"I suppose we could hardly refuse your welcome," James said. Privately, he still felt somewhat worried about everything, but several minutes of talk between himself, his soldiers, and the Changeling party had removed much of it. I'm glad they aren't mind readers. I know that Equestria has only the worst views on Changelings... and considering the attack on Canterlot, those views are somewhat - though not entirely, no, not even close to entirely - justified.
"This alliance was merely optional when we proposed it, but now, it's an absolute necessity," the Queen answered. "I wish we could have met the Princesses before that monster attacked Canterlot, but sadly, due to our... current status, we were unable to."
"Welcome is all well and good," Bright said, "but we'll need a place to stay; I doubt you'll want us to eat and sleep in your own room."
"You're right; I don't. But I have quarters available." She grimaced. "I only wish we didn't have the vacancy, and not for the reasons some of you might think. A few months ago, some of my personal servants objected to the way the councilors were treating me. They didn't like that; they had one..."
"Murdered."
"Well, yes, as an example, and arrested the others. They're either stuck in whatever counts for a prison in Chrysalis' hive... or dead, and made to suffer before they died."
James was no Changeling, but he could feel the sorrow in the Queen's voice. And, looking around, he saw it mirrored in the faces of the other Changelings in the room.
They really have suffered. And, now that I look more closely... I think the Queen has a few new marks on her face that weren't there before she left us. He decided not to comment on it.
"Anyway, we'll need to make arrangements to feed you. I doubt you'll be able to eat emotional energy, as we can."
"Do you have any real food?" Shield asked.
"To us," Meta said, "emotional energy is food."
The queen waved her down. "To answer you, yes, we have some small supplies of fruit. And, while I'm allowing you some measure of freedom in my palace, I must insist that you return to your quarters when my guards see any of the councilors coming. It would certainly not do if they saw you. As for your weapons-"
"We aren't giving them up!" Shield said, jumping up.
"I wasn't going to say that, but I ask you to use caution. And, if I find out that any of you use their weapons to bully or hurt any of my people, I'll throw that individual in jail. I won't trade one set of murderers for another. Is that understood?"
Shield stood there, glaring, for several seconds, before finally sitting down again.
"Since we have only a limited window of opportunity, we'll have to spread news of our plan quickly. I want Meta and Cal to go out at once and spread the news. Cicadellidae, I want you to lead our visitors to their quarters. And Fix, I want you to act as guide for them. You know this palace as well as I, if not better."
"What if some of those Cal and Meta are going to pass the news to the councilors?" Bright asked.
The Queen turned to him, a look of anger on her face. "My subjects cannot do anything contrary to my will. And even if they were able to, they've experienced the rule we've been set under. None of them want Chrysalis to remain in control. Once the news of the plan goes out, they'll keep it an absolute secret, and they'll fight. We've been waiting for a chance like this for the past seven years. Tomorrow, come good or ill, we go to war."
"Without weapons," James said gravely, remembering.
In response, the Queen touched her horn. "These are our weapons. They may not have the same impact as guns or cannons, but the sheer number of bolts we can put in the air will sweep our enemies away like a flood. Not to mention how useful they'll be if fighting comes to close quarters. I hope it doesn't, but we'll be prepared if it happens."
James nodded. "I guess we can't complain too much. But if we succeed, what will you do then?"
"Continue to fight, until the fight on this front has been won. We will do our part to defeat the terrorist who has been misruling my people for so long. And I can tell you this; I will never allow another murderous tyrant to reign supreme over my people and I. If I see another ruler like her rise among the Changeling hives, we will be the first to respond."
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The Equestrian delegation was lead down the stairs and into a massive antechamber. James found himself impressed, even if the design wasn't purely Changeling. Eight giant white pillars, four on each side, lined a large, long, blue carpet, which flowed down the center of the room and led to a black-colored throne. The walls were coated with white paint, as was the roof. The designs on the walls and pillars were certainly Changeling, even though the paint was noticeably imported. Numerous white crystals lit the room, which was filled with light almost everywhere.
"This is where the Queen holds court," Fix said. "Disputes, laws, planning for further gathering of energy, it's all done here."
"Is there a proper throne room?" Bright asked.
"Yes, but it's usually reserved for secret meetings. Although, considering the past little while, I suppose it's not the only place where things like that can happen."
"How long ago was this place - this whole hive - established?" James asked, eager to learn more.
"I don't know how long; I'm not a historian of our people, and tragically history in our hive has been suppressed by the outsiders. However, I'm sure it's been over a thousand years since construction began, and it might go back further. This palace took decades to finish, and it's been refurbished and redesigned over the centuries."
It's impressive, considering the work that's been done since then. He was unsure what to think overall of Changeling society. It was obviously closely controlled and more well-regulated than he would be comfortable. Democracy, and the republican system overall, were entirely unknown here. That would have been true even if another hive weren't oppressing this one. Perhaps it comes from them resembling insects
His personal belief when it came to science was that science was made by the Lord, and that the laws of science in turn governed nature in general, with occasional exceptions, namely miracles. That wasn't to say that he didn't believe that God had a hand in the doings of the world; he did. Too many great and unexplainable things happened for him to believe otherwise. James also believed magic in this world to be an extension of those ideas of science and nature. Doubtless, theologians back home had argued over that, and, if this world were ever linked to his own, they would argue there as well.
But that would be then, if it ever came. They had to look at the present as much as the future, especially since the present was the path to that future.
In the meantime, the group walked across the antechamber to a door on the opposite side, with Cicadellidae leading. From there, they descended a small staircase before turning left and making down a narrow hallway with numerous doors.
"This is where you'll be staying the night," Fix said. "These rooms aren't very big, but they are very cozy."
James opened one of the doors. Fix was right; the place was pretty small, but the bed was obviously of good (if also imported) quality, and a little desk and chair were off to the side. A little window let in some light, while another white crystal hung from the ceiling, lighting the areas the window could not.
"Thank you," he said, turning back to the guide.
"I was merely following my instructions," the Changeling replied.
"As was I," his companion agreed.
The way they said that made it sound as if there were nothing else that could have been done. If he had the talent for it, James would have whistled. As it was, he made another mental note. Apparently, direct disobedience to the Queen wasn't only impossible, it was practically unheard of. That explain why those belonging to Chrysalis' hive fought to the death almost every time. They probably didn't think of surrender as an option, that is, if they even could. Again, he felt uneasy. While he couldn't help admiring the architecture and loyalty here, he found it questionable to give absolute obedience to anyone not of divine origin. While obedience of that kind could accomplish great things, it could also inflict unspeakable horror if one obeyed the wrong ruler. Seeing what happened over the past ten and a half months, that's a no brainer.
He crossed the little bedroom, curious to see what the window had to offer. He had expected to see something resembling a city, but the sight that met him surprised him nonetheless. A small metropolis, set inside an enormous cavern, met his eyes. Few of the buildings, for that was what they obviously were, had much resemblance to what he or the ponies would consider proper architecture, but they were obviously well designed, and most appeared to have identical construction patterns. Green and white light, presumably from more crystals, lit the buildings, which were constructed out of the black material he had come to see so much of already. The hive didn't seem to have a main street he could recognize (or at least not from this angle), nor were the buildings in blocks that he would have thought of as being organized, but here and there Changelings went about their business. Some flew, but most walked. Some carried saddlebags full of material or energy; he couldn't tell the difference from this distance.
"Does everything here have an octagonal pattern?" one of the soldiers asked, snapping him out of his thoughts.
"Most buildings do, yes," Fix replied. "Such has always been part of our designs."
James caught a glimpse of something from the window, and he turned his eyes back toward it. Some where in the distance, two prominent Changelings were busy speaking haughtily to another. He couldn't hear them from here (and, he remembered, he wouldn't have understood them even if he could), but their gestures and posture were both clearly hostile.
One of the rogue Queen's patrols, he realized. He felt something in his stomach fall as one of patrol slapped the victim in the face, then kicked him (or her; he couldn't tell) as he fell.
No one's going to help the poor guy. Even if I went to Metamorphosis, the bastards would just take her protests as another opportunity to slap her around and tell her how worthless her hive is. They might even impose more sanctions. I'd thought I'd known what tyranny is, but to read about and see are two very different things.
Feeling somewhat sick, he turned back to the rest of the group, who were still talking with Fix. "...were constructed in the time of Queen Cocoon, and took about ten years to complete."
"Do you have any food?" a pegasus in the group asked. "None of us have eaten since we left camp today."
"I will make sure to see that food reaches you," Cicadellidae answered.
"Thank you, uh Cica, uh..."
"Just call be Cica, or Sick, if you prefer; I get that one all the time."
"Uh, thank you, Cica."
The female Changeling nodded and left.
James sat down on the bed in the room he was occupying. As he'd thought it would be, it was comfortable and warm. No that he was able to get a closer look, only the mattress, sheets, and pillow had been bought; the rest was made of the black material the Changelings apparently loved to build with. "What's this stuff made of, anyway?" he wondered.
"You'd probably be surprised," Fix answered. "The ingredients include saliva and the green stuff we use to stick stuff together."
"Yuck!" a soldier exclaimed.
"It's what we have to build with," Fix shrugged. "And it works. We probably couldn't have built all this if it didn't."
"And what else did you use?" James recognized the voice of the hateful soldier who had questioned the Changelings before. He stood up (reluctantly; the bed was comfortable) and dashed to the doorway. This time, he managed to spy out who just was speaking; an orange unicorn. "Pieces of ponies, perhaps?"
"Private Lightning Rod!" Shield shouted at the unicorn, "shut it! Even I don't believe that. It's downright stupid, in fact."
"You don't like them any more than I do; why don't you admit it?" Lightning Rod countered, sneering.
"I said, shut up. And wipe that pathetic excuse for a grin off your face. No, I don't trust them, but I've seen enough to know they aren't going to double cross us." Shield walked over to him, hooves clopping loudly against the floor. "I knew you had a lot in common with your brother, Jack Tar, but I'm ashamed to say that you both share a bad attitude and a lack of common sense. If I had known you'd have caused this much trouble, I would never have brought you with us." Shield snorted with annoyance. "I think the Queen's warning was directed at you in particular. And what she has in store for you if you break her rules is nothing compared to what I'll do to you." He brought his face close to that of Lightning. "Is that understood?" the Guard pony whispered.
After a rather long pause, Lightning Rod sighed. "Yes, sir."
"Good. Glad we're clear on that. But I've got my eye on you until this over." With that, Silver Shield backed off and sat back down.
Suppression of hatred and racism isn't enough to kill it, James thought sadly. Sometimes, I wish it were... but then, free will wouldn't exist. We have the freedom to make our own choices... good or bad. But the bad gets you screwed - whether now, or later, it does.
Fix had been standing by, furiously silent and dragging his hooves on the floor. After Shield was done talking, he seemed reluctant to speak again. "...If any of you want a tour of the palace, " he said at last, "I'll take you. If some of you just want to sit here and hate, that's... fine, too."
"I fully apologize for that display," James said. "By no means do most of us agree with what he said, or at least, we don't share that same level of.,. anger. Once we eat, I'll gladly go with you on that tour."
Fix nodded. "Thanks."
Cica walked back in, a tray of cabbage, lettuce, apples, carrots, and celery encased in a green glow. "I'm back. Anyone miss me?" She set it down in their midst.
The ponies each began to take something from the try. James made sure to get one of the apples before they were all gone.
"Where do you get all this?" the Major said, speaking again after keeping silent for a long time. "And how is it still so fresh?"
"We bought the seeds and planted them here, underground," Cic answered. "We keep the specimens that grow to maturity in a vault that is kept full of ice."
"But why? Surely you don't need it, considering the energy you take?"
Cica ignored the faint trace of hostility in the Major's voice. "That's true. But a good snack here and there won't harm us. Taking in energy is nice, but sometimes we want something of a different taste."
"Could you subsist only on this kind of food?" Bright asked.
"No; we need the energy to survive. Without it, we'll eventually die. That why the fact that the tyrant is taking so much of our energy is such a big deal; we'll likely lose at least a quarter of our people here, if not more, if we allow that. We can't."
"And they'll know it," Fix muttered. "They might see us as worthless, but they know what we think of that deal... and them. They'll be on the watch for trouble."
James listened to the others mumbling and whispering.
"This is our home," Cica said quietly. "We can't just let this happen."
The word "home" brought memories of life back on Earth. James felt a deep homesickness settle within him. He'd been away from home for almost a year. He was further away than any of his soldiers from home. On another planet, in another world; it had been exciting for the first several months. But now, after having seen war firsthand, having made decisions, good and not so good...
You still have a job to do. He tried hard to bring himself out of the past and back into the present. Think of how they would feel if you deserted them now. His conscience guided him to look upon the ponies, as well as the Changelings in the new alliance. Of how you would feel. He sighed, as quietly as possible. He indeed had a job to do, and wasn't going to stop until he was done.
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James found himself impressed, in spite of his general lack of interest in construction. The Changelings had taken time with everything; nothing looked particularly out of place, with the exception of private rooms. The whole place was efficiently run; there was no discernible kitchen, and after a moment, he remembered that the inhabitants didn't need solid food, and therefore had no need of such a room, which would be a waste of space that could be used for more important things. He felt a sense of avid curiosity about the place. He couldn't help wondering how well the place would stand up to an attack, but he filed that thought away for later.
Although he was impressed by the tour, he was glad when it was over. Fix led them back to their rooms.
Lightning Rod hadn't moved. He was still cradling his rifle. The other ponies who had declined the tour were still there, but none of them were so obviously hostile - in fact, none of them showed any hostility whatsoever, considering that they were playing cards - as he was. Cica was watching the game quite intently, and was obviously trying to ignore Lightning's glare, which probably wasn't easy when one took into account how he kept cleaning his gun.
"He's been like that the whole time," she said when they drew near, rolling her eyes as she did so. "Didn't even try getting a decent word out of him." Her focus shifted back to the game; the Major had thrown down his cards in frustration, and a younger pony gathered in all the bits as the others watched jealously.
"It'll be getting dark outside," Fix said.
"How do you guys tell the time in here anyway?" Bright asked. "You live underground."
"Well, if you want to know the precise time, there's always the big clock in the center of the hive," Cica said, sounding amused. "But not counting that, we've mostly worked the day cycle into our systems."
"I can see most of our guests seemed to have settled in," came a voice behind them. James knew even before he turned around that it was the Queen. Her eyes glowed, in a mixture of anger and hope. "The councilors sent for me, and told me that, as we would suffer an imminent energy shortage, it would be more efficient for us to send a larger contingent to the war front as soon as it could be arranged."
"They said that?"
"Well, not quite; they mostly demanded more warriors for the fight, with the energy shortage only coming in as an afterthought. Still, it's the thought that counts, isn't it?"
"How many did they demand?"
"About half the hive, which is about ten thousand or so."
James was caught by surprise, by more than one element. After withstanding the gasps of everyone, pony and Changeling, around him, he said, "You don't seem as upset as you were earlier."
"Because they've gone and made a mistake, or at least, I think it's a mistake, and not a trap. They're going to gather the whole hive tomorrow before my palace to make the big announcement. I think that would make a decent time to launch our attack."
"But what about the nursery?"
"When they said the whole hive, they meant it, and, I've obeyed their demands - though reluctantly - up till now, so they won't suspect that I'll do anything to upset them. They still don't know that you're here. They may be expecting some trouble from the crowd, but they'll need most of their soldiers there to keep order, so the nursery should be lightly guarded. My idea is that we'll gather and hide a large group near the nursery. They won't have the coverage they need at the nursery to keep an eye on everything, and in any case my subjects know this place better than they ever could. We should be able to catch the guards by surprise and take them out of the picture, and without destroying anything in order to do so. Once that's done, we'll be able to launch an attack on their soldiers. This is where you and yours will come into play. We'll need your firepower to help deal with the soldiers, and it would be best if I positioned you in a building off to the side of the rally."
"But where will you be?"
"On the podium, with the councilors."
This captured everyone's attention.
"What? You can't do that!" Fix insisted.
"I can. And I'll have to, to maintain the idea that Chrysalis' servants are still in control, up until the uprising begins."
"But... Your Highness... you could die!" Cica said.
The Queen stood up straight. "It's a sacrifice I'm willing to make for the freedom of my hive. My subjects are willing to give their lives. I can hardly aspire to less."
"But who would replace you?" James asked.
"I have a daughter of my own."
"She's only eight, though," Fix said.
"And she's lived almost her entire life under the hooves of Chrysalis and her councilors. I want her to know what freedom feels like. If I have to die to achieve that goal, I'll die knowing that my daughter and her people will be free."
James bowed in respect. "The words of a true leader."
"I just hope this isn't a trap, and that we succeed," Bright spoke up. "If it doesn't a lot of... people will wind up dead."
"It is a trap," James answered. "Our trap. I doubt the soldiers will have things their way. Trying to deal with twenty thousand angry people with numbers of two hundred or less strikes me as bad odds, however well trained they might be. They'll have fire coming in from all directions. And we'll have the advantage of surprise over them, which is the best force multiplier of all." God willing, we'll get through this with few, if any, casualties. That might not have been likely, but a man could hope. "We'll need to alert the army to get going early," he added. "If we could sneak a couple platoons in here, that would increase our chances. With the army outside, blocking the exits and preventing messengers from getting out, the coup should go undetected, until it's too late for the enemy to do anything about it."
"If we do bring in more troops, we'll have to house them in the palace," the Queen said. "This isn't a hotel. We don't have an infinite number of rooms to house them. And I can't risk moving them outside the palace because they might be seen."
"They could pretend to be Changelings that were training for a mission," Bright suggested.
The Queen shook her head. "That wouldn't work. We can detect other Changelings by the fact that we can't take energy from them; they would know your troops just by detecting emotional energy from them. So, nice try, but no."
"Oh." Bright looked down at the floor.
"I think we have lodging for... what do you think, Fix? Ten, Fifteen more?"
"Fifteen, but I'd say no more than that. However, we could station more in the secret passage we used to enter the hive."
"Good thinking."
"I'll take care of it, sir," the Major said. I really have to find out what his name is. "I'll draft the orders for deployment immediately, with your permission."
"Granted," James said. "See to it." He turned back to the Queen. "If things go our way tomorrow, you'll be ruling a free nation again."
"Assuming things do go our way."
James grunted, but he didn't bother to answer that. He knew that, in war, things often didn't go the way one planned them. It felt like it happened all too often.
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Metamorphosis sighed as she gazed at the hive from the balcony just outside her bedroom. Even though the preceding years had been terrible, the hive had managed to keep up with every demand so far, however strenuous. It had managed to largely retain the size of it's population and welcomed new growth.
She didn't know whether to dread the next day or welcome it. If something went horribly wrong, the results would be disastrous. Not that she expected it to, but the worry nagged in the back of her mind, and refused to go away completely.
And even if the rebellion succeeded, and the war was won... so what? Ponies wouldn't take kindly to Changelings even so; the soldiers' clear opinions were all too clear on that. She muttered a Changeling curse word under her breath. Chrysalis had messed up life for all Changelings for the indeterminable future, even if she was overthrown. The new security measure since the attack on Canterlot had made it ever more difficult to gather the energy needed. As a result, she'd had to send gatherers into smaller cities and towns on the outskirts of Equestria, which had had repercussions on the amount of energy gathered.
It wasn't only the energy that was at stake, though. The lives of the harvesters themselves had become much more dangerous. They had to be constantly aware of their surroundings, of the opinions of their neighbors, and of whether or not the Royal Guard was conducting operations in the area; before the attack, they had been able to relax a lot more. More than a few had been discovered and had fled hours or, in one case, even minutes before the authorities, often unable to bring the energy they'd gathered back with them, or else only able to bring back a limited amount of it. Two had been captured by the Royal Guard; other harvesters had confirmed this. She had no idea how they were being treated, and the other harvesters weren't exactly eager to try to find out. She could understand the fear they felt, that they would be discovered in so doing, and be captured themselves.
Before Chrysalis had taken over, she'd had plans - not well formulated, just thought about - to reveal the existence of her hive to Celestia, to try to begin relations between the two states. Needless to say, none of those plans or ideas had made it off the ground; Chrysalis had made it abundantly clear after the conquest that no such missions were to take place, ever. Even victory now wouldn't mean that such a mission would be possible; pony fears about Changelings would be too strong for the next, oh, two or three decades. Thanks so very much, Chrysalis. You've done the very thing that was likely to doom our species by making us all too familiar with the Equestrians, and not in a way to make them exactly happy to know about our existence. Already, harvesters had brought back newspapers from Equestrian towns. The second invasion had only increased fears, and the press wasn't something easily reined in, even by a monarch.
The upcoming battle would change everything, one way or another. But would her people have any proper place in the world after the dust settled?
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James wrote quietly in the light provided by the crystal above. He still wrote letters to home regularly, in spite of being busy. His original pens had run out of ink, and his pencil was close to being just a nub; he'd been using them for things other than just writing letters.
Sorry I couldn't have come when it was peaceful, he wrote. This place is beautiful... well, the place I'm staying at right now, some people might not want to use beautiful to describe it, but in general, this world is. Aside from the war, obviously.
Me, a general... a year ago, that was laughable. I was another guy setting up to go to college, preparing to live a normal life, if anything in life can be described as normal. Now... even though I'd always wanted this job ever since that project I had to do in class, I'm not all that certain that being one is such a great thing. I've seen the land and it's people torn by conflict, ripped up by the angry shells and cannonballs. Sometimes, it's hard to realize that I'm in the world depicted by the show. I find that particular doubt so troublesome that it's almost a war in itself to bring myself back to reality.
I'm sick of seeing the dying. No amount of video gaming or watching movies can prepare you for the real thing. The former is just watching somebody being felled and sometimes forgotten in the form of entertainments I've noted. The real thing... I don't think anyone can truly understands how it feels to have the very same soldiers you helped train die in actions you've ordered them into. Survivor's guilt is strong, not least among officers.
He set down the pencil, which rolled off the desk and circled around his shoe. He didn't feel as sure of himself as he had when the whole mess had begun. A kid felt he was invincible, could do the impossible. The other guys who tried it and failed? Not good enough or just foolish. That is, until you tried it yourself and got a bloody nose, literally and figuratively, and sometimes worse.
I'm getting too far into my own thoughts. If I get stuck here, I'll have a hard time getting myself out. Not without some effort, he pushed away the line of thought he'd been travelling on. He arose and looked out the window once more. Can't stay negative. Won't be able to do much if I remain there.
In a way, the Changeling hive really was beautiful, though you'd have to be one of them to truly appreciate it. The lights that shone clearly revealed a city of sorts. Even at night, the place was busy.
Perhaps for those who live here, there isn't a daytime. After all, this whole place is underground, and it has to be lit 24/7. No wonder they need so much energy. "Hmmmm." Must have been a nice place to live eight years ago. Now, though, it's almost as though you could taste the misery. And I don't like what I'm tasting.
He shivered a little. The place wasn't freezing, but it was a bit colder than he'd like. He'd found a large, black device on this side of the room - under the window, in fact - that looked as though it were used for heating. He'd tried turning the knobs several times, but nothing had happened. Maybe it's just broken.
There was a knock at the door. "Yes?"
The door opened. Queen Metamorphosis walked in, shutting the door behind her before sitting down. "Sorry for barging in like this," she said, "but I'm having trouble sleeping."
"And you needed to talk to someone."
"Yes. The uprising, and the risks involved, are just cutting into me." She paused. "I guess my curiosity is not appeased by promises to ask later. First and foremost, who are you? I never actually asked the question."
James bowed, deeply, sweeping his hat off. "I am James, of the noble house of Lavigne, Count of Maine and Duke of New England."
The Queen snickered. "Now try being serious. The burst of amusement coming from you gave the game away before you even started."
James chuckled. "Brigadier James Lavigne, General of the Equestrian Army and Military Advisor to Equestria, at your service. Well, technically, at Equestria's service, but even so."
"I've never seen your kind before."
"Humans don't seem native to this world, and possibly this world. I was summoned here by the Princess."
"I see. I would have expected someone of your rank to be... well... older and more experienced."
"That makes two of us."
"Hmm. So you're mercenary of sorts?"
"No," James said firmly. "I'm sick of the Griffons putting out that bull...shot. If I fought only for money, don't you think I would have had the temperament to try to ally with you?"
"I suppose not." She stood back up and came to the window. "This coup will effect the future of my people... but to what purpose? We'll still be hated and feared, thanks to that one stupid... the word I was going to use isn't one royalty should ever say. Regardless, she's destroyed any chance of our two species cooperating within the next half-century, if not longer. Already the Royal Guard, having gone on a recruiting spree, is looking for energy harvesters - all Changelings, actually - and even though my subjects will suffer, considering the wedding attack, I'm not surprised and I can hardly blame them. Hardly - it's still trouble for us. without the energy we need, we will starve, and we can't copy other species well enough for me to sanction trying to get it from Griffons or anyone else."
"That is a problem. I can't deny that."
"Sometimes, I wonder whether whatever gods are out there are determined to make us suffer. We're ugly to the eyes of ponies, and few of them are ever going to get that, at least insofar as I can see. We need to take energy from them to live, so they, and everyone else, term us as parasites, with some justifications. And, now, the attack on Canterlot and this damned war have put their hackles up for the next several generations." She sighed and sat back down. "I wonder if what we do will make a difference, even if we are successful. I feel like it might be hopeless."
James reached into one of his coat pockets. Inside was a small cross. He held it tightly, wondering if it was the right time. "You're not abandoned or alone," he said slowly. "And it's certainly not hopeless. There is Someone who is watching over all of us, and if you believe in Him, He will never let you fall from His hand."
So began a conversation that lasted for hours into the night.
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