> Fallout Equestria: The Pact
>  by Ankaru
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Eternity
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

She wasn't sure what it was that had drawn her here, or why she was walking down this path. She didn't particularly like the Everfree Forest: it was a wild, chaotic tangle of life that pressed in all around her, unhindered by pony intervention, wild and free.

It was funny. It wasn't that the forest's unnatural naturalness scared her, but rather that it felt too easy to be swallowed up in here. Like she could just vanish into these trees, and never come out.

But then again, she supposed she didn't really have to worry about that anymore, did she?

The unicorn continued silently along the small trail of order through the jumble of chaos, her prosthetic limbs whirring quietly as hard metal hooves strode across soft earthen face, half-hidden under the duster she wore. She stood out against the greens and dark colors of the forest with her chocolate-colored coat, her green eyes shifting apprehensively back and forth, her blonde mane tied back for today to keep it from falling in her eyes thanks to the heavy humidity.

She looked young, and she felt the same as she always had: just more tired. It was funny, how that sense of normalcy for her could feel like even more of a burden sometimes than the state of the world they were in. But out here, at least, she could pretend she was just like any other pony, when there were no ponies around to compare herself to.

She wasn't, after all. She was a Changeling, and more than that, a Changeling who had outlived almost all of her friends, if not all of Ponyville. That was something that hurt a little to think about: not just all the time that had passed, the friends who had come and gone, but the fact that... so much had changed. The world had changed.

It was a blessing, on one hoof. She had been able to watch Equestria start to come together again after the disaster, and she'd been able to be there, to help the ponies who hadn't been able to find a place in the Stable. She had been able to help with treating the sick and injured, protect Ponyville from bandits, and a thousand other little things. Until, of course, their numbers had dwindled from time and sickness, and now... there were fewer and fewer to protect.

But she'd also become more aware that history could be circular, and that the higher they rose as one, the harder the fall could be. She hated to think that sometime, in the far, far future, she might have to watch as what remained of Equestria crumbled from either war or social collapse...

And these days, that didn't feel like so far away, no matter how much they were working to recover from the ashes, no matter how many lives had been saved, there were always more lives that had been lost. And now? She was alone, with precious few others who could understand what it was like to be... immortal? Was she really immortal, in the literal sense? Ageless, unable to die from natural causes, or was she just blessed and cursed with a terribly long lifespan...

She didn't know. But then again, she had probably shaved quite a few years off her life, for better or worse. She had done a lot of trekking around this injured Equestria, and been in contact with a lot of different ponies, from ghouls to self-proclaimed saviors to everything in-between. All that journeying, all that wandering, all that... forgetting to take care of herself, she thought it was coming back on her these days. Like she had cut her own immortality down to who knew how many years, as the invisible killer of radiation sizzled his way into her body and refused to leave.

But what did that really matter? Well, she had served her purpose, hadn't she? She had united the ponies and the Changelings – or at least brought them together as much as she could, in her fumbling way – and now, well, she didn't really know what to do with herself. She had taken care of Octavia's legacy as best she could, and she sometimes did little diplomatic or scavenging missions here and there, but otherwise...

She wasn't a princess, or an officer, or any kind of real leader. She wasn't really an assassin, or a very good diplomat, either. At some point, she'd slipped away to live mostly in solitude, and the world had continued to go on without her, not caring that it was absent a Changeling with some prosthetic implants. She was timeless to Ponyville these days: a strange wanderer who came and went sometimes as she pleased, with all sorts of stories and whispers following her around, but at the same time, she was someone who had always been there, and who she imagined the few remaining residents of the village figured would continue to always be. Eternal.

But she had realized, during her last little outing to Ponyville, that she wasn't the only almost-mythological figure that visited the town. There was another eccentric mare who seemed as timeless and ageless as she was, who had vanished for some time, but a few yeas ago, had returned to haunt the village, to salvage what scrap she could from the abandoned homes.

And that was why she was out here right now, wandering through the Everfree Forest, in search of a zebra mare who was apparently the very same as she had been all those years ago when she had first arrived, even before the Changeling herself had come to Ponyville; perhaps before the Changelings had even assembled their Hive and begun operations in Equestria in earnest. A zebra mare who had supposedly died, but apparently had somehow survived the hells she had seen and looked no worse the wear for the plight of the rest of this sick world.

Who was still here, for whatever bizarre reason. Why would you stay in a place like this when you had a home country to return to? Whether or not the whole world had burned, well... wouldn't you rather die at home, than as a stranger in a strange land?

She had found this path and had been walking for some time now, and while the rest of the Everfree was wild and mutant, this well-trod path looked like it had been carved long ago by thousands of hoofsteps, and the forest had accepted this little bit of order as a natural part of itself.

She rose her head slightly as she finally saw something else in the distance that stood out amongst the irregular chaos of the Everfree. It looked like a cabin of some sort, with tribal masks and other exotic decorations across its face, and there was little doubt in the Changeling unicorn's mind that this had to be her destination.

She approached the structure, then halted and hesitated, shifting anxiously on the spot as she realized she didn't exactly have much of a reason to be out here. She hadn't interacted a whole lot with this particular mare in the past, and she only just now was realizing that maybe going up to someone and asking 'so hey I've seen you around now and then in the last century or so' might not be the smoothest way to start a conversation with someone.

“I hear you out there, Changeling mare.” came the zebra's voice from the hut, and the mare blushed deeply as she looked lamely at the door as it swung open. “You must be tired from your long walk. Come and rest, and then we can talk.”

The Changeling hesitated for only a moment, and then she almost crept towards the door, blushing a bit as she blurted out: “I'm sorry for uh, just showing up, Zecora, but... but there was something I wanted to ask you if you weren't busy at all, and... I mean, I just... I hope that I'm not interrupting...”

Here she was, stumbling all over her words. And not just because she was embarrassed, but because it had been forever since she'd actually had a conversation with someone outside of her own head. In her head, sure, she was always eloquent and able to keep up her side of the conversation, but now here, in the real world, as she nervously entered the zebra's hut...

She looked lamely up as Zecora smiled at her kindly: she had deep, beautiful blue eyes and a stiff mohawk mane. Gold hoops adorned her neck and matching anklets hung around her forelegs, but none of her jewelry was ostentatious: there was a sense of neatness and arrangement to everything she was wearing, as if all of it had some secret purpose.

“I don't get many visitors out here; how have you been, Marina my dear?” Zecora asked kindly, giving her a friendly smile, and Marina gave her a lame smile in return as her eyes wandered around the interior of the cabin: it was comfortable but a little squished, a cauldron in the middle of the structure exhaling sweet-smelling smoke, masks and strange statuettes and hanging charms all around the hut seeming to watch them with eerie vitality, as if they all possessed some sort of life of their own.

“Uh... fine. Fine.” Marina said awkwardly. She had to repress her natural Changeling instinct to mimic and reflect: even after all these years, when she found herself meeting someone new or in an uncomfortable situation, she always fell back on old programming, which told her to try and imitate and manipulate.

But she was working to change that. And, well, she sure as hell couldn't rhyme on the spot like Zecora could, either.

They looked at each other awkwardly for a moment, and Marina took a breath, deciding to skip platitudes and not waste time for either of them as she asked hesitantly: “Zecora, not to be rude, but... I mean... I've seen you around Ponyville ever since I was...”

“Ah, I see now why you've come all this way... no, don't worry, it's quite okay.” Zecora reassured at the look on Marina's face. “Of course you of all people would want to know how I am still alive, and-”

“Not just alive, but... you're so young, and pretty, and you feel...” Marina struggled to find the right word, then blushed as she looked lamely at the zebra, who was giving her an amused look. “Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt you. Do... do you need to start over?”

“I'm not actually cursed, and don't need to rhyme to speak.” Zecora said mildly, and Marina blushed deeper before the zebra smiled wider and said gently: “Why don't we get to know each other right now? I have some chores that could use your Changeling know-how.”

“Oh?” Marina rose her head in confusion. “Well, I'm always happy to help, but... I don't know what you would need a Changeling for...”

“Changelings can read emotions and do things even I cannot; or at least, that was something I was always taught.” Zecora tilted her head. “Can you help me find a few animals I need? You should be able to sense what I cannot see in grass and weed.”

“Oh!” Marina nodded and smiled a little: yes, she could use her emotional reading to sense animals. As a matter of fact... “I've never been... especially good at it, but I can communicate a little even with wild animals, too. Or sort of hypnotize them, at least, although that isn't a very good word for it.”

“I would appreciate that even more, my Changeling friend. Perhaps I can make you dinner after we see these chores through to their end.” Zecora suggested, and it took Marina a moment for her to realize what the zebra was saying.

“Oh, oh oh oh! Yes, well, I don't want you to go through any trouble for me...” Marina blushed, however, as her stomach rumbled a little at the thought of food. She hadn't been doing as badly as she'd used to, but well... it had been a day or so since she'd actually sat down to eat anything. Sometimes she just got so caught up with what was going on around her that she forgot to take care of herself, and how she needed more than the occasional feeding to survive...

Zecora shook her head, then almost chided: “It's no trouble at all to do. Besides, if you can help me, of course in return I should help you.”

Marina smiled a little at this, and then she admitted after a moment: “I suppose I've just... always had trouble accepting help of any kind. Thank you, though. A meal would be very nice.”

“And we can talk over food, of course. I'll make plenty, you must be as hungry as horse.” Zecora said with maybe the slightest hint of mischief, winking at the mare before she turned, and Marina laughed despite herself as she followed the zebra to the door and back out into the Everfree Forest.

During her early days serving as a Changeling in Chrysalis' army, Marina had been a scout: she had been trained in infiltration and learned to detect things beyond what your average drone would be able to pick up on. She could feel some of these old skills and instincts rising up as she and Zecora worked together to track down and capture a few animals, helping her study Zecora and understand both that the zebra was weighing her in return, and more, that there was something... different about her.

It wasn't just the fact that she was a zebra, it was in the way she moved, the way she behaved. She didn't seem to be afraid of anything in the Everfree, and everything from the insects to the beasts seemed to treat Zecora with a kind of apprehensive respect.

And there was a weird feeling there, wasn't there? She remembered her first time seeing Zecora: Twilight had been with her, and Marina had commented on how funny it was to see a zebra here in Equestria, and Twilight had laughed and told her about how she and her friends had all gotten so worked up the first time they had met the zebra shaman. She had said that she was a little strange and different, sure, but she was very kind and always helpful, providing all sorts of tinctures and tonics to the ill and needy around Ponyville.

But Twilight had admitted sometimes she still thought Zecora was a little strange, and that other ponies found Zecora a little weird, too... but they always chalked that up to the fact that the zebra was very different from them in many ways. That was all.

Except what if there was something strange about this zebra, beyond the fact she was far from home and had lived for more than a century without changing in the slightest?

Okay, those were all pretty strange things to begin with, but what if there was something... stranger?

Marina studied Zecora curiously as they headed back to her little hut with the herbs and the animals they'd collected in tow, but even when the zebra glanced up, she only smiled at her in a way that told the Changeling she would be given answers, but all in due time.

Zecora brought the animals around back and Marina helped lead them into cages: while she had subdued a few of them with her Changeling magic, Zecora had gotten a few others under control by... well, she wasn't really sure, actually. But all of the animals were listening to her, even the cockatrice, and Marina knew that wasn't exactly an easy creature to tame.

The mare hesitated as she looked across these cages: none of them seemed particularly long-term, even though they all had a bit of water, and a bit of feed in them. She also noted that there were strange tools sitting out on a table nearby: what looked like a sort of needle, and a funny-looking, keg-like device that smelled a little like copper...

But then Zecora gently grasped a tarp and pulled this quickly over the table, smiling at Marina as she invited: “Please feel free to head back inside, I'll just make sure these animals are comfortable outside.”

“Uh... alright.” Marina smiled awkwardly after a moment, then she turned to head inside, nervously shifting the satchel of medicinal plants on her side. It was clear that she was being gently told to leave for a moment, after all, even if that only made her more curious – almost suspicious – of what it was the zebra was getting up to outside.

Still, she felt like she'd have her answers sooner rather than later, and she didn't want to spoil the mood. So far they had gotten along pretty well, even if they were both measuring each other, and both maybe a little wary. Not for the usual reasons you were wary around strangers in this world, though: rather, it was like she couldn't be sure just what Zecora was, and Zecora was trying to decide how much Marina knew, and how much she should know.

The Changeling grimaced a bit as she pushed through the door of the hut and shifted the satchel off, rubbing at her throat as she felt her glammer flicker for a moment. But she managed to get herself under control, taking a slow breath as she steadied herself.

She looked around the interior, not really wanting to snoop around too much. It didn't look to her like Zecora's life had changed a whole lot from how she had imagined it had once been: she wondered silently if life would ever be the same for the rest of them. She didn't think so, though: even if one day everything went back to the way it had been, and the Stables were opened, and the radiation vanished... so much had changed. So much had been lost.

Maybe she was just thinking dark thoughts again because she didn't feel all that well, though. She sighed a little, silently rubbing at her face before she glanced up as Zecora entered, asking gently: “You look like heavy thoughts are weighing you down... what's on your mind that makes you so frown?”

“Just... thoughts.” Marina said, not really wanting to get into things, before she grimaced as she rubbed at her face as she sat back, murmuring: “Besides, most of the world out there is full of... heavy thoughts.”

“I do not think things are really quite so bad. Equestria and her people survive; that's not so sad.” Zecora encouraged, and Marina smiled a little.

“That's true. But living out there is exhausting, Zecora. There's so much that's gone wrong and so many ponies who have grown up in a wasteland instead of a real country... so many ponies who are hurt and don't know what to do, so they either surrender or they start hurting other ponies.” Marina bit her lip, then ventured: “But I guess that you know how stressful that can be to live through, day in, day out, after you've been alive for so long...”

Zecora only chuckled quietly, and then she shrugged and replied: “I can imagine that some days must be very tiring. But that is why I live out here, away from all that conspiring.”

“I suppose it would be a lot quieter out here.” The Changeling blushed a bit in embarrassment: so much for her skills as a scout. She cleared her throat, then asked a bit more bluntly: “How have you managed to live out here, all alone, for all these years, though? How did you survive... everything, I guess?”

“I'll tell you that story in only a short time... first, could you pass me the bottle of thyme?” Zecora gestured at what Marina had thought at first was some kind of alchemy shelf filled with ingredients, and the Changeling mare realized dumbly it was just a spice rack.

She walked over to grab the spice, wondering moodily if the zebra had sent her there just so she could make a rhyme, before she blinked in surprise when Zecora stirred the ashes under the cauldron and flames leapt up almost immediately, like magic. But the zebra only smiled as she took the spice jar from Marina, explaining: “I was about to prepare a small dinner when you arrived at my door; thanks to your help with the animals, I can make a little more. A stew, I was thinking, and if you like I can prepare some meat; it's not my usual succor but I'm happy to make you a treat...”

“Oh, oh no. That's quite fine.” Marina shook her head quickly, giving an awkward smile. “I've never been much for that. I guess I got so used to eating like a pony and... Changelings are... well, I hate to use the term scavenger...”

“Not picky, then?” Zecora quipped, and Marina laughed a little and nodded with a bit more of a smile. “Then something else from the hen...”

Zecora slipped away from the cauldron to a small pantry, and Marina cocked her head before she smiled a little when Zecora produced a box of eggs, the Changeling mare admitting: “It's been a long time since I've had an egg. We usually end up giving most of our resources to the needy in Ponyville. But... I guess...”

“You don't feel the attachment to Ponyville you once had. You're not as attached to the children as you were to their mom and dad.” Zecora said, perhaps a little blunt, but Marina nodded all the same after a moment as she gave a small smile.

“The needy are always going to be there. I suppose I could just... keep providing for people, but...” Marina shook her head, looking away. “I don't know. All the ponies I knew are gone, either dead or moved on. Ponyville isn't what it used to be and I can't see myself protecting what little is left much longer. Maybe it's selfish, maybe it's...”

She stopped, then laughed a little, saying embarrassedly: “Look at this. I came out here to talk to you and find out about you and... now I'm talking and making this all about me. I mean. I guess I wanted to know about you for my own sake in the first place, and... well, I mean-”

“Marina.” Zecora said gently, and the Changeling mare blushed deeper as she nodded and quieted.

They was silence for a few moments as Zecora went about preparing a meal for them. Marina only watched, feeling like it would be better for now just to sit back and observe.

Zecora worked quickly and efficiently, and in only a short time, she prepared some kind of stew, and several hardboiled eggs for them to share. She doled the food out between them, and Marina couldn't help but notice that Zecora gave her the lion's share, but it wasn't like she was about to complain about that. It was very hard, but you learned to accept gifts with grace... especially when it had already gone more than a day without a proper meal.

They ate in quiet for a little while, and then Zecora asked bluntly: “Did you walk through the poison on the way here? You have... an unhealthy aura, my dear.”

Marina wondered if the zebra was being literal or not as she absently touched her chest, then she sighed and shook her head. “No, but I think I've done too many trips into the wasteland. Maybe I took too many risks... I never seemed to be affected as badly by the radiation as ponies were, but... I guess it was silly to think that it wasn't affecting me at all.”

“We tend not to think about that which we cannot see; but that doesn't mean it isn't affecting you or me.” Zecora agreed, nodding slowly. “You should know that a healer must put her own life first; if you don't take care of yourself-”

“I'm not a healer, though. I'm...” Marina struggled for an answer, then she sighed and rose one of her mechanical limbs, moodily gesturing with it. “Different.”

“Different does not mean bad. You don't have to look so sad.” chastised Zecora.

“Well, I am sad!” Marina almost snapped, and then she shook her head and looked awkwardly away, mumbling an apology.

But Zecora only smiled at her, shaking her own head as she answered gently: “And there is nothing wrong with being sad. Just as there is nothing wrong with being mad. But you can't allow those things alone to guide your hoof; you need something harder, a desire's proof.”

“How can a desire have proof?” Marina asked almost pessimistically, but then she shook her head and murmured: “No, I... I do understand what you're saying. And I don't disagree, but at the same time I guess I don't feel that I belong in Ponyville anymore. And if I'm getting sick now, well, I... I do have to take care of myself. I can't keep going on adventures for Ponyville if I'm just going to get sicker. What if I told them I'd go out and find them some supplies and I died halfway back to Ponyville? Worse, what if something happened, and... I got captured, or injured, or followed, and I led raiders or worse back to the village?”

“So take some time, and do as I: help what remains when you can bear to try.” Zecora shrugged, and she seemed to hesitate for a moment as she studied Marina before she said in a quieter voice: “I understand what it's like to be an outsider, and to all the same want to be a provider. But you and I can only do so much... even when they beg, sometimes our touch...”

She stopped, then shook her head before she said quietly: “It took many years for me to understand my role. To be able to form an attainable goal. The world has changed, but my own place has not: I will not surrender after all that I have fought. Now, more than ever, I have to admit... the urge is there to give in, the urge is there to quit. What does it matter, when the world is a waste? And some days I would give anything for one taste...”

Zecora licked her lips slowly as she picked at her food, and Marina studied her silently before the zebra looked up and said quietly: “Yes, I am old. I am older than you by far. And yes I live in exile, and have not seen my country for... a long while.” Zecora smiled briefly. “The longest while.

“I am from an old clan, we were protectors of our land... and over my many years alive, I had seen jungle, sea, and sand. But one day I did a foolish thing, tangled with a spirit in a too-small ring...” Zecora silently trailed a hoof down her chest, before she reached up and touched her muzzle. “And it cost me dearly. A pain I feel deeper yearly...”

“So... what happened?” Marina asked uncertainly, frowning at the mare. “Are you trying to say that... an evil spirit did something to you? That you're... cursed?”

“In these times, I suppose ponies think of it more like a disease... although to my knowledge, it does not spread through cough or sneeze.” Zecora smiled wryly, and Marina realized that when Zecora smiled, she never showed her teeth. “But I am avoiding the question, perhaps because it has been so long since I last made this confession...”

The zebra took a breath, and then she looked across at Marina and said quietly: “The greatest curse is power, power that leeches at your soul; power that demands you pay its price or never be whole. That is the curse that was placed upon my head; to be strong, to be fast, to be powerful, and yet neither living nor dead.”

Marina frowned, and then she asked slowly: “So you're... not alive? Wait, is that how you survived-”

“I would prefer not to talk about... that.” Zecora said carefully, and Marina smiled lamely. “But yes. I seem to have more lives than a cat.”

She paused, then reflected: “Well, if those lives weren't all precisely alive.”

Marina waited for the rhyme, and when there wasn't one, she only smiled awkwardly, and Zecora gave her a look before the zebra sighed softly, then explained finally, the sharpening of her blue eyes and the lack of rhyming making her words all the more serious: “I am what I suppose you would call a vampire. I require the blood of other living things to survive... but it helps me stay strong, and young, and gives me enhanced senses and... influence, I suppose you would say.”

“The animals listened to you. But they were scared, too.” Marina said after a moment, biting her lip before she blurted out: “But how can you be a vampire? I thought that vampires-”

“Were monsters? I did not say I was not a monster, Marina, although once upon a time Changelings were considered monsters, too.” Zecora said pointedly, and Marina smiled lamely at this, feeling the ruffle of emotion... “No, I am sorry. I spoke out of turn. It has been a long time since I have shared this with anyone, and... I cannot expect-”

“Well, I'm sorry, too. I didn't mean to say it like that. Here I am, the first person you've opened up to in how long, and what do I do?” Marina shook her head, then she smiled a little before she asked hesitantly: “How do you feed? If no one else knows...”

“Animals. The occasional raider. And rarely, when I must, a lonely pony from the town... although never more than just a nip, just enough to force the hunger down.” Zecora shook her head. “I don't like it, but I know better than to wait too long... if I wait for many days, the hunger, it grows strong...”

“And you risk... hurting someone. I understand. I understand that all too well.” Marina murmured, thinking of her own need to feed before she chewed on her lip, looking up at Zecora as she said quietly: “Still, you don't feel much different from a pony, Zecora. Your emotions are all the same.”

“Well, you seem little different from a pony to me, my friend.” Zecora replied with a brief smile, and Marina laughed a little before the zebra ventured: “This may be bold of me to suggest... but perhaps you and I could come to an agreement...”

Marina frowned, and Zecora smiled a little before she looked back down at her plate, shaking her head briefly as she resumed picking at her food. “After dinner, perhaps, then we can talk on it a little more. Your food is getting cold and I don't want to be a bore.”

“You're never a bore.” Marina said, studying the zebra for a few moments before she nodded hesitantly, turning her attention back down to her plate.

But she had a lingering feeling all the same about what Zecora might want to ask... and she thought she already knew what her answer was going to be.
> Parralels
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

They talked a little more, after dinner, and Marina learned a lot about Zecora, including a bit of what had happened to her. The Changeling hadn't been able to get over the fact the zebra was still alive, more than anything else: she remembered hearing about her dying during a botched robbery, but there had been all kinds of rumors about what had really happened. Some people had said Zecora was a spy, others said she would never betray them and something else had to have happened, and others still hinted that she had been lured there because that stallion had never liked her to begin with...

Zecora had smiled wryly, silently playing with a cup as she'd finally explained the truth behind what had happened: that she had been a double agent, but her loyalty had lain with Equestria. Things had gone wrong on that last mission, however, but... well, maybe it had worked out for the best, in the end. Even the part where she'd been beaten to her apparent death.

Sure, it had looked terrible. But she had allowed it to happen. She didn't die from things that would kill most ponies, due to what she was: combined with a little of her supernatural influence, she was able to convince everyone that looked at her that she was dead. Which hadn't been hard, since she hadn't been alive to begin with.

It had been a way out of the war: an escape from something that had been making her terribly tired. It wasn't that she hadn't wanted to help, or didn't feel some attachment to these ponies, but it had been getting harder and harder to conceal what she was and take care of herself while she was working so many long hours going back and forth between the ponies and the zebra.

She had never imagined what would eventually happen, and that they would end up where they were now. She wished she had done more, but at the same time, she had made peace with it, and knew that no matter what had happened, there was no way they could have stopped the calamity that had burned Equestria.

Marina understood. She had put many of her old skills to use at first, but ultimately, it had been a lost cause from the start. And in the end, well, everyone had lost: she didn't think that it could have ended any differently. Some days she wondered if they had just been looking for an excuse...

But there was no use thinking about any of that anymore, was there? Instead, she had to focus on the here and now. They both did.

They traded stories as dinner ended and day gave way to night, and Marina realized they were trading back and forth: she didn't know if Zecora had meant to initiate that or not, but here she was, telling the zebra more about herself than she had told... well, almost anyone. There had been a few ponies who had known her secrets, her stories, her eccentricities, but... all of those ponies were gone now.

Marina bit her lip, and then she asked abruptly: “So none of the stories about vampires are true, then? I mean... you're strong and fast and ageless but... you can't die? The sun doesn't... well... you know.”

That felt almost silly to bring up, but Zecora only smiled briefly, answering after a moment: “No, I am not as strong as you might think: many of my powers depend on the blood that I drink. I need blood in great quality and quantity for feats of awesome strength; and it is rare that I feel the need for such terrible length.”

She hesitated, then continued: “But I am old, and strong, and well-versed in many arts: this allows me privilege I did not have at my humble start. The sun aches and scalds, but does not burn me with her rays, and I can protect myself further with the symbol of radiant days.”

Zecora gestured at the emblem on her flank, and Marina smiled a bit at the spiraling sun, saying slowly: “So the glyph is like... powerful sunscreen.”

Zecora's mouth quirked in a smile, and Marina blushed a bit before the zebra confirmed: “Sunscreen, I suppose, is an apt enough word; I can't say it's the worst metaphor I've ever heard.”

“Sorry.” Marina said lamely, and then she rubbed at her head for a moment before she said: “I remember... my original prosthetic legs had some kind of... paint on them, and with a little practice I was able to get them to change color, at least, or put a glammer over them so they'd look different. But that paint wore off years ago... and these days, well, I'm lucky to find spare parts, let alone any luxuries like that.”

“Where have you been living, Marina, if I may be so bold?” Zecora asked, tilting her head. “You must still have a decent place to get out of the cold...”

“My ex girlfriend’s old home.” Marina murmured, shaking her head a little before she gave a small smile. “But it's at the edge of the wasteland. It's never really been a safe place, and I doubt I'm going to be able to stay there much longer.”

Zecora nodded slowly, and then she suggested gently: “The Everfree is safe and wild. For you, its dangers would be mild...”

“I... I don't know. I don't want to give up...” What? What didn't Marina want to give up? Dusty rooms that made her sad, or the moldering projects that had all been overtaken by age and mildew?

But it was hard to think about, all the same. She didn't want to betray the memories of the few ponies she cared about, and perhaps even more than that, she was afraid of change. Wasn't that funny? A Changeling afraid of change; of letting go, of moving on.

She sighed a little, then rubbed at her head for a moment before Zecora asked gently: “Radiation? Or cognization?”

Marina smiled wryly, then she turned her eyes to the fire under the cauldron, feeling the comforting heat rolling across her body before she murmured: “Both, I think. It's not... terrible. I'm only a little sick. Maybe just sick enough to make me worry about myself.”

“Here. I have something to help with that. Just wait, I'll be back in the drop of a hat.” Zecora said kindly, stepping over to pick up Marina's finished bowl before she turned and headed across the hut.

Marina watched her go, and then she licked her lips before asking the zebra, as she went to work on something at the counter opposite: “Does the radiation affect you?”

“To a degree, yes; it is part of why I prefer to avoid that mess.” Zecora answered, and then she smiled over her shoulder. “But my body regenerates in ways even yours does not; although that doesn't mean there's no such thing as too hot.”

“I understand what you mean. I guess I learned that the hard way, taking too many shortcuts through too many irradiated areas... I guess if you expose yourself too much to that stuff, it's... there's nothing you can do.” Marina murmured, before she looked up in surprise as Zecora returned with a gentle smile, offering her a small cup of liquid.

Marina took it and studied it, as the zebra said gently: “Don't give up hope. There's no need to mope.”

“I'm not moping. I just... I don't know.” Marina mumbled, and then she knocked back the drink. She grimaced at the taste, but it was cold, and the cold was welcomed by her overtired body: even more when she felt it spreading through her, numbing some of that pain as she let out a slow breath before she gave a small smile up to Zecora. “Thanks.”

“The pleasure is mine. You deserve to feel fine.” Zecora answered, and Marina shrugged a bit at this, but didn't argue. Zecora took the cup back, and Marina bit her lip before another silly question came to mind.

“So... what about garlic, then? Or the whole stake through the heart thing?” Marina asked with a small smile, and Zecora chuckled at this.

“Yes, it is true, you can ward against vampires with garlic; but it's nothing so mystical, more as if we're allergic.” Zecora answered with a slight smile. “As to the stake, well, that I've never tested... and I don't need a coffin to remain well-rested.”

“Yeah, but this whole world feels like a grave sometimes.” Marina said, unable to help herself, and Zecora gave her a mild look. “Sorry, sorry. I guess I'm still feeling a little... down. I tried so hard.”

“So did I. But why cry? All we can do is survive, and hope that one day Equestria will thrive.” Zecora reminded gently, and Marina nodded a little to the zebra before the striped mare walked back towards her, sitting across from the Changeling again as she asked quietly: “Now, what about your other need? What is the best way for you to feed?”

“Feed? You already... oh.” Marina smiled a little, looking uncomfortably away for a moment as she silently rubbed a hoof against the floor, and then she murmured: “Well, uh... you really don't need to do that for me, Zecora. Besides, uh... love is what sustains Changelings best, and, you know, it's not like, well...”

She blushed a little, and Zecora smiled at her in entertainment before she suggested almost hesitantly: “Well, would you feel better if perhaps we tried a trade? There is a certain something in which I could use your aid...”

“You mean...” Marina hesitated, looking uncomfortably over at Zecora for a moment. “You don't turn the ponies you feed off of into... vampires, do you?”

“You don't turn the ponies you feed off of into Changelings, do you?” Zecora echoed with a pointed look, and Marina blushed at how silly that sounded. “It is only a bite. As long as it remains merely a bite, without a circuit, then all will be right, and no evil will subvert it.”

“I... I would be willing to try.” Marina said hesitantly, grimacing a bit as she uncomfortably rubbed at her neck. “How much blood do you need? And have you ever been fed off of before? When I feed off someone it can make them very tired... I don't know if it would be better if I feed off you now or later, or-”

“Marina, it's okay.” Zecora said gently, and Marina smiled lamely. “We have time. I am not going to rush you into this, I promise. Think on it some, and tell me your worries: I shall soothe what I can, as best I can.”

“Okay.” Marina said, biting her lip for a moment before she said slowly: “Emotional feeding is... it's not physical, but it saps some of your essence, so to speak. You said it was a spirit that did this to you, right?”

“Yes, but now that wickedness is anchored in my flesh: my spirit should be free, and relatively fresh.” Zecora smiled a little. “I suppose as long as my essence has not aged into vinegar, you should find me no less palpable than a mare much younger.”

“That wasn't really a rhyme.” Marina couldn't help but point out.

The zebra gave her a mild look, and Marina cleared her throat and looked away before a more serious concern came to mind: “Have you ever fed on a Changeling before? Are you sure my blood isn't too different? I tried to give blood once and they said it might be toxic to ponies...”

“My body handles blood differently from most. But if you want to be sure, and you'll excuse the rudeness of your host...” Zecora slipped away for a moment, then returned with a small, needle-like knife, and Marina bit her lip before she nodded and stepped forwards as she half-rose her head, looking at the mare silently as Zecora met her eyes.

They looked at each other for a long few moments, and then Zecora gently probed the knife forwards, and Marina grimaced as it cut just beneath her neck, drawing a small amount of blood. Zecora dew this back and licked that few droplets off the knife, and the zebra closed her eyes as she murmured: “Not terrible at all... give me a moment...”

She turned away a little, but Marina watched closely even as she nervously rubbed at the small nick beneath her throat. The zebra mare licked her lips almost compulsively before she opened and closed her jaws, and Marina saw fangs, and carnivore teeth: larger, more frightening than she had expected. If Zecora dug those teeth into her...

She resisted the urge to shiver before she felt Zecora's eyes on her, and the zebra said quietly: “You don't have to be so afraid, Marina. I have learned much control... and of course, I have tools to help the process along as well. Syringes, and other equipment. I don't need to drink the blood directly, although it is... better.”

“I understand. It's like when I feed off someone versus a hive node or lovejuice. It's not the same.” Marina gave a small smile, although she felt... a little uneasy, admittedly. The air in the room had changed and she could feel a much-different aura from the zebra now: it was an unknown, almost alien sensation, almost like malice.

She understood what that really was, though: it was probably similar to the feelings ponies got when Marina took off her own mask, particularly as she prepared to feed. Because in a way she was a vampire herself, wasn't she? She sustained herself off something less physical, but she was all too well aware of what the consequences of her feeding too deeply or too often were...

She looked away for a moment, looking down at the ground before she shook her head and said quietly: “No. That won't be necessary. I trust you. I want to trust you, and... well, I guess it's not like I have to worry about turning into a vampire or anything when I'm already close enough to being one.”

Zecora smiled faintly at this as she put the knife aside, and then she shook her head as she said softly: “Still having trouble accepting who you are? And yet in spite of that, you've come so far...”

“I had to keep going. And it's not... I accept who I am.” Marina smiled briefly, looking up to meet the zebra's eyes quietly. “I guess I'm just not happy about it. I don't mind being different; I might even like it a little, but at the same time, I wish that... I wish that it didn't have the baggage it carries.”

“That is something I understand all too well.” Zecora murmured, and then she chuckled quietly to herself before she asked: “You've given me a taste... should I offer the same? Or would I be in haste?”

“I don't think it matters too much what order we feed in. And I can already feel your emotions...” Marina smiled a little again, closing her eyes, her head swaying back and forth briefly before she nodded a bit and murmured: “They're a little different, but I don't think that's because you're a vampire. Ponies are more emotive than zebras... they wear their hearts on their sleeves. You're a little more guarded, but that's from...”

She blushed a bit, realizing she was reading probably too deeply to be polite into the zebra's emotions, but Zecora only looked away as her muzzle gave the briefest quirk. Then she shook her head and returned her eyes to Marina, sighing a little before she said softly: “It has been many years since I've truly tried to trust... perhaps that was why my status as double agent was robust. But it is terribly hard to keep up the charade... and these days I feel I need someone I can trust for aid.”

“But that means trusting someone yourself. And I suppose who better than someone like me? Not quite a pony. Not quite... not a pony.” Marina smiled a little. “We might be the oldest things in Equestria these days.”

“I wouldn't go that far, my friend... some things existed in the beginning, and they will continue to exit until the end. And still some may go on spinning.” Zecora shook her head, before she said softly: “But yes, it does not hurt that we are both... different. I hope together we can more than coexist; perhaps now and then we'll go our separate ways, perhaps for hours, perhaps for days...”

“But I think all the same we can find a balance between us. More than just because we must.” Marina half-rhymed, and Zecora gave her an amused look, the Changeling mare shrugging awkwardly. “I guess you must think ahead more, huh?”

“It eventually becomes a natural thing; but I've rhymed since childhood, I know the swing.” answered Zecora, before she shook her head and Marina recognized the subtle changes that went through the zebra as she dropped out of her cryptic rhyming to answer plainly: “It was something we did in the old days. It was said to please the spirits, and that it would protect us. If creatures ever tried to mimic us, or possess us, they would reveal themselves by being clumsy in their speech, and my brothers and sisters could then take action.”

Marina smiled wryly, nodding as she mumbled: “I guess I kind of proved that, since I can never really match your speech, even when I try to. Lots of practice, huh?”

“Practice and trial.” answered Zecora, before she gave a slight smile. “And in some ways, learning your language has made it... easier. Learning your words, your language's convention, gave me many more words to draw from and better comprehension.”

“Neat.” Marina didn't really know what else to say, before she cleared her throat, then hesitated only a little bit before she asked finally: “Did you... did you want to try and...”

They quieted as they looked at each other, studied one-another, and then Zecora licked her lips briefly. Marina saw a flash of white teeth, and then the zebra said gently: “The more you relax, the easier it will be for me to feed. There will be a moment of pain at first, and then...”

Marina smiled a little, saying quietly: “It doesn't sound all that different from what we do. There's a... a numbness...” She bit her lip, then shook her head. “And I shouldn't feed too deeply. I don't want to test if you're more resilient than... than a normal pony. It could have far-reaching consequences.”

“I'm not worried about you taking my life, even if your magic can cut deeper than a knife.” Zecora said gently. “I will feed first, and you can tell me how you feel. We can rest a little, and then... you will have your meal.”

Marina bit her lip, and then she nodded and took a breath. Part of her wanted to go the easy route, but she felt a strange sense of duty, and a desire to... to at least feel what it was like. And Zecora had been such a good host to her tonight and they were making plans for the future and...

And so what? asked a quiet, bitter part of her. You don't owe her anything. She doesn't owe you anything, either. And you're tired of the world. If she kills you...

That wasn't a path she wanted to go down or think about, whether or not it was true.

She took a breath, then straightened and looked across at Zecora, saying quietly: “I think I'm about as ready as I'm going to be. So uh... if you want to go ahead and do it, then... I think now is the time.”

Marina gave a small, awkward smile, and Zecora chuckled quietly before she nodded slowly. She leaned in, and Marina felt her breath wash across her face; cool, not hot, she realized. The Changeling bit her lip as Zecora's front hooves gently touched her chest, soft and gentle, and her blue eyes gazed into Marina's green, capturing them, seeming to stare into the depths of her very soul.

They looked at one another; they looked into one another. And then Zecora leaned forwards, and her lips gently brushed past Marina's, making the Changeling flush slightly before her eyes half-lidded as the zebra's hooves slid up to her shoulders, gently gripping into her as her head tilted slightly to the side, mind dazzled by the beauty and depths of the mare holding her so tightly...

A flash of white caught the corner of her eye, and then a spark of pain tore through her body; she tensed and flexed, then let out a low, weak sigh as that pain was suffocated beneath a wave of heat that radiated through her entire form. Those hooves gripped tighter into her and Zecora's body slid closer, mare grinding slowly into mare, embracing her against her as Marina felt... a connection, a depth of understanding, a swirl of pleasure, need, and belonging as the zebra drank down her vital essence.

As life passed from Marina to Zecora, for the first time the Changeling truly understood precisely why it was that some ponies, even at the risk of their own lives, would willingly allow Changelings to feed off them. Not solely for the altruism of it, but because of that meaning, that connection, that blast of euphoria as everything that made you you was shared with, devoured by the gorgeous predator...

And then as suddenly as it had begun, Zecora pulled back, and Marina gasped a little as she was left trembling, blinking rapidly and only managing to stay upright thanks to the gyros in her mechanical limbs, breathing roughly in and out as her head hung, mane covering her face, a faint trickle of blood coming from the surprisingly-thin wound in her neck before she whispered: “Just a little more... let me be whole just a little longer...”

“You are whole, my dear. Have no fear.” Zecora said gently, and Marina blinked a bit in surprise at the fact she had apparently spoken out loud before she blushed and straightened. She felt a little lightheaded, a little wobbly, but she thought a lot of that was mental more than physical.

Zecora grasped her shoulders and helped steady her, and Marina gave her a grateful smile. She saw the faintest stain of red on the zebra's lower lip, and, not knowing why, she leaned in and kissed it, her eyes half-closed, tasting her own blood, feeling the zebra mare stiffen slightly in surprise.

Marina drew back, and the two looked at each other for a moment before the Changeling licked her lips and smiled awkwardly. They studied each other, Zecora's eyes almost intent before she gave the faintest blush as she asked: “Well, are you... well?”

“That's not much of a rhyme.” Marina couldn't help but remark, and they shared a little, awkward laugh before the Changeling shook her head and murmured: “Yes. I'm fine. I think I was just... surprised, that's all, by the... all the feelings. It's... it's very intense. Much more intense than I expected.”

Zecora smiled, and then she asked quietly: “Would you like to lay down for a little bit? Or perhaps some water: in fact, I recommend it.”

“I...” Marina felt her head swim a little, and she thought that perhaps the many long days, the radiation sickness, and the everything else was all making her a little more lightheaded than she had expected to be.

But Zecora was already ushering her gently across the room, and she didn't pay much attention to what was happening as the zebra slipped her onto something that felt comfortable, and supported her weight.

She didn't really sleep, but dozed: she came to a few hours later, feeling refreshed and much better, smiling awkwardly as she sat up on the cot in the corner of the hut. She blushed a bit as she looked at Zecora, who gazed back at her kindly before she asked gently: “How are you feeling?”

“Better. No longer reeling.” Marina answered, rubbing absently at her head, and Zecora gave her an amused smile, although Marina seemed unaware of it or what she'd said. “I think it was just... well, it's been a long few days. A long many days, actually, if you want me to be honest.”

“I do. I always want you to be honest with me, Marina. As I shall strive to be honest with you.” Zecora answered, and then she hesitated before she asked: “Would you like to feed?”

It was a blunt question, and Marina hesitated for a moment before she gave a small smile: she felt a lot better. And Zecora looked, well... “You look very... pretty.”

Zecora blinked, and Marina blushed a bit, saying hurriedly: “Alive, rather, I mean... you're almost glowing.”

“Your blood is very strong, and it has been a while since I've properly fed. I certainly feel more like I'm alive now instead of the walking dead.” Zecora answered, looking down at a hoof as she absently flexed it before she turned her eyes to Marina, saying softly: “So by all means, feel free to feed: I want you to take as much as you need.”

Marina glanced away almost embarrassedly, and then she murmured: “I don't want to go quite that far. But... I think that feeding is a good idea, yes. As long as you're okay with it...”

Zecora nodded and smiled, then asked: “How does it work best? Should I concentrate, or be at rest?”

“Relaxed is better. If... if you're comfortable with it, think about something that makes you happy, someone you cared about, something like that. I'll... try not to probe too deeply, although I'll warn you ahead of time I'll probably get a 'taste' of your memories, so to speak. So it's okay if you don't want to think of anything too personal and I'll try and respect your privacy and-”

“Marina, it is fine. I trust you.” Zecora reassured quietly, and then she closed her eyes and took a breath, straightening before she gave the mare a small smile. “Perhaps this is a chance to know one-another better. I am ready, when you want to form the tether.”

“Not a bad word for it. Alright. I'll...” Marina fumbled for words for a moment, and then she simply cleared her throat before she reached up and gently grasped Zecora's shoulders, unconsciously mimicking the way the zebra had fed off her earlier. Her horn glowed eerie green, and she felt Zecora tense up a little, which made the Changeling smile despite herself: a vampire, nervous about another vampire of sorts... but all the same, she saw the trust in Zecora's eyes, the willingness to go through with this, even if she was anxious; she was doing a better job of hiding that anxiety than Marina had ever done, though.

Magic sizzled around them as Marina delved naturally into Zecora's emotions, then she drew them back into herself, feeling... yes, it was a tether, wasn't it? She formed a connection between them as she siphoned the emotions from the zebra, and she caught flashes of memory, of a country she didn't recognize, of smiling, laughing kin and kindred.

All these flashes and more raced through Marina's mind before she blushed a bit as she drew apart, her body thrumming with culled love and emotion as she forced herself to break that link. But for a moment more, she held onto Zecora, and Zecora bowed her head towards her, breathing quietly before she murmured: “It is bittersweet. But I suppose memory... always is.”

Marina smiled briefly, not knowing what to say: whether she should thank the mare, or apologize. But after a moment, Zecora shook her head and cleared her throat, glancing up and saying finally: “It has left the strangest of sensations running through my mind... but I feel myself recovering perhaps a little faster than you did from mine.”

“Maybe that's the advantage of us feeding off each other, then: your emotions are...” Marina struggled to explain it: how, after all, could you explain to someone the taste, the malleability, the nourishment that their emotions gave? Marina wasn't even sure herself how to explain it: after all, not every pony's love was as wholesome and edible as the next's.

“I am sure that my spirit regenerates faster than most; but my ability to survive was always my greatest boast.” Zecora murmured thoughtfully, before she turned her eyes to Marina and smiled a little, asking with almost hesitant concern: “And you are well? There was no flaw in your spell?”

“No. I'm fine. Nothing went wrong, I feel strong.” Marina answered, and Zecora chuckled. The Changeling blushed a bit after a moment as she mumbled: “Sorry. Changeling reflex.”

“That is fine. I understand... I'm sure if you were to stay, in time you would see my own... quirks.” Zecora answered, and Marina blinked at the zebra, and her quiet offer.

She hesitated, then couldn't help but ask: “Are you... do you mean that maybe...”

“Well, my home is humble, but I'm sure we could expand it: and you would be more than welcome to stay; in fact, I want to demand it.” Zecora blushed a bit, then halted and cleared her throat before she said in a quieter voice: “We can benefit one another, Marina. And I have been without company for a long time and... between us, I feel there is an understanding. You know what it is like, now, to be alone for so long, and... you also know what it is like to have to... feed.”

Marina smiled a little at this, nodding hesitantly as she studied the zebra, who gazed back at her silently. They looked at one another, and then Zecora held out her hoof and suggested: “Shall we make a pact? To help one another survive, and thrive? To protect each other's lives?”

“And... to be there for one another. Because I know that this world can get to you sometimes, and make you question yourself, what you're doing... what you should do.” Marina answered, before she reached up and took Zecora's hoof, squeezing it gently. “I want to work with you. I want... this reason to continue.”

“I do too.” Zecora smiled a little at this, and the two studied each other silently for a few moments before the zebra murmured: “Then our pact is sealed, Marina: by your blood, and my spirit. Let our trade tonight show that we shall be two halves, of one whole.”

Marina smiled, and for the first time in many years, she felt as if she had found a place where she belonged.
> Connection
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

It had been a long time since Marina had shared any kind of intimacy, with anyone. Zecora was the first pony she could remember opening up to in... years, really. And it was clear that Zecora hadn't talked to anyone about her own issues for a long time, likely even longer than Marina had.

Marina didn't really know how it happened. They had just been talking, gazing into each other's eyes: Zecora rhymed now and then, but she had seemed to be relaxing, loosening up, and that was resulting in her making more half-rhymes and sly wordplay. Marina could feel her emotions, and the zebra had looked so much more vibrant now, alive and energized from that little drink she'd taken. And of course, Marina herself had been feeling good herself: well-rested, with a sense of connection to Zecora that was amplifying her own fluster and bluster.

They had been moving closer, and closer. Sharing smiles, drinking some old liquor that Zecora had offered her. Maybe that was part of what helped loosen them both up enough for this to happen, as they leaned in, sharing breath, studying each other, before they kissed.

Marina could taste the faintest hint of copper in Zecora's mouth; she wondered if Zecora could feel her own emotions and energy reverberating through Marina's body, enhancing that link, that ability to act and react and reflect that all Changelings naturally had. But she wasn't just reflecting Zecora: she wanted this. It had been a terribly long time, and she had been starved of the physical as much as everything else...

The kiss broke, but only for a moment: their mouths joined again, pushing together fiercer, harder, more passionately. Their tongues wrestled, before Marina's chased Zecora's as it drew back, and she felt the sharp teeth of the vampire graze her, making her tingle.

She moaned softly into the zebra's jaws as she felt Zecora's hooves stroke slowly along her body, feeling where flesh met metal, feeling both illusory skin and real carapace beneath it. The zebra seemed to naturally home in on every sensitive inch of her body, finding all the places she liked to be touched, all the places that fueled that fire burning in her loins.

Her own metal hooves trailed across Zecora's body, and her attunement to the zebra helped guide her, helped her find all the right places to touch, all the tender spots on the zebra's frame. The faintest whisper of memories paged through her mind as she stroked over Zecora's chest, as she let the pressure increase slightly, pushing on her but not to push her away, or push her back.

She felt Zecora grind back against her, heard a murmur from her before she slid her hooves up, wrapping her forelegs around Marina's neck and pulling her in. Marina let her own forelegs slide past, her hooves trailing down the mare's back, working gently along her spine.

Their mouths parted, and Zecora buried her face against Zecora's neck, and somehow, the feel of those sharp teeth grazing her flesh made it all the more erotic, Marina shivering as the zebra took small nips down her throat. The Changeling's eyes half-lidded as her breath caught a little in her throat, chewing on her lip as she tilted her head to the side and she gave a soft groan of pleasure.

Zecora breathed in, inhaling, tasting Marina's unique essence as she nuzzled upwards, feeling the Changeling's mane waft gently against her face as she kissed just under and beyond her jaw. Her other hoof slid down, down, down, over Marina's stomach, over her trembling belly, searching lower... but not too low, not yet, as her other foreleg squeezed around her neck and almost possessed her with its grip, as she whispered something in her native tongue.

Marina didn't understand the words, but she understood the tone, the emotion, the sensation, as she ground herself eagerly into the zebra with a soft gasp, urging her to explore her body, giving herself to the mare completely. But while Zecora was eager, she was patient, too, clearly wanting to draw this pleasure out, to indulge, to enjoy this for as long as she possibly could...

Zecora breathed out as Marina slid her face down to rest it against her shoulder, the Changeling thrumming against her as she clutched into the zebra, panting her name. Zecora murmured something back in her own language as she pushed slowly forwards, and Marina slid willingly to the ground on her back, spreading her legs around the mare submissively, feeling the zebra grind down into her, pushing against her, kissing and nipping down her throat to her chest as her hooves stroked slowly across Marina's barrel.

Marina loved the way that Zecora took control, ruled her body as she explored it, moving Marina around with a gentle firmness as she kept in close contact, pressed into her, heedless of her prosthetic limbs. Those mechanical legs had enough power to crush a pony, but the way Zecora moved her around made Marina feel like she was helpless in the best of ways beneath the zebra mare.

Zecora's kisses trailed down her chest, and Marina squirmed helplessly on her back as she felt the zebra's strong hooves rubbing down her sides, stroking along her ribs before moving slowly downwards towards her hips as she ground down into her.

Marina arched her back and pushed up against her, and Zecora ground back, sliding her body sinuously against her, renewing the pin even as she traced kisses downwards. Marina shivered in pleasure as the zebra's lips trailed down, down, down, before she gasped quietly as she felt the mare's mouth gently settle on her groin, kissing just above her vagina.

Her labia flexed, her legs shifting as the lips of her sex blossomed, and Zecora leaned down and mouthed her clitoris for a moment, making the unicorn whimper and flex, her eyes rolling in her head as she gave a few short little gasps. Her hips bucked helpless, almost begging for more, the pleasure already a wildfire through her body: it had just been so long since she had shared this kind of affection, and...

Zecora leaned down, mouthing her sex, tongue twisting into her passage; her hooves slid slowly along Marina's thighs, stroking over the metal that trembled as if it was flesh, that shifted as if Marina could feel those touches stroking upwards, inwards, before her hooves moved up to her stomach, playing across her belly as her lips met the lips of the mare's sex. She kissed into it, working her mouth against it slowly, deliberately, her body shivering in pleasure as her own hips rocked helplessly.

She could taste Marina; she could taste the Changeling, her blood, her essence, more; her body was alive with those sensations and a thousand other delights her heightened senses were drinking greedily in.

She breathed in the scent, the taste of the mare as she slid her hooves down to grasp her hips, and Marina moaned helplessly as her eyes rolled in her head, grasping at her face, shuddering with bliss. Her hips rocked against Zecora's muzzle as the zebra skillfully twisted her long, thick tongue into her depths, as she found every sensitive crevice and nerve, as her lips teased at her labia and those sharp teeth grazed her clitoris and made her whole body shake...

Marina groaned as her hips rocked, flushing in almost embarrassment as she bit one of her hooves as she felt her body give in to the almost-alien pleasure, her hips bucking hard, a short gasp escaping her jaws as she felt the heat in her body become overwhelming and her nectar bursting from her sex in a sudden wave, her sweet juices filling Zecora's muzzle as the zebra buried her face into the Changeling's sex to drink as deeply of that overflowing chalice as she could.

Her own eyes fluttered, closing as she drank down the liquids of the mare, a shudder running through her body as she flexed and dug her hooves into Marina's hips, almost pulling her further into her face as she gave a low rumble of pleasure as her maw pressed deeper into the Changeling's sex.

A bit of that delicious nectar spilled along her chin, painted her cheeks, and Zecora licked her lips slowly before she rose her head with a short breath of pleasure, half-lidding her eyes with a low rumble as she murmured: “I see I'm not the only one who has been a bit pent up...”

Marina giggled a little at the lack of rhyme, not knowing why that stood out so much to her, but her head was swimming with pleasure as her hips rocked slowly before she groaned quietly as Zecora teasingly stroked along her moist, burning loins, doing her best to bite back a moan of pleasure before she managed out: “You... you don't have to-”

“I don't, but I want to.” Zecora leaned to the side, kissing across one of Marina's metal thighs before she half-lidded her eyes as she teased: “Or are you that eager to return the favor, Marina?”

“I am...” Marina almost wheezed, as she arched her back, feeling as Zecora's muzzle stroked along her labia, nudging her clitoris before her tongue sank into her sex again, tasting her, teasing her, torturing her with those flicks of pleasure that kept her fire burning hot. She was edging her, drawing her out, always avoiding contact with anything that would do too much: provoking her passions with her patience, skillfully skimming across her sensitive regions.

Marina writhed, then gasped softly as Zecora slid up between her legs, hooves gently but firmly pinning her back as the mare leaned over her and bore down against her, their mouths meeting in a hungry kiss that Marina was all too eager to return. She faintly tasted herself in the salacious mare's muzzle, her eyes half-closing as she gave a soft moan into her jaws before she gasped quietly when she felt Zecora's hooves stroke down her body...

Her own slid across Zecora's frame, feeling the strength hidden in that slender, beautiful form, the way her body flexed, made the stripes across her hide dance and sway like they were serpents. Marina shuddered, gripping into the vampire's body, squeezing her down with more strength than she would dare use on a normal pony, but the zebra only gave the softest groan, her back arching in pleasure, not pain, as she pushed just as firmly down into Marina.

Their mouths worked together, hungrily, as Marina's metal hooves slid slowly down the zebra's back to her rump, one hoof squeezing into her cropped tail, the other sliding down to her shapely hindquarters.

Marina rocked her hips upwards as she half-pulled, half-guided Zecora's own body into rolling, almost thrusting into her, gasping softly as they ground together with delicious friction. She gasped softly, her eyes fluttering as she hooked her rear legs around the zebra, her forehooves gripping harder into her rump, shivering in pleasure as she pulled the mare against her again, her glistening nectar polishing her metal thighs as her sex flexed eagerly at the faintest brush of contact.

She groaned in pleasure, her eyes fluttering, their bodies shuddering, pushing themselves together as Marina gasped out something that sounded like 'more!' And even if her mouth could barely form the word, her whole body screamed with desire so loud that Zecora was already moving to grind into her, harder, fiercer, kissing her, nipping at her, grinding down into the Changeling as they grasped and squeezed and crushed into each other as if they were trying to force their bodies to merge into one in more than a metaphorical sense.

Marina tilted her head to the side as Zecora nuzzled into her neck, and she moaned as the mare's teeth grazed against her vulnerable throat before she gasped when they sank into her neck: not deep enough to draw blood, just enough to leave pinpricks of red.

She held onto Marina's neck for a moment, forcibly tilting her head back, and Marina arched her back with a low groan and rocked her hips back against the zebra mare with a shudder of pleasure, giving a short, breathy gasp.

Then Zecora's teeth slid away, leaving a few thin scratches as she gave a low groan, her back arching, grinding herself down into the mare again, bucking against her as Marina rollicked her hips hard back against the zebra mare. They rolled together before Zecora shifted her weight, bringing a rear leg up and over Marina's body as she shifted to a sitting position, then leaned further back, not hooking her leg but instead stretching it out over the Changeling's body.

Groin pressed to groin as the zebra shifted herself against the Changeling, who rolled slightly to better allow their trembling lips to kiss, the wet, burning hot sex of the unicorn almost greedily flexing against the zebra's own.

They ground together, legs spreading and welcoming their partner, then closing against one-another, half-twining around each other's bodies as they rocked and rubbed together slowly and deliciously. Marina groaned in delight as Zecora breathed a little harder, a little hotter, thrusting herself against the Changeling mare as her whole body thrummed with pleasure and lust.

They rocked together firmly, and Marina anchored herself against the floor as she rolled her hips back against Zecora, who pushed back just as firmly against Marina's eager bucks. The zebra thrust and gyrated her hips, hard and strong and fast and perfectly in control as she looked down at the mare with half-lidded eyes, watching how Marina squirmed and spasmed, voicing every change in pleasure, whimpering and crying out and shuddering in bliss that she gave full vent to through the shaking and shimmying of her body.

Zecora moved harder, firmer, grinding herself all the fiercer into Marina as her clitoris scraped deliciously against the mare's burning labia. She felt a thrum run down her spine as she shifted to give herself more leverage, feeling their legs clutching at one another, the way Marina rocked and responded to her as she burned with eagerness and passion.

They thrust, ground, crushed together, and then Marina arched her back wit ha groan, flushing deeply as she gasped for breath, the pleasure from the zebra's contact, the zebra's emotions, the way Zecora handled her, all of it overwhelming her and becoming too much to bear.

She cried out in delight as she orgasmed again, her eyes rolling back in her head, her body quaking with delight and relief as her cunt flexed powerfully, grasping helplessly at the mare's lips even as her nectar whirled out of her in a hot rush. She groaned and shuddered, almost drooling as her forehooves dug against the floor and her hind legs squeezed around Zecora's body, nothing but a trembling, gasping, helpless mess of a mare.

As her orgasm petered out, she sank to the ground, breathing hard, as Zecora almost purred and rocked her hips slowly, licking her lips as she ground her moist sex into the filthy wetness of Marina's still-shivering lips. The zebra leaned forwards over her, rolling Marina onto her back before she could speak or resist, and then she pinned her by the shoulders as she leaned her weight down on her, kissing her firmly.

Their mouths worked hungrily together, Marina's eyes fluttering closed as she moaned helplessly into her jaws, hooves stroking eagerly over Zecora's body, grasping into her, almost whimpering for her before she breathed as their lips parted: “You still haven't-”

“Yes, but you feel me all the same, don't you, and how much I'm enjoying this?” Zecora slowly stroked a hoof across Marina's chest, their eyes meeting, the two pressing together as Marina almost shyly slid her hoof up to lock with the mare's, gazing at her through fluttering eyes as a smile crested her steamed cheeks. “And I think it must have been longer for you, than for me...”

“Yes.” Marina admitted after a moment, shivering as she felt Zecora's other hoof stroke down, gripping into her sex, making her squirm a bit as she gave a little gasp before she tilted her head back and whispered: “And you... you take control so well...”

“Some habits never change, that's all.” Zecora murmured, leaning down and kissing Marina's neck before she half-lidded her eyes as she scraped her throat tenderly with her teeth, and it sent a thrill through the Changeling as she gave another breathy moan. “And the smells, the tastes, the sounds... it makes the hunger in me rebound...”

“I'm all yours...” Marina answered without hesitation, squeezing into Zecora's hoof before she wrapped her other foreleg around her neck, sliding her legs up to squeeze her fiercely around the waist as she looked into her eyes. “All yours.”

“I know.” Zecora whispered in her ear, and those were among the sweetest words she had ever heard before she shuddered as the zebra nipped her ear before nuzzling into her neck, and then she smiled slightly as she gently grasped Marina and rolled with her, pulling her on top of her body; and yet the zebra mare held her with ease, her form strong and solid under her, her forelegs wrapping around her and pulling her down into another short, wonderful kiss for a moment before she said softly: “And you have seen me, Marina... will you show me you?”

Marina bit her lip for a moment, and then she nodded after a few seconds, taking a breath as her metal hooves slid out to either side of Zecora, and a shimmer traveled over her body before her glammer rapidly withdrew, revealing her Changeling body in all its chitinous glory. Or well... perhaps 'glory' wasn't the right word for it right now, considering the lack of care or grooming. Her chitin was a little rough in places, she was speckled instead of polished, her mane was a mess. Her eyes shone with her vitality, though, and Zecora gazed up into these, and through them she saw Marina as the Changeling asked hesitantly: “Well, what do you think?”

Zecora slid her forelegs up around the drone's neck, then gently pulled her down, and kissed her. And Marina melted against her, trembling as she pushed her body down against Zecora's, breathing out into the zebra, and then breathing in the mare's air, tasting her, feeling her love and essence and lust swirling all around her as her body trembled with delight and desire and pure, unadulterated joy at her acceptance.

Their mouths worked together for a few moments before Zecora felt something pressing into her, and as they parted, a slight smile spread across her muzzle as her hands stroked down, one stroking gently under Marina's body and grasping into a new piece of anatomy. Marina flushed deep red, having forgotten that when she dispelled her polymorph, all of her true characteristics came out... but Zecora only looked at her with amusement as she felt that half-hard shaft bulging in her hoof, teasing softly: “I should have remembered all drones must be male... and I can already feel you getting as hard as a rail...”

“I hope it's... not a problem.” Marina mumbled awkwardly, thinking of past encounters that hadn't gone so well when she'd suddenly sprouted a penis. But Zecora answered by stroking that length, and Marina gasped a bit as she flushed and lowered her head against the zebra's shoulder submissively, unable to help from rocking her hips into the grip of the zebra as she breathed: “I... think of myself as Marina still. I am Marina, a mare, a mare that just... has...”

“A mare with a penis? I suppose I've seen stranger.” Zecora teased,, and Marina blushed but smiled before she squeezed Marina gently around the neck as she stroked that length again, feeling it pulse in her grip, feeling her hardening, throbbing, as the Changeling hesitantly settled her body over her. She could feel her weight, her heat, her shaft sandwiched between them and her testicles, bloated with unspent load... “And with you, Marina, I know there's no danger...”

“I'm all yours.” Marina said again, blushing a bit, and then she closed her eyes when Zecora kissed the junction of her neck and shoulder, shivering before she felt the zebra shifting beneath her, and she naturally slid herself into a better position, not letting herself doubt, or worry: instead, she put those anxieties aside and let Zecora guide her, let Zecora take all the control away, and give her that leadership and love and guidance that she needed.

Slowly, the head of her cock pressed its way to Zecora's wet, eager sex, a bit of the zebra's juices leaking out around those lips before she gasped softly as Marina slid into her, spreading her in a way she hadn't felt for months, perhaps years. She arched her back slightly, gripping into Marina, pulling and guiding her forwards, and the Changeling gasped a little as she felt that hot, wet tightness envelop her shaft, squeezing around her length as it sank into the mare.

She felt herself press to the hilt, her balls slapping gently against the zebra's rump as Zecora's hind legs wrapped around her, her front hooves sliding up to her shoulders. The zebra arched her back slightly and gave a low sound of pleasure under her, eyes half-lidded as she licked her lips slowly before she murmured something, slipping back to her native dialect without realizing it, but it was clear enough what she wanted, and Marina was more than willing to give it to her.

She thrust, grinding herself into the zebra's depths, feeling the head of her shaft pressing deep into the zebra, and Zecora arched her back with a groan as her passage clenched powerfully around the Changeling's member like a vise. She bucked her hips, and Marina allowed the rock of her body to press her backwards, her shaft sliding back before she pushed forwards again, sinking her cock once more into the depths of the zebra.

Zecora groaned again, whispering something to her, something hot and lusty and positive, and Marina flushed as she leaned herself down into the zebra. With how solid and strong she was, she didn't have to worry about her weight on the mare, or the grip of her metal hooves: she was able to grind down against her, thrusting slowly but firmly as Zecora easily bore back against her, if anything only groaning for more.

And Marina was all too happy to give the zebra what she wanted, thrusting a little harder, a little faster, gradually letting her speed and strength build as she leaned down into Zecora and nuzzled into her, grinding her body down into the beautiful form of the zebra mare as she gave a quiet moan of her own into her neck.

Zecora's forelegs wrapped around her as her hindlegs rubbed and squeezed into her waist, the mare moaning quietly as she rocked herself back against her thrusts. Her loins quivered around the shaft penetrating into her depths, her body flexing with growing desire and passion as she gasped out a little, clinging to the mare as the Changeling thrust into her in quickening rhythm.

The zebra groaned and flushed in pleasure as her body suddenly bucked, her hips rocking hard, her head rolling back as her passage clenched rhythmically around the mare's cock, and her fluids gushed down that thrusting length, further lubricating the way for her and urging Marina to thrust faster, harder, a faint wet slapping filling the air as the heavy balls of the Changeling struck the moistened rump of the zebra, sending up splatters of her fluids. Their bodies worked together, thrusting, grinding, rocking into each other as Zecora gave short, panting breaths, whispering words of pleasure in her own language and urging Marina own as her hooves dug against the carapace over her back.

Marina began to thrust harder, faster, urged on by every reaction of the zebra, by the emotions that filled the air around her and her own rapidly-escalating pleasure. She thrust harder, faster, leaning down against the zebra, feeling her hips bucking and her back arching to give the Changeling an even better angle as her metal hooves slid down to grasp the zebra's waist.

Her weight rose and fell as her rear hooves dug against the floor, giving herself more leverage to thrust as she gritted her teeth and rested her head against the zebra's neck. She felt one of Zecora's hooves reach up and tangle in her mane, squeezing her down, urging her own as she whispered into her ear: Marina couldn't understand the language, but what she was saying was all too clear.

She thrust faster, relentless, picking up speed as the zebra moved back against her with just as much passion, suppressed lust breaking loose as the mare demanded more, more, more from her. And Marina was all too happy to give her just what she wanted as he cock tore into Zecora's depths, as she pressed down into her, pinned her under her body, obeyed the zebra's every gasped order.

Her testicles beat in a rapid rhythm against the zebra's rump as he thrusts became harder, shorter, faster, a staccato that pounded in and out of the mare before Marina gritted her teeth. She could feel herself stiffening, throbbing, thickening inside the mare, her cockhead flaring, fighting the urge to release as her shaft twitched and flexed with every punch of her member into the zebra's depths before Zecora cried out, and the second orgasm that burst through the zebra was too much for Marina to bear, the pleasure overwhelming both her mind and her body as her sex clenched like a vise and milked her throbbing cock for all that it had.

She thrust hard as thick, heavy spurts of her Changeling seed blasted into Zecora's body, dribbles of her hot cum splattering back out of her sex, mixed with the nectar of the zebra as Marina cried out as loudly as Zecora with her orgasm. Her body shook with rapture as she pistoned unevenly in and out of the mare, and Zecora cried out beneath her, clutching into her, head lolling back and eyes staring at the ceiling with delight as she felt their orgasms mix, felt their bodies burning, responding to one another, urging one another on until they eventually, finally, sank into relieved relaxation.

Marina rested over her, and Zecora held her around the neck, stroking her mane tenderly, cradling the Changeling's body atop her own. One of her legs slid loose, but she could still feel the mare buried inside her, could still feel her length twitching, flexing, as their mixed juices leaked down her thigh and along the cleft of her shapely rump.

Marina panted quietly against her neck, eyes mostly closed, expression of pleasure so intense it looked like pain. She shivered as Zecora shifted, her body helpless to do anything but buck a little in response, before she smiled embarrassedly when the zebra kissed her neck, squeezing her tenderly as her legs slid away and she rocked her hips slowly against her, her passage clenching once around the mare's cock.

Marina licked her own lips, then she bowed her head against Zecora, grunting quietly as she shifted to pull herself free before she blushed as she settled on top of the zebra again, her soaked cock leaking a bit against the zebra's stomach as they lay together on the warm floor. But Zecora made no move to shift, to pull away, and so she settled after a few moments, feeling herself gradually growing flaccid even as stirs of pleasure continued to tickle through her body, as she and Zecora silently explored one-another's forms with hooves and eyes and touch and taste, reveling in every sensation that came and was given from each other until Marina murmured shyly: “Thank you.”

Zecora smiled, and Marina smiled back, and the two rubbed their muzzles together slowly before the zebra gently kissed her lips. They shared breath and taste and emotion, then rested with their heads together, vampire and Changeling, mares, and lovers.

Their eyes closed, and they were as one, as they lay together on the floor, and for the first time in many years, both of them felt like they had something more to live for than just the daily grind. For the first time in many years, they felt as if they had somewhere they belonged... and someone they could belong with.