The Silver Prince

Chapters

All Too Easy
No Meat
Foolish, Reckless Ponies
A Sudden Increase in Foes.

All Too Easy

It started out just like any other day. Wake up, eat breakfast, shower, then leave for school. School was normal. I just stared out the window like always, wishing I could be anywhere else. There was no magical energy to be exposed to, no freak storm, no lightning bolts.

It just, happened.

My brother wasn’t a bad driver, I’m not saying he was Jeff Gordon, but we had never crashed, nor ran a red light (well, maybe when I wasn’t with him he did...), nor had he gotten a ticket. But that day, he messed up.

The light was green, so he went. He didn’t listen to my old mom and didn’t bother to check both ways, after all, who goes when the light is red? Apparently some assholes do, because we were sideswiped, t-boned, whatever you wanna call it. Whoever was driving, killed me.

I’m not a religious, or rather, I was not a religious kid. My parents were atheist, and they never took us to church. When I was 14 they gave me a bible and told me to figure out what I believed in. I scoffed, and never opened the damn thing. I figured when I died, that was it. No sense in making up false paradises to make it easier. I would get one life, and one life only, to live, love, cry, and all that other crap.

Of course, I never completely dismissed the chance that, maybe there was a god, watching over us, or an afterlife, or a hell. A scientist knows that nothing is impossible, some things are just highly improbable, or without proof. Did I ever consider the chance that something like this would happen? No. Did I freak the fuck out when it did? Yes. Yes I did. Or at least, when I finally found out that it did.

Now, back to the crash, well, after the crash. For a few years after, I remembered nothing. My earliest memory in my new life was one of Mother, er- Queen Chrysalis, ordering me to kill a young cow calf. I remember throwing my weight into it to knock it over, then tearing at it with my fangs. Shredding and ripping flesh off in chunks. For the first couple of seconds it cried in pain, but after I chomped on its neck, it was silent. By the time I was done, I was standing in a pool of blood, surrounded by bits of flesh and organs. The creature’s intestine was partly wrapped around my neck like a scarf, and stomach acid had caused part of my exoskeleton to dissolve. It wasn’t enough to go completely through, but even to this day that part of my front left leg is rough to the touch, a memento of the first of my many kills.

Most of my new, young life, I remembered my old one not. My name was, no, is, Silver.

A reference not only to my silver eyes, hair, and wings, (my carapace is purple) but to my birthright of Prince of the Changelings. A ruling class changeling. One capable of magic rivaling Princesses Celestia and Luna of Equestria. Of course, thats why I was hatched. My sole purpose for creation, was to destroy those two and all they stood for.

Growing up, I was mostly alone with Mother. She taught me a great many things about controlling the swarm. How to command bodies individually, and how to delegate groups to be controlled by a greater class or even to let a body control itself. How to absorb love, and to distribute it as needed among drones. How to kill quickly and efficiently, and to trap with my saliva. Raised to be the greatest ruler the hive had ever seen.

I never found out which changeling was my father. Not that I cared. The one who fertilized my egg was more than likely just a random military general.

There was also one other whom I spent time with. Tempest. My sister and predetermined mate. After all, a king with no subjects is not a king at all. Thats why she was hatched. Her purpose in the hive was to provide me with soldiers and workers. Release of my tension was also one of her duties. We changelings may not be able to feel love, but we can become sexually frustrated.

All royal changelings do not age once mature. In other words, we live forever unless killed by something. At the time of our hatching, nothing threatened the hive. Why Mother then decided that she needed to prepare successors is beyond me, and probably always will. After all, she didn’t plan on partaking in the siege on Canterlot, that was my and my sister’s job.

But I’ve probably told you about my ‘purpose in life’ long enough already. Time to get to the good stuff. Unless my story bores you. Then I advise you leave.

I was 15, the same age I was when the accident happened and I died, except now, I was a changeling. I was trying my hand at directing several drones specifically to coordinate an attack against the mock defenses Mother had set up when a bolt of pain raced through my head. I lost focus and my drones gained control of their bodies just as Mother’s crushed them into the ground and ended their short lives.

You fail. Her voice filled my head from within. I’m honestly not sure if you were even trying you useless wretch. You’re an embarrassment to your hive. I wasn’t looking at her, but I could feel her gaze penetrating my shell and boring into my skin.

Mother forgive me. I know not what came over me. I projected my thoughts to her. It felt akin to nothing I have experienced before. It tore at my mind and made me lose control.

Tore at your mind, you say? There was a cruel undertone buried within the mock concern she projected. Was it anything like, this? As she finished she tore at my consciousness, lashing at my sanity and causing my body to cry out in pain. She waited a few seconds before prompting me. Well, was it?

“Oh, um, yeah, actually exactly like that!” I said. “Wait, why am I talking? That’s inefficient, its much faster and easier to just project my thoughts yet here I am talking... Weird.”

Oh shut up and get more drones, we aren’t done yet.

Yes, Mother.

Later that night after I had retired to my chamber, I got another bolt of pain. This time, however, the pain was accompanied by a vision of a strange place and a single still image of a strange creature with a white-tanish body covered in cloth standing on two legs. It had a weird, flat face and small yet intelligent eyes. Its hair was short and brown, but didn't even come close to reaching past its neck.

I immediately reached out to my sister’s mind and projected the image to her. What in the hive is this?

I am... not sure... It is like nothing I have even seen before. Hold on a second, I am going to search the scouts’ memories for anything similar. Her presence spread out among the hive, and returned to her own mind a single second later. Nothing, and there’s nothing any other class would have seen they would not have. Shall I ask Mother?

Why would we? We can’t rely on her to guide us forever, well, we can, actually, but that is beside the point. We can figure this out on our own. Let us just send a few of the scouts you made out to search the Everfree forest or something.

About that....

What?

You see, they kind of, well, they aren’t quite willing to obey.

...your scouts went feral...?

Hey! It is a lot harder than you would think to create willful minds!

Oh really? How so? I fertilized them, my seed is fine, you just needed to lay them!

...that’s the hard part...

Oh, for the hive’s sake. How about I go, then, I’ll tell mother I wish to try and infiltrate a small pony village for practice, and see what I can learn about these creatures.

And just how do you plan to keep your true intentions a secret?

That is where you come in. Find those thoughts and block them with your mind when we join.

And what happens if she sees through us?

I tell her you are forcing those thoughts into me and she reforms you, simple as that.

But if she reforms me, I will not be able to act singularly, you willl have to -she projected as much of a mental shudder as possible- control my body.

...and?

I do not want that! I want to have the choice to remain singular when I want!

...and?

Fine, but IF you somehow manage to not get caught and find one of those creatures, I get to keep it, and you must allow me to control your body so I can actually get some pleasure next time we mate.

I paused, giving up control of my body would be risky, she could kill me easily and take the throne for her own, a King may need a Queen, but the reverse is not true. But, for some reason, I felt incredibly strongly about this, weird, oddly shaped creature. Deal, let us join so we can establish and disguise a barrier to all thoughts of these things.

Join me to discuss it. I complied and joined my consciousness with Mother’s. You’re asking permission to go out and infiltrate, on your own, at the age of fifteen, without any formal infiltration training, and without giving me any forewarning...?

My physical body gulped from my chamber. Yes, Mother. If you would giv-

Why the hell did you ask? If you want to get out of here and go frolic around in the flowers, just leave. You know if you escape my mind’s range you are free to do as you please. So why do you ask?

Well, because you are the Queen Mother.

Ha, go, I could use a break from your insolence. Perhaps I can teach your sister how to prep an egg for a selected class while you go get yourself killed. Now, begone, and don’t come back without food. She severed the connection, and I couldn't help but jump into the air in celebration. I unfolded my wings and flew to my sister’s chamber.

“She’s letting me go!” I cheered and flew in a circle around her. “I’m leaving the hive, for the first time!” She, however, did not look nearly as excited as I did, and just rolled her eyes at me.

What has gotten into you? You are acting like a childish pony. You were going to leave the hive eventually.

“Uhm... Actually, I do not know. That felt very strange. Like, huh, nevermind, there is no way I would go feral. I was hatched to be perfect, it is probably just, growth hormones.

Keep your hormones to yourself. Once you are gone, I shall convince Mother I am a far superior candidate for the throne than you. Do not fret, I shall save a spot for you at the base of my throne for grovelling.

To rule, one should be able to hatch a non-feral body. If you cannot even lay one scout, I have nothing to worry about.

Leave.

With that, I headed towards the main entrance.

I stepped outside the Hive for the first time in my life, and immediately suffered another flash of pain. I slumped down onto the ground as it worked its way through my mind and curled into a small ball. When the wave finally left after what felt an eternity, I was left with a single word, lingering in the depths of my thoughts. Human.

“Well, that’s a good lead,” I said to myself as I took my first steps into the wastelands. I scanned the horizon for the first time from outside the hive. The red sun to the west was setting over the Macintosh Hills. To the East were more mountains, but my destination, for the time being, was north. So I started walking.

I got about a mile before I collapsed with exhaustion. “Oh god, why the hive,” I gasped between breathes “am, I, so, damn, tired?” I located a small rock jutting out of the ground and dragged myself over to it. I propped myself against the rock and stared out into the badlands. The sunlight was now nearly gone, and the moon was preparing to ascend the night sky. “Maybe Mother weakened me so as to drive me back into the hive...” I said aloud to myself, “But I shall not let her win, I am going to find one of these humans, and find out why it was in my thoughts. Just as soon as I-” I yawned loudly “-get some sleep.”

I was woken by a deep rumbling in the ground. Curious, I lifted myself to peer over my rock, and my eyes widened at the sight I saw. A stampede, a huge herd of buffalo, were pounding across the arid ground, straight towards my rock. MY rock. Not their rock. My rock. I lifted myself atop my rock, and unfolded my wings, displaying my majesty to the charging beasts. I waited until they got close enough, then shouted “HALT!”.

They didn’t stop. In fact, the lead one adjusted his course to charge head on into me. I was caught like a rabbit in the corner of a room with his foot stuck in my saliva. Unable to move or make a sound. I only watched in morbid fascination as the beasts charged heedlessly into the strongest creature in the desert. They were only a few meters from me when I snapped out of my trance and leapt into the air above them. “YOU SHALL OBEY ME, MORTALS! OR I SHALL TAKE YOUR-oh, what's that?”
As I hovered over the stampede, I felt strength returning to my body. “Why in the hive am I oooooooh, yeah, love. Hmph, guess these beasts were useful for something in the end. I didn’t realize being cut off from the hive’s reserves would affect me as much as it did...” I continued to rejuvenate with the stampede’s love, feeling my muscles strengthen and my mana reserves fill, until the last buffalo, a meter behind the rest, came underneath me.

I dropped onto it and sank my fangs into it’s thick neck, then immediately transformed into its shape. With a few powerful bounds I caught up with the herd and drank their love for their each other like it was the nectar of the gods. After I had had my fill, I dropped back into line at the back of the herd and settled into a steady lope across the desert. Judging from the the fact that the sun was barely peeking out from over the eastern mountain range, I figured it was early morning, and that our course was set NorthWest. Not a bad direction, too bad I can not make them all follow me and continue to feed me... I shall just slip away when they change direction...

I continued with the herd for the better part of the day until I slipped away. When they got a certain distance away, I felt my muscles start to ache, and the rejuvenating feeling gave way to the heat of the desert. I decided to rest for a while, and found another rock to sit under. As I approached said rock, I heard a strange rattling noise, almost like a bunch of tiny crushed bones being violently shaken inside a fleshy animal. It was a little unnerving, but I blocked it out and proceeded to sit right on top of a rattlesnake.

“YEAAAAA!” I screamed as the fangs of the angry snake sank into my butt. I jumped up and shook my hindquarters in an attempt to shake it, but it held on tight. “GetitoffGetitoffGetitoffGetitoffGetitoffGetitoffGetitoffGETITOFF!”

A few miles away, a snow white pony looked up from the fire he was sitting at at the base of the Macintosh Hills as a cry for help echoed through the valley. “What the... Could someone be lost out there...?”

As I shook my backside I suddenly felt a release and watched as a thin snake flew through the air above my head. It landed with a solid thump about five feet in front of me, so I scrambled backwards and stumbled back onto my haunches. “Stay away from me you freak of nature!” I shouted at the snake as it shook its head a refocused on me. I scuffled backwards panicky until my back hit the rock the snake originally sat under. “MY ROCK!” I yelled and summoned a small force field to encompass me and protect my rock.

“Phew... Now I can finally rest before I set out again.” I said aloud. I turned away from the harsh silver glow of my force field and closed my eyes. As I stretched out underneath the rock, I heard a rattling noise, coming from deeper underneath. My eyes snapped open. I searched for the source of the rattle, but only found it when it latched onto my front leg. As its fangs pierced my shell and broke my skin I screamed and dropped the force field. Another pair of fangs latched itself onto my rear leg. “YEAAAAAAAAA!”

A couple of miles away, a blue haired stallion heard a cry come from a small rock jutting out of the ground and, it was dancing...? “What in Celestia’s name is that pony doin’!?”

Back at my rock, I was fiercely shaking my whole being when another bolt shot through my head, causing me to fall on the ground and writhe in pain for a few moments, before the pain faded and left me with another word and strange, spindly image of a white-tanish object. Hand.

I just layed on the ground for a few minutes until I felt the demons release their death grip. Thinking they were leaving me, I sighed and tried to sleep. That is, until I felt the snake’s mouth slide over my leg like a sleeve. “THEY EAT LEGS!?!?!”

A few hundred meters away, a unicorn jumped as the seemingly dead pony in the desert jumped up and screamed something about legs. “HELLO!?” He called to the figure, “Are you okay?!”

“This could not get any worse... could it, oh, a pony! Oh Mother STOP EATING MY LEGS!” Even though I was trying to shake the snakes off, I managed to transform into a pony, I didn’t know what kind or what I looked like, but I was a pony, I thought, so the other pony would help me. Right?

When he heard the figure cry the stallion started sprinting towards it. The sight he found himself faced with at his destination became the object of man conversations in his future. A small, grey, orange-haired, earth pony mare with a flaming sword for a cutie mark was screaming and trying to shake off two rattlesnakes that had half of her right front and left back leg inside their gaping mouths. “What in tarnation is goin’ on?!”

“Getthemoffmeetheyareevil!”

The stallion quickly complied, and with a blue glow he removed the unwanted articles of clothing and threw the snakes a few hundred meters away. “Oh, thankyouthankyouthaaankyou! Those monsters were going to eat me alive! What were they?!”

The white stallion raised an eyebrow at me and looked me up and down. “Rattlesnakes.”

I scoffed, “No, thats not possible, the scouts report that rattlesnakes are small and easily avoidable. Those things were demons, sent from whatever hell you believe in, to consume me and bring about my damnation.”

The stallion’s eyebrow rose even further. “Well, either way, lets get a look at where they bitcha’.” I gulped nervously as he inspected my front leg, then my back leg, then my rump. “Well, looks like you are one miiighty lucky mare. All three of dem bites are dry.” My face must have looked as confused as I felt, because he went on to explain. “It means dat those bites don’t have any venom injected, so you aren’t gonna die from rattlesnake poison.”

“Well, I obviously knew that, because those were not rattlesnakes, they were bloodthirsty demons. Training never prepared me for anything like that...” I muttered.

“Trainin’ for what?” he prompted.

“Nothing, lets just, can we get away from the demons?”

“A’right, I’ve got a campsite a few miles over yonder, you game to make the walk ma’am?”

“Of course I am ga-ma’am?!”

“Er, sorry, do you not like bein’ called ma’am, ma’am?”

“Uhm.. No, I, it is just,” I quickly glanced back at my rump. Oh Mother, it is round and adorable, I did make myself a mare! “I’ would just prefer it, if you would, uhmm, call me by, my real name! Yeah, that is it!”

“Alright Miss, then what is it?”

“Oh, it’s S- I mean, it’s, uhmm, Shimmer!” I stuttered.

“The name’s Bluewind, pleased to meetcha’” he extended his hoof in a greeting.

“Uhmm... Likewise...?” I reached out my own ‘hoof’ and grasped his.

“Let’s get going then, I’ll cook us up some carrot stew when we get back.”

“Right, uh, onwards.” The young stallion turned East and started walking. I walked slowly behind him at first so I could get a better look at him. He was a rather muscular looking stallion, with a short and blue tail and mane, which I deduced was cut by himself with a dull razor due to it's unevenness. His snow white coat was slightly brown in spots where dirt had crusted to it. His cutie mark was an ace of spades next to a pile of red poker chips. A gambler. Contented with my analysis for now, I fell into step beside him and started thinking about the days events.

Oh Mother, what other kind of treacheries does the world hold? Demons that overpowered me, yet were somehow easily defeated by this, this, pony?! Something’s off about that. But I shall have to figure that out another time. This pony might know something about humans.

So, Mr. Bluewind. I projected my thoughts at him. Would you be so kind as to enlighten me on the existence of the creatures known as ‘Human’? He didn’t answer, so I once again projected a message. Bluewind, I asked you a question, it would be in your best interest to answ-oh wait. You can’t hear me. Not a changeling.

“You okay Shimmer?” Bluewind eyed me curiously.

“Huh, what?” I glanced up at him, surprised, “Oh, uhm, yeah, of course, I am fine. Why?”

“You were gruntin’ and starin’ at me like you was trying to see into my head,” he turned his head forward again and mumbled to himself. “Why do I always get stuck with the crazies?”

“What was that?”

“Er, nothin’ important, so how’s your legs feelin’? he asked.

“They ache and I feel like I have a bit of internal hemorrhaging, but nothing too unusual. Hey, while we are on the topic of anatomy, have you ever heard of humans, or hands?” I forced a smile and tilted my head to assert that I was asking a question.

He frowned a bit, “Well, there was that one mare who came through town that one time an’ was spoutin’ some nonsense about anthropalagy, hoomans and hands and walkin’ on two legs, that what you said we were on the topic of, right, anthropalagy?”

I scoffed, “Anatomy, not anthropalagy, you see, anatomy is the branch of science concerned with the bodily structure of chang- I mean ponies, animals, and other organisms. I have never heard of ‘Anthropalagy’, but from what you told me it seems to be about humans...” It was my turn to frown, and I did so as we walked, trying to remember any instance where I had heard the term before. I reached out my mind to the scouts to search their memories. Oh yeah... No scouts...

“Aaand we’re here!” I jumped a bit and looked up, “Welcome to Casa de Bluewind.”

This lowlife speaks Spanish? Maybe he is not as stupid as I originally presumed. I scanned ‘Casa de Bluewind’, and found myself very unimpressed. The pony’s ‘house’ consisted of a small fire with a tree stump next to it, and a green tent a few feet away. For some reason, the pony had hung his red saddlebags from a branch about ten feet off the ground.

“I know it’s not much, but I don’t stay in one place often,” Bluewind explained, “But it’s home fer me. I’ll get the stew goin’. Take a seat if you’d like.”

I checked the vicinity for demons, then obliged and seated myself upon the stump. Bluewind retrieved a rusted iron pot from his backpack and walked to a nearby stream to fill it. When he returned, I prompted him further about humans. “So, this pony you spoke of, the one who was preaching anthropalagy, what was her name?”

He frowned and began slicing a carrot into the pot of heating water. “Well, I myself never learned her name, but if you really wanna know, I’m sure one of the innkeepers over in AppleLoosa would remember, nothin’ gets past dem. What’s got you so in’erested in hoomans anyways? And might I ask what a little mare like you was doin’ in the middle of the desert without any supplies or water?”

Alright, you can do this. The scouts make up excuses to fool ponies all the time. If they can do it, a bred-for-success changeling can fool a stupid young stallion. “Well, uhm, you see,” I turned my gaze to the fire, “I’m, uhm, I heard about them... While I was... Uhm... I was...” Come on, come on, think. Think. How in the hive can scouts do this so easily? “I am, I mean, a, uh, researcher! I am a researcher! And I was... Researching! In the desert! But then those demons attacked, and they ate my supplies and tried to eat me!” I beamed up at Bluewind, proud of my storytelling prowess, until I saw the expression on his face. His eyebrow was raised so high I thought it might jump off his face and fly into the air.

“Well, good luck with your, uh, researchin’ den,” he shook his head and went back to stirring the pot. I sighed and settled into the stump, angry at myself and sad that my story was not as convincing as I had thought it to be. After a while, Bluewind stood up and retrieved two wooden bowls and two wooden spoons from his bag. He levitated the the pot and poured it into the bowls.

“Here you are, Miss Shimmer,” with a flourish he bowed and levitated the bowl into my ‘hooves’, “Eat up and regain some of your strength, it’s a bit of a hike to get to AppleLoosa, but if you’re up to it, we might be able to make it tomorrow. Of course, we’ll have to leave at dawn, you up to it?”

I eyed the stew suspiciously, then glanced up at Bluewind. He sank the spoon into the hot liquid and lifted it out with his magic. He then raised it to his mouth and slurped it up. He must’ve felt my gaze, because he looked up and lowered the spoon.

“Uhmm... Something wrong, Miss Shimmer...?” he set the bowl on the ground.

“No, it’s nothing,” I replied and cautiously dipped the spoon into the bowl of steaming stew. I slowly raised it to my mouth, and unceremoniously dumped it in. I yelped as it touched my tongue. It was warm and, well, I had never tasted anything like it. The only other liquid I had ever drunk was blood, but this was nothing like the metallic tang that seeped from fleshy creatures. I dipped my spoon for more, and this time, I caught a carrot. It was like a concentrated burst of the deliciousness that infested the liquid it floated in. I ate another spoonful, then another, and another, and then I threw the spoon aside, lifted the bowl to my lips and drank in the nectar of the gods. I felt the warmth spread to my whole body, tendrils of comfort wrapping around the punctures in my legs and rump, wearing away at my aches and pains.

“Bluewind, Master of Culinary Arts, your ‘Carrot Stew’ is worthy of the gods. For granting me such a gift, I request that you allow me to serve you, in whatever way you choose, for as long as you deem fit,” as I spoke, I slid off of the stump and bowed my head to his hooves, planting a kiss on each one.

He stared at me for a moment, his eyes wide and confused, before he giggled, then chuckled, then let out a huge guffaw and started laughing maniacally. “Oh, Shimmer you had me going there for a second,” he managed to say between gasps for air, “Master of the Culinerey Arts? Phew, oh Celestia I didn’t know you were so funny!”

“But Master, I am not trying to ‘have you going’ anywhere? I just wish to repay my debt to you, in any way you can,” I once again threw myself at his feet. “But if you deem fit, I shall not try to stop you from mocking me.”

“Oooh quit being so silly little filly!” he sat up and wiped a tear from his eye, “You don’t owe me anything, that was the most I’ve laughed in a while.”

I raised myself back up and looked at him quizzically, tilting my head, “You would give away such a sweet nectar, and ask only for a short period of amusement in return?”

“When you’re not stutterin’, you talk kinda funny Miss Shimmer,” he told me as he picked up his bowl and started eating, “No offense to you, o’ course, you’ve just been talkin’ like you a pony from the Medieval days o’ somethin’.”

“My speech patterns are irregular?” I turned away and shook my head, This won’t do, I’ll never be able to blend in with irregular speech patterns... I turned back towards the stallion, who was eating his Carrot Stew at a much slower, calmer pace. “Master Bluewind, I have one more request, please teach me the speech patterns that are considered to be regular.”

“Eh, you want me to teach you have to talk normal? Well, I suppose, why not?”

“Thank you Master,” I once again bowed down to him, “I shall forever be in your debt.”

“But not today,” he finished. “We’ve got a long walk tomorrow, and we should both rest up for it. You can sleep in the tent, I’ll be fine out here.” He walked back towards the stream and levitated the bowls, spoons, and pot behind him. “I’ll clean these out, there’s a sleepin’ bag and a pillow in the tent, have a good night, Miss Shimmer”

“Eh,” I looked around the small campsite, “Then, where shall you be resting, Master Bluewind?”

He turned back and smiled at me, “Don’t you worry bout me, I’ll figure somethin’ out.”

As he continued towards the stream, I reluctantly entered the green canvas and pushed the flaps together. However, they didn’t stay together, and rather fell limp and apart again. I once again pushed them together, and once again, they fell apart. I then noticed the metal teeth lining the sides of the flaps.

“What in the hive are these...?” I asked myself as I examined them, “Do they, go together?” I brought the teeth together and tried to slide them between each other. No good. I tried forcing them straight into each other, again to no avail. Frustrated, I grabbed them and pushed them into each other, holding them together, trying to get the teeth to fit like they must have been able to. For a good minute, I sat there, exerting all of my strength trying to seal the damn flaps of the tent. With one last grunt, I forced them together as hard as I could, only to have them slide past each other and clink against my artificial hooves.

“Damn you, tent teeth,” I muttered as I angrily fell onto my ass. Who the hive even designed those useless contraptions? Was it the Master...? No, he may be able to craft a wonderful ‘carrot stew’, but there’s no way an idiot like him would be able to create such a confusing contraption, the fool cannot even tell a rattlesnake from a demon. AH! I know how to seal it! I bounced up onto my hooves and summoned some saliva from the back of my throat. I then held the two flaps together and sealed them with a line of sticky green ooze. I let go of the flaps, and, HUZZAH! No contraption can defeat my genius! Now, time for some much needed rest...

I located what I assumed was the “sleepin’ bag” and unrolled it. There was a hole in the top, so I slid into it. Huh, wow, it’s really warm in here. When I had gone all the way in, my mane didn’t even stick out the top. Like being in a cocoon. Oh, yeah, didn’t the Master say there was a “pillow”? I wonder what that is... I slid out of the bag and located what I assumed was the “pillow”. It was a fabric bag, just like the sleepin’ one, but this one was already filled with a rectangular, squishy, soft thing. Wow, this is so soft! ...what should I do with it...? I’ll take it into the cocoon. Just slide in slowly and, aaaah, Mother, why do we not we have these things? This feels wonderful. Oh, I know! I’ll seal the cocoon with the ‘pillow’! There, nice and dark. Why in the hive would the Master give this to someone he just met? Did he sense how important I am? Did he see through my disguise?! No, no, he couldn’t have. It’s far too well crafted. There’s no logical reason to let me use the cocoon... So why the hell did he do it? What if he has a better cocoon?! One that is like being surrounded by pillows, and he is using it for himself! That worthless cur! I shall use his blood to bath! I kicked the pillow out of the cocoon hole and wiggled my way out. Wow, it’s much colder out here than I remember. I walked to the tent’s entrance and licked up my saliva. “Alright you sack of flesh, where’s the better coco-” I saw a blue figure curled up next to the fire, shivering uncontrollably. “Oh, you don’t have one. Well, that clears that up then.” I started to head back into the tent, but something stopped me. I looked back at Bluewind. He looked pathetic, curled up by the dying embers, hair on end, shaking like a demon’s tail. Huh, serves him right, ponies really are a bunch of pathetic creatures. No wonder Mother despises them so. But, he did give me that wonderful stew... Damnit, no, I will not share the cocoon with that worthless thing. I scowled at the blue stallion and shook my head. It was then that I was struck by another flash of pain. This one left no lingering word or image, just pain. “Ah, for the hive’s sake,” I muttered. Why do I keep getting these damnable flashes?

I once again entered the tent and the cocoon, sealing it with the pillow. As I huddled inside the thick fabric and cushioning, a chill raced down my spine, causing me to shiver. It is getting cold in here. I thought of Bluewind, shivering next to the dying fire, and a bright idea came to my mind.

I slid out of the cocoon and placed it on my back. Grabbing the pillow in my teeth, I carried it out to Bluewind and dropped the pillow by his head. I then layed down next to him with our backs pressing up against each other and attempted to cover us both with the cocoon. ...it is not big enough for the both of us. Unless.... HUZZAH! I grabbed the teeth on the side of the cocoon and pulled them apart, and lo and behold, they actually came apart! With my newly expanded cocoon, I covered both myself and Bluewind, and, because the ground was kind of hard, placed the soft, squishy pillow underneath our heads. My genius knows no bounds, using the pony as a source of heat. Mother might as well give me the crown now. Now, now I can finally sleep. Well, I could sleep, if this oaf would quit shivering... Ah, I know! I rolled over and wrapped my legs around his body. After a few moments, Bluewind’s body relaxed, and his hair shivering stopped. Ah, finally, this is even more comfortable, AND the fool stopped his shivering!

Mother, when do you think Silver is going to come back?

Hopefully never.

Why do you not wish for Brother to return?

He deceived me before he left. When we joined, it felt like something was hidden from me. Also, when we were sparring, he lost control of his drones and complained about pain, somethings off with him, might be going feral.

But Brother cannot go feral! You hatched him to be perfect.

Well apparently I fucked up. Which is why this egg I just laid will replace him, watch it while I go kill something, I’m bored.

Yes, Mother.

At the foot of the Macintosh Hills, a white unicorn stirred from his sleep. Feeling the warm limbs wrapping around his torso, he pulled them closer and snuggled into the warm body behind him. Then, suddenly he froze, and his pale face turned a bright shade of red. Very delicately, he started sliding out of the limbs embrace, using his magic to hold them in place. When he was free, he floated the limbs to their owner and set them down gently. The changeling disguised as a young mare shifted and grabbed the sleeping bag, pulling it around her as she rolled over. He smiled at the sleeping figure, then turned and set off to find something to eat.

Two things woke me up that morning. The first, a pleasant sizzling noise, similar to that of a squirrel’s boiling eyes before they explode. The second, the absence of my heat generator, creating a slight drop in temperature. I blinked my eyes open and spread my limbs to loosen the cocoon around me.

“Why, uhm, good mornin’ Miss Shimmer,” Bluewind glanced at her, then fixed his gaze on the sizzling eggs and pretended to concentrate on them, “I, I trust you slept well?”

As I stood up I stretched my legs and bent my neck with a satisfying crack. Staying disguised all the time really makes your exoskeleton stiff, so loosening the joints is recommended. I learned that from the scouts. “Yeah, your body is warm. I suppose I should thank you for allowing me to borrow it.”

Bluewind’s face burnt bright red, “Well, uhm... You’re welcome, I suppose? Miss Shimmer?”

“Yes, yes, apology accepted,” Bluewind’s eyebrows furrowed while I nodded curtly at the rock with sizzling white matter over the fire. “What are you doing?”

He shook his head and muttered to himself, “Jus’ when you think she couldn’t get any weirder...” He glanced up at me staring expectantly at him. “Oh, I found a hawk nest laying on the ground with a few eggs in it. We got lucky, the cracked ones were fresh, so I put the live ones back up in the tree and started cookin’ ‘em up! Trust me, if you liked that stew so much, you’ll probably be a fan of this.”

“This tastes like stew?!” I exclaimed excitedly and jumped up to stare at the solidifying egg whites, “How much longer until I can eat it?!”

“Well, it doesn’t taste like stew, but it’s still a nice flavor, and does now work?” he asked me.

“Does blood taste like iron?”

Bluewind stared blankly at me for a moment, “Well, now that you mention it, I reckon it sorta does taste like metal!” With that, he used his magic to bring his saddlebags down from the tree and pull out a wooden plate and two forks while I made myself comfortable in front of the tree stump “Now, I only got one plate, so I hope you don’t mind sharing.”

“Just put food in my mouth and I’m happy,” I motioned with my head at the eggs beginning to brown on the edges. Bluewind smiled and shook his head as he used his magic to lift the eggs off of the stone and onto the plate, then the plate onto the stump. He set a fork down in front of me and I immediately snatched it up in my ‘hoove’. “Now, how do I eat this one?”

“Like this,” he picked up his own fork. “What you wanna do is first cut the piece you want to eat into a bite sized section, like so, then stab it with the fork and use the fork to bring it up to your mouth, an’ there yuh go.” He swallowed the part of the egg he demonstrated with. “Bon appetite!”

I quickly followed his example, using the fork sideways to saw a large portion of the egg off. Once it was separated, I stabbed the plate with the fork. With a loud crack, the wooden plate splintered like bone and split where my fork pierced it.

Bluewind’s eyes widened as he took in the destruction my fork and I had caused. “Well, I guess I’ve got two plates now...” He then looked back up at me and burst into laughter. I was sitting there with a fork in my mouth and a giant piece of egg white hangout out of it. Frustrated, I tried to pull more of the egg into my mouth using my teeth, to no avail.

“How do ah ea’ ‘is peis sas angin’ ou’?” I asked as well as I could without losing the egg.

“Haha, well, for one, you don’ cut such big pieces in the first place, and, do you mind?” his horn lit up with a blue aura. I shook my head. “Just gonna grab these pieces that are hangin’.” The eggs that were hanging out of my mouth were surrounded by the blue aura and lifted off of my chin, however, I didn’t let them get far. Not wanting to lose any of the warm, fluffy, deliciousness, I jumped up and snatched the eggs out of the air, chewed them, swallowed, and began working on cutting another, bigger, piece.

“Bluewind, that was, that was, your skill when it comes to crafting food is, it’s godlike! That’s what it is! How are you not living in a lavish home with ponies waiting on your beck and call and catering to your every whim just to get a taste of such, such exquisite flavors!?” I sat back onto the ground and patted my now full belly.

“Well, actually Shimmer, compared to most ponies I’m not even good at cookin’,” he explained, “If you think this tastes good, you should try some of the food they got down in Canterlot. People there eat like Kings every meal, and they say that the streets are actually paved with gold!”

“Wow that’s- completely illogical, and really incredibly moronic. amazing.” I said, being reminded of how incredibly stupid ponies really are, even if they can cook.

“Well, we should get going, I’ll pack up camp, then we’ll head outta here and get you to a real restaurant,” Bluewind carried the broken plate and forks to the stream to wash them Blast it, that food may taste good but it does not sustain me. I need to get the emotional side of him to come out if I wanna make the trip. I went to say something to him, then realized he was a good 50 feet away and galloped over to talk to him.

Alright, time to feed me pony. Let’s see... how should I approach the topic without it being too obvious and giving away my disguise...? I could just ask him if he loves anything, that’s not too obvious, or at least, not for this moronic chunk of flesh. “So, uhm... Mr. Bluewind, is there, ah... any... any... ...I have to say it... anypony that you, uhmm... love?” Haha, this should get him to feed me.

“Well... I mean, I love my parents, but if you’re talkin’ bout mares and the like, I... Well, to put it simply, I'm no good for anypony. I used to gamble, a lot, hence my cutie mark. Every time I tried to get myself somepony special to be with, I either lost all my money and she wouldn't have me, or debt collectors would come lookin' for me. I dunno, I guess I never really actually tried to stop them from leavin'. I just let 'em go cuz I didn't want to stop them... Bit silly, eh? Here I am complainin' about love, when I never actually fought for it...” Bluewind stared down at the water flowing lazily past.

Blast it... I got a bit from his parents, but not enough... I should prompt him further about th-

“But I said enough bout me, how bout you, Miss Shimmer? Do you love anypony?”

It took me a moment to process then question, but then I had to stop myself from scoffing. “I do not love.”

Bluewind looked almost as though I had hit him with the way he recoiled. “Don’t love?”

“What it sounds like. Love is pointless and gets in the way of, well, everything. Now to insure he does not suspect me. You ask me, I would tell you the only thing love does is feed those rotten changelings.” Perfect, insulting the changeling as a species will make him dismiss any suspicions that arrive. I hope.

“Oh, I see.” The stallion looked downcast as he finished washing and drying the plates.

Wait, no, could he, could he really? I turned away from Bluewind and stifled a snicker. Could this pony, really have been tricked by my disguise so much as to become emotionally attached to a pony that does not exist?! I was getting further from Bluewind, so I let myself laugh a bit under my breathe. These ponies are even more pathetic and weak-minded than Mother made me to believe! I arrived at the campsite and fell on the ground, doing my best to keep from laughing loud enough for the pony to hear. I grabbed my sides as a single tear fell down my face and I tried to catch my breath. Get it out. Get it out. Get it out. I only had a few moments until Bluewind would turn around and notice my strange behavior, but I managed to calm down enough to get up and walk to the other edge of the site. Oh, I can not wait to tell Mother and Sister about this pathetic pony. But first, since it is just me and him, why should I not have a little ‘fun’ with him?

“All right then ma’am, you ready to head out?” Bluewind asked me. I looked at him for the first time since I had unintentionally rejected him. I could still see the disappointment in his eyes, but also that he was doing a pretty good job of trying to hide it. I tinted the skin on my cheeks pink to simulate blushing and nodded shyly. Bluewind hoisted the saddlebags, collapsed tent, sleeping bag, and pillow onto his back. “Then let’s get goin’, it’s a long hike.”

We set off through the woods, walking a few feet apart. I stared at him while we walked, so that anytime he looked back at me, I could ‘blush’ again and quickly turn my head away. This continued for a while until I finally broke the silence with a question.

“Can you teach me how to speak properly now, Bluewind?” I drifted over to walk closer to him. “You gave me your word that you would while we made our way to Apple Loosa.”

“Right, uhm... Let’s see,” he rubbed his chin thoughtfully, “Well, when I first found you, you were stutterin’ up a storm. Was that just nervousness from the snake incident, or what?”

“Oh, yeah... I guess you could say it was the snakes...” I looked down and tinted my skin more extremely.

“Alright, well, then I guess all that leaves is makin’ you talk less fancily,” he started, “Hmmm... Never given a grammar lesson before, but I guess the first thing I’d say to do is learn some slang!”

“Slang?”

“You know, expressions and that kinda stuff?”

“Like the saying You only live once? The one that, according to my sc- I mean research, some ponies yell before doing incredibly ridiculous life threatening things for cheap thrills?”

Bluewind wasn’t even fazed by my sudden strange outburst this time, “Well, sure, I guess that works. I meant more, like, what did my ol’ school teacher call it...? Conjugators? Yeah, I think that’s it.”

“Conjugators?”

“Like, saying don’t instead of do not, can’t instead of can not, I’m instead of I am, normally if it sounds right it works..”

“Don’t say do not then?”

“Exactly! You’re (there’s another one) gettin’ it! Also, tone down your words. Less big ones, more small ones, so you don’t confuse ponies. Also, try and sound more comfortable with your words. You sound a bit like you’re talkin’ to a Queen of some country.” He has no idea of the irony of that statement...

“So, use don’t, won’t, small words, and speak like I would to an equal?” Which none of the ponies I shall be talking to will be.

“Yeah, basically, any more questions?”

“Just one. How would I say, ‘I’m sorry for accidentally refusing your romantic movements. I’m just wary of becoming romantically involved with other ponies due to the fact that my last romantic encounter ended -I made my voice crack- horribly, horribly wrong and left me with this scar’?” I brushed my mane back to reveal a scar on my neck I had crafted earlier in the morning.

Bluewind looked shocked as I forced a single tear out of my eyes. “I’m just, so scared...” I threw myself into him chest, the weight of his gear imbalanced him, making it entirely too easy to knock him over. I dug my face into his chest and forced away a smile, “He said he loved me, then, then, then he-he tried to... he was with her... and he hit me... and-and then he tried to kill me...” I started forcing tears out of my eyes at a steady pace and snuggled into his chest.

“Shhh, it’s okay now. He’s gone, everything’s okay,” Bluewind started stroking my mane. “Everything’s okay now.”

HAHAHA! This was FAR too easy! A few tears and sad story and he melts in my grasp. I can feel the love coming directly to me, right now it is more than likely a fatherly, protective love, but I shall change that soon. Mother, this fool was stupid and easy, but smarter ponies cannot be that much harder. “Without formal training”, who nee- “AAAAGH!” I cried as a bolt ripped through my mind.

“Shhhh, shhhh, nothing’s going to hurt you, you’re safe with me,” Bluewind wrapped his legs tighter around my now not completely fakely sobbing form. As I buried my face deeper into his chest, I tried to pull my thoughts together again. Why the hive, my question is, does this pony feel so obligated to comfort me? It can’t just be my seduction, can it? And why do I feel, happy...? That he is comforting me? No, it’s not happiness, it cannot be. It is just these headaches, they are messing with my emotions. And what the hive is that shiny thing I see in my head? I sighed inwardly. It is probably a human thing. I guess the only thing I can do is continue my act and our journey to Applewhateverthehiveitwas.

I pulled my face out of his chest and looked up at Bluewind. He was watching me, lovingly, and smiled down at me. “Th-th-thank you, Bluewind... I’m just a bit, rattled up, from well, I don’t want to talk about it right now.” I sniffled and wiped the tears from my face. “Let’s just get to Applewherever...”

“Sure thing Shimmer,” Bluewind let go of me and helped me stand up. He picked up his bags and smiled at me before starting back up the path. I fell into step behind him so I could smirk without his noticing. All too easy.

Author's Note

Whooo. My first fucking chapter. Tell me whether or not it sucked. If you think it's good, get your sanity checked. If your sane and still think it's good, wow, thanks, it actually means a lot to me. Leave a comment if you feel like you could do it better and want to make sure I know that, or if you actually have constructive criticism or input, that works too. Let's see.... posting this at 1 a.m. will probably make it slip past everyone's radar, but if your reading, cool.

No Meat

"I'm going to Ponyville."

"One-way or round trip?"

One-way or round trip?

Do you plan on returning soon, my liege?

No.

One-way, my liege.

"One-way."

The red pegasus stallion ripped a small piece of paper in half and handed the larger part to me. "That'll be forty bits." I dropped the small coin purse filled with coins on the counter, pushed it over to the teller, then picked up my ticket and walked away. The stallion opened the bag and started counting out the bits. "You might wanna hurry, trains leavin' in just a few minu-" he looked up and realized I was gone.

"EH! Mister, uh, silver maned unicorn!" he called as best he could through the small hole in the window. "You forgot your change!" He moved to open the small door in the back and chase after me, but glanced up before he did so at the impatient mare tapping her hoof in front of the window. "Heh, uhm, I'm sure he'll be back for it in a little bit, awful lot of money he left here... Where you headed?" I didn't go back.

I levitated the small paper in front of me and read its contents. "Platform 2. Ponyville 8 a.m. Departure. One-way." I lowered the ticket and scanned the station. I located "Platform 2" after a moment and headed over to the train resting there. The doors were open, so I entered into a small room lined with brown, faded leather seats. I found the only empty one and sat in it.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAALL ABOOOOOOARD!" a pale blue pony with a rather nice looking brown mustache called before hopping onto the train.

"WAIT! Hold up!" an orange earth pony mare galloped up to the platform.

"Applejack!" the pale blue one called much to loudly for a civil conversation. "You're not one to be late! Hop in, we're about to leave!"

"Phew, I thought I was gonna miss it!" 'Applejack' yelled back as she boarded the train. She looked around the car until her gaze rested on me, or more specifically, my seat. She trotted over and smiled. "Howdy, partner! You mind?" She gestured to the space left on the seat next to me.

"Are you insinuating that you plan on sitting next to me?" I asked dryly.

"Well, uhm, that's a, big, word. But, anyways, yes?"

"Ha, that is quite amusing."

"Yeah, haha, real funny," her expression changed from one of friendliness to deadpan. "You gonna let me sit there or what?"

"Or what."

She sighed. "Now you're just being plain silly, there are no other open seats, the train is starting to move, and here you are, taking up a whole seat to yourself. Would you please scoot over a bit?!"

Several pairs of eyes turned towards the scene Applejack was causing. Damn this thing to Tartarus, in order to avoid drawing unwanted attention to myself it appears I must have to share a seat with this, this, this earthen pony.

"If you must have a place to sit, I will 'scoot over a bit'," I did so, and Applejack seated herself next to me. I turned away from her and leaned on my leg, staring out the window as the train accelerated. I could see a faint reflection of myself in he window. After a bit of deliberation, I had decided to disguise as a unicorn so I had access to my magic, but I didn't copy a pony this time around. Instead, I had a purple coat that matched the color of my carapace, and a silver tail and mane, which, besides for the lack of holes, matched my usual hair. My eyes still sparkled silver, and as I stared at my reflection, I imagined burning Bluewind again.

Luckily, the changeling that gotten me caught was not the healing specialist in the outpost, and while I was sleeping, I granted the healer access to my mana reserves. He managed to seal up the cracks, leaving only a faint crisscrossing of scars, and repair my shoulder. Of course, my leg was still in immense pain, he was only able to make it functional again, but pain was nothing foreign to me.

Applejack started whistling to herself.

I grimaced. "It would be... most appreciated, if you would quit making that incessant noise."

She stopped whistling.

How long is this going to take...?

I glanced over at the young mare. She was awkwardly tapping her hooves together. She must have felt my gaze, for she looked over at me and attempted to smile.

"Look, I know we got off on the wrong hoof," she started, "An' I'm sorry if I hurt your feelin's or somethin', but we're sittin' next to each other-"

"That was entirely your choice." She opened her mouth to shoot back an insult, but probably decided it better to not anger such a strong, powerful looking stallion, and instead continued with her apology.

"An' I would rather not spend the first leg of the trip sitting here twiddlin' my hooves. So whaddaya say?" She lifted a hoof towards me. "Think we can just, retry that?"

"No." I turned back toward the window and continued to stare at the passing landscape.

"I'm sorry, did I hear you wrong?" she continued to bother me. "You didn't just say no, right...?"

"Incorrect," I stated, "You heard what you thought you heard."

"So, your sayin' your just gonna stare outside that window for eighteen hours an-" I whipped around.

"Eighteen. Hours?" Oh Mother don't let that be true.

"Uh, yeah. The train takes eighteen hours to get from here to Ponyville. Why? How long didja' think it was gonna take?" she asked.

"I don't know!" I threw up my legs, then regretted it as pain shot down my right foreleg. "A couple hours maybe?! Not seventy-five percent of a day! Why in the Hive does it take so long?!"

"Why in the what now?"

I realized my slip. Oh Mother don't let me be discovered by this hillbilly!

"The... Heck!" I smirked as my ever quickening wit allowed me to evade discovery. "I said why in the heck does it take so long."

"Oh, okay then..." she narrowed her eyes. "Well, back on track-" Hah, I get it. "You don't even wanna try and at least be aquaintated?"

"Aquaintated...?"

"Like, not friends, but not enemies," she explained. "Like, well heck if I know, Twilight used it before, said it was like a sortafriendbutnotquiteafriendyet or somethin'."

"Acquaintances?"

"Yeah! That was it!" she nodded over-enthusiastically, like Mother would when encouraging my primal instincts to mate with my sister without her permission. "So, come on partner." I grimaced at the title. "Let's just be acquaintances."

She raised her dirty hoof again. "Oh, if I must, I shall." I put my own 'hoof' out and lightly shook hers.

"That's the spirit!" she gripped my hoof tightly and shook it up and down violently, causing my whole being to vibrate and my shoulder to scream in agony. "Now, where you from?"

...ponies and their damned curiosity.

"Uhm... Ponyville!" I pleaded that she would be fooled.

Her eyes grew narrow once more. "Okay, sure, well, I've never seen you around, but I'm from Ponyville too. My family owns the farm Sweet Apple Acres, you've heard of it, right?"

"I can't say I have..." Her jaw dropped. Honestly, it quite literally fell agape as if there were no muscles or joints holding it in place.

"You're on your way to Ponyville, the place you claim to live, and have lived, and you've not ever heard of Sweet Apple Acres, the farm that, every year, sells the Zap Apple jam and Apple Cider, that hundreds of ponies line up to buy, and caters nearly every major festival in town?"

I nervously laughed. "Heh, well, I live on the edge of town, and I uh.. I don't go into town, or outside, much at all."

Her gaze suddenly softened, and she looked almost, sympathetic? "Aw, now lemme guess. I'm not tryin' to be rude, but, Mr. uh.. I didn't catch your name."

Damned curiosity! I haven't come up with a name yet!

"It's... uh..." Something original, something normal, something that will allow me to completely blend in and never be suspected as the Changeling Prince Silver... "Silver!" ...damned curiosity.

"Well, Mr. Silver, I know it can be hard to make friends, especially when your all grown up and livin' on your own! But you don't have to be alone just cuz you live alone." She rested her hoof on mine and smiled at me. "How 'bout when we get to Ponyville, I take you to meet my brother, Big Mac! He's a real nice stallion, quiet, but good at heart, and a loyal friend. And I'm sure Spike would love to have a guy friend to get away from us girls and all our 'gross girly stuff'."

"No, that's fine, really, you don't need to, and I don't want to bother you," I stammered.

"Aw stop being so shy! You two'll get along great! And, I bet the girls would love to meetcha' too, sugar-cube!" ...sugar-cube...? "Heck, maybe you'll even take a likin' to one of 'em, if you know what I'm gettin' at." She jabbed me lightly with her elbow and winked at me. Pain shot up my leg and I ground my teeth together.

"I don't believe I do know what you are 'gettin' at'," I responded through my clenched teeth.

"Oh come on, sugar-cube, you know what I mean," she smiled coyly. "Rarity is quite the gem to behold."

I furrowed my brow. " Your friend is a gemstone...?"

"Oh cut it out Silver," she said as she giggled. "I meant she's pretty!"

I pulled my hoof away. "Are you suggesting that I will find your 'friends' attractive?!"

"Oh, I'm not suggestin' it, I'm straight up sayin' it. Even I can tell that Rarity is beautiful, an' Twilight may not be too outgoin', but she's quite the pretty little thing too. An' Fluttershy's cute as a button. An' Rainbow Dash is in great shape. An' Pinke Pie is a ton of fun. Come to think of it, why don't any of 'em have coltfriends...?"

I blocked access to my ears a sentence into her speech, but as she stopped and rubbed her chin thoughtfully, I once again opened them to my mind. "Well, that's very fascinating Miss Applejack, but I had a long night, and I'm tired. I'm assuming since this takes eighteen hours a coc- I mean, a bed is available for resting?"

"Oh, well o' course sugar-cube!" she exclaimed. "Just go back three cars and pick whichever bed you want!" As she got out of the seat and I followed into the aisle, she added, "But don't sleep too long, you'll miss lunch!"

Lunch...?

"Yes, of course, I shan't miss such a momentous occasion." I turned tail and headed towards the door.

"Uhh... Sugar-cube?" I turned my head and cocked an ear. "The other back."

"Right. Of course, just, got turned around there."

I walked back through three cars and entered one lined with beds stacked on top of each other. All identical red wraps and pillows, I chose on in the far corner and wrapped myself up in it. Eighteen hours... I didn't feed nearly enough from the reserves in Appleplace to last that long. If only there was another way to get it out of that earthen fool without having to listen to her babble on about her lowlife brother and friends...

I pulled the curtain that separated my bed from the others, rolled over, and placed a pillow over my head. Why are ponies so damned infuriating...? I closed my eyes and eventually drifted off to sleep.

"Whaddaya mean, he's gone!?" Breaburn shouted at the young officer. "How did he manage to slip past the entire gaurd?! Were they not warned that a changelin' was being kept in the second cell block!?"

"They were warned though!" the officer shouted back indignantly. "And half of them were burnt to ashes trying to stop his escape!"

Breaburn was silent for a moment. "You mean, he killed some of the gaurds...?" The officer nodded, very obviously doing his best to not lose his cool in front of the deputy.

"I'm sorry, officer. I didn't realize, I'm sorry I yelled atcha', I just... Damn that bastard to Tartarus."

"It was my fault, I should have prepared them better for, well, for a changeling, and a big grey one at that."

"Don't blame yourself. If it's anyone's fault, it's mine. I knew I shoulda kept the bastard under tighter security, or at least had someone make sure he didn't try no funny business... And I got too emotional. I should have just killed him then and there, but when he started talkin' about Bluewind, and burnin' him alive... I just, I couldn't stay anywhere near that monster..." It was the officer's turn to to comfort Breaburn.

"Hey, Deputy, come on now, you can't blame yourself. Anypony would've done the same thing in your position," the officer smiled a sad smile. "Now, we gotta give these brave ponies a proper burial, then we can catch that bastard and end him for good."

Breaburn smiled back at the young officer. "You're right. Let's go, the longer it takes the further away from us that murderous varmint gets."

I awoke with a start as a bolt tore through my thoughts. I cried for half a second, before the pain knocked me out again.

"Come on, it's just over this ridge."

I looked up, wait, no, I didn't look up. Well, at least I didn't try to look up, but for some reason I did just that. The figure in front of me, a human, smiled down at me and offered a 'hand'. She was absolutely stunning. Her flat face was golden, and the sunlight that pierced through the leaves illuminated it, she was practically glowing. Her lips were a pale red, and her teeth, white as the snow. Her eyes held the sea within them, churning with blues and greens. Then her hair, her hair was black as the night. It fell in curls, wrapping around themselves as they stretched past her neck and rested lightly on her shoulders. She was tall and slender yet muscular, standing above me like a goddess. She held herself upright pridefully, yet her eyes, swirling with the ocean, were gentle and kind.

My 'hand' reached up, and the thin protrusions on it wrapped around hers. With a small grunt, she pulled me up onto the ledge she was standing upon. My lips curved into a smile as I lost myself in the seas of her eyes. She smiled back, but turned away, tearing my oceans along with her, and swept a foreleg through the air at the most beautiful place I had ever seen.

A white river cut it's way through a valley. A valley whose slopes were a mixture of yellows and browns and reds, dotted with green trees, standing defiantly upon the slanted ground. At the far end of the valley, a large waterfall spilled over a ridge, feeding the river a steady flow of white foamy water.

"It's... It's amazing." The words softly floated out of my mouth.

"I knew you'd like it. The Lower Falls, said to be one of the best views in all of Yellowstone!"

"I mean, this is inspiring," I continued. "It has to be the second most beautiful thing I've seen in my entire life!"

The human smiled coyly and asked innocently, "Oh, and what would be the first most beautiful thing?"

"JAAAAAAMES!" A harsh female voice called from the woods behind me. "AMAAAAAANDA?!"

My head shook, and I looked down and said under my breath, "Oh all the times..."

The one I assumed to be named Amanda grabbed my hand and started walking towards the voice. "COMING!" she called in her angelic voice.

My leg pulled her back towards me before she dropped down the ridge. My other arm wrapped around her and pulled her to me, forehead against forehead. My lips met hers, a light kiss, but one that felt incredibly, special. "You."

I awoke again with a throbbing in my head and sat up. I glanced out the window, it was sundown, I had slept through most of the day, and at least a good ten hours. That leaves but eight more to go.

I hadn't absorbed any love in those ten hours of rest, so I decided to try and prompt some feelings out of Applejack. I walked over to the door, opened it with a silver glow, and walked straight into Applejack.

"Oh! Sorry sugar-cube," she apologized as she stood herself up. "I was just comin' to getcha'. You slept straight through lunch, an' I figured I'd just let you sleep, you lookin' so peaceful an' all."

"Your choice was the right one," I tell her. "I prefer to wake of my own accord."

"Oh, well then I guess I did make the right choice!" And I literally just said, your choice was the right one. "But they've got dinner in the dinin' car, want a bite to eat?"

"Lead on."

We walked to the 'dinin' car' and were seated at a small table next to a window. I sat opposite of Applejack and a pony in a black garment brought us each a glass of water and a 'menu'. Applejack licked her lips as she opened the 'menu' and read it's contents. "This here, this is the good stuff," she started. "They got hay fries and flower sandwiches and well, you name it, they got it. And it's all fresh, they don't use none of that frozen stuff."

I too opened my 'menu' and skimmed it's contents. 'Appetizers', 'Fruit Salads', 'Vegetable Plates', 'Side Dishes', 'Cakes and Pies'. "Where's the meat?" I looked up at Applejack.

She tilted her head and looked up at me from her menu. "Haha, I'm sorry sugarcube, it sounded like you said, 'where's the meat'."

Oh, yeah. Ponies aren't carnivores.

"Haha, what? Meat?!" I pretended to be amused and laughed. "Nononono, I said, uhm... What will you eat!"

"Oh, well, I was gonna get the apple fries with an apple an' rose sandwich with apple cider, What is it with ponies and apples...? you havin' trouble deciding?"

"No, well, yes, but not anymore, I shall eat what you are going to planning to."

"Well, I promise you, you will not be dissapointed!"

Needless to say, I wasn't. If there was one thing ponies could do right, it was prepare food. However, I still hungered for love.

"So, Applejack, I wish to hear more of your family and friends back in Ponyville."

Applejack took another swig of apple cider. "Well, alright, I suppose if you're gonna meet them, why not? Let's head over to the bar though, some other ponies might want a table to sit at."

"This is my table though, we sat here first, why would we leave? What did those ponies ever do for us?" I questioned.

Applejack sighed, "I got a lot to teach you about makin' friends... It's called being polite. Now come on, the bar's waitin'."

Mother, the brutes have left the connection radius.

Finally! I thought they would never leave!

What shall we do with their families?

Hmm... I think I know just the thing. I have a new hybrid I wish to try.

To the pit, then?

Yes, if the hybrid doesn't commit suicide, then we'll have ourselves a new sub-class. If it does, well, I guess I wouldn't mind having a little fun with the young ones.

"So-so then I says to 'im... I says, hey man! Dis here stew, iss-isss the nectrr, of the gods!" I laughed and took another gulp of hard cider. "'an he says, he says to me, he says "hey, ahm not even a goo cook!"

Applejack burst into another fit of laughter and doubled over the counter. "Haha-urp-youz a reaaaal funny guy Silber, anypoie evar to-told yoo dat?"

"I tell yoo wut, Appelsnacks, no!" she opened her mouth in mock surprise and raised her eyebrows.

"Well, ah gotta tell yoo, Mr. Silber, ah fink... ah fink... no... dats not rite, I fought! I fought yoo was a weiirdoooo, bu-bu, yoo a real fun poni, yoo a..." She cut herself off by passing out and slumping onto the counter.

"I a wut?" I poked her leg. "Wut ahm I?" She didn't respond, so I grabbed her mane and lifted her head. "Appelsnacks!" I said into her ear. "Appelsnacks, wut ahm I...?" She didn't answer, so I let her head fall back on the counter and stood up. I turned and started to walk away when I suddenly remembered the mare I was about to leave passed out at the bar.

"OH NOH APPELSNACKS!" I shouted and rushed to her side. "Yoo cann sleep ou ere! Yoo gots ta yews a bed! Appelsnacks!" When she didn't respond, I lifted her foreleg and placed it upon my neck, hoisting her up. I slowly dragged her through the car filled with drunk ponies, then through the passenger cars, and finally to the car lined with beds. "Awright, Appelsnacks, ahm gonna finju, the bes darn bed in awl of erywher!" I dragged her to the first bed I saw, and with quite a bit of willpower, managed to lift the limp body with my magic and place her on top of the bed. Exhausted by my efforts, I pulled myself onto the same bed as her and collapsed across her body. "Goonite, Appelsnacks," I murmured before falling into a deep slumber.

Author's Note

That's right folks! Your very own, genuine, bona fide filler chapter! I blame Gabe Newell. Steam sale is killing my wallet, my social life, and my writing skills. I promise I'll make the next one not filler, and not shitty. Besides for the steam sale, I also had a really hard time writing this week. I could only manage a couple hundred words per sitting, I dunno why, but, I've typed enough here, so bai. Comment and shit.

Foolish, Reckless Ponies

The first light of morning had yet to stretch over the small town of Ponyville when a large, colorful train chugged into the station and blew a long whistle before screeching to a halt. With a hiss, the doors slide apart and released the stale air trapped inside with the fresh, brisk breeze of dawn.

Inside the train, an orange mare stirred from her comatose like slumber, her head throbbing with the pounding hooves of a thousand stampedes. Attempted to escape the chill of the early morning and the harsh sound of voices around her, she buried her muzzle deeper into the chest of the purple stallion lying next to her.

She continued like this for several moments, before suddenly growing incredibly stiff and snapping her eyes open.

I woke, startled by the mare's movements, and nearly yelped in pain as my head pounded for unknown reasons. I then opened my eyes to assess my location.

I expected to be back in the interrogation room, or perhaps a torture chamber, or really, anywhere that wasn't lying in a flat cocoon in a small room next to an earth pony who was slowly removing herself from my embrace, her pink cheeks contrasting her orange fur. I attempted to reach out to my sister and question her on my current circumstances of waking, but a shout from somewhere behind me broke my concentration as easily as a bite from Mother would shatter a traitor's leg.

The pony lying next to me had almost removed herself from my embrace when I turned my attention away from my thoughts and back to her.

"Why are you sleeping with me?"

She yelped and fell backwards out of the bed, apparently not noticing my waking until I had spoken. When she fell, she pulled a sheet with her and was wrapped in it. I watched in idle amusement as the fabric morphed into different shapes while the frenzied pony attempted to removed it from her body.

It took her a few moments, but eventually, she was able to stand up and indignantly brush her unkempt mane from her face.

"I asked you a question, pony, it would be most wise of you to answer," I told her.

"Erm, hey there, Silver..."

She knows my name!?

I wracked my mind for memory of this pony, but through the pounding and apparent lack of memory of the night before's events, I was not able to distinguish her as anything special, "And who might you be, addressing me like my equal?"

She raised an eyebrow for a short moment before a look of realization dawned upon her face. "Oh Celestia, why did I think it was a good idea to drink with the socially awkward stallion I just met?" she muttered to herself, but failed to say it quiet enough to escape my hearing. "Uhm, sugarcube, it's me, Applejack. You know, the one you sat next to on the train, and ate dinner with, and drank with?"

The apple part did ring a small bell somewhere in my mind. But the memories continued to escape me. "Actually I do not know." I corrected her.

She sighed and rubbed her head. "Look, just, come with me, lets get off the train and get some Asprin. I haven't had a hangover like this in, well, ever."

She turned tail and moved towards the exit where many ponies were either saying farewell or greeting friends and family. I didn't bother to follow. She was halfway to the exit when she noticed I wasn't behind her.

Her shoulders raised and fell in an exaggerated sigh as she turned back and walked up to the bed. "You're not gonna follow me, are you?"

I allowed silence to answer her.

She sat back on her haunches and blew a strand of hair out of her face. "Ok, sugarcube, do you remember anything from last night?"

I once again remained silent.

"Do you have any idea who I am...?"

I searched my memories one last time, and surprisingly was able to locate a name.

"Applesnacks, correct?"

She hit herself in the face and slowly dragged her hoof down it.

"So, you mean to tell me that you poisoned me with alcohol to the point where I was delirious and physically unstable, for enjoyment?!" I yelled.

"Well when you put it like that, it doesn't sound like much fun at all!"

My migraine stung with each shouted syllable, but I wasn't about to let the pony get away with such insolence. "That's because there's nothing fun about poison- Well, at least, not when it's used- actually, poison is always entertaining -in the first place! And now, my head feels as though it were going to implode upon itself!"

"Well sorry for trying to make friends with the lonely pony sittin' by himself on the train! You could at least be a little grateful to me!"

"Grateful?! For trying to poison me and usurp my throne?!"

"Again, it's not poison! And what in tarnation are you going on about now? You're not a King, sugarcube!"

Not yet you lowlife.

"You're disgusting," I turned away from Applesnacks and headed for the doorway, but my path was blocked by a very curious looking filly. With my back turned to Applesnacks, I flitted my tongue out and drew it across her face, leaving a wet trail behind it. She looked up at me in surprise, so I made my eyes glow dark red and drew my fangs out, hissing quietly, before resuming my march to the exit of the run down shack Applesnacks called home. Traumatized for the rest of her short life.

"Well now where do you think you're goin'?" Applesnacks ran in front of me and stood in my path. "We're not done here."

"I believe we are," I moved to push past her but found her to be surprisingly steadfast.

"No we ain't. Alright?" she glared at me, and I returned the favor. "First of all, you're gonna fix the door handle you melted with your magic for no reason at all . Then, you're gonna take some Aspirin. And then after that, you're gonna help me remember, uhm, somethin', from last night."

"Make me."

One swift kick to the genital area and another to the head later, I was trying to forge a new door handle for Applesnacks' house from the melted remains of the original.

Sheriff Silver Star was busy recounting one of his epic escapades to a group of young mares when he heard a distant galloping. He excused himself from the group and headed to the edge of town to greet what he assumed was the buffalo stampede coming through the orchard.

When he reached his destination, however, he was surprised to see not buffalo, but a small group of ponies, rather, charging toward the town. Suspicious of ponies coming in from the desert, he started walking to cut them off and meet them outside of town.

When the party came to the sheriff, they circled him. The sheriff responded by placing a hoof on his newly issued flintlock pistol.

"What business you got in Appleloosa?"

"We're lookin' for a changelin'. Big one, silver mane. Heard you got him, we want his head."

The sheriff narrowed his eyes at the white stallion. "And how do I know I can trust a buncha' bandits come ridin' in from nowhere."

"You got the changelin', or not?"

"I asked you if I could trust you."

"You're alive, no?"

"Prove I can trust you."

The white stallion glanced at the red bandit to his right, who nodded affirmation. With a flash of green, the changeling transformed back into himself and shook his wings out.

"You're still not dead," he said to the sheriff, "We're hunting him. He's a fugitive. Queen Chrysalis sent us on this mission herself. Delaying our progress by being uncooperative would raise tensions between your little town and our empire. I advise you cooperate."

Silver Star's first instinct was to blow the insects head off, but knew that if he attacked he would quickly be overpowered.

"How do I know you don't kill me as soon as I tell ya?"

"If we were going to kill you, sheriff, you would be dead already," a younger looking yellow 'stallion' barked.

"And if I don't help you?

"You die. It will take longer but we shall catch the fugitive."

"...he escaped," Silverstar informed the changelings after a short pause. "My deputy is workin' to catch 'im. You wanna find that sonofabitch, you gonna need Breaburn's help."

Blasted ponies and their blasted doors with their blasted knobs and their blasted social protocols.

I was standing over the almost complete door handle, straining with all of my crippled mind to bend the final piece of metal into place, when I heard a high pitched battle cry sound from behind me.

"CUTIE MARK CRUSADERS MONSTER HUNTERS!"

I lost my concentration, bending the metal out of place, as three projectiles slammed into me from behind and sent me tumbling over. The three projectiles proceeded to yell things such as "DIE, DEMON PONY" and "HIT HIM IN THE FACE" as they repeatedly hit me with sticks.

Demon pony, that could work.

I jumped up, sending the three fillies crashing to the ground around me. I quickly glanced around for other ponies. We were alone. I lifted them each with my magic upside down in front of my face and held them there.

"Demon Pony, you ssssay?" I imitated the hiss of the desert demons. "Whatever makessss you think that...?"

The three fillies eyes widened with horror as my skin flaked away and my eyes started glowing dark red. "You think that sssssuch a nice pony like Applessssnacksss would have more hospitable friendssss." I leaned closer to the one with the bow and flicked my tongue over her eye. She screamed, causing my head to explode in pain, and as if that wasn't enough, it was split immediately after that by the unfortunately familiar bolt. I dropped the ponies, and was barely able to reapply my disguise before I blacked out.

"Hey Dad, can I ask a favor?" I said as my body approached a human sitting and looking at a strange, moving picture.

"Sure, what's crackalaken, Jimbo?" The human didn't take his eyes off the picture box.

"Dad."

"Yeah?"

"Never say that again."

The human looked at me. "...fine. So what did you need?"

"A ride."

"Where to?"

"Jessica's house, she wants me to meet her parents."

"Which ones that?"

"There's only one, Dad! Amanda and I broke up four days ago, Jessica's way better than she ever was."

"Didn't you say you loved her?"

"Past tense. She got... Clingy. Wanted to always be together, she even mentioned marriage once.. Come on, let's go."

I awoke to the sound of Applesnacks' voice shouting "-he's not a demon! Why in Equestria did you even think that in the first place?"

"Really, Applejack!" Applejack? I can't believe ponies can't even remember each others names. "He got all red eyed and his skin was coming off! And he licked Apple Bloom's eye! And her face earlier!"

"Now girls, this is just gettin' ridiculous. If you're worried about it, no, we are not dating Apple Bloom. He's just a stallion I met on the train, you don't have to try and protect me. And do you really expect me to believe his eyes turned red and his skin started peelin' off? Really?"

"No, Applejack, really, believe us! He's a monster in disguise!"

"Yeah, just like The Olden Pony, huh? Real monster that turned out to be."

This is tedious. I should leave.

"IT'S MOVING! RUN APPLEJACK!" three voices shouted in unison as I picked myself up.

"Shush!" Applesnacks glared at the three fillies until they shrank back. "Hey, sugarcube, sorry 'bout that, the girls, uh, well, to put it simple, they think you're a demon."

I laughed. "What a nonsensical notion!"

Applesnacks started laughing with me. "Well, I'm glad you can see the humor in it." She turned back to three fillies who were eyeing me with distrust. "Now, waddya' have to say to Mr. Silver?"

The one with the bow whined, "But Apppleeejaaaaaaaaaack, we're serious!"

"I asked you. What, do you have, to say?"

The one with the bow pleaded with her eyes, but Applesnacks gestured with her head towards me. Tedious. I started walking away.

"We're sorry Mr. Sil-HEY! He's running away!" the purple haired pegasus shouted when she looked up and noticed my absence.

"Runnin' away? You three, go, now, out of my sight."

Please don't follow me. Please don't follow me. Please don't follow me. Please don't follow me. Please don't follow me. Please don't follow me. Please don't follow me.

"HEY, WAIT UP!" ...damn...

I reluctantly stopped and waited for the orange mare to catch up. When she did, she cut me off again. "Look, I'm real sorry 'bout the girls. Don't take it personally, they don't know any better, and they just wanted somethin' to do. Celestia knows why they decided it was a good idea to attack you with sticks and knock you out. Just, they didn't mean nothin' by it. Now come on back, I still haven't given you any aspirin to help with that hangover."

She started back towards her house, but I put a 'hoof' out and grabbed her shoulder. "Applesnacks."

She tilted her head. "Applesnacks...?"

Is she really this impossibly stupid?! "Yes, you, Applesnacks."

"My name's not Applesnacks."

"...what?"

"It's Applejack."

"...since when?"

"Forever."

"..."

"Applesnacks," she rolled her eyes. "I shall be leaving."

"No, wait, Silver, look, if it's about the girls, they don't know any better! They was probably just bored, they didn't mean nothing by it!" Applejack explained while cutting me off another time.

I sighed. "Are you going to let me leave?"

"Not until I get you some Aspirin. And I'm still gonna help you make some friends."

"Why?! So you can force me into manual labor?"

"You melted the door handle! You don't melt other ponies door handles!"

Note to self: No melting door handles.

"What even is Aspirin?"

"And you don't even know what Aspirin is!" she proclaimed, exasperated. "Honestly, are you sure you live alone? Because there's no way someone like, like you, would survive ten minutes on their own! You had a hard time even remembering your own name on the train!"

"Are you implying that I am unintelligent?" I growled.

"And there you go, using big words and talking like your Royalty! You're like Twilight, but, even more, Twilight!"

"Twilight as in Princess Twilight Sparkle, the Element of Magic and the third unicorn to ever ascend to the ageless bodies of alicorns? The pony who defeated both Nightmare Moon and Discord the Chaotic wielding the Elements of Harmony along with the five other bearers? You're acquainted with Twilight Sparkle?"

"As a matter of fact, she's one of my best friends."

"Then, that makes you- no, that's not possible. Appplejack, the Bearer of Honesty? You must be jesting! The quote on quote 'incredibly strong' Element Bearer is a, a dirty farm dwelling, lowlife? When I was told farm, I assumed a lavish estate with servants! Not a stupid young mare with an old wooden cart!" I started laughing and fell to the ground, clutching me sides. "Please, please, please tell me you're not the Applejack," I gasped both for breath and in pain as my head continued to throb.

A hoof stomped, inches from my face, into the ground. I was startled, and stopped laughing. I sat up and wiped a single tear from my eye.

"Now listen here, Silver. I tried to make friends with you because you was lookin' lonely, I forgave you for being rude countless times over a single night and day, I offered to introduce you to not only my brother, but also my five amazin' friends. I've been nothing but kind to you, and all you've done is mock me. You're gonna apologize, then, you're gonna get off my farm."

I looked up at Applejack. She was glaring at me as though if she concentrated hard enough, she could bore a hole through my head. I smiled at her. "Aw, Applesnacks, did I finally get to you?" She ground her teeth together. "I'm so very sorry, sugarcube" I sneered, waiting for her to attack. She didn't. "Well, I've apologized, have I not? Farewell then!" I laughed and turned, one last time, away from Applejack, who was staring at the ground, shaking with what I assumed was either anger or frustration. Or both.

"One more thing."

I guess I'll humor her. I stopped and cocked an ear.

"Last night, when we were both drunk, when we went to bed, did anythin', happen?"

I rolled my eyes. "A lot of things happened that night, apparently. Be specific."

Applejack took a deep breath. "Did we, or did we not, uhm, you know, do it?"

I sighed. "I could maybe help you if you told me what you are wondering whether or not we did."

I glanced back at her, her cheeks were pink. "You know, like, we woke up spoonin'..."

"Correct, it appeared as though we did. Now spit it out, I'm waiting to leave."

"Didwehavesexornot?" she stared down at the ground.

"Really? That's your big question? Did we have sex?"

She didn't look up, just continued to stare at the ground.

"...maybe." She continued to tremble and stare at the ground. I started away.

Now, how in the Hive do I get to Ponyville from here?

The red pegasus thoughtfully rubbed his chin. "Well, now that you mention it, there was this one pony, pretty tall, grey mane and purple coat. I remember him 'cuz he just dropped a big ol' coin purse and left."

The deputy looked back at the group of stallions behind him. They all nodded affirmation. "Where was he headed?" the deputy of the town questioned.

"Well, lemme think here... I think.. In the morning..." the white stallion standing behind the deputy impatiently tapped his hoof.

When the teller continued to think for another minute, he cleared his throat loudly. "Listen, Mr...?"

"Fare, Fire Fare."

"Mr. Fare," the stallion said. "This is a matter of national Equestrian security. I am agent White Heat of the EIA. That purple pony is a rouge agent set upon destroying everything that the Royal Sisters stand for. That includes Canterlot, Appleloosa, and everything in between. The longer we have to wait, the further away from us he gets, and the closer he gets to putting everypony's life in danger. I'll ask you again. Where did he go?"

"Uhm.. It might've been," Fire Fare stuttered. "Ponyville! Yeah! That's it! I think..."

"Six tickets to Ponyville, Mr. Fare." White Heat demanded and dropped a rather large coin purse in front of the teller. "Leaving the platform in no more than five minutes."

"Seven tickets," Breaburn corrected. "I'm going with, this cha-" White heat jabbed Breaburn in the side. "-this pony needs to be put down."

"Alright Deputy, good luck!"

Fire Fare exited the small ticket box and ran over to the conductor of a small train that was restocking at the town. After a quick discussion and a transfer of money, the teller ran back to the group. "He said he'd take you, he's just gotta get enough coal for the trip before you leave."

"Excellent. Now, before we go, Mr. Fare. I need to make sure nopony, and when I say nopony I mean nopony, ever, gets word of this, understand?"

"Yes sir, Agent Heat!"

As they moved towards the train that would take them to Ponyville, Breaburn whistled. "That was some quick thinkin'. Secret agents, destroin' Canterlot, the EIA. You're a good liar, aren'tcha?"

"It was barely a lie at all"

Blasted heat, I've been wandering around for hours, I am sweating like a pig, and I have not even reached the edge of this detestable orchard! I walked to the base of a tree and slumped down beside it. Why did that stupid pony not tell me which way to go?

I lay down underneath the tree and stared up at the dead branches. As I had wandered, there was an increase in dead, brown trees accompanied by a decrease in live ones, which I attributed to Applejack and her inability to do anything right. Not only were her trees pathetic and shriveled, but they bore no fruit, and I was hungry.

I thought about continuing my walk through the maze of trees, but decided instead on meditating, after all, if I didn't every once and a while I would go insane. Changelings constant connections with others can cause them to lose track of what's theirs and whats another's memory, name, even body. However, as I retreated deep into my subconscious, I couldn't help but be caught up in the strange visions. The 'humans' looked like easy prey, with soft pink flesh and no claws or fangs. I wondered what they tasted like. Perhaps like ape, they seem similar in body shape to chimpanzees. When I find one, I shall have to try it. If it is anything like chimps, it should be delicious. Huh, listen to me, or rather, look at me. Lost in an apple orchard, starving, and chasing a creature down that I have only ever seen in random visions. Tempest probably thinks I am going feral... I probably am.

A bolt of pain took the momentary mental silence to sear its way through my head. I gritted my teeth, and an image imprinted in my mind as if on my retinas. A box. A blue box, that on the front read in a language I had never seen yet somehow could read, 'Frosted Flakes', with the subtext 'They're grreeeat!' and a picture of an tiger standing on it's hind legs. Eventually the pain faded, and I examined the box some more.

...I should probably just meditate.

I rose up from my mind and from the ground simultaneously as an ominous boom echoed overhead. Time to wander aimlessly until I reach a landmark... I wish I could just- I hit myself in the forehead, then shifted, trading my horn for a pair of hole filled silver wings, just so that is something saw me, they wouldn't assume I was the first male alicorn ever, although the prospect of being worshiped and loved by every pony in Equestria didn't seem all that bad. I would never have to hunt again. I lazily beat my wings, creating a soft buzzing. I rose into the air, past the tree tops, and about 20 feet above that.

Nothing. Just trees and hills. And trees. And a blue projectile with a rainbow streaking out behind it rocketing towards me.

Might be edible. I moved to intercept my potential meal. I greatly underestimated it's speed.

The impact was painful. I could practically feel my newly crafted internal ribs cracks. It was the blasting through tree branches and the slamming into the ground with a fully grown pony on top of me that really hurt though, tearing new, unnatural holes in my wings and gouging deep gashes in my back as we slid several feet.

Finally, we came to a stop as I slammed my head on a large boulder jutting out of the ground. I moaned.

"OHMYGOSHOHMYGOSHOHMYGOSHOHMYGOSHOHMYGOSHOHMYGOSHOHMYGOSH!" I felt the weight pull itself off of me. "OHMYGOSHOHMYGOSHOHMYGOSH," the female voice continued. She suddenly grew silent, and I felt a hoof prod my shoulder, which was apparently dislocated, because it hurt like tarturus and I gasped in pain. "OHMYGOSH YOU'RE ALIVE! I'm so sorry, I didn't see you when I was flying cuz you just popped outta nowhere and I was no 'NO I GOTTA STOP' but then I was going to fast cuz I'm training to be a WonderBolt cuz it's always been my dream but to be one I gotta do a lot of training so I was flying really fast and I did a sonic rainboom which is this thing where I go super fast and Twilight says I break the sound barrier and that's why it makes a big noise and- and oh my gosh I'm so sorry please be okay don't die!"

I ground my teeth together, fighting back a scream as I felt a hoof roughly lift my tattered wing. "OHNOOHNOHONHO I RUINED YOUR WINGS! THEY'RE ALL THIN AND FILLED WITH HOLES!"

I wanted to shout at her, I wanted to attack her, I wanted to rip her throat out and drink the blood flowing from it. But all I was able to do was get to work slowly sealing the deep cuts on my back so I wouldn't bleed out.

"OHMYGOSHOHMYGOSHOHMYGOSHWHATDOIDO? I can't leave him alone in the Everfree Forest but if I don't get help he'll die and I can't carry him cuz he'll just get hurt more!"

I opened one of my eyes and examined my prey gone predator. She was a light blue mare, with an odd mane that consisted of six colored stripes, one for each color of a rainbow. That explaines the rainbow. She was also very muscular, she didn't have bulging muscles, but was instead very lean. She looked quite delectable, to be honest. No fat to worry about, just lean plot to sink my fangs into. Or my reproductive stinger.

"YOUOPENEDYOUREYE!" she noticed me and yelled excitedly. "That's good! Good, now, uhm, blink once if you want me to stay with you and try to, uhm, fix you, or twice if you want me to go find help!"

I stared at her unblinking. "OHMYGOSH, ARE YOUR EARS OKAY?! IF YOU CAN HEAR ME," she leaned over me and shouted, "BLINK ONCE!"

Quit screaming you bloody fool! Mother, as if I wasn't in enough pain, you shall give me the umpteenth migraine today!

She was staring into my eye, looking for any twitches or attempts to blink. I blink, she talks to me more. I don't blink, she shall more than likely not stop talking.

"Ok, this is bad, this is very, very, very, very bad Dash. But you can do this," she said as she paced back and forth in front of me. "Just, gotta think of a plan. You can do that, Twilight does it all the time, and even if she is an egghead, she's not that much smarter than you. Just, think. Think. AAARGH," she stomped her hoof. "WHY IS THIS SO HARD!?"

"OHMYGOSH IDEA!" she suddenly jumped up and sped off into the forest.

Silence. Finally. I continued grafting the cuts on my back together for a minute before the pegasus burst through the foliage carrying pine branches.

"OK. I'M GOING TO COVER YOU WITH THESE BRANCHES, SO IF ANY DANGEROUS CREATURES COME ALONG, THEY WON'T SEE YOU!" she yelled before pulling a branch up to me and laying it across my body. By the time she had finished, I was completely buried in pine needles and the branches holding them. I closed my eye, pine needles were not on my list of objects I like to stare at while repairing my broken body and shattered bones. Only an idiot wouldn't be able to spot me, I'm surrounded by a pool of blood. "NOW NOTHING WILL FIND YOU, I'M GOING TO PUT A MARK ON THE TOP OF THE TREES AROUND YOU SO I CAN FIND YOU AFTER I GET HELP, OKAY?"I wonder if she realizes that yelling only increases the chances of my being found. "Alright Dash, so far so good, just find Twilight, and this guy'll be okay." I heard her grunt and the swoosh of wings, from the sound of it she didn't escape without injury either, as she lifted off and went to find somepony.

I give myself a one in ten chance of surviving this ordeal if the rainbow pony comes back. I continued to sew the sinews on my back together, although, from loss of blood, it was getting harder and harder to concentrate every second. After another minute, I was unable to continue repairing myself, and was forced to lie there as I continued to lose blood. It seems as though I'm going to die here. Detestable humans, luring me to a bloody, dishonorable death. Maybe I should just- With my last strength, I managed to change my wings to those of a pony. I would rather not have my corpse be danced on by ponies, as they would do upon discovering my true identity...

I sat there, wondering what death is like. Whether or not my mind could be preserved. Whether or not Tempest would ever conquer Canterlot. What that purple flash that penetrated my eyelids with its radiance far above me was and whose voices were descending from the sky. Perhaps Death, or God. If there is a god. No, that's not God, God isn't purple. Maybe Death is though. I felt a numbness as I was surrounded by a lavender aura and lifted into the air. Hello Death. Oh, look, Rainbow Pony is here too. She is crying. I bet she is crying because she knows that she will be banished to Tarturus for killing me. I hope that is why. OH. Look, white! Tarturus isn't white, oh, but Rainpony is here too. She is still crying. So Tarturus is white. All white. I rather like the decor. Especially the white pony. She has nice pink hair. I wanna look at it some more. But I'm so tired... I think I'll take a nap. Goodnight Rainpony!

Author's Note

27 days later. Or, something around 20 days, I just love that movie. And I still suck at coming up with names for the chapters. Related note: I'm not sure if I like this chapter, but it's been too long, I owe it to you guys to get this out before august. So, the day before is good enough I guess. Uhmm, lets see, oh right, I haz no edotor, so if anuone iz inerested un OK I can't even read what I just wrote. I edit my own stories, proofreading, all that good stuff, done by just myself, so if anyone is interested in helping me out, you'd get to read them before I post them, so, yeah, good stuff. And finally, thank again to everyone who's read, up-voted, favorited, and/or followed this story and me. Bia.

A Sudden Increase in Foes.

"Here we are, Apple Loosa," Bluewind swept his hoof through the air towards the growing city sprawled out across the countryside, "The oasis of the desert."

I scanned the city and it's surroundings. The 'desert oasis' was surrounded not by desert, but by a massive orchard on the East and West sides. On the far West side of the orchard a few small mountains capped with snowy peaks rose out of the ground. A strange, brown line cut through the desert to the South and passed through the city, emerging from the North end and disapearing into the distance.

"Thanks," I walked up to Bluewind and rubbed my 'muzzle' against his neck, "How can I ever repay you for such kindness...?"

His white face immediately started glowing pink as he sheepishly kicked at the ground. "Oh, it was really nothing Miss Shimmer. You don't owe me anything."

"Oh, but I simply must repay my debt to you," I used my 'hoof' to pull his face to mine, "How about a kiss?"

I could practically see the steam billowing out of his ears as I leaned closer to his lips. He closed his eyes and tilted his head, slowly leaning towards me. Time to end this charade.

I ducked under the unsuspecting stallion and forced my head into his chest, causing him to lose his breath and fall onto his side. His eye's widened as I placed a hoof on his neck. He was scared, confused, and I loved it. He managed to take in a small breath, so I pressed harder upon his neck, it's more fun when they can't breathe.

"Now, do you want a quick death, or shall I make it a bit more fun?" He tried to say something, to ask me why, why I was betraying him, why I planned on killing him, maybe to beg for mercy, maybe he just wanted to spit an insult a me. I didn't really care, but I pretended to, and leaned in. "What's that? You want that kiss I promised you? Very well, I owe you that much."

I drew saliva from the back of my throat and lifted his head to face me. As our lips met, I flicked my tongue, covered in sticky saliva, out and into his mouth. I glued his tongue to the roof of his mouth, his teeth together, and finally his mouth shut before breaking the kiss. I then let my saliva drip out of my mouth and glue his neck to the ground, releasing the pressure as I did so. Finally, I slowly lowered my mouth over his horn, causing him to shudder in excitement despite his terror. When I reached the base, I emptied my poison glands and slowly caressed it up and down the ridges of his horn, paralyzing the protrusion.

Satisfied he was well and truly unable to fight back, I reverted back to my majesty with a flash of silver flames. "How does it feel, Bluewind?" I spat his name like it was rotten meat. "How does it feel for the pony you were growing close to, to suddenly turn around and stab you in the back?" I levitated a small branch over and snapped it in half, creating two jagged points. I lifted the branch above him, then shoved it into his back, shredding his skin and snapping his spinal cord.

I leaned in close, "So, how does it feel?" He whimpered as best he good and pleaded to me with his eyes to spare his life.

"Well, you're not much fun, are you?" I kicked his upper torso, where he could still feel pain, "I expected at least a little resistance from such a big, strong stallion." I laughed as he closed his eyes and a single tear slid down his face.

"Well, I guess I should kill you now." With another flash, I transformed myself into Bluewind. "I think this'll hurt. A lot." I laughed at my near-perfect voice imitation, summoned a small flame, and set it upon his tail. It immediately burst into flames, and I watched as the flames crawled up his tail and to his flank. As the fire neared the spot where I stabbed his spine, he started whimpering again. When it consumed the branch and started working it's way up his neck, screams attempted to escape his sealed lips. I suddenly remembered his supplies, and snatched the pillow up from the ground where it had fallen when I tacked him. I put the fire eating at it's corner out, then placed it in my mouth and started walking towards Apple Loosa. My pillow.

As I entered the city, I felt a familiar sensation. Almost like, yes! There were scouts integrated into Apple city.Huzzah! Now I don't have to waste valuable time searching this city for an innkeeper.

My thoughts were interrupted by a voice from behind. "HEY! BLUEWIND! WAIT UP!" Splendid, just what I needed, a pony talking to me in a public place.

I glanced back to see a pale orange stallion with orange hair wearing a weird hat and leather vest galloping towards me. I sighed and turned around to face him as he neared.

"Howdy Bluewind!" He held out his hoof and I hesitantly shook it, "You didn't tell me you were gonna be in AAAAPLELOOSA!" As the pony said the name of the city he stood up on his rear legs and swiped at the air above him.

"Uhhhhh... Right," I dropped the pillow out of my mouth and levitated it to my back. Then I raised an eyebrow as I had seen Bluewind do so many times before, "And, might I ask, who are you?"

"Oh quit playin' with me Bluewind," the earth pony for some reason saw it fit to punch my shoulder lightly, "An' lemme show you all the new things that've been built since you last came!" He didn't wait for me to respond, and instead pushed me along at an impossibly fast rate until we were standing in front of a building with the word "Sheriff" on the front underneath a big silver star. That's a nice colored star...

"I know you've already seen my little slice of this city, but we just got that big ol' star painted on!" He once again pushed me at supersonic speeds. This time we stopped in front of a "Saloon" with double doors. "This here's the new saloon! Once I'm done showing you around, we can grab a drink and catch up!" He pushed me again through the city, before stopping in front of just the kind of place I was looking for, an "Inn". "Ol' AppleCore's inn! He's my grandmother's uncle's grandson's cousin's father's brother twice removed, and he bought the inn a few months back. Place is hoppin' now, they even got blueberry pancakes!" The pony once again moved to push me.

"NO! Wait!" He looked at me quizically.

"What's the problem partner?"

"I wish to speak with the innkeeper!"

"Well why didn't you say so! Let's go!" With that, the pony pushed me into the inn. We walked up to a bar, and I set my pillow down on a stool to use as a seat cushion. He waved the brown pony with a black mane behind the counter over, "Howdy AppleCore!"

"Well look who it is," the old pony sauntered over to us, "Deputy Breaburn, and who's this young fella you got with ya?"

Deputy Breaburn, that makes two names related to apples in this town called apple. I think I sense a theme.

"This here's Bluewind, a friend of mine," Breaburn explained, "He's always wanderin' the mountains, searchin' for his soul, ain't that right?"

"Yes, travelling across the land, searching far and wide," I confirmed.

"And he said he wanted to talk to you!"

AppleCore turned towards me, "So what did you need, whippersnapper?"

Whippersnapper...?

"Well, I'm looking for a pony," I stated.

"Well look no further! You just found two!" I tilted my head as Breaburn and AppleCore burst into laughter. ...ponies are just as puzzling as they are pathetic...

"Oh AppleCore you old coot," Breaburn once again thought it necessary to punch the shoulder of the pony he was addressing lightly. "You ain't lost it."

"Alright kiddo, I'm done messin' with ya though," the old pony suddenly became very serious. "Who exactly are you lookin' for? And may I be so inclined to ask you why you're lookin' for them?"

The pony's sudden mode change seemed a bit strange, but I ignored it and answered the questions. "I need to find the pony who visited this town and was talking about humans. Blu-I mean, a friend, told me that I should ask an innkeeper for help."

"Hoomans... eh?" AppleCore rubbed his chin thoughtfully, "Nope. Nothin'. Sorry."

I simply stared at the innkeeper. I risk my life fighting demons, seducing stallions, and putting up with this incredibly fast pony, just so when I reach the "Innkeeper", the old fool knows nothing about humans?! My eye twitched, then suddenly Breaburn and AppleCore burst out laughing again.

"Oh, AppleCore you gotta stop this," Breaburn said between gasps for air, "My sides can't take much more!"

I slammed my 'hoof' on the table, causing both ponies to look up in surprise. "I demand you tell me what is so amusing!"

They both just stared at me for a moment, before once again bursting into laughter. "Breaburn, this fellar's a hoot! You should date more guys like him!"

Now it was Breaburn's turn to get serious. "I told you, AppleCore, I'm not gay! I just haven't found the right mare yet!"

"Okaay, whatever you say!" The old pony giggled before turning back to me. "I'm just messin' with ya, Bluewind. I know you're straight." He leaned in and whispered to me, loud enough for Breaburn to hear, oddly, "Just be watchin' your backside when he's behind you. You can neeever be sure when he's gonna pounce."

Breaburn glared at the old innkeeper as he laughed at his own joke. "I'm sure Bluewind loves your jokes, old stallion, but I'm sure he would also love to hear about that mint colored pony who comes through here every year or so?" Breaburn nudged me and I nodded enthusiastically.

"Right, right, I was getting to that," AppleCore reassured the deputy. "Now, lets see, what was that cute little mare's name...? Ah, right, Lyra, it was. Lyra Heartstrings, real sweet girl, I tell ya, if you can look past the whole obsession with hoomans, that is."

"So you know her!" I exclaimed, "Where can I find her?"

"Uhmm... Let's see... it wasn't Canterlot, she's not stuck up enough for that... Not Dodge City, not enough hats for that... Was it, oh, yeah, now I remember! It was Ponyville! That's where she said she came from. Although, if you do go to Ponyville after this mare, be careful. Some craaazy happenings happen in Ponyville."

"Thank you, Applecore," I said, "Your help is most appreciated. I'll be taking my leave now." I stood up and retrieved my pillow.

"Yeah, sure thing," AppleCore. "Don't let the door, (or Breaburn's little willy), hit your tail on the way out."

Breaburn scowled at the old stallion as he chuckled to himself, then started following me out.

"So, it's getting kind of late," Breaburn started as I exited the inn and reached my mind out to the scouts. "How 'bout we go get a drink and catch up?"

"No." I don't have time to mess around with a pony. I shall rendezvous with the scouts, and then start heading to this Ponyville. I have a mare to meet.

Breaburn stopped following me and waved, "Cya later partner!"

I put on my best smile and waved back, "Cya, partner."

As soon as I had turned the corner, Breaburn started racing towards his office to get the sheriff.

He burst through the front door, causing Sheriff Silverstar to jump up out of his seat and pull out his gun. Seeing his deputy standing in the doorway, out of breath, he relaxed and holstered the weapon. "Breaburn, you damn near gave me a heart attack! What's the matter?"

Breaburn leaned on the doorframe and caught his breath before answering. "I've found a changeling."

You, over here.

A young stallion looked up from his beer as a voice entered his head. "Hey guys," he slurred, "I gotta g-hicgo... I saw a cute mare."

His group of friends all laughed and the one to his right patted him on the back. "Go get hurrrr..." The stallion smiled at his friend. "Goo-BELCHhuhuhuh... Good luck!"

The stallion stood up from the table and staggered to the door. He pushed the saloon's doors open and half-tripped half-walked down the short staircase to the road. As soon as he was out of site of his 'friends', he stood up straight and trotted over to a white stallion who was walking down the road.

Tell me how to get to Ponyville.

My liege! Is it really you? What are you doing so far from the hive without an escort?

Experimenting.

Of course, my liege. You wanted to get to Ponyville? May I ask why?

You may, but I shall not answer. Just tell me how to get there.

Of course, my liege. Follow me.

I complied, and the scout led my down the street to an abandoned building. He led me inside, and up the stairs into a bedroom. Inside the room, he opened up a pink wardrobe and stepped inside. I followed him through a narrow stairwell into a system of underground tunnels. We eventually reached a circular room with several cocooned ponies hanging from the ceiling. I set my pillow on the ground.

This is your base of operations?

Yes, my liege, give me a minute and I shall bring you some bits.

Equestrian currency? I presume? The drone and I both, in flashes of fire, changed back into our true forms and stretched our wings.

Yes, my liege. You shall need it for a train ticket to Ponyville.

Train... train... You mean the vehicles that ponies ride around in?

The very same, my liege. The drone opened up and small cabinet on the far side of the room and rummaged through it until he found what he was looking for. He brought me a sack filled with strange, flat, round peices of metal.

These are bits, then?

Yes, my leige.

And I give them to ponies for train tickets?

Yes, my liege.

Excellent. I shall be staying here for the night. Tell the others that your Prince is hungry.

Yes, my liege.

Satisfied that food was on the way, I hovered into the air to examine the ponies, trapping in literal globs of saliva and feces. I poked one of the cocoons and it swayed back and forth a bit. I chuckled.

"Freeze, varmint."

I widened my eyes in surprise as a gruff voice came out of one of the tunnels. I reached my mind out, lo and behold, the useless drone had gotten himself caught.

"Lower yourself to the ground, slowly now."

I scoffed. "And what happens if I refuse? You'll kill a single, useless drone?"

"Or we kill you," the voice was cold, like steel. No emotion, just a threat.

Time to do what changelings do best.

"And just how do you expect to kill an immo- BANG AAAAAAAAAARRRGH!" I cried as a bullet ripped through my shoulder and my wings seized up. I fell to the ground in a heap and held my leg over the hole in my skeleton which had been shattered where the bullet had gone through it.

"Like that." A grey pony lifted his gun into the air and brought it down on my head.

Mother, a scout from Apple Loosa is here with urgent news.

What does it want?

You would probably rather hear it yourself.

Fine, have him connect with me.

Queen Mother, permission Granted, hurry this up. I'm busy with an egg.

The Prince, he came to Apple Loosa. He was captured, and all of our identities were discovered.

...you mean to tell me that not only did that useless thing get himself captured, but he ruined the entire operation in Apple Loosa...?

Queen Mother, it wasn't the Prince's fault, we were all at fault. We weren't careful enough. Please spare our lives.

How about no.

I shall dispose of the body.

Yes you shall. Then send a squad of feral brutes to Apple Loosa. Kill Silver.

I awoke to a dull throbbing in my head and a numbness in my right foreleg. I attempted to lift my left leg and rub the shoulder, but found it bound with thick leather strap to the wooden arm of the chair I was in. I tried to lift my back legs, but they were bound as well. I glanced down at my right leg. It was covered in my green blood, as was the chair leg on which it rested.

"So, you're awake now, how excitin'," a familiar yet somehow changed voice came out of the darkness of the room. "I was worried you wouldn't for a bit there, it wouldn't be nearly as fun f you just died on us."

"I demand you release me from these bonds," I commanded. "If you comply, I may consider sparing your life."

A bright light suddenly shone in the dark room, temporarily blinding me. When I opened my eyes, Breaburn was standing a foot in front of me. "Well, sorry to break it to you, but you're in no position to be makin' demands."

"Then you leave me no choice, I shall burn this building and you to the ground." I tried to summon a fireball and launch it at the deputy, but a strange force blocked my power. I tried again, concentrating with all of my might on making a ball of flames materialize, but every time I tried to channel the energy to complete the spell, it was blocked like a tunnel clogged with drones. "What did you do to my magic?!" I screamed at Breaburn.

He laughed and sauntered over to the chair I was bound in. He lifted a hoof and tapped on the base of my horn, making an odd metallic click. "This bad boy right here. Magic inhibitor. Prevents you from channeling your power into a spell. Sheriff was worried it might not work on a changeling, but it looks like it he had nothin' to worry 'bout at all."

Breaburn backed away from me. "Now, why don't you start by tellin' me what you did with Bluewind?"

How could he possibly know that wasn't really Bluewind? "I know not of whom you are speaking of."

"Don't play dumb with me." I then noticed why his voice sounded different. When I met him, it was bright, cheery, excited to see his friend after so many moons. But now, it was... dark. Much more menacing and deadly then the old voice. "You, or one of your friends, were pretendin' to be Bluewind. So I ask you, what did you do with him?"

"How the hive did you see through my disguise...?" I stared at the ground in front of me. "It was perfect, my voice and the body. Not a single flaw in my imitation, how did you see through it?!"

Breaburn struck me, snapping my head sideways and causing a hairline crack in my skeleton. "I'm askin' the questions."

"And I wish to kno-" he struck me again.

"You really wanna know? Well, for one thing, Bluewind was my friend. It's not that hard to see through a disguise when you act nothing like him. Now tell me, what did you do with him?"

I started laughing. A soft, light chuckle, that grew into a loud, maniacal cackle. The fire that consumed Bluewind's body burned in my eyes. "Oh, you have no idea how much I enjoyed burning him!"

Breaburn recoiled, "B-bu-burning?"

I smiled as I imagined his muffled screams when the fire reached his upper body. "Oh, yes! IT. WAS. MAGNIFICENT! He was so terrified! Whimpering and cowering like a child! And when I severed his spi-"CRACK

My head snapped to the side and the hairline crack spread further across my face. I turned back to Breaburn and smiled at him, "Well, look at little bitty Breaburn, standing up to the big, bag, cha-"CRACK

The hairline spread further and grew wider. "Oh, I almost felt that one! Go ahead, HIT ME AGAIN!" CRACK

Breaburn hit me again, and again, the cracks in my face spreading and my skeleton threatened to shatter with each blow. I soon grew tired of his rage, however, and decided to spice things up a bit. I summoned my power to change shape. The inhibitor had no affect since I wasn't projecting the energy, so I had no trouble changing my appearance to match that of Bluewind. Breaburn was still striking me as I changed, his eyes brimming with salty tears.

"Breaburn... why...?" I asked in Bluewind's voice. "Why did you do this to your- *cough* -friend?"

The blows stopped. Breaburn wiped the tears from his eyes and looked at the cracked and bloodied face of his friend. He held up his hooves and looked down at them in horror. He backed up until he hit the wall, then slumped down onto the ground.

"Are you all done, then?" I changed back to myself and asked the deputy. "Got all that anger and frustration out? I imagine it's quite horrible, knowing that your friend met a horrible and painful fate and there's absolutely nothing you can do about it?"

Breaburn was silent for a while. I yawned. He sat there.

"Well, this is boring. Mind letting me out?"

He continued to stare blankly at the ground.

"Oh come on Breaburn, you are a deputy, right? There are still changelings out there, I can help you find them if you release these bonds."

Breaburn still did nothing.

"Oh for the hive's sake! Do something you useless sac of flesh! You want other ponies to have to deal with what you are? I know it probably hurts, but there are creatures out there who care not of ponies and their feelings of attachment! It had happened before, and if I have anything to do with it, it will happen again. The only thing you can do is rise up and either end me or release me. Oh, and have you seen my pillow?"

Breaburn finally stood up. He walked towards he lamp and turned off the lamp. He turned away from me and opened the door.

"Hey, you can not leave me here! I have matters to deal with you coward!"

Breaburn exited the room.

Well. Damn.

"What's in it for us?" the largest of the changelings in the small cell asked.

"Freedom, once the Prince has been killed, Queen Mother will allow your families to leave the hive with you," Tempest replied.

"Ha, what, do you expect us to just take your word on that? As soon as we're gone she'll probably kill our families!" He challenged.

"What other choice do you have? Do you honestly think you have much longer to live anyways?"

"...give us a minute to discuss," the largest retreated to the back of the cell and huddled with his peers. They whispered to each other for a while before he turned back to the Princess. "We accept your offer, on one condition."

"You are in no place to bargain, deserter," Tempest narrowed her eyes at the brute. "But let me hear this condition."

"You let our families go and allow us to escort them somewhere far, far from here."

"Unacceptable," Tempest replied. "You take the deal or you refuse it. No bargaining, no terms, no conditions. You do what we ask you the little one gets it." She nodded at an infant changeling sitting on his mother's back.

"You wouldn't dar-" The brute was cut off by a magical blast that soared past his head and struck the infant changeling. It flew off its mother's back and, with a sickening crack, slammed into the far wall. Blood flowed freely from its head as it collapsed in a small head at the base of the wall. The mother rushed over to her child and attempted to stop the bleeding.

"You were saying?" Tempest smirked as the changeling rushed over to his mate to help the small insect.

"YOU BITCH! YOU MIGHT HAVE KILLED HIM!" he screamed at her.

"Oh, that did not succeed in killing him? Shall I finish him off then?" her head tilted to the side as her horn glowed a bright orange.

"NO! No! We'll do it!" the changeling cried. "Just leave our families alone!"

"Good, you are to leave immediately. There are supplies at the exit if the tunnel, along with a drone stocked with food for your journey," Tempest unlocked the cell door and beckoned for the changeling. He and his friends cautiously walked by her and into the tunnel. "Bring us proof of his death, and your families are free to go."

I strained again against the leather straps, with no results. I tried to use magic to break them, but once again, the ring on my horn prevented me. I tried reaching out to drones within the city in the hope to use their bodies to free myself, but my mind was blocked by a barrier identical to the one blocking my magic.

This is but a minor setback. I can escape. A simple chair shall not hold me any longer.

I shifted my weight to the right, then to the left, then back to the right again. I continued doing this, causing the chair to rock back and forth. Soon enough I had enough momentum to shift to the left and make my chair fall onto the ground.

Huzzah! The should weaken the chair's structure enough to break it! Now to just...

I struggled against the straps, trying to pull the legs and arm off of the chair. Nothing budged, nor gave signs of weakening.

In hindsight, this was never really a good idea.

It was then that another bolt decided it was a good time to add to the throbbing in my head by ravaging my thoughts. I cried in pain for a second, before I fell unconscious and slumped in my chair.

"Hurry up, slowpoke!" a female voice called through the darkness. "We'll never make it in time if you keep moving like a snail!"

"AAAAH! It's so far!" my voice called back. "How much left have we got to go?"

"Only another six miles!" the voice cheerily stated. "Now come on, James! Pick those feet up!"

"Six more?" I cried in disbelief. "Amanda, I can't make it that far!"

"One step at a time, come on!"

"Oooohhhh, Mother my head hurts..." I attempted to reach up and rub my temples to alleviate the pain. "Oh, right, I'm stuck."

I sat there in the chair tipped onto it's side, thinking about the strange voices in my head. There's absolutely no doubt in my mind that that was MY voice, but what the hell is an Amanda? And I do not recall ever saying anything remotely similar to that. Not to mention the fact that six miles is nothing! Perhaps... Perhaps Amanda something to do with humans. I shall just have to ask the Lyra Hearstrings of Ponyville.

I once again struggled against the bonds, hoping that maybe I would be able to break them after resting for a while, but received the same results as always, the straps did not give at all.

If I could only use my magic! But this damnable ring is preventing that! If only I could just mak-wait. Mother I had no idea I was this moronic.

I focused my energy and transformed my body, turning my body into that of an earth pony. As my horn disintegrated in a silver flame, the ring clattered onto the ground and rolled across the floor. I quickly changed back, and channeled my energy into a small ball of flames.

Huzzah! It actually worked! Those ponies can't hold me for long!

I dispelled the fireball and set my sights on the strap. A silver aura manifested itself into a blade and sliced the left and right straps, then the straps binding my legs. No longer held in place, I awkwardly slid onto the ground and stretched my limbs. My right foreleg was numb, so much so that I could barely control it, but the rest of them, aside from being stiff, were fine.

I leaned down and snatched up the magic inhibitor in my teeth, emptied out one of my poison glands, and used my tongue to push the ring into it. This is mine now. I glanced back at the chair, and it burst into flame. Satisfied, I limped to the door.

Breaburn had not bothered to lock it, so I was able to quietly slip out and into an area marked "Cell Block A". It was a large room, two floors, lined with barred off rooms. Most of them were empty, but I noticed a few ponies sleeping on small cots.

"Oooooh, yeah, suck it you little bitch!" a voice moaned from above me. Curious, I slowly lifted off the ground and hovered up to the second floor above me. The voice continued to moan things such as "Take it all in, take it all" and "Oh Tartarus, don't fucking stop". I followed it to a cell containing two stallions, one of them was kneeling in front of the other. The didn't notice me, as the one standing over the other and moaning had his eyes closed and the kneeling one was facing away from me.

What in the hive's name are they doi-oh. That's strange, I didn't know stallions did that with each other.

Satisfied in my discovery about Equestrian culture, I turned away and hovered down back onto the ground floor. Not wanting to stress my right foreleg, I continued to hover as I moved towards the door at the far side of the cavernous room. I found it to be locked, so I quickly melted said lock and continued through. As I reached a turn in the tunnel, a bright beam suddenly turned it and blinded me for a moment.

"Eh, WHAT?! THE CHANGELI-" the unicorn didn't get to finish, as I leapt onto him and ripped his throat out. I lit the body and continued down the cement tunnel.

I encountered a few more ponies, but I managed to kill most of them before they noticed me. After an hour of wandering through the tunnels, I managed to find a staircase leading upwards. I hovered up it and out of the smoke filled tunnels.

There were a few ponies at the top of the staircase, but two quick bolts of energy silenced them, and a hungry flame silenced one of them for good. The other, I stripped of his clothes and disguised myself as him. He was a red unicorn with a buzzed blue mane and short tail. I donned his outfit and let the flames consume him before exiting the room.

The tunnel changed from cement to wood, and windows started appearing, letting in the soft moonlight and casting shadows throughout the short tunnel and surrounding rooms. I exited the building, and sent my mind out the small band of scouts I felt were still in the city.

One of you, bring me enough currency to purchase a train ticket to Ponyville. Then take me somewhere I can rest without disturbances.

My liege! We couldn't detect you! You are alive!

And I need a place to rest.

Yes, my liege.

Author's Note

Will Prince Silver be able to afford a train ticket? Will he figure out that most stallions don't actually participate in oral sex on a regular basis? Will he ever stop being so possessive? Find out next time, on The Silver Prince!

Whoo, I did a chapter. I also decided to remove the comedy tag (as it isn't funny at all anymore) and add a gore and sex tag (there was only one suggestive scene, so far mwuahawhwahawu). But anyways, tell me what you think. If you liked it, I'd appreciate if you hit the button that says you liked it, if you disliked it, I'd appreciate it if you stayed the fuck away from the dislike button. (Oh, and if you don't mind, post a comment telling me why you didn't like it so I can strive to improve my horrible writing skills)