//------------------------------// // Ch 59: Pods // Story: Enchanted // by The Whiskey Spirit //------------------------------// Aldrin landed heavily, having not wasted the time to slow down before contact with the ground. The soldiers behind him were not as willing to risk their bodies performing such a stunt. He would not reprimand them, as he knew they were not as resilient as he. He was blessed from birth with a much thicker chitin, allowing him to shrug off blows that would normally incapacitate a normal changeling. Not to mention he didn’t want to waste the time it would take to berate them. Even so, the soldiers under his command landed behind him moments later. He didn’t wait for them, however, as he was already making his way through the illusion that obscured the entrance to the hive. As he trailed deeper and the light dimmed, his eyes swiftly adapted, allowing him to see clearly, despite the lack of light. His quickened pace brought him to where the entrance guard stood. Rather, it was where she should have stood. Instead of manning her post, the changeling was collapsed on the floor, a deep wound in her shoulder, seemingly made from a bite. Strangely enough, it wasn’t bleeding as bad as a wound of its calibre should, but he didn’t have the time to question it. The changeling was alive, but seemingly unconscious. Upon further inspection, he found a small crack in the changeling’s face. Likely from a blunt force impact, meaning that this was what must have knocked her out. Based on this, his target likely had sharp teeth, enough so that she could penetrate their chitin. She also seemed to possess either a blunt force weapon, or enough strength to do this with her own hooves. As he was inspecting the guard, his soldiers finally caught up to him. Based on their heavier breathing, they were getting fairly tired. They had not rested since they were sent out, and it was taking its toll on them. Under normal circumstances, he would have ordered them to rest, but with this proof of an intruder, he must deal with it. It was his Queen’s wish after all. “We must protect the pods.” He told them, ensuring they knew their objective before he set out once more. A small sense of worry festered in his heart as he marched on, hoping that he could make it in time to prevent the intruder from releasing the prisoners. If he wasn’t, he was sure the queen would have his head. ~-~ He clenched his eyes, even before he heard the thump of the body hitting the floor. Taking a deep breath to steady himself, he opened his eyes once more to find Ashwyn standing above the body of another changeling. He was unsure if he was dead or not, but he couldn’t see any wounds aside from the bite in the changeling’s shoulder. Even so, the sight of the mutated mare spitting out the green blood of his kind was enough to unnerve him. Even so, he swallowed his ever present fears and stepped forwards. Sparing the changelings a quick check, he confirmed that the paralyzing bite was the only wound he had received. Seeing his fellow changeling was still alive, he let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding. As of yet, Ashwyn had been merciful. None of the changelings they had encountered have been slain. All were paralyzed and knocked out. Thankfully, this was a rare occurrence, as he led her through the least guarded path towards the pod room. Of course, this meant that it took significantly longer to get there, but at least his old friends and family weren’t hurt in the process. What normally would have taken twenty minutes or so, had been extended to an hour. An hour of silently walking through corridors next to someone who could have killed him in an instant. At the very least, their destination was quickly approaching. In fact, rounding the corner, he could see the entrance to it. As well as a pair of changelings that were guarding it. In a blur of motion, Ashwyn shot forwards. She slammed into the first one and sunk her teeth in before they could even register that anything was happening. The second guard was quick on the uptake, however, turning in shock as he saw his companion go down. His horn charged with green energy, only to be cut off as Ashwyn swiped a paw at him. The paw connected with the side of his head, hitting him hard enough to knock him into the wall, where he slumped and passed out. Another quick strike and the bitten changeling was out too. Snorting, the mare straightened out and peered into the room they guarded. Even from the distance, he could see her eyes growing wide, just before she shot into the room. Swallowing the lump in his throat, he rushed to catch up. ~-~ This was it! It had to be! Ashwyn thought to herself as she sprinted into the room. It looked similar to the rest of the cave they had traversed. Dark walls and the occasional splotch of glowing lichen filled her sight, but that was not all this room contained. A large number of glowing green blobs were held to the walls. Almost all of them holding a pony of some kind, though she could spot the occasional griffin and zebra. As she searched for the Alpha, she paused, her mouth slowly dropping as she saw something she didn’t expect. Held within one of the larger pods, was a familiar pink form. One that possessed both wings and horn. Princess Cadence resided within. She couldn’t help but blink at the sight. If Princess Cadance was here… shaking her head, she refocused her thoughts. She needed to not get distracted. The Princess was secondary, she had to free the Alpha. It was a short affair to find him, as he was contained within the largest of the pods. Without hesitation, she rushed forward, her claws extended as she approached. The pod gave no resistance as she slashed through it, a disgustingly green substance pouring out as she cut it open. The Alpha fell out limply, and Ashwyn swiftly rushed forward to catch him before he slammed his face into the ground. Gently, she laid him down, searching him over for any injuries. She smiled when she found none. The informant changeling hadn’t lied to her. Taking a moment to take a deep breath, she visibly relaxed. Everything was okay now. The Alpha was safe. Now all that was left to do was kill that bitch that tried to hurt him. She was brought from her thoughts as she saw the Alpha’s hand twitch. In a sudden burst of movement, the Alpha rolled onto his hands and knees, retching. The green substance that filled the pod was forcibly removed from the Alpha as he vomited onto the floor. It took some time for him to be rid of it all, and once he was, he was left gasping. Suddenly, she saw his eyes shut and his teeth clench. His hands curled into fists as his head slowly lowered to the floor. A sniffle sounded throughout the silent room, and the Alpha could be heard whispering a single name. “Daena.” Unsure of what to do, Ashwyn took a step forward and tried to place a paw on his shoulder. This was swiftly proven to be a bad idea, as the Alpha’s reaction was instant. A hand shot up and grabbed her arm, swiftly flipping her as the Alpha’s other hand gripped her throat. The initial hand crackled with magical power as he hovered over her. Her breath hitched as he looked into his eyes. They were not the ones she was used to. Gone was the gentle warmth. Gone was the relaxed features. It wasn’t even similar to that time he thought she foalnapped the crusaders, where he had a cold fury. Now his eyes were just… dark. She couldn’t tell what was running through his mind, and all she knew was that tears were running down his face. She was sure he would strike when he suddenly stiffened. Then, slowly, his face filled with recognition. “Ash?” His voice was barely a whisper, but the energies in his palm slowly dissipated. “What? I…” He continued, his voice filled with confusion as slowly wiped at his eyes. “Where am I?” She didn’t answer him, choosing instead to wrap her arms around him and hug him close. “Not matter.” She told him. “We together.”