Pain, Morpheus woke to crippling, unrelenting pain. Chryssy hasn't used that spell on me in years. He thought to himself. At least she didn't use that shocking grasp spell. A slight chuckle escaped his mouth after that thought followed shortly by a wince of pain.
"Ah, you're awake." A concerned, cultured voice said not to far behind him. "I was wondering if you would ever wake up. It would've been an absolute shame if a dashing looking creature such as your self were to pass away."
Morpheus could hear some splashing and some dripping near by as the rest of his senses slowly came back to him. Slowly he opened his eyes only to slam them back shut as the light was too much for him to bare. "Where am I?" He croaked before a lance of pain shot through him.
"Oh, did I cause you any harm?" The voice said. "I very much apologize. It can be very difficult to carry something you're not used to." A pause came as the sound of movement came to Morpheus, followed by a. "I don't see anything damaged, though I must ask, why were those other changelings setting you out in the open?"
"I was kicked out due to a disagreement with my queen." He groaned. With the majority of the pain ebbing, Morpheus attempted to open his eyes once again. This time he was greeted with the sight of a great purple sea serpent with an oddly styled head of orange hair and a matching mustache. "Where am I?" He repeated more clearly before righting himself.
"Oh, my apologies, where are my manners?" The serpent dramatized. "My name is Steven Magnet, but please call me Steve, and you are in a lovelier section of the Ever Free Forest. If I'm not mistaken, I believe we are near a pony settlement."
"Thank you Steve," Morpheus said as he got to his wobbly hooves. "My name is Morpheus." He was grateful to still be alive after hearing where he was. "In what direction is this pony settlement and witch one is it?" he asked the large serpent. He needed to get moving and make his way to this settlement. Mainly because he needed to recharge his love reserves and find someway to let Celestia know he isn't dead.
"Oh, I hope you don't plan on hurting any of them?" Steven asked. A shake of the head from Morpheus brought a smile to his face. "We are near Ponyvile and to get there you should head in that direction." Steve pointed off to the West South West through the dense forest.
"Thanks again Steve and take care." Morpheus said before heading off into the gloom of the forest.
Some time passed as Morpheus walked through the dense under brush. Though it hasn't been too long since left that odd serpent behind this place is giving him the creeps. Solitude was never his thing but sometimes finding a quiet spot in the hive gave him some comfort. Now was not not one of those times. Okay, It's too quiet out here. Something is about to happen and I'm not going to like it. He thought to himself.
After a few more steps forward, a scream pierced the silence causing Morpheus to jump in surprise. After the scream, hi instincts kicked in and he stormed off in the direction of the disturbance. The closer he got to the direction of the scream, the more movement he could hear coming from in front of him. That's when the smell hit him and then he knew what was going on.
Fluttershy was not one for normally walking into the Ever Free Forest but today was different. One of her animal friends was terribly sick and one ingredient for the medicine she uses can only be found in that scary place. As usual, the walk through the forest was spooky and she kept jumping at shadows, yet she carried on. Finding the plant wasn't a problem nor was picking it; even though it was near the edge of a patch of poison joke. No, the problem lied in what was waiting for her when she turned around.
First came the tale tel smell, then the low, rumbling growl. Slowly she turned her head as she paled, knowing exactly what was behind her. Only when her full body was facing them did she realize that she was surrounded. A large pack of timber wolves had her in a semi circle with her back to the poison joke. The canopy was too thick for her to fly up and out of the forest, and only a dare devil like Rainbow Dash would consider a fast flight through the closely packed trees to get away.
"O my goodness! O my goodness!" she panted ash she counted ten of them before one of them lunged at her.
All Fluttershy could do was scream as she bolted, making sure to use her wings to jump over the patch of poison joke. Galloping as fast as her legs could carry her and scared out of her mind, she took off in a random direction. All around the timber wolves were closing in for the kill. After running for her life for ten minutes she was out of breath and ready to collapse. Near the base of a tree she tripped on a root and fell head over hooves coming to rest on her belly. Before she could recover the timber wolves were all around her, blocking all escape routes and essentially sealing here fate.
Looking up, she noticed the pack alpha moving in for the kill. I'm sorry Mr. Fox, I couldn't make it back to help cure you. She thought. The alpha approached her so slowly. It appeared that it was moving in slow motion. She was doing her best to get away by putting her back to the tree she was up against.
"Twilight, Rainbow Dash, Apple Jack, Rarity, Pinkie Pie." She whimpered as the alpha looked her in the eyes while going into a crouch. "Somepony save me!" She called out as she closed her eyes; hoping somepony heard her as the timber wolf lunged for her throat. She stood there for a moment expecting the pain of death but felt nothing. Even when she heard a pair of heavy thuds, she thought she was already dead and didn't feel a thing.
Opening an eye, she noticed she was whole and unharmed. That's when she heard the loud growls of the other timber wolves around her. Then she noticed 'it' standing before her, between her and the wolves. A changeling's protecting me? She thought as she looked at it in curiosity and concern.
It glanced back to her and noticed her panicked look. "Stay back. You're safe." His gentle voice hummed warmly. "I'll die before I let them hurt you." He gave a calming smile before turning his attention back to the timber wolf pack around them.
Ten of you and one of me. Well, nine actually. Morpheus thought to himself as he removed his hoof from the core of the alpha before it went to peaces under him. It's focal point gone the wolf wont be reforming for a long time. Still there is the fact that I'm out numbered and guarding somepony defenseless. Today just keeps getting better.
One of the wolves leaped for the mare as one of the others lunged for him. Spinning in place, Morpheus cast a shield spell around the small mare and lowered himself onto his front hooves so he could buck up with his hind legs. The result was a wolf bouncing off a bubble and two other wolves being blasted apart by the shrapnel from his buck.
With only six more wolves left he dismissed his shield spell and grabbed the mare. As gently as he could in his haste, he draped her on his back and took to the air. He worked his wings twice as hard as he normally would to get them into the air. Morpheus flew for a hundred or so meters before he noticed the trees thinning and light at the end of an organic tunnel. He quickly landed and set the mare down on her hooves and beckoned her to head to the little village.
"Go, run, and don't look back." He said calmly to the small mare before looking back to the wolves that followed them this far. Without looking to see if the mare had moved, Morpheus began to change his shape. Now in a more adequate form, he let out a bone chilling roar as he charged the three small wood wolves.
As a dragon, Morpheus wouldn't turn many heads but it was the strength of and innate abilities he needed. When he got close to the lead wolf he wrapped his jaws around its neck before violently twisting. The sound of splintering wood filled his ears. Feeling something grab his hind left leg he looked to see the other three came to help. With a sudden intake of air he let out a gout of flame and burned one wolf where it stood. Quickly turning his head, he sent another gout of flame in the air as another wolf tried to pounce him from above. Seeing two of their kin immolated before them, the final three ran off with their tails between their legs.
With the timber wolves now not a problem, Morpheus changed back to himself only to find he used up too much of reserves and was getting light headed. Whoa, I think I may have over did it. He thought to himself. Slowly he turned and made his way out of the forest to the first building in his blurry vision. He was completely unaware of the butter yellow pegasus running up to him before he fell to his side with a dull thud.
After the changeling set her on her hooves, Fluttershy looked him in the eyes with a curious look. Then she actually saw his eyes; those soft, comforting, twin golden eyes, and was caught speechless.
"Go, run and don't look back." He said calmly to her before turning around and looking off into the forest.
Hesitantly she turned around and began to run home, all the while her mind kept asking the question, why? Why would a changeling save a pony? Why did he remind her of someone? Why did he make her hear flutter? Running into her cottage and slamming the door shut she just stood there. Her mind wouldn't stop asking that question.
That's when she heard it, that bone chilling roar of a dragon near by. She looked out her window to see green flames jet out of the canopy and more green flashes inside the forest. When the sounds died down and the quiet serenity of the fields returned, she ventured out into her front yard. Noticing a black shape moving out of the forest she hid behind a shrub. When the figure came closer she noticed it was the changeling and that he was swaying from side to side.
"Oh my." she said quietly before rushing up to him. As she got closer to him, he just fell over onto his side with a dull thud. "Mister, mister are you hurt?" Fluttershy asked the motionless changeling. Moving to lift him up onto her back she realized he was too heavy for her to lift. Quickly flying back to her cottage, "Mr. Bear, I need your help with something, if you don't mind that is?" She called out into her home.
The bear casually nodded and got to his paws before following Fluttershy out the door. When they got to the changeling Fluttershy looked to her friend, "Mr. Bear, could you carry him back please? He is too heavy for me to lift and I can't leave him out here like he is."
Nodding the bear gently lifted the changeling to his back and with ease walked back to the cottage with Fluttershy next to him, looking concerned. Once inside, the bear set the limp changeling on the couch before nodding to Fluttershy and left to deal with some other matters.
Fluttershy did everything she could before heading into the kitchen to make the medicine for her fox friend. While she worked she worried. She worried about what would happen if he was found by the patrolling royal guards? What would her friends think if they found out what she was doing? More than that, She asked herself why? After all he is a changeling but everything about him was different from Chrysalis and the swarm that attacked Canterlot. When she was done administering the medicine to Mr. Fox, she walked back to the changeling.
He looked so much different from the other drones. Mainly he was far bigger than they were. If she had to guess, he was about the same size as Luna. His chitin was a near black blue and was not full of holes. He has for fangs that appear from his upper lip, two on each side. He also has four wings that resemble a dragonfly's in orientation. Most importantly were his eyes. They're more like Chrysalis's in shape than the other drones, but they showed more emotion than what she had seen in Chrysalis's eyes.
"Who are you?" She asked quietly. She wasn't expecting an answer but the hope was there. What should I to do? She thought to herself as she ran a hoof through his holy blue mane.
A tapping noise at one of her windows caught her attention and pulled her back to reality. Turning her head she paused when she saw a rare sight. "Oh my." She whispered. On the windowsill stood a frost raptor tapping at the glass. Fluttershy walked over to the window and opened it.
With nothing between it and the changeling, the blue and white bird flew to the back rest of the couch and landed near the head of the changeling.
"Is this your friend?" Fluttershy asked the bird while it nuzzled the changeling.
"Yes," It said. "Him, big white pony and her phoenix are also." It looked to the changeling again. "Close friend will be okay, he just needs rest." Looking back to Fluttershy. "I'm Chryo."