At the cave's entrance, buried under a small layer of rubble, was a cracked barrel. One a certain yellow pegasus was currently calling home, and who was trying really hard to vacate.
So that was the good news. Dud loved good news. He was still alive. Getting into the barrel in time was a stroke of luck, sparing him from a pummeling that would surely ground him for weeks, at best. Being trapped, on the other hoof...
His face was flushed, and he had a headache; mostly because he was upside down, blood rushing to his head. His back was resting on the barrel's bottom while he kicked up, time and time again, at the lid with his hind legs. His wing feathers were glued together, thanks to what was left of the nectar. He didn't know if Chrys and Momo were safe.
Naturally, this was far removed from a good day, assuming it wasn't tomorrow. He had blacked out at some point, and now wasn't sure when it was. All these negative facts tried to weigh on him, make his kicks falter, make him pause and wallow in doubt.
He never cared for such emotions. He wanted out. He wanted to make sure the others were safe. So he ignored those feelings, as he had practiced, over years of training his temper. But there was one emotion that he couldn't push down, one that made his heart race, one that made him distant towards others.
Fear.
Not fear for himself, but fear for others. If the barrel survived the cave-in, so did Sledge. And though he had faith in Momo and Chrys when dealing with the royal guard, he knew what waited for them at Thundercloud. They'd need him, and even though it was the last city in all of Equestria he'd want to visit, he'd help them through it all the same.
So he continued to kick against the lid, his legs long numb from the ache, his efforts grown weak from exhaustion. And still, he kicked. Time was easily lost on him, and at some point his efforts ceased, his legs refusing to even try.
He didn't like being afraid, or angry. He tried his hardest to avoid indulging those emotions. He avoided the city he grew in. He maintained minimum contact between collectors, while trying to free rare creatures. And, he tried not to get too close to anypony that'd be put in danger's way.
Maybe it was because of that, as he felt his consciousness slip away, that an odd realization crossed his mind. He didn't want out simply to help a creature as rare as Chrys or Momo. He wanted out, to help his friends.
~~~~~~~~~~
Chrys awoke to the sound of humming, and warmth. She blinked, her eyes taking in only darkness, as she slowly tried to put together what was going on.
She was in a tight embrace, nestled in Momo's hooves, and wrapped by her feathery wings, making Chrys feel safe and content as her clutchling's warmth slowly invigorated her. Momo was humming an old lullaby, one Amber once sang to them when they were still hatchlings. Chrys shifted slightly, her tail coiling around Momo as she sought more warmth, making the humming pause.
“...Did I wake you?” Momo asked, getting a tired nod from Chrys as everything started to come back to her.
She had dragged her clutchling away from danger, leaving two others behind in the process. She must have fallen asleep at some point, succumbing to the same weakness to cold most lamia shared with changelings.
“Wait, you can talk?” Chrys asked as she put a hoof to Momo's chest, gently pushing her away.
“Yeah, I can move again. It's been a while, though I'm not sure how long,” she explained, letting Chrys slither from her grasp.
She then shifted back to her original form, briefly illuminating the hall in the process. She had climbed some distance before succumbing to the cold, as the ceiling was now back to its original spacious height, the low point behind them out of sight. Her horn then glowed, feeling enough of her magic replenished to cast her heat enchantment, and let out a weak glow to light the cave.
Looking to Momo, she saw an unharmed, light colored pegasus, who was mostly just dirty from being dragged over stone. Momo squinted at the weak light, looking to Chrys, before approaching her, rubbing her face, to the princess' surprise.
“You were crying,” Momo pointed out, making Chrys glance to the side, before turning towards the direction they came from.
“I ... I left them behind,” she said, her ears fallen as she eyed the ground.
“Chrys, what were you supposed to do? Stay and fight?” Momo ask softly as she pulled Chrys close, making the princess eye her.
“I don't know. I was scared to even try anything else,” she admitted, to one of the few she'd say such a thing to. “...Momo, what should I have done?”
“What you did,” Momo quickly replied, making Chrys blink in confusion. She didn't know what answer to expect from her, but it certainly wasn't that.
“But, I left Dud and Aegis behind—”
“And they both would have wanted that, if it meant saving yourself. Aegis goes without saying. He's a royal guard. He's an idiot, but he's still a royal guard. He would throw his life away to save yours.” She then glanced to the side, a worried look flashing across her face, “Dud, he would do the same. He stayed behind to stall Sledge for us. I know it's not what you want to hear, but running away was the right option,” she affirmed, getting a frown from the princess.
“You wouldn't be saying that if—”
“Chrys, don't,” she interrupted, “If I were in Dud's place, it wouldn't be any different. I want you to live,” she added, getting a bothered sigh from the princess as she rested her head on Momo's chest.
“That's not really helping,” she replied, making Momo place her head against her clutching, making the princess blush.
“Chrys, I get it. You're blaming yourself for this. But, you shouldn't. Sledge,” she then shook her head. “No, Mantis put you in this position. Don't blame yourself for his malice,” she insisted, making Chrys glance to the side for several moments, before giving Momo a small nod. “Good. He deserves all the blame, not you. Now, since we're alive, and up and running, let's go back for them, alright?” she asked with a smile, making Chrys eye her for a moment.
“Momo, I don't want to lose anyone. Is that too much to ask?”
“No, it's not,” she swiftly replied, “But Chrys, you're going to be a queen someday, and that someday is going to be sooner, rather than later. It's not easy, but a queen must be ready for loss,” she stated, getting a pained look from the princess, making Momo pull her closer into a hug. “But that doesn't need to be now. I don't want to lose anyone either. I don't want to lose them,” she then shifted Chrys, so they were looking eye to eye, giving her a small smile. “Though, I have to admit, I'm a little more worried about Dud, over Aegis,” she added sheepishly, rubbing a small scratch on her side, before letting go of Chrys. The princess then hesitated, before hopping on Momo's back.
“It doesn't need to be right now,” Chrys affirmed, before adopting a determined look. “Thanks, Momo,” she mumbled, getting a nod from her clutchling, before Chrys started directing her back the way they came.
With Momo flying, it didn't take long to find their way back to the room where the battle took place. It looked nothing like before. There were several additional craters, and parts of the ceiling had collapsed from the battle between the lamia and Sledge. Aegis was nowhere to be seen, and there was no evidence to suggest he was buried under rubble.
Much to Chrys' chagrin, the opposite end of the chamber had completely collapsed. When she tried to clear the way, more stone came falling down, making Momo pull them out of there.
“Well, fine then!” Chrys shouted out, aiming her frustration at the decimated cavern, “We'll just take the other way out! Come on Momo, Dud said there's another exit, so let's find it.”
“Then we can come back around,” Momo offered.
“Or light a beacon,” Chrys added, her horn flicking in time with 'beacon', “Aegis must have gotten out, and he'll help Dud when he finds him,” she asserted, hope beating in her chest as Momo brisked past where they woke up.
The breeze they had originally followed was gone, its outlet plugged with the collapsed tunnel, so Chrys guided them by following her nose. That sweet smell's source had to be near the exit. And even though she didn't want to admit it, considering their current situation, she was still curious. After all, it had been that aroma that led them to these broken tunnels.
After flying for what felt like forever, but was closer to half an hour, they saw a light coming from ahead. It was weak, and giving off a purple glow. When they were close enough to see its source, they had reason to pause.
The tunnel opened up into a vast, decorated cavern, and at its center was a tall, broken tree that was covered in purple glowshrooms. They hovered at the entrance for a moment in awe, before Momo started into the room, moving in a slight curve towards the tree as they took in the chamber.
To Chrys, eyeing the cavern, it reminded her of the Windtrap back home, only significantly larger. There were several tunnels connected to the room, and several other points that may have been passageways, but were closed due to collapse. There was a breeze circulating in the chamber, and all around the cavern's edge were shaped rocks, given deliberate form.
They looked like changelings.
Some where simply standing upright, as if at attention. Others looked like they were in the middle of a task. A conversation. Walking from one moment of life to the next. The statues were crude, and varied in quality, with the ones closer to the wall looking more like sculptures crafted by an amateur. However, the ones closer to the tree were sculpted with a show of experience that made them look life-like.
The tree in the center was large, its trunk as thick as three royal guards standing end to end. It was broken. Snapped in two by a single chunk of rock that was bigger than any of the rooms in the Amber Hive. The tree's roots were anchored in stone, and several of them were wrapped around the slab that struck it down, as if it was trying to keep the rock from leaving after having shared its grievance.
“C-Chrys, are we where I think we are? Is this the first hive?” Momo asked, making the princess blink, not believing her eyes.
“We found the first hive?” she stated in confusion. “W-We found the first hive!” she added, her eyes lighting up in shock.
The way their words pierced through the silence made their ears fall. Hearing their echoes fall upon the abandoned chamber made them feel a small sense of foreboding, as if their voices would awaken the dead. They both felt it. This place was a tomb, and it was sacred.
The first hive. The abandoned hive. The forgotten hive. The old stories of this place didn't do it an ounce of justice. They had been left with the impression that the Violet Hive was the same size as their own, only with a more plentiful supply of nectar.
At Chrys' direction, Momo flew closer to the tree. As they approached, they noticed that the large tree-slaying rock was the only piece of debris in the room's center. There wasn't even a loose pebble to be seen. It was as if someone had cleared it out, dragging it all to the room's edge. Debris, that was used to populate the chamber's borders with its silent congregation.
Getting a closer look at the tree, their wonder didn't ease up. The tree's bark was black, its branches filled with circular holes that mirrored the ones they sported in their legs. The similarities drew their attention. This tree was connected to them somehow, just like the how glowshrooms were tied to their color.
The 'shrooms close to them brightened in Chrys' light, starting to turn them teal in the process, a fact that bothered her. She shifted the color of her light to match the glowshrooms, letting out a small sigh as they returned to their original, five-hundred year old purple.
Now under the tree's leafless canopy, they noticed a number of its roots fell into a well near the base, a well of stone. It was empty, and Chrys couldn't help but wonder what it was for. She felt that it wasn't for water, but something more important. Several dead roots were poised over it, as if seeking to reach for what used to lay within.
“Chrys, look...” Momo whispered as she indicated the slab of rock that towered over them. It was covered in writing. Etchings in stone divided into square chunks, each surrounded by sculptures of branches and leaves, among other things. The letters were as big as Chrys's hoof, written in pony.
“Take us to the top,” Chrys quietly replied, seeing from a quick glance that it was a record of some kind.
Reaching the top of the stone, her eyes fell to the first entry. Its outline was surrounded by sleeping changelings, resting on leafy branches, tears pouring from their closed eyes. At the top center was the queen, Violet Widow, a hexagonal gemstone radiating light from her neck. Her eyes were closed, and Chrys took a moment to take her in. Her grandmother, the first queen. She had a kind, loving look about her. Chrys then faltered when she started reading the passage, her chest aching as she did.
'Our queen is dead. We all felt it, as sure as if we'd been there to see it. I should have been with her. I should have insisted on accompanying her. Somewhere out in the world, she sought to defeat the Spirit of Chaos with the Queen's Gem, and fell. Even those trapped in Winter's Sleep felt it, many were crying. Our queen is dead, and her hive followed.'
Chrys took it in, one passage among many. Spirit of Chaos? Queen's Gem? Those didn't matter compared to the first line. The message carried a weight that didn't escape them. It was a fate she was working to spare her mother from. So, the words drew her in, and she read them out loud as they did, her voice trembling as she and Momo were exposed to their history.
She read on, continuing the first entry.
'Princess Amber felt it. A hatchling of a different color, she felt it all the same, and she balled her heart out. Mother Mountain felt The Queen's passing, and cried too. But the cries of the mountain were too much for us. Not long after feeling her fall, the ground trembled. Tunnels collapsed. Those resting in Winter's Sleep would never wake up. We were separated from the princess. I can only hope Aegis was able to get her out.'
An Aegis of a different color. A different time. But, reading his name made Chrys pause, recalling the two left behind. She felt conflicted. Her heart wanted her to read on, but it also wanted her to leave it for later, to find Dud and Aegis.
Still, she read on. This stone's been waiting for hundreds of years for this day, and she couldn't pull herself away from the answers it gave.
Momo hovered lower as they looked to the second entry. Its border was made of branches and leaves, but several of those branches had holes, tunnels, weaved into them. Within one of those tunnels, were two small changelings, barely noticeable compared to the vastness of the branches and tunnels around them.
'Woke up this morning with a hole in my heart. It was the same as yesterday, and the day before. Merrin feels it too. Each day we wake up feeling our loss. Our queen was dead, and for all we knew, we were the last two survivors of the mountain. There's no way out. Merrin and I have searched the tunnels, and we've found no exit. She wants to find the princess, and protect her. I've chosen to stay, exit be found or otherwise. Claire can't leave, and I can't stand the idea of leaving her alone in our abandoned home.'
Claire?
The name felt familiar, but Chrys couldn't recall ever hearing it before. Seeing her confusion, Momo gave her a considering look. Chrys motioned her to continue on to the third entry.
It was wrapped in branches too, but now the leaves were wilting. The bottom of the entry's border was buried in a small layer of them. Merrin and the author were etched into opposite sides, a mare and stallion, looking over the wilting leaves with sad expressions.
'Claire is dying. It can't be help, being broken like that. Merrin told me that a mere “pebble” couldn't do her in. She insists Claire is dying of a broken heart. I can only suppose it to be true. She's lost so many of her children. We feel it when we wake up. But Claire can't sleep, her heart has no time to rest. And we have no means of consoling her. We've started storing nectar, for the inevitable.'
As Momo moved to the next entry, Chrys eyed the tree, at Claire. The next section's border was little different from the last. More leaves were gone, added to the pile at the bottom. Merrin had a smile on her face, standing over the author's shoulder as she eyed him crafting a poorly made statue. He didn't look all that amused by her reaction.
'Merrin laughs at my poor stonework. I'm improving, but she finds my insistence to do it myself worthy of teasing. I feel obligated to do this, it's that simple. Regardless, she's doing some sculptures of her own. Her skill is really amazing. The mountain cried again, luckily we were in Claire's chamber when it did. The sturdiness of this cavern is a testament to our survival. The nectar's come down to a trickle, but we've saved enough for a few months. We're both putting on a brave front, but we're worried. If I were to admit a moment of weakness, I'd prefer being buried alive, over starving.'
Chrys eyed the passage for a moment, lost in thought. They made due with what they had, and persevered. That's what she took from that passage as she eyed the next. The branches had no leaves, but the author and Merrin were looking to a six-petal flower, tears streaming down their eyes.
'Claire's being stubborn. Defiant even. Our hive provided her love, and she provided us nourishment. Her purple leaves have fallen. Her nectar has stopped pouring. Yet, she still stands defiant to her fate. A flower bloomed at her trunk. In all our years under her care, this has never happened before. The flower had no scent, but I felt energized when I took it in. It's beautiful. The color reminds me of the Princess. Is she still alive, somewhere outside? How would she eat if that were the case? Is she living the life of a pony? We don't know, and we likely never will.'
Chrys eyes started to sting as she read the next, holding a hoof over her chest as she took it in. Merrin and the author held their heads down in reverence. Merrin was holding something close to her chest. The leaves were gone, the flower's petals were laying before them, wilted.
'Claire is dead. The mother of our race shed her last petal this morning, but she left something unexpected in its place. Hope.'
“Hope?” Chrys asked, Momo mouthing the word as they continued on.
The frame of the next passage was wrapped in thinner branches, its leaves budding with new life as the two changelings glanced over a worn book. They both looked happy.
'Our Hope grows with each passing day. I'm certain the princess is alive, somewhere out there. I'm intending to leave a record of what happened here behind. Perhaps on that large stone. Merrin suggested copying my journal, instead of telling a story of our race. I told her that wasn't gonna happen. She convinced me otherwise. Nectar isn't a concern anymore.'
The next entry was shorter than the rest, most of its space devoted to a depiction of Merrin, her body covered in roots and leaves. The author looked over her from the side, tears in his eyes, a hoof rubbing her cheek affectionately.
'There was a cave-in when we were exploring one of the tunnels. Merrin was gravely injured. I stayed with her, and kept her company as she faded away.'
Chrys's cheeks were wet, but she ignored it as she kept reading, hoping the pain in her chest would fade away with the passing of the words. The next passage had no leaves. The author was all alone, surrounded by dead branches.
'I woke up today with a hole in my chest. It took years for the me to adjust to the queen's passing, but I had Merrin to help me through that, as I helped her. What am I to do, all alone?'
Beyond that, there were no more borders. Just words etched in stone, as if the sculptor had lost the drive to add any flare to it.
'Merrin is buried with our Hope. My love for them both should be enough to keep her going. Love is eternal, right? I want our Hope to live on after I'm gone, and I don't want her to be left alone.'
Chrys' eyes hovered on that entry for several moments. It was the last one. Had something happened to the author? Had he given up? Her ears were low as she glanced to the side, and Momo took in a sniffling breath as they let his final words hang in their hearts. Chrys then blinked when her eyes caught something at the stone's base, and with a hint of hope, directed Momo towards it.
There was one final passage.
'It's been so long since I've written in my journal. So long since the last message I've etched into this stone. I remember it being harder than this. Regardless, this is my last entry, and it's directed towards you. Be you pony, changeling, or something else entirely, this is who we were. This tree. This stone. These words. We cared for our queen, and for Claire. We cared for each other. And we lived happily in our caring mountain. We may look like monsters, but trust me, we are anything but. If you find our Hope still alive, please, give her just a little love. She is our future, and that's all the future needs to prosper. I'm going now, to join Merrin's side.'
Silence fell over them as Chrys finished reading. She then looked to the husk of Claire, her chest feeling hallow as her eyes traced over its branches. Once upon a time, her race and this tree shared in harmonic prosperity. The tree was dead, along with any hope of such a future bounty.
He stayed behind to leave a record. To leave a light for the future. So where was this 'Hope' he wanted to trust them with?
As she wondered this, she also noticed something about the air. The scent that she'd been following wasn't coming from the tree. Something else drew her here.
“Why'd we forget?” Momo asked, making Chrys look to the stone for a long moment, its opening line coming to mind.
“They lost their queen,” Chrys began, “And before they could come to terms with that, they needed to abandon their home, to save themselves,” she pointed out, placing a heavy hoof over her chest. “They didn't want to remember. Mother- Amber must have been too young to make sense of it, and the others must have been too ashamed to tell her about what was left behind,” she speculated, glancing to the side, before taking in a long, deep breath. She felt shaky, like she would stumble over if she tried to walk. “Let's, let's take a look around, that breeze is coming from somewhere,” she insisted, making Momo glance to her. She had a tired, emotionally worn look in her eyes.
“We're not gonna find his hope?”
“Unless it's on the other side of this stone, we're not,” Chrys said in a drained voice. “I, I don't want to see if it's ruined. I don't think I'd be able to take it right now," she admitted weakly, before glancing to the side. "We've spent enough time in here,” she added, making Momo hesitate, before nodding. They then circled around the stone, getting a better look of the cavern beyond. Chrys' eyes followed the stone as they rounded it, and Momo stopped when they were on the other side.
The rock's back face was completely decorated with changelings. Every single one of them had their own personality to them. At the slab's bottom, in the center, were several taller changelings. A pair of royal guards, standing each side to their queen, Violet Widow. Some of the drones around them looked like they were arguing with their neighbor, or playing with a clutchling. Some of the changelings were hatchlings, eyeing the queen, wide-eyed and happy. A majority of the changelings had a soft, caring look about them, their eyes directed towards their Hope.
Their eyes, directed to a small tree, several paces away from the stone.
Its bark was black, its branches no different from Claire's. It had amber leaves that gave off the faintest of glows. The tree was barely bigger than a sapling, by pony standards, and at its roots was a small pile of stone, and a small opening in the ground parallel to the stones, that had been sealed by the tree's roots. Two small graves, both with a marker. One for Merrin, and one for the architect, the author. Mantis.
Chrys eyed his grave for a moment, her chest aching as she felt conflicted. She took a moment to remind herself he was a Mantis of a different color. Of a different time.
Looking from the graves, sitting ahead of them, were two small statues. Merrin, leaning on Mantis' shoulder, as they both looked at Hope. They were smiling. Chrys found herself smiling as well, a bittersweet smile, mirrored by Momo.
The breeze shifted slightly, making the sapling's leaves rustle, drawing their eyes. They could have sworn they heard it call them. But as they stared at it, there was no other sound coming forth. It was just a feeling. A feeling that left them speechless.
The life before them was sacred. It was Amber's tree. They understood this, on some instinctual level, and both were filled with a sense of happiness, at seeing it alive and well. With little need for provocation, Momo landed before it, and as they walked under its thin canopy, Chrys' eyes widened as she found the source of the smell.
On the tree's trunk was a teal flower, in full bloom. It held six petals, the tips darker than the flower's center, where the scent sprung forth, calling the princess. Chrys couldn't resist the temptation. She walked up to the flower, bringing her face close as she took in a deep breath.
She felt a tingle travel down her body as she did, feeling a little lightheaded as she took a step back from it. She then shook her head, the lightheadedness fading, along with her sorrow, her apprehensions, and her fears. Her horn brightened, her magic feeling replenished. The flower instilled with her a positive feeling. She felt like she had, before entering the final dream of the old stallion. Happy, and worry free. She was full of hope.
“Chrys?” Momo asked as she moved to her side, eyeing her clutchling with a hint of surprised concern.
“This is where the smell came from!” Chrys pointed out, making Momo appraise the flower, before taking a whiff as well. She also staggered back, her form flashing from pony, to changeling, then back to pony.
“W-Whoa. That felt weird. It was nice, but weird,” she affirmed with a smile, looking just as reinvigorated as Chrys. “I guess it's the same for me as it was for Mantis. Well, this Mantis,” she added as she looked to his statue, “I didn't smell anything. It must be a 'queen only' thing,” she added, sounding a little envious as she did.
“I wonder what it means-” Chrys began, before she noticed something at the tree's base. “Momo, look!” she stated wide-eyed, indicating a small bowl beneath the flower, on the ground. The bowel had several roots poised over it, and every several seconds, a drop of nectar fell into the bowel. It was filled to the brim, “It's making nectar!” she exclaimed as she turned to her clutchling. “We need to tell Amber about this! We won't need to attack Equestria if we tell her about Hope!” she added, the realization being mirrored in her clutchling's eyes as she appraised the tree.
“Well … it's kind of small,” Momo pointed out, getting an annoyed look from Chrys as Momo blushed, “I mean, it's great! Really, it is!” she added as she spread her forelegs out, “This can change everything for us! But, it's not enough. Not right now,” she affirmed, making Chrys eye the sapling for a moment, before reluctantly nodding in agreement. Her eyes then darkened as another thought came to mind.
What would Mantis think about this tree?
She took a step back as she looked to it. It seemed so small, in the shadow of the watchful stone. In the company of Claire's husk. In the center of this vast, abandoned cavern.
Mantis would crush it. If only because it was an alternative provided by Chrys. She was pretty sure he was that petty. Thinking of the hateful drone soured the mirth the flower gave her, making her glance to her surroundings.
“Momo, eat up,” she said as she indicated the bowl, “We need to keep moving. We'll be back later, but for now, let's keep this between us,” she added, making Momo blink in confusion.
“Huh? Why?”
“If we went back to the hive and told Amber, Mantis would destroy it.”
“He would?”
“You think he wouldn't?” Chrys asked as she raised an eyebrow.
“R-Right, he probably would, since it's a good thing...” Momo affirmed as she eyed the bowl. “So are we leaving Dud in the dark? I mean, I can see him getting really excited, hearing about all this,” she stated with a smile, making Chrys consider it for a moment.
“Not yet. If Princess Luna can look into his dreams, well... It's not that I don't trust him. I don't trust her.”
“But we'll tell him later, right?”
“Well, I guess,” Chrys replied, looking a little put off as she glanced to the side, “But you're the one doing the talking. He gets overbearing when he's excited.”
“Heh, fair enough,” she replied, “So does that mean we're still heading to Equestria?” she asked, getting a considering look from Chrys, before she nodded.
“Yes, but I need some time to think on this. For now, let's find the others first,” she stated, getting a nod from Momo, before she approached the bowl.
“This is great, I was kind of famished,” she added sheepishly. Right before she could take a lick, her brow furrowed. “Wait, you should go first—”
“Momo, I know you and Dud have been starving yourselves for me. So, let's not argue, and just eat,” she stated firmly, making Momo look to her for several moments, before letting out a small sigh, lowering her head and taking a lick of the nectar. Her eyes then widened in surprise.
“It tastes different! I- I really like this!” she let out, getting a curious look from Chrys as Momo hungrily chowed down.
“Different?” Chrys asked curiously as she approached the bowl, which Momo presented, making the princess take a small lick from it. It was sweet. It tasted exactly like the love the old stallion gave her.
Love's flavor is determined by the intended recipient. Nectar has a flat flavor, it was made from pony's love with no intended recipient in mind. From a pony, nectar was neutral. However, nectar from Hope had an intended recipient. This fact played through Chrys's mind as she eyed the sapling. It was so small, yet well over several hundred years old, and its nectar was sweet, and nourishing.
After Momo had her fill, Chrys finished what was left, before returning the bowl to its place at the roots. They both then eyed the tree for a moment, their hearts in unison as they made a silent promise. They would return, and give this tree the love it needed.
Chrys then hopped on Momo's back. Before she took flight, they both took a moment to take the place in again. The watchers set in stone. The purple glowshrooms. The amber leaves. The teal flower. Here, their heritage lay, having waited patiently for half a millennium. What was another couple weeks or months compared to that?
With a light tap from Chrys, Momo took to the air, and after she flew a single loop around the chamber's center, they moved to follow the breeze. They found it coming from a tunnel halfway up the chamber's side, and Momo paused as they reached it.
In unison, they both looked back to what lay behind them.
“We'll be back. Without a doubt,” Chrys stated, getting an agreeing nod from Momo, before they continued forward.
They climbed and climbed, ascending against the breeze as they did. And it wasn't long, before they saw the light of day ahead of them.
~~~~~~~~~~
Dud's eyes opened, his heart racing as his awareness returned to him. The sound of movement in the cave stirred him, making him thump against the barrel.
“Chrys, Momo? Any help would be nice~!” he said, adopting a hopeful smile. Silence answered him, making Dud's smile falter for a moment, before the barrel started to shake. He then flinched back in surprise when a barb pierced through the lid. With a wood-snapping twist, the lid flew away, revealing a manticore looking down at him.
There was a brief pause as their eyes met. Aegis looked like he'd been caught in an explosion, his fur was dark and covered in soot. Seeing a lack of being attacked by the guard, Dud gave him a small smile.
“You still call her 'Highness', right?” he asked.
“I always have, and I always will,” Aegis replied flatly as he stepped back from the barrel, letting Dud crawl out. Or, at least try to. His hind legs felt like limp noodles, so he found himself trying to twist around and pull himself out with just his forelegs, but he got out all the same.
“Great~! Where is she? Where's Chrys and Momo?” Dud asked as he took in the cave, looking a lot more broken than before the cave-in. As he sat himself up, his eyes fell to the entrance, the weak glow of an approaching dawn illuminating the cavern.
“I don't know,” Aegis replied with a worried look, “I think they went further in while Sledge was fighting. I wasn't able to go any deeper,” he stated, looking very disappointed in himself, “I couldn't clear the way, it only made more rocks fall,” he then glanced to the side. “I came this way to find another means into the mountain from the outside." He then gave the pony an unamused look, "I admit, I forgot about you. It's good you spoke up, her Highness wanted me to save you.”
“And for that, you have my thanks!” Dud let out, trying to stand up, and succeeding with some effort. He then gave his wings a flap, and winced. The feathers were stuck together because of the nectar, and didn't respond well to movement. “I don't suppose you'd mind carrying me to a passing cloud?” he asked with a sheepish grin, getting a distant look from Aegis.
Dud then blinked in surprise when Aegis' tail wrapped around him, placing him on the royal guard's back. Without saying a word, Aegis ran out the cave, and took flight, making Dud hold tightly to him as the guard started to curve around the mountain, his eyes peeled for any openings.
“So this is what it feels like to be Chrys!” Dud said energetically, getting an annoyed look from the guard.
“Keep an eye out,” Aegis said sternly, making Dud nod as he began doing just that, “I was supposed to kill you,” he added, making Dud blink in surprise, “The reasons were very simple, you know too much. Yet, her Highness is fond of you, so understand this, pony, I've got my eyes on you,” he stated coldly, getting a smile from the pony he just threatened.
“That's fine, as long as you're protecting Chrys, watch me all you like,” Dud replied, “You've got a better chance against Sledge than I do,” he affirmed, making Aegis hesitate for a moment.
“He isn't a concern anymore.”
“You beat him?” Dud asked, making the manticore shake his head.
“It wasn't me, it was someone else. Sledge was buried alive in the tunnels.”
“Oh,” Dud replied flatly, “Well, it's a good thing you'll be protecting the princess from him now.”
“Didn't you just hear me?”
“Yes? Sledge is buried? I'm gonna hold out that he's still in a position to make Chrys' life dangerous. Until I see him fallen with my own eyes, I'll always assume that.”
“Why?”
“It's safer that way,” Dud stated matter-of-factly, before adopting a small frown, “I should have been keeping an eye out earlier, but Chrys got a whiff of something strange, and I was a little too excited to stay focused,” he explained, getting a curious look from Aegis. “The princess smelled something in the air. Drew us here. Neither myself or Momo could smell it. Did you?” he asked, making Aegis shake his head, which got a small smile from Dud. “I wish I could have gone further inside. I wonder if those two found it?”
“Whatever this 'it' is, it better not pose a danger to them,” he replied with a slightly threatening tone, before glancing to the pony on his back. “Why do you need a cloud?”
“Oh. To get the sticky off my feathers!”
“Very well.”
“So, what fought Sledge? You make it sound like it wasn't you.”
“That is- He was- It was a lamia,” he quickly explained, making Dud appraise him. A lamia? Was it Ssarah's mate? Regardless, he doubted that the guard would know the answer to that one.
“Hey, Aegis,” Dud said, making the royal guard blink as he gave Dud an appraising look, “Welcome to Team Chrysalis~!” the pony added, with a beaming grin.
“...You are an odd pony,” Aegis said, a small smile on his face. “I'll get you a cloud in bit, so continue keeping an eye out for any caves,” he added, his smile fading as they reached the eastern side of the mountain, seeing an orange glow looking to break into the horizon.
It was the beginning of dawn. That moment, when the sun's light touched the highest peaks first, before crawling the lands around it.
As Aegis circled, Dud directed him to fly close a cloud hugging the mountain, and to the guard's surprise, Dud hopped off as soon as he was close enough to. He rolled around on the cloud for half a minute, his wings getting wet from the moisture. He then gave them a good flap, clearing what nectar remained away, before joining Aegis's side. As the line of sunlight climbed halfway down the mountain, something caught Dud's eye in night's fading shadow. A teal glow.
“Down there~!” he let out, practically shouting in Aegis' ears as he did. When the royal guard spotted the light, he didn't hesitate, diving towards it, and the pegasus followed.
“Chryss~! Momoo~!” Dud shouted, seeing the glow start approaching them, fading out as the two groups spotted each other.
“Highness!” Aegis let out, his greater speed making him reach them sooner. He paused before them, a relieved look on his face. He then blinked when Momo, with Chrys on her back, passed him, flying right towards Dud.
Dud and Chrys were caught off guard when Momo plowed right into him, tackling him with a hug.
“Dud! You're alright!” she let out, getting a surprised, almost flustered look from the pegasus as he nodded. The hug was brief, as Momo fluttered back a small space, letting Dud see them both, smiling, and getting a smile from him in turn.
“I have to say, you two are looking great!” he let out in awe. They looked like they'd spent the whole night resting and relaxing. And was it his imagination, or was Chrys just a little bit bigger than he remembered?
“You look like a mess,” Chrys replied flatly, before looking to Aegis. “Nevermind. You look like a mess.”
“My apologies, Your Highness,” Aegis replied, trying not to sound put off as he did.
“Still, I'm glad to see you're both alright,” she added, before adopting a small frown. “I was worried I'd have to find replacements for the both of you,” she added, making Momo roll her eyes towards Dud, getting a knowing smile from the stallion.
“I'm sorry to inconvenience you, Highness,” Aegis replied with sincerity.
“What happened to Sledge?” Chrys asked.
“I-” he began, before glancing to Dud, “can't say for certain,” he stated, making Chrys frown, before Dud grabbed their attention.
“You two wouldn't believe what happened to me!” he let out, making Chrys and Momo share a brief glance, “I got to ride a manticore! Do you have any idea how many ponies can say that!” he added, before adopting a sagely look, “I wouldn't recommend it, they bob up-and-down far too much.”
“I can imagine,” Momo replied, letting out a small laugh, which Dud mirrored. She then glanced to Aegis, adopting a frown as she hovered up to him, bopping him right on the nose, to everyponies' surprise. Aegis shook his head, rubbing his nose and backing up slightly as Momo got right in his face. “So, where's my apology?” she asked heatedly. “You didn't have to sting me, you know! We could have fought Sledge together!”
“I wasn't sure who to trust-”
“You still didn't have to sting me! Chrys had to drag me. In complete darkness! Do you know what that felt like!?”
“I- I'm sorry,” Aegis stammered.
“Sorry isn't good enough now! You'll have to pay,” Momo said with a heavy nod, getting a small smile from Chrys and Dud as Aegis appraised her.
“What would you ask of me?” he asked, making Momo look over him for a moment, before glancing to Dud. She then adopted a smile, one with only a dash of malice.
“You have to answer all of Dud's questions,” she replied with a nod, getting a gasp from the pony, who caught Momo off guard with a brief hug of his own.
“Oh thank you Momo! There's soo many things I wanted to ask, but he was all 'I'm gonna keep my eyes on you'!” he let out, before rounding on the royal guard with a beaming grin.
“I, I don't like where this is going...” Aegis admitted, getting a small, satisfied laugh from Momo and Dud.
“Stop laughing like hatchlings,” Chrys interjected, masking a smile of her own as the two did just that, keeping a warm smile in laughter's place. The princess then looked to her guard with a raised eyebrow, “Be sure you make up for your mistakes, Aegis,” she stated, making the royal guard look to her, saluting without hesitation, before giving Dud an apprehensive glance. “Now come on. There's someplace we need to go,” she added before giving Dud a considering look. “Dud, you're up. We need to find Thundercloud.”
“Yeah, I suppose so,” Dud replied with a nod, before turning around, eyeing the wall of clouds north of them. His smile then faded, before he shook his head, and looked back to his friends. “So, did you find your smell?”
“Yes. But we can talk about that later,” Chrys replied as she pointed forward, “First thing's first.”
“We're going into that?” Aegis asked curiously, getting a nod from the princess.
At her provocation, Momo started forward, and Dud quickly joined their side, with Aegis tailing behind them. As they proceeded towards the wall of thunderclouds, Chrysalis glanced over her shoulder, eyeing the broken twin-peaks behind them, as they grew distant.