“Aurora aren’t you hungry?” Mark asked as he chewed a daisy. “I haven’t seen you eat anything since you’ve joined us.”
“One of those bandits tried hitting me with his sword and hit my satchel, see?” She said, showing him her bag, almost completely covered in dried blood.
‘Da~mn, look at all that blood!! The griffin paid for it, that’s for sure.’
‘I elect that you don’t ever take that girl’s food. Ever.’
“Now my food’s all ruined. I was gonna wait until we got close to Manehatten so I could go pick some more up,” Aurora continued as Mark was thinking.
“Well feel free to help yourself on the way,” Mark said in a friendly tone, gesturing to his bag. “I’ve got plenty and I don’t want you starving.”
The bat mare did a double take, looking at Mark in disbelief. “You...You’re offering to feed me?”
“Yes, I don’t mind giving some-”The next thing he knew, he was wrapped in a hug and spinning through the air at a speed that would have impressed even Rainbow Dash.
“Thankyouthankyouthankyou!” Aurora exclaimed, before noticing how green Mark was turning and setting him back on the ground.
“No-urp-No problem.” Mark managed to mutter before stumbling, and almost falling on his face. Closing his eyes and taking deep breaths he waited until his dizzyness, and the urge to puke subsided. When he reopened his eyes, he jumped as Aurora had brought her face inches from his own.
“Sorry about that. No one’s ever offered to feed me before.”
‘Probably because you thought they were criminals too.’
‘Oh get over it already.’
“Well I’m not just anyone,” Mark said boastfully as he backed up and took a heroic pose. “I am-”
“The Great and Powerful Trixie’s assistant!” Trixie announced, appearing in front of Mark through a puff of smoke and miniature fireworks.
Stepping around the show-mare he took another pose. “No, I’m-”
“A dork!” Gilda shouted from her spot by the campfire.
Mark’s swagger quickly deflated as he glared at the sniggering Trixie and Gilda. Rolling his eyes, he exhaled a large breath. “I’m the Royal Tactician-in-training, and infamous prankster of Canterlot Castle, Marked Defiance,” he said in a deadpan tone.
“As in the Marked Defiance?” Aurora gaped. Mark couldn’t help but smile at finally being recognized, however his expression fell again at her next statement. “I always heard you were a guy.”
“GWAHAHA! Oh that’s rich,” Gilda said before roaring in laughter.
‘That’s right, only Crystal knows huh?’
‘She may have told Sugar but otherwise I don’t think anyone else here knows.’
‘Shit. This is how Lucius must feel everyday.’
‘One, Lucius is mistaken as a girl, he isn’t one. Two, he would never try to look at his priv-’
‘THAT WAS YOUR IDEA!’
Mark thought, gritting his teeth momentarily.
He stopped as he realized everyone was expecting an answer from him. “There was an incident involving poison joke…”
“Ah, Trixie remembers that awful plant. It took Trixie a full week to finally get her mane back to normal.” Trixie said in her usual third person manner as fondly ran her hoof down her mane.
Mark patiently waited for her to finish before he spoke again, “Well to sum it up, I wasn’t aware of the damn thing and am now experiencing the...effects.”
Gilda, Trixie, and Aurora’s eyebrow’s raised in shock. “Wait, so you are a guy?” Gilda asked, her beak gaping.
Mark nodded solemnly. “In this case, was.”
There was an undetermined silence at Mark’s declaration. A silence that was then replaced as Gilda fell off her seat, laughing, and Aurora and Trixie started giggling incessantly. Soon Mark found himself laughing at his situation as well.
The only ones who weren’t laughing were Crystal and Sugar because it was possible for them to change their appearance into a creature of another gender. They did smile however, in amusement at the situation and to blend in.
“You should have seen how my friends reacted. Oh Celestia, one of them wanted me to try on her dresses.” Mark managed to say, getting a harder and louder laughs in return.
“Oh god-HAHA- I can’t breath! BWAHAHAHAHA!” Gilda said clutching her chest, her laughs turning into eagle-like screeches.
“You sound like a hawk giving birth!” Aurora quipped between breaths, causing everyone to laugh a little harder and forcing her to dodge a rock Gilda had thrown at her.
At this point, even Crystal and Sugar had joined in. This time earnestly laughing with everyone.
When the laughter subsided, a loud groan came from Aurora’s stomach and caused several more slightly painful chuckles.
“Right, almost forgot. I was gonna get you something to eat,” Mark said, his voice scratchy from laughing so hard. Levitating his bag over, he opened it and began perusing for some fruit. Aurora went to Mark eagerly, taking to the air for a moment before landing next to him. She licked her chops in anticipation.
“Okay, do you like apples or-GAH!”
Interrupted, Mark’s magic crumpled as a small sharp pain emanated from where his neck met his shoulder. Turning his head towards the source, he was met with Aurora’s bright yellow eyes.
‘Oh, she’s a Vampire bat pony. Unlike regular bat ponies which are essentially pegasi with bat wings, night vision, and a love of all fruit, vampire bat ponies can only get their proper nutrients from blood or a proper substitute.’
‘LIKE I DON’T ALREADY KNOW THAT!’
‘Did you know that another name for a bat pony is a Kestral?’
“Wow, I didn’t actually think you’d let her. Shit,” Gilda said before tossing a small bag of bits to Sugar.
“You knew? You made a bet?” Mark asked still going through shock at being fed on.
Gilda pointed a talon at Trixie. “Yah, Show-dork over there was paranoid and asked what Aurora ate yesterday.”
The unicorn in question took an indignant stance. “At least Trixie doesn’t refer to everypony as a ‘dork’.”
“Least I don’t always talk in that annoying way!”
“Trixie has no idea what you’re talking about.”
“Right there! You did it again!”
“I think I’m being ignored now,” Mark deadpanned as the two continued squabbling. He shivered as a new wet feeling came from his shoulder.
“I’m not ignoring you,” Aurora said euphorically as she started licking the small wound she made and savoring the small drops of blood that came out.
Mark blushed and accidentally caused the bleeding to increase due to the blood ruch.
‘This looks like one of the scenes from that *cough* “magazine” you *ahem* “acquired” .’
‘Y-Yah, I know.’
‘Except there’s no sudden appearance of a jealous but horny wife.’
Mark’s blush increased in remembrance of that particular “magazine” as Aurora put her lips back on the wound, resuming her ‘meal’.
A single cough caught his immediate attention as he turned his head.
“I’m not ignoring you either,” Crystal said angrily glaring daggers at Mark.
The yellow unicorn began visibly sweating at his friend’s look. “Umm...Crystal, why are you angry?”
“I’m not angry,” Crystal seethed.
“Mmmm...” Aurora moaned as she continued to drink Mark’s blood, oblivious to the glare Crystal had shifted towards her.
“Not. Angry. At. All,” Crystal forced out, before storming away from the campsite.
‘The heck just happened? The hell just happened?’
Mark thought in unison with Brain.
*****************************
Chrysalis finished draining a pair of squirrels of love, leaving them in an emotionless, comatose-like state. They’d get better unless some predator came along and ate them, though with Chrysalis’ current frustration, the predator would likely meet the squirrels’ fate as well.
Storming away from camp had done nothing to ease her anger. The changeling queen hated this feeling. And more so the fact that she was feeling it in the first place, since it could risk her getting exposed because she couldn’t determine it’s source. The only clue she had to go on was that it was triggered after seeing that accursed bat pony bite into Mark.
Remembering the scene, her pupils narrowed to angry slits and she punched a nearby tree. To her surprise, some of her chitin around the holed hoof cracked and broke off, revealing a sleek and shiny replacement underneath.
Chrysalis smiled at her discovery.
Normally a changeling would only ever molt once as a nymph, becoming an full fledged adult. However, a royal changeling’s size would change to appropriately handle the amount of love they dealt with. Had her Canterlot invasion gone according to plan, with the amount of love that Shining Armor had given her, she’d have grown to Celestia’s size in a couple of days.
However, the opposite was true as well since her body had naturally reverted to a regular mare’s size in the aftermath of her battle with Morphos.
But over her “adventure” with Mark, she was nearly Cadence’s size again. She was almost at her full power!
Chrysalis’ smile grew wider and threatened to evolve into a loud cackle of triumph. But just then she heard a familiar voice calling for her. “Crrryyyyssstaaalll...Where’d you go?”
Quickly she established her Crystal disguise once again a moment before Mark came into the small clearing. “There you are. Are you ok? I saw some squirrels that looked like they were literally scared to death by something.”
Seeing him again, her gaze fell to his recently bandaged shoulder, where less than an hour ago, Aurora was filling her hunger. “I’m fine Mark,” Crystal said as calmly as she could.
Mark looked to her with a frown. “You don’t look all that fine. You look pouty.”
Crystal gave the tactician a glare. “I don’t get pouty!”
“Could’ve fooled me,” Mark said, returning the glare with a wry grin and taking a seat beside her. “But seriously, what gives?”
Crystal wasn’t in the mood, but she remained stoic and let out a large sigh. “It doesn’t matter.”
“It matters to me.”
“It doesn’t concern you.”
“You say that, and yet I’m still concerned,” Mark retorted, placing a hoof on her shoulder. “Crystal come on, lets talk about it. It might make you feel-”
“I said it doesn’t matter!” Crystal shouted, shoving his hoof away.
She flared her wings out before jumping and flapping towards anywhere but here. Feeling a pull, she looked behind her to see the end of her tail wrapped in a yellow aura and Mark, struggling to not be dragged along.
“What the heck’s your problem? I’m just worried for you.” Mark strained to ask as he held on.
Crystal began flapping harder. “I can take care of myself!”
“But I’m-”
Seeing he wouldn’t let go, Crystal landed and walked up to Mark’s face. “Just leave me alone.”
Defiantly, Mark met her gaze. He wasn’t planning on giving an inch right now. “No! There’re things we need to talk about.”
Crystal pointed a hoof in the campsite’s direction. “Then go talk about them with your new friends! You seemed to get along great with that bat pony.”
“Aurora? Is she what this is about?” Mark asked, sounding a little hurt. He took Crystal’s narrowing glare as confirmation. “What do you have against her?”
Crystal scowled and then frowned. The more she thought about it, the more she found that she honestly didn’t hate the bat pony. In fact, she knew that Aurora was a vampire bat pony the moment she saw her fangs and actually felt a small sense of camaraderie with her since both of their feeding habits had a parasitic nature.
It didn’t take long for Crystal to realize her problem. She was jealous. Aurora had not only fed on Mark, who had until recently been her source of food, but had done so openly and was accepted for it. Something that she couldn’t afford to do.
Crystal lowered her head, her anger dissipating into melancholy, as she thought carefully about what to say next. “Have you considered the idea that she’s hiding something? That if she were found out, she’d be hated indefinitely? She’s already attacked you once, what would you do if she did it again or decided to suck you dry?”
Mark scratched his head as he pondered her statement. Normally he would have made an immature joke at the ‘suck you dry’ comment but judging from Crystal’s expression, even he knew that it was a bad idea. He also had a gut feeling that Crystal wasn’t actually referring to Aurora. “Not to that extent, no. But I think it’s a little extreme if you think she’d kill me…on purpose. Besides, vampire bat ponies aren’t too uncommon, so why would I hate her?”
Crystal shook her head. “Nevermind.”
Mark’s frown deepened. “Crystal I’m worried about you. You’ve been pushing everyone away with the exception of Sugar and you’re still hiding things from me.”
Crystal visibly hesitated. She hadn’t realized that Mark had been paying attention that closely to her behavior. “I have to be cautious. I can’t afford risky variables when failure is not an option against my br- against Morphos.”
Mark slowly nodded in thought. “Unless I feel like pranking you, do you really think you need to be cautious around me?”
“Yes. Whenever you’re hiding how smart you actually are, you get reckless.” Crystal replied sternly.
“Have you considered the fact I’m not that smart?” Mark said with a small laugh at his expense. It was clear that he was trying to brighten her mood.
“Of course I have.” Crystal said jokingly, smiling a little. But as quickly as it came, her smile faded and demeanor turned distant. “The fact of the matter is I can’t risk any...obstacles should my secrets be revealed Mark.” And she couldn’t afford anything stopping her from returning and retaking her hive.
It served as the reminder that should her identity be revealed, Mark and the group would turn from her allies and “friends” to a lynch mob bent on either killing or capturing her.
Crystal felt a wave of nostalgia and looked towards the direction where the badlands laid. Where her hive was located. And where she knew her brother was plotting something ambitious. It wasn’t the most pleasant place. However, it was home and where she was needed.
Turning to the tactician, she noted Mark staring at her, as he was lost in thought.
Seeing that she was now staring back, Mark snapped out of it. His lips creased into a wistful smile before he opened his cloak and started scavenging his pockets for something.
“Somepony once told me that there are risks worth taking,” he said before pulling out a small bottle filled with a golden, bubbly liquid. Crystal then found the bottle hovering, insistently close to her face. “Like this cider I packed before we left Ponyville. Applejack had a barrel of the stuff and I helped myself to some.”
Pushing the bottle away a little, she gave Mark a confused look. “She wasn’t mad?”
“Nah, it’s only a little,” Mark said, waving his hoof dismissively before saying under his breath, “And it’s not like she’ll find out anytime soon.”
“I don’t think anyone would have to tell you to take risks.” Crystal said as she accepted the small bottle, uncorking it with her teeth and taking a few sips of the sweet fluid. Her lips curled upwards into a small smile. Though obviously not infused into it, she could taste the love put into making the beverage.
“Well to be honest, she was trying to hook me up with one of the castle maids and being as stubborn as you about it.”
“I’m not stubborn. Just very determined.”
“She said that too. Now that I think about it, you’d like her.”
“That’s for me to decide.”
“If you want it, both of you will go to lengths to get it. Plus you both love mangos.”
“So far so good.”
“Too bad Princess Cadence is in the Crystal Empire. She’d have loved to help us against changelings.”
Crystal spluttered before spitting out the apple cider; leaving a dumbfounded, cider-covered Mark.
“Of course she would,” Crystal remarked flatly, avoiding eye-contact with Mark and doing her best to ignore what just happened. “I’d give her a couple years before she messes up.”
Mark’s only immediate response was to give an annoyed and questioning stare, while he wiped the cider off his face. Lizzy assisted by licking his face. “Aaaannnyways, the point I’m trying to make is that you should open up a bit more. Who knows? You might just be pleasantly surprised,” he said, getting back to the previous conversation and using his cloak as an improvised towel.
Crystal snorted skeptically as she took a swig from the now almost empty bottle of cider. “If I open up it won’t be a ‘pleasant’ surprise.”
Mark finished wiping himself off before giving her a pat on the back. “Crissy, don’t sell yourself short. Sure you’ve got some obvious glaring flaws, such as suddenly spitting out drinks for no reason, but I think that a lot of ponies would like you if you gave them the time of day.”
“I doubt it.”
“Just think on it at least.” Mark sighed, deflating at her dismissal. He turned and began walking back the way he came with his head down. “I guess I’ll just head back to camp then.”
“Then I’ll go with you.” Crystal said as she trotted to Mark and then matched his pace.
“You’re not mad anymore?”
“Oh, I’m mad. Just not for the reasons you think.”
****************************
“Couldn’t we have stayed in Manehatten just a little longer?” Rarity complained, taking careful measure not to step in any particularly dirty parts of the path with her self-made, and utterly fashionable, travel boots.
“Rarity we’re on a rescue mission!” Twilight said, multi-tasking between reading a detailed map and watching where she was going.
After learning about Mark’s last location being in Hoofington, Twilight had organized her friends and Mimzy for their mission to find and save Mark. Given that Hoofington had no train station, they had to stop at the closest city, Manehatten, and then travel on hoof from there. Luckily, Twilight had planned out the fastest and safest route.
“I’m sure Mark would understand.,” Rarity countered.
“What ah don’t understand is why yah always bring so many darn clothes whenever we go out on trips like this.,” Applejack said, glancing behind her.
“Why Applejack! I think it’s important that we’re prepared for everything. Including fashion emergencies. Besides Mimzy doesn’t mind, do you Mimzy?” Rarity asked, turning her head so that she could see the changeling.
“I’m good.,” Mimzy said with enthusiasm as he continued pulling the wagon full of a variety of trunks and bags of clothes. Not nearly as many as when Rarity, Applejack, Rainbow, and the Cutie Mark Crusaders had gone camping, but still enough to make even Big Mac cringe a little.
Rarity wore a triumphant grin. “See?”
Applejack slowed her pace until she was walking alongside the smaller changeling. “Mimzy ya don’t have to do lug that thing around if’n ya don’t want to.”
“It’s okay. It’s like back at the hive when I helped my dad haul rocks.,” Mimzy said with a slight skip in his step at the memory.
An explosion of baggage erupted from the wagon as Pinkie jumped out and onto the changeling’s back. To everypony’s surprise, Mimzy was unfazed as he continued walking. “Were you a rock farmer? That’s so amazing! My family are rock farmers too!” Pinkie said excitedly as she bounced a little on Mimzy’s back.
“Pinkie!” Rarity shouted, aghast at her scattered luggage and clothing, frantically scooping as much as she could and throwing them back into the wagon.
“No, I’m a drone. Or I might be a soldier now, errrr...” Mimzy began, pausing and getting more confused as he considered the technicalities of his current position.
“A drone? Is that your job or something?” Rainbow asked.
Mimzy nodded vigorously for a moment, slowing down as he once again realized that he wasn’t sure anymore. “Um...Drones take care of the hive, expanding it when necessary, making sure that everything's normal.”
“So then what the hay were yah doing attacking the town?” Applejack asked, remembering the changeling attack on Ponyville.
“That’s why it’s so confusing.,” Mimzy said, scratching the chitin on his forehead. “Ever since King Morphos took over, he’s been having us drones do soldier-ey things.”
“Why doesn’t anypon-er-anychangeling stick up to him?” Rainbow asked.
Mimzy halted, looking to the cyan pegasus with fear in his eyes. His fear not directed towards her, but at the thought of what Morphos would do to any unlucky changeling. Including him. “When the King asks you to do something you do it. No matter how bad it is...” He said shakily.
Rarity placed her final ‘misplaced’ bag back onto the wagon. “If your ruler’s so dreadful then why haven’t you all rebelled?”
The changeling gulped audibly before giving his reply. “Because he’ll kill you or worse!”
Everypony gasped with the exception of Fluttershy who now took residence in a nearby bush, shaking and with only her tail peeking out.
“Wh-What’s worse than getting killed?” Rarity asked hesitantly.
“He’ll turn you into a ‘Lost’...” Mimzy replied with a whisper.
“Huh? He’ll take away your map or something?” Rainbow asked with a tilt of her head.
Mimzy rapidly shook his head. “No, he’ll drain us of all our love until we’re past starvation and we lose our minds.”
This caused the girls to gasp again, and the bush Fluttershy was hiding in to shake even harder.
“That’s horrible!” Rarity shouted, voicing everypony’s opinion on the matter.
Rainbow nodded in agreement, but stopped as a sudden realization struck her. “Wait a sec, how are you not starving?”
Mimzy scratched his forehoof nervously. Unable to voice an answer. “Umm...Well…”
“He’s been draining a small bit of love out of all of us.” Twilight announced causing her friends to take a step away from Mimzy.
“WHAT! I didn’t give him permission to do that! What if I get sick or something?” Rainbow shouted as she examined her body to make sure nothing was wrong.
“Apparently love draining only physically affects you if you get drained too much. That’s why he’s only taking a little from all of us.” Twilight said, referring to her the notes she took on changelings prior to leaving Ponyville.
Rainbow pointed at Mimzy. “But I don’t love him!”
“To a lesser effect they can also feed on affection and um…” Twilight hesitated, “...lust.”
Rainbow stiffened. “Whoawhoawhoawhoawho! I do NOT feel that way towards him.,” she shouted defensively.
“Suuurrrree ya don’t.” Applejack teased, getting a light jab in retaliation from the cyan pegasus.
“Though what if you did become a ‘Lost’? Wouldn’t you return to normal if you received enough love?” Twilight asked.
“My hunger would be satisfied for the moment, but my mind would already be gone,” Mimzy said sadly. “I heard a it’s possible for a royal changeling to do something though.”
“So this Morphos fella could ruin your mind and go fixing it if he wanted to? Ah don’t like him one bit.” Applejack stated in cold anger.
In one of her rare moments, Pinkie wasn’t her usual cheery self at hearing about the changeling king. Though unlike Applejack’s anger, Pinkie’s was more of a frustrated pout. “Morphos sounds like a big super-duper-meanie-pants! Just like that changeling from the wedding!”
“Q-Queen Chrysalis isn’t a meanie!” Mimzy shouted suddenly.
“You’re saying that Chrysalis is the same one who attacked Canterlot?” Twilight asked, a usually slow anger rising quickly as she recalled her grudge against the changeling queen who, until now, didn’t have a name.
Mimzy didn’t like the look in Twilight’s eyes as he gave his shaky reply,. “Y-Yes…”
Twilight went right up to the changeling. “Then how do you not classify her as a villain?”
Mimzy’s legs started to buckle in his panic. “Sh-She’s not-”
“She invaded the city, trapped Princess Cadance in caves underneath the castle, and almost forced my brother to marry her!” Twilight shouted.
“Sh-She’s-She-”
Twilight’s voice was that of pure fury. “She’s evil! And now she has my friend. Give me one reason she shouldn’t be thrown into a dungeon for the rest of her life!”
“SHE SAVED MY DAD!” Mimzy shouted back, his eyes welling with water. He opened his mouth obviously wanting to continue, but it proved too much and he broke down in tears.
The passion and anger Twilight held, dwindled and changed into confusion and guilt. Chrysalis was obviously bad, but Mimzy had probably living a happy and normal life until recently. He didn’t deserve her fury.
Fluttershy, Rarity, and Pinkie surrounded the changeling, doing what they could to comfort him. Fluttershy and Pinkie proved to be the most effective; Fluttershy’s motherly nature and Pinkie’s silliness getting the changeling to laugh and smile.
Suddenly an orange hoof pulled Twilight close. “Twi, I know it’s a sore spot fer ya and ah understand completely. But based off what the little guy’s telling us, it doesn’t sound like he was part of the invasion, so take it easy on him.”
“Sorry Applejack, I know-” Twilight was silenced as Applejack placed a hoof over her mouth..
“Sugarcube, I ain’t the one yah got to apologize to.” Applejack said, gesturing towards the recovered, but still sniffling, changeling. Twilight nodded and walked up slowly to Mimzy. The changeling seeing her approach immediately hid behind Fluttershy scared of what the unicorn might do next.
“Mimzy, I’m sorry I exploded at you like that.,” Twilight said in a soft voice. “I wasn’t being very reasonable.”
“I-It’s ok...M-Maybe she’s a little mean…” Mimzy compromised meekly, getting a smile from Twilight.
Taking a deep breath, Fluttershy gathered her courage to ask a question she had. “Um, if you don’t mind me asking…why did Chrysalis do that?”
Applejack nodded in assent. “Yah. Ah don’t mean ta be rude or anything, but Chrysalis doesn’t seem like the type to do something like saving somepony.”
“But it wasn’t just my dad. It was the whole hive!”
********************
“You only bought two,” Gilda grumbled again, being extra loud with the intent to annoy and to relay her irritation.
Mark’s horn glowed yellow as he held one of the torches he had bought in Hoofington. “Yah…I admit, that this was my bad. But I didn’t expect this cave to be so deep, and it’s still better than nothing. Right Crystal?” He asked turning towards the disguised changeling.
“Mhm,” Crystal murmured, not really paying attention. For the fifth time she reached out into the cave with the hivemind, and for the fifth time she felt the presence of fellow changelings, but received no response from them.
‘Razor, why won’t they respond?’ Crystal asked through her connection.
Sugar looked pensive as towards her queen. ‘Captain Edge would have left a few lookouts near the entrance to the cave. I saw none.’
Crystal felt her throat going dry. It was a highly unlikely but not impossible that changelings from another hive stumbled upon the outpost. The more likely, and less welcoming possibility however, was that she had just alerted Morphos’ soldiers with her probing and they were setting up an ambush rather than an outright attack. ‘Then who is it I’m feeling?’
‘I don’t know, but I wouldn’t assume they’re friendly...’ Sugar replied before letting out a large sigh.
Crystal looked to Sugar, curious and a little concerned about her sulky mood. ‘Something else on your mind?’
‘Um...did your majesty take the love jelly we were going to use as bait in Hoofington? I spent some of my love making it and since we didn’t use it I was going to snack on it...’
Crystal gave her subordinate a deadpan look. She couldn’t believe that it had taken her this long to realize why Razor always chose a sweets related name for her disguises. ‘No I didn’t.’
It annoyed Crystal when Sugar looked like she didn’t believe her. ‘I won’t judge but-’
Both disguised changelings jumped as a shout shattered their concentration. Looking towards the source, they saw that the others were ahead at a fork in their path with Trixie on the ground rubbing her cutie mark tenderly. “OW! Why’d you pinch me?”
“Because I felt like it,” Gilda stated with a snide grin. “And because you’re taking too long.”
“Trixie is just being cautious.” The unicorn replied, looking down both paths as if expecting a monster to come out of the darkness.
Gilda snickered. “You’re scared of the dark.”
“Hmph! Trixie is NOT afraid of the dark!” The unicorn responded, “She’s just afraid of what might be in it…"
“What was that?”
“Nothing,” Trixie responded in her usual manner.
Knowing that the annoying griffin and the arrogant unicorn would probably begin bickering again, Crystal stepped between them. “Which way are we going?” She stated looking down the paths.
“I dunno. Ask tranny over there,” Gilda said, pointing a thumb to the wall of the cave where Mark was sitting beside Aurora. From the looks of it, the two had been planning to watch the events unfold for their personal amusement.
“I’m not even going to dignify that with a response,” The gender-bent stallion replied.
Crystal glared at Gilda and Trixie, to ‘encourage’ them to cease their bickering. They grudgingly complied, and got some distance from each other allowing Crystal to now focus solely on Mark.
The tactician had heard her question and spoke before she could ask it again. “I was thinking we’d split up. Gilda, Sugar and Trixie will go left while You, Aurora, and I go right.”
“Then why are you just sitting there?”
The yellow unicorn shrugged. “Well other than the show, which you ruined by the way, I was feeling a bit tired and Aurora here was offering me a sandwich as an apology.”
“We’re stopping...because you’re hungry?” Crystal asked with irritation.
“And because I’m being cautious,” Mark stated, pulling out the sandwich that Aurora made. The sandwich looked surprisingly well made and practical considering it’s clearly unreliable creator, the crust around it compressed so that it’s contents were sealed inside it.
“How is stuffing your face being cautious?” Crystal asked, raising an eyebrow.
“Because who knows what could be down either of those paths?” Mark responded, taking a bite out of the sandwich. His eyes widened and he quickly swallowed and took another bite. “OH THSELESTIA! Thisth isth the betht PBJ sandwich ever!”
In a normal situation, Crystal would have demanded that Mark act like an adult in this situation. Maybe even give him a couple of light smacks to the head to drive her point home. However, the moment Mark bit into the sandwich, she was assaulted by the scent of love. Not in it’s usual form, but the kind that was contained into a physical form.
“I’m just glad you and your friend had the ingredients in your bags.” Aurora beamed, although her reply was pretty much ignored as the other three were too occupied with the sandwich in their own way.
‘I think I know where your love jelly went.’ Crystal spoke briefly through the hivemind as she gazed at Mark’s sandwich: akin to how a wolf eyes a sheep. The fact she could smell the jelly on his breath made her change her gaze to his still chewing mouth.
‘Yeah...’ Sugar replied, her actions mimicking her Queen’s, except for the two small lines of drool coming out of her mouth.
Swiftly, Crystal shook off her daze and swatted the sandwich away from a now protesting Mark. “This isn’t the time for food! I need you to start acting like you know what you’re doing.” She said, ignoring Sugar who had taken the liberty to rush over, catch the sandwich in her mouth, and devour it.
Mark raised his hoof pleadingly to Sugar at the loss of the delicious morsel, then gave his friend a childish pout. “I do know what I’m doing!”
“And I’m telling you to act like it,” Crystal scolded.
Mark rolled his eyes. “Fine,” He said through an exasperated groan before turning his head to Aurora. “Thanks for the sandwich. Did you do that thing?”
“Yuppers. Easy with all the noise everyone made earlier.”
Crystal gave Mark a questioning look. “What thing?”
“Echo-Location. Not to the same extent as an actual bat, but still pretty good.” Mark answered Crystal before turning back to Aurora. “So, anything?”
Aurora nodded. “Uh huh. The two paths both lead to a bigger chamber. There was also some movement, but I’ve never heard anything like it.”
Crystal heard Mark mumble something to himself before turning to address the whole group. “Alright everypony-”
“-And griffon.” Gilda added, getting a smirk and nod from Mark.
“-And griffon. I already told you who you’re going with. I don’t really know what we might encounter so be prepared for anything.” Mark finished.
**************************
“This cave isn’t naturally formed. Or at least not entirely,” Aurora mused as she ran her hoof along the walls.
Crystal rolled her eyes at the batpony as Aurora flew around feeling the smooth contours of the tunnel. “What gave it away? The lack of stalagmites and stalactites, or the fact that this and that other tunnel are formed in a perfect semi-circle?”
Aurora flipped and scratched the ceiling with extremely tiny, but strong hooks located on her hind hooves. “Both. There’s not even a place I could grip onto to sleep.”
“Yaaaaah…Aurora we need to talk about that,” Mark interjected. Aurora landed next to him and started listening intently. “Okay, so I get you’re a vampire batpony and we came to that agreement about my blood earlier, but before all that, can you please stop sleeping right over wherever I sleep? It’s much harder to get some shut eye when you’re watching me.”
Aurora gave him a toothy smile. “I’m guarding you to make sure you stay safe. I’m an overachiever that way.”
Before Mark could respond, Crystal let out a puff of air and wedged her way between Mark and Aurora. “You don’t need to do that!”
Aurora tilted her head in confusion as she stared at Crystal. Then her golden eyes lit up in realization, before pulling Crystal off to the side. “Ohhh, don’t worry I’ll leave you some privacy at night with your mare…coltfriend from now on,” Aurora whispered with a wink.
Due to the shape of the tunnel however, Mark heard everything., and Aurora had unexpectedly pressed the ‘fluster button’ for the two.
“Whoa, we’re not like that!” Both said in unison causing them to look at each other.
Mark was the first to recover. “I mean I’m a girl right now-”
Crystal looked a little offended, but ignored it for the most part. “And not that gender matters to me but-”
“She’s my friend-”
“And he’s one of the few ponies I like but there’s things-”
“And commitments I have-”
“And duties-”
“It wouldn’t work out.”
“It couldn’t work out.”
Aurora shook her head after being bombarded by the two. “Umm, I’ll go check ahead and leave you two lovebirds alone,” she said quickly, in hopes she could get away and let her sensitive ears recover.
“But it isn’t like that!” Both shouted in unison as the batpony flew ahead into the tunnel.
For awhile Mark and Crystal just stood there, with only the crackling of the fire on Mark’s torch making a sound.
Mark cleared his throat and scratched his foreleg. “Sooo...duties…”
“Commitments…” Crystal replied, just as uncomfortable.
Mark smiled. “At least you’re taking my advice a little.”
Crystal rolled her eyes. “About opening up? Let’s not do that again.”
“It-It wasn’t so bad. Just...awkward. I get the feeling you don’t do it much. Especially with all your secrets.”
“Which I keep for good reasons.”
“Reasons that you constantly dance around whenever I ask.”
“It’s-”
“Complicated. I know,” Mark said with a sigh. “I’m sorry for being nosy...I just don’t want what happened to happen again.”
Crystal looked to the ground, unable to meet Mark’s eyes. As vague as that statement was, both of them knew what it was about.
“A lot’s changed in five years. For the both of us,” Crystal said sadly. Suddenly she felt hooves cupping her cheeks and turning her head up until she was met with two ice-blue eyes.
Mark grinned mischieviously at Crystal’s surprise. “Which means that once this is all over, we have a lot to catch up on, so there’s no need to be down.”
It was then Mark’s eyes widened and he quickly realized just how close he had brought his face. He gasped and the torch he was holding dropped to the floor as Crystal placed a hoof on his cheek and began bringing their faces closer.
Their lips only an inch apart, Mark could feel his heart almost beating out of his chest. This was the moment of truth. He could finally express his just how much he felt about her. How much he cared.
Crystal fared similarly. Only her desire was further fueled by the scent of the love jelly on his breath.
Their lips trembled before parting open in anticipation.
A shout caused the two to shove each other away and they had their backs to the opposite walls of the tunnel. “Hey Mark, Crystal! I hear fighting up ahead!” Aurora shouted again before landing between the two. “Hey are you alright? I didn’t scare you two did I?”
Mark and Crystal locked eyes again, with a blush, before Mark broke away and looked to Aurora, all business. “Do you know who’s fighting?”
Aurora shook her head,. “No, I flew back here as soon as I heard it.”
Mark flipped up the hood of his cloak. “Then what are we waiting for!” He said, as he started running ahead. Aurora and Crystal quickly flew after him, with the latter landing and running alongside him.
As the sounds of battle got progressively louder, the three picked up the pace. Finally emerging out of the tunnel, they found themselves on a cliff-like overlook in a large chamber. Down below they confirmed their reason for hurrying. Gilda, Sugar, and Trixie were being attacked by changelings.
“Aurora, get down there and help! If you see an opening, either you or Gilda carry Sugar up here where she’ll have a better angle of attack while the other protects Trixie. Go now!” Mark ordered. Aurora complied with a brief salute of her lance before doing a dive off the overlook.
Mark turned to Crystal, ready to tell her his plan, but stopped when he saw her look of horror. “Crystal?”
Crystal walked to the edge of the overlook, looking around frantically. “No…” She whispered shakily, “You bastard! How could you do this?”
Mark began feeling anxious at her tone. “Crystal, what’s wrong?” Mark asked, looking around to try and see what she was seeing. However, the only sight was around twenty changelings, including the ones attacking Gilda’s group, and a black structure of some kind at the far end of the chamber.
‘What is she seeing?’
‘More like what isn’t she seeing.’
‘I don’t-’
It was then it hit him like a lightning bolt. “Oh Celestia! Your friends...I’m so sorry.”
Crystal looked to him, on the verge of tears. She sniffled a moment and looked back out before lowering her head.
Mark watched Crystal tremble as she held back her tears, his heart breaking to see her in such a state. Hearing a warcry from below, he gazed downwards, to see that Aurora and Gilda had pushed a little too far forward. Though he trusted in their abilities and intuition to fall back a little, his eyes began filling with hatred of the changelings that had not only took Crystal’s friends from her, but were now trying to do the same to them.
He pulled his eyes away from the battle and returned his attention to his friend. As much as he wanted to comfort her, this wasn’t the time. “Crystal, I know this is hard, but the others might need our help. Are you going to be okay?”
Crystal took a deep shuddering breath and was about to nod when something caught her attention.
“Ummm...Crystal, what are you doing?” Mark asked, though he received no answer as the black pegasus pushed off the ground, and began flying towards the structure he saw before. “Where are you going?”
“Crystal!” He called out again more desperately, but the black pegasus continued her flight, without even looking back.
‘Wow, this is not helping your abandonment issues.’
‘I have abandonment issues?’
‘With her you do. I thought that much was obvious. Especially after that almost-kiss you had.’
‘Sh-She was just going to give me a friendly kiss on the cheek. As a friend. That’s all.’
‘We both know that’s not true. Unless of course you were ignoring that look she was giving you, and the fact that you were totally going to kiss her.’
‘We can talk about this later! Right now we need to focus on the current situation.’
‘Fine. Since no one's here guarding you, the first and most important thing to do right now is not draw any attention to yourself or else-’
“HHHHHHSSSSSSSSSS!”
Mark gulped and he turned around slowly. Standing about ten yards away was a feral looking changeling looking at him with its blue, orb-like eyes, and its fangs bared.
‘-Or else that will happen.’
“Ah, fuck my life.”
********************
Crystal flapped faster, and kept reaching out through the hivemind as she got closer to her destination. Knowing that she had flown far enough into the darkness, she released her disguise and allowed her enhanced senses to guide her.
Chrysalis would never forgive him for this. She couldn’t even if she wanted to. Even during the hive wars centuries ago, there had been one consistent and unspoken rule. If your enemy is a changeling, you kill or you capture. Morphos hadn’t just broken that rule, he had spit on it. Whether he left them here to rot, or because he knew she would show up, she didn’t know. But it didn’t matter. Her troops, her small hope of reclaiming her hive and throne, were ‘lost’.
It was possible for a royal changeling such as her to save the ‘lost’. To restore them to their former selves, but only if the royal had enough love to do so and only if they hadn’t reached the three day limit.
Chrysalis had been feeding off Mark, regaining some of her former strength little by little, but even if they weren’t past the limit, it wouldn’t be enough to save them all. Not if she didn’t want to risk becoming ‘lost’ herself.
Landing on the opening to the changeling outpost she narrowed her eyes as she searched. Because she was closer now, she now knew for certain after feeling it on the overlook: one of her troops were within the limit, barely keeping their sanity. She couldn’t save them all, but she’d be damned if she couldn’t save this one.
The tell-tale hiss of a one of her former soldiers came from nearby and she quickly drew her rapier in time to stab the offender through his eye.
She felt it again. Whoever was strong enough to last was getting closer.
Chrysalis instantly recognized him as he crawled out of one of the entrances to the outpost. He was a bit larger than an average changeling, due to both the muscles beneath his cracked and scarred carapace and the changeling’s older age. Usually Chrysalis felt safety and assurance from him, however, his current slime-drooling, love-hungry state was having the opposite effect.
“Of course you’d be the one.” She said with a sad smile at the newcomer and dodging his violent charge. Before he could recover from his failed attack, Chrysalis blasted him with a bolt of magic to stun him and then started channeling love to him. “Please...Please come back, Edge!”
Greedily, the changeling began draining the love, tasting the air as he did so. It went on for about a minute with his draining getting less and less frantic until it finally ceased. He swayed and groggily looked around at his surroundings until his eyes focused on Chrysalis.
“...Your...majesty?” Edge managed to mutter in surprise before his legs gave out on him. Chrysalis immediately rushed to his side and gave him support until he could stand again. “I’m sorry my queen. Morphos’ lieutenants, Mewta and Skel...their troops overwhelmed us.”
“And starved you,” Chrysalis stated, channeling more love to him despite how much it was weakening her.
She scowled at the sound of two hisses as two more ‘lost’ emerged from the outpost, drawn to the scent of Chrysalis’ transfer of love.
Gritting her teeth, Chrysalis prepared her rapier once again and the two changelings attacked at once. Unfortunately, having just transferred a portion of her strength to Edge, she was unable to dodge or block their blows to her foreleg and chest, leaving bleeding cracks in her chitin.
Ignoring the pain she counterattacked, with two quick strokes of her blade to each changeling, effectively killing them.
Barely able to stand now, Chrysalis slumped against the wall of the outpost until she was sitting. Her horn glowed and she lifted the small bag she had been keeping her restorative items.
The moment she pulled out the vulnerary, Edge grabbed it in the air and began spreading it on her wounds.
“I’m not a nymph anymore, I can do it myself!” Chrysalis complained with a blush of embarrassment.
Edge let out a derisive snort. “You say that, yet here we are with you hurt and me applying the first aid because of something you did. Just like when you were a child.”
“It was to save you!”
“At the risk of your own life.” Edge reminded her with a steel tone.
“You’re supposed to be grateful.” Chrysalis responded as Edge finished applying the vulnerary, he then reached into Chrysalis’ bag and pulled out the bandages she had kept.
Slowly, Edge began bandaging Chrysalis’ foreleg. Though the vulnerary had healed the wound itself, the older changeling knew from experience that cracked chitin can sometimes grow and repair wrong, not unlike teeth. “You should have left me to my mistake and sought sanctuary in another hive. If you die then everything we’ve done up to now was for nothing.”
Chrysalis looked away from Edge in shame and anger, mentally refusing to talk to him further on the matter. It wasn’t until she felt a gentle, and familiar pat on the head that she realized that Edge had finished his first aid and was now looking to her with a warm smile, his soldier’s mask gone for now. “Thank you Chrissy. I don’t approve of what you did, but I’m proud it. And I know your mother would be too.”
At the mention of her late mother, Chrysalis’ anger melted into a sad nostalgia. “Mother would be disappointed that I lost control of the hive in the first place.”
“Disappointed?” Edge said in surprise, before sighing and rubbing his forehead. “No, not with you.”
A couple explosions of fiery light in the distance brought Chrysalis and Edge back to their current situation. Especially when the response was a series of buzzing and hissing that came from the outpost.
“Are those your allies?” Edge asked hurriedly, placing himself protectively beside his queen.
“Yes and I think it’s about time we went to regroup with them!” Chrysalis said, backing up the way she came and returning to her Crystal Disguise.
Edge got the message and did the same, transforming into his disguise, a purple pegasus with black mane and tail, and a cutie mark of an axe using a shield as the axehead.
The two then began their retreat as more ‘lost’ changelings emerged from the outpost.
******************
‘Counter clockwise! Counter clockwise!’
‘No, start weaving around like a snake!’
“FUCKFUCKFUCKFUCK-WAH!” Mark shouted as he ducked below the changeling’s lunge. For the past ten minutes, he had been busy running in a circle, since all his escape attempts back into the tunnel had been thwarted.
The changeling landed across from him and snarled at the panting tactician.
‘I said like a snake, not an elephant.’
‘Shove off! I’m exhausted and don’t even know how much longer I can do this. Any useful suggestions?’
‘Start working out more.’
‘I meant the damn changeling!’
‘Well, he looks angry that he can’t catch you so maybe you can catch him off-guard with a spell?’
‘Did Twilight do any lessons about combat spells?’
‘I don’t know, you kept falling asleep during the “boring” lessons.’
Once again the changeling growled as it started running towards Mark, this time with it’s wings buzzing to take flight.“Oh, shi-” Mark said before diving and scrambling underneath as the changeling now took flight behind him.
Seeing his opportunity, he began running towards the tunnel.
‘So I basically have nothing?’
‘You always have me.’
‘So I basically have nothing!’
‘Now that’s just hurtful. And now that your escape route’s clear shouldn’t you be more focused on making sure nothing goes-’
Too focused on the tunnel and his thoughts, Mark failed to see the rock jutting out of the ground until it had tripped him, sending him tumbling past the tunnel entrance and towards the edge of the cliff.
Rolling to his side, Mark quickly dug his front hooves into the ground and slowed down in time so he didn’t go over the edge. He grit his teeth as he tried to ignore the new set of scratches and bruises, but was inevitably slowed down by the pain as he struggled to regain his footing.
The blood began to drain from his face as he heard a familiar buzzing and then saw a holed hoof plant itself near his head. He gulped as he followed the hoof upwards to the changeling, it’s large blue eyes feral, as it looked down on him.
For the second time in his life, and not since his encounter with a hydra, Mark screamed like a little filly. Though, this time, he actually was a girl.
The changeling’s eyes widened and it suddenly held Mark’s jaw open, causing the unicorn to cease his screaming and whimper. To Mark’s increasing confusion, rather than rip open his jaw, or something equally as brutal, the changeling brought it’s face close and started sniffing around his mouth.
‘Why is it smelling my mouth?’
‘Don’t know, but we’re not dead so START THINKING OF SOMETHING!'
'I don't know if I'll live through all my escape options right now.'
'Speaking of which you should stop holding your breath before you pass out.’
Realizing he had subconsciously started holding his breath, Mark exhaled and started hyperventilating.
The changeling’s eyes narrowed and it snarled victoriously as it smelled the love jelly coming from it’s prey. Without reservation, it grabbed the sides of it’s victim’s head and then dove down, doing what it could to scoop all the jelly it could find...With it’s tongue.
Mark on his end, was frozen, unable to comprehend the situation.
‘It’s kissing you...’
‘It’s kissing me...’
‘...I think that’s it’s tongue...’
‘...Yes...Yes it is...’
‘Mark and changeling-’
‘sitting in a tree-’
‘K-I-S-S-I-N-G-’
‘first comes love-’
‘from stockholm syndrome-’
‘then comes marriage-’
'then comes the baby in the-'
‘NOPE-NOPE-NOPE-NOPE-NOPE-NOPE-NOPE-NOPE-NOPE-NOPE-NOPE-NOPE-NOPE-NOPE-NOPE-NOPE-NOPE-NOPE-NOPE-NOPE-NOPE-NOPE-NOPE-NOPE-NOPE!’
Frenzied by panic, Mark unleashed all the raw magic he could muster through his horn to blast the changeling away. To his further dismay however, the changeling had a strong grip and had taken him along as they rapidly descended the cliff.
For the third time in his life, Mark screamed like a little filly.
**********************************
“I think that’s all them,” Gilda said, grunting as she stretched her sword arm. Looking behind her, changeling bodies were scattered all across the floor of the cave with Aurora, Sugar, and Trixie similarly enjoying the brief respite; addressing their wounds and relighting the torch.
Aurora flopped on an empty space on the ground. “Actually there are a few more near that building over there and coming this way,” she said with no hint of urgency in her voice.
Gilda peered into the darkness. “There’s a building in here?”
The batpony looked towards the griffin with an eyebrow raised.“You don’t see it?” Gilda looked back towards Aurora, giving her an irritated leer until it clicked. “Oh right,” Aurora said sheepishly.
Gilda rolled her eyes before kicking aside the body of one of the changelings she had killed. It was strange. When she was ambushed in the forest, the changelings tried to throw her off guard. These ones didn’t. In fact they seemed to just charge all while hissing, chittering, and drooling slime. “Did these changelings seem weird to you guys?”
“Yes. They were more like beasts.,” Trixie said with a nod, too tired to speak in her usual ‘eloquent’ manner.
Suddenly a loud screaming emanated through the chamber and put the group on alert.
The screaming ceased leaving a unnerving silence. Then from above there was a large, bright, yellow flash.
“There!” Trixie shouted, as something dove towards them from above with a high pitched battle cry. The unicorn had already prepared a fireball, and shot it out of her horn, however, her aim was thrown off as the ‘fireworks’ book she had coveted under her cloak was finally used up and suddenly reduced to ashes. “My book!”
Gilda, Aurora, and Sugar kept their weapons ready to strike at the offender until they recognized the screaming and hesitated. “Mark?”
With a large crunch and splat, Mark was there, shaking with fear and groaning in pain. All while covered in blood and slime from the changeling he had used as a cushion.
“Aww! That’s gross.,” Gilda stated, looking at the tactician’s filthy state.
Mark’s voice cracked. “No...No kidding…”
“You okay there?” Sugar asked, rushing to his side with a vulnerary.
Mark gulped. “Yah, just...I think I saw my life flash by.”
“What happened?” Gilda asked, looking upwards to where he must have fallen off the outlook.
Mark recounted the clearest image he could remember. “Well there was this blinding flash and a mare’s voice apologizing but I couldn’t see her so I started crying. I think she was my mom-”
“I meant what the hell just happened that you fell from up there?” Gilda restated, pointing at where she was just looking.
Mark froze and his eyes widened in horror. “I need a gallon of mouthwash!” Mark said quietly to himself, before spitting and scrubbing his tongue with his hooves.
Gilda tilted her head in confusion. “What?”
“Got attacked, fell off the ledge, squashed the changeling.” Mark summarized as he tried to forget his new reason to be traumatized by changelings.
Sugar looked around with a certain desperation. “Where’s Crystal? I thought she was with you?”
Mark halted his scrubbing with a frown. “She flew off somewhere.”
“Found her,” Aurora said, suddenly picking up her lance. Her ears were twitching excessively, as she used her echolocation. “She’s coming our way, but she’s got somepony with her and they’re being chased.”
Mark cringed as he got up and felt the blood suddenly rush to his head. “So that’s why...” He sighed, “I think that’s one of the friends she mentioned. No time to lose.”
***************************
“HERE!” Sugar shouted, tossing her bow along with an arrow to the purple pegasus, who caught them on his wing before he adjusted it properly and notched the arrow with his free hoof.
“HHhSSSsssS….”
Edge looked to the last of his former subordinates who had let out that raspy hiss and was now covered in bleeding wounds from the group’s assault. All that was left to do now was finish this and grant him peace.
“I’m sorry. I failed all of you as your captain. Your sacrifice will not be in vain.” Edge said, notching the arrow as the final changeling angrily hissed again and charged. The arrow whistling briefly before it struck its target.
“Gilda, Aurora, make sure that there’s no more left. I don’t want us getting kiss-I mean blindsided by any survivors,” Ordered a yellow mare in a green cloak. She looked briefly towards a despondent Crystal before turning, and trotting towards Edge.
There was something familiar about this mare, but the captain couldn’t put his hoof on it until he glanced at her cutie mark and recognized it. “You. I remember you.”
Mark halted, clearly not expecting to be addressed first, much less recognized. “Umm, have we met?”
“No. Though you’ve changed much more than I’d have expected.” Edge stated, wondering how somepony managed to change genders. He looked towards his queen and back at the Mark. “Thank you for taking care of...Crystal.”
Mark hesitated, still unsure about how Edge knew him. “Of course. Mr…”
“My apologies. My name is Edge.”
The yellow unicorn extended his hoof. “Mark.”
“I know,” Edge responded, making no effort to shake hooves.
Mark chuckled nervously and set his hoof down. “Umm...How do you know me exactly?”
“I was the one watching over Crystal when she stayed in Manehatten.”
Mark’s eyes lit up. “You did?”
Edge nodded.
The unicorn looked to Crystal then back to Edge. “So you’re Crystal’s guardian?”
The captain didn’t need to think on it. The late queen Thorax had tasked him with keeping Chrysalis safe, and he did so dutifully for all his years of service. By definition, he was the epitome of a guardian. “Yes.”
“I see,” Mark said quietly, the unicorn was biting his lip as he pondered something. “Uh... do you-”
“You should ask her that yourself,” Edge interrupted. Judging by the pony’s expression and mannerisms, it was clear that Mark had wanted to ask about his queen’s secrets from the someone who would know them.
Mark frowned. “How did you-?”
“Practice.”
“Can you-”
“No. I can’t read minds.” Edge once again interrupted. Though judging from Mark’s currently dumbfounded expression, he had the feeling that the unicorn didn’t believe him.
Mark waited a moment, as he continued trying to discern the captain and so he wouldn’t be interrupted again. “I feel like you’re a bit hostile towards me. Did I do something wrong?”
Edge let out a sigh. “Mark, you’re one of the few to manage getting close to her. Close enough that the both of you are going to end up hurt.”
Mark slumped. “Why?”
“It would be better for you not to know.”
“But she’s my friend. She can trust me!”
Edge considered the yellow unicorn for a moment but let out a sigh. “Maybe she can, but some things cannot be unseen, unheard, or unlearned. Though understandable, it was a risky move bringing you along in the first place, and she knows that she’s walking a fine line.”
“What could be so scary that she has to hide it from me? Is she gay? Did she start making drugs until she was a kingpin? Is...Is she dying?” Mark gulped as he said the last part.
Edge raised an eyebrow. The first two were clearly just examples that came to the unicorn during the spur of the moment. However, the last one he had clearly thought about beforehand. “No.”
Mark released the breath he was holding.
“What is your next plan of action?” Edge asked suddenly.
Mark didn’t reply immediately as he looked up and down Edge’s body. It was no wonder since Edge knew that though his surface wounds were healed, he likely had some internal wounds that he’d have to heal naturally. “First we’re going to Manehatten to get you some professional medical treatment since I don’t think vulnerary can heal everything. Second, we pick up some more supplies and I send Gilda back on her way.”
“And then?”
Mark smirked. “We ask Celestia for a company of soldiers and then we take down Morphos. Easy-peasy-lemon-squeezy!” The unicorn announced with a sing-song voice before hearing Gilda calling for him. He then trotted over to the griffon to see what was up.
Edge frowned as the tactician left. “I’m afraid it’s never that easy.”
Author's 2nd Note:
As per my M.O. I've made the list of character classes and somesuch:
Edge = Lvl.4 Warrior (Changeling Hooves as an enemy then an iron bow temporarily)Lost Changelings (I'm using the Sacred Stones monster classes here:
(11x) Lvl.9 Revenants (Changeling Hooves)
(3x) Lvl.10 BoneWalker (Steel Swords)
(2x) Lvl.10 BoneWalker (Steel Bows
(2x) Lvl.8 Entombed (Transforming Changeling Hooves)Lvl.4 Gargoyle (This is the one that attacked Mark personally)