> Creatures and Magic
>  by EpicGamer10075
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Chapter 1: White and Black
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

“You’re reading too much into it.”

Twilight looked back over her shoulder to see the small Changeling sitting on her saddlebag-covered back. “What do you mean, Spike? Clearly it’s only ponies they’ll like!”

“That map had a bunch of place names on it, and like, all of ‘em had a pony pun in there somewhere,” Spike replied casually in his young, slightly buzz-filled voice. “And besides, Zecora said this place was good, so...”

Twilight sighed heavily, and looked back to the wooden sign in front of her, marking the entrance to ‘Ponyville’ a short ways in the distance, with all of its thatch-roofed buildings and relatively structured look seeming somewhat pleasant to the Zebra in the light of early afternoon. “We’ve travelled all this way, so I guess we should stay...” She muttered to herself, and took a deep breath before heading down the dirt path into the town.

“So...” Spike started as he looked around the many similar-looking buildings that comprised most of the town, “Where is this ‘Library’ thing Z told us about?” 

“Umm, I don’t know...” Twilight looked around as well, though much more tensely as she started to see a few other creatures roaming the town, making her add hesitantly, “I... guess we should just go..?”

Wandering further into the town, they slowly started to notice more creatures starting to populate the streets, though still a ways away from them, as well as some small signs hanging above the doors of a few buildings around them, but with seemingly little purpose to them. However, none of them had ‘Library’ on them, so they weren’t all too inclined to enter and find out what they meant.

Getting a bit more worried at the prospect of being lost in the town, Twilight took another deep breath as she walked, and Spike, sensing her nervousness, ran a hoof down her flat black and white mane to try and calm her down. “This place seems a lot larger from the inside...” She muttered to herself, and tried to look down some of the streets, but didn’t find anything but more buildings. “Where’s that Everfree Forest...? It continues to hide...”

“Eh... with how Z described that place, I don’t want to just run in there, you know?” Spike replied, sounding a bit worried about the prospect.

Nodding as she kept fretting about her location, Twilight then seemed to realize something and looked back over her shoulder and asked him, “Are you alright? I don’t have enough medicine to make it through the night...”

Shrugging casually, Spike said back, “I feel fine right now, but it’s been a while my last attack...”

Sucking in another worried breath, Twilight looked around them at the many buildings and creatures around her, but still didn’t find any hint of the ‘Library’ or Everfree. “Well... hopefully we can find that Forest soon enough.” Doing a full turn to see how far they’ve gone through the town, she started to add, “I know that’s--”

“Hi!” A pink face suddenly chirped at her.

“Gah!” Twilight jerked back in shock, lowering herself and spreading her stance defensively, with Spike yipping in surprise and holding on to her mane and saddlebags while Twilight stared intensely at the creature that was now before them, which happened to be a pink Deer smiling over-enthusiastically at them.

“Welcome to Ponyville!” The Deer spoke with an energetic voice, “I guess you already know that, ‘cuz of the sign out front! It’s still ironic, given all the not-Ponies in Ponyville, but that’s just ‘cuz its founders were Ponies! Apple Ponies! They still live here, and farm here--for apples, obviously--but they made the place!”

Twilight and Spike both blinked in bewilderment at the Deer’s rambling, which seemed like it was to draw their attention at all costs. Almost instinctively, Spike flared his green magic and opened one of Twilight’s saddlebags, and pulled out a vial of a vibrant teal fluid, and when Twilight herself raised one of her hooves up and back to receive it, he moved it toward that hoof so that she could ready it to throw at the Deer.

“...gotta be a little careful around ‘em! They still really don’t like not-ponies! They’re about the only ones that still do that here! The place would probably be named Creatureville if they weren’t so stubb--wait, what is that?” The Deer suddenly stopped rambling to look at the vial curiously.

“It’s a potion,” Twilight responded tersely as she kept it ready.

“Yeah, and it’ll glue your face shut!” Spike called out.

The Deer tilted her head for a moment in confusion as she continued to look at the potion, but Twilight soon pulled it back a little farther as a threat, and that sharply snapped the Deer to attention.

“W-wait, I-” She stuttered and pulled back in fear, then closed her eyes and took a deep breath, then spoke more cautiously, “Sorry about that, I, um... I always get very excited around new creatures, ‘cuz they always give me new opportunities to throw a party and I just...” She trailed off for a second, seemingly trying to put her thoughts together, but when Twilight shook the potion in her hoof a bit, the Deer cleared her throat and tried again, “I’m sorry; I didn’t mean to spook you.”

“And you’re not trying to distract us so that another tribe or hive will try to capture us?” Twilight asked her.

The Deer blinked in confusion. “...No?”

Twilight and Spike observed her for a couple seconds, the latter eventually saying, “Doesn’t seem like she’s lying.”

Continuing to leer at her for another few moments, Twilight eventually sighed heavily before pushing herself back to a more normal posture, and reached back to put her vial back in her saddlebags. “So...” She started, looking the other creature in the eyes, “If you really are so tame... do you mind telling me your name?”

“Oh, how could I forget!” The Deer cried and pulled back in some manner of surprise, and quickly shook herself and replied jubilantly, “I’m Pinkie Pie! Party planner extraordinaire and second best baker over at Sugarcube Corner!”

Twilight nodded cautiously at the energy and the strange titles, but Spike was more focused on something else, asking with some enthusiasm, “Wait, is that a sweets shop?”

Twilight blinked at the follow-up, but couldn’t say anything before Pinkie replied with clear joy, “That’s right! Sugarcube Corner is the most popular bakery of light and sugary treats that you’ll just love to--”

“PINKIE!” Twilight shouted with effort at the excitable Deer, quickly silencing her and letting the Zebra heave a sigh and look back to the changeling on her back, admonishing him, “Spike, you know our bodies cannot handle that much sugar--it may be even worse than getting attacked by a cougar.” Turning back to Pinkie, she apologized, “Sorry, Pinkie, but we’ll be going; we both have better things to be doing.”

“Oh, okay then,” Pinkie said, oddly quiet as Twilight turned around and headed off, carrying a slightly put-out Spike with her, but still called after them, “Maybe I’ll still see you at a party later!”

Twilight ignored her, trodding down through the streets of Ponyville, looking around and turning mostly randomly as quite a few other creatures milled about around her, Spike grumbling to himself atop her back. Eventually, though, he looked back up and around at his surroundings, and muttered, “Maybe we should’ve gotten directions from Pinkie...”

At that comment, Twilight immediately stopped in her tracks, making Spike jerk forward from the moment, stumbling onto her neck and grabbing it with his forelegs before he fell off, where he swiftly moved his attention to his caretaker, who suddenly cursed under her breath.

Twilight almost frantically started spinning and looking around for the ‘Library’ they were there for, forcing Spike to yelp in surprise and grab a tighter hold of her neck to stay on, but she didn’t find it, making her freeze again. “We should have...” She eventually muttered to herself, then sighed beleagueredly and hung her head down in despondency.

“Uh--” Spike sputtered in shock at the emotions in his caretaker’s body language, but looked around at all the other creatures still around them, and asked, “Well--we can just ask some other creature, right?”

Twilight tensed up at the suggestion of interacting with another creature from this place, and looked up towards the sky to try and process her thoughts. She tried to weigh just how worth it it would be to talk with them--with the one creature she had already met giving them a poor first impression--against just wandering around until she found what she was looking for, but something caught her eye; a blue thing was zipping around the sky and pushing some clouds over to the side into a large pile.

The thing, presumably some sort of flying creature, then pushed the large pile of clouds off further to the side, before pausing for a moment, and then darting away, curving its flight down towards the ground and flying right towards them!

With only a few moments to react, Twilight could only bare her teeth and get back down into a defensive posture and intensely stare at that creature as it continued full speed ahead at her, and when it was just near enough, she rolled to the side to dodge it and let it sail.. past her...

Or not.

The creature instead slowed to a stop just before them, hovering a slight distance above the ground, and revealing themselves to be a cyan hybrid between a Pony and a Gryphon--a Hippogryph, if Twilight wasn’t mistaken--that had a rainbow-coloured mane and tail, and looked to be a female.

“Woah,” They--she spoke in a boyish voice as she noticed the other creature looking really defensive back at her, “You didn’t need to do that, y’know; it’s not like I was gonna run into you!”

Eyeing the almost laughing Hippogryph in stupefaction, Twilight shot back at her, “It was fair assumption to make, you fool. You were coming at us like those ponies, that worship only Celestia’s rule!”

The Hippogryph only looked amused, possibly more from the faltered rhyme than anything else, but she then rolled her eyes and responded, “Whatever, dude. I just haven’t seen you around before, and I wanted to show you just how awesome I am!”

Twilight couldn’t anything in response to that, only gaping in the sheer incredulity and offense in that sentence, leaving the pair in silence but for all the noises of other creatures, both sentient and otherwise, all around them.

At least, that was until a young, buzzing voice came from behind Twilight, stating somewhat scathingly at the Hippogryph, “We don’t care, ‘dude’.”

Hopping up onto his caretaker’s back, Spike stared annoyedly at the other creature as she pulled back a bit, seemingly insulted by the statement.

Twilight, though, having registered her charge’s presence again, sharply looked back to him, multiple questions in her expression, but he swiftly cut her off, “I’m fine; I jumped off of you just before you rolled out of the way of that idiot.”

“Oh,” Twilight muttered, slightly guilty of how she just forgot about him, but tried to shake it off as she added, “Well, good.”

“Hey!” The Hippogryph shouted back at them to get their attention, sounding very insulted, “I’m not an idiot! I’m actually a Wonderbolt in training!” Flapping her wings a bit more to raise higher into the air, she started speaking louder, seemingly trying to shout out to the heavens, “I’m Rainbow Dash, the fastest flier in all the land, and I make everything at least twenty percent cooler when I’m even near it!”

Twilight and Spike just stared at her in deadpan annoyance, and even some other creatures who had noticed her were giving her an irritated glare. Twilight pursed her lips for a few moments, then stated simply, “We have no idea who these ‘Wonderbolts’ are, so we have little reason to care--but your arrogance is far worse than that, too, and it gives us no reason to care for you.”

“Yeah, and you still almost ran us over,” Spike added, deadpan, “So I don’t really think you’re all that ‘awesome’.”

Rainbow scoffed a pointed at them with a single talon, and said condescendingly, “But I didn’t. I was fixin’ to stop right in front of you, and I did, so you got no reason to be so uppity about it.”

“Given the incredible rudeness with which you speak...” Twilight started, staring annoyedly, yet beleaguered at the Hippogryph, “You seem to be nothing but a reckless freak. We never were here for just you to see, so just... leave us be.”

“What the heck’s your problem?” Rainbow retorted, and let herself fall down a bit and pushed forward towards the Zebra’s face, “I ain’t doing anything wro--hrrk!” She gut suddenly by a lasso getting thrown over her, and tightened hard around her waist and pulled back away.

“That’s enough of that, Dash,” A thickly-accented voice spoke, and as Rainbow fell to the ground from being winded, a female orange Earth Pony with a pale yellow mane and a brown hat stepped forward and pressed a hoof down onto the Hippogryph’s barrel, keeping her down. “Now, what are y’all here...” She looked towards those Twilight and Spike, and the energy sapped from her voice, finishing in a dry, almost emotionless tone, “...for.”

Twilight eyed her warily, and simply thought about leaving, but Spike leaned a bit to the side and caught side of the Pony’s mark; a trio of red apples. “You’re part of that Apple family, right?” He asked cautiously.

A terse nod and an ‘Eeyup’ were all he got from her in response.

Twilight turned her eyes back to her Changeling, and she recalled what that Deer had said, and then realized the importance of the question. Sucking in a tense breath, she remembered why the two of them were there in the first place, and decided to ask of the Pony, “We were just looking for this ‘Library’ place; we haven’t found it at all in this space.”

The Apple Pony stared back at her for a moment, then replied curtly, “It’s the big ol’ tree south of here, ‘bout thataway,” She gestured with her head down a street to her side.

“Alright, thank you,” Twilight nodded with a short bow, “I didn’t what else I’d do.”

“Mm,” The Earth Pony grunted in acknowledgement, and took a couple seconds before looking back down to Rainbow Dash, then pulled her up and onto her back, then trotted off in the opposite direction of the ‘Library’.

“...What’s her deal?” Spike asked offhandedly, and Twilight shrugged in response, turning and starting to head off towards their destination. “Um, I...” He stuttered, seemingly realizing something, getting a bit more of his caretaker’s attention, “I-I thought you’d ask for the Everfree Forest...”

Slowing her pace just a bit, Twilight sighed. “I know, I just suppose... a forest would be easier to find. And, well...” Picking her pace back up, she continued somewhat tensely, “That Pony was far from kind.”

Looking back in the direction of said Pony, Spike watched her continuing to haul Rainbow with her off into the distance, and he muttered a conflicted, “Yeah...”

Twilight continued to trot through the streets in relative silence for a while, neither herself nor Spike speaking from the thoughts going through their minds, even while the many creatures of the town milled about around them. Now more inside the town, they could at least spot some more interesting buildings; a few restaurants with tables just outside, some larger, more professional-looking buildings with varying styles, including a rather odd circular one of white and purple.

Eventually, they managed to spot a very wide tree with windows through the streets, and they headed for it, realizing that the ‘Library’ must’ve been a building akin to the myriad around them, with the caveat that it was made of a hallowed-out tree, like the one they recalled that Zecora lived in.

When they finally reached the building and arrived at its entrance, they spotted the small metal sign near the doors that read ‘Ponyville Library’.

“Okay, this truly is it,” Twilight said in relief, and reached for one of the door’s metal handle and pushed down before being able to pull it open. Heading inside and closing the door back up behind her, she added, “Thankfully that Apple Pony wasn’t lying about this bit...”

“Yep,” Spike commented as he hopped off Twilight’s back and landed on the flooring made of many wooden boards, letting the two of them look around at the many, many books that lined most sections of the walls of the main room. “Uh...” He tried, but couldn’t find the words.

“I do hope those aren’t bound in what I think they are...” Twilight said in something nearing horror, having known very well the rather... awful material her tribe of Zebras bound their books in. Hesitantly approaching a wall near the door--one that oddly had a staircase going up above where the books laid--she leaned close to the books and eyed them warily, and sniffed them. Not getting anything but an odd smell somewhat akin to a severed tree, she slowly reached a hoof out and pressed it against one of the books, but found the material under her hoof rather different that the tanned material she was used to.

Watching her from a distance, Spike kept himself still close by the door, and tentatively asked, “What is it?”

Twilight pulled the book in her hoof from the wall and felt its cleaner cover material against her fur, and realized it wasn’t what she originally thought it was. “I believe it’s some sort of stiff parchment, oddly enough,” She relayed back to Spike, who seemed slightly confused, yet relieved at the answer. “It’s far from a tanned coat devoid of fluff.”

“Oh, okay then,” Spike said back, turning his attention to the staircase that went up the wall of the room. “So, do you want to see what’s up there?”

Twilight looked up at the stairs and to the entrance to the next floor they led up to, and replied, “I think that would be good, yes... Places like this seem to have upstairs reserved for rest.” Putting the book back in the space between the others it came from, she looked over at one of the small windows in the wall above the staircase, and saw the sky was still rather bright. “It may only be the afternoon, but after our trek and those creatures... sleep would certainly be a boon.”

Spike nodded and started up the stairs, letting Twilight head over to them so she could follow, but he did ask back to her as he neared the top, “Alright, so first thing after we wake up is to find Zecora?”

“The first thing we do is eat,” She admonished him, trekking up to the dimmer corridor above where he stopped. “But, yes, after that, finding her will be our main feat. I do hope that we will have enough time,” She added as she neared the second floor herself, “For I would hate your pain to be our wake-up chime...”
> Chapter 2: Fight Fire With Fire
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Pitiful whimpering and groaning.

That was what Twilight awoke to.

She was somewhat thankful, all things considered, as her nightmares of the myriad books downstairs coming alive and rushing at her was something she’d much rather never think of again.

Still the sound of pain wasn’t that nice to wake up to, and her brain stalled for a moment amongst the bleariness of just having woke up, before finally being able to place that noise; Spike.

It was easy to forget for her, but her adopted Changeling brother wasn’t part of a hive, and thus had no connection to other Changelings and a Queen who could lead them, and that came with consequences, ones that she hoped she didn’t have to deal with, but...

Twilight sighed and pushed herself up off the blankets she had laid on the floor--the large bed was far too soft for her tribal liking--and looked around the dim room to spot the even darker patch of chitin wriggling in pain on a pillow a short ways away. “Spike,” She called quietly to him, knowing just how painful loud noises could be through that type of head pain, and watched as one of his light-blue eyes popped open to peer over at her. “How.. much does it hurt?” She asked him after a slight hesitation to debate what exactly she wanted to ask.

“I...” Spike tried, his normally casual and youthful buzzing voice now broken and almost seeming torn apart as he heard the concern in his caretaker’s words. Grunting and breathing heavily, he tried again, “I can still.. sense things fine, but it’s... painful...”

“Okay...” Twilight muttered in response, then closed her eyes and took a deep breath, opening them back up before slowly moving over to Spike, who forcibly pushed himself up to a sitting position atop the pillow. “Let’s go to that forest, then,” She said to him while reaching a foreleg below his barrel to pick him, then slowly and carefully deposit him on her back, sans the saddlebags she wore the previous day. “Hopefully there we’ll find our friend.”

Watching Spike nod in agreement from atop her back, Twilight turned her head to before her and quietly trotted to the door to their bedroom, tentatively putting a hoof on the handle and turning it to make sure it didn’t squeak loudly before doing the same as she opened the door itself. She left it open as she turned and headed down the corridor, turning again at the top of the stairs before carefully descending each step, making sure Spike wasn’t jostled around too much from the movements.

Peeking at the window above the stairs as she passed it, Twilight noticed it was particularly late at night, about at the time when that late night turns into an early morning, so she at least knew too much sleep wasn’t robbed of the two of them. After slowly and laboriously climbing down the many steps to the ground floor, Twilight then trotted towards the entrance doors and opened one of them, went through, and closed it behind her.

“Alright, so where would a forest be around here?” Twilight muttered to herself, looking around the dimly moonlit streets of Ponyville for some sort of giant set of trees in the distance, but alas, it was too dark and the streets too nonlinear to see far through them. “Curse this packed maze, I only wish to know where to steer...” Looking up and thinking for a couple seconds, she recalled the one entrance she did know to this place--the one they themselves had used to enter--and that place was no forest, but given how they’d already got lost and turned around multiple times on their way to the Library, she had no clue where that entrance was at this point.

“You could just ask someone, you know,” Spike retorted from her back in his pained voice, spooking Twilight into a standstill for a moment, but even when that faded, the idea of talking with another creature, especially given the time and their previous encounters, wasn’t all that appealing. But, looking back to see her brother holding his head with a hoof, the hollow pangs undoubtedly echoing loudly through his head, Twilight resolved to do what needed to be done.

Taking another deep breath, she started forward through the labyrinthine streets once more...

Only to come to a screeching stop less than a dozen steps in when she spotted a strange equine-esque creature sitting in a very odd fashion on some sort of wide chair just near the street she was going to head down. They looked to be a female, with pale green fur, and her hooves were devoid of fur like Twilight’s own, but this creature’s were also cloven and darker than her fur. From her head, two odd horns sprouted and curled around her ears, their colour almost white, almost like the highlights seen in the creature’s mane, which seemed otherwise similar to a equine’s, and a base color a bit more blue than her fur.

“That’s a Goat, Twilight,” Spike informed the Zebra, wincing again in pain.

“Oh,” Twilight muttered dumbly in response, “I did not know. But... why is she seated like that, though?”

“No clue...”

Twilight looked back at Spike as he trailed off weakly, holding his head more firmly than before. Worry growing in her heart, she swiftly turned back to the Goat and approached her, putting down her disquiet and forcing herself forward towards the creature.

Soon enough, the Goat turned to her and opened her mouth widely, looking as though she was going to exclaim something, but her eyes must’ve caught on Spike, and her mood fell until she looked back at Twilight, asking her as she approached, “Is he alright?”

Twilight shook her head, “Not quite, but I know our friend Zecora can fix it. I’m trying to find her, but I don’t know where to find this... cursed thicket.”

“Cursed...” The Goat mumbled, seemingly trying to understand what was meant, but she then asked, “The Everfree Forest?”

“Strange as it may seem, she lives there,” Twilight replied with a nod, “And she has what we need for his care,” She gestured to Spike on her back.

The Goat looked a little wary, but nodded and looked around for a moment, then pointed to the road to Twilight’s right and said to her, “Westward, down that way; can’t miss it.”

Twilight nodded in gratitude and replied, “Thank you, miss...?”

“Lyra,” The Goat finished with a grin, and added before Twilight could head off, “By the way, once you’re done with this, I suggest you head down to that pink and blue place you may have seen on your way in.” At Twilight’s raised eyebrow, mostly just in bafflement, she continued, “It’s my love’s place; she makes candy and chocolate that are low in sugar so more species can enjoy them.”

“That’d be nice...” Spike muttered, grinning through his pain as his older sister looked back at him, who then sighed in assent.

“Alright, fine--thank you, Lyra, for this,” Twilight nodded to Lyra, “For both the sweets and the location of the forest.”

The Goat replied with an enthusiastic ‘Of course!’, and let Twilight turn around and head off towards the Everfree, hurriedly trotting through the streets and trying to see as far ahead as she could, but the cramped and disorganized layout of the town put multiple buildings in her path. Even when navigating around them and keeping her direction constant, she was still left with the darkened streets looming before her.

After many minutes of ‘power-trotting’, Twilight eventually started to notice the buildings dropping off in density around her, and presumed she was at the outskirts of town at that point, and after moving around another stray building, finally saw it. The Everfree Forest lay a ways before her, the air under its canopy far darker than the rest of the sky, even moreso than any other forest she had seen before. It truly did look cursed, in some manner, but something else soon caught her attention.

In front of Twilight lay a path off into the distance that ran through an open section of the forest at its edge, and at the path’s end, far enough away that she couldn’t quite tell what was there, was a light. It was a golden-orange in colour, and seemed to be rather contained with no smoke trailing above, so it clearly wasn’t a campfire or any sort of torch.

Continuing her pace forward, Twilight then managed to pick out the silhouette of the a building around the light, and she soon realized the light was coming from within the building, emanating out through an open window or door. The building itself actually looked rather odd compared to the others in Ponyville, Twilight also noticed as she kept going, with it seeming to be made fully of wood, with its roof covered in plants, likely moss.

Closing the distance even further, now about halfway to the building from where she first noticed it, Twilight then spotted a fenced-out area to the side of the building, with some stuff sprouting up within it, presumably plants in the area’s garden. Something a bit closer between the house and herself also caught her eye, and she soon figured it to be a bridge that likely went over a small river, one that she eventually started to properly see and hear as she moved closer.

Trailing her gaze downstream of the river, she soon spotted a yellow equine-esque creature working on something by the river, shimmering green scales cascading down part of their back while their voluminous pink mane wrapped around their head and even covered some part of their chest. A leonine tail swished about heavily behind them, and a burgundy curved horn looking almost like it was made of wood stuck out from their forehead, a light green aura surrounding it. Twilight had seen enough Unicorns to know that their magic acted like that, and that it was likely being used to levitate something beyond her own sight, but the rest of the creature looked so incredibly different that she had no clue what to call it... but someone else might.

“Hey, Spike,” She whispered back to the Changeling on her back, while her steps took her across the bridge.

“Uhg... W-what?” Spike grunted in pain, and then asked in response.

Twilight looked back at his wincing face in concern for a moment, then gestured over to the creature she had started trotting towards, asking him, “Do you know of that creature’s kind? I’m.. afraid here I’m running rather blind.”

Spike looked over at the creature in the distance, squinting at it for a second before his eyes widened in realization. “That’s a Kirin... I’ve heard they.. can be pretty a-aggressive...” Coughing a bit from the pain, he closed his eyes and tried to rest again.

“Alright, thank you; I appreciate your insight.” Twilight replied and let him rest as she approached the Kirin, and started to notice the more feminine swoops of their form denoting her as a female, and she was working on a beaver dam in the river, her green magic moving about some twigs into it to help build it. Being only a short ways away at this point, she continued forward and asked of her, “Hello, may I--”

“In a minute,” The Kirin quickly and curtly cut her off in a distinctly young and female voice, only sparing a short glance to see her visitor.

Twilight blinked in surprise at the rude response, and stopped a few paces away from the Kirin and observed the concentrated, almost frustratedly focused look on her face as she continued her work. She knew she shouldn’t need that much information to find her friend in the forest, and so tried again, “Excuse me, but I just wanted to--”

“Shh!” The Kirin spat back, jerking her head to glare at her visitors for a moment, then turned her attention back to the dam.

Twilight gaped in offense; shouldn’t the Kirin be able to see the ill Changeling on her back, and at least show some level of concern about him rather than just cutting her off as quick as possible!? She stared at the Kirin in silence for some time, not even knowing what to say, or even if that would be a good idea given how little progress she’s already made.

Thankfully, she didn’t need to try again, as the Kirin soon enough let her horn’s magic fade before looking over the dam for a couple seconds, then sighing in what seemed to be relief before turning to her visitors. “What do you want?” She tersely asked of them.

Staring at her for a moment, Twilight just sighed in beleaguerment, knowing the creatures of this town were rather odd, and tried to ask politely of this one, “Do you know of my friend, Zecora? I believe she lives in this forest before us.”

“No, I don’t,” The Kirin stated in response, then turned away and started heading toward that nearby building, presumably her home, and added, “If that’s all, I’ll just be on my way.”

Blinking and gaping again in shock, Twilight watched her go for a second before shaking herself and calling after the Kirin, “Can’t you give at least a little help to us? My brother is already down with illness!”

Stopping in her tracks and sighing, the Kirin seemed to pause for just a moment before turning her head around and retorting, “I don’t know who the heck ‘Zecora’ is, so I won’t exactly be able help now will I? And,” She took in a deep breath and looked up the the dim sky above, still before any real semblance of dawn, “I haven’t really gotten any sleep, so I’d much prefer to catch up on that.”

Twilight herself sighed in annoyance, at least understanding the other creature’s point, but not why she needed to be so rude about it. “Some flowers found there may also do, so.. you could simply help us get those, too.”

Turning her head back to look down at the ground before her, the Kirin seemed to almost be seething, possibly just annoyed about being forced to do something she didn’t want to for someone she didn’t know, but there did seem to be some hesitation there. “I know you don’t see much in this for you, but--”

“SHUT UP!!” The Kirin screamed at her, forcing Twilight to backpedal, and Spike on her back to grunt in shock, holding onto his sister a bit more in fear.

Twilight tried to keep calm, but she too, caved to fear when the Kirin turned around and revealed her face to have blackened and her eyes glowing a pure, fiery white, to say nothing of the actual flames starting to emerge from her mane--or, rather, her mane was becoming that blue-and-red fire! The rest of the Kirin’s body then transformed into that monstrous form, the scales on her back turning into an ashen grey and her tail also getting set alight.

“I just want to be alone right now!” The flaming Kirin roared at Twilight and Spike, her voice a distorted and wrathful tone as she stomped forward. “I did everything I needed to, and then you came here with your stupid request! I’m not going into the damn Everfree Forest at night for you, and your stupid damned RHYMES!!” Each word she spoke was louder than the last, and accompanied by more forward steps as her hooves lit the grass below her on fire, her blazing eyes burning into Twilight’s own, and she looked like she was going to kill them!

At least, before the Kirin got forcefully stopped in her tracks and shoved down to lay on her barrel.

Pulling back more as she shivered in terror, Twilight looked up from the Kirin’s eyes to see a jade scaled foreleg pressing the creature down, and looked further upward to see another creature that was on fire, but these golden-orange flames looked far more tamed than those that came from the Kirin.

“Calm yourself, Fluttershy,” The new creature spoke with a calming tone despite her foreign and draconic voice, her ruby red eyes focused down on the Kirin’s own, who seemed to look back up and listen to those words. “Take a deep breath, and understand these visitors do not deserve grief for your own frustration.”

As the two creatures looked at each other, the Kirin’s angry, seething breaths slowly calmed down, and soon enough the flames that wrapped around her faded back into her mane and tail, the rest of her form following suit. Her went back to normal, and due to the flames of the other creature, could be seen as a vibrant green and were... filled with tears?

Pulling her hoof off the Kirin, the scaled creature let her slowly push herself to her hooves and look back towards Twilight and Spike, who were both still almost paralyzed, but now it was more in surprise than fear. Those green eyes were lacking the flaming wrath the Kirin possessed just moments ago, and were now drowned in sadness and regret, tears starting to overflow as she repeatedly mumbled, “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry...”

All of a sudden, the Kirin turned around and bolted for her home, sprinting to the door and opening it with her magic, flying inside and slamming it shut behind her.

Still gaping in silence for multiple seconds, Twilight eventually managed to regain her senses and looked towards the flaming creature beside her, noticing how her red eyes gazed up towards Fluttershy’s home with sympathy.

“Uhm,” Twilight then started, but her dry voice forced her to clear her throat as the other creature’s attention was pulled to her, “What just happened to her? I... haven’t before seen flames replace fur...”

The creature nodded in understanding at the question, and replied measuredly, “Fluttershy here, as a Kirin, has a rather poor temperament. It is a part of their physiology, and when aggravated, their emotions can quickly spiral until they transform into that wrathful beast of flames you just saw, and it is known as a Nirik.”

Tilting her head slightly in comprehension, Twilight still had to ask, “So, that’s rather natural then? I cannot say.. she looked all that.. zen.”

“The Nirik is natural, but directing her anger towards you was not,” The creature spoke in response, “And I do believe she’ll need time to recover from her guilt.” Looking back towards the house, Twilight following her gaze, they saw many small animals roaming around it that weren’t there before, likely awoken and scared by the Kirin’s flames. “Do not worry, though, she is friends with these critters, and they will support her in a way that not me nor either of you could.”

The three of them were then left in relative quiet as they watched some of the animals enter the open windows of the home to presumably comfort the Kirin, while others merely wandered off to head back to sleep. However, this arrangement was problematic for one Changeling, and he soon spoke up, “Hey, uh--”

Twilight looked back to Spike on her back as he started coughing again, and held his head with both forehooves to try and curb the pain. “Right, um,” Turning to address the jade creature, she asked, “Do you know of a friend of mine? She’s.. named Zecora, and is another of my kind.”

“Zecora?” The creature replied, and turned her eyes skyward for a second in thought, then nodded. “I have heard of her, and that she lives within this Everfree Forest right here,” She gestured to the dark woods nearby. “I presume you do not know how exactly to find her?”

“Yes, that’s right,” Twilight nodded in affirmation, “We’ve only arrived here before this night. May you lead us to her? We’ve heard this forest is cursed.”

Glancing again to the forest in question, the creature replied, “That is rather accurate, but it is hardly a threat to me, so I will certainly oblige.” Giving the other creatures a small smile, her eyes looked up to the Changeling on Twilight’s back, and she added, “I see your friend is already in a lot of pain, so let us go about now.”

“He’s my brother,” Twilight corrected, “And Spike is his moniker. For courtesy, I’ll also give you my own; Twilight is how I am known.”

Raising a hoof off the grass, and revealing the flames that came from her fetlock just before extinguishing it and holding her hoof out, the creature spoke, “And I am Tianhuo of the Longma Empire.”

Tentatively raising one of her own hooves to firmly shake the Longma’s, Twilight stated with determination, “Then let us go, for time is our biggest foe.”
> Chapter 3: World of Matchsticks
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

It was far too dark and quiet for Twilight’s liking here.

This Everfree Forest was certainly cursed in some manner or another, as she could hardly see more than a dozen steps before her, even with Tianhuo’s bright flames, and as for the silence...

“Have you heard of the creatures that live here?” Twilight quietly asked of the Longma leading a few steps ahead of her. “I feel as though, any noise we make, they will be able to hear...”

“Fluttershy has spoken about them before,” Tianhuo replied, toning down her voice as well, “They have been a threat to her pets in the past, and she wanted to make sure I was aware of them.”

The pair then went right back into silence, with only their steps and quiet breathing--as well as Spike’s own much more ragged and pained breaths--breaking it. It was hardly all that peaceful, though, as Twilight remained disquiet about it all, fearfully looking around at the near-pitch-blackness all around them, knowing that at any moment, some horrific creature she had never heard of would pounce out from the darkness and tear her apart.

However, Tianhuo was much more confident, and while she was looking around a lot, it seemed to be a more controlled vigilance where she constantly scanned the area around them with her well-trained eyes in preparation for any potential threat. It was a bit odd, though, that she seemed to have no trouble finding the way forward, despite only having heard of Zecora before, but Twilight wasn’t going to question it.

Despite the clear power the other creature held, however, the Zebra’s breaths were still shaky with fear, and so she sought to try and fill the deafening silence by asking, “Before today... I hadn’t heard of your kind. Can you tell me more, if you wouldn’t mind?”

The Longma took a moment to look over her shoulder, but Spike spoke up before her, saying tiredly, “I h-have actually...” Twilight’s head sharply jerked back to look at him in surprise and concern, but he tried to wave her worry off with a hoof, adding, “It was, like.. o-once, and i-in passing...”

“It’s not surprising, I suppose,” Tianhuo responded at a more normal volume, turning her head to look ahead again, “Our kind has decent relations with the Changelings, as their versatility and loyalty to their Queen is something we respect.”

Twilight looked over to her with a tilted head and thought for a moment before asking, “Well, I still haven’t seen your kind before, in this nation. I assume that... between you and Equestria, you have some other complication?”

Tianhuo nodded slowly in response, and spoke with a level of underlying vitriol, “While we do hold respect for some of the creatures within Equestria, its Queen Celestia is rather foolish and far too optimistic, which has led to many problems in the past.”

Twilight squinted in confusion at the comment, figuring she was missing something with how the Queen--or ‘Princess’ as the Alicorn Pony personally preferred--was often described as wise and benevolent, even by Zecora, who was typically rather superstitious and untrusting towards those in power. She looked back towards Spike, who was resting his head on the back of her neck and looked back at her, and seeing the questioning in her eyes, just shrugged in response.

Keeping that reaction in the back of her mind for the time being, the Zebra did have another question, “If you do dislike Equestria, to that order, why exactly, are you within its borders?”

Tianhuo’s steps stiffened just a tad at the question, and Twilight felt like she may have accidently struck a nerve, and swiftly tried to apologize, “Um, I--”

“I’m on forced leave,” The Longma cut her off in a blank, yet tense tone, and seemed to focus a bit more on observing the darkness around them. Almost certainly feeling Twilight’s surprised and baffled gaze on the back of her head, she elaborated, “I have been ordered by the Empress herself to keep from overworking myself.”

Hesitating before slowly nodding in comprehension, but not fully understanding, Twilight tried to ask, “Well, I supp--”

“I respect her decision,” Tianhuo stated firmly, cutting off the Zebra again, but now with an unwavering loyalty in her voice, “I know that she has done this only to help me, but I still do not... like this feeling. Of...” She paused, leaning her neck slightly forward to look down towards the ground, “Of being away from the Empire and being unable to help them.”

Twilight looked at her with sympathy, despite not really being able to empathize with her plight. She knew she wouldn’t be able to say anything to try and add to or amend the Longma’s worries, so she instead tried to pivot the conversation, saying tentatively, “That makes sense, at least for why you’re not there, but... why exactly are you here... in this nation’s air?”

Raising her neck and head to look in front of her, Tianhuo took a deep breath before responding, “I am staying with Fluttershy for the time being. Our Empire is on good terms with the Kirin community, but...” She paused, her eyes wandering a bit as she seemed to try and figure out how to continue, “Their kind is mostly very.. isolated. Their inherent aggression that I have previously explained made them mute themselves in an attempt to keep them from transforming into their Nirik forms and destroying or hurting everything and every creature around them, but not all of them completely took to that silence.

“To my knowledge, only two Kirins of their current generation have left the community,” The Longma continued, sounding somewhat dispassionate, “One of them, named Autumn Blaze, left because she found the mute-ness stifling, but Fluttershy did so because she wanted to take care of more animals than were in the small forest valley that is their Peaks of Peril.”

“I suppose that would do it...” Twilight replied, with Fluttershy’s reactions making more sense with the knowledge of her kind’s physiology. “Had you not been here, I would’ve been burned to bits.”

Tianhuo nodded at the implied thanks, then looked back at her for a moment, and said, “I am curious, though. Zebras are generally rather territorial, so why are you here, in Equestria?”

Inhaling through her nose, Twilight looked away tensely for a moment to think about an answer. She had moved to this town to get away from that very past that led her here, but... it was still only fair.

“My friend, Zecora, told us of this place...” She started, looking back over to Tianhuo, who kept some attention on her while still scanning the environment, “And from my original tribe I wanted some space. The pressure I was under, right below the Chief... I didn’t see another way out but to simply.. leave.”

Tianhuo nodded and looked at her with sympathy, replying with, “Being a high-ranking soldier, I can certainly understand that pressure, even if I prefer it much more.”

Twilight gaped slightly in surprise at the causal mention of her rank, and the Longma could easily read it, smiling slightly and adding, “Yes, I know. It wasn’t that relevant before, but with this empathy, it now makes sense to tell you.”

“Oh...” The Zebra mumbled in response, and nodded in understanding, and spared a glance back to Spike, who looked somewhat impressed, but was still in great pain.

“However, I would still like to know what made you so important to your tribe,” Tianhuo said, turning her head back to look forward, but her attention was still clearly on Twilight.

Nodding again, Twilight looked back to the Longma and replied, “Of course; I happened to be their Shamaness, but for only a short while before I.. decided to... evanesce. It was my duty to know our magic, but I was only given that position by.. a means that were rather.. tragic.” Getting a short glance from Tianhuo’s eyes looking back at her, she tried to swallow her somberness and continued, “I trained under our previous Shaman, and for several years I was under his command. I loved and respected him like, a parent, but our Chief.. was always so uncaring. It was him that brought us to battle, tearing apart another tribe like they were nothing but cattle...”

Noticing the Zebra was shaking slightly in anger and sadness, Tianhuo slowed her pace and turned her head to look at her again, and Twilight could also feel Spike stroking her mane with his shaking hooves. Taking a deep breath, she kept going, “In that fight, our Shaman was killed, bested by the other tribe’s Shamaness’s.. superior skill. Perhaps I would hate her more, if she actually wanted to be in that war...

“I can recall the emotions on her face, when we got back to her tribe’s place...” Twilight said, sounding mostly somber now, “We were separated from the battle for a while, but getting back to them... made us both want to throw bile. I went back to my own home, but despite being bedridden, I fought... with all my heart to keep that Shamaness hidden. I claimed she was gone, not wanting to hurt our bond, and.. once I was healed, I went to her, and kept our friendship sealed.

“However, she needed to leave and find a new home, one untouched by her own family’s flesh and bone,” Twilight continued, some eagerness picking back up in spite of her words, “Some months later, and after I found Spike--rather to my tribe’s dislike--she came back and met with me again, and offered me a place to get away from my pain. And, well, at the first chance I could find... I was gone like the wind.”

Tianhuo, having keenly listened to the Zebra’s words, slowly nodded in understanding and thought, and then asked, “I presume this... Shamaness, was Zecora, then?” Getting a quick nod from Twilight in response, she looked back with empathy, stating, “War is always quite complicated and unclear, and it’s good that both of you have put that pain behind you.”

Smiling again, Twilight laughed slightly and added, “I wouldn’t say that we have yet, fully, but... there is something interesting to note, actually...” The Longma raised an eyebrow in intrigue, letting her explain, “I didn’t rhyme back then, and the same for all of my kin. Zecora and her tribe did, though, and I... eventually decided to take it on my own.”

“That’s an interesting mark of honour, I see,” Tianhuo replied with a smile, some humour in her voice.

Rolling her eyes, Twilight retorted, “A lot more creatures than I’d like have questioned it, but.. I’m much more concerned with my and Spike’s wellbeing than to fit.” A short laugh and nod came from the Longma, and while Twilight was happier after having relived some of her past, it still was a bit more than she originally wanted to divulge, so... “Now, that’s enough about my past; what about your own has made you want to last?”

Eyeing the Zebra for a second, Tianhuo seemed to consider the idea, and eventually nodded as she faced forward once more, “Well, perhaps I should.. start... with....” She trailed off as her focus seemed to be drawn elsewhere, and she stopped walking while swivelling her ears around.

Twilight, taken aback momentarily by the sudden action, stopped as well and listened in the direction of the Longma’s ears, eventually starting to pick up on some very faint noises. Looking in the direction she thought they were coming from, she also manage to notice the dim green lights peeking out amidst the dark tree trunks and bushes, and they looked to be in pairs...

Soon enough, the creatures that owned those pairs of eyes seemed to noticed they were caught, and slowly came out of the darkness, with dim, broken silhouettes on four legs with otherwise sharp features.

“Wolves,” Twilight whispered to herself.

“Timberwolves,” Tianhuo corrected, getting a glance from the Zebra. “Get behind me.”

Twilight nodded and noticed the smooth and cold forelegs of her Changeling brother wrapping around her neck in fear, and she moved back most of the way to the edge of the lit area around the flaming Longma to let her take on these ‘Timberwolves’.

It soon became clear to her exactly why they were given that name, as the half-dozen wolves seemed to be made entirely of wood and magic, their thin, almost spindly forms made of cobbled together tree xylem and bark with the faintest hints of pulsing green magic between the crevices that made up their joints. Twilight had managed to take on wolves made of flesh and blood before, but these magical manifestations were beyond her understanding, and so she was thusly thankful of the skilled warrior that guarded her from them.

Tianhuo didn’t budge as the Timberwolves stepped amidst the Longma’s firelight to arrange themselves in about a semicircle around her, and it was just as they all found themselves at a stalemate that she pushed herself up to stand on her hind legs, then shoved herself into a fast twirl on a single leg, the rest closed up her body as her flames swirled all around her. It was only for a moment before she did a short hop into the air to spin faster with yet more flames, and then finally dug her free hind hoof into the dirt to stop herself with her body turn sideways to her aggressors, one foreleg stretched out towards them while the other went upward, and her second hindleg went back up to hold itself partially outward towards the wolves as well, leaving herself on a single leg in a graceful, yet intimidating pose that showcased her incredible balance, as well as the some extra flames that now poured out of her back in the shape of wings.

The Timberwolves seemed rather wary of the fiery display, but still seemed eager to fight despite it, and so when the Longma waved her stretched-out forehoof to say ‘come at me’, the wolves did just that.

All six Timberwolves jumped at the Longma, but that was about the last clear thing Twilight could clearly make out of it, as Tianhuo immediately launched into battle against them, ducking and diving away and slamming her hooves into others, sending them sprawling away from the battle for only a moment before they eagerly rejoined it. She found herself instinctively backing away from it all, even as the flaming creature clearly held the upper ground, with any attack that Twilight could make out against the Longma dodged with ease.

The scorching orange flames bursting out of the creature were often hidden behind the scrawny branches that made up the wolves, keeping the area rather dark, but it still seemed to be no issue for the Longma as she struck at the wolves with unbridled power and precision, with several large chunks of wood being cracked off by sheer force of her blows. It was hardly all that long before one of the whole wolves was sent barrelling off into a tree, exploding into a mass of pulp and splinters as the green magic that held it together faded into the ether.

While the removal of one of the creatures made the battle slightly more comprehensible, Twilight still had trouble tracking all of their movements, but she could still see Tianhuo at the center of it with all the Timberwolves clawing with feral rage and desperation to strike her even once, yet not a single one succeeded. Soon enough, more wolves were sent flying out of the battle, with one getting thrown up into the treetops, but barely fell back down any before the next wolf was hurled up into it even harder, breaking them both in half and letting the light fade behind their eyes.

With a distinct ‘thump’, the Longma landed back on the ground, the remaining three wolves around her, all with large pieces of their bodies--even some limbs or sections of their barrels--taken off, and all of them looking back at the flaming creature with fear--no, terror in their eyes.

The Timberwolves, which begun as a fearsome pack of magical beasts that could kill other creatures with ease, were now looking like kicked puppies that wanted nothing more that to flee for their lives... but Tianhuo wouldn’t let them get the chance. All too swiftly, she propelled herself forward with a gust of those flames coming out of her back (which now seemed to actually be wings?) and shoulder-slammed hard into one of them, then sweep-kicked its legs to throw it into the air, and next sharply kicked it even higher, flew up to it and around it, and finally shot it at one of the other wolves, sending them both sprawling as their rough bodies got tangled up with each other.

The last Timberwolf barely had time to react before the Longma flew at it, picking it up by the legs and flinging it into the air, then flew above it, and then kicked it hard down into the ground, and finished it off by diving down and slamming her hind hooves into its neck, smashing into into pulp and ending it as well. Turning back to the other two she left, Tianhuo flapped up just a bit into the air and rammed her forehooves down into their heads, and when that didn’t finish them, picked their heads up, and then slammed them down once more, turning them into splinters as well.

And just like that, all of the wolves were defeated, with not a scratch on the Longma that bested them, who now turned casually back to look at Twilight and tilted her head slightly at her. It was only at that point that Twilight actually realized just how low her jaw was hanging from the flaming creature’s display, but she hardly had it within herself to pick it pack up, only letting it flail as she uselessly sputtered, “Wh--I don’t--how d--”

Tianhuo calmly placed a hoof to her lips to silence her, which Twilight finally managed to do as the Longma smiled back at her, and stated, “Wild animals, despite their brute strength, are quite easy to fight. They always attack very predictably and hardly change their strategies over the course of a battle, especially one that quick.”

That hardly answered any of the myriad questions whizzing about Twilight’s mind, such as how she could stay so casual about it all, to how she was able to pull off those moves, to how her wings of fire actually worked in all their aspects, but there was a question that wasn’t in her mind, and got put into the open air nevertheless.

“W-why no fire?” Spike asked hoarsely from his position on Twilight’s back, stiffly holding onto her neck and staring in awe and confusion at the fiery creature before him.

Tianhuo just smirked lightly and looked around at the dark pillars of wood around them, and the impenetrable canopy of leaves far above, and then she spoke, “We are in a forest, Spike. I would prefer not to set it ablaze.”

“Oh...” Twilight muttered in response, having finally regained some hold over her words as she felt Spike start to understand as well, calming his grip on her neck.

The Longma nodded, closed her eyes for a moment, then reopened them and added, “Many of my subordinates have failed to make that realization in the past, and that control is one of the reasons I hold my current rank.”

“...Your rank?” Twilight asked of her, mostly confused about what that rank was rather than what the word meant.

“Captain of the Houshan Royal army,” Tianhuo stated proudly in response, “And Champion of all the Longma Empire under the glorious Empress herself.”

Blinking in incomplete understanding, Twilight could at least acknowledge how important that title sounded, despite how little she knew of what it meant, and carefully replied, “Right.”

The look she got from Tianhuo clearly told her the Longma knew the full gravity of the title was lost on her, but she didn’t say anything more about it, and instead turned a half-circle in place and seemed to look around for something. 

Hesitating for several seconds in an awkward silence, Twilight eventually tried to break it by asking of her, “Not that I particularly mind.. but, what are you trying to find?”

The other creature didn’t immediately respond, but her gaze did soon enough seem to latch onto something before she turned her head back to the creatures behind her and spoke, “There are some notches in these trees.” She started walking forward towards one of them, and Twilight soon followed, approaching one of the trees that was subtly lit by the flaming creature before her.

The light only grew as they approached the tree, and Tianhuo placed a hoof on it just below chest level, and Twilight could suddenly see that there was a decent-sized gash in the tree bark right above her hoof. “I have heard from Fluttershy about these,” She continued, then looked slightly pensive for a moment before adding, “They were clearly placed here to find Zecora’s home, but I believe they were made subtle so no random creature, sentient or otherwise, could find it as well.”

“That makes sense,” The Zebra replied with some level of relief, the subtle nagging question she had before finally quashed, “I wouldn’t want to give the monsters here any hints.”

Tianhuo nodded, the gestured with her head for them to continue going forward, and she said somewhat suddenly, “I suppose I will tell you my own backstory when we get to your friend.”

Taking a moment to recall where out that topic came from as she followed the Longma, Twilight nodded in understanding and replied, “Yes, I think that will work. Repeating the story would likely be... irked.” Taking another glance around her to see the remains of the Timberwolves barely visible in the blackness, she knew just how lucky she got to have the warrior before her on her side, as she may not have survived those wolves otherwise. Hopefully, though, she wouldn’t need to rely on the other creature for too long before she reunited with her old friend.
> Chapter 4: Light in the Darkness
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

It was warm here, in more ways than one.

Located in the dark and scary depths of the accursed Everfree Forest lay a respite in the form of a massive tree with a carved out interior, with the friendly Zebra known as Zecora calling it home. Inside, where she, Twilight, and Tianhuo sat, the slightly-toned-down flames coming off the latter creature who was meditating near the closed door, eyes closed and mind clearly calmed and far away from reality for the time being.

Twilight was thankful for all of that, as she could talk to her old friend in peace, with the Zebra in question having already taken the liberty of making her special brew of tea for the both of them.

Still, that hardly meant the air between them was perfectly calm...

“You can stop glancing at her flame,” Twilight spoke slightly admonishly to the other Zebra, “I trust her power, and that element she has tamed.”

Zecora smiled wryly in response, distinctly taking a sip of her tea, and said, “Don’t think I have no reason to be wary; wood and fire often only leave ash to carry.”

Sighing slightly in acceptance and understanding, Twilight set her own tea on the floor before her and looked over to Spike, who was resting on Zecora’s bed on the side of the room opposite the door, having been given his slimy green potion of medicine and was now thankfully resting rather calmly, with his illness tamped down for the time being. “I hope he’ll be okay...” She muttered, almost only to herself, “This strange illness gives him a lot of pain...”

A soft snort came from Zecora, and she responded in a faintly admonishing tone, “You truly ought to trust me more. This medicine has already proven itself before.” Pausing for just long enough for the other Zebra to slowly look back over to her, she added, “And, I’d say you must work on your rhyme; your conflicted thoughts make more than wasted time.”

Twilight took a deep inhale and let her gaze fall to the floor, a light amusement on her face, yet it hardly covered the disappointment and worry underneath. “He is my brother, you know... and I regret getting him here so slow. I do have every right to speak freely, even when he is healing. No matter... what his kind has done to yours in the past...” She continued, speaking more cautiously, “I will still care for him so that these moments won’t be his last.”

Looking back up, she could feel the lingering pain in Zecora’s eyes, her tribe’s battles with the Changelings clearly flickering in her mind, and Twilight knew to be thankful of how accepting the other Zebra had already been of her younger brother, but it still didn’t quell her sorrow with what she must’ve been putting her friend through. At the very least... she could try and push those thoughts away for the time being.

“I suppose, on that note, though,” She started, picking back up her tea, and trying to shrug off the weight of her earlier words, “Why does your tribe rhyme with such flow?”

Smirking slightly at the very obvious change of topic, Zecora took another sip and obliged, “It was to do with spells--my tribe makes much abnormal use of our magical wells. Many of these uses are all done in rhyme; be it potions, rituals, or any other way our magic shows itself in time, and it was not only a matter of doing it with more speed, as it had quickly seeped into our minds and become our creed.

“Of course, this focus on magic was clearly not all good,” She continued, expression falling as her tone turned somber, “Our bodies were left as weak as dead wood. You have already seen the outcome with my home, as it is now being a place only the dead roam.”

Twilight, despite being very intrigued about the intricacies of magic (and disappointed that the conversation immediately went back to her friend’s dour past), didn’t try and push the topic any farther, instead simply replying, “That makes enough sense; those words can often make songs, no less...”

Zecora nodded curtly in affirmation, but spoke in return, “Indeed, but there is something I’d like to ask in return, as your own kin has a secret I’d like to learn.” Getting an intrigued look and nod back from her friend, she continued, “Your tribe’s names are quite the oddity; all others, including my own, begin with ‘Z’.”

“Ah, I suppose that is rather strange..” Twilight muttered in response, looking down for a moment and seeing her tea quickly growing cold. “Well, it always did offer our names more range,” She remarked as she picked the tea up carefully and held it before her, continuing, “Our names did have a pattern, though; they always meant ‘the end’, or some other woe. I believe you recall my Chief and Shaman?” Getting a quick nod from the other Zebra, she took a long sip of her tea, trying to drown out her fears once more, and explained, “Termina and Omega were the names they were given.”

“That was their mindset, I suppose?” Zecora asked, a tint of horror in her tone, “To bring all other tribes to a close?”

“Yes, I think they believed themselves the absolute best...” Twilight replied, slightly unsure about it as she recalled the many rituals they had forced her into. “It was.. something to do with how other tribes were ‘filled with weakness’.”

“That’s hardly surprising.”

Twilight started and jerked around at the sudden voice, almost dropping her cup in the process, and saw Tianhuo still sitting near the door, her eyes now opened and looking towards the two Zebras. “Warlords often justify their conquests through such self-superiority, as I’ve seen all too often throughout history. Even my own Empress’s predecessor was like that.”

Getting another hint at the Longma’s backstory, but hearing the slight tension behind her words, she decided not to press it, only setting her tea down on the floor while glancing back towards the bed on the other side of the room, sighing lightly in relief when she noticed Spike hadn’t been spooked awake.

“Indeed, it’s common for such a belief to fuel all manners of malice,” Zecora spoke, sounding like she had hardly been startled by the other creature, “From the mundane bullying all the way up to those in the Canterlot Palace.”

Tianhuo nodded and grimaced, a faint growl escaping her lips, and Twilight could imagine that given her rank, she’d have dealt with those stuck-up ponies in the capital city. As long as they were moving the conversation away, though, Twilight did have something to ask, “Along those lines, there seem to be some like that in this town, with that Apple Pony looking at me with a... very distinct frown. Some of the other creatures around here are rather... odd, but that one looked like she wanted to beat me out with a rod.”

A deep, irate sigh came from the Longma, faint flames flowing out of her maw, making Zecora tense slightly, but Tianhuo soon spoke, “I have always despised ponies for their distrust. From their blind leviathan of a legal system that requires reams of paperwork, to the peasants’ which-hunts of those completely innocent; they cannot help but be utterly afraid to show any level of trust to each other, even when their own lives are at stake.”

“I can certainly attest to that...” Zecora muttered darkly in response, taking a large swig of her tea to empty the cup, then set it on the floor to her side. The other two creatures looking concernedly at her, she continued, “None have ever accused me of turning into a bat, but some of the Foals here were running some news; nothing too crazy, just a hobby they got to choose. Unfortunately, it did soon devolved from that innocence, with a pair of children turning it into a system that spewed nonsense.”

Twilight and Tianhuo glanced at each other, and the latter gestured for her to keep going, asking, “How so?”

They both received keen and intense look from Zecora as she begun, “They began to defame creatures that were not of their race, and while I was hardly the only one they ‘put in their place’, it was quite hurtful to my reputation and life, causing me nothing but strife.” Twilight gaped at what she was saying, quickly growing horrified and angry at the very idea of that, but the other Zebra continued, “Thankfully the mayor, an Earth Pony in their own right, manage to bring the falseness of these stories to light, and within about a single week, the Earth Foal behind it all was up a creek.”

Twilight snorted in indignation, turning her gaze downward as she ruminated on how cruel and petty Ponies could be. She hadn’t had too many encounters with them in the past, but every single one was tainted in some level by their unreasonable bigotry.

“The cowards,” Tianhuo spoke, seeming somewhat angry as well while Twilight’s attention jerked over to her, confused, but willing to let her continue, “They cannot be bothered to accept something different from themselves, so content in their little world that anything outside of that terrifies them...” Snorting another small flare from her nose, she took a deep breath, still decidedly angry, but seeming to have been hardly surprised by what had happened.

“Is that the reason; fear?” Twilight asked curiously of her, understanding the idea at least, but struggling to believe that Ponies would be doing all of that horrific stuff because they were afraid of what they were facing. “That alone drives them to make us shed such tears?”

“Fear is often the strongest motivator,” The Longma nodded in response, looking between the two Zebra with an almost pained gaze, “I’ve seen all too many creatures make poor decisions because they were afraid of something. Whether it be the reasonable fears of death or heartbreak, or the more foolish ones of admitting a simple mistake or even speaking to others, creatures can often get driven away from doing what’s right due to fear and causing others, and themselves, much more pain that is necessary.”

Looking towards Zecora, she paused for a moment before saying, “I do not mean to get so personal, but Twilight here has spoken of your past together, and I believe there is some relevance to what I am speaking about now.” The Zebra she was addressing looked to her friend for a moment, and getting a slightly embarrassed and guilty nod from her, looked back to Tianhuo for a couple seconds, seemingly in thought about how much she wanted to relive that past, before somewhat tersely gesturing with a hoof for the Longma to continue.

“I have been told the main conflict between you two was because of your leaders fighting each other, and how you stopped fighting once you were away from the rest,” Tianhuo addressed Zecora again, and Twilight could see her expression harden as she recalled that fight, “It’s clear, then, that you were only fighting out of fear, rather than true loyalty. I know there is more to it than that,” She quickly added when Zecora gave her a sharp barb of a look, clearly wanting to say something, but backed down and let the Longma continue, “I’m sure you both respected your leaders to a degree, and you fought for your people as much as you did your own lives, but the point remains that solely due to the battle between those above you, you two did not meet in peace and simply talk to each other, as fear of punishment and fear of your tribes dying drove you two fight.

“I hardly wish to say that that instinct to fight was irrational, either,” She added calmly, looking more pointedly at Twilight, who somewhat wanted to verbally detest the idea that what they did back then was wrong, “Fighting for everycreature you know is certainly a noble cause, but you cannot tell me that you two did still want to fight back then, rather than work together to keep you and your tribes alive.”

Twilight was given pause, not really sure what to say to that; she always looked back on that battle with horror and regret, believing it was all an inevitability given how her tribe operated. Even after all this time, she could still feel the rage that first went through her when she saw her Shaman die before her eyes at the other Zebra she now called a friend, and wasn’t always sure befriending her was worth forsaking her own family. However, she also knew of the regretful look on Zecora’s face back then, and that really did make her think; if they weren’t forced to fight, then maybe they could’ve been true friends, without this schism between them, and perhaps they could’ve kept her destructive tribe from ever getting near Zecora’s.

Truly, all of those emotions had gotten the better of her back then, but would it have even been possible to do anything more than just not kill each other back then..?

“I cannot speak to the way your cultures work,” Tianhuo interrupted Twilight’s thoughts, pulling her attention back to see the Longma’s careful mannerisms, and Zecora eyeing her warily, “But I can at least speak to my own. Twilight,” She addressed the Zebra, more sharply pulling her focus over to her, “You did say you wanted to know my own backstory, and I find that only fair given what you’ve told me, so here is the perfect opportunity.”

Twilight opened her mouth and gaped somewhat at her, hesitating as she wasn’t sure if she wanted the other creature to speak about her own past so openly, but she looked to Zecora, who looked still a tad wary, but mostly curious.

The other Zebra soon caught her eyes and the question within them, and sighed deeply in hesitation, eventually addressing the Longma, “I may be one to keep my past sins hidden, but it may be best that we may speak of this ‘fear’ unbidden. Your past is your own to spread as you please, but... perhaps you may not want to let be as a fire through the trees.” 

Twilight paused for a moment at that last comment, and rolled her eyes at the coincidence before looking back to Tianhuo, who made sure both Zebras were paying attention before she begun, “In my earlier years in my Empire’s Academy, I was actually somewhat of a bully.” She let Twilight almost violently jerk back in shock as that got dropped on her, with the creature before looking the least bully-like of any creature she’s seen before!

“I’m aware that may be difficult to reconcile with the Longma I am now,” Tianhuo said calmly, looking between Twilight and Zecora, who Twilight just noticed also seemed rather surprised, “But I did used to believe myself superior to many others there, and often punished them for doing anything I considered weak. Being unable to light one’s flames or trying to pursue the arts were something I tormented them for, as I saw them useless to our Empire, but...

“I would soon be met with a reality-check.” Her voice was regretful now as the Zebras listened to her, and she continued on, “My mentor, whose name I shall not speak of here out of respect, showed me what those ‘weak’ Longmas were capable of. He showed me there was far more to our society and our lives than fighting, and he said that it was something I already knew, but was afraid to admit.”

“...Why?” Twilight interjected weakly, unable to speak another word to make a rhyme or clarify her question.

Tianhuo looked over at her measuredly, and spoke with guilt, “I had always believed that our combat prowess made our race as powerful as it is, and anyone or anything that wasn’t focused solely on combat I couldn’t believe could actually support our Empire, no matter where or how much I saw them doing so. It was all around me, in the weapon and armor-smiths that make the tools we fight with, the teachers and caretakers that educated and raised for us, the artists and musicians that gave us entertainment in an otherwise dry world, and the diplomats and maids that upheld our Empress’s Palace and our peace with other nations.

“Those that trained solely to fight were but one part of our culture and society,” She continued, talking with more love for her Empire now, but still filled with guilt, “And it was only after my mentor challenged that belief of mine and forced me to see the truth that I actually acknowledged all of it. Soon enough, I had accepted that aspect and the mistakes I had made about it, and many more years of training, each physical, mental, and spiritual, that I truly found who I was and what I was capable of.”

Tianhuo’s voice had become more confident and self-assured as she went on, and both Twilight and Zecora were very intrigued, and the latter decided to say, “And that has lead you to your rank and power, truly now making your enemies flee and cower.”

The Longma showed a faint smile on her lips as she amended, “It’s hardly just power, as I found back then.” Getting a confused look by the others, she explained, “I am not as fast as others of my kind, nor as strong or as agile as many others, and I am not as capable as spewing as much flame or as with so much control as yet others; for I am instead a Harmony of all of those attributes, and others, allowing me to refine each facet of myself to create a creature with no edges, no seams, no swaying toward one aspect or another, and no weaknesses. In many a Longma’s word... I am perfection incarnate.”

The air was still after she spoke that, the world itself seeming to bow in reverence to her, and both Twilight and Zecora were completely silent as they processed what was said to them, but Tianhuo soon interrupted it to clarify, “Of course, I know that’s mostly an exaggeration. I have made mistakes, I have been defeated. It may not be something I speak of in the presence of my subordinates, but while part of that is protect my reputation, I’m not even sure whether they’d believe me if I told them of my faults.”

Even with that amendment, the idea that her kind held her in such high regard was rather overwhelming for Twilight, in a way that simply knowing the Longma’s rank wasn’t before. Zecora, at least, was able to recover from her awed silence and skeptically ask of the other creature, “Why are you telling this to us, then? Especially with how you don’t even bother to tell your brethren...”

“There are those that understand I am imperfect,” Tianhuo chided, sharply looking at the Zebra, “It’s merely those below me that I know it would be pointless to. As for you two...” She slowly looked between the pair of Zebras, and while Zecora was still looking at her warily, Twilight had to shake the overwhelming-ness off before paying proper attention. “You two have show you are willing to put in the effort to spite your superiors in order to do what you believe is right, and for that, you have my respect.”

Twilight froze again at the admission, and struggled to understand what was just said. “W-wait,” She sputtered out weakly, “You, the Champion of your kind a-and proclaimed as perfect, respect me? U-us?”

Tianhuo’s expression was thoughtful as she looked at the other creature, who stared in awe and disbelief at her, taking several seconds before carefully replying, “Twilight, I do not care for a multitude of accomplishments. I do not care that you are weaker than me, nor younger and less wise than myself. No, what I care for is your spirit.” Glancing over at the other Zebra to presumably make sure she was also listening, the Longma continued, “As I said, you both did what you believe is right, in spite of everything around you. In spite of the battle of your tribes and being forced to nearly kill each other, in spite of getting lost and finding them again having ended the battle in such a horrific manner, in spite of being disillusioned with your tribe or watching them all burn...

“In spite of all of that, you two still sought each other out and befriended each other, escaping from your previous worlds to find someplace new to truly thrive.” Tianhuo paused for a moment, and in that silent moment, Twilight realized that she herself was shaking with emotion; some incomprehensible mix of pride, awe, dread, disbelief, denial, and fear, and she felt like she had to say something!

“B-but, I’ve made so many mistakes...” She muttered out, her voice wavering as the flaming creature looked keenly at her, “Even just now, I.. y-you saw how much pain Spike was in as we came here...”

Tianhuo nodded, and spoke in a calm, understanding tone, “Yet even then, you were doing your best to keep him from feeling it. There may have been mistakes there, but we all make many mistakes throughout our lives; even myself.” She hesitated for a moment, then smiled faintly, a hint of regret coming back, “I’ve already told you about my past grievances in the Academy, but there are so many more times where I’ve failed those close to me. Back with Fluttershy, I do feel as though I should’ve been watching her more carefully, as I knew she was already agitated from her late work, and that almost got you and Spike burned.”

Twilight pulled back, gasping in shock. The creature before her still seemed perfect, despite everything she had said about her past, and the Zebra herself couldn’t have imagined that was an actual mistake back then, just bad timing. But... seeing the honest regret and guilt in Tianhuo’s face really forced her to realize that the undefeatable fighting master that slayed a half-dozen magical beasts without a scratch to show for it actually did make mistakes. Even if that event with Fluttershy was hardly her fault, it was all just an honest mistake that could’ve been prevented if any of the creatures involved had done things a bit differently, if the Kirin tried to calm herself more, if Twilight was less pushy, or even if Spike tried to stop her...

“I suppose that makes sense,” Twilight muttered to herself, then slowly took a deep breath to try and collect herself before finally looking back at the Longma and saying with a sincere smile, “Well, thank you for helping me realize that... friend.”
> Chapter 5: All the Sweeter
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Twilight pushed open the door to the pink and blue shop, the sudden noise of bell ‘ding’ing as she did so, startling both her and Spike, who was sitting atop her saddlebag-laden back, and making them look up at the small golden bell hooked up to the top of the door. They paused for a moment in bewilderment, but any debate between them about the bell’s purpose was quickly tossed away when they heard a call from the other side of the shop.

“Hey,” The voice called, drawing both the Zebra and Changeling’s attention over towards what seemed to be a series of glass boxes lined up on the floor, many different pieces of what they’ve come to know is called ‘candy’ on different shelves within the boxes, all labeled and presented for any creature to view. The boxes did also separate out a small section of the main room behind them, behind which stood a Changeling with their attention turned towards them, a friendly smile on her face while a curly mane of pink and dark blue sprouted out of her head.

“Oh, hello there...” Twilight spoke back to her tentatively, not at all expecting her to be another Changeling, “I do believe Lyra is creature for which you care..?”

“Yep, you can call me Bon-Bon,” The Changeling replied in her faintly buzz-filled voice, waving them over towards her with a hoof. “You’re Twilight and Spike, right?” 

“Er, yes, that’s true...” The Zebra responded, slightly wary as she moved slowly towards Bon-Bon, but also glanced back at Spike, who’s eyes were affixed onto the glass boxes with the candies inside. “How did you..?”

The other Changeling laughed a bit good-naturedly, and simply answered, “Lyra told me about you.” Getting a short ‘Oh’ in response, who was looking over the rest of the room with its pastel colours painted on all the booths and tables that filled much of the room, some creatures sitting amongst them and mostly ignoring the conversation, and all of it lit up by the daylight beaming in from the large windows that made up much of the wall the entrance door was on. “She said you’d probably like some of the stuff here, especially ‘cuz of your species..es.”

“...What do you mean by that?” Twilight asked as she stopped near the boxes in front of the other creature, “I thought these...” She gestured to the candies, “Mostly just served to make creatures fat.”

Bon-Bon raised an eyebrow for a moment, seeming somewhat amused as she replied, “I’ll try not to take too much offense to that.”

Suddenly realizing just how rude her comment sounded to the creature that made the candies, Twilight sharply pulled back and tried to apologize, “Ah, s-sorry! I didn’t--”

“It’s alright; I know you didn’t mean that,” The Changeling replied calmly, a smile still on her face as she watched the other creature try to settle down. “It’s the sugar that’s the main culprit,” She explained as she crouched down to look at some of the candies in the boxes (which Twilight suddenly realized were open on the back side), specifically at a tray of striped shiny swirls atop thin white sticks, “That stuff already causes problems in Ponies if they have too much, but other species that aren’t exposed to eating it by the barrel-load would end up even worse.” Pulling two of the candies off the tray with her green Changeling telekinesis magic, one of them made of blue and red swirls while the other was coloured white and green, she then pushed herself to stand back up at look at the Zebra, continuing, “The ones I make have a lot less sugar in them than Pony-made ones, and while they may taste odd to them, I’ve gotten a lot of other species that prefer these more.

“Of course, I’ll just let you judge these lollipops for yourself,” Bon-Bon finished as she presented the two candies, apparently known as ‘lollipops’, to Twilight and Spike, with the former looking at them for a moment before glancing at the candy-maker for a moment. Getting an encouraging smile in response, she tentatively reached for and grasped the stick of the blue and red lollipop with a hoof, then pulled it towards her face to examine it more closely. Spike, however, while still quite enamoured by the quantity of the candies, had taken to staring at the white and green one in Bon-Bon’s magic as she moved it over to him, letting him eagerly take a hold of it in his own magic and bring it close to his face, then swiftly lap at the surface of shiny part of the lollipop.

Seeing how her brother definitely enjoyed the taste of it, despite the supposedly lessened sugar amount than other candies he’s liked in the past, Twilight slowly took a lick at her own lollipop, and... “Oh, wow...”

“Nice, isn’t it?” She heard Bon-Bon ask, making her nod instinctively as she savoured the sweet taste of the candy that was nowhere near as overpowering as the stuff she’d had in the past. “Don’t worry about paying me for this, either; it’s on the house.”

Twilight took a few more licks at the lollipop in captivation, but did soon look up at what the other creature just said and asked in confusion, “...’house’?”

“Right, sorry,” The Changeling replied in something akin to guilt, “I just meant it’s free. You don’t have to pay for it.”

“...Oh,” Twilight muttered in response, then took another lick, incredibly intrigued by the flavour and how unique it was, before adding, “Well then... thank you, Bon-Bon.”

Nodding in thanks, Bon-Bon then gestured over to the main section of the room with all the booths and tables, saying, “Well, you can go sit down while you enjoy that. Don’t want you to get in the way of any other customers here.”

“Oh, right,” Twilight started, and spared a look at the other Changeling on her back, who was still lapping away at his own lollipop, making her roll her eyes and say, “Well, come on, Spike.”

The Zebra then begun trotting over towards the booths for a moment, spotting a pair next to the main window with no other creature sitting on them, but got stopped when she heard an almost-shout from behind her.

“Wait!” Bon-Bon sharply called out, making the two creatures stop in place and turn their heads back over to see her, some level of worry on their faces. “S-sorry, but... You don’t have anything important to do for the rest of the day, right?” At a hesitant shake of each of the other creatures’ heads, she requested, “Well, can you stay in my shop for a couple hours until I close it? I’d like to talk in private about...” She trailed off, seemingly not knowing what to say, but finished by gesturing to her body, likely signaling her species as a Changeling.

Twilight and Spike looked at each other for a moment in contemplation, both of them worried about what exactly the other creature wanted to talk about, but the latter was clearly still excited to be in a place filled with sweets, especially ones that didn’t make him ill. Twilight was less optimistic, weighing her options between simply leaving at that moment, leaving after they were done with their lollipops, or waiting as requested, and in the end, she knew she might as well oblige, given how unlikely it was other Changeling would harm either of them and how she had already gifted them some sweets as a sort of peace offering.

“..That’s alright with me,” The Zebra returned with a nod, and spotted the excited smile his brother had at her agreement, then glanced down at her saddlebags, and added, “Luckily I have some books I can read.” Looking back at Bon-Bon, who smiled and nodded in thanks, Twilight then resumed her trot over to the empty booth, feeling a little uncomfortable as she held her lollipop close to her chest while weaved through the tables, passing by the other creatures that sat around, still mostly ignoring her and Spike, before she eventually reached the booth itself.

Pausing for a moment to let Spike hop off her back and sit up onto the left booth, shuffling down towards the window as Twilight moved over to sit down as well, setting her lollipop carefully down on the table. Next, she reached down for the straps on her saddlebags to undo them and pull the bags off her, lifting them up and setting them onto the table, before opening them and pulling out the book about mathematics and setting it out. Hesitating for just a moment, Twilight decided to take the saddlebags back off the table first, placing them onto the wooden seat between herself and Spike, before finally being able to put the lollipop back into her mouth and open up her book and get to reading to let the time pass.





Multiple hours did indeed pass, and Twilight managed to learn some more things about basic algebra while the lollipop in her mouth slowly got whittled away by her saliva, leaving her with just the stick in far more time it took Spike to do the same. He, though, was just left bored by having to wait, and while he tried to pester his sister about getting more candy, she put her hoof down with how even if this candy was better than normal candies, he still shouldn’t be eating a lot of it at once. After that, and with nothing else to do, he just went to sleep leaning against his sister as she continued to read.

During that time, as the Sun slowly set with dimming light coming in through the window, Bon-Bon continued to work at her shop, greeting and selling her candies to customers of all species, with most just talking with a calm smile, some children popping in every now and then to make a bit of noise, but all were cowed by the candies before they left, and the occasional creature making a bit of a ruckus, though they were handled expertly by the calm, yet firm shopkeeper who’s no doubt seen it all before.

Eventually, though, as the night truly kicked in and some magical lanterns on the ceiling turned on, Bon-Bon talk to the few dwindling customers that remained so that they left before locking the door and turning around the ‘Open’ sign to have it say ‘Closed’, leaving her to sigh heavily in exhaustion as she headed over to the glass boxes, and turned her head to call out to the two customers still left inside, “I’ll be with you in a minute; I just need something to drink first.”

Taking her eyes off her book for a moment as she heard the Changeling speak, Twilight nodded in understanding as Bon-Bon went back behind the boxes and headed through a door on the wall behind them that the Zebra didn’t actually notice beforehand, throwing her off for a second before she shook her head and turned back to her book. A few more minutes passed in peaceful silence before that door opened back up with Bon-Bon trotting through it, closing it behind her before she approached her customers’ table.

Looking up from her book as she heard the other creature approaching, Twilight could clearly see just how tired she was from her slightly hanging head and drooping body, but also that she held a mug in her magic, steam wafting out of its top. Mentally marking her location in her book, Twilight then closed it before reaching down to open her saddlebags and put the book inside.

“Sorry about that,” Bon-Bon said as she got to the booth and sat down opposite her customers, taking a sip from her mug before setting it onto the table before her, which let the odd, somewhat bitter scent of it waft out towards the other creatures.

“What is that smell?” Twilight asked of her, unable to place it despite all her knowledge about plants and what could be made from them, “Its source I am unable to tell...”

“It’s coffee,” The Changeling explained, taking another drink of it, “It’s a stimulant of sorts, and it helps keep me awake. Normally this stuff’s actually pretty dangerous for my species due to it being so strong, but I’ve diluted it a bunch to help with that. I still wouldn’t recommend it to him, though,” She finished, gesturing to the other Changeling at the table, who was still sleeping against his sister’s side.

Looking down at Spike as well, Twilight commented in response, “..I suppose that makes sense.” Knowing that Bon-Bon wanted to talk about her own species in particular, she figured her brother would have some input as well, and wrapped a foreleg around his shoulder to shake him slightly. “Eating the sweets already seemed a bit up to chance.”

“Eh, you could say that,” Bon-Bon replied, sounding slightly thoughtful, which drew the Zebra’s attention. Shaking her head a bit, the shopkeeper elaborated, “Low-sugar candies were a bit of a hard sell at first, honestly. While Lyra can be a bit annoying, her shoving the idea down creatures’ throats pretty much forced them to try it out, which helped get all this off the ground.”

Nodding in (slightly amused and worried) understanding, Twilight looked back at Spike as he started to wake up, opening up his eyes to blink blearily at his sister.

“It certainly didn’t help that I had some pretty strong competition,” The other Changeling continued, her head tilting down slightly to look at Spike with a muddled mixture of emotions. “No doubt you’ve seen that pink Deer by now, Pinkie Pie,” She said, getting almost a wince from Twilight as she remembered that blindingly-excitable creature, “She works at another store, Sugarcube Corner, and they mostly work in baked goods, like donuts, scones, cupcakes, etcetera. All of them are very sugar filled and would no doubt cause a lot of problems in any of our bodies if we were to eat them, but other creatures around here love them and have loved them for years, so...

“Anyway, I know there’s definitely a market for low-sugar sweets in this town now that I’ve started this,” Bon-Bon turned her line of speaking a bit, still watching the younger Changeling wake up, his attention mostly on her words as he did so. “I don’t doubt that Pinkie and the other creatures that run the Corner have contemplated about making low-sugar versions of their own stuff to get customers from that area too, but you know why they don’t?” An intrigued look and ‘hm?’ from Twilight allowed her continue, “Because they’re better than that.”

Turning her head to look more fully at the other creature, Twilight replied uncertainly, “I’m.. not entirely sure what you mean. Could you please explain?”

Nodding with a hint of an amused smile, Bon-Bon swiftly answered, “If they were to actually sell that stuff, it would take away customers from me. The Corner’s already a bigger operation, with more creatures working there and more customers, so they want to take any sales away from me, who relies on this job very heavily.”

Twilight nodded slowly as she processed the information, with many of the terms going over her head, but... “If I understand this correctly, them selling low-sugar sweets would harm you indirectly?”

“That’s right,” The Changeling responded, leaning back in her seat and lifting her mug to take another drink of it before going on, “I know you don’t really like Pinkie all that much, but I can assure you she’s a good creature. She never gives the best first impression, with literally being ‘in-your-face’ and all, but I really think you ought to know how hard she tries to help everyone else around her.”

Hearing Spike scoff at it, Twilight turned her attention down to him as he said, some sleep still clear in his voice, “Yeah, that’s an understatement. She only stopped being really annoying after we almost threw a potion at her face.”

Snorting a bit at the memory herself, the Zebra felt a little guilty as she turned back to the creature across from them, empathy written on her face. “Well, we’ll try to keep that in mind, just.. in case we see her or her kind.”

Yawning as he finished waking up, Spike changed the conversation as he said to Bon-Bon, “Yeah. Cool to see another Changeling around here though. Especially one that isn’t all... you know.” A slightly amused, yet moreso solemn smile came up on the shopkeeper’s face, and Twilight remembered how he’d already said how strict and mindless the hives usually are. “Not exactly sure what happened to your mane, though,” Spike also remarked a bit tactlessly.

“Well, yes,” Bon-Bon muttered in reply, glancing up at her pink and blue mane for a moment, then looked at Twilight to ask, “You already know we’re shapeshifters, right?” Getting a nod back from the Zebra, she continued speaking to both of the other creatures, “This whole thing is just a change on my base form, really just because it makes me feel more... me, if that makes sense.

“Like, I could...” She continued for a second, then with a quick flash of her Changeling magic, a green flame wrapped around her mane, emerging from one side and swiftly shooting across to the other, leaving her mane completely gone behind it with only the typical very dark green ‘fin’ in its place. “...do this, but now I’m just a normal drone, not.. Bon-Bon.”

“Yeah, I got it...” Spike replied slightly offhandedly, his attention seemingly taken a bit elsewhere by his thoughts as he analyzed the other Changeling’s appearance for a few seconds, eventually saying, “You’re an.. A-class, right?”

Humming and nodding in agreement, Bon-Bon swiftly flashed her mane back its previous form, and Twilight could definitely agree it fit her a lot better, but her attention was far more taken by what the shopkeeper replied in a slightly hesitant manner with, “Number 192, under Princess Embioptera...”

“Huh, I’ve heard about her..” Spike muttered back, tilting his head a bit, but just as quickly shook it off to reply, “Well, I’m TC304.”

Bon-Bon raised an eyebrow, saying in a bit of awe, “The Queen, huh?” Smiling genuinely as she leaned forward with an elbow on the table, forehoof supporting her head.

“Um, sorry to interrupt,” Twilight felt like she needed to interject, “But what exactly are you meaning? I have known of his... ‘ID’, and have found it very demeaning...”

Turning to the Zebra, Bon-Bon took a moment before replying, “Sorry, I was just a bit surprised...” Putting her hooves back down and taking another drink of her coffee, she then cleared her throat before explaining, “Well, I should probably start with the entire reason we have IDs in the first place, and that’s because were generally all replaceable. You already know about the general way our hives are structured, right?”

“Yes, Spike has told me so,” Twilight answered, feeling somewhat perturbed as she recalled the way he described it, “The Queen was at the top, with all others utterly below.”

“It’s part of our physiology, so try not to feel that bad about us,” The Changeling slightly admonished, clearly noting the other creature’s tone. “We’re made in droves, clutches of at least fifteen each, and are all completely mindless at birth. It tends to be kept that way for multiple years, with only experiencing the outside world as the main thing that can make a Changeling become properly sentient.

“I only got that because of my class, being an A, which stands for Assassin,” Bon-Bon continued, making her Zebra customer pull back in shock, but she quickly clarified, “Most of what we do isn’t actually assassination, mind you; it’s moreso just spying, but A is just the classification we’re given.” Twilight was clearly still put off, but mostly acquiesced at her explanation and let her gesture to her brother and continue, “Spike here has the T class, which means Thief, and I will say they do certainly steal.

“I imagine Spike’s made you aware of how Changelings feed off of emotion?” She asked, getting a nod from both of the other creatures, “Well, Thieves are meant to steal large quantities of those emotions and store it in their bellies. I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but his barrel is actually very soft, and that’s because of how much his belly is supposed to expand in order to store a lot of excess emotion that gets transported back to feed the hive.”

Twilight nodded as she digested the information, taking a second or two before turning her head to Spike, who looked back at her and nodded in response. “Yeah, that’s information we’re taught pretty early to help us work together better.”

“Yes, and also...” Bon-Bon interrupted, getting a very intrigued and slightly overwhelmed Twilight to turn her attention back to her, “You can see that my horn’s a lot larger than his,” She pointed to her horn and then to Spike’s, “And while part of that is obviously because he is younger and smaller than me in general, the other reason I because I’m an Assassin, and having stronger magic with more control is really helpful when blending in and trying to stay hidden.”

“...Okay...” Twilight muttered, closing her eyes for a few seconds as she processed everything she was told, with the classes of Changelings clicking in her mind. It was clear to her those numbers were the number of that type Bon-Bon and Spike were, with the multiple other classes there must’ve been meaning were at least thousands of Changelings in each hive! And that wasn’t even accounting for one other thing...

“And, as for this Princess, you called her?” She asked of Bon-Bon, “What exactly.. is her position of power?”

Taking a moment to close her eyes and nod almost solemnly, the Changeling took another sip of her coffee, and seemed to finish it given the distinct noise it made, and set the mug back down before beginning, “Her name is Princess Embioptera, and she rules over her hive of Changelings, much like the other Princess and Queen Chrysalis herself, who rules over the primary hive. Princess Embioptera has always been very careful and conniving, with any enemies getting manipulated away from her hive before they can become a real threat.”

Nodding slowly once more, Twilight pondered on the nature of that Princess for a moment, with the general knowledge that her manipulation likely wasn’t isolated to her enemies, and as Bon-Bon told her about becoming more sentient with finding out about the outside world, she had a hunch... “Perhaps I am reaching here, but did this Princess of yours lead you through fear?”

The Changeling looked at her for a second, seeming to think about a response, then tilted her head in a sort of amused manner. “I won’t say that’s untrue,” She began carefully, “But once again, our very minds and bodies are made with the sole purpose to serve our ruler. I don’t think she ever did a bad job as Princess, and she never tortured any of us.” Staring more directly into the Zebra’s eyes, she continued more passionately, “She’s not evil, and if you’re asking if that’s why I left, then you’re wrong.”

Pulling back and lowering her head in regret, Twilight quickly apologized, “S-sorry for assuming about that, then. I...” Taking a deep breath, she lifted her gaze to look back at the creature across from her, “I am mostly concerned with why you’re no longer in her den.”

“Yeah...” Bon-Bon replied with a mostly assenting shrug, and took a glance at Spike before adding, “It is pretty weird to see a Changeling living outside the hive, after all.”

There was a bit of an awkward silence after that, with the three creatures sitting there for multiple seconds, Twilight taking a quick look outside the window at the starry sky with the moon still not seen above the houses, but it was ultimately Spike that broke the silence, asking the other Changeling, “So, if the Princess isn’t the reason you left, then what is it?”

Pursing her lips and looking at him for a moment, Bon-Bon turned her head to look out the window, but it didn’t seem to be an annoyed dismissal of the question; no, it was moreso like she didn’t know what to say...

It took several more seconds of silent contemplation on the older Changeling’s part, but she eventually spoke, “...Honestly? It was mostly Lyra.”

Twilight tilted her head, and she had a hunch as to what the other creature meant, but she had already pushed her luck before and now chose not to respond. Thankfully though, Spike wasn’t so hesitant and asked Bon-Bon, “Really?”

Nodding slowly, Bon-Bon paused a little bit longer before explaining to the other of her species, “You know how it feels, to... be within your hive. This... urge to serve your ruler, with no other goal within your mind, and no obstacle you’re not willing to try and push through.” Turning her head back to lock eyes with Spike, she continued with enflamed passion, “I had already became sentient before I had ever met Lyra, and it was only by sheer chance that she saw me with my disguise down from my exhausting trek to Ponyville. But, unlike many others I’ve met, she wasn’t repulsed by my appearance or parasitic way of life; no, she was enthralled by it.

“She’s always been a very curious creature, even if I’ve helped her tone down the overwhelmingness it can manifest in, which you no doubt remember from meeting her,” Bon-Bon continued, some wistful ‘oh, you’ vibes creeping into her voice, and Twilight was growing certain about the strength of her feelings toward Lyra, “She definitely made me uncomfortable back when I met her, poking and prodding me, both metaphorically and literally, as she tried to figure out the way our species worked, but... she ended up making me feel safe.

“As my sentience and knowledge of other creatures’ culture grew, I started to get.. attached to that feeling,” The Changeling kept going further, her tone now becoming more somber and... regretful, almost. “In Princess Embioptera’s hive, and probably in all hives, honestly, “There’s this feeling of...” She gestured widely, clearly uncertain of her words as she started speaking more towards Twilight than Spike, “It’s like, some mix of both dread and relief. It’s... well, we’re replaceable, and while that may ensure how we’d never be saved without a truly reason, it also means it doesn’t matter if we fail at something, as some other Changeling will always end up doing it in our stead.”

Taking a few breaths, Bon-Bon let her gaze fall down to the table, and her words only became more unsure as she resumed, “With Lyra, I felt.. unique, a-and special... and I didn’t like that feeling. It was alien to me, and went against everything I was made to be and wasn’t ever something I felt like I earned, but... as I continued my mission, staying within Ponyville and with Lyra herself, as I learned more about other creatures and started to empathize with them more, I started to like that feeling.

“I... started to care less and less about how I was meant to be just another drone who never earned a Name, and instead I used the name Lyra gave me.” Her cheeks turned the slightest shade of green while she glanced over to the glass boxes that contained the sweets she clearly loved to make, and she finished, “After the candy she helped me make.”

The silence came back over the three creatures, but it was more calm this time around, with all of them thinking about the speech that was just given, the emotion infused into it so very clear in each of their minds. For her part, Twilight was starting to understand just how little she knew about Changelings and their culture, with the replaceability at their core running counter to any and every piece of advice she’d be taught as part of her tribe, and being even more contradictory when coming to the way she thought about creatures. She had heard of things like that before from Spike, but this example, this bearing of one’s soul really put into perspective just how different it all was to her.

“So...” Spike began, startling Twilight a bit as she looked down to him, “How did you manage to leave the hive for her? There’s no way Princess Embioptera wouldn’t have had you executed for treason if she knew about you abandoning her.”

Twilight shivered a bit at the casual mention of such a quick and violent sentence, but now knowing what she knew about Changeling society, she didn’t bother doubting it, and instead turned her attention to Bon-Bon as she responded, “Obviously. That’s why I didn’t let her know about it.” At the confused looks from the other creatures, she pointed at her deathly-sharp horn and elaborated, “I am an Assassin-class, remember? Any of the changelings sent in my stead that I had to kill, I ended up making it look like the creatures of this town killed them, so any other Changeling, including Princess Embioptera, would just figure that I was another victim of them.”

Shuddering a bit further at more mentions of killing, Twilight leaned back into her seat and took a deep breath, images of creatures she’d seen die flashing through her mind, and she just couldn’t comprehend how either of the Changelings could bring themselves to do that... How they could possibly end someone, with all the years they’ve lived amounting to nothing, and the years they had yet to live getting cut short... and they speak about doing so like it was normal.

Of course, that’s probably because it was normal to them, with the threat of death looming over them at all times, both having it happen to them and doing it to others...

Suddenly, though, Twilight felt something brush down her mane, and she closed her eyes and took some deep breaths, feeling just how weak and shaky her breathing had gotten from her panic. Taking some more time in the quiet blackness of her closed eyes, she evened out her breathing and tried to relax.

Eventually, she opened her eyes back up and looked over to her brother, still feeling his hoof brushing through mane and she said, “T-thank you, Spike.” Smiling at him to help assure him she was okay, she then looked over at the other Changeling, who was clearly somewhat worried as she looked back.

“Are you alright?” Bon-Bon asked, that same worry also in her voice.

Twilight nodded quickly in response, and took a second to gather her words before saying, “Yes, I am well. Just... what you said led me to... dwell.”

Bon-Bon nodded and looked away, replying with a level of guilt, “Sorry. Sometimes I forget that... well, death isn’t that common for other creatures.” Glancing back at getting a nod of relative understanding from the Zebra while Spike took his hoof off her mane, Bon-Bon then returned her gaze to the window, and seemed to be thinking uncertainly about something.

“I honestly...” The Changeling started, hardly sure of her own words as she trailed off, taking a couple seconds before looking back towards her customers and resuming, “I feel like doing all of that might have had some... side-effects.” Seeing the confusion on their faces, she elaborated, “Princess Embioptera isn’t really on good terms with Equestria, and despite their replaceability, she’d still take issue with her subjects dying to this nation, and might... well, you might be able to guess the consequences by now.”

Twilight and Spike returned a shaky nod and worried look respectively, the latter deciding to add, “And obviously you can’t explain it to them...” Given everything that had already been said, Twilight could already tell what that implied, and she was forced to take another deep breath. While she knew she could trust Spike and Bon-Bon, the way their species worked was starting to make her uneasy around them in some regard.

“I can’t take any of it back,” Bon-Bon said, her tone that of acceptance of her past mistakes, and she grew a sad smile as she added, “Now I just gotta keep going with the life I have now with Lyra.”

Twilight was taken aback by the level of regret in her tone, especially with how calm and casual the Changeling seemed to be, but it was also clear just how much she loved and devoted herself to Lyra. But, there was something else in her expression as well, and it seemed almost.. empathetic, as though she could tell both Twilight and Spike had made mistakes in their pasts as well and was trying to tell them something...

Thankfully, Twilight was given a reprieve from trying to think about that when Spike stirred, drawing keen attention from both the other creatures as he looked both amused and confused, then asked of the other Changeling, “I wanted to ask earlier, but what exactly is the deal with her?” Getting a bewildered and slightly offended look from Bon-Bon, he seemed to rethink his words, and then specify, “I mean, the--uh, the way she sits is very weird.”

“Oh!” Bon-Bon gasped in sudden understanding, and dropped her glare to smile apologetically and reply, “That is pretty odd, isn’t it?” Her smile turned both more genuine and more baffled as she answered, “Well, apparently she’s gotten obsessed with myths about an odd race of bipedal creatures--by that, I mean they stand on two legs, like... most dragons, if you’ve ever seen them?” Getting a hesitant, partially understanding nod from both the other creatures, she continued, “These creatures, I think she called them... ‘Hyoo-mans’?

“Um... Lyra’s always described as industrious and technological, their inherent and utter lack of magic pushing them to create things that might have well have been magic.” Very intrigued looks, especially from Twilight, prompted Bon-Bon to further elaborate, “They supposedly made small bricks filled with wires that do many different things, like compute mathematics, take photographs, record and play music... but it also was connected to this massive network of different but similar devices that allowed for instant communication across the world and predictions of weather patterns.

“Uh...” Looking directly back at Twilight, who was leaning very far forward over the table in immense interest (to put it lightly), Bon-Bon cleared her throat and added with a hint of concern, unable to keep her eyes off the Zebra, “I will say again, these are only myths, not actual records, so there’s no real evidence of this race ever existing at any point...”

Blinking for multiple seconds as the sudden surge of curiosity faded with the knowledge that it may have all been made up, Twilight needed a moment to realize just what she was doing, and how uncomfortable it was making the Changeling across from her. Swiftly jerking back and looking guiltily at her, she quickly moved to apologize, “S-sorry about that! I, um...”

“I-it’s alright…” Bon-Bon replied hesitantly, though clearly tried to be reassuring. “You get very invested in these things; I get it. Lyra’s a lot worse at times, honestly.”

Nodding quickly and laughing guiltily at herself, Twilight settled uncomfortably back into her seat, keeping her eyes away from the other creatures to not feel further embarrassed at her behavior.

“Anyway...” Bon-Bon then spoke, her tone clearly trying to divert the conversation as she looked at the other Changeling, and asked of him, “Spike, right?”

“Er, yep,” He replied, seeming a bit startled by suddenly being asked something.

“I know you’ve heard a lot about why I’m out of my hive, but what about you?” Bon-Bon asked, sounding genuinely curious. “Like I said before, living outside a hive is far from normal...”

Spike nodded at the assessment, and his head turned towards Twilight for a moment in questioning, and as the Zebra was calming back down, she caught his look and nodded back at him, already having been told his past, but believing it would be best for him to tell it himself.

“A-alright, well...” He started hesitantly, looking back towards Bon-Bon, “I was still just a drone when it happened, so I don’t really remember everything very clearly...” He shifted a bit in his seat, and continued uncertainly, “I know I was out on a mission far out in the Badlands desert, with the black cracked ground serving as good camouflage for us. Something must’ve startled us--that being me and some other Changelings--out of our group and into hiding around, but I didn’t find them after that. I wandered around for a while, and probably would’ve died if I wasn’t found by Twilight...” He turned to look up at her, trailing off as she looked back and they both recalled those distant moments where they found each other.

“...I was outside my tribe for a break,” Twilight picked up the story, still keeping her eyes locked on her beloved younger brother, “Very far away, just so I could think. But I then found him, starving and broken... My own tribe would’ve easily left him to end. But I was different, and kept him alive on my own.. even if how to keep him alive was very much unknown.” Sighing in a mix of exhaustion and pain from her past, she lifted a hoof and put it on Spike’s shoulder, then turned to Bon-Bon, who was clearly invested in the story. “It took me a while to figure out what he should eat.. until I learned it was not grass nor meat. Thankfully, emotions are common enough, but the ones in my tribe were typically quite... rough.

“But, I still did what I needed to keep him alive,” She continued, her voice only growing more passionate as time went on, and she leaned towards her brother as well, “It took so much effort to let him thrive.. and that’s one of the main reasons we moved here; a friend of mine told of this place’s lack of fear. By then though, I started to notice something with Spike...” A smile crept onto her face, small and tired, but awe-struck and utterly loving, “He was far more than the mindless drone I met on that hike.”

Bon-Bon smiled back at the both of them from across the table, clearly touched by their care for each other, but for Spike and Twilight themselves, a quiet moment of reminiscing on the good times they had in the past was sorely needed after the dark stories of Changelings’ replaceability. They were hardly even hugging, but just keeping their hooves on each other’s back was enough to keep them stable, and knowing that despite whatever else they’d have to deal with in this town, they’d be able to do it together.