//------------------------------// // A Predicament of Pie // Story: A Changeling's Endeavors into the Subtle Art of Wooing Mares // by airbournesquid //------------------------------// Caramel wove his way through the apple orchards, eager to declare his work done for the day. Farm-work was hard, but the payment was more than satisfactory. Seven hours a day for forty bits and all the love he could eat (courtesy of Applejack)! The sky was pink in the summer's dusk with the dark hue of night pinching at the edges of the horizon, and a cool wind whispered through the air. Fine weather, fine work, fine payment, and a very fine marefriend. What more could a changeling ask for? He opened the front door to the Apple family residence and inhaled the savoury smell of freshly cooked apple pie. Granny Smith had been cooking again, and judging by the horrendous mess in the kitchen, Applebloom had "helped". It perplexed him how a filly so small could conjure up a mess so large, speaking of which, where was Applebloom? In fact, where was anypony? He had worked at Sweet Apple Acres for nigh on a year now, and he never recalled it being this quiet. "Hello," he called out uncertainly. "anypony home?" "Hey there, Caramel." He whirled around, coming eye to eye with Applejack. Sweet Chrysalis, was she trying to give him a heart attack? "Applejack! Sweet Celestia, you frightened m-" the words died in his throat as he noticed that Applejack was cradling what was undoubtedly the biggest apple he had ever seen between her forelegs. The bulbous red fruit was easily twice the size of his head, and its surface was polished to a fine reflective sheen. "... Applejack, since when did you start giving apples steroids?" "Y’all watch yer manners!" she snapped defensively. "This here's mah new coltfriend, an' ah ain't gonna have no two faced rascal like yourself spittin' out any hateful remarks!" He blinked... ... He blinked again... 'What?' "Did you just call that thing... your 'coltfriend'?" he asked, staring at the humungous apple disbelievingly. "Eeyup!" answered Applejack with pride, and nuzzled the apple affectionately. "He's handsome, funny, romantic, an' best of all"-her emerald eyes glared into his with such ferocity that he nearly leapt backwards in terror. The malevolent pools of green that were her irises burst into a baneful shade of crimson, and the oily depths of her pupils erupted into pits of lashing fire. -"HE DOESN'T LIE!" "NO!" he squealed as he bolted upwards, clutching the sheets to his chest defensively. 'A nightmare... just a nightmare...' Caramel released the breath he realised he had been holding, and fell back into his bed, panting like an animal. The relentless thudding of his heartbeat in his ears drowned out his rasping breaths. An icy glazing of sweat clung his black chitin, and the mattress beneath him was virtually sodden with the stuff. 'Nothing but a nightmare... nothing but a nightmare... nothing but some stupid nightmare.' He reached towards the drawer he kept near his bedside with a quivering hoof, opened it, and withdrew the packet of bubble-gum he kept hidden away for nights such as these. Caramel slotted a wad of gum into his mouth and chewed it agressively. The tension gradually began to drain from his body, and he sank back into his bed with a weary sigh. In the name of Chrysalis, he hadn't been that freaked out by a dream since he was five! Mr. Jingles sat at the edge of the bed, staring Caramel down with his mismatched button eyes. He plucked up the teddy bear and drew it into a hug. It was a ragged old thing, but Caramel found solace in its velveteen fur nonetheless. Bubble-gum and a teddy bear, his ultimate cure to just about anything. He glanced at the clock that hung upon his bedroom wall. Six in the morning. Well, it wasn't exactly like he had anything planned for today (apart from wallowing in his own self pity, of course), so he may as well- Wait, what was that smell? Sniffing tentatively at the air, Caramel realised that the stench of stale sweat wasn't the only thing he reeked of. He threw the sheets off of the bed, and cringed as he noticed the soggy patch on his bedding between his legs. 'Note to self, stop drinking before going to bed.' Apart from washing his soured bedding, the rest of his morning consisted of little more than hunkering down into his favourite chair and waiting for the day to end. There wasn't really much else to do. House arrest had robbed him of any chance of entertainment, and it wasn't exactly like had a job to go to. He seriously doubted that Applejack would let him keep his job at Sweet Apple Acres after... what happened... 'Applejack...' When Caramel first arrived at Ponyville he had harboured nothing but hate for ponies. To him they were nothing but a greedy bunch of self-righteous jerks who garbed themselves with ideologies of 'love' and 'acceptance', yet shunned anything that didn't have a cutie mark plastered across their buttocks. At the time, bringing their precious little empire crashing down upon their heads would have appealed him to no end. Then he met Applejack. Initially he had loathed her much like he had loathed everypony else, even more so, actually. After applying for a job at Sweet Apple Acres he had worked virtually shoulder to shoulder with her from Monday to Friday, meaning that he had to spend the majority of his week listening to her ramblings about her friends and family, neither of which he had given a damn about at the time. Of course, he would smile and nod and commend her for being so honest and loyal to her friends, and she would smile bashfully and giggle like a school filly whenever he threw a compliment her way. Ponies were so eager to give affection to their own kind. He had viewed her as a necessary blight, something he had to endure lest he starve... that was, until he fell completely head-over-hooves in love with her... One year ago. The rain came lashing down in sheets, flung forward by brutal gusts of wind. The storm had caught him and Applejack in the middle of the orchard, and was pounding at them relentlessly. Damnable pony weather, why would a race capable of manipulating the clouds choose to make it rain so bloody hard? 'Damned Equestria and its terrible weather...' Caramel suspected that Rainbow Pony, that little wart seemed to hold some kind of personal vendetta against him ever since he'd bucked her lazy flank out of that tree. 'Damned ponies and their stupid napping areas...' Applejack stumbled towards him, struggling against the increasingly savage winds. One hoof was holding her beloved Stetson to her head. Her braided golden mane danced in the wind, and her eyes were squinted against the rain. Two baskets full to the brim with apples hung from her sides. 'Damned Applejack...' "Caramel!" she yelled over the fierce howling of the storm. "C'mon, we best get ourselves inside. This foul weather's only gunna get worse!" Applejack beckoned him to follow her with her free hoof. They made their way towards the house. It wasn't uncommon for the Apple family to allow their workers to take refuge in their own home whenever the weather got too rough to work the orchards in. He doubted that they would show such compassion to anything other than a pony. Bloody selfish Equestrians... Caramel save the internal rants on his hatred for the Equine race for later. It was freezing out here in the rain, and what really mattered at the moment was getting inside before he caught himself a cold. The front door to the house had been left ajar, and the welcoming glow of a loaming fireplace poured out onto the porch. He could almost feel the sweet warmth on his coat already. Applejack caught his attention with a whistle. "Hey, d'ya mind helpin' me unload this here batch?" she asked, gesturing to the baskets full of apples she had draped across her sides. "Sure, no problem." he answered half-heartedly. In the name of Chrysalis, the gods and the Runeforgers, he loathed this mare, even more so than those insufferable friends of hers he'd been tasked to spy on. She was as stubborn as a mule, as thick as a brick and as bossy as his mother! He begrudgingly fell in beside her and followed her towards the barn, which served as a storage area for the crops. The building reeked of wood-chippings and straw. A fat drop of water fell from the rafters above and plopped onto his nose. Great, if the smell wasn't bad enough, now it was leaking as well. "Help me get these off, will ya?" said Applejack as she fidgeted with the baskets around her sides. Caramel began to pry open the awkward little latches which held the thatched baskets to Applejack's body. Removing these blasted things required two sets of hooves, and even then it still proved a challenge. If he could use his magic then work on Sweet Apple Acres would be immeasurably easier. As he tugged open the final latch the baskets fell to the ground and their contents tumbled out. Damned apples, why couldn't ponies just eat love instead? It was easier to find, tasted better and didn't require a farm to produce. "Don't worry, ah'll clean it up!" interjected Applejack, hastily snatching the apples from the floor and plopping them back into the containers. Caramel raised an eyebrow. Hmph, somepony was eager to please. He turned to make his leave. There was a spot on the Apple family couch with his name on it, and a crackling fire that he was eager to bask in front of. "Thanks fer all the help, Caramel..." A quick, unexpected flicker of emotion buzzed through him as his name rolled off her tongue. It was a braising heat mingled with a buzz so strong it almost made him jump. like jumping into a cold pool of warm water, or basking in the sunlight on a rainy day, freezing and burning at the same time... It felt like love, only better. He glanced over his shoulder back at Applejack. She was transfixed on him, analysing him from head-to-hoof with dreamy, half lidded eyes. The emerald of her irises glimmered with some foreign emotion, and her mouth had fashioned itself into a content smile as they drifted towards his flank. Once again the unknown emotion brushed against his senses, lingering in the air like a spicy, intoxicating censer. Caramel hazarded a taste, and almost gasped as the overwhelming power of the emotion flowed through him. His blood thickened and his head swayed as the feeling enclosed him in its warm, fuzzy grasp. "Applejack?" he said, recalling her from her ogling. She threw her head to the side, and the emotion disappeared as quickly as it had come. It left an emptiness within him, one he desperately felt the need to fill. He wanted- no- needed more. A slight blush rose in her cheeks. "Y-yeah?" she stammered out. She tried her hardest to cover up her embarrassment by forcing a neutral expression on to her face, but there was no hiding it from the changeling. The sickly tinge of embarrassment and shame was far too potent for him to miss. Caramel could only gawk. She'd been ogling him... Applejack, his boss, an element of freakin' harmony, was checking him out! 'Don't just stand there gaping at the mare, say something you moron!' Suddenly aware of the painfully awkward silence, Caramel blurted out the first thing that came to mind. "Were you just staring at my butt?" "N-no!" yelped Applejack. "Ah was jus'... Uh..." her eyes darted from side to side, as if looking for a way out. Of course, she didn't find one. "I-it was only..." she deflated with a groan and hid her face behind her hooves as her embarrassment thickened. 'Great, now look at what you've done. Insensitive jerk... Wait, why am I feeling bad about this? She's a pony for Chrysalis' sakes, she doesn't deserve my pity! It's not like the Equestrians ever spared any pity for us!' "Dagnabit, Applejack, now look what ya gone an' done..." muttered the farmer, quietly berating herself. '... Okay, so maybe I was a bit of a jerk.' He shuffled uneasily towards Applejack, whose face was currently so red that he could have mistaken her for her brother. How exactly do you comfort a pony, a mare no less? His experience with the opposite sex wasn't exactly vast, but wasn't physical contact supposed to help? Or was it kind words? Presents? No, that was for birthdays and the like. Weird pony tradition, that... The acrid taste of embarrassment attacked his senses once more. Drat, he was dawdling! With every passing second Applejack's shame grew more intense, and with it, his guilt. Oh, just hug her already and be done with it! Unsure of what else to do, he folded his forelegs around her in an awkward yet gentle hug. She gasped in shock as he threw his hooves around her. 'There! Ponies like hugs, don't they?' he thought to himself as he adjusted his legs around her shoulders. He was doing this right, wasn't he? Or was he supposed to put his forelegs around her barrel? Whatever, he'd find an instruction manual on this sort of thing later. Damned ponies and their overcomplicated ways of displaying affection. Applejack returned the hug with a surprising amount of enthusiasm. The harmonic scent of love teased his senses once more. He displayed less caution this time, and allowed the delectable stream of emotion to flow into him. He closed his eyes, and allowed it to swallow him up. One of Applejack's hooves gradually began to work its way upwards, eventually settling on the nape of his neck. Strands of golden mane licked at his nose as she readjusted herself to bring her face to his. The warmth of her breath across his cheeks settled over him like the softest of blankets, and for a moment, Caramel thought himself content. Then she kissed him, and he realised that he didn't even know the meaning of the word. Her lips locked with his in a firm, passionate, and lasting kiss. The hoof that she had hooked around his neck pulled him into it, and the foreleg looped around his torso pulled him further still. Her muscle-strewn chest pressed into him as she brought him closer, turning their once friendly hug into something far more intimate. The banquet of emotion still poured into him, but he took no notice of it. Instead, he directed his attention to the mare in his forelegs. Without so much as a hint of hesitation, he returned the kiss. And then, as soon as it had begun, it was over. Applejack flung herself away from him with a little *eep* reminiscent of Fluttershy. Caramel stood rigid with his mouth agape, the taste of Applejack still fresh in his mouth. "Ah-ah'm sorry!" stammered Applejack. She looked upon him with an expression that was almost fearful. "Ah don't know what came over me, ah was only-" His mind felt numb, and his body weak. She had kissed him. Kissed him! This was- that was just... It was... He didn't know. Like most changelings, he had experienced love countless times before and fed on it on more occasions than he could remember, but this time, that kiss, had been different. He hadn't stole it from some passing couple, nor was it some passive affection earned by some half-witted compliment. This love, so pure and powerful and simple, had been given to him out of free will... She loved him. By the name of Chrysalis and the gods, she loved him. Applejack was still blurting out apologies and pleas for forgiveness. He'd been so pent up in his min-revelation that he hadn't bothered to listen. Looking at her now he found her remarkably different. This wasn't some spiteful minion of a greedy sun goddess who preached fake ideals of happiness and friendship, nor some bucket of emotion for him to gorge himself on. This was merely a girl who'd fell in love with her co-worker, and he'd been too damned blind to realise it up until now. "Applejack," he said, cutting her apologetic ramble short. "Kiss me again." Yeah, he really said that. After their first date to the cinema, Caramel realised just how clichéd he must have sounded. But it had worked, hadn't it? That moment in the barn had been the turning point for Caramel. He actually began listening to the ponies around him rather than just smiling and nodding whenever they opened their mouths. It is surprising how much you can discover by simply listening to somepony. For example: -Pinkie Pie was a huge fan of Dragons and Daggers. She'd visited dozens of conventions and sometimes went by the name 'Pinkie the Powerful'. -Rainbow Dash was the head of the chess club back in high school, and it was rumoured that she still had an affection for the game, although she was hasty to deny it whenever asked. -Rarity knew the lyrics to every Iron Mare song in existence, owns each of their albums and has followed them on tour four times since she met him. She told everypony else that she was going to Canterlot to attend to 'fashion business'. -Twilight practiced playing the flute in her free time, and had become a fairly skilled musician over the years. -Fluttershy owned what was perhaps the most expansive collection of horror movies in Equestria, from the Final Destineightion series to The Headless Horseman saga. But out of all the ponies he had got to know, he knew Applejack the best. There was something about her which captivated him like no other pony or changeling had before. She taught him new things, introduced him to new ponies and above all made him feel new emotions... Emotions which he'd never felt for anypony before. And he'd lied to her about everything. He must have looked like a monster in her eyes. He definitely felt like one. Applejack had invited him into her heart with open forelegs, and he'd crushed it between his hooves. It was like something out of a horror story. A mare fell in love with a stallion, only to have him turn into some twisted and terrible beast, complete with fangs. Maybe if he had just told her from the very beginning then none of this would ever have happened. But no, he had to keep his dirty little secret from her for an entire year before dumping it on her like a ton of bricks. How does somechangeling apologise for something so big? So bad? So indescribably evil? The answer came in the form of a merry rapping at his door. A visitor? This early in the morning? That was rather unusual. He donned his disguise and undid the latch on his front door, whipping the crusted remains of sleep out of his eyes as he did so in a last bid attempt to make himself look presentable. He opened the door and- "Hey there Carrie!" wailed Pinkie at the top off her lungs, shoving her face into his and totally disregarding any measures of personal space whatsoever. Caramel cartwheeled backwards into a pile of jumbled limbs. Why did Pinkie Pie have to be so, well, Pinkie Pie? Having some crazy mare almost give him a heart attack wasn't his idea of a good start to the day. Besides, he was in the middle of sulking to himself! Shouldn't Pinkie know better than to bother somepon- somechangeling right after a breakup? The next couple of days were reserved for cramming ice cream down his gullet and crying over sad movies. He simply didn't have time for Pinkie's antics! "Pinkie Pie," sighed Caramel un-amusedly. "What are you doing here?" Out of all of Applejack's friends, Pinkie Pie was his least favourite. She was interruptive, jumpy, overly energetic- that's not to say that he didn't like her. On the contrary, Pinkie was a loyal friend to just about anypony she met, however that didn't change the fact that she was just so damned... Tiring! You could apply the most relaxing thing in the world to Pinkie Pie, and it would immediately become a chore. Her sporadic behaviour could be entertaining at times, but after five minutes of so it'd lose its charm and turn into yet another annoyance. "Hmm?" she tilted her head to the side and eyed him questioningly. "Hasn't anypony told you?" "Told me what?" asked Caramel disgruntledly. He'd never been a morning person, and the added doses of breakup-induced self-loathing and Pinkie Pie weren't exactly making his morning any brighter. "Well you see"- she inhaled deeply -"when Princess Luna saw Applejack all sad and mopey because you turned out to be a beetle-borg she was all like 'aaaw, poor Applejack' and so she told Celestia and she was like 'oh no, my poor little pony!' So then she decided to put you under house arrest and surveillance and stuff but then she told us to help you get back together with Applejack so she'd be nice and happy again and we all chose to try and help you out on different days except for Rainbow Dash because she absolutely hates you and I chose today to be the one to help you so come on!" Another thing about Pinkie Pie, she didn't tend to acknowledge the existence of the full stop. "You lost me at beetle-borg." he deadpanned. With a heavy sigh and an overemphasised roll of her eyes Pinkie Pie gave Caramel a clear explanation. "So let me get this straight," said Caramel. "A stallion breaks your friend’s heart, turns out to be a changeling and has been spying on you for the past year... And you want to help this stallion get his marefriend back?" "Well duh!" she gave a small, hysterical giggle. "That's what friends are for silly! Haven't you learned anything about the friendship of magic?" Caramel smiled despite himself. Aggravating or not, Pinkie Pie, as well as her other friends, were willing to help him. Even after all his trickery, spying and deceit, they were still going to lend a helping hoof. That was friendship for you, he supposed. It was a bond reminiscent of family, only far more difficult to understand. He'd spent months on end trying to get his head around it. Out of all the ideals the Equestrians stood for, friendship was one of their foremost. Now that he had experienced it, he felt as if he understood it even less. Friendship was magic, and a mighty confusing one at that. "Pinkie, I appreciate the offer, I really do, but the thing is..." he sighed ponderously. "I don't think I can do this." "Pfft, what are you talking about? With friends as good as mine, there's no way you can fail!" said Pinkie Pie reassuringly. "No, no, it's not that I doubt anypony. It's just..." he chewed his lip thoughtfully. "I don't think I can face her, you know? Applejack." He was a liar, and Applejack didn't have any time for liars. There was no salvaging what was left of their broke relationship, especially now since he told everypony that he was a spy. Caramel didn't even want to think about how Applejack would react to the news. She'd probably beat the snot out of him all over again, not that he didn't deserve it. 'A whole year. You kept your little ruse up for a whole year. How would you explain that to her, hmm? Just tell her that it was your job? You should never have followed her into that damned barn. Everything would have gone so much smoother if you hadn't gone and fallen in love like an absolute idiot. Look around Caramel, just look at all the pain your love has caused.' "You know, for somepony who's been dating her for a year, you really don't know Applejack very well." said Pinkie Pie. That earned a stiff glare from Caramel. "And just what is that supposed to mean?" he asked, eyeing the pink mare incredulously. Of course he knew Applejack well, he'd been spying on, as well as dating, her for the past year! He knew everything about her, from her favourite cereal to her childhood crush. His encyclopaedic knowledge of her may have been deemed 'creepy' by some ponies, but in changeling society, such extensive knowledge of a loved one was deemed as flattery. Many changelings would study their partners for hours on end to prove themselves worthy mates! Pinkie huffed at him. "Come on, Carrie, everypony knows that Applejack is a super laid back mare, she'll forgive you no problem!" "She threw me out of a window!" Pinkie Pie shrugged her shoulders, as if being lobbed from the upper storey of a house wasn't a big deal. "Well maybe you should try telling her your sorry!" she stated obnoxiously, a if it was the answer to the simplest question in the world. "A sincere 'I'm sorry' can turn even the biggest frowns upside down!" Caramel's glare stiffened. "I don't think just saying sorry is going to make up for a year's worth of spying and deceit, Pinkie." "Hmm," hummed Pinkie, tapping her chin thoughtfully and scrunching her brow in thought. "I suppose that would be asking for a lot..." her ears pricked up as an idea worked its way into her twisted mind. "Oh, I know! You could bake her an 'I'm-super-duper-sorry-pie'!" "... A what?" "An I'm-super-duper-sorry-pie," repeated Pinkie Pie. "Or just 'ISDSP' for short." she sprayed spittle into Caramel's face as she pronounced the acronym. An 'I'm sorry pie', really? Did she seriously believe that he could right his wrongs and repair his relationship with Applejack through a pie? "I don't think some homemade pie is going to fix anything, Pinkie." said Caramel grouchily. Of course it wouldn't. It was pie. Giving Applejack a pie would erase his past sins no more than a Band-Aid would heal a broken leg. Chances were she'd just throw it back in his face, anyways. "Oh don't be silly, pie solves everything!" she chirped. "It just looks like to me that somepony is feeling a little under-confident." A little under-confident? She was asking him to get back together with a pony who likely hated his guts right now via pie! What was there to be confident about? This would. Not. Work! "Pinkie, I think it'd be better if we were to just, you know, leave Applejack alone for now." he said drearily. The aspect of simply letting Applejack walk away was like a punch to the heart. The past year with her had undoubtedly been the best year of his life. There was something unparalleled in knowing that somepony loved him unconditionally. It was almost as if he'd gained another member of his family, only this was somepony with whom he could share absolutely anything with, deepest secrets and all... Excluding the fact that he was a changeling, apparently. Suddenly and unexpectedly, a pink hoof caught him around the cheek. His head snapped to the side and he reeled away drunkenly. He timidly inspected his throbbing cheek with a hoof of his own, only to find that it stung to the touch. She just slapped him! "W-what the heck was that for!" he whined, still flinching at pulsing pain. "For defeatism, silly!" she chirped merrily. "Nopony ever won any hearts by just moping around!" That was the last straw. Caramel stripped himself of his disguise in an emerald flash of flame, revealing his true and twisted form. "Look at me!" he spat, brandishing his changeling fangs in an ugly snarl. "What good are happy thoughts and pie going to do when you look like this?" His anger left as quickly as it had come, and his snarl diminished into a frown. "You weren't there, Pinkie." he said solemnly. "You didn't see Applejack, you didn't see how... disgusted she was." he fell back onto his haunches. The bitter memory had haunted him still. He'd felt her revulsion in him, and it had maimed him even more than the black eye and broken tooth she'd inflicted upon him. She didn't see him as a stallion, but rather a disease, a sickness fit only for eradication. Thinking about it made him want to cry. To simply lock himself away and sob endlessly. It was one thing to have the mare you loved hate you, but another thing entirely to know that you actually revolted them. "Come on, Carrie," Pinkie cooed. "Applejack doesn't hate you because you're a changeling. She hates you because you were a liar!" Caramel cocked a brow. "And that makes things better how, exactly?" "Well, seeing as you've revealed yourself and all, you're not a liar anymore!" That... Kind of made sense in a very Pinkie Pie kind of way. If Applejack was all wound up about him being a spy and all, then she could be willing to forgive him some time or another. All he would have to do is give her a good apology! Something that said 'I'm sorry I spied on you and your friends, please take me back!' You could get cards for that sort of thing, right? "You're certain Applejack is only mad about me lying?" he asked uncertainly. "Trust me," answered Pinkie Pie. "I know my friends." Caramel re-adorned his disguise. This was a long shot, to say the least. In fact, he may just be kicking a nest full of hornets. But if there was a chance, even the smallest chance that he could set things right, he was going to take it. Life had torn him away from his home and tore him away from his family, he would not let it tear him away from Applejack without a fight. "Alright," he said. "I'm in." Caramel waded through the bristling mass of ponies that cluttered the Ponyville market. Customers haggled animatedly with vendors and the air was thick with the earthy smell of fresh fruit and vegetables. He had a list of ingredients tucked into his saddlebags, courtesy of Pinkie Pie. If he was going to bake a pie, he would first need ingredients, and the market had virtually anything imaginable up for sale. Anything. Equestrian had a fondness for the strangest of things, as any non-Equestrian would tell you. For instance, ponies had a bizarre affinity for flavoured liquids (or as they liked to call them, 'juices') and had diets that were composed almost solely of sugar and fruit. Back in his homeland sweets and candy were shunned in favour of more preferable delicacies, namely love, or boiled cockroaches (which were actually rather delicious once you got past the fact that you were eating a bug). There was a reason he never went anywhere near Pinkie's cupcakes during her parties. Whilst most equine species loved their confections, changelings most certainly did not. In fact, changelings were generally ignorant of the culinary arts, seeing as all they really needed for survival was love, meaning that they had no want nor need to take up cooking. Which may a problem, seeing as Pinkie Pie expected him to be baking a pie. Caramel shrugged it off as he closed in on a stall selling the ingredients he needed. From what he had heard, baking was nothing more than shoving a load of stuff into a bowl and heating it up. So simple that even a foal could do it! Besides, he knew how to make a sandwich, and was a pie really so different? Just replace the lettuce with filling and the bread with... pastry stuff... and hey presto, you've got yourself a pie! He greeted the mare running the stand and bought himself a bag of flour, which he stored in his saddlebags. That left- he glanced at the recipe Pinkie Pie had given him- sugar, milk, eggs, butter and apples. He intended to stuff it full of diced apples, seeing as they were Applejack's favourite fruit. Caramel cringed when he remembered that the Apple family were the only ones who sold apples at the market. That was bound to get more than a little awkward. Had Applejack told anypony about him being a changeling? If so, the repercussions were likely to be disastrous. Of course he didn't intend to keep his true identity secret forever... He just didn't feel that it was the right time. The Canterlot invasion was still fresh on everypony's mind, so he doubted that Ponyville would be very welcoming towards anychangeling at the moment. He chewed his lip worriedly. If he wanted apples, he'd have to risk being called out by whoever ran the stand. Applejack was rarely secretive with her feelings, and chances were that she'd shared his secret with her whole family by now. Caramel waded through the thick crowd of ponies towards the usual setup area for the apple stand, silently praying that he'd some unfamiliar pony at the counter. 'Please, for the love of Chrysalis, Celestia, Luna, the gods and any other legitimate governing body or deity out there, don't let it be Grandma Smith. Anypony but Grandma Smith.' The old and wrinkled working mare may have looked harmless, but if she found out you'd hurt her family in any way, chances were you'd be eating the rest of your meals through a straw. The apple stand stood where it had always stood, and occupying it was none other than Applejack's big brother, Big Macintosh. 'Big Macintosh? That's even worse! He's basically a freight train with legs! Okay, we'll just meld back into the crowd and hightail it to Sugarcube Corner, Pinkie Pie's bound to have a couple of apples lying around, right?' Too late. Big Mac's eyes had locked onto Caramel the second he'd shown his face. To flee now would be a complete and utter folly. Big Mac was thrice the better runner than Caramel could ever hope to be, and would close the distance between the two of them in the blink of an eye. 'Oh boy... He doesn't look happy.' It was a rare thing to see Big Mac frown, and rarer still to see him genuinely angry. Currently, he was scrutinising Caramel with a glare so cold that it turned the blood in his veins to ice. It was safe to say that Big Macintosh was angry. Very angry. He beckoned Caramel to come closer with a harsh gesture. Seeing no other option, the changeling solemnly approached him. Had anypony been watching him, they would have thought that he was walking towards his own execution. Caramel doubted that Big Mac wanted to talk to him after he'd broke his sister's heart. The only thing he could do was meet his fate like a stallion. "Please don't kill me..." he squeaked to the muscular, colossal stallion. Silence. Big Macintosh's glare stiffened. Anger burned behind those green eyes, hot, righteous anger. For a second, Caramel thought that he was going to reach out, grab him and crush him between those thick logs he had for forelegs. Finally, he spoke. "Ah know what y'all are." A chill crawled down Caramel's spine as Big Mac spoke. He'd never heard Big Mac speak when he was angry before. His voice was akin to the rumble of a sleeping dragon. It almost hurt to listen to him. Caramel shrank before the imposing stallion. "I'm... I'm sorry," he muttered in a trembling voice. "I'm so sorry." Big Mac narrowed his eyes. "Save yer sorrys fer somepony who'll believe 'em, ah ain't fallin' fer none of yer lies." "I'm not lying!" cried Caramel, far louder than he had intended to. A few passers by cast him a curious glance before dissolving back into the crowd. "Yes ya are, it's what yer kind does!" spat Big Macintosh. "Heck, yer lyin' right now, jus' look at y'all!" he pointed towards him accusingly. "Yer usin' that foul magic of yours ta twist yerself into one of us! Well it ain't nothin' but smoke an' mirrors! Cuz underneath all that deception, all you are is a monster ah tell ya, ah gosh darned monster who's hurt ma sister!" Ponies were stopping in their tracks and watching the two stallions with growing curiosity. "I-I never meant to hurt her so bad, okay?" yelled Caramel. "It's just... She was so happy... And I thought-" "Ya thought that no harm could come from it. Was that it? Well take a gander Caramel, a lot of harm came from it, yet yer still decievin' everypony regardless!" he made another fierce gesture towards Caramel to prove his point. The growing circle of ponies surrounding them began to murmur between themselves questioningly. He loathed being the centre of attention, it made Caramel feel boxed in and uncomfortable. The fact that this could turn into a public lynching at any second didn't exactly do much to calm his nerves, either. "Big Mac, just hear me out!" pleaded Caramel. "I know what I did was wrong, and I know Applejack was hurt because of it, but please, let me make it up to her! I'm through with lying and I'm done with deceiving-" "Are ya?" said Big Macintosh. "Well how about ya prove it to me, heck, prove it to all these folk!" he waved a hoof across the building crowd of onlookers, some of which were glaring at Caramel apprehensively. "If yer finished spreadin' yer lies, then how's about ya show everypony what ya really are!" Caramel opened his mouth to speak, but promptly closed it. It was obvious that he wouldn't win Big Mac over with words. Then again, there wasn't exactly much of an alternative. He glanced at the onlookers surrounding him and Big Macintosh. There were dozens of them. If he was to drop his disguise here, they'd fall upon him in what would likely be the dog pile of the century. At the moment the crowd was none the wiser to what he was, and he'd have to play his cards carefully to keep it that way. "I shown Applejack, didn't I?" said Caramel forcefully. "Isn't that proof enough?" "Not fer me." growled Big Mac. "Then about all those hours I spent working overtime on the farm, slaving over the crops and gathering the harvests, does that sound like something a dishonest pony would do to you?" he softened his tone a little. "Come on Big Mac, you know me. I was your friend, I still am your friend. Nothing has changed about me, I'm still the same guy who's been working at your side for the last year, you know I'd never do any harm to Applejack on purpose." "Then prove it to me, an' show me the real you!" "You know I can't do that, Big Mac, not here..." He grunted. "Then you ain't provin' squat. Get outta here, animal." "Dammit Big Mac, just listen to-" "AH SAID LEAVE!" boomed Big Macintosh. His thunderous voice swept across the marketplace and shocked it into a deathly silence. Caramel's heart sank as he realised that Big Mac's outburst had attracted the attention of virtually everypony. Everywhere he looked, curious eyes and frowning faces were glaring back at him. He couldn't help but cower under the weight of their gazes. Caramel hated being the centre of attention, much like many other changelings. Changelings were covert and stealthy by nature, so sticking out like a sore thumb was generally a bad experience for any self respecting shape shifter. "Can't we just talk about this?" pleaded Caramel. "There ain't nothin' to talk about." Caramel nodded grimly. It was obvious that he'd get no forgiveness from Big Mac, nor apples, either. He melted back into the crowd wordlessly, unable to shake the feeling that he'd been betrayed. Ironic, seeing as the only traitor here was him. The market returned to normalcy as Caramel slunk his was back to Sugarcube Corner. He pushed open the door to Sugarcube Corner and took a seat at one of the nearby tables. Pinkie Pie was behind the counter, serving a customer a freshly baked batch of cupcakes. She smiled at him warmly and signalled that she'd be over in a moment. '"Get outta here, animal"' was that all that Big Mac thought he was? An animal? He knew Big Mac hated lying, as did the rest of the Apple family, but an animal? Last night Caramel would have been inclined to agree with him, but now it only seemed offensive. He was trying to make up for what he did wrong, wasn't he? If Big Macintosh could just get it through his thick skull that he'd changed... It was pointless thinking of it at the moment. He knew Big Mac fairly well, which meant that he knew that any further attempt to change the stubborn stallion would be fruitless. That pony was as bull-headed as he was big. Hopefully he'd come around after Caramel convinced Applejack to forgive him. If he convinced Applejack to forgive him. "Hey Carrie!" said Pinkie Pie, pulling up a chair to sit next to him. "How'd the shopping go?" "Not so great," he mumbled. "You wouldn't have any spare apples lying around, would you?" "Of course not, why else do you think I asked you to buy some, silly?" She tilted her head to the side quizzically. "Why d'ya ask?" "Because Big Mac wasn't exactly forthcoming with his." Pinkie made a small gasp in realisation, and then giggled heartily. "Oh right, sorry. I forgot that the Apple Family were the only ones in Ponyville who sold apples, my bad!" Caramel glared at her in disbelief. He had come inches away from being mobbed, and she thought it was funny? He bit his tongue before he could begin mercilessly insulting her. Of course she found it funny. This was Pinkie Pie. She found everything funny. It was one of the reasons why he never tried to get to know her better. Everything was just a big joke to her! "Laugh it up, Pinkie." he grunted, plopping his face into his forelegs. Pinkie Pie's giggling stopped almost immediately. "What's wrong?" she asked. "What's wrong is that my marefriend's brother thinks that I'm a monster!" he growled. Pinkie Pie recoiled slightly, but stayed sat firmly in her seat. She was only just recognising the overwhelming glumness that radiated from the changeling. "You mean Big Mac?" she asked disbelievingly. That was ludicrous, even by her standards. Big Mac couldn't hate somepony, he was the most forgiving pony in all of Ponyville! A pony as laid back as Big Mac was beyond holding grudges! "Carrie, that's ridiculous! I don't even think the word hate is in Big Macintosh's dictionary!" "Oh it's in there, alright!" he groaned belligerently. "I mean, you should have seen him! For a second I thought that he might actually kill me!" Pinkie looked doubtful. She'd never known Big Macintosh to even hurt anypony, little own kill them. Perhaps Caramel was exaggerating. "How about you tell me what happened?" she suggested carefully. Caramel explained in detail of Big Mac's outburst to a dubious Pinkie Pie. She frowned in dissatisfaction after he'd finished. Big Macintosh really said all those mean things? Wow, that guy had a dark side. This was a problem. Without apples, they had no way of making the 'I'm-Super-Duper-Sorry-Pie' to Applejack's liking. They'd have to make do with what she had lying about the fridge, and it had been far too long since she'd restocked her supplies. Maybe she and Caramel could make a pie with no filling? She would call it 'pie flavour'. No, she'd tried that before, and the results had been disastrous. Tasty, but disastrous. It took her months on end to clean up that mess. "Hold on a second." she told Caramel, and sped over to the kitchen to check the contents of the refrigerator. Literally anything could be used as filling for a pie, you just had to use your imagination, which luckily Pinkie Pie had plenty of. She immediately began top pluck various pie fillings-to-be out of the refrigerator. Bananas? Too dry. Peaches? Too sweet. Whipped cream? Too boring. Coconuts? Could you even fit a coconut into a pie? Meh, she'd find a way. Pinkie huffed at the large heap of food that she had piled up onto a nearby table. There was just no way to choose! Caramel poked his head through the door, and his eyes widened at the sight of the mountain of ingredients that Pinkie Pie had amassed. How did she fit all of that into her fridge? "Uh, Pinkie?" he asked cautiously. "You don't intend to heap all of that into a pie, do you?" The instant Caramel uttered those words, he regretted it. Pinkie addressed Caramel with a smile so big that it almost seemed unnatural to him. "Carrie, you're a genius!" she squealed delightedly before diving towards him to envelop him in a bone-crunching hug. Her forelegs clamped around him in a murderously tight embrace. Caramel's disguise disintegrated in a flash of green fire as Pinkie's bear-hug nearly crushed the life out of him. "P-personal space!" he managed to rasp through his squashed lungs. "Oops, sorry!" said Pinkie Pie as she released him. He collapsed onto the ground in a gasping mess. Pinkie Pie slunk towards him timidly, an embarrassed blush on her cheeks. "I guess you could say that's a bad habit of mine." Caramel led his head back and sighed tiredly. This was going to be a long day. "By the way, you're all squishy around your belly." added Pinkie as Caramel began to stumble back onto his hooves. She poked him lightly in the gut to prove her point, and snorted with delight. "Heh, neat." As strange as it may sound, Caramel had actually read the odd cookbook or two for entertainment purposes. Equestrian cuisine, although disgusting, fascinated him to no end. The amount of sugar they poured into their pastries was nothing short of ludicrous, and their aversion to more savoury forms of food baffled him. Why would you waste your time on all that sugary sweetness when you could be enjoying something far more fine? Most of the ponies he'd met would cringe at the thought of any snack that wouldn't give them diabetes. It was all so peculiar and foreign to him that it was impossible for him not to find an interest in the subject. Most of what he'd read he had forgotten, apart from a few very simple basics. Equestrian food was made from a set list of ingredients (which almost always included sugar), usually needed to be heated in an oven and above all required organisation and accuracy in order to be produced properly. Caramel was severely lacking in the latter. The floor was slick with the juices of various fruits, and the walls were stained with flour. He'd made a genuine mess of cutting the fruits into slices. Pinkie Pie had told him to cut the slices fine, or else he would never be able to fit a bit of everything in there, like she had suggested. 'It's simple,' she said. 'So simple that even the silliest pony in all the world could do it!' So far he had to use the fire extinguisher two times. Simple his shapeshifting flank! "How're ya doin' with the cutting, Carrie?" asked Pinkie Pie from across the kitchen. She was busy flattening out what would be the base of the pie. Caramel frowned at the mangled mess of massacred fruit that lay before him. The knife was still embedded in what he thought was a pineapple, although he wasn't really all that sure anymore. "Uh, great." he replied half-heartedly. Suddenly, Pinkie Pie was staring over his shoulder. Wasn't she on the other side of the kitchen a second ago? "That doesn't look all that great to me." she said consolingly "You know what? How about I handle the cutting and you work on making the base, mmkay?" "Oh, okay." Five minutes later, Sugarcube Corner was ablaze. Applejack lay spread out in front of the fireplace, a solemn look set upon her face. The sun had dimmed outside, and night was gradually beginning to set in. Applebloom had already gone to sleep, and Big Mac was quietly napping in his bedroom. Grandma Smith sat in her recliner with a half-knitted scarf between her hooves. apart from the slight clack of her knitting needles and the crackling of the fire, the house was silent. Something was missing. There was a queer emptiness to the moment. She tried to ignore it, but it simply wouldn't go away. It hung over her, taunting. Caramel had loved the fire. Ponies nowadays had a way of lusting for the most outlandish things, be it food, pricy belongings, costly experiences... Caramel had been different. Sure, his taste in literature had been rather obscure, and his choices in music a little eccentric from time to time, but he'd always treasured the simple things above all else. A sunny day, a clean glass of water, the fresh smell of dirt... Had she been one of those simple pleasures? A convenient pool of love for him to drink from? She could vividly remember all of those cute little quips and compliments he'd thrown her way. Had it all been for nought but food? Could every smile, kiss, or gentle uttering of 'I love you' have been nothing more than a simple baiting? *Knock knock knock* Had he even seen her as a pony? Could she have been nothing more than a fat wineskin for him to drink from whenever he got thirsty? *Knock knock knock knock knock* It was a frightening thought, and a painful one atop of that. She had always thought herself infallible to lies and deceit, but this... She never believed that somepony so embedded in her trust could betray her so horribly. *Knock knock knock knock knock knock knock knock!* "Y'all gunna get that?" said Grandma Smith, not taking her attention away from her knitting. Applejack suddenly realised the knocking at the door. She shuffled to her hooves and made towards it. She opened the door- "Hey honey!" -and then slammed it shut. ... *Knock knock knock knock knock* "Go away!" she spat angrily. She peeked through a nearby window at the black figure which stood at the porch. 'That traitorous varmint!' she thought to herself. 'He has the moxy to turn up at my door after what he did? Without his disguise? The nerve! In fact, what was he even doing around here? Hadn't Twilight sent him off to the Princess? "Oh come on," pleaded Caramel. "Can't we just talk about this?" "Ah said go away! You ain't welcome here no more, ya hear?" "Pleeease? I got you a present..." "Ah don't want anything from you, now git outta here!" Caramel frowned. "Applejack-" "'Don't y'all use mah name!" she bellowed. "Y'all don't deserve ta use mah name!" "... Okay then..." He was silent for almost a minute, and Applejack had begun to think he had left, until, "Could the beautiful mare with the cowboy hat please open the door so I could speak to her?" Damn, she walked right into that one. Of all the things that had changed about him, it had to be his corny charm that stayed the same. 'Well, he does sound sincere.' 'Sincere? You are aware that this is the same guy who's been lying to us for a year straight, right?' "Just give me sixty seconds at least, please?" Applejack screamed at herself to just walk away, go back to the living room and lay back down by the fire, but her hoof was already turning the doorknob. The door creaked open a few inches, just enough for her to poke her head through. She shivered at the sight of him. He looked so... Weird. No bouncy brown mane, no soft, inviting coat, no refined, charming eyes. Just a shell of black chitin and pale, almost listless eyes of icy blue. It seemed impossible that this... Thing had once been the stallion she'd loved. "Yer sixty seconds starts now." she growled. He cracked a lopsided, goofy smile, and for just a second she saw her coltfriend instead of the freakish, insectoid monster that stood before her. "Look, I know I've done a lot of wrong to you, and I mean a lot. I've lied to you on way more than one occasion, but I never lied about loving you." Applejack gave a dispassionate 'hmph'. "Likely story." "Look, I know you don't really have much reason to believe me, but I swear I'll make it up to you, I promise!" "For what that's worth..." she muttered cruelly. Caramel winced. "Okay, I deserved that one. But please, all I'm asking for is one more chance. I can fix this if you just let me." She didn't know what to say. Of course he could be lying, in fact that was more than likely. But he sounded so... innocent. 'You fell for that once before, remember?' 'Yeah, but still...' "I-I even baked you a pie!" he added awkwardly. Caramel reached into his saddlebags and produced a mangled slab of charred pastry. It reeked of ash, but looked almost edible, which was an achievement by Caramel's standards. 'He always was a terrible cook.' remembered Applejack fondly. Just another one of his weird little quirks...' She discarded the memory with ferocity. Those little quirks and oddities she had fell for had been nought but lies, fabricated by this thing to syphon her love as if it were some kind of commodity. Then why was he so damned convincing? "I know it's not exactly gourmet, I mean chances are it tastes disgusting," continued Caramel. "But I thought maybe you and I could try it... Together?" 'Well... it couldn't hurt to hear him out, could it?' Applejack gradually opened the door to its full breadth. "First, I want yer word, yer promise, that you'll be truthful. No more lies, an' no more secrecy, ya understand?" Caramel nodded gleefully "Promise!" "Well then, I suppose it couldn't hurt to take a gander at your side of the story." said Applejack, her voice still tinted in uncertainty. The changeling gave an audacious whoop before suddenly embracing Applejack in a hug. "ThankyouthankyouthankyouthankyouTHANKYOU!" "whoa there!" hollered Applejack, forcibly pushing Caramel away. "Simmer down, I said I'd hear you out, remember? I didn't say anything about forgivin' y'all!" I- I'm sorry," gasped Caramel. "I'm just so relieved! I thought you'd never want to see me again after you heard I was a spy!" "... 'Scuse me?" Caramel's cheerful demeanour dissolved immediately "You mean you didn't know?". "Yer a spy?" said Applejack in barely a whisper. "No! Well, kinda- I mean, uh, 'spy' is a very strong word and-" *SLAM* The door slammed shut, connecting solidly with Caramel's face. The force of the blow threw him from the porch, flank first into the dirt. For the second time that week, his left fang came loose. "So, said Pinkie Pie morosely. "My pie idea didn't work?" "Nuh-uh" grunted Caramel through the wet cloth he had held against the empty socket in his mouth where his fang had once been. The two sat alone in the kitchen of Sugarcube Corner. The walls were charred black in places, and the unpleasant smell of burning lingered in the air. Lucky for Caramel, the fire damage he'd caused whilst baking his pie was mainly aesthetic, so the repairs to the kitchen wouldn't cost him too dearly. He was in his changeling form, but it was already seven PM, so Sugarcube Corner was closed for the day. The blinds were closed so that nopony could peek in. Pinkie huffed "I just don't get it, pie is supposed to fix EVERYTHING!" Caramel sighed. To be fair to Pinkie, the pie had worked, he'd just messed it up by mentioning that he was a spy. It hurt to know he had been so close to forgiveness, only to have it snatched away by one of his stupid blunders. "Ah well, I wouldn't worry about it too much," continued Pinkie Pie. "Tomorrow it's Rarity's turn to help you out, and she's, like, the most romantic pony ever!" He smiled despite himself. Pinkie Pie's confidence was infectious. If nothing else, he'd made a new friend today. Sure, Pinkie was annoying from time to time, but after spending the day with her, he'd gotten to know the pony beneath all that madness. Randomness and insanity aside, she was just an exceptionally kind mare with an inkling for good jokes and making you smile. "Anyways," said Pinkie. "If Applejack doesn't want that pie, would you mind if..." she trailed off, staring at Caramel hopefully. He rolled his eyes, and pulled the charred pie from his saddlebags. "Dig in, Pinkie." She gave a small 'yippee' before snatching up the smouldering confection and ramming it whole into her mouth. Caramel stared in disbelief. He didn't know whether to be impressed or disgusted. "Mmmmm, tastes like burning!" Dear Princess Celestia, Today I learned that love isn't something that can be bought with pies. Especially burnt ones. Your faithful prisoner Caramel. Chrysalis sat delicately upon her throne. The morning light flooded through the windows behind her, highlighting the thin motes of dust which hung in the air. The throne room, along with the rest of the palace, was severely understaffed. Following the loss at Canterlot, she had had to treble the amount of changelings in the Love Gathering Brigade in order to stave off starvation. It was only half-working, but Chrysalis had known from the beginning that it would only be a momentary boon. The populace was growing ever more hungry, and if she couldn't provide for them, they'd tear her from her throne and elect a new leader. She smirked despite the grimness of it all. That was how she'd won her crown in the first place, and it would be painfully ironic to see it happen all over again. But she wasn't going to let that happen. Her changelings were growing restless, and their hate towards the Equestrians was brewing nicely. In the right hooves, propaganda was powerful weapon. The failure at Canterlot had only served to kindle the fire. Authors were writing and bards were singing about her army's valiant and bold siege of the Equestrian Capitol, only to be thwarted by Princess Cadence and Prince Shining Armour and their black, unholy magic. Engravings had been etched artfully into the palace walls depicting the chivalrous changeling warriors as they flooded into the city. Runeforgers had crafted runes of blessing for the soldiers who had fought in the battle, and prayed for the gods to exact their swift and terrible vengeance upon the Equestrian hordes. As her changelings' hunger increased, so did their lust for vengeance. The host that had accompanied her to Canterlot was but a mere fraction of her military might, and now, thanks to their recent failure, changelings were flocking in from the molten edges of the Black Shores, the dry, lifeless lands of the Dead Plains and even the peaks of the High Mountains themselves... All of them eager to wet their fangs with Equestrian blood. Celestia and her ponies were hilariously outnumbered, and all they had was a paltry legion or so of soldiers and some hogwash on harmony to defend themselves. It was almost sad. The wide double-doors of the throne room suddenly burst open with an echoing crack, and a female changeling clothed in the fair armour of the royal guard rushed to her acquaintance and threw herself into a bow. "Your highness," she said between pants. "I bring dire news!" Chrysalis shifted on her throne. Her changelings wouldn't dare to simply barge into her throne room unless they had something important to say. "Out with it child!" said Chrysalis, leaning towards the royal guard and creasing her brow attentively. "One of our spies has betrayed us, your majesty, he allies himself with the Equestrians!" The Queen gritted her teeth and scrunched her nose in anger. Traitors. This was a problem. If this spy had any crucial information on her plans then they could give the Equestrians time to prepare themselves for battle! By the gods that would complicate things... "I have many spies, loyal subject, give me a name." When she told her, Chrysalis filled the throne room with a terrible wail of rage. "Him?" she snapped, her face contorted into an ugly snarl. "Him?" she remembered 'him' all to well. A changeling from the High Mountains, a handsome boy, if not a little thin in the forelegs. He'd shown exceptional skill in his espionage training, and proven himself loyal to the changeling cause through exemplary performance out on the field. She'd assigned him to the six most important ponies in the whole of Equestria, and he had provided her with every last detail on each of them. Judging by his background he'd be willing to do anything to provide love for the empire. What possible reason could he have for betraying her? "I train him, housed him, and this is how he repays me?" she hissed. The guard cowered as her Queen raged. She almost leapt out of her chitin when Chrysalis addressed her. "Guard!" "Y-yes your majesty?" "Alert Ser Kaathe and Ser Frauk, I wish for their presence immediately!" The guard retreated from Chrysalis' presence and darted through the doors in a trot. It was not long before they opened again, and two bulky, stern faced changelings entered the throne room. Ser Frauk was a mountain in stature. By the age of ten he had towered over changelings twice his age, and he had only grown larger as he got older. Masses of muscle and sinew chorded around his body. His yellowing fangs were sharpened to the likeness of daggers and had a multitude of runes and engravings etched into their surfaces. Runes had also been engraved across the rest of his body, dotting his chitin, twisting around his legs and even, to Chrysalis' slight revulsion, across the surface of his eyes. Each one was a testament to his devotion to the gods, his devotion to the empire, and his devotion to her. She found it rather flattering in a way. Off-putting, perhaps, but flattering nonetheless. Ser Kaathe's markings were far less extensive. A prayer rune was inscribed upon his left foreleg and an engraving, so small that it was almost illegible, banded around the base of his horn. The latter was meant to be a mark of matrimony, although as far as Chrysalis knew Ser Kaathe had no mate, which was no surprise, considering the hideous scar that stained his otherwise handsome face. Three long, deep gouges striped across the right side of his face, splitting his cheek open. The sight of Ser Kaathe's white teeth gleaming through the gashes in his cheek gave her the overwhelming urge to wretch. The origin of his horrible scar was, like his mark of matrimony, a mystery. Then again, such mystery was to be expected from an assassin. "I trust you know why you're here." she said plainly. It wasn't a question. There was only ever one reason why she summoned them. Murder.