Father,
I hope your time out here is going better than mine. Apparently a shy little pegasus lives on the end of the woods. We found her on our trip to Ponyville for our love. But it gets better. She apparently is the element of kindness, so, yeah. Some of the first generation soldiers immediately recognized her, and they weren’t too happy. She was so scared that she couldn’t even speak, or fly, or move, or do anything for that matter. The only thing stopping the soldiers from attacking her was me, along with a few of the younger and more sensible soldiers. Also, I haven’t gotten word back from mother for quite a while. I am beginning to worry. Please tell me as soon as you get word.
Purity
Amor read over the last part of the note over and over again. It was true, it had been weeks since the last time he had received a letter from Chrysalis, and he too was worried. Sitting at his table, he moved everything to the side and began writing away.
Purity,
Sorry, my luck is still the same. Most of my soldiers got drunk off their feet last night, and some are still making their way to the camp as I write this. I captured two spies last night, no thanks to any of my soldiers. They seem to be cooperating for the time being, but I’m not letting my guard down. Don’t worry about Chrysalis, I’m sure she’s fine.
Your father,
Amor
Even Amor was skeptical about the last line. He hesitated on writing it, holding the quill above the paper, but eventually scribbled the last sentence, along with his signature. Moving the paper to the side, he began on his next note.
Chrysalis,
I hope everything is alright. Neither I nor Purity have heard from you in weeks, and we are beginning to worry. Please write back to me as soon as possible.
Amor
Readying both letters for travel, Amor walked out of his tent.
“I need two messengers, preferably ones who are not too impaired to fly.”
At the call, two changelings wandered over to Amor. One he could tell was still feeling the effects from last night, the other looked perfectly healthy. “Ready when you are, sir.”
“Are you sure your hangover won’t stop you?”
“My ears are ringing, but my headache has calmed enough to see straight. Yeah, I’ll be fine.”
Amor turned to the other. “And you?”
“I don’t drink, sir.”
Amor threw his front hooves in the air. “Finally! Somepony who thinks like I do!”
“Hey, not so loud. I said my headache calmed, but if you keep this up it’s threatening to tear my mind apart.” Amor looked over at the first of the two, who now had a hoof on his head.
With a heavy and regretful sigh, Amor handed one of the letters to the hungover changeling. “Make sure this gets to the queen.”
“Yes sir.” The changeling shook off his grogginess as he took flight. Amor then turned to the other.
“It is extremely important that this makes its way to Chrysalis. I haven’t received word from her in weeks and I need to know if something happened. Understood?”
“Yes sir.” The changeling took the letter and placed it under his armor at his side. He turned, lowered his front half while keeping his tail end as high as he could get it, spread his wings, and in one agile movement, shot through the air, passing the first messenger, who was moving at a much slower pace, and nearly sending him to the ground from the gust he received. Amor could only shake his head in irritation as he watched the changeling regain what composure he had.
“Why do I have a sinking feeling that he is going to somehow royally screw this up?” Amor smirked at the slight joke he made, but his face was once again serious as he looked up at the sky above. “Please, don’t let anything have happened to her.” Amor closed his eyes as he looked back down at the ground, but nearly jumped out of his skin when he looked to his right. “When did you get here?”
Standing right next to Amor, looking up at the sky in the same manner he was, was Escara, a slight grin across his face. He turned his attention to Amor. “Just about after you sent those two out.”
Amor held a hoof to his face. “You two have got to stop sneaking up on me.”
“Hey, when you find something you’re good at, you stick to it, and it’s hard to change habit.”
“Riiigghht.” Amor dragged out his response, eyeing Escara suspiciously.
“Has it really been that long since you’ve received word from former Queen Chrysalis?”
“Yes, but I don’t think it’s anything to worry about yet.”
“But that’s so unlike her. You don’t think-“
“I don’t want to talk about it. The less I think about, the less I have to worry about, and the less I stress.”
“So that’s it? Don’t talk about it until it becomes important?”
Amor turned and began to walk away. “That’s the plan.”
……….
The more time that passed, the more Amor worried. Minutes, hours, they all felt the same. Sitting at the fire, he watched the flames as they reached for the sky, stretching as high as they could reach, only to fall back down and try again. He watched the process repeat over and over. He sat there all day, waiting for word from Chrysalis. When he heard the faint buzzing of a changeling’s wings, he immediately looked up, hoping for the better of the two, but was saddened to see the one he sent to Purity, somewhat more in the world then when he was sent out. Flying straight, he landed a few feet from Amor.
“Sir, your message has been received. No word back yet. Sorry.”
“That’s fine.” Or that’s what he said. What he was thinking was, I’m growing impatient. With how fast that messenger was moving, he should be back by now. I may have to send a search party to Chrysalis’s camp. But just as the thought crossed his mind, he once again heard the faint buzzing of a returning messenger. Amor let out a sigh of relief, but immediately wanted to take it back when he looked up to see his soldier. “No. No! Oh no!”
In the air, flying straight towards Amor’s camp, was in fact the messenger, but what Amor saw sent chills through his whole body. Amor could clearly see burns and wounds all over his body. Blood was running down his body, dripping off his hooves. One wing was moving at half the speed as the other one. A large hole was burned into it, black burn marks around the edges. He shouldn’t even have been flying, it was impossible. But here he was, doing everything in his power just to make it back. He couldn’t even land, just collapsed at the former king’s hooves. His mouth barely moved, but Amor could just make out what he was saying. “S-sir…the camp is gone…only charred remains…they attacked…I barely got away.”
Amor didn’t know what to say. “Somepony get this soldier some medical treatment!” Amor was off in a full sprint to his tent, where he began scribbling away rapidly.
Purity,
Something very bad has happened. I sent a messenger to Chrysalis. Her camp was overrun, and he barely survived to get word back. I don’t know what happened, and I may not want to, but I am sending one of my most trusted soldiers to you. Please, be careful.
Amor
“Avispa! Front and center immediately!” As soon as the order left his mouth, his soldier was standing before him.
“Yes sir.”
“You are to deliver this to Purity. Do not return, for you are to stay at her camp. Guard her with your life. Understood?”
“Of course, sir. I will die before I let anything happen to her.”
“Good. I knew I could trust you. Now go, before anything happens.”
Avispa nodded before taking off in a full sprint and taking to the air. Amor trotted over to the two changelings stuck to the tree, oblivious to anything that was happening.
“So, are we free t-“ he was cut off when a front hoof caught him in the jaw, making him bite down hard on his tongue. Blood began trickling down out of his mouth. “What was that for?”
“Shut up!” Amor kicked him again before drawing his sword and holding it to his throat, pushing it in hard. “There’s something you’re not telling me, now talk, before my sword meets the tree.”
“You wouldn’t.” Amor didn’t have to answer. He pushed harder on the blade, breaking the skin and drawing blood. “Alright! There’s a camp under Smokey Mountain!” Of course. If Chrysalis was in flight when she passed, someone would have noticed, and with all the time that passed they were only gaining in numbers. Amor saw the error in his planning. He sheathed his sword, leaving the changeling to complain about his treatment. “Good, now that’s everything I know. If you would kindly let us go now…” Amor’s horn began to glow a sickly green, almost white color. The changeling immediately recognized it as an attack. “Wait! You said we would be freed!”
“I said no such thing. My wife is gone, your king who you were so eager to follow is to blame, and you think I’m just going to let you go? So you can go find your king and tell him where my daughter and I are hiding?”
“This is inhumane!”
“Says the one who was so eager to kill me.”
The changeling knew there was no fighting his doom. He gritted his teeth and prepared for the worst, fear still in his companions eyes. “You bastard.”
“Goodbye.” Amor released his charged energy. A green blast covered the base of the tree, burning the bark to a crisp and melting away the wax. They didn’t even scream in pain. When the blast finally seized, leaving the tree blackened, two charred corpses laid under it. This war was turning Amor into a different pony, more vicious and bent on revenge than he ever was. One thought filled his mind: Hornet will die.
“S-sir?” Amor turned to see Escara standing behind him, a look of fear in his eyes.
“Dispose of the bodies. I’m going for a walk.”
“Y-yes sir.” Escara walked over to the two corpses. He threw the smaller of the two over his back and dragged the other through the woods. Amor turned south with thoughts of vengeance in his mind. He was going to go to the nearest camp and destroy it. There was going to be hell to pay, and he was set on delivering it.