Chapter 5: A Royal Visit
Storm and Scootaloo collapsed onto his bed, panting and sweating in post coital bliss. Storm, like some of the other changelings, had been staying in the Dawn Shield HQ, for protection. While most stayed in the barracks, though, a few were given vacant officer suites.
“You know, something about this form is hot,” Scootaloo commented. “Maybe it's the smooth skin?”
Storm chuckled. “Yeah, I like not having to wear a disguise, too.”
The two cuddled for a few minutes, just enjoying the closeness. It had been a week since the big reveal, and thankfully most of the tension had eased. Only a very few of the town's changeling population had come out, followed by the expected ridicule and disdain. Thankfully, though, there were a surprising number of ponies willing to give them a chance. It only took one attack to show everypony else that Celestia wasn't making idle threats with her decree.
Scootaloo took extra delight in bringing the spoiled little bitch in, all the way screaming things like “Do you know who my daddy is?” and “You'll always be a loser, just like your friends!” She would likely not even serve a year before being let out on parole, but it should be enough to put her in her place.
“So... Me, Sweetie, and Rarity were talking this morning,” she began, finally breaking the comfortable silence. “Do... you want an actual wedding?”
He looked down at her, eyebrow cocked. “I thought you didn't like that mushy stuff?”
“Well, I don't, really, but Sweetie and Rarity made a good argument; The wedding is as much for everyone else as the bride and groom. Besides, I know you kinda like that stuff, so... A little wouldn't hurt.”
“Why, Scootaloo Dash, are you saying you want me to be romantic?” Storm teased.
Scoots slugged him lightly and said with half hearted indignation, “Hey, if mom can do stuff like go to the spa every now and then, I can be a little girly too, sometimes!”
“I don't know, ponies might start thinking you're actually a girl,” Storm continued his joking.
“Celestia, forbid,” the mare giggled. “So, you wanna?”
“You gonna wear a dress?”
“Tartarus, no.”
“Then yes,” Storm said, finally. “I wouldn't want to marry you as anypony but yourself, and dresses aren't you.”
“I knew I loved you for more than your body,” Scootaloo said with a grin before giving him a peck. “Wanna go again?”
“Why do you even ask?” Storm replied before rolling on top of her and pressing his lips to hers.
His lips trailed down her neck to her barrel. Then down her barrel to her belly. Then from her belly to her-
“Damn it!” Scootaloo suddenly exclaimed in frustration.
“What's wrong?”
As if to answer, knocking came from his door. With a groan, they straightened up quickly before Storm opened the door in his golden, fiery aura.
“Yes?” he asked.
“Storm, Twi...” Rainbow trailed off as she stepped in and saw his company. She to shut her eyes and take a deep breath to keep her over protective urges in check. “Storm, Twilight sent me to bring you to the hospital. Midnight woke up, and wants to talk to you.”
“Midnight's awake!” Scootaloo shot up, a smile on her face. “Let's go! Come on, you slow pokes!”
The young mare rushed out the room, nearly bowling over Rainbow in the process.
“H-hello, Miss Dash... how have you been?” Storm stuttered as he got up and straightened himself up.
“I'm going to start hitting you every time you call me 'Miss Dash',” the prismatic pegasus replied with a glower. “In a couple months you'll be calling me 'mom', anyway.”
That brought a smile to Storm's face. “I guess I will be, huh?”
He and Rainbow headed out, leaving Dawn Shield HQ and heading toward the town's hospital. The ponies they passed gave them a wide berth, most only nervous or curious, but a few radiated excitement. Then there was still the hatred, of course. In all her years, Rainbow had never known Ponyville to have so much of it.
She knew ponies were slow to forgive other races. It was likely what turned Gilda from the meek, quiet chick into the bully she became. All of that from stories nearly a hundred years old. The only pony in Ponyville that was even alive during the griffon-pony wars was Granny Smith, and she was only five when her family's farm was burned to the ground. Yet, the old mare even has a griffin friend.
“Hey, Storm,” Rainbow said, drawing him out of his own thoughts. “Do me a favor. Don't have foals just yet. At least wait until most of this blows over.”
Storm only nodded.
--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---
“Of course, the new guy's a bit green, but he's got guts. Ah'd say this bunch 'a recruits got potential.” Applejack was finishing up her report, filling Midnight in on what he missed. Thankfully, it wasn't much of importance.
“That's good to hear,” Midnight said, still a bit weak. “Any potential threats, other than Nightshade?”
“Well, it could be nothin' but I got a letter from Zhatka this mornin',” AJ informed.
“Oh, is he coming back to sweep you off your hooves?” the stallion teased.
“Ha! In mah dreams, maybe. No, it was just a lot of the same, except for one bit. He mentioned he was in Zebrica, keepin' some mercenary group from pickin' on the locals too much. He said the attacks were pretty regular until two days ago when they all vanished, the mercs, Ah mean. Ah don't know what it means, but Ah got a feelin' it's gonna be bad.”
Midnight took a deep breath, letting the information settle in. “Okay, get in contact with Star Shine and tell him to look into it. I want to know where this guy is heading.”
“Will do. Anythin' else?”
“Are you sure Applebloom's fine?” Midnight eventually asked as Storm opened the door.
“Ah'm sure,” Applejack answered, sparing Storm a brief glance before returning to her CO. “She was in control again when Ah last saw her, and ain't nothin' in that forest could hurt her. Ah was gonna start searchin’ for her with Fluttershy soon as possible. Ah figured Shy could get her critters to help look.”
“Good.” Midnight's voice still sounded weak and exhausted, but just hearing it brought relief to the changeling. “How's everyone taking it?”
“It's been rough on us, but we're managin'.”
“I made the right choice making you my second,” the stallion chuckled, weakly. “Don't worry. I'll be up and combat ready in no time. Then you can take a vacation, or something.”
Applejack laughed. “You kiddin', right? As soon as you're outta here, you're takin' Twilight and goin' on vacation. Ah can manage the team for a few more days, but you need a break. Now if you'll excuse me, Ah got some trees to buck, and you got a stallion to thank.”
With that, Applejack left, giving Storm and Scootaloo a polite nod and a 'howdy do' before trotting off.
“Come on in, you two,” Midnight beckoned, waving them in with the hoof not full of needles. “So, I was right. You really are a changeling.”
Storm looked surprised at that. “You knew?”
“I had a hunch,” he explained. “The holes in your story, combined with Lyra's uncanny knowledge of changelings gave it away. You're lucky ponies tend to be extraordinarily trusting. Humans, even former, are naturally suspicious, though.”
Scootaloo chuckled. “We should have known you wouldn't care.”
“Yeah,” Storm agreed. “We should have just came to him a long time ago.”
“So, changing the subject, I understand your healing spell isn't necromancy like other healing spells, but temporal magic.”
“Yes, sir,” Storm answered. “It sort of 'resets' the body to a point before it was injured. The larger, and older the injury, though, the more energy it takes.”
Midnight smiled at that. “We could have used that when that monster took Scoot's eyes.”
“It wouldn't have done any good,” Storm stated. “It doesn't on something that isn't there anymore.”
“That's good enough,” Midnight said, chuckling a bit. “How would you like to join Dawn Shield's Medical Corps? Considering how much you like interfering with our ops, anyway, we may as well let you in on them officially.”
“R-really?” Storm said, wings buzzing slightly in his excitement.
“Are you sure that's a good idea?” Scootaloo asked. “I mean, I love you, I really do, but you're not exactly a fighter.”
“Yeah, but I won't have to do much fighting as a medic. Besides, you know I can if I have to. This way, I can use my magic where it'll do the most good.”
“Alright, then. I guess I get to give you orders now.” Scootaloo said happily.
“And that's different from before, how?” Storm snarked back.
“I can throw you in jail if you say 'no'.” the young mare shot back with a shit-eating grin.
“And I can throw you in jail for abusing your authority,” Midnight countered.
“Way to take the fun out of it,” Scoots pouted.
--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---
“No, no, watch how I position my wing,” Blue Streak emphasized.
He took off at a full gallop, toward the climbing wall. Just before plowing face first into the thick wood wall, he leaped forward, wings spread ever-so-slightly, like a hawk in a dive. The left wing tilted slightly down, the right slightly up, causing him to twist midair. His forehooves contacted first, absorbing most of the impact. The moment his back hooves touched, he launched himself back the way he came, using his wings like before to land, his stride not interrupted in the slightest.
Fluttershy clapped her hooves. No matter how many times she saw his moves, she was always impressed. “That was wonderful.”
“Thanks,” he said with a smile. “Your turn.”
Fluttershy's smile instantly turned into a wince. While she wasn't quite the tiny, frail mare she once was, she still wasn't as athletic as the others. She tended to rely on her powerful magic in a pinch, not muscle, after all.
A calming breath pushed those thoughts aside as she prepared herself. She blew a troublesome strand of mane out of her eye, the one that just refused to stay tied back with the rest. With a kick, she was off, running full speed at the wall. Just like Blue showed her, she leaped forward, using her wings to twist so she landed sideways on the wall and kicked off. Her return, however, wasn't perfect. She couldn't twist back around in time and landed on one hoof that promptly gave out, sending the mare tumbling painfully.
“You alright, Shy?” Blue asked, worriedly as he ran to her side.
“I'm -ow- I'll be fine.” Her light seal lit up as she cast a healing spell on the gash on her side, followed by the twisted hoof. “I just need to practice.”
“Don't over do it, alright. Let's get one of the other medics out here.” Blue turned to the main building and started toward it. “You stay here and keep practicing those wing exercises I showed you. I'm going to see if Redheart's busy.”
Blue took off at a full sprint, only slowing to open the door. Only a few of the newer ponies were still surprised to see the agile scout tearing through the halls, never hitting anything unintentionally. A few even offered simple greetings, as if he were just strolling through.
Soon enough, he was out the front door and on his way into Ponyville proper. He slowed down once he entered the town limits, as to not accidentally hit some foal. Sure, he could have likely avoided them but he didn't want to risk it.
It was a good thing, too, as not long after, a colt ran from an alley, frantically. His eyes landed on Blue and he immediately turned toward him, still running.
“Mister! Mister! Are you one of the army guys?!” the colt asked.
“What’s wrong?” Blue said, trying to keep the sudden worry from his voice.
“It's mamma! She was cooking, and she fell over!” tears welled up in the child's eyes. “She's not waking up and I don't know what to do!”
“It's alright, son,” Blue said, trying to ease the foal. “Take me to her.”
“This way!” Blue followed the panicked colt to a simple looking house on the outskirts of town. “Hurry!”
The colt opened the door and rushed inside. Blue followed shortly after, only to find the colt had stopped in the living room.
“Where is she?” Blue streak asked.
The colt turned suddenly, his mouth opening as he hacked a large glob of green goo at the pegasus, striking him on the side. Two more globs struck him from either side, the goo hardening and holding him in place.
“What the hell?!”
“I do apologize for the harsh treatment,” came a regal, yet arrogant voice from his left. “I'm afraid it's necessary, though.”
The speaker showed herself, stepping in front of him. She was tall, as tall as the princesses. Her hard, black skin, holey hooves, and insect-like wings gave her away as a changeling, but the small crown upon her head told him this wasn't just any changeling.
“Now, then...” the imposing figure leaned down close, slitted eyes narrowing.
“Where is my son.”