The grass made no sound to announce Shirei as she drew closer and closer to the illuminated pattern – and the ponies on it. She would never have imagined herself going this way. Not of her own, free will.
The dark-red stallion had thrown his cloak off, revealing the strange lines covering his body. They were sporadically glowing in one place or another, making him appear as a walking, shimmering web against the spreading darkness. Was there even a Cutie Mark below all that? Shirei couldn't tell. She might as well have been approaching a ponylike machine. One that, even against the trees behind her, would notice her – long before she would expect it.
“Oh, Shirei.” His nonchalant voice contrasted his looks. “How did you— nevermind. We have a serious problem. Do you know how to get high-pressure mana? Liquid or sealed or— right, you can't speak. Come closer, so we can hear you.” He motioned beside himself absent-mindedly, returning to adjusting the Realm's Eye, his weird crystal surrounded by metal rings. Though he paused for another moment. “Oh. Lyra, Shirei. No time to explain, but she's not too dangerous, hurt her hoof and stuff.”
Really? She had broken out, and he barely cared! That was strange, even in this situation.
But Lyra gasped. “What? You know that changeling? How— I— Like— Like I'd fall for that! Like I'm taking any more of your nonsense! Bon-Bon was right from the start! You're one of them!”
When Lyra darted her way, Shirei barely had time to duck. She was flung around, the bandage over her head thrown off. When she opened her eyes, she found herself held upright, a sharp piece of rock levitating beside her neck. Oh no. No, no, no, no! She tried to whisper, but it was inaudible under the mare's grip and struggling between the two.
Shirei couldn't believe what was happening. Hadn't Lyra been the understanding one? Suddenly, she realized she hadn't thought this through at all! Lyra's friend was going mad, got her life threatened, and there was only Creepy's version of helping to turn to. Of course it would be too much. Shirei should have known this.
The glowing pattern on the stallion's head dimmed, turning their way. “Will you calm do—” Shirei had not seen Creepy freeze like that before.
“You hurt my friend, I hurt yours,” Lyra squeaked hysterically. Shirei could feel her trembling.
The Realm's Eye made a rattling sound as it hit the ground. The stallion looked at his house, then the trap, then his bags. “Drop that,” he said in a flat voice. “She has nothing to do with this.”
“Neither has Bon-Bon! Let her go! Or else—” She squeezed Shirei, letting the sharp-edged stone touch her throat.
Creepy looked disturbed. His face hardened even more, eyes locked on Lyra. Why would he even care, let alone show it? Now, it did look like Shirei was a friend or ally of his.
“I knew it,” Lyra said, “I just knew it! Stop your scheme! Let Bon-Bon go, or else!”
Shirei desperately turned her head left and right, trying to get Lyra's attention. But she was only held more tightly in response.
Not that Lyra was harsh, really. She avoided pulling on Shirei's bad hoof, and at one point, she even stroked her back a little, silently communicating her bluff.
No! You idiot! I know you won't hurt me! BUT HE DOESN'T!
If the time spent manipulating ponies had taught Shirei one thing, it was when to stop. She just knew that this was about to go terribly wrong. She had to do something. But there was only one option she could think of. But would she make it in time? Her energy started surging, little flames filling her lungs.
The stallion began to move again. He picked something from his bags, then walked toward Lyra in a slow, steady pace. “You are about to make a very unfortunate choice for you and your friend,” he said. “You will yield now or die. I have vowed against extortion, and this” – he nudged his head at Lyra – “is the lowest kind.”
Shirei started struggling with all her might. In the corner of her eye, she saw Bon-Bon doing the same.
Stop this! You idiots! The stress is getting to you!
“You can't get me faster than I get her!” The unicorn's voice was breaking, but she remained still, looking poised to strike Shirei, who had stopped struggling and closed her eyes. She was breathing smoke as the flames burnt her throat.
“Correct,” the stallion answered. “You will kill her, then I will fight you. If you win, I will trigger a batch of explosives and erase us all. If I win, I kill you, wasting my remaining mana, so your friend will follow. If, by some stroke of genius, you thwart everything I do, your friend will merge with the Eater and tear you to shreds in my place. Now YIELD OR DIE!” He was roaring at the mare, glowing waves highlighting the lines on his body, brightening up more and more.
Almost—
“You c—”
—
A bone-chilling scream escaped the changeling, cutting Lyra short. It was mixed with a slightly lower tone, slowly pulsating in frequency like a drawn-out vibrato.
Shirei had turned her head so Lyra would get a good listen. The mare, startled, tumbled backwards, losing her grip on Shirei, who promptly freed herself and slapped her.
“You moron!” Shirei's voice cracked up a little, but it was loud enough, finally back to the humming-yet-girly sound she was quite proud of. She was still breathing some green flames and smoke. “How do you save your friend, getting yourself killed?”
A ray of white fire hit Lyra's weapon, blasting it out of her reach. Of course, it had originated from whatever item the alchemist had picked up earlier; that didn't stop Shirei from walking up to him and slapping him as well.
“And you,” she shouted. “Creepy! Diplomacy, do you speak it?”
Both ponies had stopped moving, dumbstruck.
“What is it with you guys? Creepy, ya using these eyes of yours? She's scared out of her wits! There's no freaking way she'd stab me. And Lyra!” She turned around again. “Creepy isn't a changeling! Who'd fake these annoying glowing lines? And 'ya think I eat his living room 'cause it's so tasty? I'm a prisoner, duh!”
She looked back and forth between the two, panting. They only stared back.
Lyra, disarmed, shuffled her hooves about. “How,” she asked. “A prisoner, coming back from the forest?”
“I'm crazy, okay? I don't even know what I'm doing. It's not like anything you guys do makes sense, so gimme a break!” She had flopped down to gesticulate with her forehooves.
Lyra could only shake her head. Creepy had somehow gone out of order, standing still with a blank face.
“Whatcha admiring me for? You've got a World Eater to deal with, or whatever. Bon-Bon is back there, waiting to be saved!” She waved at the trap for emphasis. “And by the burning Palomino, let her say something! How much worse can it get? You can still ignore her, I reckon' you're an expert at that.” Her gaze clarified without doubt whom she was talking to.
The stallion… smiled?
Shirei wanted to have his sense of humor. Not that she had a clue what this meant. He might have been about to strike her down for her insolence; she never knew with Creepy. Not that she cared anymore. Though, maybe… maybe he looked embarrassed.
“Thank you,” he said. “That… was the most useful tantrum I've ever seen.” He stood still for a moment, looking thoughtful. “I guess we were losing sight of things. I… haven't even introduced myself. I'm Crimson Leaf – as you may have noticed, alchemist of the Northern School.”
“Shut up, Creepy, 'n get to work.” Shirei didn't even look at their reactions, she just walked to the trap holding Bon-Bon.
Stupid ponies.
Deep night had fallen. A cold light from the glowing lines on the ground, together with the pillar of golden light holding Bon-Bon, illuminated an island in the darkness, on which the four of them had gathered. Though Lyra was a little off, curled up in the beginning blackness, looking miserable.
Aurorae were running the skies, announcing that the Crystal Empire's massive circuit had been fired, the most powerful weapon against Eaters in all of Equestria. So, the Elements of Harmony had lived up to their name. The enemy's support was no more, and Crimson could now assume that his alchemy would work as intended, without the risk of some enormous spell from the north ruining it. But the damage had already been done.
After all the chaos, Crimson had decided to re-assess the situation. He didn't know how that would help, but what other option was there? Admitting that they were doomed? He had no illusions about the gravity of this.
“I'll try to explain what I'm thinking,” he said, “as maybe one of you has an idea I missed.” A brief glance ascertained he had everyone's attention.
“Beside Bon-Bon, in a direction orthogonal to our space, a World Eater of high purity is connected to her. That name's no metaphor. We need a good idea, or else you'll see for yourselves – if you live to see anything.”
He had picked up the Realm's Eye again and stepped up close to the trap. “Before I give more information, since both of you insist so much, I'll allow it to speak. Keep it short.” He touched one of the trap's outermost lines, loosening the binding spell on motion and sound a bit.
“Oh,” Bon-Bon gasped. “Thank you! Lyra, I'm sorry. Your mobile. I broke it on purpose. D—” She slammed her head to the ground twice. “DON'T FREE ME! He's right. It's hard to say this, b-but… don't let me out.” Apart from the brief shouting, she sounded rather calm.
“See,” Shirei said smugly, “that wasn't so hard.”
“Why… would you break that,” Lyra asked. “And, that's not that… much o-of an evil… thing…” Her voice trailed off. Ever since she had taken Shirei hostage, Lyra had become very quiet.
“I disliked the crystals' grid,” Bon-Bon said. “It's connected to… I haven't learned the word yet, uh…”
“Forger Magic,” Crimson finished. “The basis of alchemy and a hindrance to your kind. I haven't seen the crystal though, I'm just guessing.”
Lyra looked at Bon-Bon and Crimson in turns. “You're somehow still Bon-Bon, right,” she said. “Can you maybe, uh, fight it, like just now?”
“She can't, and this is enough chatting for now.” Crimson was focusing the Realm's Eye back on the deeper layers of the hybrid creature. “I won't silence you until you're distracting too much. Now, if there is nothing urgent left to say, I'll continue explaining.”
Shirei shrugged, sitting down. Lyra didn't react, and Bon-Bon was already out of his mind again.
“There are three options to deal with a bound Eater: purging, sealing, and destruction. The first, purging, is the preferred method; It leaves the host alive but harmless. I won't give you false hopes, we are unable to do this tonight. The second, sealing, is a spell that will blockade the Eater, allowing the host to remain sane for a while. By my estimate, we are too short on mana to create a seal. The third, destruction, fires an undifferentiated attack at the World Eater, also striking the host, who shares location with it.
“With this Realm's Eye, I can scan the additional direction and thus see the Eater. I can also see that Bon-Bon is, physically, just a normal earth pony with no magic training or additions, while the Eater requires heavy firepower to destroy. Frankly, attacks that scratch the Eater would have us search for the pony's remains.
“This leaves us with only two options: sacrificing Bon-Bon, or gathering the ingredients for a seal. I should still have enough explosives to do the former, or at least incapacitate the Eater for now. That—”
“Y— Just s—” Lyra returned to silence when Shirei gently placed a hoof on her mouth.
“That gives us a little time to assess ways to do the seal. As recommended by the Northern School, I possess the necessary equipment to seal captured, incomplete Eater Hybrids such as Bon-Bon. Except that, due to an unfortunate chain of events, I used up my high-pressure mana source. If we cannot find a replacement for it very quickly, we will lack the time to prepare the seal.
“Which brings us to the main problem, mana sources. Mana is contained in all magic creatures in one form or another, but what we need is free mana, the kind that can be used up in mere seconds. Cracks in the Eater's defenses have a half-life of about a second. So, the slower our attack, the more power it needs. Even the sustained power an Alicorn gathers from its supporters could not break this Eater's defense, not without a circuit to charge it into a burst.
“We need a single, sharp spell to break the Eater's arrangement before we begin sealing it. Of course, I know a circuit for this, but even that one can't hold the mana for long, so it needs to be charged quickly. I don't think I can do that by myself right now. I'm low on mana and this Eater isn't your normal—”
“Hold on a sec.” Shirei had come closer to him. “Is this ma—”
A spray of sparks and smoke spread out from Crimson's side, causing Shirei to topple over, covering her face, squeaking “Uah!”
“Don't just charge a random circuit on me,” Crimson exclaimed. “Do you know how dangerous some of these are?”
“So, this is mana,” Shirei asked, as if she had already forgotten what had happened.
“Yes, that was mana. And, a nice charge, I usually block that.”
“Okay.” Shirei sat down beside him. “Since I got no clue what I'm doing, how about I give mine to you before we go on? I'm feeling decently fed for some reason. Though nowhere near, uh, full.” She looked uncomfortable on that last word, saying it quietly, ducking her head.
“You can't just give mana that easily,” Crimson said. “When you use it for magic, you bind it to—”
“Sure can,” Shirei retorted. “Where can I touch you 'n try, so nothing weird goes off?”
“My flanks and the circles around my shoulders, as they serve— Wha?”
Shirei had placed a hoof on his flank, creating faint flames that flickered in blues and greens. A perfectly stable inflow of mana was directed at Crimson's body. Not just that, the flow bridged Crimson's skin by itself.
“That workin'?” She gave an absurdly innocent look.
“Where did you learn that?” Crimson did not try to hide his surprise. This was an obscure, high-level spell, executed flawlessly.
“Learn?” Shirei turned her head, chuckling. “From playmates when I was a filly, I suppose? Playing pony and changeling or so?”
Crimson fixated her until he was sure she wasn't joking. “But you are being a little – humble about your feeding status, aren't you? Charging with pressure like this from your little body.” It was unlikely that she could do this while being low on mana herself.
“I knew you had something to do with all this energy! But no, even your lil' trick couldn't fill us up that quickly. We're quite the gluttons.” She scratched her hoof embarrassedly, lowering her head and peeking upwards at him.
“Can't believe it,” Crimson mumbled. “I've been on the right track, only too late.”
This was unbelievable. She could send mana to anyone at will, and store it better than any kind of pony? If they were to survive this, he had to have another chat with her. “I suppose you don't know a fully… charged changeling in the vicinity?”
“You kidding? You think a changeling that's not starving would stick around? Now?” She was bewildered, having to spell this out.
“Okay. Stupid question. Anyway, your skills with mana are brilliant, but that's still not enough.”
“W-what about my mana? D-don't I have mana too,” Lyra said. She was still curled up on the grass beside them.
“Won't help,” Crimson said bluntly. “Changelings aside, I know unicorns. If you have to ask, you can't do it. At best, you'd accidentally bind a spell and damage the circuit.”
“Lyra,” Bon-Bon said softly. “It's alright. It's not your fault. Come over here—”
“Now that's pushing it,” Crimson said, but the hybrid wouldn't leave it alone.
“I'll only talk to her a little. Who are you to deny us—”
“You know exactly.” Crimson had stopped looking at her and picked up the Eye. Now I have to deal with that, too.
“Then, will you rather send mana into the trap to—” Crimson's look, surprisingly, silenced Bon-Bon.
Damn it, it's distracting me already.
“Actually,” Shirei said, “we could use Lyra's mana.”
Three ponies looked at the changeling.
“Or at least some of it. Well, not enough I guess, but still.” She looked back at them as if there was nothing more to say, until she realized no one understood. “I can just feed on her 'n then give it to you, no?” Shirei shrugged. “I doubt she loves me though, and force-feeding on unicorns isn't very…” she twitched, quickly gave each pony a look and fell silent.
Why hadn't he thought of that? “So, if I understand this correctly, your feeding gives you mana, and you can do it on anypony? Well, it is worth trying, if that is possible and Lyra is okay with it,” he said.
“Anything! Any time,” Lyra shouted without missing a beat.
Shirei gave an innocent smile. “Uhm, even a little bite? Believe it or not, that's the method of choice for force-feeding.” She took an embarrassed look around, into shocked faces. “Nothing brutal, just a teensy bit – I even have magic that fixes up the spots afterwards.” She licked her fangs, causing small green flames to run over them.
Is she… sharpening them?
“Whatever could help,” Lyra answered.
“You serious? I was just brainstorming. I've been stabbed and cut, I could be sick with something. It might work about as well if you try to—”
“Just do it,” Lyra said. “I won't complain if I get the changeling pox or something.” She walked up to Shirei and sat down right next to her. “Where's a good spot?”
Shirei's face became a strange mixture of a dumbfounded, smiling, and irritated expression. “You— Uh— Really?”
Crimson held up a hoof toward Lyra. “You should know that, even with your mana, we won't have enough. At best, we get a little more. We could wait—”
“Will you bite me already,” Lyra anxiously said to Shirei, “and get back to saving Bon-Bon?”
If she was this eager, Cimson wouldn't stop her. But, since that was going to happen, he couldn't resist aiming the Realm's Eye at the two of them. This was intriguing. And relevant enough to justify spending a few moments of the precious time left until dawn.
Shirei slowly moved a hoof up Lyra's back and neck. When she reached her head, she gave her a little pat. “Okay,” she whispered. “You better relax then. It'll sting a tiny bit, but it's not so bad. You gotta stay still though.”
She carefully tilted Lyra's head to the side, taking her time, searching around her neck and shoulders. She placed one foreleg over Lyra, giving her knowing victim a little hug. Lyra turned her head to Shirei twice, each time charily nudged back by a bandaged hoof. Shirei stroked the mare's back as she settled for a spot just below her neck.
When she finally sunk her fangs into the pony – just barely going deeper than the tips – Lyra didn't flinch. Another onlooker might have thought they were cuddling.
The Realm's Eye did show a spell decomposition, but it was nothing Crimson could sensibly analyze that moment. Eye-catching as the scene was, he had no time to waste and returned to scanning the hybrid.
A pegasus' signature showed up in the Eye's path, to land on their side of the river and trot along it, looking for something. Looking their way. Had their shouting been audible in Ponyville? At this distance, it should have been barely possible to make out four shapes. The onlooker didn't approach – and then turned away again. Peaceful as the group seemed now, their nightly visitor was probably on the way back to bed.
Crimson could have called out, but he thought better of it. Still, it was a point worth mentioning. “We could, in principle, try to get lots of ponies for Shirei to force-feed on. They'd be a huge hassle to deal with, but it's not impossible.”
“Honestly,” Lyra said quietly, “we should keep that as a last option. Most of the ponies I'd ask are out of town and… well. Look what I did earlier – and I'm not even afraid of changelings. If ponies start panicking, they might…” She gave the changeling, who hadn't moved since she had begun her bite, a slight glimpse. “They might do the wrong things.”
Silence filled the night, only disturbed by the Realm's Eye's ticking on adjustments. Lyra patiently sat still, giving the changeling all the time she needed. Clouds were gathering across the sky, obscuring the rising moon, yet leaving patches of starlight to shine from above.
Shirei pulled out her fangs, igniting some green flickers where they had been. “I… I don't think I could take doing this with many ponies quickly anyway,” she said. “Well, u-unless they are all as, uh, understanding as Lyra. It's a little straining,” she said, a meek expression on her face, maybe even a little blush? Crimson wasn't sure whether changelings could blush.
“Bon-Bon, what's on your mind,” Lyra asked. “I know that face, the one when you want to say something but don't.”
Crimson's thoughts spread out. Eater, what are you thinking? The answer was obvious, really.
“She has loads of mana,” Crimson stated, surprising himself. “Nicely noticed, Lyra. How did we miss that? This Eater is so much trouble because it can hold its own, enormous reserves of mana. Let me clear the trap for others to enter. Can you do one more, Shirei?”
Shirei went beside the trap. “I guess. Won't it… infect me?”
“I doubt it can. Eaters can't split as easily as their taint. It would have to leave Bon-Bon, and we'd gain at least a day while it adjusts to you. Enough time to send a pegasus courier for a mana source.”
“Heh.” Shirei smiled. “So… thanks for the meal, then. Here, have Lyra's mana first.” She sent it swiftly, showing no sign of effort, then waited to be allowed into the trap.
She was incredible. Literally. Crimson caught himself admiring the changeling instead of editing the trap. He thought it funny, how she had jokingly complained about that earlier; how she had stunned Lyra and him and reminded them to focus. And now, he of all ponies had lost his concentration, gawking at a changeling. He shook his head, re-read the circuit, and applied the alterations properly: all effects not targeting the Eater were disabled. “Done. Don't waste time inside the trap.”
Shirei stared at Bon-Bon, fixating on a spot. She walked into the trap, bit Bon-Bon much more quickly than she had bitten Lyra – and immediately stumbled backwards, leaving two bleeding wounds on the mare.
Crimson jumped in between them, preparing a barrier to shield Shirei, who fell over, coughing and fighting for breath.
“I'm so sorry,” Bon-Bon said, eyes wide with concern. “I didn't— Something happened on its own!”
Shirei lay on her side, getting her coughing under control. “Guh,” she gasped. “Tha— That… is… d-disgusting. Y-You… Know… we feed… on love… not just… your stupid… mana. But ye-yeah… she's got a lot. Lemme… give it to you before round two.” She got back up on wobbly legs.
“Round two? Hold on,” Crimson exclaimed, “What the hay happened? It's not supposed to do that! What was that, three seconds? Two? You'll kill your… yourself…” The air cracked from Shirei's spell, streaming mana into Crimson at a rate he could barely sustain on his best spells, the ones honed by years of training.
“That… fast enough,” Shirei asked.
“Yes,” Crimson replied.
When the flow stopped, Shirei had already turned to walk back into the trap. Crimson grabbed her, holding her back against attempts to keep walking.
“Wait. Are you certain this is a good idea? Why… heavens, what are you doing? You're still injured from fighting against – them, pretty much. Why in the world would you go this far?”
“I got a lot to make up for.”
She fixated on his face until he let go, then walked back in and bit the same spot.
Fog.
Greys on blacks, yellows in her sight. The place was about to fade to black, Shirei's stomach turning every time she merely touched that feculent creature. She had felt something wrong with the pony when she had smelled it up close, but now, she had to force herself to remember a pony could really be left in there, drowned in an ocean of apathy and ineffable non-emotions.
She felt it. It was alien, indigestible, and strong. But it held something, something Creepy called mana, something the ponies desperately needed. Shirei wouldn't give up on the pony it had taken, not while there was a breath left in her. She wouldn't live with it. She'd manage, or she literally wouldn't.
“Shirei!”
The blackness had reached her mind, the world was fading out, but she could still feel her legs and the flow she was extracting. A powerful flow. Some more and…
She was grabbed, tugged away from her source. She hit the ground somewhere. What was wrong with her breath?
“Shirei!”
Right, that was Creepy's voice.
“Hold her. Don't move off. We…”
Her attention drifted. Was she falling asleep? Something heavenly was mixing into something sickening.
Bon-Bon. The World Eater.
Feint glows returned to the sound of coughing. Her own coughing. Shirei rung with herself until deep breaths pulled her back into the land of the awake. “The Eater,” she gasped. “Did… I get i— did… I get… it from her? What happened? What—”
“No, and this is enough!” Creepy sounded angry. “Can't you take your own advice? Whom will you save if you kill yourself! You need to be not just okay, but ready to send me the mana when I do the seal!”
Shirei found herself squeezed between Lyra and Crimson, sensing how much she was feeding off them. Why were these ponies suddenly so concerned, concerned about a mere changeling? It was a gift beyond words, slowly diluting the sickness inside her.
She looked over to Lyra, to find her sobbing. “I'm sorry,” Lyra said under her breath, “I'm so sorry for what I did earlier.” Her eyes were jumping between Shirei and – she had to turn her head – Bon-Bon, who had closed her eyes, tears running down her face.
“Whoa,” Shirei said, “you… that… worried about me – hey.” She had tried to get up, but Crimson had firmly pushed her back down.
“No. You stay put until our time runs out.”
“What? But—”
“I don't know what's gotten into you, but stay down. You'll recover until we begin, and then it's enough mana or it isn't.”
“But I… can still… How much time is left?”
“Not much. How are you feeling?” Creepy and his stone face; how could he be feeding her right now? Need would not fill in to feed a changeling, such was the rule – except for him, it seemed.
“Sick. But I should be ready in a bit.” She gave in, staying down in the grass.
She had to admit it, she wasn't feeling well. From the looks on Lyra's and Bon-Bon's faces, maybe they were concerned she wouldn't be able to finish her job. Or maybe Creepy was worried she'd not live for his experiments?
He let go of her, allowing her to roll over and sit upright. She looked at the alchemist. What was going on in his head, she couldn't help but wonder. Lyra was weird enough to think about, who sometimes tried to be genuinely nice to her, in her changeling form. Shirei had met incredibly trusting, naïve, and kind ponies during her time in Canterlot, but she wouldn't have believed any one of them would extend that to someone like her. But Creepy? He had a screw loose. Or maybe a few. His plan on keeping her for experiments was bonkers. She could have walked away twice, were it not for the strangest events. The only reason his plan might work out was that Shirei was, as she had admitted earlier, turning crazy herself, wrestling with her own conscience and making wild decisions on a whim.
As time went by, she began to feel… strange. Physically, feeding on Bon-Bon had weakened her, and that sickness remained. Coming here had placed her right in between her enemies, those who would be right to despise her. And still, she was so calm. The only fear she had was running out of time, so that something would happen to Bon-Bon, whoever she was. Her cutie mark featured bon-bons too. Maybe she made candy?
“Be right back,” Creepy suddenly mumbled. He got up and ran to his house.
It did not take long until he returned, and when he did, a quick look sufficed to continue feeding Shirei. He put down a few bags and pouches in a line and froze for a moment, staring at nothing. Then, his hoof lit up, was sunk into a pouch, and he started painting silvery lines on the ground.
He moved as in trance, changing stance and switching hooves in a continuous flow of motion. White fire ran up his leg, the stunning light carving his circular, yet irregular path into Shirei's vision. In one phase, he whirled around, rhythmically stomping the ground with one forehoof at a time, crystals rising from each hit; in the next, he splashed dark powder over parts of the ground, seemingly wildly, like a mad painter bringing down his furious version of abstract art.
When he stopped, two intersecting circles marked the ground amidst the chaos he had created. He dismissively threw the Realm's Eye into the smaller one, causing it to change course just before it hit the ground and fly to a point above the circle, where it remained.
“Prepared,” he said, fixating Bon-Bon in a hostile stare. Shirei only then noticed that, while Lyra and herself were confused, Bon-Bon looked terrified.
“Shirei, are you ready,” Crimson asked.
“Uah—” Shirei almost jumped up. She was still rather dizzy. “I— I don't know.”
“How much mana do you have compared to earlier, and can you send it as fast as before?”
She focused inwards. “More,” she said. “I don't know if I can send it as fast, but I should come close, I mean, I hope so…”
“From the side you're standing, charge me with mana as quickly as possible. Begin at your discretion.” His gaze had not left Bon-Bon even once.
Shirei looked at the ponies. “But… it's still totally dark. R-Right now? Just like that? Creepy, couldn't you at least warn me?”
“Seems best option.” He was frozen in a low stance, his words flat.
“Wait,” Bon-Bon squeaked. “I— I think I tainted her, this—”
“Silence, Eater.” Creepy had said these words before, but then, they were said in anger. Now, they sounded like a recitation, words from a long-known answer.
“No! Wait, there's still time! Lyra,” Bon-Bon squeaked, “help me, they're making a mis— NO!” She started struggling as Shirei began the energy-sharing spell.
“Don't stop,” Crimson said. He had barely finished the words when blinding lines of light emerged on the ground, gathering into a ray that struck into the trap. An otherworldly sound shook Shirei, like a deep saw ripping its way through a giant rock.
As the ray vanished, the white flames reappeared, engulfing Bon-Bon completely, along with parts of Crimson and the shapes he had painted on the ground. Shirei knew she couldn't hold the spell for long. Once it stopped, she wouldn't have the energy to start it again! But this was her limit.
She sunk to the ground, panting. No! Was that not enough? She anxiously stared at the alchemist, who was furiously shattering the crystals around him one by one. As he struck one of them, his floating instrument came crashing to the ground.
After smashing the last crystal, he dropped down as well.
“Done,” he panted.
The ghostly white flames were running through the air, over the lines on the ground, over Bon-Bon and the alchemist, ignited by random sparks and flashes. Many crystal shards caught fire, burning out like broken fireworks. Some smoke rose upwards, concealing more flashes of magic fire within.
When the crackling of the last flames subsided, everyone's heavy breathing became the only audible sound. It was too dark to see anything. The spells had stunned Shirei's eyes – not that the left one had been seeing very well – and the trap wasn't shining the way it was before.
“I— I can't see anything,” Lyra said. “I-Is Bon-Bon alright?”
“Gahh,” the candy mare panted weakly. “I think so. I think I passed out… What happened? Is it gone?”
The ticking noise of Creepy's instrument was heard. In Shirei's opinion, he was earning the name anew all the time.
“For now,” he said. “You'll have to see alchemists again, to get it purged for good. But, after I get some sleep, please.” Now, Shirei could make him out, lying on his back, holding the slightly glowing tool on his hoof.
A thump announced that Lyra had jumped at Bon-Bon. Uncontrolled sobbing was dampened as she pressed her face against her friend.
Shirei was lying somewhere between the two and Creepy. She took her time to catch a deep breath, then rolled over to face his way. “Wow. That was – intense? Why'd you suddenly go rampage, after sayin' we got until dawn?”
He put down his tool and looked her way. “I… just wanted it done as soon as possible. Honestly, I'm tired. You didn't seem to be handling these bites very well. And hybrids, they get stronger over time, dawn is just a rough rule on when it's time to… you know, do what you saved me from doing.”
That seemed a weird way to put it. “Saved you? 'Ya crazy? If anything, you saved Bon-Bon and if not, you'd still have saved everyp—” Shirei almost choked on her own words.
“Mh,” was his only response.
Shirei could feel how he was still leaking energy to her. Love energy. Love. All of a sudden, Shirei could well imagine why. Goodness, he would have had to blow her up! Place a bomb, hear her scream, hit the trigger! Shirei briefly tried to put herself in his position, then wished with all her might that she'd forget the idea, before it would give her nightmares.
“Sorry,” she whispered. “That was mighty unfeeling of me.”
“No offense taken,” Crimson said. “I take pride in my job, even though it can turn sour.” He sounded thoughtful, staring at the night sky. “And don't apologize, that feels wrong right now.”
“But… I kinda wrecked your living room.” She wondered if he could see her grin.
“Heh. Right, I should fix the window. It's getting a little chilly, isn't it? A beautiful night though.” He was still lying on his back, stargazing.
Shirei… started to giggle. She couldn't help herself. “You ponies are aware that we were all going at each others' throats just a moment ago? What a surprising change of plans, is everypony preferring a nightly picnic after all?” She said the second sentence in neatly accentuated, noble speech.
“Nay. I'm going to bed,” Crimson said bluntly. “Though I like the idea. Lyra, Bon-Bon, are you okay with calling it a night? We'd better continue tomorrow. Actually,” he said musingly, “we could combine the two. A purge-planning-picnic.” He mouthed that again, savoring his alliteration.
Rolling over, Shirei giggled even louder than before. “Maybe it got us all, and everypony lost it now. Well then, am I invited too?”
“Of course,” Bon-Bon and Crimson said indignantly, in stereo.
Shirei didn't find a flippant answer to that. It was nonsense, of course. She was unable to shape-shift, and who would seriously want to have a picnic with a changeling? It still made her feel warm inside, the way she was talking with them, without disguise or fake personality.
Bon-Bon got up. “Well, we should take your advice. But let me first give my heartfelt thanks to each of you.” She came over and shook hooves with both Crimson and Shirei. “I… I can't find the words. You saved me… oh dear, now I found words after all. What am I saying? I'm in your debt. Both of yours.”
Shirei took her hoof, but just stared back open-mouthed. She could see the bloody patches from her bites! Wasn't she afraid at all? And Creepy… gave a slight bow with his head. He was following some sort of etiquette? Which culture was that? She decided to give up on making guesses about these ponies. She might as well throw a dice.
Lyra had gotten up too, now sitting upright, only on her hind-legs. “If all changelings are like you,” she said, wiping away a tear, “I wish you had conquered us.”
Shirei shrunk down a bit. “No… no, I don't think you should wish that. But thank you, really, hearing this… means a lot to me.” Lyra's words had been much too nice a thing to say. Hopefully, Lyra would never meet the changelings who had planned the invasion.
It had gotten very late, or early, depending on how one would see it. Tired and shaken, Bon-Bon and Lyra did not seem eager to stay much longer. Crimson gave their way home – and Bon-Bon specifically – a last look with the Realm's Eye, before he folded it and stowed it away. “Your path is clear of creatures,” he said. “You should go now, before that changes. I wish you pleasant sleep. Please don't speak of this, or of Shirei, until everything is resolved.” Crimson gave each of them a look, then put on his cloak and gathered his bags.
“Please excuse us then.” Bon-Bon gave a slight bow – maybe imitating Crimson from earlier – and started back to Ponyville, followed by Lyra.
A few lines on the ground lit up once more as Crimson stepped on them, their light helping him with finding the last few pouches.
“So… uh,” Shirei said as she shakily got up. “What about me now?”
Crimson searched the ground, picking and cording up the smaller pouches to gather them into the larger ones. He didn't respond to Shirei's question though. She watched him until he was all but finished, but he didn't say anything.
“This… is kind of awkward,” she said. “Am I still your prisoner? I mean, I could've run off before.”
He stopped packing for a moment, looking at her silently.
“I… I only came back when I heard how bad things were. I was about to go, well, south. Away.”
He turned his head a little and took a deep breath. “If you were planning to walk through the Everfree Forest, at night, in your condition, then yes, you are my prisoner. Please promise that you won't run off, or else I'll tie you up with something you can't break.”
“Oh,” she said, looking at the forest behind her. “That's the Everfree…”
She chuckled. “I promise.”