To Earn One's Wings

by HollowPony

Chapter 11: The Everfree Forest

To Earn One’s Wings

Chapter 11: The Everfree Forest

Thunderbolt woke with a start. He shook his head and closed his eyes. What had woke him up? He could only see vague images of a misty forest. A low growl interrupted his thoughts. His eyes snapped open. He swivelled his head toward the sound, horn lit and crackling with lightning. He saw Magnum asleep, drool gathering on his pillow. Char lied on his stomach like a cat.

“Fuuuuuck,” he breathed. ‘I’m getting jumpy.’ Thunderbolt slowly scanned the room. He was on a queen-sized bed. A linen sheet covered the mattress beneath him and duvet with spiral patterns covered him along with the rest of the bed. To the bed’s right was a window that covered almost the entire wall. He could see the last edges of the moon as it set for the night. There was a series of oak wardrobes across the bed and a full-length mirror hung to the right of the bed. His stomach growled. He chuckled and gave it a loving pat.

“All right, let’s get you something to digest.”

---

Thunderbolt squinted as he entered the kitchen. Once his eyes adjusted to the light he saw Chitin standing over the stove humming a soft, staccato tune. Her hips swayed slightly as she looked through the window at the Everfree forest. To Thunderbolt’s right, Aurum was hovering over a counter and pouring water from a kettle into a blue mug.

“Good morning, Ladies. You two sleep well?”

Aurum whipped around with a startled cry. Her wide eyes were bloodshot and surrounded by dark rings. As she turned her wing knocked the cup off balance. Thunderbolt’s eyes jumped from Aurum’s to the cup falling from the counter. He threw his magic at the cup. He wrapped it around the cup’s ear. Aurum shot him a sheepish smile. He returned it with an amused grin. Then the mug’s ear snapped. Aurum bit back a swear as the mug shattered on the cold tile floor.

“Sit down. I’ll clean this up… and make us both some fresh cups of coffee in the process.”

Aurum nodded and took a seat at the table in the centre of the room. Thunderbolt spread his wings and hovered a couple of inches above the ground. He picked out the larger pieces of the mug from the pile of shattered ceramics and powdered coffee and threw them into a nearby bin. He pulled two mugs from a cupboard and started pouring coffee into them.

“You look tired,” Thunderbolt observed. Aurum answered with an annoyed grunt. “What kept you up last night? How much sugar do you want?”

“Two.” Aurum rubbed her hooves into her eyes. “Just some nightmares.”

“What kind of nightmares?” Thunderbolt started to sweep up the mess from the broken mug as the kettle boiled. “Were they about that sh- mess at the cathedral?”

“No, not tonight. They were about my dad. He died in a mining accident. Some sort of cave in.”

“I’m sorry for your loss.” Thunderbolt placed a steaming mug in front of Aurum. He took a sip from the other one as he sat down across from Aurum. “Sorry if this sounds like prying, but why would you get nightmares about your dad’s death?”

“It’s fine. I can tell you. I was-”

“GOOD MORNING!” a voice boomed through the kitchen. In the door stood Magnum with a cheerful smile on his face. He was framed by Char’s bulky silhouette. Thunderbolt started getting up to make another cup of coffee.

“Don’t get up, Sparks. I’ll make my own.” Mangum crossed the distance between the door and the counter with great strides. “Oi, Lizard. You want a cup of coffee?”

“No. I can’t stand the stuff.” Char took a seat next to Aurum. Magnum shrugged and continued to make himself coffee. “Thunderbolt, what the hell is it with you two and nicknames?”

“Military thing, I suppose. Everyone in our squad except Corporal Shoeshiner had one.”

“He got one after you transferred.”

“Really? What is it?”

“They called him Greenhoof on account of him running his fillyfriend’s flower shop during one of his leaves.”

“No shit?” Thunderbolt shrugged. “Good for him, I suppose. What’s our plans today? We storming the castle?”

“We have to take Chitin back to Zecora’s place. I also have to pick up some supplies while we’re there. Then we can scout out the castle and figure out a detailed plan of action.”

“Why don’t I just fly above the castle and report what I see?” Char suggested.

“And get shot down by whatever the hell is guarding the place?”

Thunderbolt sipped his coffee. “Worth the risk, isn’t it?”

“Let’s just get to the castle first, okay?” Magnum turned to the window. “Look at that sunrise,” he whistled. Thunderbolt joined him to look out the window. The sky was turning that early morning greyish-blue as the sun was just peeking across the Everfree.

“We should get moving.”

“We should eat. And prepare some lunch. The forest isn’t a place to pack on unprepared and on an empty stomach.”

“Good thing I’ve been cooking up some oats, isn’t it?” Chitin chimed cheerfully. She presented the pot on the stove with a flourish. On the counter next to the stove was a set of four packed lunches. “I made you guys some lunches too.”

Magnum smiled gratefully. “Thanks, dear. I appreciate the effort. Just one thing… do you mind making an extra one? I’m not sure when we’ll be back, so I asked Eclipse to stay over at a friend’s and I don’t want her to go hungry.”

“No need. I’ll catch something in the forest. The foal can have my portion. Besides, I don’t eat plants like you ponies. A dragon eats meat. In any case, is that forest truly so dangerous?”

“According to the rumours, Scales. Most of them involve ponies going in and never coming out.”

“Yet your kind built a town at its edge.”

“We did. Mags, is the forest really that dangerous?”

Magnum scratched his neck. “Yes and no. There are things that will kill you if you get too close. But those things tend to stay away from the beaten paths as well as the town.”

“Hey, are there any apples?” Aurum interrupted. She had started ladling the oats into a series of bowls.

“In the fridge. Third rack. Can’t miss it. Where was I?” Magnum thought for a moment. “Right, the forest. The thing that makes ponies uneasy is how alien it is to them.”

“Alien how?”

“Ooh!” Aurum cooed. “I found yoghurt. Can I use some of that?”

“Yeah, but avoid the pink tub. That’s Eclipse’s. Back to your question, Lizard. It’s alien because there’s no one controlling the forest.”

“What do you mean? Isn’t nature uncontrollable by its, well, nature?”

“Not to ponies. Pegasai can manipulate clouds and thus control the weather. We’ve learned to control animals so well that in some areas we need to wake them up when winter ends. And in most of Equestria forests only grow where we want them to. The Everfree turns that on its head. Clouds become uncontrollable when they enter the forest. The animals there are wild, almost untameable. When the town started ponies tried to cut the forest back for farmland. In the morning the forest had reclaimed the ground it lost. This process repeated itself again and again. ”

“What does that mean for our quest?” Char asked.

“It shouldn’t change much. We just need to get investigate the magical anomaly at the Castle of the Two Sisters and see if it’s related to The Sage. Mags will be able to show us what’s normal and what’s not for the forest.”

Magnum nodded in agreement as Aurum placed bowls of oats covered in yoghurt and diced apples in front of them.

“What happens if we don’t find anything?” Aurum asked.

“Then we keep our eyes and ears open for anything that might be related to The Sage. Other than that, we try and see if the anomaly in the Crystal Empire shows anything.”

“What about the one in the Dragon Lands? Char should be able to get us in, right?”

“That might be difficult. Dragons aren’t hospitable to what they consider the weaker races.”

“And we are one of these weaker races?”

Char shrugged. “You have yet to prove to me that you aren’t.”

Thunderbolt narrowed his eyes. “Is that a challenge, Scales?”

Char sneered, revealing his razor-sharp teeth. “If you think you can prove me wrong you’re welcome to try.”

“Quit it. We don’t have time for you two to settle your personal grudges. Just eat your breakfasts. I want to be on the road in the next hour.”

---

The group’s first stop was a hut inside a hollowed-out tree about ten minutes’ walk into the Everfree forest. Thunderbolt peeked into the window. The inside of the hut was made up of a large central room. The walls were lined with large masks and shelves with multi-coloured bottles. Some were even hanging from the ceiling. In the centre of the room was a large black cauldron over a fire pit. Inside an unknown green liquid was bubbling away. Taking a deep breath, he could smell herbs but were unable to identify them. He pushed against the door. It was locked.

“No one’s here, Mags.”

“The zebra must be out then. Wait.” Magnum pointed down a small forest path. “There she is.” Thunderbolt followed his hoof. He saw a zebra trotting down the path. While she seemed more masculine than most mares that Thunderbolt knew, her smaller build marked her out as a female. Around her neck was a set of golden rings which matched her earrings and those wrapped around her left leg. A black and white striped mohawk that ran down the nape of her neck. Her dark cyan eyes shone with a quiet wisdom. Once she saw that she had guests she waved and opened her mouth to speak:

“Good morning pony folk, I didn’t expect to have guests, while having my morning soak.”

Her voice was deep. Her slow and deliberate speech was marked by a rhyming pattern. Chitin and Aurum returned the zebra’s wave with friendly smiles, though Aurum’s was notably shyer. Thunderbolt gave a curt nod. Char snorted.

“Morning, Zecora,” Magnum said with a smile. “We’re just dropping Chitin off here. You don’t happen to have that package I asked for, do you?”

Zecora nodded. “Indeed I do. Give me a moment, and you’ll have your flammable brew.”

Magnum smiled. “Thanks, Zecora.”

Without another word, the zebra entered her hut and shut her door. Thunderbolt glanced at the door and then looked at Magnum.

“What’s the package for, Mags?”

“Just some stuff in case we run into something. I’m going to try and avoid the worst areas, but things can still go wrong.”

“What are you expecting?”

“Knowing you ponies, it’s probably an angry butterfly,” Char chimed in from atop Thunderbolt’s back.

Magnum rolled his eyes. “I’m more worried about Timberwolves.”

“What’s a Timberwolf?” Aurum asked.

“A creature made of wood, who is always up to no good.” Zecora emerged from her hut with a brown paper bag. She stepped over toward Magnum and held out the bag. Thunderbolt could hear the clinking of glass against glass as she moved.

“Thanks, Zecora. Do I owe you anything?”

The zebra shook her head. “There is no greater deed, than helping a friend in need.”

Magnum bowed his head and carefully shoved the paper bag into his own saddlebag.

“You got everything you came for, Mags?”

“Yeah. Let’s get going.”

---

Chitin closed the door to Zecora’s hut and let out a long protracted sigh. Zecora raised an eyebrow.

“What is wrong my dear, that you would sigh in a manner so queer?”

“He has a foal. Magnum, I mean. He’s a father. His daughter seems to love him. He deserves better. He deserves to know the truth.”

“Then why do you keep it hidden? Is the truth really something so forbidden?”

“It’s just…” Chitin licked her lips. “It’s just… What if he rejects me? I mean… I’ve been lying to him from the start.”

“If deceit founds a relationship, it will be plagued by hardship. If his feelings are true, he will not reject you. Besides.” Zecora smiled. “Is it truly such a bad thing, if he knew you were a changeling?”

“Zebras didn’t try to invade Equestria less than a year ago. There is no love lost between ponies and changelings. And it doesn’t really change the fact that I’ve been lying to him all this time.”

“It does not, but do you really have to let your love rot? It would do you well, if the truth you would tell.”

“Maybe you’re right. I’ll find a way to tell him next time I see him. But first, he has a job to do and I… I have things to take care of. Thanks for the talk Zecora.” Chitin took a deep breath, opened the door of the hut and walked into the Everfree forest.

---

As the sun moved across the sky, the activity within the Everfree forest started picking up. Birds chirped and sang their songs. Insects buzzed and small creatures scurried across the undergrowth. One particularly adventurous rabbit hopped into a clearing. He sniffed the air. A new smell was drifting through the forest. His ear twitched. The sound of flapping leather made him turn his head. His brain barely had time to register the black shape before everything went dark.

“Is that really necessary, Scales?” Thunderbolt wrinkled his nose as he watched Char tear at the carcass of a small rabbit.

“I am a dragon. Unlike you ponies, we eat meat.” Char took a deep breath and blew purple flames over a scrap of meat held between two claws. “Does that upset you, pony?”

Thunderbolt didn’t answer. Instead, he pulled his hood back and turned to the clearing. Aurum was setting out a checkered blanket in the centre with Magnum watching over her.

“Mags, how far is it to the castle?”

“Should be another 30-minute walk. Why?”

Thunderbolt scanned the treeline. His tail twitched. “We shouldn’t be out in the open like this. Someone’s going to see us.”

“And what they’ll see is a group of friends having a picnic. If we’re lucky they’ll pay us no mind.”

“And if we’re unlucky we’ll be captured and experimented on.”

“Then we can lull them into a false sense of security and ambush them. What’s wrong with you?”

Something moved in Thunderbolt’s peripheral. His head snapped toward it. He narrowed his eyes. The treeline was quiet. The soft breeze barely rustled the branches. He shook his head.

“Sorry. This bloody forest must be getting to me. I feel like I’m being watched.”

“I don’t blame you. The Everfree does that to ponies. You get used to.”

“We don’t have time to get used to it.”

“Hopefully you have time for lunch?” Aurum’s cheerful voice cut in. Magnum smiled and thanked her. Thunderbolt nodded and sat down on the blanket. He barely tasted the slightly salted tomato and cucumber sandwich that Aurum gave him. His eyes kept darting from rustling bush to quivering. Despite Magnum’s reassurance, he couldn’t shake the feeling of someone watching him. His head snapped toward a black blur in his peripheral. Char had found another rabbit to devour. Thunderbolt shook his head.

“… and right over the ridge is a quarry filled with gems. One of the local fashion designers uses them in her designs.”

“What are you guys talking about?”

“Goldie here was just talking about what she wanted to do with that payment you were getting if you managed to catch The Sage.”

“I, uh, I want to open my own jewellery shop. Magnum was telling me that Ponyville might be a good place to open a store.”

“We already have a jewellery store, but the owners are pretty old and stuffy. Some competition and a fresh perspective might liven things up.”

“Maybe.”

“And what about you, Sparks? What are you going to do with the money get for delivering The Sage over to Celestia?”

“Assuming that we survive long enough to get paid.” Aurum let a distressed squeak slip from her body. “Sorry, Rosie. As for the question itself… I don’t know. I haven’t really thought about that.” Thunderbolt rubbed the back of his neck. “Buy a house. Settle some debts, maybe. You’re definitely getting a share.”

“What? Why?” Magnum frowned. “This isn’t because you feel guilty about what happened with my wife?”

Thunderbolt shrugged. “I’d be lying if that didn’t factor into it, but you’re guiding us through the forest. Maybe even beyond. Without you, we wouldn’t know where to start. You deserve something.”

“Its fine, Sparks. I’m just doing my job. I’m just getting paid a lot less than you are.”

“All the more reason for me to give you some of my money. Being a single parent is tough and you’re my best friend. Helping ease your financial burdens is the least I can do.”

Magnum opened his mouth, closed it and smiled gratefully. “Thanks, I appreciate it.”

“What a touching heart to heart,” a voice sneered from behind. The two stallions whipped around. Char was behind them. The dragon gave a low chuckle at their fright. Thunderbolt swore under his breath.

“You finish eating?”

Char nodded. “Rabbits might not be as filling as larger creatures but the ones in this forest has a delightful tang to them.”

Magnum stood up. “If everyone’s done eating we should get moving. The castle is just across the next ridge.”

Char started sniffing the air like a dog smelling a rat. “Do you guys smell anything?”

Thunderbolt took a deep breath. He almost gagged at the smell that invaded his nostrils. It was an indescribable mixture of decomposing plants, rotting flesh, and blood. Thunderbolt turned to Magnum. He opened his mouth to speak when he heard the sound of snapping twigs. Thunderbolt’s head snapped toward the sound. At the edge of the clearing, in a shaking bush, was a pair of glowing green eyes.

---

A manticore blinked lazily as Chitin strolled past its cave. Leaves softly crunched under her hooves. She had left the beaten path some time ago, she wasn’t sure how long. She didn’t care. Her head was held high as she made her way into the darkened forest. She closed her eyes and breathed deeply. The smell of earth and rotting leaves invaded her nostrils. An excited smile grew on her face. She let out a relaxed and satisfied sigh. This was home. Her eyes scanning the surrounding forest for something. They widened and she stood still. She had stopped a large rock set into a small hill. There’s not much to say about the rock. It was, well, a rock. Cold and grey with some chips here and there. Some moss grew on a place where the sun rarely shone. Chitin opened her mouth. A series of insect-like chitters drifted from her throat. A series of chirps from her left answered her call. The rock in front of her was burst into green flames. When the flames subsided a black pony-like creature stood in the rock’s place. Its skin was made of chitin as black as the night. On its back was a pair of gossamer wings. Large holes were in both wings and the creature’s legs. Whatever light there was in the forest’s gloom reflected dully off of its solid blue eyes. From the middle of its forehead grew a jagged, curved horn and down its neck ran a webbed mane. Fangs protruded from its mouth. It bowed deeply at Chitin.

“Your majesty,” it said. Its voice was deep. Masculine.

Chitin inclined her head politely. “Did I miss anything?”

“No, except... except that some in the hive have noticed your absence. They are starting to get antsy.”

“I suppose I should set them at ease.”

The male changeling stepped to the side and revealed a gaping hole in the hill. He bowed deeply. “I do believe that would be wise, your majesty.”

With a nod, Chitin walked the gaping black hole. The masculine changeling burst into bright green flames and for a moment the tunnel Chitin found herself in was illuminated by the flames. It was straight and long and descended into the bowels of the earth. The flames died out and it was dark once more.

---

A shape burst from the forest. It collided with Char and carried the dragon into the forest. Thunderbolt kept scanning the treeline. Something moved in his peripheral. Another shape leapt from the treeline, directly at Magnum. Thunderbolt leapt in its direction. He threw his forehooves around his friend. He let his momentum carry them out of the shape’s path. Thunderbolt leapt up and around. The creature before him looked like a wolf, but larger, about the size of a small house. The entire creature was made up of branches, twigs and leaves. Sharpened sticks stuck out of its mouth like fangs. The sunken sockets that mimicked eyes glowed with an unnatural green light. The creature growled a low growl. It took a step forward. Thunderbolt glanced back. Aurum was shivering behind him. He swore and started gathering magic in the tip of his horn. He saw something enter his field of vision. It was a small bottle filled with clear fluid. The creature lurched forward as the bottle hit it between its eyes. The clear fluid drenched its face and shoulders.

“SET IT ON FIRE!” Magnum yelled from somewhere behind Thunderbolt.

“What? Do you want me to turn us all into charcoal? You know I’m shit with pyrokinesis.”

“It doesn’t matter. We just need a spark. Quickly, before it evaporates.”

“A spark? I’ll give you a spark,” Thunderbolt mumbled under his breath. He started moulding the magic gathered in his horn. The smell of ozone started forming. Lightning burst from the horn and hit the creature right between the eyes. The clear fluid caught fire from the heat. The fire rapidly spread across the creature. It wailed pitifully as the flames consumed its body. Thunderbolt felt himself relax.

“Contact, six o’clock.”

Thunderbolt spun around. His eyes widened. In the distance, three more creatures made of branches, twigs and sticks were making their approach.

“Shit,” he hissed. “Mags! I don’t suppose you have more the stuff you threw over the first one?”

“Fresh out.” Thunderbolt glanced back at Magnum. Two of the creatures were burning in front of him.

“Shit.” One of the creatures charged him. Digging his forehooves into ground Thunderbolt swung his body around. He pulled his hind legs into his stomach. At the peak of the swing, he threw his legs back in a kick. He felt his hooves connect with something. Twigs and branches flew past him. Thunderbolt looked around him. The creature had burst apart. One of the other creatures howled at the loss of its brother. Both of them charged at Thunderbolt simultaneously. Thunderbolt squared his shoulders and waited for them with a cocky grin on his face. He kicked the first creature in the side of the dead, sending it off course. Its parts flew apart when it hit a tree. Mid kick Thunderbolt sent out a pulse of magical force, causing the other creature to lose its balance and plough a furrow into the forest path. A swift kick from Magnum sent the creature’s head flying. The rest of its body simply fell apart.

“I guess kicking them works just as well as fire.”

“No, Sparks, it doesn’t.” Magnum started gathering up twigs and branches and threw them into the burning remains of the other creatures. “Now help me burn as much as we can before it’s too late.”

“What do you-” Thunderbolt was cut off when the branches and twigs started glowing with a sickly green aura. The pieces began vibrating and lifting from the forest floor. Twig by twig the pieced zoomed toward a single point in the middle of the forest path.

“What the hell’s happening?”

“They’re reforming, Sparks. These things don’t die just by breaking them apart.”

“Then how the hell do we kill these things?”

“We set them on fire.”

“And we don’t have a reliable way to do that. Brilliant.”

A low growl interrupted the discussion. The creature in front of them was three times larger than the others. Sap dripped from its mouth like saliva. The indescribable smelling mixture of decomposing plants, rotting flesh, and blood grew thicker. The creature roared the ponies’ faces. Thunderbolt had to suppress the urge to gag. Behind him, he could hear retching and something wet hitting the ground. Thunderbolt swore and the creature took a step forward.

---

Green flames sputtered to life in sconces along the tunnel walls. Chitin took a deep breath and breathed out slowly. As she breathed out she was engulfed in green flames. They were gone as quickly as they came. In the wake the flames the mare was different. She was almost a head taller. Her white fur had been replaced by a shiny black coat of chitin. Her black mane had turned a dark blue-green colour and hung limply around her face. A smooth, curved horn jutted from her forehead. Delicate gossamer wings sprouted from her back. Her smile widened, revealing a set of fangs. Only her bright green eyes remained the same. It was like a pair of emeralds set in an onyx statuette.

“Where have you been?” a feminine voice hissed from somewhere to Chitin’s left. She gave a slight start. Her head swivelled in the direction of the sound. A black pony-like figure stood before her. Its form was slender, much more than the bulky figure Chitin was outside the tunnel. It could even be described as feminine. Much like Chitin’s and the male changeling, the figure’s body was covered in a shiny coat of black chitin. Thin gossamer wings were tucked into its sides. A webbed mane ran down its scalp and neck and a similarly webbed tail hung from its backside. A stubby, curved horn poked out of its forehead. Its eyes were orbs of solid, unreflective bright blue like two dull sapphires set in an onyx base. Fangs peeked out from the corners of its mouth. On its snout sat a pair of functional, round glasses.

“Ovi,” the transformed mare cried. “Shit, you scared me. What are you doing here?”

“Looking for you,” ‘Ovi’ answered. “Where the hell have you been?”

“In the village. It was already dark and Magnum insisted that I stay.”

“So you spent the night, with a pony?” ‘Ovi’ glanced at Chitin’s stomach. “Chitin, you didn’t…”

“Didn’t what?” Chitin’s eyes widened and her cheeks turned red. “NO! Nononononono. Ovipositor, don’t even suggest that. Magnum isn’t that sort of pony. And he had guests. And a daughter. And I don’t… I don’t want to enter into that sort of relationship with him if I’m keeping secrets from him.”

“Does he really need to know?”

“I want him to know,” Chitin’s voice was small. Pensive. “I want him to know. I don’t want to lie to him or anyone else about what I really am. I don’t want to hide in the ground like a rabbit anymore!”

“Chitin, while I believe that hiding underground is unique to your hive, hiding our presence and siphoning the love of those around us indirectly is what has kept the changeling race alive since its creation. Your mother-” Ovi stopped midsentence. Her blood froze in her veins. Chitin was glaring at her, her eye narrowed into slits. Like all changelings, she could feel and see the emotions of those around her and from her queen, she could only feel boiling rage and saw a cloud of boiling red anger.

“I AM NOT MY MOTHER!” Chitin hissed. “If she had agents in the places we do she would have sucked Equestria dry and moved on to the next kingdom. Then she would’ve sucked that one dry and moved on to the next. And then the next. And the next. On and on and on until only we changelings were left. Listen, Ovipositor, we changelings need love to survive. You know that, right?” Ovi nodded. “That means we need a consistent source of love feed on. Ponies are overflowing with love. Mother’s methods would have them sucked dry and discarded. I would rather have us protect them and form a symbiotic relationship. Besides…” The red cloud faded Chitin got a faraway look in her eyes. “I would really like to be able to walk among them without a disguise.”

“I understand that Chitin, but I do not feel that it is feasible at this time.”

Chitin gave a resigned sigh. “I guess. What are you here for, Ovi?”

“There are some pressing matters you must attend to, your highness.”

Chitin gave a frustrated groan. She started walking. Ovipositor followed. “Fine. What did the hive do this time?”

“It is an external matter.” Ovipositor answered. “A squadron of scouts disappeared near the Castle ruins. I’ve already taken the liberty of sending out a group to investigate.”

“Good. Why do you need me then?”

“Their preliminary report is troubling. A gang of mercenaries seems to have made the Castle ruins their home. They have not found the missing scouts, but they plan on entering the ruins today in hopes that they might have discovered what has happened to them.” Ovipositor’s voice grew nervous. “You don’t-You don’t think that the ponies are preparing an assault on the hive, do you?”

“No. No, I don’t think so.” There was a twinge of doubt in Chitin’s voice. “They don’t even know where the hive is…” Chitin shook her head. “No, it’s probably something else. Keep an eye on the situation and tell me of any new developments.”

Ovipositor nodded. A changeling ran into the tunnel and threw himself onto the ground in front of Chitin.

“An urgent report for you, your majesty.”

Chitin nodded. “Rise and give me the report.”

The changeling rose to his feet. “One of the pony rulers, Princess Celestia, will be leaving today on a trip with her husband to Neighpon. Their foal will stay behind and sent to her paternal grandparents. What should we do?”

Chitin frowned. “Should we do anything?” she wondered aloud. “Celestia’s foal is none of our business.”

“If handled correctly,” Ovipositor interjected. “This could be the opportunity to strengthen changeling relations with ponies. You could take the first step in achieving your dream of walking among ponies au naturel, so to speak.”

“What do you mean?”

“We have received reports suggest that the Princess’s foal may be in danger. If we ensure the foal remains unharmed, we could earn the Princess’s trust and start to mend the bridge between pony and changeling.”

Chitin pursed her lips as she thought about this. “Fine. Find out where the foal’s grandparents live and send a squad to protect her. Make sure nothing harms her.”

“As you command, your highness.” The changeling bowed deeply and ran off into the tunnel. Chitin turned to Ovipositor.

“Anything else, Ovi?”

“I can’t think of anything urgent.”

“Oh, good. I would really like a good, long soak in a hot bath.”

---

Thunderbolt turned to Magnum.

“So, Mags, what’s the plan?”

“I don’t know. Lightning might work like with the first one, but without a flammable liquid you’re going to have to put a lot of energy into the main bolt to make it hot enough to set the thing on fire.”

“That’s not much of a plan,” Thunderbolt complained as he poured magic into his horn.

“Do you have a better one?”

“Not really,” Thunderbolt admitted. He glared at the creature. Silver blue eyes stared into glowing green ones. It was then that Thunderbolt noticed something. A thin layer of frost had formed on the creature’s leafy whiskers. His own breath had started forming tiny, white clouds. He gave an involuntary shiver. In the back of his mind, he noted that it had gotten colder. A lot colder. Then a shadow fell over them. Thunderbolt looked up. He saw a purple glow above him.

“Take cover!” he yelled. He threw the magic gathered in his horn outward, moulding it into a shell of energy around him and his friends. The shield gave off a soft silver-blue glow. The creature bent its knees, coiling itself, ready to pounce on the ball filled with trespassing ponies. It never got the chance. A stream of purple fire fell on the creature like it was sent by an angry god. The creature roared impotently as the flames consumed it. Thunderbolt lifted his hoof to shield his eyes from the blinding purple light. He felt the heat through the shield.

“I feel almost sorry for it,” Magnum said with a smirk. Beads of sweat had formed on his forehead. He wiped it off with the back of his hoof.

“I’m just glad I’m not on the receiving end this time.”

“This time?”

“Let’s just say me and Scales didn’t start out as friends.”

“What do you mean, Sparks?”

Thunderbolt shrugged. “It’s a long story. I’ll tell you later over a pint.”

They watched the creature burn. It whimpered softly, realising its end had come. Then the stream of flames died down. Thunderbolt lowered his shield. The shadow over them darkened. The ground shook as something landed in the clearing. Thunderbolt found himself looking at a set of tree-trunk sized legs covered in black scales. He looked up and saw a pair of emerald reptilian eyes and mouth that was curled into a sneer, revealing rows of razor-sharp dragon teeth. The dragon was twice the size of the creature that it had immolated. The air started heating up. Smoke drifted from the dragon’s body as it shrunk until it was the size of a housecat. A flying scaled housecat.

“Took your bloody time, didn’t you, Scales?

Char laughed. “I had more trouble with the thing that carried me off than expected. The damn thing was fast. And it kept reforming any limbs that I ripped off. But that posed no real problem. I simply reduced it to a pile of smouldering ash.” Char set himself down on Thunderbolt’s back. “What was it anyway?”

Thunderbolt shrugged and looked at Magnum.

“These were timberwolves. They’re just magical constructs that seem to mimic the behaviour of regular wolves. The locals think of them as monsters. I’m not convinced they’re entirely wrong about that.” Magnum examined the smouldering ashes of the timberwolf that Char immolated. “This one was a timberwolf king. It’s rare, but sometimes timberwolves will merge and become a larger, more dangerous creature. It can act as an alpha or leader of a pack. What’s strange is that they aren’t usually found in this area.” He turned to Thunderbolt. “Think The Sage might be involved.”

Thunderbolt shrugged. He looked at Rosie. “You ok?” She gave a small nod. “Right. Let’s get moving. I’d like to get to the Castle of the Two Sisters before nightfall.”

“I’m sure that we can help with that,” a nasally voice replied. Thunderbolt spun toward the sound, his horn crackling with electricity. In the treeline stood around ten ponies clad in scale barding. Most were earth ponies. They were armed with swords held in their mouths. A pegasus hovered above them. Sunlight glinted off of her wingtips. Thunderbolt couldn’t quite make out what was on her wings, but he assumed that whatever it was, it was sharp and that she knew how to use it.

“Lower your horn, unicorn,” the nasally voice ordered. It came from a unicorn in centre of the group. He had crimson coat under his barding. A sword with a golden hilt floated lazily next to his head. It was pointed at Thunderbolt’s chest.

“Who the hell are you?”

“Lower your horn,” Nasally Voice repeated.

“And if I don’t?”

“Then we’ll simply have to subdue you and capture you the hard way.”

For a brief moment, Thunderbolt considered simply sending Nasally Voice to hell. Then he felt his body ache. The fight with the timberwolves drained him. At best he could stun Nasally Voice, but that might just be enough. If he was lucky, the scale armour would conduct the lightning across the ground troops, stunning them all for long enough for him to take them by surprise. The only one that worried him was that pegasus with her possibly lethal wings.

“Sparks, you got any ideas?” Magnum hissed.

“Stun the leader, hope that it gives us a window of opportunity.”

“They might take Aurum hostage.”

“If we’re quick, we won’t need to worry about that.”

Char growled. “I refuse to be captured by ponies for a second time. I’ll engage the winged one.”

“On the count of three… one… two…” Thunderbolt’s legs gave out from under him. The world turned sideways and he felt the itching prick of grass through his cloak. From the corner of his eye he could that Aurum had fallen as well. He shook his head. He could feel sleep trying to claim him. The last thing he heard was Nasally Voice’s delighted orders:

“Good work Slumber. Duke, Onyx, get the ropes. And someone get a muzzle on that dragon. I don’t want him to chomp anyone’s limbs off.”