Sit. A special changeling

Sit looked at the dead body of the first changeling he put trust into, the one he could nearly call a friend. And he felt a pain somewhere in his mind about seeing him dead. No one else felt something like this. Blade felt fear as he looked at the royal guard above the corpse of the changeling who could even beat him. Facet felt the same way but also a little sorry for Black. Brat just figured it would be hard to win against the guard when they were separated and just hoped the others would step in first. And someone did.

Venom jumped down right after the guard had finished his question. The guard looked surprised but Venom just said in his emotionless voice

"Begin to count. I want this to be over soon.." He stands some steps away from the guard and looks him directly in the eyes. The guard somehow felt a slight shiver running down his back and making his wings vibrate.

"Hmm... What is your name drone? And don't worry. I already started counting as soon you entered the pit." the guard shook his head. It was impossible for him, a royal drone, to be afraid of someone who didn't even make it to the seventh or atleast sixth hall.

"Venom. And if you already started." Venom suddenly charged at the drone, who was caught by surprise. He bit him in the hoof he blocked with and pulled back then.

The guard looked confused but suddenly he felt a burn in his leg and knew what happened. he didn't hesitate for a second and ripped out his own leg.

Blood gushed out and the guard felt dizzy but he knew there wasn't enough poison to kill him. But he started to shiver slightly as he looked at Venom, who just stood there and looked at him emotionless. The he started another attack but this time the guard was prepared and used his wing to jump back and escape Venom this time narrowly. But Venom didn't stop, he kept attacking and he managed to land another bit but he didn't manage to penetrate the scales of the guard. And did just leaves scratches.

In the meanwhile the guard had stopped bleeding and soon everyone realized that he also wasn't someone normal. If he would have stood still everyone could have really seen his leg growing back but like her moved only Facet could see it entirely. But when soon the leg was tall enough that he managed to stand on it everyone saw it.

The royal drone smirked and regained confidence. He even attacked Venom be he just evaded swiftly and bit the drone again. But this time in the side.

The drone stumbled and his legs began to shake. But a few seconds later he stood calm again. A faint expression of surprise and anger rushed over Venom’s face but disappeared nearly immediately

"I see. You adapted to it." Venom knew that his poison like it was now wouldn't have any effect on the guard. And he knew he needed longer to create a new poison then the fight would last. But wait...Wasn't the fight already over? And indeed the drone made no attempts to attack Venom anymore.

"Time is off. You passed." He grinned and relaxed. Still Venom didn't take an eye off him before he had left the pit. Then he relaxed a little.

"Next one." Nobody moved. The royal drone made a move and one of his comrades pushed Blade down. He was surprised but managed to land on his hooves.

The royal drone smirked and waited until the changeling before him readied himself. Then he made a step forward and enjoyed the faint shiver that ran through the body of Blade.

"Hey kid. Why you not just surrender... Or do you wanna end up like that pile of plates over there?" he points on Black's body who still laid around. Blade Swallowed dry and thought for a few moments before he lowered his head.

"Y-yes... You are right... I surrender" The royal drone smirked wider and shook his head. he still walked towards Blade who started to back away slowly.

"Pitiful.. Go on. Run away you little coward." Blade nodded and flew away in panic. He felt no shame. He just was relieved that he survived.

That left only three to go and only two more spaces in the group of five at all. Arcane had gotten up in the meanwhile and had managed to teleport himself out of the pit, letting the royal drone and the dead body of Black in the pit. Venom was standing next to Sit, who was just laying on the ground.

"Come on... I want a fight. That right now was no fun. I hope I get a good fight and maybe a kill." He grins wide and walks slowly around in the pit like an animal, ready to jump its prey. As no one entered he sighed disappointed.

"Throw in the next one. One of the twins. That will be my last fight then I guess." he waved at the other guards and two of them pushed down one of Brat. It was impossible to tell which one. The other Brat stood at the edge of the pit and looked concerned at his brother. Then he closed his eyes. Now both of their minds were totally concentrated on the one in the pit. That way he would be able to react much faster and wasn't distracted by what his brother saw.

Both enemies circled each other before the royal drone attacks. it was a fast attack and it was strong but Brat was able to react to it, thank to his two minds. He managed to block it but got thrown back and crushed against the wall and his wings got damaged

Brat groaned a little in pain but had no time to relax as the drone still pressed further onto him, aiming for his head.

He missed nearly and barely scratches Brats face. Brat had dodged just good enough and now hit from below against the royal drone but that one jumped back and so Brat missed as well Then he feels a little burn at the side of his face. Even if the hit barely touched him, it was still strong enough to make a crack in Brats shell.

The royal drone smirked and rushed towards Brat and clashed into him while he was at the wall. At least he planned so. Brat, who had saw that attack coming managed to drop just in the moment as the drone reached him. So the drone just crashed into the wall and made a huge crack into it. But Brat didn't leave that situation unharmed. As soon the drone noticed that he had missed him he stomped on what he felt at his legs and crushed Brats hind leg

He whimpered out loud and pulled away as good  as he was able to.  He managed to free his leg but it was in a terrible shape. The plates were broken and shards were standing away from where the drones hoof had crushed his leg.

He whimpered and crawled backwards, away from the royal drone that smirked and made a fun with slowly following him until Brat had crawled through the entire pit and pushed himself against the wall. He still whimpered in pain and dragged a trail of green blood behind him. Now he tried to push himself through the wall behind him but he couldn't.

He closed his eyes and waited for the final blow. But it never came. He just felt that someone lifted him up and then he heard wing sounds before he got dropped hard. As soon the one brother had closed his eyes the other one opened his and saw how the royal drone lifted him up chuckling and throw him down to the ground as soon they were out of the pit.

"Thanks to your amusing, pitiful crawling and whimpering i let the time pass and that saved your life, you little scum." he chuckled more and looked over to facet.

"You next small changeling. The other one will be just as strong I fear... And that would be boring. So you gonna entertain me a last time..." He jumps back into the pit but facet remained where he was and just shook his head

"i give up. I can't fight you. I know that better then everyone else." he didn't feel shame. That was something foreign to changelings. He just accepted that he would have to life here from now. And most likely die soon but for changelings every second they were alive counted.

The royal drone sighed but that was exactly what he expected. He already knew that he had already his last fight and had enjoyed the amusing sight he got when Brat was crawling over the ground in fear.

"Fine then. So you others... The ones that can walk follow me. The others" He made a gesture with his hoof and two royal drone stepped by and lifted up Arcane and Brat.

"Get carried for now. So let's go." he turned around and attempted to leave as Facet spoke up, what was

surprising.

"May i have a second to talk with Sit before he leaves?" He stood there and know he could die for this but something inside of him told him to do what he was about to do.

Sit looked surprised and the royal drone frowned but nodded. So Sit followed Facet and they walked over to Blade, who sat at a stone and thought about how to get to the next floor once everyone else was away. Facet turned around to Sit and did something that shocked him a little. Sit stared at Facet in disbelieve as he ripped out one of his facet eyes and held it toward Sit.

"Take it. We changelings can trade body parts as you know. I don't need it anymore. Take it and split it up. that way you should have five hundred eyes...per eye" he just handed it over to Sit who hesitatingly took out his own eyes and split up the facet eyes he just got, putting them into the now empty eye sockets of himself. Green blood ran down his cheeks like tears and he needed a few minutes until the eyes hat adapted to his body and as he opened his eyes he was overwhelmed by the way he saw the world.

It was different from how it was when he looked through Facets eyes. It weren't hundreds of small images. It was like seeing an entire picture but so much sharper. he could see nearly every dirt crumble around, even if they were steps far away. He saw the fine lines in the plates of Facet infront of him, who looked at him with his one remaining eye. And Sit saw every single eye in Facets face.

he needed another few minutes until he had accelerated to the new sight and as he finally got used to it he walked to facet and did something no changeling ever did to another changeling out of real sympathy he hugged him shortly and it felt very strange for both. But both knew that ponies did it and that it was supposed to be something good, so they just went through it fast and didn't speak a word. Sit just wanted to leave as Blade stood up and walked towards him. He looked determined.

"Take this one as well I can live without them for a few days i think." he took one of his wings and pulled it out, letting out a small whimper and then he pulled out the other. He needed much force and it hurt but he also got pushed by something inside of his mind that he couldn't point out.

Sit looked surprised at him and quickly took the wings, appreciating the gift he just. So far he had never thought about getting wings from the bodies he took over. He scolded himself in his mind about that but then smiled faintly as he turned his back liquid and put the wings in place. then he connected muscles and nerves around them. he took nearly five minutes until everything perfectly fit and the first time in his life he flapped wings. it was strange.

He had seen how to do it but never tried it himself. He moved them fast and created some wind, that pushed dirt away before he jumped up a bit and hovered for a few seconds in the air. Then he landed again. He had felt that h would need much, much training until he could fly as everyone else.

"Thank you Blade. I don't know what to say... To you too Facet... I will treasure them for sure" Both looked confused at him for his strange, grateful reaction. Thanking someone was another thing changelings never did.

Sit turned around and walked to the inpatient waiting guard, not looking back. He felt another thing changelings never felt. Guilt.

he knew they would die before the day was over. But it was just a very faint sting in his mind and he couldn't know what it was. But something prevented him from looking at them again. And so he left Facet and Blade alone. With hundreds of murderous changelings, who only waited for the royal drones to leave.

"You took way to much time. But I see that it was worth the waiting." The royal drone grinned and turned around, heading for the exit of the halls.