//------------------------------// // Tunnels // Story: Homecoming // by seeker9709 //------------------------------// As they walked through miles of tunnel, the only light coming from their horns, Twilight and Ersatz remained mostly quiet. Just as Chrysalis had said, Ersatz was excellent at his task. He never stopped to think or worry about which way they traveled. He always knew where they needed to go and even their cardinal direction. How he knew that underground, Twilight didn't know. As they walked, Twilight noticed his light blue eyes occasionally flitting her way and back again. She watched him with interest. Every time she turned away or wasn't looking, she could sense his discreet stare. She smiled. She admired his curiosity. He had been at it for hours. “So,” Twilight started, finally breaking the silence, her voice echoing through the cavern. “You seem to know these caves well. Perfectly, in fact.” Ersatz simply shrugged. “How do you know how to breathe? It's just natural. I've spent my entire life in these tunnels searching, charting, and memorizing paths, doors, and secret paths. And yet these tunnels still seem to go on forever. I don't think I'll ever discover it all.” “Hmm. Just how far do they go?” “After three months of walking, I found an exit that came just outside of Manehatten. That's how we travel. We’re creatures of the ground. There's no place in Equestria we haven't been able to get to, so far. Anywhere, anytime.” Satisfied with the answer, Twilight went quiet again. The only noise in the cavern was the gentle clopping of hooves and drips from the cave ceiling. As she walked, she once again noticed his eyes shimmer as they moved away from her direction. She smiled softly. “So are you going to ask, or are you just going to stay silent this entire time?” “What?” The changeling turned to her, startled. “W-What do you mean?” Twilight gave him a deadpan look. “I'm not an idiot. I can tell just by looking at you. You've been wanting to ask something since we left, but every time you're about to ask, you get nervous. What is it?” Ersatz opened his mouth to speak, then closed it again. He was silent for a few moments before he finally spoke. “Our queen... is hard sometimes. Or, at least, she acts like it. She is hard on us at birth. Teaching us how to fight, blend in, and survive. She has to be. Creatures like us need to learn to survive the moment we are born. To live of the tiny amount of love we can find. “Though she puts on the hard act, she is just like other ponies. She is sad, angry, and lonely, despite all of us. She hates that we are what we are, having to forcefully take love instead of showing it and earning it. That's the changeling curse, you know. We can't feed off of each other’s love. Only that of regular ponies.” Ersatz glared at the ground as he walked. “It's unfair. She does so much, giving as much love as she can to the rest of us, only allowing her to partake of enough for her to survive until the next feed. She hides it well. Her pain. Her suffering. She would never admit it. How she hates what she is and she has to do to survive. She instead puts on a brave face and fights for our survival. Not just hers. But you are what interests me,” he said, turning and pointing one hoof at Twilight. “The way she looks at you is different from all the rest. Her tone of voice when she speaks to you is unlike any I have ever heard. It's gentle. It's kind. It's warm. It's loving. She doesn't show us affection because if she does she would show favoritism. She would do things for one child that she wouldn't for another, and she couldn't let that happen. But she does to you. She shows you that favoritism. The changeling queen who hates all pony kind for not accepting her and her children showed favoritism to not just a changeling, but a unicorn?” “Twilight?” He turned to her, silently begging for answers. “What is special about you?” Twilight walked in silence, just as Ersatz had done, considering his question. “When I...left home, the master guided me here. I was a lonely filly of only eight years. Scared, weak, hungry, tired. I couldn't fight, and I couldn't survive. When I arrived here, the master placed Chrysalis in charge of teaching me. Teaching me how to fight, how to survive, and how to use my newfound magic and my abilities. She taught me the way of changeling magic, draining magic and how to hide and surprise my enemy. I was resistant at first, but eventually gave in and learned to survive. I spent almost 2 years here before I left. I was just ten and I was more dangerous than almost all adult pegasi, unicorns, or earth ponies. And it was all thanks to your - and my - queen. After spending so long with her, I looked to her the same way you do. I saw her not as a monster or a cowardly creature, but a mother, a leader, and a queen. “During my time in the hive I learned about everything you just described to me. I could see the pain and the suffering Chrysalis fought through. And after seeing what she did all for her children, I established a bond with her. I loved her for what she did and wondered how somepony so seemingly dark could be so giving, kind, generous, and selfless. That was something she had never experienced before.” Twilight found a happy smile creep upon her face as she talked. “She had never been loved. She had always lived her life stealing the love, taking it by force. The fact that she was voluntarily receiving the love was a shock to her. She was stunned. Something she had only dreamed of for her entire life. Something she had never imagined she would receive was pure, willing love. That is why she loves me so much.” She turned to Ersatz, her eyes moist and shining. “I gave her something she never imagined she would receive. That is why she loves me so. Not in affection, but in gratitude.” Ersatz stared at the ground, his jaws gaping. He had never considered this. It was like Twilight said. It was a shock to the system. “But...Of all...A unicorn. Twilight, this doesn't make any sense. Even though you've explained it, I still can't understand her favoring a pony.” Twilight stopped, gripping the smaller changeling by the shoulders. “Look at me, Ersatz. You may not understand now, but think. What if you had something? Something you could never imagine getting, but you did and from somepony who you would never expect? Your worst enemy or a mythical creature? How surprised would you be? Wouldn't you feel grateful? How could you reward somepony who would do something like that for you? Do the same.” Twilight backed away from Ersatz, her smile growing wider. “I gave her something she had never received, and she gave me back something she rarely gave. In doing so, she got something else. Something even more impossible than love. She got a friend. I became her friend, Ersatz. All because of-” Twilight stopped abruptly. Her smile disappeared and was replaced with squinted eyes as Twilight quickly snapped her head side to side, searching the cave. “Twilig- mmgh?” Ersatz started, but was silenced by Twilight's hoof. “Be quiet.” Her eyes swept the room once again, searching the connecting tunnels. “We’re not alone.” = Luna liked the dark. She always did. Always will. Why shouldn't she? The princess of the night should love the realm she represented. It wasn't just that, though. The darkness left her to herself. The one time she truly felt solitary and alone. That was how she worked best, anyway. She crept along the tunnels, keeping a wary eye out for any changeling guards or scouts. She'd hate to have to fight. ‘Get in, Interrogate, and get out. Hopefully avoid any deaths in the process.’ Luna smiled to herself. 'Let’s just hope it stays that simple.' As she stalked through the dark caves, she stopped suddenly. She heard voices ahead. Casting an invisibility spell, she continued creeping along the walls, listening carefully as she picked up on the conversation. “-reward somepony who would do something like that for you? Do the same.” 'That voice.' Luna thought to herself ' It sounds familiar'. “I gave her something she had never received, and she gave me back something she rarely gave. In doing so, she got something else. Something even more impossible than love.” Luna was shocked. 'It IS her!' She craned her neck around a corner to try to get a look at the fugitive unicorn. 'It can't be this easy. It must be a trick.' However, there she was, Twilight Sparkle, with a huge smile on her face as she spoke with a changeling walking next to her. “She got a friend,” Twilight continued. “I became her friend, Ersatz. All because of-.” As she spoke, Luna's hoof slipped against the slime covered wall. A moment later, Twilight was silent. “Twilig-mmgh?” The changeling’s voice hissed quietly before being silenced. Luna grimaced and mentally cursed herself. ‘Pathetic.’ “Be quiet,” Twilight whispered, barely loud enough for Luna to hear. “We’re not alone.” “Quickly. Move,” Twilight ordered, guiding the small changeling. She looked back to see if she was being followed and saw a shimmer of in the air. “Someone’s invisible there… Faster, Ersatz!” Twilight pushed. “STOP,” Luna's voice commanded from behind her. Twilight body went rigid. 'Please, don't let it be her. Anything but her.' Twilight slowly turned to face the blue alicorn, now fully revealed. Her body deflating. “Come on. Can't I ever get a break?” Luna ignored the unicorn. “Twilight Sparkle.” Luna boomed once again. “You will surrender and be escorted back to Canterlot for questioning and trial. Don't. Fight. Back. I'm not Commander Dash.” Twilight sighed deeply, despair clearly written on her face. “Of all the ponies I have to run from,” she mumbled before grabbing Ersatz in her magic and sprinting into the tunnels. 'Wrong choice, Twilight!' Luna took flight, her horn glowing. As she ran, Twilight fired spells back at the pursuing alicorn. Luna dodged them ease, firing her own shots at Twilight. “Twilight, let me go. You defend. I have an idea,” Ersatz shouted over the sound of stone being blasted to pieces. “These tunnels all have weak spots. It makes them easy to demolish, and will buy us time.” The magical field around him dissipated and his wings sprung to life. “Whatever you're going to do, hurry,” Twilight said through gritted teeth. “My magic is still way too low.” Twilight turned, throwing up a shield, her face perspiring with the effort. Luna fired a barrage of magic missiles and dart. The force field began flashing, threatening to go down. As Twilight held the shield, Ersatz scrambled back and forth, firing small magic bursts at the walls and ceiling of the tunnel. As he finished, he yelled, “Twilight, come now!” Twilight turned and ran just as her shield flickered out. She ran next to Ersatz where he fired one last shot, collapsing a ten foot long section of the ceiling, cutting Luna off from them. Twilight was sweating and breathing heavily, a drop of blood leaking from one nostril from the effort of holding against the alicorn. “Twilight, come on,” Ersatz beckoned with one hoof. “It won’t last long for her.” As if on cue, a magic blast shook the cave, causing the pile to shake. Taking a huge gasp of breath, Twilight turned and sprinted after the changeling. Only thirty seconds later, the pile was blasted to pieces. Luna flew out of the dirt cloud, her horn charged for the next spell. Up ahead was Twilight forming another shield, as Ersatz was working once again on the tunnel walls, his magic striking even larger sections than the first. Luna gave a pitying look to the exhausted unicorn. ‘The poor thing is going to kill herself if she keeps this up,' Luna thought to herself. 'It won’t last much longer.' Luna fired another spell, shattering the shield and sending Twilight flying back. Ersatz screamed, “TWILIGHT!” The beaten unicorn called one last command. “Go.” Ersatz fired one final spell at the ceiling, collapsing it even larger than before, covering almost 50 feet of the tunnel. The unicorn laid in the dirt, taking in huge gasps of the stale, tunnel air. Only a moment later, Luna stood over her, a pitying look on her face. “I'm sorry, Twilight,” Luna began, “for the madness that has taken over your mind. Fear not, though. We will help you.” “I don't want your help.” “We'll see soon,” Luna said as she touched her horn to the unicorn’s body. Twilight went rigid, her muscles locking in place. “There. We can't have you running off, now.” She grabbed Twilight in her magic grip and heaved her onto her back. She began walking back the way she came, every few moments looking back to make sure the unicorn was still pacified. After walking for a few minutes, Twilight began chuckling. Luna simply rolled her eyes, passing it off as the madness attempting to fight of her magic. The chuckling turned to laughter moments later, and Luna turned back to the stiffly smiling unicorn. “And just what is so funny?” The unicorn's chuckling ceased. “You thought you won. I thought an alicorn would be smarter than that.” As she spoke, her fur turned to black skin. Her skin melted into a stiff shape and insect wings broke free. A curved horn and holed legs appeared moments later. “Twilight is long gone now.” Her voice changed to a male’s as her eyes turned to a bright green. “She's gone and you can't follow her. She doesn't have enough magic for you to trace her.” He began laughing once again. “And not only that, but my queen now knows you're here. Admit it, Princess Luna. You lost this round.” Luna's furiously grabbed the changeling in her magical grasp, bringing him face to face with her. His smile quickly disappeared and morphed into terror. “Well then,” Luna said softly, her voice deep with barely controlled anger. “Let’s go have a chat with your queen.” = Twilight ran. She ran until she couldn't run any more, until her chest burned and her legs couldn't move anymore. Only then did she finally stop. She collapsed to the ground thinking back to moments before Ersatz sacrificed himself for her. = “Twilight,” Ersatz called, as magic blasts shook the cavern. He was busy firing blasts at the walls yet again. “Switch! Switch with me!” “What?” she called between her heavy breaths. Ersatz continued striking the tunnel walls and ceiling. “Switch with me. It’s you she wants. Once she breaks through, fire a blast here.” He pointed with one hoof to a section of ceiling. “That will collapse the tunnel, giving you time to run. I'll let her capture me, and you can get away.” Twilight considered it for a moment and ran to Ersatz. A moment later, she flashed brightly and was the spitting image of the changeling before her. He then transformed into her. “Here, it’s not safe to go alone here without knowing your location. Take this.” His horn lit for a moment before a scroll appeared out of thin air. “Maps aren't as reliable, but it will guide you in the general direction.” The mound blocking Luna from them shattered. “GO!” He threw the scroll at her, not waiting to see if she had caught it before turning and throwing up a shield. Twilight saw him go down as he told her to run, a sly smile appearing for just a moment, right as the ceiling came down. = 'Please, Ersatz. Please, be safe,' Twilight silently pleaded. She had finally begun to get her breathing under control. She slowly grabbed the orb out of her pack. As it appeared in front of her, her horn sparked. She touched it quickly to the orb, and a moment later appeared inside the room, laying on the throw pillows.' 'Just a few minutes. I can spare a few minutes'