Translucent Heart: Tales of a half breed

by Harmony Split

Breaking point

Chapter four : Breaking point

I was laying on my back on the couch, eyes closed and relaxing. The last few days had been rather positive, and everything indicated that there’d be more good days in the future. Yes, everything was good.

Well, except the feeding problem...

There is no problem. I gave you the solution yesterday.

Not you again.

You know it’s the best solution!

“Oh, shut up!” I shouted out loud, nearly immediately hearing hoofsteps.

“Aurora? Is everything alright?” a soft voice asked before the door slowly opened and Berryshine stuck her head in. She looked like I had thrown her out of her bed with my voice.

“Sorry, Berry. Just a bad dream. Please, go back to bed,“ I whispered, trying my best to avoid her gaze.

She approached me and sat down on the other end of the couch, smiling softly at me, “Anything you want to talk about?” Berry whispered, making me sigh.

“I dreamt about my family, nothing special. I don’t really want to talk about that,” I said, hoping she wouldn’t catch the lie and leave it be.

It hurt badly to lie to the only pony I trusted at the moment. That wasn’t even mentioning that she saved me, gave me shelter and a job.

“Why is that a bad dream?” she asked.

I thought back to the day that the changelings had caught me and my mother, and shivered, “Because not every memory is a good one, Berry,” I answered as I closed my eyes.

After a few moments of silence, I felt something warm at my side and nearly jumped up. Opening my eyes and looking to my side, a piece of plum coat greeted me, making my mind stutter.

What is she doing? Why does this feel so warm and… good?

Without thinking, I softly nuzzled into the plum coat and Berry sighed. I didn’t know what was going on, but at the moment the only thing that mattered was the warm and soft coat pressed against my side.

***

I was feeling warm, fuzzy, and just generally good. It seemed that everything was right in the world. Soft beams of sun tickled my coat and I slowly opened my eyes, realizing that I was laying on the couch. The warm feeling I noticed was coming from my side, bringing a lazy smile to my face. I turned to look, not expecting to see what I did.

My heart beat louder and harder than ever before as I saw the plum earth pony, nuzzled deeply into the fur on my side. I really had no clue what had happened, until I remembered.

She just laid at my side last night after that nightmare. Is that what friends do for each other?

I wasn't really good with all that friendship stuff. But to be honest, I couldn't wait to learn more. My only friend I ever had before Berry was from my school, many, many years ago. It was not more than a shadow in my mind, all the happy times buried underneath pain and other things the Queen had done to me.

With a sigh, I leaned back, enjoying the warmth a bit more. It wasn't that bad. In fact, it made me feel a hundred times better than before. Just as my eyelids started to close again, I heard a soft yawn and the feeling of Berry nuzzling against my side..

“Good morning, Snowy, my love,” came the muffled whisper that made my heart freeze.

Looking over at my side, I saw Berry tugging at me with all her hooves, burying her muzzle deeply into my side and going so far as to kiss parts of my side with loving pecks. Before I could say anything, she looked up and her gaze met mine. With a loud ‘eep’, Berry rushed up and ran to the bathroom, not looking back and leaving me with thoughts of worry and confusion.

A few minutes went by in silence before the shower started as I got to my hooves. Shaking the sleep out of my eyes, my hooves took me slowly to the kitchen. Some breakfast wouldn't be too bad, but all I found were some buns and apple marmalade. With a sigh, I prepared some of them and hoped that they would be enough.

After I prepared everything, I sat down at the small kitchen table, waiting for Berry to finish her shower. She entered the kitchen a few minutes later with an apologetic expression, her mane still damp from the shower.

“I’m sorry, Aurora. I dreamt about Snowbreeze last night, and I woke up cuddled next to you, and all I could see was your white fur. My mind just… I’m sorry,” she hesitantly spoke, her eyes never leaving the floor.

That doesn’t explain why she just cuddled up to me last night… ah, better not to ask.

I was at her side in three steps, my wings unfolded and pulling her into a soft hug before I even really thought about it, “Don’t be,” I whispered softly while she blushed furiously, “What?” I asked, eyebrow raising.

“Aurora... last time. You hugged me with your wings. I thought it was just the moment, but now you are doing it again. You know what it means if a pegasus hugs with it's wings?” she paused and looked deep into my eyes while I nodded my head, “It means that the pegasus really likes the pony she or he is hugging, you know?”

Before I could shut my muzzle, two dangerous words left it, “So what?”

Berry looked surprised at me for a few moments before she smiled, “I like you too, Aurora. How about I show you the room behind the café today? Where I do the cakes and so on? Maybe you're going to be the next pastry chef, Aurora!” she laughed as she squeezed me tightly.

I simply joined in with her laugh as we broke the embrace, both sitting down and enjoying our breakfast. The buns were ate quite quickly and a look at the clock made it clear that it was time to open the café again.

Berry smirked at me and got up, grabbing her bags and pointed at some saddlebags near the fridge, “Would you be so kind and carry them? The ingredients for some cakes are in there, fresh out of Ponyville.”

I nodded and put them on, following her out of the kitchen and the house. It was a beautiful day, maybe even warm enough to prepare the tables outside. I chuckled at this.

I’m already into this, I guess. Hehe.

We reached the café pretty quickly, and Berry was about to dive into her bags for the key, but I was faster. With a quick motion, I pulled the key out of the bags with a wing and unlocked the door, a smiling Berry stepping in.

“Like I said… they will come in handy,” she commented as I followed her.

I laughed and we walked past the counter and through the door, coming into a very small kitchen. I looked around, finding an old oven, some counters and fridges around.

“Sorry, Berry, but if I may ask… You’re no unicorn. How can you keep all the fridges running? It sure must cost a lot of magic,” I said, wondering how it was even possible.

“A good friend of my cousin visits every month to load some magic storage. They keep the fridges running,” with that she walked to a corner of the room and opened something that looked like a storage crate, a strange-looking machine in it.

“Ahh, I see,” I said as I nodded.

A good friend of her cousin and a unicorn? That could be a serious problem. If everything the Queen said was true, unicorns can sense and discover us. I should be wary if that unicorn checks by to load this machine.

“Well, let’s see if you can make a simple vanilla cake. I got a list of ingredients here, and some instructions on what you have to do. I want you to just try it while I prepare everything else for the customers. You think you can do it?” Berry smiled and took a small book from a counter, opening a page from it.

I worked my way through the instructions, adding the ingredients and mixing them like the book said. After some work, the cake was nearly done, and I just had to bake it. Turning to the oven, I recognized that it was already burning away, and I smiled. The cake was in, and I couldn’t wait to see how it turned out.

Oh my, I really am trying to impress her, aren’t I?

My thoughts were disturbed by an icy pain in my head, pulsing faintly first, then stronger and stronger. Something was invading my mind, something I thought would never happen again.

Someone of the hive is near… how is that possible? It’s getting stronger… he is close… If I can feel him, he can feel me as well.

It was a few moments after that thought that I heard the bell ring and Berry greeting some customers. The feeling that came from the door made it clear that the changeling was inside the café, and it made me frown.

What now? If I confront him, everything might be revealed… but if I let him run free, he might hurt Berry or somepony else.

I liked Berry a lot. So it was no question whether or not I would confront the changeling, but it was more of a question as to how I would do it. With no plan in mind, I shivered and walked towards the door. I would do everything I could to protect Berry, even though I had no idea why I was willing to risk exposure just to protect her.

As I opened the door and stepped out behind the counter, Berry was busy with the tea, giving me a soft smile that I returned before heading to the disguised changeling. He was sitting at a table with the yellow mare from yesterday. His gaze met mine and his face went white.

He nearly jumped out of his chair and ran to me, bowing in front of me, “Captain! You’re alive! I didn’t know that anyone else survived… I’m-”

I stopped him with a glare and looked around. Berry seemingly hadn't heard anything, so I pulled him up quickly and whispered harshly into his ear, “We’re in disguise here, you idiot! Now stop acting like that… The hive is dead, we don’t have to use ranks anymore, Lieutenant.”

My former Lieutenant frowned and tried to act normally. His disguise was of a grey unicorn with white hair. Every time I’d seen him, those colours were his favourite choice when it came to disguising as a pony.

“I don’t think the Queen is dead. You are betraying the hive, working and living under ponies. I had to stop here to feed, but you seem to be doing it without purpose!” he whispered, his voice growing angry. I knew he wasn’t far from revealing everything.

If he continues, Berry will know everything, or he will hurt her. No. I can’t let this happen.

I felt anger rising in me, and another feeling I tried to hide for so long. To be honest, I loved the heat of battle, balancing on a string between death and life. My former Lieutenant seemed to notice the glare flickering in my eyes and gulped. Looking around, I saw that Berry was still busy behind the counter, and the yellow mare covered behind a newspaper.

With a small growl, I walked towards the door, the other changeling following me. There were a few other ponies in sight outside, so I walked around the corner and behind the building. Nopony was there, and I turned to my former Lieutenant as he dropped his disguise.

“You are betraying us!” he howled, pointing at me, “You should wear your true form, not this… ugly disguise of a pony!”

“The Queen is dead, so is the hive! Leave this place and never come back, Lieutenant. And this ‘is’ my true form,” I replied, my voice cold and not revealing any feeling.

You have to kill him… If you let him live, he will tell everypony what we really are!

Not you again...I can’t just kill him!

You can! You want to! Kill him and save Berry! Save your existence here!

No… I can’t! You are just trying to make me the way I used to be!

Stop denying it! You want to save Berry and kill him! Kill him!

I can’t!

Kill him now, otherwise Berry will know everything! Or worse; she’ll die!

My mind burned with a rage, so did every muscle in my body. Something took me over, and I couldn’t stop it. With a howl, my natural form broke and revealed the changeling within me as I ran forward, knocking him down with a hit on his front legs. He went down with a curse and turned to land a hit on me. I wasn’t in fighting shape, so I couldn’t react fast enough. His fangs pierced my flank, drawing a deep, bloody wound.

Don’t play with him, kill him!

I turned around and loaded two spells I thought I would never use again. The first shot was a burst of energy like an arrow that was aimed at his rear hooves. It pierced through them, making him unable to move. The second one formed a dark blue blade, heading straight for his body. His eyes were pleading at me before he cried out, the blade sinking deep in his body. I shuddered as he fell to the ground, my mind clearing again.

What did I do?

You saved Berry.

I felt the pressure in my mind again, then the magic. The corpse in front of my glowed, then burned down and sunk through the earth in an arcane burst of fire. There was no sign of the fight or any struggle, the only evidence was the bleeding wound in my side.

What are you doing?

I’m helping you.

There was no need to kill him.

There is no need to hide it, you're a fighter and a leader. Fighting will always be your strength.

No!

I shook my head and screamed out, vocalizing my pain before I got to my hooves and ran. I wasn’t able to think anymore, I just wanted to run away and hide somewhere, then die in the last bit of peace that I could find.

Berryshine will be better off without me. Without a murdering and love draining creature at her side.

I never noticed the calls from the small town, calls that carried my name. Soon, I left the town far behind me, the wide desert surrounding me.

Author's Note:

Aaaand here it is.
Sorry for being late, but as you know I've been sick all week.
Anyways, hope you enjoyed the sudden turn in the story

Comments

[zeek20freak]

This is getting better every chapter.

[tsaukpaetra]

Hmm, she really needs to gain control, things are getting unnecessarily harsh for her.
Besides, how was the Lieutenant able to discern her "betrayal"? Is it so far-fetched she's on a love gathering mission? Hmm?..
Keep going! ;)

[Harmony Split]

5766125

Glad you like it so far.

5767281

It is a bit suspicious if you walk in from a backroom, covered in flour and stuff^^
Edit: Besides it's well-known that Aurora only followed the hive because of her mother

[tsaukpaetra]

5767879 not if your cover requires it. A good spy is ignored, an excellent spy blends in.
In fact, the Lieutenant's actions are hardly befitting such a rank, he should be the one accused of treason. You don't just start shouting matches in a public area, draws attention and makes you more memorable. In fact, I would expect Aurora to get questioned on it after this stunt?

[Harmony Split]

5768083

Please cover your responses with spoiler...
And no, if you followed the story she was lucky that Berry was busy, nopony recognized anything.
For the thing about the rank. Aurora wasn't real accepted. She only did it for her mother.
If you've read chapter one exactly you could tell it. They had no real reason to trust her completely.

[tsaukpaetra]

5768090 regardless of trust, it's still a breach in protocol, no matter who you are or how popular you may be.:)

[Harmony Split]

5768103

I don't think you can just put out the system of the changelings and compare it to any other.

[tsaukpaetra]

5768107 can and should. Most surviving societies exhibit certain tendencies of which others also exhibit. For instance, a secret society tends not to reveal their members without cause. I don't really believe your changelings are so far removed from the stereotypes that they're not relatable. Were it so, they would have found infiltration a much more daunting task.

[Harmony Split]

5768133

We're far away from the main plot anyways.
More with the hive itself will occur later

[tsaukpaetra]

5768107 I'm just challenging your world, don't take it personally. If you can make believable rationale for the story, it's all good in the end.

5768141 Doh! Missed that until just now.