Warped Mind

by TheUnknownPerson

Broken Bonds

Shining Armor stumbled as he tried to keep with Taltra's pace. She hadn't slowed since they had left Cadance's cell.

"Taltra- what's the matter? Why do we need to see Queen Chrysalis."

Taltra remained silent as she continued to trot passed the doorway outside of the dungeon in silence. She trotted up to the paace and rushed inside. Queen Chrysalis was still at her throne.

"Queen Chrysalis,"

"Yes?" Queen Chrysalis yawned.

"Where is my husband?"

Queen Chrysalis stopped and stared at her.

"Pardon?"

"My husband! Warding! You said he'd be in the room exiting the first cell block. Where is he?!"

"Calm down, Taltra. You'll see your husband in due time."

"No! You tell me this every time! I want to know where he is right now!" Taltra yelled. Queen Chrysalis looked down at her with a condescending gaze.

"Hmph, fine. Perhaps you need to be reminded of where disobedience gets you in this kingdom." Queen Chrysalis asked. Her horn glowed, emitting a green light. Shining horn began to burn painfully. He grunted as he grabbed his head. Taltra stood firmly in her spot, seemingly unaffected by Queen Chrysalis spell.

"I'm not moving from this spot until you tell me where Warding Hunter is," Taltra said. Queen Chrysalis stood up from her throne and began to slowly trot down to Taltra.

"Really?" Queen Chrysalis said, taking a step. "You aren't going to move, despite the burning in your horn? I mean, you know what happens when I get closer to you."

The burning became more intense as Queen Chrysalis took another step. Taltra tightly shut her right eye, but still stood strongly.

"That pain- one of the worst pains imaginable, in the most sensitive area on your body, and you aren't going to move?"

Another step. The burning spread from his horn to the entire top of his scalp. Taltra shook her head for a moment before standing still.

"Another hoof closer. Has the pain begun spreading to your head yet? Maybe even to your neck by now. It'd be so much easier if you were obedient."

Another step. Now Shining's entire head and neck were affected by the painful sensation. Taltra head fell for a moment before she forced herself to bring it up.

"Think about it; if you were obedient, none of this would be happening, now would it, my subject?"

"I don't care. Just tell me where my husband is."

"Would you really like to know where your husband is? Truthfully?"

"Yes!"

Queen Chrysalis stopped as the pain numbed and suddenly became nullified.

"You-" Queen Chrysalis turned to a guard and motioned for the changeling to come to her. The changeling trotted up to her. She whispered some unintelligible into its ear. The changeling nodded and turned away, trotting pass Shining and Taltra.

"He'll be here in a moment."

"Wait- I-I'm seeing him now?"

"Of course. Unless you'd like for me to wait-" "No! Er... I mean, of course not your highness."

"Good. I'm a very busy changeling, you should know that, so don't waste too much time."

"Of course your highness. I'll make sure it is brief." Taltra said, bowing. She had a small smile on her face as she bowed.

After a minute or two, Shining heard the door behind him open. Taltra rushed away from him, towards the door.

"Warding-?!"

Shining heard her gasp sharply. He became confused for a moment and turned around

"No... no!"

As Shining turned, he saw why she seemed so surprised.

Standing beside the door was Renla.

---

Oh, horseapples! I gotta work fast!

I sat Lance down against the nearest tree, making sure to be careful around her wings. Okay, cuts first, then I'll see what I can do about the wings.

"Give me the scarf, Blooming."

Blooming's shaking hooves passed me the scarf as I began to put it over the cut on her ribs, tying it around her back. Okay... what next...

I surveyed over her body, looking at the numerous cuts on her hooves, back, and wings.

"Why are you just standing there?! Help her!" Blooming pushed me towards Lance gently.

"I'm trying, dang it! Just- gimme a minute!"

Maybe- maybe I could try and pluck some of the broken feathers? That's what pegasi do after a bad crash happens, right?

"I'll try to get the broken feathers out of her wings. At least she'll be a little comfortable."

Blooming nodded. She helped me get Lance onto her stomach. I quickly leaned down, using my teeth to pluck out the first broken feather that I saw. I spat it out and continued to the next, taking care to make sure she wasn't in any pain.

"I-I think that's all of them."

Lance let out a congested cough as we turned her back onto her side. She groaned.

"Lance?" Blooming questioned, gently rocking her right fore-hoof. Lance opened her right eye.

"Blooming-" She lifted her right fore-hoof, gently taking hold of her hoof. "You're both safe. Thank Celestia." Her voice was frail.

"Are you okay?"

"I'll be-" A rough cough interrupted her. "fine. Rocky-" She glanced up at me.

"I need you to- to take my scarf. Tie my left wing in place then get us out of here."

I nodded, gently unraveling her scarf. I gently wrapped the scarf around her wing.

"Where should I-I tie it to?"

"The right one." She coughed. I nodded, tying them together. Her left wing twitched as she rolled onto her stomach, pushing up.

"Oh, no-" I grabbed her by her right fore-hoof, pulling her up. "Let me help. You're too hurt."

"I'm fine," Lance said, trying to push me away on quivering hooves.

"This is one thing I'm not letting you be stubborn on, Lance. You can barely stand, now let me help you."

She turned to me, glancing downwards.

"Fine." Lance turned away from me, towards Blooming.

"Thank you. Let's get moving."

---

Twilight trotted to her door and pushed it open. Spike snored on her back as she carried him inside and sat him on her bed.

Guess that he must be tuckered out from all the studying. Either that or he was bored.

She sat beside Spike and looked over her notes once more.

My spell looks all right... now, we just need to find the Changeling Empire. It's to the north... at least that's what that guard said.

Twilight closed her notebook and sat it down on the table beside her bed. She pulled her hind-hooves on top of the bed and sat her head on a pillow at the head of her bed.

I need to get some rest. We'll need to be up early tomorrow if we want to find the Changeling Empire in time.

Twilight sighed and closed her eyes.

Tomorrow...

---

Lance limped beside me, holding her stab wound as she tried to keep pace with me.

"You need me to stop for a minute?"

"Keep going..." Lance choked out, grinding her teeth. I can't stop, there're too many changelings behind us.

Blooming Lily whimpered, worried about her sister.

"Don't worry. I'll be fine." She said with a smile, although her voice was filled with pain.

"O-okay..." Blooming said with a ting of uncertainty. Poor filly... probably worried half to death.

Horseapples... I feel so bad... they're so ruthless- so aggressive. I can't keep up. Why do they hate us so much?

Wait... what- what if it's because of me? Because I killed that changeling? Lance is on her last hooves because of me.

No- I-I can't blame myself for that. Changelings are ruthless from nature... right?

They weren't even this ruthless before. They were cruel sure, but they weren't actively trying to kill us. I mean, Lance has been stabbed twice, her wings are dislocated, and her shoulder's infected. She can't take much more.

Maybe- just maybe if I let them have me, they'll leave them alone.

"Rocky. you all right up there?"

I turned back to Lance. She had turned up to me, her eyebrows furrowed in concern. I slowed to a stop.

"Yeah... yeah, everything's fine."

"You don't sound so certain."

I smiled, wiping her mane away from her eyes. A small blush spread across her face.

"Don't worry. Everything'll be fine."

I gently, yet swiftly, pressed my lips to hers, kissing her. Lance's eyes widened.

As quickly as it started, I pulled away.

"Er..." Lance chuckled. "Where the hay did that come from?"

"Just wanted to do it before I didn't have the chance."

"Not going anywhere yet. Let's pick up the pace."

"Not going anywhere yet."

But I might...

---

"R-Renla?"

"Yes, Taltra?"

"T-there's no way... she said-" Taltra quickly turned to Queen Chrysalis. "You-you said you'd not hurt him if I joined him."

"I did. He wanted to serve me of his own free will-" "Liar!" She screamed with fury. "You have him controlled! Y-you have to be!"

"Taltra is any way to talk to me-" "No! I'm sick of telling the same lie over and over again! You're not noble! You've destroyed and tore apart families of ponies- innocent ponies, including me and Shining Armor! You had me controlled and made me think this- this insanity was right! It's not!"

"I think it's fine. They took our only source of food."

Taltra turned away from Queen Chrysalis and to Renla.

"Warding- Warding Hunter, if you're anywhere in there, I need you to fight! Break her spell! Come back to the real world!" Taltra said, grabbing Renla by the shoulders and shaking him. Renla jerked away from her, seemingly scared of her. Suddenly, the burning pain came back, causing Taltra to flinch and jerk back from Renla. She yelped sharply, turning away.

"Enough, Taltra! Shining Armor, take her to the dungeon!" Queen Chrysalis beared her teeth with anger. Shining Armor glanced to her, then scanned over Taltra.

"Shining, please! You know I'm right!"

"She's not, now do as you're told!"

Shining glanced downwards. "Just- hold on."

"Now, Shining!"

"Think about Cadance! What would you do if she were in my hooves?"

"Shut up!"

"Make me! I'll never forgive you for what you've done!"

"Fine!"

A green cloud surrounded Queen Chrysalis' horn, slithering towards Taltra. It wrapped around her horn, seeping into it. Taltra's horn sparked, as she shrieked.

"You're nothing! I'll have another changeling replace you!" Queen Chrysalis barked as she trotted to Taltra, pushing her into the wall as she held her down. She wrapped her hooves around her neck, pressing her into the wall as she tried to strangle Taltra. Taltra's hooves flung wildly, kicking at her hind-hooves, the wall, Queen Chrysalis' stomach- trying to free herself.

Move... Shining told himself, but his hooves remained in place.

"Shining-" Taltra choked out. "Please!"

Move Shining. He took a single step forward.

The magical cloud intensified, becoming translucent as Taltra's hooves began to slow.

Move!

Shining broke into a full sprint, rushing over to Queen Chrysalis and tackling her. Taltra collapsed, as the cloud disappeared. She gulped down deep breaths, regaining her ability to breathe.

"Shining Armor- get off of me!" She hissed. Renla pulled Shining off of her, punching him in the snout. Shining backed away, back in front of Taltra. "What are you doing?! Let us get to her!"

"No. You're going to have to go through me."

Queen Chrysalis sighed, rubbing the bridge her snout.

"My Queen, should I-" "No. Get your soldiers and detain them. I'll keep them here."

"Of course, your highness." Renla quickly exited. A green cloud surrounded the door, Shining, and Taltra, lifting them into the air

"You two aren't going anywhere."

---