//------------------------------// // Lumière Bleue et L'insecte Jument // Story: Voyage // by Comrade Bagel Muffin //------------------------------// After dinner Escutcheon and Dusk were guided to their room by a couple of guards. Escutcheon and Dusk lay down on their beds and Turkeylegs lay down between them and the door. "Did you find anything?" Dusk asked looking over to Escutcheon from her bed. "I think so, I don't know," Escutcheon answered looking up at the black stone ceiling. "I don't know, there's something odd going on here. More than just mayor Pick Ax. Are you cold?" He looked over to Dusk. "Yeah, but I can fix that." Before he could say anything she jumped over to his bed, and snuggled up close to him. "Well I think that's better." The sapphire tied to his necklace started to glow filling the room in a blue light, Dusk stiffened a laugh. "I guess you think that's better too, huh?" She nuzzled up next to him. "Yeah," He closed his eyes for a second before there was a soft knock on the door. He looked up. "Who is it?" "It's me, just checking in on you two." Myrrh walked into the blue light of Escutcheon's sapphire. When she did her body went translucent, and underneath the translucent form of Myrrh, was a black insect like pony hybrid. The two of them sat straight up, and Dusk gasped in frightened surprise, which caused Turkeylegs to jolt up. "What's wrong?" the changeling asked in Myrrh's voice. "Wh-what are you?" "What do you mean Dusk?" "You're a changeling." Escutcheon sat up more interested than afraid. "But how are there changelings all the way out here?" "A what?" Dusk and the changeling asked, the changeling then looked at their hoof and froze. "What-what is this, what magic are you using." The changeling looked up in fearful surprise and took a step back. "I knew that this was a bad idea." They turned to run not noticing Escutcheon's horn glowing as a bolt of magic fired out. The changeling's body went numb and the hit the floor. Escutcheon rushed the door and shut it. "Dusk, help me get it on the bed there. They won't be out for long." Dusk hurried and helped Escutcheon get the changeling on the second bed. She then produced a rope from her saddle bag. "Should we tie this thing down?" She asked looking at it equal parts fear and confusion. "You don't think that this thing ate Myrrh do you?" "No but, I am concerned for her." Escutcheon hurried and tied the changeling down. A couple seconds later the changeling woke up, causing Dusk to jump back startled. "Oww my head, what happened?" The changeling tried to move quickly learning that they were tied to the bed. "No-no-no-no I'm going to be in so much trouble." "Who are you?" Escutcheon asked. "And what did you do to Myrrh and the others?" "I'm just a drone, please let me go, I didn't mean to get caught. I'm Drone 51737." The changeling said in a distinctly feminine voice, I wasn't even suppose to come in here, I was just so hungry and there was so much love in the room , and I just wanted a snack." "You wanted to eat us?" Dusk asked slightly more afraid. "No just your love." Dusk looked at Escutcheon, the look on her face conveying her confusion. "This is a changeling, they live by eating love, well feeding on love, they don't actually eat love." Escutcheon explained he turned back to the changeling. "Where's Myrrh?" He asked. "In the basement with the others. Please let me go please." The changeling started whining. "Others?" Dusk asked looking between the insect pony and Escutcheon. "The other ponies you came with. They were to be replaced with operatives to make sure you did what you were supposed to do." "Escutcheon, I have a question." Dusk looked back to the bug pony. "These things feed on love, so why would they want to start a war?" "Wars allow them to easily replace loved ones." "That's not true, it's because Pick Ax is an inverted." The changeling said. "While we drones still feed on positive feelings, he feeds on negative ones. The fighting that would break out would feed him enough for him to likely ascend." The changeling looked between the two of them. "Please let me go, I'm sorry I interrupted you." "So wait, your leader's feeding would actively starve you wouldn't it?" Dusk asked, pity slowly slipping into her voice. "Yes, but the hive's elites are all inverted, so the rest of us work to help them, it's our place." "Is the entire town full of changelings?" Escutcheon asked. "About half the town is." "And who's your queen?" "Queen?" the changeling's voice betrayed that she had no idea what Escutcheon meant by that. "We might look like bug monsters, but we're still mammals, well mostly anyways." Drone 51737 said slightly indignant. "Really, you don't have a queen? The changelings back home have a monarch." "Well our hive doesn't." "What should we do with her?" Escutcheon and the changeling looked at Dusk. "I mean we can't let her go but we can't keep her here." She looked back at Drone 51737. "Fifty-One, can I call you Fifty-One?" The drone nodded a little scared. "What would happen if we told Pick Ax that you told us all of this." Escutcheon was impressed, he never knew that changelings' faces could go pale, and Fifty-One started crying. "Right. I thought so, so here's the deal, if we let you go and you betray us, we'll talk, we're also going to try and rescue the others. So, it's in your best interest to help us get them and get out without getting caught got it?" "Yes I understand." The drone nodded. "So you'll help us?" Escutcheon asked. "Yes, just please don't tell Pick Ax I said anything. Please, please, please." The drone was on the verge of tears again. "Deal." Dusk quickly moved to untie the changeling mare. "Alright Fifty-One, if you would please lead the way to the basement."