Ribbon opened her eyes, only to close them again. The room was bright, far too bright. Her eyes are meant for darker settings, not the hospital room she found herself in. Her body felt heavy, and her legs felt odd. Letting her eyes adjust to the light, she glanced down to see if she was bound. She wasn’t, but she was undisguised. She began panicking when she realized that her body had changed and was left exposed. Her legs were longer and had more holes, her barrel was wider, and her horn, usually a smooth curve was now notched with a hook, her body as a whole was now nearly three fourth the size of Chitsuki. “To quote you. WHAT THE BUCK IS GOING ON HERE!”
“OH GOD I’M U-” *Thump* “Owwwwch…” Chitsuki sprang up so fast, her momentum flipped her onto her back. Ribbon would have laughed at the sight if it weren’t for her panic.
"WHAT DID YOU DO TO ME!!!" Ribbon felt a sudden wave of shock emanating from Chitsuki, whose eyes slowly widened.
"Uhhhhh... Ribbon, I think you evolved..."
"YOU THINK!!" Saying that a Scout, one of the smallest and weakest changelings just ‘evolved’ was an understatement. If Ribbon had to guess, she would say she looked like a small soldier now.
"Calm down before someone calls a guard!" ’Nopony’s seen me yet?‘ And then, as if just to prove Faust hates her, a doctor DID walk into the room.
"Do you mind, oth-!" He slowly backed out of the room with a 'what the buck' look frozen on his face, and the smell of uncertainty drifting from him. He either didn’t want, or didn’t know how to deal with either creature in the room.
Ribbon could help but feel embarrassed. Two ponies have seen her natural form in less than a half a week. "I should... probably put on a disguise, huh?"
"Well, crap. Might as well brace for the inevitable storm, and yes, yes you should." This was all the prompting Ribbon needed from her… Friend? Is that the right label she should use? As soon as Ribbons flames went out, Celestia popped into the room with a flash before glancing around the room. Chitsuki was the first to speak "Why exactly, did you take the time to visit us personally?"
She looked Chitsuki right in the eyes. Ribbon could tell what she was doing, Celestia was scanning her magic, and if she scanned Ribbon, would Celestia sense the difference? "I sensed a new power growing." It was hopeless, Celestia already sensed her, and to top it off Celestia looked Ribbon in the eyes next. Maybe if she just denied it, Celestia think she’s unaware of her new found power. "And I wanted to see it myself. A being coming to power."
Chitsuki turns to Ribbon, a look of resignation in her eyes. "Well shit, I guess the jig is up..."
Ribbon begins to look around frantically "what jig? I thought I was recovering from a broken rib?"
"She KNOWS Ribbon... I can tell by how calm she is... shouldn't she be worried about her ponies well being? See where I'm going with this?" Chitsuki turns her eyes to Celestia, with a fire in them like a dragon ready to protect its hoard. "If you so much as harm her, then by Asura, I will smite you where you stand..."
Ribbon turns to look at Chitsuki. "I blame you for this..."
Celestia smirks, ready to defuse any hostilities. "Now, now. I don't intend to do anything, I am merely curious as to the power that spiked in my castle."
Chitsuki pulls Ribbon into a protective hug. "You're just wasting energy cuddle bug, she knows for certain."
Ribbon blushes and stares at her. "...did you just call me cuddle bug?"
She sat there held in Chitsuki hooves, as her face formed a grin that belonged on Pinkie. "Problem?"
Ribbon blush continued as she glared. "You did that on purpose."
"Your point is?"
Ribbon points to Celestia.
"Screw subtly!" Chitsuki had pulled Ribbon into a passionate kiss. The sudden and unexpected contact mixed with her fright caused a reflex, as if attacked. After a moment of shock struggling wore off she started to relax, the influx of love calming her down. Chitsuki broke the kiss to see Ribbon with the biggest green blush on her natural face.
"I umm... ah... wow." Both herself and Chitsuki turn to face Celestia at the same time. She was standing there, blushing, with a massive wingboner.
"I blame estrust!"
Celestia just snickers. "That won't happen until later in fall."
She glared at her "Not another word. Sunbutt..."
She simply brushes it aside. "Very well. Now about you."
"Yesss? Abou-"
"I'msorryIdidn'tmeantofeedonyourponiesIwasjustsohungryandIcouldn’t-" Ribbons freakout was intturupted by Celestia placeing her hoof on her muzzle.
"I've already said I would not do anything to harm you, so there is no need for fear." When Celestia removed her hoof, Ribbon stayed quite.
"So what did you really come here to talk about?"
"I had thought Discord was behind this, I see I was wrong. as long as you remain out of sight and don't cause trouble I see little reason to intervene here."
"Discord? You mean that bucker that I delivered the mother of all nut busters to?"
Celestia nodded. "Yes, I believe so, now if you'll excuse me..." she teleported out.
Once the Princess of the Sun was gone, Ribbon could breath a sigh of relief. "Hey Ribbon, I'm bored, what do you want to do?"
"We're not going to talk about what just happened!?"
"Talk about what?"
"About Celestia, she knows and she doesn't care, and she KNOWS! And what was the kiss for?!"
Chitsuki mumbled something she couldn’t hear. "What was that?"
Chitsuki mumbled again but she caught it this time. "I'm in love with you."
Ribbon could only stare, dumbfounded. how could this pony be in love with her? And she even knew what Ribbon was! "I've known you for all of two days."
"And you've been more caring than most people that i've know for the last twelve years..."
"Twelve years? what type of ponies of you been-" she paused, realizing her mistake. She’d realized this alicorn was insane, why not add to the madness? "Nevermind, I wouldn't understand anyway"
"You know what we need? A commemorative item to celebrate this event!"
Ribbon whispered under her breath. "You sure move along quick."
"I heard that!"
"So what did you what to celebrate with!" She said, a little too quickly.
"A particular weapon I've been hoping to make. Did you know it's possible for an iron blade to cut a steel one?"
"Steel? that's some pretty hard to get stuff, the minotaurs that make it refuse to let the secret of how they make it get out. And of course it's possible for iron to cut steel but That's a also a pretty expensive enchantment."
"Lucky for you, I know how to make steel, and a way to cut it with an UNENCHANTED iron blade..."
Ribbon ignored that info, preferring . "And that's not even counting the new stuff that you make. I've yet to fully test it's abilities or have the enchantments tested."
"Good point... TO THE FORGE!!!" Chitsuki grabbed Ribbon in an awkward position on her back. Feeling like she was about to leave what safety the room gave her from prying eyes, She shifted her form back to that of her favored pegasus, before Chitsuki galloped off in the direction of the blacksmiths workplace.
Ribbon felt the heat in her cheeks rising. "Hey hey hey, I can walk you know!"
Setting Ribbon down Chitsuki proceed to chastise herself. "Bad Chitsuki, you're not a five year old in a candy store!"
"Did somepony mention candy!?"
"AHHH! Pinkie, don't do that!” Pinkie had appeared out of thin air and right behind Ribbon, as usual. And as usual, scared her. Ribbon pulled Pinkie in close and whispered quietly. “Pinkie, you know how you promised not to tell anypony about me?”
“Uh, huh.”
“Well, Chitsuki knows now too.” Before she got a chance to tell Pinkie much more, Chitsuki spoke up.
"Hey Pinkie, DON'T go prank Celestia, okay?" Pinkie immediately stops whispering with Ribbon and puts a hoof to her chin in thought.
"I have the strangest urge to prank Celestia... Gotta go bye!"
"You're going to get Pinkie in a lot of trouble, aren't you?" Ribbon could see it now. Pinkie holding a giant cake addressed to the Princess, and when she goes for a bite, it explodes. covering the princess, the guards, and the rest of the room in cake, leaving Pinkie spotless and laughing. Before being put in a dungeon cell.
"Celestia will know it was my revenge for making that incredibly awkward moment."
"That was you, not Celestia."
Chitsuki started laughing maniacally. "And thus, the storm begins..."
Ribbon felt the need to take a few steps back. This might not be Nightmare Moon, but she was still crazy. "I'm going to be dragged into this aren't I?"
"Along with everyone else in the castle..." They had reached the forge. Ribbons temporary work place in the castle. "Now, we make art... sweet, deadly, art..."
"So what did you want me to make again?"
"A katana... in essence the blade is two pieces of metal, one hard, composing the cutting edge, and one soft composing the rest of the blade, folded together, creating an absurdly sharp blade."
"Ok, I think I can do a katana. any specific design style?"
"Simple, no fancy adornments and as a matter of fact, I can supply the 'hard' metal." Chitsuki focused on a spot in front of her and with a ‘shink’ type sound, a big block of teal colored metal had formed. "Well then, let's begin."
*FIVE HOURS LATER*
With a satisfying hiss of steam, the blade reached room temperature for the last time. "Finally, she is complete! All that is left now is a name..."
"It looks like its made of shadows..."
"That's it! I shall dub thee Kage no Akumu, Shadow of the Nightmare!"