The first sensation to plague Kepler’s senses as he returned to the waking world was a blinding headache. Pulses of pain radiated through his skull with every heartbeat, and it was with great difficulty that he lifted his hooves to put pressure on his head in a vain attempt at making the pain go away. While he was unable to open his eyes because of the ache, that didn’t stop the rest of his senses from taking in valuable information. His acute hearing and smell were more than enough to let the stallion know he wasn’t on the shore of the ocean anymore, or anywhere else that seemed familiar. The dripping of water and the reverberating echoes which followed told him that he was in an enclosed space of some kind, along with the subtle stench of rot and mold that was overlaid by something unknown to him.
Finally, after several minutes of pounding agony, the pain in his head slowly faded away, giving Kepler the ability to open his eyes and see where he was. As his gaze roamed about in the dimly lit space, Kepler deduced that he was in a cave system of some sort, illuminated by bioluminescent moss and strange green orbs that were attached to the walls in a seemingly random order. The dripping sound he had detected earlier was water coming through a crack in the roof that was collecting in a small pool off to his right. There were no sounds other than the water and his breathing, and it only took a moment before his mind caught up to the present, memories of black figures ambushing both Gloria and him by the seaside flashing through his mind. Kepler raised a hoof to the base of his neck where his assailant had bitten him, finding two small indents where the creature’s fangs had sunk into his flesh. He didn’t remember anything after that point, but he had a feeling that wherever he was, it was probably the home of said creatures.
Knowing that he was in enemy territory, Kepler slowly made his way to one of the tunnel openings that led from the small cavern he had awoken in. His ears swiveled back and forth for any subtle clues that there was something else within the area. While his hearing couldn’t detect anything, he still had a distinct feeling that he was being watched, the hairs on his neck rising as his nerves kicked into high gear.
With slow and careful steps, Kepler made his way through the tunnels, taking what appeared to be the less-used paths in an attempt to avoid whatever it was that had brought him here. He had no idea what was going to happen if the creatures did find him, but he had a feeling it wouldn’t be pleasant. Time seemed to pass slowly as he wandered for what felt like hours in the damp and dim tunnels, Kepler’s mind having been focused to a razor’s sharpness as he did his best to move quietly on his hooves. It was only as his ears picked up the first sounds of movement ahead of him that Kepler detected any sign of life other than his presence. He dove into a side tunnel as a droning buzz drew closer from one of the tunnels ahead of him, his ears turning forward to pick up on anything else, to try and determine if it was a single creature or multiple.
Kepler held his position and remained perfectly still as a trio of creatures flew down the tunnel, their black, insectoid features barely reminiscent of his own as they carried what appeared to be a pony between them. The pony in question was bright blue with a black mane and tail, the bug ponies flying by with it held between two of their group while a third brought up the rear. Kepler wasn’t able to see much else before they moved on, their speed limiting his observations to general characteristics as he remained completely still to avoid detection. He carefully moved out of his hiding spot as the creatures continued back the way he had come, veering off into another, larger tunnel just before they disappeared from sight.
Now Kepler had some idea as to what was going on, as well as what might have happened to Gloria. He had heard the hen cry out in panic before the venom in his system had knocked him out, so unless the creatures had left the gryphon on the cliffside, there was a good chance she was in this strange place as well. He decided to follow the bug ponies and their cargo, hoping that it would lead him to wherever they were keeping Gloria, although he had the distinct feeling that something was wrong. If all of the creatures that these bug ponies captured were unconscious upon arrival, then how did they keep them contained? Was it cells, drugs, or some other sinister method that he wasn’t aware of? And above all else, why? Why did these bug ponies need to catch other creatures, and for what purpose did they keep their prey alive? If it was for food, then they could have simply killed Kepler and his companion, and then carted off with bits and pieces of them. So why bring in live prisoners?
Questions without any answers spun within Kepler’s mind for several minutes, until he managed to find where the bug ponies had taken the Equestrian. He figured that since he had been mistaken for an Equestrian upon first meeting the gryphons, then the pony that the bugs had been carrying must have been one of them, given its similarity in overall appearance to himself. Either way, it was of little concern to him as his first priority was to locate Gloria.
The room he walked into was much larger than the one he had awoken in earlier. The walls here too were covered in glowing orbs and moss, with giant pools of swirling pink liquid around their bases. Yet what held Kepler’s attention in full, were the pods that were littered about in the center of the space, each just barely translucent enough to see the creatures held within. Kepler stood in the entranceway, dumbfounded, as he watched the bug ponies form another pod out of green slime they spewed from their mouths. It took them only a few moments to mold the resin into a similar shape to the pods behind it, before tossing the unconscious pony into the new formation and sealing it inside. The pod began to glow slightly as it filled up with a thick goo, suspending the pony in the center of the pod as the bug ponies began to chirp and buzz to one another.
Horrified, Kepler was tempted to run and never return, but something caught his eye and made him stop in his tracks. In one of the pods, slightly separated from the others, was a gryphon. While it was easy to tell it was indeed Gloria that had been placed in said pod, the placement of the cocoon, as well as the lack of guards in the general area, was setting off Kepler’s ‘this is a trap’ sense something fierce. Even the bugs that were already in the room, were seemingly absorbed in their own little world. Yet for a split second, Kepler saw the light in the center of one of the bug’s glowing blue eyes flicker towards him before returning to its companions.
Kepler’s eyes narrowed as he realized that he wasn’t as sneaky as he thought he was. These creatures knew he was there, yet were pretending that he wasn’t, for some reason. That spoke of intelligence, and that made the stallion wary. He contemplated trying to free Gloria anyway, but knowing that there was something else going on made him hesitate. It was in that exact moment that his senses picked up something subtle, something that he might have dismissed if it wasn’t for his heightened awareness. It was breathing, coming from what seemed to be a large creature, right behind him!
Kepler spun around, his wings flaring wide as a hiss forced its way from between his bared fangs, his body tensing for a fight as he beheld something straight out of a nightmare. If he thought the bug ponies were creepy looking, then this larger creature was downright terrifying. For one thing, it stood almost twice his current height, enough to make even the gryphons he knew seem small. Its body was covered in smooth, black chitin, with a blue-green shell covering its midsection and back. Its tail and mane were a sickly cobweb green with holes and tattered ends across every inch. Its eyes were a piercing emerald, with twin irises surrounding slit pupils and a duo of fangs poking out from under its upper lip. Lastly, there was a large, jagged horn that sprouted from its forehead, lethally sharp along the edge, and narrowed to a deadly point at the end.
The creature’s lips pulled back in a sinister smile. “Well, well, well.” Its voice carried a distinctly feminine quality with a tonal duality that made it seem like it was echoing itself with every word. “Aren’t you just full of surprises. It has been a long time since I’ve had any creature detect my presence before I revealed it.” It lowered its head to bring its gaze more in line with his own. “I wonder what else you may have hidden away inside that mysterious little mind of yours.”
While Kepler was initially thrown by the apparent leader of these creatures being able to speak, he shook it off as best as he could, given he was now dealing with a much larger threat. “Why have you brought us here?”
His defiance seemed to amuse the creature as it lifted its head to full height again. “Such insolence. Do you not realize who it is you are speaking to?”
Kepler stayed in his crouched position, on edge but not quite at the point of trying to fight his way out. “Should I care who you are? Your soldiers captured me and my escort and dragged us here, after knocking us unconscious. I would say that very clearly paints you as an enemy.”
It seemed that the creature wasn’t taking offense to his rude retorts, or at least not showing it outwardly as it walked around him, its head lowered in a predatory way as it slowly circled. “Be that as it may, it is unwise to speak in such a way to royalty. After all, the queen of the changelings is due a certain amount of respect from any creature, least of all some misshapen pony mutant. You would do well to remember that little bat.”
Kepler snorted. “If you think you’ll get anything out of me, then you are sorely mistaken. I’m not what you could call, well-versed in how things work around here, so if you would kindly show us the door, my escort and I will gladly get out of your, uh, mane.”
“Oh, I don’t think so.” By this point, the large changeling had come full circle, turning her head to glance almost casually at the pod that held Gloria. “Your little friend over there is such an interesting little thing. I’d hate to see such a curious little experiment go to waste.”
Kepler’s hairs stood on end as he hissed. “What did you do to her?!”
The queen glanced his way out of the corner of her eye, her smile turning into a darker and deadlier version of itself as her lips pulled back to reveal her razor teeth and fangs, “Nothing. At least, not yet.”
The threat may not have been stated out loud, but Kepler understood it just the same, his body straightening as he let out a frustrated sigh, “Alright, you win. What exactly do you want from us?”
“From the chick, nothing.” The queen simply waved his concern off with a hoof, like the trapped gryphon wasn’t worth her attention. “She is of little use to me, barely even worth keeping around actually, given that her feelings have not yet been realized enough to feed from.”
Kepler felt a chill run down his spine. “What exactly do you mean?”
The queen turned her attention fully to the stallion, her smile once again morphing into a smug and sinister grin. “Why, her feelings for you, of course. It may only be a tiny crush at this point, but we changelings have a way of knowing when a creature is in love. We feed off that emotion after all. But alas, her output is too low to really be of much use. It takes more energy to keep her asleep and sustained than what we get out of her.”
While Kepler was once again taken for a loop with the revelation of Gloria’s feelings, assuming the changeling was even telling the truth, he was more focused on getting them out of enemy territory. “Then why keep her trapped in that thing? Wouldn’t it be much easier to let us go?”
The changeling hummed. “That would make sense, now wouldn’t it? But you see that little chick has more value to me as a prisoner than as a food source. I can sense your shock concerning her feelings, but there is no love there to feed from at this point. No, there is something that both of you can provide me that is far more potent than mere love energy.”
Kepler was once again able to read between the lines, his eyes narrowing as he folded his wings against his back. “You want information.”
The queen laughed, a cruel sound that made Kepler’s fur rise, “Smart, decisive, and loyal. You could be a powerful asset to my hive if you were willing to cooperate with us. Yes, I seek information, specifically information about the mysterious vessel that showed up on the gryphons’ shores, and how we may be able to use its power for our own purposes.”
“And what would you do if I told you no?” Kepler countered.
The queen said nothing, simply turning her gaze towards the pod containing Gloria.
Kepler ground his teeth in frustration, knowing what his duty required of him, but unwilling to betray his loyalty to his companion. While he had not been aware of her feelings up until that point, they did not change the fact that Gloria saved his life and had been doing everything in her power to help him since he awoke in this strange world. Pride was one thing, and duty was another, but he would be damned before he would betray his new allies to save his hide.
“What do you want me to do?” Kepler relented. “I cannot show you how my ship works without having access to said ship.”
The queen simply chuckled. “Leave that to me and my little ones. All I need from you is your cooperation once I have access to the ship. Everything else will depend on how effective your information is when we put it to use.”
“And what of Gloria?” he asked as the queen turned to walk away, now seemingly bored with him, “Will you let her go?”
The queen cackled before glancing at the pod containing the young hen. “No. I think keeping her contained would serve as a wonderful motivator, should you entertain ideas of betraying me and my hive. She will remain unharmed, as long as you do what you are told.” Her gaze traveled over her shoulder to lock with Kepler’s own.
The stallion growled but nodded his agreement. “Understood.”
“Then come,” she commanded as she began walking out of the chamber. “we have much to discuss and little time to do it.” Kepler hastened his steps to follow as the queen muttered under her breath, “There will be a reckoning coming, little princess. Just you wait.”
Kepler wasn’t sure if he was supposed to hear that, but given the volume, he figured it was meant to be private. He smiled to himself as he followed the changeling down another tunnel, knowing that if his abilities were unknown to his enemy, there may still be an opportunity to escape if he played his cards right. For now, he decided to wait and see how things happened moving forward, and then use what he learned of these creatures to free Gloria with the hopes of returning to the Gryphon Empire before he was forced to give up too much intel. Knowledge is power, he had heard his commanding officer say at one point, and so he planned to gain as much information as he could about his enemy. After all, he doubted anything in this new world could truly understand the power of a modern warship, let alone use that power effectively in a fight without first taking time and resources to adapt it for their use.
It was a race against time, where the victor would be the one who knew the most about the other, and he had a feeling that he was already several steps behind his opponents.