Chapter 6: And so it Begins
Thoraxis trotted across Ponyville, the morning sun shining overhead, giving a bluish-orange glow over the horizon. Skipping jovially beside him was Skia, who was also humming a happy tune as she followed her father to the large, crystalline, tree-like castle they were approaching. It was a miracle in on itself that Twilight had agreed to babysit Skia. When Skia had gotten the news, she practically flipped with pure joy in knowing that she would get to spend time with her idol.
When they were within twenty feet of the castle's entrance, one of the doors opened, revealing two purple shapes of the Princess Twilight Sparkle, and her loyal dragon Spike.
"Hi, Thoraxis! Hi, Skia!" Spike shouted, as he waved a claw to the two approaching changelings. Skia waved back, before she and her father both stopped, and started to say their goodbyes to each other.
"I'll see you soon, Skia," Thoraxis said, giving her a small hug. She hugged back, before giving a confident look to him.
"I bet you'll do great, Dad."
"Yeah, well, hrmph," he mumbled back, unenthusiastically.
Skia laughed. "Don't worry, Dad. You've got Moredread there to help you out, in case something bad happens, remember?"
""Help" is a... strong word, when it comes to what he'll probably do," Thoraxis replied with a sigh. Their hug broke off, and both looked into each other's wide eyes, Skia smiling to her father, reassuringly.
"I'll see you later," she said. "I hope you have fun on your date."
"I'll see you soon too, dear. I... love... you." he spoke. Well, more like "choked" as he tried to pronounce the L-word. The young nymph took noticed, and hid another laugh, but just barely. With a final look, Thoraxis turned, and took to the air, flying away in the direction of the train station, no doubt where Moredread was waiting for him.
Skia turned when he was far enough away, and trotted up to Twilight and Spike with a large grin on her face, aimed at them. But mostly towards Twilight.
"So... Twilight. Do you need help with anything? My dad told me to see if you have any chores that need being done," she asked. The only bit that sounded off in her speech was what sounded like extreme eagerness.
Twilight's face changed to a thoughtful expression, before she had an idea of what to say. "Well, Spike and I are a little behind on our housecleaning chores. Do you think you want to help us finish reorganizing my bookshelf?" Skia's jaw dropped like an anchor the moment the princess said those words.
"Would I!" she squealed with the utmost of happiness.
The train ride was long, and probably boring, but Thoraxis wasn't focused on his surroundings. It was towards what he expected was to come. What was now well ahead of himself. The future. The future that was him, the pony he was meeting, the inevitable embarrassment he was about to endure, and-
"You're not worried about your date, are you?" Moredread's voice inquired, as he tapped Thorax's chitinous arm with a shoulderplate. Snapped out of his paranoid thoughts by the cold metal, he looked around, until his eyes landed on the shade sitting next to him.
"No, I'm not worried," he spoke. "I'm still a little angry, and maybe a little nervous, but not worried."
"Satisfy my curiosity," Moredread said again. "What do you even see being wrong with this situation?" Thoraxis let out a sarcastic laugh as he began.
"Well, first off, I'm a changeling. As you know, changelings aren't very common -or liked- in most pony societies."
"Ponyville doesn't seem to mind having two..." Moredread mouthed silently, also looking at the multiple, unfazed passengers they sat near, as the changeling continued.
"...Second, whoever I'm meeting is going to be a pony. As I said before, I'm a changeling. They're a pony. Changeling, pony. Changeling. Pony... yeah, I don't think they mix like that."
"Love is both genderless, and species-less," Moredread said back. "It's not the physical appearance of one that matters, it's what's inside that makes one's character. And, judging from what I know of you, you are quite a pleasant individual."
"Pleasantness doesn't matter when it comes to what you two set up for me. Because, as I've said to you for what is basically the millionth time now, changelings-"
"-Can't feel love?" Moredread finished, with a smug atmosphere coated in his words. "Even if you don't admit it, we both know Skia loves us, and she's a changeling, just like you. What does that tell you, I wonder?"
"There's a difference between affection and love, Moredread," Thoraxis argued, as he turned his view to outside the train's window, and the white, snowy tundra they were rapidly passing by.
"About as much of a difference as water and rain," he replied, sarcastically. Thoraxis shot Moredread a frustrated look, before going back to looking out the window.
"Have you ever been in, or felt love?" the changeling suddenly asked, after a few minutes of silence.
"Of course," Moredread replied. "I once had a family. A wife. Children. I adored them all with as much love as my heart could give."
Thoraxis looked at him strangely as he let out a sigh. "But no-one... no matter how much you love them, will last forever. Trust in these words of wisdom; if you find someone worth living for, then cherish them for as long as you possibly can. Cherish them."
"Yeah. Sure. Whatever." Thoraxis groaned, closing his eyes.
Moredread shrugged. "Believe what you wish to believe. Just know we're here."
"Wait, what?" Thoraxis asked, in a panicked tone, opening his eyes mere moments before a shrill grating noise went out indicating that the train was stopping. He looked out of the window again, but this time, instead of a snowy landscape, he spotted many crystalline buildings, both large and small.
"A "little" nervous, eh?" Moredread chuckled, as he got up from his seat. "Come along, little changeling. Your date won't be in the train."
Muttering to himself, Thoraxis slowly left his seat, and headed toward the exit of the train, Moredread trailing behind him.
As all the ponies getting off of the train scattered, Thoraxis saw a pink alicorn in a clear, uncrowded spot, just several feet in front of the train's exit, a pair of well-trimmed, earth pony guards dressed in silver, gleaming armor flanking her. He quickly recognized, fearfully, that it was Princess Mi Amore Cadenza -better known as "Cadence"- and his thoughts raced back to the wedding in Canterlot, many seasons ago. The one his hive and himself invaded.
Before he knew it, the busy crowd of ponies behind him pushed Thoraxis forward from the train, until he found himself stumbling just in front of the princess, an unsure, if not downright terrified look on his face. He quickly bowed to her, humbly, and spoke accordingly.
"Um... my most sincere greetings, princess..." he said in a shaky voice.
"And greetings to you, too," she welcomed, warmly.
"Er... I... I just wanted to ask for forgiveness for what... happened.... at your wedding..." Thoraxis spoke again, very softly, as he continued to avert his gaze from the princess. "I just want to say that... I'm changed now, and... I'm sorry for anything bad my swarm or I may have... well, done to you." Cadence gave a forgiving look as she placed a hoof on Thoraxis's shoulder.
"Thank you for the apology," she spoke back. "And don't worry, I know who you are, and that your intentions are good. My sister-in-law writes to me about everything that happens in Ponyville. That, and I received a message from Princess Luna detailing your arrival."
"You- really?" Thoraxis asked, perplexed. I guess Luna's the pony who Moredread asked for help, he thought. After saying another "Thank you," and to avoid making the scary situation seem awkward, Thoraxis quickly trotted away, into the empire's streets.
As the changeling rushed off, Moredread emerged from the train, the last being to do so, and calmly walked up to Cadence.
"You must be Moredread Enmity," she greeted, with a hint of caution in her tone, her guard's expressions bearing a similar appearance. "I don't believe we've ever met before."
"We have not," he responded, as he bowed his head courteously. "Thank you for receiving my friend and I to your lovely kingdom."
"Don't mention it," she replied.
"If you don't mind me asking, how did you set this up?" the shade inquired as he lifted his head, eager to know.
"Simple," Cadence started, as the two began to walk. "After Luna told me of what you wanted, all I did was convince the manager of the best restaurant, the Red Diamond Delight, to give it a "date night." Only unmarried couples are allowed to dine there for one night."
"Most clever," Moredread complimented. "You have my eternal gratitude for taking the time to do this, you know."
"Are you kidding? Getting this kind of chance, to see if a changeling can try and feel or show any sort of love towards somepony else, is a task I've only dreamed about performing!" she spoke, excitedly.
"I am rather enjoying this conversation we're having milady, but if you'll excuse me," Moredread started, "I must find out where that changeling went. I cannot simply let him get lost before the main event starts."
"I understand," Cadence replied. "I hope to see you soon, Moredread."
"As do I, princess," he responded in kind. With nothing left to talk about, Moredread, with a final nod, turned away from the princess and her guards, and began to walk in the direction he last saw Thoraxis entering.
Skia pushed another fern back as she neared the spot where she last saw the crow. As with Thoraxis, Twilight Sparkle had fallen for her fib of "going out to play with friends for the day." Skia said she'd be back by dark, and that's how she planned to keep it.
Just as she pushed herself through another bush, and finally entered the clearing, the large smile on her face disappeared. She saw the crow alright, but there was another creature as well.
The monster, which stood in a kneeling position to the crow, looked like a giant suit of silver armor, but in a shape that Skia had never seen before. Slung around its back was a large satchel full of pony-sized weapons, ranging from swords and spears, to axes and halberds. In one hand was a giant sword, stuck blade-first in the ground, and in the other was a shield of incredible girth. It was as motionless as a statue.
Skia looked with worried eyes as the being remained unmoving. As she got into a more comfortable position, Skia accidentally stepped on a stick, unleashing a cracking noise that rang out through the quiet forest like an echo, much to her horror. Cursing herself for her mistake, she looked back at the giant, hoping it didn't hear her.
The creature had indeed heard her. As if coming to life, and standing up straight, it instantly turned around, revealing the front of its helmeted face, prompting Skia to duck down before it saw her too. Through the foliage, she witnessed a red glow appear in the visor of the aberration's helmet, which seemed to scan its surroundings, the manner it did so chilling the young changeling to the bone. With minimal effort, it pulled its sword out of the ground, and began to move, footstep by footstep, to Skia's location, its shield raised in a cautious display.
Holding in her breath, Skia watched as the giant got closer, nervousness overtaking her. Just when it seemed it would find her, a caw from the crow went out, causing the giant to hesitate. Turning about, forgetting about her completely, it walked back to the crow, and kneeled to it once more, much to Skia's confusion.
The crow spoke something in a whisper to the being. When it was done, and without so much as an argument to whatever the bird had spoken, The being planted its enormous sword back into the ground, and dropped its shield, the latter of which clattered noisily as the chunk of round metal landed on the ground. Then, it was simply gone. Like a cloud of mist, it dissipated, vanishing from sight, leaving the crow, the sword, and the shield behind. The crow looked to where Skia was, as if expecting her to appear from the grass at any moment.
Skia continued to hide for the next five minutes behind her cover before deciding it was safe to emerge. With speed to rival a Wonderbolt in action, she dashed quietly to the crow.
"Hey, Mr. Crow. Are you okay? Did that... that... thing do anything to you?" she whispered to it, as she pet its beak, gently. The crow only stared at her, its brown eyes looking at the changeling with a friendly gaze.
"He didn't seem to want to hurt you. Was that your master, or something?"
The crow only looked back at her, head tilted, unresponsive to her question.
"Your wing's all healed up," Skia said again, as she observed the now feather-laden, healthy, undamaged limb, not noticing the eerie shadow that was suddenly being cast from behind herself. "Since you don't need me anymore, I think I should just... leave, before that creature comes ba-"
Skia froze in terror as a deep, distorted breathing noise started behind her. Her eyes shot open, and her heart beat furiously. Trembling with the likes of a building under the effects of both an earthquake and a hurricane, Skia slowly turned around, and gazed upward at the wide, armored shape looking down upon her with the likes of a preening, predatory hawk.
The first thing Skia noticed was that the being was absolutely gigantic up close. Though the late morning sun that showed behind it only illuminated its silhouette, the bright, red glow behind its visor reflected off of its frontal armor, as it stared down upon the changeling nymph. It's wretched sighing and wheezing continued as Skia started to back up in a panicked manner, away from both the crow and the being, until she was against a black-barked tree, cornered. Without so much as a footstep, the giant simply "floated" towards her, stopping when it was levitating within two feet of Skia.
Desperate, Skia looked to the crow with pleading eyes, but the bird simply remained stationary, wearing what appeared to be a calming expression. The look it bore was practically irradiating the words don't worry, just stay calm, but even if that was its intention, it wasn't working. Skia looked back at the armored creature, the supernatural glow in its visor now gone. Without warning, it suddenly, albeit slowly stretched its arm out, toward the terrified nymph, its intent clear that it was about to grab her.
Unable to escape, Skia could only scream in fear.