//------------------------------//
// Chapter 9: Hunting the Hunter 
// Story: A Hidden Blade 
// by Hidden_Blade_Attack 
//------------------------------//

I looked up at Kram, all that thinking was only about one second. Kram laughed. "Your seriously going to kill yourself?" He taunted. "I would rather die than help you!" I said back. Another wave of red matter hit me and I felt my legs go numb. "Your pathetic." It really made me pissed when he said that. Maybe he is right though, I havn't been very nice lately...

Back to rethinking. Where was I...oh right.

I was super sore after bucking all those apple trees, I never even heard of anything like it. But my legs ached. All I wanted to do was pass out. I said goodnight to Applejack and walked in the barn. I'll check on Twilight's progress tomorrow. But I was welcomed by Rainbow Dash and what seemed like three hostages. Although said hostages didn't seem frightened, just annoyed. 

"Hidden Blade I brought these ponies back. They were suspicious." She told me. "Okay, can you tell me who they are, and why they were suspicious?" "Yes. That one there, her name is Fluttershy, one of my friends. She was really suspicious when I interrogated her." She said pointing her hoof at a yellow pony with pink mane and tail.

"Sorry, you were scaring me..." She said just above a whisper. "Only speak when spoken too possible changeling!" Rainbow said. She just whimpered. She didn't seem like Kram. A turquoise coloured mare with a light blue mane rolled her eyes. "What about her." I said pointing at the turquoise mare. "Her name is Lyra Heartstrings, she refused interrogation and ignored me!" She said

Seems like she could be Kram in disguise. "And the last one?" I gestured to the last pony. She was a mare, and she was grey with a yellow mane....and odd eyes. "Her name is Derpy, if somepony really wanted to be disguised, it would be as her, nopony would suspect it!" "Yes yes, let me think for a second."

I didn't really need to think. "It couldn't be Fluttershy or Derpy, it would have to be Lyra Heartstings." Fluttershy looked relieved and Derpy looked confused. "You think I'm a changeling!?" Lyra yelled at me. Rainbow was about to speak when I said: "No, of course not. It's none of them Dash. The changeling would never switch genders when disguising." I said. "Does that mean we can go?" Derpy asked. 

"Yes you can go." Lyra and Derpy walked out. Rainbow was talking to Fluttershy and I went and joined them. "Sorry Flutter, I thought you were a changeling." Rainbow said. "I-its okay. Mistakes happen." She said shyly. "Sorry about the mishap Fluttershy. The name's Hidden Blade." I said shaking her hoof. "Yeah Fluttershy. I guess I should have introduced you both. Hidden Blade is one of my friends and I'm helping him save the world." She told Fluttershy.

"How could a changeling be that dangerous?" She asked seeming a bit more brave. Rainbow looked at me curiously. "The changeling isn't a normal one. He is really intelligent and therefore dangerous. He wants to manipulate all the ponies into being his friend and then using them." I said...it kind of sounded a lot like me. I felt saddened by that thought.

"Alright, so should I keep looking?" Rainbow asked. "Yes, do one more look about, be really thorough and then report back to me tomorrow." I ordered. "Okay, I'll be back tomorrow ASAP." she said zooming off. Fluttershy looked at me shyly. "Its alright, we'll get him." I reassured her. "But what if he's just misunderstood. Maybe we could teach him a lesson, without force." She offered.

I never really thought if Kram  was misunderstood. He probably wasn't, I'm misunderstood, and since he's the parallel version of me, he would be understood. "Maybe, Fluttershy if we can, we'll try your way. Try to keep it our little secret okay?" I asked. She nodded. "Thanks, I'll make this up to you somehow." She nodded in response again. "You can leave now." Once again a nod and then she flew out. 

I collapsed on my bed and the aching feeling returned. Kram has to be getting close to me, he has to. But he'll be surprised when he finds out I'm not just hiding, I'm searching too. So really the hunter is being hunted. I have to find him first. Then I let my sore body rest.

I think that's where I got soft, where I cared about the ponies. That's where I really started getting to the point I'm at.