Shining Armor's quiet screams and groans in pain were almost unbearable- Taltra could barely control herself from punching herself in the face. How could she have let Queen Chrysalis change him so? The guilt almost pushed herself over the edge along with the constant pains in her chest and horn.
"I-I know it hurts dear. It'll be over soon." Cadance tried to comfort her pained husband, gently rubbing his chest.
Creaaak
Taltra glanced back up to the door. A black stepped through, littered with holes both small and large.
"Ah... I assume the transformation has begun since you're both awake. Or, at least, semi-conscious."
Taltra growled at the sound of Queen Chrysalis' voice. She was disgusted to even be in the same room with her now.
"So, how's my former adviser today?"
Taltra ignored her voice.
"Haven't you done enough?"
"Oh-" Queen Chrysalis giggled. "Not nearly, Cadenza."
"Leave us alone, Chrysalis. You've done enough..." Taltra said. She wanted to get her attention away from Cadance and Shining before she tried something.
Queen Chrysalis scoffed, turning to her.
"Remember that you're in my kingdom. I will be treated with respect."
"You've done nothing respectable..."
"As if you're any better. You helped me kidnap ponies and plan to take over Equestria for years."
"That's when you had me thinking what you were doing was right."
"Even before then, you were a disappointment. You left your own foal outside of the Crystal Empire with no food, barely any water to last him a day, and nothing but a small blanket to keep him warm."
Taltra's eyes stung with tears, a sharp gasp slipping through her lips. Her son was a sensitive nerve, and Queen Chrysalis was prepared to rub it raw.
"Is that true?" Cadance quietly asked. Taltra turned away from her.
"Why yes, it is." Queen Chrysalis said, stepping closer to Taltra. "Imagine how scared he must've been, wondering why his mother had forsaken him in such a way."
"S-stop..." Taltra feebly choked out, barely keeping tears from cascading down her face. She turned away from them both. She put her back to the bars, turning her head towards the wall to her right
Queen Chrysalis came closer to her until she was standing directly behind her.
"How afraid he was when he realized he was stuck outside without any food or water." Queen Chrysalis whispered, leaning down to where sh could whisper into Taltra's ear. "Crying out, 'Mommy, daddy' with no pony responding to his pitiful whimpering. Even I don't do that to my young changelings. I doubt King Sombra himself would abandon his kind like that."
Taltra covered her ears, trying to block out her voice, tears freely flowing down her cheeks.
"Huddled in a small ball, waiting for his mother come and rescue him with her warmth. That never came for him, did it?"
"Stop it! I-I didn't abandon him!"
"I know what happened, Taltra. There's nothing you can hide from me."
"I-- I left him outside of the village leading to the Crystal Empire. I told him that he'd be safe there and that Warding'd be there soon!"
"You left him and you know it." Queen Chrysalis scornfully said. After a few moments, she trotted out of the room, slamming the door behind her. Taltra laid on the ground, letting her tears freely cascade down onto the cell floor.
---
"Pinkie, please stop that nonsense! You're going to go all through our beverages!"
"C'mon, Rarity. It can't hurt to have a few."
"But this needs to persist with is for possibly days, darling. You must be wary of how much you drink."
"I will. And we've got plenty!"
"Rarity, Pinkie, stop. Pinkie, finish off that one and then don't drink any for awhile. Rarity, we still have lots, so we won't have to worry just yet."
"Right... apologies."
"Okay!" Pinkie said, drinking the last of the small can of soda and putting the empty can into the basket.
Twilight looked up, seeing Rainbow Dash flying above them.
"You see anything up there?"
"No outposts yet... wait... whoa!" Rainbow Dash widened her wings. She slowed to a stop, hovering overhead. "There's a huge cloud of smoke up there, to the north. Should I go check it out?"
"Yes, but take Flutters'," Twilight turned to Fluttershy. "Do you mind going with her? I don't want anypony out here alone when there could be changelings around."
"U-um... are you sure I-I'd be the pony to go with her?" Fluttershy asked, hesitant on going with Rainbow Dash.
"You'll be fine, sugarcube. Y'all'll do just fine." Applejack said, trying to ease any doubts she had.
"Yeah. You know we're stronger than any of those changelings. Now c'mon Flutters'. Let's get going." Rainbow Dash said, lowering closer to the ground and allowing Fluttershy to fly beside her. She hesitantly joined her.
"We'll stay around here. Just be careful."
"Always." Rainbow Dash said as she and Fluttershy flew toward the black column of smoke.
---
Taltra laid on the ground, staring at Shining. He had thankfully passed out, sparing both Taltra and himself from any more pain. She had kept in place since Queen Chrysalis had left.
"Taltra?"
"Yes?" Taltra remained in position, refusing to look up at Cadance, almost afraid of what she'd see. Disgust, anger- fear? Things Taltra certainly didn't want ponies to feel about her anymore.
"Was that story about your son true?"
"I... no."
"Then what did happen?"
"I-I left him at the entrance to the Crystal Empire's village. Told him that he'd be safe if he went towards the big building-- the palace, they'd let him stay there until Warding- his father got there. But he never came..." Anger bellowed up from Taltra's chest. "How could I have been such a fool... I deserve this."
"Nopony deserves this. You were misled, there's no way you could've known that she wouldn't keep her end of the deal."
Taltra peeked over her shoulder, looking up to Cadance. She wore a gentle smile.
"I appreciate trying to comfort me, but you don't have to pretend. I know I'm a horrible parent..."
"Horrible parent?" Cadance snorted. "You gave up your own son to save him. That doesn't sound like a bad mother or a bad pony."
"Thank you." Taltra said, returning her sight back to the ceiling. After a moment, she looked back over at Cadance.
"Princess Cadance?"
"Yes?"
"Please promise me you won't end up like me."
"What?"
"Don't give Queen Chrysalis a chance to tear you, Twilight, or Shining apart. You'll regret it for the rest of your days if you do."
"I promise."
"Thank you."
---
"Yeah... just be careful and stay around here, okay?" Lance wheezed. Rocky helped her sit down in the middle of the brush, grunting as he sat beside her.
"Okay Lance. Goodnight."
"Goodnight..." Lance yawned, turning back to Rocky Diamond and resting her head on his chest. He had already fallen asleep a few moments ago.
Blooming Lily trotted away from the brushes and bushes, trotting towards the stream. She trotted along the side of the stream, looking for something to play with.
Maybe there's some animals I could play with... I-I hope they don't bite. Blooming trotted away from the stream and towards the tree-line.
Or maybe I could draw in the snow... yeah. That sounds better.
Blooming trotted further into the forest, looking for a clear place where she could sit. After a few minutes of searching, she found a fairly open place, free of any bushes or trees. She picked up a small, dead tree-limb and began to draw lines and curves into the snow. Maybe I could draw something about Mom and Dad. A grin curved it's way across Blooming face. Yeah, I could show Lance. I hope it'll make her feel better.
---
Twilight trotted back and forwards in front of Pinkie and Rarity. She had become increasingly nervous about the Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash's condition.
They should've been back by now... Twilight thought. What if they got captured by the changelings... what if they're being hurt right now--
Twilight stopped, realizing she was letting her fears get to her.
Don't over-react... Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy know how to handle themselves.
"-And I still don't see why you had to bounce around the carriage when we were arriving at the Crystal Empire."
"Because I was excited to see Twilight! I knew she was having a bad time, so I just wanted to try and make her happy."
"And I'm glad to see that. But darling-"
"Y'all hush!" Applejack whispered as she covered Rarity's mouth
Twilight glanced back at them for a second, a bit concerned.
"What?" She asked. Applejack glanced in front of Twilight. Twilight turned back, seeing two changelings in the distance, trotting North, away from them. All of them remained silent as the changelings left their sight. Applejack pulled her hoof off of Rarity's mouth.
"So... whadda we do?"
"I'm not sure... maybe we should wait for Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy..."
"Why don't we just go after them?"
"I'm not sure..." Twilight said. Applejack glanced over her shoulder, checking for more changelings.
"Well, we can't just stand around, playin' with our hooves and wait for them ta catch us."
Twilight paced back and forwards for a moment. She turned back to them.
"Applejack, you come with me and we'll see if they lead us anywhere. Pinkie, Rarity, you two stay here and, if they get back before we do, tell Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy where we went."
"All right darling. You two please be precautious around them."
"We will. Y'all do the same."
Rarity nodded as Twilight and Applejack trotted in the direct that the changelings went.
---
Blooming hummed as she spat the tree-limb out of her mouth and look at the snow below her. There were two crudely drawn ponies on her right, and another at her left.
I didn't have any pencils or colors... it doesn't look good...
Blooming sighed as she slumped down, in her craft. She rested her head upon her fore-hooves and closed her eyes, imagining something better. Herself painting a masterpiece- filly's dreams.
Thump
Blooming's eyes bolted open, seeing that a large mound of snow had covered her drawing.
"Wha..." Blooming looked up, seeing a large bird hovering about her. She hesitantly backed away from it.
"U-Um..." Blooming said the bird cawing as it landed in front of her, picking up her drawing stick and flying in the opposite direction.
"Hey!" Blooming called. She galloped over the mound of snow and followed the bird intently.
She passed by dozens of different trees and bushes, keeping up with it(although she bumped into some of the trees and tripped over many fallen branches).
"Dang it! I hate those bucking things!"
Blooming slowed to a stop, allowing the bird escape.
"Please calm down. We need to fix this. And we'll get back to the rest and tell them what we saw. But we need to fix this first."
"Grr... you're right. I just- how are we gonna explain it to them?"
"We'll figure it out. Let's just focus on the task at hoof.
"H-hello?" Blooming hesitantly called out, her voice echoing through the woods.
A hush hissed through the bushes in front of her.
O-oh no...
She heard somepony's hoof-steps echo around her, and her heart began to pound. As the hoof-steps came closer, her hooves began to quiver.
"P-please..."
The bushes in front of her began to shake. She slowly backed away as a hoof stepped out.
"Who's here?"
A pegasus stepped out, her coat was sky blue and her multicolored mane was violet, orange, red, light gold, blue, and green. She had on a blue scarf.
"Please d-don't hurt me... I-I'll just leave-" "Are you a changeling?" She asked. Another hoof reached out from behind her, resting on her shoulder. The hoof's coat was buttercup.
"Don't..."
"I wasn't." She whispered, turning back to Blooming. The hoof quickly withdrew back behind the bushes
"So? Are you a changeling?"
"U-um..." Blooming mumbled, backing away.
"Look-- I'm not gonna hurt you. I just wanna know if you're a changeling or not so I can trust you, okay?"
"I'm not a changeling." Blooming quickly and quietly said, staring at the ground. She pulled her upperlip up, showing her gums. "No fangs, see?"
"Okay. Is anypony--" The pony stopped, suddenly gasping and shutting her eyes. Blooming jumped and back further away.
"Could you be a little easier when you're putting that one there? I'm cut pretty bad, and you prodding around with that bandage isn't helping the pain."
"Sorry."
The pony turned her attention back to Blooming.
"So, like I was saying, are you with anypony else?"
"My sister and a m-miner."
"All right..." The pony said, stepping out of the bush fully, revealing a piece of bloody, green cloth. She was followed by the same buttercup pony that she was talking to. She had on a green sweater that covered most of her upper body and fore-hooves, and a green scarf. Her mane was pink and covered the right side of her face.
"Do you wanna show us where they are?" The blue pony asked. Blooming stared at the ground again.
"Um... I-I don't know..."
"We don't want to hurt your sister or your friend. We'll just help them, I promise. Is that okay?" The buttercup said, kneeling down to where Blooming and she were at eye-level.
"O-okay." Blooming said hesitantly. The pony nodded and turned back to the blue pony.
"You sure you wanna do this, Flutters'? I don't mind."
"I-I'll be fine RD. You get back to Twilight and let them know what happened. I'll catch up with you guys as soon as I'm done here."
"All right. Just... be careful." RD said, slowly trotting backward, away from them.
"You too." The buttercup pony said as RD began to fly away. She turned back to Blooming.
"We should probably get going, okay?"
Blooming nodded, trotting past the pony and towards(where she thought) Lance and Rocky were.
---
"You should get some sleep." Taltra said. Cadance was still laying beside Shining, but she hadn't fallen asleep.
"I'm not leaving Shining's side until he's awake."
"I know, and I'm not trying to get you to do that, but I could watch after Shining while you get a few hours of rest."
"As weak as you feel right now? And who knows when the next part of the transformation will begin. I need to be awake. For your sake, and his."
"All right. Just-"
Taltra gasped, her chest feeling the same stabbing pain of before.
"What?"
"It's-- i-it's starting again!" Taltra said, wrapping her fore-hooves around her chest. She slid down to the ground from the cell wall, her breathing slow and labored. Her vision became blurry.
"Taltra?" Cadance said, trotting to her and carefully helping her sit back up. Taltra's head bobbed before she forced herself up. Cadance's pink coat had been swapped with white, and her long mane had become short.
"Mom?"
Taltra looked up, Cadance replaced with her son. His mane had been brushed upwards, and he had a slight frown. A weak smile spread across her face.
"It's... it's so good to see you again..."
"Are you okay? You don't look too good" He cupped her hoof.
"Don't... don't worry, Thunder... I'm..."
Taltra released a deep breath as her head fell.
"Taltra?" Cadance returned in Thunder's place. She put her ear against her chest.
Ba-dump
Ba-dump
Ba-dump
Her heartbeat... it's so slow... but, it's there. Cadance thought, relieved.
Cadance nearly jumped as somepony gasped from across the cell. The pony coughed roughly as a figure began to rise.
"C... Cadance?"
---