“Lens, Primrose, wake up!” Scarlet’s strained voice cut through the silence of the inn room, jostling the slumbering occupants from their rest. Lens moaned in discomfort, burying his face in his pillow and hoping that he could get just one more minute of rest. Alas, his hope was torn apart, and he let out a grunt of surprise when his sheets were suddenly ripped back and off of him by a burst of magic.
Sitting upright, he looked around the room to get some idea of what was going on. The sky outside was still dark; although, Lens could just make out the faint beginnings of the dawn’s light starting to paint the horizon in shades of dark teal and orange. The crowd had completely dispersed, leaving the streets outside barren and empty, save for a lone guard on patrol.
Rubbing at his eyes, Lens then turned and caught sight of Scarlet. Whatever irritation he had felt at having his sleep interrupted was swiftly washed away when he saw just how disheveled she looked. Dark bags had formed under her bloodshot eyes, and her mane, now free of the ponytail she had tied it in, was unkempt and messy with odd hairs poking out here and there. Her every move was janky and stiff as she stuffed her yellow shirt into her saddlebags.
Sliding out of bed, Lens made his way to Scarlet’s side. “Scarlet? What’s wrong, are you okay?” he asked, his eyes briefly darting over to see Primrose with a similarly worried look on her face.
“Are you okay?” the filly asked tentatively, reaching a hoof out to Scarlet.
“Don’t touch me!” Scarlet snapped as she jerked herself away from the hoof, her voice sharp and impatient.
Primrose immediately cowered back into her mattress, her ears folding back in a display of submission. “S-scarlet, you’re scaring me…” she squeaked out in a tiny whimper. “What’s going on?”
“Be quiet!”
Lens frowned in severe disapproval, quickly closing the distance and placing his hoof on Scarlet’s shoulder to get her attention. “Hey! Scarlet, what’s gotten into you?! Calm down and talk to us. What is going on?”
There was a moment of silence where Scarlet stared down at the foal. The look on her face was strange, to Lens. It was almost as if she was studying the filly, trying to make out the tiniest of details without drawing closer. Eventually, the frazzled unicorn shook her head and pulled away from his hoof while reaching out for her cloak with her magic. “Get your things, we’re leaving. Silent knows we’re here.”
Primrose whimpered fearfully, taking her tail in her hooves and holding it in front of her protectively like a blanket. “W-what?! How?!” she asked, her eyes darting towards the window.
“He talked to me outside,” Scarlet replied, pulling her cloak over her head and securing it to her neck. “Tried to convince me to turn you in. Lied to me. Told me things that can’t be true. We need to go before he decides he’s done waiting.”
Primrose blinked, and for a moment, Lens swore he saw an even deeper level of fear in the filly’s frightened eyes. A level he hadn’t seen in them before, even when the assassin had been about to end her life back in his home. “W-what did he tell you?”
“Nothing that matters,” Scarlet dismissed with a shake of her head. “Now get up. We’re going, and we’re going now.”
The mare’s words left no room for debate. With a quiet, shrill squeak, Primrose hopped down from the bed and quickly made her way for her saddlebags. Lens pulled on his own with his magic, but all the while, he kept his eyes locked on Scarlet. Something was wrong. She looked exhausted, frustrated, and… “Are those tear marks on her cheeks?”
Cautiously, he approached her as she finished securing her own saddlebags on her back. “Scarlet… are you sure you’re alright?” he asked in a hushed whisper, his eyes briefly darting over to Primrose again. “I’ve never seen you act like that toward Prim before. What did Silent say?”
“It doesn’t matter, it was a lie,” Scarlet deflected immediately, putting her hoof on Lens’ chest and gently pushing him back. “Don’t ask me again. Are you ready to go or not?”
Lens’ ears folded back, the worry and concern swelling up several times over in his chest. “What the hell happened out there, Scarlet…?” he thought to himself before shakily nodding his head. “Er, yeah, I have my things already… But I don’t have the tools from the academy-”
“Forget the tools. We can worry about that when we’re as far away from Silent as possible,” Scarlet cut him off while turning to glare at Primrose. “Are you ready yet?”
The filly nodded, lowering her head in such a manner that her long, wild mane hung in front of her face like a protective curtain.
Scarlet didn’t say a word. She lifted Primrose in her magic and set her down on her back. “Alright, hang on and keep quiet.”
Primrose shuddered once she was settled, her eyes screwing shut and a very uncomfortable grimace emerging on her face. It almost looked like she was struggling not to throw up in her own mouth after tasting something absolutely rancid. Lens reached out to pat her on the head with an affectionate smile, trying to impart whatever courage he could onto the scared filly.
“Let’s go,” Scarlet said before any more words could be exchanged. With a flick of her magic, the inn room door was thrown open, and she stepped out at a brisk pace. Lens struggled to keep pace with her without escalating his trot into a canter.
His eyes briefly wandered back to the door as it swung shut behind them, while his mind wandered to his wards outside. “Scarlet, what about my proximity wards? Should I pick them up?” he asked, turning to look at the back of her head.
“No time,” Scarlet told him. “Once we’re out those doors, we stop for nothing. You can make new ones later.”
Lens opened his mouth to retort, but the words died in his throat, constricted into silence by the suffocating tension in the air.
The trio stepped out into the streets and turned to make their way for the eastern gate. A breeze that felt far colder than the late summer air should have allowed washed over them, making Lens shiver slightly.
“No, I’m not shivering from the cold,” he realized after a moment, his heart plummeting. “I’m scared…”
Aside from her grief over Crystal, Lens had never seen Scarlet this frazzled and unstable. The tremors that worked their way routinely through her body, the frantic, paranoid way her eyes darted to look at every shadow with suspicion, the sharpness of her words, and the shortness of her temper. All of them were completely foreign and unsettling sights on their own for Lens, and when added all together, they made for a truly frightening image.
What could have happened? What had Silent Edge told her that sent Scarlet, the calm, collected, badass battlemage he had served under and fallen in love with, plummeting into such disarray?
He had no idea, and he wasn’t sure he wanted to know.
“Hide,” Scarlet suddenly hissed, ducking off to one side and into the shadows of an alleyway. Without waiting for an answer, she ensnared Lens in her magic and hauled him along after her, being sure to hold his muzzle shut so he wouldn’t make a sound.
Lens struggled for a moment, grunting through sealed lips, trying to tell Scarlet he couldn’t breathe. “Mmph, mm mmmmph!”
“Quiet!” Scarlet snapped back at him in a low voice before releasing him from her magic.
Lens dropped to the paved stone ground, sucking in a deep breath. “Guh! Scarlet, what the hell-”
“Patrol,” she cut him off, leaning over to peek around the edge of the building that was their cover. “City watch. Silent told me he had increased them and told them to look out for us. Best to believe he was being honest about that much, at least.”
Lens clamped his muzzle shut, his expression hardening in understanding. Slowly, not wanting to give away their position, he slinked forward and peered around the corner as well. Sure enough, just like Scarlet had said, a patrol of three guards was making their way down the street. The leader was a unicorn, a cone of light emitting from his horn and sweeping across the street in front of him. His two pegasus companions were carrying lanterns that hung from their lower jaws, bathing the trio of armored figures in flickering orange light, and casting their shadows against the buildings around them.
Lens held his breath, his heart starting to hammer in his ribs as the patrol passed them by. He snuck a quick look towards Primrose to see how she was doing. His eyes were met with the sight of the foal covering her mouth with one hoof and shivering uncontrollably on Scarlet’s back, her ears pinned back.
“Okay, move,” Scarlet suddenly hissed the moment the patrol was a sufficient distance away. They slipped back out onto the streets and kept moving.
As they went, Lens gradually deduced that Silent Edge had been telling the truth about increased patrols. They had to hide from four more in only ten minutes, each one was clearly on high alert and keeping their eyes out. The fact that they hadn’t been found yet was, honestly, a miracle.
Sadly, that miracle would prove to be short-lived when the eastern city gates came into view. They were closed off, and portcullises had been lowered to prevent access. More than that, though; even in this low light, Lens could make out six ponies standing watch in front of it, and four more arranged on the wall overhead with crossbows in their possession.
Most of them were wearing the conventional armor of the city watch; rudimentary, lightweight, and plain. However, two of the ponies on the ground stood out from the others. They were both earth ponies, dressed in heavy plate armor that was colored in regal purples, rich greens, and vibrant golds. Green spines ran down the back of their all-encompassing draconic helmets. The eyeholes were angled into a perpetually intimidating glare that sent a chill down Lens’ spine.
“Dragon Sentinels,” Scarlet breathed in dread, her ears drooping as she, too, caught sight of their opposition. “We can’t fight through that… I’d struggle just to fend off one for even a short time, but two? And with back up…?”
“Damn… they really went all out. And we can’t climb over the walls, either,” Lens realized, grimacing. “Between a lack of tools and all of the sentries they have up there…”
“Can we teleport through?” Primrose suggested weakly, opening her eyes to survey the scene from Scarlet’s back. “Like we did in Swanrun and Shimmervale?”
Lens sighed, his ears drooping. “Sadly, that won’t work,” he lamented, calling back to his time studying in this city as a younger stallion before the war. “This is the capital of New Equestria. It’s built to last, and a big part of that means resisting magic. The walls are covered in several layers of protective wards, each more powerful and intricate than the last. They encase the entire city in a dome of sorts, blocking certain types of magic. Teleporting in or out without the right counter-spell is impossible.”
“So… what do we do?” Primrose asked, swallowing heavily.
“Shit…” Scarlet seethed, dragging her hoof along the ground and revealing her teeth in an ugly snarl. “Shit, shit, SHIT! We’re cornered! The bastard wasn’t kidding, he has us completely boxed in!”
Primrose withered on the mare’s back, her eyes screwing shut again and one hoof flying up to her lips. There it was again, that look of trying to keep herself from being sick. Lens frowned, reaching a hoof out to Primrose. “Hey, are you okay, Prim? You keep covering your mouth.”
The filly stiffened under his hoof, her large eyes staring back at him in fear. Shakily, she nodded her head and pulled her hoof away. “Uh-m… y-yeah, I’m just trying to keep myself from breathing too hard…” she whimpered.
“Shut up, I’m trying to think,” Scarlet spat, immediately silencing any further discussion.
Lens frowned at her, a small amount of frustration making itself known. “Scarlet, calm down. We’re not going to get anywhere if we’re-”
“I said shut. Up.”
Lens went to retort when, to both of their surprise, Primrose jumped down from Scarlet’s back. She stumbled deeper into the alley they were hiding in before doubling over. Thick, murky, foul-smelling liquid pushed past her lips to splatter across the ground, her eyes bulging in their sockets.
Lens’ eyes flew wide as saucers, his mouth dropping open in shock. “What the- Prim?!” he asked, galloping over to her side and placing his hoof on her back while his mind reeled in confusion.
Scarlet turned to look at the scene as well, an unreadable expression on her face.
After a few seconds, Primrose’s retching came to an end. She coughed a few times before running the back of her hoof over her mouth and leaning queasily into Lens’ embrace.
“Hey, are you alright? What happened?” Lens asked, placing his hoof on her forehead to check for a fever. To his surprise, her temperature was completely normal. Had she eaten something bad last night? If so, then what could it-
“Scarlet…” Primrose mumbled, slowly turning to look back at the red-maned mare with fearful eyes. “...What did Silent tell you?”
Scarlet stiffened, her ears drooping. Her mouth hung open for a moment before she shook her head in dismissal. “It doesn’t matter-”
“Yes, it does!” Primrose shot back with surprising strength in her voice. “Whatever he said to you, you’re angry and tired! You’re scaring me, Scarlet! Please, just…” she closed her eyes, sniffling and stifling a terrified sob. “Just… tell me what’s wrong. What did he t-tell you?”
Lens blinked, looking back and forth between the two in abject bewilderment. Primrose cuddled closer to him for protection, while Scarlet herself looked torn and pained beyond measure. After a few moments, Scarlet sighed, her shoulders sagging in defeat. “...Not here,” she muttered dejectedly, turning to head back the way they had come. “Come on. We can’t get out of the city right now… let’s go back to the inn.”
She set off at a sluggish trudge, her head hung low. Lens stared after her, holding Prim close and giving her an affectionate squeeze to ease her terrified shivers. After a moment, he looked down at her. “Are you gonna be okay?” he asked in a whisper.
Primrose didn’t say anything.
The journey back to the inn was far slower than their trip to the gates. Lens carried Primrose on his back the whole way, and now it seemed it was his turn to pull Scarlet out of the sight of the patrols they passed. All the while, Primrose shivered, and Scarlet didn’t make a sound. By the time they finally returned to the inn, the sun had finally become visible, looking as if it were resting precariously on the edge of the world.
Soon enough, they were stepping back into their inn room. Primrose jumped off of Lens’ back and trotted over to the window to look outside. Scarlet, meanwhile, closed the door behind her and slumped against it, letting out a long, exhausted sigh.
Lens turned to face her, his expression hardening. It was time for some answers. “Okay, Scarlet, we’re here. Now, what in the world is going on?” he demanded, disposing of manners. He was fed up with them at this point.
Scarlet did not answer him for a long while. Eventually, she lifted her head, her eyes boring into Primrose’s head. “...Is the room soundproofed?” she asked in an emotionless monotone.
Lens blinked in surprise from the question. Then, with a grimace, he set about casting the spell. The room shivered, and what little ambiance there was outside faded into nothingness. He looked to Scarlet with a stern frown. “It is now.”
Scarlet dipped her head. “Thank you… now…”
She pushed herself away from the door and moved to stand in the center of the room, her eyes never once leaving the filly on the other side.
“Primrose,” Scarlet called out to her, her voice starting to shake with emotion.
Primrose turned away from the window to face Scarlet directly, her eyes wide with fear and anxiety. “Scarlet… what did he tell you?” she asked after a moment.
Scarlet took a deep breath before starting to slowly, ever so slowly, advance on the foal. “First, a question of my own… and if all of the time we have spent together, if everything we have done, has meant anything at all to you, then you will tell me the truth, do you understand?” she asked, her voice starting to tremble and go hoarse. Her eyes were beginning to shimmer, despite her obvious effort to control herself.
“Scarlet…” Lens choked out, his eyes widening.
Primrose leaned back, her own eyes going wide. “I… I promise. I won’t lie to you,” she whispered.
Scarlet didn’t say anything for several seconds. She opened her mouth and worked her jaw, getting out several false starts that ultimately ended in one or two words. Finally, with a deep breath, she was able to force the words out. “Primrose… a-are you a… are you a changeling?”
Lens blinked. “What? Scarlet!” he protested, trotting up to stand by her side, his eyes glaring into her incredulously. “Come on, that’s ridiculous! She’s nothing like those-”
“Yes.”
Lens’ words died in his throat, his blood running cold. Slowly, he turned to stare at the filly to find that she had bowed her head, obscuring her face behind her mane.
She hadn’t even hesitated. That one word had been clear and direct.
Scarlet sucked in a deep breath, her pupils dilating. “...Show me.”
There was a brief instant of silence. Then, Primrose’s entire body flickered and snapped into green flames. Lens staggered back in shock, gasping at the sight. His first instinct was to try and put her out. Less than a second later, such measures proved unnecessary. The flames vanished as quickly as they had come.
Where once there had been a small, frail, frightened earth pony filly, there was now a creature of dull teal chitin. She was still skinny, but her rugged appearance was worsened by the presence of narrow holes that tunneled through her lower legs. Tattered wings stretched out from underneath a dull red shell that covered her back as if they hadn’t been used in years. Sharp fangs jutted from her upper lip, while two orbs of glowing blue light—so pale they were almost white—looked back at Scarlet with regret and resignation. A sharp-pointed horn curved upwards from between those eyes, and a transparent purple fin started just behind it and ran down the back of her neck. A tail made of the same material twitched stiffly behind her.
Silence dominated the room for what felt like forever. Scarlet stared in wide-eyed shock, her brows starting to angle down and her lips pressing together into a thin line, while the changeling looked back at her with boundless regret.
Then, Primrose opened her mouth. And when she spoke, the voice was distorted unnaturally into two tones.
“My changeling name is Protea…”