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Chapter 1: A New Way of Life2,371 words
Chapter 2: Departure2,469 words
Chapter 3: On The Job3,285 words
Chapter 4: Kept in Reserve2,713 words
Chapter 5: The Mysterious Monolith2,984 words
Chapter 6: Where is Thy Sting?3,198 words
Chapter 7: Showdown, Part I2,820 words
Chapter 8: Showdown, Part II2,886 words
Chapter 9: The Price of Victory3,704 words
Chapter 10: On the Brink2,919 words
Chapter 11: Back on the Road2,724 words
Chapter 12: Not Just a Drone4,011 words
Author's note - Blatant Self Promotion!119 words

Chapter 1: A New Way of Life

AUTHOR'S NOTE - as per the description, this is a sequel to my other story, The Braggart and the Bug. This story probably won't make a great deal of sense without reading the first story, so if you haven't already, check it out here:

http://www.fimfiction.net/story/30120/The-Braggart-and-the-Bug

Thanks for your continued support!

Celestia's sun shone at its highest point in a cloudless sky, with the arrival of midday bringing the most intense heat to the semi-arid, yet reasonably populated plains of the Zebrezi Valley. In a small settlement on the banks of the Zebrezi River, a familiar wagon was parked among the native huts. Inside, a pair of travelling performers were desperately attempting to keep cool in the uncomfortably warm daytime weather...

"Remind me again why we came here..." gasped Trixie, lying on her bed and fanning herself with her hat.

"Azz I remember, you zzsaid the zebrazz had never heard of uzz, zzso we'd be zzsafe." replied Leech, standing in the center of the wagon and rapidly buzzing his wings in an effort to fan both himself and his unicorn friend.

"I know why we're here, Leech. It was my idea!" Trixie responded, with a half-hearted roll of her eyes.

"But I thought Trixie azzked..." Leech began to protest.

"It was... I mean I didn't actually... I know why... actually, just forget it. It's too hot to argue" Trixie sighed defeatedly, slumping her head back onto her pillow.

For all its intense heat and occasional dust storms, the Zebrezi was probably Leech's favorite of all the places they had visited so far on their non-pony world tour. The local zebra population were a calm, peaceful civilization, and very hospitable to boot. They didn't seem to carry around any of the emotional baggage that ponies seemed to, instead appreciating everything they had to its fullest. So peaceful were the zebra, Leech was able to walk around freely without disguising, despite the fact that many zebra elders knew what changelings were. The zebra cared not for an individual's species or heritage, instead judging one by their actions and their heart.

They were far more in-tune with nature than any other civilization Leech had come across, using their environment to its greatest potential whilst simultaneously nuturing it. They seemed to have a herbal remedy for just about anything, from hoof-itch to ingestion of Baked Bads. One local herbal doctor had given Leech a tooth regrowth formula, a widely known recipe among zebra herbalists. With ponies and other equines, tooth regrowth was instant. However, Changelings had a vastly different metabolism, and the formula had taken far longer to act. Leech's broken left fang was around a quarter of its previous length, and it had taken a week to reach this stage. Its end was less jagged and beginning to take on a point to match his undamaged one.

Leech had begun to wish that he could live a similar way of life to these zebra - although in a much cooler climate! However, he knew that Trixie was a travelling performer at heart and would not want to stay in one place. He had sworn to himself that he would go wherever she went, and it was a pledge he planned on sticking to. Whichever life he led, it had to be better than the miserable existence he had endured in the hive. He hadn't realized how how poor a lot he had back with his fellow changelings - he'd never known any different. Now however, with all his new experiences, he would never willingly return to them. He had become something far more than just Maintenance Drone 1017. He no longer held the single-minded ideal of serving the swarm that all of his kin had been born with. Leech lived for himself and his friend now, and he would have it no other way.

Presently, Trixie exhaustedly hauled herself up from her bed and stood up on her hooves.

"Come on, you." she smiled at Leech "It's time for us to get ready for tonight's spectacular!"

Leech ceased his fervent wing-flapping, and followed Trixie out of the wagon and to a makeshift stage which had been erected in the hut village. Its construction was primarily logs held together with dried vines, with a layer of planks across the top to create a flat surface on which to perform. Trixie wasn't used to stages where there were no provisions for fireworks, or trapdoors to use for tricks, but she'd managed to put together a show which did not require either of these elements.

----------

Since embarking on her world tour, her magic had improved considerably. She had more time to practise and fewer places to acquire props, the latter forcing her to use more genuine magic in her shows rather than relying on special effects and parlor tricks. She did, however, remain incredibly boastful and contemptuous of those she considered beneath her in any way. That is to say, pretty much anyone except Leech.

As the pair began to set up for the show, another outsider greeted them. He was tan-colored Earth pony with a white mane and a short tail, one that Trixie and Leech recognized.

His name was Liebesauger, a pony from Ger-mane-y who had followed Trixie and Leech's tour wherever it had roamed. He'd seen their shows in the Griffin Kingdom, Mule Country, and had even braved the volcanic land of Draconis when they'd put on an ill-fated show there. (It turns out dragons aren't especially impressed by pony magic, and definitely weren't impressed by Trixie's tall tales of defeating a dozen Wyverns with a single spell. It took two weeks for Trixie's scorched tail to grow back after that performance.)

"Guten tag!" greeted Liebesauger warmly. "Getting ready for anozzer spectacular, ja?"

"What gave it away? The stage, or the fact we're getting it ready?" Trixe grouched. Normally she loved having fans, but she'd lost patience with the Teutonic equine some time ago. She didn't understand why he was at every one of their shows, no matter where they were or how dangerous the terrain was. Heck, she didn't even understand how he managed to get around - he looked pretty old, and there was no way an elderly Earth pony could cover the kind of distances Trixie and Leech did. She found him somewhat unsettling, and just wished he'd leave them alone.

"Someone got out ze wrong side of ze bett today!" chuckled Liebesauger. He turned to Leech.

"And how are you, mein little shapeshifting freund?" he asked.

"Juzzt fine, thank you." replied Leech, attempting to be polite. There was something deeply troubling about this pony, but Leech just couldn't put his hoof on it. He turned away and continued to help Trixie with the preparations.

"Vell, I shall see you bosz later at ze show! I am certain it vill be excellent! Lebewohl for now, mein freunde!" he said, trotting away as he did so.

"Ugh. Just what is that fool's problem, anyway?" wondered Trixue aloud. "He must have seen every one of our routines a thousand times, isn't he bored yet? Whilst I am The Great and Powerful Trixie, greatest pony magician alive, there must be a point where one must get bored of even me!"

Leech didn't answer, instead attempting to make sense of the strange 'vibe' he got whenever Liebesauger was present. The thought soon passed however, as a crowd of local zebra were beginning to gather.

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Evening descended, and the crowd slowly became larger. Since arriving in the Zebrezi, Trixie's shows had been held exclusively in the evenings, when it was cool enough to perform. The young zebra formed the first couple of rows, chatting excitedly among themselves and looking up at the stage with wonderment upon their faces. Immediately behind them were the tribal elders, who sat upon a raised seat and had several zebra attending to their needs. Either side of the raised seat, groups of assorted Zebra milled about and talked among themselves. Their attention was soon drawn to the stage, where Leech had walked on and was standing in the center, looking out at the crowd.

"Zebrazz of Zzzebrezi!" he buzzed. "Pleazze put your hoovezz to the ground for.... The Great and Powerful Trixie!"

Thunderous stomping of hooves and cheering, especially from the zebra foals, accompanied this. With a flash, Trixie appeared on the stage, this time using a genuine teleportation spell. Unfortunately she hadn't quite gotten it pinned down yet, and had materialized facing the rear of the stage, with her audience being given a view of her backside. This raised some giggles, again especially from the foals, and earned one zebra a steely gaze from his wife.

Trixie looked around. "Where the horseapples are they?..." she muttered before looking behind her, She quickly turned around. "Aha, yes, you're there. Trixie knew that." she babbled, attempting unsuccessfully to make it look like a part of her act. The zebra cheered and stomped their hooves once again, a testament to their welcoming attitude. They looked on kindly as Trixie continued.

"I am the Great and Powerful Trixie, the greatest magician in all the land!" she announced in her usual grand and over-dramatic manner. "And tonight, citizens of Zebrezi Valley, I stall astound and mystify you all with my incredible acts!"

The show progressed without a hitch from this point. Trixie used genuine magic in most of her act, except for the card tricks. Then she just utilized a deck of marked cards and the foals' incredibly inattentive nature.

Many of the adult zebra knew how and why many of Trixie's tricks worked - indeed, many were capable of basic magic themselves. The foals were enthralled, however, so the adult zebra decided not to ruin the magic for them and played along. They "ooohd" and "aaahd" in all the right places! As ever, Leech proved to be a star attraction, as many of the zebra had never seen a real life changeling do shapeshifting tricks. All of the zebra were genuinely interested in Trixie's assistant and only friend, and many were amazed. Changelings were supposed to be ruthless, single-minded love harvesting machines. Yet this one seemed amiable, if a bit simple minded, and the bond he had with Trixie was plain to see.

The show drew to a close, and all of the zebra gave Trixie and Leech a round of hoof stomping even more riotuous than the one the two performers had been welcomed with. As the two took a bow, Leech noticed Leibesauger watching fron the back left of the crowd. He seemed to be watching Leech rather than Trixie, and he was not stomping his hooves. If anything, he seemed to be glaring at the little changeling.

Leech quickly looked away and tried to put it to the back of his mind, as the zebra led him and Trixie away for an after-show celebration around a large bonfire. The tribe elders congratulated them on a most entertaining act, and even put on their own show for their guests, with traditional zebra tribal song and dance.

Afterwards, Trixie regailed them all with the story of the time she travelled to Tartarus and beat Cerberus at a game of Paper-Scissors-Rock. The zebra, being as good natured as they were, simply smiled and nodded politely during Trixie's outlandish tales.

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The celebration continued long into the night, and by the time Leech and Trixie got back to their wagon they were truly exhausted. Despite her tiredness, Trixie chattered happily to Leech.

"Did you see the way they worshipped the ground Trixie stepped on?" she exaggerated. "I could definitely get used to this treatment! It's so nice to finally be in a culture that appreciates Trixie's greatness! Even better, they didn't all speak in rhymes as I had expected them to. Not like that annoying Zecora we met in the Everfree that time!"

"Yezz, zebrazz zzseem like good folkzz!" Leech said, only semi-interestedly.

It made him very happy to see Trixie in such a good mood - she'd been low after they'd left pony society behind, despite her initial optimism for their world tour. However, the brief staring contest with Liebesauger was still playing on his mind, and he just couldn't figure out what it all meant.

Trixie levitated the headdress the foals had given her from her head, and gently placed it in a chest where the duo had gathered mementos from their travels. Closing the chest, she bid Leech goodnight and was soon in a deep, contented sleep.

Sleep did not come so easily to Leech, however. Although he was tired, he felt troubled and writhed uncomfortably in his basket, attempting to remove the thoughts from his head until morning. Sleep did eventually find the little changeling, although it was a light and restless sleep as the worrying continued.

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Outside the wagon, a pony form stood in the night's shadows, gazing at the wheeled dwelling and thinking about its occupants - one in particular. Liebesauger narrowed his eyes and concentrated hard, as though he were attempting to focus on something. A green magic aura surrounded his head, and he began to talk, seemingly to himself.

"My mission is still going to plan, and I am continuing to track 1017's movements. Is the time right, yet?" he whispered, his accent immediately disappearing. A moment of silence came as the aura surrounding his head glowed brighter, almost as if it were replying to his words.

"I see." he whispered again, a crooked smile coming to his lips.

"Consider it done, my Queen."

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