*Reality*
Spirit woke with a start, his mind a jumbled mess. ‘Where...am I?’ he asked as he found himself staring into darkness. His hoof brushed against a rocky floor, instantly reminding him where he was. ‘I’m...still in the cave,’ he thought as he pressed his hoof on his head. ‘Will I ever get use to coming back?’
"So you're finally awake, ya joker."
"Huh? Oh, hey Kalinka." Spirit said, facing the grinning mare. "How's your chest?"
"It feels fine Spirit," she said, tossing his saddlebag to him. "C'mon, we can trot and talk. Let's get going."
"Right!" Spirit said, fitting the bag onto his back.
***
"We're close," Kalinka said, sniffing the air. "The stench of rotten honey is strong."
"Our journey's almost over." Spirit said.
"Hey Spirit," Kalinka said. "What happened to that Manticore?"
"H-huh?"
"What happened to it?"
"O-oh," Spirit stuttered. "W-well, you see..."
"Tell her."
'No! I-I can't!'
"What are you afraid of?"
'If I tell her I killed it, she'll think I'm some kind of monster!'
"I feel like I should give a buck, but I don't."
'If you don't care, then why do you want me to tell her!?'
"Your worrying makes it hard to sleep."
"Spirit?" Kalinka asked. "You okay?"
"Y-yeah! You see, the thing is-"
"Spirit, dodge!"
'What are y-'
"MOVE NOW! MARE TOO!"
Spirit tackled Kalinka to the ground, a blast of green magic vaporizing the area where they were. "Kalinka, are you alright?"
"Y-yeah, I'm fine." Kalinka said as Spirit got off of her. "Was that Changeling magic?"
"Damn, I missed." a figure said, walking out of the shadows. A full-grown Changeling stood before the two. He towered over the two of them, his green eyes burning with glee. "Look at what we have here, if it isn't Kalinka and her freak of nature pet Free Spirit!"
"Talon!" Kalinka and Spirit yelled. "What do you want!?"
"I'm just doing my job: making sure all threats to the Hive don't get any closer. And if memory serves," he said, glaring at Spirit. "That halfbreed freak is classified as a threat to the entire Changeling Empire!"
"I'm here to deliver a letter to Queen Chrysalis from Princess Celestia!" Spirit said, walking forward. "So get out of my way!"
"You little nothing! How dare you talk to me like that!" Talon yelled, shooting a bolt of magic at Spirit. Spirit narrowly dodged the attack on his life, the bolt colliding with a tree and reducing it to splinters.
“Apparently, somepony didn’t get the memo!” Spirit yelled to Kalinka as he dodged another magic bolt.
“Talon!” Kalinka shouted. “Cut it out! Chrysalis is expecting him!” her answer was shot fired at her.
“I don't listen to traitors!” he yelled as he continued to attack Spirit.
“He’s not going to listen to reason! Time to fight back!” Yin said.
‘Why are you helping me all of the sudden!?’ Spirit asked, a bolt almost taking his head off.
“Don’t get mistaken. I don’t care about you, I care about your body!”
‘You’re so thoughtful.’ Spirit deadpanned, sending Talon a blast of his own magic. Talon sidestepped out of the way, charging straight at Spirit.
“Leave him alone!” Kalinka yelled, intercepting Talon with a tackle. They began to roll on the ground, neither of them showing signs of giving up.
“Hold on Kalinka, I’m coming!” Spirit yelled as he raced to help his friend.
“You dumb mare! Get off of me!” Talon commanded.
“Why!? So you can hurt Spirit!? No way in Tartarus!” Kalinka countered, striking Talon in the face.
“THAT’S IT!” Talon screamed, flipping Kalinka off him. “I was going to let you live,” he said, choking her with his magic. “But since you want to be such a nuisance!”
“Back off!” Spirit said, shoulder tackling him away from Kalinka, severing his hold. “You wanna fight someone, fight me!” he challenged, removing the saddlebag and taking a stance.
“You’re kidding. You’re kidding, right?” Talon asked with a smirk. Spirit stood his ground, eyes full of determination. “So you're serious...well then, this should be fun!” Talon said, taking a similar stance.
"Don't hold back, Spirit. If you die, I'm gonna kill you."
'Don't worry, I have zero intention of holding back!' Spirit replied, his blood beginning to boil. 'I'll show him what a hybrid can do!'
“GO!” they said in unison, charging at each other.
“It’s time someone put you in your place!” Talon exclaimed, firing volleys of magic at the young hybrid. Spirit gasped in pain as one of the bolts zapped him in the chest, halting his progress enough for him to be hit by three more bolts.
“Get up!” Yin yelled as Talon dashed towards Spirit.
“What do you think,” Spirit said as he tried to get up. “I’m trying to- GAH!” Spirit groaned as Talon bucked him in the side, sending him flying into a tree.
“Spirit!” Kalinka yelled, firing a blast of magic at Talon. The large Changeling dodged it without a thought, immediately turning his sights on her.
“Must you interfere!?” he yelled, shooting a bolt of magic at her.
“No!” Spirit said, intercepting it with his own magic. “Kalinka!” he yelled, prying himself from the tree. “Grab my bag and go! Get the letter to Chrysalis!”
“What about you!?”
“Don’t worry about me! I’ll be fine!” he said as he fired a bolt at Talon, grazing his face. “Go!”
“...You better come back alive, Spirit.” she said, snatching up the bag with her mouth as she ran towards the bushes.
“I don’t think so!” Talon said as he began to chase after her, only to be tackled to the ground.
“Hey! I’m the one you want!” Spirit said as he watched Kalinka disappear into the foliage.
“You little-” Talon said, wrestling Spirit off of him. His horn glowed, materializing a green chain around Spirit’s neck and pinning him to the ground.
“Where have I seen this before?” Yin said, his voice dripping with sarcasm.
‘Whose side are you on!?’ Spirit growled as he fought against the chain. Talon stood next to Spirit, sneering at him before stomping on his ribs.
"You are nothing to me!" Talon said, watching him cough up blood as he kicked his side. "You’re just an annoying bug to me!" Spirit screamed out in pain as he felt a rib give way.
"Spirit!" Yin yelled at the battered Changeling. "Do something!" His only answer was Spirit's cries of pain from Talon’s onslaught.
"I believe it's time to do what anyone else would to an annoying bug," Talon said, placing both hooves on Spirit's chest. "Crush it!"
'This isn't good!' Yin panicked. "Spirit, for the love of Tau, DO SOMETHING!"
'I-I can't move.' Spirit moaned weakly. 'It looks like...I'll be moving in with my parents.'
"Dammit!" Yin swore. 'Think Yin, think!' he stressed, racking his brain for a solution. "That's it!" Yin realized. "You promised Kalinka you'd come back alive! And in the name of Tau, you will! You can't be with your friends if you're dead!"
'Yin...'
"You can do this! Talon thinks you can't! PROVE HIM WRONG!!!"
'Yin's right,' Spirit thought, his blood boiling again. 'I made a promise to her. I won't let this happen, I REFUSE to let it happen!' Spirit declared as something in him snapped a second time.
"Time to die!" Talon said as he began to press down. His movements quickly stopped as he heard Spirit chuckle. “What’s so funny!?”
“You said ‘time to die’.” Spirit repeated, his voice becoming more raspy. "That sounds like a plan," Spirit said. "You first!" he hissed, an invisible force knocking Talon away.
"What the!?" Talon exclaimed as he got up, staring at the sight before him. A dark aura began to seep from Spirit's horn, slowly engulfing his body. It crawled over the chain, shattering it with little effort. His eyes shifted from blue to red as his ribs snapped back into place. All the while, Spirit was laughing. The volume of his laughter grew with each passing second, until it finally reached its climax. Spirit stood up, an unfriendly smile on his face.
"I think I'm ready for round two!"
"What in the name of Tartarus is going on here!?" Talon yelled. "I broke your ribs! How did you break that chain!? How are you standing!? What happened to you!?"
Spirit stared blankly at the Changeling before he started to laugh again. "I got better, as you can see." Spirit said, pointing at himself. "You on the other hoof," he glared at Talon. "Are about to get worse!"
"It happened again..." Yin said to himself. "Alright Spirit, let him have it!"
The dark aura began to flow from his horn again, applying itself to Spirit's hooves like armour. "Supīdo!" Spirit boomed, blinking out of existence.
"What!?" Talon shouted as he began searching for the missing Changeling. "Where did he go!?"
“Up here!” Talon looked to the sky, only to be hammer-hooved in the face. He screamed in pain as he fell to the ground, clutching his face. “What’s the matter!?” Spirit hissed, picking Talon up with his magic. “Didn’t you say you were going to put me in my place?” he asked, slamming Talon into the dirt. “Where did all that bravado go?!” Spirit stomped on Talon’s forehooves, relishing the sound of bones breaking and his enemy’s shrieking.
“Stop,” Talon begged. “Please stop!”
“Stop? I just started having fun!” Spirit said, picking up Talon and flinging him into a nearby tree. He dashed after Talon, pinning him to the trunk with his hoof before he could slide down. “You shouldn’t have messed with us!” Spirit said, staring Talon in the eyes. The dark aura began to wrap itself around Talon's throat, squeezing without remorse. Spirit's smile grew wide as he watched Talon struggle to breathe.
"Spirit! If you're gonna kill him, don't torture him!”
"I...give...up!" Talon wheezed. "Please...stop!"
"Isn't that what I asked of you and all the other Changelings who hurt me!?" Spirit growled, the dark aura tightening around Talon's neck. "You, who are without mercy, now plead for it? I thought you were made of sterner stuff!"
"Spirit! That's enough!" Yin yelled, straining against his chains.
"Halfbreed Free Spirit, cease this at once!" a voice boomed. Spirit's grip on Talon's neck loosened as he turned to face the intruder. Chrysalis stood before him, Kalinka in tow. "Release Talon!"
"How did you get here!?"
"Once Kalinka got close enough to the Empire, I could feel her worry through the Hive Mind. I met her halfway, and she told me that you were attacked and needed assistance." she explained, walking towards him. "But it looks like it's that deceiving Changeling is the one who needs help."
Spirit's attention snapped back to Talon. "Deceiving!?" Spirit snarled, pushing Talon deeper into the tree. "You knew I was on my way to deliver the treaty!? And you stopped me for what!? Just to fight me!? Just to get in my way!?” Spirit yelled as he raised his other hoof, the dark aura shrouding it.
“Spirit, stop!” Kalinka shouted.
“Why should I!?” Spirit retorted, pulling his hoof back. “Give me one good reason why I shouldn't turn him into goo!”
“Because you hate senseless killing!” Kalinka said. “Remember all those times you were forced to execute a prisoner? You always told me that it was the worst thing you have ever done!”
“He’s had enough, Free Spirit,” Chrysalis interjected. “Can you live with yourself knowing that you took satisfaction from killing another Changeling?”
“Even I have to agree,” Yin said. “Enough is enough.”
Spirit stopped his attack, taking in what the two Changelings and Yin said. He looked at Chrysalis, then Kalinka, then Talon. Finally, he stared at his hoof, the dark aura still covering it. “W-what am I doing?” Spirit said, the dark aura dissipating from his hoof. He backed away from the tree, the trapped Changeling falling off. "This isn't me..." Spirit murmured, his eyes shifting back to blue. He suddenly collapsed, the dark aura slowly ebbing off his body. "I'm...not...a murderer..." Spirit said, closing his eyes.
"Spirit!" Kalinka cried as she ran towards the still hybrid.
"Don't worry. He is only sleeping." Chrysalis assured, walking up to her daughter. She closed her eyes, her horn glowing its usual color. Her magic enveloped Spirit, lifting him off the ground and placing him on her back. "Come," Chrysalis said, turning in the direction of the Hive. "Let's get your prince-to-be some attention."
"P-prince?!" Kalinka stammered, startled by the sudden comment. "W-what are you talking about!?"
"It might not be obvious to everypony else, but I've raised you ever since I saved you. You can't hide your emotions from me." Chrysalis said, a coy smile on her face.
Kalinka looked away, her face burning. “Is it...is it that obvious to you?” she asked.
“As obvious as Celestia’s sun.” Chrysalis answered as she began to walk.
“Mother? What about Talon?” Kalinka asked, her attention now on the other unconscious Changeling.
“Talon knows the way back to the Hive,” Chrysalis said without stopping. “But I wouldn’t be surprised if never showed his face there again.”