Living Darkness

by vildtiger

Opposing the Changeling Queen

Queen Chrysalis has just drained Shining Armor from most of his magic when the drones she stationed nearby where those annoying Elements-of-Ruining-her-day have re-captured and brought back those six ponies there thought they could thwart her.
The queen laughs of the faces these ponies there thinks they are the heroes as if they thought they could defeat her just like that. "You do realize the reception's been canceled, don't you?" She taunts the ponies and turns to the windows, crying gleeful out to her army of Changelings there have gotten through the barrier. "Go! Feed!" They obey her command, flying out to feed on the city of Canterlot. She is so confident in her victory that she even lets the drones inside this room go out and feed on the ponies of Canterlot.

Celestia feels dread that her vision has come through... more than ever she wants to stand up and fight this invasion force but she can barely move from that horde or Changeling drones have drained most of her energy, leaving her with a bigger sense of helplessness that she has failed her subjects...

Still standing at the window Queen Chrysalis watches her drones hunt down every pony of the city and will get enough food so they can conquer rest of this land. This has been the perfect day indeed.

Noticing Twilight is trying to sneak over to Cadence, Spy sneers and jumps on her. "And where do you think you are going?" He asks, baring his long canine close to her face. Twilight stares up to him with fear in her eyes, he too feels a sense of betrayal coming from her, and if not for the dark being tainting his mind. Spy would've felt deeply regretful by this but all he feels now is glee that he managed to fool this naive pony so well.

"Let her go!" Shining Armor commands, struggling to get on his hooves but all that his shouting did was making this very clever changeling step almost possessive over his sister, asking in a taunt. "Or you will do what? Blast me with that horn of yours? You better have enough juice in it and hit right or your beloved sister might get hurt."
Shining Armor really wants to take the shot but he just can't take the chance, not with this Changeling having his fangs that close to his sister's throat.

Spy laughs loudly of this royal guard pony does not want to make a small sacrifice in order to save the rest of the capital. "Oh, you ponies, too much of a pacifist for your own good. You are all so weak!"

"Think again bug-face!"

Spy snaps his attention to where the yelling came from and right that second he gets headbutted by Scout, the headbutt itself is nothing to cry over, but the emotions of hatred and pure determination does. He stumbles backward, trying to shake this assault of raw emotions away. Before he can, Scout kicks him right in the chest. Spy does recover from this assault of emotions, he wouldn't be a good spy if he couldn't get emotions under control in stressful situations. He hisses at this brat and returns the favor by throwing his own and stronger assault of pure rage and despair at him. As expected Scout's hasn't trained himself to handle sudden emotions, he flinches and topples on his hooves. Spy smirks at how easy that was. "You can't dodge and you cannot fight, hell you can't even use your rage properly." He kicks the youngsters, sending him sprawling onto the floor, but Spy is far from done with this one. the darkness in him knows that this boy is a major threat and commands him to get rid of it right now. And Spy will after he has proven Scout that he is not as awesome as he thinks, in fact: "You are worthless. It's no wonder why no one likes a vulgar and useless brat who never shuts up like you."

"Shut up you snake!" Scout shouts back, tears in his eyes of not only the despair Spy whipped him with but also the truth in this older man's words. Spy smirks widen, walking like a predator around him. "Oh, where's the fun in that? It's not often I get the chance hitting you where it really hurts." Scout tries to fend him off by attacking but the drain of Spy's incredible negative emotions slows him down. Spy easily dodges him, "Behind all that arrogance is nothing but a sniveling child wishing for approval from someone there's never going to give it." Scout's eyes of those words, so caught off guard on how precise Spy hit his inner demon and before he can recover, the adult Changeling bites him in the neck. Scout scream in pain, thrashing desperately in an attempt to make Spy let go, but Spy only clams down harder.

Twilight got enough! She shoots a beam of her magic on Spy, she does also hit this Scout but thinks he can deal as she did make Spy let go of him.
Jumping up beside the young stallion, Twilight's horn beaming strongly against this traitor's Changeling. "You have to go through me if you want him!" It's very clear that Spy really wants this young stallion dead.
"Me too!" Rainbow Dash joins her with Applejack close behind.
"Um, m-me too." Fluttershy stutter nervously but does join them.
"Me three!" Pinkie says way more cheerful and one arm hugs this weird looking stallion, blinking of the strange sort of electricity his pelt gives off.

Their emotions, their determination to protect a complete stranger, and that pink pony's huge wave of joy going through him. Scout cannot comprehend the immense power, but he feels awesome! He grins at the startled Spy and after have charged himself, he tackles into Spy so hard that he makes a small dome from the air. Spy gets splashed against the nearby wall, shaking from Scout emotions. Yeah, he better! Another charge and Scout headbutt him with a loud "BONK!" and would've attacked again, but then notices that deep underneath all that rage and despair. He feels pride. Pride aimed towards him. Wait, what?! He stops his assault, staring dumbfounded at the man he has hated since day one. Suddenly no longer so sure if all those negative emotions are really his own.

With Spy somewhat out of commission, Cadence snaps out from the brainwash. Shaking her head in confusions, she notices her beloved is lying on the floor. She gasps and runs over to him.

Chrysalis is not having it though, she jumps in between the two lovers; telling the alicorn gleefully. "It is over princess!" To then get super tackled by some weird looking Changeling kid, she sneers in anger of the nerves of this grub. "You dare to attack your queen!"

"You are not my queen spider lady!" Scout retorts in another charge attack, but before he can hit her though, she grabs him with her magic and hurls him into the wall. It knocks out his air and Scout lands hard onto the floor, struggling to get back up but before he can, Chrysalis forces him down by stepping on him.

"You soon will see me as your queen you puny grub." Chrysalis sneers and starts to drain this wannabe grub for his energy, it will teach him not to turn against her. The grub cries in pain, struggling but is unable to fight a queen like her.

Seeing this and be more back to his senses than ever before he got tainted, Spy fights against the darkness holding his mind. "Get out... from my mind!" He forces the darkness out- the shadow pony realizes this fight is lost and disappears in a cluster of black crystals- Spy, although not fully cleansed and far from his former self, he did have enough willpower to know that if he does not act now, he will love Scout. He lunges at the queen of the Changeling, tackles her away from Scout and steps in between the queen and the barely conscious kid. He hisses furiously at her. "You stay away from him!" She stares at him in surprise, then snorts somewhat disgusted "I should've known a pony lover like you would get a half-breed for an offspring." Spy jerks ever so slightly from the sudden hit of shock coming from behind him. Ignoring the fact the cat is out from the bag, he glares at the queen. "Touch him again, and I will tear you apart!" and he means it. He won't hesitate for a second if she dares to harm his light in this miserable life.
Chrysalis attacks him and true to his words, Spy retaliates with a fury very much his own now.

Shining Armor tries to perform his spell, but those changelings have drained him too much. "No... I don't have the strength to repel them." He gasps in horror and feels so useless he can do nothing to help the people in Canterlot or the Changeling- there for some reason now are fighting against his queen in order to protect that strange pegasus colt. He wants to help as it's clear that drone is fighting a losing battle, but... he can't! His attention gets turned back to Cadence when she suddenly hugs him, saying softly yet determent. "My love will give you strength." So he tries again. Cadence lets her horn touches his and even though both of them are drained, their love to one another ignites not only their magic but one far older than anypony in this room.

Still trapped inside the changeling cocoon, Miss Pauling's body lights up and shards of a lost element fly over to the new bearer and avatar of this element. The shards find the targets and surround Shining Armor and Cadance, giving their magic the boost they needed. The two blinks in surprise of this, but with a smile returns back to their united spell. The shards spin around them like lightning, lifting them off the ground.

Holding the barely conscious and heavily bleeding Spy between her jaws Chrysalis snap her attention to the forming spell. She drops this traitor drone, but Spy has kept her busy just long enough. The shards gather around their necks, Cadence gold necklace gets a heart and Shining Armor's silver forms into a shield, both in the color of turquoise. With the Element of Love surging through them. Their united spell to protect everpony sharing the same feeling of the same Element under their control. It forces everything else away from the city. Which meant that Chrysalis and her changeling army gets blasted away from Canterlot. The only two Changelings safe from the spell are the father and son.
The spell ends and the two new bearer of the Element of Love ends back onto the floor, beaming at one another before they hug.

Twilight helps Celestia back on her hooves, worried for her teacher and ruler's well being. Celestia eases her mind with a simple. "Don't worry about me; I'm fine." Twilight smiles, but it does drop as the alicorn turns over to where the badly wounded Spy has collapsed, both the beating he took from Chrysalis and the shield powered by love. Twilight is no longer sure about that Changeling anymore. He betrayed them, but ended up protecting Scout- who apparently is his son. He almost gave up his own life for it.
She follows Celestia over to the two, letting the ruler of the sun do whatever she wishes to Spy.

Celesta hesitates, but do cast a healing spell on the wounded changeling, closing the most treating wounds. His eyes snap wide open, staring up at her in shock as if he cannot believe she did this to him. Celestia must admit that she did consider not doing it, for it was clear that he caused this invasion to happen and yet... it is partly her fault too for she was the one who sends him. That is why she healed him, but unless he has a very good excuse, she will not be so kind letting him stays among her people.
"What is your explanation for this Spy?" Celestia asks the changeling sternly.

Fighting a Changeling Queen, which is both bigger and stronger himself- almost getting killed by her and that spell from Cadence and Shining Armor may have cleansed him from the shadow creature, but it has left him meek and very drained. But can take his weaken state; he is free from that creature there took over his mind. Not from his actions though as that shadow pony might have possessed him but it controlled him by increasing his own negative thoughts and emotions. "A horse made out of shadows took over my mind, but even though it twisted my thoughts and emotions; they were still mine." He struggles gets back on his hooves, lowering his head before the ruler. "I will accept whatever punishment you have for my actions." Sure hell he deserves it, just as much he deserved the banishment from his own country back in the human world.

Celestia watches Spy for a long time, then at this half pony/changeling, the colt looks conflicted, as if he doesn't know how to react to all of this. Chrysalis did say that this is Spy's son, and from how Spy almost sacrificed himself to protect this colt— so that's what the vision was about. That colt was the light. Did that mean that she was meant to let Spy get possessed? Not sure, the visions don't always make sense.
It would sort of be unfair robbing this colt for a parent by exile after Spy fought so hard protecting him. Still, Spy was the cause this invasion almost succeeds, but he was possessed by a Shadow pony— if that is the truth as those dark beings should only be part of legend. But, everpony deserves a second chance, Luna is a grand proof of that. "Spy, I will not exile or imprison you for your actions." Celestia finally speaks, the changeling looks up to her in utter surprise, she is not done, though. "But you will have to prove yourself worth being trusted again. You caused a lot of harm and only by mere luck nopony got killed. My punishment for you; you will be under the constant watch of Twilight and her friends. You will not shape-shift unless they ask you, and until my student says you can be trusted again: you are not allowed to leave the borders of Ponyville and I will not acquire you any missions."
Spy nods he understands. Celestia then turns to Spy's child, one who made Spy get back on their side and thus gave Cadence and Shining Armor just enough time to make their spell. "Scout was it?"

"Uh yeah, yeah, that's right," Scout replies with a weak smile, what he is getting from this horse is incredible and kinda scary at the same time.

"Without your action, a lot of ponies would've gotten hurt. So for that:" Celestia bows her head slightly towards him. "I am grateful." Blinking when Scout's fur starts to spark a little.

"Thanks!" Scout beams, completely unaware that he is like a small thundercloud at this moment. He does snap out from it when Spy groans, and gives him a small wave of dismay. "Oh dear god... as if that bonk drink wasn't bad enough..."
Scout shoots him a glare. "Says the shape-shifting scumbag."

Spy looks away. "Touché." and firmly ignores the surprise he gets from Scout, he's too exhausted to argue or throw fake taunts at him.

With that settled Celestia turns to Twilight. "Let us join the others." the purple unicorn nods and with one last glance to Spy, she follows the ruler of the land.

Scout slowly turns his head back to Spy, not sure how to feel about what the spider queen said about Spy being his—
"Don't." Spy interrupts his thoughts, the changeling sends him a hard look but Scout's new ability allows him to see right through the mask and realizes how hurt truly Spy is. "Don't go there, we both know it won't work." and Spy leaves him with a dropped head, most would think it is fatigue, but... Scout knows better.
Scout stares at the door where Spy disappeared, never before felt this conflicted about something. he has always been so sure about his decisions, but now... now he has no idea how to tackle this new change of event.

***

After have gotten cleaned up by the invasion and those brainwashed or trapped back to normal. The wedding can get started again, the turned humans weren't invited to that part but Celestia did allow them to join the festivities after the wedding.
Here Scout told Heavy, Sniper and Miss Pauling what had happened and that the ruler of this land practically owes him.

"Don't make it get to your head." Sniper says and grabs himself an apple fritter. "I'm dealing with a pony with an overblown ego already, I have no wish dealing with two."

"Hey!"

Heavy chuckles and since they probably will stay for a while he asks Sniper. "Where are rest of team?"

"Probably doing their own thing back at Ponyville." Sniper shrugs and does look forward returning to that town again. Canterlot is a bit too crowded for his taste. He turns to Miss Pauling stepping over to them, looking a bit stressed out and yet relieved. "oh good, that removes one less thing to worry about. Now we just need to figure out a way returning home".
"Might take a while," Sniper replies, but being stuck here is not really that bad- although that shadow thing sure scared the crap out of him. Being possessed by it wasn't fun either, but other than that, this place is quite peaceful. He reclaims another tasty treat and remembers that not everyone transported here has been found. "Oh, we still haven't found both pyros. Shouldn't be that hard though, they are probably a pony with a fire cutie mark and setting bloody everything on fire."

Miss Pauling hums, thinking they better find Pyro and find a way home. "When we find Pyro, I want all your resources put on finding a way back." She blinks when Sniper chuckles as if she told him a joke. "What?"
Sniper eyes her above his aviators. "We have the princess on the case. If you want to speed it up; you will have to ask her"
oh, okay, Miss Pauling figures she will need to speak with that big white horse. "Okay, I guess I will have to stay here then." She do not think it is a good idea letting a bunch of mercenaries run wild in this city. "Perhaps it is best you stay in this Ponyville?"

"Sure."

Miss Pauling nods and figures she can get a better chance for an audience if the city's savior would— "Where's Scout?" She asks, looking around for the speedster, but for once, he is nowhere around her.

"He left." Heavy simply replies, not much help for miss Pauling but he figures the two needs some time alone.

Scout find Spy sitting alone on a balcony, watching the party down below. "Aren't you going to join?" He asks, although way more hopeful they could talk. He has never known how it is to have a father, not that Spy is what he has been hoping- far from it for but he just cannot shake that genuine love he felt from the man when Spy protected him against that spider queen.

"I doubt anyone would like the harbinger of Canterlot close to destruction near them." Spy replies, completely ignoring Scout's hidden emotions. He will NOT go there, he cannot go there. If he just takes one step that way, then he will fall and won't ever get back up if that happens.

Landing beside him, figuring he might as well get to the point. It's not like he can hide his emotions to Spy like Spy can't hide his to him "Can we talk?"

"No."

"Why?" Scout demands, he is confused and frustrated that he sees and hears one thing but feel another, it does not make any sense! "Is it because I'm not the child you wanted?" Spy sure hell made an indication of that when they fought, but now, he thinks he gets the old man's true emotions as he feels a sense of denial, then shocks, then despair.

"Go away Scout."

He does not, instead Scout steps over so he stands in front of Spy, asking. "Do you hate me?" Again that emotion combination, except the shock is gone, replies with a greater sense of despair. It confuses Scout, does this means that Spy has never hated him? Then why did he go through so much trouble in making life hard for him? Scout blinks when he suddenly sense anger from Spy and lets out a yelp when the changeling throws him to the floor, looking as if he's about to tear his throat open. "Scout, get the fucking hint: leave me ALONE!" The changeling hisses and Scout does for a second fear that this one will kill him, but then he notices that Spy's emotions contradict his behavior. Spy is angry yes, but it feels forced and not really aimed at him.
Scout stares at him, dumbfounded of what he is getting from Spy. it startles him that his new ability to sense emotions is making him able see what truly is behind that mask, and it's not the fabric mask he talks about. Being able to sense Spy's true emotions, he is certain in this: "You won't attack me." He states out and decides to try and get Spy's hoof off his chest. Spy struggles, but as Scout theorized, the man of disguises doesn't retaliate more than a few halfhearted kicks. Getting back up, Scout watches the man he has hated ever since the introduction to one another, Spy had been mocking him for being a child doing a man's job, never once giving him a break reminding him that. But now he can look past that mask of being a giant asshole, Scout realizes that Spy did that because... well, Scout thinks he did it because he didn't want to watch him get killed.
He takes a step towards Spy and Spy leaves him, it hurt watching a scene he has imaged several times of how it would look like when his father left the house for the last time. Scout drops his head in sadness, but it is quickly replaced with anger and he glares into the darkness of the room where Spy is hiding. "You're not making any fricking sense." He growls and flies off but does not join the others; too much on his mind.

When sure Scout is gone and out of hearing range, Spy lets out a pained sob, cursing Scout for pushing him like this. Why has it gotten so hard?! It was hard under the war games, but never like this!
But now when he is on the subject about that boy. He needs to be sure as few people know about this as possible. Spy flies carefully down to the party and quietly get over to where Twilight and her friends are dancing. "Can I talk with you six for a moment?" He asks, all six of them send him a wary look and he understands their hesitation in not trusting him. "Chain me if it makes you feel safer, all I requests that not making me talk here."

Twilight and her friends eye one another, she turns back to him and nods. "Alright." They follow him away from the party. When Spy stop at a place with no one but them, he does not struggle against the magical chain she summons, wraps around his neck and keeping him in place.
With her horn glowing for this chain spell. "Alright Spy, what is it you want to say?" She demands, although not as hard as she wanted. she is starting to understand that Spy- even Sniper wasn't themselves back during the invasion.

"Perhaps apologie for your action?" Pinkie Pie asks.

Spy shakes his head at the pink pony almost hopeful question. "There is no excuse my actions, you have every right distrusting me." Even though he wants people to trust him, and the Elements think he is worthy; Spy does not think himself as a person to be trusted with anything. He has been told and done so many horrible things that he is certain that deceit has become part of him; never to be erased. And he is fine with it, he deserves this distrust. All he asks: "But all I asks of you is never reveal anyone about my relation to Scout."

"Your son you mean." Applejack frowns and asks as this does not make much sense to her. "Why do you want us to keep this quiet?"

"I have a lot of enemies there wants me dead, and if they ever catch wind I have such a huge weakness in form of my son; they will kill him in order to get to me." Spy explains and from how shocked the mares both look and emotions give him, he feels a bit envious that apparently killing children in order get to the parents isn't a common thing here in Equestria. "Hate me all you like, but I beg of you: don't fault him for any of my actions." He begs the six mares, for Scout has for a long time been his only light in his dark and gloomy life. Scout may always hate him, and Spy is more than alright with that, all he wants from his son is the boy to have the happy life he never got.
A bit to his surprise, Rainbow Dash- who has been the one most angry at him; is the first there promise him to keep this quiet, adding with: "But that still doesn't mean I like you." The others follow suit rather quickly.

"I can relate not wanting to see family hurt." Applejack says.

"Me too," Rarity agrees, adding, "you got my word."

"I-I won't tell anypony." Fluttershy says in a low voice, but her emotions are genuine.

Twilight eyes the changeling, she must admit she cannot find herself to trust him after he had tried to kill her, but this isn't about him, it's about his son. And like her friends, she cannot bear the thought of losing her family to somepony who wants to see her hurt. "For your son." He nods, fully accepting her reason.

Pinkie then jumps in between the magical chained changeling and ponies, declaring seriously. "Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye." Doing the motions to mimic her words. Spy stares dumbfounded at her. She giggles of that face and explains the once bad but now good again changeling. "That's Pinkie promise; you do NOT break a Pinkie promise— girls, we do the Pinkie promise!" She declares the five others and they all make a cross over their heart, mimics they fly and lastly poke themselves over the right eye.

.... he is not going to question this, simply hope that this strange promise and the mare's words will be good enough. He really would hate to kill them all. Spy nods and tells that is all he wanted from them. "You can return back to the party now." Twilight dismisses the spell around his neck and before any of them can open their mouth; he flies off, returning to his solitary spot on the balcony.

***

Back in the human world, the BLU Sniper and Heavy have recovered from what their counterpart went through. Sniper is embarrassed he lost his cool like that and is happy his team listened to Medic's request or he could've seriously hurt someone with his brutal glee of cutting someone to pieces. Heavy is more confused about what his teammates told them that his knockout was the cause of the RED Heavy who apparently now is somewhere else and somehow got turned into a horse.
Back at RED base, with Ignis ensuring everything is fine Medic releases the now dumbstruck but back to normal Spy from his restrains. Spy is incredible relived this crisis is over, but also worried about his true feelings towards the youngest member of the teams has strengthened ever since their team's Scout went to that other place.

Author's Note:

now that Scout knows the truth, let's see how he will handle this problem in the future. and just a quick side note, I made Celestia and Luna's vision unclear so they don't always know what it is trying to tell them. see it my way explaining why Celestia knows when danger is coming but does at times tackles it wrongly. 

Comments

[HB_DS2013]

So, does this mean that Scout is French-American?

[vildtiger]

8830623
yeah, doesn't mean he can a squat French