The Burning Traveler

by Dramize the Salamander

Infestation part 2

Pinkie was Watching the two queens talk from the tunnel entrance but couldn't hear anything so she moved closer hiding in the shadows but as she got close two of Chrysalis's guard came up behind her grabbing her and bring her into the soft light in everything's line of sight much to Chrysalis's surprise.

"What is one of the elements doing here." Chrysalis said looking at her guards. "Search the tunnels make sure she is alone."

"A jester element with a soul of stone and blood of chaos welcome to my court." Said the vespin queen as she leaned on her arm rest giving Pinkie a dead stare.

Pinkies main and tail deflated and she returned the queens stare "And your blood of iron is welcome to my soul of stone queen of spades." The queen's dead look changed to one of a full snake pure satisfaction which pinkie mirrored unnerving the changelings in the room.

"Such a fine tongue one that knows true madness in it's purest form but what for do you take?"

"I take the form of the path that protects it's travelers."

"A beautiful form you take and a lovely simple soul rich with understanding. Convince me are other of your kind like you stone jester."

"Most don't hold the flames of madness in the candles of the mind and those you do allow that flame to become a wildfire until it consumes all they are."

"Then the flames are their fate for an infested mind." A bell rung from out of no where causing the changelings to jump from the sound. "Yay tea time." Three vespin brought in a large table and two chairs while two smaller vespin flew in one carrying two tea pots and the other carrying three tea cups. "Come friends drink form tea of mind." Two vespin picked up the queen's throne and moved it to the head of the table Pinkie shook free and took a seat then Chrysalis sat down cups were placed in front of them then a bubbling silver liquid was poured in a soft gold liquid the vespin queen took her cup blew on it and drank deeply Pinkie did the same while Chrysalis took a small sip of the unfamiliar liquid but then golden aura surrounded the cup forcing her to drink deeper until the cup was empty.

"What did you... hahahaha.. give me...AHAHAHAH!" Chrysalis said in between out bursts of laugher then the Changelings started laughing as if they were told the funniest joke ever.

"A little toxin to release the madness within now you may talk on our level queen of hearts."

"Fang of darkness do hold back tokens of the mind and in madness the fangs are broken." Pinkie commented casually getting a nod of agreement from the vespin queen.

"Now back to aged thoughts the conquest of the jesters race."

"Hahaha yes conquest the sweet word that brings a requiem of silence." Chrysalis said as calming down.

"A requiem I will not allow queen of hearts lest you don't want your head."

"My head stays but your ponies jester are my fruit ready to be plucked from the old tree."

"The fruit may be ripe but the gates to it's garden are closed to you."

"Then we will force the gates open and take from the tree at our leisure ." Chrysalis used her magic blasted Pinkie against a wall and held her their. "And there's nothing you can or your ponies do about it jester."

"I may be a jester but I will protect my friends I will be their guardian." Zerker turned into a lighting bolt that dashed around the room before returning to strike Pinkie before she glow a bright pink.

"A bond beast so they are aligned with my lovely king of black diamonds I will not go against my king sorry queen of hearts your on your own."

"A bond beast?" Chrysalis questioned still shielding her eyes form the light before claw grabbed her face and threw her the opposite wall. The light faded revealing the now kirin Pinkie. Her mane turn a copper color and grown down to her new flat copper colored beaver like tail new curled ram horns rested just out of her main the copper scales on her forearms and legs shined in the light as electricity dance around her body.

"Leave now Chrysalis while you can you get only one chance." Pinkie said staring directly in Chrysalis's eyes.

"I WON'T RUN FROM A WEAK LITTLE PONY!" Chrysalis screamed full of rage send a ping through her hivemind calling all her guards to her side. "KILL THAT PONY!" The twenty changelings pulled out lances, sword and axes. and charged at Pinkie who just growled and did an low dash at them but was stopped by Chrysalis levitating her making her an easy target but then Pinkie leaned forward and curled into an ball rotating forward like a wheel and revealing spikes that went down her back to her tail that's when the changeling felt the pull their weapon and everything else metal was being pulled to Pinkie and the faster Pinkie spun the stronger the pull became and as more metal collected on Pinkie the heavy she became until Chrysalis had to drop her letting the metal ball that was pinkie bowl over her guards to roll right at her. Chrysalis dived out of the way at the perfect time letting Pinkie hit the wall but just before Pinkie hit the wall she dropped her metal shell and started to roll up the wall and around the room."

"Impressive control." The vespin queen said to her self sipping more tea and levitating the table just before Pinkie could hit it as she watch Chrysalis dodge an blast Pinkie to try to stop her but failing. But then she had an idea, Chrysalis ran for the vespin queen as fast as she could grabbing her to use as a shield and it worked Pinkie stop rolling towards her. But the queen looked at her with a unamused look. "Really, queen of hearts really?"

"Yes really now shut up and don't move we will negotiate how I will take over your hive once we make it back to my hive." Chrysalis started to move to the exit.

"Sad." The queen blinked and a vespin drone appeared behind Chrysalis grabbing her shoulders and slammed it hooks in her head before making a clicking sound. Chrysalis let go of the queen and just stood their. "Escort her and her flies back to her hive then release them not a second earlier nor later." The vespin drones grabbed the changelings and took them out of the hive leaving Pinkie and the queen alone. "Now jester your race is different from the ponies I know. Tell me why the twin flowers have a different flavor?"

"One was grown under harmonious light while the other under chaotic day."

"I see well I must see this harmonious light one day but until then watch over my little larva for only time will tell what it will be."

"Yes queen of spades may your iron blood flow."

"And you solid soul be steady."

Pinkie left without another word think to herself what to tell the others about the hive under their hoofs and as she was thinking she changed back into her normal state but now she had two small horns behind her ears and a copper tinge to her longer main and tail. just as she heard rustling ahead of her. She was tired and a bit weak from change so she jumped up in the tree and hid in the shadows until she saw it was Celestia from the tree tops. "Princess what are you doing here I thought you were chasing Dramize in the skies?"

"Look for you, after in figured out I was chasing a mirage a caste a tracking spell and caught up with Twilight who told me you went missing. So where have you been?"

"Well you see... You know what everypony is going to want to hear this." Celestia sent up a beacon gathering all the ponies back at the kirin base. "Ok let's get inside their something I have to tell you." The group entered the base and walked to the training arena to see Dramize sitting on a crate reading a notebook with the words weapon updates on it and Fluttershy was fighting a suit of living armor that was copying her movements.

"Hey you found Pinkie good job." Dramize said without looking from his book.

"Yeah no thanks to you and when did Fluttershy get here?" Rainbow said venom in her voice.

"I woke up a few minutes ago and flew here to burn some energy, I hope that was all right."

"Oooh ok anyway Pinkie what did you want to tell us?"

"Right but first I've got to show you something." Pinkie step into the arena punch away the armor and standing in front of Fluttershy. "Fluttershy get Oni we are gonna spar." This shocked everyone leaving them speechless then Fluttershy started to laugh.

"Your joking right, now my power eclipses your but in kirin form I will destroy you like crushing a grape." Fluttershy kept laughing until Pinkie punched the ground and caused a rock wave to move towards Fluttershy who jumped up and out of the way. "Ok then fine lets go. ONI!" Oni jumped from a pillar landing next to Fluttershy who sheathed her swords and got into a fighting stance. Pinkie charged in first with a flurry of punches which Fluttershy dodged with ease. "Come on Pinkie I thought you wanted to spar not do tai chi."

"You know your right maybe I should get faster. Zerker let's go wild." Electricity started to flow around Pinkie before she dashed with incredible speed at Fluttershy giving her a punch she couldn't dodge sending her strait into the wall behind her raising a big dust cloud. "Awww did that hurt."

"Onigiri." Fluttershy vanished from the wall appearing next to Pinkie in her kirin form spinning before knocking Pinkie away with her tail lunch her into a wall as well. "Awww did that hurt."

"Guardian." A copper ball came of the wall slamming into Fluttershy which uncurled revealing Pinkies kirin form which shocked everyone in the room for a bit before both kirin started to charge at each other but before they could hit each other a wave of magma rose up between them forcing them to stop.

"Ok your done here now tell us what happened that you bonded with Tempest after lunch come on lets go." The group was about to object but then they heard Pinkie's and Fluttershy's stomachs growl as soon as they reverted to normal so the followed Dramize deeper into the tunnels to a new cavern with lava lining the sides and a large table in the middle filled with all different kinds of food. "Well what are you waiting for?" everyone ran forward to grab food filling plates they found and avoiding the meat and gem dishes like the plague except for Dramize almost exclusive filled his plate with them. "Yo Flutters, Pinks you should try the meat and gems or else your lives will be miserable trust me."

Both bonded ponies looked at each other before turning to Dramize "We'll take our chances now tell us what happened Pinkie." Fluttershy said starting five layer veggie lasagna on a roasted black rose bed covered in a modest sweet lemon and garlic sauce. Then is when Pinkie recounted what happened.

Comments

[Nova Arc]

Nice chapter. I love how you depicted Pinkamena (crazy/depressed Pinkie). And the conversation was very well done. I like how the queens double-crossed each other. And nice fight scenes. Just two things:
1. Vesper queen is still nameless?
2. Does going into Kirin form always make them more agressive at first, or does it depend on anything (personality, history, bloodline, etc.)?

[Dramize the Salamander]

6316738 thanks for reminding me I forgot to go in to that second one and yes the queen is still nameless but if you want to know the aggression does depend on something.

[Nova Arc]

6316812 I am curious...