Tick-Tock The Bet is Up

by Black Hailstorm

Chapter 10

Chapter 10: Opportunities

“Take a chance Tennyson!”

The changeling queen, Chrysalis sat silently on her throne of stones, as the dragon sitting silently beside her waited for her response.

“Well?” Darkstar asked.

The Changeling Queen said nothing, her eyes closed as she could suddenly feel, sense the rage of her children, her subjects. As their fury came crashing into her Chrysalis’ eyes snapped open as if she’d just been given quite the scare. Her harlequin eyes now moving over to the dragon as she stared at him with silent observation.

“I see you have enacted the plan, already” she said in a low considerate tone. “But you didn’t tell me it would be this soon now did you Morningstar?” the queen said with lidded annoyance in her eyes.

Darkstar merely smiled. “Now Chrysi, you know as well as I that if my enemies from my home find this place, they will find Gwen. And I’m sure my darling” the dragon said raising the distorted hoof of the queen gingerly in his own claws as he continued to smile. “No I am positive, when they find this place. They will find Gwen. And if they find out you have been leeching off the people of that town.

“Well I don’t need to say much more on what would happen to you and your subjects, do I?” he asked with a slight deviant touch to his smile.

Chrysalis scowled, withdrawing her hoof away from the dragon’s claws the mare rose from her stony throne to trot out of the rather large cavern.

“Where are you going?” Darkstar asked now taking his seat on her throne. Chrysalis didn’t turn to look back as the guards opened the cavern’s door.

“Outside. I need a walk.”

---

Pounding. Scratching. Scraping. Shouting.

These were all the sounds the group of travelers could hear from within the confines of their room. From top to bottom the group had barricaded themselves within the large garment store that they had managed to run into and at this very moment Ben and Kevin were pacing the area trying to figure something out.

Discord was still vainly trying to activate his magic. Rainbow Dash was tapping her hoof anxiously against the cold tile floors. And Fluttershy and the Princess of Love were alert, ready to make sure to settle any arguments that may occur during this crucial moment of tension.

“This is stupid!” Kevin said with a snort, after staring at the swarm of changelings that were waiting outside for the group to come out.

“Tennyson! We aren’t going to get anywhere staying in here. Plus they have Gwen! I’m going out there” he said moving towards the barricaded blockage.

A tail moved around one of the steel stallion’s hind legs and lifted him up. “I know I enjoy chaos child, but what you are recommending is merely suicide” Discord said with lidded eyes.

Kevin snorted, in response. “Then what the heck do you want me to do?! Sit here and let them wait for us to go hungry before we have to come out and either get captured or tortured? Let them-- Darkstar torture my girlfriend, while I stay here like a trapped rat and do nothing?!”

“In case you haven’t noticed” Dash said now tapping her hoof even faster from irritation. “We are trapped rats.”

Kevin growled in response. Discord having now released him back on the floor, the stallion shot a glare at the reality bending being who now was temporarily powerless.

Stopping his continuous pace Ben moved over to the irked Rainbow Dash and whispered, “You are seriously not helping here. Keep this up and who knows what he’ll do.”

She snorted.

Fluttershy cautiously moved over to Kevin with a meek smile, her mane falling just a bit to cover her eyes. “Um...Kevin?” she said hesitantly.

Kevin looked over at the yellow pegasus, still trotting in place in angst. “What?”

Fluttershy took a deep breath. Standing tall on her hooves she began to try and quell the steel stallion, with her words. “I understand how you feel. Not being able to help your friends. But at the moment we’re kind of in a tough spot, and” she quickly added upon seeing his grimace.

“I get your worried for your marefriend, but we can’t ignore the fact that we’re surrounded. And if we’re going to get out of here we need to stay as level headed as possible.

“Please, try to stay calm. If not for me, or the group do it for Gwen. Please” she said with a kind smile.

And it seemed to work. Kevin stopped trotting around his expression calming as Fluttershy’s words seemed to calm him. And for a second it looked like they would finally be able to come up with some sort of plan.

CRASH!

A window shattered, just in front of the door. Where a brick that now lay merely inches from a surprised Fluttershy’s hooves.

Instantly Cadence threw a protective shield around the entire group. Kevin and Ben looked at each other, and through a silent code both nodded.

Ben turned his head in Cadence’s direction. “Lower the shield.”

“Are you serious?” she asked in disbelief. “I’ve fought the changelings before and if they’re anything like I recall you don’t want to give them any openings to deceive you.”

Ben stayed silent for a only a few seconds, his green eyes looking towards the window. He looked back at Cadence with determination that made the princess’ stern look falter.

Rook moved towards her and nodded when she looked at him. “Please, Princess Cadence. Lower the shield.”

Cadence though hesitant, eventually complied. Silently she lowered the shield, forming a hole large enough so that Kevin would be able to pass through since the stallion was surprisingly taller than most normal ponies.

Both Kevin and Ben moved through the small hole, and as it shut behind them the two carefully and silently moved with caution towards the now shattered, open window.

Ben held a hoof. Kevin halted. They were inches from the window now and could practically hear the wind rushing by on the great outdoors of Dodge City, that may or may not be waiting to ambush them with half of its inhabitants at any given moment.

Inching towards the window sill Ben peered outside. What he saw set him on alert. Outside no longer surrounding the garment store that they had barricaded themselves in, was just the empty streets of Dodge City.

There was not a single changeling in sight. Nor could he see the one called Satura that had been leading the onslaught earlier.

Ben kept scanning the place, trying to see any signs of the shapeshifting beings. Any form of a shadow that may be above them. Any form of movement that would alert him with his new keen hearing, but there was nothing. Not even a normal citizen outside the streets could be detected.

“Tennyson!” Kevin’s voice called, drawing the hero from his surveying.

“Quit gawking and give us some info! What’s happening out there? Do you see any of them?” Kevin asked with a whispered shout.

Ben shook his head.

“It’s empty out there.”

“That is most definitely not a good sign” Rook’s voice said from the back.

Kevin scowled. “Good or not. We can’t stay buried in here all day. We need to find Gwen, find Darkstar. And take care of him!”

“How are we supposed to do that when we have changelings surrounding us?! I don’t know if you guys have ever faced them in your world or whatever. But in case you didn’t notice one of them changed into your girlfriend and took you for a joy ride.”

The dark glare Kevin shot at Rainbow Dash did nothing, as she simply shot one right back.

“Enough!” both Cadence and Fluttershy shouted.

“We don’t have time for these petty arguments. If we are to save Gwen and stop Darkstar we must work together” Rook said slamming a hoof on the ground between the former sapient and pegasus. “Bickering like this will get us nowhere.”

“They’re right Kevin- not about the changeling” Ben clarified, at the glare he received. “About the bickering. We need to keep moving if we want to save Gwen. And if there’s no one outside. I say we take the chance.”

“But-” the three equines began only to be silenced by Ben’s raised hoof.

“I’ve made my decision. I’m taking this chance.”

“There is one problem though Ben” Rook said trotting forward as the shield disappeared. “You no longer have your powers. And I do not believe you are as proficient in hand-to-hand combat as the rest of us.” Rook said.

Ben raised a skeptical brow. “What makes you think Fluttershy and Dash are good at fighting?” he asked with a raised hoof.

“Hey!” Dash said. “I saved your butt out of that ditch you nearly got eaten in, remember hero!”

“And I can fight...I just don’t like to” Fluttershy said behind her mane.

Rook gave Ben a wry smile. “And from the stories Princess Cadence has told me. These two seem quite capable of handling themselves. You have nothing to worry about Ben” he said, his smile now fading. “But if we wish to move towards BadLands, we should take this opportunity while we have the chance.”

Ben looked at his friends, then looked outside. The last thing he wanted was someone getting hurt, but he would take this chance while they still had it, with or without them. Turning to Kevin who simply offered a shrug, Ben sighed.

“Alright then. Let’s go.”

Rook turned to Cadence. “Princess if you wouldn’t mind doing the honors of ridding us of that mess” he said pointing to the jumbles of stuff in front of the door. To his amusement Cadence smiled.

“With pleasure” her horn flickering in a light blue glow, Cadence turned her attention towards the barricaded door. “You may want to step back” she advised with a complacent smile.

Ben and Kevin did as they were told. Not a second after they had safely passed did Cadence release a strong blast of magic on the door.

BOOM!!

Smoke cascaded out as the entire front frame of the building was literally blown off. In the distance hiding in the cover of other buildings or in the forms of other ponies the Changelings that had been patiently waiting were suddenly thrown off guard by the rather large explosion, all turning their attention towards the now partially destroyed clothing store.

Ben smiled. “Reminds me of home.”

“I know right?” Kevin said as they all stepped forward from the smoking remains of what used to be the porch.

“Well then, shall we?” Rook asked, all three grinned as they could now see figures rising into the sky heading towards them.

“Charge?” Ben asked.

“CHARGE!!!” Discord shouted triumphantly pulling out a hard helmet he had coincidentally found laying around.

“Never thought you’d ask” Rainbow Dash said with a grin as she kicked her forehooves in the air and took off towards BadLands, the changeling figures closing in on them, as Ben and the rest of the group followed their cyan friend towards what would most likely be their toughest challenge.

However what faced them ahead was not what was on Ben's mind as he moved towards the ever growing Caverns that got closer and closer with every rushed step. What pushed through his mind was.

“I’m coming for you Darkstar, and you’re gonna pay for taking Gwen.”

---

The clicking of hooves resounded as through a small cavern as black distorted hooves made their way there. Judging from the sound Gwen could tell that about three if not more changelings were heading in her direction, but the dracony, stayed still. Like she had been ever since Darkstar had been feeding off her between intervals.

“Draconequus...” a soft yet cold voice spoke. Gwen looked up and staring at her were the harlequin eyes of the changeling queen. Queen Chrysalis, and by her side were two smaller changelings, both of which almost looked identical.

“So from what the dragon tells me you are not from Equus, is that right?” she asked.

Gwen said nothing, but merely nodded in response.

A few seconds of silence passed as the queen stared at the weak dracony. Then rather suddenly Gwen watched the bizarre looking equine smile. With a glow of her horn Gwen watched to rather her confusion as the changeling queen unshackled her from within her cage.

Gwen looked at her horse legs with confusion written all over her face. “Why?” she asked still staring at the shackles that now lay on the ground. “Why would you free me when I could possibly ruin everything you’ve worked so hard for? Why would you betray someone who understands how you live?”

Queen Chrysalis's ever the deviant looker gave a mischievous smile, while turning her back to the confused dracony with a whip of her tail. Her eyes half lidded the- what others would say- disfigured mare, turned her head to stare at Gwen over her shoulder.

“Don’t misunderstand. I’m not helping you. Besides there’s no point of you being bound and shackled when you can’t escape from that barrier” she said with a small grin. “To answer your last question. I may be a lot of things. A liar, a thief, a trickster, and..." she paused.

Gwen watched with careful observation as for a split second she thought she saw pain in those pale eyes, but they soon vanished and were replaced with a mask as quickly as it had appeared.

"I may even be a monster, as some have called me. But I wouldn’t so easily betray the one that had helped me and my subjects gain so much in such a short time.”

Gwen merely stared at the changeling queen in silence, scanning her. Trying to see if there was some ulterior motive to all of this. Trying to figure out if what she was telling her was all some means of just raising her image with the evil dragon. But not to her surprise she couldn’t.

How could she when she’d figured out by herself that the queen of these shapeshifting equines would be no different when it comes to the capability of deceit. So whether this was a lie, or leading her into another trap, Gwen would take the chance she was given. No matter what it lead to, it would be ten times better than staying in a cave with meals being served to you day in and day out, only to have your extra energy drained by a leech that wouldn’t leave you alone.

“What do you gain out of this?” she asked from the ground.

Chrysalis had already begun to saunter out of the exit. She turned her head to look back at the confused dracony with a smile.

“I get a good show.”