//------------------------------// // 4. Murky Motives and a Matter of Trust // Story: Love for a Change! // by Ori Whitedeer //------------------------------// 4. Murky Motives and a Matter of Trust Rainbow Dash stifled a yawn as her slightly reddened eyes resumed their vigil over the slumbering forms of friends in their beds and the potential foes on the floor beside her. The events of the evening slowly swirled in her mind like water moving down a blocked drain. The yellow fire, the flaring of tempers, the shock and accusation -- all blurred as they traveled further away in time and the threat of sleep during her turn at watch became more real. Her eyes shot open as the sound of stirring from the floor brought the room back into focus. The changeling among them snorted before yellow-slit eyes lazily opened with a quiet yawn. He slowly propped himself up with one shiny, holed foreleg and rubbed his eye with the other. His still-sleepy vision looked about the room with slight apprehension for a moment, before they came to rest on a magic-bound, but seemingly unharmed Laser Lemon grumbling in her sleep beside him. He let out an audible, relived sigh between two glistening sabers for fangs before turning to look to Rainbow Dash with soft eyes full of gratitude. Rainbow Dash returned the look with squinting eyes and a suspicious scowl as she shifted in her seat, causing the changeling’s eyes to fill with worry. He slowly moved to a sitting position with a wince and moved his two forelegs up where the Pegasus could see them. He looked up and motioned with one hoof to his horn, causing Rainbow’s eyes to follow. He tightly closed his eyes and gritted his fangs as a small blue glow came to the very tip. Beads of sweat formed on his cheeks and brow as the little light pulsed, barely above the candle light that flickered on the nearby dresser. He started to tremble and let out a restrained gasp as the light on his horn sputtered out completely and he nearly collapsed back onto the floor, panting. Rainbow Dash’s brow rose as she regarded her sleeping friends for a moment before returning her gaze to the weak-looking changeling. She got onto her hooves, picked up the saddlebag she’d received from the MOCK militia members, and when Monkshood’s eyes opened again, they came to rest on an out-stretched hoof, beckoning him onto his own. He looked about his hooves for a moment with confusion plain on his face, as none of the purple magic that surrounded his companion seemed to be anywhere on his person. He looked to Rainbow Dash, who gave an impatient flick of her tail, before raising a shaking hoof to hers. She effortlessly pulled the thin changeling to his hooves, steadying him as he weakly wobbled before motioning to the door. Monkshood’s eyes filled with questioning worry as his legs began to shake. Rainbow Dash closed her eyes, shook her head and gently tapped her hoof on his. Monkshood slowly nodded as the two slowly, carefully made their way to the exit. When they left the room, Rainbow Dash could hear the changeling beside her exhale, as if he had just breached the top of a lake after holding his breath for hours. “Don’t get any ideas,” Rainbow Dash hissed, wondering if she was right to go against her better judgment, “I’m just sick of asking questions and getting no answers.” “Understood, b-but what if your friends wake up and find us gone? They’ll think the worst,” Monkshood quietly said as his eyelids drooped for a moment and his legs began to teeter. “We won’t be gone long; it all depends on how fast you talk,” Rainbow Dash smirked. Monkshood straightened up with a nod. “We can talk in the café area downstairs…it’s a public place, likely still well-lit at this hour--“ “That works. And don’t bother calling your little drone friends -- one shady move and I fly outta here and blast off this militia flare, got it?” Rainbow Dash threatened as they carefully walked towards the stairs. “Got it,” Monkshood said with a nervous laugh. The pair carefully walked down the stairs to the first floor in tense silence. As they entered the still brightly lit café, the pair of equines were greeted by the sight of several ponies excitedly but quietly chatting about the constellations and the masterfully crafted night. Both pairs of eyes met with a stallion among the group, who seemed to be leading the discussion as a hush fell on the room. The stallion’s gentle eyes shone red in the bright candle light as he shot the pair a concerned smile. “Good evening Prince Monkshood, miss. Is everything alright? You’re not in your disguise, sir?” the stallion asked as he motioned for the others in his company to walk closer. “Good evening Mr. Stargazer. Things are, ah -- a bit complicated at the moment, but fine. The Princess and her companions haven’t hurt me or Lemon. Rainbow Dash here just wants to chat,” Monkshood informed them, causing Rainbow Dash to look between them with mild shock and confusion. “Wonderful to hear, perhaps they will be able to help with those nasty ponies that keep attacking us –“ “All in good time, Mr. Stargazer. If you’ll excuse us, we have a lot to talk about,” Monkshood interrupted with an apologetic nod. Stargazer blinked for a moment before a look of understanding came to his face. He gave a nod and a farewell smile before walking back to his party, and beckoning them outside for another night-gazing session. “Prince Monkshood?” Rainbow Dash asked with a raised brow. Monkshood pulled out a chair and motioned for the mare to sit before pulling out his own chair. “Changelings have hives rather than families – like bees or ants. King, Queen, Prince, Princess – all just terms for the kind of changeling we are. We’re not royals… though some would argue otherwise,” Monkshood muttered with a sigh and a grump-faced rolling of his eyes as the image of one brazen queen came to mind. “Come again?” “It’s nothing. You have questions, yes?” “A lot. For starters, why are there changelings in Wensleydale – in the pony villages around here? What are you planning, a takeover of Equestria? Because let me tell you, that didn’t work out so well the first time,” Rainbow Dash stated with implication in her eyes. Monkshood seemed to struggle to keep up for a moment before gathering his thoughts with a quiet hum. “Let me start from the very beginning; I know we’re pressed for time but I think it will really help explain things better,” Monkshood paused as Rainbow Dash nodded for him to continue, “In the olden days, way before the Alicorn Sisters’ rule, well before the pony tribes were united, existed the great moors of Trottingham. They were much larger back then, more like a rival to the Everfree Forest where you come from, until ponies began draining the moors and using the land for town-building and such. Wensleydale is actually built on top of some of the ancient moors –“ “Booooooring, get to the good part quick before my trigger hoof gets itchy,” Rainbow Dash grunted. “S-So, as you may know, Changelings are born from great flowering bulbs that bloom all over Equestria; however, the greatest concentration of them were in the old Trottingham Moors. When pony tribal and faction leaders who were clearing the land realized this, many of them began eradicating the giant flowers... this is what really started the great wars between pony and changeling kind, though I’m sure ponies would tell you something different. Anyway, the only ponies to stand up for my kind and refuse to destroy the giant flowers were the ancestors of the very villagers you’ve already met. This is the reason why the changelings here live with the ponies, rather than enslave and feed off of them by force. When I first bloomed and found this place, I was just as shocked as any pony would be to find changelings and ponies living together. I was even imprisoned after attacking ponies and draining them myself – that was until I got to know everypony and I was told everything I’m telling you now,” Monkshood said with sincerity and regret shining in his eyes. Rainbow Dash sat there agape and shook her head. “So then, if you’re all living in harmony, why the disguises?” “Well, we normally don’t need them, but the descendants of the faction leaders that wanted us gone have regrouped again and recently attacked the village. If it wasn’t for Laser Lemon, Count Torcas, and his lady, they might have succeeded in their goal,” Monkshood shuddered. “Does the ruler of Trottingham know about this? Does Canterlot know about this?” Rainbow Dash asked with a slightly raised voice before reverting back to a hush. “That I don’t know. This village is hundreds, if not thousands of years old – and the changelings and ponies of olden times wandered about the land together for at least a couple hundred years before Wensleydale was actually built. If Equestrian royalty knows, they haven’t done anything about it,” Monkshood shrugged. “Okay then, so why are all of the changelings so tired and sick? If you’re all so lovey-dovey you should be swimming in love energy,” Rainbow Dash said with a gentler tone. Monkshood sighed. “We have to keep up appearances, and that takes a lot of power we simply don’t have. Yes, we feed on ponies’ love still, but it’s always given of their own will. We never take any more than we have to keep us healthy, let alone be able to use our talents. The Lady has come up with medicine that mimics the effect of pony love, but it’s nowhere near strong enough to flat out replace it. The longer this whole situation lasts, the weaker we all get. That’s why we came to ask you and your friends to come to Bean Manor – we’re running out of time and we need to convince the count and his lady to come back and help us again.” “If they took care of things once, what’s stopping them from helping now?” Rainbow Dash asked, causing Monkshood to hesitate. He thought carefully for a moment before responding. “This is one question I’m afraid I can’t answer other than to say both the Count and his Lady are very reclusive. It took a nearly hopeless situation for them to act, and I know I for one would rather it not come to that again. Lemon and I were hoping that a visit from an Equestrian princess and two of the greatest heroes in recent memory would be enough to convince them… If you and the others come with us, I promise you, you’ll get your answer,” Monkshood sighed, eyes searching the pegasus’s face for any sign of displeasure at his response. Rainbow Dash’s pensive expression seemed to shift to one of acceptance as she gave a firm nod. Though her trust with changeling kind had been broken by Queen Chrysalis’s attack on Canterlot, something in Monkshood’s demeanor seemed to bring calm to her twitching wings and suspicious thoughts. “Okay, I’ll do my best to convince Twilight and Rarity to come with us,” Rainbow Dash paused, allowing a smile of understanding and grateful nod to come from Monkshood, “Just know if you pull anything…” she paused, tapping a hoof on her bag. Monkshood gave an understanding nod. “Something still bugs me though. The changelings we met had no ability to love, and most ponies I know would attack you on sight. Are ponies here really giving you love for free, or are you just taking it?” Rainbow Dash mused aloud, suspicion not completely gone from her tone. Just as Monkshood moved to reply, a loud crash and the sound of a struggle sent their perked ears and attention toward the staircase. They looked to one another a moment as the sound of shouting and pained grunts came from the upper floor. “WHERE IS HE – WHAT DID YOU DO WITH HIM! IF YOU TOUCHED ONE HAIR ON HIS HEAD I SWEAR--” the sound of an irate Laser Lemon followed by panicked, muffled calls for help from the other two mares in the room caused Monkshood and Rainbow Dash to look to one another for a moment before leaping to their hooves and galloping back up the stairs and into the developing fray. Twilight flicked a large insect from her legs with a slightly wet tail as she and her five companions traveled through the steamy moor. Her side still throbbed where a swift earth pony buck landed earlier that day. She looked to Rarity who, though stoic-faced and chin held high as ever, still winced occasionally as her large sun glasses shifted over what looked like a terrible bruise beneath her right eye. Though the earth pony who walked before her seemed to move with stiff, tense steps, she didn’t once turn to look back to the pair of ponies she’d fought in a fit of panic the night before. The changeling beside her, whom Twilight had come to know as “Monkshood”, moved his shiny, pointed ears with each small snap or movement from within the tangled underbrush, occasionally turning to check on the ponies behind him with concern showing through his otherwise alert features. Each step they took seemed to send the sunlight further and further away as what seemed like an early night fell over them with the thick fog and threshing leaves above them. Rainbow Dash hovered as quietly as her flapping wings and saddle bags would allow before giving a small sigh, adjusting the over-stuffed bags, and coming to the ground to trot beside the changeling leading them. “Ugh, these stupid things are weighing me down. Why’d you have to kick ‘em so hard?” Rainbow Dash whined, earning a shush from the unicorn behind her. “Why do you need to talk so loud when we’re trying to get through here without anything noticing us?” Laser Lemon hissed with an angry glare. “Quiet, both of you,” Monkshood spoke with a firmness none of them had heard from him. “Don’t you tell me to be—“ Laser Lemon started with an indignant huff before a shiny black hoof quickly moved over her mumbling mouth. “Shhh!” He urgently uttered as his ears quickly flicked back and forth, eyes darting about the twisted roots and tangled vines. Twilight quickly stepped over to the others as sounds of movement from just up the path became more obvious. Beads of sweat seemed to flow like tiny rivers down Twilight’s cheek as her violet eyes fixed on the direction of the sounds, finding only the tiniest shaking of leaves. Just as suddenly as it came, silence befell the ponies save for the sounds of their collective heart beats. “We need to move, now!” Monkshood asserted as the sound of a shocked scream came from the rear of the group. The ponies turned, shock filling their vision as the sight of Rarity dangling from what looked like a giant, leafy black vine filled their sight. Monkshood and Laser Lemon charged forward, as the monstrous vine moved up her leg and coiled around her midsection, causing her eyes to go wide and mouth to gasp for air. Monkshood grimaced as a yellow glow came to his horn. Sweat flowed down his face as his legs began to shake. He took a deep breath, gathering all the magic his weakened state could muster and sent a bolt of light towards the dark tangle where the strangling vine came, causing a horrible screech to echo in their ears. From the darkness came a roaring, thorny mass of petals and teeth. The iridescent purple bulb pulsated as the low light occasionally caught what looked like rows of curved, unicorn horn-length teeth. “What is that thing?!” Rainbow Dash screeched, as the giant bulb moved to dangled Rarity over its spreading maw. Rarity screamed and kicked as the acrid scent of rose water and decay caught in her muzzle. Another flash of yellow came, knocking her sideways, but the vine remained tightly coiled around her. It wasn’t until beams of bright purple came did she feel the strangling vine slack. With a roar the great plant flung Rarity from its grip, sending her straight into Rainbow Dash’s path. Without a moment to react, the two collided, sending the contents of Rainbow Dash’s saddlebags hurling backwards. The rations hit the ground with a crunch, sending little bits of food flying in all directions. The flare gun that PepperJack and her militia members provided went spinning into a large tree, causing a small explosion to burst forth from its barrel. The bright red flare barely missed striking Twilight as well as the purple plant as it zoomed up through the canopy before bursting into the open sky with a boom and a crackle. The sound seemed to cause a frightened shriek to come from the carnivorous plant as it lunged toward where Monkshood stood on weakened hooves. Twilight sent another beam of purple magic in its direction, but it managed to dodge the attack as it brought a thorny vine down over the changeling’s head. Before the blow could land, Laser Lemon galloped between them and turned to pull what looked like a small cylinder from her pocket. With a swing of her front leg, the collapsed baton extended with a snap, blocking the vine before she pressed a button on the base. At once a violent bolt of what looked like yellow lightning shot from the tip of the baton, causing the plant to scream in agony. When Laser Lemon removed her hoof from the button, all that assaulted the group further was the smell of burning grass as the creature made a hasty retreat. What was left in its wake were frazzled and injured ponies trying to make sense of the random attack. Twilight quickly moved to her friends’ side, helping Rarity up as Rainbow Dash stretched her left wing with a wince. “Are you two ok?” “I don’t know, my wing feels tight like I hyper-extended it. I don’t think I’ll be flying for a while,” Rainbow informed as Rarity sat on the ground for a little while, clutching her head. “I…I don’t feel well, my sides hurt,” Rarity weakly spoke. “Let me see,” Twilight whispered, eyes quickly scanning Rarity’s midsection. Twilight’s eyes went wide as small gashes in her coat seemed to slowly ooze with purple liquid. Twilight looked to Rainbow Dash who wore a look of grim concern but remained silent. They didn’t notice the soothing yellow glow and humming sounds from behind them as a refreshed looking Monkshood and a weary-eyed Laser Lemon walked over to where Rarity sat. “Did the thorns get her?” Monkshood asked with the most invigorated and energetic voice any of the ponies had heard from him since they’d met while Laser Lemon stifled a yawn. “She’s bleeding purple, what do you think?” Rainbow Dash gritted between clenched teeth. Monkshood gave a concerned look to Twilight before moving to help Rarity to her hooves, steadying her with his own. “Princess Snare’s poison is very mild but if not treated it can cause some rather nasty side effects. We need to get her to Bean Manor, quickly. Count Torcas has antidote for this on hoof, I’m sure of it. Let’s just hope we don’t run into any more of them,” Monkshood said as he looked back to the earth pony among them with a look of apology. She snorted and gave a cocky smirk in return, waving him off with a flick of her hoof. The group didn’t waste any further energy on words as they trotted as quickly as their battered forms would allow in the direction of Bean Manor.