora was hard at work with her shovel. The scent of blood nearly overwhelmed my sensitive nose. No doubt about it; whatever she’s doing here involves whatever Flash did to these poor saps.
No point in spooking her. I’ll just drop by and say hello.
I flipped to my Sassy disguise and emerged through the brush.
“‘Sup, Zecora!” I greeted.
Zecora nearly jumped out of her skin at the sound of my voice. She stayed rooted, shovel frozen in her grip. Oho, somepony didn’t want to be spotted.
“So whatcha doing with…” I trailed off as my hoof bumped into something heavy and hard. I looked down.
A mangled mess of black chitin covered in cracks and blood greeted me.
I rubbed my eyes. I have to be seeing things. There's no way this could be-
I gasped, jaw slackened.
...No. Please no.
I slowly looked up. Legs failed to support my weight as my breath left me.
Please! Not like this!
Rows of mangled corpses were laid out. Severed black hooves and horns stacked by the bodies. Blue eyes once filled with life returned my horrified stare with empty ones.
I didn’t know where to look. A thousand thoughts ran wild with nowhere to go. All concern of Zecora being there, Shining Armor on his way to imprison me, everything about this mission fell to the wayside in place of one worry.
This must be Elytra’s unit. Is Elytra… by the mother, if my Elytra is also…
Memories flashed through my mind. Waking up on a frozen tundra. Witnessing dozens of changelings broken and maimed. My daughter hanging on by a thread to stay alive.
“Elly!” I scrambled and sifted through the horrid mess for any signs of my daughter, fighting every urge to vomit out of disgust and panic. My insides twisted more and more with each body I checked. My Elly was nowhere to be found.
As if reading my mind, Zecora spoke up. “There were no other of your kind to be found. I’m afraid that—”
For a moment, I stopped listening to her. ‘Others of my kind?’ I was still in disguise, so how did she—
In the span of a gasp I dashed at her and held my blade under her chin. “What. Do. You. Know?”
Zecora barely flinched, though she showed little more than mild surprise. “Spike confided in me of your mission with him and Flash during his moment of strife. I mean you no harm, so please, miss Trojan, put down that knife.”
“Have you seen a taller Changeling among them? She’ll look like this.” My features flipped to look like Elytra; bowl-cut, translucent green mane, slightly taller than the average Changeling.
“The one you display I did not find. What you see here is all I’ve witnessed of your kind.”
I held my stance and glare. There was no fidgeting from Zecora. Mostly steady breath. No shiftiness in the eyes. She’s not lying. My Elly might still be alive, then.
Zecora, however, knows too much. There’s far too much on the line right now to take unnecessary risk.
My grip on the blade tightened.
With Spike, I managed to handle his inclusion. But I can’t let her know our secret. She has to—hold on...
I loosened my grip.
Spike told her everything. He wouldn’t tell her without good reason. If I kill Zecora, I would be betraying his trust. Not to mention…
My gaze drifted to the makeshift graveyard, churning my stomach. The slightest bit of relief washed over me knowing that Elytra wasn’t caught up in this massacre.
I hesitated a moment longer before drawing back and sheathing my dagger.
“Sorry. And… thank you,” I said. Zecora nodded and stepped back, rubbing her throat.
I stole another glance at the gravesite. Just then, the reality of this crisis hit me.
“Flash killed them, didn’t he?”
“Though Flash was not in a proper state of mind, he fought so he could pull Spike out of a treacherous bind.”
I narrowed my eyes at Zecora. “You’ll understand if I’m not as grateful for him saving Spike as I should be.”
“I know right now, you may hold ill will towards Flash. But I fear there’s something you should know, if only to keep you from doing something brash.” Zecora placed a hoof on my shoulder. “It wasn’t until I talked to Spike that I learned he suffered from a scar of the past. The war of Canterlot where your kind killed his squadmates almost to the last. I tell you this not only to protect Flash and ponykind. I tell you because an eye for an eye will leave us all blind.”
I bristled at that. “Tch, like I care what happens to him. He killed my—”
An old memory flashed through my mind. Flames and cries of ponies all around me. My blade carved through the hearts of civilians and military alike. One pony caught my attention. Azure eyes intertwined with fear and rage. A fresh recruit. Driven to the brink of madness and made to slay his own allies thinking it was me. I thought to clip his wings and make him beg for his life. Without a warning, my vision suddenly went pink. I was flung through the air and lost my orientation. The next thing I remembered was waking up somewhere in the north, with a broken limb and snow everywhere around.
A pegasus with azure eyes. A Royal Guard recruit.
I stiffened, as if struck by lightning.
“N-no. It… it can’t be…!”
My eyes fell to my hooves, stained red from the blood of my comrades.
The blood of Flash’s comrades.
“Flash. His resentment. All of it...”
Our first meeting when he tried to kill me. That extreme reaction to Shining agreeing with me over him. The level of hatred that drove him to getting possessed by the Cold One’s vassal.
The collective epiphany knocked me onto my haunches, breathless.
“I-it was me. I caused this to happen…! This is all my fault!”
“That is unfortunate to hear,” Zecora replied. “That will be quite the burden to bear, I fear.”
For the first time in my life, I felt ashamed of myself for actions I committed against a pony. A crime that miraculously led to so much happening now. It was a hard pill to swallow.
“Though I wish we had time to let you grieve, I’m afraid we don’t have time for a reprieve. The town is still in peril and danger still has free reign. Until the fight is over, find your resolve to push on through the pain.”
Zecora’s right. I still have to find Elly.
But… then what? I’m still shackled without a way to break my slave collar. If Shining were to find Elly now, he will kill her.
Is it right for me to try and find her? I need to get her away from all of this, but I can’t bring her to face Shining Armor, either. At least with the Cold One, she would live to see daylight.
“What’s the point?“ I asked myself aloud. “In several hours, Shining will take over and send me back to the Crystal Empire. His captain is probably going to die, Twilight and Spike got badly injured, the town got swallowed in a blizzard, and I still got nothing to show for it. If he doesn’t kill me immediately, he’s bound to leave me in a prison to rot forever.”
Everything seemed to point in one direction.
My shoulders sagged in defeat. “It’s… over for me. I’ve failed.”
Zecora wore a thoughtful expression. “Are you truly that selfish? Or perhaps simply foolish?” Her expression and tone was neither condescending nor sarcastic. She seemed genuinely curious.
“What do you want from me? No matter what I do, I just can’t see a way out that doesn’t involve me locked in Cadance’s basement for eternity.”
“There it is again. Which one is it, then?”
“I’m not in the mood for your bucking games, Zecora. Pick one. I don’t give a damn.”
“There it is once again.” I opened my mouth to snap at her, but she raised her hoof to calm me. “I’ll explain in a moment, my friend. But first, follow my lead. A moment of meditation will help give you the answers you need.”
Zecora closed her eyes, and sat with her hind legs crossed and forehooves rested front and center. I threw her a flat gaze.
I opened my mouth to tear her a new one, when I thought about the grave site Zecora had taken time and effort to do out of respect for my kind.
Fine. I’ll humor her, if only for a moment. I owe her at least that much.
I mimicked Zecora, albeit shifting uneasily as I waited for her to continue. A minute passed. Then two. Then three.
I have no time for this nonsense! I have to go out there and—
As the thought came to, I realized what Zecora was truly asking of me. The truth of her approach.
I took deep, slow breaths, doing my best to push the pungent scent of the fallen to the side.
Relax your body. Free your mind.
Breathing grew easier. Tension and stress began to ease.
Breathe in slowly. Release peacefully.
My breathing was more deliberate now. The mission. Shining’s approach. Flash. Spike. Elytra. All of my worries vanished. There was only my breathing.
Focus only on your breathing. Embrace the natural state of the universe around you.
The calm of the forest. Zecora’s breath matching my own. Peace and calm echoed within me.
I recited the chant.
I am the guile mind. Knowledge is my weapon.
I am the strong body. Health is my core.
I am the brave soul. Courage is my shield.
I am the noble heart. Love is my life.
We are legion. We are victory. We are shadow.
Right then, I knew I was ready to move forward. I was ready to listen.
A minute more of calming quiet passed before Zecora spoke.
“You’ve only talked about how you’ve failed and how your fate would be affected. In your anguish and anger there are important things you’ve neglected. I, me, my, all have been centered solely on you. Don’t forget there are others involved with you, too. Division wreaks destruction. Unity brings salvation. Yes, Shining Armor may very well take you away by the next daylight. But until then, don’t you have reasons other than for yourself to fight?”
“Of course. I fight for my Changelings. To protect the hive and help us live freely.”
“And do you believe you can do this alone?”
“I…”
I faltered.
Alone. That’s how I’ve felt since this started. No one to trust. No one to depend on to save my brethren from the Cold One.
No one to call a friend.
A wave of discomfort washed over me.
That’s not quite right anymore, is it? Or rather, it’s never been right.
“I do not believe. Not anymore,” I admitted. “I came for help to save my kind and received it. I’d grown so jaded and suspicious that I allowed myself to become my own worst enemy.”
“And should you surrender now, these Changelings, your allies, their sacrifices will be in vain. I shall lend my spear to our cause and help end this madness and aid you through this trial of pain. But this all depends on you. So tell me, Trojan of the Changelings, what shall we do?”
I allowed myself a few moments to let her words settle.
Even though I screwed up, and will be paying for it with my life in the next few hours, can I really say it’s all over? If I do nothing, there will be even more deaths; Pony and Changeling alike.
Funny. I always thought I would be going at this alone, plagued with the company of Shining Armor’s guard dog and some domesticated house pet of a dragon. Figured I could never trust anything the ponies threw at me that I couldn’t control.
Yet even now, backed into a corner, I can’t say it’s all hopeless. I can’t give up, but I can’t do things like I’ve done before. Even if it turns everything I’ve ever learned upside down, I have to move past this and do better.
I have no choice but to change and move forward.
I smiled softly.
But I won’t move forward alone. I don’t have to. I’ll do what I can to save everyone who’s still alive; Elly, Twilight, Spike, Fla—
Flash’s weakened form came to mind. I frowned.
Poor Flash. If he somehow lives through all this, I can only imagine what he will go through after getting stabbed by Spike and now filled to the brim with—Wait a minute…
I grimaced, brow furrowed with intense thought.
Flash got stabbed with a Niekinis dagger. It clearly killed the vassal that possessed him, so there shouldn’t be any pathos left inside him.
That meant the pathos was pumped into him after the fact. But getting so much pathos inside him so quickly after the fact without leaving a bigger trail, only a powerful changeling close to my level could have that much control over it without going into a frenzy.
I thought back to Nurse Redheart and her surprising amount of calm despite the fight that nearly broke out.
What if I was wrong about Nurse Redheart?
No, that’s impossible. With her squad wiped out and knowing her nature, Elly would be absolutely furious, sending her pathos into overdrive. There’s no way she could hide that much pathos from me.
Flash’s corrupted body sprung to mind again.
Unless… it was never hidden. Hiding in plain sight.
My eyes snapped open.
“Zecora, how well can you fight?”
Zecora raised her eyebrow at me. After a brief pause, she moved towards a nearby tree and picked up a spear hidden behind it. “The wilds of Zebrica has trained me well. Is it safe to assume you have grave news to tell?”
“I’ll explain on the way. We need to hurry to the castle.” I rattled off, breaking into a gallop. Zecora sped along with me as we rushed for the castle.
Please let me be wrong about this.
We slid into a halt just before the castle of friendship. All seemed quiet on the surface. For now.
“Before we go in, I need to set some ground rules. Stay behind me and be as silent as possible. Elytra favors traps and ambushes, which won’t be immediately obvious until it’s too late. Be ready for anything. Is that clear?”
“There is but one small detail that is unclear,” Zecora gently squeezed my shoulder. “Are you truly ready to face the one you hold so dear?”
“I doubt any mother could be ready for that. But if there’s a way to save her, I’ll find it.” With a swallow I quelled the uneasiness in my stomach and moved forward. “Be ready for anything.” Zecora nodded and followed, staying silent.
I pushed open the door with a feathery touch. It was barely enough for me to squeeze through when I felt a minor tug of resistance. I crouched and peered between the crack of the door, a gleaming line shimmering in Luna’s line.
My heart sank as I ran a hoof along the thin, nigh-invisible steel wire.
Garrote wire. Elly’s handiwork.
I followed the line across the step, up the wall, and noted how it traveled all the way up the stairs. Roughly every flight was layered with a wire trap.
“Bellringers,” I informed upon climbing back down to meet Zecora. “The moment we trip one, she’ll immediately know something’s up. Move how I move.”
Confirming my daughter’s presence in the castle made traversing the stairwell agonizingly slow. It was only through years of discipline and infiltration I kept myself from rushing ahead. I could not leave Zecora behind either, not daring to entertain the possibility of her tripping a trap.
Minutes of evading traps paid off as we finally reached the main foyer. In moments I felt a wave of violent energy pulse through the halls. Pathos…!
Whatever was going on either involved Elly, the pathos inside Flash, or something I didn't account for. All terrified me equally.
I held my breath and followed the chiling pulses, looking for additional traps that might’ve been set.
H-Help…
I froze mid-step, then after shaking the shock out of my head I answered the Dragon whisper. “Spike?!”
Twilight’s Room. Flash. E-Elytra is—
Dead silence.
I bolted to Twilight’s room, all thoughts of secrecy abandoned. I barely acknowledge more garrote wires layered down the path, using my dagger to cleave right through them. Within a minute Zecora and I crashed into the room
The room itself had been transformed into a winter wonderland. Icicles formed on the ceiling, frost and snow encircling the three occupants. Flash was still unconscious on the bed, his pathos-ridden body getting pumped by even more pathos by the same one who had a web of garrote wires gripped in her hoof, leaving Spike suspended in mid-air by wires and unconscious.
When my eyes laid on the Changeling standing between them, black chitin and curtain of translucent green, bowl-cut mane corrupted white by the pathos, I lost my breath.
Elly…!
Zecora rushed ahead of me and lunged at Elytra. I was too stunned by the sight of my corrupted daughter to stop Zecora.
The pommel of Zecora’s staff nearly reached Elytra, who merely grinned before ceasing her pathos infusion on Flash and flicking the same hoof.
Zecora’s staff swerved to the left, barely missing Elytra’s head. Her eyes went wide as she struggled to retract her staff.
“Tch, can't I have one bloody thing go right today?” Elytra growled. With a hard yank on the wires, the spear spun like a buzzsaw towards its owner, forcing Zecora to sidestep and forfeit her weapon in favor of hoof-to-hoof combat.
I was about to unsheath my dagger when a terrifying thought rooted me. She’ll recognize the blades in a heartbeat. I need to save the others, but… can I really bring myself to hurt her to do it?
Elytra clenched and unclenched her grip on the wires as she jumped back, the wires around Spike and the staff going taut. Zecora’s unleashed a flurry of jabs and and sweeping kicks. Elytra danced away after each block and parry.
From the way Elytra toyed with Zecora by making elaborate spins and flips around her, to anyone else it would look like she just wanted to be flashy and dramatic. I knew better, barely able to catch the wires moving and circling Zecora.
I have to stop her, but she knows me too well. She’ll know, and then the Cold One will find out...
Several seconds into the exchange of hooves, Elytra flicked her forehooves and spread them out. Zecora gasped as she was lifted up onto her backhooves, forelegs pinned against her chest and fleshed completely constricted by wires.
“Hmph, I may have a use for you. I’ll just strip your will and make you into my slave. Don’t worry, though,” Elytra’s eyes burned with magic, attempting mind control, “you’ll join the others shortly.”
No! I said I’ll change, and I’m going to do it! I’ll save everyone or die trying!
I sprung forward and slammed down on Elytra’s hooves. She howled and staggered away, losing her grip on both her magic and the wires restraining Zecora. Zecora dropped to the ground, still tangled in a mess of metal threads.
“Oh no you don’t!” Elytra flicked a forehoof. The gleam from the ceiling light revealed several wires thrown towards me. I continued to rush at her.
With a twist, Elytra tugged the wires to snare me. She only grasped air.
“W-what?!”
To her left, I slipped in from the blindside with six pointed hoof strikes on the barrel. With a flip, I rolled over her back to dodge a kick. More strikes at her legs, leaving her limping. Her backhoof moved to kick me; big mistake.
I grasped her leg and flung her across the room. She teleported in mid-flight and appeared to my side, turning the momentum into a flying kick. I hopped to the side to dodge. Her wings buzzed and shifted her direction towards me again. I ducked at the last second, then sprung upward with a punch just below her left wing.
Elytra screeched at the struck weakpoint, stunning her flight and throwing her to the ground. She recovered in an instant, throwing me a look mixed with surprise and contempt.
“How did you learn to fight like that?!” she snarled, panting.
My tailored response to inquisitive opponents came out in an instant. “Buck you, that’s how.”
A surge of magic surged through her horn, a hint of black intermingled with her green magic. “Fine! I’ll just ravage your mind until— huh?!” She blinked in astonishment. I felt a gentle pressure against my mind, like water flailing against armor. “It’s just like with Spike…!”
Just like with Spike? So she tried to mind control him too!
The confusion was clear in Elytra’s eyes, struggling with too many puzzle pieces she could not fit. A sudden epiphany lit behind her eyes, followed by her taking on a guarded stance. “Wait a minute! You’re the one who killed my other Changeling, aren’t you? Or was it Flash Sentry? Tell me!”
Open questioning during combat? Probably trying to find a way out. What if… I could talk her into calming down?
“That Changeling you’re referring to is alive and well. We’re open for discussion if you can calm down and—”
“I refused to be talked down by some upstart pony!” The rage in her eyes brightened. “You take my mother, then my squad, and you want me to calm down?!”
I winced. This is some brutal irony.
“You and I can both agree we want answers. We don’t have to fight.”
“Tch, as if I have a choice, no thanks to your filthy kind! You know nothing!” The pathos in her flared.
I felt my heart tear at the hatred and bitterness she exhibited.
“We know more than you think! We know about the Cold One! We can help!”
“Enough!” With a stomp, Elytra’s hoof crackled with black energy. Behind the enraged eyes which darted all around the room, and trembling form, I realized she was terrified. “Shut up and die!” A burst of pathos energy exploded from her as she dove at me.
Shit!
I barely managed dodge her pathos-empowered punch. Though easier to dodge than her normal strikes, the force I felt from each blow that missed hinted at a broken leg if I decided to block.
“Die, die, die!” Her voice warped as she applied increasingly powerful and swift blows. Heavy hooks and jabs pounded mercilessly towards me.
When timing permitted it, I slipped under a blow to lure her in, grabbed her leg, and smashed her back into the floor. Once she was stunned, I planted a hoof on her chest and raised the other forehoof for a coup de grace.
Elytra gasped as I drove my hoof forward.
Memories of Elytra flashed in my mind. Young. Crying over her bruised hoof. Myself applying soothing kisses on said hoof.
The ground beside Elytra’s head cracked from my punch. For a moment we stared at each other.
Before my mind caught up to my mistake, Elytra kicked my stomach and shoved me to the side. She jumped over the fallen Zecora and grasped at a collection of wires near Spike. With a yank, Spike was pulled onto her back, barely leaving room for her wings as she took into the air. I moved to intercept her exit into the balcony window, forcing her to leave out the doorway.
I drew my blade and cut Zecora free. Once she was on her hooves, I hoofed over the blade. “Take this knife and secure the castle. Watch for more wire traps. I'm going after her.” I had just stepped beyond the door when I decided to give Zecora my final instruction. “The knife erases magic. If Flash wakes up and goes beserk again, you can use that to stop him.” With that I took into the air and gave chase.
Going through the entrance was out of the question, and she likely scoped out the best escape zones beforehoof. Unfortunately for her, I’d perceived those routes ahead of time and rushed down the hall.
Any window would do for an escape route, but with Spike on her back she needs to lose me first. She’ll likely head for the east wing and lead me through several wire traps.
The buzz of Elytra’s wings reached my ears as I turned the third corner. As expected, I was greeted by a web of garrote wires threatening to snare me. My blades made short work on them, though I did not have the time to stop the attached bells from ringing, alerting Elytra.
Each turn contained more traps to impede me. Though through it they were noticeably more obvious and thicker in layers, trading stealth for security. Desperation coursed through me as I pumped my pony wings as hard as my muscles allowed and carved through the increasingly thick layers of defense.
I grimaced, barely able to hear Elytra’s buzzing at this point. In pegasus form, I could outpace her top speed, but our gossamer wings work much better for agility demands such as the tight corridors of the castle and wire traps. Unfortunately for me, she had the advantage here, and I didn’t dare transform and give my identity away. I can’t lose her now. Once I do, I’ll never find her again!
Crackling static boomed in my ears, followed by a screech. Elly!
I pushed through the last layers of defense and homed in on the sound and flashing light out of the nearby bedroom.
I’d nearly forgotten about the security measures Flash talked about during the earlier weeks of or mission. If the windows were forced open or broken, the embedded gems would ignite and form an electric barrier to ward intruders.
Looking at Elytra now, charred and smoking from the six amethyst crystals lined around the window, I was grateful for Flash’s advice to not test the castle’s security.
That had to hurt...
I reached out to her—
“El—”
—then immediately I slammed my jaw shut. Elytra perked up and glared at me. I could swear I caught the smallest hint of suspicion in her gaze before she jumped through the broken balcony window, taking the form of a pegasus with a midnight coat and jet black mane. I sped forward and continued pursuit.
I nearly lost sight of her when she nose dived and rounded the bottom of the castle. The temptation to follow nearly overrode my knowledge of her combat tactics. Instead, I rounded the castle and approached the bottom from the west side instead of south.
As predicated, Elytra’s horn was prepared to snipe me out of the sky the moment I poked my head from the south side. I rushed at her.
At the last second she noticed the flank and fired off her stored magic bolt. I dipped to the side, then up for an uppercut. She parried the blow and flew back, blocking and pivoting all of my rapidfire blows.
Her horn brighten, this time swirling with black energy.
Pathos!
I flew back just before the sphere of corrupted magic could knock me away. Elytra used that brief reprieve to fly out from the bottom side and shoot for the skies. As we climbed, she continued to launch green bolts at me, some of them mixed and tainted with the pitch black of pathos magic.
If she’s using pathos, she must be panicking. My eyes narrowed with concern, zipping left and right to dodge the magical blows. If she continues using so much pathos… no, I can’t think about it. Just stop her and save Spike before it’s too late!
Elytra dove for the thickest cloud in the sky, seconds before I entered it. Other than my pants and flapping wings, I couldn’t hear or see anything. Did she lead me here to lose me? No, it’s all too likely this was meant to be a trap.
I allowed my senses to wander, increasing my chance to catch a surprise attack. She can’t use her wires effectively here, so she’ll have rely on magic. I’ll have a second at most before—west!
I dropped down a few inches to dodge a stream of black magic bolts and darted for that direction. Elytra was nowhere to be seen in the west side.
Must’ve just missed her. Damn it! This would be so much easier if I could access some of my magic and find her.
As before, I waited to catch the telltale sign of glowing magic through the white cloud. East!
I shot forward and maneuvered around the beam with an aerial roll. This time I caught Elytra attempting to fly towards the northside. Just before I could reach her wing to stop her flight, Elytra spun away and towards the earth, throwing several more bolts at me.
She’s trying to get away! Elly must realize she can’t match me for up-close combat with Spike on her back. Just a little longer, and I should be able to run her out of stamina!
Hang on just a little longer, you two!
We fell like a rock as we plummeted towards Ponyville. As we drew closer to the ground, I sensed a spark of pathos inside Elytra roar to life. Our wings closed in to increase velocity and prepare ourselves.
My heart raced with anxiety as our distance to the ground drew closer than I got comfortable with. What in the world is that girl planning? There’s no way she could pull off a dive so close to the ground.
A scant few meters above ground, Elytra’s wings snapped open and her hoof thrusted at the ground. My fur tingled from the burst of black and green energy she unleashed on the street at an angle. The blast accelerated her away from the ground and between the buildings.
I gaped at the audacity of her risky gamble.
Had she miscalculated that even a tiny bit, she would’ve become a Changeling pancake! White hot fury coursed through me as I followed her through the buildings. If she thinks she can give me a heart attack and get away with it, she’s got another thing coming! When I get my hooves on her, she’s going to be in so much trouble!
We weaved through the buildings, using our hooves to kick off walls to make otherwise impossibly sharp turns. Elytra’s speed gradually decreased, the panic on her face clear; Spike’s weight on her began to take its toll.
During one particular stretch through Sugarcube corner, Elytra’s eyes burned bright with energy. A mass of black energy crackled around her just before she fired a black laser from her eyes and diagonally cleaved one of the buildings in half.
I paled. She’s using a pathos-induced beam in such a crowded place? Has she lost her bloody mind?
She shot past the collapsing building. Just as I prepared to do the same, a shrill scream caught my attention.
In the path sliding building, rooted in terror at the impending doom, was the Cutie Mark Crusaders.
Unholy rage surged within me. You foolish fools! I told you to stay inside the house until it was safe!
Right then it made sense; Elytra planned to use anything to gain advantage over me, which included altruism. Then again, using that much power while exhausted was clearly a last-ditch effort. If I ignored the foolish Crusaders, there was no doubt in my mind I could catch up to Elly.
But those fillies would die.
My eyes bounced between the collapsing building and the scared fillies.
But if I don't catch Elytra, I risk losing both her and Spike.
A growl of effort ripped out of my lungs. Neither was an option, as I refused to let the death of those fillies hang over my head.
With barely a second to decide, a third option popped to mind: Pathos.
As when I saved the girls the first time, the boost of strength would guarantee saving those girls and keeping up my momentum to continue the chase. However, every use of pathos weakened my ability to control it, especially in a stressful situation like this. If I failed to suppress it, my mind would be forfeit.
I won’t let that happen, I shot towards the girls and braced myself. I can’t lose here. I won’t let the Cold One win!
With a growl I pushed the bubbling hot energy of pathos from my chest into my forelegs and shoved the closest filly, Scootaloo, into the others. The push sent them tumbling away like bowling pins, securing their safety.
I moved to lunge forward, only to stumble from the pathos surging faster than my ability to suppress it.
Shit, not now!
The girls cried out for me just before the crash of wood and stone upon me coupled with my scream cut out their voices. All of the bone-crushing pain shooting through my entire body lasted for an instant before I whited out.
Consciousness flickered in and out like a fading light. I tried to open my eyes with marginal success, obstructed by black spots in my vision. My head swam and body was more or less unresponsive from the mind-numbing pain.
“Sc… grab…”
Voices muddled through my ringing ears. I strained to listen, wincing as pain shot through my left hoof from getting pulled.
“Don’t pull hard, Scootaloo!”
Scootaloo? Isn’t that Sweetie Belle’s voice? Wait a minute…
“Ain’t this kinda dangerous? We’re gonna be in a heap o’ trouble if we got caught with a Changeling.”
The ringing in my ear intensified from the crescendoing migraine. I couldn’t make out the rest of their words, but only one word was really important.
Changeling? What are they—
Through my blurry vision I caught Scootaloo grasping my black hoof. Reality struck me like lightning.
My disguise fell off when I was knocked out! They know I’m a Changeling! No, it… it can’t end like this!
My vision started to fade.
Not… like this...