//------------------------------//
// 3. The Lady and the Letter 
// Story: Love for a Change! 
// by Ori Whitedeer 
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3. The Lady and the Letter




The air in the Neighmurk Moors reeked of decaying plants and stagnant water as clouds of insects danced beneath thick tangles of trees. Pepperjack wiped fresh beads of sweat from her brow with the back of her hoof. She sniffled for a moment before turning to look behind her, ear twitching at a distant sound.

“They’re taking their sweet time…” Pepperjack growled as her tail flicked back and forth. 

“These things take time, ma’am. We lost our opening the fast way – now we gotta wait it out,” Hollowpoint offered as he carefully cleaned what looked like a flaming projectile launcher. 

“I can’t believe this. We were so close and now we have to rely on outsiders to do our job for us. I’m not ungrateful to Her Highness for sending the princess, but couldn’t she have come herself – and with her elite guard?” Pepperjack mused aloud as she paced around a damp but relatively dry patch of dirt.

“Princess Celestia, praise be her name, didn’t send the Princess of Friendship to us; she and her friends just kind of showed up,” Thrill Blitz offered with a dark tone in his voice. 

“Do you think we made a miscalculation sending them in there?” Pepperjack asked with a raised brow. “No—No those ponies have seen changelings up close, they know what they are and how they should be dealt with.”

“Let’s hope you’re right on that,” Hollowpoint spoke with a nod as he placed his polishing rag down and began re-assembling his weapon. Pepperjack’s ears flicked again as more sounds within the darkened moor began to cause her hooves to quicken her pacing. It was then the sound of a crunched branch beneath an unknown hoof sent the three scrambling. Pepperjack darted behind a large tangle of vines and undergrowth, while Hollowpoint stowed the parts of his weapon within his saddlebags as the two Pegasus stallions took off for the canopy. 
After a few moments that seemed to drag into eternity to the trio of militia members, a form emerged from the dark trees and rustling plants. Though the form was cloaked in a forest green cowl and cape, Pepperjack could tell it was equine – a unicorn, judging by the figure’s visibly large horn.  

The unicorn was a great deal taller than any member of the trio, and walked with careful, almost floating steps through the treacherous landscape despite carrying two overburdened-looking saddle bags. It grunted in a tone that far better suited a mare than a stallion, her occasional flourishing step shifting what sounded like glass within the saddlebags.

The cloaked figure paused just below where the two pegasus stallions hid, not lingering long enough to be an easy mark, before nearly disappearing into the darkness. Pepperjack quickly scanned the ground around her, finding no crisp leaves or frail twigs in her way, before silently stalking in the direction the pony traveled. Slight shifting of branches from the trees above seemed to mirror her movements as Pepperjack carefully crept along the patches of underbrush and tangled vines.

Pepperjack stifled a gasp as the unicorn stopped just in front of what looked like a giant clove of turquoise and black garlic. She intently watched with shock and wonder as the bulb began to grumble and shift, barbed black vines creeping through its vibrant green leaves. Despite the horrific hissing sound that came from its tightly closed petals, the figure before it didn’t seem to flinch as a golden glow came to her horn. Pepperjack could see an amused smile on the figure’s illuminated face.

“Grumpy today, are we?” She spoke with a gruff, common-sounding voice that seemed unsuited to her graceful form, in Pepperjack’s perception. The unicorn used her golden glowing magic to pull a small vial filled with what looked like pink lemonade from one of her saddle bags and removed its stopper before turning her full attention to the shuddering bulb. Long, barbed vines began to swing and sway above her like venomous snakes ready to strike. “Oh, stop your belly-aching, you overgrown tulip!”

Pepperjack watched as the mysterious unicorn shot a beam of golden energy at the agitated plant, causing it to flail its vines and give a great screech before slowing its motions, and falling into what looked like the plant equivalent of sleep. Pepperjack’s heart nearly stopped as the cloaked figure pulled out what had to have been the largest hypodermic needle the earth pony had ever seen from within her opposite saddle bag and carefully stuck it into one of the plant’s lush, protruding roots. She pulled back the plunger, filling the glass syringe with thick, green slime.

Just as the syringe was nearly full, a large stick fell from the trees above with a snap and a rushing of leaves. It bounced off the unicorn’s head, causing her to gasp and give an annoyed grunt as she moved a hoof to rest and gently rub the stricken spot. In doing to, the deep-green cowl moved back slightly, revealing a lush, curled mane of nearly the same verdant hue. Her angry emerald eyes moves to the canopy above, but saw no sign of what caused the stick to fall.

Pepperjack’s eyes went wide for a moment as the revealed face of the unicorn caused her teeth to clinch and her brow to furrow. 
“You…” she uttered, barely above a whisper and well below the sounds of creatures that chirped and croaked in the obscuring scenery. The unicorn gave a grunt before placing the filled syringe in her saddlebag and pouring the contents of the vial onto the prick point she’d made while extracting the green slime. The small wound fizzed for a moment, as the pink-lemonade looking liquid seeped in. After a few seconds the spot looked as if nothing had marred its pulsing green appendage. The unicorn quickly placed the emptied vial in her saddlebag before magically moving her cowl back in place and setting off into the darkness of the moor.

Pepperjack didn’t move. It took every measure of self-control she had not to charge after the graceful unicorn, settling for the trembling rage that threatened to move her into a foolhardy gallop. After what seemed like hours to the trio of militia members, the two pegasus stallions left their perches to stand beside their leader.

“What was that about?” Thrill Blitz asked with hint of disgust and mild curiosity in his tone.

“Hollowpoint, take a letter…” Pepperjack said in a low hiss, her long bangs slightly obscuring an intense stare that was fixated on a spot on the ground before her.

“Ma’am?” Hollowpoint asked with a raised brow. Despite the question, he reached into his saddlebag, sifting through ammunition, spare weapon parts, and his various autographed photos of his favorite princess, and pulled out a blank piece of parchment and a self-inking quill.
“Things just got a whole lot worse for us. We can’t wait on Twilight Sparkle and her friends – we need to get hooves on the ground, now.”
“O-Ok, go ahead,” Hollowpoint nodded, parchment in hoof and quill between his teeth.

“Dear Princess Celestia…”Pepperjack started. As the serious words flew from her lips, the quill scratched the parchment with equal speed. Despite the even flow of the formal request, one word nearly made the quill fall from between the usually unshakable pegasus’s mouth. 
Thrill Blitz stood there, mouth agape and eyes wide before he finally found words to address Pepperjack’s.

“What? How can you be sure?”

“I know her – I know exactly who and what she is. Before you two joined the militia, when the changelings first came to Wensleydale, she was among them and she’s a big part of the reason my initial forces were beaten back. I thought we’d neutralized her in the battle, as she wasn’t with them the second time we tried to rid the town of the infestation, but it’s obvious she was in hiding – somewhere here in the moors…”
“We need to send the princess proof—“

“We don’t have time, and the three of us can’t take her out ourselves. We’d never stand a chance without proper back-up. She helped take out 30 militia ponies like stepping on ants!” Pepperjack said with a nod and a point of her hoof towards the spot where the quill had fallen. Hollowpoint lowered his head, retrieved the quill and continued to write as Pepperjack resumed her dictation. When Hollowpoint marked the final period, he tucked the quill away and quickly rolled up the parchment.

“Do you still have your contact with the honor guard?” Pepperjack asked as the two pegasus stallions looked to one another with a nod. 
“She’s stationed in Bridlesport; I can take this to her,” Hollowpoint volunteered. 

“Good – we’re counting on you. In the meantime, we’ll fall back for now. Hopefully there won’t be any flares from town before Princess Celestia sends us some soldiers, and with a little luck, get rid of this infestation in our fine land once and for all…”

~*~

“I’m just not sure what to make of it all…” Twilight mused aloud as she gently rubbed her chin with a slightly tired hoof. The sun was setting over Wensleydale, causing the rainbow vines just outside their inn-room window to turn a soft shade of blue. Rainbow Dash flopped onto the bed, pressing down on the mattress with her hoof as if testing its firmness, and shrugged.

“Seems pretty simple to me: town is full of changelings, townsfolk are getting their love drained, need to nip it in the bud before this becomes the Trotting Dead 4: the Changen-ing,” she asserted, clapping her two front hooves together with a determined smirk.

“That’s if we’re able to figure out who their leader is…although,” Rarity paused, eyes slightly squinting in thought, “I think we can narrow it down to a few ponies. Pepperjack says the mayor is under the changeling’s control, which means it isn’t him,” Rarity reasoned.

“It can’t be any of the sick-looking ponies; they’re the victims here. As such, they wouldn’t be able to tell us who the leader is without the changeling drones feeding on them stepping in and potentially taking away their entire agency,” Twilight added as the thought of her brother’s green-crossed eyes caused a shiver to course down her spine. “We can’t risk that.”

“Well then, it has to be one of the healthy ponies in town – we could line them all up and question them or something,” Rainbow Dash replied with a hint of growing irritation in her voice.

“That’s no good – not only do we let on that we’re on to them, but we could cause a panic,” Twilight spoke, teeth clenched but still maintaining some semblance of a smile.

“Well I don’t see you coming up with any good ideas. I say we stop talking about doing things and actually do something!” Rainbow Dash snapped with an exasperated sigh.

There was a moment of silence and a sense of desperate urgency between the three as their minds worked to grasp any small clue that may have passed their consciousness upon their arrival. It was then that Rarity’s eyes went wide as a name found its way from her mind and to her mouth.

“What about that count fellow our little guide mentioned, Count Torcas? His name came up at the salon as well. It seems he’s very well known in this town, and as somepony of influence and affluence, perhaps he may know something or be of help,” Rarity offered. Twilight and Rainbow Dash exchanged cautious looks.

“Or he could be the problem. Ridinghood – er, whatever his name was – looked really, really sick. What kind of pony would send somepony out through dangerous bogs or swamps in that condition if he wasn’t some kind of evil monster?” Rainbow Dash mused. 

Twilight Sparkle’s brow furrowed in thought for a moment, before a determined spark came to her eyes. She gave an affirming nod. “Either way, I think we might want to pay this count a visit--” 

Twilight started as a gentle, almost soundless knocking followed by a grumpy voice and then a much louder, booming knock gave her pause. Rarity moved toward the door and looked to the other two mares with caution in her sapphire gaze before turning her attention to the shuffling figures just beyond.

“Yes? Who is it?” Rarity asked politely as she opened the door just enough to make out the two ponies standing on the other side. The first pony, a weary looking and familiar unicorn stallion, smiled sweetly as the unfamiliar earth pony beside him stood with a slightly annoyed look on her pale yellow face. 

“Hello again, miss Rarity,” the unicorn she knew as Hoodwink greeted, “we’re sorry to disturb you at this time of evening, but could we come in and chat with you and your friends a moment?”

Rarity looked to her friends with a raised brow. Their nods of approval caused her to fully open the door, allowing the pair of ponies passage. 
“Thank you for seeing us so late. I’m sure you’re all very tired after sightseeing,” Hoodwink said with a nervous flick of his tail. The slightly sweating stallion looked to the bemused mare beside him as no more words seemed able to come from his mouth. Rainbow Dash and Twilight Sparkle exchanged looks as the mare with the intense yellow stare rolled her eyes with a sigh.

“Look, name’s Laser Lemon and as I’m sure you’ve all noticed, something’s amiss in this town,” Lemon started, evoking a frightened look from Hoodwink. Laser Lemon extended her hoof and gave each of the other mares’ a firm shake.

“Nice to meet you, Laser Lemon. And yes, we were made aware that there was a problem in town…but we weren’t told what exactly. All we know is many ponies in town seem sick and tired and we’re hoping to figure out the cause,” Twilight spoke with a strained smile and a pang of guilt at the half-true words. A suspicious, squinting look came to Laser Lemon’s face.

“You didn’t get stopped by anypony on the way here, did you? An earth pony mare and her two cronies, by chance?” she asked. Before they could stop themselves, the three mares’ eyes went wide, forms going rigid before scrambling to gather their words and trying to pick the right ones to say. Laser Lemon gave an annoyed sigh. 

“I had a feeling that might be the case. Look, I don’t know what they told you, but I know it isn’t the truth, so as an act of good faith, allow me to enlighten you three,” she said, turning to look at Hoodwink with a mischievous smile. Hoodwink blinked as the realization of what she was suggesting came with a look of shock and a nervous shaking of his head.

“Lemon, you-we c-can’t!” he squeaked as her look turned from mischief to one of demanding firmness.

“I think they need to SEE exactly what’s going on here,” Laser Lemon asserted as Rainbow Dash flew from her spot on the bed to land just beside the trembling unicorn. Twilight and Rarity moved beside the earth pony mare, horns angled downward slightly as the tension in the room began to grow. 

“Leave him alone, we know exactly what’s going on. We won’t let you monsters hurt the ponies here anymore!” Rainbow Dash asserted, causing Laser Lemon to stifle a laugh.

“You do, now do you? What -- that a bunch of changelings are sucking the townsfolk dry? Guess again!” Laser Lemon moved quick enough to avoid any potential strikes from the unicorns beside her. She pulled what looked like a collapsed plastic stick from her pocket and with a flick, extended the parts within with a locking pop. She tossed the night stick, sending it spinning in Hoodwink and Dash’s direction.

Rainbow Dash moved and expertly swatted the stick away with her hoof before charging at the mare, knocking Laser Lemon down and pinning her to the floor. Twilight summoned the revealing spell as quickly as her magic would allow, and sent it flying at the captured mare.
“Stop – please don’t hurt her!” Hoodwink shouted, as the purple glow surrounded his companion. Twilight began to sweat as her magic seemed to do little more than tousle the mare’s mane, wrinkle the white bow that bound it, and dislodge her two hair clips.

“STOP!” Hoodwink called as a blaze of what looked like bright yellow fire surrounded him. Bit by bit, the equine façade burned away to reveal shiny black carapaces, hole-filled limbs, and snakelike amber eyes. He stood there for a moment, a changeling in everyone’s eyes, before his form went limp and crumpled to the floor.

~*~

A bell slowly, lazily rang out in the foggy night air. The sound of water lapping against wood and the stony shore seemed to endlessly drone in the otherwise silent air. A few ponies milled about in the darkness, using guard-issued flashlights to guide them on their routine paths through the boardwalk and dock areas as they dully eyed the bobbing boats tied up at their usual posts. Whether it was the fog or the drudging routine that dulled their senses, the patrolling stallions seemed oblivious to the silent shadow creeping from crate to crate. 

The gray pegasus waited for the pair of sentries to pass as he moved from sheltering crate to obscuring piles of buckets, traveling away from the salted docks and into the port town’s alleyways. When he reached his destination, the sneaking stallion ignored the “CLOSED” sign on the pub’s wooden door and gave two firm knocks. His ear twitched for a moment, straining to pick up even the slightest sound from inside. After a few moments that felt like lifetimes, three knocks could be heard from a hoof on the other side. He gave two knocks, then a quick three, causing the pony on the other side to slowly pull the door open. The stallion quickly entered and gave the pony within a grateful nod.

“Jenkins,” Hollowpoint quickly acknowledged.

“We intercepted your letter. She’s waiting for you in back,” Jenkins informed him with implication in his gravelly voice. Hollowpoint felt his legs and throat tense before closing his eyes for a moment and evening out his breathing. He moved toward a door just behind the bar, and raised a slightly shaking hoof to push it forward. He felt the sensation of sweat traveling down his forehead as a candlelit figure, seated at a small table among the barrels and boxes, greeted him with piercing blue eyes and a bitterly displeased expression.

“Is the moon setting for the sun, or does the night endure?” The figure, mare in voice and in stature, leaned forward, further exposing her spiky blue mane and raised brow as her face came to rest on her closed hooves.

“The moon has not changed its position, the night endures. But the sun grows restless on the horizon,” Hollowpoint sighed. The mare regarded him for a moment before moving a hoof to motion for him to sit before her. Hollowpoint quickly obeyed.

“Shall we lower the moon?” the mare asked with surprise in her tone and a slight twitch of her well-weathered wings.

“No, ma’am, it’s not time for the morning. Another star may be entering the sky but we haven’t seen it shine,” Hollowpoint shrugged. The mare before him gave a curt nod before speaking again. 

“I see. That is very interesting. Pepperjack is convinced of this?”

“She did not seem to be joking or have any doubt of the claim, Commander Riftwing, you have my word,” Hollowpoint asserted with no hint of question or doubt in his tone.

“You realize it’s a lot to swallow. We’ll need proof – you understand?”

“Yes, ma’am!”

“…and what of Princess Twilight Sparkle?” she asked, moving a calm hoof to brush a stray strand of mane that had fallen over her eyes.

“She and her two friends are in Wensleydale. We supplied them with food and flares should anything go awry while they’re in town, ma’am.” Hollowpoint spoke with a firm but slightly more relaxed tone.

“We were hoping not to involve them in this – but if their map sent them there, hopefully their presence will be a boon rather than a detriment. In the meantime, I will pass your intelligence to Her Highness. We’ll back you up should the night shift unexpectedly. Go back to Pepperjack and tell her the message has been delivered and we will keep an eye on the situation as it develops. Do not disappoint me, soldier,” the mare spoke with a squint and a warning tone. Hollowpoint straightened up and saluted.

“Yes, ma’am.”

Commander Riftwing regarded him one last time before nodding toward the exit.

“You’re dismissed.”