Drifter

"You failed the mission!  All you had to do was go in and get the captured changelings but you failed!  I can't believe you even came back to report to the board about your failure!  Your squad is a complete disgrace to this organization and have made a laughing-stalk of our race!  If I were aloud to I would throw all of you out myself but the rest of the council and committee have to make a vote on your states and let me tell you mine is to have your squad skunked!"  The Queen of the orange hive had finished her rant and had sat back down in her chair rubbing her temples.  The others in the room diverted their eyes back onto me and my squad expecting us to defend ourselves.  But for some reason it felt like my tongue had been cut out and I couldn't speak.  Luckily Shard spoke up when the rest of us wouldn't.

"Your Majesty we understand your anger and displeasure with us for not returning with the captured members of your hive but have good reason not to.  You see we found that they were never even at the target location but were in fact sold off right away to another by the name of Silent Root.  The transaction paper is being decoded as we speak so that we can gather additional information to the board and return your hive members as soon as potable.  We truly wish that you would reconsider your opinion on our status and let us return those stolen from you ... you majesty."  He said as he then bowed his head and step'ed back to his place in formation with the squad.  There was small chatter between the Queen's and other hive representatives but was stop'ed as a Representative of orange spoke for the Queen.

"Our Queen has heard your response and simply wish's you to hurry for among the stolen from the hive was her daughter."  He sat back down and looked around for his Queen who had left the room when he started to speak.

The small chatter again as the changelings spoke in hushed whispers to one another and pasted notes from Queen to Queen.  This went on for a total of ten minuets before the council keeper slammed his hoof on the table, the room fell silent.  Every'ling in the room looked in his general direction even the queens turned to look.  He slowly rose from his seat for he was very old and rearing the end of his term as keeper.  He then spoke with an old and scratchy voice.

"Queens of the hives have you agreed on a statement?"  All nine of them nodded their heads and a Representative of theirs brought the Keeper a small peace of paper.  He looked through the papers slowly and Calmly  showing no hint to our fate.  He looked up from the small pile of paper's and looked straight at us.

"The board and council have both agreed that squad 15 of the mixed hives special forces is being disbanded do to their failure to retrieve an  essential asset of the orange hive.  The information that they have gathered will be given to the next squad to take and use to help them on their mission.  The members of squad 15 are to gather all of their belongings from their barkers and return to their hives of origin.  From there they are to await orders from the board about being restated but until further notice squad 15 is decommissioned."  He slammed his hoof on the table again making it finale.  Every'ling in the room stood up and bowed after that it was a disorganized mad scramble to get out of the room and out of the way.  I walked as quickly as I could out of the room before being trampled by the large crowd behind me.  None of us liked being in a small confined room for a large period of time the room had no venting so the temperature rose quit fast.  I looked to my right right and watched as a flood of changelings pored out of the room some panting.  I then turned to leave as I no longer had a choice of staying.  I decided to take my time walking back to the barracks and look at some of the bleak and lifeless decorations that littered the hall.  I really wasn't like our kind to be very fancy but this was as good as it got.   I let out a sigh as I reach the room that I had hated but now didn't want to leave.  I opened the door and found that all of my things had already been packed for me except my armor and weapons.  I let out another sigh as I put on my armor and garbed my weapons so it would be easier to carry.  I then left the room and also my home....

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Walking that's all that I have done now.  Two whole months have past since my squad was disbanded and I've been walking since.  I gone to five of the hives and asked for refugee but they turned me away.  I already knew this would happen for I had tried before and had gotten no where.  The hives don't want to take me on for I am of purple decent and taking pity on one is seen as weak by most Queens so they turn me away.  I'm so tired and am so weak to continue for much longer.  I have decided to try and hide in some pony city I believe its named Canterlot but I forgot it hurts to think right now.  I now sit in one of its many ally's and cower near a fire for warmth like some damned grub.  Their are a few others around the fire as well and are very kind to me for some reason.  They sat they are homeless like me but with so little to their names they are eager to share and help others.  I like these pony's and have even shared my true identity to them and they still accepted me as their own.  In the ally-way that I now called home with these pony's there where five of us.  there was a light green earth pony with a black and green main named or we called him just green.  He said to call him that because he wanted to try and forget his past ... I know how he feels with that.  Also there were two twin sisters named Berry and the other Bliss. they where both Pegasuses and the only difference between them was their eye's.  Berry had a dark blue while Bliss a very unique purple and blue mix.  Then their was Clearest who used to be one of the high noble's of Canterlot until she was crossbreed by her son so he could have her fortune.  She was very old, very kind and, very white, it was hard to tell her from the fresh snow on even the best of mornings.

"Whats the matter Nightshade hungry again are we"  Said Bliss with a sly smile trying to break the endless silence around the fire.  I blinked my eye's and adjusted my position as I was dragged out of my thought.

"Hmm um no, no I'm fine just tired and was thinking to myself."  I said putting a smile on my face as I looked back at her.  She too smiled before going back to her spot and looking through the donation's from the locals.  Also known as the trash that they thew at us so we would leave them alone not bother their more important live's.  Silence took control once more as none of us wanted to talk it was far to cold to go out and scavenge since it was snowing you couldn't even see ten feet in front of you.  There was a loud clanking sound behind me and I turned back to see that three pony's had entered the ally and was making their presence known.

"Well look at this guy's I think we found ourselves the lowest point in the entire city."  The three of them started to laugh while every'ling / everypony in the group stared at them with pure hate in our eye's.  These three had been bothering us for some time and where really starting to get on our nerves.  But their acts on us has been getting more violent every time.  Last we meet they Beat up green and tried to rape Berry.

"So guys what are we going to do for fun today?  Said one

"Maybe we should beat on them again and teach them a lesson for not being worth a crumb under Celestia's hoof?

Said another

"Or we could just kill them..." The other two looked at the last one to speak and gave him an evil glare before continuing their advance on us.

"Just leave us alone you three we haven't done anything to you so why do you keep bothering us?"  Said Green

"Because we can and it's so much fun!"  With that the stallion picked up a rock and threw it at Green and hit him in the head.  There was a loud creak and he fell to the ground blood trickling from his skull.  Berry and Bliss started to scream and ran to the end of the ally for cover White did the same but much slower.  I stayed sitting looking at Green and watching the small pool of blood form around his head.  I slowly stood up and turned to see a hoof make contact with my face.  I fell backwards and landed in the fire.  I let out a loud yelp as my wing got caught by something and it felt like some'ling just tore it off.  I got up as quickly as passably and threw of my cloak for it had caught fire and stared at the three stallions who where now frozen still see what I was.  I was still wearing my armor and still had my weapons as well so not to loss them and this was the first time that it had tactfully helped me.  I started a steady pace walking towards them but took off my weapons so not to get in more trouble then necessary.  The first one threw a punch at me I moved my head to the left and dogged it, quickly grabbing and breaking his arm.  He fell to the ground crying in pain.  The second one hit me in the chest and the third came and bucked me, I flew back in response.  One of them jumped on top of me before I could get up and punched me profusely in the head.  I gave him an uppercut and kicked him in the groin then pushing him off me.  I then went to the last of the three and he punched him multiple times in the head and chest.  I landed one final punch to his jaw and he fell to the ground.  I then turned and went to check on Green.  He was still unconscious but it seemed that the bleeding had stop'ed.  I used my magic to gently pick him up and set him on my back.  I looked over to the end of the ally and saw the three mare's looking at me with concerned eye's.  Berry and Bliss quickly ran up to me.

"Nightshade is he ok?"  Asked Bliss.  I gave a blank look before answering.

"I don't know Bliss but I do know he has a concision and needs to go to the hospital."  She looked at me with wide eye's then she softly spoke and it was hard to hear.

"Please put him on my back I will take him to the hospital.  It's to dangerous for you to go and you don't even know where it is."  I let out a sigh and moved Green from my back to her's.  She shuddered under his weight at first but quickly got used to it and headed out at a quick pace.  I turned my attention back to the three stallions and noticed that only one was still there but was limping away with his broken leg.  I then went to the back of the ally and joined Berry and White but collapsed before I got there.  They ran over to me to see if I was ok but I didn't respond for I was being engulfed by darkness.  My vision was fading on and it was far colder then I remembered.  I no longer had the will to keep going for I was to tiered to even try.  I then slipped into darkness.

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My head hurt and so did the rest of my body but I didn't care for I was now warm.  I couldn't see anything but felt the sensation that something was covering my eye's.  I went to remove it with my hoof but I couldn't move it very far for something was stopping me.  I kept trying and noticed that there was a jingle of chains as I tried to move and figured  that I was restrained.  I then noticed that there was some'ling or most likely somepony talking to another.  I tried to listen in to their conversation but couldn't make out anything important for they were talking about some sort of ice cream.  I then heard whoove steps coming closer to me and started to panic do to natural instinct for I was once captured and tortured before.

"Wow there buddy its alright I'm not going to hurt you."  Said a voice followed by a small chuckle.  I felt the something be taken off of my face and the darkness was replaced by a blinding light.  I hissed in response to the sudden brightness and shut my eye's hard.  There was another laugh from the pony that had taken ti off of my face.  I slowly opened my eye's and saw that I was in a hospital of sum sort and the pony standing before me was some sort of doctor to my understanding.  I then noticed that there was two guards in the room as well watching me and waiting for me to do something stupid most likely.  I looked back at the doctor pony for he was tapping on the bed to get my attention.

" Well good morning, I was starting to wonder how long it would be before you woke up.  I am going to be your doctor while you are here at the hospital and these two lovely gentalcolts are your guards.  Sorry to babysit you and all but we have to be sure that you wont do anything to harm somepony here.  But besides all of that may I ask you what your name is?"  He said with a warm smile on his face.  I looked around the room again and tried to see if there was anything that they would use to try and hurt me or something along those lines.

"Nightshade"  I said still looking around the room.

"Well then Nightshade may I ask what it is you are looking for?"  He said laughing again.  I looked at him blankly before answering.

"I'm looking for what your going to use to torturer me."  The doctor and the two guards all started to laugh at me.  I looked at them with confusion and they stopped laughing when they realized that I was being serious.

"Nightshade your here because you blacked out from both physical and mental exhaustion and you were starving.  A young mare brought you in and left you here she said that you had been protecting them and there was enough evidence to back up her story.  The reason that there are guards here is because everypony just feels a lot safer with you being watched.

But you have been unconscious for three days and we had you secured because we didn't know how you would react when you woke up let alone when."  He then started to untie me.  When he was done I jumped off of the bed that I was on (or table whatever it was).  It took me a little while before I could get my balance and tied to walk around a little bit.  In doing so I managed to fall several times and knock over three table tray things that they used to hold tools and such.

"Nightshade I think it best that you rest and come back and lie down."  Said the doctor.  I looked over to him and managed to fall down doing so then scrambling to get back up.

"No!"  I said starting to walk for the door.  The doctor quickly cut me off so I couldn't leave.

"Nightshade listen I may not know very much about you and you culture but what I do know is that you are very sick and that you need to stay here and rest at least for another day ok."  I looked at him and thought about what he said for a moment.

"Listen doctor I know that you mean well but you truly don't know anything about me.  I cannot stay here and seeing how my presence is known throughout the building and maybe even the city those who want me dead my come here and try to kill me.  They don't care what they have to do to get me as long as they do.  They will kill everypony in this damn city if they have to!  Now please give me my items so I may leave."  The doctor took a few steps back before speaking.

"Are you saying that you know of an attack that is coming to our city?"  I looked at the doctor stupidly and tried to explain it to him again but maybe he would understand me this time.

"No that's not what I said but if I stay here any longer that might happen because others are already after me!"  He still didn't seem to understand what i was saying and started to panic so he ran out the door yelling for assistance I then felt a pain in my neck and looked to see that  one of the guards had ejected me with something.  I felt light headed and soon blacked out once again.