Hole Hearted

by Akashic Brony

Chapter 5 Loyalty?

The gray stallion with the fedora shifted his form in a plume of green fire. The Changeling smiled. “Larvi, it’s been many moons since we last spoke.” He smiled and his fangs shone in the moonlight.

“Master Amorpheus.” Echo bowed. “I thought you were destroyed.”

“So long as my monarch needs me I am not permitted to die. It was an order she explicitly gave me.” Master Amorpheus looked fondly into the distance. He returned his attention to Echo. “I see you’ve seduced a Royal Guard. Most impressive. It may yet be the framework for another invasion.”

“Our Queen lives?” asked Echo unsteadily.

“Yes, but our army has but a shadow of its former glory,” said Amorpheus, scowling. “We have had to promote workers to soldiers. However all is well. In soon enough time, we’ll have a greater force than when we first invaded. I will tell you our plans later. For now, our Queen has secured us another source of love.”

The word love stung in Echo’s mind. “Master Amorpheus, can we Changelings even feel love? Does our Queen?”

Her face was met with a smack of Amorpheus’s hooves.

Amorpheus snorted angrily. “Before your birth, when our people were banished to the badlands, our monarch sustained them, the hungry hordes. She fed them all, spreading herself thin. She gave love when there was none to give. She hid it well, but I saw her legs quake and shake from exhaustion. She fed them from her life essence when the reserves had run dry. If that is not love, then I do not know what else is! I resolved then to serve her unto death.”

“I am sorry,” said Echo.

“The whimpering of worms! So she does not give you tokens of affection as often as you like. That is because her love is greater.”

“You alone have done so much for me. I believe in you.”

Amorpheus sighed. “Believe in our Queen.”

“Tell me the secret dream of our people again,” Echo pleaded.

Amorpheus looked uncomfortable at the request. “Larvi, it is a tale told to fresh maggots, not to fully trained soldiers of her majesty.”

“Please.”

It was the age of magic… Our people were fair of hair and love lit our streets in abundance. Our Queen Chitinia (Ki-tan-nia) was a sight to behold, splendor beyond compare. She ruled with might and majesty, for she bore the Scepter of Light. However the light is not without shadow.

The Unicorn King Amethyst, covetous of all things, sent many envoys and gifts to our Queen, hoping to seduce her. Clever and wise, she was not tricked with trinkets. It was only with the encroachment of his armies and threat of war did she acquiesce to be his.

It was not enough that the kingdoms were joined. King Amethyst desired even greater power. In hubris, he stole the Scepter of Light, wishing to wield it as a weapon. Our Queen did battle against him, but in shattering the scepter, darkness consumed all.

In the absence of light, creeping shadows took hold. They became the first ones. Being no longer the fair forms we once were, they saw us as monsters, and drove us underground. However, Queen Chitinia did not abandon her children. She led our people to survive and, in time, thrive.

We inherit the curse. However, hope is not lost, for it was foretold that with enough magic we might become complete. We gatherers collect so that one day we may be free, all the while chanting:

Hear the call that echoes through our hall

If not for us then those thereafter, so—

Changelings be small or tall, listen all,

One day we will become whole.

By the end of the story, Echo had curled up alongside him. Master Amorpheus was uncomfortably petting the ghostly mane on Echo’s Changeling head.

“I’m sorry, Master Amorpheus. I lost sight of our goal.”

“Larvi, I must relay orders to our other contacts. The Queen shall be glad to hear of your safety. The guard—he’s in your power, no?” Master Amorpheus gently set Echo back.

“How long did you listen at the restaurant?” asked Echo nervously.

“I noticed your disguise when you were leaving,” said Master Amorpheus.

Echo sighed in relief.

“The way he called after you was all-telling. You’ve got the foal eating from your hooves, haven’t you? He has no idea you’ll be his doom,” Master Amorpheus said deviously.

“Yes.” Echo winced.

“Truly a master-work. Playing hard to get only makes you more desirable, but do reel the line in. Get closer to him. Join his Guard division. A Vice Captain is useful to us.”

“Is that an order?” asked Echo, meekly.

“You know it is,” said Amorpheus, smiling, “Rejoice, we shall return stronger than ever with the power to devour this entire land.”

---

Den entered his office in the barracks. A stack of crudely-written notes were piled atop his desk. He recognized the misspellings and grammatical errors to be the hoofwork of his lieutenant, Blueberry. For the word Griffin she tried many variations—“Grifen,” “Griffin,” “Griphin”—but finally scratched it all out and drew a picture of an angry bird. He didn’t have time to decrypt her scrawlings. Den pulled out his bed from the wall. He fell asleep wishing Echo was beside him.

---

The rays of light glared through the barrack windows. He woke up groggy-eyed to a glorious morning. Echo was still on his mind. The night had been a haunting and beautiful sight, but it might have only been a dream. His vision cleared, and he could see his messy desk.

“Vice Captain!” A voice was followed by a knock on his office door.

Den sprung up from his bed. “What wrong, Blueberry?” he asked his lieutenant.

An azure-colored Earth Pony busted through the door. “You! Lazy bum! Ya’ve been gone five days!” Blueberry poked him with an accusatory hoof.

Den recoiled. “Hey, easy now. I had that report due, remember?”

“Well, I talked to Quill. She said you were only at the archives for a day. That there still leaves some days left-over.” Blueberry put on a self-satisfied grin.

“I have weeks’ worth of leave days. I haven’t taken a break. My vacation days are probably up to a year now.”

Blue tried to raise a hoof to object. “Argh. Why didn’t you at least go with me to submit the report?” Blue pouted.

“Because I wrote it. I still credited you, even though you didn’t pick up a pen to help.” Den crossed his hooves.

“Still...” Blue looked at her hooves furtively.

Den smiled at Blue’s loss of words. “Let’s go. We’ve got a batch of new recruits to inspect. I’m sure you’ll be wanting to beat them in yourself.”

---

The courtyard swarmed with activity. Guards and trainees had crowded around to see the conclusion of a sparring match. Everyone focused on a single Unicorn.

“One of the newbies challenged the instructor, and won!” said an astonished guard.

Den and Blue looked at each quizzically and pushed through the crowd.

“What’s going on here?” cried Blue.

It was Echo affixed with a war saddle and a practice lance. She proudly loomed over a beaten orange Pegasus.

Den was flabbergasted. “Echo!”

“Hi, Den!” Echo waved a hoof.

Her familiar tone with the Vice Captain turned everypony’s attention towards Den, Blueberry’s especially.

Echo faced Den. “Come on: show me you’re as good a fighter as I’ve known a lover!” she said, rearing to go.

Den blushed; however, it was Blueberry that rose to the challenge.

“That newbie needs to be cut down a notch!” Blueberry asserted. She had already pulled a war saddle from a recruit and lined herself for a charge.

“Who are you?” asked Echo challengingly.

Blueberry lunged at her. “I’m his lieutenant!”

Echo sidestepped her, but became wide-eyed by her speed. Blue smirked as she whipped her pole around. Echo laughed as she ducked. Echo was able to block Blueberry’s second strike with the training pole. Echo got in close and prepared a back-kick. Blue jumped back. The two mares stared each other down.

Blueberry snarled. “Where’d ya learn the pole, hussy? At the club, I’m betting?”

Echo bit back. “You would know you, you blue tart!”

Blueberry ran ferociously towards Echo. Even with the dulled pole-tips, she might have skewered her opponent at her insane speed. In a flash of green, Echo pulled Blueberry’s mane across her eyes, then, with her hooves, redirected Blueberry’s lance tip into the ground. Blueberry was catapulted helplessly into the air as her harness snapped.

“Ha, you are utterly destroyed!” Echo boasted. “Is there any other willing test their skill against mine?”

Blueberry flew and bowled over a squad of recruits. On the ground, Blue looked back at Echo with eyes sharpened. The recruits scuttled away from Blue as her rage boiled to steaming.

“Up for a rematch? Huh?” Echo planted her feet on the ground and wiggled her legs readying for Blue’s second assault.

Blueberry surprised everyone by bawling. “No fair. She cheated!” She began crying. The show was over, and the crowd dispersed in awkward silence.

Echo was completely taken aback by her opponent’s sudden breakdown.

“I win.” Den bopped Echo softly on her head with a practice lance. “That wasn’t nice.”

“Hey, she started it,” said Echo.

---

The three of them sat together in the mess hall. Introductions had been made, albeit grudgingly. They ate from a shared large tray of hay fries. Blueberry’s tears were stifled as she consumed copious amounts of ice cream from a tub.

“Echo, I’m glad you joined the guard, but was there way that you could have done so without be so showy?” said Den.

Echo said, simply: “Nope.”

“You’re still a cheater,” Blue said, sniffling slightly as she inhaled another glob of chocolate ice cream.

Echo stuck her tongue out like a snake. “I could have done more with my magic than just that.”

“You could have held back,” said Den. “The purposes of those exercises is to train just your lance work.”

“Is this how you train? No wonder you were beaten. In combat, the only restriction is your imagination. Isn’t that why you have begun to integrate all three races into the Royal Guard? Of course, you have race specific units, like the Pegasus Wonderbolts, when shock troops are called for, but generally most threats aren’t so specific.”

“That is a very analytical and detailed summary of modern Equestrian military philosophy,” said Den, impressed.

“You’re super serious and smart,” said Blue, mouth agape. “You’re like Den. I’m supposin’ that’s why he chose you.” Blue lowered her head.

“I’m sorry,” said Echo in a conciliatory tone. “No hard feelings?”

Blue smiled, licking the ice cream from her lips. “I have plenty of hard feelings. Did I mention I like mares also?”

Both Echo and Den nearly choked on their hay fries.

“Blue!?” Den shot her a look of incredulity.

“Yeah, if you don’t treat her right, I just a’ might take her from under ya wings Mr. Pegasus!” smirked Blue.

---

The ice warmed over. They left Blueberry on good terms. Den and Echo strolled through the barracks.

“Lovely Lieutenant of yours,” said Echo.

“You have to be on all four hooves for that one. She develops a crush on everyone who defeats her,” chuckled Den. “I can’t believe you’re here with me though.”

“Of course… Commander,” said Echo wistfully.

“But I want you to quit if I’m your only reason.”

“What? Didn’t you want this?” Echo stammered.

“Yeah, but this isn’t about you or me. Equestria is a beautiful land. Sure, we’ve got our problems, but love flows here. I’m willing to defend that. You spoke of missions; that is my mission.”

“What matters of a nation? Couldn’t it just be you and me? All else be damned?”

Den sighed. “The war is over. Save for the Griffin incursions, there’s no real threat. I think you could find a home in Equestria.”

“Hypothetically, if you had to choose…”

Den considered the question for a long moment. “Equestria,” answered Den painfully. “Because I couldn’t have you without it.”

Echo paused. “I will believe in you, Den.”

Den gave her a concerned look. “In time, I think you’ll understand.”

Echo spoke slowly. “There’s something I must tell you.”

“Yes?” said Den.

Echo looked into Den’s kind eyes and soft face, her own face twisted in guilt. She looked off and then surrendered the thought for good, or for another time. “Umm... I’m hungry.”

“We just ate.”

“My other hunger,” said Echo with a mischievous smile.

---

Den panted deeply. He flexed his wings and lay exhausted beside Echo. The office bed creaked as he lay down. Echo buzzed happily, her insect wings almost chirping.

“Hey, so you can take any form…” said Den with a mischievous grin.

Echo laughed. “I thought you’d never ask. Tell me, do you have a request?”

Den touched his head. “Well, I don’t mean to be profane. But maybe on a special occasion…”

“Yes, lover?” inquired Echo, rubbing her nose against Den.

“…Luna…” squeaked Den.

“You’re positively naughty!” Echo laughed in her usual hollow devilish reverb.

“How does love energy work? I won’t get sick from you taking it, will I?” asked Den.

Echo sat up and looked over Den. Her ghostly mane dipped down touching his head. She licked her fangs. “You ask me now after you’ve already climbed into bed with me?”

Den nodded nervously.

Echo fell back besides Den. “Silly, it’s called making love for a reason. There are other methods, such as absorbing it from ambient spaces, or directly drinking you dry to a husk.” Echo giggled.

Den gave a wry smile. “I do feel sleepy after we—”

“Dear, that happens to all males,” said Echo. “Anyhow, love as energy is quite powerful. One could get high on it.”

“How come your people can’t just form natural relationships or love one another?” asked Den.

Echo turned away from Den. “It is not so simple. Remember that your first reaction was to stab me? Changelings can’t generate love, at least not the sort that we can feed upon. I don’t know why this is the case. It has been a question for our history’s ages and mages.”

“So what is all this then? I’m just food?”

“You get spectacular sex, don’t you?” Echo nibbled on Den’s ear.

“I’m serious,” said Den, rebuffing her advance.

Echo sighed. “I know the motions well. We have rehearsed them many times. I’m not sure if I’m acting. I’m scared to say which.”

“Echo, you just joined the guard and surrounded yourself with tons of ponies trained to hunt you and yet acknowledging your emotions is what scares you? I’d say your feelings are genuine.” Den, smiled, nuzzling her neck.

Echo could not look him in the eye and simply kissed Den on the forehead.

Author's Note:

Meet Blueberry Frost!

Comments

[IceQB]

Just a little more descriptive will do. 1 - 3 sentences describing the place will help xD

[IceQB]

P.S. Favorited, and you get a shout-out on my page because this is good. Really. Really. Good.

[Laknock]

Blueberry’s tears were stifled as she consumed copious amounts of ice cream from a tub.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

[Truthseeker]

Sorry, but you lost me on this chapter.