“Dawn? Dawnie?” I asked, carefully propping my pegasus guard up with my shoulder, “You okay?”
“...Fine sir,” she answered quietly, “I just feel… strange.”
“You have been overly drained by the changelings,” I explained gently, “I know how that feels, everything is going to feel muted for a few days, like nothing matters. Just put one hoof before the other and everything will be okay. Can you do that for me?”
“Yes sir.”
Having been stuck to the wall for over a week didn’t help either, if I’m completely honest, and she wasn’t the only pony in a similar state. In all honesty, I was suffering from a milder version and only because I was used to feeding Changelings.
I carefully led her over to the shadow of a tree outside the hive. It was at the edge of a jungle, so that explained the fruit they had been feeding us.
Helping her lay down near the other ponies that had been moved from the hive, I made sure she was comfortable before I looked to Amber.
My usual changeling shadow was buzzingly mad about the entire thing. No, seriously, I'd seen pissed changelings before and she looked about two seconds from peeling somelings exoskeleton off, as she kept glaring at the changelings all around the clearing outside the hive like she could make them bust into flames.
“You okay?” I asked as I moved up next to her, settling my wing across hers to stop the buzzing.
“...I’m fine, sir,'' she said and kept glaring at them, “They did not harm me, just kept me trapped.”
“Hungry?”
“Don’t you dare!” she snarled at me and I almost took a step back as she descended into hisses and buzzed something at me in Changeling. I think I even caught a couple of words of ancient Changeling in there.
Oh boy. Last time I saw a changeling that angry was Chrysalis.
“...Okay. No feeding, I promise.”
She buzzed beneath my wing but then settled down again.
“Why don’t you go have a seat over there and rest, I’m going to go speak to…”
“I go where you go!”
I nodded and slipped my wing off hers, “Okay. Just… don’t try to antagonize them. I know you don’t like them, but I need this to work well.”
If not, it was all for nothing.
Amber buzzed but nodded, “...Yes, sir.”
Nodding, I made my way over to the group of changelings milling about just outside the hive to smile at Ambrosia, “Thank you for helping everypony outside, the sunshine and fresh air will do everypony good. Princess Skitter and Princess Luna will arrive in a day or so via airship, they’ll be able to bring all of us back to Canterlot.”
Ambrosia looked at me for a second, her wings buzzing softly as she looked around, “I...Yes. We will prepare to leave this hive,” she said, seemingly lost for a second, “...No Queen.”
“It’ll be fine, I promise,” I told her gently, “It won’t be long before you have a new Queen and plenty of food too.”
Tired. So much. So. Tired.
She nodded and looked around again, “...Food for ponies?”
“We could use some fruit,” I agreed, “And perhaps some water? It would help everyone recover.”
“We will get it,” Ambrosia agreed and left with the changelings gathered around her. I looked after them for a second before I turned to go back to check on the dozen ponies laying beneath the tree when the ground suddenly seemed very unsteady beneath my hooves.
Amber ducked down and quickly supported me with her shoulder as I stumbled, “You should rest too, sir,” she said, her horn glowing and I could feel her magic field around my chest as she helped hold me up, “You know how bad overfeeding can be, and you have definitely been overfed on, I can see all the signs.”
I shook my head, “No,” I said to her quietly, “Not until they arrive. I can’t afford to.”
Amber didn’t look happy about that but sighed, “At least lay down, sir.”
“...Yeah. That does sound like a good idea right about now.”
Starting to not really have a choice in the matter anyway, and I’m fairly sure that if I faceplanted it would look even worse.