//------------------------------// // Betrayal // Story: A Different Breed of Changeling // by Zoljen //------------------------------// The dark sky was lit up by a crimson haze, as Talon and Rime landed. One of the buildings to this little camp had done more than catch fire, it exploded. They both looked around at the pieces of lumber and shrapnel that was scattered about. Talon and Rime looked at each other, then to the fire. “Talon, get that fire under control! I’ll see about getting water here to douse what you can't!” Rime shouted as she headed towards the mess hall. Talon nodded and took a few steps towards the building, focusing on the flames. He took another step and thrust his hoof out, letting the flames collect around it before turning it away, sending a wave skyward and away from the building. He kept removing fire from the burning building, aiming it elsewhere as Rime managed to make a quick raincloud to hover above the building, dousing it's flames. It didn't take them long to get the small fire under control. Afterwards, Rime landed by Talon and looked around, “Not a pony in sight, what's going on?” Talon scanned the area, looking towards one of the other bunk houses. “Eh, why am I detecting a lot of panic in that building?” They both looked towards it, dashing towards it. Talon blinked, glancing up as he saw a white stallion wearing the shadowbolt colors coming down, fast. Talon pushed ahead, just enough to push Rime forward, making her fall past where the stallion lands forelegs first and bucks. Catching Talon in the side, hard, and making him bounce a few times. On the second bounce, his disguise shatters, revealing the changeling beneath. The stallion quickly spins as Rime bounces to her hooves, turning to face the Shadowbolt with a growl. She gets ready to charge him when a chuckle and whimper sound from behind her. “Check out this runt.” She hears in a familiar voice, making her spin towards the mess hall. Seeing Crimson holding out Cloak by the neck. “And look, Sin.” He points towards Talon as he slowly picked himself up. “They even have a changeling in their ranks. These traitors are more desperate than we thought!” Talon growled as he glared towards Crimson, “Who or what are you?” “Wouldn't you like to know?” Crimson laughed as Cloak wiggled in his grasp, “Stop wiggling you, ERG!” Cloak managed to bring up a leg to his face, getting Crimson to let him go. Cloak quickly scampered back, looking between everyone quickly. “Cloak! Go get the others!” Talon shouted at him, making Cloak focus on him for a bit longer. “I don't…” “Go! I can explain later!” Talon glared and shot towards Crimson, raising a hoof up as Rime turned towards Sin, swinging her own attack at him. Cloak, meanwhile, ducked and dashed towards the camp site edges, quickly taking to the air to escape the scene. Sin easily deflected the blow from Rime, sneering as he threw another hard punch at her, narrowly missing her as she dodges out of the way. He then turned towards where Cloak was fleeing, one of the crystals glowing and making two copies of himself appear and charge after the pegasus. Sin then turned back just in time to catch a kick from Rime and toss her away. “I hate to say it, Rime, but you’re missing out on this power!” He grinned as he threw a kick of his own, landing it squarely in her chest and knocking her back into a building. He grinned as he almost pranced up to her, while she laid there, gasping for breath. “We can certainly welcome you back with open arms!” “And why would I want to go back to being a puppet?” she growled as she shakily stood up. “You just don't get it, do you?” He grabbed her by the neck and lifted her, slamming her against the building again. “This power, this strength, this speed!” He grinned as he leaned in close. “It could be yours!” He suddenly grunted, dropping her as he slid to the side a little. A changeling having crashed into him by being tossed. He turned and growled at Crimson. “Watch it!” “I thought all you commanders could pay attention!” Crimson shot back. Rime growled and launched herself at Crimson. “YOU! What have you done with Crimson!” She reared back, ready to throw a punch as Crimson brought up an arm to block, sneering. “But I am him!” Crimson smirked as he deflected blow after blow from Rime. “No your not!” Rime shouted as she spun around for a kick, catching him off guard and landing a hoof across his face. Meanwhile, Talon bounced back, sliding along the ground after blocking a solid blow from Sin. “Three crystals… Your one of those commanders, aren't you?” “And you're a mutant changeling!” Sin sneered, suddenly appearing in front of Talon and punching him, sending him flying back from the blow to the chest. Talon landed after flying back, looking up just in time to see Sin in front of him again. Sin threw another punch, but only hit air as the changeling vanished. Sin only smirked as he barely glanced to his left, a shield flaring up just as the changeling bounced off of it from attempting to throw a punch. Talon just growled as he slid back, his form flaring in fire as he lunged forward, a blade suddenly in place of his hoof, making Sin quickly bring up his arms to block it. Talon swung around, bringing another bladed hoof into Sins side, this one getting caught in a small pink field. “Resourceful, I’ll give you that, freak, but not clever enough!” Sin spun around, driving  wing, then a hoof, into Talon. A crack sounded as Talon flew back against his will, sliding and rolling on the ground from the force of the kick. Talon wheezed as he stood up slowly, Sin laughing from where he was. Talon glanced to his side as he saw Rime land another blow on Crimson, causing something weird to happen to the stallion. The stallion’s colors flickered like static on a Television. The red fur fading away to a bright orange, as the darker red mane became brighter. Talon just stared slack jawed at the orange stallion as he shook his head, a single crystal floating up by him, zapping Rime away. “Damn, so about five solid hits. Not too shabby.” He smirked, glancing to Sin as Sin looked back. “Stop showing off Rapidfire, you said Descent or Starry would be here. Where are they? HM?!” Sin growled as Rapidfire shrank back a little. “They were here! I don't know where they are now! I was stuck foalsitting this!” He gestured to Rime. “So close to a fine piece of tail and I couldn't do anything! UGH!” Rapidfire groaned, “Had to keep an eye out for Descent, Starry, or the ex-Wonderbolts instead of getting some.” Rime just stared in shock at Rapidfire, before shouting out in rage and lunging forward again. Rapidfire watched her, smirking as he too vanished from his spot, appearing to her side and kicking her in the side, sending her crashing into a building. Rime quickly recovered, flying out of the wrecked building and towards Rapidfire ready to deal another solid blow to him. Talon wheezed as he fully stood up, just barely glancing at Rapidfire as the stallion closed in on Rime. He turned to face Sin, charging him again. Sin merely smirked as he waited, Talon jumping and bringing a pair of blades down on him. Sin, in the blink of an eye, moved up and caught Talon by the neck, holding up as he floated up. “Just think, whatever you are, you could have this power. These crystals can boost your strength, speed, and power! You’re already skilled with magic. Just imagine what you could do!” Sin boasted as he held Talon up. Talon coughed out a chuckle, “Why would I want your weak power, huh?” He smirked as Sin gave him a confused look, “Let’s see how you fight with two crystals, eh?” He held up his left hoof blade, a cracked and sparking crystal on its tip. In a flare of red magic, he made the blade shoot spikes through the crystal. Sin barely had time to look at it before the crystal exploded, sending Talon and Sin in opposite directions. Talon flew in the air, landing on his back he slid along the dirt, leaving behind bits of his carapace as he went. His world went silent, except for the ringing from the explosion of the crystal, but he plainly saw Sin above him, having already recovered, his face full of anger as he kicked the changeling. Sin picked up the changeling by his crest, punching and kicking him as he floated in the air. After a few more solid hits, Sin threw him to the ground, slamming into him one final time to make Talon’s world go black. He felt himself get lifted and thrown, impacting and breaking through something solid before he finally passed out. Rime growled as she kept throwing punches and kicks, only hitting air as Rapidfire either dodged, or teleported out of the way. “Stop playing pattycake and fight me like a stallion, you damned filly!” She growled out with fury as she threw another useless punch. Just as she threw another swing, she felt a shockwave from her side, knocking both her and Rapidfire over. They both glanced over to see Talon and Sin flying from each other, though Sin used the momentum to get airborne, spin around, and fly directly back at the changeling while letting out a furious growl. Rime growled, using the moment to get the upper hoof on Rapidfire as she lunged at him, getting in a few solid blows before he teleported away. She kept growling as she looked around, spotting Talon getting the stuffing beat out of him before getting slammed down, stomped on, and then tossed into a building. After that, a red blur swooped in, knocking Sin over and sending him sliding a little. The blur became a familiar red pony, though he was panting and his wings really shouldn’t bend that way. “Crimson!” Rime shouted as she saw the pony, he flicked a wing in her direction, as he lept back, dodging a wild swing from Sin. She nodded slightly, returning her glare to Rapidfire who had picked himself up and glared back at her. “Can't even kill one pony. No wonder you're a failure!” “SHUT UP!” he shouted, vanishing from his spot and appearing at Rime’s side, she brought up an arm to block the swing, quickly regretting it as she felt the power behind the blow crack the bone. She barely had time to yell in pain before getting slammed to the ground, her arm breaking in more places as he kicked it. She looked up in time to see him bring a pair of hooves down on her barrel in a fit of rage, making her howl in pain. Crimson was tossed aside by Sin, flying into the building that was the mess hall and landing on the dirt ground, wheezing for breath as Sin now ignored him, stomping over to Rapidfire. “Can't even kill who you're supposed to! WORTHLESS!” He grabbed Rapidfire’s suit, conjured up a pair of clones to light the buildings on fire, and then teleported out. Leaving the ponies behind.