Voyage

by Comrade Bagel Muffin

La Rauche

The changeling drone, Dusk, and Escutcheon headed down the halls of the the black stone, mansion. They had kept Turkeylegs in the room after Fifty-One assured the two of them that the changelings of this hive were not able to change into anything beyond pony shapes, and while Turkeylegs was many things stealthy she was not. Fifty-one lead them down several side halls as quietly as she could, in the form of a maid. After several twist and turns they arrived at a dead end.

"What's going on?" Dusk demanded.

"Nothing it's just, w-well, this is, is the way into the hive." Fifty-one looked at the dead end. "If I take you past this point I-I-I'm going too be beyond the point of return." Her horn lit up and the dead end faded away leading to a dark hallway that sloped downward into the mountain.

"We're going in. We have too." Escutcheon's horn lit up. "We get the others, get back to Turkeylegs and then get the heck out of here, and you're going to come with us. So don't worry about that."

"Wh-what?" Fifty-one and Dusk asked.

"You're going to go and confess, to the king, what's been going on here," Escutcheon said.

"I didn't agree to that."

"It's the only way to guarantee your safety, and you can Identify changelings even in there disguised form can't you?" he asked.

"Well yes."

"Then yeah you're coming too."

"Not just will you be able to point out any of Pick Ax's agents, and it's the only way to guarantee that you'll be safe. Even if you're not caught helping us, I doubt that you're going to be able to hide it forever." Fifty-one's face went pale again.

"I-I could. Maybe," she began. Escutcheon stared walking down the hall.

"No you couldn't." Dusk followed her coltfriend. "I don't think your a good liar, and you're really bad under pressure. Now come on. We'll keep you safe."

"What makes you think you can stand up to Pick Ax?"

"I've killed an eternal storm, killed a dragon ending a slave empire, and fought an island of harpies, I can't guarantee that you'll be safe, but if you come with me I'll do everything I can to keep you safe." Fifty-one hesitated for a moment before nodding and following closely after them quickly catching up and then began leading them down the snaking tunnel.

After several minutes Fifty-one grabbed the two of them by their tails and pulled them into a small crevasse. A few seconds later three drones passed by their hiding hole. Fifty-one waited a few seconds before getting them out and then heading out.

"Your friends are in holding cells in the basement." Fifty-one whispered leading the way. "At the end of this hall we just take a left and then go down the stairs, and then we're there."

"They're that close to the surface?" Dusk asked. "Wouldn't you be afraid of them escaping."

"Getting out you need changeling magic, so there's normally no risk of an escape." They continued in silence as they descended down the hall. Fifty-one stopped as they neared the bottom. "Oh-no I forgot about the guards. They won't leave their post."

"It's fine, I got this." Escutcheon's horn lit up a second later he jumped to the bottom, and fired. The room filled with a blinding light. Dusk and Fifty-one cautiously made their way into the room. The guards were knocked out on the floor and Escutcheon was standing were he landed. Around the room were several large green goo doors behind a few them were Red Wine, Atlas, and Myrrh, each in their own small cell.

"Good job Escutcheon." Atlas clapped his hooves.

"Look out there's one behind you." Myrrh pointed to Fifty-one.

"It's fine she's with us." Dusk said, "This is Fifty-one she's going to help us get out of here."

"That's great but what is she?" Red Wine asked.

"I'm a changeling, and I'm going to help you out, then you're going to keep me safe right?" she asked.

"Of course, we'll be best friends for life just get me out of this thing. Mom's going to be thrilled to hear about this." Myrrh said. "On the plus side Escutcheon your job just got a lot easier." Fifty-one's horn lit up and the goo doors evaporated.

"Now let's get out of this mess," Dusk said. "Before something goes wrong."