Condemned

Twilight awoke in a warm room, laid out on her side on several mats stacked atop one another. She batted her eyes open and looked around. She appeared to be in some kind of cave, a hot springs across the cavern from them steaming up the place and keeping them warmer than the chill outside in the Badlands. They couldn't be far from where she was caught by Chrysalis, if she assumed they heard her screaming in order to come.

She found that her two rescuers were seated across from her, sitting on a smooth stone outcrop nearer to the springs. Apparently they had donated their mats to the alicorn so she had a more comfortable place to lay. She also felt quite clean, as if she had been washed off as well. It made her blush when she thought of how personal they'd have had to get to clean her out, but she put it aside.

"I... thank you," whispered Twilight, barely raising her head to look at them, "I'm... I'm Twilight Sparkle."

"Shroud," stated the monotone unicorn, giving no more detail than that.

"I'm Toxic Haze," said the changeling, "Um... what's up?"

"I'm sorry I ruined this for you," murmured Twilight, "If you didn't rescue me, you wouldn't have to worry about other changelings finding you here."

"Huh?" Toxic said, "Nah don't worry about it. Right Shroud? Just rest yourself so that you can actually walk tomorrow when we leave."

"We would move soon anyway," said Shroud in his deep monotone.

"I'm surprised that I haven't met any changelings sooner," said Twilight, shifting her bottom, trying to avoid the continuing sting from her nether side.

"Most of the hives are in the east," said Toxic, "The only ones in the west are a few small ones trying to keep under the radar from bigger hives."

"So, you're changelings?" asked Twilight.

"Eh, half-changeling for me," said Toxic, scooting over on the warm stone until his hip and shoulder were against Shroud's, "It's a good and a bad thing I guess. I don't have to feed on emotions, but... well I don't get the advantages of doing that either. I do have a few other skills though, like you saw, having a breath weapon is handy."

"Not at all for me," said Shroud, keeping it simple as he leaned against Toxic in return, "Parents were dark mages. They worked with mine and Toxic's hive."

"It's not uncommon for hives to seek outside help if they lack the numbers to spy or expand on their own," said Toxic, "Needless to say, our hive over-extended itself, made the wrong enemies, and was wiped out." Pause, "If it's story time, why don't you tell us yours too. What got you into a fight with a queen?"

Twilight told them her story as well. How she was accused, what she was accused of, and how she got away, all the way up to her fight with Chrysalis. They listened well, at least she assumed they listened. Toxic was looking at other things or at Shroud during most of it, and Shroud was just staring in her direction with the creepiest stare she could have imagined. It made her feel like he was sizing her up.

"I'd really like to hear more about how different hives interact," said Twilight, excited by that at least, "It's just too bad I can't take notes. Maybe I can interview you and write a book when I... ugh... if I return home one day."

"Eh don't think like that," said Toxic, sitting up on his haunches and sliding himself behind Shroud.

"What will happen to Chrysalis' hive?" asked Twilight.

"It'll probably split up," said Toxic, "There will be several that want to be queen, probably."

"Well that's probably good for Equestria, in the short term at-- um.." Twilight said, then cut herself off when she realized that Toxic was grinding himself against Shroud, who was flagging his tail upwards quite obviously.

"Something a matter?" asked Toxic, not seeming to understand why he shouldn't be doing this in front of someone. Maybe it was a changeling thing. He strained his hips, pushing forward with a lewd pop as he entered and started to slowly thrust into Shroud. Shroud tightened his face up, then relaxed and let a quiet smile spread over his face.

"I um... are you guys having sex?" Twilight asked, eyes wide.

"Huh? Oh sorry." Toxic said. Twilight expected him to stop, but instead he pulled Shroud's rump around so that Twilight had a side view instead of a front view of the action. "Better?" asked Toxic.

"Yeah, sure." Twilight flushed from head to hoof. She wasn't sure if he was being sarcastic or if he really thought she wanted a better view of it. She did keep her eyes on it for quite a while, watching the moist shaft slide in and out of the unicorn's behind, but finally pulled her eyes away and looked at the floor in front of her. She didn't look up until several minutes after she heard Toxic go off.

Living with the two strange ponies wasn't too bad. They took good care of her until she could walk better, allowing her to lay in a small cart they possessed rather than walk for the next week until she started to heal up. It was a good thing that she healed fast as an alicorn, but considered that she probably should have bothered to learn some real healing magic at some point.

Once she was better, she began to assist them in finding camps, food, water, and whatever else was hard to find in the Badlands. She spent several more weeks with her new friends, still completely clueless about what was going on in Equestria. They weren't half-bad to talk to either, and both had plenty of stories to tell, as did she. She found herself feeling as close to them as she might have any other friend.

The males continued to be every bit as shameless in front of her as well, going at it almost every night, seeming to switch who got to be on top like clockwork every other go. Twilight eventually wasn't afraid to watch them, and soon she found herself actively masturbating as she watched their affections. This led to them inviting her to join in several times, but she consistently refused, still ashamed to be watching them to begin with.

As they spoke, it became increasingly obvious that Twilight didn't share their natural affinity to the Badlands, and desperately wished to go home. It was because of this that they agreed to move their camp towards the entrance so that Toxic could make a run to Dodge Junction and find out what was going on in Equestria.

Late that night, Twilight was shaken awake by Toxic. She batted her eyes open, pulling herself up to her haunches and shaking her head to awaken, "W-wha? Oh Toxic! What did you find?"

"Could be better news," said Toxic.

Toxic held a newspaper in his muzzle, which he dropped to the ground. He pointed a single hoof at one of the articles. The article had an image of Rainbow Dash and read "Rainbow Dash sentenced to life imprisonment."

Twilight grabbed the newspaper with her magic and looked more closely. The newspaper said that after a long drawn out trial, Rainbow Dash had been sentenced to life, while the guards that she had... bargained with... had lost their jobs and could never work in government or security again.

"No no no no no!" Twilight almost screamed, "This can't be, this can't happen! She is in there because of me!" She looked back to Toxic and Shroud, "We have to get her out."

"That would be unwise," said Shroud, "And would only result in our capture and your execution."

"I don't care," said Twilight, "She's worth the risk."

"Hey now," said Toxic, "You're risking us too when you say that. They won't exactly go easy on a changeling."

Twilight shook her head, "Then I'll go alone."

"Um no," Toxic said, "Look you're powerful, but you're not THAT powerful. This is the palace dungeon we're talking about now. We might even run into one or both of the princesses. So unless you know of a way to exponentially raise your power then... sorry."

Twilight took a deep breath. Something he said reminded her of... something she had heard. Something she had seen, even.

"I know of a way to do that!" Twilight exclaimed, "I know where a relic named the Alicorn Amulet is, or at least I know who is hiding it. It would do just like you said."

".. What?" Toxic tilted his head and raised one eybrow.

"Why not take it before?" asked Shroud.

"Because it's dangerous," said Twilight, "It corrupts the user... but if I just used it for a short time... I should be fine. We can get her out of there, and then I'll take it off. Easy."

"If that is true," said Shroud, "We'd still need money for other supplies. We have none."

"Actually I know of a way to do that," said Toxic, "Was gonna get to it soon actually. There's a festival in Dodge Junction, and a lot of sales ponies from Appleloosa are there. Some of them have so much stuff that they'll be taking it back by carriage instead of train. If we caught some on the road... we could take their earnings."

"And in the process expose that we are here," said Shroud.

"Well we don't leave any witnesses, obviously." Toxic rolled his eyes, then shrugged, "Could be fun, even."

"Then they'd send out search parties to find the killers," said Shroud, "That could be even worse."

"Party pooper," grunted Toxic.

"How about Twilight's teleports," Shroud suggested.

"What about my teleports?" asked Twilight.

"Teleport the wagon and remains," Shroud stated simple. "No one will find them in the badlands before they're eaten by something."

Twilight felt herself get sick at the talk of murder and disposing of bodies. She couldn't believe she was even considering this. Was she willing to become the very creature they thought she was in order to get Rainbow out? Was this worth it?

Rainbow was the only friend that had stood by her, and the only one that loved her, or that she loved.

"I... I... let's do it."