The Laws of Life.

Chapter 8: Life’s worth.

I open my eyes slowly, but quickly shut them from the sudden rush of light. I move my hoof over my eyes, and open them slowly again. My eyes take some time to adjust, but soon I can move my hoof away. I’m still laying here, in the woods. Spinner lays only a few feet away, still out cold. And. . . Blitz. . Where is he? I know i heard him last night. “Blitz!” I call out, as I stand, and look around frantically.

“Blit-” I go to call his name again, but I am stunned silence when I look in, towards the deeper woods. Just barely on the edge of the darkness that encompasses the deep woods, I can see something that makes me sick to my stomach. I see a pool, of deep crimson blood. And, by the trail that disappears into the darkness, it’s clear that whatever had bleed was dragged away. “Oh no.” I whisper to myself.

I look back to Spinner again. I walk up to him, and make sure that he is really out cold. “Ok. Ink. Calm yourself. It’s time to go get Blitz.” I give my self that little pep talk as I turn towards the pool of blood. I walk past it, holding my breath. Though, the moment I get next to it, I just burst into a sprint, following the trail into the woods. “Please be alright. Please be alright.” I repeat over and over to myself as I run. I stop once I reach a clearing. I know this clearing well. This is where. . . This is where I was first abandoned. “Genesis!” I yell out, hearing my voice echo around the trees.

“Doesn’t that explain things.” I hear the voice of Flare, the changeling general from last night. “You’re a changeling. I should’ve known.” I shake my head. “No. Not anymore. Maybe once upon a time I was. But, I’m a pony now.” She laughs. “If you think that you can just be a pony is ridiculous. Deep down, you are still one of us. Sure, it might be dormant. But it’s there. You’re still, as your pony friends would like to say, a monster.”

“No! I’m different.” I shout at her. “And speaking of my friends, where’s Blitz?” She gives me a confused look. “Who?” I glare at her, causing her to become silent. “Blitz. The pony who showed up, when you were trying to wipe our memories.” She thinks for a moment, then laughs. “Oh. Him. You mean you can’t remember?” I shake my head. “Don’t try to play games with me. I saw the pool of blood. It’s. . It’s his, isn’t it?”

“Possibly. But, come on little pony, tell me what you remember from last night.” I think back. I remember the immense heat, and the jolts of electricity running through me. Then the sparks that started coming out of me. Then Blitz rushing in from behind. . . Then blackness. “After Blitz showed up, it all went black.” She laughs, and points at me. “The monster that’s dormant inside of you awoke that night.” My eyes go wide, and I look down at me.

“I was able to see the power you held as a changeling. I don’t know how I couldn’t see it before.” I give her a confused look. “I know what you have been thinking. You’ve been wondering why I sound so familiar Well, I should. Because, it was me, Tenens. I was the one who through you out of the nest. I brought you right here.” She taps her hoof to the ground. I feel a huge rush of emotion go though me. “Why! What made you think that I would be better off dead?”

“Simple. You were weak. Pathetic. You were wasting more energy than you could’ve ever brought in. So, I did the nest a favor, and just made the wink link disappear.” I let out a low growl, as I crouch down. “But, oh was i wrong. The power that flowed through you last night. . . I would even dare to say it would rival the kings power. And, how cute. Are you going to attack me?” I take a step forward, and am about to speak out. But, before I can get out a word, somebody else speaks up. “General Flare. Stand down. It is my turn to speak.”

Out from the shadows, steps Genesis, with Blitz on his back. “General Flare. Is it to my understanding, from what you just said that you broke the rules of our nest? Not only that, but one of the sacred rules of changelings, by kicking out one of our kind unjustly.?” General flare, just stands in a shock, scared silence at the king. “Flare, you have to remember, even the weakest link has a part to play. If you break it away, an entire chain can collapse.” This is a side of changelings that I never can understand. They lack true emotions. They can only simulate them, to fit it. But it’s done so perfectly. Sometimes the line between what is fake, and what is real is blurred to the point where they seem the same. “My king. You talk to me about breaking a sacred rule, but what about him?”

She thrusts her hoof to me. “He broke the most sacred rule. A changeling under no circumstance, unless under the High-Queens orders, shall impersonate a pony that has passed away. A pony that has moved on from the world of the living.” Genesis glares at flare, and silences her with his magic. “That’s just the problem. Tenens can be charged with no crime Because. . . Because Tenens is no more.” I find myself shocked at Genesis’s words. He would never give up that easily. What game is he playing? “All I see, is a pony named Ink, looking for his friend Blitz.”

Genesis uses his magic, and moves Blitz in front of me. Blitz has a large gash along his cheek, and a big cut along his side. His fur matted with blood. But. . But he is breathing, softly. “I will deal with you back the the nest, Flare. But, till further notice, your status as head general is suspended.” He disappears from view, as he drags the dishonored general Flare away.

With my mind now calm, I focus on what is important. I grab Blitz, and slide him onto my back. I run as fast as I can. I reach the edge of the woods soon, and find Spinner laying there, still passed out. I look between the three of us. Spinner has some bruises, and small cuts, Blitz has seen better days. . But me? I’m untouched. That’s going to look really suspicious. I work some dirt into my fur, and use a branch to inflict some scratches. I run up the hill, and back down into town. When I get closer, I slow down, adding a limp to myself. “Help!” I call out. “Help, somepony help!” I call out again.

I feign weakness, and collapse onto the ground, panting heavily.  I hear the hoof steps of several ponies gathering around. “Edge of the woods. . . . Spinner. . Blitz.” I speak out, with a ragged voice, and point over to where they should be. After that, I let my hoof fall to the ground, as I ‘pass out.’ I lay there, with my eyes closed. I feel myself get lifted by some ponies magical aura. I feel a sudden rush of exhaustion come over me, and I end up actually passing out.

I wake up, when the sun is just about to set. Has it really been a full day? Has it been longer, maybe? “Ink?” I hear the soft voice call out from my side. I look over, and see Spiral, sitting there. Tears evident on her face. “Spiral?” I ask in a mix of confusion and surprise. “I’m glad you’re awake. I thought you were going to be a sleep. . . For who knows how long?” I give her a smile, and sit up slowly, feeling my limbs aching slightly. Why do I hurt so much? ‘Anyways, what about Blitz, and Spinner?”

She frowns “Spinner is still sleeping, but he’s fine. . . Blitz. . Blitz. He’s. . “ She stutters out, sniffing lightly. “Blitz is in critical condition. He lost a lot of blood Ink. He might not make it, they say.” I hear her grim words, and I can only sit there in silence. Blitz has been my friend for ever. We knew each other as foals. We grew up living next to each other. And even after he moved, it was only a couple blocks away, and we still saw each other everyday. We shared all out toys, traded them. We spent countless hours working on a silly device, that was exposed to help us learn to fly quicker. . .

To be honest, I have only known him for a year. Even with that fact, he’s my friend, my best friend, all the same. And to hear that he might not ever wake up. . . That he might die, just breaks something in me. “No.” I say, at first quite. “No. He’ll wake up. I’m sure of it. I know he will.” I keep speaking, holding onto the hope that the doctors just got something wrong. Spiral places her hoof on me. “Ink. Stay calm. You still need to rest. Tomorrow, you can come and visit him.”

She keeps her tone gentle, and calm. “We can postpone our date.” She giggles lightly at the word. And, you know what? It’s still a little jarring to see Spiral acting. . . . Like a filly. She would normally be much more tough, much more reserved. And, I’m starting to think that maybe the loss of her memories was a good thing. “Yeah, ok.” I speak out, and give a smile. Silence overcomes us. She steps away for a moment, and picks up her bag. She pulls out my sketchbook, and hands it to me. “I asked your sister to bring this, so you can have it when you wake up.”

I smile, and take it from her. “Thanks.” I say, and set it to my side. “Your sister would’ve been here, but she had work. And, Artsy was here earlier, but her mom came and got her.” I nod slowly, and try to sit up again, but another jolt of pain shoots through me. I start to feel exhaustion take over again. “G-Gonna sleep now.” I mumble to Spiral. And, if I had been more awake, I would’ve never made my next action. But, in my state of tiredness, mixed with some pain, I lean over, and give Spiral a kiss. Just a simple kiss, right onto her lips. “G’night.” I mumble again, a stupid grin on my face.