My Strange Ponies

by CTVulpin

The Vorinrac, part 2

When you’re in a line of work like mine, pursuing and hunting dangerous game, it is vitally important to hold a measure of respect for your target. That’s especially important when what you’re hunting is intelligent, cunning, and can fly. The Vorinrac was evidently all of this and more, based on the fact that it had dug its way out of Tartarus rather than attempting to go through the Gates and Cerberus and that it left no tracks beyond its exit point. Its means of exit served two purposes: bypassing the nearly perfect guardian that was Cerberus and cutting down on travel time significantly. The Gates of Tartarus are located deep in the Badlands and far, far away from any settlements of ponies or other creatures, but the caverns extend under almost the whole of the Badlands (which may say something about why the Badlands exist…). Emerging from the Vorinrac’s hole, Chrysalis and I found ourselves uncomfortably close to the borders. Well, I was uncomfortable about it; I think Chrys was too occupied with enjoying the fresh air to care. I kept a close eye on her as I scouted around for a sense of the Vorinrac’s direction of travel. Despite the promise she’d made to me, she was still technically an escaped convict that I was obligated to return to Tartarus by any means necessary. Still…

“Come on, we’re wasting time,” the Changeling Queen said.

“Patience,” I replied, “I’ve never had to hunt this particular beastie before and you kidnapped me before I could get more than a basic feel for the Vorinrac’s ‘scent.’ I don’t like extending it lead, but I’d prefer to head off in the right direction.”

“It will want to feed,” Chrysalis said, sounding a bit too confident in the declaration, “Where is the nearest town?”

“Somewhere that way,” I said, waving a hoof toward the north. My follow-up that I avoided civilization as a rule was cut off before the first word when Chrys swept me onto her back and took to the air. I tried to protest, but she ignored me and I gave up when the mild airsickness kicked in. I don’t like flying; if I had skin, I’d be a run-of-the-mill earth pony to the core.

A short time later we left the Badlands behind and came to a lightly wooded land. A bit later I saw the edge of the woods approaching and thatched roofs began to be visible over the horizon. I decided that was too close to the surface dwellers for comfort (at least, without a plan), but Chrysalis showed no signs of slowing down. So, putting faith in my more-likely-than-not immortality, I rolled off her back and let gravity pull me down toward the trees. Chrys tried to catch me, but before she could reach me I hit a pear tree and ricocheted through the branches until I hit the ground, disturbing a family of partridges on the way. After accounting for a few spots that would likely develop into bruises, I figured that luck had been on my side once again. Then Chrysalis landed in front of me, her lovely eyes nearly glowing.

Her voice had a stronger buzzing undertone than usual as she asked, “What is wrong with you Skin? The Vorinrac is close! We have to catch it.”

“How do you know where it is, hm?” I asked, squinting. She took a step back and averted her gaze, her bottom lip curling inward slightly. “Well, assume I believe you,” I said, “We can’t go flying around in full view of the locals looking like this. I got off lightly the last time I slipped up and let that happen, but considering the current circumstances… You’ll certainly lose whatever slim chance you have of keeping your free-range privileges.”

“I don’t see the problem,” Chrysalis said, “Just adopt another form and-”

“From what?” I snapped, gesturing around at the distinctly unoccupied area around me, “You’re the only thing around here I can lick, and that only works for your true shape.”

“Right,” Chyrs said with a sigh, and then flew off in the direction of the town without another word.

“Chrysalis!” I yelled after her, and then galloped off in pursuit, muttering, “It’s not my fault. I did not ask for this. I am not responsible,” under my breath as a mantra. I couldn’t go running back to Tartarus without at least the Changeling Queen or the Vorinrac in tow, but my odds of catching up to either of them didn’t look good at the time. Heck, I still didn’t know what the Vorinrac really looked like.

About twenty minutes of solid running later, I sensed I was getting close to the town and slowed down, automatically switching to a stealthy approach. The only plan I was able to come up with was hoping a lone pony would wander by so I could ambush them and borrow their appearance, but before I picked out a hiding spot to wait in, I heard someone hissing my name from deep in the brush. Recognizing Chyrs’s voice, I stalked angrily toward her, fully intending to chew her out for giving me a complex, but came up short when I reached her and found two normal-sized Changelings standing on either side of her and two ponies laid out on the ground, out cold and held in place by changeling goo.

“Hello Skin,” Chrys said sweetly, “allow me to introduce Cream Puff,” she gestured to the cream-colored pony on the left, “and Hot Shot,” she indicated the bright red pony and then smiled more broadly as she concluded, “They’re locals who have… been volunteered to serve as our covers in town.”

I looked at the captive ponies, and then at the Changelings and said, “I take it your buggy friends here have been impersonating these to up until now. I thought all the Changelings had been rounded up already.”

“Hardly,” Chrysalis said, rolling her eyes, “Less than half the force I brought against Canterlot is in Tartarus right now. The rest apparently managed to lay low quickly enough to avoid capture.” She gave one of the little bug-ponies an affectionate head-rub, causing it to sit up proudly.

“You know, I’m probably obligated to bring those two in,” I said. The changeling trio stiffened a bit and Chrys started to respond, but I cut her off by going over to the red pony and licking him, adopting his shape. “I think I’ll have my hooves full enough with you and the Vorinrac though, your highness, so if they’re not around when I’m ready to head back…”

Chrys smiled wickedly and transformed into a copy of Cream Puff. “I knew I liked the way you think,” she said.

Comments

[CTVulpin]

I wasn't expecting this to take more than 2 parts, but...

[UseFistNotMouth]

1097889

Meh. It's a side project. No pressure on pumping out plot. Piecemeal is fine.

[StormyStrife]

I like Skin actually, to be honest I really like Skin, pretty cool point of view he has, also how the whole thing is told, also the world he's usually in too.